Awami League leader Mohammad A. Arafat has sent a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, hoping that the US new visa policy will apply to those BNP leaders who are making an open declaration to obstruct the upcoming national election in Bangladesh. "I hope your Visa policy will apply to these people as well," he mentioned in his letter that he also shared from his verified Facebook page. Read more: Nothing to worry about new US visa policy; don't want arson, violence: Momen Arafat, a member of the AL central executive committee attached some video footages of some BNP leaders declaring they would obstruct the upcoming national election in Bangladesh. The AL leader said according to the visa policy that Secretary Blinken announced recently (and the letter that he sent to the FM of Bangladesh), “This policy supports Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s stated commitment to hold a free and fair election in Bangladesh and allows the United State to act when Bangladeshi citizen or officials from all political parties undermine this critical pillar of democracy.” Read more: New visa policy to help PM Hasina's govt in holding fair elections: US

Amid Dhaka’s objection, Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka has removed its cover photo from the mission’s Facebook page that used a distorted version of Bangladesh’s national flag. The Pakistan High Commission removed the cover photo on Sunday, a day after Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed the objection. During the media briefing on the 20th session of the Council of Ministers of D-8, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said they (Dhaka) did not like the picture that the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka used on its Facebook with the national flag of Bangladesh linked with the flag of Pakistan. Read: Concert for Bangladesh made the world aware of Liberation War: FM Responding to a question, Momen said they (Pakistan) have uploaded pictures of few other countries’ flags on various mission pages. In this regard he mentioned diplomatic missions of countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. "We have told them (Pakistan) that this is not our choice,” Momen said, adding that they conveyed to MoFA that they did not upload that photo with any ill motive. The Muktijoddha Manch of Bangladesh on Friday launched a protest against the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka for posting the controversial image of the Bangladesh flag on its official Facebook page.

The Centre for Research and Information (CRI), a policy research organisation, greeted its vice-chairperson Saima Wazed on her birthday Thursday. "Happy birthday to our Vice-Chairperson Saima Wazed," CRI wrote in a post on its verified Facebook page. Read:Bangabandhu believed in peace, dialogue, social harmony: Saima CRI, which aims to create a platform for public discussion on key issues of national policy in the country, said Saima is a trailblazer in mainstreaming autism and mental health into Bangladesh's policy discourse.

Prime Minister's ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy on Wednesday urged all to join hands in building “Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal)” envisioned by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. “In this month of victory, let us channel all our thoughts and actions towards the same vision of building the Golden Bengal envisioned by Bangabandhu,” he said in a message shared on his verified Facebook page. Read:Khaleda freed assassins of Bangabandhu, 4 leaders and made them ambassadors: Joy As the month of victory rolls on, Joy said, it reminds the nation of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bengali ever on the planet, and the three million martyrs of the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. “We also pay tribute to the four national leaders whose dynamic leadership and uncompromising stance drove out even the last soldier of the heinous Pakistani Army and thus paved the path for hoisting the red and green flag of Bangladesh,” said Joy, son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He said December imbues their hearts with pride. “From the deepest core of my heart, I commemorate all the freedom fighters - the best souls of our nation - whose boundless sacrifice blessed us with free and sovereign Bangladesh.” Read: Sajeeb Wazed Joy bags leadership award in IT Joy said this 50th year of victory marks another landmark and they have transitioned from the lower-income status to the middle-income one. “Awami League has already delivered on its promise to build Digital Bangladesh by the year 2021. We have another milestone to reach - joining the league of developed countries by the year 2041,” he said.

