Awami League central leaders Saturday flocked to the gate of the special jail to greet party chief Sheikh Hasina on her homecoming day.

Hasina came home to Dhaka on May 17, 1981, ending her self exile for years abroad.

Security measures were stepped up on Mirpur Road. The police put up barricades on the road to the special jail on the Sangsad Bhaban complex.

The barricade was taken off around 10:50am.

The police allowed only the central working committee members to enter the barricaded area.

The riot police were deployed in front of a barbed-wire fence set up before the special jail.

Speaking to police, AL presidium member Amir Hossain Amu insisted: "We won't pass flowers to Sheikh Hasina through any staffer. A jail official will have to take the flowers in."

Deputy jailor Tarekul Islam appeared on the scene after a while and received flowers and sweets.

Other AL front organisations, including Jubo League, Bangladesh Chhatra League, Mohila Awami League and Krishak League handed bouquets and sweets to jail officials. The Mohila Awami League and Jubo Mohila League chanted slogan demanding Hasina's release that time.

Many central leaders could not offer flowers due to traffic jams created by the barricade.

Another AL leader, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, told reporters: "The people won't accept a false case, filed against Sheikh Hasina."

"She should be released for the sake of the country."

Amir Hossain Amu, another presidium member, said: "We hope we will get our leader freed very soon. We will join dialogue and the elections under her leadership."

"We believe she will be released before we go for a tougher movement," he added.

Senior AL leader Abdur Razzak demanded the withdrawal of the state of emergency. "The situation will not be normal unless the election takes place."

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