Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday erased worries over the emergence of a possible third force, saying its initiators' criticism of the ruling coalition's failures firmed up the two-year anti-government stance of the main opposition party.

The reaction came after some AL leaders expressed worries that the third force, thought to be in the making, might turn into an extraconstitutional power.

"There is nothing to worry about, but we all should be careful," an AL leader quoted Hasina as telling a meeting of its central working committee in Dhaka.

Many AL leaders, joining the meeting, sounded sceptic about any quick development in the concept of a third force by former president and founding secretary general of the BNP Badruddoza Chowdhury and Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain.

Without mentioning any country by name, some AL leaders hinted that those finding their interests not served by the AL or BNP became active to shape a third force in Bangladesh.

The meeting, chaired by Hasina, ran four hours before an afternoon interval at 2:45pm and sat again after evening to lay out strategies for an anti-government movement.

Most central AL leaders opted for launching an immediate movement against the coalition, but some underscored disciplining the AL itself and wrapping up formation of fresh committees at thana and district levels.

Yesterday's meeting also endorsed the new committee of AL's Habiganj district unit and took up the issues of internal feuds.

The probe report on godfather-famed former AL lawmaker Joynal Hazari was not discussed at the meeting until early last night.