DHAKA, 08 April 2022, (TON): The Russian Embassy in Dhaka said “there is no need for volunteers from Bangladesh to join the special military operation, noting that the operation is going according to plan.”

 It says “the embassy has been receiving numerous letters from Bangladeshi citizens who express their willingness to contribute on an unpaid basis to the liberation movement in Ukraine and Donbas.”

The Embassy said "we appreciate this noble urge of the Bangladeshi people. However, the special military operation is going according to the plan, with the Russian Armed Forces successfully achieving set goals and objectives.”

 With the aim to help friendly Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic, as well as to protect the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine, on February 24, 2022 Moscow launched the special military operation.

DHAKA, 08 April 2022, (TON): Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen inaugurated the new Bangladesh Consulate General office in Miami of Florida to provide consular services for expatriate Bangladeshis who are residing in the southeastern region of the United States.

A foreign ministry press release said “Momen said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed the foreign ministry to set up the new consular general office as per the appeal of the expatriate Bangladeshis residing in Florida.” 

Bangladesh foreign minister is visiting the US on an invitation from the US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken marking the 50 years anniversary of bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the USA.

Momen also paid deep homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu at the Bangabandhu corner set up in the consular office. 

DHAKA, 08 April 2022, (TON): Bangladesh and the United States had a fruitful discussion on the Indo-Pacific Strategy and Bangladesh expressed support for inclusive socio-economic development in the Indo-Pacific region.

At the 8th Security Dialogue held between the two countries at the US Department of State, the two sides had constructive discussions on defence agreements like GSOMIA and ACSA as the US is keen to enhance security cooperation with Bangladesh.

General Security of Military Information Agreement and Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement are essential to enabling a closer defence relationship, expanding opportunities for defence trade, information sharing, and military-to-military cooperation between two countries.

According to a message received from Washington “the Bangladesh side raised deep concern regarding the sanctions on RAB and individuals, and urged the US side to reconsider the decision.”

CAIRO, 07 April 2022, (TON): An Arab delegation held talks in Warsaw with Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau before meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba.

The meetings focused on efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The delegation asked Rau to facilitate the transit of Arabs leaving Ukraine for Poland, and discussed Arab-Polish relations.

According to statement “the delegation stressed the necessity of a ceasefire and an end to the crisis on the basis of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, the principles of good neighbourliness, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.”

The delegation which included Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Algeria and Sudan arrived in Warsaw from Moscow, where they met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra said “a political solution is possible.”

TOKYO, 07 April 2022, (TON): Japan’s telephone diplomacy remained active with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on April 6, who held talks with Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of Qatar, and confirmed their cooperation to stabilize the energy market.

Kishida stated “Qatar is a strategic partner for Japan and expressed his intention to maintain close ties with Al-Thani. The Japanese PM also expressed his gratitude for Qatar’s assistance in the evacuation of the Afghan citizens after the fall of Kabul, and its cooperation in realizing the return of Japanese energy cooperation citizens from Russia.”

According to the foreign ministry in Tokyo “in response, Qatar’s Emir expressed his renewed hopes for strengthening bilateral relations with Japan and stated that Qatar will continue cooperation on issues related to Afghanistan and Russia.”

In this regard, the leaders talked about the situation in Ukraine and said “they will continue to coordinate their response closely.”

WASHINGTON, 07 April 2022, (TON): Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmès in Brussels.

Blinken and Wilmès condemned the atrocities committed by President Putin’s forces in Bucha and elsewhere in Ukraine and reaffirmed the U.S. and Belgian commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

They noted “together with other Allies and partners, we will continue to impose severe sanctions on the Kremlin for as long as it carries out its brutal and unprovoked war in Ukraine.”

The Secretary also expressed support for Belgium’s investment screening to protect national security interests.

Blinken also met on Wednesday with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne.

The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed joint efforts to hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked and unjust war agai-nst Ukraine as well as mut-ual efforts to provide security assistance to Ukraine.

KYIV, 07 April 2022, (TON): Its head said “Ukraine’s gas transit operator has suffered damages totalling hundreds of millions of euros since Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.”

Sergiy Makogon said on Facebook “the company continued to distribute gas to Ukrainian consumers although three main gas pipelines had been damaged, two gas distribution stations had been destroyed, 48 ​​gas distribution stations had stopped operations and four compressor stations had been seized by Russian forces.”

NEW YORK, 07 April 2022, (TON): The UN General Assembly will vote on whether to suspend Russia from the UN’s premier human rights body.

The move was initiated by the United States in response to the discovery of hundreds of bodies after Russian troops withdrew from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, sparking calls for its forces to be tried for war crimes.

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the call for Russia to be stripped of its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos of streets in the town of Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians.

The videos and reporting from the town have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied responsibility.

Thomas-Greenfield said “we believe that the members of the Russian forces committed war crimes in Ukraine, and we believe that Russia needs to be held accountable.”

He said “Russia’s participation on the Human Rights Council is a farce.”

General Assembly spokeswoman Paulina Kubiak said “the assembly’s emergency special session on Ukraine will resume at 10 a.m.”

PARIS, 07 April 2022, (TON): President Emmanuel Macron lashed Poland’s Prime Minister during a TV interview after Mateusz Morawiecki criticized the French leader for engaging with the Kremlin over the war in Ukraine.

Macron said “the position was both baseless and scandalous.”

Macron said that Morawiecki had met Le Pen on numerous occasions.

In a high-profile intervention Monday, in which Morawiecki called for a genocide investigation into alleged crimes by Russian forces in Ukraine, the Polish leader criticized several European leaders.

He said addressing Macron “how many times have you negotiated with Putin and what have you achieved?”

We do not discuss, we do not negotiate with criminals. Criminals have to be fought against.

CAIRO, 07 April 2022, (TON): Sudan’s pro-democracy groups called for mass protests, denouncing an October military coup that plunged the country into political turmoil and aggravated its economic woes.

The call for marches was the latest of many to pressure the generals, whose takeover triggered near-daily street protests demanding civilian rule.

The army’s takeover upended Sudan’s transition to democracy after three decades of repression and international isolation under autocratic President Omar al-Bashir.

It also sent the country’s already fragile economy into free-fall, with living conditions rapidly deteriorated across the country. The African nation has been on a fragile path to democracy since a popular uprising forced the military to remove al-Bashir and his Islamist government in April 2019.

According to a Sudanese medical group “the protests have been met by a deadly crackdown that has killed more than 90 people, mostly young men, and injured thousands of others.”

Western governments and world financial institutions suspended their assistance to Sudan in order to pressure the generals to return to civilian-led government. The UN envoy for Sudan warned last month that the east African nation was heading for an economic and security collapse unless it addresses the political paralysis following the coup.

Wednesday’s marches were called for by the Sudanese Professionals’ Association and the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, an alliance of political parties and groups which spearheaded the uprising that culminated in al-Bashir’s ouster in 2019.