31 May 2014

Joishthya 17, 1421 Shaaban 1, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 61

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‘Look again for remains at Rana Plaza site’

Tension mounts as BGB, BGP trade gunfire n Kailash Sarkar

Families of missing workers raise calls after skull, bones found under rubble n Julfikar Ali Manik Renewed calls have been raised for launching a fresh drive to recover human remains at the site of the collapsed Rana Plaza in Savar, following the discovery of some bones including a human skull under the debris yesterday morning.

According to the families of victims and workers’ rights groups, more than 100 people who worked at different garment factories housed in the nine-storey Rana Plaza had remained missing since the collapse of the building on April 24 last year.

Human remains were found when scrap collectors were rummaging through the rubbles at the Rana Plaza site The rescue operations were called off in May 2013 and DNA tests later managed to identify many of the bodies; however, many of the workers’ families continue to claim that they had not found traces of their relatives.

The latest discovery of human remains was made when some poor boys who collect scraps from garbage were rummaging through the rubble at the Rana Plaza site around 9:00am.

Mohammad Selim, a 35-year-old van-puller who was also walking around the debris at the time, said a human skull became exposed from under the soil that gave way when the children pulled

off a piece of iron rod from the rubble.

“The boys shouted about finding a skull, and I rushed to them and saw it,” said Selim.

As the information started to spread in the crowded industrial suburb, some of the people who had been the first rescuers to reach the site after the collapse last year, again came to the site and started looking for human remains under the debris.

Abdur Rahman Tota and Siddiqur Rahman, two such rescuers, told the Dhaka Tribune when they reached the site they saw the skull and brought it outside the fences that cordoned the Rana Plaza site. Two more human bones were also found from the site.

However, Tota and Siddique later also found eight more human bones from Rana Plaza’s abandoned septic tank, which they claimed was rumoured to have been the dumping spot for human remains from the country’s biggest ever industrial disaster.

The locals later displayed the skull and 10 human bones on the altar of a sculpture that has been made in front of the Rana Plaza site in memory of the dead workers.

After finding out about the recovery of human remains, family members of some missing Rana Plaza victims rushed to the site. Shaheda came with picture of her daughter Kulsum, who was an “operator” in one of the factories housed in Rana Plaza.

But since the day of the collapse, she could not get any trace of her daughter.

“Even I could not find her through the DNA test,” said Sheheda, breaking into tears.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Thirteen months after the catastrophic collapse of Rana Plaza, yesterday’s revelation of human skull and bones from the rubbles has intensified demand for further recovery drive to find out remains of more than 100 missing garment workers JULFIKAR ALI MANIK

Tension is running high along the border in Bandarban following an exchange of gunfire between the members of Border Guard Bangladesh and Border Guard Police of Myanmar yesterday afternoon.

BGB sources said tension mounted along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border on Wednesday when a BGB member was killed by BGP men.

Witnesses said the exchange of gunfire started around 3:00pm yesterday and continued for about two hours, creating panic among the residents of Panchhari in Dochhari.

BGB Director General Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that Border Guard Police started firing on BGB patrol teams around 3:00pm when the BGB members went there to receive the body of Naik Mizanur Rahman who was killed by the BGP after his abduction during the exchange of gunfire.

“The body of the BGB member was supposed to be handed over to the BGB in the afternoon. But when the BGB members went to the agreed point, the BGP men opened fire on them instead of handing over the body,” he said. The BGB chief added: “The BGB members also fired back in self-defence.”

Maj Gen Aziz, however, said the firing stopped around 30 minutes after it had started. Additional forces were deployed there and the border guards increased their patrols in the area, he added.

He said, “Immediately after the incident, we have contacted the higher authorities of Border Guard Police who informed us that they have already instructed the lower authorities to hand over the body. But the low-ranking officials said they were yet to receive any such instructions.”

The BGB chief also said there was no move to hold any flag meeting, but the BGB authorities and the Foreign Ministry had protested the incident.

“We have asked them to return the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

‘Godfather’ returning to Feni! Ekram murder probe

Feni familiar to murders in broad daylight n Mohammad Jamil Khan from Feni one-time godfather whose name and n Mohammad Jamil Khan from Feni Apresence still evoke fear and strike terThe grisly nature of how Fulgazi chairman Ekramul Haque was shot and burned alive in broad daylight has caused public outcry throughout the country; however, Feni is not unfamiliar to political murders being carried out in public, as the district had seen 10 such killings over the past three decades.

The law and order situation in Feni is in a downward spiral this year, with at least 36 incidents of murder and abduction taking place in the first four months alone.

Although cases had been filed following each incident, the failure to properly investigate as well as witness tampering had allowed killers to slip through the cracks of the justice system. The law enforcers’ inability to put the killers behind bars has encouraged political murders to take place at regular intervals in the district, claimed locals.

Advocate Mahfuzur Rahman, former president of Feni District Lawyers Association, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Political murders were being committed repeatedly in a similar manner as no one is being punished; to stop such crimes, the criminals must be punished.”

The politics of Feni now belonged to some criminals who establish supremacy in the district by killing one another, he claimed.

According to crime files, in 2000, Jubo League leader Abul Bashar’s vehicle was stopped by a group of men at Feni’s Academy Road area, before he was gunned down in front of witnesses. The criminals were allegedly led by local Awami League leaders Ekramul Haque and Jihad Chowdhury.

In a strange twist of fate, Ekram – who had been a suspect in several previous killings – became the latest victim on May 20, in a murder that also  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

ror in the minds of common people is thought to be planning to stage a comeback in the politics of Feni to regain his lost kingdom.

Joynal Hazari is learnt to be cashing in on the murder of Fulgazi upazila chairman and upazila Awami League Secretary Ekramul Haque Ekram to enter the district.

During the tenure of the army-backed caretaker government, joint forces tried to arrest Joynal on August 16, 2001 but he managed to flee the country.

He stayed in Kolkata and returned to the country after the Awami League assumed power in 2009, according to an intelligence report.

The Awami League suspended Joynal Hazari from the party on May 3, 2005 for his statement against the party. The suspension order is still in place.

For his long stay out of the country

Joynal Hazari lost control of his bastion in Feni and failed to enter the district even after his return to the country.

Joynal has already sent SMSs to his close aides who were once members of his “steering committee” and stayed in constant touch with them.

The Dhaka Tribune has come to know about his plan to return to Feni politics from his close associates and

Joynal Hazari is regrouping his toughs to make a comeback steering committee members Shahjahan Saju, Sakhawat and Azharul Arzu.

Grassroots Awami League leaders and activists, who did not want to be named out of fear, told the Dhaka Tribune that Joynal had formed the steering committee with his close accomplices in 1993.

The committee was later renamed “class committee.” Its members ruth-

Fulgazi UZ chairman’s bodyguard remanded n Our Correspondent, Feni Feni’s Awani League-backed Fulgazi Upazila Chairman Ekramul Haq’s bodyguard has been remanded for five days on charges of involvement in the murder of his boss.

Judicial Magistrate Khairul Amin gave the order yesterday, after police produced the bodyguard Belal Hossain Patowari before him, seeking an eightday remand.

Feni Model police station Officer-inCharge Abul Kalam Azad, who is investigating the case, confirmed this.

Earlier on Thursday, police arrested Belal from Khagrachhari. A total

of 22 have been arrested in this case, including Belal. According to murder suspects’ confessions, Belal used to update the killers about his boss’s whereabouts.

Belal preliminarily confessed that Ekram had abused him and had thrown him out of the car a few days before he (Ekram) was murdered on May 27.

Enraged at this treatment, Belal had involved himself in Ekram’s murder, which was masterminded by Fulgazi upazila Awami League Joint Secretary Jihad Chowdhury, who had been arrested on Sunday.

Jihad’s enmity with Ekram allegedly  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

lessly suppressed those who dared to stand in the way of its leader.

Joynal, an accused in as many as 44 cases, including a number of murder cases, unleashed a reign of terror during 1996-2001.

His associates Saju, Sakhawat and Arzu are also accused in 20 to 25 cases each.

Nurnabi, convener of Dagonbhuiyan upazila Jubo League and a member of steering committee, told this correspondent: “I have learnt from our senior leaders that honourable Joynal bhai is coming back to take responsibility of Feni district Awami League.

“Bhaisa [the name Joynal is called locally] has already asked us to prepare and set up everything anew.”

A weekly owned by Joynal Hazari published a news item just two days before Ekramul Haque was murdered, saying a murder or an abduction was going to take place in Feni. The article also named a few probable victims of the incident, including Ekram.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

goes on at snail’s pace n Mohammad Jamil Khan from Feni The investigation into the murder of Fulgazi chairman Ekramul Haque Ekarm fails to gather pace as police are yet to detain Jahangir Mohammad Adel, one of the alleged masterminds behind the killing.

Jahangir Mohammad Adel is the joint general Secretary of Feni district unit Awami League.

A close associate of the ruling party lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari, the district unit leader gave the go-ahead to the field-level mastermind, Jihad Chowdhury, to carry out the murder, according to investigators and statements obtained from the arrestees on remand.

The investigators also found that Nizam and Jahangir had been communicating with each other through cellphone just the day before the incident.

Even the main attacker, Abdiul Islam Abid, in his confessional statement,

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6 | Nation

Litchi growers of Manikpur-Godabari village, famous for production of the delicious juicy fruit, in Chhatak upazila are much frustrated because of poor output of the item this year. The growers are to incur heavy losses this season since prolonged dry spell, lack of irrigation and birds’ infestation seriously affected.

7 | World

Ukraine’s government vowed on Friday to press ahead with a military offensive against separatists, despite a deadly attack on an army helicopter, amid increasing reports that volunteer fighters from Russia were involved in rebellions in the east.

8 | Prescription

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mentioned that just after the killing he contacted Nizam and Jahangir first to discuss how to get rid of this problem.

The investigators appear to be quite confident that the case could be resolved soon following the arrest of Jahangir who is on the run.

The probe bodies have already interrogated Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury Minar, prime suspect of the case, and Jihad Chowdhury, field-level mastermind, by sitting them together, but failed to make any breakthrough.

They, however, found similarity with the facts that came out from the arrestees’ confessional statements.

Jihad during interrogation mentioned that he contacted Minar before and after the murder while Minar confessed that he received a call from his elder brother’s son Anik, who was present on the spot, and who confirmed that Ekram was dead.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, May 31, 2014

IMF approves US$140.9m under ECF n UNB The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday completed the fourth review of Bangladesh’s economic programme under a three-year arrangement supported by the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and approved a US$140.9m disbursement.

The Executive Board’s decision enabled the immediate disbursement of an amount equivalent to SDR 91.423m [around US$140.9m] to Bangladesh.

This will bring the total disbursements under the arrangement to around US$704.3m. The decision was made without a formal board meeting, according to a message received here from Washington.

The three-year ECF arrangement for Bangladesh was approved by the Executive Board on April 11, 2012 for a total amount equivalent to around US$986m, or 120% of quota.

The IMF says Bangladesh has made further progress in strengthening macroeconomic stability under the ECF-supported programme.

While economic activity was affect-

ed by unrest and uncertainty in the runup to the January 2014 general election, international reserves have continued to increase, the ratio of public debt to GDP is on a downward path, and underlying inflation has been easing.

All performance criteria under the ECF arrangement for end-December 2013 were met. There has also been progress on structural reforms, and all structural benchmarks for this review were completed.

Looking ahead, with greater calm after the elections, domestic demand is expected to recover, and real GDP growth is projected to increase to 6.25% in Fiscal Year (FY) 15 (July 2014 - June 2015).

According to the IMF, the main risk for growth would be a resurgence of unrest. Inflation is expected to decline in FY15 on continued policy restraint, though higher wages and adjustments in administered prices pose upside risks.

The current account of the balance of payments is projected at a surplus of 1.3% of GDP in FY14, and is expected to move into a moderate deficit in FY15.

Macroeconomic policies under the

authorities’ programme are set to remain focused on safeguarding stability and building policy buffers. With inflation risks tilted to the upside in the near term, monetary policy should remain prudent.

The fiscal policy will be anchored on a continued gradual reduction of the public debt-to-GDP ratio, while allowing for increased public investment and social spending.

Continued fiscal prudence will also help provide greater room for credit growth to finance a recovery in private investment.

Bangladesh has one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios in the world, and it is critical to strengthen revenues so as to broaden fiscal space for priority development spending, while resisting pressures to provide further tax benefits.

Implementation of the new VAT remains the foremost priority, complemented by reforms to strengthen revenue administration.

The programme also embodies reforms to improve public financial management, including by formalising monthly treasury cash flow forecasts,

strengthening financial reporting by state-owned enterprises, and tightening debt management procedures.

Bangladesh Bank is expected to continue strengthening financial supervision, while avoiding regulatory forbearance.

Its steps to tighten regulations on related lending and closely monitor banks’ stock market exposures are welcome.

Strengthening the state-owned commercial banks remains another focus of financial reforms, centered on improving governance, automating financial reporting, and recapitalising these banks.

The authorities are moving ahead with their plan for gradual liberalisation of foreign exchange regulations, complemented by a streamlining of trade tariffs and regulations.

Steps have also been taken to improve working conditions in the garment industry, including through a sizeable increase in the minimum wage, and to strengthen the targeting and efficiency of social safety net programmes. The progress on these fronts should contribute to promoting high, sustained, and inclusive growth. l

Double-decker overturns in Savar, 30 injured n Our Correspondent, Savar At least 30 people were injured when a double-decker toppled over yesterday afternoon at Baliapur bus stand area on the Dhaka-Aricha highway in Savar.

Witnesses said around 2pm yesterday, a Nabinagar-bound BRTC double-decker lost control and collided head-on with a roadside tree at Baliapur bus stand area in Savar.

The bus then toppled over on the highway, leaving 30 passengers injured.

Officer-in-Charge Mustafa Kamal of Savar Model police station said the injured were admitted to different local hospitals and three of them were shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital because of their critical conditions.

The bus was recovered later, the OC added. l

The bodies of six Bangladeshi migrant workers, who were killed in a fire accident in Riyadh, arrived in Dhaka yesterday afternoon.

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying the bodies of Matiur Rahman, Mohammad Jalal, Md Selim, Shah Alam, Khorshed and Zakir Hossain landed at the Shahjalal International Airport at 3:15pm yesterday.

Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary

n Tribune Report

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) should be brought under direct command of the Ministry of Home Affairs, senior Awami League leader Suranjit Sengupta suggests.

RAB should be modernised as it has become an elite force.

Apart from that, the Home Ministry should have the authority over RAB “RAB should be modernised as it has become an elite force. Apart from that, the Ministry of Home Affairs, not the police department, should have the authority over RAB,” Suranjit, also a member of the Awami League Advisory Council, said while addressing a discussion at the Diploma Engineers Institute auditorium in the capital yesterday.

Tarek, Arif on fresh remand n Our Correspondent, Narayanganj

A double-decker bus of BRTC lies on its side near the Aminbazar Bridge yesterday, after an accident that took place because the helper was behind the steering wheel MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Khandaker Shawkat Hossain handed the bodies over to the respective families.

Each of the families were also given a cheque of Tk35,000 for transportation and burial costs.

The fire, which took place on May 12 in a furniture shop, Titas Furniture, in Riyadh, killed a total of nine Bangladeshi migrant workers.

It is to be noted that the government allocates Tk3 lakh as compensation for the family of any migrant worker who dies abroad. l

A Narayanganj court granted a renewed five-day remand of ex-RAB officers Lt Col Tarek Sayeed Mohammad and Major Arif Hossain yesterday so that they can be interrogated about their alleged involvement in the murder of seven people.

Senior Judicial Magistrate HM Shafiqul Islam passed the order after the police produced them before the court with a request for a seven-day remand.

On May 22, the former RAB officers were placed on an eight-day remand in two murder cases – one filed over the murder of seven individuals and another for the killing of lawyer Chandan Sarkar.

The two RAB officials were arrested from Dhaka Cantonment on May 17 for

'Godfather' returning to Feni!  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

Many believe Joynal was involved in the murder of Ekram as part of his plot to annihilate his oppositions, including present ruling party lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari who has already established his dominance over Feni in the absence of Joynal.

Nizam teaming up with Ekram, who was also a member of Joynal’s steering

committee, was able to exert his influence in the district, they say.

Abdur Rahman, president of Feni district Awami League, told the Dhaka Tribune that Joynal Hazari was desperately trying to come back to Feni but people of Feni would never ever accept him again.

They will never accept a man who killed people and torment them for a long time, he added.

When contacted, Joynal Hazari said he had never been involved in the murder of Ekram and the truth had already come out with the arrests of leading political leaders of Feni.

Asked if he would come back to politics of Feni, he did not give any direct answer, only saying there should be an end to what was going on in the district. l

Ekram murder probe goes on at snail’s pace  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Asked about his arrest, Abul Kalam Azad, inspector of Feni Model police station and investigation officer of the case, told the Dhaka Tribune, “We are in search of Jahangir, and have already raided his house for putting him under arrest.

Although police claimed that they were trying to arrest Jahangir, locals in Feni and family members of Ekram

accused police of having double standard.

Locals said they found Jahangir in the district and even he was found taking food last Wednesday evening at Atithi hotel situated just in front of Feni Model police station.

Feni Police Super Paritosh Gosh, however, refused the allegation against police.

He said: “We are still analysing

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

Rumi Akhter waits at Dhaka airport yesterday for the body of her husband Shah Alam, an expatriate worker who was killed recently in a fire in Saudi Arabia NASHIRUL ISLAM

500,000 women within purview of Aponjon Over 500,000 pregnant women and new mothers have registered with Aponjon, the newly-launched SMS service with essential maternal and child health related information.

To commemorate the milestones of Dnet, the leading pioneer of the service, a programme was arranged at Spectra Convention Centre in the capital on Thursday, where the stakeholders concerned were present.

Md Nazrul Islam Khan, Secretary of Information and Communication

Technology Division under Ministry of Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology, inaugurated the event of Aponjon which is a global initiative.

Speakers said expecting mothers, new mothers and their family members can dial 16227 to register with the service from any mobile operator and they would get each SMS at a cost of Tk2, which will continue until the baby is year old.

With the service, the subscribers can call and receive advice from certified doctors. l

She added: “ I always think about my daughter and often come here wondering if she is still here.

“These [the skull and bones] might be my daughters… Or my daughter is still in this place [in the rubbles] like these skulls and bones,” Shaheda said.

Many locals, who also gathered to see the recovered human remains, claimed that when human remains were found by scrap collectors on previous occasions, the police had taken away the bones and dumped some in the building’s abandoned septic tank

and threw away some in rivers.

“Police always try to hide this [recovery of human remains from the rubbles],” said Selim, the van-puller.

However, when local police arrived at the scene yesterday, some local and foreign journalists also reached the spot and witnessed the recovery.

A group of police personnel seized the recovered skull and bones from the spot and took it to the Savar police station.

Sub-Inspector of the station, Md Emdadul Huque, told the Dhaka Tribune that necessary steps would be taken in accordance with the law.

statements from the arrestees and investigation in this regard is underway.”

Meanwhile, Feni police yesterday took another suspect of the case Belal Hossain Patowari, an Awami League leader, on a five-day remand.

Around 22 persons were arrested in the case so far, and of them, 18 were on remand while four gave confessional statements at the court under section 164. l

The victims’ relatives, on the other hand, demanded that bones and the skull be sent to the Dhaka Medical Collage Hospital for DNA test.

Taslima Akhter, coordinator of Bangladesh Garment Worker Solidarity, told the Dhaka Tribune that they have provided a list to the government containing the names of 146 missing workers.

“I think another recovery drive should be conducted in the rubbles of Rana Plaza, because I believe that the remains of many missing workers must be found there” Taslima added. l

Feni familiar to murders in broad daylight  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

took place on the Academy Road. Jihad, who had allegedly been a cohort of Ekram in the past, had now become the orchestrator; murdering the Fulgazi chairman in a similar way Bashar had been killed fourteen years ago.

However, the first recorded political murder in broad daylight at the district took place in 1973, when Chhatra Union leader Kazi Nasir Uddin was murdered at Feni’s Trunk Road in front of witnesses, allegedly by Joynal Hazari – who later went on to become a lawmaker. The trial of the murder case is yet to be resolved.

Abul Khayer, a witness of the case, told the Dhaka Tribune that he was still facing threats from Joynal’s supporters for testifying at the court, adding that most of the other witnesses in the cases

did not dare to testify against Joynal.

In 1986, some men – allegedly supporters of Joynal – beat Chhatra Dal leader Saifuddin Manik to death in front of onlookers at Betagaon area. The trial of the case was also not finished.

In the same year, criminals shot and killed Delower Hossain – an engineer at a local brick kiln – in front of onlookers, and later allegedly chopped up his body of and fed it to dogs. Family members of the victim could not file any case out of fear, while witnesses claimed that local Awami League leaders were behind the gruesome murder.

In 1996, Chhatra League leader Mohammad Hossain was killed in full view of witnesses at Dholia area, also allegedly by Joynal’s associates. No arrest was made in connection with the murder.

their alleged involvement in the abduction and killing of seven people in Narayanganj.

Narayanganj City Corporation panel mayor Nazrul Islam, lawyer Chandan Sarkar and five others were killed and their bodies were dumped into the Shitalakkhya River, after they were abducted on April 27.

The Nazrul’s family members alleged that RAB 11 commanding officer Lt Col Tareq Sayeed Mohammad and two other RAB 11 officials – Major Arif Hossain and Lt Commander SM Masud Rana – killed all these people because they had been paid Tk6 crore to do so.

On April 28, the authorities concerned withdrew all three RAB 11 officials, along with the Narayanganj superintendent of police and the deputy commissioner. l

Tension mounts

‘Look again for remains at Rana Plaza site’

n Tribune Report

Suranjit said he was embarrassed by the deterioration of law and order situation in the country.

“On Thursday a businessman was killed in Motijheel. A clash between two factions of Chhatra League left one dead in Comilla. This is really embarrassing,” he observed.

