21 June 2014

Ashar 7, 1421 Shaaban 22, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 81

SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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Jun 21, 2014

10pm Argentina vs Iran Jun 22, 2014

1am Germany vs Ghana 4am Nigeria vs Bosnia 10pm Belgium vs Russia

AVENUE-T | DON’T MIND THE DJ

8 | OLIVE OIL IS LOWER IN FAT

9 | THE LIGHT OF ASIA, BORN IN BANGLADESH

WC MATCHES

Fruit merchants urge end to drive against formalin DMP urges traders to call off strike Hayat Mahmud and n Abu Kailash Sarker Wholesale fruit traders in Dhaka will keep the shutters of their shops down today until 2pm as a protest against the ongoing anti-formalin drive as they urge the government to put an end to the controversial move.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Fruits Import-Export and Merchants’ Multiple Cooperative Society yesterday termed the drive a harassment for the traders and questioned the dependability of the device Formaldehyde Meter Z-300 used by the mobile courts to detect formalin.

“We urge the government to stop harassing traders in the name of the anti-formalin drive. If the government does not halt the drive, we would be forced to stage a demonstration across the country,” the body’s General Secretary Md Sirajul Islam told a press conference at Badamtali Wholesale Fruit Market in the capital.

As part of the protest fruit retailers will also form a human chain in front of the National Press Club today.

Sirajul Islam said: “No trader in Badamtali market has ever used formalin

on their goods, but mobile courts of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute, among others, have been destroying our goods based on faulty results produced by devices that are incompatible for the task.”

On June 11, the DMP launched an anti-formalin drive in the capital, armed with the electronic device Formaldehyde Meter Z-300, which has been reportedly made to test the concentration level of formaldehyde in air.

“The mobile courts have destroyed huge amounts of local fruits, mostly mangos and litchis, and other various types of imported fruits, causing losses in several crores of taka to fruit traders,” Sirajul added.

According to several research institutes in the country, such as the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, and agriculturalists, the Formaldehyde Meter Z-300 is an instrument to measure concentration of chemicals or gases in the air, not in food items, and it is not used on food items in the US where it is manufactured.  Page 2 column 4

A group of people in Aphi Nepal Para of Rajshahi’s Poba upazila set up a big screen and projector on bamboo structures in a pond to watch matches at night together. The youths took the initiative with the help of local authorities. The photo was taken on Thursday AZAHAR UDDIN

Formalin detection method unscientific n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

Law enforcers in the country, particularly in the capital, are frequently destroying fruits tested positive for formalin but a group of professionals and experts argue that the way fruits are being checked do not conform to scientific standards.

The drive to stop formalin-mixed fruits from reaching consumers is praiseworthy but the method, which is not scientific, is contributing to waste of food

products and is possibly subjecting innocent vendors to fines and prison terms, according to them.

Moreover, as these are being reported in the media, there is a possibility that other countries in the region will receive misleading information about the issue, they say.

Members of the group, including the directors of Institute of Public Health (IPH), Institute of Public Health and Nutrition (IPHN), Primary Health Care

EKRAM MURDER

Police to file charge sheet before arresting key suspects Jamil Khan with Our n Mohammad Feni Correspondent Even though one month has already elapsed after the killing of Fulgazi Upazila Chairman Ekramul Haq Ekram in broad daylight in Feni, the mastermind and killers have not yet been arrested.

Family members of Ekram and locals alleged that police are now planning to submit the charge sheet of the case without arresting the prime suspects.

Abul Kalam Azad, the investigation officer of the case and inspector of Feni

That’s how you steal a show

Model Police Station, claimed that the investigation of the case had reached its final stage.

Asked about the submission of charge sheet without including the names of prime suspects and mastermind, Azad, yesterday said they had already arrested the key suspects and mastermind of the case Jihad Chowdhury.

“Besides, we have arrested around 26 people so far and of them 16 gave confessional statement to the court confessing to their involvement in the murder.”

About Jahangir Adel and Jiaul Mister

Police allegedly arrest innocent people and release them after exchange of money them but the submission of charge sheet should not be delayed as the mystery behind the gruesome murder had become almost clear.

However, Rezaul Haque Jashim, elder brother of Ekram and plaintiff of the case, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had urged the authorities concerned to transfer the investigation of the case to the Criminal Investigation Department but they did not pay heed.

Everyone of Feni has known about who the mastermind was behind the murder but police are yet to take any action, he said expressing his frustration over the progress of the case.

Earlier on May 20, criminals killed  Page 2 column 1

Rampant France run riot against Swiss n Reuters, Salvador

I was eagerly waiting to see how England skipper Steven Gerrard reacts with his club Liverpool’s talisman, but the day’s opponent, Luis Suarez. A loss in their respective opening games turned the fixture at the Arena de Sao Paulo into a door-die situation, and England knew their major threat would be the Uruguayan goal machine Suarez.

Suarez, who netted 31 goals for Liverpool in the last season, simply smiled at Gerrard while shaking hands after the national anthems were played. Gerrard in return patted his club’s striker back

Rampant France sparkled in a 5-2 mauling of neighbours Switzerland in World Cup Group E on Friday to move closer to knockout phase four years after one of their darkest days.

France, who beat Honduras 3-0 in their opening game, top the standings with six points and will advance if Ecuador and Honduras draw later.

Goals within 66 seconds from Olivier Giroud and Blaise Matuidi put France 2-0 up inside the opening 20 minutes at the Fonte Nova arena and on their way to a comfortable triumph on the anniversary of the Knysna bus strike at the last tournament in South Africa.

