18 January 2014

Magh 5, 1420 Rabiul Awal 16, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 294

SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

6 | YOUNG AND UPWARDLY MOBILE

7 | DUCK OR CHICKEN EGGS?

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8 | ATTACKS ON WEST BANK ON RISE

11 | STAYING COMPETITIVE

BNP eyeing upazila polls The party believes the local body elections are a ‘golden opportunity’ to gear up grassroots n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Abdullah Al-Noman, vice-chairman of the BNP, said yesterday.

After the successes of the BNPbacked candidates in the city corporation elections in Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet and Gazipur local leaders have reason to believe that they would have sweeping victories in the upazila polls as well.

The Election Commission is planning to hold elections in all 487 upazila parishads around the country in two phases starting in the last week of February.

The announcement of schedule for the first phase of the polls is likely to come tomorrow.

BNP policymakers believe that the decision to hold the upazila polls is an

The upcoming upazila parishad elections due in about a month’s time have come as a “golden opportunity” for the BNP to rejuvenate its grassroots as the party is planning to involve the masses in its anti-government campaign.

Moreover, its victories in last year’s city corporation polls will give the party a morale boost, said a central leader.

As is the case with the city corporation polls, political parties cannot directly contest in the local government elections. But they can extend support to candidates that eventually acts as a catalyst for a candidate’s win.

The BNP grassroots boycotted the last upazila elections in 2009, just af-

ter the ninth parliamentary poll. Local Awami League leaders bagged around 400 of 479 positions of upazila parishad chairman.

The BNP men think the local people will get a chance to express their grievances against the ruling Awami League in the local government polls.

Seeking anonymity a senior leader of the party told the Dhaka Tribune that some senior leaders on Thursday night discussed the local elections with the chairperson and suggested the party participate in it.

“Most of the local leaders are very much keen on contesting the local government elections as they are upbeat about their triumphs but the party will make the final decision in this regard,”

Khaleda: Let go of Inqilab journalists n Tribune Report

Tazreen owner Delwar yet to be arrested

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday said “heinous activities for repressing an opposition party” and its opinion were not a good sign for democracy.

Condemning the arrest of three journalists of the daily Inqilab and sealing off of its printing press following a “fabricated report” published in the newspaper, the former premier said: “Freedom of expression and freedom of press are democratic rights in a democratic society.”

A case was filed against publisher, editor, chief news editor and a reporter under the ICT Act 2006 with Wari police In a press release, Khaleda demanded the release of all detained journalists including those from the daily Inqilab.

She also demanded that all the closed media outlets be reopened.

She said: “People’s rights are being snatched during the ruling government’s regime in a fascist way.”

Detectives on Thursday arrested Ahmmed Atiq, chief reporter of Inqilab, Rabiulla Ulla Robi, a news editor and Rafiq Mohammad, its deputy chief reporter. A case was filed against publisher, editor, chief news editor and a reporter under the Information and Communication Technology Act 2006 with Wari police.

Reporter Atiq was arrested for the making of the news that claims the presence of Indian army personnel in Bangladesh territory while Robi and Rafiq for helping in the making, said police.

The government previously shut down Bangla newspaper the daily

n

Mohammad Jamil Khan and Ashif Islam Shaon

The law enforcers are playing hideand-seek to arrest the owner of Tazreen Fashions, Delwar Hossain, his wife and four other officials of the factory, 17 days after a Dhaka court issued arrest warrant against them.

Ashulia police, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and local police are pointing finger at each other to shift the responsibility as it seemed that they do not know how the arrest-drive will go on.

On December 31, the court issued the arrest warrants after taking into cognisance the homicide charges pressed against 13 people including Delwar in a case over the devastating fire that killed 112 workers and injured

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many others in November 24, 2012.

The court also ordered Officer-inCharge of Ashulia police Badrul Alam to submit a report on the execution of the arrest warrants.

Badrul yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that the Ashulia police was not accountable to make the arrest. “The CID has forwarded the charge sheet copy to Kishoreganj police station where Delwar hails from. They will arrest him,” he said.

Asked, who will co-ordinate the arrest process of the six people he said, CID will do.

However, CID Inspector AKM Mohsinuzzaman Khan who had submitted the charge sheet before the Dhaka Chief Magistrate’s Court on December 22 after investigation said their duty

Legendary Suchitra Sen dies at 82 n Tribune Report A great chapter in Bangla cinema ended yesterday as legendary actor Suchitra Sen died in Kolkata at the age of 82 after prolonged illness.

Suchitra had been undergoing treatment for chest infection at Kolkata’s Belle Vue Clinic, where a seven-member medical board was treating her over the past three weeks as her condition fluctuated between critical and stable.

The iconic actor of Bangla cinema chose a reclusive life after retiring from the silver screen and had appeared in public only twice.

With Uttam Kumar, Suchitra formed Bangla cinema’s most beloved on-screen pair, reigning the industry for over two decades and became legendary figures in the hearts of audience.

Suchitra also won praises for her performances in a number of Hindi films, which

n Rabiul Islam

News

5 The government is yet to recover the ancestral residence of legendary actor Suchitra Sen from the occupation of Jamaat men despite long-standing demands.

Sport

13 After a run feast of a first round, the franchise-based Bangladesh Cricket League will resume its second round today, with table toppers Walton Central Zone facing Prime Bank South Zone.

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Govt starts identifying attackers on minorities

INSIDE

News

her silver screen debut in Saat Number Koyedi; but it was not until the release of Sharey Chuattor the same year that her meteoric rise to stardom began. The film also set the grounds for what was to become the most romantic screen couple of Bangla cinema in Uttam-Suchitra.

The actor went on to score further popularity in her first Hindi film, Bimal Roy’s adaptation of Bangla classic Devdas, where she played Parbati to Dilip Kumar’s eponymous role.

Suchitra’s dominance in Bangla film arena continued as she produced regular hits over the next decades. The moviegoers were treated to on-screen magic of the Uttam-Suchitra pair in films like Sagarika (1956), Harano Sur (1957) and Saptapadi (1961).

Suchitra strengthened her claim to the throne of Bangla cinema with memorable performances in films like Dweep Jele Jai (1959), where her performance as a nurse

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3 In the wake of widespread violence across the country, authorities have decided to take sturdy security measures for the upcoming Biswa Ijtema.

included Devdas (1955) and Aandhi (1974).

Indian newspaper Times of India quoted Suchitra’s doctors as saying that her condition had started deteriorating since Thursday night and she suffered a heart attack yesterday morning.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee officially announced the actor’s death and hailed Suchitra’s achievements, saying: “It would be wrong to address her as a legend. She was a goddess.”

Suchitra’s body was cremated at the Kewratala crematorium in Kolkata yesterday afternoon. She was honoured with a 21-gun salute by the state government.

Suchitra Sen was born Rama Dasgupta in Pabna on April 16, 1931. At the age of 16, she married Dibanath Sen and the couple had their only daughter Moon Moon Sen in 1948.

In 1952, Suchitra had her first experience in front of the camera when she worked in Shesh Kothay– a film that was never released. The following year marked

Activists of different rights bodies demonstrate in front of the National Press Club under the banner of Bangladesh National Hindu Alliance yesterday, protesting recent violence against Hindus across the country MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

The home ministry has begun receiving reports on the attacks on minority communities from various districts, and many attackers have been named in the reports, a senior official said.

On January 9, the home ministry sent letters to concerned authorities including the inspector general of police, the divisional commissioners, the deputy commissioners and the superintendents of police to send reports on the attacks on minority communities.

The attacks began the 10th parliamentary election held on January 5, which was boycotted by the BNP-led 18-party alliance.

“We have started receiving reports, and most of the attackers have been

identified,” home ministry Additional Secretary (political) Kamal Uddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

“We are treating the attackers as criminals, not considering their political affiliations,” he added.

The additional secretary said the attackers were being arrested and would be brought to book.

Officials at the home ministry said they were assessing the losses caused by the attacks. The victims would be compensated duly, the officials said.

“We are compiling the reports of the attacks. They will be discussed in the law and order meeting,” a senior official told this correspondent. After discussion at the meeting, directives would  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

Destiny laundered over Tk100 crore Ganajagaran motorcade to five countries attacked in phases n Syed Samiul Basher Anik Multi-level marketing firm Destiny Group and its several sister concerns have siphoned off over Tk100crore to the USA, France, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore between June 2010 and 2012, reveals a probe by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

According to the probe reports, the group has siphoned off the money in the name of import of agro products and ground service equipment and lease of aircraft, salary and allowance of its foreign crews, honorarium and security deposit for taking general sales agent-ship of Yemen Airways.

The Destiny officials sent the money without informing Bangladesh Bank.

The ACC on Thursday approved filing of charges against 51 top executives

of Destiny Group and its associates including its President and former army chief M Harun-ur-Rashid and Managing Director Mohammad Rafiqul Amin for embezzling and laundering of Tk4,119 crore from the clients’ deposits.

Among them, 46 people have been charged for the irregularities in Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited (DMCSL) while 19 for the Destiny Tree Plantation Limited (DTPL).

The probe has found that most of the money was laundered by Rafiqul in association with several others of the group and was mostly sent to Noel G Carey, a Hong Kong resident who has business ties with the Destiny Group MD. According to the report, Tk56.19 crore was sent to Carey, owner at Softalk Online (HK) Limited based in Hong Kong, in the name of import of MLM

products and honorarium of Carey under the tree plantation project.

From the cooperatives business, the group has laundered a total of Tk43.87 crore to the USA, France, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore.

According to the report, main accused Rafiqul while serving as the chairman/managing director of Best Aviation Limited siphoned off Tk41.19 crore to the five countries. Of the amount, Tk31.62 crore was laundered by Best Aviation Limited in the name of aircraft lease and import of ground service equipment, though the ACC probe did not find any such lease or import of such products. The money was sent to Atlas Aviation, LLC, USA, which is a global provider of comprehensive aircraft sales, leasing and financial services.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

n Hasibur Rahman Bilu The motorcade of Ganajagaran Mancha’s road march came under attack yesterday evening in two separate phases at Bogra’s Sahajanpur and Sherpur upazilas.

A bus of the motorcade was attacked near the Sherpur bus stand at around 7:30pm.

Ali Ahmed Hashmi, officer-incharge of Sherpur police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that miscreants hurled bricks at a bus of Ganajagaran Mancha’s road march.

Wares, additional superintendent of police in Bogra, said the glass of a bus window had broken and no one had been injured in the incident.

Meanwhile, Abdul Mannan, the OC of Sajahanpur police station, told the

Dhaka Tribune that some unidentified miscreants hurled three crude bombs at a bus of the motorcade at around 8:30pm.

Road march is on its way towards Thakurgaon to protest the recent atrocities against members of the local Hindu community Later, police shot five rounds of rubber bullets in the area.

Ganajagaran Mancha activist Baki Billah, who was there with the motorcade, said at least six to seven people had been injured in the attacks.

Maksudul Islam, a war-wounded freedom fighter, received injuries as  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Saturday, January 18, 2014

EC unwilling to take Rawshan’s letter in cognisance n Mohammad Zakaria The Election Commission has issued a letter to Jatiya Party Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader for holding the election of reserved women’s seats, ignoring opposition leader Rawshan Ershad’s request to the EC to contact her instead of party Chairman HM Ershad.

A deputy secretary of the EC yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that the commission would send any letter to a political party to the party’s chairman and secretary general as per the political party registration laws.

“There are legal barriers to take into cognisance any leader of the political party except the chairman and secretary general as per the laws,” the senior official said seeking anonymity.

EC sources said the commission held an emergency meeting on Thurs-

day regarding the matter, where the officials informed the commission that there was no chance to issue any letter to any other leader but the chairman or the secretary general.

On Wednesday, Rawshan Ershad submitted a letter to the EC urging to issue any letter to her, as she had led Jatiya Party to the 10th parliamentary polls.

Election Commissioner Mohammad Abu Hafiz admitted that the commission had received a letter from Rawshan Ershad on this regard. The commission sends letter to the concerned as per the laws, he also said.

The EC has sent letters to seven political parties and independent candidates, who had won seats in the January 5 poll, asking whether they would join any alliance or political party respectively to contest for the reserved seats. l

Govt should go for national dialogue: Dr Kamal Hossain n Manik Miazee Gana Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain urged the government to hold a “national dialogue” for an inclusive election in keeping with its earlier assertion that the January 5 election was held to fulfil constitutional obligations.

He was speaking at a meeting of the party’s Central Standing Committee in the capital’s Arambag area.

Dr Kamal called into question the effectiveness of the January 5 election, saying the country’s democratic culture was destroyed through it.

He stressed that the election was not a participatory one as candidates in 153 of the constituencies were election un-

contested and called for strengthening the election commission.

In a separate discussion yesterday, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh Chairman AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury said people felt insecure because of the government’s “criminal activities.”

“Anyone protesting its activists runs the risk of disappearing. We want to regain our power to vote and the main target of our movement would be to ensure that.”

He was speaking at the 78th birth anniversary programme of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman at the National Press Club.

Regarding the poll, he said it was held in an undemocratic way, which only went to show that the Election Commission was powerless. l

Robbery at girls’ hostel n Kailash Sarkar A gang of criminals wielding sharp weapons stormed into a girls’ hostel at the capital’s Farmgate last night and looted gold ornaments and valuables from a dozen young women.

The women said seven to eight criminals stormed into the Nibedika Girls’ Hostel branch at West Tejturibazar around 9pm and fled the scene after robbing the place within 20 minutes.

The panicked boarders said they were now feeling unsafe. There were around 45 girls staying at the three-storey building, although usually there are 150.

Security guard Azahar Ali, 65, said a group of youths knocked on the gate and as he opened it, they pointed sharp weapons at him and threatened to kill him.

“Two of them went to the upper floors and five-six others stayed at the gate,” said the guard. “They came down within 15 minutes.”

Ali said the residents cried out for help but no one in the neighbourhood came forward.

A boarder said the criminals pointed sharp weapons at her and took her ornaments and cell phone. “They robbed 10-12 of us,” she said.

Several locals on condition of anonymity said a gang of criminals in the area were involved with the robbery.

The same group of criminals often disturbed the girls on their way.

Tejgaon police arrived shortly after and made a list of looted valuables. The OC said they were trying to identify the criminals. l

BNP eyeing upazila polls  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

attempt on part of the government to divert the attention of upazila level leaders of the party from the ongoing movement.

But they think that it is a wonderful chance for the BNP to revitalise the grassroots because a major success in these elections will mean that the party has managed to drum up the public support that is essential for pressing home its demands.

Insiders said the plan now was to unofficially nominate competent candidates in each of the 487 upazilas and ensure their victories.

BNP leader and Sylhet City Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury said the BNP was a pro-election political party and wanted to compete in all elections. “If the EC can ensure a free and fair poll the BNP will obviously think about it positively.”

Dewan Mohammad Sahidullah, a BNP leader who contested the previous upazila poll and an aspirants for the post of Hijal Parishad chairman this year,

Khaleda: Let go of Inqilab  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

Amar Desh and detained its acting editor Mahmudur Rahman. It also closed private television channels Diganta Television, Islamic TV and Channel 1.

According to the government, Mahmudur was arrested on the specific allegations of lying, hacking and instigating religious fanaticism while Diganta Television and Islamic TV were shut down for broadcasting misleading information and news. l

said he would stand in the election.

“We should not leave it unchallenged. We should contest the elections to show off our strength,” he said.

Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s tours of the districts and the senior leaders’ visit to the grassroots in the coming days will ensure victory in the elections and eventually put the much needed pressure on the government, he added.

Ataur Rahman Ata, secretary general of the Upazila Parishad Foundation of Bangladesh, said if the party gave green signal then the leaders would contest the election. And if not they would resist the elections.

However, on condition of not being named, another upazila chairman said if the party directly get involved in the local election the ongoing movement might suffer.

“The party must come up with a careful strategy. Neither should the party high command extend support to any local leader directly nor prevent anyone from competing the poll,” he said. l

Current and former students of Jahangirnagar University form a human chain at Shahbagh yesterday, demanding quick verdict in Zubair Ahmed murder case

Quick verdict in Zubair murder case demanded

Police snatch valuables from Australian citizen n Our correspondent, Cox’s Bazar n JU Correspondent A sub-inspector of Cox’s Bazar police was withdrawn yesterday for his alleged involvement in looting an Australian citizen.

Confirming the incident, Cox’s Bazar Police Assistant Superintendent Chatradhar Tripura said the police official, Sunil Chandra Sutradhar, had been attached with the Police Lines.

According to the allegation, SI Sunil detained Australian citizen Sabbir Mohammad from Mishuk Residential Hotel on January 11 and released him after snatching valuables and cash from his possession, worth around Tk9 lakh.

Sabbir alleged that the local police station refused to include SI Sunil’s name when his wife went to file a case immediately after the incident.

Later, Sabbir informed the Australian High Commission in Bangladesh over the matter. l

The current and former students of Jahangirnagar University yesterday demonstrated in front the National Museum in the capital demanding quick verdict in Zubair Ahmed killing case.

Several hundred students formed a human chain around 3pm under the banner of “Shontrasher Biruddhe Jahangirnagar” (Jahangirnagar against terrorism).

They demanded immediate punishment of all the killers who took part in the attack on Zubair on January 8, 2012 on the campus by around 40 leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, backed by then vice-chancellor Prof Sharif Enamul Kabir.

Zubair, an honours final year student (37th batch) of English department, succumbed to his injuries the next morning.

Moin Uddin Pathan, Nasir Uddin

Prince, Shaila Sabreen, Syed Nazmul, Junanjina Trina, Samjir Ahmed, Nazmul Islam Lelien and Arafat Noman spoke at the demonstration programme.

The urged the authorities concerned to mete out exemplary punishment to all the criminals.

The case is now underway at the Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal 4. So far, the court has recorded depositions of four prosecution witnesses.

The speakers said although the university authorities had expelled 13 identified killers for their direct involvement in the murder, the initiative went in vain as almost all of them have finished their academic activities with the help of stay orders from High Court and assistance by the authorities.

They claimed that authorities could not avoid the responsibilities because the killers were freely moving on the campus. In this situation, the general

Legendary Suchitra Sen dies at 82  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

who develops personal relationships with male psychiatric patients, was hailed by both audience and critics alike.

Suchitra Sen became the first Indian actress to win an international award when she was handed the Silver Prize for Best Actress at the Moscow Film

Festival in 1963 for her work in Saat Pake Badha (1963).

The veteran actor ended her film career with Pronoy Pasha in 1978, retiring also from public life to lead a hermit-like existence. Suchitra, who had not been seen in public since 1989, only allowed a handful of people at her home apart from daughter

Destiny laundered over Tk100cr  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

Meanwhile, the Destiny high-ups also laundered Tk9.57 crore to the same company in the name of import of cargo aircraft parts, and salary and allowance, and training cost for the foreign crews.

The report says Rafiqul in his confessional statement said he had 50% partnership in Softalk Online (HK) Limited, with Carey From the Destiny Agro Industries Limited, Rafiqul and other high-ups have laundered Tk1.46 crore to Carey in the name of importing agro products for the company, the report said.

While serving as the MD of Destiny Air Systems Limited, accused Rafiqul

and others have sent Tk1.21 crore to Yemen in the name of security deposit for taking general sales agent-ship and Cargo general sales agent-ship of Yemen Airways.

The probe report was prepared based on confessional statements of the accused, analysing their bank accounts, reports from Financial Intelligence Unit of the central bank and other documents collected by the ACC probe team.

The report says Rafiqul in his confessional statement made before a magistrate said he had 50% partnership in Softalk Online (HK) Limited, with Carey.

The Destiny MD also confessed that he had a company in Singapore named Destiny Singapore. The accused also

was over regarding the investigation.

“We have finished the investigation. Now the Ashulia OC will arrest the accused and the court inspector will send the copies of the charge sheet to Kishoreganj police, if necessary. I will appear before the court when it will ask me to give deposition as the IO during the case procedure,” he said.

When contacted, Court Inspector Asaduzzaman said he had already sent a copy of the warrants to Ashulia and Kishoreganj police stations. They would know how to arrest the accused.

The court in its order asked the investigation officer and the police station concerned to submit a report before the court whether the fugitive people were arrested or not by February 25.

In this regard, the OC said he did not have any idea about it and the fugitives.

The previous IO after submitting charge sheet in the case before the Dhaka’s Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court told the Dhaka Tribune that if found guilty, the accused could face a maximum punishment of life imprisonment or minimum seven years in jail. The IO said the prosecution would produce 104 witness-

es in the case. Four other absconding accused are Factory Manager Abdur Razzak, Quality Manager Shahiduzzaman Dulal, Production Manager Mobarak Hossain Monju and engineer Mahbubul Morshed.

The other seven accused are: Manager (admin) Md Dulal Uddin, store-incharge Hamidul Islam and Md Al Amin, security in-charge Md Al Amin and Anisur Rahman, security guard Md Rana, and loader Shamim Mia. Of them, only security-in-charge Anisur is now behind bars while other six are on bail.

According to the charges, the accused did not allow the workers to go

students were feeling unsecured.

“The identified killers are still roaming on the campus. Some of them are frequently rounding the dormitories while the authorities are mum in this regard,” said Junanjina Trina, a friend of Zubair.

However, Proctor Prof Muzibur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune: “The accused got stay orders from the High Court and thus were able to attend the examinations. A case regarding Zubair’s killing is underway and we hope that all culprits will be punished very soon.”

All the 13 accused are of 37th batch.

Zubair was also a Chhatra League activist loyal to the other faction of Chhatra League. But he quit the party an year before the killing, said his friends.

A probe committee formed by the university authorities held the 13 responsible for the killing. The authorities expelled seven of them for life and six others for two years. l

Ganajagaran Moon Moon and grand-daughters Riya and Raima Sen – who are also actresses.

The reclusive Suchitra refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2005 as it meant travelling to New Delhi to accept the award. In 2012, Suchitra received the Banga Bibhushan award from the government of West Bengal. l

confessed that he had accounts and balance at several banks in the USA, Singapore, Malaysia and Canada.

The key accused also admitted that in the name of training of the cabin crews of Best Aviation, he had sent €84,300 to ETOPS Aviation and Services Limited through non-banking channels (hundi), without permission from central bank.

On July 31, 2012, the ACC filed two cases against 22 high officials of Destiny 2000 Limited accusing them of embezzling around Tk3,285 crore under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2004 and 2012.

Destiny President Harun is currently on bail, while its Managing Director Rafiqul is in jail in connection with the cases. l

Tazreen owner Delwar yet to be arrested  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

NASHIRUL ISLAM

out of the factory saying that the fire alarm was part of “drill procedures,” additional public prosecutor Anwarul Kabir Babul told the Dhaka Tribune.

A home ministry probe committee formed in late 2012 said they had found “unpardonable neglect” on the part of the owner and that the incident might have been “subversive.”

Later, talking to several media, Delwar ruled out his responsibility in connection with the fire and claimed himself innocent. He said the law enforcers had not arrested him as there were no specific charges against him. l

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the broken shards of window glasses were embedded in his body after bricks were thrown at the moving bus.

In another bus, several others including Chatra Moitree leader Tanvir Rusmat were injured, Baki Billah claimed.

Earlier yesterday afternoon, three crude bombs were also hurled at a rally of Ganajagaran Mancha in Sathmatha area of Bogra.

