College admissions from May 18

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Procedures for student admission to the eleventh grade at all government and private colleges will begin on May 18 and classes will start on Jul 1.

The decision was made at a meeting on eleventh grade admission guidelines at the Secretariat on Tuesday with Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid in the chair. The principals of colleges were present.

Like several previous years, this year too students will be admitted on the basis of grades obtained in Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or equivalent exams.

The minister said admission applications would have to be sent through SMS from any number of Teletalk between May 18 and Jun 6. However, applications can also be filed in traditional methods, he added.

Price of each application form has been set at Tk 120.

Aspirants whose grades will change after a revision of results can submit their admission applications until Jun 10, Nahid said. A list of selected candidates for admission will be published on Jun 16.

Jubilant students of Ideal School and College celebrate their success as most of them have secured GPA-5 in the SSC exam, the result of which was published on Thursday.

Admission fees can be paid until Jun 30 without late fees. A list of students admitted without late fees as well as their registration fees will have to be submitted to the respective boards by Jul 15.

But, for those admitted with late fees, relevant charges (including late fees) can be paid until Jul 11. Their list and registration fees have to be submitted within Jul 22.

Practical classes will begin on Sep 5. A list of students changing sections or subjects can be sent to respective boards by Sep 12 along with demand drafts (DD) of charges for the changes.

The admission guidelines say if a student wants to switch institutions with the payment of late fees, they will have to apply to the college with a permission letter from the guardian.

In such cases, the college where the student first got admitted will return 50 percent of the admission fees.

The students who passed SSC or equivalent exams from 10 boards or Bangladesh Open University during the years from 2011 to 2013 will be eligible for the eleventh grade.

Science students can apply for admission to any section. Those from humanities section can apply for admission to business administration apart from the same section. Business students can apply for business and humanities section.

Ninety percent seats at the colleges in divisional and district towns will remain open to all based on their SSC test results.

Of the remaining 10 percent, three percent will be reserved for those outside the divisional or district towns, five percent for students from the families of freedom fighters and two percent for children of staff of the education ministry and respective colleges.

For enrolment in the science discipline, grade points for mathematics, higher mathematics or biology will be considered to select students from among those obtaining the same GPA. For humanities and business administration, grade points for English, mathematics and Bengali will be considered for selection.

Students passing SSC from one institution will have preference in college-level admission to the institution.

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H&M, others back new Bangladesh factory safety accord

The world's two biggest fashion retailers, Inditex and H&M, along with several other companies have backed an accord aimed at preventing another disaster like last month's Bangladesh factory building collapse that killed more than 1,100 people.

Deadly incidents at factories, including a fire in November that killed over 110 people, has focused global attention on safety standards in Bangladesh's booming garment industry, the world's biggest exporter of clothing after China.

As of Monday, Inditex, H&M, US apparel maker PVH Corp, Britain's Tesco and Primark, and COFRA Holding AG's C&A announced their support. German retailer Tchibo also agreed to the plan, according to IndustriALL Global Union, which has been driving the negotiations to get brands to sign up for the agreement.

IndustriALL said it hoped for several more brands to join by a May 15 deadline set after talks in Germany last month with major brands and retailers. IndustriALL declined to comment before Wednesday's deadline on a total financial commitment for the project, but said "it is a substantial amount, enough to make a difference."

PVH Set to Commit up to $2.5 Million

Swedish fashion retailer H&M, which is a major purchaser of garments from Bangladesh but did not use any of the suppliers operating in the collapsed factory, said the five-year accord would add to its already strict requirements for suppliers.

"We hope for a broad coalition of signatures in order for the agreement to work effectively on ground," H&M head of sustainability Helena Helmersson said in a statement.

H&M said the agreement would also need to align with an action plan agreed by the Bangladesh government, industry associations and trade unions to reach all 5,000 factories. It declined to give details of any financial commitment.

Zara owner Inditex, the world's largest clothing retailer, said it also supported the agreement. "The accord has not come out yet, but as you know we have played a very active part in its development," a spokesman said.

PVH, whose brands include Calvin Klein, said it would commit up to $2.5 million to underwrite the program set to be financed by the participating companies. PVH was the first company to agree to a memorandum of understanding on Bangladeshi safety issues last year, followed by Germany's Tchibo.

