DHAKA, Jan 11 (BSS)- President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed today said he proclaimed countrywide emergency as it became essential to keep the economy going and maintain law and order and trend of development.

In a nation-wide address broadcast by Bangladesh Betar and telecast by Bangladesh Television, President Iajuddin announced his decision to resign as the Chief Adviser of the caretaker government to hold a free and fair election to be participated by all political parties.

He said under the prevailing situation, the political parties remaining in totally opposing poles it was neither possible to achieve the goal of running the country nor to hold a free, fair and neutral election as per the expectations of the common people expect.

The President said if the activities of the two political alliances go on like this, it will obstruct development and progress of the country. Instead, he said, the country will start moving backwards.

He said peace-loving people of the country believing in development and progress do not want immense potentials of the country to be choked because of "political uncertainty."

The President said in a day or two he will constitute a new council of advisers and he himself took the decision to resign as the chief adviser to pave the way for acceptable elections with participation of all the political parties.

He said it was desirable to bring an end to the controversy that created centering the taking over of the responsibility of Chief Adviser by him in addition to Presidency has divided the country and the nation into two opposing camps.

Prof Iajuddin Ahmed said as he stepped down from the post of Chief Adviser, the senior most adviser of the present council of advisers will be in charge of the Chief Adviser.

The new interim government to be constituted, he said, will take measures for running the country by elected representatives by arranging a free, fair and acceptable election through
discussions with all concerned in shortest possible time.

President Iajuddin Ahmed said almost none of the decisions or steps taken by his caretaker government were welcomed by the political parties since he took the responsibility of Chief
Adviser on October 29.

On each and every decision, he said, if favoured one alliance was opposed by the other. On the other hand, he said, the political arena of the country witnessed a lack of peace,
discipline and tolerance.

Despite sincere efforts of the council of advisers, clashes, violence and bloody conflicts took place in the country over the past two months and a half, he said.

Many valuable lives were lost and the economy of the country suffered serious setbacks because of intolerance and violent activities of political parties, he said.

Violence already spread across the country, which, he feared, will take more serious turn. The entire nation, he said, was gripped by anxiety, unrest and uncertainty.

Peace and discipline, he said, was at stake and more or less everyone has been suffering from insecurity of life and property.

Endless hardship and sufferings made common people's day to day life a casualty, he added.

President Iajuddin Ahmed said general elections without the participation of all political parties will not be acceptable either at home or abroad.

The harsh reality is that it is not possible hold the polls within 90 days acceptable to all after preparing a flawless voter list. Already, he said, the grand alliance demanded transparent
ballot box and voter identity cards for holding the elections.

General elections being a very expensive exercise, he said, it was not possible to hold the elections more than once within a fixed term.

The President said it is for the countrymen to judge whether the leadership of the nation possessed four qualities of honesty, sincerity, sacrifice and patriotism needed to lead the nation to its potential goal of development.

"Example of a country, under correct leadership, achieving enviable level of development is there in our very continent," he added.

It is in no way possible under the existing situation that the country will be run by winners of a free, fair and neutral election as the common people of the country expect, he said.

The President said the country will face a potential disaster if the two political alliances continue to go ahead with their programmes they have taken from their diametrically opposite stand points.

The national economy, trade and export will suffer and above all lawlessness and anarchy will prevail in the country because of this, he said and added none expected a situation like this "in our beloved motherland" achieved through a bloody war in
1971.

The countrymen, the President said, are desperately looking for peace, order and security even after passage of 36 years after independence.

He said people's hopes and aspirations, peace and happiness have become a casualty because of immoral practices, mismanagement, intolerance and unbridled corruption.

In the name of democracy what's going on is nothing but undemocratic conduct, farce and deception, he said.

People do not want this state of affairs to continue any longer, he said and added that is why change must be brought about by ending this situation.

The President said the situation needs an improvement and an atmosphere must be created so that the people can live in peace and happiness. The people must be given the right and opportunity to choose an honest and competent government through free, fair
and neutral polls, he added.

"We need time," he said, "to take the necessary steps to achieve this great goal."

President Iajuddin Ahmed said the goal of his government was to create scope for the establishment of a government of the people through holding free, fair and acceptable parliamentary polls.

He said the patriotic and tested armed forces had already been deployed to restore peace and order to achieve this objective.