He is currently in Geneva to attend a high-level ministerial conference of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

"It is an act of cowardice which all of us condemn," said Iftekhar in London, en route to the Geneva conference.

"All the members of the British-Bangladeshi community are deeply law-abiding and I know they join me in the hope and call for peace, calm and stability in this and every other society," he said in a press release issued from the Bangladesh High Commission in London.

He also said the government looks forward to working closely with the new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his cabinet.

"As is evident, these are difficult times and it is absolutely essential that our two countries, who share such common values, must coordinate over global activities to ensure a more secure and peaceful world," he added.

He hoped for a greater focus from the new government on poverty alleviation and development, as well as working through the United Nations, which he said would be helped by the appointment of former United Nations Deputy Secretary General Mark Malloch Brown to the post of State Minister for Foreign Affairs.

In Geneva, Iftekhar Chowdhury met UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and invited him to visit Bangladesh.

He also met Secretary general of UNCTAD Supachai Panitchpakdi and urged his organisation to help train Bangladeshi officials in trade negotiations and help bring more investment to the country.

"We have achieved a high level of social and political stability in Bangladesh now, and conditions are most appropriate for greater foreign investment. UNCTAD can help us achieve this, and the Secretary General assured me it would," said the foreign adviser to the media after the meeting.

Iftekhar is due to present a report on Bangladesh's development success stories at the ECOSOC conference currently in session in Geneva.