::1 year of AL-led government::

Combing through hundreds of pictures, The Daily Star brings out a retrospective of images that capture significant moments in a fast-changing year. The pictures evoke the memories of events that unfolded around the new government and beyond. We believe these images will stand out as one of the hallmarks of our newspaper.

SK Enamul Haq, our chief photographer, and his team members Shawkat Jamil, Anisur Rahman, Amran Hossain and Shafiqul Alam contributed to this issue of crowded moments.

Clockwise from Top-Right: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in parliament. The House on January 29 unanimously passed a resolution calling on the government to ensure immediate trial of the war criminals. Hasina said her government was gathering expert opinions on the issue from around the world.

People rejoice in front of the Supreme Court on November 19 after the Appellate Division upheld death sentences for the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, ending a long appeals process. The landmark judgement wrapped up a chapter that remained unsettled for 34 years.

Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, one of the few survivors of the August 15, 1975 bloodbath, fights back his tears while speaking to journalists at the Supreme Court on November 19. He describes the verdict as the best birthday gift he has ever received.

Voters line up on January 22 as the nation sees its first elections to the 480 upazila parishads after a long pause.

MARCH 9
Wreckage of an army helicopter that crashed at Rouha in Kalihati upazila, Tangail. General Officer Commanding of 55 Infantry Division and Jessore Area Commander Maj Gen Rafiqul Islam and pilot Lt Col Md Shahidul Islam died in the crash.

MAY 9
Dr M Wazed Miah, a nuclear scientist and husband of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, passes away. Dr Wazed wrote books, including Fundamentals of Thermodynamics, and Fundamentals of Electromagnetics, and got a PhD from Imperial College London.

MARCH 13
Bangladesh's biggest shopping mall, Bashundhara City, catches fire. Seven people died in the blaze. Thousands flocked to surrounding streets as upper floors of its corporate office went up in flames.

MAY 25
Cyclone Aila strikes southern Bangladesh, killing 175 people by unofficial estimates and leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. An acute shortage of food and safe drinking water hit the southwestern districts.

APRIL 17
Bijli, the first cyclone of the year, hits the Chittagong coast. Five people were killed in the storm. Waves up to eight feet higher than usual buffeted the shore. Operations of Chittagong and Mongla ports were suspended following warning signals.

Top left, Sheikh Hasina takes oath as prime minister for a second term on January 6, 2009 after nearly two years of caretaker government rule. Another 31 cabinet members were also sworn in on the same day.

Left, Hasina walks with Mohammad Zillur Rahman at the Jatiya Sangsad after he was named the 19th president of Bangladesh.

Centre, Border guards who mutinied on Feb 25-26 at BDR's Peelkhana headquarters in Dhaka.

Top Right, Traumatised survivors of the bloody mutiny. Right, A soldier reacts after the bodies of 39 officers were found in the BDR incident.

JUNE 1
Members of parliament make strong commitments to take steps to stop illegal grabbing and pollution of rivers. The pledges came at the inauguration of a programme “To the Prime Minister: Save rivers, save Dhaka” -- a joint initiative of The Daily Star and Channel i.

JUNE 18
People wear masks as the first case of H1N1, or swine flu, was confirmed in Bangladesh on June 18. A 19-year-old man, who had travelled to the USA, was found infected with the virus.

AUG 12
Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President Barack Obama at the White House. "Muhammad Yunus was just trying to help a village, but he somehow managed to change the world," said Obama as he conferred America's highest civilian honour.

JUNE 29
People watch as a cloud of smoke billows out of the burning Ha-Meem Group complex at Narasinghapur in Ashulia. Garment workers burned down six factories, two warehouses and several vehicles of Ha-Meem on the outskirts of the capital.

AUG 20
MOMENT TO CHERISH: The Bangladesh cricket team upon their arrival at Zia International Airport on August 20 after remarkable tours of the West Indies and Zimbabwe. The Tigers won their first away Test series (2-0) in the West Indies while clinched the five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe 4-1.

JULY 24-25
The ruling Awami League holds its 20th national council after five years, re-electing Sheikh Hasina as president, picking Syed Ahraful Islam as general secretary and relegating a number of senior stalwarts from policymaking.

OCT 17
The National Curriculum and Textbook Board warehouse at Tejgaon in Dhaka catches fire, burning hundred of tonnes of books and printing paper. Firelighters battled for three days to douse the smouldering fire.

OCT 21
Ruling Awami League MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh's car is hit by a blast in Motijheel. He escapes unhurt. Taposh was a prosecution lawyer in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman murder case.

NOV 27
MV Coco-4 partially capsizes the night before Eid-ul-Azha in the river Tentulia at Nazirpur in Lalmohan, some 40km from Bhola. The death toll rose to 84 over the following three days as bodies were retrieved from the vessel and surrounding waters.

Above, Good agricultural production supported by sufficient injection of farm credit boosts domestic demand -- a bright spot in the economy.

Right, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority began a three-day eviction drive on June 3 against encroachment on the Turag. The government embarked on the drive after a vigorous campaign launched by The Daily Star against pollution and encroachment on the rivers surrounding the capital.

Far right, Tarique Rahman, son of Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia, causes a stir by addressing BNP's fifth council through a pre-recorded video message from London.

NOV 16
Prospective investors wait for subscription of Grameenphone under a quota for non-resident Bangladeshis at a booth at AGB Colony Community Centre in Dhaka. Grameenphone debuted on stockmarket on November 16, making a mark in the history of Bangladesh's capital market.

DEC 8
Opposition BNP holds its fifth council after a break of 16 years, re-electing Khaleda Zia as chairperson and choosing her firstborn Tarique Rahman as the powerful senior vice-president.

NOV 21
LEADERS MEET AGAIN: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Khaleda Zia exchange greetings at Senakunja in Dhaka Cantonment on Armed Forces Day.

DEC 16
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addresses the UN climate conference in Copenhagen, calling for an adaptation fund. Hasina has described the drawn-out climate talks as a success for Bangladesh.