Julian Castro, the telegenic former mayor of San Antonio, Texas and Obama-era cabinet member, launches his bid to become the nation's first Hispanic president on Saturday, emphasising a message of hope and diversity at a time when Americans are locked in angry debate over immigration and border security.

Jatiya Party co-chairman and deputy leader of the opposition in parliament GM Quader yesterday said they will offer constructive criticism to help the government rectify its mistakes.

Jatiya Oikyafront Convener Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday said it was a mistake on the part of his party Gonoforum to have joined the December 30 polls with Jamaat-e-Islami leaders contesting under the alliance banner.

Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday said she wanted to sit with all the political parties who were invited to the Gono Bhaban for pre-polls dialogues.

As part of its move to strengthen the party's organisational capacity, Gonoforum will hold its national council on March 23-24 next in Dhaka.

Telecom and ICT Minister Mustafa Jabbar says it is impossible to hold back girls in their homes any more as the prime minister has already brought them out for education and huge number of them are engaged in development activities.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader categorically says that the national council of the party will be held in October this year.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader reiterates his stance saying there is no scope for dialogue with the opposition parties who are demanding for a fresh election under a nonpartisan caretaker government.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader orders the authorities concerned to remove all the illegal establishments along the roads and highways across the country within a week.

Leftists reject the recent election of Bangladesh alleging that state mechanisms were orchestrated to pull a victory of the Awami League.

The youth arrested yesterday has confessed to torching a police vehicle during violence near BNP’s Nayapaltan office back in November last year.

Urging BNP to find out the reasons behind its defeat in the last general election, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said a party that failed to mobilise people for a movement cannot win public support in the election fray.

Claiming the December 30 election to be “farcical”, Jatiya Oikyafront Convener Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday called for a national dialogue to find out ways for holding a fresh election as per the constitution.

A Dhaka court places Mia Nuruddin Ahmed Apu, a defeated BNP candidate for Shariatpur-3 constituency, on a five-day remand in connection with a case for allegedly distributing Tk 8 crore to influence the December 30 national election and instigate violence.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir blames the government for its effort to eliminate the party from the country by implicating its leaders and activists with “false and baseless” cases.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal says there will be no non-performing loan (NPL) from as Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB) is going to take necessary measures to check the loans.

Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Qauder says the main priority of his work will be to bring back discipline in road and transport sector.

The Election Commission will announce next week the election schedule for the 50 reserved seats for women in the 11th parliament, EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed says.

A Dhaka court asks BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 16 others to appear before it on January 16 in connection with the Gatco corruption case as it got High Court orders regarding vacation of the stay order on behalf of several accused in the case.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pays rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the occasion of the Homecoming Day of the great leader.