Workers and officials of Biman Bangladesh Airlines have besieged the national carrier's headquarters in Kurmitola demanding a pay rise in line with the pay scale declared by the government.

The staff have also confined the carrier's managing director Zakiul Islam inside his office in the Balaka Building and vandalised his private secretary's office at one point of their demonstration that started around 11am on Tuesday

The dead body of an Eden College student was found "hanging from a fan" at her in law's house.

Ashulia Police Station officer-in-charge Sirazul Islam said the body of Salma Akter Santa, 22, was recovered from her in-law's house at Savar's Jamgora in Ashulia on Saturday at around 5pm.

Shata's family - who live in the same neighborhood - has claimed that her in-law's family hung her from a ceiling fan after murdering her.

The government is planning to appoint thirteen thousand police men in December this year, state minister for home affairs Shamsul Hoque Tuku has said.

Tuku said the government also planned to appoint 32,000 police men during its tenure.

While talking with reporters in Barisal on Saturday, he added that, "The proposal to buy 1,700 cars for the police is under finance ministry's consideration now."

Water buses have started ferrying passengers on the Gabtoli-Sadarghat route in a bid to ease the traffic congestion in Dhaka city.

Shipping minister Shajahan Khan inaugurated the service at Gabtoli landing station at 11.30am on Saturday.

BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas has been shown arrested in pre-hartal violence of Jun 26.

Assistant police commissioner Mohammad Maniruzzaman told bdnews24.com that the former MP was shown arrested for vandalising a car and setting fire in a case filed with the New Market Police Station on Saturday.

A Dhaka tribunal has relieved Awami League leader HBM Iqbal, MP Nurunnabi Shaon and 12 other people from charges relating to the Malibagh quadruple murder case of 2001.

Judge Shamsun Nahar Begum of Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 gave the order on Thursday based on a recommendation of the home ministry to withdraw the case after dubbing it as a 'political harassment case'.

Main opposition BNP has alleged that the cancellation of Arafat Rahman Coco's parole is a ploy by the Awami League-led government against Zia's family, to hide their failure in ruling the country.

Khandaker Mosarraf Hossain, BNP standing committee member, made this allegation at a protest rally, at the capital's Muktangan, organised to voice the party's opposition to the cancellation of Coco's parole.

In a landmark verdict, the High Court has declared illegal the Seventh Amendment to the constitution that had legalised the autocratic regime of military strongman Hussein Muhammad Ershad.

The bench of justices A H M Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Sheikh Mohammad Zakir Hossain handed down the verdict on Thursday.

Bashundhara Group chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan alias Shah Alam was on Sunday granted bail in four cases where it is alleged he illegally took over government land.

The Bashundhara chairman sought bail after surrendering to Dhaka's Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court at around 10.30am, his lawyer Roknuzzaman Prince confirmed to bdnews24.com.

AUG 21 GRENADE ATTACK

There is no doubt that BNP was involved with the Aug 21 grenade attack, prime minister Sheikh Hasina has claimed on Saturday.

This comes after he comments on Friday alleging that a deputy minister of the then BNP-led government was involved in the attack.

Thirteen people have died between Friday night and Saturday morning after having consumed local alcohol on Wednesday night.

Two others -- Bina Das, 32, and Goyas Mia, 25 -- remain under treatment.

Local people say about 15 people had local alcohol at Goalabazar (fish market) on Wednesday night and had started vomiting since Thursday morning.

Locals on Friday handed over to Brahmanbaria police a man who they claimed was a member of the banned Islamist outfit Hizb ut-Tahrir.

The alleged member, Ibad Hossain,20, of the city's Kautali area is a student of the College of Development Alternative (CODA) in Dhaka.

BNP senior joint secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has slated the government decision to cancel the parole of party chief Khaleda Zia's younger son Arafat Rahman Coco.

The decision has been made out of 'political vengeance', he claimed at a discussion organised by Shikkhok Karmachari Oikya Jote at the National Press Club on Friday.

Police has received the autopsy report relating to the death of Juba League leader Ibrahim Ahmed.

Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station sub inspector Azimuddin told bdnews24.com that the report, which was collected from Dhaka Medical College on Thursday, was sent to metropolitan detective branch police on Friday.

Metropolitan DB Police additional deputy-commissioner Mohammed Maniruzzaman told bdnews24.com on Friday that they had not read the report yet.

The education ministry has given those private universities who have not yet moved to their own campuses three weeks to inform what steps it would take against them.

Although according to the private university law passed on July 11, all universities must move to their own campuses within seven years from their establishment, 45 out of 54 private universities in the country do not have those.

Biman chairman Jamal Uddin Ahmed has openly criticised aviation minister Ghulam Muhammed Quader over his decision not to charter the Nigerian company Cabo Air to carry Hajj pilgrims.

This followed criticism previously made by the parliamentary standing committee chairman Moinuddin Khan Badal.

A judge has granted bail to Basundhara Group chairman Ahmed Akber Sobhan alias Shah Alam after he had surrendered to the court in a case alleging that he had illegally taken government land,

Additional judge AHM Habibur Rahman of Dhaka's Chief Metropolitan Magistrates' Court granted the bail on Thursday, and fixed Aug 30 as the date for the framing of charges.

The Supreme Court on Thursday has found Mahmudur Rahman, the acting editor of the Bengali-language daily Amar Desh, guilty of contempt of court jailing him for six months.

The full bench of the Appellate Division, headed by chief justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim, also fined him Tk 1 lakh with an extra month in prison if he fails to pay the fine.

A Dhaka court has issued warrants for the arrest of Jamaat-e-Islami executive committee members Delwar Hossain Sayedee and Mir Kashem Ali in two separate tax evasion cases.

Dhaka's Senior Special Judge's Court's acting judge Mohammed Ismail Hossain gave the order on Thursday.

A case has been filed against ruling Awami League MP of Bhola, Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon, over the murder of a close associate and Juba League leader, Ibrahim Ahmed.

Ibrahim's brother, Masum Ahmed filed the case with Dhaka's Chief Metropolitan Magistrates Court on Wednesday.