Voicebox

"Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion has become a government death squad."
BRAD ADAMS
Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW). The HRW has published a report last week titled “Judge, Jury, and Executioner: Torture and Extrajudicial Killings by Bangladesh's Elite Security Force."

"He never had any links with al-Qaeda or Talibans or Mujahideen and he wasn't a militant either."
ABUL HASHEM
father of Mubarak Hossain who spent five-years in a prison at Guantanamo Bay. Mubarak was released last week.

"The caretaker government's 'not always conducting itself neutrally…We hope that is behind us now."
PATRICIA A BUTENIS
US Ambassador in Dhaka.

"Please register my name on the voter list."
SEKANDAR ALI
a resident of ward no 5 in Kamrangirchar in the capital to The Daily Star correspondent Rashidul Hasan, mistaking him for a field level Election Commission (EC) official. No EC official went to update the list in Ali's area.

"My judgment in matters of public importance was not acceptable to my superior authority, so I felt that it would be useless to stay on."
HASAN MASHHUD CHOWDHURY
former adviser to caretaker government and for army chief giving reasons for his resignation.

"Calling in the military implies that the civil administration has failed in discharging its duty. Why should I be a part of an administration that has failed, and why should I bear the blame for the mistakes of others"
SULTANA KAMAL
lawyer, human-rights activist and former adviser to the caretaker government to journalists. Kamal and three more advisers resigned following a controversial presidential decision to deploy the army in the country.

"His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck has handed over his responsibilities as the monarch and head of state of Bhutan to the Crown Prince Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck."
KUENSEL
Bhutanese newspaper announcing the abdication of the country's King. One year ago, Wangchuk famously said, “Why wait for a revolution? Why crown an heir only when the nation is in mourning for a late king?"

Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2006