01 August 2004	Sunday	14 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

DHAKA, July 31: Bangladesh has rejected a recent Saudi Arabian request to send troops to Iraq, a foreign office spokesman in Dhaka said on Saturday.

Saudi foreign minister Saud al-Faisal recently had an informal meeting in Riyadh with diplomats from seven Muslim countries including Bangladesh, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and requested the envoys to consider sending troops to Iraq, the foreign office sources said.

The diplomats, including that of Bangladesh, responded negatively to the request and suggested that the issue be raised at forums like the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League, the foreign office sources claimed.

"We have time and again said that we will not send our troops unless under the command of the United Nations," the foreign ministry spokesman in Dhaka said on Saturday. "There is no reason to change the stance yet."