Awami League (AL) yesterday demanded that the caretaker government arranges coordinated treatment for its detained chief Sheikh Hasina, by forming a medical team comprising her personal physicians and physicians from Square Hospital.

It also demanded that the government sends her to the US for treatment soon, heeding to the recommendations of the physicians.

"We think that the government will take initiatives to send her abroad for her ear treatment on humanitarian grounds," Acting AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told journalists after a joint meeting of the party's presidium members and organising secretaries in Sheikh Hasina's political office in Dhanmondi of the capital.

The meeting, with Acting AL President Zillur Rahman in the chair, observed that the government has been dilly-dallying over Hasina's treatment.

Reacting to the home adviser's remarks that Hasina's personal physicians are 'partisan' and that the government cannot take any initiative based on recommendations from partisan doctors, the AL leader said, "Doctors cannot be partisan, they are duty-bound to serve patients."

The meeting also observed that the military backed caretaker government lacks coordination and skills in dealing with price hikes of essentials, and that the government is not serious at all in running the country.

Ashraf said when they sent a letter to the chief adviser's office, it was received by a 'mere messenger'.

"Although there are a number of officials in the chief adviser's office, you won't find anyone even willing to receive a phone call when he [CA] goes overseas. So one might say this government is not serious about ruling the country," said Ashraf.

The meeting called upon the government to take immediate measures to bring the prices of essentials within the peoples reach, and apprehended that the country might face a serious problem otherwise.

The meeting observed that the Election Commission (EC) has failed to deal effectively with the controversies surrounding its invitation to BNP for electoral reform dialogues.

In a bid to strengthen the party organisation, AL decided to exchange views with the leaders of all districts and different municipality unit leaders, which is to start after March 26. The meeting also asked the acting general secretary to establish coordination between front organisations and the party.

Observing that the party's unity has been badly hampered due to provocative slogans by some party workers against a few 'reformist' leaders recently, it asked all party members to bring discipline to the ranks for maintaining unity.

AL protested the government's denial to let Sector Commanders' Forum hold their planned national convention, urging the government to let the forum hold its convention, and to let it continue its battle against war criminals.

The meeting also demanded that the government observes the birthday of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with state honours, and declares the day a national holiday.

Demanding immediate withdrawal of the state of emergency and countrywide lifting of the ban on indoor politics, the meeting urged the EC to hold the parliamentary poll before local government elections.

The meeting reiterated its earlier call for starting immediately the proposed dialogues between the government and political parties.