Ganajagaran Mancha’s road march is on its way towards Thakurgaon to protest the recent atrocities against members of the local Hindu community, centering their participation on the 10th parliamentary elections. l

Govt starts  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

be given accordingly, the official added.

Talking to this correspondent, a deputy commissioner from a northern district said he had sent a report of an estimated loss of Tk2 crore to the Prime Minister’s Office. The reports contained the number of victims, damaged houses and schools and cars.

Meanwhile, the home ministry on Thursday sent a compiled report of attacks on minorities in 13 districts to the foreign ministry.

The districts include Kurigram, Gaibandha, Barisal, Netrakona, Rangpur, Jessore, Dinajpur, Rajshahi and Thakurgaon.

According to officials, the report contained date and place of incidents, the number of killings, estimated losses and steps taken by law enforcement agencies.

Officials at the foreign ministry said the reports of attacks on minority communities would be sent to different international organisations including the United Nations to inform the world about the latest situation, and the government’s steps to stop the attacks. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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3

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Biswa Ijtema to see hightened security n Tribune Report In the wake of widespread violence across the country, authorities have decided to take sturdy security measures for the upcoming Biswa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of Muslims after Hajj.

The three-day first phase of Biswa Ijtema will begin on January 24 on the bank of Turag River at Tongi and the second phase will start on January 31.

Biswa Ijtema Coordinator and Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Nurul Islam said additional security measures have been taken for Ijtema, keeping in mind some of the recent incidents of sabotage across the country, reports UNB. State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan said a higher number of troops from various law enforcement agencies will be deployed at Tongi this year to ensure highest security of the devotees. Adequate number of RAB, police, BGB and Ansar personnel will patrol the venue and keep a strong vigil to avoid any unpleasant incident, he added.

Sources at the Home ministry said the law enforcement agencies, including the intelligence units,

Aam Janatar Dal floated

n Mohammad Atiqur Rahman Aam Janatar Dal, a new political party, was launched yesterday with aim to uphold the rights of the common people following the ideals of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani.

“We will free the people of Bangladesh from the slavery of the Awami League and the BNP,” Convener and Spokesperson of the party M Inamul Haque said at the National Press Club in the capital.

“Our kings have increased their wealth by looting banks and also embezzling wealth and money of the people,” he said adding: “We do not want to remain the subjects of the king anymore.

We are the common people.”

The AJD spokesperson said the country men had been divided into two parts – king and subject – since its independence.

He said they would follow the path of Maulana Bhasani, the president of erstwhile East Pakistan Muslim League and one of the founders of the Awami League, who was popular for his pro-people stance.

The AJD’s central committee, party constitution and its principles will be announced soon. Inamul said they would join the next general election.

Former director general of Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Board, Inamul is an Executive Committee member of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports. He is also the convener of Deshpremik Jote and chairman of Deshpremik Janagan Mancha.

Some 20 leaders and activists of the party including Executive Committee members AKM Serajul Islam and Tushar Rehman joined the press conference.

Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah, convener of the National Committee, attended the event as a guest.

The party recently released membership forms on Facebook. Speakers at the inaugural programme said they were getting response of the “conscious people at home and abroad.”

The move comes two weeks after the 10th parliamentary election and nearly months after Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Admi Party (party of the commoners) won the election in Delhi. Factors such as Anna Hazare’s Jan Lokpal movement of 2011 and the Delhi gang-rape agitation of 2012 had charged a furious electorate to vote for the newly-floated party. l

‘Govt firm on protecting minorities’

n Our Correspondent, Munshiganj

The government will deal the miscreants who attacked members of minority communities with “an iron hand,” Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said yesterday.

“The government has taken necessary steps against the incidents of attack and torture on the minorities in different parts of Bangladesh and deal those behind them with an iron hand,” he said at a winter-cloth distribution ceremony in Munshiganj.

“The government and the law enforcement agencies are with the public.

So there’s nothing to worry about.”

At the ceremony, Mahbubey distributed blankets among 400 fishermen who had lost their homes in river erosion at the district’s Kanakshar upazila. l

have been directed to keep an eye on Ijtema participants from a few specific countries. Recent intelligence reports claimed that there were conspiracies by national and international quarters to conduct acts of sabotage because of the ongoing war crimes trial, the sources added.

DC Nurul Islam said besides the security beef-up, different government agencies will be working to ensure proper transportation, sanitation, fire safety measures, water supply, electricity supply, health services for the devotees.

“About 4,000 toilets are being set up at the venue and we will also provide about 70 lakh gallons of water,” he added.

Sources at the Communications ministry said some 300 BRTC buses will be operating to facilitate the movement of the devotees. The buses will be available in various areas of the capital, including Syedabad, Gulistan, Gabtali, Mohakhali, Joydevpur, Farmgate and Kamalapur.

Bangladesh Railway has also arranged additional trains and shuttle trains on various routes, including Dhaka-Tongi, Dhaka-Narayanganj and Dhaka-Gazipur routes. l

Activists of Ganajagaran Mancha bring out a procession at the city’s Shahbagh yesterday before starting a road march to combat communal violence towards Thakurgaon MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Police in deep soup with political cases Jamil Khan n Mohammad and Ashif Islam Shaon Police are so burdened with the pressure of tackling political violence that they have not been able to properly handle regular sensitive cases over the last two and a half months.

A number of police officials said the number of such cases had crossed the hundred mark across the country.

Moreover, the cases filed in connection with political violence in which over 140 people have recently been killed added to their misery.

Police department itself is in doubt if they could really make any headway in those cases in the shortest possible time.

Besides, criminals in many areas have taken it as a grace that has clearly been visible in the recent rise in criminal acts.

Talking to a number of sub-inspectors, who mainly work as investigation officer (IO) of the cases, it was found that on average an SI is dealing with 15-20 cases at a time.

“Everything gets messed up and sometimes we submit weak chargesheet due to lack of time for which a justice seeker has to suffer,” said a SI of Ramna police station, who preferred to be unnamed.

He said since November 26 he had taken only four days off. He spent two days on a murder case and could go only once to talk to the victim’s family. He could not even open files of the rest 13 cases.

Several officer-in-charges said in the capital hundred more cases were filed in connection with recent arson attack, vandalism, cocktail attack and murder during the political turmoil.

But they are yet to make any major headway.

Spokesperson of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam said in the last two months policemen had to spend most of the working hours on patrol, tackling street violence and clashes.

They also had to focus on the fresh cases filed in connection with the violence. As a result the whole policing system, especially the investigation system has been in tatters.

Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandker, however, said they were trying hard to set everything right.

According to sources at the Police Headquarters, police are under pressure to handle the cases especially the ones filed in connection with Jamaat-Shibir mayhem first.

Police were also emphasising on the cases filed in connection with the attacks on minorities following the January 5 polls.

“There is a pile of sensational murder cases like the six murders, attack on cops, arson attacks on police stations and looting police arms,” he said.

“The whole procedure to handle a case takes time and every week we have to appear before the court. At the same time investigation into at least 10 others cases go on,” said a SI of Kafrul Police Station in the capital.

“Some cases are politically motivated.

It’s a matter of mental pressure too,” he said.

An Inspector (investigation) of one of the oldest police stations in the capital said they had to send case dockets and the progress of investigation of every case to the office of the assistant commissioner every week.

The AC sends back the dockets if he is not satisfied with the investigation progress.

“Sometimes the public prosecutor office sends the dockets back. The court asks for further investigation which makes the process lengthy. Now-a-days the numbers of the cases has increased dramatically,” he said. l

100,000 govt primary teachers unpaid for 3 months n Mushfique Wadud

As many as 100,000 government primary school teachers whose jobs were nationalised last year are yet to receive any financial support under monthly pay order (MPO) scheme for the last three months.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on January 9, 2013 made the announcement of nationalisation of jobs of those teachers from a grand rally of teachers.

As per announcement, they should be getting the same salary a government primary school teacher receives.

But they are neither drawing their previously structured salary nor the one under present structure.

Primary and Mass Education Ministry officials said payment of these schools was under Compulsory Primary Education Implementation Monitoring Unit under Primary and Mass Education Ministry but after their nationalisation they are now under the Directorate of Primary Education.

Due to lack of coordination between the two organisations the payment is being delayed, he said.

The primary school teachers who lead comparatively insolvent life for their poor salary structure are struggling hard to maintain their families.

Rafikul Islam, headmaster of Champa Parul Government Primary School, in city’s Mirpur area, told the Dhaka

Tribune that he was managing his family on borrowed money.

“How long is it possible to make a living by borrowing money from others? If I continue to borrow for few more days I will have no option left for my survival,” he said.

In January 2013, the government nationalised 26,193 registered non-government primary schools having a total of 1, 03,845 teachers.

Before nationalisation of their jobs, these teachers used to get financial support under MPO scheme.

The teachers received money under MPO scheme for some months after the announcement but since September they have not drawn any monthly pay order. The have been unpaid for the last three months.

Mosiur Rahman, a teacher in Khulna who visited Directorate of Primary Education in Mirpur to enquire about progress of the process of nationalisation, told the Dhaka Tribune that teachers in the rural areas are suffering immensely.

Faruque Jalila, a director of the Directorate of Primary Education, who is in charge of operation of primary schools, admitted the fact saying that they were working on it.

“We are working on it and they would get their salary soon,” he said.

He, however, could not give any timeframe. l

UK, EU parliaments urge political parties to shun violence EU urges BNP to discard Jamaat and Hefazat n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman The parliaments of the European Union and Britain have urged political leaders in Bangladesh to work together to strengthen the democratic system and shun political violence.

European Union parliament adopted a resolution on Thursday, urging the BNP to distance itself from Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-eIslam, while emphasising shunning of political violence in Bangladesh and an urgent consensus between the major parties here.

During a debate in the UK parliament on Thursday British Minister for Europe David Lidington said all political parties in Bangladesh shared a clear and unequivocal responsibility to work together to strengthen democratic accountability as an urgent priority.

Put forward by six political groups, the resolution also called on Bangladesh government to halt all repressive acts and release opposition

politicians.

Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly urged the BNP to leave Jamaat, which wanted to foil the birth of Bangladesh in 1971 and collaborated with the Pakistani occupation army.

Jamaat and Its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir are widely blamed for killing policemen, ordinary people and activists of other parties, including the Awami League, in recent years.

This is the first time that a group of foreign politicians has come up with a call to the BNP for severing ties with communal forces such as Jamaat and Hefazat.

The EU parliament stressed that “parties which turn to terrorist acts should be banned.” “[It] urges the BNP to unequivocally distance itself from Jamaat-e-Islami and Hafezat-e-Islam,” the resolution said.

The BNP has maintained an alliance with Islamist political party Jamaat for more than a decade, calling it a

“strategic partner.”

In recent times, the BNP also tried to use Hefazat to topple the government.

The EU parliament regretted that the political parties in Bangladesh could not agree on an inclusive mechanism for an election. It said it believed that all options should be considered, including an early election if all legitimate political parties were willing to stand and offer voters a choice.

It called on the government to immediately halt all repressive methods used by the security forces, including indiscriminate firing with live ammunition and torture in custody.

The EU parliament urged that “prompt, independent and transparent investigations be carried out into the recent cases of violent deaths before and after the elections, and that the perpetrators, including those in the security services, be brought to justice.”

3 Inqilab journos sent to jail n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday sent the three detained journalists of the Bengali daily Inqilab to jail.

Metropolitan Magistrate Yunus Ali Khan also fixed Monday for hearing the remand and bail petitions of the arrestees.

He passed the order following a time plea filed by defence lawyer Syed

Ahmed Gazi.

The arrested journalists are Ahmmed Atiq, chief reporter of Inqilab, Rabiulla Ulla Robi, a news editor, and Rafiq Mohammad, the deputy chief reporter.

They have been shown arrested in a case under the Information and Communication Technology Act 2006.

Firoz Ali, investigation officer of the case and Wari police station sub-inspec-

tor, sought five-day remand for Atiq.

Meanwhile, Defence lawyer Syed Ahmed Gazi appealed to the court to hear the petition on Monday as no power of attorney had been appointed yet.

The journalists were arrested in a drive on Thursday for publishing “fabricated news” mentioning the presence of Indian Army personnel within Bangladesh territory. l

War Crimes Trial

The EU parliament acknowledged that the International Crimes Tribunal had played an important role in providing redress and closure for the victims of and those affected by Bangladesh’s war of independence.

It, however, expressed concern at the increasing number of people on death row in Bangladesh as the tribunal had pronounced death sentences of six individuals and at the sentencing to death of 152 soldiers over the bloody mutiny in the erstwhile BDR in 2009. “[It] calls on the government and the parliament to abolish the death penalty and to commute all death sentences; calls also on the authorities to urgently set up an effective mechanism to protect witnesses in cases before the [war crimes tribunal].”

The EU parliament also called on the government “to revise the Information and Communication Technology Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act, which

were made more stringent under the last government and can lead to the arbitrary criminalisation of citizens.”

Debate in UK parliament

The British government earlier urged all Bangladeshi political parties to look actively for solutions through dialogue, not political harassment and violence.

“Our commitment to that intensive dialogue will continue,” Lidington said during the debate participated by about 20 MPs. On reviewing aid programmes, he said Britain should not restrict aid as it would penalise the poor people in Bangladesh.

“We must not let our dissatisfaction with the political situation in Bangladesh lead us to decide to restrict aid in ways that penalise some of the poorest people on the planet, who are not responsible for decisions taken by Bangladesh’s party political leaders,” Lidington said. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Battery recycling ruining children's lives n Tazlina Zamila Khan Around 500 children aged 5-17 years, are engaged in jobs in the battery recycling sector across the capital, without having provided with protective gears.

Largely belonging to poor families, they are pursuing the hazardous jobs in exchange of little money to support themselves.

According to the baseline survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the number of children engaged in the sector is 5,513 of whom 417 are working in around 1,200 battery recharge shops inside the capital.

Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act 2013 has set the minimum age for doing such jobs as 18.

The number of children working

in this sector has increased in last few years because of mushrooming of battery recharging shops.

The survey highlights dissatisfaction of most of the children engaged in the hazardous job. It shows that around 87% do not wear any protective gear while working. Because of poverty, 92% of them do not attend schools.

Md Mamun, 10, worker at such an establishment in Begumbazar, said: “My father died and my mother works as a domestic help. My owner provides me with lunch and supper. My job is to fill in acid sometimes which touches my skin and causes itching, sometimes the skin is scratched.”

Another worker, Jahir Khan, 9, based in Segunbagicha, said: “My father has married another woman and

does not give us any money. So I am working to support my family. I work over seven hours and make Tk2,000 a month.”

Abu Taleb, 11, a worker based in Uttara, claimed that while recycling batteries he faces problems in breathing in large. He is paid Tk120 per day.

In 2009, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) expressed concern over children in Bangladesh working in five sectors considered as “highly risky,” battery recharging being one of them.

Khandoker Mostan Hossain, joint secretary and deputy chief (labour) in Ministry of Labour and Employment, said: “We have developed National Plan of Action to implement National Child Labour Elimination Policy 2010. The

committee has been formed at district levels and the officials will implement the policy in their respective areas.”

“Under a project called ‘Jhukipurno Kaje Niyojito Shishu,’ [children engaged in risky jobs] we are working with 50,000 children engaged in hazardous jobs. We are providing them with nonformal education and developing their skills, so that they do not need to go back to the risky jobs,” he added.

With technical support from the International Labour Organisation, government had funded around Tk65crore to the project that is expected to end by middle of 2014, said Hossain.

However, Hossain said elimination of all forms of child labour was not possible and they were focusing on risky jobs only.

Abdul Mannan Rashed, owner of a battery recharging outlet, said: “We are not forcing the children to work. They willingly come to us in search of a job. We are helping them by giving money; otherwise, they had to beg.”

Most of the battery recharging establishments are located in the capital’s Kamrangirchar, Segunbagicha, Uttara, Dholaikhal, Begumbazar, Savar and Soyarighat area.

Prof SM Imamul Huq of soil, water and environment department of Dhaka University, said: “Batteries contain toxic elements like cadmium, mercury and lead acid, an acid that can cause itching to skin if contacted and might result into loss of vision if contacted to eyes.” l

Rangpur 6 by-poll on February 18 n Mohammad Zakaria

BNP Vice-Chairperson Selima Rahman was released from Kashimpur jail yesterday as she secured bail on Thursday in a case filed under the explosives act.

She came out of the female unit of the jail around 11:15am.

A Dhaka court on Thursday granted her bail on Tk20,000 bond.

Plainclothes police arrested Selima at her Gulshan residence on January 7 after she had announced an extension to the party’s agitation programme.

On January 4, miscreants hurled several crude bombs targeting the office of deputy commissioner of Ramna division. Ten to 12 crude bombs were exploded during the attack.

Later, police filed the case with Ramna police the next day. Selima Rahman was shown arrested in the case. l

WEATHER

Light rain or drizzle likely n UNB Light rain or drizzle may occur at one or two places over Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions and weather may remain dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country until 6pm tomorrow today.

Moderate to thick fog may occur over the country during night till morning, Met Office said.

Night temperature may rise slightly in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions and may remain nearly unchanged elsewhere over the country. Day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in the capital at 5:35pm today and rises at 6:43am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 27.9 degree Celsius was recorded yesterday in Sylhet and lowest 10.2 degrees in Tangail. Highest and lowest temperature recorded in some major cities yesterday were: City

High

Low

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

23.0 21.5 23.8 25.5 22.7 21.4 27.3 26.0

13.0 14.0 11.7 11.5 13.4 11.2 14.1 15.5

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Jumma Asr Magrib Esha

5:24am 6:42am 12:09am 3:59pm 5:35pm 6:54pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

Police yesterday arrested a headmaster over the killing of a school boy in Fatullah early yesterday.

Faruk Mondol, 45, of Masdair Adarsha School, was arrested at a residence of Shashangaon of Fatullah under sadar upazila.

The headmaster is one of the accused in the murder of Arafat Rahman Siam, 10, whose body was recovered from a sack from Shanti Nagar of Munshiganj on November 24 last year. The victim was a grade IV student of the school.

On December 16, police arrested the wife of Faruk Mondol in connection of the murder case. So far, four of the accused in the murder case have been arrested.

Inspector (investigation) of Fatullah police station Saiful Islam said another prime accused of the Siam murder case, Mehedi Mondol, was still on the run. l

Brac University hosts model UN n Tribune Report

The Election Commission will announce the poll schedule of Rangpur 6 by-polls on Sunday. The by-election will be held in this constituency on February 18, EC officials said.

The constituency was vacated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who chose to represent Gopalganj 3.

The commission may also appeal against the High Court stay order on holding re-elections at two polling centres of Kurigram 4 on Sunday.

If the court stays its order, the commission would hold polling at the two centres within a day or two, a senior official of the law wing of the commission told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The High Court stayed the re-polling at the two centres scheduled on Thursday. The commission held re-election at 390 polling centres of seven parliamentary constituencies that day. l

BNP leader Selima Rahman released n UNB

Headmaster arrested over student murder n Our Correspondent, Narayanganj

A goods-laden truck approaches a damaged bridge on Dhaka- Rajshahi Highway. Most parts of the highway are not fit for heavy vehicles. The photo was taken from Belpukur area of Rajshahi yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Open Market Sale fails to meet demand n Abu Bakar Siddique

Customers have been returning home empty-handed from Open Market Sale (OMS) points in the capital for the last month as the government has reduced the amount of rationing of coarse rice despite a huge demand in the market.

People from lower income groups in the capital are the worst sufferers of the decision, as they often failed to buy rice from the regular market due to the increased price of rice for last two weeks.

“I could not to buy rice from here despite waiting for an hour in the queue,” said Jahanara Khatun, a housewife standing in front of the OMS point located at the city’s Rampura Bridge at 11am yesterday.

“There are many more people buying rice from OMS this year, and that is creating the shortage,” said Nurul Islam Mridha, an OMS dealer. He thinks this

could have happened due to the rising price of coarse rice in the market.

In addition, the government reduced nearly half the amount of rice allocation for OMS last month which is causing suffering to the low income groups, who are the main customers of OMS.

As of January 13, the status of government’s food reserve was about 935.74 lakh metric tonnes while it was about 1,285.48 lakh tonnes same time last year “We could not meet the demand of customers as we are receiving only half as much rice as before from the government,” Mridha said.

Currently the dealers are getting 1.125 metric tonnes of coarse rice and the same amount of flour from the gov-

ernment while it was 2 tonnes of rice and 1 tonne of flour a month ago for daily sale at the OMS points.

The government also brought down the number of trucks selling OMS goods from 60 to 39 in the capital. The rice is sold at Tk24 per kg. The usual market price of the same rice is between Tk37 and Tk38 now, up from Tk28 this time last year.

Kawser Ahmed, a sub-inspector of food rationing under Dhaka food controller’s office told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have already sent demand notes for allocating more rice for OMS to the ministry due to the huge demand.”

“We hope that the government will release new orders with increased allocation soon,” he added.

Rice retailers said the price of rice had increased significantly in the market in the past few weeks. Currently 1kg of coarse rice is being sold at Tk38 (Tk32 four weeks ago) and 1kg of me-

dium category rice at Tk48 (Tk38 four weeks ago), said Hossain Ali, a retailer in the city’s Shewrapara area.

However, the Agricultural Marketing Department said as of yesterday the retail price of coarse rice in the city’s market was Tk35 per kg while the wholesale price was Tk33.50 per kg.

Dr Asaduzzaman, a research fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, told the Dhaka Tribune this was happening because the government’s food reserves had declined significantly during the Aman harvesting period.

As of January 13, the status of government’s food reserve was about 935.74 lakh metric tonnes while it was about 1,285.48 lakh metric tonnes same time last year.

Of the current reserve, 700.96 metric tonnes is rice and the rest is wheat.

Last year they were 1,078.93 and 206.93 metric tonnes respectively. l

The inaugural ceremony of Model United Nations was held at the city’s Army Golf Garden yesterday.

The five-day MUN, 2014 was hosted by Brac University. Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, chairperson of the board of trustees of the university, inaugurated the event as chief guest.

The MUN began with over 400 delegates from Bangladesh and other countries including Nigeria, India, Nepal, Costa Rica, and Pakistan. Brac University Vice-Chancellor Ainun Nishat and Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Lee Yun-young attended the inauguration ceremony as special guests.

“Students participating in these conferences are enthusiasts who take part in the discussion for the development of countries and its people. Involvement of youth in global projects as such, builds stronger bonds between nations,” Abed said in his inaugural speech.

A MUN is simulation of the United Nations Committees where students participate as delegates and negotiate among themselves on various agendas. l

Boiler blast injures four in Chittagong n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagang At least four workers received burn injuries when a boiler at an auto rerolling factory exploded in Sitakunda upazila’s Bhanur Bazar area of Chittagong yesterday.

The injured workers, Mohammad Akhtar, 29, Mohammad Milon, 24, Mohammad Manik, 27, and Mohammad Raju, 27, have been admitted to Al Amin Hospital in critical condition.

Iftekhar Hasan, officer-in-charge of Sitkunda Police Station, said that a furnace boiler of Shima Auto Re-rolling Mill exploded at around 4:00am, leaving the four injured.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Nazim, a director of the mill, has told Dhaka Tribune that the mill is providing medical aid to the victims. l

Dhaka Trade Fair sees huge crowd on holiday n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

The 19th Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) yesterday witnessed a huge crowd as most visitors swarmed to the country’s biggest trade show to enjoy the weekend holiday with near and dear ones.

