"We look forward to doing everything necessary for a free and fair election here," Boucher told Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina during an hour-long meeting at her Sudha Sadan residence in the capital.

Briefing the newsmen, he said he has made it clear to Hasina, also president of Awami League (AL), that the US wants the next election in Bangladesh to be free and fair.

"We are interested in the electoral process, not the outcome," said the US assistant secretary adding that his country will not favour any political party in the upcoming parliamentary election. He said he hopes that every party and candidate will be able to contest the election freely while the voters will cast their votes without coercion.

Hopefully, the desire of the people will be reflected in the election results, he observed.

The US Ambassador in Dhaka Patricia A Butenis accompanied Boucher in the meeting attended also by AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil, party leaders Kazi Zafarullah MP, Syed Abul Hossain, former ambassador Ziauddin and Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy.

The assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia said they have discussed a range of issues with the AL chief and listened to her party's views on issues including the current political situation, militancy, and corruption.

At the meeting, the AL called for international investigations into all blast incidents, militancy and the killings of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria and AL lawmaker Ahsanullah Master.

The main opposition party also demanded that an international team interrogate the detained militant kingpins.

The opposition leaders said they have told Boucher that the BNP-Jamaat alliance has long been sheltering the militants of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh and will again use them during the caretaker government rule.

Speaking with the journalists, AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil said, "We told them (US assistant secretary and ambassador in Dhaka) that we have placed the proposals for electoral reforms because we want the elections to be held in a free and fair manner."

He said they also told them that the government had a hand in the August 21 grenade attacks on an AL rally, which they said, was an attempt on the life of Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina told Boucher that reforms and reconstitution of the Election Commission after resignation of the chief election commissioner (CEC) are essential for it to function independently.

UNB adds: US Assistant Secretary of State yesterday met the bereaved members of Kibria family at their Dhanmondi residence and assured them that his country is with them to ensure justice for the assassination of the former finance minister.

Boucher stayed there for about 45 minutes and enquired about the state of the Kibria murder case. He stressed that all political killings should have fair trial in the interest of democratic process in Bangladesh.

He told reporters that he also discussed the necessity of keeping political violence out of the electoral process to stop recurrence of tragic incidents like that of Kibria's death.

After the meeting, Asma Kibria, wife of SAMS Kibria, told reporters that Boucher has conveyed to her that the US government will try its best to make sure that the killers of Kibria are brought to book.

Reza Kibria, son of the slain AL lawmaker, said Boucher told them that the US government is following the developments in the Kibria murder case.