Fakhruddin Ahmed, a former World Bank economist and central-bank governor, was appointed the new head of Bangladesh's caretaker administration.

ECONOMIST: Politics this week

Mr Fakhruddin has promised a parliamentary election by the end of 2008.

ECONOMIST: Bangladesh: No going back | The

The chief of Pakistan's election commission, Fakhruddin Ebrahim, said turnout was near 60 percent of registered voters, the highest since the 1970 election.

NPR: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Declares Victory