Dhaka - Authorities in Bangladesh on Thursday alerted coastal residents about an intensifying cyclone in the central Bay of Bengal, officials said.

The Meteorological Department advised coastal residents and crews on fishing boats in the bay to be cautious after the deep depression over the south-east and central Bay of Bengal turned into a cyclone early Thursday.

The cyclone was named Bijli and was centred about 875 kilometres south of the port of Cox's Bazar and 760 kilometres south of Mongla port at 9 am (0400 GMT), according to a department statement.

Dhaka - Bangladeshi authorities on Monday deployed over 10,000 lawmen to ensure security for the celebration of the 1416 Bengali New Year Tuesday in the capital Dhaka, officials said. "We will ensure the highest security so that the people can celebrate the day with more enthusiasm," Home Minister Sahara Khatun told reporters visiting the prime celebration venue at the Raman Green, where traditionally tens of thousands of people from all walks of life gather to celebrate Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangladeshi calendar.

Dhaka - To dispel Bangladesh's concern over construction of a dam upstream of the country, New Delhi on Monday offered to allow Dhaka officials to visit the construction site. Bangladesh has asked its neighbour to refrain from constructing the multi-purpose dam, at the confluence of The Barak and Tuivai rivers, since India solicited international bids in early 2006.

Dhaka - Bangladesh's security forces on Sunday captured eight members of a banned Islamist outfit, three of whom are believed to be members of its suicide squad, from Dhaka's Khilkhet areas, officials said. The members of the elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion also seized a large quantity of bomb-making materials, leaflets, books on jihad, religious CDs, audio cassettes from their possessions.

The capture and seizures came barely two days ahead of the celebration of Bangli New Year on Tuesday.

Dhaka - Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Dipu Moni on Saturday described her country as secular with a majority Muslim population, and not a moderate Muslim state as portrayed by the international community. "Bangladesh is a non-communal country where the majority of the people belongs to the Muslim faith. We achieved our independence through an armed struggle with a dream of establishing a secular nation," the minister told reporters after delivering a lecture in Dhaka on Bangladesh's foreign policy.

Dhaka - A group of Islamists demanded Saturday that the secular law minister of Bangladesh's three-month old coalition government should resign after his reported comments that Quami Madrashas (Islamic schools) were breeding militants. "We want the minister to resign immediately, otherwise we will continue with regular protests until our demands are met," Fazlul Haq Amini, head of Islamic Law Committee formed by an alliance of radical Islamists, told a press conference.