She also urged them to stand beside the party activists, so that the activists do not get panicked in the prevailing political situation.

Hasina said this when a group of leaders of the AL and its front organisations met the party chief at her Sudha Sadan residence in Dhanmondi in the capital.

AL presidium member and former lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta, central committee member AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, former lawmaker Sahiduzzaman Sarker, Mohila League President Ashrafunnesa Mosharraf, Jubo Mohila League President Nazma Akhter, Women affairs Secretary Dipu Moni, Environment Affairs Secretary Hasan Mahmud, Jubo League General Secretary Apu Ukil and Rehana Jalil, wife of detained AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil, were present among others at the meeting.

Talking to the reporters after the meeting, Sahiduzzaman Sarker said, "She [Hasina] asked us to stand beside the party workers as they might be scared and disappointed due to the recent arrest of some senior party leaders."

"She asked us to inquire about how to provide legal assistance to the detained leaders, including party general secretary Abdul Jalil," Dipu Moni said.

Meanwhile, Rehana Jalil expressed concern about his detained husband, as he was ill, sources said. The AL chief expressed her sympathy to the detained leader's family and urged her to have patience.

"I came to see her [Hasina]," was the brief reply of Suranjit Sengupta, when asked about his meeting with the AL chief.

Other senior party leaders including presidium members Tofail Ahmed and Abdur Razzaq were not present at the meeting.

In the evening, Sheikh Hasina attended a milad mahfil at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi to mark the 33rd death anniversary of Sheikh Sayera Khatun, mother of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.