Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has written back to the letter of US President Joe Biden.  Ambassador of Bangladesh to the USA, Muhammad Imran will hand over the original copy of the letter to the White House. Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud told the matter to the reporters on Monday afternoon (Feb 26). He said that the discussion with the visiting US delegation was all about to take the bilateral relations between the two countries to a new height. However, US President Joe Biden's letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina played an important role in this regard.  

Popular actress Pori Moni filed a divorce letter to her husband actor Shariful Razz on September 18.  The news has been confirmed by sources close to the actress. On September 17, she visited a lawyer's office to file the divorce according to Daily Star.     More to Follow...

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the faculty and students at Northeastern University to make greater contributions to the full revitalization of northeast China and Chinese modernization. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the call in a reply letter sent Friday, in which he extended his congratulations on the university's 100th anniversary and greetings to its faculty members, students and alumni. Since its inception, Northeastern University has cultivated a large number of talents, making positive contributions to the country as well as the nation, Xi said in the letter. He expressed the hope that the university can nurture more high-caliber talent, keep on reforming and innovating, expand its leading edge in strong disciplines, and continue to produce high-level scientific research results. Northeastern University was founded in 1923. Its faculty and students recently wrote to Xi, vowing to seize the opportunities brought about by the full revitalization of the northeast and contribute more to the country.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a congratulatory letter to the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum that opened on the same day in east China's Lianyungang City. In his letter, Xi pointed out that since the launch of the China-Europe Railway Express, it has maintained safe, stable and smooth operation, created a new pattern for international transport across the Eurasian continent, built a new platform for economic and trade cooperation along the route, effectively safeguarded the stability of the global industrial and supply chain, and injected new impetus to world economic development. China will continue to work with all parties, uphold the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit, stay commit to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. While promoting the development of China-Europe Railway Express with a higher level of quality, efficiency and safety, China will make more contributions to global economic development, the wellbeing of all nations and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, said Xi. Themed "Deepening Interconnectivity, Promoting Win-Win Cooperation", the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum is co-sponsored by China's National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Transport, the General Administration of Customs, the China State Railway Group and the provincial-level governments of Jiangsu, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Henan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Xinjiang. Starting operations in 2011, China-Europe freight train services have offered a secure and reliable channel between Asia and Europe, transporting a variety of goods from IT products and automobiles to wines and coffee beans. As of the end of June this year, the train services had reached 216 cities in 25 European countries, with more than 6.9 million TEU of goods handled through 73,000 train trips. Source: Xinhua

Six members of the European Parliament have written a letter to the European Union (EU) about the upcoming Bangladesh national election. The six members are — Ivan Stefanec (Slovak Republic), Michaela Sojdrova (Czech Republic), Andrey Kovatchev (EPP, Bulgaria), Karen Melchior (Denmark), Javier Nart (Spain) and Heidi Hautala (Finland). In a written letter to High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on Monday, June 12, the 6 members raised question on Bangladesh human rights violations and reminded the European Union role in making the upcoming parliamentary election free and fair. In the letter, they said, "Through this letter, we want to express our concern about the human rights violation in Bangladesh and call for the restoration of democracy and rule of law in Bangladesh ahead of the upcoming general election." Referring to the extrajudicial killings, abductions, torture and false cases of opposition political activists in Bangladesh, they said, "Since coming to power in 2009, this government has narrowed the democratic space and failed to respect the fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution.  Freedom of expression, including the press freedom, has been curtailed in recent years, particularly since the enactment of the Digital Security Act 2018." Above all, they emphasized on the Bangladesh national election to be held at the beginning of 2024.  They urged the European Union to play a role in negotiating with the government and the opposition political parties, especially with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), to ensure a free, fair and impartial general election.  The letter emphasized on engaging the major political parties to find a sustainable and democratic solution to the ongoing crisis. The European Parliament six members have suggested to repeatedly remind Bangladesh about the terms of GSP Plus incentives and the ban on the entry of those involved in human rights violations into the European Economic Area, if necessary.

