Dhaka - At least 15 people, including policemen and journalists, were injured Friday when detained militants from an outlawed Islamist group exploded a grenade after a press conference in a police station in Bangladesh, police said.

A member of the banned Islamist outfit, Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), exploded the grenade inside the conference room of the police building in Gazipur, 37 kilometres north of Dhaka, immediately after the police chief, Abdul Baten, briefed local reporters on an anti-militants drive.

Dhaka - At least one person drowned and as many as 80 went missing Thursday when a passenger ferry capsized in a Bangladeshi river near the southern district of Barisal, officials said.

The boat carrying more than 100 passengers sunk in the middle of the Kirtankhola River near Beltala, 277 kilometres south of Dhaka, when a sand-laden cargo vessel hit the back of the ferry, Rafiqul Islam, a port officer, said, quoting witnesses.

The passenger vessel, ML Happy, was on its way to Patarhat from Barisal port when the accident occurred.

Dhaka  - At least eight people were killed and dozens others injured Tuesday as a train collided with a truck in the north-western district of Joypurhat district, Bangladeshi police said.

The accident occurred at the Khasiabari level crossing, some 280 kilometres north-west of the capital Dhaka, killing the eight victims on the spot, said inspector Noor Hossain at Joypurhat police station.

Dhaka  - Police have arrested two local leaders of Bangladesh's largest Islamist party on charges of committing war crimes during the country's war of independence
38 years ago, media reports said Saturday.

The arrests were the first made by the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, who took office last month after promising to bring the 1971 war criminals to justice.

Dhaka - Bangladesh's elections authorities on Wednesday announced that senior Awami League leader Zillur Rahman, who ran unopposed, is the country's president-elect.

"As there is no other contender, we declare Zillur Rahman next president of the People's Republic of Bangladesh," Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda announced at the end of deadline for withdrawal of candidature for the race.

Zillur, a 79-year-old Awami League veteran, will replace the outgoing president Iajuddin Ahmed.

Dhaka, Feb 9 : Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty stated on Monday that all options, including trade, security and water issues would be open for discussion between India and Bangladesh during the visit of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to the neighbouring country today.

Connectivity between the two nations, particularly the proposal for the use of the largest seaport in Bangladesh, Chittagong by India, will also form a part of the discussions.