Britain's Tesco said it would create a fund of 1 million pounds ($1.53 million) to support improvements across the industry in Bangladesh, among other efforts it will pursue.

"Tesco did not use factories in the Rana Plaza building, but we are all responsible for ensuring we prevent another tragedy," Tesco Group Commercial Director Kevin Grace said in a statement.

Final Details Yet to Come

A spokesman for IndustriALL said the final draft of the deal would only be published on Wednesday but included strengthening workers' rights, training and brands making a financial commitment relative to the size of their business in Bangladesh.

IndustriALL said last week the accord involves a coordinated system of inspections, training and financial commitments from retailers as well as giving workers the power to refuse dangerous work.

As salvage workers neared the end of their search for victims on Monday, Bangladesh's cabinet paved the way for parliament to allow garment workers to form trade unions without prior approval from factory owners.

Other big brands involved in the fire and building safety talks include Wal-Mart and Gap Inc, which said last year it would launch its own safety program.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, did not say whether it plans to sign the accord. The company said that it is working with various parties "to come to an appropriate resolution" and "develop broad-based solutions for the industry."

Gap did not immediately comment on Monday.

Avaaz, a global advocacy organization, said now that H&M had committed to the plan, its campaign to push retailers to join in would now focus on Gap and Wal-Mart. The group's online petition pushing for a Bangladesh fire and building safety agreement had more than 923,000 signatures by Monday.

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Hong Kong most pricy retail space

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There's expensive and then there's Hong Kong.

The Asian shopping haven in the first quarter kept its crown as having the world's highest rent for prime retail properties, at nearly 50 percent more than for similar districts such as upper Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Rents were more than four times the rate in similar areas in London and Paris, according to a report by global property advisor CBRE Group Inc.

The 10 most expensive cities for retailers benefit from strong demand and modest new supply, a recipe for stable record-high prime rental rates, the report released on Sunday showed. In some markets, such as Hong Kong and London, the sky-high rents have prompted some newcomers to look nearby. For example, in London, Mayfair has benefited from those priced out of Bond Street.

Annual retail rent in high-end shopping areas in Hong Kong averaged $4,328 per square foot (36,351 euros per square meter).

"Given that space is so expensive in Hong Kong's prime shopping streets largely driven by continued demand from international luxury brands, many traditional retailers have moved into more niche secondary retail locations as they still want to be in and access the market, but have been priced out of the prime space," Joe Lin, CBRE's executive director of retail, said in a statement.

New York ranked second among the most expensive global retail markets, with prime rents averaging $2,970 per square foot (24,944 euros per square meter)

Europe's prime retail markets followed, with London at $1,053 per square foot (8,843 euros per square meter), and Paris at $1,050 per square foot (8,820 euros per square meter).

The supply of prime space was tight elsewhere in the Asia Pacific region. An inflow of U.S. retailers helped Sydney maintain its prime rent at an average of $1,018 per square foot (8,549 euros per square meter).

Tokyo was sixth at $895 per square foot (7,519 euros per square meter), followed by Melbourne, at $851 per square foot (7,148 euros per square meter).

Zurich came in eighth at $822 per square foot (6,905 euros per square meter). Brisbane's mining and natural resource sectors, and growing population helped push that into the top 10 with its prime retail rents up 15 percent to $739 per square foot (6,209 euros per meter). Moscow rounded out the top 10 with rents at $739 per square foot (6,203 per square meter).

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US govt seized scribes’ phone records: AP

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The Associated Press said on Monday the US government secretly seized telephone records of AP offices and reporters for a two-month period in 2012, describing the acts as a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into news-gathering operations.

AP Chief Executive Gary Pruitt, in a letter posted on the agency's website, said the AP was informed last Friday that the Justice Department gathered records for more than 20 phone lines assigned to the news agency and its reporters.

"There can be no possible justification for such an overbroad collection of the telephone communications of The Associated Press and its reporters," Pruitt said in the letter addressed to Attorney General Eric Holder.

An AP story on the records seizure said the government would not say why it sought them.

But it noted that US officials have previously said the US Attorney's Office in the District of Columbia was conducting a criminal investigation into information contained in a May 7, 2012, AP story about a CIA operation in Yemen that stopped an al Qaeda plot to detonate a bomb on an airplane headed for the United States.

Five reporters and an editor involved in that story were among those whose phone numbers were obtained by the government, the AP said.

