The government of Bangladesh has said as a party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child it would not tolerate any act of abusing children, noting that Prothom Alo journalist Shamsuzzaman Shams was arrested because of “child abuse and exploitation”. "The government would also not accept any such effort aimed at maligning the Independence Day of the nation," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today (April 01, 2023). The government of Bangladesh is committed to uphold the freedom of expression for all its citizens and the media, the foreign ministry said. Read More: Prothom Alo journalist Shams denied bail, sent to jail However, it said, creating social unrest by undertaking such “fraudulent acts” is contrary to the spirit of honest journalism. The ministry said it has been brought to the notice of the government that some international media and institutions are claiming that a journalist in Bangladesh, named Shamsuzzaman, has been arrested as he wrote about the “cost of living in Bangladesh”. "This information is totally false and fabricated. This journalist was arrested because of ‘child abuse’ and ‘child exploitation," the foreign ministry said. Many media outlets have been continuously reporting on the cost of living in Bangladesh since the beginning of the Ukraine war which has caused inflation around the world. Read More: Prothom Alo journalist Shams taken to court "No one has been arrested due to such reporting. The said journalist was arrested because of child abuse and child exploitation, as he offered ten taka to a 9-year-old boy and then expressed his own views in the name of that child," the ministry said. "That is surely an act of child abuse and exploitation. Secondly, he tried to undermine the independence of Bangladesh on the great Independence Day. These acts are surely tantamount to punishable crimes," the foreign ministry said. Read More: Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman sued under DSA

US President Joe Biden has said his country made a commitment to finding long-term solutions to the Rohingya refugee crisis and holding perpetrators of the atrocities accountable. “You set an example for the world of empathy and generosity in practice,” the US President wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The US Embassy in Dhaka shared the letter on Sunday (March 26, 2023) which was originally sent on March 21. The US president said Bangladesh has opened its arms and welcomed nearly one million Rohingya refugees. Read More: UK King Charles eyes continuing strong, close partnership with Bangladesh In a message to PM Hasina, Biden on behalf of the United States, wished her and the people of Bangladesh a happy Independence Day. Bangladeshis understand deeply the value of freedom and independence, as they fought courageously in 1971 to choose their own fate and to speak their own language, Biden wrote in the letter that he concluded with "Joy Bangla." As Bangladesh approaches its next election, the US president said, he is reminded of the “deep value” both the nations place on “democracy, equality, respect for human rights, and free and fair elections.” Read More: British parliament urged to recognise Bangladesh Genocide He applauded Bangladesh’s demonstrated commitment to protecting the most vulnerable as the largest contributor to peacekeeping operations. “We thank Bangladesh for cohosting the Global Action Plan ministerial that significantly elevated the political commitment to end the global pandemic,” Biden said. In over 50 years of diplomatic relations, the United States and Bangladesh have achieved a lot together – advancing economic development, strengthening people-to-people ties, addressing global health and climate issues, partnering on the humanitarian response to Rohingya refugees, and committing to a prosperous, secure, democratic, and independent Bangladesh, said the US president. Read More: Bangladesh’s tremendous achievements widely commended by int’l community: Xi Jinping

The Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC on Sunday celebrated the 53rd Independence and National Day with a fresh vow to materialize the dreams of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the martyrs of the great Liberation War. To celebrate the day, the Embassy arranged elaborate programs that included hoisting of the National flag, placing a floral wreath at the bust of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, screening of a documentary and discussion session. The day’s programs began in the morning with ceremonially hoisting of the national flag by Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Muhammad Imran on the Chancery premises. Officials and employees of the Mission were present on the occasion. Later, the Ambassador placed a floral wreath at the bust of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the presence of the officials of the Embassy. The messages issued on the occasion by President Md. Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam were read out. Deputy Chief of Mission Ferdousi Shahriar, Minister (Consular) Mohammad Habibur Rahman, Counsellor (Public Diplomacy) Arifa Rahman Ruma and Counsellor and Head of Chancery Mohammad Moniruzzaman read out the messages. Later, a discussion session highlighting the significance of the Independence and National Day was held at the Bangabandhu Auditorium of the Embassy. Taking part in the discussion session, Ambassador Imran termed the great Independence and National Day as the most glorious and memorable day of Bangladesh and extended his heartfelt greetings to all Bangalees across the USA on the occasion. He also paid deep homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and three million martyrs who sacrificed their life for the cause of independence. Ambassador Imran said in the wake of the Pakistani army’s barbaric attack on the unarmed Bangalees in Dhaka on the