DHAKA, Oct 31: The Bangladesh Army will start destroying about 200,000 anti-personnel landmines from Tuesday, a senior defence official said on Sunday.

"We will start destroying the landmines on Tuesday, a move taken under a treaty with the United Nations as part of an international campaign for landmine ban and," said the army officer.

The anti-personnel landmines have already been gathered at an army firing range near the Gazipur cantonment where the process would begin at a ceremony to be attended by local and foreign guests.

Bangladesh is the first country in South Asia to start destroying anti-personnel mines. Canada will bear the expenditure.