Ms Malik has apologised

Zaiba Malik, who is British, and Italian Bruno Sorrentino are to be deported shortly, the authorities say.

Junior Foreign Minister Riaz Rahman said the pair had agreed not to use any of the footage they had collected in Bangladesh.

They were arrested last month and accused of conspiring to portray Bangladesh as a stronghold of Islamic extremism - an allegation Channel 4 denied.

"We are incredibly relieved that they have been freed and would like to thank everyone involved in working for their release," a spokesperson for Channel 4 told BBC News Online.

'Regret'

The government of Bangladesh, in an extraordinary gesture, today agreed to deport the two Channel 4 journalists Foreign Minister Riaz Rahman

Channel 4 has said all along that Ms Malik and Mr Sorrentino were working on a general report on politics in Bangladesh.

But Mr Rahman said the pair had admitted concealing their identities and going to Bangladesh to investigate reports that al-Qaeda militants were hiding there.

"Both journalists have submitted statements expressing regret for the unfortunate situation arising since their arrival in Bangladesh," he told reporters in Dhaka.

The journalists' lawyer, Ajmalul Hossain, told the same news conference: "My clients have apologised for their act of deception and they sincerely regret any misunderstanding that their conduct may have caused."

Bangladesh strenuously denies reports it has become a haven for members of al-Qaeda, who are blamed for the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States.

Tourist visas

Ms Malik and Mr Sorrentino were arrested on 25 November trying to leave Bangladesh after filming material for a Channel 4 foreign affairs series, Unreported World.

Sorrentino: Italian based in London

They were moved to Dhaka central prison on 2 December after being refused bail. No formal charges were brought against them.

Channel 4 said the pair were openly filming "an objective report" and had notified the authorities.

But the journalists were arrested travelling on tourist visas, and told officials they were teachers, the authorities said.

Their driver and two other Bangladeshis who were working with them as interpreters were also arrested.

Their fate remains unclear.