Sources in the AL said Hasina, also the leader of the opposition in parliament, is likely to meet the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition LK Advani, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya before receiving the award at a ceremony at Calcutta University.

The ruling BNP views Hasina's visit to India as not only a visit to receive the award but a political pilgrimage, it instructed the Bangladesh mission there to closely monitor her programmes in New Delhi and Kolkata.

A highly placed source in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) told The Daily Star yesterday that the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata have been instructed to provide Hasina with full protocol. The source said the government has already got the itinerary of Sheikh Hasina's five-day visit to India.

Talking to The Daily Star, Hasina's political secretary, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, however said she has no meeting scheduled with top Indian leaders. "If any meeting takes place between the Indian leaders and the leader of the opposition of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, it will not be unusual during her stay in India."

Hasina's seven-member entourage includes AL Presidium Member Kazi Zafarullah MP, her Political Secretary Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Syed Abul Hossain MP, Sheikh Helal MP and former ambassador Ziauddin.

Meanwhile, an AL delegation led by its General Secretary Abdul Jalil, yesterday left for China at the invitation of the Chinese government.

The delegation members include Jubo League President Jahangir Kabir Nanok, its General Secretary Mirza Azam, Jahid Ahsan Russell MP, Dr Alauddin Ahmed MP and Nur-e-Alam Chowdhury Liton MP. Jalil's wife Rehana Jalil also accompanied him. The delegation is expected to return home on June 28.

During the absence of Hasina and Jalil, AL's Senior Presidium Member Zillur Rahman and its Joint General Secretary Obaidul Quader will act as the party's president and general secretary respectively.