The assurance was given when United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met the prime minister in New York on September 15.

Briefing diplomatic correspondents here on Monday, Foreign Affairs Advisor Reaz Rahman said the outcome of the meeting between Khaleda Zia and Condoleezza Rice is very positive.

"No embarrassing issue was raised despite all attempts made to embarrass the prime minister and Bangladesh," he said.

Asked why the US is concerned about the next election in Bangladesh he said, "They have no substantial concern about the election, the way the opposition is claiming it will not be fair. The prime minister repeatedly assured that there should be no concern."

Reaz Rahman informed that during the meeting Khaleda invited Rice to visit Dhaka and there is a good possibility that Rice will.

Rice told the PM that she would be delighted to come to Dhaka. "We will work out the dates for the visit," the foreign affairs advisor added.

Rice told Khaleda that Bangladesh and the US have "an extremely good relation" based on the two countries' "shared commitment to democracy". "Rice recognised Bangladesh as an important Muslim country with an established practice of democracy," Reaz said.

Rice said the US government is ready to help Bangladesh and work together to fight against terrorism.

Asked if any specific issue was discussed, Reaz Rahman said, "There was a mutual expression of support to each other." Bangladesh's response to hurricane Katrina was well received by the US administration.

On the possibility of President Bush's visit to Bangladesh while on a trip to the region, Reaz said there is a standing invitation from the PM for the US president. "Let's see how this can be worked out," Reaz said.

The foreign affairs advisor said there was an orchestrated campaign by the opposition and several attempts were made by the Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad--like the US senators' letter to Rice or the legal notice by a US lawyer--to embarrass the PM, but they did not succeed.

He said the US congressmen's letter to Rice was just an internal communication between the congressmen and the secretary of state, but it had no impact on the US government. The US administration had not taken any cognisance of that.

On why Khaleda Zia did not attend the seminar of the Clinton Global Initiative, Reaz Rahman said she was very busy for the summit declaration and bilateral meetings on September 15, also the date of the seminar.

He said the PM wanted to attend the former US president's programme on the sidelines of the UN Summit, but she could not make it. Many leaders, including Sonia Gandhi of India and French President Jacques Chirac, also did not attend the programme, Reaz added.

He said the PM's meetings with Senator Hillary Clinton and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf also could not take place because of Hillary's business and time constraint.

Pakistan later wanted to shift the meeting venue but it was not possible for the PM to go to another venue due to time constraint, he said.

The PM, however, had bilateral meetings with the presidents of Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Mozambique and the prime minister of Thailand. Bilateral as well as regional and international issues of common interest were discussed at the meetings.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia had returned home in the early hours of Monday after attending the 60th United Nations General Assembly session in New York. Senior ministers and state ministers, Dhaka City Corporation mayor, diplomats and high civil and military officials received the PM at the Zia International Airport.