night of 25th March in 1971, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman formally declared the independence of Bangladesh at the first hour of 26th March. The nation, he said, soon launched the War of Liberation at the call of the Father of the Nation, and under his fearless leadership, Bangladesh achieved long-cherished independence on December 16 in 1971 after the nine-month bloody war against Pakistan. The Ambassador said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman fought throughout his life for transforming Bangladesh into a developed and prosperous ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal). But Bangabandhu could not materialize his cherished dream as he was brutally assassinated by the anti-liberation elements on the black night of 15th August in 1975, Ambassador Imran continued. He called upon all to work unitedly to materialize the dreams of Bangabandhu and martyrs of the War of Liberation by turning Bangladesh into a hunger-and-poverty-free developed and prosperous country. Ambassador Imran also requested the expatriate Bangladeshis to project the country’s tremendous achievements and progress abroad that took place in the last 14 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Defense Attaché Brigadier General Md. Shahedul Islam also took part in the discussion and highlighted the significance of the Independence and National Day. He also discussed in detail the important contribution of the members of the Armed Forces to the War of Liberation in 1971. After the discussion, a special prayer was offered seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of the Father of the Nation and the martyrs of the Liberation War. First Secretary Md Ataur Rahman conducted the programs.

The nation is celebrating 53rd Independence and National Day today in a befitting manner, with the resolution to take the country forward imbued with the spirit of Liberation War. On March 26, 1971, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared Bangladesh's independence following the crackdown on unarmed Bangalees on the night of March 25 by the Pakistani occupation forces. After the nine-month long Liberation War, with the supreme sacrifices of three million martyrs, Bangladesh achieved its cherished independence on December 16, 1971. The government has undertaken elaborate programmes marking Independence and National Day. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to the martyrs of Liberation War — placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar this morning. President Hamid first placed a wreath at the altar of the memorial followed by the Prime Minister. After placing the wreaths, the President and the Prime Minister stood there in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs of Liberation War. A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented a state salute on the occasion, while the bugles played the last post. Later, flanked by senior Awami League leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also chief of the ruling party, laid another wreath at the altar of the memorial. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also paid tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman this morning. On her return from the National Memorial, the Prime Minister paid homage to the Father of the Nation by placing a wreath at his portrait in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka. After placing the wreath, she stood there in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of Bangabandhu, the architect of Bangladesh’s independence. Sheikh Hasina stayed at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum for some time. Flanked by central leaders of Awami League, Sheikh Hasina laid another wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu on behalf of AL. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages extending heartfelt greetings and warm felicitations to Bangladeshi citizens at home and abroad. The day began with a gun salute and wreath-laying ceremony at Savar's National Memorial in honor of the Liberation War martyrs. At sunrise, the national flag was flown over all government, semi-government, private, and autonomous buildings, and all significant buildings and establishments will be illuminated. National dailies have brought out special supplements, while Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television, private radio stations and television channels are airing special programmes highlighting the significance of the day. Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Shishu Academy, National Museum, Liberation War Museum, and other social and cultural organizations will host seminars, cultural programs, painting and sports competitions for children, as well as film and documentary screenings on the Liberation War. Families of martyrs and freedom fighters will be honored at the metropolitan, district, and upazila levels today. Bangladesh Post Office Department unveiled a special commemorative stamp to mark the day. Meanwhile, different religious institutions will hold special prayers and doa mehfil praying for the country's peace, development and prosperity. Special food will be distributed at institutions like hospitals, jails, children's homes, old-age homes, and day care centers. Children’s parks and museums will remain open to all throughout the day. Also, vessels of the Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard will remain open from 2 pm until the evening for people to visit at Chattogram, Khulna, Mongla, Payra Port, and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) terminals in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Barishal and Chandpur. Also read: Nation remembers Liberation War heroes Similar programmes at district and upazila levels and Bangladesh embassies in different countries will be arranged to highlight the significance of Independence Day.  