In view of the present political situation, Suranjit called on members of the law enforcement agencies to play a crucial role in ensuring law and order in the country.

Lambasting BNP Senior Vice-chairman Tarique Rahman for his remarks that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a failed politician, Suranjit said Tarique was distorting the history of Bangladesh from London.

“There is nothing to say in response to Tarique’s statement. The people will respond to this. At a time when the country is on the way of achieving peace and development, BNP is making inconsistent statements,” he added.

Yesterday’s discussion was arranged

by Bangabandhu Academy. l

NARAYANGANJ KILLING

Six migrants’ bodies arrive in Dhaka n Rabiul Islam

‘RAB should be under Home Ministry’

The following year, a BNP-backed leader, known in the area as VP-Joynal, allegedly killed Chhatra League leader Nazrul Islam in broad daylight at the Hospital intersection of Feni town. The trial of the case remains unresolved.

In 1997, Chhatra Dal leader Tushar was killed, allegedly by Awami League activists, in front of onlookers at the Nazir Road area. Although a case was filed mentioning the names of Ekramul Haque, Saju and Arju, police were unable to make an arrest.

On the following day, while protesting the killing of Tushar, Jubo Dal leader Nasir Uddin was shot dead in front of witnesses at the Trunk Road area.

Jobayer Ahmed, brother of Nasir, told the Dhaka Tribune that police had all necessary proof and witnesses for

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

body of the BGB member. They also have assured us of doing so. But we have got frustrated due to the latest activities of the Myanmar border forces,” said Maj Gen Aziz.

Our Bandarban Correspondent reported that Mizanur Rahman, who hailed from Debidwar upazila in Comilla district, had been carrying a submachine gun along with 120 rounds of bullet when he went missing.

The Myanmar border guards opened fire into a patrol team of BGB 31 battalion near the border pillar number 52 at Panchhari in Dochhari union on Wednesday.

Earlier on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry summoned Myanmar Ambassador in Dhaka Than MyoMyint and strongly protested the firing and detention of a member of BGB. l

Fulgazi UZ chairman  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

began in 2011, when he (Jihad) had been defeated in the upazila’s Anandapur Union Parishad election by a candidate who was backed by Ekram.

In retaliation, Jihad had backed his cousin, the BNP-backed candidate Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury Minar, in last Fulgazi upazila election, instead of supporting Ekram, who was the AL’s candidate.

After winning the election, Ekram suspended Jihad from the local AL committee. However, the suspension was withdrawn after local lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari reportedly intervened.

At the time, Jihad reportedly declared in public that he would respond to the suspension by “suspending Ekram from his life.” l

the case, but the trial did not happen for some mysterious reason.

The murders of ward commissioner Ratan and Chhatra League leader Nayan also took place in broad daylight in 1999; none of those cases have been solved yet.

Mentioning several of the murder cases that had gone unsolved in the past, Ziaul Haque Jashim, the elder brother of the slain Fulgazi chairman, said his family was unsure about the fate of the case filed following his brother’s death.

Partiosh Gosh, superintendent of police in Feni, told the Dhaka Tribune that the police had submitted charge sheets in the cases in due time following proper investigation; but claimed that most cases could not proceed as witnesses were not willing to testify. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, May 31, 2014

3

1,026 migrant workers die unnatural deaths in 16 months It is a matter of great concern: Expat welfare secretary 2,496 bodies of migrant workers arn Rabiul Islam rived at Dhaka’s international airport More than a thousand Bangladeshi workers died of unnatural causes including workplace accidents around the world in the past 16 months.

But the authorities at home appear to be indifferent to the untimely deaths of the migrant workers who remit huge amounts of foreign currency, boosting the country’s economy.

A total of 3,451 workers died overseas during the 16-month period, including from natural causes, such as diseases Officials concerned, however, said there was little they could do to reduce the number of unnatural deaths.

A senior official at the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board said an initiative was taken to carry out research on the deaths of Bangladeshi migrants.

“But we could not continue the research as a number of embassies did not provide information,” the official, seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Some 1,026 migrant workers died unnatural deaths between January 2013 and April 2014, according to thewelfare board.

A total of 3,451 workers died overseas during the 16-month period, including from natural causes, such as diseases.

According to the board, a total of

last year, mostly from the Middle East.

Of them, 738 diedof unnatural causes, including 558 workers who were killed in accidents at work. The others died in road accidents,house fires or were murdered.

In the first four months of this year, a total of 955 migrants died abroad, 288 of them in accidents, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training.

There was no data available on the number of dead bodies arriving at airports in Chittagong and Sylhet.

“It is a matter of great concern that a large number of Bangladeshi migrant workers die unnatural deaths every year,” Shawkat Hossain, secretary to the expatriates’welfare and overseas employment ministry,said yesterday.

But the secretary could not specify any steps taken by the ministry to reduce the number of such deaths.

“We are communicating with the ministries concerned of the destination countries,” he added.

Tasneem Siddique, chair of the Refugee and Migratory Movements and Research Unit at Dhaka University, said it was the government’s responsibility to ensure healthy and safe working environments for Bangladeshis working abroad.

“We have no information as to why migrants die,” Tasneem said, adding, “We need to carry out post mortems ourselves.”

She also suggested that the government raise the issue of workers’ deaths at international forums on migration. l

A young wholesale fish seller displays his catch to customers near the rail tracks in Karwan Bazar yesterday, risking his life to earn a living

Tk1,492 crore spent on One House One Farm project n Mohosinul Karim

Without doing any assessment of its impact, rural development and cooperatives division spent Tk1,492 crore on ‘Ekti Bari Ekti Khamar (One House One Farm) project in last three years.

Nearly Tk1,670 crore had already been allotted for the second phase of the project with a view to improving the living standards of rural poor people by organising them under zonal cooperative societies.

Although the project authority

claims its success, they do not have any specific example of any success stories across the country.

National Project Director Proshanta Kumar Roy, also additional secretary of the division, admitted that the authority concerned had made a “mistake”.

He told the Dhaka Tribune recently that they should have a study report on the success and beneficiaries of the project. But they are yet to carry out any survey or assessment in this regard.

“The implementation, monitoring and evaluation division did survey on

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia along with hundreds of leaders and activists paid homage to the party founder and late president Ziaur Rahman’s grave yesterday morning.

The party flag was hoisted at halfmast at the BNP’s Nayapaltan headquarters and all party offices across the country to mark the anniversary of death of the party founder.

Ziaur Rahman was assassinated by a group of military officials on the day in 1981 at Chittagong Circuit House, and since then the party has been observing the day as “Shahadat Day”.

Khaleda Zia along with the party senior leaders placed wreaths at Ziaur Rahman’s grave around 11:30am and offered fateha. The party leaders and activists showed respect to the leader

DU Correspondent

The Gonojagoron Moncho yesterday protested Law Minister Anisul Haq’s remarks on banning Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and urged him to withdraw the remarks.

They also announced a three-hour sit-in demonstration in front of the Law Ministry on Monday in protest.

On Thursday, the law minister said the amended War Crimes Act was not enough to try and punish any political party for its alleged crimes during the Liberation War. Imran H Sarkar, spokesperson for the Moncho, said the government were now trying to come to a mutual understanding with Jamaat following the order of their foreign lords. They had conducted several attacks on the Moncho to stunt its progress, he added.

He challenged the government saying if Bangabandhu could ban Jamaat before, his party Awami League could do the same. He urged the minister to withdraw his remarks and said the Moncho would start tougher movement if he did not. l

Around Tk197.34 crore of taxpayers’ money had been drained by Petrobangla in the 2012-13 fiscal alone, when the state-owned body reportedly violated regulations by awarding Chevron the task of installing and operating a gas compresser on the transmission line.

An audit, carried out by a fourmember team of the Commercial Audit Directorate earlier this year, found that Petrobangla had violated rules by paying Chevron – an international oil company (IOC) – a gas compressor’s operational costs as cost recovery; instead of handing over the responsibility to the Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) – the authority for handling the tranmission operations.

The irregularity came to the fore after the report was recently submitted to the DG of the Commercial Audit Directorate.

According to the production sharing contract (PSC), the oil companies can carry out gas production tasks, including 2D, 3D surveys, reserve assessment and drilling; but all tasks related to the transmission and distribution of gas remain excluded from the PSC. Com-

the project. It may exceed 2,500,000

by June 30. The beneficiaries of the project are depositing Tk20-Tk200 per month in their zonal societies.

The members of the societies had already deposited Tk570 crore in society accounts. The government had also deposited the same amount of money in those accounts as bonus according to the terms and conditions of the project.

The members can borrow Tk10,000Tk30,000 from the societies with approval by UNOs for investment in development projects or farming. l

observing a one-minute silence on the grave premises. Khaleda also attended a doa mahfil programme at the place organised by the Jatiyatabadi Olama Dal. BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir inaugurated a blood donation camp on the premises organised by the Doctors Association of Bangladesh and Zia Sankskritik Sangathan.

Before placing wreaths at the grave, FakThe BNP chairperson distributed food among the poor at TNT field of Farmgate, Khamarbari, Mohammadpur Town Hall ground, Sahid Park ground and some other places in the capital.

After distributing food among the poor at Paltan community centre, Khaleda went to the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters after around 12 months. She offered the Zuhr prayer and took lunch, and resumed distributing food there. l

Buet experts: Mizan Tower risk free BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, along with party leaders, lay wreaths at the grave of Ziaur Rahman on his 33rd death anniversary yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Tk200 crore wasted on compressor installation n Aminur Rahman Rasel

only 340 beneficiary families in 2012.

The survey was carried out on a small number of beneficiaries. It did not reflect the total success. So, the project authority is planning to do an impact survey,” he added.

The project director informed that they are set to communicate with Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies or any credible research organisation to make a neutral assessment of the project.

The authority could form around 36,000 societies until April 30, involving around 2,160,000 families under

Zia’s death anniversary observed

Gonojagoron Moncho protests law minister’s remarks

n

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

panies under Petrobangla including the GTCL and Titas Gas are responsible for carrying out the duties of gas transmission and distribution.

In accordance with the existing regulations, the GTCL was supposed to be tasked with the installing of the gas compressor in the transmission line at Muchai in Habiganj; however, Chevron – which is allowed to only produce gas under the PSC – launched the compressor in May 2012.

Although Chevron is allowed to repair or develop production lines, there is no scope under the PSC to award the IOC with any work on the transmission line.

The audit also reviewed documents of the Energy Division along with Petrobangla’s observations on the rationality behind the installing of the compressor and found that the Prime Minister’s Office and the cabinet had approved $52.7m for the installation of the compressor at Muchai.

However, according to media reports as well as comments from several former and incumbent officials of Petrobangla, around $78m was spent on installing the gas compressor, which Chevron later collected from the state-owned oil and gas corporation as cost recovery.

The additional expenditure of $25.3m was not approved by the authorities concerned and the audit committee could not find any document on whether the Financial Management Department of Petrobangla found any irregularities regarding the extra funds during its audit of the IOC. As a result, the government had to bear the burden of the additional $25.3m, which is equivalent to Tk197.34 crore.

Even though the compressor station became operational in April last year, Chevron was tasked with running it, instead of the responsibility being handed over to the GTCL – which already installed and is operating two similar compressors at Ashuganj and Elenga.

Several Petrobangla officials, on condition of anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that the process of handing over the operation duties to GTCL was being delayed as authorities claimed that the transmission company did not have enough skilled manpower.

In its recommendation, the audit committee said the government should carry out a probe to find out whether paying Chevron the $25.3m as cost recovery is due to any corruption in the system.

When asked about the irregularities, Petrobangla Director Muhammad Imaduddin said Petrobangla had followed all the regulations in installing the compressor at Muchai.

Energy Division Secretary Md Mozammel Haque Khan, however, said he was unaware of the incident as it happened before he joined office, adding that he could not comment without talking to Petrobangla authorities.

On the other hand, Sabreena Rahman, Chevron’s assistant manager of external affairs (communications-media), said: “Chevron was asked by Petrobangla to install the Muchai gas compressor and the project was implemented within the terms and conditions of the PSC that Chevron signed with the government of Bangladesh.

This project is serving to increase the gas transmission capacity with respect to both throughput and pressure of the existing 24-inch northsouth and 30inch Muchai-Ashuganj gas transmission pipeline.

“Chevron continues to operate the Muchai compressor station at the request of Petrobangla,” she added.

Sabreena also said: “Our confidentiality obligations under the production sharing contract preclude us from making the budgetary figures public.” l

n Kailash Sarkar Experts from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) yesterday certified the multi-storey Mizan Tower in the capital’s Kalyanpur area as risk free, a day after the Rajdhani Unyan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) had announced it risky following two explosions inside the basement.

The residents of the 12-storey building have started going back to their flats immediately after the announcement by Buet authorities.

All the residents were evacuated on Wednesday evening following an explosion inside the basement of the building caused from the stagnant gas in the sewerage pipeline.

Later, another explosion took place on Thursday evening for the same reason prompting Rajuk authorities to request Buet experts for assessing the

structural condition of the building. Rajuk also formed a five-member committee to probe the explosion incidents.

“Two Buet experts – Professor Fakrul Amin and Professor Shafiul Bari of Civil Engineering Department – have examined the building during their visits in the morning and the afternoon. Later, they opined that the explosions did not cause any structural damage to the building,” said Abdul Mannan, a member (Planning) of Rajuk. He also said Buet experts had assured that there was no risk for the dwellers to reside in the building.

“We have conveyed the opinion to the police and also asked them for allowing its residents to reside there,” he added.

When asked, Abdul Mannan said the Rajuk probe body was headed by another member (Development and Control) of Rajuk, who was asked to submit the report within five working days. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Anti-narcotic committees formed in 15,000 educational institutions n Tribune Report A total of 15,000 anti-drug committees have been formed in educational institutions across the country since 2009.

The government had started forming these committee in 2009 to keep the young learners away from drugs and other narcotic items, reports BSS. The number of such committee now stood at nearly 15,000 in school, college, madrasa and university.

The government took the move in 2009 with first forming 5,779 committees when the students were getting increasingly inclined towards taking drugs and similar narcotic substances.

“We have already formed 14,812 anti-drug committees to aware the students about the dangerous affect of drugs, which ultimately appear as a silent killer,” said Zahid Hossain Molla, Deputy Director of Department of Narcotics Control (DNC).

He said head of each educational institution has been made the chief of such committees comprising five members.

Ultimately, all educational institutions of the country will be brought

under this network, he added. Other four members are a teachers’ representative, a guardian, a student and a prominent social worker.

These committees usually hold their meetings once in the months end to discuss the darker sides of the abuse of drugs and create awareness among the students, so they remain away from the touch of any narcotic for the sake of their sound study career.

Besides, each committee in collaboration with the respective district administration hold a broad-based discussion on the worst side of drugs and narcotics side by side with distributing anti-drug posters, leaflets, souvenirs, bulletins, brochures and booklets among the students.

Talking to BSS, a student of Class X in a city school said such meetings involving all responsible people give fruitful results to keep all learners away from drug addition. “The city life is very difficult and we are prod that our guardians and teachers are specially concerned about us,” he said.

A total of 6,468 anti-narcotics meetings were held in 2009, 6,611 in 2010, 4,231 in 2011, 6,466 in 2012, and 5,851

in 2013. Already 1,206 such discussions took place till March this year, according to the DNC statistics.

There is no official statistics on drug addiction rate among the students, DD Zahid said adding that drug addition among the students is rather higher in the big cities than elsewhere of the country.

Available studies say more than five million people are drug addicts in the country but the private institutions put the number much higher. However, the studies added, 80 percent of the drug addicts\’ ages range from 15 to 35 years, being the students in greater number.

Aleya Parveen, mother of a girl student, told BSS that her lovely daughter was about to be caught into drug addition due to bad company. “Allah saved her as she has got a warning message from such a meeting at her school,” she said.

The bad news is that a number of anti-drug committees are not functioning up to the mark due mainly to lack of proper monitoring and seriousness of the concerned officials and heads of the institutions.

Asked about the effectiveness of the committees, DNC Deputy Director Za-

hid said, “the committees are working effectively in many educational institutions and in some cases there is ineffectiveness due to lack of sincerity of the chiefs of educational institutions.”

“Effectiveness of the anti-drug committees depends on the place and the good examples are the drug-prone areas, where repeated meetings are working very well among the students and also the people in the respective areas,” he said.

He also said that the government is very much sincere to make the committees more effective and viable to free the students from the wrath of killer drugs. “Necessary measures will soon be taken to this end,” he said.

Addiction to drug is centuries’ old, flourishing and escalating each year to new heights across the world. No sooner one type of addition is controlled, a few new types emerge forthwith.

The worst results of drug addiction victimizing individuals, families and societies are from petty theft to mugging and even murder at homes or on streets. In some countries, drug related crime account for up to 90% of all crimes. l

Minister: Infrastructural development of tourism a priority n Tribune Report Citing a lack of proper infrastructure as a barrier to the expansion of the tourism sector, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said yesterday that the government will prioritise the infrastructural development of the sector to establish it as an industry.

“Infrastructural development and attractive tourist destinations are the pre-requisites for expansion of tourism and this is why the government will concentrate on the sector and will consider an allocation for it in the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2014-15,” said Tofail.

He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a three-day fair titled “EBL-BTTF-2014 International Tourism Fair,” as the chief guest. Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) organised the fair at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre with a view to promoting the country’s tourism.

“In the last fiscal, Bangladesh earned Tk830 crore from the tourism

Mason’s body recovered in Dhaka n Our Correspondent, Rajbari Police recovered the decomposed body of a mason from the bank of the Buriganga River at Keraniganj upazila in Dhaka on Thursday evening.

The mason had been abducted by miscreants 12 days ago over a land dispute.

Deceased Faruk Mollah, 30, hailed from Bracharbeninagar in Rajbari sadar, said Abdul Khalek, officer-in-charge of Rajbarhi Sadar police station. He was abducted from the Sadar upazila on May 18, on his way home from work, the OC said.

The abductors called his family over phone and demanded a ransom of Tk1 lakh but Faruk’s father tried to get his son back through other means.

Learning about Gafur’s actions, the criminals might have killed Faruk and kept his body hidden under the sand on the bank of the Buriganga River, Khalek surmised. On information, the victim’s relatives recovered his body with help of Keraniganj police, on Thursday evening. They later set fire to four houses belonging to those who were allegedly involved in the abduction and killing.

The victim’s family believe that Shajahan Chawdhury, Thandu Sheikh, Sohel Chawdhury and Nilu Kazi, whose houses were set ablaze, had been involved in Faruk’s abduction and killing because of the land dispute they had with them. l

‘Critical Mass’ cycle rally organised in Chittagong n CU Correspondent

Cyclists perform acrobatic display yesterday in Chittagong city to mark the ‘Critical Mass’

QUESTION PAPER LEAK

Zafar Iqbal demands public hearing n DU Correspondent Renowned author and educationist Muhammad Zafar Iqbal demanded a public hearing for the “question paper leak” of the ongoing Higher Secondary Certificate examinations.

He made the demand yesterday at a sit-in programme that was organised at the Central Shaheed Minar as a protest against the leaks.

“This type of incident is unacceptable. The authority has to take immediate steps to stop the leaking of question papers. Otherwise we will continue our protest,” he said.

sector, which is 2.1% of the total GDP, and it will reach 7.7% this year if we can ensure all kinds of facilities for tourists,” Tofail added.

The minister however, urged people working in the sector to go for increased publicity and promotion in order to attract more tourists.

“We have entrepreneurs who have invested in tourism but are unable to make profits because of a lack of infrastructure and other utility services. This is discouraging for new entrepreneurs and they will not be interested in investing in the sector,” said TOAB President Toufiq Uddin Ahmed.

He also demanded duty-free import of vehicles for tourists who generally do not intend to travel via traditional modes of transport.

The fair will remain open from 10am to 8pm for visitors.

Around 100 exhibitors from six countries – Malaysia, Thailand, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh – are participating in the event to come up with new ideas to develop their respective tourism industry. l

“A public hearing should be held in this regard. People from all walks of life – students, teachers and guardians – should be allowed to express their views in order to reach a solution,” he added.

“The names of the culprits will be disclosed once this is investigated. I have evidence regarding the question paper leak and I also have the names of the people who are involved with it,” he stated.

Writer Anisul Hoque, Buet Professor Mohammad Kaikobad and Liberation War Museum Trustee Ziauddin Tarek Ali expressed solidarity with the protest.

The programme ended around 12:30pm.

“Six sets of question papers should

be prepared for the examinations so that the students need to study the entire book,” said Anisul Hoque.

Zafar Iqbal and his wife Yasmin Haque started the sit-in programme at the Central Shaheed Minar around 8:30am.

On May 23, he had announced that a protest against the question paper leaks would be staged soon.

A number of civil society members as well as students and teachers of several institutions attended the sit-in programme. Younger school students and children were also seen joining the protest. l

Dr Zafar Iqbal takes part in a protest gathering at the central Shaheed Minar yesterday, protesting the leakage of question papers of the recently held HSC examination and demanding punishment against those involved in the crime RAJIB DHAR

DHAKA TRIBUNE

A cycling rally was held in Chittagong city yesterday to mark the ‘Critical Mass’ of the city.

The bicycle rally was brought out in the city’s Jamiyatul Falah Masjid premises at 9am yesterday and ended in Sagarika area after visiting different roads in the city.

Sadab Yasir, one of the organisers of the event, said they have been organising the rally on the last Friday in every month as per the Critical Mass practice to create awareness among the general mass about the importance of environment-friendly transport.

After the rally, a stunt show displayed by ten cyclists astonished the audience.

Amrijot Singh, an Indian national who participated in the rally, said he believes that the event would bring not only happiness and harmony to the people, but also refresh their minds.

The Critical Mass originated in 1992 in San Francisco. The cycle tour is usually held in the last Friday every month and has been described as part of a social movement. l

Experts worry if Wasa can fully remove chemicals from water n UNB With the growing dependency of Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) on surface water, the risk of consuming unsafe water goes up as its conventional water treatment system cannot entirely remove harmful chemicals and surface metals.

