Dhaka - Violent clashes between two groups of activists belonging to the student wings of the ruling Awami League and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party left at least 25 people injured at Jahangirnagar University Friday, police said.

During the clashes, which erupted mainly because of attempts to establish control over the dormitories of the university, the students traded at least 30 gunshots, according to police, but no-one received bullet wounds.

Rival groups beat each other with hockey-sticks, rods and other weapons.

Dhaka- Several hundred Muslim devotees clashed inside Bangladesh's National Mosque during their weekly congregation Friday over the appointment of a new Khatib, who delivers sermons, leaving a few disciples injured, police and witnesses said.

Police said a group of people aligned to certain religion-based political groups raised a hue and cry inside the mosque while the newly appointed Khatib, Mohammad Salahuddin, started giving his sermon ahead of the weekly Jumma prayer in the capital Dhaka.

Dhaka  - Bangladesh's opposition leader Khaleda Zia Thursday promised to play a constructive role in parliament, which is scheduled to convene later this month.

"We want to help the government. But the government must reciprocate," Zia, who was formally endorsed leader of the opposition in parliament by deputies from her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) at a meeting immediately after they were sworn in as lawmakers Thursday.

The BNP was defeated in general elections late last month, securing only 30 out of 300 parliamentary seats.

Dhaka- Bangladesh on Wednesday strongly condemned the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip that has killed hundreds of civilians.

"We are appalled by the scale of devastation and the deaths of innocent Palestinians including women and children in the attacks," a foreign ministry statement.

The government called for humanitarian workers to be allowed full and access to the Palestinian population in need of food, medicine, water, electricity and shelter.

Dhaka, Jan 12 : Bangladesh's new Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who got a massive parliamentary majority, has a chance to lead the country away from its paralysing culture of revenge politics.

But analysts have warned that a still-polarised electorate and a deep legacy of corruption have the potential to unleash the sort of violent confrontation that forced the military to step in two years ago.

Dhaka  - Facing an embarrassing defeat in the late December elections, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former premier Khaleda Zia decided Friday to revitalise the party and all its fronts to face the ruling Awami League in and outside parliament.

"We will dissolve all the party committees and fronts to reconstitute them through democratic process up to the grassroots level," said Zia, head of the BNP which won only
30 of 299 parliamentary seats in the December 29 polls.