"Voicebox"

"The government is conspiring to turn Bangladesh into Pakistan. It is giving punishment to party leaders using mobile court during hartal. Such steps were only taken by autocrat Ayub Khan during the Pakistani regime. It is shameful to follow Ayub's footsteps in independent Bangladesh. On the other hand, they are always accusing us of turning the country into Pakistan."
ATM AZHARUL ISLAM
acting secretary general of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami
about government's drive to control law and order during the last 48 hours hartal called by BNP-Jamaat alliance.

"What kind of hartal are you observing when thousands of BCL activists came to the council venue amid hartal hours?"
SHEIKH HASINA
Prime Minister
about the 30-hour hartal called by alliance of 12 religion-based political parties on Sunday when Bangladesh Chhatra League's two-day council took place at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

"It is not desirable that this region had to be heavily armed by the US."
S M KRISHNA
External Affairs Minister, India
about US move to suspend $800 million worth of security aid to Pakistan to fight Islamic militants.

"The army in the past as well as at present, has conducted successful military operations using its own resources without any external support whatsoever."
MAJOR GENERAL ATHAR ABBAS
military spokesman, Pakistan
about US move to suspend $800 million worth of security aid to Pakistan to fight Islamic militants.

"Whatever we give should be for our own satisfaction, it should never be for publicity. That is where we are different from the Western world."
MUKESH AMBANI
India's wealthiest man
about Western philanthropy as being counter-productive while his country's approach to charity gives self-respect to the needy.

"President Obama has treated torture as an unfortunate policy choice rather than a crime."
KENNETH ROTH
Human Rights Watch's executive director
about the Obama administration's step to launch inquiries into deaths in CIA custody and other "unauthorised actions" which will not cover the activities which were specifically authorised as legal by officials within the Bush administration.