The disclosure threatened to set off a confrontation between free press advocates and the Obama administration, which has aggressively pursued national security leaks.

"It's alarming given the scale of it," said David Schulz, an attorney with Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz who is representing the AP. "This is a massive intrusion into the news gathering operation of one of the largest news organizations in the US People should be concerned."

The US Attorney's Office in the District of Columbia, which notified the AP of the seizure, issued a statement on Monday saying it was "careful and deliberative" when dealing with issues around freedom of the press.

"We take seriously our obligations to follow all applicable laws, federal regulations, and Department of Justice policies when issuing subpoenas for phone records of media organizations," the office said.

A Justice Department spokesman referred inquiries to the US Attorney's Office.

The White House was not involved in the decision to seize the AP records, Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

"Other than press reports, we have no knowledge of any attempt by the Justice Department to seek phone records of the AP," Carney said. "We are not involved in decisions made in connection with criminal investigations, as those matters are handled independently by the Justice Department."

The seized phone records were for April and May of 2012, and AP bureaus in New York, Hartford and Washington were among those affected, as well as an AP phone at the US House of Representatives press gallery, the AP said.

AP journalists' home and cell phone records were seized by the Justice Department, Pruitt said in his letter to Holder.

The reporters who were targeted included Matt Apuzzo, Adam Goldman and Eileen Sullivan, who were also part of a team that won the Pulitzer Prize for revealing secret New York Police Department intelligence operations targeting Muslim communities.

The AP said it had delayed reporting the Yemen plot story at the request of government officials and disclosed it after officials said it no longer endangered national security.

CIA Director John Brennan in testimony in February said the FBI had questioned him but he denied being the AP's source.

Reuters reported that on May 7, 2012, Brennan, then Obama's top White House counterterrorism adviser, held a small, private teleconference to brief former counter-terrorism advisers who are frequent commentators on television news shows and told them that the plot was never a threat to US public safety because Washington had "inside control" over it.

The original AP story made no mention of an undercover informant or "control" over the operation by the United States or its allies.

'Pointed questions'

The AP is assessing options for legal action in response to the government's actions, said Schulz, the attorney.

The Justice Department has issued rules that apply to subpoenas seeking phone records for news organizations. The subpoenas must be approved by the attorney general, drawn as narrowly as possible and used only when other attempts to get the information have failed.

The department is also required to notify the organization and seek to negotiate an agreement before issuing those subpoenas, as long as "such negotiations would not pose a substantial threat to the investigation at issue. Pruitt said that the AP was not notified in advance.

The AP may have little recourse to fight the subpoenas in court, since they were served not on the news organization but, presumably, on phone companies, legal experts said.

David Anderson, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin and an expert in media law, said there is no prohibition against seeking phone records to pursue potential leaks.

"There's nothing unusual about that, except that it's a news organization," said Anderson, who noted that the subpoenas could have a "terrible effect" by discouraging sources from talking to reporters.

Laura Murphy, director of the Washington legislative office of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that the incident was part of a pattern by the Obama administration in going after whistleblowers and leaked information.

"The Obama administration has been one of the most aggressive administrations in history when it comes to going after whistleblowers, and we find their conduct highly disturbing, and this is part of a pattern," she said in a phone interview.

Among at least a half-dozen prosecutions by the Obama White House - more than all other previous presidents combined, according to tallies by multiple news organizations - the Justice Department charged former National Security Agency official Thomas Drake under the Espionage Act with mishandling classified information.

On the eve of his trial, the government dropped the charges in exchange for Drake pleading guilty to a misdemeanour charge.

Republican Representative Robert Goodlatte, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that the panel intends to ask Holder "pointed questions" about the issue when he testifies on Wednesday at a previously scheduled general oversight hearing.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, a Republican who has been criticizing the Obama administration on several fronts, including over last year's attacks on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya, faulted the administration for the Justice Department action.

"Coming within a week of revelations that the White House lied to the American people about the Benghazi attacks and the IRS targeted conservative Americans for their political beliefs, Americans should take notice that top Obama Administration officials increasingly see themselves as above the law and emboldened by the belief that they don't have to answer to anyone," Issa said in a statement.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont, said he was "very troubled" by the allegations and wants to hear the government's explanation.

