Plans began to take shape under Tanjim Sohel Taj who was briefly a junior minister in charge of home affairs. He is son of the country's first prime minister Tajuddin Ahmed and resigned some weeks ago.

Under a new minister Shamsul Haq Tuku, a high level committee has resumed 'innovative initiatives to make people aware about the destructive nature of extremism', the newspaper said.

The initiatives include holding campaigns, screening documentaries, training imams and organising anti-militancy campaigns at madrassas.

Another aspect of the drive is to involve unemployed youths in various development works.

Religious educational institutions will be closely monitored to ensure that they do not propagate extremist ideas through sermons, training and literature.

The committee involves intelligence agencies and the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) that, along with the army, has been engaged in nabbing militant outfits.

Bangladesh has a list of 29 outfits, four of which were banned under international pressure in 2005.

Media reports say they have been regrouping and expanding their network, using dried riverbeds and forests in remote areas.

'Militancy has now become a social problem that cannot be contained by only RAB or police or journalists,' said RAB's intelligence wing director Commander M.A.K. Azad. 'This needs an all-out socio-political drive.'