The German Last Generation climate activist group has published an open letter to Chancellor Olaf Scholz online. In it, they call for a citizen's assembly to be formed to find ways for Germany to stop using fossil fuels. In what the group called an open letter to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, published on Twitter on Saturday, the Last Generation group said it would stop its protests if Scholz's government agreed to a citizens' assembly to explore how to end Germany's use of fossil fuels by 2030. The group says it had enjoyed increased support and donations after a series of police raids earlier this week across seven German states. What did the 'open letter' say? "We wish that our protest was not needed," the group said in its message, published in a series of tweets and listing its wishes: "that your government acts in accordance with the constitution; that the new people who are now flocking to Last Generation no longer find it necessary to make sit-in protests." The group asked for a citizens' assembly, to "develop a determined plan for Germany to end the use of fossil fuels in a socially just manner by 2030." The group should be a "mini-Germany," it said, representing a cross-section of society. "We will end our protests as soon as the federal government convenes the citizens' assembly," the group said. Citizens' assemblies have been used with some success to come up with non-partisan proposals on senstive subjects in some cases, perhaps most famously recently in Ireland when a citizen's assembly proposed the effective legalization of abortion, which then passed with an almost two-thirds majority at a referendum in a predominantly Catholic country, surprising many observers. Last Generation has not said much about how it believes one could help with the specific challenge of climate change, though it has often called for such a body's formation in recent weeks. The group had announced on Friday that it would concentrate on demonstrations rather than street blockades for the time being, indicating it was planning somewhat less disruptive demonstrations for now. However, its open letter also said that "countless people" had signed up for sit-in training to learn techniques for street-blocking protests. "More and more people see it as their duty to stand in the way of everyday life, to take part in sit-ins." Group says support is growing Police on Wednesday said they had searched 15 properties linked to members of the Last Generation, or "Letzte Generation"  group who were suspected of helping finance a criminal enterprise. It followed weeks of major protests, on an almost daily basis in the capital Berlin in particular, for the most part disrupting traffic by attaching themselves to roads. The group often uses controversial protest methods in Germany like blocking roads.The group argues its actions are necessary to raise awareness on climate change; critics say they risk annoying ordinary members of the public and raising CO2 emissions by causing backlogs and major police mobilizations on a daily basis. After the raids, Last Generation said it had received numerous donations and would expand its protests as planned. The raids have sparked a political debate across Germany's spectrum, with some Christian Democratic Union (CDU) politicians staunchly supporting the legal action, and others opposing the group's "criminal" classification. The head of the United Nations, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke out in favor of the climate protesters in light of the raids, saying they needed protection "now more than ever."

Md Shahabuddin Chuppu receives congratulations from Xi Jinping on becoming president of Bangladesh in a letter. President Xi Jinping extended a message of congratulations to H.E. Mr. Md Shahabuddin Chuppu on the occasion of his appointment as the president of Bangladesh on Monday, April 24. Xi Jinping sends President Shahabuddin Chuppu his sincere congratulations and best wishes on behalf of the People's Republic of China and its citizens as well as in his personal name.   China and Bangladesh are traditionally good neighbors, according to Xi Jinping. Since the beginning of diplomatic relations, the two nations have consistently exhibited mutual respect, treated one another equally, and offered support for each other's key interests.

While delivering speech over the matter of extending the tenure of release of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, Khaleda Zia’s brother Shamim Eskander handed over the letter of appeal to me on Tuesday. In the letter appeal was made to relax the conditions. We will inform about our decision after examining it. In this regard the government will inform about the decision after consulting the matter with law ministry. He said this while discussing the matter with the newsmen at his office at the secretariat on Wednesday. The Home Minister said, in the appeal it was said to take necessary initiatives for better treatment for her after cancelling the punishment. Responding to a question of newsmen Asaduzzaman also said, I received the letter just yesterday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is the mother of humanity. We hope that she would consider the matter positively. AH

Gonoforum president Dr. Kamal Hossain and general secretary Dr. Reza Kibria have extended their full support to the complain of 42 eminent citizens sent to the President after bringing allegation of irregularities against the Election Commission. In a statement sent to the media on Wednesday evening they said, recently 42 eminent citizens of the country in a statement have demanded for taking action following investigation by the Supreme Judicial Council against the current Election Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda over the allegations of financial irregularities, corruption and serious misconduct. We are extending our full support to the logical demand and proposal brought by the eminent citizens. In the statement the Gonoforum leaders also said, it was not expected to anyone about the serious complains like financial irregularities, corruption and serious complain related to the election against a constitutional institution like Election Commission. It is scandalous and unfortunate for the nation. They said, there are allegations of doing ‘business’ over purchase and appointment against the Election Commission. Image crisis has been created for the commission due to allegations of serious misconduct and irregularities in different elections like City Corporation and eleventh national parliament elections. We specially are requesting the President to take necessary actions following prompt investigation by forming the Supreme Judicial Council. AH       

Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, has expressed sadness over the damages caused by super cyclone Amphan in Bangladesh as he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said Prince Charles wrote this letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on behalf of himself and his wife Duchess of Cornwall Camilla. “My wife and I wanted you to know how deeply we feel for the people of Bangladesh following the loss of life and utter devastation caused by cyclonic storm Amphan,” Charles wrote in the letter. Prince Charles said their hearts go out to all those who have been so cruelly bereaved or injured, or whose homes have been swept away by the cyclone. “We understand how dreadfully difficult this must have been as your people prepared to celebrate what should have been a joyful Eid,” he wrote. Prince Charles added: “Our greatest possible sympathy and our special prayers are with the people of Bangladesh at such a desperately anxious time, as you battle against the effects of both the COVID-19 pandemic and this appallingly severe storm.” Amphan made landfall in India and Bangladesh on May 20 evening, wreaking havoc in Bangladesh coastlines and in the Indian state of West Bengal. Source: BSS AH