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to the martyrs of Liberation War — placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar this morning, marking Independence and National Day. President Hamid first placed a wreath at the altar of the memorial followed by the Prime Minister. After placing the wreaths, the President and the Prime Minister stood there in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs of Liberation War. Also read: Independence Day to be observed tomorrow    

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman this morning on the occasion of Independence and National Day. On her return from the National Memorial at Savar, the Prime Minister paid homage to the Father of the Nation by placing a wreath at his portrait in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka. After placing the wreath, she stood there in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of Bangabandhu, the architect of Bangladesh’s independence. Sheikh Hasina stayed at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum for some time. Also read: PM pays homage to Bangabandhu on his birthday Flanked by central leaders of Awami League, Sheikh Hasina, president of the party, laid another wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu on behalf of AL.  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged all to work for building a golden Bangladesh free from hunger and poverty. “Let us join hands to build the Golden Bangladesh, free from hunger and poverty, by upholding the ideology of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” she said. She made the call in a recorded radio and televised message on the eve of the 52nd Independence Day of Bangladesh.Bangladesh celebrates the national day on March 26 when Bangabandhu declared the independence from Pakistan in 1971. Also read: Don't only look at the crime, look at punishment too: PMIn her message Hasina extended her sincere greetings to all Bangladeshis living in the country and abroad. She said that people of the country attained their victory and got an independent and sovereign Bangladesh through the political struggle of 23 years and nine months of Liberation War fought under the leadership of the Father of the Nation. She also extended her highest respect to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the independence of the country and conveyed her salam to the valiant freedom fighters. The prime minister said Bangladesh is advancing on the highways of development.“Bangladesh will be a smart Bangladesh,“ she vowed.  

Bangladesh is all set to celebrate its 53rd Independence and National Day on Sunday with programmes honouring the Liberation War martyrs and vowing to realize their dreams. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will issue separate messages extending heartfelt greetings and warm felicitations to Bangladesh citizens at home and abroad, reads a media release of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs. The public holiday will begin with a gun salute and wreath-laying ceremony at Savar's National Memorial in honor of the Liberation War martyrs. Also Read: UAE leaders greet President, PM ahead of Independence Day At sunrise, the national flag will be flown over all government, semi-government, private, and autonomous buildings, and all significant buildings and establishments will be illuminated. National dailies will bring out special supplements, while Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television, private radio stations, and television channels will air special programmes highlighting the significance of the day. Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Shishu Academy, National Museum, Liberation War Museum, and other social and cultural organizations will host seminars, cultural programs, painting and sports competitions for children, as well as film and documentary screenings about the liberation war. Also Read: PM Hasina hands over Independence Award among this year's winners The families of martyrs and freedom fighters will be honored at the metropolitan, district, and upazila levels. The Bangladesh Post Office Department will unveil a special commemorative stamp to mark the day. Meanwhile different religious institutions will hold special prayers and doa mehfil praying for the country's peace, development and prosperity. Special-quality food will be distributed at institutions like hospitals, jails, children's homes, old-age homes, and daycare centers. Children’s parks and museums will remain open to all throughout the day. Also, vessels of the Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard will remain open from 2 p.m. until the evening for people to visit at Chattogram Khulna, Mongla, Payra Port, and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) terminals in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Barishal,programs and Chandpur. Similar programmes at district and upazila levels and Bangladesh embassies in different countries will be arranged to highlight the significance of Independence Day.    

