New Delhi, Feb 1, IRNA ,

Five top poll officials in Bangladesh resigned Thursday to pave the way for impartial and credible general elections under a re-constituted election commission.

Acting Chief Election Commissioner Mahfuzur Rahman and his four deputies tendered their resignation after meeting President Iajuddin Ahmed at the Bangabhaban Presidential Palace in Dhaka, a PTI report said here quoting officials.

The resignations came amid mounting pressure from the country's interim government, led by chief advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed, who wanted the election officials to quit "voluntarily."
The interim government said the re-constitution of the election commission was its "top priority" to pave the way for fresh elections.

Their resignations came nearly four weeks after former chief election commissioner M A Aziz, who was on a three-month leave, offered his resignation, which was accepted.

Aziz and another EC member, S M Zakaria, went on a long leave at the request of President Ahmed amidst protracted street campaigns by Sheikh Hasina Wajed's Awami League-led 18-party alliance which demanded removal of the "controversial" election commission members.

The alliance also demanded publication of a flawless electoral roll scrapping the one "rigged" in favor of former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led four-party combine.

The EC had formally cancelled the Jan 22 elections in line with a decision of the interim government under Fakhruddin Ahmed, who was installed after Iajuddin Ahmed stepped down as chief advisor after proclaiming a state of emergency on January 11.