McKinnon met Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina on Thursday as part of his ongoing interaction with Bangladesh's political leaders.

Hasina will return home on May 7 by Etihad Airlines, sources said. The plane is supposed to land at the Zia International Airport around 4:00pm.

Earlier, the Commonwealth secretary-general visited Bangladesh in March and emphasised the need for holding credible elections in Bangladesh as soon as possible during his meetings with caretaker government representatives and political parties.

According to a press release available on the Commonwealth Secretariat website, McKinnon stressed that the caretaker government must keep the people of Bangladesh informed.

"In this context, he called for the government to put out a roadmap leading up to inclusive and credible elections. Since then the government has committed itself to elections no later than the end of 2008," said the press release.

In his discussions with Hasina, McKinnon reaffirmed the Commonwealth's support for elections and the return to parliamentary government in Bangladesh as expeditiously as possible.

He also recognised that there were issues that needed to be addressed in organising these elections and ensuring a sustainable democracy in Bangladesh.

McKinnon stressed the Commonwealth's readiness to assist Bangladesh in every possible way in the electoral process.

Hasina told McKinnon that the caretaker government and the Election Commission (EC) have said they need 18 months to prepare the voter list but it is too long a time for holding the next election.

AL Assistant Secretary for international affairs' sub-committee Abdus Sobhan Golap, who is accompanying Hasina in London, informed The Daily Star last night over telephone of Hasina's conversation with the Commonwealth secretary-general.

Hasina said the EC could have initiated either updating the voter roll or preparing of the voter identity cards in six divisional headquarters as pilot projects by this time.

She urged McKinnon to take measurers so that the caretaker government and the EC shorten the 18-month time for holding the election. Hasina also urged him to send election observers to Bangladesh to watch the EC activities to increase its transparency.

Golap said the overall political situation of Bangladesh came up in the meeting and Hasina alleged that those who are speaking of reforms are not defining the content of it.

McKinnon wanted to know if Hasina might face any complications after returning home. In reply, Hasina firmly said she must return to her people and face any consequences, including the "false and fabricated" charges against her.

AL LEADERS HOLD MEETING
Senior AL leaders meanwhile held a meeting last night at General Secretary Abdul Jalil's Gulshan residence.

Talking to The Daily Star, some of the leaders however said they went to see Jalil as he returned home from Singapore after a medical check-up.

Sources said the leaders discussed different aspects of Hasina's return including giving her a mass reception although senior leaders did not reach a consensus over it.

Sources said Jalil talked to an influential adviser of the caretaker government about Hasina's homecoming and conveyed him the decision that only leaders of the party's central working committee will be present at the airport to receive her.

The adviser set a few guidelines for the AL leaders including restriction on chanting party slogans and mass gathering. Later, Jalil conveyed the message to Hasina, the sources added.

Hasina will be directly taken to her Sudha Sadan residence from the airport.

AL leaders Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Syed Ashraful Islam, Mukul Bose, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Abdul Mannan, Abdul Mannan Khan and Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin were present at the meeting.