According to experts, it is almost impossible for Wasa to fully neutralise all the chemicals pouring into the surrounding rivers of the capital from factories and industries with its traditional treatment process.

In the treatment process, they said, Wasa used alum, liquid chlorine and cold lime to purify surface water, but these were not enough to bring the chemicals down to a permissible level.

The long-term use of chlorine may also cause diseases and complications such as colon cancer, peptic ulcer and liver and kidney damage.

“Dhaka Wasa’s dependency on surface water has risen from 9% to 22% in the last five years. But, its purification process has not yet achieved the required standard, as chlorine can only destroy bacteria, not chemicals,” said Prof Didar-Ul-Alam of Dhaka University’s soil, water and environment department.

Among the six rivers surrounding the capital, the Buriganga is highly polluted. The five other rivers are the Shitalakhya, the Turag, the Balu, the Sonai and the Debdholai.

“Even the surface water in the Shitalakkhya River contains all sorts of floating materials, dissolved chemicals and un-dissolved organic compounds,” Prof Alam said.

Many waterborne organisms could not be removed if the water was not treated with right amounts of chemi-

cals. The organic compounds, most of which were harmful to humans, could not be removed with the conventional treatment method, he said.

Long-term use of chlorine accelerates aging, increases cancer risks and hampers cholesterol metabolism, Prof Alam said, suggesting the use of peroxide instead of chlorine like many developed countries and mineral water companies.

Wasa’s treatment method could reduce all the chemicals of industrial effluents such as ethanol, DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), diazinone, azodye, toluene and turpentine to the international standard level, he said.

Prof Alam said Wasa’s use of liquid chlorine, cold lime and alum had increased to an alarming level during the dry season – chlorine 100kg, alum 12 tonne and cold lime 4 tonne an hour.

But during the wet season, the use of chlorine is only 32kg, alum 4.3 tonne and cold lime 1 tonne.

According to the international standard, the use of chlorine is 0.3-0.5mg per litre water. However, 5-10mg chlorine should be used to purify water if the density of effluent was high, he added.

Prof Dr ABM Badruzzaman of civil engineering department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology said many chemicals and substances found in river water were impossible to be treated with the technology Wasa had been using in Chadnighat water treatment plant.

He said the excess use of chlorine, which was used to kill bacteria, might regenerate harmful compounds after reacting with other organic matters.

These regenerated compounds such as THM (trihalomethane) cause severe health hazards.

Dr Badruzzaman said the sources

of surface water should be protected as the river water was highly contaminated and it was almost impossible to neutralise it fully.

Dr SM Imamul Haque, former chairman of Bangladesh Council of Science and Industrial Research (BCSIR), said Wasa needed to send surface water collected from the rivers through Ion Exchanger to neutralise the chemicals entirely with a view to protecting city dwellers from health hazards.

He, however, said the use of Ion exchanger was costly.

Chlorine could make water free from bacteria not chemicals. Chemical test was needed before and after purification process to know how organic pollution was removed, he added.

Dr Imamul Haque observed that the quality of underground water in the city was good. “But there is possibility for the underground water to be contaminated in case of leakages in supply and sewerage lines, latrine and waste disposal place in the surrounding the sources of water,” he added.

However, Deputy Managing Director of Dhaka Wasa Kamrul Alam Chowdhury claimed that Wasa water was 100% safe and free from all organic chemicals, bacteria and metals.

“Our treatment process removes all bacteria, chemicals and even limited heavy metals. The Wasa supplied water is up to WHO’s standard,” he added.

Kamrul Alam, however, admitted that the conventional treatment process could not remove heavy metals, if these ware abound in the water.

During dry session, the Chadnighat plant was kept inoperative because of the high pollution of water, he said, adding that only one to two crore litres water was treated through the plant. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

HSC ADMISSION

Deserving students losing seats to quotas n Mushfique Wadud Due to the HSC admission policy that all colleges are required to follow, many students fail to get admission in the renowned colleges, even with good grades in their SSC examinations, whereas some students get the opportunity despite having lower scores.

According to the policy, 10% of the seats in the colleges in metropolitan areas are reserved for particular students – 3% are reserved for rural students, 5% for children of freedom fighters and 2% for children of staff and officials working at the Education Ministry.

Many students and their guardians complained that due to these quotas – particularly the quota for children of

Education Ministry officials and staff – many deserving students cannot get places in the good colleges, while many less-qualified students do.

They also said gaining admission in a good college is difficult to begin with, as the competition there is the toughest, but if a good number of those seats are already filled up by quotas, it only gets more difficult for the students.

This year’s HSC admission process began on Wednesday. Students can apply through SMS or online until June 12. The list of selected candidates will be published on June 22. The last date for paying the application fees is June 30 and classes are due to start on July 1.

Abdul Quayum, the parent of a student who wants to enrol in Viqarunnisa

Noon School and College, told the Dhaka Tribune that despite having the highest GPA in her SSC examination, his daughter might not be able to get admission in the college due to the quota system.

Ahmed Ismail, a student with GPA 5 in SSC, wants to enrol into Dhaka College, but said the quota system is depriving deserving candidates like him.

“At least the quota for the children of the Education Ministry staff should be abolished,” he said.

A number of college principals told the Dhaka Tribune that due to the quota system, students with comparatively poor results are able to get admission, depriving students with good results.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and

Statistics, there are 3,547 colleges in the country, but the number of colleges that provide quality education is relatively low.

Fahima Khatun, director-general of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, told the Dhaka Tribune that 2% is not a big number and she believes that this is not depriving other students.

“Only 2% is reserved for the children of the Education Ministry officials and staff. I do not think it is a big issue,” she said.

She said that even under the quota system, students can apply only when they meet the minimum requirements.

“I do not think this is affecting the merit-based system,” she added. l

Nine held, over 4kg gold seized at Dhaka airport n Kailash Sarkar A man was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport yesterday morning and 3kg of gold was seized.

Eight others had been arrested with 1,100grams of gold on Thursday night.

According to official sources, Customs officials arrested Arif Hossain, 29, with 3kg gold immediately after he had arrived in Dhaka on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight coming in from Kuala Lumpur around 8am.

Customs Assistant Commissioner Shamsul Arefin said Arif was arrested while crossing the green channel and the gold, which was worth Tk1.5 crore, was found when he was subjected to a body search.

Meanwhile, Armed Police Battalion (APBn) arrested eight Bangladeshi expatriates with 1,100grams of gold after they had arrived in Dhaka from Riyadh on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight

Decapitated body recovered after five days n Our Correspondent, Savar

Armed robber held n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

WEATHER

THUNDERSHOWER

SATURDAY, MAY 31 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:42PM SUN RISES 5:11AM FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

36

28

Chittagong

33

26

Rajshahi

35

27

Rangpur

35

25

Khulna

35

26

Barisal

35

27

Sylhet

36

25

Cox’s Bazar

33

27

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

36.6ºC Khulna

21.5ºC Bogra

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

3:46am 5:11am 11:56am 3:16pm 6:41pm 8:07pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

on Thursday night.

They arrested were Mokhlesur Rahman, Md Sharif, Amirul Haque, Humayun Akbar, Nurul Alam, Delwar Hossain, Mainuddin and Abdul Kader.

Additional Superintendent of APBn Alamgir Hossain Shimul said the eight were arrested for evading the taxes and duties they were supposed to pay for the gold they had brought into the country.

Gold smuggling intensified at the airports in the country since the Indian government imposed some restrictions on the import of gold last year.

In two separate incidents, 124kg and 109kg of gold were seized at Dhaka airport in the past. In a recent times, the airport uthorities have seized a huge quantity of gold bars from customers lagguage as well as from aeroplane's toilet. Airport sources said a syndicate in collaboration with customs officials have been smugling golds into the country l

World No Tobacco Day today n UNB

Police have recovered the beheaded body of a man from Savar yesterday, five days after he went missing.

The tied-up body of Hasib, 23, the son of Abdus Salam of Panpara locality in the area, was recovered from Dhaleshwari River in Rajfulbaria area yesterday around noon. He had vanished without a trace on the night of May 25.

Family sources said Hasib had gone out of the house around 8:30pm on May 25 and had not returned home afterwards. A search proved fruitless.

Locals found his body floating in the river yesterday. Police arrived at the scene after Salam had identified his son and recovered the body.

Salam alleged Jalil, a local police informer, had gotten into a dispute with Hasib 15 days before he went missing.

“Jalil threatened my son and is definitely involved in the killing,” he added. l

Chittagong police nabbed an alleged robber with arms and ammunition in Moijjartek area early yesterday.

Police said the arrested, Habibullah Sikdar alias Suman, 30, of Dohajari area under Chandanaish upazila, is a member of an inter-district ring of robbers.

Mohammad Mohiuddin, officer-in-charge of Karnaphuli police station, said acting on a tip-off, they conducted a drive in the area around 4am and nabbed Sumon.

Police recovered a light gun, a pipe gun and two rounds of cartridges from Sumon’s possession, he added.

An arms case was lodged with Karnaphuli police station, the OC said. l

5

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Green activists form a human chain to press home their demands of evicting illegal establishments from Dhanmondi playground, withdrawing cases against those who are involved in the playground’s protection movement etc. The photo was taken yesterday from National Press Club RAJIBDHAR

Green activists again demand removal of structures from Dhanmondi playground n

Abu Hayat Mahmud

Green activists repeated their demand to remove all structures and stop the construction of concrete structures from Dhanmondi playground and the withdrawal of false cases filed against four green activists.

They also urged the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) authority to form a management committee where participation of local people would be ensured.

Activists from over 50 environmental and social organizations made the demands at a rally held in front of the National Press Club.

The programme was chaired by Za-

kir Hussain, acting general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa).

Former general secretary of Bapa Mofidul Haque Khan said: “The LGED and Sheikh Jamal Club authority constructed concrete structures in the playground for the private club, which is illegal.”

He also alleged that the playground is gradually falling into the hands of several land grabbers, thus forcing children and youths to lose the open space.

“The case against four environmentalists should be withdrawn immediately. The city corporation has reopened the playground to people proving that the case filed by the pri-

vate club is illegal,” he said.

Bapa Joint Secretary Mihir Biswas said the occupiers of Dhanmondi playground were the real ones who reap the benefits using Bangabandhu and his family’s name.

“So we urged the government to take steps against the criminals,” he added.

Green activists and residents of the area have long been protesting against the illegal occupation of the public playground.

In 2004, following a petition filed

by Bangladesh Poribesh Andalan and Institute of Architects Bangladesh, the High Court directed the then city corporation (now Dhaka South City

Corporation) to free Dhanmondi playground from the illegal occupation of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.

In 2011, the High Court directed the then city corporation to demolish all illegal establishments, which were not related with sporting activities, from the public playground.

On April 24, the DSCC authorities reopened the public playground after almost two years following demonstrations by green activists, locals and sports personalities.

Earlier, a High Court bench dropped a petition filed by six green activists seeking directives to remove illegal structures built on the Dhanmondi playground from its cause list. l

The World No Tobacco Day will be observed in the country today as elsewhere across the globe.

The theme of this year’s day is “Raise taxes on tobacco.”

The government, different anti-tobacco, socio-cultural, health and other organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes on the occasion.

The national programme will be held at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh at 10am.

Besides, ADHUNIK (We Prevent Smoking), the nation’s first and leading anti-tobacco organisation found by National Professor Dr Nurul Islam, organised a discussion at the National Press Club yesterday afternoon.

The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke, according to the World Health Organization.

Unless any step, the epidemic will kill more than 8 million people every year by 2030. More than 80% of these preventable deaths will be among people living in lowand middle-income countries.

Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages on the occasion.

Fire engulfs 6 houses in Chittagong n CU Correspondent A devastating blaze burnt down at least six thatched houses in Kaliaish area of Satkania upazila here yesterday morning.

Sources at Agrabad Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters said the fire originated from a kitchen oven in one of the houses around 9am and soon spread to the adjoining ones.

Upon receiving information, a fire fighting unit from Satkania Fire Station rushed to the spot and doused the blaze after two and a half hours of frantic effort.

The losses caused by the fire amounts to about Tk4 lakh, the sources said. The petition was later accepted and sent to another bench, which felt “embarrassed” to hear it. l

Shabbiness envelops DU Arts faculty n Du Correspondent Due to a lack of proper supervision and mismanagement on the part of the authorities concerned, Dhaka University’s Arts Faculty has turned into a dilapidated and unhealthy place.

Consequently, academic activities there are being badly hampered and the students are facing several problems, including a scarcity of drinkable water and a crisis in the sanitation system.

Sources said there are around 10,000 students in the 16 departments of the Arts faculty and students of the Social Sciences Department also share the building. Half of these students are female.

There are only two common rooms available for the female students and the few toilets that are there, are always dirty. This correspondent found the toilets allotted for the male stu-

dents to be in a similarly filthy state.

The doors, water taps and commodes there were mostly broken and unusable.

Khadizatul Kobra, a third year student of the Mass Communication and Journalism Department, said the scarcity of a clean, usable toilet is greatly problematic because they have to stand in long queues. She urged to the university authorities to solve the crisis.

Getting clean, potable water is an acute crisis and students, especially males, have to drink water from the toilet taps.

A third year student of the History Department, Omar Khayam Talukdar, told the Dhaka Tribune that drinking water and using the toilets at the Arts Faculty are very unpleasant tasks because of the shabby conditions of things. “We have no way but to use these facilities as they are,” he stated. l

The photo taken from Sagarpara area of Rajshahi city shows that a man amid life risk jumps off a hole yesterday. Having barely one year passed after making concrete footpath on a drain, the slabs are decaying because of using sub-standard materials DHAKA TRIBUNE

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Poor output shatters litchi growers’ dreams n Tribune Desk Litchi growers of Manikpur-Godabari village, famous for production of the delicious juicy fruit, in Chhatak upazila are much frustrated because of poor output of the item this year.

The growers are to incur heavy losses this season since prolonged dry spell, lack of irrigation and birds’ infestation seriously affected the fruit’s production.

Officials concerned said the soil of several villages including ManikpurGodabari under Noarai union in the upazila is very suitable for litchi cultivation.

Thousands of families of the villages have been cultivating the fruit famous for its mouth-watering taste over hundreds of years.

They earn their livelihood through the farming and sale of the succulent and fleshy fruit.

Growers and others involved in litchi trade said the delicious summer fruit worth crores of taka is produced in orchards of the area and supplied to different parts of the country every year, reports UNB. Besides Manikpur, litchi is being grown in Godabari, Kachudayr and Chanpur villages in Chhatak upazila and Tengra, Lamasania, Lambergao and Pormeshwaripur villages of Dwarabazar upazila.

They mentioned that litchi pro-

duced in Manikpur is being sold at markets and haats (makeshift markets) of Dawara, Bishwanath, Derai and Jagannathpur upazilas.

Owner of a litchi orchard Abdul Momin said the growers did not get expected yield of litchi this year as prolonged draught-like situation badly affected the growth of the tender fruit.

Despite the fact that litchi trees were in excellent flowering early in the season, about 50 percent buds dropped off due to heat wave and absence of rain, he said.

Besides unfavourable climactic condition, litchi growers-- Saidur Rahman, Sundar Ali, Jamal Uddin, Keramat Ali and Joynal Abedin-- said they have been forced to sell half ripe litchi due to infestation of bats like birds in litchi trees. The growers lamented saying that they could have saved litchi trees from birds’ infestation if there had been arrangement of electricity.

They demanded that the government develop transport system and provide more electricity connections to them so that they could save them from incurring crop losses. Abdul Hamid, deputy assistant agriculture officer in Chhatak, said the upazila has seen a fall in litchi production this year due to the impacts of climate change, adding that growers have incurred losses for low yield of litchi though price of the item remains a little bit high in the market. l

Drug peddler dies in ‘gunfight’ n Our Correspondent, Jessore

40 BCL men sued for killing MP’s nephew

An alleged drug dealer was killed in a socalled gunfight against police at Jhumjhumpur in Jessore Sadar upazila yesterday.

The deceased Taher Mollah, 40, was the son of late Sanaullah of Jhumjhumpur in the upazila, and was an accused in at least five cases said Kotwali police Officer-In-Charge Rafiqul Islam.

He said they had heard of a gunfight between two groups of criminals and rushed to the spot, only to be attacked themselves by the criminals around 4:30am.

Police fired back, leaving Taher wounded in the leg. He died around 6am, said Rafiqul, adding that two policemen, Arif and Shamim, were also injured in the fight. A shot-gun, a round of bullets and two kg of canabis were also recovered from the scene. l

n Our Correspondent, Comilla A murder case was filed against 40 leaders and activists of Chhatra League in connection with killing of MP’s nephew in Comilla district town yesterday.

Habebush Saherin, brother of Ahsan Habib Sumu, lodged the case with Kotwali police station accusing 15 named and 25 unnamed people.

The accused are former organising secretary of Victoria Government College Saleh Ahmed Russel,Shahin, Ripon, Shakil, Jakir, Khokon, Shakil, Shahparan, Saiful, Jony, Alauddin, Fahmid, Faisal, Shipu and Ashik.

Earlier on Thursday, Sumu, the nephew of Comilla sadar MP AKM Bahauddin Bahar, has been shot dead

Industrial toxic wastewater enters into beel and canal of rural areas in Rajshahi. Farmers of the district use the wastewater in cultivation. As people use this water for household work, many people of the district have been contaminated with skin diseases DHAKA TRIBUNE

during a factional clash of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) at Government Victoria College.

The college campus sources said the supporters of BCL leaders Rintu and Russell engaged in the clash at intermediate section of the college around 1:30pm over establishing supremacy.

At one stage, the clash spilled out into nearby Munsefbari area. Several gunshots were exchanged during the clash, leaving Samu and two BCL men -– Pritam and Priyom –- injured. The injured were first rushed to sadar Hospital where doctors declared Samu dead.

Of the injured, Pritam was sent to Dhaka as his condition was stated to be critical. l

Affected people roam around a house which was gutted at Khajurtola village under Barguna Sadar upazila yesterday

Jhenaidah college girl rescued three months after abduction n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah A college girl was rescued on Thursday evening by the Detective Branch of police, three months after her abduction from Miakundu village under the Sadar upazila in the district.

Police arrested the abductor, Akterul Islam, for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping.

Officer-in-Charge Shahabuddin Azad of Jhenaidah police station said the first year college student was kidnapped on February 2 this year.

The victim’s father Abdul Kuddus filed an abduction case with the police station.

Acting on a tip-off, a contingent of police raided a house in Hatgopalpur under the Sadar upazila and rescued the college girl around 7:30pm, said the OC. The arrested was sent to Jhenaidah jail, police said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

14 houses burnt down in Barguna n Our Correspondent, Barguna At least 14 houses were burnt to ashes as a fire broke out at Khajurtola village under Barguna Sadar upazila yesterday.

At least seven people were injured while they were trying to put off the blaze.

The injured were admitted to Barguna Sadar Hospital.

Local people said the fire had originated from kitchen of one Habibur

Rahman. Later, the fire engulfed the adjoining two houses.

Upon receiving information, fire fighters rushed the spot and extinguished the fire after frantic efforts.

Affected people said valuables worth about Tk40 lakh were gutted in the fire.

Victims of the fire have been living under open sky. The urged the district administration to take measures to rebuild the houses immediately. l

2,000 bottles of phensidyl seized in Jessore n Our Correspondent, Jessore Members of Border Guard Bangladesh recovered some 2,000 bottles of phensidyl yesterday from a private car after chasing it down in Natunhat on Jessore-Benapole Road.

Lt Col Matiur Rahman, director of 26 Border Guard Battalion, confirmed the

incident. He told the Dhaka Tribune that, acting on a tip-off, a BGB team chased down a private car and recovered the phensidyl around 11pm, when the smugglers fled, leaving the car behind. The car’s licence number was Dhaka Metro Ga-13-8691, he added.

A case was lodged with Kotwali police station in this regard. l

Seven killed by lightning, over 50 injured in Naogaon n Our Correspondent, Naogaon At least seven people were killed yesterday after being struck by lightning in three separate incidents in Naogaon’s Swarasati, Porsha and Niyamotpur upazilas.

In Swarasati upazila, lightning struck a paddy-market around 7:30am, leaving four people dead on the spot and over 50 people injured.

One of those critically injured, died on the way to Mohadebpur Health Complex, said Mohadebpur police station Officer-in-Charge Md Enayet Uddin.

The deceased are Sadar upazila’s Azizar Rahman, 40, Mohadebpur upa-

zila’s Hafizur Rahman, 42, Samsul Alam, 35, Yakub Ali, 20, and Afzal Hossain, 25.

Among the critically injured, Abdus Samand, Belal Hossain, Abul Kashem and Saidur Rahman were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, while Habibur Rahman, Saidur Rahman, Tajem Ali, Afjal Hossain, Aminul Islam and Purnima Begum were admitted to Naogaon Sadar Hospital.

The rest were admitted to Mohadebpur Upazila Health Complex.

Local lawmaker Solim Uddin, former deputy speaker Akter Hamid Siddique, Naogaon Deputy Commissioner Md Enamul Haque and other admin-

istrative high-ups went to visit these victims.

Sabina Yeasmin, 35, from Porsha upazila, and Sonabor Mia, 60, from Niyamotpur upazila, also died near their respective residences when lightning struck them around 9:30am.

All the deceased’s families have been compensated with Tk20,000, and the 33 injured were given Tk10,000 each for their treatment from Naogaon deputy commissioner’s emergency fund.

Besides, Solim Uddin also gave Tk5,000 to each of the deceased’s family from his private funds. Separate unnatural death cases were filed in this regards. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Ukraine to push on with army offensive Row grows over Russian fighters reports

n Reuters, Kiev/Donetsk

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivers the opening keynote address at the 13th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Asia Security Summit: The Shangri-La dºialogue, in Singapore, yesterday REUTERS

Abe supports SE Hagel: New threats will not Asia efforts on distract US from Asia freedom of sea, air curity forum before heading on to aboard a US military n Reuters, Afghanistan and Europe, that the US aircraft n Reuters, Singapore commitment to Asia was as strong as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a regional security forum that Tokyo would offer its “utmost support” to Southeast Asian countries - several locked in maritime rows with Beijing - in their efforts to protect their seas and airspace, as he pitched his plan for Japan to take on a bigger international security role.

