Dhaka, Sept 5 : The former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who is languishing in a prison for over a year on graft charges, may be freed on bail by next week, claimed her lawyers.

A day after Zia’s elder son Tarique Rahman, who was being tried in a number of corruption charges was released, the Prothom Alo newspaper quoted one of Zia''''s counsels as saying, "We expect her to be released as she now needs bail from courts in only two cases."

However, a senior government leader said that she would have to go through legal procedures for her release.

Dhaka  - Floods in northern and central Bangladesh displaced thousands of families Thursday as rescuers braced for another day of heavy rains, officials said.

A spokesperson for the Disaster Management Office said nearly 50,000 people were stranded on "floating" villages in inundated central Faridpur district.

At least three children drowned in the district as they tried to cross a river on a raft. Local officials earlier said eight people died in the floods.

The district administration mobilized an estimated 5,000 rescue workers and civilian volunteers to help evacuate nearly 12,000 desperate families who need to be moved to dry land.

Dhaka - The military-backed interim government in Bangladesh Wednesday released the jailed elder son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia after he was held for more than a year on charges of corruption, judicial officials said.

Tarique Rahman, who is set to inherit the leadership of Zia's political party, faced a dozen cases of graft filed by the Anti- Corruption Commission.

"Tarique Rahman has been released temporarily on medical grounds as several specialist doctors have recommended his treatment abroad," said deputy prison chief Shamsul Haider Siddiqui.

Dhaka

- Rising rivers driven by late monsoon storms in northern Bangladesh Tuesday flooded hundreds of homes and forced the rescue of thousands of people stranded in muddy villages, officials said.

The swollen Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers breached their banks, inundating farmlands in the 16 stricken districts in the past two days, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said.

Dhaka  - Rising rivers driven by late monsoon storms in northern Bangladesh Tuesday flooded hundreds of homes and forced the rescue of thousands of people stranded in muddy villages, officials said

Dhaka, Aug 30: The ninth Home Secretary level talks between India and Bangladesh will begin here today.

The Indian delegation will be headed by the Union Home Secretary, Madhukar Gupta and the Bangladesh delegation by their Secretary, Ministry of Home Affair, Mohammad Abdul Karim.

The meeting is expected to discuss various security related issues, border management issues as well as ways of enhancing cooperation between the law enforcement agencies of both sides.