“I have come to visit the fair to enjoy the weekend holiday with my two daughters and to buy some gifts from here, as I could not go out in the last couple of week due to political unrest,” says Salam, an executive at a private firm.

He said the fair also cumulated an array of products from different countries, which lured then to visit the exposition.

“The trade fair is best place for me to choose my desired products as most companies are participating in the event and displaying their latest collections to attract buyers,” said Shila, a visitor from Savar.

On the other hand, most companies are offering exclusive discounts at the fair, which comes as an opportunity for us to our buy desired products at a cheaper price, she added.

Most visitors were seen thronging stalls and pavilions of kitchenware, home appliance and electronics goods to buy utensils for daily life.

“Our stall was overcrowded today [Friday] as we are offering plastic prod-

ucts for daily use,” said Tasrik Tareq Ahmed, a salesman of Bengal Plastic.

Meanwhile, many stall owners said sales are yet to gain momentum as most visitors are now just checking the collections of different companies.

“We saw huge rush of visitor but the sales yet to get momentum as most of the visitors are just here to check out the latest collections,” said Aminul Islam, a salesman at RFL, at the fair.

“Sales are comparatively lower than the last year,” said Gokul Poddar, managing director of Royalex Metal Industry, a kitchenware manufacturer.

He also pined hope that as the political situation in the country is gradually improving, turnout of visitor as well as the sales volume will increase.

Electronic and furniture stalls were packed with visitors; mostly with women who were seen bargaining with salesmen over their desired products.

“The response from customers is fine but not at the expected level,” said Md Shamim Jahid, senior executive for marketing and sales at Brother Furniture.

“Our main objective is to attract bulk buyers from both home and abroad, by displaying products,” he added.

“As today (Friday) is the second weekend holiday after the launch of the fair, visitors took the opportunity to visit the fair and buy products,

which has pushed our sales up,” said Al Mamun, a sales executive of Electro Mart.

Even though the fair began on 11th January, a significant number of stalls

and mini pavilions are yet to open.

Many of them are now half done, while many others just started construction.

Like previous years, the Export Promotion Bureau and the Ministry

of Commerce jointly organized the month-long 19th DITF at the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area. The trade fair will remain open to visitors from 10.00am to 10.00pm every day. l

A large number of visitors throng the trade fair yesterday, the first holiday since it started on January 11

DHAKA TRIBUNE

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Suchitra’s ancestral house still in Jamaat’s clutches Locals allege the occupiers under shield of law are continuing the occupation Locals and elderly persons of the n Our Correspondent, Pabna district said Suchitra’s father KarunamDespite long-standing demands for freeing the ancestral residence of legendary actor Suchitra Sen from the occupation of Jamaat men, the government is yet to recover it.

Suchitra Sen was born on April 6, 1931 at her maternal grandfather’s residence at Vangabari village of Belkuchi upazila under Greater Pabna. She passed her childhood at her father’s residence at Gopalpur village in Pabna town.

Unfortunately, the ancestral residence of Suchitra Sen in the village of Gopalpur in Pabna has been occupied by the Imam Gazzali Institute, a Jamaat-backed institution, over decades although the people of the district have been demanding measures to free the historic house from the grabber’s occupation.

The conscious people of the district criticised the authority’s sheer negligence to free the house although the people have been demanding removal of the occupation over the last few years.

Suchitra Sen, originally called Rama Dasgupta, started her academic career at ‘Mahakali Pathshala’ of Pabna town.

Later, she was enrolled at Pabna Girls’ School which later turned into Pabna Government Girls High School. Suchitra had studied there till class IX.

oy Dasgupta had left the country (Bangladesh) with his whole family just few months before the partition in 1947.

“Suchitra Sen is the pride for Pabna. Her ancestral residence is also an historical establishment to us. But we are unfortunate that her ancestral residence is occupied. But the government is yet to restore the historic house from Jamaat’s occupation till her death,” said Md Saidul Haque Chunnu, convener of Suchitra Sen Memory Preservation Committee.

It is the demand of the people of the district to make a museum here, he said, adding that the occupiers in shield of law are continuing the occupation for lack of administrative steps.

Deputy Commissioner of Pabna Kazi Ashrf Uddin said Pabna district administration had served a notice in 2009 to leave the occupation. The occupiers then filed the case against the order.

But the case is yet to be resolved.

“The cultural activists of Pabna demand to establish an archive at Suchitra’s ancestral house. But the house is still occupied. We have to take oath today (Friday) that will make the house free from the Jamaat clutches and establish an archive here.” Said Mostafizur Rahman Russel, secretary of Pabna Drama circle. l

The ancestral residence of Suchitra Sen at Gopalpur village in Pabna town has been occupied by Imam Gazzali Institute, a Jamaat-backed institution, over decades. The photo was taken recently DHAKA TRIBUNE

The trickle-down effect of blockade 3,000 sued for attacking n MK Alamgir’s motorcade Mushfique Wadud

It has been nearly a week since the BNP-led opposition alliance has had its last blockade but it appears schoolchildren, who had to suffer periodic forced vacations because of the previous months’ blockade programmes, are yet to fully recover from it.

The consecutive blockades of the alliance, according to some guardians, have affected the psyche of their children, especially pre-school students and created in them a feeling of disinclination for studies.

They said students had grown more accustomed to the idea of going to school only on Fridays, which they had to do during the blockades enforced on working days.

Amal Sen’s death anniversary observed n Tribune Report The 11th death anniversary of Amal Sen, one of the organizers of Liberation War and former president of Workers Party of Bangladesh, was observed yesterday in befitting manner.

Workers Party President and Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon placed wreaths at the monument of Amal Sen in the Bankri School compound under Bagharpara upazila, reports BSS. Workers Party General Secretary Anisur Rahman Mallik, former general secretary Bimal Biswas, lawmaker of Narail 2 constituency Advocate Sheikh Hafizur Rahman and Advocate Nazrul Islam were present on the occasion, among others. l

“When I woke up my son on the first day after the blockade, he was disinclined to attend school. I managed to get him ready but he was crying the whole way to school,” said Mahbubur Rahman, whose six-year-old son is a student of Government Laboratory School in Dhanmondi.

The blockades have affected the psyche of children, especially pre-school students and created in them a feeling of disinclination for studies “This was not the case before the blockades began. My son would willingly get up to attend his classes,” he added.

Abuld Mannan, whose five-year-old son goes to Apple Tree International

School in Mirpur, said his son had difficulty concentrating on studies.

“He doesn’t want to go to school or study even at home. I can force him but it seems he needs a little more time to get back into the habit of school-going.”

In this regard, Rafikul Islam, headmaster of Champa Parul Government Primary School in Mirpur, told the Dhaka Tribune that the apparent disinterest of children in studies was due to the consecutive blockades. “This kind of development can have serious impacts on their psyche.”

The 18-party alliance had been enforcing communication blockades for six days a week since November 25 when the schedule for the 10th parliamentary election was announced. It called off its street programme last Monday. l

n Our Correspondent, Chandpur Police lodged a case yesterday against 3,000 people mentioning names of 41 persons in connection with the attack on lawmaker Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir’s motorcade.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Samsul Islam of Kachua police station lodged the case in the morning.

Meanwhile, the local Awami League organsied a protest rally in the afternoon in front of the Ujani madrassah.

Activists of the Jamaat-Shibir attacked the lawmaker while he was attending a Waz Mahfil at Uzani Madrassa in the district.

Locals said some activists of Jamaat, Hefazat and BNP in the guise of devotees hurled abuses and bricks at the former home minister.

They also vandalised three vehicles, including the one for the lawmaker.

Mahfil Director Maulana Abdur Rahman, also education secretary of the madrasa, allegedly urged the assailants over microphone to restrain from going berserk, but they did not pay heed to it.

They also tried to bring in more people on the premises in their favour, chanting Jamaat-e-Islami slogans.

Police then fired 13 rounds of blank shots to take control of the situation. l

Schools and private publishers bond in illegal business n Our Correspondent. Barisal A number of secondary schools in Barisal are earning an extra profit by illegally enlisting books published by private publishers in the curriculum.

They select books not based on the quality rather on the sum of money offered by the publishers as ”enlistment fee”, alleged a number of guardians.

They said inspite of being provided with text books free of cost by the government, they were being compelled to buy extra books as suggested by the school authorities.

Talking with management commitees of different schools, teachers’ associations and publishers, it was found that books published by private publishers, specially those of language and literature, were being used alongside the books published by National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB).

It was also alleged that the schools had provided a list of non-NCTB books to the students at the beginning of the academic session and compelled them to purchase the books mentioning them as “compulsory” in the curriculum.

Square Publications gave Tk2lakh as enlistment-fee to a girl’s school in the region as part of a contract signed in between them.

Grammar and functional books published by the private publisher had been included in the book-lists for class VI- IX for next two years.

The publication also donated benches for the guardians to sit at the school’s waiting room, said the guardians and sources in the school authority.

Similar contracts were signed between several publication houses and schools to promote their books in the remote areas.

Denying such allegation, Asadul Islam Asad, a teacher of Jagadish Saraswat Girl’s School, said since last year the books of Square Publications were being enlisted in the book-list and there was no bar in enlisting books that help to study the NCTB books more efficiently.

Mainul Islam, zonal manager of Square Publications, said their books were approved by the NCTB authority for being enlisted as an aid to the existing NCTB books.

“We have a target to sell at least five thousand copies at different book shops in the region this season,” he said, Dash Gupta Ashish Kumar, regional president of Bangladesh Shikkhak Samity, said: “The business has become similar to pharmacies where patients are bound to buy medicines of a particular brand prescribed by the physician.”

Prof Mohsin Ul Islam Habul, regional secretary of Jatiya Shikkhak Karmachari Front, said because of the introduction of srijonshil (creative) examination system, teachers and students need to study books that contain more examples and suggestions. This need cannot be fulfilled by studying only the NCTB books.

Dr Mustafizur Rahman, deputy director of secondary and higher secondary education, said schools should follow the books published by the NCTB, and teachers should not compel the students to purchase books of any other publication.

They should be penalised for such act, he said.

Abul Kalam Azad, additional deputy commissioner (education and development), said they would investigate into the matter and take action against institutions carrying the illegal act. l

10 houses, 4 shops gutted in Chandpur, Jhenaidah

n Tribune Report

At least 10 dwelling houses and four shops were gutted in separate incidents of fire in Chandpur and Jhenidah districts early yesterday.

In Chandpur, fire burned down 10 houses at Maramura village in Hajiganj upazila in the early hours.

The fire originated from an electrical short circuit at a house of Kazi Bari at the village around 12:25am.

In Jhenaidah, four shops were gutted by a fire at Katlagari Bazar in Shailakupa upazila early in the morning.

Fire service sources said the fire erupted at a shop in the bazaar around 3:30am, also from the electrical short circuit, and it soon surrounded the adjacent shops. l

12 Rohingyas held in Chittagong n Tribune Report Twelve Rohingyas were detained by the police from Aochiya area of Chittagong’s Satkania upazila Thursday night, for intruding through the Bangladeshi border.

The detainees were Hashem, 27, Karim, 18, Abdullah, 22, Amin, 25, Sultan, 26, Abdullah, 20, Sukkur, 21, Tyeb, 20, Solim, 23, Syed Anis, 22 Mansur, 21 and Elias, 24. All the detainees hailed from different locality of Myanmar, police sources said.

Khaled Hossen, officer-in-charge of Satkania police station, said the Myanmar nationals were arrested around 10pm after receiving a tip-off.

A case was filed in this connection with charges of entering the locality illegally, the OC added. l

‘Rivers of the World’ inaugurated with fete n Afrose Jahan Chaity

Guests are at the inaugural ceremony of ‘Rivers of the World’ at Rabindra Sarobar, Dhanmondi, on Thursday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

A four-day thematic artwork exhibition titled “Rivers of the World” was inaugurated at Rabindra Sarobar in the city’s Dhanmondi on Thursday.

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in Bangladesh (HSBC) have organised the exhibition which is featuring vibrant and beautiful thematic artworks made by talented students from 10 Bangladeshi and British schools.

Renowned artists – Syed Rashed Imam Tanmoy and Tamanna Tasmeem – have supervised students in making the artworks.

At the opening ceremony, local musicians played rhythmic music and guests released sky lanterns, which enthralled the audience and gave the event a panoramic look.

Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed was present as the chief guest. The ceremony was attended by eminent cartoonist Ahsan Habib, renowned writer Anisul Hoque and Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Bangladesh Andrew Tilke.

As the guest of honour Robert W

Gibson, British high commissioner in Bangladesh, attended the event chaired by Robin Davis, director of Partnership and Programmes project of the British Council.

Musicians played rhythmic music and guests released sky lanterns, which enthralled the audience and gave the event a panoramic look Commenting on the exhibition, Robin Davis said: “Being a global cultural relations organisation, the British Council is proud to be a part of this art exhibition with young students participating from Bangladesh, UK and other countries. I hope that this initiative will further strengthen relationship between students across the globe.”

Andrew Tilke said: “Rivers of the World” is an important part of HSBC’s commitment to the communities that we work in and the environment around us. It is a significant initiative in inspiring young people to understand and appreciate the importance of preserving our rivers and water resources

in their natural state.”

Popular folk songs of Hasan Raja and Shah Abdul Karim, was performed by singers – Ashik Dewan, Moyna Sarkar, Rubel Dewan and a guest singer Krishti Aung Leona. Hundreds of audience stayed till the last performance and enjoyed the presentations.

The cultural programme started with Ashik Dewan’s “Baula Ke Banailore” followed by “Loke Bole Bolere” and “Nesha Lagilore” mesmerised the crowd. Krishti Aung Leona performed three popular fusion songs, “Shob Loke Koy”, “Tomar Ghore Bash Kore Kara”, and “Ghate Lagaiya Dinga”.

The teenager performer also got a huge response with “Once more” from the audience. Solo singer Moyna Sarkar, took the audience another level up with her luminous performance of Shah Abdul Karim’s songs, “Gramer Nowjowan Hindu Musolman”, “Gaan Gaiya Mor Monre Bujhai”, “Ami Kulhara Kolonkini” and“Bonde Maya Lagaise.”

The Dhaka Tribune is the media partner of the exhibition which will be open till tomorrow at Rabindra Sarobar and the Dhaka Art Centre. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Feature

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Young and upwardly mobile Jaago’s budding star Shuborno Islam Bithi represents a bright future for Bangladeshi youth

W

ithin the crooked lanes and dirt roads of the Rayerbazar slum is a dreamer. A leader. A 15-year-old girl who can leap beyond her circumstances, thanks to a great education.

Shuborno Islam Bithi, who was one of Jaago’s first students, was selected to represent Bangladesh last year at a Unicef conference in Nepal.

No woman in her family had ever left the country.

She has also anchored several TV shows, and is auditioning for more programmes.

I went to the Jaago Foundation office to meet this dynamo. Jaago, as many know, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to creating educational opportu-

nities for underprivileged children.

As I entered its lively premises, painted yellow and overflowing with children and laughter, I felt enveloped by a sense of warmth that penetrated the cold of the foggy January morning.

Bithi walked in, dressed in a simple kamiz and cardigan with wind tousled hair, slightly nervous and out of breath from hurrying up the stairs.

But she was clearly at home here.

Once a student, Bithi presently works at Jaago as an assistant teacher.

She likes to spend as much time as possible with the children.

“It’s always a pleasure to teach here,” she said.

Himalayan heights

Bithi represented Bangladesh at “Adolescents: Current Rights for Future

Opportunities,” at the Saarc Unicef Regional Policy Dialogue on Adolescents held in Kathmandu, Nepal, September 16-19, 2013.

More than 60 participants from the eight South Asian countries attended.

Delegations included government representatives, academics, civil society members, as well as youths.

The objective of the dialogue was to examine policies and strategies currently in place, and to develop concrete proposals that are more effective and sensitive to the needs and rights of adolescents.

“The conference talked about several issues regarding abuse, education, counseling and impacts of technology,” she said.

Each adolescent representative was expected to deliver a speech.

“My topic was regarding the education system of Bangladesh, the relevancy of our educational methods, the problems of computer illiteracy and such. It was quite an experience, educational and challenging all together.”

Bithi, who had never been abroad, told me she was in awe at how well those from different cultures could work together.

“People from colliding worlds came together and mixed so wonderfully under the same roof, as if there were no barriers of language, attitudes and norms to separate one from the other.

That was the most memorable aspect of the seminar,” she said.

“I met amazing people and made great friends. Mihiko and Aksam, two of the adolescent representatives from Nepal were the ones I had the most to share with. They are such wonderful people and we made many memories of mischief and fun,” Bithi says with the excitement and wonder usual to a teenager who had her first beyond the border experience.

I asked about her parent’s reaction.

“They were ecstatic. No woman in our family had ever gone abroad, and they were full of pride and happiness as I prepared to leave for Nepal. My father would go to the neighbourhood tea stall and talk about my conference to his friends and passersby.”

The Jaago way

Jaago alumnus Shuborno Islam Bithi passes on the warmth of a donated blanket to a current Jaago student

Indomitable women speak out for workplace justice today

COURTESY

She reminisces: “I cried a little, I think. I had already completed class 5, but at Jaago I had to start from the beginning, and that idea scared me.

“But after the first day it all changed.

Korvi Sir and all the other teachers

‘People from colliding worlds came together and mixed so wonderfully under the same roof, as if there were no barriers of language, attitudes and norms’ made learning an exciting experience.

“We played to learn! A lot of other kids and I would often refuse to go back home after school; sometimes the teachers had to cajole and force us to go back home. I miss those days. Until Jaago, I had no idea how exciting school could be.”

She completed her SSC last year through another school, as Jaago’s programme is only through class 7. Yet she credits all her success to the teachers at Jaago.

“They’ve been supportive and helpful throughout all these years, without fail. If I walk into the teacher’s lounge in the middle of the day and they are swamped with work, one of them will smile at me and help me with my math homework, despite their pressing workload.”

In the limelight

At the moment, Bithi is auditioning for programmes on BTV, and has received a lot of positive feedback. She has already played the role of host in other TV shows, such as “Ready Camera Action.”

Bithi loves theatre. She is currently a member of the theatre group Topkhana Natto Dol. “The street performances are fun: the gathering of huge crowds, acting in the middle of an urban bee hive. It’s all quite exhilarating.”

She says her interest in the arts sparked from extracurricular classes at Jaago.

“I went into a lot of extracurriculars at Jaago, like singing, dancing and drama. I joined a community theatre group in 2007, the Mitali Natto Goshthi, where I was the youngest member.”

Looking ahead

Bithi is currently completing her HSC from Laurel International School, and spends the rest of her time in the world of drama or with the children at Jaago.

Her father is now retired, and the family is supported by her older brother who works in a factory at Gazipur, and a little contribution from Bithi.

But her dreams are beyond these borders. She tells me: “I want to go abroad and pursue higher education in Information Technology, but I also don’t want to let go of the theatre. We’ll see how things work out.” l

App to the rescue Champa Chakma – Pull it like Lara, Bend it like Beckham

Breaking boundaries and stereotypes is footballer and cricketer Champa, who plays both sports for the Bangladesh national teams. Champa’s travails through the sport fields have been full of hurdles, which she tackled head on. Her journey is about fighting for passion and breaking boundaries.

n Feature Desk The One Billion Rising (OBR) Bangladesh organisation is holding its first event of 2014, showcasing women who have spearheaded revolutions in their own fields, in their own ways.

“The Indomitable” is a collection of inspiring talks and cultural performances by women. The event takes place today at Charukala Hall, Shilpakala Academy from 3pm-6pm.

These are women from various professions who have broken stereotypes and challenged the conventional status of women in the workplace.

Khushi Kabir told the Dhaka Tribune: “These women have all taken on new roles, set new standards, and created new spaces for women in Bangladesh.”

Khushi, a human rights activist and OBR coordinator, serves on the board that selected these speakers.

“This time, we wanted to hear the stories of women that everyone would be able to relate to, instead of the well-known speakers we’ve had in the past,” said Tahmina Shafique, OBR coordinator.

“What is most compelling about them is that they are ordinary women who have faced some form of social injustice, but have turned their life around,” Tahmina added. “It is the turning points in their lives that caught our attention.”

The OBR community is an inclusive one, and not just for women.

“Part of my role as a man is to support women’s causes. It’s not just a man woman thing, it’s a human thing,” Cal Jahan, another OBR member who also helped curate the event, told the Dhaka Tribune. “The more examples we can see of woman who have done good things, the more the genders will be balanced in our culture.”

“Justice” is the focus of this year’s One Billion Rising (OBR) international movement. In Bangladesh, the local chapter is launching a month-long awareness campaign about justice for women in Bangladesh.

Tahmina said: “We realised injustice happens in a lot of different workplaces, and ordinary people are fighting in their own way and standing up. We wanted that story to be told.” l

Bithi did not like the notion of going to Jaago when her mother first told her she had enrolled her in this small, new school.

Before the school opened its doors for the children in Rayerbazar, many were skeptical about its relevance and how it could be any different from every other school scattered across Dhaka for the poor and underprivileged.

Like most families around hers, Bithi’s family had limited means. But they were fortunate enough to be able to provide education to all their children. Bithi’s father worked as a driver to a private company.

When asked about her first day at school, her smile loses the self conscious restraint and she lights up.

Bithi with Amy Delneuville, chief protection specialist of UNICEF Bangladesh. COURTESY

Farjahan – Another world is possible

A mother, a survivor, and a fighter, Farjahan broke out of her system of domestic abuse to use her love for culture and literature in the classroom. Farjahan is also a singer, and has been passionate about music all her life. Today she is without regrets, empowered by the belief that she must continue to battle and stand proud in a constricted society. She currently works at the International School Dhaka as a Bangla teacher, and has two sons, 9 and 14 years old.

This week, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) launched a brand new Android application that allows you to contact your nearest police station in a matter of moments.

The free app includes features such as: locating your nearest police station on Google maps, contacting your station in case of an emergency, and accessing detailed information about various DMP services.

The women’s hotline service can be used to report cases of eve-teasing or sexual harassment.

Before the offical city-wide launch of the application, DMP conducted a soft launch in the Uttara area, where the app was well-received by a large number of users.

The app was developed by BUET graduates Md Tariq Mahmood and Md Mansoor Hossain Tonmoy.

“We wanted to give something back

to the community, something which creates harmony between technology and society. I hope this app enhances the security of civilians, and reduces the stress on the police,” says Mansoor Hossain.

Several figures at the DMP were instrumental in the success of this app, including ACP Mashroof Hossain and DCP Md Nishraful Arif of the Uttara division, and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Benazir Ahmed.

“We have seen many examples of miscommunication between the police and civilians that resulted in poor consequences. This security app helps bridge the gap between them, increasing communication, and saving time and lives,” ACP Mashroof told the Dhaka Tribune.

So the next time you smell the whiff of danger, snap up your phone. Help is just a few swipes away. l

Farzana Akhtar – Into the light

As a visually impaired woman and a bank officer at Agrani Bank, Farzana has broken stereotypes of how far a disabled woman can go. She overcame many social barriers, while fighting years of bureaucratic and legal battles, in order to reach her current position at the public institution. Farzana is not only a pioneer in her own right, but also a shining example of what is possible we if do not impose our own understanding of someone else’s capacity.