Abe, in his keynote address on Friday at the Shangri-La Dialogue for security officials and experts from Asia, also stressed the need for all countries to respect international law - often code for criticising China’s assertive military stance.

“Japan intends to play an even greater and more proactive role than it has until now in making peace in Asia and the world something more certain,” he added. l

The United States will not be deterred from plans to strengthen its military position in Asia by emerging threats elsewhere, the US defense secretary said on Thursday as he prepared to meet allies in the region worried by an increasingly assertive China.

President Barack Obama, in a keynote foreign policy speech on Wednesday, surprised and disappointed some in Asia when he made no specific reference to what has been a signature policy theme of his administration, the rebalancing of US military, political and economic focus towards Asia.

He talked at length instead about emerging threats, including by militants operating from North Africa.

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters en route to Singapore, where he will speak at a regional se-

ever.

Obama’s comments “will not inhibit or shorten or lessen our asset position here in the rebalancing to the Asia Pacific,” he said when asked if resources earmarked for Asia after the winding down of the Iraq and Afghan wars might be diverted to deal with the new threats.

“That doesn’t diminish at all the commitment, nor will it, that we have made to this rebalance in Asia and the Pacific.”

Hagel said he would have no fewer than 10 bilateral meetings and three tri-lateral meetings aimed at reinforcing relationships and calming tensions during his two days starting Friday at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a forum that brings together defense and security experts and officials from Asia, the United States and Australia, l

Ukraine’s government vowed on Friday to press ahead with a military offensive against separatists, despite a deadly attack on an army helicopter, amid increasing reports that volunteer fighters from Russia were involved in rebellions in the east.

President-elect Petro Poroshenko, who scored an overwhelming firstround victory in a poll on May 25, swore to punish those responsible for the shooting down on Thursday of the helicopter near Slaviansk, which killed 14 servicemen including a general.

Acting Defence Minister Mykhilo Koval, repeating charges that Russia was carrying out “special operations” in the east of Ukraine, said on Friday that Ukrainian forces would continue with military operations in border areas “until these regions begin to live normally, until there is peace.”

Ukrainian authorities have long alleged that the rebellions have been fomented by Moscow among the largely Russian-speaking population, which is especially vulnerable to cross-border propaganda hostile to Kiev’s “euromaidan” revolution that overthrew Moscow-backed President Viktor Yanukovich in February.

Reports by Ukrainian border authorities and journalists on the ground now appear to show increasing evidence of direct involvement by volunteer fighters from Russia in the rebellions that erupted two months ago in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

According to these reports, fighters may be coming into Ukraine from former hotspots in Russia and its North Caucasus fringes such as Chechnya whose own troubles in the past 20 years have spawned a proliferation of armed groups.

Ukraine’s authorities say Russian border guards are doing nothing to stop fighters crossing the long land border from Russia, along with truck loads of ammunition and weapons.

In the latest such report, Ukrainian border guards said on Friday they had seized a cache of weapons including

guns, machine-guns, grenade-launchers, sniper rifles and 84 boxes of live ammunition in two cars they stopped as they crossed from Russia.

A total of 13 people were detained, the border guard service said in a statement on its website.

Reuters correspondents in Donetsk, an industrial city and one of the main separatist centres, saw coffins loaded onto a vegetable truck on Thursday and driven off after being told by rebels that “volunteers” from Russia killed earlier in the week in an army offensive were being repatriated.

Bodies

An official of the Ukrainian border guard service said on Friday that bodies of slain Russian nationals were being allowed to return to Russia for humanitarian reasons.

“We don’t need them to fertilise the land of Ukraine,” Serhiy Astakhov, an aide to the head of the border guard service, said in Kiev in reply to a journalist’s question.

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov says weapons that could only have been brought in from Russia were found at the scene of Donetsk airport after it was cleared of rebels.

The reports have touched off again Russia-West tensions that had eased slightly after Moscow pulled back thousands of its troops from the border with Ukraine in what the United States described as a “promising sign.”

The US State Department said on Thursday that Secretary of State John Kerry had pressed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to end all Russian support for separatists and call on them to lay down their arms.

Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said Russia was clearly behind the violent unrest, though there were no immediately effective steps the West could take to stop it.

Poroshenko, a 48-year-old wealthy businessman who has emerged as a national leader from six months of turmoil, will plunge into a hectic round of meetings with world leaders next week. l

Legacy at risk, Obama struggles to redefine foreign policy n Reuters, Washington President Barack Obama’s second term was supposed to be a crowning opportunity to make his mark on the world stage, but instead he’s leading an intense effort to redefine his foreign policy record - and the odds look stacked against him.

An administration-wide public relations blitz, which Obama launched with a big foreign policy speech this week, has done little to quell critics who frequently pan his global approach as rudderless, as the White House lurches from crisis to crisis.

With just two and a half years left in office, Obama’s chances of forging a successful foreign-policy legacy by the end of his presidency face seemingly intractable challenges, ranging from Ukraine to Syria to the South China Sea. While Obama has outlined a strategy that includes both a strong military and the diplomatic tools of alliances and sanctions to provide global leadership, it is unclear if he and his aides have the vision - let alone time - to change the

perception of a presidency with eroding global influence.

“This is a risk-averse president who is unlikely to take bold strokes,” said Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East adviser to Republican and Democratic administrations. “And he faces a series of problems in which quick-and-easy American fixes are really not available.”

Topping the list is Ukraine, where Obama and other Western leaders were powerless to prevent Russia’s seizure of Crimea. It was a sharp rebuke to Obama’s “reset” of relations with Moscow in his first term - once seen as a big legacy achievement - and prompted Republican critics to call him naïve for ever trusting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The best outcome Obama can hope for may be for Moscow to refrain from taking over more of eastern Ukraine, which might be a credit to the impact of US-led sanctions but hardly an accomplishment of historic proportions for his second term.

The image of Obama as a passive world leader has been fed by percep-

tions he has allowed the civil war in Syria to fester. His failure to strike Syrian forces last year after they crossed a US “red line” on the use of chemical weapons left doubts about Obama’s willingness to use force in other world crises.

Though Obama used his speech to graduating cadets at West Point on Wednesday to announce increased support for Syrian rebels, he made clear US involvement would remain limited.

How far Obama will go in response to China’s growing assertiveness in maritime disputes with its neighbors is another tough question for the remainder of his term.

Though he offered assurances on Wednesday about his effort to deepen US engagement with Asia, progress has been slow and some allies are wondering whether his Asia “pivot” is real.

Most promising of Obama’s foreign policy initiatives - and the one that could go the farthest in making history - is his outreach to Iran that led to resumption of nuclear talks last year.

But Obama acknowledged the odds for

success are long. And even if a deal is reached, he would face an uphill struggle to win US congressional approval as well as backing from Israel.

Deep frustration

Obama’s speech grew out of the president and his aides’ exasperation over accusations that he had weakened America’s leadership in the world, and their fear that the critique was hardening into conventional wisdom.

He may have made the situation worse when, pressed to lay out an “Obama doctrine” on a trip to Asia last month, he testily outlined a foreign policy that “avoids errors.”

“Don’t do stupid stuff ” is the cleaned-up version of a phrase used in Obama’s inner circle, aides say, to describe what they see as a pragmatic approach by a president who met his promise to extract the United States from an unpopular war in Iraq and is winding down the war in Afghanistan.

Wednesday’s speech kicked off a weeks-long effort by the White House

to counter critics. He plans to elaborate during a trip to Europe next week, and aides will make issue-specific speeches at home and abroad to reinforce Obama’s message.

Obama, a trained constitutional lawyer, methodically defended his record and cast his critics as out of step with war-weary Americans. Some fellow Democrats and once-supportive columnists also recently have struck a more critical tone.

The speech was widely panned by newspaper editorialists, with The New York Times declaring: “The address did not match the hype, was largely uninspiring, lacked strategic sweep and is unlikely to quiet his detractors, on the right or the left.”

But Michael O’Hanlon, a foreign policy expert at the Brookings Institution think tank, said Obama was striking the right balance in crises like Ukraine, though he needed to do a better job explaining himself. “A little dose of Ronald Reagan might help,” he wrote in Foreign Affairs magazine. l

Modi: Don’t include my life story in textbooks n Agencies Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged states not to include him in textbooks saying the life story of living individuals should not be included as part of the school curriculum.

The PM’s tweets come amid reports that some BJP-ruled states want to include his life story in school textbooks to inspire children.

“India has a rich history of several stalwarts who made India what it is today. Young minds should read about these greats & emulate them,” Modi posted on Twitter.

Gujarat education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama had on Thursday said the state had decided to include leadership lessons from the life of Modi in school syllabus from next year.

Chudasma had said that a process had been initiated to form a committee to prepare the final list of events to be included.

“These events will be included in the syllabus of primary schools, such

as fifth, sixth and seventh standard. We will form a committee to prepare the list of all the important and inspiring events to be included in syllabus. Since this initiative is at a primary stage, the new syllabus will come into effect only in 2015-16,” he added.

In a similar case, Madhya Pradesh school education minister Paras Jain had on Sunday proposed that lessons from the newly-sworn in PM’s life be included in school curriculum to “inspire” students.

“We have received suggestions from various quarters that a life-sketch of Modiji be taught in the schools, to inspire students from early age,” he told PTI. If incorporated, these lessons would be taught from standard three to standard six, the minister said.

Earlier, Rajasthan education minister Kali Charan Saraf had also said he was planning to include chapters on Modi and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s life in the school curriculum. l

7

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Soldiers take position along roads blocked around the Victory Monument, where anti-coup protesters were gathering on previous days, in Bangkok May 30, 2014. Thailand’s military said on Friday it will set up “reconciliation centres” across the country aimed at healing a decade of political division that has often spilled into violence REUTERS

US Official: Russia has withdrawn most troops from Ukraine border n Reuters, Singapore Russia has withdrawn most of its troops from the Ukrainian border, but seven battalions, amounting to thousands of men, remain, a US defense official said on Friday.

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, in Singapore to attend a weekend security conference, has called the withdrawal of thousands of Russian troops from the border a promising sign, but said all troops positioned there earlier this year needed to be moved back.

The defense official said that most of the troops had been pulled back.

“The majority have gone,” he told reporters. “But seven battalions remain.” The official said he had no figure for the number of troops that had withdrawn. “But ... thousands still remain,” he said.

Hagel, speaking earlier on the plane taking him on a trip to Asia and Europe, said it was known that “thousands of Russian troops have been pulled back and are moving away. We also know that there are still thousands of Russian troops still there that have not yet moved.

“Any time you are moving troops away and equipment and assets away, that’s promising, but they are not where they need to be and won’t be until all of their troops that they positioned along that border a couple of months ago are gone.

The US-led NATO military alliance has previously estimated that Russia had around 40,000 soldiers close to the border.

Ukraine’s acting defense minister said on Friday that Ukrainian forces would press ahead with a military offensive against rebels in the east until peace and order had been restored there.

Speaking after 14 servicemen, including a general, were killed on Thursday when rebels shot down an army helicopter, the minister, Mykhailo Koval, said: “Our given task is to bring peace and order to the region.” l

Israel claims Palestinian suicide attack prevented n Reuters, Jerusalem Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank caught a Palestinian man wearing an explosive belt on Friday, police and the military said, preventing what could have been the first suicide attack in the area for years.

Border police guarding a busy junction near the Palestinian city of Nablus were suspicious about the man who was wearing a coat on a hot day and ordered him to stop, military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner told reporters.

The man, who was in his 20s and has not yet been named, immediately lay down in the road and raised his shirt to reveal that he was wearing an explosive belt. The device was removed and later detonated by army experts.

“There were 12 steel pipes connected with wires,” Lerner said. “He said he was supposed to activate it.

‘Touch it and activate’ was the wording he used.”

Israel saw a wave of suicide bombings a decade ago during the height of a Palestinian uprising. However, the last such attacks took place in 2008 and Lerner said military intelligence had no indication of any specific threat at present.

“It is a freak incident,” he said, noting that the security forces did not yet know if the man, who came from Nablus and is under interrogation, was affiliated to any militant group.

The incident happened at the Tapuah Junction, just south of Nablus - a particularly sensitive area with a high level of security near a number of Jewish settlements. A settler was killed at the same junction by a Palestinian in April 2013.

US-led peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians collapsed last month, and some military analysts have warned of a possible uprising given the lack of any clear way forward to resolve the generations-old conflict.

Although there have been sporadic outbursts of violence in recent weeks, there has been no indication of any widespread or more organised disturbances. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Prescription

Saturday, May 31, 2014

WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY

Few facts about lung cancer Lung cancer kills more people every year than any other kind of cancer, and your chances of dying from it are now higher than ever – even if you’re not a smoker. Smoking is the cause of around 90% cases of lung cancer. The number of women diagnosed with lung cancer is increasing, but the cause is unknown.

Researchers say, passive smoking may be linked to it

n Prescription Desk

bestos, carbon or nickel, and passive smoking.

What is lung cancer?

Lung cancer is a growth in the tissue of the lungs. Part of the lung tissue, usually the lining of the bronHEALTH chial passage, grows FLASH out of control because of defect in one or more genes where the cell doesn’t recognise the signals to stop growing.

There are two main types of lung cancer: small cell, and non-small cell.

Small-cell accounts for around 15% of lung cancers and tends to start in the middle of the lungs.

Non-small cell makes up around 75%-80% of lung cancers, and mainly affects the cells lining the tubes into the lungs.

Treatment

Lung cancer is currently treated with chemotherapy, surgery or radiotherapy, or a combination of these, but even if treatment is successful, the cancer often returns. Even if the cancer is small enough to be operated on, within five years most patients relapse. Just 14% of lung cancer sufferers are expected to live five years beyond diagnosis. Even for those diagnosed with limited lung cancer, the average survival period is 18-24 months. Small-cell lung cancer is usually treated with chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy. If non-small cell lung cancer is confined to a part of the lung, it can be removed through surgery.

Who is affected?

Smoking is the cause of around 90% of cases of lung cancer. The number

Not just smokers

There is a strong link between lung cancer and smoking, but recent research has discovered that it could be related to a particular genetic mutation. Researchers don’t know why it happens.

It may have to do with exposure to as-

n Dr Sajol Ashfaq

healthy diet. They provide essential fatty acids, keep our skin soft, deliver fat-soluble vitamins, and are a great source of energizing fuel. So it is important to avoid bad fat and choose good fats for good health.

BIGSTOCK

l

30g dry-roasted sunflower seeds (14g fat, 690kJ)

linked to heart disease, as previously thought. And one study, published in The Journal of Nutrition, even found that certain saturated fats can be metabolised by your body faster than others, which means they are rarely stored as flab. Try: l 1 tablespoon butter (salted) (12g fat, 427kJ) l 1 tablespoon coconut oil (14g fat, 489kJ) l 226ml skim milk (5g fat, 510kJ) l 85g cooked lean mince beef (13g fat, 887kJ)

BIGSTOCK

Omega-6 fatty acids

l

dressing (17g fat, 682kJ) 1 tablespoon almond butter (9g fat, 410kJ)

Omega-3 fatty acids These may protect against cardiovascular disease. Getting sufficient omega-3s is tough.

You’d have to eat salmon three times a week to get 500mg per day of omega-3s, the amount needed to reap the heart benefits. Try: l 85g cooked salmon (4g fat, 477kJ) l 1 can sardines (100g) in oil (11g fat, 799kJ)

of women diagnosed with lung cancer is increasing with the rise of smoking among women. It is not known why non-smoking women contract lung cancer, although ongoing researches is trying and work this out so that more can be done to treat it.

The number one way to reduce the risk of developing lung cancer is not to smoke. The big idea is an all-out attack to reduce smoking. This will have the most impact. If you work in an environment where you’re exposed to carcinogenic chemicals, or second-hand smoke or asbestos, it’s advised you minimise your exposure, and use protective clothing. l

Grapes interact badly with many drugs

Saturated fats

To help decrease the risk of dying from coronary disease, “people should get a one-to-one ratio of omega-6 fats to omega-3s,” says nutritionist. Otherwise, our bodies can metabolise omega-6s in a harmful way. Try: l 1 tablespoon margarine (11g fat, 422kJ) l 2 tablespoons caesar salad

Start with the basics You can probably recite them, but they bear repeating: stop smoking, eat a diet low in saturated and trans fats, don’t overdo alcohol, and exercise.

BIGSTOCK

l

30g walnuts, about 14 halves (18g fat, 774kJ)

| Dr Ishrat Shormy

Grapefruit is the one of the common fruits, which we see on patients’ sidetables in hospitals and homes.

All patients have to DID YOU take medicines for KNOW? their chronic or acute illnesses. Patients usually take grapefruits to combat the weakness due to illness. But the bad news is that a research published recently in a issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal showed, many of the common drugs interact with grapefruit. Of the 85 known drugs that interact with grapefruit, 43 can have serious side effects, including sudden death, acute kidney failure, respiratory failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, and bone marrow suppression in people with weakened immune systems.

People older than 45 are more likely to face these interactions, compared to the young and middle-aged. The researchers also noted that all sources of grapefruit — the whole fruit or 200 ml of grapefruit juice — and other citrus fruit such as oranges (often used in marmalade), limes and pomelos can lead to drug interactions.

Some cholesterol-lowering statins, antibiotics and calcium channel block-

Watch the salt One review showed that reducing salt to around five grams a day had a significant effect on high blood pressure Avoid processed or packaged foods, as these tend to have a high salt content.

Mind your minerals While sodium raises blood pressure, potassium lowers it. Potassium-rich foods are apples, bananas, asparagus, cabbage, kelp, and alfalfa. Magnesium — found in seaweed, leafy greens, almonds, and lentils — may help to reduce heart palpitations.

Say yes to NO Nitric oxide (NO) relaxes blood vessels and improves blood flow to all tissues, including the heart. Your body makes NO, but production drops with age. Good food sources are celery, beetroot, spinach, leeks, parsley, fennel and cabbage.

BIGSTOCK

ers used to treat high blood pressure, few agents used to fight cancer or suppress the immune system in people who have received an organ transplant, are the common medicines which interact with grapefruits.

Researchers advised to not take those drugs with these fruits. The interaction can occur even if someone eats grapefruit or drinks the juice hours before taking a drug, such as drinking the grapefruit juice at breakfast and taking the medication after dinner.

Drugs that interact with grapefruit

Anti-cancer : Crizotinib, Dasatinib, Erlotinib, Everolimus, Lapatinib, Nilotinib, Pazopanib, Sunitinib, Vande-

tanib, Venurafenib.

Anti-infective: Erythromycin, Halofantrine, Maraviroc, Primaquine, Quinine, Rilpivirine.

Anti-cholesterol: Atorvastatin, Lovastatin, Simvastatin.

Cardiovascular: Amiodarone, Apixaban, Clopidogrel, Dronedarone, Eplerenone, Felodipine, Nifedipine, Quinidine, Rivaroxaban, Ticagrelor.

Central nervous system: Alfentanil (oral), Buspirone, Dextromethorphan, Fentanyl (oral), Ketamine (oral), Lurasidone, Oxycodone, Pimozide, Quetiapine, Triazolam, Ziprasidone.

Gastrointestinal: Domperidone.

Immunosuppressants: Cyclosporine, Everoli. l

No more affairs with smoking

BIGSTOCK

live in a smoking-free environment.

Evidence shows that these passive smokers are also at an increased risk of developing lung cancer.

All forms of tobacco use are detrimental to our physical, mental, and spiritual health. It also affects our families, society and innocent bystanders.

However, all of the ill effects can be

Tame triglycerides Natural anti-inflammatories help counter these harmful blood fats, as well as regulate heart rhythm, and reduce clotting and inflammation. Cold-water fish like salmon or sardines are a good source, or take a supplement — aim for 2,000mg of omega-3 fatty acids daily, taken as fish oil or flaxseed oil.

Go to herbs Other heart-healthy herbs include gotu-kola (centella) and garlic, which have both been investigated for their ability to lower raised cholesterol and tri-glycerides. One study also showed garlic can lower blood pressure by five to eight points.

(Note: high doses can interfere with anti-thrombotic drugs; check with your doctor).

Stress less When you get stressed, a cascade of hormones are released which undermine heart health — adrenaline, which elevates blood pressure, cortisol, which leads to belly fat, and aldosterone, which causes fluid retention.

Make a point of taking time every day to relax. This doesn’t mean slumping in front of TV, but using tried and tested formal relaxation techniques, like yoga, meditation, or visualisation.

n Dr Mohammad Azizur Rahman The smokers are not just addicted to nicotine; they are in love with the act of lighting up due to its learned behaviour.

HEALTH Recent studies indiFLASH cate that smokers will die 7-9 years earlier than a non smoker.

Another recent study determined that male smokers may live about 18 years more if they did not smoke, or if they stopped smoking at an early age.

Studies have concluded that about 90% of all lung cancers are seen in smokers. Smokers have a 3-5 times more likelihood of getting heart attack than non-smokers.

Indirect effects of smoking, or passive smoking, also harms innocents.

These innocent members of the family of a smokers suffer the adverse effects, and experience an increased frequency of pneumonia, bronchitis, and other respiratory tract symptoms when compared to people who

BIGSTOCK

have investigated, or breathlessness that is new or persistent, or any chest pain.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

Many of us know saturated fats as “bad” fats, but new research has led experts to question whether they are

It is estimated that around one-third of us have already developed some form of heart disease, most often high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol. The good news! There are so many things you can do to reduce your risk.

What can be done?

BIGSTOCK

Know about good fats

These fats tend to be liquid at room temperature, like oils. PUFAs can help reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease by helping improve cholesterol. Try: l 1 tablespoon safflower, corn, sunflower, soy, cottonseed, or other vegetable or nut oil (14g fat, 502kJ)

BIGSTOCK

The mortality rate for lung cancer sufferers is high largely due to it not getting diagnosed early enough. It has vague symptoms, such as a persistent cough and shortness of breath as well as coughing up blood. For those who have lung cancer that is confined to the lungs, the average survival period is 18-24 months.

