Bangladesh Ambassador to Kuwait Nazrul Islam Khan yesterday told the BBC they would press for negotiation once a communication with the kidnappers is established.

The Iraq militants, who abducted the 44-year-old Bangladeshi on Thursday along with his Sri Lankan colleague 60 kilometres away from Baghdad while transporting supplies to a US military base, are yet to make any demand for his release.

"We are not aware of any demand of the abductors. We do not have any soldiers in Iraq to rescue him," Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan told reporters before flying off to New Delhi at Zia International Airport yesterday.

"We are a poor country. If they ask for ransom, we may not be able to pay it even. We hope, they will release him considering these factors," he said.

Morshed, however, vowed to do whatever it is required for release of Faruk, who has been living in Kuwait for the last seven years.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Red Crescent Society also got involved with the rescue effort after Dhaka appealed to these organisations, which have good contacts in Iraq, Foreign Secretary Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury told private television channel ntv yesterday.

He said as far as the government's record is concerned there should be no Bangladeshi working in Iraq.

The Bangladesh Ambassador to Kuwait, meanwhile, met with envoy of Philippines there to get to know how a Filipino hostage secured release from the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI) recently.

Ambassador Nazrul inquired about the nature of negotiations and the ways to communicate with IAI, Foreign Ministry Director General of External and Publicity Wing Zahirul Haque told reporters yesterday.

The Filipino hostage was released after the Philippine government fulfilled conditions set by IAI.