Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden demanded that European nations withdraw their troops from Afghanistan in a new audio tape aired on Friday, saying they were sacrificing men and money in an unjust US-led war.

"We are not demanding anything unjust. It is just for you to end injustice and withdraw your soldiers (from Afghanistan)," he said in the tape, released on the Internet with a background picture of bin Laden and with German and English subtitles.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will unveil the roadmap to envisaged 'Digital Bangladesh' before investors in New York on Sunday.

She will speak to the chiefs of Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd. (BTCL) and the Board of Investment through an internet video conference tilted 'Business Summit with Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce' at the Bangladesh Consulate.

An alleged gangster was killed in a so-called 'gun battle' with the police in Dhaka's Mirpur early on Saturday. 'Johnny' alias 'Pathan Johnny', 28, was a member of 'Bikash terror gang', the police claimed.

Al Amin, 30, an associate of the slain gangster, was arrested, while two others escaped.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to address the United Nations General Assembly in Bangla on Saturday, between 8:00pm and 12:00am BdST, as the eighth speaker.

Sheikh Hasina has said her government will fulfill all pledges it made before elections, but it would not be right to expect everything at once.

During a meeting with the New York chapter leaders of the Hindu, Bouddha and Christian Oikya Parishad, she said on Friday night that all the accumulated problems of the past are being addressed.

US President Barack Obama accused Iran on Friday of building a secret nuclear fuel plant for several years and demanded that Tehran comply with international rules on nuclear nonproliferation.

Obama went public with the charge in a joint appearance with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy at a Group of 20 summit in Pittsburgh, sharpening a standoff with Iran over its disputed nuclear program.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to address the United Nations General Assembly in Bangla on Saturday.

She will be only second head of Bangladesh government to address the Assembly in Bangla after her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who delivered his speech on Sep 24, 1974.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said her government has sets it sights on boosting foreign direct investment into the country to $7 billion by 2015.

At an address in front of a small group of investors at Grand Hyatt New York on Thursday evening, she said it has also set aside $350 million for three public-private partnership programmes in an effort to draw foreign money.

Muslims in Bangladesh will celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr on Monday.

The public relations officer of Islamic Foundation S M Alauddin told bdnews24.com that the National Moon-Sighting Committee made the announcement during a meeting on Sunday evening.

Hundreds of families around the country are celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr on Sunday, along with Muslims in other parts of the world, and at least a day ahead of the rest of the country.

The National Moon-Sighting Committee sits Sunday night to announce whether the majority in Bangladesh will celebrate Eid on Monday or Tuesday, depending on the sighting of the Shawal moon.

The country's top leaders, including Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, will observe this Eid-ul-Fitr in the capital if it takes place on Monday.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will leave for the USA on Monday night, while president Zillur Rahman will fly for Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

Shopkeepers haggled with customers in a last-minute bid to sell out their products on the last day of Eid shopping in the city on Sunday.

There was a brisk business at the city's most popular market places for the low and middle-income people—like the New Market and Gausia Market -- where the crowds still thronged to get their hands on apparels, jewellery, cosmetics and shoes.

Liquid packaged milk were not available in markets in the capital despite the announcement by the state-owned Milk Vita Company that it would keep the supply up until Sunday, ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Milk Vita ran an advert in the daily Prothom Alo on Sunday that milk packets would be supplied until Sunday and that there will not be any supply from Sept 21 to Sept 23.

Many commercial banks in the capital opened their doors for customers on Saturday, the last weekend before Eid-ul-Fitr.

State-owned banks and AD branches of private banks also remained open, following a central bank circular ahead of the long holiday period.

Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited and Bank Asia were among those to keep all their branches open in the capital.

Hundreds of garment workers demonstrated in front of the BGMEA Bhaban at Kawran Bazar on Saturday, demanding payment of still-due salaries and allowances ahead of Eid, barely days away.

Workers of factories in Savar and Gazipur also erupted in protests as, still owed salaries and bonuses, they remained unpaid just days ahead of Eid.

Bangladesh is ready to submit its maritime boundary claims to the United Nations well ahead of the July 2011 deadline, foreign secretary Mijarul Quayes said on Saturday.

"Bangladesh ratified UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) in 2001, although India and Myanmar had done so earlier and have consequently submitted their sea border claims already," Quayes told reporters at a regular ministry briefing at the Secretariat.

Foreign minister Dipu Moni requested World Bank assistance in Washington on Saturday to help Bangladesh establish itself as a middle-income country by 2021.

The foreign minister's comments came at a meeting with WB vice president for the South Asia Region, Isabel Guerrero, in Washington DC.

The festivities of the biggest religious event of Hindus in Bangladesh, Durga Puja, started on Friday through the observance of Mahalaya.

Sasthi Puja will begin through ceremonial awakening of goddess Durga on Sep 18. Earthen vessels have been installed at temples including Dakeshwari National Temple.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will seek to unite countries worse-affected by climate change to press for climate funds during the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Summit next week, an official said on Saturday.

Hasina will address climate change issues and participate in talks with leaders of countries contributing UN peacekeeping troops around the world, among other subjects, foreign secretary Mohamed Mizarul Quayes told reporters Saturday at the Secretariat.

At least 23 million Muslims worldwide have been fasting this Ramadan amid conflicts and disasters, British charity Oxfam and Muslim Aid revealed this week.

They said it was one of their hardest periods with many fasting Muslims having little more to eat than bread and water during the 30 days of the holy month and others having nothing to eat at all after sunset.