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.

Kuala Lumpur, Jan. 15 : Bangladesh''s High Commissioner to Malaysia M. Khairuzzaman has been ordered to return home to face charges over the 1975 assassination of the country''s founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The New Strait Times quoted Bangladesh's Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs Hasan Mahmud as saying that: "A faxed copy is being sent to Khairuzzaman as we speak."

The trial, Hasan told the New Straits Times, would start "very soon". He said Foreign Minister Dipu Moni signed the recall order.

When contacted, Khairuzzaman, 57, declared the case as "political victimisation".

"I''m very anxious, these are baseless allegations," he said.

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.

Singapore  - A Singapore sub-contactor is sending back 55 Bangladeshi workers, citing lack of work and projects due to the economic slowdown, according to a news report Wednesday.

Tunnel & Shaft said it has worked out compensation of 1,000 Singapore dollars (673 US dollars) per worker. However, the workers would have to return 500 Singapore dollars (336 US dollars) if re-employed.

The company was sending the workers home for two months and hopes to bring them back when the economy picks up, according to the Straits Times.

The Bangladeshis were recruited last year, with some of them just two months into employment. Some were quoted as saying they were left with an outstanding debt of

Dhaka - Bangladesh's election authorities will organize an election for a new president in February, newspapers reported Tuesday, quoting a top election commission official.

"We will be able to arrange the presidential elections in February after holding local government elections later this month," election commission chief ATM Shamsul Huda told reporters after calling on outgoing President Iajuddin Ahmed.