The former head of CIA counter-terrorism and now US State Department's coordinator for counter-terrorism is coming to Dhaka following the US State Department's recent observation on stronger terrorist presence in Bangladesh.

Black's visit is also seen as a follow-up of US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca's visit in May, when she noted, "Bangladesh is going off its tolerant track record," and Congressman Joseph Crowley's in January who said, "Intolerance is taking hold in some parts of Bangladesh."

Briefing a Congressional committee recently, Black hinted that the Terrorist Interdiction Programme (TIP) is in preparatory phase in Bangladesh and would be added to a memorandum of intent (MoI) signed between Washington and Dhaka during Rocca's visit.

The MoI on protecting US interests in Bangladesh saw the instalment of PISCES (Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System), a component of the TIP.

Black said in Manila last year that countries in the region should follow the US lead in 'making no concessions to terrorists', should help isolate and apply pressure on states that sponsor terrorism and force them to change their behaviour.

Sources said, besides reviewing up the government's counter-terrorism activities, Black would follow up requests a US team had made after the September 11 attacks in 2001 to enact stricter anti-money laundering laws to prevent terrorist groups from using Bangladesh as a money-transit point.

The Bush's special ambassador's visit also coincides with the presence of a FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) team to investigate the August 21 attack on an Awami League rally that killed 19 including frontline AL leader Ivy Rahman.

Black is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan, Opposition Leader Sheikh Hasina and hold a press briefing tomorrow.

Morshed, however, told The Daily Star Black's meeting with him tomorrow would be just a courtesy call. The minister said Black's trip has been planned for the last two months and is not related to last month's grenade attack.

Foreign policy experts also predict that a bilateral deal may be on the cards, as the US would certainly have interest in any attack like that on August 21 that possibly has a regional or global terrorism link.

Brig Gen (Rtd) Abdul Hafiz, former director general of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, said, "I think there is plenty of possibilities of signing of a counter-terrorism deal, as they [US] already has such agreements with India and Pakistan."

Brig Gen (Rtd) Shahidul Anam Khan also guesses a possibility of US offering assistance in intelligence and database sharing, as 'radical and Islamic fundamentalists getting a foothold in Bangladesh is a concern for the US,' and that regional and international collaboration is required to rein in terrorists.

Black will fly in from Delhi after meeting Indian intelligence officials of the Indo-US joint working group on counter-terrorism.

With terrorism on the agenda, Black's talks with the government would refer to concerns expressed in a US State Department report titled 'Terrorism in South Asia' updated on August 9. The report revived allegations of terrorist presence in the country that both Bangladesh and US governments had denied until two years ago.

The report mentioned Jemaah Islaimiya (JI), a South-East Asian terrorist outfit, to be present in Bangladesh, and it would not be possible, it said, "Without some degree of tacit agreement from the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence of Bangladesh which is thought, by some, to have close ties with ISI."

The report also said al-Qaeda had been present for long in the Rohingya refugee camps, which also are recruiting spots for terrorist outfits in Afghanistan, Kashmir and Chechnya. Adding, "Up to 150 Taliban and AL Qaeda fighters fled to Bangladesh from Afghanistan in December 2001 aboard the MV Mecca."

The report also states, without any reference, that ruling coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami supports the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation and another coalition partner Islami Oikya Jote has links with Harkat ul Jihad, a terrorist outfit.