Joya Shikdar – Break the chain

In the context of the largely conservative population in Bangladesh, the Hijra community, which identifies neither as male nor female, are often excluded, stigmatised and bullied. Having fought through these hurdles, Joya has made a name for herself as an advocate for sexual minorities. She is the president of the Sex Worker’s Network and the founding president of an NGO called Shomporker Noya Shetu.

Nurun Nahar – Leap of faith

A survivor who turned her story into lessons for others, Nurun believes in a world where acid survivors will be treated with respect and dignity instead of sympathy. Her contribution to the lives of acid survivors recently earned her the Ananna Shirsho Dosh award. She has worked extensively with women and girls in her community to bring about positive changes in their lives.

Nurun is now working with Action Aid Bangladesh’s women’s rights team, and hopes to someday be the convener of the Acid Survivors Network.

MOBILE APP | DHAKA METROPOLITAN POLICE Locate a police station

Report eve teasing

Choose the DMP map icon

Choose the Women Helpline icon

The map gives nearest police station locations

Tap the hotline number provided

Click desired police station to get directions

Make your complaint

Contact a blood bank

Make a complaint

Choose the Police Blood Bank icon

Choose your current area/location

Tap on the helpline number to make call

Choose your nearest police station

Ask for your desired information

Tap officer’s number to call

DMP Android App is developed by two BUET graduates, Md Tariq Mahmood and Md Mansoor Hossain Tonmoy

Make your complaint

SLH/DT INFOGRAPHIC

n Ishrat Jahan

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Prescription

7

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Before it’s too late Cervical cancer is the second most deadly disease, from which the women of developing countries suffer a lot. Commonly, this cancer mostly occurs between the ages of 35 to 50 years cells at the cervix, or the Pap Smear Ren Dr Nowsheen Sharmin Purabi port is negative, but there is a suspicion

The part of the female reproductive organ that holds the baby is called uterus. In the lower part of uterus, there is a narrow pasWOMEN’S sage of one inch in HEALTH length. This is called cervix of the uterus. The cancer in this part is called as cancer on cervix, or cervical cancer.

about cancer cell at the cervix.

Whose are at the risk?

If the cancer is identified at early stage, and if proper treatment is done, in that case the possibility of getting cured is 90 among 100 women. The rate of success gradually decreases in the later stages. The treatment is done through surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy according to the stage of cancer.

Any woman of urban or rural area can develop this cervical cancer. But the women of low socioeconomic status are at higher risk. The incidence of cervical cancer is more among the women who cannot maintain the proper hygiene of their reproductive organs, those who got married at an early age or those used to sexual intercourse from an early age, and the women with frequent child birth. The women whose husbands have more than one female partner and those women who have more than one male physical partner are also at risk of cervical cancer.

Besides that, infection by Human Papilloma virus (HPV) type 16, 18, 31 and 45 and Herpes Simplex Virus type 2 are responsible for 80% cases of cervical cancer. HPV type 16 itself is responsible in 50% cases. Most of the women, in their lifetime are attacked by HPV more than once. The formation of cancer from the virus infection can take from two years to twenty years.

Symptoms of the cervical cancer

At primary stage, the cervical cancer may display no symptom at all. But there can be bad smelling vaginal discharge with blood. Menstruation can be irregular. There can be bleeding in

You can get the medical services at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, District and Central Hospitals, Upazilla Health Complex, various Medical College Hospitals and Cancer Institute.

Treatment

Prevention

between periods, bleeding after sexual intercourse. After stopping menstruation at certain age, the cycle can start again. She may feel pain on her waist and on her thigh.

Very easy method of diagnosis

Two easy methods are used for the detection of cervical cancer at an early stage, VIA and Pap Smear. In the VIA method, with the help of bright light, the cervix is examined after applying some medicine.

In case of VIA positive, the pres-

Metformin, a widely used diabetes drug, may reduce the risk of dying from prostate cancer, according to new research. A study of nearly 4000 diabetic men found that those taking metformin when diagnosed with prostate cancer were less likely to die of the cancer or other causes compared to men using other diabetes drugs. “We demonstrated that metformin is associated with improved survival among diabetic patients with prostate cancer,” said Researcher.

BIGSTOCK

Tableware can be dangerous

large amounts of melamine when used to serve high-temperature foods.

Anyone who has a choice might as well avoid buying tableware made with melamine, because it does interact with some acidic foods in the microwave.

Weight loss may help oppose diabetes

BIGSTOCK

ence of cancer cells is confirmed after Colposcopy and Biopsy. And in case of VIA negative, she is then assured that she does not have cervical cancer. She is also advised to take VIA again after three years.

Another method for the detection of cervical cancer at early stage is called Pap Smear. In this method, some fluid from the womb is collected, and examined if there is any cancer cell or not. If the first report is negative, that there is no cancer cell, then the patient is advised to take the second test after

one year. If that report is also negative, the patient is then advised to take a Pap Smear in between the next year to three years afterward. If the Pap Smear detects any cancer, or if there is uncertainty or doubt about the report, Colposcopy and Biopsy should be done by any skilled professional.

Colposcopy is another method based on microscope by which the cells of vagina, its external part, and the cells of cervix can be examined. Colposcopy is suitable for those women, whose Pap Smear report says that there are cancer

The good news is, one of the main reasons for this cervical cancer, Human Papillomavirus Type 16 and 18, against them effective vaccine is invented. Like other countries of the world, this vaccine is also available in Bangladesh. Any female from nine years and onwards can take this vaccine. But it will be more effective if taken before marriage.

Unfortunately, women of our country know very little about cervical cancer and its symptoms due to lack of consciousness. When this cancer shows the symptoms, the patient feels embarrassed and doesn’t disclose it to anybody.

And she goes to doctor when she cannot bear the pain any longer. But the cancer may spread widely by that time. l Dr. Nowsheen Sharmin Purabi is Gynaecologist.

She can be reached at dr.purabi@yahoo.com.

Website: www.drpurabi.com.

Facebook URL: DrPurabisHelpDesk

Duck or chicken eggs, which is better?

Metformin may lower risk of prostate cancer death

Melamine, a chemical that sickened and killed babies when it tainted baby formula can also leach off tableware and into food, according to a Taiwan study. The researchers in JAMA Internal Medicine warned that their findings don’t prove that melamine is harmful to people in the amounts detected when study participants ate hot soup from melamine bowls. Large doses of melamine, which is used in some types of fertilizer and in resin used to make tableware, killed six babies in China and sent thousands more to hospital with kidney damage in 2008. In high enough quantities, melamine can cause kidney stones and other kidney problems in adults. The researcher of Medical University in Taiwan found that melamine tableware may release

Frostbite

Where can you get the medical facilities?

HEALTH NEWS

BIGSTOCK

QUICK TIPS

Overweight people with pre-diseases can reduce their risk of developing type2 diabetes by losing a significant amount of weight, according to new research.

The study found that those who lost 10 percent or more of the body weight had an 85 percent lower risk of developing diabetes within three years, while those who lost 5 percent to 7 percent of their body weight had a 54 percent lower risk.

| Compiled by: Dr Mohammad Sayem

n Dr Sajol Ashfaq

Chicken eggs are the most commonly eaten eggs. One of the most common food allergies in infants is eggs.

Most of the people MYTH & think chicken eggs are FACT less allergic and more nutritious than duck eggs. Though duck eggs are larger, people prefer chicken eggs. Are chicken eggs better than duck eggs? The answer is no.

What most people do not know is that duck eggs are superior to chicken eggs with the same taste and richer smoother consistency. Duck eggs have twice the nutritional value of a chicken egg and stay fresh longer due to their thicker shell – up to six weeks at maximum, if you keep them refrigerated.

Duck eggs are richer with more Albumin and Omega 3 fatty acid.

Omega 3 fatty acid is good for heart, skin and brain. Due to rich albumin content, duck eggs can make cakes and pastries fluffier and richer. Beside this duck eggs are an alkaline producing food, which is a great benefit to cancer patients as cancer cells do not thrive in an alkaline environment. Chicken eggs are an acid food, leaving your body more acidic.

When exposed to very cold temperatures, skin and underlying tissues may freeze, resulting in frostbite. Areas most likely to be affected by frostbite are your hands, feet, nose and ears.

If your skin looks white or grayishyellow, is very cold and has a hard or waxy feel, you may have frostbite.

Your skin may also itch, burn or feel numb. Severe or deep frostbite can cause blistering and hardening. As the area thaws, the flesh becomes red and painful.

Gradually warming the affected skin is the key to treat frostbite. To do so:

Protect your skin from further exposure If you’re outside, warm frostbitten hands by tucking them into your armpits. Protect your face, nose or ears by covering the area with dry, gloved hands. Don’t rub the affected area.

Get out of the cold Once you’re indoors, remove wet clothes.

Gradually warm frostbitten areas Put frostbitten hands or feet in warm water — 104 to 107.6 F (40 to 42 C).

Wrap or cover other areas in a warm blanket. Don’t use direct heat, such as a stove, heat lamp, fireplace or heating pad, because these can cause burns before you feel them on your numb skin.

Don’t walk on frostbitten feet or toes if possible This further damages the tissue.

Duck eggs are quite large compared to chicken eggs. The large size of the duck egg gives it a larger yoke to white ratio than a chicken egg.

A 100 gm of duck egg will provide about 185 KCal of energy, compared to 149 KCal of energy provided by a chicken egg. Both types of eggs match each other in terms of carbohydrate and protein content.

The mineral content of duck eggs is very similar to chicken eggs. Both contain selenium, manganese, zinc, copper, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium and iron. The vitamin con-

tent too is similar, but duck eggs have a higher amount of each one of them, which includes thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and retinol.

The only drawback that duck eggs have is the considerably higher cholesterol content, compared to chicken eggs. 100 gm of duck eggs will contain 884 mg of cholesterol, compared to 425 mg in chicken eggs. That’s why people with history of heart disease should stay away from consuming duck eggs or moderate their intake. l

If there’s any chance the affected areas will freeze again, don’t thaw them If they’re already thawed, wrap them up so that they don’t become frozen again.

Get emergency medical help If numbness or sustained pain remains during warming or if blisters develop, seek medical attention. l

| Compiled by: Shirsho Saaeadat

A recipe of antibiotic juice n Prescription Desk

FOOD THERAPY

Fresh juice could rescue your life. Juice and luxurious vegetables have the strength of rejuvenation that could help the person with various problems of the health. Since it is in the liquid form, juice is easy to be digested and absorbed, so it is good for the person with bad appetite, experience digestion problem or the intestine problems.

The antibiotic juice is good for people who suffer from Bronchitis or chronic asthma, influenza, sinusitis, bad microorganisms in the intestines, skin infection, dandruff on the scalp, pimple, gums infection and chronic teeth disease.

This juice recipe acts as an antibiotic and strong antiseptic, and when being drank regularly could fight the infection directly. People with chronic illness must drink one glass (300-400ml) everyday.

Ingredients

One carrot, one beet, one apple, Half cm ginger, half cm radishes, 10 cm slice of pineapple, one garlic.

Preparation

Wash all ingredients, cut into small pieces and put them inside juicer or blender, dilute it with ½ glass of water. l

BIGSTOCK

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Attacks on West Bank Palestinians on rise Britain and France warn

over rape threat in India

n AP The number of attacks on Palestinians

by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank has increased every year for the past eight years, according to figures from the United Nations.

About 2,100 attacks have been launched by Israelis since 2006 and annual totals are up from 115 that year to 399 in 2013, according to the UN, which started counting such assaults in 2006.

More than 17,000 Palestinians, 342 settlers and 37 soldiers have been injured and 10 Palestinians and 29 settlers killed in attacks in the West Bank.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs relayed its report to the Associated Press news agency.

Most recently, Jewish settlers have been suspected of setting fire to a mosque’s entrance and of writing “Arabs out” and “Revenge for blood spilled in Qusra” in Hebrew on its exterior walls.

Wednesday’s vandalism is thought to have been provoked by an incident last week where Palestinians beat and detained about a dozen settlers in the village of Qusra, near the northern city of Nablus.

Israeli settlers have damaged hundreds of trees, killed 18 sheep and set six cars alight in dozens of attacks in Qusra in what is called the “price tag” campaign, according to Mayor Abdel Azim Wadi. The village has also lost half of its lands to settlements.

Jewish settlements in the West

n AFP, New Delhi

In the latest attack, a mosque was set on fire and vandalised with graffiti Bank are illegal under international law and there are thought to be close to 500,000 Israeli settlers living in the occupied territories, land seized by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War. Palestinians have said “price tag,” a campaign started by Jewish settlers that involves committing acts of violence, is part of Israel’s policy of seizing control of the West Bank, adding that soldiers do very little to stop attacks.

But the Israeli defence minister,

Moshe Yaalon, called such acts of violence “outright terrorism” last week. And Israeli leaders, who are mostly pro-settlement, repeatedly denounce violence between settlers and Palestinians.

Soldiers have clear orders to stop all violence between civilians in the territory, according to Colonel Eran Makov, the deputy commander of an Israeli army division in the West Bank.

“There is not enough pressure from the prime minister, the defense minis-

AP

ter, the interior minister to prevent this,” said Gadi Zohar, a former senior Israeli army commander in the West Bank.

“The policy of the IDF [the Israeli army] is to interrupt and stop every incident when a person attacks another person,” Makov said.

Israel’s military correspondent Amos Harel, however, admitted in Israel’s Haaretz newspaper that young soldiers think their basic mission is to protect Jewish settlers. l

Britain and France have revised their travel advisories for India to warn visitors about the risk of sexual attacks following two new rape cases involving German and Danish tourists in recent weeks.

A 51-year-old Danish tourist was robbed and gang-raped at knife-point in New Delhi on Tuesday after she lost the way back to her hotel and stopped to ask directions near the backpacker’s area of the city.

A day before, an 18-year-old German charity worker told police in southern India she had been raped on an overnight train by an Indian passenger.

“Women travellers should exercise caution when travelling in India even if they are travelling in a group,” the British advisory posted on the government website said.

The French foreign office also advised its citizens to exercise “utmost caution” in an advisory updated on Thursday.

“Several recent incidents show that foreign women or expatriates can be the victims of such incidents in India,” it said.

In early January, a 33-yearold Polish woman was allegedly drugged and raped as she travelled to the Indian capital in a taxi with

Italy MP ‘blacks up’ White House intensifies political campaign for Iran deal for anti-migrant and aides in Congress, in line with n AFP, Washington the IAEA’s wish to keep some aspects speech The White House Thursday intensified of the pact confidential, White House an effort to placate political opposition spokesman Jay Carney said. n Agencies Opponents of the interim nuclear to an interim Iran nuclear deal, as one A right-wing Italian politician smeared his face with black greasepaint in parliament, advising Italians to “become a bit darker” if they wanted to take advantage of the country’s supposed hand-outs to black immigrants.

Northern League MP Gianluca Buonanno protested late on Wednesday that asylum seekers and migrants were given free accommodation and other benefits when white Italians were struggling to survive. He told parliament that too much money was being given to immigrants when Italy did nothing for its own citizens.

“At the end of the day, maybe in this country in order to achieve anything we need to be a bit darker.

“I say we can all put make-up on and make ourselves a bit darker, and then we can all go around painted black and say we want the same help that non-EU citizens get.” The Northern League has accused Cecile Kyenge, the country’s Congo-born minister for integration, of using her post to “favour negritude.”

Kyenge is Italy’s first black politician and has experienced multiple incidents of racism, not least from the Northern League.

Its leader Roberto Calderoli compared her to an orang-utan last year. He was later charged with defamation aggravated by racial discrimination.

Kyenge has also had bananas thrown at her during public appearances and the political party’s official newspaper has started printing her daily agenda, detailing her official appointments.

In response, Nichi Vendola, the head of the left-wing SEL party, tweeted: “Can someone tell the racists that we’re in the Third Millennium and are a civilised country, despite them.” “The racists think they’re in Alabama or Mississippi of a half-century ago or in South Africa during apartheid.”

Italy has been criticised for its poor treatment of refugees and asylum seekers by the UN, EU and human rights groups, among others. l

influential Republican suggested delaying a vote on new sanctions until July.

The Obama administration released an implementation agreement on the pact, which goes into force next week, to defuse claims it struck a secret back channel deal with the Islamic Republic.

Top US nuclear negotiator Wendy Sherman meanwhile held a closed door briefing with skeptical senators, seeking to convince them to hold off on imposing new sanctions that the White House fears could prompt Iran to ditch diplomacy.

The summary of “technical understandings” between Iran and world powers sets the terms of a deal reached in Geneva last year, which will be implemented by the UN watchdog the International Economic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials.

It lists Iranian nuclear facilities to be inspected and a timetable for entry by IAEA officials and contains a payment schedule for nearly $7bn in blocked Iranian foreign exchange holdings which will be released under terms of the deal.

The administration also made a more detailed document available to a restricted audience of lawmakers

deal between the P5+1 group of powers and Iran warn that it gave up too much in return for what they see as paltry concessions from the Islamic Republic.

Sherman apparently failed to convince the skeptics.

“Really I’m more disturbed now than ever after the briefing,” said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

“The endgame being contemplated is not even in the ballpark of what I would consider the endgame.”

Skeptics of the deal, including Israel and many US lawmakers, argue that Iran must not be allowed even a minimal capacity to enrich uranium in a final agreement.

Obama, backed by many in the analytical community, however argues that such a “perfect” deal is beyond reach.

The president is seeking an agreement that ensures Iran can be stopped short of the point where it could quickly produce a nuclear weapon.

Supporters say further toughening sanctions on Tehran’s petroleum industry and other sectors would increase Obama’s leverage at the negotiating table, but the White House warns that sanctions could lock the United States on a slippery slope to war.

A truck dumped a huge pile of manure outside France’s National Assembly on Thursday in a protest against the French political elite.

The driver of the truck – which was marked with the slogan “Out with Hollande and the whole political class!” – was apprehended by police shortly after releasing his smelly load outside the front gates of the grand Palais Bourbon that hosts the lower house Assembly.

He was taken to a nearby police station and expected to face charges.

It was unclear what was behind the protest, but it comes as President Francois Hollande faces a scandal over revelations he had affair with an actress 18 years his junior. l

The pro-sanctions camp believe it has at least 59 votes in the Senate and a healthy majority in the House of Rep-

Iraq army presses Anbar assault as unrest kills six n AFP, Ramadi

AFP

resentatives and could be approaching the two-thirds majority needed to override the veto Obama has promised. l

Pussy Riot members to Syria offers to swap continue human rights fight prisoners with rebels n AFP, Moscow

Truck dumps huge pile of dung outside French Assembly

n AFP, Paris

US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman

Members of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova AFP

n AFP, Singapore Two Pussy Riot members yesterday vowed no let-up in their campaign against human rights abuses inside Vladimir Putin’s Russia, as they made their first overseas trip since being released from jail.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, who were freed from prison last month, are in Singapore for an awards ceremony where they said they would keep using creative art to promote their cause.

A video of the group’s controversial protest stunt inside Moscow’s top church, the Christ the Saviour Cathe-

dral, has been shortlisted for a prize at the inaugural Prudential Eye Awards, held in the city-state.

The stunt, entitled Punk Prayer and which the band described as a denunciation of political ties between Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church, led to three members being convicted on hooliganism charges.

“Right now we are mostly concentrated on human rights work which involves a huge amount of legal work,” Tolokonnikova said through an interpreter at a media event Friday.

She said they will continue to use “video and other creative forms” to get their message across. l

Syria said yesterday it was ready to swap prisoners with the rebels and would take swift steps that could lead to the first such mass exchange in nearly three years of fighting.

The announcement by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem in Moscow could mark another diplomatic success for Russia after the Kremlin managed to convince its ally Damascus to renounce its chemical weapons in order to avert imminent US air strikes.

It also came just as the war-torn country’s divided opposition prepared to hold decisive talks in Istanbul on whether to join a peace conference that is due to begin on Wednesday in Switzerland.

Muallem failed to specify how many prisoners such a swap would involve or when it might begin. But it would represent a concession to one of the opposition’s key demands before it agreed to peace talks.

“I informed (Russian Foreign Minister Sergei) Lavrov of our principled position in favour of an agreement to exchange those held in Syrian prisons for those taken by the other side,” Muallem said following talks with his Russian counterpart in a government mansion in the heart of Moscow.

“We are ready to exchange lists and develop the necessary mechanism for accomplishing these goals,” Muallem said in remarks translated from Arabic into Russian.

her two-year-daughter.

The series of attacks have shone a fresh spotlight on the country’s record on sexual violence and its reputation as a dangerous destination for foreign female travellers.

Yesterday, police in southern Chennai told AFP that a 22-year-old carpenter arrested over the rape of the German traveller had been remanded in custody for 15 days.

The teenaged victim told police she had taken an overnight train on January 10 from the southern port of Mangalore to Chennai and was sleeping on a lower berth when she was attacked by a fellow passenger.

In the Danish gang-rape case, three men have been arrested and police are seeking another five suspects.

In December 2012, a 23-year-old student was gang-raped on a moving bus in the capital in an attack that sent shock waves across the nation. She later died of her injuries.

Though cases of sexual violence against foreigners are not new, the attention on rape in the national media has shone on a light on the frequency of attacks across the country.

Three Nepalese men were handed life sentences last month for raping a US tourist, while six Indians were handed similar punishment last July over the gang-rape of a Swiss cyclist. l

Muallem also confirmed his government’s plans to send a senior delegation to the Swiss lakeside city of Montreux where the long-delayed peace conference – the first since June 2012 – is due to begin.

Syria “will take part in Geneva II and make every effort to ensure this event is a success and meets the aspirations of the Syrian people and the direct orders of President Bashar al-Assad,” said Muallem.

He added that Assad will send his representatives to Switzerland “irrespective of the situation around the participation or the non-participation of the National Coalition at this conference.”

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday also called the umbrella rebel group not to boycott the talks because they represented “the best opportunity for the opposition to achieve the goals of the Syrian people and the revolution.”

Plans for the peace conference were first announced in May by Kerry and Lavrov in Moscow amid indications that the war that has now claimed 130,000 lives had reached a stalemate.

But more recent government advances have put the rebels at a disadvantage at any negotiations.

They have also been increasingly riven by rivalries between jihadists and more mainstream Islamists – as well as among groups with allegiance to Saudi Arabia and those getting military and financial backing from Qatar. l

A suicide bombing and shelling in Iraq’s Anbar province killed six people as security forces pressed an assault yesterday aimed at ending a bloody weeks-long standoff with militants on Baghdad’s doorstep.

The intensifying violence, which has already killed more than 600 people nationwide this month, has fuelled fears Iraq is slipping back into all-out sectarian war with little appetite for compromise among the country’s political leaders ahead of a general election scheduled for April.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon and other diplomats have urged Baghdad to pursue political reconciliation.

But Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has ruled out dialogue with militants and the authorities have instead trumpeted operations by the police and army. On Friday, thousands of security personnel from elite forces continued to press an assault on Albubali, a rural area where security officials say a large number of anti-government fighters are holed up.

The area lies between Ramadi and Fallujah, the two cities in the western desert province of Anbar at the centre of the crisis. l

Shells fired from Syria kill 4 in Lebanon town n AFP, Baalbek Shells fired from war-torn Syria killed four people, including a child, when they rained down on the Lebanese border town of Arsal yesterday, a Lebanese security source said.

