Wasim Bin Habib

October, 1971. The war waged by the Pakistani occupation army on Bangalees had just entered its eighth month.

The rumble of a diesel engine broke the silence of the chilly morning of December 14, 1971, at teachers' quarters on the Fuller Road in Dhaka University.

With a "forward-looking" vision focusing mainly on the young generation, the ruling Awami League is likely to unveil its election manifesto either on December 12 or 13.

Settling the discord over seat-sharing with alliance partners and keeping leaders and activists united to work for the party nominees are the major challenges the ruing Awami League is faced with ahead of the parliamentary polls.

Around 1,700 aspirants from alliances led by Awami League and BNP are filing nominations in 300 constituencies as both the camps failed to pick a single contender in every seat for the upcoming parliamentary election.

The last date of filing nomination is just four days away, but the Awami League and the BNP could not finalise their candidates for all 300 seats yet because of disagreements over sharing seats among alliance partners.

Jatiya Oikyafront wants to take full advantage of growing discontent among nomination seekers from the Awami League and its allies and gives special attention to the constituencies where the 14-party alliance, led by the ruling AL, is facing the problem.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has given the nod to her party's plan to join the upcoming parliamentary polls and enforce a series of agitation programmes in the run-up to the election, party insiders said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who wrapped up weeklong dialogues with political parties on the next parliamentary polls yesterday, had been part of the eventful history of both successful and failed talks.

As Hefajat-e Islam activists turned increasingly violent and kept Motijheel occupied for nearly 12 hours after their rally there on May 5, 2013, the law enforcers swung into action after midnight and drove them away. Following that show of strength, the Hefajat did not have to take to the streets again as the Islamist group got much of whatever it wanted through negotiations that took place away from the public eye.

More than 2,500 hospitals, educational institutions and shopping malls in the capital and its outskirts lack adequate fire safety measures, posing a serious risk of casualties in case of fire, reveals an inspection report of the fire department.

Smoking causes cancer, heart diseases and lung problems -- such warnings found on cigarette packets are known to all.

A court observation in the August 21 grenade attack case verdicts highlights the expertise of the attackers.

The day before August 21, 2004, Dhaka city Awami League leaders had an informal meeting with party chief Sheikh Hasina for her directives on the next day's rally on Bangabandhu Avenue.

It was a well-orchestrated plan, executed through abuse of state power, a special court has ruled, delivering verdicts in the two cases filed over the grenade attack on an Awami League rally 14 years ago.

The morning rush hour traffic, which generally seems to stretch endlessly, suddenly disappeared at Chankharpul intersection yesterday.

Rivalry between the ruling and the opposition parties is inevitable in politics, but it is utterly unacceptable that attempts will be made to make the opposition leaderless, a special court observed in its verdict in the August 21 grenade attack cases yesterday.

The case filing spree that resumes after about three years' gap is making BNP leaders rethink strategies as they fear the days before the national elections will not be smooth for them.

Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad holds its grand rally today at the capital's Suhrawardy Udyan to press home its five-point demand ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections.

"'Some people have attacked our house, please do something', I told Moni bhai. He asked me whether they were in uniform. I told his there was no way to see that as bullets were raining down," says Shahan Ara.