"Never before in our history has the country seen such a security arrangement," said Bangladesh national police chief Abdul Kaiyum.

The leaders of the six visiting SAARC countries -- Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka -- were due to arrive in Dhaka Friday for the two-day summit.

Bangladesh's elite President's Guards Regiment took over security at the capital's airport earlier in the week.

The Rapid Action Battlion security force has been deployed along the road from the airport and road blocks erected on routes approaching the summit venues.

"It's almost like curfew because we don't want to leave anything to chance," said one police officer.

The heavy security follows two series of bombs blasts in August and October linked to a group demanding the implementation of Islamic law. Five people were killed and dozens injured.

Last week police launched a crackdown on Dhaka's beggars and vagrants, who officers said were being temporarily detained at rehabilitation centres as part of SAARC security preparations.

Police feared they could be used for "criminal purposes" by anyone seeking to disrupt the summit.

The meeting was meant to take place from January 9-11 but was cancelled after last December's Asian tsunami disaster.

Rescheduled for February, it was postponed again at the last minute after India pulled out, citing security concerns.

SAARC was founded in 1985 to forge economic solidarity and boost living standards among the region's 1.4 billion people.

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