FOOD THERAPY

Fat is always thought as bad. It’s not true, but we are used to consuming fats in our daily life that are not good for health. The fact is, we can’t live without fats.

Fats are an important part of a

Protect yourself from heart diseases

Delayed diagnosis

Symptoms

Lung cancer is difficult to spot as it has vague symptoms, and no proper screening scheme has been developed. This means it is often not detected until it is well advanced. Often the sufferer will believe they just have a bad cough because the symptoms are due to a blocking of the airways, the patient gets cough, or shortness of breath, or pain. The other sign is weight loss. Lung cancer can make people feel unwell, and a patient can start losing weight.

Though if coughing continues, becomes painful or affects the breathing that’s a sign to see a doctor. A persistent cough, or coughing up blood is something that is really important to

QUICK TIPS

avoided by strong will, and quitting smoking. Even for those who already have disease, there are benefits of quitting. For all good reasons, break up your affair with smoking. l The writer is an Assistant Professor in Respiratory Medicine at MH Samorita Medical College & Hospital

Whittle your waist Weight gain around your middle is strongly linked to metabolic syndrome, a condition characterised by elevated blood pressure, reduced insulin sensitivity, lower HDL (‘good’) cholesterol, and higher triglycerides.

Be happy and know it The links between anger, hostility, depression and anxiety and cardiovascular health are well documented; a positive attitude, on the other hand, has tangible heart benefits.

Consciously choose to turn that frown upside down. l

| Compiled by: Shirsho Saaeadat

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Heritage

Saturday, May 31, 2013

9

A tale of two countries Britain in Bangladesh: Bangladesh in Britain

W n Tim Steel

ith a mutual history that can be readily documented for over 500 years, there is a great deal of common heritage to share. That, on both sides, there lingers some antagonism and suspicion seems a pity. But then, maybe we know each other just a little bit too well!

Upon reflecting on this long standing relationship, it is easy to call to mind that old poem of GK Chesterton, that includes the lines: “I knew no harm of Bonaparte, but plenty of the squire, and for to fight the Frenchman I did not much desire.” Perhaps it can be true, that familiarity breeds contempt. But, if there is any element of that in this old relationship, perhaps it is time to reassess, even revisit.

The mutual relationship may well have been one in which people of Bangladesh would perhaps, as Roman mercenaries and wealthy merchants have been originally, in the more dominant role. They are now, finally, reviving once again, as Members of UK Parliament in Britain. This relationship, might as well, in fact, go back over 2,000 years.

Just as Britons could have been in the crews of merchant men trading in the Ganges Delta and the lands of Bangladesh all those ages ago – more likely as slaves than as masters – it may also be speculated, since we have reason to believe that men of Gangaridai were known to be in the Roman army in Galatia in first century BCE, they could also have been in the Roman army in Britain around that time.

Although both speculations are, simply, just speculations, they are not idle ones. Slaves in merchant crews of the Greeks and Romans came from many places, and since we know that Phoenician traders were visiting Britain from, at least, the early centuries AD, the purchase of slaves from there is highly probable. And, certainly, British slaves were in international markets from at least the time of Caesar’s “visit” in 55BCE.

From the late 15th century arrival in India of Vasco Da Gama, it is clear that Indian sailors became regular members of the crews of European ships travelling between India and Europe.

Becoming known as lascars, from the Arabic, “al-askar,” meaning soldier, which the Portuguese rapidly adapted to “lascarim,” we cannot be certain when the first of those from Bengal, as the lands that are now Bangladesh were then known, actually arrived in Britain.

However, since both political and commercial relations between Britain and Portugal were excellent in the late 16th century, with over 300 years of history behind them, it was probably long before Fitch’s voyage that the first lascar brought stories of the flourishing trade in the lands to London.

Indeed, it is not unreasonable to suppose that the notion of the potential for trade with India, the Spice Islands, and the Ganges Delta came, at least in part, from the stories of such sailors.

The presence of lascars as a part of the crew of British merchant ships rapidly developed. So rapidly, in fact, that despite the turbulence of the Civil War in Britain, so numerous were lascars aboard British ships, that in 1660 the English Parliament passed the Navigation Act, requiring crews of British ships to be, at least, 75% British.

The number of lascars grew, as the trade, especially of the East India Company, founded in 1600 in London, grew rapidly. The number of the British crews who fell sick and died, during voyages, or in India, or deserted to seek their fortunes, required them to be replaced by locally recruited seamen. And, it seems, there was no shortage of them.

The wars in Europe, and the American war of Independence, towards the end of the 18th century, with the British Navy active in both, and recruiting from merchant ships by whatever means further increased the need for these lascars, especially on merchant ships, and particularly the ships of the East India Company.

In 1786, The Committee for Relief of Black Poor was set up to support lascars left in London – so bad, the living conditions of the Asian and African sailors, who represented a significant proportion of ship workers in the UK appeared.

We can be fairly sure that from as early as the end of seventeenth century, agents of the East India Company were living in Dhaka

Equally, we know the Romans specialised in ensuring that their, “Auxiliaries,” mercenaries, were posted far from home to avoid collusion with local trouble makers, both speculations have their potential.

However, the visit of Ralph Fitch, an English merchant, provides us with the first well documented visit of a Briton to Bangladesh, arriving in about 1584.

However, it may well be, instead, that the first visitor to Britain from Bangladesh could have arrived, also in the 16th century.

By 1813, there were believed to be over 10,000 “Indian lascars in London. By 1855, 12,000 were arriving, annually.

Clearly, not all of these lascars, who had already begun to create communities in the ports of Britain, came from the lands that are now Bangladesh, but there is little doubt that a significant proportion, if not the majority, certainly did.

This is not in the least because it was the east coast, and especially Bengal, that was the operating centre

WIKIMEDIA

of trade. And it was the men of Bengal, and, especially, the adjoining State of Assam, who had most experience in navigation and working ships. They, after all, were heirs to an ancient heritage of river trade, down rivers that, for much of the year, at flood times, resembled oceans more than conventional rivers. They had nautical adventuring in their blood and bloodlines, and proved not hard to recruit for maritime adventures. They also developed an aversion to such land based labour as tea picking in the rapidly developing plantations, and other agricultural work at home.

It was, almost certainly, as early as the second half of the 18th century that some of the lascars acquired British wives, and settled in Britain.

In the lands of Bangladesh, meanwhile, the British had arrived in growing numbers. The main location of their settlements were, certainly, in what is now West Bengal, or Poschim Bongo as it is now called, but we can be fairly sure, not in the least from some of the memorials in the Narinda cemetery on the edge of Old Dhaka, that from as early as the end of seventeenth century, agents of the East India Company were living in Dhaka.

So, whilst the real beginnings of the development of this rather unique relationship may have begun with migrants on both sides somewhat at

the mercy of the rulers where they had chosen to settle, it took less long for the British in Bangladesh to find their feet, or, we might say, their thrones, than it has taken the Bangladeshis in Britain.

There is little doubt that the difference between them was that the British heading to the lands of Bangladesh tended to be scapegraces, whose families were glad to see them far away; indeed, often paying them to stay that far away. The Bangladeshis in Britain, on the other hand, may have included those fleeing just for anti social behaviour, but certainly included brave adventurers.

It was, of course, almost an accident by which the British, with the defeat of Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula in 1765, for which, being British, they paid good money, and stirred up trouble to achieve, gained their great influence in these lands that are now Bangladesh.

It appears from reports of the battle that the British fought, largely, by standing by and watching the inhabitants of the lands of Bangladesh defeat each other.

With fine opportunism, they then followed up that success, let’s not call it a victory, by blackmailing the weakened Mughal ruler in Delhi into giving them financial control over his lands in north-east India.

From that point on, at least until the end of the 18th century, fortune

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

hunters streamed from Britain to the lands that are now Bangladesh. And many of them certainly returned home with the fortunes they sought.

The Act of Permanent Settlement marked the beginning of a new era of Company management, and recruits from Britain, well trained administrators, began to arrive. A stream of colonial administrators and soldiers that continued until 1947, brought with them investment in the land that is Bangladesh; the results of which are still clear, even today, with roads, railways transport and communications, schools,

readily accessible to the Bangladeshis settled in Britain, and by then, British wives for British settlers in Bangladesh was no longer much of an issue.

The ambivalent view of today’s Bangladeshis in Bangladesh of a Britain few have actually visited, might, it could be argued, derive in part from a sense of abandonment that an older generation of Bangladeshis continue to feel, post independence; a sense that may, perhaps, also derive, in part, from the “Pakistan mistake” left behind, and the anguish of its unravelling.

The number of lascars grew, as the trade, especially of the East India Company, founded in 1600 in London, grew rapidly colleges, hospitals, amongst them.

The first “lascar to make any significant mark in London was probably the Bihari, Sake/Sheik Dean Mahomet, who in 1810 founded what was to become one of the best known and most fashionable coffee shops in London, the Hindoostane Coffee House. He is also credited with introducing alkaline soap, shampoo, and therapeutic massage to the fashionable of Georgian London.

He may not have hailed from Bangladesh, but there is no doubting that he enjoyed rather more than a passing acquaintance with those lands as a successful captain in East India Company service.

It is not hard to believe that he was soon followed by successful Sylheti entrepreneurs. There are certainly records of migrants from Sylhet, amongst other parts of Bangladesh, working in London restaurants by 1873. And by 1914, and the outbreak of World War 1, there were known to be over 50,000 lascars settled in London, the majority of whom were from the lands of Bangladesh, especially Sylhet.

For the most part, these settlers took British wives, since there were few Bangalee women living in Britain at the time. Even there, it may be reasonable to speculate that, in much the same way that early British settlers in Bangladesh settled into unconventional relationships with local women, many of the settlers in Britain may well, also, have formed similar relationships.

Thus, many of the descendants of early relationships at both ends were of Anglo Indian origin, a phenomenon, it might be suggested, which was more readily embraced in Britain, than in Bangladesh. It was not until the 1970s that Bangalee brides were

In Britain, Bangladeshis have had to survive a period in which the “poor whites” of a declining Imperial power sought to take out their sense of loss with a rise in racism. But, for the most part, it seems reasonable to argue that Bangladeshi Britons have not only survived that, but also have firmly established themselves in the society of Britain today. Even the City of London has officially renamed the Spitalfields area as “Spitalfields and Banglatown.”

In business, especially through restauranteurs, bankers, entrepreneurs; in government and politics; in the arts, culture and education, across the whole landscape of British society today, Bangladeshi Britons are leaving their mark. Just as, over the centuries, other waves of migrants have done before them.

Britain, like Bangladesh, is a nation of myriad, diverse cultures; it has always been good at embracing that diversity, welcoming refugees, and creating strength with their contribution. Someday, perhaps, Bangladesh will also learn, what their ancestors in Gangaridai, and its successor, trading based kingdoms certainly knew; that diversity represents the possibility of strength and growth.

What is certain is that the Bangladesh of today has economic growth rates Britain can only envy. Who knows how soon aid and development financing could well reverse its present direction? What is also certain is that a common history binds us, and denying it undermines both of our nations, that in decline, and that in the ascent. l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Saturday, May 31, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Make better use of state-owned assets

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he government’s plan to sell stakes in 26 jute mills by the end of this year is long overdue.

In the last four years, the government has sold stakes in only two companies – Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited and Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) – despite an announcement in January 2010 that it would sell shares in over two dozen different enterprises.

Bureaucracy, political reluctance and fluctuations in the share market have all been blamed for slow progress. It is not acceptable that the taxpayer should be having to bankroll so many loss-making state-owned enterprises. This is particularly so in sectors such as banking and airlines where it has been proven time and again that their private sector equivalents are far better managed.

The government has to improve accountability so loss-making SOEs do not continue to languish under the expectation that bailouts will always be available.

We need to allocate state resources more efficiently. Privatisation offers the most straightforward way to increase incentives to help failing state-owned businesses to cut losses.

Another is to review the large amount of land controlled by SOEs and the government , which are not currently being used productively. It is an unacceptable waste of scarce resources to leave land underutilised.

Such land should be set aside or leased for new special economic zones, inviting new technology and foreign direct investment, and to help with vitally needed RMG relocations.

The nation cannot afford to squander scarce funds on inefficient subsidies, which could be far better spent on education and healthcare.

Allocate resources more efficiently through privatisation and leasing land for SEZs

Reduce maternal deaths

M

aternal mortality rates are still needlessly high in the country.

Over 6,848 women die in childbirth each year. While Bangladesh is on course to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality by three quarters by 2015, with its rate having declined by two thirds over the past two decades, deaths still stand at c.170 per 100,000 live births.

Government reports suggest that with the rate declining by around 5% per year, we may hope to reduce maternal mortality to 63 per 100,000 live births by 2030.

Most deaths during childbirth arise out of complications relating to bleeding during delivery, epilepsy, and obstructions during labour.

Although most births are successfully delivered outside hospitals and health centres, it remains vital to ensure more access to midwives and skilled birth attendants via community clinics and local welfare facilities.

The key to bringing down mortality lies not in institutionalising more women during childbirth, but in increasing the provision of pre-natal care so all women receive medical check-ups during pregnancy.

At present, three-quarters of mothers do not receive any regular check-ups during pregnancy. This dramatically increases the likelihood that preventable complications are not noticed in time.

Treatable factors such as anemia and jaundice are also exacerbated by poor nutrition and lack of awareness among expectant mothers.

Improving education, and making better use of local networks to ensure all pregnant women receive pre-natal support, is essential if we are to bring down the rate of unnecessary deaths.

The key lies in the provision of prenatal care

Be heard Write to Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email letters.dt@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

Notes from Ukraine May 25

vhs Great to hear from someone in Kiev talking about this. It can get pretty difficult distinguishing fact and propaganda for those looking at the region from the outside.

Hasib Mahmud Cheap piece of writing. I didn’t find a single line in

Cox’s Bazar to have special ‘economic zone’ May 25, 2014

vihan Currently Cox’s Bazar beach is one of the most disgusting and polluted tourist spots in the universe. Thus, regarding development in Cox’s Bazar, I suggest the honourable minister start by (1) Organising an adequate garbage collecting and garbage processing system; (2) Designing an adequate drainage system; (3) Demanding that all hotels and guest houses treat their liquid (human) waste before pumping it in the open drainage and paddy fields, thus creating a serious risk for public health; (4) Demanding shop owners and restaurants clean up the direct environment around their businesses (or face closure); (5) Stopping illegal encroachment of the beach area by so called “businessmen” involved in selling shells and handicrafts; (6) Investigating widespread corruption by the police allowing dishonest businessmen to encroach the beach area; (7) Ensuring security at the beach area by removing illegal settlements of Rohingya refugees, hundreds of beggars, prostitutes, and drug addicts from the beach area; (8) Ensuring security at the beach area by banning speedboats and beach bikes from the overpopulated beach (speedboats and beach bikes should only operate in special zones); (9) Severely punishing people who defecate openly on the beach; (10) Ensuring that tourists are using dustbins at the beach and punishing them if they litter in the open, and (11) stopping deforestation at the beach area by illegal fishermen and Rohingya settlers etc.

Bangladesh-India relations May 25

Md Nuruzzaman In 1996 the then Al-led government signed the Ganges agreement for 30 years with the Indian government, headed by BJP. Brilliant job – so, why is Bangladesh not getting a minimum of the river flow it should be getting during the dry season, though India has sufficient water and they divert it to other parts of their country? Why has the Teesta barrage got the lowest water level in its history, and why did we have to hold a long march for water-sharing, after which more water was released to us, though eventually? 23 different goods have tax free entrance in India. Then why are goods like sugar, onions, saris, cows etc coming into Bangladesh illegally and some other goods are entering India illegally?

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 8 represents F so fill F every time the figure 8 appears.

You have two letters in the control grid to start you off. Enter them in appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

As you get the letters, fill in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check off the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

your line about the presence right wing neo-Nazis in the protest. vhs Hasib Mahmud: She actually does mention it. She says the so-called fascists were part of the incorrect picture that much of the outside world has been fed.

Random thoughts on language and literacy May 23

SA Mansoor When we talk about literacy, we usually think in terms of one’s ability to read and write. The ability to write in the language one can read is, however, not often considered. Co-relating linguistic ability with “education” is a different matter altogether. One may have the ability to read and write in the same language, but the level may vary depending on one’s educational and social background. However, there is a gulf of real difference between the knowing of any language and being functionally literate in it.

More often than not, language spills across political boundaries, and people in border zones are usually verbal and comprehend the language that may be quite different across the border. Then there are some languages that can be understood by a majority of people in a number of countries or regions, primarily English; the other two are French and German. However, in science and technology, all three are fairly widespread. Following World War 2, these languages have played a big role in the electronic and communication age, dominated by computer and electronic developments, of which the internet is the most common and well-known example. Considering this aspect, the roles of Japanese, Chinese and possibly Russian can also no longer be ignored.

In this respect, we in Bangladesh are unfortunately left out of this global science and technological development, since we abandoned the heritage of our strength in English. By ignoring English, we have gone headlong with the emphasis on Bangla, which is genuinely rich in the arts, especially literature. This is a disadvantage both in international political discussions and in interactions, so that we are, more or less, orphans in the rapidly expanding world of science and technology.

Having said that, Bangla, as our national language, deserves due importance and position, but not at the expense of uprooting English, a recognised international language. Today the level of English taught at the secondary level of education is decidedly inferior to what we were taught in class five back in the mid-1840s. We are very determinedly ignoring this important global language.

I have no idea about Pakistan, but our neighbour, India, still retains a far better position in the teaching and learning of English. I feel that, in some ways, we neglected and, thus, have lost our potential in learning English. Will the authorities concerned look seriously into this matter, and give due importance to the learning of English, for the sake of our national interest?

SUDOKU How to solve: 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.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Annoy (3) 3 Ran away (4) 6 Leave out (4) 7 Kitchen utensil (3) 9 Stringed instrument (4) 10 Enemy (3) 11 Dry (4) 13 Radiolocation (5) 16 Vital organ (5) 18 Innermost part (4) 19 Little devil (3) 20 Cavity (4) 21 Indicate assent (3) 23 Malarial fever (4) 24 Christmas (4) 25 Metal-bearing rock (3)

DOWN 1 Serpent (5) 2 Greek letter (3) 4 Burden (4) 5 Immerse (3) 6 Tender (5) 8 Lowest point (5) 9 Employ (4) 12 Bird (5) 14 Drug-yielding plant (4) 15 Indian monetary unit (5) 17 Long narrow elevation (5) 18 Aid to detection (4) 20 Female bird (3) 22 Rowing implement (3)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Are you going to eat that?

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

May 23

PEANUTS

nds What is the way out? What we can do at best is to stop eating such fruits, but then what should we eat? Vegetables, fish, bakery products, sweets, flour, milk, and milk powder, are all adulterated.

Then should we stop eating all together? Yes, that we can do, and die out of starvation, in which case we can survive a maximum of one week. On the other hand, if we continue to eat the afore-mentioned foods, and die by slow poisoning, we would survive more or less 50 years, if not more. What then is the better option?

There is the obvious alternative of course, for the government to take effective administrative measures to stop this nuisance. But where the government itself is cultivating nuisance then we can hardly expect them to do anything about the adulteration. So, we are, in fact, left with no option but to surrender to the slow poisoning!

Ruhel Collective local farming is the answer. Then these large syndicates and corporations will understand. More awareness is needed, especially in rural Bangladesh. Transparency in tests and results is another must.

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

Op-Ed

DHAKA TRIBUNE

11

Saturday, May 31, 2014

The Article 370 face-off n Faiz Rehman

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The need for guidelines

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n Ekram Kabir nce again, the media in Bangladesh has been criticised by top government leaders. First, the information minister expressed his discontent over the media’s excesses. He claimed the media looks quite unfair when the journalists try to get reactions from the grieving relatives of a person or persons killed in disasters or accidents.

Yes, the minister is right to a great extent. There have been moments when we journalists didn’t think whether it was okay to talk to the people who might be grieving a death, lying wounded in the hospital. Questions can be raised on such actions of ours in the past.

Then the prime minister herself commented that there was a need for broadcasting policies for Bangladesh media (especially for the electronic media). She claimed some journalists haven’t been providing accurate information while writing their news stories. Both the prime minister and the information minister claimed that the media in Bangladesh was enjoying its freedom.

Well, I agree with the first part of the minister’s and the prime minister’s statements, but what they claim about the media being free may not be all that true. Being able to do interviews without thinking, and writing news stories without proper attribution, and

the government not preventing them from doing that don’t actually mean that the media is free. In doing that, the media men, sometimes, aren’t following the ethics of journalism.

To my mind, the reason behind this practice is, perhaps, the absence of editorial policies or guidelines in the media organisations in this country.

What editorial policy does, is explain how the journalists should select and review their own work. It also distinguishes advertising and sponsored content from editorial content, how financial or other influences from outside our company affect the organisations.

boundaries between contributors and content creators.

If we have any editorial guidelines, like many renowned media organisations in the world, the journalists, for that matter all content creators, would be bound to follow those guidelines.

For example, a guideline would equip us to be able to build trust as independent, impartial, and honest media workers.

It would allow us to establish the truth of what has happened, and our commitment to achieve due accuracy in all our output. The BBC editorial guidelines, for example, say: “Accuracy is not simply a matter of getting

Journalists must balance their right to broadcast innovative and challenging content with the responsibility to protect the vulnerable from harm

Fairness is one of the most important elements that journalists need to adopt in their work. Fairness ensures transparency in news gathering, reporting, and other content creation and share the reasons for important editorial and programming choices.

Fairness also protects the editorial process from the fact and appearance of undue influence and setting careful

facts right; when necessary, we will weigh relevant facts and information to get at the truth. Our output, as appropriate to its subject and nature, will be well-sourced, based on sound evidence, thoroughly tested, and presented in clear, precise language.

