PUNJAB Governor Sardar Latif Khosa has ruled out any amendment to the blasphemy law and asserted that no such plan is under consideration by the government. Talking to the media after meeting JI Ameer Syed Munawwar Hasan at Mansoorah on Thursday, Khosa dispelled the impression that the Pakistan Peoples Party was amending the existing blasphemy law. He said the government had no such plan and asserted that the Pakistan Peoples Party would defend the Namoos-e-Risalat till the last drop of blood. He clarified that the fact-finding committee, constituted by President …

The Bangladeshi army revealed today that it had foiled a coup attempt linked to Islamist extremists last month.
Army officials said they uncovered a plot by 16 serving and retired military officials who conspired to overthrow the elected Sheikh Hasina government in order to establish an Islamist regime. While Bangladesh has a history of military coups, this is the first known attempt by Islamist extremists within the military to overthrow the government.
The coup attempt has been linked to the Hizbut Tahrir (HUT), an international organization that seeks to establish a global …

By WSJ Staff
PERPENDICULAR: Australia’s Georgia Simpson competed on the uneven bars Wednesday in London during a qualification round for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. (Steven Paston/Action Images/Zuma Press)
FLUSHED OUT: Demonstrators were sprayed with water as crews tried to demolish their homes in San Juan, Philippines, Wednesday. The demolition paves the way for the construction of a new city hall, shopping mall and condominiums. (Bullit Marquez/Associated Press)
SYRIAN UNREST: A woman injured amid unrest Wednesday in the neighborhood of …

Bangladesh Army, another name of Independence of Bangladesh, is passing a transitional phase.  Its sufferings in the recent past from the BDR carnage were the beginning of it. Now, it seems, the transition is coming to a positive end.
The BDR Carnage:
The BDR carnage was a planned massacre on the Army to eliminate many of the bright, upright and capable officers to render it unable to defend the independence of Bangladesh anymore. Some of the corrupt political leaders including few of the Generals and Senior …

আমাদের মহান মুক্তিযুদ্ধ,স্বাধীনতা,বিজয় দিবস,শহিদ বুদ্ধিজীবী হত্যা দিবস এবং যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচার,এগুলি খালেদা জিয়াদের জন্য শাখের করাতের মতো। গিলতেও পারা যায়না আবার ফেলতেও পারা যায়না। এই যে চলমান যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচার,এ নিয়ে তারা আছেন এক বেসামাল অবস্থায়। একবার বলছেন এ বিচার মানিনা,এ বিচার প্রহসন,এ বিচার বন্ধ করতে হবে ইত্যাদি। আবার বলছেন যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচার তারাও চান ‘তবে(!!)’—তাদের এই তবে গুলি নিয়েই কিছু কথা।
# তবে নং-একঃ-“যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচার আমরাও চাই তবে- প্রকৃত যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচার হতে হবে”
মন্তব্যঃ- আপনাদের এই প্রকৃত বা সত্যিকারের যুদ্ধাপরাধী কারা ? এই গোলাম আজম,নিজামী,মুজাহিদ,সাঈদীো,সাকা চৌ,আঃ আলীম রা কি প্রকৃত বা সত্যিকারের যুদ্ধাপরাধী নয়?
# …

SANCHITA BHATTACHARYA
Bangladesh has experienced a dramatic stabilization over the past year, though contradictory impulses continue to create some confusion, particularly in view of the Government’s decision to retain Islamist elements within the Constitution, against the ruling Awami League’s (AL’s) secular commitments in the past. The ongoing War Crimes (WC) Trials and sustained action against extremist elements have, however, pulled the country back from what appeared, just years ago, to be the edge of the precipice, and transformed the profile of governance in …

The accused — former President of the United States George W. Bush and former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair — were tried in absentia at the tribunal’s hearings.

Their absence, presumably, was not due to lack of knowledge for the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission (KLWCC) had duly served them notice on charges of committing Crimes against Peace.

অন লাইন কাগজ বা মিডিয়ার পাঠক-পাঠিকারা মূলত: তরুণ-তরুণী। ভবিষ্যৎ প্রজন্ম নামে পরিচিত এই তারুণ্যের কথা মনে রেখেই কলম সচল রাখা উচিৎ। ক্লান্ত, স্মৃতিকাতর, অথবা সোডার বোতল খোলার মতো ভস ভসিয়ে উঠে আসা এক গাদা অতীতের কথা এদের টানে না।
আমাদের সমাজ বড় অদ্ভূত। মিডিয়াও তার বাইরের কিছু নয়। পত্র-পত্রিকা বা ইলেকট্রনিক মিডিয়া জুড়ে অভিজ্ঞতার দাপটে তারুণ্য কোণঠাসা।
ধরুন, আব্দুল গাফফার চৌধুরী, অথবা বদরুদ্দীন ওমর। দু’শিবিরের দুই লেখক, মাঝে মধ্যে ঝলসে ওঠা ব্যতীত এক কাহিনী, একই প্যাঁচাল। একজনের মতে, আওয়ামী দাওয়াই সর্বরোগের মহৌষধ। অন্যজন এখনো স্তালিন আর মাও দেজ দং এর লাশ টানাটানিতে …

Wednesday, December 14, 2011
This is the second day of the defence cross examination of the first prosecution witness, Mr Mahbubul Alam Howlader relating to charges against Delwar Hossain Dayedee. Here is the first day of his cross examination..
Prior to the cross examination, the tribunal heard arguments on a number of applications filed by Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, the BNP leader, accused in a separate case, who was representing himself.
Below is an unofficial translation of the cross examination. The defence lawyer doing the cross examination is Mizanur Islam. The defence lawyer Tajul Islam also …

The taking of testimony from witness no 1 started after the tribunal heard a number of applications from the defence (all rejected). This is dealt with in a separate posting.
Before the first witness took the stand, the chairman said two things. First that details of father, place of residence and other such details will not be made public, and there should be no questioning about these. Second that the witness statements will be transcribed, and as they are typed out they can be seen on …

This was the date set for the start of witness testimony. A post about the testimony given by the first witness is dealt with in a separate post.
At the start of the hearing, the tribunal agreed to hear three applications.
- The first related to being provided with any exculpatory material which the defence may have.
- the second was an application for the defence to be provided with copies of over 40 documents which the prosecution had noted as part of their formal charge application, but were never provided …

This hearing was a continuation of the hearing on 27 November. On 30 November, my lawyer had filed an additional supplementary response in light of a number of points raised by the tribunal at that hearing.
This supplementary response was read out in full at the tribunal and can be dowloaded here. Along with the supplementary response there was a legal opinion from international criminal lawyer Wayne Jordash which can be downloaded here.
In addition to what was read out in the supplementary response, the following was stated by the …