Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday offered munajat at three shrines in Sylhet before formally starting her election campaign today with the announcement of her party's election manifesto.

Hundreds of supporters standing on the two sides of city streets with colourful banners and festoons and party symbol boat and chanting slogans welcomed the AL chief on her way to the shrines

SEE PAGE 2 COL 8 Hasina visits

FROM PAGE 1

of Hazrat Shah Jalal, Hazrat Shah Paran and Hazrat BurhanuddinShah

Hasina entered the Shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal at 12:35pm amid tight security and spent there about half an hour to offer prayer before visiting the shrines of Shah Paran and Burhanuddin Shah.

After lunch she exchanged views and greetings with the local party leaders at the district circuit house.

AL Presidium member Suranjit Sengupta, Advisory Committee member Abul Mal Abdul Muhith and former whip Abdus Shahid accompanied Hasina at the circuit house.

Media men were not allowed to cover Hasina's address to the local leaders.

Earlier, Hasina was welcomed at some 25 spots in Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Kishoreganj, Brahmanbaria, Habiganj, Moulvibazar and Sylhet on her way to the city of shrines.

During the long journey Hasina took a nearly one-hour stop at the rest house of Manikpur gas field in Habiganj where she talked to several candidates of the upcoming parliamentary election.

At places like Rupganj in Narayanganj. Shayestaganj in Habiganj and Sherpur in Moulvibazar, Hasina's convoy had to slow down because of thousands of cheering people. The AL chief waved at the crowd through the car window.

She left the circuit house at 5:00pm for Dhaka.

Hasina will formally declare her party's election campaign at Hotel Sheraton at 10:00am today by announcing the AL election manifesto.