The death toll from a Russian rocket attack as Ukraine observed its Independence Day has risen to 25, including an 11-year-old boy found under the rubble of a house and a 6-year-old killed in a car fire near a train station that was the target, a Ukrainian official said Thursday. Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces used an Iskander missile to strike a military train that was carrying Ukrainian troops and equipment to the front line in eastern Ukraine. The ministry claimed more than 200 reservists "were destroyed on their way to the combat zone.” The deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, did not say if the 25 victims he reported from Wednesday’s attack all were civilians. A total of 31 people sustained injuries, he said. The lethal strike in Chaplyne, a town of about 3,500 residents in the central Dnipropetrovsk region. nonetheless served as a brutally painful reminder that Russia's military force is causing civilians to suffer and testing Ukraine's resilience after six months of a grinding war. In Geneva on Thursday, the U.N.’s human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, decried the time since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into the neighboring country as “unimaginably horrifying.” She called on Putin “to halt armed attacks against Ukraine.” The train station strike took place after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow might attempt “something particularly cruel” this week as Ukraine marked both its 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union and the six-month point of Russia's invasion on Wednesday. Tetyana Kvitnytska, deputy head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional health department, said the people wounded in the attack suffered a range of injuries. Also read: 15 reported killed in Independence Day attack in Ukraine “There are craniocerebral injuries, limb fractures, many patients with explosive and shrapnel injuries, burns," she said. "People were in a difficult condition, both physically and psychologically.” “Now our efforts are focused on the children who suffered. We work with four children. Three children out of four are in serious condition. In addition to severe stress, they have blast and shrapnel injuries, burns, and fractures," Kvitnytska said. "The children are in serious condition.” The Russian government has repeatedly claimed following attacks in which civilians died that its forces only aimed at legitimate military targets. Hours before the train station attack, Russia insisted it was doing its best to spare civilians, even at a cost of slowing down its offensive in Ukraine. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, speaking Wednesday at a meeting of his counterparts from a security organization dominated by Russia and China, said Russia was carrying out strikes with precision weapons against Ukrainian military targets, and “everything is done to avoid civilian casualties.” “Undoubtedly, it slows down the pace of the offensive, but we do it deliberately,” he said. It was the second time Shoigu has made such a claim; he said the same thing in late May. Elsewhere in Ukraine, three people were killed in the eastern region of Donetsk on Wednesday and one more was wounded, Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram. Nikopol, a city across the river from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, came under more Russian shelling overnight, Valentyn Reznichenko, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said.

Russian forces Wednesday launched a rocket attack on a train station in central Ukraine on the embattled country's Independence Day, killing at least 15 people and wounding about 50, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after warning for days that Moscow might attempt “something particularly cruel” this week. The lethal attack took place in Chaplyne, a town of about 3,500 people in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukrainian news agencies quoted Zelenskyy as telling the U.N. Security Council via video. The president's office also reported that an 11-year-old child was killed by rocket fire in another part of the region. Ukraine had been bracing for especially heavy attacks surrounding the national holiday that commemorates Ukraine's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Wednesday also marked the six-month point in the war. Ahead of the holiday, Kyiv authorities banned large gatherings in the capital through Thursday for fear of missile strikes. Residents of the capital, which has been largely spared in recent months, woke up Wednesday to air raid sirens, but no immediate strikes followed. As the day wore on, Russian bombardments were reported in the country's east, west and central areas, with the most serious attack apparently at the train station. Outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson marked the holiday with a visit to Kyiv — his third since the war broke out — and other European leaders used the occasion to pledge unwavering support