DHAKA - Bangladesh's army-backed government Saturday said December 18 elections set to return democracy to the nation would be delayed after ex-premier Khaleda Zia's party threatened to boycott the polls.

Chief election commissioner A.T.M Shamsul Huda said the landmark polls, the first in the impoverished and emergency-ruled nation in seven years, would be moved to later in the month.

"The election is not going to be held on December 18. We will announce the new schedule tomorrow. The new date could be December 27, 28 or 29," Huda said.

The move is seen as a compromise to ensure the polls are perceived as credible and that all major political parties participate.

A four-party Islamist alliance, led by Zia's powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), had demanded the delay before they would take part.

The right-of-centre BNP-led alliance, which won a two-thirds majority in the last elections in 2001, also wants the interim authorities to lift a state of emergency that has been in place for almost two years.

Syed Ashraful Islam, spokesman for BNP's major rival the left-of-centre Awami League, said his camp was committed to December 18 and was not keen on a delay.

He said the Awami League would announce its position Sunday.

Since the BNP made its demands almost a week ago, government ministers have been ferrying between talks with both it and the Awami League to try and resolve the standoff.

The government announced on Wednesday it had not been able to reach a consensus with the parties and there would be no delay.

But 24 hours later Zia said the BNP would take part if the date was moved to December 28 and the emergency lifted, prompting ministers to begin talks with both sides again.

Zia also urged the government to defer nationwide district council polls by at least a month from December 28 and said the army should stay out of the political process.

Earlier Saturday, the United Nations announced it would send a high-level panel to Bangladesh to monitor the pre-election and voting process, at the request of the caretaker government.

"The panel is tasked with assessing the preparations and conduct of the elections through visits to Bangladesh before and during the elections," a spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said in a statement.

The Bangladeshi government, which came to power after a row over election fraud between the BNP and the Awami League led to widespread unrest in January 2007, has promised to restore democracy by the end of the year.

Over the past two years the government has pushed through key electoral and political reforms, including a crackdown on corruption, which saw both Zia and Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed detained for a year on graft charges.

Both women have been released on bail in deals with the government to ensure they take part in the elections.

- AFP /ls