After a downslide in 2014, class V students fared better in Primary Terminal Examination (PTE) 2015, registering a slight rise in both pass rates and number of GPA-5 scorers.

Class-VIII students have done better than ever in Junior School Certificate (JSC) examination, taking the success rate to a new height.

It was a long battle of a father.

“People inside the polling booth said there was no ballot paper left for me to cast vote and then they put indelible ink on my thumbnail so I could at least find some solace in it.”

The Election Commission and the ruling Awami League claimed yesterday's municipal polls were free and fair except for some stray incidents. The AL, however, accused the police of causing some of the incidents.

Thirty-six municipal mayor candidates of different political parties, including one from the ruling Awami League, pulled out of the electoral race yesterday alleging vote rigging by AL men and use of influence by local administrations.

The BNP has rejected the results of yesterday's municipal polls, alleging widespread vote-rigging, ballot-stuffing and capture of more than a thousand polling stations by the ruling party men.

Ballot-stuffing in at least 30 centres began soon after voting began in the morning and continued till it ended in the afternoon in yesterday's municipal polls.

It is often said that numbers do not lie, but when it comes to the Bangladesh economy, the saying appears to be on shaky grounds.

At least 15 journalists were attacked by ruling party men and many more were threatened at polling stations while they were covering yesterday's municipality elections.

Mayoral candidates of the ruling Awami League clinched a landslide victory in yesterday's election to 234 municipalities amid allegations of widespread electoral irregularities. AL candidates secured 179 mayoral posts while their rivals from the BNP got 21. And AL rebels obtained 19 posts. Ruling party men resorted to electoral irregularities in at least 80 municipalities with the local administration looking on. They stuffed ballot boxes and drove BNP candidates' agents out of polling centres, according to reports from The Daily Star correspondents.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad yesterday directed polling officers and law enforcers to take action against those involved in irregularities during the voting today.

“Don't mind. I know that you have taken up journalism as a profession as there is not enough employment opportunity in the country.”

More than 44 million primary and secondary level students are set to receive new textbooks on the first morning of 2016, as around 33 crore copies of textbooks are ready for free distribution.

Clashes, and attacks and arrests of BNP men marked the day before the much-hyped municipality polls today, casting doubt over the election's being free and fair.

There might be “international instigation” behind the recent rise in militant activities in Bangladesh, President Abdul Hamid told BBC Bangla yesterday.

There is no doubt that holding a fair and free election in a democratic manner brightens a ruling party's image. Why, then, do the parties in power seldom follow the path to take its image to new heights?

Elections are test times. Today, it's a crucial credibility and popularity test for the major political players.

"As it is a political election, we urge political parties and candidates to control their followers and supporters to ensure voting in a disciplined manner."

The BNP decided to stay in the battle of municipality polls until the last moment tomorrow, party chief Khaleda Zia said, reiterating her demand for army deployment for the sake of free and fair polls.