"The burden is always on the government when they go after private information - especially information regarding the press or its confidential sources. I want to know more about this case, but on the face of it, I am concerned that the government may not have met that burden," he said in a statement

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Top 10 picks for those who dare

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Everyone likes a bit of excitement on holiday. But for those bold travelers who enjoy testing their limits with exhilarating stunts, rides and thrills, the members and editors of VirtualTourist (www.virtualtourist.com) have compiled a list of their Top 10 Spots to Get an Adrenaline Rush. Reuters has not endorsed this list:

1. Bungee jumping at the Macau Tower, China

Most bungees are built into gorges or natural settings, so how about jumping off a man-made structure into a booming metropolis' harbor beneath you? This is just the case at the Macau Tower, the world's second highest bungee jump, dropping 765 feet from a platform around the tower. The views are incredible, but also terrifying. You're dropping a few feet from a steel tower with cars driving beneath you and it's enough to terrify even the most confident daredevil. If you get up there and aren't ready to jump the tower has other offerings. They provide skywalks so you can walk the perimeter of the tower on the rim, but with a harness and without needing a leap of faith. They also offer a Tower Climb. Although it doesn't involve jumping, it's even higher than the bungee. Climbers do a 328 ft. ascent to the tower's summit at 1,108 ft..

2. Trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp near Kathmandu, Nepal

One of the most popular adrenaline treks among VirtualTourist members is the trip to Mount Everest Base Camp. While making it to Everest Base Camp definitely requires some training and planning beforehand, few experiences can top the view from the Nepalese side, which is at an altitude of 17,598 ft.. A VT member suggests The Upper Mustang Trek, particularly the portion above Chele, if you want really adrenaline vertigo inducing excitement. Some travelers also consider trekking the Annapurna Circuit, and members of VirtualTourist can advise you about whether or not you should trek on your own, with a guide or porter, or with an organized group. Each of these means a different experience and pace.

3. Running with the Bulls - Pamplona, Spain

A national tradition that became an international sensation, the Running with the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain, is a once-in-a-lifetime thrill that many adrenaline junkies include on their bucket lists. Popularized by Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises, the Running of the Bulls occurs during the San Fermin Festival, which runs each year from July 6 to 14, celebrating San Fermin, the patron saint of Navarra. The actual "Running of the Bulls" occurs every morning of the week and serves a distinct purpose - the bulls must get from outside the city to the bullring. Just being a spectator to this event is an adrenaline rush!

4. Zip lining in Costa Rica

The jungles and animals of Costa Rica are a thrill in themselves, but the vantage point and excitement of a zip line takes the entire experience to another level. A zip line, becoming more and more popular in tropical resorts, combines a series of cables and platforms at different heights that allow visitors to travel through the rainforest canopy and over rivers and water features safely. While they are a total adrenalin rush, they also serve as a unique way to see ecology, botany, and animals up close in the wild. Zip-lines are increasingly popular and can be found throughout Costa Rica, but some of the best areas to find them are Monteverde, Arenal, and Manuel Antonio.

5. Surfing Tavarua Island, Fiji

For those who want their adrenaline on the water, few spots in the world are as remote and filled with guaranteed great waves like Fiji. Tavarua Island, a heart-shaped spot located off the Western coast of Fiji near Momi, is an island resort encircled by coral reefs and the unique wave breaks that accompany them. You'll need to take a boat out to some of them, but then you're set for the ride of your life. The fantastic surf spots near Tavarua include the notorious Cloudbreak and Restaurants, a 200- 300 yard ride right off the island.

6. Heli-skiing in Valdez, Alaska

Many of us think skiing is risky enough as is, but if you'd like to turn up the volume heli-skiing is becoming more popular than ever. One spot growing in popularity is Valdez, Alaska, which is incredibly vertical and local organizers promise six runs a day and roll over runs. If you only get to 5 runs one day, you can ski seven runs the next day. The season in Valdez runs from early February to the second week of May, but it is suggested to get there earlier - once other North American areas close in April, many serious skiers start flocking to Alaska.

7. Ledge jumping in Queenstown, New Zealand

New Zealand has long been a hot spot for adrenaline junkies and extreme sports enthusiasts. A great spot for both is Queenstown, New Zealand where visitors can experience the Ledge Urban Bungy. After taking the Skyline Gondola to the top of Bob's Peak, you can lunge down concrete tracks, hike the mountain-top trails, or jump from the Ledge Urban Bungee. Be warned, it has a ‘runway' so you gain a bit of speed, and the unique harness allows jumpers to do flips, twists, and other such stunts. At 1312 ft. (400m) above Queenstown, this activity is not for the faint at heart!