We will strive to be honest and open about what we don’t know and avoid unfounded speculation.”

An editorial policy can also teach us how to deal with children, the physically and mentally challenged, as well as wounded persons. The journalists do aim to reflect the world as it is, but they must balance their right to broadcast innovative and challenging content with the responsibility to protect the vulnerable from harm and avoid unjustifiable offence. It would also create an awareness on how to uphold public interest, how to respect privacy without infringing on it without good reason.

Side by side with having a written editorial policy, a particular media organisation, perhaps, may do well by monitoring whether its journalists are actually following it. Monitoring would consolidate the impact of having a policy in place. At the same time, in-house trainings, in the light of the editorial guidelines might do wonders for a media organisation. Training would certainly minimise the risks of making mistakes while reporting.

When the minister says “the media looks quite unfair,” in some situations, he has many reasons to comment like that. We journalists have many a time hemmed and hawed while performing our duty in the past. Having an editorial guideline doesn’t mean that it would limit freedom or openness. It would actually make us more equipped to be free in a responsible manner, the way our audience visualises us to be. l Ekram Kabir is Executive Editor of Natunbarta.com.

he BJP led dispensation has got to work. However, no sooner had ministers taken up positions and oaths administered, that certain individuals raked up a couple of points that are proving extremely contentious.

First, Jitendra Singh, who is part of the PMO as minister of state, decided to openly state his party’s (and a lot of mainland India’s to be fair to him) stance on Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that grants fairly broad autonomy to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Critics will scoff at the idea of J&K being autonomous, and that is an entirely different discussion. The special status of J&K is enshrined in law. And it is this law that the BJP wants debated, and in an ideal BJP world, repealed, thus bringing J&K completely under the Indian fold.

Reactions to such a thought, as expected, ranged from shrill belligerence to outrageous rancour. The current chief minister of J&K, Omar Abdullah, who is as much a prince-ling in his home state as Rahul Gandhi, one of his closest mates, is in India, tweeted in response: “Mark my words and save this tweet – long after Modi Govt is a distant memory either J&K won’t be a part of India or Art 370 will still exist.” Expectedly, Modi fans came out in droves to defend their man, the country, its borders and integrity. And then called for a renewed debate.

Mehbooba Mufti, leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the opposition in J&K added her thoughts: “It is an established fact that Art 370 has acquired a permanent status in the Constitution of India, it is not advisable even to open a debate on it keeping in view its crucial nature in the relationship between the state and the union.”

What complicates the situation is that Mufti is a BJP ally. She is at once loathe to push the wrong buttons on a man as allegedly authoritarian as Modi, but any support for the abrogation of Article 370 would leave her, and her party, in tatters in the Valley where anti-India sentiment is widespread. Omar Abdullah couldn’t help himself and had to take a swipe at Mufti. He reached out for his twitter and tweeted: “What is the PDP getting agitated about? They were the ones who worked to benefit the BJP in the state with the tacit understanding.”

So while Mufti frets, and Omar twits, tweets, chit chats, the rest of the nation has rallied behind the BJP and supported the idea of a debate on the validity of an article that critics and historians say was a temporary measure, and in no way meant to be enshrined into eternity.

Expect more fireworks and fiery words from J&K in the coming months.

No sooner had the embers dimmed in the Article 370 issue that the BJP made another subtle, but hugely more significant move. The previous government at the centre was, as has been established, quite fond of making laws.

Laws to supercede other laws, and then yet another law that overrode the law that came before it. And it was still the most paralysed parliament we have had in decades. Go figure.

Along with the Rights to Employ-

ment (MNREGA), education (RTE), information (RTI), and myriad others like including Jats in the OBC quota and Jains in the minority segment, the Congress-led UPA had another wonderful law lurking – The Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill 2013. Put simply, the bill is a move to curb communal violence and murder instigated by, well, communalism. A noble effort which is doomed to failure say its supporters, a harebrained ghettoisation of Indians based on religious lines according to detractors.

The opposition, which is now formed (in the lower house at least), of “secular” parties should see the Congress lead the way in stridently demanding its passing as the need of the hour. The BJP, quite rightly, shall dig in its heels to ensure this bill never sees the light of day, says a BJP source considered close to the party leadership. He went on to say: “The bill represents the Congress way of doing politics. They use the British system of divide and conquer, and will continue doing that since they have no original politics as seen in their tenure”.

Narendra Modi, intrigue is thy name. The nation looks forward to your next move

India is a nation of laws. We have laws for everything that a layman can think of, and laws that most people wouldn’t even wonder about. And then we make new laws. Take the horrific gang rape in New Delhi in 2012. The nation seethed with anger and poured out to storm the roads that lead to Raisina Hill (which leads to the Presidents House). The government (UPA) hemmed, hawed, ignored them until it could do so no more, and in its wisdom decided to include capital punishment for gang rape under certain circumstances. Voices raised in incredulity then were targeted as sexist despite them pointing out that criminal sections of the Indian Penal Code already had sufficient punishments for the crime within. The issue was implementation of the law. The selective application of existing laws by a demoralised and highly politicised police force was the issue. Instead of attempting law enforcement and investigative reform, the government decided to give police even wider ranging powers that they could now misuse, or just ignore.

The Congress led UPA could therefore be summed up by the saying, “Makes laws not war.” Or perhaps, like the BJP worker laughingly said, “Make laws and be merry.”

Narendra Modi, intrigue is thy name.

The nation looks forward to your next move. l Faiz Rehman is a Communications Consultant. He writes from Delhi.

Who will build and operate Rooppur? n Abdul Matin

Q

ualified and trained manpower is an essential prerequisite for the implementation of a nuclear power program. Nuclear power has some special necessities like safety, requirement of nuclear laws and regulations, strict quality assurance and control, huge capital investments, long-term commitment, nuclear fuel and waste management, application of nuclear safeguards and other international obligations, which require special considerations.

Consequently, management of nuclear power projects, the enforcement of nuclear regulations, and operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants require special knowledge, experience, and skills like in no other industry.

It is natural that for a country like Bangladesh, building its first nuclear power plant will lack qualified and skilled manpower. It is possible to appoint foreign consultants and sign turn-key contracts with foreign vendors to build its first nuclear power plant, but without indigenous and skilled manpower the safety and reliability of the nuclear plant cannot be guaranteed. The authority to make policy decisions and the enforcement of nuclear safety cannot be delegated to a foreign agency.

To start off, planning for nuclear power requires a small group of highly qualified engineers trained in nuclear power technology. It may be a small group but their qualifications and experience should match those of the consultant and the vendor. Without a qualified group, it is not possible for any country to take knowledge-based policy decisions or negotiate reasonably fair contracts with any consultant or vendor. Under no circumstances should the consultant or the vendor be allowed to make decisions on behalf of the owner.

It is very important to appreciate that development of manpower for a nuclear power program requires long lead times, at least 10 years before planned start of construction of the first nuclear power plant. Initially, a small knowledgeable cell is formed to make policy decisions. The group will then be gradually enlarged to carry out the pre-project and project activities, regulatory functions and finally form the operation and the maintenance team of the first nuclear plant. The cell or the group can be formed either under the national atomic energy commission or an electric supply authority.

The importance of the pre-project group should not be undermined as they perform very important tasks including long-term energy planning,

nuclear power planning, including the sizes and schedules of the proposed plants, development of the legal framework and regulatory infrastructure, pre-feasibility, and siting studies.

When pre-project activities are complete, the project management team takes over to carry out the project activities which include selection of sites, preparation of feasibility studies, environmental impact assessment studies, preparation of bid documents, evaluation of bids and contract negotiations, and finally plant construction.

Nuclear power has some special necessities like safety, quality control, huge capital There is a misconception among policymakers about the qualifications and experiences of manpower needed for a nuclear power program. Many believe that any research scientist with a PhD in any branch of nuclear science is an expert on nuclear power. This is not true. Research in nuclear science and technology is completely different

from building, operating, and regulating nuclear reactors. While research scientists and engineers act as think tanks for nuclear power, the construction, operation, and regulation work are done mainly by mechanical, electrical, and civil engineers with MS or specialised training in nuclear engineering.

The most intriguing problem in development of manpower is, in most cases, the lack of knowledgeable people to initiate the training program. Not many people are aware of the categories of people needed for a nuclear power program. It is therefore advisable that any country building its first nuclear power plant follow the IAEA guidebook on “Manpower Development for Nuclear Power,” as far as possible.

It should be remembered that not all trainees will be able to complete the training program. Some will drop out.

So, sufficient number of engineers/scientists must be trained in the beginning to compensate for the drop-outs. Moreover, training should be a continuous process to fill vacancies created by promotion or expansion of a program.

Bangladesh is going ahead with its plans to construct two 1000MWe nuclear reactors at Rooppur with Russian technical and financial assistance. Do we have enough people for project

management, nuclear regulation, and the operation and maintenance of the plant, who satisfy the qualifications and experience specified by the IAEA guidebook? The answer is “No.” Even the director-general of the IAEA, Yukiya Amano, said in an interview, “Bangladesh lacks in manpower.”

I first raised this issue at a roundtable discussion organised by the Association of BUET Alumni and The Daily Star in May 2009. I suggested the immediate recruitment and training of engineers for the Rooppur project.

Five years have passed since then, but no serious effort has been made in this direction. We have lost valuable time to recruit and train the people, particularly at senior levels.

It was necessary to recruit at least a dozen engineers with experience of five to 15 years in construction and operation of conventional power plants and train them in nuclear engineering.

The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) did not recruit a single engineer with similar experience. How can one expect the BAEC to construct and operate a 2000MWe nuclear power plant without any previous experience of construction of any large project?

It is possible that the BAEC had some internal or administrative problems to recruit senior and experienced engineers during the last five years.

With no experience of construction, the BAEC may also not appreciate the complexity and the enormity of a nuclear power project. It has, therefore, been proposed to form a separate nuclear power corporation to build, own, and operate nuclear power reactors in Bangladesh. Unlike the BAEC, which consists mostly of research scientists, the nuclear power corporation will be manned and managed by engineers, some with experience of construction and operation of large power or industrial plants. Until the formation of the nuclear power corporation, we should go slowly with the Rooppur project while vigourously continuing with the training of manpower as per the IAEA guidelines.

Last but not least, it should be pointed out that the nuclear industry entertains only the meritorious university graduates. Recruitment must, therefore, be based on merit only and no other considerations. Only meritorious, experienced, well-trained, and dedicated groups of engineers and scientists engaged in project management, nuclear regulation, and plant operation can ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operation of nuclear power plants. l Abdul Matin is a former chief engineer of the Atomic Energy Commission.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Arefin Shuvo excluded from Agnee 2 n Entertainment Desk

Bangladesh Nazrul Abritti Parishad (BNAP) organised a recital programme titled “Amar Apnar Cheye Apon Jey Jon” yesterday at the Shawkat Osman Memorial auditorium to celebrate the 115th birth anniversary of the National Poet.

The programme opened with a brief discussion on Nazrul, followed by recitation of poems. Nazrul connoisseur and BNAP president Nasim Ahmed presided the event.

Due to the pleasant weather conditions yesterday, the event saw a gathering of a large number of Nazrul exponents from around the country. The life, work and ideology of the rebel poet was cherished by all and a storm of applause followed each and every recital.

Around twenty three participants read out Nazrul’s poems bringing some of the finest recitals to the show.

“Bhoi Korio Na He Manob” an Islamic poem of Nazrul was

the glorious liberation war. “It was amazing how a few scores and wickets by the young Bangladeshi cricketers had resulted in ecstasy amongst 16 crore people,” said Nazlee. “These young cricketers who hadn’t seen much in their lives were the ones responsible for such joy for our country and its people.

Similarly, on the eve of March 25, 1971, many young boys left the shelter of their home to sacrifice their lives in the hope of bringing freedom for their fellow brethren,” she added.

Along with the World Cup, Nazlee also found creative inspiration from the book “Ekattor er Chithi”: “Everyday through various media we get to learn about the war of independence and my heart always

Iggy Azalea’s matches Beatles’ record n Entertainment Desk

Australian recording artist Iggy Azalea has scored both the number one and two spots in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, a feat achieved only once before – by the Beatles.

Azalea’s first single, “Fancy,” from her debut studio album “The New Classic,” took poll position, while she also featured on Ariana Grande’s track “Problem,” which charted at number two.

The Beatles set the record in February 1964 with “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You” at numbers one and two, respectively.

Azalea’s previous single “Change Your Life,” featuring TI, made it into the UK Top Ten, and the pair were invited to perform at this year’s Grammy awards ceremony.

The 23-year-old rapper, whose real name is Amethyst Amelia Kelly, rose to fame with YouTube hits “Pu$$y” and “Two Times.” After facing criticism last year for adopting an American accent while performing, Azalea responded in an interview with Complex magazine, saying: “Obviously there are people who rap in all kinds of accents. But for me, rapping is like singing: the breath patterns aren’t the same as when I’m talking, so it’s easier to change into whatever I want.” l

Today’s episode of “Seylon Gold Twenty20 Star” will showcase a battle between models and cricketers. The celebrity participants will engage in a question-answer fight to score the winning number.

The model team includes Nirob, Alif, Shorna, Emi, Mehjabin and Peya and the cricketers are Habibul Bashar, Javed Omar, Nasir Hossain, Imrul Kayes, Jesse and Taskin Ahmed.

The reality show will be aired tonight at 8pm on ATN Bangla. The game show is named after cricket’s popular form Twenty20 as each competing team faces 20 questions. All the participants of the show are film actors, sportsmen, television actors, directors, models and singers. The show commenced with six teams and 36 participants. Four teams will play the semi final round. The winning team will be announced as the “Star” of the show, while the celebrity who will give the highest number of correct answers will win the title of “Man of The Series.”

The show has been moderated by Naveed Mahbub. l

TODAY IN DHAKA Bornil Pandulipi Time: 12pm – 8pm Gallery Shilpangon Of Man and Earth II

By Artist Syed Jahangir Time: 12pm – 8pm Bengal Art Lounge Gulshan Avenue, Rd-131, Circle -1

Theatre

Dog, Woman, Man Time: 7pm – 9pm Goethe Institut Bangladesh Road 9(new), House 10 Dhanmondi R/A,

presented by Syed Al Jaber Ahmed, a power-packed recitation which was recognised instantly as a call to rise-up against the autocrats. Nasim Ahmed commanded the rebel poet’s “Bidrohi” with superior vocal skills, which filled the auditorium with his impassioned recital notes. The recital programme also included

SADIA MARIUM

Professor Bishwajit Ghosh, Dr Razia Sultana, educationalist Shaila Ahmed, poet Zakir Abu Zafar, Mohammed Yusuf and Mohammed Abdur Rahman Rakib.

To promote the verbal rendition of all the genres of Kazi Nazrul Islam’s literature, Dhaka Tribune was the media partner of the event. l

n Entertainment Desk

goes out to the families of those young freedom fighters. But this time during the World Cup, my love and feelings rose even more for my country. After reading the book “Ekattor er Chithi” (Letters from 1971), I couldn’t hold on to my emotions,” she stated.

Her heartfelt paintings depict the pain and fearlessness of the valiant freedom fighters with each of her canvases being attached with letters from “Ekattor er Chithi,” to allow viewers a full, and honest portrayal of the stories behind each painting. “I am hoping that these soulful words of the young brave fighters remain in the hearts of each and every one of us so that we never forget and that we teach our new generations of children of the immense sacrifices that were made to build this nation. My work also celebrates the rich culture that Bangladesh has to offer - that the boys were fighting for so dearly.

I have also portrayed my love for the Creator and the beauty of His creation in the form of art. It is because of the freedom fighters I am liberated - I am able to express myself through my paint brush,” she said.

The exhibition is open until June 25. l

Exhibition

Nazrul exponents pay tribute to the National Poet

Cricketers vs models

Liberated – a tribute to the brave fighters of 1971

Nusrat Jahan Nazlee recently inaugurated her fifth solo exhibition aptly titled “Liberated” on May 23, at Radius Centre, Gulshan. Her collection of paintings is inspired by the struggles of the 1971 liberation war. An innovative artist whose calligraphy and floral work brought her to the art world’s attention, her current collection is a small tribute from her part as an artist to hold on to the memories of the brave fighters of 1971.

Initially inspired by the proud moment when Bangladesh hosted the cricket world cup, Nazlee felt the same fierce pride and devotion to her motherland that was evident during

Bangladesh Nazrul Abritti Parishad celebrates Nazrul’s birthday n Shadma Malik

After the huge success of “Agnee,” the production company Jaaz Multimedia and director Iftakar Chowdhury decided to go for a sequel titled “Agnee 2.” In a conversation with the director, Dhaka Tribune learned that Arefin Shuvo, who was the male protagonist of the previous film is excluded from “Agnee 2.” The director also refused to reveal the name of the male lead for the upcoming flick to keep the audience guessing. However, Mahiya Mahi has secured her place in the sequel, confirmed Iftakar.

“Agnee” ended with a positive note and “Agnee 2” will take off from there and will conclude in a more interesting manner, leaving an opening for another movie in the “Agnee” franchise.

Iftakar said: “We will make ‘Agnee 2’ more exciting and upbeat. Everything about the upcoming flick will be better than before, including the music, action, location, background music and colour correction. Also, many new technological innovations will be used for ‘Agnee 2.’ We were unable to use these facilities for ‘Agnee’ due to unavoidable obstacles.”

Like its forerunner, the sequel will also be shot abroad because of the positive audience response to “Agnee” which was shot in Thailand.

The shooting of the film will start from September. l

n N Anita Amreen

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Musical Soiree

An Evening of Sitar Recital Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm IGCC Gulshan-1 Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) House 35, Road 24 Gulshan 1

Auporbo and Momo in Shukher Betha n Entertainment Desk A single episode play “Shukher Betha” will air at 9pm tonight on NTV. The plot revolves around a dissatisfied couple Arko and Ruma. Both of them are stuck in a loveless and unhappy marriage, but refuses to walk away from the relationship. A frustrated Arko shares his state of affairs with his friend Purna, who just arrived from abroad with a degree in psychology. Arko is so bitter with his marriage that he seeks help from Purna to kill Ruma. Purna advic-

Pompeii: Nature’s 3D photograph and Hollywood’s old wine

Film

300 Rise of an Empire The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Children of War Pompeii (3D) The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (3D) Level 8, Bashundhara City 13/3 Ka Panthopath

New Sin City poster banned for being too sexy n Entertainment Desk According to the New York Post’s Page Six, a new poster of “Sin City” has been banned by the Motion Picture Association of American (MPAA) for being too sexy.

The movie, “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,” stars French actress Eva Green who appears in the poster wearing a revealing thin, white gown and holding a gun.

The Guardian newspaper reports that it is a “fittingly controversial image” for a film that has “became notorious for its ultra violence.”

The first film of the series starred Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba and Clive Owen in an ensemble cast shot in the style of a gritty, crime-laden comic book by Frank Miller.

The sequel is based on the second of the books in Miller’s series and centres on a dangerous love triangle between Green and her co-stars.

The film is co-directed by Miller and Robert Rodriguez, who shot it in 3D. He told Entertainment Weekly recently: “There’s something about the way ‘Sin City’ works that I thought would lend itself very well to 3D because the images are so stripped down and abstract, you almost can see it better in 3D. It’ll be really cool.” l

es Akro not to take such a drastic step as it will draw unwanted attention and complications. Instead, she suggests that he slow-poison Ruma which will gradually kill her. However, she agrees on helping Arko under one condition only, she demands that he treats Ruma like a queen for the remaining duration of her life.

“Shukher Betha” is written by Shafiqur Rahman Shantanu and directed by Chayanika Chowdhury. The drama features Apurbo, Momo and Nazneen Hasan Chumki in lead roles. l

n Mosabber Rahman “Pompeii” is a poor boy/rich girl love story, couched in a gladiator action drama, couched in an apocalyptic disaster movie - like those Russian nesting dolls. But it all happens so quickly it feels as if half the movie is missing. I have watched the story of the destruction of Pompeii many times on National Geographic and Discovery Channel, my mom is a big fan, and for her and many others it’s the ultimate metaphor of the end of the world. I was hoping for an authentic reconstruc-

tion of the city and its people, in the spirit of Werner Herzog’s “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” a brilliant 3D documentary about the oldest human paintings.

Love Story: There is little logic in an aristocratic girl falling madly in love with a slave-gladiator just because he is a good horseman. Then there is the rich villain who wants to marry the girl, and kill the hero (incidentally he is also responsible for the massacre of the hero’s people). Gladiator Action Drama: The hero is brought to the city to fight their best gladiator, a slave promised to set free if he kills the hero. For me, this guy is the best thing in the movie, everyone else seems miscast. Consequently, something happens and he becomes best friends with the hero. By the way, the second best thing in the movie is the heroine’s best friend and assistant, and the third best thing is the villain’s right hand man (of course we often see him standing on the left hand side but that’s alright). Strangely, the strongest characters are the “assistants.”

Apocalyptic Disaster Movie: At the end, the gargantuan Mount Vesuvius erupts and engulfs everything. We have to work to earn our living and in the process we get stressed out, so in our free time we buy tickets and watch a movie to get unstressed. There were about thirty others with me in the theater, plus it was raining from morning.

All we want is a decent movie. Hollywood please do a better job next time. I remember someone was very angry with me because I revealed that the “Titanic” sank. Well, it sank. And everyone died at Pompeii. There you go, I have said it. If you did not know that or that Jesus Christ always dies in the movies, then the only person who will be happy is - Charles Darwin. l

Did you know?

Germany’s opening group game against Portugal at the 2014 World Cup will be thier 100th in the finals - more than any other team

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Sport

Hopeful Mushfiq invites pressure onto himself National cricket team captain Mushfiqur Rahim recently expressed his disappointment over the 15-man Indian squad announced for the three-match one-day international series against Bangladesh next month.

Seven regular Indian players, including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and star batsman Virat Kohli, were rested for the short series scheduled to be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. Mushfiq stated that he had doubts whether the defending World Cup champions were taking the Tigers lightly.

