Minister of State for Finance Wasika Ayesha Khan said, communal poison has spread in our world now. Culture has been firmly on the side of political figures when secular politics have fallen on hard times, and hopefully will continue to do so. Culture is one of the tools to inspire secularism and patriotism.

She said these things while addressing as the chief guest at the 33rd death anniversary ceremony of one of the founders of Sangeet Bhavan, Banabithi Sengupta, at the Allianz Française auditorium in the city's Chawkbazar on Friday (May 10).

The Minister of State for Finance said that the role of a teacher in people's life is undeniable. Many artists today have become great artists after taking music lessons from Banabithi Sengupta. Banabithi Sengupta's contribution to music from Sangeet Bhavan is immense. She will always be remembered and cherished by us.

Chaired by Dr. Sekendar Chowdhury, President of Sangit Bhavan, it was attended by Engineer Commodore Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman of Chattogram Port Authority as the special guest. Many talented artists and musicians were also present. 

Foreign Minister and Joint General Secretary of Awami League Dr. Hasan Mahmud said that human rights in our country are better than many countries. No country in the world has human rights in an ideal position.

He said that all countries should work together for the development of human rights. We also want to work with our development partners to promote human rights.

He said this while speaking as the chief guest at the 'Baisakhi Utsav 1431' program organized jointly by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Foreign Office Spouses Association at the Foreign Service Academy on Bailey Road in the capital on Friday (May 10) evening.

He said that in the United States, we are seeing the way the police are suppressing the movement of students in favor of the Palestinians on the TV screen. We also see how the police are suppressing civil movements on behalf of the Palestinians in various European countries.

Asked about US President Joe Biden's nomination of David Slayton Mill as the new US ambassador to Bangladesh, Minister Hasan welcomed the nomination. He expressed hope that the new ambassador will further advance the cooperation of the United States with Bangladesh.

The foreign minister said, 'Secularism is the main driving force of our nation and the Pohela Boishakh festival is a symbol of secularism. Bangladesh was born in 1971 after breaking the communal state system of Pakistan with the aim of building a non-communal state under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu. And under the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Pahela Baishakh festival, which became a universal festival regardless of caste and religion, is today the embodiment of our secularism.

Dr. Hasan said, 'Awami League, which led the war of independence, believes that our first identity is that we are Bengalis, and the second identity is who we are and what religion we belong to. And Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina's mantra-religion is for individuals, the festival is for everyone. That is why people of all religions unite in Bangladesh today on Eid, Puja, Prabarana Purnima festivals.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Dr. AK Abdul Momen and Foreign Secretary Masood Bin Momen addressed the event.

Members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, ambassadors, High Commissioners and members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Office Spouses Association (FOSA) attended the event and enjoyed the interesting cultural performance of FOSA artists. 

After two days the Indian Border Guard Force (BSF) returned the bodies of two Bangladeshis named Abdul Jalil (24) and Yasin Ali (23) who were killed by BSF firing at the border of Tentulia in Panchagarh.

On Friday (May 10) evening, two dead bodies were handed over by Phansidewa Police Station of India to Bangladesh's Tentulia Police Station through Banglabandha in Panchagarh and India's Phulbari Zero Line border. The family members of the two deceased were present along with police, BGB and BSF officials.

Tentulia Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sujoy Kumar Roy said that the dead bodies of the two dead youths have been received at the Banglabandha immigration check post. We have handed over the dead bodies to the relatives of both the families without a post-mortem as the bodies are autopsied in India.

Before this, the two Bangladeshi youths were shot dead by the members of Fakirpara camp of 176 battalion of BSF at Khokhrapar border of Tentulia upazila of Panchagarh in the early hours of May 8. Later they took the dead body. 

Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) advisor Haider Akbar Khan Rono breathed his last.

The veteran leftist leader breathed his last at a private hospital in Panthapath of the capital on Friday (May 10) night.

Jolly Talukder, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, confirmed his death.

Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) advisor Haider Akbar Khan Rono was seriously ill in a private hospital in Panthapath of the capital since last Monday evening. As his condition worsened, he was admitted to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) of the hospital and was given oxygen in a special system. This information was given by public health expert Dr. Lenin Chowdhury.

In a post on social media Facebook, Lenin Chowdhury wrote, "Politician and writer Haider Akbar Khan Rono is admitted to Health and Hope Hospital in Panthapath with acute respiratory disease (type-2 respiratory failure). Oxygen levels in his body are decreasing and carbon dioxide levels are increasing. He is being kept in HDU and is being given oxygen by a special system. But his condition is still unstable. At this time, Dr. Lenin Chowdhury requested not to make any gathering at the hospital that might hamper his treatment.

Haider Akbar Khan Rono, one of the organizers and leaders of the great liberation war, wrote several books during his lifetime. This Marxist theorist was the general secretary of the East Pakistan Students Union. Rano was born on 31 August 1942 in Kolkata, undivided India. His ancestral home is Barashula village of Narail.

Haider Akbar Khan left the party and joined the CPB in 2010 due to disagreements with the Workers' Party of Bangladesh for a long time. In 2012, he was made a presidium member of the party. After that, he was elected as the advisor of CPB.