French clowns are to tour Bangladesh to try to bring some cheer to deprived children in the impoverished South Asian country, tour organisers said in Dhaka Saturday.

An eight-member Clowns Sans Frontiers (CSF) team, led by juggler and comedian Jean-Benoit Mollet, is expected in Dhaka on Tuesday, said Marjorie Unal, of French non-governmental organisation Street Children Partners-Bangladesh.

"This the first visit by Clowns Sans Frontiers (CSF) to Bangladesh and they will perform in several cities for deprived children," Unal told AFP.

"During their 16-day tour they will try to give some moments of joy to the children."

Unal's organisation provides housing, education and medical aid to Dhaka's street children.

CSF, set up in 1994, has some 450 professional artistes who have undertaken 47 missions in the past 10 years, presenting 510 shows for 200,000 people, mostly children, in different parts of the world.

Among the countries and places they have visited are--Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Nicaragua, Gaza and the West Bank in the Middle East, India and Afghanistan.