Jhumon Das walked out of Sunamganj District Jail on Tuesday evening after spending nearly six months following his arrest in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.  Jail superintendent Nurshed Ahmed Via said Jhumon left the premises around 6.30 pm, hours after the High Court's bail order, issued on Thursday, reached the jail. Jhumon expressed his gratitude for all who have supported him, after walking out of jail. Read: Jhumon Das gets bail in digital security case On September 23, the High Court granted interim bail for a year to Jhumon in the case. Jhumon had been in judicial custody since March 22, when he was arrested for posting defamatory remarks about then Hefazat leader Mamunul Haque on his Facebook page. In fact, on March 17, a group of miscreants carried out an attack on the houses of a minority community in Noagaon village of Shalla upazila over his Facebook post. On March 16, police detained Jhumon and produced him in court the very next day, showing his arrest in a case filed under Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The court subsequently sent him to judicial custody. Read: DSA: Order on Jhumon Das’s bail plea Thursday But on March 22, police filed a case against him under DSA at the Shalla police station in Sunamganj and Jhumon was again shown as arrested a day later. On March 30, he was taken on a two-day police remand in the case. On July 18, a magistrate's court rejected the bail petition of Jhumon. Nearly a month later, Jhumon moved the High Court for bail in the case.

Dhallywood star Pori Moni on Monday filed a sexual assault complaint against six people, including former president of Uttara Club Ltd Nasiruddin Mahmud. Pori Moni lodged the complaint with Savar Model Police Station, said its officer-in-charge Kazi Mainul Islam. Earlier, Pori Moni in her verified Facebook page, uploaded a status seeking justice from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, claiming that the six people attempted to rape and kill her. Read: Pori Moni's plea for justice from PM causes sensation The popular actress, whose real name is Shamsun Nahar Smriti, addressed the post to the Prime Minister, stating that she is seeking justice as a loyal citizen of the country. "I’ve been physically assaulted and they even attempted to rape and kill me. I want justice. I’ve asked for help from so many people. However, they just listened to me and commented that they'll 'look into it' while the fact is that no one has helped me yet," Pori Moni stated in her post. She has mentioned that she tried to contact the local police station and even IGP Benazir Ahmed, but she was yet to receive any formal help regarding her complaint. "I haven't found justice in the last three or four days. Where can I find justice? I’m a woman and actress, but first of all I’m a human being. I can’t remain silent over what happened to me today," she added. In her post, Pori Moni then addressed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as her "mother", writing: "I was about 2 and a half years old when my mother died. Today, I need a mother more than anytime else. I’ve never seen you, accepting any injustice quietly. I need you; I need your help to stay alive. Please save me, mother." Pori Moni’s press conference Pori Moni revealed the name and details of her assaulters via a press conference on Sunday night, at her residence in Gulshan in the capital.  Read:Forbes Asia’s 100 Digital Stars features Bangladeshi actress Pori Moni The press conference took place after the actress surprised the nation through a status from her verified Facebook page on Sunday evening. Bursting into tears at the press conference, Pori Moni described what exactly happened to her, sharing the graphic details of the incident and revealed who tried to rape her.  Sitting beside noted director Chayanika Chowdhury, Pori Moni said at the press conference that Nasir Uddin Mahmud, a businessman and currently appointed entertainment and cultural affairs secretary of Dhaka Boat Club, assaulted her at the club in Birulia, Uttara in the capital on Wednesday night. The actress said that she went to the boat club with her costume designer Jimmy and Jimmy’s friend Omi for a professional meeting regarding a movie, where Nasir and another man offered them drinks at that time. She refused the offer stating that she was feeling unwell. At one point, Nasir ganged up on her at the club and forced her to drink by putting the neck of a bottle into her mouth, beat her up and tried to rape her at the same time, Pori Moni said at the press briefing.  Read: Pori Moni: A Dazzling Star in Bangladeshi Cinema During the assault, Nasir addressed himself as a “friend” of Benazir Ahmed, Inspector General of Bangladesh Police and president of the Dhaka Boat Club. The actress went on saying that when she was able to get out after two and a half hours, she went straight to the Banani Police Station but the officials refused to hear her words. She stated that she has also contacted Zayed Khan, general secretary of Film Artists Association, and other leaders of the film industry, however, did not get any legal or logistic support.  Nasir U Mahmud's Facebook profile shows that he is currently the chairman of Kunj Developers, former president of Uttara Club, former district chairman of Lions Clubs International, a former footballer who played in the Dhaka first division and former elected general secretary of SM Hall of Dhaka University.  

Rajshahi University has opened its official Facebook page.

Bangladesh cricketer Mushfiqur Rahim, one of the country’s most popular sportsmen, has chosen to speak out and take a stand against racism.