Washington, meanwhile, will confirm if US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage will make a stopover in Bangladesh during a planned South Asia and Middle-East tour between November 4 and 12, according to sources.

No specific date for Patterson's visit has been given at the moment.

During his visit in September, Patterson had warned that Bangladesh risks derailing from the democratic path unless both the government and the opposition parties work together to resolve present crisis.

He had also said that the two largest political parties, ruling BNP and main opposition Awami League, should not take democracy for granted and that being the head of government, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia should arrange a dialogue between them in the interest of democracy.

"This is a country where political parties fight over who would sleep in the master bed room at a time when the whole house has caught fire and is burning," Patterson had said in an address at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel on September 14.

Patterson had also expressed serious concerns over the August 21 grenade attacks on the Awami League and the May 21 grenade attack in Sylhet on British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury. "This must not be allowed to repeat," he had said at the same press briefing.

He also lamented that none of the attackers of the August 21 grenade attack had been arrested till then after a meeting with AL chief Sheikh Hasina at her residence on September 13.

Patterson was also quoted by Saber Hossain Chowdhury, political secretary to the AL chief, as saying on the same day that one of the biggest hurdles is that the government is in its characteristic denial mood in terms of presence of extremist and militant groups in the country, who use violence as a tool for furthering their objectives.

He may also bring up the issue of a possible US-Bangladesh joint working group on counter-terrorism, on which he had said, "We can talk about doing that...It's a good idea from both of us."

The US embassy here meanwhile said that Armitage 'will travel to South Asia and the Near East from November 4-12, 2004. The Deputy Secretary will discuss a wide range of issues with officials at each stop, including bilateral relations, regional issues, the global war on terrorism, and supporting Iraq's reconstruction and transition to democracy'.

But the possibility of Armitage visiting Bangladesh could only be confirmed by Washington, the sources added.