Dhaka: Observing that one of its long-term policies in South Asia is to ensure that terrorism is dealt with a tough hand, the United States today (Sep 14, 2004) said that India, Bangladesh and Pakistan should cooperate in fighting the menace in the region.

"I support the idea that Bangladesh, India and Pakistan should discuss the issue (terrorism) to fight terrorism in South Asia," US Deputy Assistant Secretary for South Asia Torkel L Patterson told reporters in Dhaka on the sidelines of a meeting with members of American Chamber in Bangladesh.

He said the long-term US policy in South Asia was to make huge investments, strengthen democratic practices and ensuring that terrorism was dealt with a tough hand.

Patterson reiterated Washington's concern about the acts of violence in Bangladesh in recent days, including the attack on British envoy to Dhaka Anwar Choudhury, the seizure of huge cache of weapons in southeastern Chittagong and the grenade attack on the main Opposition Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed.

"The US was always working to strengthen the democratic practices in Bangladesh where the press is free, but democracy was yet to be free," he said.

On the findings by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding the August 21 attack on a rally of Awami League in which Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped unhurt, Patterson said the ace American detectives were here to help their Bangladeshi counterparts and no specific information was yet available.