Dhaka- The newly elected National Parliament is to chose Bangladesh's next president on February 16, a government announcement said Thursday.

According to the election schedule, February 8 was set for the submission of nomination papers for the ceremonial post in the prime minister-dominated parliamentary democracy.

Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda discussed the election schedule with Speaker of Parliament Abdul Hamid before it was finalized.

Dhaka  - Lawmakers of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)- led alliance Wednesday walked out parliament protesting rearrangement of lawmakers' seating in the House by the new presiding officer.

A senior lawmaker of the BNP, M K Anwar, who led the protest, said that the new speaker of parliament made a unprecedented seating arrangement "unacceptable" to the opposition lawmakers.

"We have decided to discuss the new seating order with the speaker Thursday to set our next strategy," he added.

Dhaka - Germany will continue aid to Bangladesh despite the global financial crisis to promote social and economic development, a senior German official said Wednesday.

"My government said very clearly, we will keep our high level of assistance and we will increase it step by step as part of our promise for the millennium development goals policy," state secretary for the Foreign Ministry of Germany Reinhard Silberberg said.

"There is a strong commitment of our government that the countries we are working with should not suffer from the international financial crisis," he sadi after meeting his Bangladesh counterpart Touhid Hossain.

Dhaka - Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni Tuesday reaffirmed the country's "one China policy" in an effort to further boost Sino-Bangladesh relations and cooperation.

"Bangladesh's one China policy remained unimpaired as it was in the past; and the same will remain in force in the future," Foreign Minister Bidu Moni said in a meeting with Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh, Zheng Qingdian.

Moni is part of the new administration of Sheikh Hasina Wazed. The Awami League-led alliance government took office in early January following last month's peaceful elections, ending nearly two years of military-backed government.

Dhaka - Bangladesh's Awami League-led alliance government is considering special tribunals to prosecute war crimes committed during its liberation war 38 years ago, media reports said Tuesday.

"A war crimes tribunal can be constituted to try the perpetrators of crimes against humanity under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973," Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shafique Ahmed was quoted as saying.

Dhaka - Bangladesh and Germany were expected to focus on investment, trade and development cooperation at secretary-level talks slated for Wednesday, officials said.

The state secretary for the Foreign Ministry of Germany, Reinhard Silberberg, was scheduled to arrive in Dhaka Tuesday to meet with his Bangladeshi counterpart Touhid Hossain.