The deaths came as at least 20 rockets and shells launched from Syria hit border areas in the eastern Lebanon Bekaa Valley, which has seen frequent violence related to the Syrian conflict.

“At least four people, including a six-year-old, were killed and 20 others were injured when shells launched from across the border hit Arsal,” said the security source.

“Other areas have also been shelled, including Ras Baalbek, Al-Qaa, Al-Ain and the edges of Hermel.”

The town of Hermel is a stronghold of the Shiite Hezbollah movement in the Bekaa that was hit Thursday by a car bomb attack that killed three people.

The attack was later claimed by the jihadist Al-Nusra Front in Lebanon as a suicide operation. Arsal is a Sunni area in the Bekaa that hosts thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled the violence in their country.

Its population sympathises strongly with the revolt in neighbouring Syria against President Bashar al-Assad.

Ahmad al-Hojairi, an official in Arsal, said it was unclear if Friday’s casualties were Lebanese or Syrian. “What we can confirm is that six or seven rockets launched from Syria hit a residential area. Two of the rockets hit houses.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi

India’s Rahul Gandhi to lead poll campaign n Agencies India’s ruling Congress party has announced that its Vice President Rahul Gandhi will lead the poll campaign for the parliamentary elections, but he would not be party’s prime ministerial candidate.

Congress, in power for the last decade, is struggling in opinion polls ahead of elections due by April-May, with a string of corruption scandals and a reputation for poor governance engulfing its administration.

“The Congress party president declared that the next election campaign will be led by Rahul Gandhi,” senior party leader Janardan Dwidedi said on Thursday after meeting Sonia Gandhi, Rahul’s mother and party head, and one of India’s most powerful figures.

Sonia Gandhi is believed to have decided against making Rahul the prime ministerial candidate despite clamouring within the party for him to take on

opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Narendra Modi.

At a meeting of the Congress Working Committee, five senior leaders of the party argued vigorously for Rahul’s anointment for India’s top political job.

But Sonia Gandhi is said to have intervened sharply and said it was not a tradition with the Congress to name a prime ministerial candidate.

Reflecting the BJP stand, party leader Arun Jaitley termed the Congress decision as a “recognition of reality” since they know they cannot win, said reports, quoting him. “I think the intention could also be to duck a comparison (between Modi and Rahul),” he reportedly said.

Sonia is widely expected to remain party chief. Congress also hopes this will avoid a direct presidential-style campaign against Hindu nationalist Modi.

Gandhi has in recent months tried to style himself as a maverick fighting

REUTERS

corruption. He has launched moves to clean up the 128-year-old Congress party, including asking for the right to name at least 100 of the party candidates to the 543-member parliament.

“Changes... will be substantial,” Sachin Pilot, corporate affairs minister, said.

Critics say Gandhi depends on his family name for power, and has barely registered his presence in parliament despite being a member for the last decade.

“It is only in a personality and family-dominated set-up like the Congress that he can be nominated as the unquestioned supremo,” said Arun Jaitley, a senior leader of the BJP. The BJP won three of the five state assembly elections in December last year and its leader Modi remains the clear front runner thanks to pledges to revive economic growth that under Congress fell to its slowest pace in a decade. l

Explosion wounds 36 antigovt Thai protesters

Pakistan bomb blast derails train n AFP

n Reuters, Bangkok

A bomb blast on a passenger train has killed at least three people and wounded 20 others in central Pakistan.

The attack in the central town of Rajanpur, Punjab province yesterday derailed eight wagons of the train, which was travelling from Peshawar to Karachi.

Speaking to the AFP news agency, senior police official Zahid Mehmood Gondal said: “At least three people were killed and 20 others wounded when a bomb exploded in one of the compartments of [the] Khushhal Khan Khattak express.”

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, he added.

Since July 2007, Pakistan has been gripped by a local Taliban-led insurgency, concentrated largely in the northwest.

The government says more than 40,000 people have been killed in violence since 2001, when Pakistan allied itself with the US-led “war on terror.” l

An explosive device tossed at anti-government protesters wounded 36 in central Bangkok yesterday and other violence rippled through the Thai capital after several days of relative calm when the movement appeared to be running out of steam. At least one protester was seriously hurt.

Police said the device was hurled at protesters marching with their leader, Suthep Thaugsuban, near Chulalongkorn University in the city centre.

“When the incident happened and perpetrators threw the explosive, Suthep was 30 meters away,” Akanat Promphan, a spokesman for the movement, told Reuters. Suthep was unharmed.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible and the nature of the device was unknown as forensic experts were prevented from entering the area.

“We have received 12 people who were injured in the blast. One person is seriously injured and the other 11 have sustained various types of injuries, some minor,” said an official at Ramathibodi Hospital.

The overall injury toll came from the Erawan Medical Centre, which monitors Bangkok hospitals.

The latest unrest flared in November and escalated on Monday when the demonstrators led by Suthep, a former opposition politician, brought parts of the capital to a standstill and forced many ministries to close.

The overall injury toll came from the Erawan Medical Centre, which monitors Bangkok hospitals They accuse Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, of corruption and say they want her to step down to make way for an unelected “people’s council” to push through broad political reforms.

She has called an election for February 2 and now heads a caretaker administration, but the protesters and opposition parties are boycotting the vote

and want her to go immediately.

The protests have been relatively peaceful until now, but sporadic flareups between protesters, police and government supporters have left eight people dead and scores injured.

The demonstrations are the biggest since pro-Thaksin protesters paralyzed Bangkok in April-May 2010. That movement ended with a military crackdown and more than 90 people, mostly protesters, were killed during the events.

The stock market fell on Friday as investors cut some risk exposure after the blast and was down 0.5% at the end of trading. The baht currency also fell but was a shade higher on the day.

Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul earlier said it was “about time” to take back control of Bangkok and that a delegation of officials, escorted by police and troops, would make a start by going to a government office that issues passports to try to persuade the protesters to let work resume.

“If successful, this can be an example for other ministries to follow,” Surapong told a news conference.

Asked if the government was now moving to end the blockade of ministries and key intersections, he said: “Soon. It’s about time. We have to start to do something.”

In the event, the delegation never made it.

“We talked to the protest leaders on the phone and our security adviser, given the explosion earlier, advised us not to go,” said Sek Wannamethee, a Foreign Ministry spokesman.

Earlier, hundreds of people on motorbikes and in other vehicles drove up to the government area where the passport office is located and a confrontation ensued with the protesters, National Security Council Secretary-General Paradorn Pattanatabut told Reuters.

“They said they were angry at the anti-government crowd who blocked traffic there and stopped them from getting access to government services, especially the passport office,” he said.

The turmoil is the latest episode in an eight-year conflict pitting Bangkok’s middle class and royalist establishment against poorer, mainly rural supporters of Yingluck and Thaksin. l

China starts relaxing one-child policy

South Korea rejects North’s call to halt drills with US

n AFP, Beijing

n Reuters, Seoul

China began to implement the loosening of its controversial one-child policy yesterday when a province announced it has made it legal for couples to have two children if one parent is an only child.

Legislators in Zhejiang in eastern China Monday passed a revision to the local rules on Monday making the change, the provincial legislature said in a statement.

China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission confirmed to AFP that Zhejiang was the first province in the country to carry out the relaxation – agreed by the country’s Communist leaders at a key party meeting in November and approved by the national parliament three weeks ago.

Demographic experts are warning that the world’s most populous coun-

Hong Kong toilet cubicle brothels raided

n AFP

Hong Kong police have shut down brothels run out of converted public toilet cubicles, arresting 86 people in raids.

Prostitutes from mainland China were found operating one-woman brothels from toilet cubicles in a mostly empty shopping centre in the Yuen Long district, it was reported yesterday.

In comments published in the South China Morning Post, Chief Inspector Law Kwok-hoi said: “I think it is the first time police have discovered public toilets turned into brothels.” “An initial investigation showed up to 100 customers visited the seven brothels each day,” Law said, adding that each were charged $32 for sex services. The 14sq m blocks on the second floor also served as the prostitutes’ working and living space.

There were seven brothels, some converted from empty shops or office space, and operators dealt only with regular customers, who had to give a secret code before being allowed in, the Post reported. l

try faces a labour shortage within the next two decades.

China’s family planning policy was put in place in the late 1970s to control the country’s booming population, and officials say it has been key to the country’s rising prosperity.

Under the rule, most parents are restricted to one offspring, with exceptions to date including some rural families whose first child is a girl, ethnic minorities and couples where both are only children.

The policy has at times been brutally enforced, with authorities relying on permits, fines and in some cases forced sterilisations and late-term abortions, with pictures of the results causing horrified reactions.

Critics also argue that it has contributed to the gender imbalance in China, where sex-specific abortions remain common in a culture that prefers boys to girls. l

South Korea yesterday rejected a call from the reclusive North to halt “provocative” military drills with the United States, saying that as a democracy it did not launch preemptive strikes.

North Korea traditionally demands the South to call off the drills, scheduled for February and March this year, labelling them as a prelude to invasion, but this year it also suggested both sides take steps to ease tension, including a moratorium on mutual verbal attacks.

“The Key Resolve and the Foal Eagle exercises will go ahead as scheduled ... (South Korea) is a democratic country so we do not engage in preemptive strikes,” South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said at a briefing.

Tension soared early last year as

A member of the Korea Alliance of Progressive Movements holds a placard reading ‘Stop South Korea-US war exercise’, during a rally outside a government complex in Seoul AFP Pyongyang reacted angrily to tightened UN sanctions imposed in response to its latest nuclear test.

North Korea said it would retaliate

against any hostile moves by striking at the United States, Japan and South Korea, triggering months of fiery rhetoric. l

Several dead in Myanmar sectarian unrest

35 Filipinas rescued from human trafficking ring n AFP, Taipei

n AFP, Yangon Several people including women and a child have been killed in an attack on Rohingya Muslims in strife-torn western Myanmar, a rights group said yesterday, as the US embassy voiced alarm.

Myanmar’s Rakhine state remains extremely tense after several outbreaks of communal bloodshed between Buddhist and Muslim communities since 2012 that have killed scores and displaced some 140,000 people, mainly from the Rohingya minority.

Details of the latest unrest were unclear, but Rohingya activists said at least two women and a child were stabbed to death in an attack on a village near the border with Bangladesh earlier this week, with possibly several dozen casualties.

Myanmar authorities denied any civilian deaths but confirmed a clash took place in which a police officer was presumed to have been killed.

Chris Lewa, the Bangkok-based director of The Arakan Project, which lobbies for Rohingya rights, said the attack on the village of Du Chee Yar Tan

A woman and her children visit their husband and dad of Myanmar Rohingya Muslims at the court’s detention house in Medan, North Sumatra AFP on Monday happened sometime after the initial clash with police. “There were people killed, mostly women and children,” she told AFP, but added that reports from sources in the area on the number of people killed varied widely, from around 10 to several dozen.

The US embassy in Yangon said on

9

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Twitter that it was “deeply concerned” about the violence “especially reports of excessive use of force by security officials.” “We urge (the) government to thoroughly investigate, bring perpetrators to justice, and ensure equal protection and security under the law in Rakhine,” it added. l

Police in Taiwan have busted a human trafficking ring and rescued 35 Filipinas who were forced into the sex trade, prosecutors said yesterday.

The women were rescued after investigators raided two pubs in southern Taiwan on Thursday and arrested the suspected ring leader, a man identified only by his family name Hung, the Tainan district prosecutors’ office said.

Hung was accused of recruiting the women under the pretext that they would be working as professional dancers. Instead, he took away their passports after they arrived in Taiwan and forced them to work as sex slaves, it said.

Hung was later released on a bail of Tw$1m ($33,300) while the women will be sent to a local shelter, prosecutors said.

Prostitution is illegal in Taiwan but the parliament in 2011 passed a controversial bill to allow special sex zones. l

Lawyer: Musharraf needs treatment in North America n AP Pervez Musharraf, the former president of Pakistan on trial for high treason, is to be assessed by a medical board after his lawyers asked the court for him to be sent for treatment in the United States.

Anwar Mansoor Khan said he submitted a letter to court on Thursday asking that Musharraf be transferred to the Paris Regional Medical Centre in Paris, Texas.

In response, the court ordered a medical board to be set up to determine Musharraf’s health. It will have to present its report by January 24.

Musharraf, 70, has been a patient at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in Rawalpindi since January 2 after complaining of heart problems while on his way to court. Doctors diagnosed him with coronary artery disease.

Another lawyer for Musharraf told the court that his client had received medical care from the Paris clinic in 2006. l

Pakistan police stumped by preaching centre bomb n AFP, Peshawar Police investigating a bomb attack on a preaching centre in northwest Pakistan said yesterday they had no clear idea who could have been behind the blast.

The blast at an Islamic preaching centre in troubled Peshawar city on Thursday evening killed at least nine preachers and wounded more than 50, officials said.

The Pakistani Taliban strongly denied any link to the attack on the centre run by Tableeghi Jamaat, a respected organisation which enjoys good relations with the authorities as well as other religious groups.

“We are investigating it but we cannot blame any group until completion of our investigations,” senior police official Mohammad Faisal told AFP yesterday. Pakistan has been battling a home-grown Islamist insurgency in recent years and Peshawar has been a particular hotspot for bombings. Militant groups are usually quick to claim responsibility for attacks but no-one has come forward to admit Thursday’s blast.

Faisal said the centre was an easy target for the attackers.

“This was the most soft target for the attackers, apparently they want to terrorise the people by bombing innocent people,” Faisal said.

Faisal said the bomb was planted inside a can of cooking oil near a pillar in the main hall of the centre.

Medics in the city’s main Lady Reading Hospital said 28 injured were still under medical treatment with six in critical condition. Thursday’s attack was the second on a Tableeghi Jamaat centre in recent years.

Last year in January, a similar type of bomb in Pakistan’s Swat valley – where schoolgirl rights activist Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head – hit a preaching centre, killing 22 people and wounding more than 80.

Pakistan Taliban also denied any involvement in that bombing. Residents in Peshawar were in grief and shock over the attack saying it was a peaceful place where they came for worship.

“This attack was really depressing, we never thought that anyone can attack this peaceful place,” Daud Khan, a milk seller in Peshawar told AFP. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

Appointment of accused sends wrong signal

LETTER OF THE DAY

Protect the Hindus, urge social groups

January 9 Preying upon the vulnerable and committing opportunistic crimes of such a heinous nature must not be tolerated in any civilised society. One might argue that we have not yet been able to civilise ourselves to an acceptable standard since we are a Muslim-dominated society, and are prone to copy the behaviour of our coreligionists in the Arab countries who routinely commit unspeakable acts of barbarity in the name of religion.

Lunik

T

he government has made a poor decision in appointing a key accused person in the Padma bridge corruption case, Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, as a member of the Privatisation Commission.

This decision sends entirely the wrong signal with regard to accountability for corruption by public officials. It is a disappointing move given that the new government has expressed a strong anti-corruption stance.

Mr Bhuiyan, who was the economic relations division secretary during the Padma Bridge project, was one of seven officials accused by the ACC of involvement in an alleged conspiracy to obtain bribes from appointing Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin Corp as the Padma project’s consultant.

Although Mr Bhuiyan’s arrest and suspension was eventually withdrawn last year, the Canadian court cases to which this investigation relates are still ongoing. The corruption scandal led to the withdrawal of World Bank support from the Padma Bridge project, causing serious damage to the image of Bangladesh and leaving the country’s largest infrastructure project in limbo.

During her election campaign Sheikh Hasina urged people not to vote for candidates who were implicated in the Padma bridge scandal, so the appointment of Mr Bhuiyan flies in the face of the government’s rhetoric.

Corruption by public officials is unfortunately common in Bangladesh. The appointment of a high public official, against whom such grievous accusations exist to the Privatisation Commission, appears to perpetuate the culture of impunity.

This damages the already fragile fabric of good governance and rule of law in the country and should be reconsidered.

The appointment of a high public official, against whom grievous accusations exist, perpetuates the culture of impunity, and should be reconsidered

the Editor

Nahid asks headmasters to file cases January 9

Akhtar Shah What is that going to achieve? It’s certainly a “mark of token protest.” But cases like this with huge numbers of unnamed miscreants will clog up the courts’ time. It is totally meaningless Perhaps one of the things to do is to get prompt law enforcement agency attendance to such crimes. And perhaps get local support to catch the perpetrators with proper evidence that will stand up in court. Otherwise it’s a futile exercise. parveen At least the much amended constitution was saved!

Solar success shows value of renewable targets

LETTER OF THE WEEK

Obaidul warns of hardline

January 8 No more hard lines. Tough talk, strong action and a punitive line please. Let’s have some peace!

Aksha

Be Heard

O

ver 120,000 people living in char areas around Rangpur are benefiting from 21,000 solar power units set up with the assistance of NGOs. The Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service helped coordinate one of the main projects in the area together with other NGOs, private companies and public bodies. The mix of stakeholders helped to keep costs down and enabled the project to reach many traditionally remote communities.

As planned for, the benefits have been considerable. Impact studies show that more farmers are using electricity to crush paddy at night and education and everyday life have been helped dramatically.

Lessons from this type of successful public-private co-operation should be applied elsewhere.

The national grid has a shortfall of around 1,000MW and load-shedding is commonplace even in urban areas. Increasing power production from renewable sources such as solar is vital both to making up the shortfall and in helping meet targets to reduce emissions.

Small-scale projects like this are just as important for achieving this as larger power plants. The Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda) should help spread the benefits of this type of scheme in other localities, in order to meet its target of producing 800MW of electricity from renewable sources by 2015.

As the technology spreads and prices come down, there is considerable untapped scope for domestic users in urban areas to benefit from similar initiatives which can help reduce stress on the grid.

Write to us at: Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email us at: letters@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion@dhakatribune.com Visit our website: www.dhakatribune.com Come join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

I’m proud of Dr Yunus

January 15 Dr Yunus gave us a respectable identity in the world. I am proud of him and am waiting to see him as the next President of Bangladesh.

It is painful to see some blind AL supporters using unacceptable language when speaking of Dr Yunus. These supporters are not helping AL, rather they are destroying the golden image of Sk Mujibur Rahman.

I request the government of Bangladesh to please recognise Dr Yunus the way the whole world recognises him.

Dr Emarat Hossain Pannah

Odhikar indictment a worrisome sign

January 9 A worrisome sign, but hardly surprising from a government that has shown an unprecedented desire to quash every independent institution possible, whether in the public sphere or private.

Arch Bishop

Will BNP cut ties with Jamaat?

January 9

Mohammad Tanvir Khalid BNP should but they will not. At least not in the near future.

Omanishar Ondhokar BNP should not leave Jamaat at this moment. If BNP acts in accordance to Hasina’s wishes, then BNP will be in trouble of being demolished. On the streets Jamaat and Shibir have carried out the actual protests for BNP, sacrificing their lives. BNP should think deeply before doing it.

Md Selim BNP just won’t be able to easily break the tie.

Jahangir Shah Jamaat is a dominating presence of BNP. How could it cut ties with his shadow?

The price of justice?

January 8

The most improper analogy, so far as The Merchant of Venice is concerned. The nation has been bleeding since the judgement against Delowar Hossain Saeedee. And the bleeding will continue unabated till the hanging process continues and finally comes to a conclusion. Election-related violence is a sequel to the war crime trial-related violence, which is apparent because the perpetrators are Jamat-Shibir who have no stake in the elections.

The election albeit was a procedural one and needs to be redone as soon the other major stakeholder, BNP, essentially a pro-liberation war party, comes to an understanding with AL – who still enjoys the mandate for unhindered continuation of the war

crime trial process – on this very issue, ie war crimes and crimes against humanity trials.

The poll-time government issue had become a nonissue the moment BNP had agreed to it with a change in the person of PM. The sooner the personality issue and the war crime trial issue between AL and BNP are resolved, the sooner the nation can look forward to an inclusive and credible midterm poll. AL has got the ball rolling with a call to BNP to dissociate with the anti-liberation force, currently in tow with BNP, and then come for discussion on the fresh election. I see no reason why a pro-liberation political party like BNP will find it difficult to heed this call.

Wakho

CALVIN AND HOBBES

There is considerable untapped scope for domestic users in urban areas to benefit from similar initiatives which can help reduce stress on the grid

CROSSWORD

PEANUTS

SUDOKU ACROSS 1 Cicatrix (4) 4 Gem weight (5) 8 Very small (6) 9 Self-satisfied (4) 11 Drunkard (5) 12 Otherwise (4) 14 Sheltered side (3) 15 Fine at discretion (6) 19 Garb (6) 21 Consume (3) 22 Lose strength (4) 24 Fish (5) 27 Kitchen utensil (4) 29 Fit for ploughing (6) 30 Garden tools (5) 31 Catch sight of (4)

DOWN 1 Distress signal (3) 2 Talisman (6) 3 Equips (4) 4 Incision (3) 5 Make up for (5) 6 Corded fabric (3) 7 Goal (6) 10 Encounter (4) 13 Corn spike (3) 14 Second of two (6) 16 Gull (3) 17 Depends on (6) 18 Domestic animals (4) 20 Accustom (5) 23 Not working (4) 25 Tree (3) 26 Apple Isle (abb) (3) 28 Dried fodder (3)

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

How to solve Sudoku: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no number repeating.

Code-Cracker

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Saturday, January 18, 2014

11

Washington’s options? n Tamim Choudhury

W

RAJIB DHAR

Staying competitive

A

n Zahedul Amin s the new government settles down after the tempestuous election and its aftermath, leaving the economy in tatters and the country’s fate riddled with grave uncertainty, questions abound as to how long the economy can withstand this grinding political impasse. Despite widespread political turmoil, exports have grown by 19% (21% growth for RMG), which has surprised almost everyone The RMG sector remains a crucial cogwheel to the Bangladeshi economic engine, constituting 82% of the country’s export and employing almost 3 million people, mostly women.

Due to the lack of diversification, the success of the sector remains central to Bangladesh’s dreams of achieving middle-income status.

While RMG export growth has doubled over the past three years, the sector has been facing increasing pressure, both locally and internationally, leading to possible repercussions in the future. The Tazreen Fashions accident followed by the Rana Plaza tragedy has brought to fore the sector’s vulnerability on compliance issues.

These incidents have drawn widespread international news coverage resulting in condemnation from buyers and the international community.

The EU, which constitutes of 65% of Bangladeshi exports, has warned of stripping the GSP facility, and the US has already done the same (although RMG falls outside US’s GSP facility).

Amid widespread pressure in the

international front, workers started agitating for wage rises which further disrupted production, leading to a significant hike in the minimum wage, to the tune of approximately 70% from January 14 onwards. Furthermore, the opposition-led violent agitations had further complicated issues, disrupting the supply chain and increasing buyer scepticism on placing orders from our RMG manufacturers.

With competitor Pakistan gaining GSP facility from 2014, the question of latching on to the benefit has never been felt more. Even with the GSP, Bangladesh may face steep competition from the likes of Pakistan as they have strong backward linkages.

A cheap rupee has already made Indian RMGs cheap, and some orders previously destined for Bangladesh are steadily moving to India.

