A highly placed source in BNP on condition of anonymity told The Daily Star yesterday that the prime minister (PM) had a lengthy meeting with the former president and his wife Roushan Ershad MP at the Prime Minister's Office.

PM's eldest son also BNP Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman, and PM's Political Secretary M Harris Chowdhury were also present at the meeting that lasted till evening.

During the meeting, they mostly discussed future electoral alliance and the prime minister asked Ershad to join the BNP-led alliance and to contest in the next general election so that Awami League cannot come to power.

Meeting sources said Ershad promised not to join the Awami League-backed coalition or the alliance formed by former president Prof B Chowdhury and Dr Kamal Hossain.

However, Ershad put forward some demands including a demand for not to harass him in connection with the cases pending against him, and special budgetary allocation for greater Rangpur. He also demanded that the prime minister helps him solve a problem he is facing regarding his residence in Gulshan in the capital, which the government had allotted to him during his regime.

Sources said recently he received a notice from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripaksha (Rajuk) informing him that the house will be auctioned off due to his failure to make mortgage payments on the house.

Meeting sources said the PM gave Ershad the assurance that she will look into the demands placed by the former president, but asked him not to have alliance with Awami League or any other alliances that may affect BNP's chance in the next general election.

Ershad however told journalists that he and his wife met the PM for solely personal reasons. He also said despite the fact that the corruption case against him in connection with Janata Tower in the capital is currently under trial at the higher court, a notice for confiscation of his Gulshan residence was issued.

"Earlier, Rajuk had sent a letter cancelling the allotment of the house. We informed the prime minister that the whole thing is an injustice to us and requested her to take steps against the move. She instructed the public works minister to look into the matter," Ershad told reporters.