8. Paraglide above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland

Multiple VirtualTourist members suggested getting a thrill while on the road by seeing your location from up above - way up above! In Switzerland, one VT member departed Interlaken, which is already quite high at 1870 ft., by van and drove up to the village of Beatenburg at 4,400 ft.. Taking off from a meadow high above Interlaken, paragliding provides thrills and unparalleled views of Lake Brienz, Lake Thun, and the town below. For those who are even more adventurous, you can paraglide from the top of Schilthorn, which is 9744 ft. high and was featured in a James Bond film.

9. White Water Rafting in Africa

Multiple VirtualTourist members suggested whitewater rafting in different areas of Africa for an extreme thrill. One popular spot is on the Zambezi, just downriver from Victoria Falls along the border of Zimbabwe. This area has Grade 5/V white-rapids and the best time to attempt them is from July to January. Another member suggested the rapids along the Nile River near Jinja, Uganda - also Grade 5 white-water rapids - although she said she will probably never do them again, it was an experience of a lifetime!

10. Rappelling in St. George, Utah

A few of our previous suggestions will have you attached to a rope, but none probably as risky as rappelling and canyoneering in St. George, Utah. Rappelling is best described as controlled descent down a rock face using a rope, commonly seen on the cover of Patagonia catalogues, and a favourite of daredevils all over Utah. St. George is conveniently located in the middle of many amazing rock formations areas including Zion National Park, Snow Canyon State Park, and slot canyons, making this the area where "canyoneering," or hiking, climbing, and rappelling in narrow slot canyons, was born. St. George is a playground for adrenaline junkies with outstanding mountain biking, ATV trails, and an abundance of rock climbing.

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Book on Tagore launched in Delhi

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Dhaka University’s Vice Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique presented the first copy to Indian President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 8.

A joint initiative, the book has a series of papers and articles written as part of the international conference on “Contemporising Tagore and the World”.

The conference had been organised in Dhaka two years ago as part of the joint state-level celebrations by India and Bangladesh of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Tagore.

The conference drew wide participation from scholars and Tagore researchers from across the world including Japan, Russia, and the Netherlands.

According to a media release by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s UPL Publishers published the book.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations President Karan Singh, Director General Suresh K Goel, members of the Steering Committee of the International Conference – Prof Imtiaz Ahmed, Prof Anisuzzaman, Prof Syed Shamsul Haque, Asaduzzaman Noor, Muchkund Dubey and Veena Sikri – were present among others during the ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

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BNP calls strike May 8, 9

BNP Standing Committee Member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told reporters on Monday night that they were protesting the ‘crackdown’ of the law enforcers on Hifazat-e Islam and the casualties from the raid at Motijheel.

The decision came from a meeting of the leaders of the opposition alliance presided over by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office.

A 'Ghaibana Namaz-e-Janaza' or funeral prayers in absentia will also be held after Asr prayers on Tuesday in front of the BNP’s Naya Paltan headquarters.

Khandaker Mosharraf said during the joint raid of police, RAB and BGB shots were fired randomly and “hundreds of Alems and Ulamas” (Islamic scholars) were killed at the Shapla Intersection on the early hours of Monday amid a blackout. "We have no words to condemn this kind of ruthless killing."

He criticised the government move to clear the busiest intersection in the capital. "Alems and Ulamas had gathered there to protest the insult to the Prophet Mohammad. We are embarrassed in front of the world as a nation for these murders."

Hifazat activists – police say most of them were Jamaat-e-Islami supporters in disguise -- had enforced a siege on Dhaka to press for their 13 demands which include punishing the 'atheist' bloggers and annulment of the women policy.

They went berserk at the capital's Paltan, Gulistan, Bijoynagar from Sunday noon until evening amid their siege. They smashed and torched numerous shops and vehicles in those areas during that time and set fire to the Communist Party of Bangladesh headquarters. The joint raid took place hours later.

The main opposition alleged that dead bodies were ‘concealed’ as law enforcers came down hard on Hifazat-e Islam supporters, also backed by the BNP, to remove them from Motijheel.