Constituting 82% of the country’s export, the success of the sector remains central to Bangladesh’s dreams of achieving middle-income status The political impasse has forced many manufacturers to air ship their produce, which significantly eroded profitability. Alongside, transportation costs have tripled due to arson attacks leading to higher costs and disruption in production. RMG owners are predicting a steep fall in exports (in value) in the first quarter of 2014, as the payment for the fourth quarter of 2013 will come in then.

Questions remain on the legitimacy and acceptability of the new government to the international community, which will have significant ramifications on the economy in general and RMG sector in particular. A possible cancellation of the GSP from the EU may prove fatal for the sector’s growth, and may diminish our cost competitiveness over rivals.

If the political unrest sustains for a longer period, Myanmar may stand out as a cost-effective alternative, as their labour cost is much less than that of Bangladesh. Just as the Bangladesh RMG sector gained from Sri Lanka’s civil war in the 1980s, Myanmar may also get a lucky break in RMG at Bangladesh’s expense.

International buyers are getting increasingly jittery owing to their continued reliance on Bangladesh as a sourcing destination under their “China plus one” policy. Many are reconsidering their sourcing strategy by looking at similar alternatives including India, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Pakistan. While major orders may not shift in the short run, industry experts are predicting a flight of orders within 6 months, if the political situation does not stabilise.

The government must ensure security and peace at whatever cost, and look for ways to re-engage with the opposition to dissuade them from engaging in violent protests. The economy is unlikely to gain momentum if the RMG export growth is halted, and may result in a decline in GDP growth.

Alongside, with stemming of remittance growth rate, RMG exports may prove to be more crucial for maintaining the balance of payments and foreign currency reserve.

On the international front, the government must engage with the international community, especially the EU, to convince them on retaining GSP facility. At the same time, they must work with trade organisations to instill confidence among buyers and international investors.

The government’s efforts for holding the 11th parliamentary election should be sincere, by taking the opposition into confidence for holding a free and fair election within a year.

This will significantly aid in stabilising political unrest, securing the trust of the international community, and providing breathing space for the private sector to forge ahead. The opposition must also understand that violence and vandalism hamper economic activity, and ultimately benefit no one.

In this crucial juncture, all stakeholders must rally around the RMG sector, our golden goose, for securing its survival and growth. The fate of the country’s economy now rests on this sector. l Zahedul Amin is Director of Finance at LightCastle Partners.

ith the US government passing a Senate resolution calling for political dialogue in Bangladesh, and its state department asking for fresh elections, what are Washington’s options in achieving its desired goals in Dhaka? Being the world’s sole superpower, the US has an arsenal of state power tools to conduct its foreign policy objectives.

Simple Resolution 318 is a nonbinding position that advises the US government on its foreign policy toward Bangladesh, as in condemning the political violence and urgently asking for dialogue leading to inclusive, credible elections. Although previously reported that the resolution will be followed by a Senate hearing, upon contacting resolution sponsor Senator Richard Durbin’s office, his staff could not commit to whether or not a hearing will take place.

The congressional staff did remark that even if a resolution has passed, a hearing can still take place if deemed necessary.

It is quite extraordinary for Congress to pass a resolution calling for political reform in Bangladesh. Resolutions of this sort have been passed on Egypt and Iran, two nations regularly in the crosshairs of American foreign relations. The Egypt resolution from February 2011 called for President Hosni Mubarak to begin a peaceful transition to a democratic political system, a clear signal that Washington’s support for the dictator has come to an end, with its $1.3bn military assistance in jeopardy if Mubarak continued his rule. Even today, as Egypt has swung back to military rule, Washington retains its aid package as the EgyptIsrael peace treaty forms the bedrock of regional stability, and it is tied to counterterrorism cooperation.

Although Bangladesh is not vitally important to US foreign relations, the US has previously utilised multiple tools

Moreover, the Iran resolution from June 2013 called for free and fair elections as its regime blocked multiple candidates from running in the presidential election. For decades, Iran has had immense importance in US corridors of power due to its nuclear weapons capability, strategic location, and natural resources. Only recently has the US agreed for sanctions relief in return for halting its nuclear program.

Although Bangladesh is not vitally important to US foreign relations, America has previously utilised multiple tools for its tactical objectives. During the height of the Liberation War, US Navy Taskforce 74, a unit of the

Seventh Fleet, was deployed to the Bay of Bengal as a show of force to support the Pakistan military.

The naval fleet withdrew as Soviet submarines arrived to counter American military maneuvering. However, Cold War strategies of a bygone era led way to growing bilateral ties with Bangladesh. Since independence, the over $6bn development assistance provided by the US has not only alleviated poverty, but also bolstered political support for it. Bilateral relations have led to an over $6bn annual trade, joint military exercises, even a presidential visit in 2000.

US has the largest voting shares to control the bank’s operations, how will its loans and grants affect Bangladesh?

Currently, the US Embassy in Dhaka has three priorities: Democratisation, development, and the denial of space to terrorists. A high-level partnership dialogue started in 2012 with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. During the second dialogue held in Dhaka on May 2013, the US side announced a $2m tuberculosis management program, the transfer of a US Coast Guard ship to Bangladesh Navy, and a $1m law-enforcement capacity building program.

The US Embassy runs a gamut of operations, from food security assistance, to overseas business linkups, to antiterrorism measures with the host government.

It has well-established connections across a broad spectrum that ranges from government insiders, oppositions leaders, and others. These groups often brief the ambassador on their situation to present themselves in the best light.

Throughout the decades, successive ambassadors have had tremendous access to the highest levels of the Bangladeshi establishment. According to its cables, US officials have even made policy recommendations to the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, without any objections from the recipient, manifesting America’s influence in the nation.

Regarding the continuation of US-Bangladesh relations, as Congress appropriates all funds on foreign policy initiatives, what happens to the US assistance Bangladesh receives if the ruling party refuses to budge?

Moreover, since its founding, the World Bank’s leader has been selected by the White House. The bank has always had an American running its global operations. As the US also has the largest voting shares to effectively control the bank’s operations, how will its loans and grants affect Bangladesh? l Tamim Choudhury is a greater Washington, DC-based communications analyst.

Another election soon? n Syed Ishtiaque Reza

T

he election is over, the new government has been sworn in, and a new cabinet is in office.

Yet, there are speculations that there will be a mid-term election, since this government came to power through a general election that lacks credibility.

Opposition parties should also think wisely. Violence is not the way to realise demands Although the BNP-led 18-party alliance called for an end to all hartals and blockades, there is strong public perception that it is going to be a period of political uncertainty and chaos in Bangladesh.

After a series of violent hartals and blockades that paralysed daily life in the country during the run-up to the election, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s first public meeting was on

January 10, the homecoming day of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. As expected, she promised stern action against violence.

The violence that has devoured parts of Bangladesh over the last few months was not a spontaneous outburst by disgruntled democrats.

At first, it was started by Jamaat to protest the trial of war criminals.

Later, the BNP-led alliance joined the campaign to delegitimise the election, generate chaos, and invite a crackdown.

The BNP also succeeded in bringing far-right Hefazat-e-Islam to the streets, aiming to topple the Hasina government. All these efforts failed to thwart the election and unseat Hasina.

Now is the time for negotiation between the two major parties.

Without a fruitful negotiation, no one can make sure a fresh election takes place soon.

Analysts say Hasina will have to call for elections again soon, pointing to worldwide perception that the just-concluded election was not credible. But the reality is different.

If BNP and Jamaat fail to generate public support, it will be very difficult for them to force the government into holding another election soon.

There is no doubt that the January

5 election was a one-horse race. It was boycotted by the main opposition.

The only parties of consequence in the fray were the AL and Jatiya Party.

JaPa’s participation was also ensured through coercion.

As a result of the boycott, 153 of the parliament’s 300 seats were uncontested. Had voter turnout on January 5 been robust, the AL’s win would have had some meaning. The AL seems comfortable since the anti-government force is not organised enough to topple it soon.

Yet, it has to be agreed that this 10th parliament lacks real involvement with the people. Despite constitutional correctness, the new legislature’s legitimacy is questioned at home and abroad.

Bangladeshi politics, since 1991, has been a zero sum game where the AL and the BNP see any ceding of ground to the other as a total loss. The proper functioning of the parliamentary system has become a casualty in the process.

The past year has seen unprecedented unrest and violence, with people resorting to street protests to oppose or support the execution of war criminals, or to demand elections under a neutral caretaker government.

While the question of the identity of the state – secular or Islamist – underlies several of these struggles, it is the feud of the two main parties that fuels the stubbornness.

The BNP-led alliance will try for fresh movement. But during the last 10 months, it was clear that violence was the only instrument at their disposal. BNP and its allies will attempt to disrupt normal life to the point where the government will be forced to dissolve the parliament and call for fresh elections.

Many secularists say another election is not the solution. They say democracy is not in peril in Bangladesh, but secularism is threatened.

Foreign diplomats should understand that the chance of a far right political group to take over Bangladesh is high if the government is changed through violence.

Whether we have a secular or moderate Islamic system, Bangladeshi citizens want to see a peaceful country where people can live without fear.

No one wants a Pakistan-like situation where killings, riots, and bomb blasts are daily events. People also do not want to see the country in the grip of a single party.

A non-participatory election should not be acceptable to any party that

believes in democracy. A meaningful mandate must be sought through fresh polls as soon as possible.

Opposition parties should also think wisely. Violence is not the way to realise demands. People will never take to the streets for them if the parties continue this violence.

Now is the time for negotiation between the two major parties. Without a fruitful negotiation, no one can make sure a fresh election takes place soon

A solution can be reached only through talks. But it is feared that once again, talks will suffer because the two parties cannot reach a point on the form and content of the election-time government. However, we can hope that the offer to talk will first come from the party in power. l Syed Ishtiaque Reza is Director of News, Ekattor Television.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Greatest Bangalee heroine Suchitra Sen

n Entertainment Desk

T

he death of Suchitra Sen marks the end of an era for the Bangla film industry. Dominating the silver screen with her mesmerising intense performances and delicate beauty for three decades, she was an iconic actor who marked the golden age of Bangla cinema with films like Saptapadi, Agnipariksha and Share Chuattar.

One of the greatest diva of all time, Suchitra came into the film scenario with the release of her film Sat Number Kaydi with Samar Roy as the hero in 1953. In actuality, the first film she worked in, Sesh Kothay in 1952, remained

unfinished. Sen received a National Award for her performance in Bimal Roy’s 1955 Hindi classic Devdas, playing the defiant “Paro” to Dilip Kumar’s “Devdas.” In 1963, Sen became the first Indian actress to be honoured at an international film festival - best actress award for Saat Paake Bandha at Moscow film festival. She earned both national and international acclaim for her performances as the quintessential romantic heroine be it in the role of “Vishnupriya” in the fifties, “Rina Brown” in the sixties or “Bijaya” in the seventies.

She formed an unbeatable romantic pair with Bengali cinema legend Uttam Kumar. The duo gave a string of memorable hits such as Harano Sur (1957), Agnipariksha (1954), Saptapadi (1961), Grihadaha (1967), Indrani (1958), Sagarika (1956), Bipasha (1962), Kamal Lata (1969), Alo Amar Alo (1972), Har Mana Har (1972) and Priyo Bandhabi (1975).

She was cast opposite matinee idol Uttam Kumar in 30 films from 1953 to 1975. Sen acted in 52 Bengali and seven Hindi films. Champakali, with Bharat Bhushan, Sarhhaad and Bommbai Ka Babu with Dev Anand and Mamta were some of her other notable Hindi films.

However, her most famous Hindi film after Devdas was 1974’s Aandhi by Gulzar.

She earned wide acclaim for her role opposite Sanjeev Kumar in the film which landed in controversy due to similarities between her character and Indira Gandhi.

After her 1978 movie Pronoy Pasha with Soumitra Chatterjee flopped, Sen quietly left the limelight and even allegedly refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2005 preferring not to make a public appearance. As per her wishes, her family maintained secrecy even when she was hospitalized. The reason behind Sen’s withdrawal from public life remains a mystery.

A follower of the Ramakrishna Mission order, Sen spent her retired life in meditation and prayer. In 1989, when Bharat Maharaj of the mission passed away, she was seen publicly walking all the way to the crematorium from Belur Math near Kolkata.

Her daughter Moon Moon, though a well-known Bengali actress, could never overcome the large shadow that her mother’s beauty and acting prowess cast.

Sen’s grand-daughters Riya and Raima have also featured in some Bollywood and Bengali films. l

Reactions of Bangladeshi and Indian celebrities n Entertainment Desk Suchitra Sen is a history and a goddess of all time.

She turned the black and white screen into a bright spectrum of rainbow with her gift of acting skills.

As a talented artist, Suchitra cast her spell and mesmerised the viewers. Suchitra has acquired acclaim in both home and abroad and had ruled over three decades with her unbeatable acting and won the hearts of many film lovers and fans – Chashi Nazrul Islam Suchitra Sen’s impact will always remain with us.

From my boyhood, I was a big fan of Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar. Suchitra has made her place in history with her amazing performance. Though Suchitra was associated with the glamour world, she managed to isolate herself from the attention.

This is an enormous sacrifice for an actor of her magnitude to withdraw herself from the limelight to this extent – Razzak The legendary actor is no more. Suchitra’s acting has always inspired me. She did not only breach the subcontinent boundaries with her movies but also introduced Bangla films to international viewers.

Her performance played a vital role to encourage other promising actors to come forward. She will always live on as my idol – Babita

She is an inspiration for me. My acting skills developed by watching her films. She is Suchitra Sen, the mega star. It was a fortunate event for me, to have gotten the opportunity to speak with this legendary actor. When I sat beside her, I did not know what to say. Suchitra was considerate to understand my feelings. I told her that she has a lot to do with what I am today and she replied that I am popular for my own talent and she might have worked as an inspiration only – Suchonda The most beautiful actor in the subcontinent is our Suchitra Sen. Her versatile acting will impress everyone, regardless of their age. Uttam and Suchitra complemented each other onscreen. They both dominated the silver screen and captivated the viewers. It is our pride that Suchitra is from Pabna, Bangladesh.

Once, I attended Suchita Sen’s film festival in Pabna.

I was amazed to see her fan following till now – Faruk I used to visit her place in Kolkata to meet Munmun Sen. I always wanted to meet her but got to know that no one had that privilege for the last 17 to 18 years. Once, I had a glimpse of her sitting on the terrace, I respected that she had made a world of her own. I requested Munmun that I wanted to honour her mother by giving her a gift. She informed me that Suchitra likes Bangla songs. So, I presented her with some Bangla CD’s, a Jamdani Saree and few

of my photos to remember me by. Later on, I was informed that she was happy to receive these gifts – Ferdous Actor par excellence, a divine beauty, a legend, an icon who will inspire generations to come. RIP Suchitra Sen – Sridevi Suchitra Sen .. beauty, talent, enigmatic - she adorned film world of Bengal with exquisite performances .. graced Hindi films too ! – Amitabh Bachchan End of an era for Bengali cinema! – Aparna Sen I did not have the guts to go in front – Mithun Chakraborty Suchitra Sen is an uncomparable personality – Moushumi Chatterjee She was absent from the screen for a long. Today, the memories of the great heroine is flashing in front of my eyes again and again. About her, there is nothing new to say – Ranjit Mallick Suchitra Sen will always be remembered for her remarkable performances in Devdas, Aandhi, Mamta and immense contribution to Bengali cinema. RIP – Madhur Bhandarkar l

Yousuf Khan’s sarod recital at IGCC today n Entertainment Desk

13TH DHAKA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Tribune’s pick of today’s schedule Venue: National Museum-Main Auditorium Category: Cinema of the World, Retrospective & Tribute The Swimming Pool - 10:30am Topragin Cocuklari - 1pm Television - 4pm The Poor Dir - 7:30pm Venue: National Museum-Sufia Kamal Auditorium Category: Short & Independent and Spiritual Section Helsinki - 10:30am Last Days Of The Arctic - 1pm Dance With Me - 3pm Hortal - 7:30pm Venue: Public Library Auditorium Category: Australasian Competition, Woman Filmmaker and Children Section Steppe Man (Colcu Cholchu) - 10am Where is the Land - 1pm Trapped - 5:30pm Siri Perakum (The Crown From Mud) - 7:30pm

Ferdousi Rahman and Abbasi in Amar Ami n Entertainment Desk The popular singer Ferdousi Rahman and Mustafa Zaman Abbasi will be the guests in today’s celebrity talk show Amar Ami on Banglavision. The show will air tonight at 9:05pm. Anchored by Rumana Mallik Munmun and produced

by Sazzad Hossain, the renowned musicians will share their personal experiences and future plans with the viewers.

Winner of the Ekushey Padak in 1973, Ferdousi Rahman is the only daughter of folk singer Abbas Uddin.

Her music career started under her father’s direction.

She participated as a child artiste in many radio programs, but she first sang for the radio as an adult artiste in 1955. The first released movie where she sang as a playback singer was Ehtesham’s Ei Desh Tomar Amar under the music direction of Khan Ataur Rahman in 1959, followed by Asia in 1960.

In 1964, Rahman’s song was broadcast in the newly established Pakistan Television in erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). She was awarded President’s Pride of Performance Medal in 1965, the Independence Day Award (Shadhinota Dibash Padak) in 1995, Nasiruddin Gold Medal and Film Journalists Award. On 17 July 2009, Rahman was awarded a crest as part of the Gunijon Shongbordhona program.

Ferdausi Rahman received the lifetime achievement award 2008 at the Mer-

il-Prothom Alo Award ceremony. Her children’s program Esho Gaan Shikhi, was a program to teach children about music on Bangladesh Television, and the program has been running for 44 years.

Mustafa Zaman Abbasi is the son of Late Abbas Uddin Ahmed and like his father has been an icon of Bengali folk music since decades. He is regarded as the most famous folk singer and leading interpreter of folklore and Sufism in Bangladesh. Abbasi has trained under maestros of Indian classical music such as Ustad Muhammad Hussain Khasru, Ustad Gul Mohammad Khan and others. He has occupied several important posts during his illustrious career. He was Academic Director, Folk Music Research Group for many years and collected a large number of folk songs of Bengal. Was Director General, Bangladesh Shilpokala Academy, Chairman, National Committee on Music, District Governor, Rotary International and more. Presently, he holds the position of Senior Research Scholar at Independent University, Bangladesh.

Abbasi was conferred the Ekushe Padak by the Government of Bangladesh in 1995 for his contribution to music. He has also been honoured with the Apex Foundation Award, Natyashabha Award, Bengal Centenary Award, Abbasuddin Gold Medal, Manik Mia Award, Sylhet Music Award and Lalon Parishad Award. l

Sarod player Md Yousuf Khan will perform at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre today at 6:30pm. The programme is organised by IGCC in association with Asian Paints, IRCON and Marico Bangladesh.

Yousuf Khan is the son of renowned Bangladeshi musician, Ustad Phuljuri Khan and the younger brother of Ustad late Md Yunus Khan who initiated him into Sarod. He is presently serving as a musical artist at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and a regular performer for Bangladesh Radio and Bangladesh Television. He is also associated with the Bangladeshi Film industry.

Yousuf Khan has been a part of several Bangladeshi cultural delegations abroad in countries such as India, Russia, Italy, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan Kenya and Zambia. l

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Two And A Half Men

Saturday, January 18, 2014

15 Most Popular Films of Suchitra Share Chuattar Suchitra Sen’s hugely popular comedy Share Chuattar, which was also her first film with Uttam Kumar in 1953.

It was a box-office hit and remembered for launching Uttam-Suchitra as a leading pair. They went on to become the icons for Bengali dramas for more than 20 years, becoming almost a genre to themselves.

Agnipariksha Another memorable Suchitra Sen film is Agnipariksha directed by Agradoot in 1954. The film stars Bengali superstar Uttam Kumar opposite Sen. Sen and Uttam Kumar were popular as a lead pair in Bengali cinema and went on to do many films together.

Devdas Legend star in Bengali cinema, Suchitra Sen made her Bollywood debut with Bimal Roy’s Devdas opposite Dilip Kumar in 1955. The film was a soaring success and was included in all must see Hindi films of all time. Suchitra played Paro, the love interest of the alcoholic Devdas.

Sabar Uparey This film is a 1955 Bengali film noir directed by Agradoot, based on AJ Cronin’s 1953 novel, Beyond This Place. It starred acclaimed actors Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen in leading roles.

Sagarika This film released in 1956 is about a brilliant doctor, Arunangshu, whose dreams were shattered by a scandal, but he was given another chance to follow through his aspirations.

Harano Sur This is a 1957 Bengali romantic drama film by Ajoy Kar, starring Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar, with music by Hemanta Mukherjee, and sung by Geeta Dutt. The film is regarded as one of the finest examples of Bengali cinema of this early golden period. The film has broad similarities in plot with the 1942 Hollywood flick Random Harvest (film).

Indrani Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar starred in the 1958 blockbuster Indrani. The superhit pair starred in more than a dozen films and were considered the first couple of the Bengali film industry. Unlike other heroines of Uttam Kumar films, Suchitra Sen demanded, and got, equal billing and screen time.

Chaowa-Pawa It’s a 1959’s Bengali film directed by Tarun Majumdar and Sachin Mukherjee. It starred acclaimed actors Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen in leading roles also.

This comedy film directed

by Jatrik revolves around a young man who falls in love with a rich girl who is supposed to be delivered at her home safely.

Deep Jwele Jai Directed by Asit Sen, Suchitra Sen delivers one of her best performances in the film Deep Jwele Jai as a nurse in 1959. The film was lauded for its performances and music, especially for the song Ei Raat Tomar Amar.

Saptapadi Saptapadi is a 1961 Bengali romantic drama film by Ajoy Kar, starring Suchitra Sen, Uttam Kumar. It’s a love story with a twist set in Bengal in pre independent India (early 1940); the time when young Indian students were competing equally with British ‘goras’ in all fields whether it be education or sports.

Saat Pake Bandha One of Suchitra Sen’s best performance in 1963 came from the film Saat Paake Badha. Directed by Ajoy Kar, the film is regarded as one of the all-time great films of Bengali cinema. This film went on to become a big milestone in Sen’s career as she won the prestigious Best Actress Award at the Moscow Film Festival.

Uttar Falguni Suchitra Sen plays a double role in this Bengali drama film in 1963. Directed by Asit Sen, Uttar Falguni was awarded the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali. Interestingly, the film was remade in Hindi as Mamta by Asit Sen himself with Suchitra Sen in the lead again.

Alo Amaar Alo In 1971, Alo Amar Alo, the Pinaki Bhushan Mukherji film underlines the love story between a social worker, who also happens to be a womanizer, and the eldest daughter of a poor man with five daughters.

Devi Chaudhurani In 1974, directed by Dinen Gupta, the film is an adaptation of the Bengali novel by the same name by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Aandhi Suchitra Sen played the lead role allegedly based on the life of India’s former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in lyricist Gulzar directed Aandhi. Sen’s look in the film was inspired by that of politician Tarkeshwari Sinha. The film was not allowed a full release when Indira Gandhi was in power and was even banned during 1975 emergency.

Did you know?

