Talking to reporters at his office yesterday, Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan confirmed the identity of the abducted truck driver. Faruk, 43, son of Abdul Hadi of Jitpur village under Sonagazi upazila of Feni, has been living in Iraq for the last seven years and worked for a Kuwaiti firm, Joshim Transport Company.

The minister said if necessary he himself would go to Baghdad to arrange for Faruk's release.

Morshed was of the opinion that as Bangladesh is opposed to the US-led invasion of Iraq the abduction of Faruk must be a case of mistaken identity on the part of the abductors.

Asked if the abductors, identified by Al Jazeera television at early morning Friday as the IAI, had asked for a ransom for Faruk, Morshed said, "We've not received any claims whatsoever from any abductors." They have not made any communication with the Bangladesh government through its missions in Jordan or Kuwait, he added.

Repeating his appeal to the abductors, the foreign minister said, "Considering that Bangladesh is in no way involved in the Iraq conflict and on behalf of his (Faruk's) family and the 140 million Bangladeshi Muslims, I appeal to those who have abducted the poor truck driver in the holy month of Ramadan to release him soon."

"Bangladesh will always be on the side of justice for Iraq and for peace to return to its people," he added.

Morshed said Dhaka would take all necessary steps to free Faruk and has already instructed its ambassadors in Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan to establish contact with the abductors and arrange for his release. He said, if such a necessity arises, he would fly straight from Delhi to Baghdad, but adding all the efforts would be taken institutionally.

Bangladesh foreign missions in all countries bordering Iraq have already contacted the Kuwaiti government, US command in Kuwait, Joshim Transport Company and various international agencies including Red Crescent and Amnesty International about the issue.

Morshed also informed that the government has instructed all Bangladeshis to leave Iraq and the embassies in Kuwait and Jordan are continuing to discourage Bangladeshi nationals to visit Iraq.

Bangladesh, the third largest Muslim-majority country, opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq and declined to send troops to Iraq without UN auspices, a request from the Iraqi people and domestic consent.

The IAI now is also holding journalists Christian Chesnot of Radio France Internationale and Georges Malbrunot of daily le Figaro who had been abducted from south of Baghdad on August 20 along with their Syrian driver, Mohammed al-Jundi.

The IAI earlier abducted and executed an Italian journalist.

Over the last few months, extremist groups have taken hostage several truckers to force their employer transport companies to quit Iraq, as the Iraqi militants accuse the firms of transporting supplies for the US occupational forces. In some cases, release of hostages was secured by paying ransoms.