“It is not that I am upset to see this team but I did not expect them to take this series so lightly. Hopefully we can reply on the field. Nothing will be better than that,” Mushfiq had told the media on Thursday.

However, given Bangladesh’s poor displays in the first quarter of this year, including a humiliating Asia Cup defeat to ICC Associate Afghanistan, Mushfiq’s statement is likely to fall on deaf ears.

Not only did the Test-playing nation experienced a disastrous time in the bilateral series against Sri Lanka, the Asia Cup and the ICC World Twenty20 – all held at home – the Tigers also suffered the ignominy of a morale-shattering loss at the hands of little-known ICC Associates Hong Kong in the first round of the World T20.

The head-to-head record against India provides little inspiration either.

The Tigers have won only three ODIs in 25 attempts against their mighty neighbours with the last match ending in a victory for India, who nonchalant-

Nobojagoroni, BJMC clash in Women’s Volleyball final today Nobojagoroni Sangha and BJMC Red swept into the final of the Cute Open Women’s Volleyball Tournament winning their respective semifinals yesterday.

Nobojagoroni defeated BJMC Green by 2-0 sets 25/22, 26/24 while BJMC Red outplayed Scholastica by the same margin 25/7, 25/2 at the volleyball stadium in Paltan. The final will be held today at 4pm at the same venue. l

Prime, Narinda win big in Cute Handball Prime Sporting Club and Narinda Pragati Boys’ Club posted huge victories in their respective Cute Premier Handball League matches at the M Mansur Ali National Handball Stadium yesterday.

Prime handed Victoria Sporting Club a crushing 37-12 defeat. Sumon, Zia and Imran scored six goals apiece for the victors. Narinda also earned a convincing victory of 54-16 over Old Ideals.

Hardeb Singh netted 13 goals while Asad and Shamser Singh added 10 and 9 respectively for Narinda.l

12

DAYS TO GO

ly chased down a challenging target of 280 with six wickets in hand during the Asia Cup. Moreover, Bangladesh’s run of form in 2014 is the major cause for concern.

They have taken part in seven ODIs and lost all seven, including that destabilising 32-run beating at Fatullah against the Afghans.

India on the contrary can afford the luxury of resting their key players for a week-long trip abroad as they have a large pool of cricketers from which the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can seamlessly chop and change. The Indians play throughout a year, which includes the cash-rich Indian Premier League, and ahead of an important tour of England which follows the Bangladesh series it is quite normal for the board to rest their regular players alongside blooding some new youngsters.

The added worry is the absolute lack of form of some Bangladesh cricketers. Tagged as “Mr. Finisher” due to his match-changing exploits, Nasir Hossain is desperately out of form in recent times.

In the first four-day match for Bangladesh A in the West Indies, Nasir managed a duck and three runs in two innings.

Hence, it would have been much wiser for Mushfiq to keep a lid on things, perform credibly against the visitors before giving his opinion. That way the Tigers could have played without pressure and answer their critics perfectly, making India regret for sending an under-strength side. However, now, Bangladesh will have to back their words with action and much will depend on how Mushfiq leads his troop.l

Sheik (15) and one-down batter Nazmul Hossain (three) were the three batsmen dismissed for the home side.

Earlier, resuming the second day’s play on 245 for six, MPCA lost their last four wickets for 76 runs to be dismissed for 321. Saleh Ahmed Shawon was the most successful bowler for the home side with 4 for 72 while seamer Nahid Hasan provided valuable support taking two wickets conceding 39 runs.

MPCA’s Siddarth Patidar squandered the opportunity to register a brilliant 100 as he fell short by just eight runs while Arjun Patel scored 59. l

Boxing c’ship underway The three-day long Walton Smartphone 27th National Men’s and 2nd National Women’s Boxing Championship got underway at the Muhammad Ali Boxing Stadium in Paltan yesterday.

Lovely Akter of Rajshahi’s Matin Boxing Smrity reached the final of the women’s 55kg event while Nazma Akter of Police and Saki Akter of Ansar will fight each other for the other final spot in the second semifinal today.

Meanwhile in the other events, Sahara Yasmin, Rubi Khatun, Ruma Khatun and Rahima Khatun made it to the semifinals of the women’s 46kg-weight category. Sumi Khatun, Farzana Johra, Tania Sultana and Nasima Akter reached the last four in the women’s 50kg event while Mitu Khatun confirmed the final spot in the 60kg event. Mitu will face the winner of the other semifinal between Farida Khatun and Khandakar Basna.

A total of 112 boxers from 30 teams are taking part in the tournament. l

Amazon ruins await visitors If Hollywood were to set a psychological thriller in the Amazon rainforest, the haunting Paricatuba Ruins would be the perfect backdrop.

Massive root structures poke through the foundations of the once-stately neo-classical edifice, across the Rio Negro from the jungle metropolis of Manaus, one of the cities set to host World Cup matches.

Tourists arriving for soccer’s premier event are unlikely to stumble upon the ruins. There is virtually no signage pointing toward the site. It can be reached only by boat or by car for those who cross a new bridge spanning the Rio Negro and endure an hour-long ride over bumpy dirt roads.

Those living near Paricatuba, however, hope the jungle enshrouded villa will attract the more adventurous travelers among the 52,000 or so foreigners expected to descend Manaus for the matches featuring the U.S., England, Italy, Switzerland, Croatia, Cameroon, Portugal and Honduras.

Tree trunks braid around crumbling bricks and shards of fancy tile work.

The World Cup ball had a utilitarian look from the time of the first World Cup in 1930 until 1970, when sporting goods giant Adidas began officially designing it.

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15 Flintoff out of retirement to play county T20

Graffiti painted by Brazilian street artist Paulo Consentino depicting Brazilian World Cup heroes (clockwise from center-right) Bebeto and Romario, Dunga, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu, Garrinhcha, Pele are seen on various perimeter walls in Sao Paulo on Thursday AFP

BD U19s in delicate position The Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team were batting on 60 runs for the loss of three wickets after the end of the second day’s play in the first of two fourday matches against Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) U-19 at Fatullah yesterday.

Replying to the visitors’ 321 all out, Bangladesh U-19 lost three wickets in 27.2 overs by the close of the second day with Zakir Hasan unbeaten on six and skipper Mehedi Hasan Miraz undefeated on eight.

Openers Munim Shahriar (25), Joyraj

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Pythons and iguanas make their homes in the carpet of waist-high brush.

It was built in 1898 at the height of the region’s rubber boom, which briefly transformed Manaus into one of the richest cities in the world. The sprawling villa was initially intended to house the Italian immigrants who arrived to work in the rubber trade.

The building’s decline over the next century mirrored that of Manaus,

Tree trunks braid around crumbling bricks and shards of fancy tile work.

Pythons and iguanas make their homes in the carpet of waist-high brush which after the rubber boom went bust, slipped into a long period of decadence and decay.

After the Italian migration dried up, the villa housed an art school run by French priests. Then it became a penitentiary.

Then a leper colony, before simply being abandoned to the tropical elements.

The roof caved in, and the vegetation took over. During mango season, the ground becomes slick with the

Winner Host

Uruguay Uruguay

Italy Italy

Italy France

Uruguay Brazil

West Germany Switzerland

Brazil Sweden

Brazil Chile

England England

Brazil Mexico

West Germany West Germany

1978

1982

1986

1990

1994

1998

2002

2006

2010

2014

Argentina Argentina

Italy Spain

Argentina Mexico

Germany Italy

Brazil United States

France France

Brazil Japan & S. Korea

Italy Germany

Spain South Africa

*TBD Brazil

fruit’s rotting pulp. The thud of falling watermelon-sized jackfruits punctuates the eerie silence of the place.

Today, it is open for all who wish to visit. There is no charge to roam the ruins. The cost of a boat or car ride to the spot depends upon the whim of the captain or driver.

Darker things, too, are said to take place inside these crumbling walls.

“It’s full of ghosts and bones,” said Alice Lopes da Silva, an 8-year-old girl who was among a pack of local kids leading an unofficial tour of the building.

There’s the room fitted out with rusting, vine-engulfed bars that once kept prisoners in check. There’s a former bathroom with spooky red streaks along one of the walls and a straw broom leaning in the corner — left there, one of the kids suggested, by a witch. There’s the spot where, legend has it, lepers’ bodies were burned.

If World Cup visitors do make the effort to visit the ruins, they need not worry about finding a guide. Packs of schoolchildren eagerly greet new visitors, excited by the chance to show travelers their unique playground.

“Just follow me,” said 8-year-old Silva as she pulled back a rope of vines to open a path for visitors. l

Ninja knowledge underlies new Brazuca ball: researcher n Reuters, Tokyo

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#Brazil #WorldCupHeroes #StreetArt

EVOLUTION OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP BALL 1930

14 Scholes wrong about Rooney, says Gerrard

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Knowledge from the ninja, Japan’s secretive feudal spies and assassins, is the secret behind the new official ball for the upcoming World Cup, one Japanese researcher has said.

Players during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa complained the ‘Jabulani’ tournament ball, had the tendency to behave in a bizarre fashion and “knuckle” like a beach ball through the air, prompting German firm Adidas to come up with a more reliable ball for this year’s tournament.

The result, known as the ‘Brazuca’ after a slang word for native Brazilians,

should fly with greater stability, said Takeshi Asai, a professor of sports science and head of the Institute of Health and Sports Science at the University of Tsukuba just outside Tokyo.

The new ball has just six panels, down from eight of the Jabulani, and are designed in the shape of a shuriken - the throwing star used by the ninja - while the seams that held them together were the secret to its greater stability, he added.

“Despite the reduced number of panels, the total length of the seams to put them together became longer, which makes the range of the ball speed that creates low air-resistance become wider,” said Asai. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Immobile speeds towards WC place Italian striker Ciro Immobile is on the verge of a dream World Cup debut that has revived memories of Toto Schillaci’s incredible campaign at Italia ‘90. “I started this season with two objectives: becoming the league’s top scorer and earning a call-up to the World Cup squad,” Immobile said last week. The Torino attacker reached the first target with a league-topping 22 goals and is firmly in contention for a place in Cesare Prandelli’s final 23-man squad for Brazil.

–AFP

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Saturday, May 31, 2014

Brazil’s army to reinforce security Brazil’s military will reinforce police providing security at hotels and training camps for the teams playing in the World Cup, the defense ministry said Thursday. A defense spokesman said President Dilma Rousseff ’s office had authorized the decision Monday. A 30-troop infantry platoon was sent Wednesday to Brazil’s base camp in Teresopolis, outside Rio de Janeiro, to reinforce security for the team, which plays the opening match of the tournament against Croatia on June 12.

–AFP

Lahm, Neuer to miss warm-up game Germany captain Philipp Lahm and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will not be included in the squad to face Cameroon in their penultimate warm-up game ahead of next month’s World Cup, giving the two players more time to fully recover from injuries. Germany coach Joachim Loew said on Friday the pair would be fully fit for their final warm-up game against Armenia next week before the squad leaves for Brazil. Loew said Borussia Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller would start against Cameroon.

–Reuters

Del Bosque hopeful over Costa, Navas Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said Thursday he was optimistic that injured duo Diego Costa and Jesus Navas would both be fit in time for the

World Cup. “The prospects appear to be good.

On Friday the pair of them will undergo tests. Diego will have a radiology test, as for Jesus he seems to be fine,” Del Bosque said at a press conference on the eve of Friday’s friendly with Bolivia in Sevilla.

“We will evaluate their conditions and take a decision Saturday morning,” added Del Bosque, who is expected to reveal his final 23-man squad for Brazil on Saturday.

Atletico Madrid striker Costa has battled an ongoing hamstring problem that limited him to just nine minutes in last weekend’s Champions League final defeat to city rivals Real, a week after

he was forced off 15 minutes into his side’s title decider with Barcelona.

The head doctor of the clinic where the Spain team sent Costa for a scan warned on Monday that he would require at least two weeks of rest before he could return to action.

Meanwhile, Manchester City winger Navas has been sidelined with an ankle injury since mid-April.

Del Bosque delayed naming his full World Cup squad last Sunday to allow himself more time to monitor their conditions.

Instead he announced a list of 19 players for the World Cup holders’ friendly against Bolivia, leaving out players from the two Spanish teams in last Saturday’s Champions League final.

Del Bosque said he would use his full allotment of players in Sevilla, downplaying suggestions that certain individuals would be auditioning for a seat on the plane to Brazil. l

Spain’s players run during a practice session in Sevilla on Thursday ahead of the international friendly football match against Bolivia yesterday

Scholes wrong about Rooney: Gerrard England captain Steven Gerrard on Thursday dismissed Paul Scholes’s claim that his former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney may already be past his best.

Speaking earlier this week, Scholes said that Rooney, alongside whom he played for eight seasons at Old Trafford, may be “worn out” because he has been playing professionally since the age of 16.

But ahead of England’s friendly against Peru at Wembley Stadium on Friday, Gerrard argued that Rooney’s performances over the 2013-14 campaign proved that the 28-year-old can be one of the stars of the forthcoming World Cup. “For me, I think Paul Scholes is wrong,” Gerrard told a media briefing at the England team hotel in Watford, 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of London.

“For me he’s been Manchester United’s best player throughout (the season), in the league and in Europe. I think Wayne Rooney’s been in terrific form.

“I can only judge him and have my opinion on him on what I’ve seen. His performances in the Manchester United team have been really positive.

“He’s worked hard this week. He decided to do his own week’s training and he seems in an awfully better frame of mind going into this tournament than when he had injuries on his mind last time (2010).

“So for me, I’m excited about where Wayne Rooney’s at.”

Rooney is expected to start up front alongside Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge for the game against Peru, which will be England’s last friendly game in front of their own fans before the World Cup. Although teenage left-back Luke Shaw is doubtful due to a cold, manager Roy Hodgson will have an otherwise fully fit squad to choose from.

- ‘Not an experimental team’ -

World Cup. But I’ll agree with the manager that training was very positive, very sharp and intense.

England fly to Miami after Friday’s game, where they will play further friendlies against Ecuador and Honduras before tackling Italy in their opening World Cup group match in Manaus on June 14.

Hodgson suggested that he would select a strong line-up to face Pablo Bengoechea’s Peru, who failed to quali-

Cameroon suffer warm-up defeat Stalwart striker Roque Santa Cruz scored the winner as Paraguay beat World Cup qualifiers Cameroon 2-1 in a friendly in Kufstein, Austria, on Thursday.

Paraguay, who have missed out on Brazil after playing at the previous four World Cup tournaments, went ahead with Oscar Romero’s first goal for his country in the fifth minute.

Former Bayern Munich, Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City striker Santa Cruz put the South Americans further ahead when he tapped in from close range in the 68th minute, the 32-year-old’s 29th international goal. l

Ireland final World Cup test for Italy’s Rossi Giuseppe Rossi will be playing for a place in Italy’s World Cup squad when Cesare Prandelli’s side meet Ireland in a friendly in London on Saturday.

Rossi started just twice for Fiorentina in 2014 following a series of knee injuries but is set to start against Ireland, a match Prandelli will be using to assess the American-born attacker’s physical condition before naming his 23-man squad for Brazil.

“I see something particularly amazing in him. His internal calm and his

Ronaldo and Pepe to miss Portugal’s Greece warm-up England manager Roy Hodgson and captain Steven Gerrard (L) attend a media conference at a hotel in Watford, England on Thursday REUTERS Inopportune injuries have been a recurring theme of England’s most recent pre-World Cup training camps, but despite the squad’s clean bill of health, Gerrard warned against getting carried away.

“I think it’s a bit early to come out with any ludicrous shouts about how good this team and this squad is,” said the Liverpool midfielder.

“We’ll be judged on the games in the

fy for the World Cup. Asked if his team selection would provide any clues as to the side likely to line up against Italy, he replied: “I’m looking at the three matches, I suppose.

Hodgson also revealed that he hoped to take standby players John Stones and Jon Flanagan to Miami, subject to the approval of their respective club managers. l

GREAT WORLD CUP SHOCKS

East Germany’s Sparwasser (L) goes for the all-important goal against West Germany

Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still feeling the effects of a thigh injury, and Real Madrid teammate Pepe will both miss Portugal’s World Cup warm-up match against Brazil-bound Greece on Saturday.

“Ronaldo will be with us but will not play... and Pepe will also not play,” Portugal coach Paulo Bento said Friday.

Ronaldo sustained the injury late in the season, but Bento said there was no specific timetable to get the Portugal captain back on the pitch.

“We’re not going to set down a cal-

Episode

4

Captains shake hands before the match

East Germany 1 West Germany 0 (1974) One of the most politically charged matches in World Cup history, with the Cold War raging and intense rivalry between the two states reaching a peak as West Germany hosted the tournament. The two – divided since World War II – fought constantly for supremacy in the sporting arena but this was the most high profile meeting. West Germany were packed with household names but the East Germans arrived boosted by Magdeburg’s Cup Winners Cup victory. Striker Jurgen Sparwasser scored the only goal of the game and provoked wild celebrations back in the communist state. West Germany, though, were to have the last laugh as they went on to win the trophy while East Germany bowed out in the next round.

–AFP

The scoreboard after East Germany won against West Germany

AFP

endar for his return to competition,” Bento said, adding that he wanted to take “no risk”.

Central defender Pepe, making his comeback after a calf injury, trained on Thursday and Friday, having remained on the bench during Real’s Champions League final victory over Atletico Madrid last Saturday, Ronaldo having played all 120 minutes in that match.

Portugal have been drawn in Group G at the World Cup and will face Germany on June 15 in Salvador, the United States a week later in Manaus and then Ghana on June 26 in Brasilia. l

desire to overcome any difficulty,” Prandelli said at Friday’s news conference at their Coverciano training camp.

“We have the match tomorrow, and we have to put aside the positive feelings we have for the boy.

“We need to see how he endures pressure, physical clashes, and we need to see him without fear of going into tackles.

“He has overcome all the physical and psychological tests up to now.

What we want to understand is if psychologically he can take on certain movements.”l

Hondurans seek World Cup form after Turkey loss Honduras coach Luis Fernando Suarez learned the hard way that his team is not ready for the World Cup in a 2-0 loss to Turkey in a friendly Thursday.

And the hard truth is there’s not a lot of time for “Los Catrachos” to improve before they open play in Brazil against France on June 15.

Mevlut Erdinc, a striker for French club Saint-Etienne, scored one goal and set up another for Turkey, which failed to qualify for the global football showdown that begins in two weeks. l

I’m not an automatic starter, says Marcelo Marcelo, one of Brazil’s best-known players, does not consider himself an automatic choice to start the opening World Cup match against Croatia and said all the squad knew they must fight for places.

Defender Marcelo, who has 30 caps, has consistently been one of the first names on Luiz Felipe Scolari’s team sheet since the experienced coach took over the national side for the second time in November 2012.

But the 25-year old Real Madrid player said he had the utmost respect for Maxwell, the Paris St Germain defender considered his understudy for the left back spot.

“I don’t feel like I am an automatic choice. If I was to say that it would be disrespectful to Maxwell,” Marcelo told reporters at Brazil’s training ground outside Rio de Janeiro on Thursday.

“We are all in the same boat, fighting

for a position, I want to play and he wants to play and we are here to help the squad,” he added. “I don’t feel comfortable.”

Most players and fans have a clear idea of Scolari’s starting 11.

His settled team is the one that lifted the Confederations Cup last year, winning five out of five matches, and it was the one Scolari fielded in training on Thursday against 11 reserves.

That team was Julio Cesar; Daniel Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo; Luiz Gustavo, Paulinho, Oscar; Hulk, Neymar and Fred.

However, the reserves, while acknowledging their task was tough, are aiming to keep showing Scolari their worth.

“We know that the team is established and has been playing very well together, it’s difficult to get a place because they really are all set,” said Inter Milan midfielder Hernanes.

“The objective of those who aren’t playing is to keep plugging way, and that’s positive for the group because it ensures the guy who’s first choice can’t rest on his laurels,” he added. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

QUICK BYTES

Ponting calls for swift action on corruption Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has called for swift action on cricket’s corruption crisis, saying there is nothing worse for the game than the shadow hanging over it. Ponting said match-fixing and other rumours had circulated for years and he pleaded with the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption watchdog and individual boards to act quickly so players and fans could have full faith that what happens on the field was legitimate. “We’ve all been aware of a certain amount of corruption in the game for a long time now and there’s always just been a bit of smoke, there hasn’t been much fire around it,” he said late Wednesday.

“But like a lot of other big issues in our games, whether it’s drugs or whatever, the sooner the governing bodies can get to the bottom of these issues and actually start making an example of some of the people they know are in the wrong and they know are guilty, the better off we’re all going to be.

–AFP

Wenger agrees new Arsenal deal Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has agreed a three-year contract extension, keeping him at the club until 2017, the BBC reported Friday. The Frenchman is the current longest-serving manager in the English Premier League, having joined the north London side in 1996 and this season ended the Gunners’ nine-year wait for a major trophy by overseeing their come-from-behind FA Cup final win against Hull City at Wembley. The BBC added the contract extension for Wenger, 64, is “set to be signed and announced in the coming days”, possibly as soon as Saturday. Wenger was a surprise choice to succeed Bruce Rioch as Arsenal manager when he arrived at the club’s then Highbury headquarters in September 1996 from Japanese club Grampus Eight.

–AFP

Real handed partial stadium closure over fans’ racist behaviour

European champions Real Madrid have been ordered to close part of their Bernabeu stadium for one match after the club was charged over racist behaviour by fans during their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich in April. “Following the charge of racist behaviour by Real Madrid supporters during the match (Article 14 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations), the Control and Disciplinary Body has ordered the partial closure of the Santiago Bernabeu for one match,” European soccer’s governing body UEFA said in a statement. “More specifically, sectors 120 and 122 of the stadium will be closed for the club’s next UEFA competition home game. Real Madrid are obliged to display a banner with the wording ‘No to Racism’ in those sectors.”

–Reuters

Liverpool set to swoop for Lambert Liverpool are close to signing England striker Rickie Lambert from Southampton, according to reports on Thursday.

