In a tiny tin shed in the Barind village of Bohora, Abdul Hamid scoops out a handful of stinky cattle dung from a bucket with his bare hands. He seems undeterred by the earthworms squirming in and out of the compost.

BNP candidate for Chandpur-4 MA Hannan yesterday quit electioneering and left his electoral area in protest against a case filed against his supporters and subsequent harassment by police.

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in October at his country's Istanbul consulate, was named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" yesterday, an honour he shared with other targeted journalists recognised as "guardians" of the truth.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda yesterday instructed judicial magistrates across the country to maintain the election atmosphere and make sure there is no destability in the heat of the campaigns.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller yesterday laid emphasis on ensuring a favourable environment so that all political parties can continue peaceful election campaign throughout the country freely as the crucial national election takes place on December 30.

Iran yesterday confirmed that it had carried out a recent test of a medium-range ballistic missile after Western powers sharply criticised a December 1 launch.

The number of independent candidates in any parliamentary election has hit the lowest this year since 1991.

Thailand's junta yesterday lifted a four-year ban on political campaigning ahead of 2019 elections, prompting Thaksin Shinawatra -- the exiled billionaire who sits at the heart of the kingdom's political rupture -- to hail a "new hope" for the nation.

A former Canadian diplomat has been detained in China, two sources said yesterday, and his current employer, the International Crisis Group, said it was seeking his prompt and safe release.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) unblocked 58 news sites yesterday evening, but blocked 54 of them again at 7:45pm.

Amnesty International yesterday said the International Criminal Court should start a full-blown investigation into atrocities committed in the Boko Haram insurgency, accusing Nigeria of failing to bring those responsible to justice.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has come under fire for tweets about his meditation retreat in Myanmar and encouraging people to visit the country without mentioning what the United Nations has described as "ethnic cleansing" of the Rohingya Muslim minority.

A group of stalkers allegedly stabbed a school girl on her way back home from tuition at Raghunathpur village in Manikganj's Shivalaya upazila yesterday.

The Bangladesh team gifted captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza a win in his 200th ODI in the first game against West Indies on Sunday, and today they will be looking to clinch the series by winning the match that will take Mashrafe level with Habibul Bashar as having led the team in the most ODIs.

He was involved in at least 50 bomb attacks in the capital and surrounding areas in the last 15 years, officers said after questioning him.

Agriculture scientists in Bangladesh have found a new pest -- fall armyworm -- that has destroyed maize and sorghum fields covering millions of square kilometres and devastated the livelihoods of farmers in Africa.

Around 2,000 activists in Jashore's Manirampur quit the BNP yesterday protesting the party's decision not to nominate any of its leaders for a parliamentary seat in the district, local BNP sources said.

At least 10 people were injured in sporadic clashes between supporters of the Awami League and the BNP in Cumilla yesterday.

British Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday decided to pull a parliamentary vote on her Brexit deal, throwing Britain's plan to leave the European Union up in the air on the eve of the vote after repeated warnings from lawmakers that she would face a rout.

Malaysian Labour rights organisations called for an urgent investigation into allegations of abusing workers from Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar against Top Glove.