for Ukraine, locked in a battle that was widely expected to be a lightning conquest by Moscow but has turned into a grinding war of attrition. The U.S. announced a major new military aid package totaling nearly $3 billion to help Ukrainian forces fight for years to come. “Russian provocations and brutal strikes are a possibility,” Zelenskyy said in a statement before the train attack was reported. “Please strictly follow the safety rules. Please observe the curfew. Pay attention to the air sirens." Over the weekend, Zelenskyy likewise warned that Russia “may try to do something particularly nasty, something particularly cruel” this week. Nevertheless, a festive atmosphere prevailed during the day at Kyiv's Maidan square as thousands of residents posed for pictures next to burned-out Russian tanks put on display. Folk singers set up, and many revelers — ignoring the sirens — were out and about in traditionally embroidered dresses and shirts. Others were fearful. “I can’t sleep at night because of what I see and hear about what is being done in Ukraine," said a retiree who gave only her first name, Tetyana, her voice shaking with emotion. “This is not a war. It is the destruction of the Ukrainian people." In a holiday message to the country, Zelenskyy exulted over Ukraine's success in fending off Moscow's forces since the invasion, saying: "On Feb. 24, we were told: You have no chance. On Aug. 24, we say: Happy Independence Day, Ukraine!” Zelenskyy also addressed the U.N. Security Council over Russia’s objections, saying the “security of the entire world” is at stake in Ukraine’s battle against Moscow’s “insane aggression.” U.S. President Joe Biden said the latest American aid package will allow Ukraine to acquire air defense and artillery systems and other weapons. “I know this Independence Day is bittersweet for many Ukrainians as thousands have been killed or wounded, millions have been displaced from their homes, and so many others have fallen victim to Russian atrocities and attacks,” Biden said. “But six months of relentless attacks have only strengthened Ukrainians’ pride in themselves, in their country, and in their 31 years of independence.” Britain's Johnson urged Western allies to stand by Ukraine through the winter. “This is not the time to put forward flimsy negotiating proposals,” he said. “You can’t negotiate with a bear when it’s eating your leg or with a street robber when he has you pinned to the floor.” In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz rebuked the Kremlin for its “backward imperialism” and declared that Ukraine “will drive away the dark shadow of war because it is strong and brave, because it has friends in Europe and all over the world.” A car bombing outside Moscow that killed the 29-year-old daughter of right-wing Russian political theorist Alexander Dugin on Saturday also heightened fears that Russia might intensify attacks on Ukraine this week. Russian officials have blamed Ukraine for the death of Darya Dugina, a pro-Kremlin TV commentator. Ukraine has denied any involvement. Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces have encountered unexpectedly stiff Ukrainian resistance in their invasion and abandoned their effort to storm the capital in the spring. The fighting has turned into a slog that has reduced neighborhoods to rubble and sent shock waves through the world economy. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, speaking Wednesday at a meeting of his counterparts from a security organization dominated by Russia and China, claimed the slow pace of Moscow’s military action was due to what he said was an effort to spare civilians. Russian forces have repeatedly targeted civilian areas in cities, including hospitals and a Mariupol theater where hundreds of people were taking shelter. But Shoigu said Russia is carrying out strikes with precision weapons against Ukrainian military targets, and “everything is done to avoid civilian casualties.” "Undoubtedly, it slows down the pace of the offensive, but we do it deliberately,” he said. He also criticized the U.S. and its allies for “continuing to pump weapons into Ukraine,” saying the aid is dragging out the conflict and increasing casualties. Read: Ukraine girds for heavy attacks as it marks Independence Day On the battlefield, Russian forces struck several towns and villages in Donetsk province in the east over 24 hours, killing one person, authorities said. A building materials superstore in the city of Donetsk was hit by a shell and erupted in flames, the mayor said. There were no immediate reports of any injuries. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, the Russians again shelled the cities of Nikopol and Marhanets, damaging several buildings and wounding people, authorities said. Russian troops also shelled the city of Zaporizhzhia, but no casualties were reported. In addition, Russian rockets struck unspecified targets in the Khmelnytskyi region, about 300 kilometers (180 miles) west of Kyiv, the regional governor said. Attacks there have been infrequent.