Khaleda Zia on Monday night held meetings with party policymakers and the coalition leaders after the 48-hour she had given to the government to reinstate the caretaker government system. But BNP leaders did not say anything whether any decision was taken over the matter.

The opposition chief had given the ultimatum from a rally at Motijheel on Saturday. And Hifazat held the rally at the same place on the following day and declared to stay put there.

The BNP-led 18-Party alliance has announced nationwide general strikes for two consecutive days -- May 8 and 9 -- from 6am to 6pm.

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BNP calls strike May 8, 9

The BNP-led 18-Party alliance has announced nationwide general strikes for two consecutive days -- May 8 and 9 -- from 6am to 6pm.

Police claimed eight people died, but bdnews24.com Narayanganj Correspondent confirmed 14 deaths from the clashes after visiting several hospitals and interviewing local people.

After Hifazat supporters were flushed out from Dhaka, they blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in three areas of Kanchpur and Siddhirganj locality in Narayanganj since morning and started vandalising vehicles.

The law-enforcing agencies in a pincer raid had ejected the Hifazat men – mostly Jamaat-e-Islami supporters, as police claim – in the early hours of Monday after they had declared nonstop sit-in in Motijheel after their Dhaka blockade programme on Sunday.

BGB Director General Major General Aziz Ahmed said, "Hifazat supporters, while leaving Dhaka, were joined by 'some miscreants' in launching a blockade and acts of vandalism. Police and BGB were attacked when they tried to chase them away."

Police said Hifazat men blockaded the road with logs and bamboos. They vandalised up to 10 vehicles and set four vehicles including two BRTC buses on fire at the time.

After six members of police and BGB were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with critical injuries sustained during the clashes, duty doctors declared three of them dead, DMCH Police Camp Inspector Mozammel Haque said.

The identities of the deceased law keepers were confirmed as BGB trooper Shah Alam and police constable 'Zakaria' and Nayek Firoz.

Gen Aziz also visited the critically injured -- BGB trooper Lavlu, police SIs Sulaiman and Pannu -- at DMCH.

At noon, a van driver’s assistant Mijanur Rahman, 16, and one Marzanul Haque, 28, were brought to DMCH with bullet injuries, Inspector Haque said. Both were declared dead by doctors on arrival at the hospital.

Van driver Azim said they had parked their van and were repairing it when clashes began and Nizamul was hit by a bullet.

The dead bodies of two readymade garment workers, ‘Masum’, 32, and Abdul Hannan, 30, were brought to 200-bed hospital at Narayanganj’s Khanpur, the emergency unit doctor Nazim Uddin told bdnews24.com.

Relatives took away their bodies before their autopsy was done, he said.

Twenty police and BGB men were also receiving treatment at the hospital, Nazim Uddin added.

Corpses of three unidentified people also remained at the 100-bed hospital at the city's Mandalparha, resident doctor Asaduzzaman told bdnews24.com.

He said police left the the bodies in three phases since morning, but they were not provided with any identification. Police also told hospital officials that the bodies will be autopsied on Tuesday.

However, relatives of three deceased – Saiful, 36, Jasimuddin, 32, and Polash, 25, all from Siddhirganj who died during the clashes – collected their remains from the scene and buried them at local graveyard.

Another unidentified body recovered from the site of the clashes was kept at Maa Medical and Lab in Narayanganj's Shimrail intersection, its emergency unit doctor Abdul Quaiyum said.

Some more hit by bullets have been admitted there, he added.

However, Superintendent of Narayanganj Police Syed Nurul Islam claimed only eight people died in the clashes.

He told bdnews24.com: "Other than these dead, one or two people might have died but not more."

The clashes began at around 7am on Monday after an intense stand-off when police and BGB personnel tried to chase away the Hifazat supporters blocking the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, he said. Teargas shells and bullets were fired at the time to disperse them, Islam added.

The area became a battle zone amid clashes and running battles between Hifazat activists and law enforcers, locals said.

Supporters of the Chittagong-based radical group smashed up over 50 vehicles, while eight vehicles including two pick-ups of police and RAB, two BGB vehicles and an oil tanker were set on fire.

A traffic police outpost was also burnt down.

SP Nurul Islam said activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir and BNP also joined Hifazat men in attacking the law keepers.

The Hifazat men moved from the highway at around 10am, but continued to pelt the police and border guards with brickbats in adjoining areas. The situation calmed down at around noon.