Barcelona playmaker Xavi came off the bench against Getafe on Thursday to mark his 700th appearance for the club where he has been a key figure in their success in recent seasons

Sport

Saturday, January 18, 2014

0 5 7

14 Messi nets double,

DAYS TO GO

Neymar injured in Barca win

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Perera, Mathews

miss hundreds as SL foil Pakistan

BCL second round starts today n Mazhar Uddin After a run feast of a first round, the franchisebased Bangladesh Cricket League will resume its second round today, with table toppers Walton Central Zone facing Prime Bank South Zone and Islami Bank East Zone locking horns with BCB North Zone at the two venues in BKSP. The first round of the tournament was inspiring for the batsmen, Six centuries and one double century were scored on placid tracks. National captain Mushfiqur Rahim for one was happy with the wickets as he thought it provided the best possible preparation for the home series against Sri Lanka, which will start later this month.

At the BKSP-3 ground, Central Zone will face South Zone. Shamsur Rahman has been a star for Central, scoring a brilliant 267 in the first match in a display that will no doubt force the selectors to consider him as established player Tamim Iqbal’s opening partner in the Test team.

New boxing coach wants more fighters n Shishir Hoque Bangladesh’s newly recruited Ukrainian boxing coach Gourenko Alexander said he was not satisfied with three boxers, need more time but remained confident that Bangladesh would be successful in the upcoming Asian Games.

A week after his arrival in Dhaka, Gourenko selected three players - Al Amin, Arif Hossain and Sur Krishna Chakmaand - for the camp and started working with them, but the Ukrainian feels he needs more boxers in the preparation camp for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games this year. The camp is being held at the residential camp of the Dhaka Cantonment.

“I need more boxers so that I can select the best ones to work with, though the currents ones are hardworking and they are eager to learn. They will learn the techniques and tactics fast. If they give their best at the camp, I am confident that we will bring a gold medal back from the Asian Games,” said Alexander. l

Meanwhile Mashrafe Mortaza, who made his comeback from injury for East Zone, had a good outing in the first match where he took three wickets and more importantly, bowled fourteen overs without any problem. The veteran may also catch a Test spot if he can continue to prove his fitness in the second round.

National discard Imrul Kayes, who scored a century in the first match for South Zone against the BCB North Zone, will be looking to play another big innings and return to the national side.

This will be no easy task as there is another strong contender – all-rounder Farhad Reza – who struck 153 in the first round against North Zone.

Current national cricketers were also successful in the first round, with Naeem Islam, Nasir Hossain and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim all amongst the runs, which bodes well for the upcoming Sri Lanka series.

The bowlers, however, have struggled so far although paceman Robiul Islam showed good form in claiming five wickets in the first match. l

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS Muktijoddha

0-1 Sheikh Jamal

Wedson Anselme 22

delivers a cross from 11”Linkon the left flank that finds Darling-

ton in the box, who heads the ball to Mobarak but the national winger shoots straight to the keeper.

Jamal earn a penalty when goalkeeper Ziaur Rahman Zia brings down Nkwocha Kingsley at the edge at the six-yard box.

Eleta Kingsley, on his second attempt, misses the penalty from the spot, hitting the woodwork after his first attempt was disallowed.

GOAL! Penalty for Jamal.

Wedson Anselme makes no mistake to put his side ahead from the spot after Muktis goalie Rasel Mahmud Liton fouled Darlington inside the box.

Nkwocha Kingsley shows great technique to receive a long ball and dribble past the keeper but the Nigerian forward shoots just wide, despite having an open net.

17” 21”

22” 61”

Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club’s Wedson Anselme celebrates after scoring from the spot against Muktijoddha SKC during their Bangladesh Premier League match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday MUMIT M

Jamal juggernaut rolls on n Shishir Hoque Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club extended their winning streak in the Bangladesh Premier League to remain at the top of the points table after edging past Muktijoddha SKC 1-0 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Haitian forward Wedson Anselme scored the decisive goal in the opening half from a penalty, a minute before Nigerian striker Eleta Kingsley missed from the spot following a controversial penalty.

Jamal keep on showing their ambitious goal of winning all the silverwares on offer this season after forming a start-studded squad and it was their ninth consecutive victory in all competitions and four out of four games in the league. With a maximum of 12 points, the Federation Cup champions moved three points clear of Sheikh Russell at the top of the points table.

Jamal started the game without key

Tamim sizes up Afghanistan n Mazhar Uddin Hard hitting opener Tamim Iqbal, who is playing for Islami Bank East Zone in the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), informed yesterday that Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is trying their level best to prepare the cricketers for the T20 World Championship and the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka at the launching ceremony of Veloce cycles yesterday.

“Bangladesh Cricket Board has tried their best to organise two Twenty20 series, coupled with Bangladesh Cricket League as part of the preparation for the forthcoming bilateral series with Sri

Lanka, Asia Cup and ICC World Twenty20. It will help us to boost-up in the coming series of showpiece events. If we can give our best performance in the games, it will be easier for us to cross the hurdle of the competition,” said Tamim.

The dashing left hander is not thinking about Afghanistan, who will be taking part in the Asia Cup for the first time and later face Bangladesh in the T20 World Championship round match.

“They are a good side, no doubt. We are not thinking much about them. Particularly there will be comparatively less opportunity to come back in a T20 match. The team who will play well in the last two overs, the result will come

in their favour,” explained the opener.

He went on to add, “We will be playing in our home condition. We’ve been playing well in the last two years. They are a good side. We will not take them lightly. If we could play our usual game, there will be no problem, I think.”

Tamim, one of the senior players in the national side, pointed out that Bangladesh cricket was doing well as players from the national side were mostly performing well, “When there is competition, everybody tries to show their very best to be included in the team.

Now, almost every player is performing well. It is very good for the country’s cricket, It is a positive sign.” l

National opener Tamim Iqbal at the launching ceremony of the first ever Bangladeshi High-End Bicycle Brand “Veloce” yesterday COURTESY

players Haitian international Sony Norde and national midfielder Mamunul Islam. Although they dominated the opening half, Jamal could not build a big lead and as the game inched closer to the end, the new Dhaka powerhouse concentrated more on keeping the lead than extending it. Muktis put pressures on the opponents for the equalizer in the last half hour but rarely create any goal scoring chance.

In the 11th minute, Jamal initiated the first attack. A cross from left-back Md Linkon was headed by Emeka Darlington to the feet of Mobarak Hossain, whose weak shot was easily seized by Muktis goalie Rasel Mahmud Liton.

Nigerian forward Nkwocha Kingsley earned Muktijoddha a penalty six minutes later when Jamal goalkeeper Ziaur Rahman Zia brought him down at the edge at the six-yard box. Nkwocha’s compatriot Eleta Kingsley missed the penalty from the spot, hitting the woodwork after his successful first attempt was disallowed.

The drama continued and in the

22nd minute when a quick attack from Jamal resulted in a penalty, just a minute after Eleta missed for Muktis.

On an on air ball, Muktis goalie Rasel Mahmud Liton fouled Darlington as the Nigerian forward was leaping to try and meet t a long cross. The subsequent penalty was taken by Wedson Anselme, who made no mistake in slotting the ball home as the goalkeeper dived in the wrong direction.

Muktijoddha were forced to make an early change in the second half, bringing in defender Rafiqur Rahman in place of midfielder Shafiqul Islam Bipul. The All Reds had a golden opportunity to level the margin in the 61st minute. Nkwocha Kingsley showed great technique and control to receive a long ball, then dribbled past the keeper but his shot was just wide of the goal. Muktis continued to apply pressure but were unable to create any more solid chances.

The loss saw Muktijoddha remain fifth in the points table with only four points from four outings. l

Faulkner heroics power Australia to dramatic win n Reuters James Faulkner’s sensational late assault powered Australia to a dramatic one-wicket victory over England in the second one-day international in Brisbane yesterday.

Crushed 5-0 in the Ashes series and thumped in the first one-dayer in Melbourne, England sensed the chance of securing their first win over Australia on the tour after Eoin Morgan’s sparkling 106 powered them to a commanding 300 for eight.

Australia made a feeble start to their chase but Shaun Marsh contributed 55 before Glenn Maxwell (54) and Faulkner (69 not out) provided the late surge that took the hosts past the victory target with three balls to spare.

Needing 25 runs from the last two overs with number 11 batsman Clint McKay keeping him company, Faulkner blasted back-to-back sixes off Ben Stokes and stole a single off the last delivery of the penultimate over.

Facing Tim Bresnan in the final over and still needing 12 runs, Faulkner hammered three fours in a row to trigger wild celebrations around the ground.

Faulkner remained unbeaten after his 47-ball blitz studded with three fours and five sixes.

Australia lead the five-match series 2-0 going into the next game in Sydney on Sunday.

After Alastair Cook opted to bat first,

Morgan teamed up with Jos Buttler (49) to plunder 117 runs in 11.2 overs and help England post a competitive total.

Batting on one, Morgan was caught off Clarke at deep midwicket but the 27-year-old left-hander had the presence of mind to point out there was one extra fielder outside the ring and get the delivery adjudged a no-ball.

The Dublin-born player brought up his sixth ODI century in spectacular fashion, bending backwards to guide a short Nathan Coulter-Nile delivery over the wicketkeeper’s head for a boundary. l

Hockey league kicks off today n Shishir Hoque The Green Delta Insurance Premier Division Hockey League gets underway today, as favorites and last year’s runners-up Usha Krira Chakra take on Dhaka Wanderers Club in the opening match at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium at 1pm today, while Abahani Limited face Azad Sporting Club in the second match at 3pm.

The recently concluded Club Cup Trophy triumph boosted Usha’s confidence and coach Mamunur Rashid was hopeful of winning the league. The last time Usha did so was in 2008.

Mohammedan will not be taking part in the league for the first time. The league will be played with seven teams.

Mohammedan, Mariner Young’s Club, Wari Club and Bangladesh Sporting Club are not among them as they continue to boycott all hockey activity.

“We tried our best to convince the four clubs to change their mind and play in the league but they did not come forward,” said BHF vice-president Abdur Rashid Shikdar. l

SCORECARD England A. Cook c and b Maxwell 22 I. Bell run out 68 J. Root lbw Johnson 2 G. Ballance st Haddin b Maxwell 9 E. Morgan c Clarke b Faulkner 106 R. Bopara c Bailey b Faulkner 24 J. Buttler c Clarke b Coulter-Nile 49 B. Stokes c Maxwell b Coulter-Nile 0 T. Bresnan not out 1 C. Jordan not out 2 Extras (w12 nb1 lb4) 17 Total (for 8 wickets, 50 0vers)

300

Bowling McKay 9-0-61-0 (3w), Johnson 10-059-1 (6w), Coulter-Nile 9-0-55-2 (2w), Faulkner 10-0-73-2, Maxwell 8-0-31-2, Clarke 4-0-17-0 (1nb) Australia D. Warner c and b Jordan A. Finch c Ballance b Jordan S. Marsh b Root M. Clarke c Ballance b Root G. Bailey lbw Rankin G. Maxwell c Bopara b Bresnan B. Haddin c Cook b Bresnan N. Coulter-Nile lbw Stokes J. Faulkner not out M. Johnson c Buttler b Bopara C. McKay not out Extras (w10 lb8)

18 0 55 17 24 54 26 16 69 1 2 18

Total (for 9 wickets, 49.3 overs) 301

Australia’s James Faulkner, left, and Clint McKay celebrate after winning the second ODI against England at the Gabba cricket ground in Brisbane,yesterday AP

Bowling Rankin 7-0-36-1 (2w), Jordan 9-0-532 (2w), Bresnan 9.3-0-64-2, Stokes 10-0-75-1 (3w), Root 9-0-46-2, Bopara 5-0-19-1 (3w) Result Australia win by 1 wicket. Australia lead 5 match series 2-0

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Messi nets double, Neymar injured in Barca win n AFP, Madrid

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring against Getafe during their Spanish King's Cup match at Colisseum Alfonso Perez stadium in Getafe on Thursday

Blatter to decide before June whether to run again n Reuters, Paris Sepp Blatter will make a decision on whether to run for a fifth term as FIFA president before this year’s Congress in Sao Paulo in June, the Swiss said on Thursday.

“Let me repeat what I have been saying. I am not yet tired enough to decide that I will retire,” he told L’Equipe 21 TV. “Having said that everything is open.

I will certainly take a stand before this year’s Congress.”

Blatter, who will be 78 in March, hinted that Uefa president Michel Platini could succeed him even though the once-close relationship between the two has become strained in recent years.

“He helped me become president in 1998 in Paris where it was us against the rest. It would be a logical continuation,” said the head of world soccer’s ruling body.

Blatter ended Brazilian Joao Havelange’s 24-year reign as president, winning the election in Paris against then-UEFA chief Lennart Johansson of Sweden.

He then defeated Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, president of the African confederation (CAF), in 2002 before winning a third term at the FIFA Congress five years later.

Blatter remained in charge in 2011 when Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar withdrew from the election just days after being accused of being involved in a bribes for votes scandal. Bin Hammam was later banned from football for life.

A third man tipped as a possible presidential candidate is Frenchman Jerome Champagne who worked closely with Blatter at Fifa for 11 years. Champagne was the president’s 2002 campaign manager before leaving FIFA in 2010. He has since been working as an independent consultant to a number of FAs. l

Real Madrid can pile the pressure on La Liga leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid by moving into a three-way tie at the top of the table with a win away to struggling Real Betis today.

Madrid closed the gap on their title rivals to three points last weekend thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 win away at Espanyol, whilst Atletico and Barca played out a 0-0 draw at the Vicente Calderon.

All three sides are still competing on three fronts as they progressed into the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey in

Zidane collects diploma in sports management n AFP, Paris France legend Zinedine Zidane, currently working as an assistant to coach Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, on Thursday graduated with a diploma in sports management at the Centre for the Law and Economics of Sport in Limoges.

Zidane did not announce the news himself but Olivier Dacourt - a fellow former French international midfielder and a classmate - posted a picture on Twitter with the ex-Ballon d’Or, both holding their diplomas.

“Finally GRADUATES...” said Dacourt, whose career included spells in England and Italy. When asked about the prospect of Zidane becoming a coach in the future, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez told French television on Monday: “Zinedine is part of the history of Real and I think we would be proud if he could become coach one day.

Last weekend, current Marseille coach Jose Anigo also suggested that Zidane could eventually take over as coach of his hometown club. Zidane played for Cannes, Bordeaux and Juventus before joining Real Madrid in 2001 and retiring at the age of 34 in 2006. l

midweek ahead of a return to Champions League action next month.

Despite a run of good results, Madrid’s performances have failed to convince in recent weeks with 91 million euro ($124

FIXTURES Real Betis Elche Granada Espanyol

v v v v

Real Madrid Rayo Vallecano Osasuna Celta Vigo

million, £77 million) signing Gareth Bale looking particularly off-colour.

However, coach Carlo Ancelotti has hailed his side’s competitive spirit to keep themselves in the title race.

RESULTS Villarreal

0-1

Real Sociedad

Getafe

0-2

Barcelona

Ros 32 Real Sociedad win 1-0 on aggregate Messi 43, 63 Barcelona win 6-0 on aggregate

Wenger takes heart from Arsenal’s strength in depth n AFP, London Arsene Wenger is confident his wealth of options in midfield will keep Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.

The Gunners hold a one point lead over second placed Manchester City as they prepare to host Fulham at the Emirates Stadium today.

Free-scoring City boast by far the most impressive goal difference in the Premier League and are seen in many quarters as the most likely champions.

But Arsenal have continued to record victories despite long-term injuries to forwards Lukas Podolski, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Madrid target three-way tie at top n AFP, Madrid

REUTERS

Lionel Messi scored twice, including one brilliant individual effort, in his first start of the year as Barcelona beat Getafe 2-0 in the second-leg of their Copa del Rey last 16 tie to progress 6-0 on aggregate.

However, it was far from a perfect evening for the Catalans as Neymar had to be carried from the field after suffering a nasty looking right ankle sprain midway through the first-half.

Barca boss Gerardo Martino, though, played down fears that the Brazilian could be sidelined for a significant period of time.

“We don’t think it is as bad as it appeared on television. He could be out for a period of time, but it shouldn’t be too serious, the player is fine,” he said.

“I prefer that the doctors say exactly how long he will be out, but we don’t think it will be for a long time.”

With his side already leading 4-0 from the first-leg, thanks in part to two goals from Messi on his first appearance as a substitute after two months out, Martino made nine changes to the side that started Saturday’s La Liga 0-0 draw at Atletico Madrid.

Neymar was also making his first start of the year after recovering from a bout of gastroenteritis.

However, his return lasted only 23 minutes as he had to be helped off the field by two members of the Barca medical staff as he turned his ankle in attempting to cross the ball from the left side of the area.

The visitors shrugged off the loss of the Brazilian, though, as Cristian Tello’s driven cross was turned in at the near post by Messi two minutes before half-time.

And the best was still to come from the diminutive Argentine as he danced past three Getafe challenges before rounding goalkeeper Jordi Codina and finishing from a tight angle for his fourth goal of the tie just after the hour mark.

Messi went on to complete the 90 minutes and Martino said he was now confident that his compatriot is now fully match fit. l

“Now the most difficult part of the season comes because all the matches are important,” he said.

“We don’t always play fantastic football. We have a lot of games right now and to always play well isn’t easy.

“But the team is concentrated, working very hard and is hungry to achieve things in the future.”

A win for Real would mean they would move joint top for the first time since mid-September and Los Blancos will be heavy favourites against a Betis side rooted to the foot of the table and without a win in the league 12 games.

Barcelona are in action on Sunday as they travel to Levante where Lionel Messi is expected to start. l

at various points of the season.

And that, Gunners boss Wenger believes, is largely down to the quality and variety of his midfield options.

FIXTURES Arsenal Crystal Palace Liverpool Man City Norwich City Sunderland West Ham

v v v v v v v

Fulham Stoke City Aston Villa Cardiff City Hull City Southampton Newcastle

“In midfield we have plenty of quality players who you can rotate easily without really feeling ‘today we are weaker’,” he said.

Aaron Ramsey is a strong contender for the player of the season accolades as the Wales captain has contributed 13 goals so far. Germany playmaker Mesut Ozil has been less consistent but Wenger is nonetheless impressed with his efforts so far.

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero will use Saturday’s clash against Cardiff to step up his return from injury as the Argentine eyes a Champions League showdown with Barcelona.

Aguero scored on his return from eight matches out with a calf problem after coming off the bench in City’s 5-0 FA Cup third round replay victory against Blackburn on Wednesday.

Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko helped City to seven wins and a draw

in the absence of Aguero, scoring six goals in that run of matches.

But City boss Manuel Pellegrini, whose second placed side are one point behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, knows the return of Aguero is a major boost as the Eastlands outfit try to overhaul the Gunners ahead of the first leg of the Champions League last 16 tie against Spanish champions Barcelona on February 18.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes Daniel Sturridge can still take his game to another level as the title-chasing Reds face Aston Villa on Saturday.

Rodgers must now decide how to reintegrate the England striker into his starting line-up against Villa at Anfield. l

Champagne set to announce Fifa presidency bid n Reuters, London Fifa president Sepp Blatter’s former righthand man Jerome Champagne seems certain to announce a campaign to succeed Blatter as the most powerful man in world soccer after inviting the world’s media to a news conference in London on Monday.

Frenchman Champagne, 55, who was FIFA’s deputy Secretary General from 2002 until 2005, has been working as an international soccer consultant in troubled regions such as Kosovo, Palestine and Israel and Cyprus since leaving FIFA in 2010. l

David Luiz and Andre Schurrle of Chelsea watch the game between Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks as part of the 2014 Global Games on Thursday at The O2 Arena in London AFP

RVP backs Moyes to revive United Leaders Juventus set n AFP, London

Robin van Persie is convinced underfire Manchester United manager David Moyes will eventually prove a success at Old Trafford.

Moyes has endured a miserable start to his reign as United have struggled to mount a strong defence of the Premier League title while also crashing out of the FA Cup in the third round.

United are 11 points behind leaders

Arsenal and face a major battle just to qualify for next season’s Champions League. There has been speculation that Moyes has been unable to win over sections of the United squad.

And the club’s struggles to maintain the level of the Alex Ferguson years has been mirrored by a drop in the value of the club’s shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

But United striker Van Persie, who has missed a large chunk of the season with a thigh injury, is certain Moyes will succeed given time.

“I think he needs time like everyone, especially if you are new at such a big club,” Van Persie told the Guardian.

“And to be fair, I don’t think people don’t understand that they have to give him a little bit more time, and I am talking about fans or even us.

“He will get that time and everyone is convinced that we will change things sooner than later.

“We lost many points this season, too many in our opinion, because if you want to go for all the trophies, you have to play better and get more wins in - but we are doing everything we can to change that.

“The manager is our leading man in that case and he is trying his best and I think he will turn things around.” l

for Sampdoria test n AFP, Milan Multiple Champions League winner Clarence Seedorf begins his second career at AC Milan, this time as a fledgling coach, with the world of football watching when the Rossoneri host high-flying Verona tomorrow.

Juventus welcome Sampdoria looking to make sure they lose no ground on Roma, who are at home to struggling Livorno on Saturday, and welcome defender Andrea Barzagli back to the fray following a one-match ban.

Sampdoria coach Sinisa Mihajlovic is expected to reshuffle his defence to take on the champions but travels to Turin hoping to see more of the positive mental attitude that has seen ‘Samp’ revived since his arrival.

“I never tell my players they have to win, but they have to leave everything out on the pitch,” said Mihajlovic, who took over from Delio Rossi before Christmas when the Genoese were on the slide.

Vincenzo Montella’s side last suffered defeat away to Roma at the start of December but have collected 10

points from their following four games to remain in fourth, although that is in part down to the poor form of Inter.

Inter have hovered among the top five since the start of the season but that early promise, boosted by a takeover from Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir, has failed to fire up Mazzarri’s men.

A trip to 10th-placed Genoa on Sunday has come at the wrong time.

FIXTURES Roma v Livorno Juventus v Sampdoria Inter have taken only 14 points from their last 10 games, drawing with Atalanta, Bologna, Sampdoria, Parma and, most recently, Chievo in the process.

Mazzarri, who steered Napoli to a second-place finish last season, has so far been given Thohir’s backing and, amid complaints from several players over wrong refereeing decisions, and said he hopes the Nerazzurri’s luck will change.

“It’s a tricky period for us but we have to keep on at it. The lads have faith, but a little bit of luck would help steer us back on to the right path,” said Mazzarri. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

15

Saturday, January 18, 2014

QUICK BYTES

SCORECARD Sri Lanka 1st innings (overnight 220-5) D. Karunaratne c Younis b Rehman 34 K. Silva c Sarfraz b Talha 17 K. Sangakkara c Manzoor b Junaid 52 M. Jayawardene c Ali b Ajmal 47 D. Chandimal c Shafiq b Ajmal 11 A. Mathews c Shehzad b Junaid 91 P. Jayawardene c Junaid b Talha 35 D. Perera c Junaid b Talha 95 R. Herath lbw b Junaid 0 S. Eranga not out 25 S. Lakmal not out 3 Extras: (b5, lb11, nb2) 18 Total: (nine wkts dec; 172 overs) 428

Rooney and Van Persie to miss Chelsea game

Manchester United strikers Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney will miss Sunday’s Premier League game at Chelsea, manager David Moyes said on Friday.

Rooney, who has not played since the New Year’s Day defeat by Tottenham Hotspur, has returned to the club from warm weather training but will not be available to face Jose Mourinho’s team.

“He’s training, doing some running and looking quite good. I don’t want to put a date on his return just now as I don’t want to say he’ll be fit for whatever game and then find he’s not. We’ve just got to take it bit by bit,” Moyes told a news conference. Moyes sounded more confident about Van Persie’s fitness.

