Rights groups and conservationists on Tuesday condemned a New Zealand move to ban protests at sea, accusing the government of pandering to the interests of oil companies. A planned new law allows the military to arrest protesters in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and ramps up the penalties facing demonstrators to include jail terms of up to a year and fines reaching NZ$100,000 ($84,000).

The countrywide 36-hour hartal, enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance, entered the second day today (Wednesday).The first day of the shutdown, enforced by the opposition alliance at 6am on Tuesday to realise its various demands, including the release of its arrested leaders and activists, was marked by vandalism and crude bomb blasts.The shutdown ends at 6 pm today and it will be followed by another daylong hartal called by Islami Chhatra Shibir on Thursday.On Tuesday, a truck driver, Khokon Miah, 35, son of Jainal Abedin of Matidali Biman crossing in Bogra Sadar u

The second day of the 36-hour nationwide hartal, enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance, continues almost peacefully barring some incidents of bomb explosion at various places across the country on Wednesday.As on the first day, educational institutions remained closed, but government and non-government offices in the capital are open with thin attendance.City commuters are largely using rickshaws and auto-rickshaws like other hartal days as motorised vehicles mostly stayed off the streets.

State Minister for law Quamrul Islam on Wednesday renewed his party’s call to BNP to sit in a dialogue to resolve the ongoing political crisis shunning what he said the path terrorist activities.“Join the upcoming parliament session beginning on April 21 by shunning hartal and anarchic activities. Place your (BNP) proposal in parliament, if any… please, don’t enforce hartal any more,” he said.