Meanwhile, hundreds including members of law-enforcing agencies were injured during the clashes and later hospitalised.

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Shafi at Hathazari, Babu Nagari held

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Hifazat-e Islam chief Ahmad Shafi arrived at Hathazari in Chittagong on Monday evening after several people died there from clashes on rumours that had been arrested.

The Chittagong-based radical organisation's Secretary General Junaid Babu Nagari was detained in Dhaka, police said.

Nagari is a teacher at the Darul Ulum Muinul Alam Madrasa at Hathazari. Ahmad Shafi is the madrasa's director general.

Earlier in the evening, Shafi left his Lalbagh office under police protection and went to the Shahjalal International Airport to board a plane to Chittagong. He started for Hathazari right away in a car from Shah Amanat International Airport.

The Hifazat chief was supposed to attend his organisation's rally at Motijheel on Sunday, the day it laid a siege to Dhaka, but skipped it.

After clashing with the law enforcers from Sunday noon until evening, the Hifazat supporters announced nonstop sit-in at Motijheel's Shapla Intersection. But a joint raid of law enforcement agencies drove them out of the business district in the early hours of Monday. Several people were killed and many others injured during the daylong clashes and the raid.

Since then, top Hifazat leaders including Shafi and Babu Nagari were staying at the organisation's temporary office at Lalbagh. The rumour of Shafi being arrested spread at around Monday noon while heavy deployment of police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were seen around the premises since morning.

The rumour led the students of Darul Ulum Muinul Alam Madrasa and Hifazat supporters to go berserk at Hathazari. They also clashed with police who had obstructed them. At least five people were killed and up to 25 injured in the clash.

Shafi left the Lalbagh office in a red car at around 3:15pm under police protection.

Asked whether he was detained, Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Deputy Commissioner (Lalbagh Division) Harun-ur Rashid, who was present there, told reporters, "Did you see any policeman in the Hujur's (Shafi) car? He is going to the airport. He might be going home."

But he did not say anything about the presence of huge number of law enforcers at Hifazat office.

Senior Assistant Superintendent of Armed Police Battalion Mohammad Iqbal Hossain confirmed that Shafi left Dhaka in a Regent Airways flight at 7pm.

Regent Airways Executive (airport) Ahsan Habib Ovi said that five tickets were booked in that flight at around 3:30am.

Shafi's son Anas Ahmad was also with him along with Saifullah, 'Tawhid' and Hossain Ahmed.

The plane carrying Shafi landed in Chittagong at 7:40pm. Patenga police OC Qazi Shahabuddin Ahmed told bdnews24.com that Shafi was also provided security as he started for Hathazari.

Hifazat leaders said Shafi reached at the madrasa at Hathazari at around 9:30pm.

Meanwhile, police detained Junaid Babu Nagari from the capital's Dhakeshwari National Temple area, DMP Lalbagh Division DC Harun-ur Rashid told bdnews24.com.

But Hifazat’s Dhaka metropolitan unit leader Mohammad Faruk Ahmed claimed police employed 'tricks' to detain Nagari.

He told bdnews24.com that Nagri was told that there was another plane ticket to Chittagong waiting for him and asked him to leave. "But after he left Lalbagh office in a rented car, he was detained from the Dhakeshwari Temple area."

Babu Nagari was present at the press briefing at the Lalbagh office on Sunday and answered queries of the journalists over the organisation's programme to press for a 13-point charter of demands.

He has been acting as the spokesperson of the radical group due to Shafi's ailment.

Hifazat activists – police say most of them were Jamaat-e-Islami supporters in disguise -- had besieged Dhaka to press for their demands which include punishing the 'atheist' bloggers and annulment of the women policy.

They went berserk at the capital's Paltan, Gulistan, Bijoynagar from Sunday noon until evening and declared to stay put there. They smashed and torched numerous shops and vehicles in those areas during that time and set fire to the Communist Party of Bangladesh headquarters.

But a joint raid of police, RAB and BGB took place early Monday and drove out the Hifazat supporters.

The Lalbagh house, 57, Kazi Reazuddin Road, is the headquarters for Islami Oikya Jote, an ally of BNP and Jamaat, and headed by Shafi's son-in-law. . Hifazat-e Islam also uses the building as its Dhaka office as

Shafi was staying there since Sunday when violence erupted during the Dhaka blockade.

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