Dhaka- In her adolescent days Mariam had a dream of life in a mud-walled hut with a caring husband and a family of her own in a quiet village surrounded by green rice terraces in the heartland of Bangladesh.

But Mariam's dream was shattered when her husband threw acid at her as "punishment" because her parents were unable to pay her marriage dowry.

The acid attack, which happened six months ago, left her face and body disfigured.

Dhaka- A head-on collision between two river fe

Dhaka - Tens of thousands of people heading to their hometowns for the holidays at the end of Ramadan were stranded at ferry stations as tropical squalls battered the fragile Bangladeshi coastline at the weekend, officials said Monday.

Gale winds forced the suspension of ferry services along the southern coast while half a dozen fishing boats that ignored storm warnings capsized in the high waves.

About 50,000 holiday makers were trapped at ferry stations across the country as the river boat service was suspended.

Siliguri, Sept 26 : In the wake of recent militant attacks, security has been beefed up along the highly vulnerable Indo-Bangladesh border as additional paramilitary troopers and security personnel have been deployed to prevent trans-border infiltration and crime.

India shares a 4,096-km long border with Bangladesh. Of this West Bengal shares the longest border of approximately 2,216-km, most of which is porous, unfenced and prone to frequent skirmishes and infiltration.

Dhaka - Hundreds of thousands of Islamist devotees Friday converged on Bangladesh's biggest mosque Baitul Mukarrum to join in Ramadan-end mass prayers in the capital Dhaka amid a high security alert, officials and witnesses said.

The state-run Islamic Foundation which organized the prayers marking the last Friday of the Muslim month of fasting said over a quarter of a million people attended the Jumatul Wida congregation addressed by Muslim clerics.

Witnesses said Muslim worshippers blocked streets to the crowded national mosque located in central Dhaka to make additional space for people who did not find room inside the mosque.

Dhaka  - The Election Commission in Bangladesh ordered political parties to register or be disqualified from the December general election, officials said Wednesday.

"If any political party wants to contest in national polls it must first get registered with the Election Commission," chief election commissioner A T M Shamsul Huda said.

The registration is aimed at limiting the influence of money and political clout, Huda said.