Reds manager Brendan Rodgers is said to have made an offer of £4 million ($6.6 million, 4.9 million euros) plus add-ons for Lambert and the BBC says talks are continuing to seal the deal after the initial bid was rejected. The surprise move comes as Lambert prepares for England’s World Cup warm-up against Peru at Wembley on Friday. Once his England duties are completed, the Daily Mail reports Lambert could undergo a medical on Saturday with a view to sealing the transfer before he jets off with the England squad for their pre-World Cup training camp in Miami. It would be a dream move for Liverpool-born Lambert, who supported the club as a child and was a member of the Reds’ youth academy for five years before being released as a 15-year-old.

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 2 3:30PM England v Sri Lanka Star Sports 4 4:30PM MotoGP: Italy Qualifying 4th ODI Sony Six 6:30AM NBA Play Off 2013-14: Conf Final Miami v Indiana Neo Sports 3:00PM French Open, 3rd Round Women’s & Men’s Singles

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Saturday, May 31, 2014

Brazil clampdown on hooligans Brazil is to deploy a 170,000-strong security force for the World Cup to deter hooligans from home and abroad.

Mass protests against the tournament and deadly fan violence have put authorities on alert ahead of the start of the tournament on June 12.

The threat of hardline fans from across the border in Argentina or flying in from England and other European nations has accentuated the sense of urgency.

Some 1,800 private security guards have been assigned to each of the 12 World Cup stadiums. About 700 federal agents will also be drafted in if needed, officials said.

Organizers are also deploying banks of cameras, X-ray machines and metal detectors to keep potentially dangerous items out of stadiums.

They have already banned the “caixirola,” a trumpet-like instrument the government had promoted as Brazil’s answer to the vuvuzela, the horn that created a noisy stir at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Some fans threw caixirola onto the pitch during test games last year. Authorities decided it was too risky and banned the trumpet as a potential weapon.

The security clampdown starts at Brazil’s borders. The government has held intelligence exchanges with Argentina, England and other countries over known hooligans.

“We have struck agreements through FIFA. The objective is to stop them (violent fans) from getting here and then, if they do, to keep them from entering the stadiums,” said President Dilma Rousseff.

Tens of thousands of Argentine fans are expected to cross the border to support their two-time champions.

Hardcore Argentine fans, known as “barras bravas”, were involved in incidents at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, in France in 1998 and in South Africa four years ago. A number were expelled.

The Argentinian government has provided a list of known trouble-makers. But Brazilian authorities acknowledge that they cannot keep all troublemakers away from the tournament.

At last year’s Confederations Cup, a World Cup rehearsal, stadium problems were minor. But mass protests in the streets turned violent and took the government by surprise.

Police had to disperse more than a million people protesting against the multi-billion dollar cost of the World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics.

There is widespread anger over the state of Brazil’s infrastructure and public services. Violence has also hit Brazil’s domestic football league.

A toilet bowl hurled by one hooligan in the World Cup city of Recife four weeks ago killed one person. In February, one fan died after being savagely beaten in Sao Paulo.

Last year, there were clashes between supporters in the southern city of Joinville. And Corinthians fans invaded the Sao Paulo club’s training base in February and attacked players. l

Kings XI survive Raina scare to reach final n Agencies

Chennai Super Kings were making a chase of 227 look absurdly simple. Suresh Raina seemed to be batting in a trance that was slowing down time, and slowing down cricket-ball physics, as if he were a character in a dodgy, CGI-heavy action film.

Super Kings were 100 for 2 after six overs. It was the highest Powerplay score in all Twenty20 cricket. Raina was batting on 87 off 25 balls. The asking rate, which had been 11.35 at the start of the chase, was now 9.07.

BRIEF SCORE Kings XI Punjab 226/6 (Sehwag 122, Miller 38; Nehra 2-51) Chennai Super Kings 202/7 (Raina 87, Dhoni 42*; Awana 2-51) Kings XI Punjab won by 24 runs

Kings XI Punjab’s Virender Sehwag punches in the air after scoring a 100 during the 2nd qualifier match of the IPL against Chennai Super Kings at Mumbai yesterday BCCI

It looked as if only a run-out could end Raina’s eerie innings. And this was exactly what happened, following a smart piece of captaincy and an even smarter piece of fielding, both from George Bailey.

Earlier, Virender Sehwag scored a majestic century to propel the Kings X1 Punjab to 226 for six in the second Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL) eliminator against the Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday.

He was caught at deep midwicket by Faf du Plessis in the penultimate over for 122, which included twelve fours and eight sixes. Sehwag faced only 58 balls.

His century came off 50 balls, with ten fours and six sixes. l

Flintoff out of retirement to play T20 Cairns vows to clear ‘absurd’ fixing claims Former England captain Andrew Flintoff has come out of retirement to join Lancashire’s squad for this season’s English domestic Twenty20 competition, the county announced on Friday.

Pace bowling all-rounder Flintoff, 36, was forced to retire through injury in 2009, his ankles and knees having repeatedly suffered from the pounding they took as he charged in.

However, the Preston-born Flintoff has been training again with his native Lancashire, the only county side he’s ever represented, in recent months and is looking forward to making a comeback he once thought beyond him.

“I’m really honoured to be part of

Lancashire once again,” he said in a club statement issued on Friday.

“It is something that I never thought would happen but, after training with

the squad over the last few months, I am really happy that they have invited me to play.

“I have worked really hard to get back to my fittest and I hope that we

Federer, Djokovic through Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic ran into a spot of bother at the French Open on Friday, dropping a set each and needing over three hours to reach the fourth round.

Third seed Agnieszka Radwanska was knocked out 6-4 6-4 by Croatian Ajla Tomljanovic, becoming the latest victim of a new generation of talent sweeping through the women’s draw but Maria Sharapova inflicted the first double bagel of the tournament to remain the big favourite.

Seventeen-times grand slam champion Roger Federer saw off Russian

Botham to give MCC Cowdrey Lecture Ian Botham will deliver the 2014 Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s on September 3, it was announced Friday.

The England great, one of the outstanding all-rounders of his generation, will become the 14th person to give the annual address named after the late Colin Cowdrey, like Botham a former England captain.

Botham, who early in his career was on the groundstaff at Lord’s, the northwest London headquarters of MCC, as a member of the club’s Young Cricketers scheme, scored 14 hundreds and took 383 wickets – the latter still an England record – in 102 Tests from 1977-1992.

The 58-year-old produced some striking displays at Lord’s, where his name appears on the honours board that records all those who’ve scored a hundred, taken five wickets in an innings or 10 in the match during a Test at ‘the home of cricket’, ten times. l

Dmitry Tursunov 7-5 6-7(7) 6-2-6-4 and Serbian second seed Djokovic, chasing the only grand slam title to elude him, beat Croatian Marin Cilic 6-3 6-2 6-7(2) 6-4.

“I am relieved and happy to be through to the next round,” said fourth seed Federer, who wasted 17 break points.

Tursunov, the 31st seed, played boldly but needed treatment on his leg in the third set and Federer set up a meeting with Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis, who is rediscovering his best form after a free fall down the rankings.

Djokovic, one of three men to have beaten eight-times Roland Garros champion Rafa Nadal on clay this season, showed signs of frustration against Cilic. l

have a successful summer. I’m just glad that I can be part of it.”

In an interview with BBC Radio Five, Flintoff said he was revelling in playing cricket again.

“When I’m in the nets I’m stood in there with a bat in my hand just grinning,” he explained.

“When I’m bowling it still hurts a bit, but I’m loving running into bowl and if I can take that into a game I might be quite dangerous.”

Lancashire have yet to say in which match Flintoff will make his return as they bid to reach finals day at Edgbaston in August, with the county at home to Birmingham Bears (Warwickshire) at Old Trafford later on Friday before Roses rivals Yorkshire visit the following Friday. l

New Zealand legend Chris Cairns on Friday revealed two former Black Caps captains testified to a probe into his alleged match-fixing and said he was determined to clear his name.

Cairns returned to Auckland after travelling to London for interviews with anti-corruption authorities saying he now had a clearer picture of the “absurd, bizarre and scary” allegations against him.

“Each and every allegation against me that I have cheated at cricket or attempted to induce others to cheat at cricket is false,” he told reporters at Auckland airport.

Cairns has said he believes he is Player X but questioned the testimony and vehemently denied any involvement in match-fixing.

He said former captains Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori had given evidence to the inquiry, along with current paceman Kyle Mills.

He did not go into detail about their testimony but said: “These three exor current New Zealand players have made no direct accusation against me.”

Cairns said Vincent had “betrayed the friendship I offered him” with the accusations and took issue with the former batsman being portrayed as a whistleblower. l

Narine in fix over playing IPL final The raging ‘Club versus Country’ debate once again came to the forefront as ace spinner Sunil Narine faces a possible exclusion from the Test team, if he plays the IPL final for KKR thereby failing to meet the deadline joining the West Indies camp latest by June 1.

The West Indies are scheduled to play their first Test against New Zealand at Kingston in Jamaica from June 8. Keeping in mind players like Narine and Chris Gayle, who are integral part of their respective IPL franchises, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) had extended the deadline of joining national camp from May 22 to June 1. With Narine playing a vital role in KKR’s triumphant journey to the final scheduled on June 1, the IPL

franchise will not let the ‘Mystery Spinner’ leave before summit.

“It is his decision,” WICB’s CEO Mi-

chael Muirhead told ESPN Cricinfo.

“The cut-off date for joining the camp was moved forward from May 22 to June 1 specifically to allow those play-

ers involved in the IPL the opportunity for more matches. Anyone who is in breach won’t be considered for selection,” Muirhead said.

However Narine would remain in the chosen squad of 15 and be eligible for playing in the remainder of the series. KKR CEO Venky Mysore, on his part, requested a bit of flexibility on the part of WICB which will enable Narine to play the IPL final. “This is in no way an act of defiance by Sunil. He is seeking the board’s flexibility for a couple of days leeway so that he can turn out for Knight Riders on Sunday. He has told us that he came to do a job and wants to see it through to its conclusion. He also wants to represent West Indies against New Zealand. You can understand the quandary that he is in,” Mysore added.l

World Cup host city declares state of emergency Brazilian World Cup host city Manaus has declared a state of emergency as the waters of an Amazon River tributary swell, though officials say they don’t expect it to flood.

Manaus city hall spokeswoman Jacira Oliveira says the 180-day state of emergency that went into effect on Tuesday is just a preventive measure to assure swift access to emergency resources if the Rio Negro unexpectedly spills into the city.

She says that even there are floods, they won’t damage the Arena Amazonia stadium that will host four games, including England against Italy on June 14 and the United States v Portugal on June 22. l In this May 21, 2014, photo, Children and adults play football in the ruins of Paricatuba, near Manaus, Brazil AP

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Saturday, May 31, 2014

‘Alien’ acacia replacing native Sal forests

Egyptians protest after Sisi election Professionals say the social forestry scheme has never done biodiversity and environment any good victory n Tribune Report zoology at the Dhaka University and Bakar Siddique back from n Abu now the curator of Dubai Zoo in Unit- Protests have been taking place in citthe northeast The government, in the name of social afforestation, has replaced a vast natural stretch of Sal forest in Sherpur district with “alien” Acacia trees, which scientists say has social, economic and most importantly environmental costs.

About only a decade ago, the Rangtiarange in Sherpur used to be 2,832-hectare stretch of Sal forest.

But the government’s forest department, in association with some local influential people, has felled the Sal trees in 2,023 hectares and planted Acacia in their place.

The acacia plantation was part of the forest department’s “social forestry” scheme meant to ensure a safe income source for the local peoples around various forests in the country whose livelihoods depend on the forest.

There are allegations that unscrupulous officials of the forest department and some local influential people have pocketed most of the money earned from selling off the felled Sal trees.

First of all, according to scientists, the acacia is not native to the Rangtia forest which means that the soil in the area is not accustomed to its behaviour.

Second, the local birds do not like acacia because they do not eat the fruits. Moreover, the leaves are not good enough for them to build nests. As a result, many of these birds have lost their habitat and the local biodiversity have been put under threat.The livestock do not eat the acacia leaves either.

Third, exposure to acacia pollen is said to be the cause of various kinds of allergies and respiratory complications such as asthma.

Fourth, the acacia timber sells for much less than Sal timber. An assistant conservator of forest from the local

Acacia trees cover vast tracts of forest in Sherpur. 2,023 hectares of Sal forest was replaced by acacia in the name of social afforestation DHAKA TRIBUNE

government office said: “The quality and price of Sal timber are much better than acacia. Most importantly, Sal is a local species.”

The official also said local trees like Gamari, Arjun and Chapalish that also grow quickly and whose fruits are useful as well, could have been a much better choice than acacia.

Among other reasons, the fact that the timber of these trees was much better in quality than acacia, could be enough to

select them for the social forestry scheme, the official said, requesting anonymity.

Interestingly, the “social forestry scheme” of the government is exclusive to Bangladesh. Environmentalists say no other country in the world has any scheme like that.

The idea behind the scheme was that after ten years, when the acacia trees would grow to the full, the government would cut and sell them and share 40% of the proceeds with local people, who

were involved with the plantation and responsible for looking after the trees.

According to the local forest office, the first lot of the mature acacia trees was sold last year, bringing Tk1.75 crore for the government exchequer.

However, one major fallout of cutting the mature acacia trees is that the monkeys and other living beings dwelling these trees would suddenly lose their habitat.

Dr Reza Khan, former professor of

ed Arab Emirates, said: “Social forestry has never brought any good to the biodiversity and the environment.”

According to Dr Reza, who is an advisor to a government project for locating the endangered species in Bangladesh, said the Sal forests in the entire region were already in trauma when the government started the “social forestry” scheme.

He said: “Even 40 years ago, the Sal forest was rich in biodiversity. Apart from Sal, it contained species such as Bohera, Haritaki, Arjun, Sonalu, Cheshra, Jiga, Sajna, Amloki, Tamal, Khailadamor, Kakdumur, FaskaDumur, Olotkomol, Chatim, Pakor, Mohuya, Udhal, Sheora, Debdaru, and Behula.

“During late 19th century, elephants and rhinoceros got extinct from this ecosystem... Other animal species such as the Asiatic Black Bear, Sambar Deer, Spotted Dear, Barking Deer and Red Frog also disappeared four decades ago.

In the recent years, species like Leopard Cat, Fishing Cat, Jungle Cat, Indian Civet and Capped Langur have disappeared from these forests,” Dr Reza regretted.

However, Conservator of ForestMdMozaharul Islam from the Social Forestry Wing of the Forest Department claimed that acacia species were suitable to the soil and climate of Bangladesh.

Jamil Mohammad Khan, ranger of the local forest, told the Dhaka Tribune that 10 years ago, they had no option but to launch the social forestry scheme because the greenery was endangered by mass deforestation.

About two years ago, Hasan Mahmud, the then forest minister, told this correspondent in an interview that selecting acacia for the social scheme was a mistake and that they were moving towards planting more animal-friendly species such as jackfruit and Chapalish. l

ies across Egypt, days after the country elected former army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi its president in a vote EU observers called "in line with the law".

On Friday, demonstrators took to the streets in the capital Cairo, Bani Suef and Fayoum, holding banners with photos of the ousted president Mohamed Morsi and chanting against the president-elect.

A day earlier, an EU team that monitored the presidential election said the vote was conducted "in line with the law", although it regretted the lack of participation of some "stakeholders".

Preliminary results from the threeday election that ended on Wednesday gave 96 percent of votes to Sisi.

Sisi's opponents say Egypt has returned to autocratic rule since he deposed Morsi. More than 1,400 have been killed in street clashes and thousands imprisoned in a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies.

Despite Sisi's victory, the vote was seen as a blow to the military establishment, because of its low voter turnout, a fact noted by EU observers.

Peaceful and calm

Robert Goebbels, a senior member of the EU mission, said "high turnout is not necessarily proof of democratic elections", noting that turnout in states like North Korea with only one candidate can reach 99 percent.

EU officials said the election was held in a "peaceful and calm manner" with "only minor procedural problems and a limited number of violations".

The lack of participation "undermined universal participation in the election", the EU said a statement.

The poll was criticised by the US monitor Democracy International. l

Stolen mobile phones on sale online n Tazlina Zamila Khan

Stolen mobile phones of famous brands like Apple, Samsung and HTC are being sold online through different e-commerce sites, including ClickBD, ekhanei. com (previously Cellbazaar) and Bikroy. com.

In almost all such cases, customers remain unaware of whether the products they are buying are stolen or not. Having made the purchase, they are often subjected to legal hassles.

Several buyers said police traced their location and called them a few days after they had bought the devices. They were interrogated and had to return the phones to their original owners afterwards.

These days, it has become very easy to sell stolen and illegal phones through different websites because the sales process does not require any verification, said Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Masudur Rahman.

Rafeen Bashar, a student at a private university, said he bought an iPhone 4S on April 12 this year.

“I first saw the advertisement on Cellbazaar and contacted the seller. He identified himself as Md Riad and said he studies at a private university. I paid Tk18,500 for the phone and I was given headphone, data cable and charger with it,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

“He, however, did not give me the phone in its box. He said he purchased it from Bangkok and lost the box,” Rafeen added.

Two days after buying the phone, police called him and interrogated him.

Rafeen then came to know that the phone was actually stolen a month ago from a person named Anu, who lives in the capital’s Dhanmondi. Anu also filed a case with Dhanmondi police station in this connection.

Rafeen had to submit the phone to the officer-in-charge of Dhanmondi police station. He also managed to convince the official that he was a victim of deception and did not steal the gadget.

Seller Riad told the Dhaka Tribune: “I bought two iPhones from someone named Rohi through the website ClickBd. I bought each of those for Tk17,000.”

“After purchasing, I sold one to Rafeen and began using the other one. After a few days, police called and interrogated me. I was then informed that the devices were stolen from Moghbazar and their real owner Ibrahim lodged a general diary in this connection,” he added.

Another buyer Rohim Uddin, a shop owner by profession, was also deceived

in a similar fashion after purchasing a Nokia phone for Tk16,000 through Bikroy.com.

Masudur Rahman said: “We regularly carry out drives to catch criminals who sell stolen mobile phones. In general, the person who is caught with a stolen phone is considered the wrongdoer. However, sometimes innocent people become the victims of deception and we do not send them to jail.”

The official said they have planned to conduct drives against the illegal practice of selling stolen mobile phones through websites. “But we will request everyone for not buying phones this way. They should buy from authorised shops.”

Section 411 and 412 of the Penal Code 1860 say anyone carrying stolen properties will be subjected to legal actions, Masudur added.

Md Sohel Rana, marketing and sales manager of ClickBD, told the Dhaka Tribune they have methods like e-mail and contact number verification on their website that aim to prevent such illegal acts.

“Yet, there are some isolated incidents. If the government exclusively formulates a policy on all types of online stores, rate of such crimes will drop,” he said.

“We inform police and try to help them with information if we receive any such complaint. However, I will add that customers themselves should also maintain precautions to avoid getting caught up in such situations,” added Rana.

“We are very aware that stolen goods are attempted to be sold through different online platforms. To ensure that fraud and trade of stolen goods does not happen on our site, we use advanced software to auto-detect potential fraud. More importantly, we have highly experienced and specially trained moderators who check every submitted ad very carefully against many criteria and reject every ad that seems suspicious. Despite all our efforts, we do also encourage our users to immediately report unserious advertisers so that we can investigate and act immediately,” Head of ekhanei.com said in an email response.

Customer Care Executive of Bikroy. com Samiul Arafat said this was the first time they received such complaint.

“In the past, we never got any such complaint from anyone and this is why we did not require taking any step,” he said.

Arafat, however, refused to disclose contact number of the firm authorities despite repeated requests. l

Braving rain, 57-year-old Ali Hossain is pulling a rickshaw. At such an elderly age, he has to toil to make a living

RAJIB DHAR

Google sets up 'right to be forgotten' form n BBC

Google has launched a service to allow Europeans to ask for personal data to be removed from online search results.

The move comes after a landmark European Union court ruling earlier this month, which gave people the “right to be forgotten.”

Links to “irrelevant” and outdated data should be erased on request, it said.

Google said it would assess each request and balance “privacy rights of the individual with the public's right to know and distribute information.”

“When evaluating your request, we will look at whether the results include outdated information about you, as well as whether there's a public interest in the information,” Google says on the form which applicants must fill in.

Google said it would look at infor-

mation about “financial scams, professional malpractice, criminal convictions, or public conduct of government officials” while deciding on the request.

Earlier this month, the BBC learned that more than half of the requests sent to Google from UK individuals involved convicted criminals.

This included a man convicted of possessing child abuse images who had also asked for links to pages about his conviction to be wiped.

‘Fraudulent requests’

Google said information would start to be removed from mid-June and any results affected by the removal process would be flagged to searchers.

Decisions about data removal would be made by people rather than the algorithms that govern almost every other part of Google's search system.

Disagreements about whether information should be removed or not will be overseen by national data protection agencies.

Europe's data regulators are scheduled to meet on 3-4 June. The “right to forget” will be discussed at that gathering and could result in a statement about how those watchdogs will handle appeals.

Information will only disappear from searches made in Europe. Queries piped through its sites outside the region will still show the contested data.

On 13 May, the EU's court of justice ruled that links to "irrelevant" and outdated data on search engines should be erased on request.

The case was brought by a Spanish man who complained that an auction notice of his repossessed home, which appeared on Google's search results, infringed his privacy.

Less innovation?

On Friday, Google said that EU citizens who want their private details removed from the search engine will be able to do so by filling out an online form.

However, they will need to provide links to the material they want removed, their country of origin, and a reason for their request. Individuals will also have to attach a valid photo identity.

"Google often receives fraudulent removal requests from people impersonating others, trying to harm competitors, or improperly seeking to suppress legal information," the firm said.

"To prevent this kind of abuse, we need to verify identity."

However, in an interview given to the Financial Times, Google boss Larry Page said that although the firm would comply with the ruling, it could damage innovation. He also said the regulation would give cheer to repressive regimes. l

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