Three opposition parties in Bangladesh have announced an alliance to try to force the government to decare an early election.

The parties involved -- the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the Jatiya Party and the Jamati Islami Party -- say they'll boycott forthcoming local elections and organise street demonstrations unless a number of demands are met.

They include the removal of the chief election commissioner, Abu Hena, whom the opposition accuse of favouring the governing Awami League.

Correspondents describe the formationof the opposition as a surprise.

Up until now, two of the opposition leaders, Begum Khaleda Zia and Hossein Mohammed Ershad, have been intense rivals.