DHAKA Bangladesh has banned Hizb ut-Tahrir, a controversial international Islamic group, for trying to destabilise the country, days after unidentified attackers bombed the car of a lawmaker from the ruling party.

Hizb ut-Tahrir, which officials say has been banned in at least 20 countries, topped a government list of about 10 groups suspected of plotting subversive acts in Bangladesh, Home minister Sahara Khatun said.

'It has been banned as it was carrying out anti-state, anti-government, anti-people and anti-democratic activities for long in the country,' Khatun told reporters late on Thursday.

About a dozen people were wounded this week when unknown assailants threw a bomb at the car of Fazle Noor Tapas, a member of parliament from the Awami League party of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and who is also her nephew. Tapas escaped unhurt.

Khatun said other groups suspected of subversive acts will also be prohibited, without giving details.

The London-based Hizb ut-Tahrir seeks to unite Muslims in a pan-Islamic state but says its means are peaceful. There was no immediate comment from the group in Bangladesh.

Home ministry officials said they had ordered a countrywide hunt for the perpetrators of Wednesdays attack on Tapas, in addition to stepping up security for senior politicians.

The home ministry says there are hundreds of Islamic militants operating in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh, trying to turn the country into a Sharia-based Islamic state.

Islamic militants exploded at least 500 small bombs in simultaneous attacks across Bangladesh in 2005, but their top six commanders were captured and hanged in early 2007.

Bangladesh, which follows a secular constitution, has been battling hardline Islamic groups who have carried out a campaign of violence across the country. In recent months, law enforcement agencies have seized dozens of live grenades and a huge quantity of explosives from around the country. -Reuters