"The militants were trying to destabilise the country's peaceful atmosphere [by] giving misleading interpretation of Islam," he said at a press briefing in New York on Thursday.

Babar told the journalists that he had held important bilateral discussions with high US officials, including Director of the National Intelligence (DNI) John D Negroponte, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs of the Department of State Nicholas R Burns, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Robert S Mueller and Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Richard A Boucher.

Success in combating terrorism, US cooperation in the next general elections and economic development of Bangladesh were on the discussion agenda with the US officials.

The US officials thanked Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and her government for combating terrorism in Bangladesh within a short period of time.

During the talks, Burns said that the US government wishes to see timely holding of the next general elections in Bangladesh as per the constitutional provisions.

The US government would provide training and intelligence support to the Bangladesh police and its security forces, he added.

Replying to a question, Babar said Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities have been living in harmony and enjoying their full religious rights in Bangladesh.

At a discussion organised by Bangladeshi expatriates on Thursday evening, Babar said that the pre-condition of development is to ensure safety and security of people.

The state minister said the alliance government is pledged to eliminate terrorism and by eliminating terrorism, this government has brightened the image of Bangladesh at home and abroad.

President of the US-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce Gias Ahmed chaired the discussion. Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Akhter Ahmed, Consul General of Bangladesh in New York Quazi Imtiaz Hossain and expatriates Abdul Latif Samrat, Belal Mahmud, Solaiman Bhuiyan, Mostafa Kamal Pasha Babul and Anwar Islam were present among others.

Babar said that the alliance government took elimination of terrorism as a major challenge from day one and to combat terrorism it has formed the Rapid Action Battalion with members from the Army, Navy, Air Force and police.

The state minister added that the police have been modernised with modern weapons and vehicles and they have been provided with modern training for enhancing their professional skills.

He assured the expatriates by saying that they need not worry about their visit to Bangladesh since the scenario has now been changed and the culture of extortion has been ended.

Babar said the four-party alliance took a no tolerance stand on terrorism and 'state patronised terrorism' in the country does not exist any longer.

"The country's south-western region was once a safe haven of terrorists, but they [terrorists] were successfully eliminated. The terrorists were brought to justice," he said.

Referring to the bombers, Babar said, "We have been able to smash the organisational backbone of them."

The country's Islamic scholars have termed the so-called islamist militants' activities as anti-Islamic and about two and a half thousand Imams in their 'Khutba' raised their voices against the activists of Jama' atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), he added.

The state minister said that arount 700 top leaders of the JMB were arrested and 29 of them have already been sentenced to death. These measures have been lauded across the world and the law and order situation of the country is much better than any time in the past.