Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury Wednesday lauded UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for setting up the high-level Task Force on global food crisis, as Dhaka is very pleased that the world body has responded to Bangladesh''s wake-up call, reports agnency.

"We are in touch with his office and will provide him fullest support," the Foreign Adviser said to the media at his office Wednesday, a day after the UN Secretary General announced the formation of the Task Force in Berne, Switzerland, in response to his call made in Accra on behalf of the Least Developed Countries (LDC).

As the current LDC Chair, Dr Iftekhar Chowdhury, who attending the 12th UNCTAD Conference in Accra, presided over a meeting of LDC Ministers on April 19, where he appealed to the UN Secretary General to form a taskforce to reduce and stabilize global food prices.

Following up his call, Dr Iftekhar Chowdhury wrote a letter to the Secretary General on April 27, underscoring the need for an urgent action. He urged the UN chief executive to provide special attention to countries facing the twin shocks of high oil and food prices.

The Foreign Adviser also proposed that the international community must come forward with additional financial resources to support the least developed countries meet the present challenge.

The LDC appeal resulted in the Berne meeting of heads of key UN agencies, the World Bank and WTO. The UN Secretary General himself will chair the taskforce. Ban Ki-moon recognized the need for fully funding the World Food Programme to deliver food to millions of poor people in Asia and Africa.