The main opposition BNP has threatened to launch a mass movement unless the ruling party stops its move to reinstate the 1972 constitution.

Concerning the prime minster's call to form an all-party parliamentary committee to amend the constitution, BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain on Saturday said, "It is nothing but an ill-motive."

The Ramna police on Monday remanded Jamaat-e-Islami chief Matiur Rahman Nizami in custody for four days in a murder case.

Cab driver Mohammed Faruk Hossain, who sustained injuries on June 26 in an arson allegedly by pro-hartal people just before the June 27 countrywide shutdown, later died.

Bangladesh Rifles soldiers staged the bloody mutiny early last year to force the authorities' hand on their demands for higher pay and better position, the chief investigator says.

"The incidents happened over their so-called demands. No other reasons were found in the investigation," Criminal Investigation Department's senior special superintendent Abdul Kahar Akhand, who investigated two criminal cases filed over the incident, said on Monday.

The condition of former BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, suffering from lung cancer, remains unchanged.

Square Hospital's Intensive Care Unit physician Dr Mirza Nazimuddin, speaking at a briefing on Saturday, said the 67-year-old politician had showed signs of improvement the previous day.

"It is neither good nor bad (now). He is under observation."

A Dhaka court on Saturday sent Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and Delwar Hossain Sayedee on remand in the Faruk Hossain murder case filed with Ramna police.

The Detective Branch will now question the two leaders on the charges for the killing of Faruk in the lead-up to the June 27 opposition shutdown across the country. Earlier, they were presented to Dhaka's Chief Metropolitan Magistrates' Court at the end of the nine-day grilling in three cases filed with Paltan police.

Over 2 million new faces adding up every year to the total population in Bangladesh which is frustrating all development efforts, family welfare minister AFM Ruhal Haque has said.

The population has doubled within 39 years of independence, which is alarming for the densely populated poor country, the minister said at a press conference marking 'World Population Day' at his ministry on Saturday.

A Dhaka court on Friday granted the police three days to remand Syed Golam Maula, the alleged coordinator of Bangladesh operations of outlawed Islamist outfit Hizb ut-Tahrir, in custody for questioning.

The police produced Maula, who teaches management at Dhaka University, before the Dhaka's Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court and asked for seven days to quiz him. However, magistrate Munshi Abdul Mazid granted three days after hearing.

The education ministry has formed a five-member committee to investigate the leak of government secondary school assistant teachers' recruitment test questions.

The education ministry's senior information official Subodh Chandra Dhali told bdnews24.com that the committee has been formed by order of the education minister.

State minister for home Shamsul Hoque Tuku saus he believes religion-based party Jamaat-e-Islami is linked to Islamist militancy.

"Militancy emerged at Bagmara in Rajshashi; innocent people tied to trees were cruelly beaten to death."

Bagmara came into the spotlight for militant activities during the 2001-6 BNP-Jamaat government.

The condition of former BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, suffering from lung cancer, has slightly improved.

His doctor Bazlul Gani Bhuiyan told bdnews24.com: "Bhuiyan's physical condition has slightly got better after 6pm."

'The temperature of his body has also come down to normal."

Senior BNP vice-chairman Tarique Rahman has been holding an exclusive meeting in a local restaurant in London on Sunday with party activists from different countries.

The main opposition party's UK unit president Kamar Uddin is coordinating the meeting, which was underway around noon at the Ramna Restaurant at South Gate Town Hall.

Foreign minister Dipu Moni has requested labour-receiving countries to issue visas on paper passports for urgent cases.

She made the request Sunday at a meeting with diplomats from Kuwait, Qatar, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, the Maldives, Malaysia and South Korea at the foreign ministry.

Finding no alternatives, the Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation has urged the water vessel workers to accept the new wage structure announced by the government.

Acting president of the left leaning workers' federation, Shah Alam made the announcement at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity auditorium on Sunday.

Three Bangladeshi farmers were shot allegedly by Indians at Jaintapur Upazila in Sylhet on Sunday.

They were Delwar Hossain, Mohammad Kayes, Abdul Mannan of village Minatila in the bordering Sripur area. They were admitted to Upazila Health Complex.

Seven more Bangladeshis suffered injuries from arrows thrown by the Indian Khasia tribesmen.

Police have taken Jamaat-e-Islami chief Matiur Rahman Nizami to their headquarters on Sunday for questioning.

Paltan police chief Shahidul Haque told bdnews24.com that the Jamaat leader will be grilled in the case over obstruction of police duty filed with his station on Feb 17.

"He was taken to the DB headquarters from Dhaka Central Jail around 4.30pm. Before that, he was produced before a court in case for murdering freedom fighters in Keraniganj," Haque said.

A parliamentary watchdog has urged the government to liberally handle the case against readymade garment workers who allegedly ransacked vehicles and carried out arson attacks in Ashulia on Monday.

The parliamentary standing committee on labour ministry at its meeting on Thursday, however, recommended taking legal actions against those workers 'directly responsible' for the arson attack and violence.

Thousands of Cyclone Aila victims will have to remain in their makeshift homes at least until the next dry season.

Food and disaster management minister Abdur Razzaque admitted on Thursday that the government would not be able to return 70,000 victims of 14,000 families to their homes for several months more.

Law minister Shafique Ahmed on Thursday firmly said it was possible to try war crimes in a transparent and impartial manner by ensuring international standards under the 1973 act.

His assertion came in response to Wednesday's bdnews24.com report that said Jamaat-e-Islami was involved in organising a seminar at the House of Lords, which discussed whether the 1973 act was consistent for trial of war criminals in accordance with the international standards.

Labour minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain has stressed the need for enhancing skills of workers for overseas employment.

"A skilled labourer earns three times higher than an unskilled one does… There is no alternative to enhancing workers skills for transforming manpower into skilled labour force," he said.

Ittefaq, one of the oldest daily newspapers of the country, has started publishing from its new offices at Jatrabari's Kajla.

The Bengali daily is set to hit the stands with its new printer's line with an address of Kajlar Paar, Demra Road, Dhaka-1205 from Friday.

Distinguished for its voluminous classified section, the hugely successful daily will maintain commercial offices at 40 Karwan Bazar and another one in Motijheel.