As the clock ticked 12 last night, the year 2002 began with hopes for a better future.

Over 130 million people of Bangladesh join the world community in welcoming the New Year with a renewed pledge to build a happier country and to make the Mother Earth an abode of peace.

The New Year's Eve celebrations were marked with exchange of greetings and pleasantries, feasts and parties. Fireworks and explosion of crackers by revellers broke the silence as the clock stuck zero hours.

In the capital, people were in a jubilant mode, celebrating the first hours of New Year. Many city dwellers were seen busy yesterday evening buying greeting cards and flowers for near and dear ones.

Jubilant people were seen hoping from one party or social gathering to another last night.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) deployed as many as 5,000 policemen in the city to avert untoward incidents by revellers, a common phenomenon during New Year celebrations.

The Department of Narcotics Control deployed seven teams at different parts of the city to contain use of narcotics and liquor during the celebrations.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in a message on the eve of the New Year called for taking a fresh pledge to build a terrorism-free and peaceful society in the country.

"Let us march forward with new pledges, forgetting all woes and anger, envy and malice."

Leader of the Opposition in parliament and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina expressed her New Year's greetings to the people, wishing them happiness and peace.

"At the beginning of the New Year, I wish you all happiness, peace and prosperity", she said in a message sent from the United States.

The year that past was marked with some tragic events including

the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Cent (WTC) in which about 3,500 were killed. In retaliation, the United States attacked Afghanistan to eliminate terrorists led by Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, alleging that he masterminded the attacks.

Tension in South Asia is mounting following war mongering by nuclear powers Pakistan and India and deployment of troops along their borders.

In Bangladesh, the people will have a new pinch in their daily life as the cost of living would go up.

The BNP led coalition government has increased prices of fuel, electricity and gas, to be effective from the NewYear Day.

The people of the country will start the New Year with anxiety over the law and order situation as crimes continued to rise.

The government however expressed its determination to launch from the New Year Day a crack down on crimes and illegal drug trading and programmes to free the capital from air pollution and traffic congestion that altogether plagued civic life.

Police have already published a list of top criminals, offering rewards ranging up to Tk 100,000 for information leading to their arrest.