The New Nation - Internet Edition

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

Today is the last day of the year 2007. Six hours after sunset people around the world will say goodbye to 2007 and welcome the new-year 2008.

Many startling events both national and international made the year memorable.

In January, a state of emergency was declared amid violence in the election run-up. President Prof Iajuddin Ahmed postponed the January 22 election. Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed took over as head of the Caretaker administration.

In February, top politicians of different political parties were arrested on corruption charges.

In March, six Islamic militants convicted of countrywide bomb attacks in 2005 were hanged. They included the leaders of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's elder son Tareque Rahman was arrested on corruption charges.

In April, Awami League President Sheikh Hasina was charged with murder. BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia remained under virtual house arrest. Several other politicians were held in an anti-corruption drive.

In May, the interim government eased restrictions imposed on former Prime Ministers Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia.

Floods took place across South Asia including Bangladesh, Nepal and India caused by heavy monsoon rains.

In July, Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina was arrested.

In August, the Government imposed curfew in Dhaka and five other cities amid violent clashes between police and students demanding an end to the emergency rule.

In September, BNP Chairperson was arrested. Second phase of floods occurred in the country.

In November, as a result of global climate change more than 3,200 people died in the country in November 15 cyclone SIDR, with hundreds of thousands left homeless.

The year 2007 will be remembered most for the mass awareness raised against corruption by the Caretaker Government and the steps taken to curb it from society. Such unprecedented measure against corruption was highly acclaimed at home and abroad.

Pakistan was beset by violence in July after the military stormed a mosque in Islamabad taken over by militant Islamists. On October 18, with pressure rising for new elections, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto returned from self-exile. A suicide bombing killed 139 people during her homecoming parade. On November 3, President Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency, and then set elections for January. The United States, which has built its 'war on terror' on an alliance with Pakistan, expressed concern that the country's nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of a radical Islamic regime. On December 27, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed in bomb attack during her election campaign in Rawalpindi.

At least 15 people died and 3,000 were jailed in September when Myanmar's military and police broke up pro-democracy protests, which saw Buddhist monks lead 100,000 people in the streets of Yangon on successive days. UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari sought to launch dialogue between the military regime and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

On February 3, a suicide bomber in a truck packed with one ton of explosives killed at least 130 people and injured more than 300 in a popular Shiite neighbourhood of Baghdad in Iraq. More than 400 people were slaughtered in four suicide truck bomb attacks in northern Iraq on August 16. The number of US forces killed in the conflict approached 4,000 at fag end of 2007. The United States blamed Iran for much of the mayhem and also accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, although a US intelligence report at the year's end went against that accusation.

The world economy was rattled by a crisis in the US property market, with struggling borrowers defaulting en masse on mortgage payments, causing a credit crunch and wider concerns about the world's biggest economy. The dollar staggered from record low to record low and stock markets tumbled. World oil prices came in November close to the US$100 mark on global supply concerns. Prices eased after OPEC decided to keep its output levels unchanged.