This is Burns' first visit to Bangladesh since he was appointed under secretary on March 17 this year to oversee US policy in each region of the world.

Bilateral relations with the US have greatly improved in recent years and the regular visits of important US officials, including Nicholas Burns, is a clear reflection of strengthening of ties between Bangladesh and the US, said Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan.

Talking to reporters at his office yesterday, Khan said, "We will review the entire range of bilateral issues during the meeting with the US under secretary."

On a question about the attack on the Ahmadiyya area at Brahmanbaria ahead of the visit of a US under secretary, he said despite some destabilising factors, the government will not deviate from its avowed policy of maintaining religious harmony in Bangladesh.

"There is no majority or minority concept in terms of religion in Bangladesh. We believe all people of this country--irrespective of their beliefs--are equal," he added.

The foreign ministry sources said Burns will arrive at the Zia International Airport from Kolkata at 11:50am. Additional Foreign Secretary Major (Retd) Khairuz-zaman will receive him at the airport.

During the near-20-hour visit, Burns will meet with the foreign minister and pay courtesy call on Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in the afternoon.

He is also due to meet with leaders of political parties and members of the civil society in Dhaka. In absence of Leader of the Opposition and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, Burns will meet with her Political Secretary Saber Hossain Chowdhury. He will depart tomorrow morning.

The US embassy in Dhaka, however, remained silent about Burns' meetings with the political leaders and members of the civil society.

The under secretary, who is now on this short tour, first flew to London on June 21 and met his counterparts from the UN Security Council permanent member states and others to discuss UN reforms.

He also met with his counterparts from Japan and Australia as part of the US-Japan-Australia strategic dialogue. On June 23, Burns accompanied Secretary Condoleezza Rice at the G-8 foreign ministers' meetings.

Burns then travelled to New Delhi where he met with senior government officials and political leaders and discussed developments in the US-Indian strategic partnership prior to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Washington visit.

As an under secretary, Nicholas Burns is responsible for integrating political, economic, global, and security issues into the United States' bilateral relationships. There are six geographically defined bureaus and one functional bureau that report to the under secretary--bureaus for Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, the Near East, South Asia, the Western Hemisphere and International Organisations.

Prior to his current assignment, Burns was US permanent representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) where he headed the combined State-Defense Department US Mission to Nato during the Alliance's new missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.