The 11-member high-profile delegation from the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), headed by Executive Director Javier Ruperez, will be split into two separate teams to look into policy and international cooperation, as also to evaluate Bangladesh's border control facilities.

The delegation will submit a report of the provisional conclusions and propose recommendations for the Bangladeshi government and for future counter-terror cooperation.

The UN team sent over a hundred questions to the government late last year to evaluate its performance in the context of UN counter-terror resolutions and its mandate, sources say. Various government ministries are currently busy holding preparatory meetings for the visit.

The questions to the government were in relation to its counter-terror legislations and enforcement, "crossfire" deaths, the performance and operation methods of law-enforcement agencies and the military, the operation of the "underground terrorist groups", and the madrasa education system, among a host of others.

The delegation's policy and cooperation team will meet several senior officials from the foreign, law and home ministries to discuss ways to improve cross-border counter-terror cooperation, sources say.

Major points of discussion may include intelligence cooperation and possible legislative changes so as to make the local laws more in-line with UN conventions on counter-terrorism, sources say.

Standard of enforcement of existing counter-terror mechanisms is likely to be high on the delegation's agenda, sources added.

The country had previously pledged to enact a counter-terrorism law, but a draft of the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance, 2007 has been shelved at the law ministry since March this year.

The law ministry is also vetting an amendment to the Money-Laundering Act, 2002, which has already been approved, in principle, by the council of advisers.

The UN team will also look into Bangladesh's madrasa education system, particularly its curriculum, number of madrasa students, and professions pursued by madrasa graduates and what changes can be made in order to prevent the system from being used as a breeding ground for militants.

The second group of the UN delegation will visit Bangladesh's air and seaport facilities and will also evaluate ports' scanning procedures.

The visit follows the recent adoption of a global counter-terrorism strategy by the General Assembly of UN. The plan underscores the important role of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate in strengthening dialogue between the UN and countries and relevant international and regional organisations in counter-terrorism matters.