A highly placed source said a powerful lobbyist group comprising mostly BNP sympathiser expatriates and Khaleda's well-wishers in Saudi Arabia reported to the Saudi government that she was being sent to the kingdom against her will.

They also urged the Saudi government not to have her flown into the country against her will. They also informed the Saudi government about the state of Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina in London.

The Saudi government supposedly contacted its embassy in Dhaka to enquire about the matter. However, the embassy's response to the enquiry could not be known.

The Saudi embassy now wants to know for sure if Khaleda was going to Saudi Arabia willingly, the source added.

Different sources said even though the authorities completed almost all the processes, including making Khaleda agree to go into exile with her younger son and some other family members, interestingly enough, delay in getting Saudi visa held back the move to send the former prime minister abroad.

Sources said the complication over her visa for Saudi Arabia arose when it could not be determined whether she needs a pilgrimage visa for Umrah or a visa of another sort to have her sent into exile.

"Those who have been negotiating with Khaleda about her leaving the country, including her brother retired major Saeed Iskander, had a busy schedule today to resolve the complications," a source told The Daily Star yesterday. A number of her close party colleagues are keeping contacts with diplomats and extending their assistance in getting her visa and other facilities, said a party source.

Meanwhile, a foreign news agency quoting intelligence officials said Khaleda pulled back from a reported deal with the interim government to go into exile. However, sources could not confirm any such development regarding her change of mind.

"Initially Khaleda was reluctant to leave the country but she agreed to go into exile later on under tremendous pressure from the authorities and following negotiations done by her younger brother," the source said.

Basically, Khaleda changed her mind after her youngest son Arafat Rahman Koko was picked up by the joint forces during an early April 16 raid. Besides, pressure was also mounted on her through some other ways, a source said.

"Madam (Khaleda) is mentally prepared to go and she is still under pressure to go into exile," the source said.

The sources also added that the number of people who would accompany her may increase or decrease from 12, which was initially settled when almost everything was set in sending her abroad on Saturday.