"It was a courtesy call," Prime Minister's Media Adviser Sanjaya Baru said when asked about the half-an-hour-long meeting. She came to India to offer prayers at Ajmer Sharif.

Accompanied by her top aide and a former minister in her cabinet, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Hasina, who is on a five-day visit, travels to Kolkata today before returning home tomorrow.

Asked if the recent bombings and extremism came up during the meeting, Saber said Singh again expressed his condolence for the victims of the August 21 grenade attacks and enquired about Hasina's health, reports UNB.

Saber would not say if any precise political or economic issue including next general elections was discussed at the meeting.

He said, "Since the Awami League has long-standing and historic relations with the Congress Party and other Indian political parties, it is but natural in a democratic setup to meet Indian leaders," writes our Delhi correspondent.

Earlier on Thursday, Hasina told reporters in Ajmer there should be unity among India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to check increasing "external interference" in internal affairs of the developing nations.

She said if the three countries of this region wanted to combat poverty, they should boost mutual cooperation on economic issues.

She expressed "regrets" that Indo-Bangladesh relations had "declined" since the present Khaleda Zia regime came to power in her country.

Asked about charges of existence of northeastern Indian terrorist camps in Bangladesh, Hasina said, "Ask the government of Bangladesh."

She said when her party was in power, no terrorist activity was allowed against India in Bangladesh territory.

The former prime minister said she was "confident" of facing the next general elections in her country and her party would "comfortably win" the race.

Hasina, also Awami League chief, held meetings with her Indian counterpart and BJP chief LK Advani and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee yesterday.

She meets today External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh who will host a lunch in honour of her.

Hasina will also meet West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and former chief minister Jyoti Basu in Kolkata tomorrow.

UNB adds: Quoting diplomatic sources, the Statesman said Hasina's visit, before the Saarc summit in Bangladesh in November, is significant in view of New Delhi's efforts to mend fences with Dhaka following some progress in the water-sharing talks between the two countries and a little thaw in border related disputes.