Star Business Report
Inward remittances fell 2.43 percent to $1.08 billion in March compared to a month ago, but the overall growth in the first ten months of the current fiscal year reached near 11 percent.
During the period, more than $1 billion was remitted from abroad by Bangladeshi migrant workers every month, except September and November, according to data from the central bank.
In March, remittances stood at $1.1 billion.
However, remittances increased by 10.41 percent to $10.61 billion in the first ten months of the …

A six-member probe team of the International Crimes Tribunal is now visiting Chittagong to investigate alleged crimes against humanity by BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury in 1971.
Their trip came as part of the preparation for the trial against Salauddin which is scheduled to start on April 29.
After arriving in Chittagong Thursday night, the investigation team talked to local people, leaders and victims’ families, advocate Rana Das Gupta, a member of the ICT team, said at a press conference yesterday evening.
They will spend one more day here in connection with the …

The investigation officer who probed the war crimes charges against Delawar Hossain Sayedee yesterday gave an overview of 23 incidents of atrocity the Jamaat-e-Islami leader was allegedly involved in during the Liberation War.
They include mass murder, rape, arson, looting, abduction, torture and forced conversions of religion during the war.
Mohammad Helal Uddin, the 28th and last prosecution witness in the case against Sayedee, also presented as evidence many photographs and footage of the places where the atrocities were committed. He had recorded them during his investigation.
Places of mass murders, a building …

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy premiered a conceptual play, “Dinguli Kemon Chhilo”, on the Liberation War. To depict the immensity of the war, the academy has chosen a form known as “environmental theatre” for the production.
The play premiered on April 17 at the vacant space in front of the National Art Gallery. Ashish Khandakar, known as an expert in the theatre form, has conceptualised and directed the play.
Environmental theatre places a production in an environment similar to the one in which the play is set. Khandakar only used the space to create …

Pakistan’s civil society members yesterday launched the Pakistan chapter of International Forum for Secular Bangladesh & Trial of War Criminals of 1971, aiming to promote peace and resist terrorism in the name of religion.
The chapter’s 31-member executive committee will comprise Pakistan’s human and social rights activists, journalists and academics and be led by Pakistan’s former attorney general and federal minister Barrister Sayed Iqbal Haider.
“The initiative will help promote better understanding between the people of our two countries (Bangladesh and Pakistan) as well as create a positive image of Pakistan abroad,” …

Charges to be pressed against Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, Ashrafuzzaman in 2 months

[Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, left, with the Prince of Wales at the Markfield Islamic Foundation, Leics on January 24, 2003. Photo: The Telegraph]
Investigations into suspected war criminals Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan are in the final stages, investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal told The Daily Star yesterday.
“We have made substantial progress in the cases against them,” said Mohammad Abdul Hannan Khan, chief investigator of the agency. “It could take a couple more months to move the charges [to the tribunal].”
The …

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Monday fixed April 26 for delivering the verdict on a contempt of court rule against the editor and a reporter of the daily Sangram for publishing a report on the statement of Feni Bar Association’s lawyers regarding the activities of the ICT.
The rule was also issued against 12 lawyers of the bar association.
The ICT fixed the date after Sangram editor Abul Asad, the newspaper’s Feni correspondent AKM Abdur Rahim and 10 of the 12 lawyers appeared before the court and offered unconditional apology.
According to the …

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Monday transferred three cases against three war crimes accused to the other court – International Crimes Tribunal-2 – for quick disposal of the cases.
The accused are: Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretaries general Abdul Quader Mollah and Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, and former BNP lawmaker Abdul Alim.
The Tribunal-1 led by its Chairman Justice Nizamul Huq transferred the cases accepting three separate petitions filed the prosecution on Sunday.
The prosecution submitted the petition to the Tribunal-1 for transferring the case to the Tribunal-2 following amendment to the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act- 1973 …

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami did not commit any crime against humanity during the Liberation War, rather strongly criticised the attacks of Pakistani army on the Bangalees, Nizami’s counsel told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday.
“During the Liberation War in 1971, on many occasions, the petitioner [Nizami] strongly criticised the Pakistan army for their attacks on Bangalees,” said Tajul Islam, one of the counsels for Nizami, while reading out a petition of the Jamaat chief.
“However, his speeches [delivered during the Liberation War] were never reported in the newspapers because of the …

In its first appeal on transferring cases, prosecution on Sunday prayed to the International Crimes Tribunal-1 for shifting cases filed against war crimes accused Abdul Quader Mollah, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Alim to the tribunal-2.
The cabinet on April 9 approved the draft of the International Crimes (Tribunals) (Amendment) Act 2012 paving the way for transferring cases from one tribunal to another.
As the court began Sunday noon, Chief Prosecutor Ghulam Arieff Tipoo appealed to the ICT-1 to shift the three cases filed against the trio for their alleged crimes against humanity …

President Zillur Rahman yesterday issued an ordinance on the amendment to the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973, so that tribunals can transfer each other’s cases for speedy disposal.
The ordinance will be addressed as the International Crimes (Tribunals) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2012, a law ministry press release said.
The amendment states, “At any stage of a case, a tribunal may, on its own motion or on the application of the Chief Prosecutor, by an order in writing, transfer the case to another tribunal, whenever it considers such transfer is just and convenient for …

The last prosecution witness in Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee’s case yesterday gave the International Crimes Tribunal-1 several copies of newspaper reports on Sayedee’s alleged crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
The tribunal, the first of two formed to deal with crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War, would resume recording, for the fifth consecutive day, the testimony of witness Helal Uddin this morning.
Helal Uddin, also the investigation officer probing the charges against Sayedee, presented old newspapers copies and some other documents related to the case before the tribunal yesterday.
He …