06 June 2004	Sunday	17 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

DHAKA, June 5: US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit on Saturday, has made no formal request to Bangladesh government to send troops to Iraq, Foreign Minister Morshed Khan and the American Ambassador in Dhaka told journalists.

The issue of sending Bangladeshi troops to US-occupied Iraq came 'only casually' during the official talks between Mr Rumsfeld and Mr Khan, they said at a press conference.

Some 5000 people from both Islamist and left political parties paraded the city streets heavily guarded by police and para-military BDR forces on riot gear, on Saturday afternoon when Rumsfeld arrived in Dhaka.

Angry protestors set the US national flag on fire to protest against 'American aggression across the world', especially in the Middle East.