–Reuters

Fall of wickets 1-31 (Silva), 2-65 (Karunaratne), 3-125 (Sangakkara), 4-159 (Jayawardene), 5-166 (Chandimal), 6-239 (Prasanna), 7-351 (Mathews), 8-351 (Herath), 9-423 (Perera).

Bowling Junaid 32-5-81-3, Talha 32-3-99-3 (nb2), Ajmal 55-16-120-2, Rehman 5014-101-1, Azhar 3-0-11-0 Pakistan 1st innings Khurram Manzoor not out 14 Ahmed Shehzad not out 5 Total: (for no loss; 6 overs) 19

Anger as team forces Peterhansel to give up on 12th Dakar win

Stephane Peterhansel’s hopes of a 12th Dakar Rally title were crushed on Thursday when Mini instigated team orders to ensure a podium sweep, a decision which was blasted by organsiers as well as the champion-elect.

Peterhansel, who has six motorcycle triumphs and five wins on four wheels in the race, finished the 11th stage from Antofagasta to El Salvador in Chile – at an overall 605km, the longest of the event – in fourth place, 14min 14sec behind stage winner Orlando Terranova.

But the Frenchman’s Mini teammate, and overall leader, Nani Roma was second on the day, just over three minutes ahead of Peterhansel.

–AFP

PCB’s reinstated chief resumes duties Pakistan Cricket Board chief Zaka Ashraf resumed his duties on Thursday after a court reinstated him, vowing to continue his mission to boost the sport in the country. “In accordance with the order of January 15th, 2014, passed by a learned Division Bench of the Honourable Islamabad High Court, Ashraf has assumed the office of chairman (of the) PCB,” a press release from the board said. The court released a detailed judgement on Thursday, eight months after he was suspended over alleged dubious elections. “The decision came only because of a free and unbiased judiciary,” said Ashraf, appointed by former president Asif Ali Zardari.

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH Sony Six NBA 2013-14 6:00AM Philadelphia v Miami 8:30AM Oklahoma City vs. Golden State 12:00AM Pakistan v Sri Lanka 3rd Test, Day 3 Star Sports 1 KFC Big Bash T20 League 2013/14 8:45 AM Adelaide Strikers v Brisbane Heat 2:45 PM Melbourne Renegades v Sydney Ten Golf 10:00AM Asian Tour 2014 Kings Cup, Day 3 3:00PM European Tour 2014 Abu Dhabi Championship, Day 3 Ten HD 1:00AM French Ligue 1 OGC Nice v AC Ajaccio Ten Action 9:55 PM French Ligue 1 Marseille v Valenciennes Star Sports 4 6:00AM Australian Open 6:35 PM Barclays Premier League Sunderland v Southampton 8:50 PM Arsenal v Fulham 11:20 PM Liverpool v Aston Villa 1:40AM Italian Serie A Juventus v Sampdoria Star Sports HD 1 La Liga 8:55PM Real Betis v Real Madrid Star Sports HD 2 Barclays Premier League 8:55PM Manchester City v Cardiff City

Sri Lankan batsman Dilruwan Perera plays a shot against Pakistan during the second day of their third and final Test at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah yesterday

AFP

Bowling Herath 3-1-7-0, Lakmal 1-0-4-0, Perera 2-1-8-0 Match Situation Pakistan trail by 409 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the 1st innings

Perera, Mathews miss tons Ballan banned two years, banned for life as Sri Lanka foil Pakistan doctor n n AFP, Sharjah

Dilruwan Perera missed a century on his debut while skipper Angelo Mathews fell for 91 as Sri Lanka frustrated Pakistan in the third and final Test in Sharjah on Friday.

Perera (95) and Mathews made life difficult for Pakistan through their 112run seventh wicket stand before Sri Lanka declared their first innings at 428-9, leaving Pakistan to score 19-0 in a tricky six overs before the close of the second day’s play.

Openers Ahmed Shehzad (five) and Khurram Manzoor (14) survived an anxious time as Pakistan go in search of a big lead to square the series after losing the second Test by nine wickets in Dubai.

Sri Lanka, leading the series 1-0 after the first Test ended in a draw in Abu Dhabi, are aiming to seal the series.

The day once again exposed the flat Sharjah stadium pitch as Mathews put 73 for the sixth wicket with Prasanna Jayawardene (35) and then batted solidly with Perera, leaving Pakistani bowlers frustrated and failing in their search for quick wickets.

The 31-year-old Perera, who made his one-day debut in 2007 but had never played a Test before, looked more solid during his 305-minute batting as he drove and pulled with perfection before hooking paceman Mohammad Talha into the hands of deep fine-leg.

He hit 12 boundaries and two sixes and added an invaluable 72 for the ninth wicket with Shaminda Eranga (25 not out).

Perera said: “I am really happy to score 95, sad to miss the hundred but it’s still an achievement considering Pakistan had two of the best spinners

Dennis back at McLaren, pledges winning return n AFP, Paris Former team principal Ron Dennis was on Thursday named as McLaren’s chief executive charged with resurrecting the fortunes of the ailing Formula One giants.

Dennis, 66, who is already the chairman of the McLaren Group, was in charge of the team from 1982 until 2009, helping to mastermind 10 world drivers titles and seven constructors crowns from the pit-wall.

But last year, under new principal Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren endured their worst season for three decades, failing to score a podium finish for the first time since 1980.

Whitmarsh had also held the position of chief executive.

“My fellow shareholders have mandated me to write an exciting new chapter in the story of McLaren, beginning by improving our on-track and off-track performance,” said Dennis.

“Over the coming weeks I intend to undertake a thorough and objective review of each of our businesses with the

in the world,” said Perera, whose 95 is the highest overseas score by a Sri Lankan on his debut.

Mathews once again anchored the Sri Lankan batting, defying Pakistan’s bowling for six hours before he fell to a miscued drive off paceman Junaid Khan who finished with figures of 3-81.

Talha finished with 3-99 while spinner Saeed Ajmal had 2-120.

Mathews, who hit 91 and a career best 157 not out in the drawn first Test in Abu Dhabi, took full advantage of the drop caught and bowled chance by Talha on Thursday when on nought, by hitting five boundaries and a six off 256-balls. Junaid said Pakistan will have to bat better.

“It’s a tough wicket but that’s part of Test cricket to make an effort to get wickets. We have to bat better than Sri Lanka to win,” said Junaid. l

AFP, Rome

Italy’s Alessandro Ballan, the world road race champion in 2008, was handed a two-year doping ban by Italy’s Olympic Committee (CONI) on Friday.

Ballan was punished by CONI’s antidoping tribunal after it ruled he had contravened article 2.2 of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code relating to “the use or attempted use of banned substances”.

A statement from CONI on Friday confirmed the “responsibility of the athlete Alessandro Ballan in contravening article 2.2 of the World Anti-Doping Code and imposes a suspension of two years with effect from January 17, 2014 until January 16, 2016.

“Ballan has also been condemned to pay the costs of this proceeding, estimated at 400 euros and to pay a fine of

2,000 euros.”

Ballan was suspected of being embroiled in a doping affair which has also implicated two doctors, Guido Nigrelli and Fiorenzo Egeo Bonazzi – both of whom were alleged to have aided his attempt to procure and use banned substances.

CONI prosecutors had initially requested the ban on the basis of evidence supplied by a public prosecutor in Mantua.

CONI banned Nigrelli for life and Bonazzi for four years. l

Djokovic through as Serena smashes record n AFP, Melbourne

intention of optimising every aspect of our existing operations, whilst identifying new areas of growth that capitalise on our technologies, and where appropriate further investing in them.”

McLaren did not comment on the future of Whitmarsh, but Dennis insisted his job was to get the team winning again.

“During February, I will articulate a new Group strategy and implement the organisational structure best suited to achieving it,” he added. l

A handout picture made available by Emirates Airlines on Thursday shows legendary football player Pele (C) with Sheikh Majid Al Mualla (L), Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Emirates Airline posing following a press conference in Dubai. Emirates airline, announced that Brazilian football legend Pele will be one of its Global Ambassadors AFP

Defending champion Novak Djokovic charged into the Australian Open fourth round Friday and Serena Williams smashed the 39-year-old record for wins at the tournament as a sweltering heatwave finally eased.

Djokovic, gunning for a fourth straight victory at the season’s first Grand Slam, simply had too much firepower against Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin as he racked up his 24th consecutive win in Melbourne.

The world number two is also unbeaten since last year’s US Open, making him narrow favourite over hot rival and 13time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, whom he cannot meet until the final.

Djokovic, 26, eased through the first two sets and, after being broken for the first time when serving for the match, he broke straight back and wound it up 6-3, 6-3, 7-5.

Earlier, Williams opened the day’s events on a baking hot Rod Laver Arena but she appeared untroubled as she beat Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 6-3 to reach the fourth round for the loss of 12 games.

Shielded from the sun by a pink cap, the 32-year-old world number one wielded a killer serve as she overpowered the Slovak in 80 minutes, setting up a meeting with Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic.

It was Williams’ 61st victory at the tournament, breaking the record set by 11-time champion Margaret Court up to 1975. Williams’ first Australian Open match win was on her debut aged 16 in 1998.

China’s Li Na soon joined Williams in the next round but she took a very different route after flirting with disaster in a three-set struggle with Lucie Safarova.

Safarova narrowly missed a forehand on match point in the second set and Li then played a nerveless tiebreak before taking it 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 in two-

Serena Williams plays a shot during her women's singles match against Daniela Hantuchova on day five of the 2014 Australian Open in Melbourne yesterday AFP and-a-half hours.

In the evening session, Australia’s Sam Stosur suffered further heartbreak at her home Grand Slam when she threw away a one-set lead against Ivanovic.

Stosur, who held her nerve when a first-set tiebreak was interrupted by rain - while she was on set point - then faded as Ivanovic won 6-7 (8/10), 6-4, 6-2 to set up a meeting with Williams.

In the men’s draw, Spain’s super-fit Ferrer again proved impregnable as he ground down France’s Jeremy Chardy 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 to reach his 15th consecutive Grand Slam fourth round.

Seventh seed Berdych ended the fairytale run of Damir Dzumhur, the first

man from Bosnia and Herzegovina to compete at a Grand Slam whose brave performances won fans at home and abroad.

Italian seed Fabio Fognini beat American Sam Querrey in straight sets to set up a last-16 clash with Djokovic.

Despite day-time temperatures of 42 Celsius, organisers opted not to repeat Thursday’s use of emergency rules which allow them to suspend play on outside courts and close the retractable roofs on the two main stadiums.

China’s Zheng Jie was the latest casualty when she needed medical treatment and a rub-down with ice during her loss to Australia’s Casey Dellacqua. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Saturday, January 18, 2014

Childhood in the illusive trap of drug n Mohammad Jamil Khan It was around 1pm on Tuesday when a group of five children were found sitting on the rail track near Kawran Bazar, their movement slightly uneasy and motive clearly dubious. Upon a closer inspection, the mystery was solved.

The boys, aged between 10 and 15 years, were smoking cannabis and were already under the effect of the drug when this correspondent met them.

“What do you want?” one of them barked. “If you have any business here,” he continued, “do it or get lost.

Do not disturb us. We are just warming ourselves in the heat of the sun.”

These children, it transpired, do not only take drugs themselves but also are involved in drug trafficking. Many children like them, mostly with no homes of their own, are exposed to a similar environment where illegal drugs are used, possessed and trafficked.

Security officials say using children for such activities is a favourite technique of the drug peddlers because they carry drugs in small quantities – thereby less risky – and are adept at dodging police if necessary.

Fourteen-year-old Sajal, who lives at a slum nearby, said he got involved in selling drugs because it was profitable. “I can buy a packet of cannabis for Tk20 and sell it at Tk30-40.”

Police often fail to take action against these children because of the quantity of drugs they carry, said to Raihanuddin Khan, an officer of Rapid

Action Battalion. “The quantity is often too small to be reckoned with. But we always try to arrest those employing and using them.”

The number of teenagers involved in drug use and trafficking is rising across the country. According to an estimate of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), children made up 4.31% of the drug addicts in 2012 while the figure was 1.1% the year before.

“Drug-endangered children are mainly those coming from low economic backgrounds or under the influence of their peers,” said Ariful Haque, a counsellor at the Mukti Rehabilitation Centre, an organisation working with drug addicts.

“Those belonging to the higher stratum of society start taking drug primarily out of interest, and then gradually get accustomed to it.”

According to a DNC report, one of the reasons behind children taking up drugs is the lure of easy money while for young addicts the motivation emanates mainly from distresses. About 53.27% of youths in the country used drugs in 2012 while the number was 44.26% in 2011.

In this regard, psychiatrist Dr Mohit Kamal said it was necessary for families to take care of their children to prevent them from resorting to drug and substance use.

“The government has also a role to play here, especially in case of children from low economic backgrounds, in uprooting the causes leading them to drugs.” l

Indigenous women pass busy time planting Irri 28 seedlings in Barendra region of Rajshahi. The photo was taken from Barshapara yesterday

Government to introduce one design for its 25k websites

DMCH to introduce hyperbaric oxygen therapy for acute burn patients

Upazila and union level websites to come under one platform n Moniruzzaman Uzzal The chances of survival for patients Golam Mostafa, assistant system Md Nazrul Islam Khan, secretary of the with critical burn injuries are likely to n Muhammad Zahidul Islam ICT ministry, told the Dhaka Tribune annalist of the Cabinet Division, said: increase in the country, with Dhaka The government has decided to introduce a common design and layout for all its 25,000 websites to reduce confusion and searching hazards since every site is currently hosted and maintained individually.

Of these, 24,000 websites which host the government’s upazila and union departments will be brought under one platform to minimise hacking attempts and enable authorities to maintain the sites easily.

According to high officials of the ICT ministry, the newly designed government websites will be launched within the next three months.

“We want each and every government website to come under a common design which will be user friendly and also reduce the unnecessary hazards,”

recently.

He said the ministry had already started to finalise the design of the websites with all 25,000 having a similar home page view.

Currently, the ministries, divisions and other wings of the government has individual layouts for its respective websites which sometimes create confusion among users and disrupts smooth browsing of the sites.

Sources at the ministry said the new design would also be implemented on union to secretariat level websites.

Recently, the Cabinet Division had formed a seven-member committee on web portal management and the same committee would also coordinate with the ICT ministry on this project, the sources added.

Chittagong railway schedule in shambles n

Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

In the wake of growing attacks on the railway network by blockade supporters, the Chittagong Railway authorities reduced speed of all trains that have grossly shaken the regular schedule of trains.

Feared by the damages caused during the repeated spates of opposition-enforced hartal and blockade programmes in last few months, the authorities reduced the speed limit of trains to 40 km which usually remains 60-70km per hour.

The authorities also decided to run a patrol train before every train to avoid further damage or casualties which has drastically reduced the speed of trains.

As a consequence of the decision, the commuters are largely suffering these days as the regular schedule is yet to be restored, alleged a number of passengers in the port city.

Though initially welcomed by passengers, the decision is now causing severe sufferings to commuters as they have to wait for hours on the platform amid the chill of winter.

Trains were delayed by four to five hours and sometimes even by 10 hours, claimed a number of passengers.

Abu Bakar Siddique, a Dhaka-bound passenger, said he, along with his wife and a daughter, started journey on the Subarna Express on January 13 around 4pm which was scheduled to start for the capital around 6:40am.

“My daughter fell sick because of waiting on the platform amid the bone-chilling cold for so long,” he said.

Sarwar Hasan Jamil, a job-seeker, was found waiting at the station for the Dhaka-bound Mahanagar Godhuli. The train arrived around 8pm on Thursday which was scheduled to leave the station around 3:30pm.

“If I cannot reach Dhaka in the morning, I will fail to take part in a recruitment examination at a private bank,” he said.

Jamil Anwar Saimun, a friend of Sarwar, reached the capital around 3am on Thursday after starting his journey from the port city around 2pm on Wednesday by Mahanagar Provati.

Since October last year the hartal and blockade supporters had been sabotaging the sector by removing fishplates and had claimed a number of innocent lives, said sources in the railway sector.

AA Shamsul Alam, station manager of Chittagong railway station, said not only commuters but also the employees of the station were suffering because of the disorder in the schedule.

“The trains are plying on single lines with a lower speed while a patrol train is running in front of every train for ensuring security and resist sabotage on the tracks,” he said.

Makbul Hossain, general manager of Bangladesh Railways (East), told the Dhaka Tribune that the railway authorities took the previous decision for the sake of public safety.

He hoped that as the situation was normal now, the usual speed limit would be restored within one or two days. l

“Every website will consist of different information, data, pictures and messages, ensuring its individuality but it will run under a common design.”

The committee had already completed the training of IT officials in 10 ministries and the rest would be trained within the next couple of months, the sources said.

Earlier on September, the ICT ministry established more than 24,000 websites, claiming it to be biggest web network of the world but they were unable to launch the sites formally as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina could not give a schedule for the inauguration programme.

However, the government this time wants to launch the sites with the new design through a gala programme. l

Medical College Hospital planning to introduce specialised Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) at the burn and plastic surgery unit.

Several specialists of the DMCH burn unit said hyperbaric oxygen therapy was urgently needed for arson attack victims, patients with electrical burns and other burn patients who had pre-existing diseases like diabetes.

Without the specialised HBOT facility, a large number of burn patients had to lose their lives or had to have their limbs amputated, they said.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a room, where the air pressure is increased up to three times higher than atmospheric pressure.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used in various medical conditions including the treatment of serious infections, reducing air bubbles in blood vessels, and treating wounds that would not heal because of diabetes or radiation injury.

The increased air pressure in the specialised HBOT room allows the lungs to gather up to three times more oxygen than would be possible to breathe pure oxygen at atmospheric pressure.

The additional intake of oxygen also helps stimulate the release of growth factor substances and stem cells, which in turn promote the healing process.

Prof Dr Md Sazzad Khondoker, head of the burn and plastic surgery unit, told the Dhaka Tribune that the unit’s doctors had to face difficulties while treating 98 petrol bomb victims who were attacked during 73 days of recent political unrest.

Most of the patients had their inhalation systems burnt and had trouble

Hindus accuse Gopalganj AL of extortion n Tribune Report Hindu community members in Gopalganj have alleged that local Awami League men are demanding extortions from some families and issuing death threats when they refuse to pay.

At a human chain at Gopalganj Press Club, Hindu community members from Mochra village of Haridaspur Union said they had been living there for many years peacefully but for the last two years, union Awami League General Secretary Jahangir Mollah and his men had been trying to grab their property.

“Recently one of our neighbours, Uzzal Kumar, left Bangladesh and Jahangir extorted Tk88,000 from his father Upendranath saying his son had borrowed the money. Later, he demanded Tk22,000 from me and threatened to throw me out of the country if I did not pay,” said Nityananda Biswas, a resident of the area.

He alleged that Awami League men had also threatened to kill him and his

DHAKA TRIBUNE

family members. Later the protesters submitted a memorandum to the Superintendent of Police’s office.

Union Awami League General Secretary Jahangir Mollah denied the allegations and said Uzzal had in fact, owed him money. “He left the country without paying me back,” he said.

“Nityananda also owes me Tk20,000,”he added. “When I asked them to pay back, they declined and organised this human chain,” Mollah said.

Attacks continue across the country

Miscreants set at least seven houses belonging to Hindu families on fire at Uttar Dhemsha union of Satkania upazila in Chittagong early yesterday.

No casualty or injuries were reported in the attack. Police had no clue about the identity of the criminals at the time this report was filed. Md Khaled Hossain, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Satkania police station, said police was looking into the matter.

The OC said no one had lodged any

complaint with the police station in this connection.

Local and police sources said miscreants torched houses belonging to Amal Das, Nirmal Das, Sumir Das, Amar Das, Narayan Das, Haradhan Das and Dipak Das of Muhuri Bari around 2am.

Palash Sen, a local of the area, said five of the families did not live in the houses and the residents had cast their votes in the national election.

Mohammad Shahadat, the station officer of Satkania Fire Station, said they had extinguished the fire within one-and-half hour of reaching the spot and the estimated damage was Tk4 lakh.

Miscreants vandalised five idols of a temple at Shibchar Upazila of Madaripur early yesterday.

The incident at Shibchar took place sometime in the early hours. The attackers ransacked the Horishava Temple at Pachchar area. In the morning local Hindus found the idols vandalised, said Assistant Superintendent of Police Abu Bakar Siddique. l

breathing, Khondoker said, adding that all those patients required hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Among the 22 arson attack victims who died, some could have been saved if the DMCH burn unit had the HBOT facilities, the unit chief said.

It has been learnt that the DMCH authority had submitted a Tk5 crore proposal to the Bangladesh Bank, seeking cooperation for setting up the hyperbaric oxygen therapy facilities at the DMCH burn unit.

Dr Khondoker said Bangladesh Bank has accepted the proposal, but could not ensure when the funding would be transferred. The donation would be sanctioned from the green banking fund of Bangladesh Bank.

He also said the central bank has already sanctioned Tk50 lakh to renovate the 20-bed HDU (High Dependency Unit) of burn unit, and expressed hopes that renovation would begin soon. l

PM spends time with celebrities n Tribune Report Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday spent an afternoon with poets, writers, academics and intellectuals at a get-together at Ganabhaban.

The event was organised at the South Lawn around 4pm when traditional pitha (cakes) and kebab, parata, nan ruti, tea and coffee were served for the guests, reports BSS. Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, and several senior ministers enjoyed patriotic and folk songs and recitations.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, VCs and teachers of public universities, writers Syed Shamsul Haque and Anwara Syed Haque, editors and heads of newspapers and electronic media, journalist leaders, poet Lutfor Rahman Riton, and actors Aly Zaker, Sara Zaker and Pijush Bandopadhhay, poet Ashim Saha, cultural personalities Golam Quddus and Abdun Nur Tushar also attended the event among others. l

860 AL, JaPa leaders to vie for 50 reserved seats Hossain Shaikh and n Emran Manik Miazee About 860 leaders of the ruling Awami League and its major ally Jatiya Party are to fight against the 50 reserved seats for women in the Parliament.

The ruling party distributed nomination forms from Wednesday until yesterday among the leaders aspiring to become lawmakers for the reserved seats.

The nomination seekers from the Awami League would be interviewed tomorrow at 3pm at the Gana Bhaban, the official residence of the Prime Minister.

Awami League Deputy Office Secretary Mrinal Kandi Das told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that they had sold 821 forms to the aspirants, each at Tk25,000.

On the first day, Awami League sold 209 forms and on the second day it sold 386 forms, party sources said.

Aspirants deposited the forms to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s political office in capital’s Dhanmondi yesterday.

From the ruling party Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Faridunnahar Laily, Fajilatunnesa Indira, Khadiza Khatun, Shefali Akter, Asma Jerin Jhumu, Apu Ukil, Nazma Akter, Tohura Ali, Jahanara Begum, Shefali Momtaz, Jinnatunnesa Talukder, Chemon Ara have

collected the nomination forms among others.

A total of 38 female aspirants from the Jatiya Party, including party chief HM Ershad’s sister Merina Rahman collected the nomination form from Jatiya Party’s Banani office to fight against six seats until yesterday, JaPa chief’s Press and Political Secretary Sunil Shuvo Ray said.

The nomination forms were sold at Tk5000 each. l

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