Historic March 7, a Red- letter day in the history of Bangladesh, is being observed Saturday. On this day in 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered his epoch- making speech at the Race Course Maidan, now Suhrawardy Udyan, in Dhaka.…
Category: Int’l relations
Islamic State bulldozers ‘erasing history’ in Nimrud, Iraq
Archaeologists and officials have expressed outrage about the bulldozing of the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud by Islamic State militants in Iraq. On Thursday IS – which controls swathes of Iraq and Syria – began demolishing the site, which was…
Expatriate Bangladeshi stopped from giving Khaleda dry food
Police yesterday stopped a Bangladeshi residing in Italy Aminur Rahman from entering the Gulshan officeof BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s to deliver a packet of dry food for her, says Shamsuddin Didar, a member of media wing of the former premier.
Families of IS-bound schoolgirls say UK Police ‘let them walk out’
By Ben Ferguson & Ben Bryant The families of the missing east London schoolgirls who traveled to Syria to join Islamic State (IS) said today that UK police “let them walk out,” as it emerged that officers spoke to the…
UN HR High Commissioner asks for finding a solution
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has stressed the need to find a solution to the ongoing political impasse in Bangladesh. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein made the appeal on Wednesday when foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali met him…
Act responsibly: Violence risks spiraling out of control
Bangladesh authorities should investigate and bring to justice in fair trials all those responsible for heinous petrol bomb attacks, Amnesty International said after another 20 people were wounded overnight, the Amnesty International has said in a statement on Thursday. There…
South Korea US envoy Lippert ‘well’ after knife attack
A militant Korean nationalist has slashed the face of the US ambassador to South Korea at a breakfast meeting in Seoul, but the envoy was not seriously hurt.
HR body chair seeks SC support to stop extrajudicial killings
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman Dr Mizanur Rahman has said the persons involved with extra-judicial killings must be brought to justice, following a meeting with Chief Justice SK Sinha at the latter’s office on Thursday. “Drawing the attention of…
Diplomats see Khaleda reiterate end of violence for stability
A group of Dhaka-based foreign diplomats of nine missions including USA and the EU on Tuesday night reiterated their call for an end to continuing violence, recalling their previous statements on recent events in Bangladesh, and those by the UN.…
Obama seeks Iran nuclear freeze as Netanyahu speech nears
Iran should agree to freeze sensitive nuclear activity for at least a decade if it wants to strike a deal with the US, President Barack Obama has said.
S Jaishankar’s visit conveyed Delhi’s will to resolve problems
The visit of Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to Dhaka on the first led of his ‘Saarc Jatra’ has been marked for the change in Delhi’s policy towards its neigbours in that he communicated Delhi’s desire to ressolve problems with…
Top India, Pakistan diplomats to resume talks
India’s top diplomat has arrived in Pakistan for the first meeting between the two neighbours since New Delhi cancelled talks last year. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar will discuss an upcoming regional summit with Pakistani counterpart AA Chaudhry. Hostilities between the…
Iraq moves against Islamic State in Tikrit
Iraq has launched a military operation to recapture Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit from Islamic State (IS).
North Korea missiles launch mark joint US-ROK exercises
Missiles flew 490km from Nampo to East Sea, according to ROK military North Korea fired two short-range projectiles, presumed to be Scud-type ballistic missiles, on Monday morning South Korean time, Seoul’s military leadership announced. “North Korea fired two short-range missiles…
Netanyahu arrives in US for contested Congress Iran speech
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in the US to argue against a possible nuclear deal with Iran. Mr Netanyahu says the deal would be inadequate to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear bomb. He is due to give a…
Syria girls: CCTV shows UK teenagers at Istanbul bus station
New CCTV pictures appear to show three UK schoolgirls on the Turkish leg of what is believed to have been their journey to join Islamic State in Syria.
Diplomats of 18 foreign missions urge end to pol conflict
Diplomats of 17 countries and the European Union (EU) based in Dhaka on Sunday reiterated their call to end violence in the interest of stability, human rights and democracy. The diplomats stationed in Dhaka on Sunday called for an end…
Boris Nemtsov murder: Thousands pay tribute in Moscow
Thousands of people have paid tribute with candles and flowers at the site in Moscow where leading Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov was shot dead. An opposition march which Mr Nemtsov planned in Moscow for Sunday has now been turned…
UNHR body condemns blogger Avijit killing
The UN Human Rights Organisation has condemned the murder of blogger Avijit Roy in Dhaka on Thursday, Secretary General’s spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said at the daily briefing at the UN heaqquarters on Friday. Replying to a question the spokesman said,…
US avoids homeland security shutdown as House passes bill
The US Homeland Security Department has avoided a partial shutdown as Congress passed a one-week funding extension, hours before a midnight deadline.
EU stresses need to protect fundamental rights
“Victims of violence deserve proper justice…there was a fruitful discussion on the importance of upholding the rule of law and respecting human rights as fundamental instruments for de-escalating political tensions,” says a media release issued by the EU Delegation to…
Culture of impunity to blame for Avijit murder – CPJ
US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has blamed the murder of writer-blogger Avijit Roy on a ‘culture of impunity’ persisting in Bangladesh and called for a swift and effective probe to bring the murderers to justice. Bangladeshi authorities should swiftly…
BSF kills one injures two in Kurigram
One Bangladeshi young man was killed and two others were injured by firing of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on Friday morning. Members of BSF opened fire on them while they were crossing the border with cattle after purchase from…
‘Jihadi John’: Haines widow wants militant caught alive
The widow of a man killed by a masked Islamic State militant known as “Jihadi John” says she wants him caught alive.
Afghans in frantic search for avalanche survivors
Afghan rescuers are searching for dozens of people believed to be trapped under snow after a series of deadly avalanches north of the capital, Kabul. Officials said at least 187 people had been killed and 129 injured after homes were…
Islamic State ‘destroys ancient Iraq statues in Mosul’
The Islamic State (IS) group has released a video appearing to show the destruction of statues in Iraq. Statues are smashed using sledgehammers and drills in what seems to be a museum in the city of Mosul. Statues are also…
Netanyahu row with Obama administration deepens
A row between the US and Benjamin Netanyahu has deepened, with the Israeli leader accusing America and others of “giving up” on trying to stop Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.
Amnesty calls on UN powers to lose veto on genocide votes
Amnesty International has urged the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to give up their power of veto in cases where atrocities are being committed.
Amnesty reports of lax inquiry, punishment of HR violations
Amnesty International, the global human rights watchdog in its annual report for 2014 has said. “The exact number of people who were forcibly disappeared was not known; some estimates suggested over 80. Of the documented cases of 20 people subjected…
Surrender UN veto powers on genocide votes – Amnesty
Amnesty International has urged the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to give up their power of veto in cases where atrocities are being committed. In its annual report, the rights group said the global response to an…