Regardless of the restriction on her movement, Hasina stepped out in public for the first time yesterday as she went to see the body of deceased AL leader Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan in a city hospital in the morning.

In the evening security officials tightened the restriction on Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and also on the visitors who went to Sudha Sadan to meet her. The law enforcers did not let some senior AL leaders into Sudha Sadan yesterday.

The AL chief was scheduled to visit the Bangabandhu Memorial building on Road No 32 of Dhanmondi, where most of her family members had been assassinated, and also her ailing aunt's residence in Gulshan, but she had to cancel the programme due to the restriction, party sources said.

Hasina's personal assistant Dr Hasan Mahmud told The Daily Star that the law enforcers restricted almost all the senior leaders from going inside Sudha Sadan. Although police have been saying that there is a restriction, they did not notify the AL chief about it officially, he said.

Intelligence sources said they have government directives to bar everyone from meeting Hasina, except her 'close relatives'. Talking to The Daily Star members of different intelligence agencies said the AL president is going to meet the fate of the BNP chairperson.

Hasina's hitherto bitter political rival BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been virtually confined in her cantonment residence for almost four months now. The High Court on Sunday asked the caretaker government to explain the restriction on Khaleda within four weeks.

Similarly only the close relatives of Hasina, whom the government will give permission, will be allowed to visit Sudha Sadan, according to the intelligence sources who added that within a couple of days, Hasina, who widely criticised the present government on various issues, will be put in virtual confinement or house arrest.

Another source said Hasina will be needing clearances from security officials to come out of her residence.

As part of the restrictions, police yesterday evening barred AL Joint General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, and two other AL leaders -- BM Mozammel Haque and former lawmaker Motahar Hossain -- from going into Sudha Sadan.

The law enforcers last night even kept AL's senior presidium members Zillur Rahman and Suranjit Sengupta, General Secretary Abdul Jalil, and AL Advisory Council Member Maj Gen (retd) Subid Ali Bhuiyan waiting for about 10 minutes before letting them inside Sudha Sadan.

Police also barred AL Presidium Member Motia Chowdhury and former education minister and AL Advisory Council Member ASHK Sadique from going into Sudha Sadan last night after having them wait at the security post 200 yards off the residence for about half an hour.

Earlier in the morning police did not let AL Organising Secretary Sultan Mohammad Mansur Ahemd, and some other mid-level AL leaders go into Sudha Sadan.

As the AL chief went to pay her last respects to AL leader Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan who had died in the early hours of yesterday in Lab Aid Cardiac Hospital in the capital, a few hundred people including the hospital staff rushed to have a glimpse of the leader who had been away for 52 days in the US and UK. That was her first public appearance since her return from London on Monday.

Bhuiyan, a former commissioner of ward No 48 of Dhaka City Corporation, suffered a heart attack on Monday and was taken to the hospital.

Hasina stayed there for half an hour from 11:00am. Senior leaders of the party Abdur Razzak, Suranjit Sengupta, Tofail Ahmed, Abdul Mannan and Dr Hassan Mahmud were also present.