"They are the patrons of the serial blasts as they don't want good relations between Bangladesh and China. That's why the incident occurred when Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was on a visit to Beijing," Jamaat Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami said yesterday.

Nizami, also industries minister, was addressing a press conference at the Jamaat central office in the capital.

He declined to directly blame the government when journalists questioned about the failure of the government and intelligence agencies in averting the attacks.

He however admitted questions have arisen in the public mind about the role of the country's intelligence agencies.

Jamaat leaders at the conference categorically denied their involvement in the blasts as alleged by the main opposition Awami League (AL).

They rather pointed an accusing finger at a mid-ranking AL leader, who is a close relative of Sheikh Abdur Rahman, spiritual leader of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

"Accusing the Jamaat of any terrorist activities in the country is an Awami culture," observed Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed, Jamaat secretary general and minister for social welfare.

The Jamaat leaders also slammed the AL for what they said was conducting propaganda against Bangladesh in foreign land.

"The Jama'atul Mujahideen is a baseless and name-only organisation and we don't know any of them," Nizami said when asked whether Abdur Rahman was once a follower of Jamaat as reported in some newspapers.

He said Jamaat-e-Islami is a democratic organisation and has no involvement in any sort of fanaticism. "It believes in lawful movement".

The Jamaat leaders alleged Mosad constituted a number of 'Islamic' organisations and is helping them for running terrorist activities so that Jamaat can be blamed.

The main objective of such terrorism is to create a ground and provoke international community for a crackdown on Bangladesh, they pointed out.

Nizami observed terrorism is an international problem and it should be resolved by political means.

He also criticised and condemned the statement by Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Veena Sikri in the wake of the blasts.

According to Jamaat, Veena in a statement to an Indian TV channel said, "Those who wanted to establish Islamic rule conducted the bomb attacks in Bangladesh."

"The Indian high commissioner assumed responsibility for the bomb blasts by issuing such a statement," Nizami alleged.

The Jamaat leaders saw five reasons behind the August 17 attacks -- to destroy the constitutional and democratic system in Bangladesh; topple the alliance government and break the unity among Islamic groups; foil the upcoming Saarc summit; present Bangladesh as a terrorist country to create grounds for outside intervention; and destroy economic prosperity and foreign investment in the country.

Jamaat also demanded proper investigation into the blasts, identification of the culprits and exemplary punishment of them.