The diminutive Mathieu Valbuena

 Page 2 column 4

 Page 2 column 1

from Sao Paulo, Brazil

he said the names came up during the investigation and the effort is on to arrest

France’s midfielder Blaise Matuidi (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Switzerland at the Fonte Nova Arena in Salvador early today AFP

(PHC), Food and Agriculture Organisation, and several others, say they are concerned about the panic that exists among people over the presence of formalin in food.

They attended a meeting on Tuesday at the IPH building to review the present situation and to sort out a way to remove the panic.

Officials told the Dhaka Tribune that formalin was naturally found in food and  Page 2 column 1

Goons hired to kill Shamim n Ashif Islam Shaon

Investigators came to know that hired goons had been keeping their eye on former Bangladesh Chhatra League President Enamul Haq Shamim for at least three days before they shot him in a running car in the capital’s Dhanmondi on Thursday.

On that day, the criminals whose target was to kill Shamim, but he escaped with bullet wounds, were waiting on three spots before he went out of his Dhanmondi residence in the morning. One of the groups was waiting in front of his residence, another near Ibn Sina Hospital on Road 9/A and the third just opposite of intersection near Stamford University.

The criminals waiting near the hospital shot him thrice and fled through Road 9/A. They were keeping contact with other criminals by cell phone, said a highly placed source at Detective Branch of police yesterday seeking anonymity.

Detectives were checking some cell phone numbers used frequently in the area just before and after the incident, he said.

However, the law enforcers are yet to arrest any of the miscreants or masterminds.

Shamim, a member of Awami League central committee, told reporters that he was in the front seat of his car when three people on a motorbike shot him near his residence. He is now undergoing treatment at Combined Military Hospital.

Shamim, one of the few student leaders close to Prime Minister and party President Sheikh Hasina, was made a working committee member in 2012.

He is known to be close to businessman  Page 2 column 1

INSIDE 3 | News

15

Bangladesh ranked 14th among the top 20 refugee-hosting countries across the globe and the country comes ninth in relation to its national economy, hosting 111 refugees per 1 USD GDP per capita (PPP), said the UN refugee agency.

8 | Prescription

Vaccination is a very small but important part during pregnancy. Generally, vaccines that contain killed (inactivated) viruses can be given during pregnancy.

6 | Nation

Students of a primary school in Durgapur of Rajshahi have been attending classes under the open sky for five days as a storm left the tinshed school building completely destroyed.

11 | Op-Ed

On June 11, a math teacher from a Sunamganj school gave 48 used razor blades to her students and ordered them to cut their hands and legs for not doing their homework.

14 | Sport

Luis Suarez made his case for inclusion in the debate over the world’s best player with both goals in Uruguay’s 2-1 victory over England as he came back from injury and instantly punished Roy Hodgson’s team.

***

Colombia qualified for the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time in 24 years after Japan and 10-man Greece played out a dire 0-0 draw in Natal on Thursday.

15 | Sport

Argentina captain Lionel Messi believes coach Alejandro Sabella has to back his side’s attacking capabilities and include him among a front three when they face Iran on Saturday in Belo Horizonte.

***

The bomb attack that killed at least 21 people watching a World Cup game in Nigeria has cast a sombre shadow over the African champions’ build-up to Saturday’s date with Bosnia-Hercegovina in Cuiaba.

1am Korea Republic vs Algeria 4am USA vs Portugal 10pm Australia vs Spain 10pm Netherlands vs Chile Jun 24, 2014

2am Cameroon vs Brazil 2am Croatia vs Mexico 10pm Italy vs Uruguay 10pm Costa Rica vs England

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, June 21, 2014

50km tailback on Dhaka-Ctg highway

Khaleda to go to Joypurhat today n Tribune Report

The congestion lasted for 13 hours Mahmud, Chittagong and n Tarek Adil Sakhawat The downpour, which continued from the early morning till afternoon, caused a 50-kilometre tailback on both sides of Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Sitakunda and Mirsarai upazilas of Chittagong yesterday.

Passengers suffered a lot because of the traffic congestion.

Syed Zakir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Baro Awalia Highway Police Outpost, said the jam stretched from City Gate area to Mirsarai as drivers had to drive slowly because of torrential rain.

“Besides, unrestrained overtaking of vehicles and the under-construction four-lane highway are also responsible for the congestion that lasted for nearly 13 hours,” he said.

Police, however, appeared to be less concerned over effective measures for clearing the congestion as they were mostly seen hitting on the bodies of the vehicles with batons and scolding the drivers, putting passengers to inconvenience.

Modhu Mia, driver of a bus of Shyamoli Paribahan, sustained injuries in his head when a policeman hit the rearview mirror with stick, said Abu Saleh, a passenger of the bus.

Like Madhu mia, several other drivers and helpers were also hit by police, alleged passengers and drivers.

Sub-inspector Dulal said they hit buses as unskilled driving and parking resulted in the tailback.

Besides, many Dhaka-bound ambulances were seen waiting on the road and relatives of some patients were also compelled to seek treatment in nearby clinics.

Subrata Das, a university student, said although the prolonged rain created the tailback, inactivity of police added to the sufferings of the passengers.

Refuting the allegation, OC Syed Zakir told the Dhaka Tribune that they strived for clearing the highway.

I did not receive any complaint against policemen assaulting drivers on the highway, he added. l

Goons hired to kill Shamim  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

Zainul Haque Sikder and has several businesses of his own.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune last evening, the chief of a law enforcement agency said they were surprised to see the promptness of the attackers. “They carried out the gun attack in less than a minute. They fired three gunshots. It seemed that they used to carry out gun attacks,” he said.

He said they had received CCTV camera footage from the Ibn Sina Hos-

pital authority following the attack.

From the footage, they were trying to identify the three shooters.

“The surveillance camera captured the video of the attack, but it was not easy to identify the attackers through the video,” he said.

“The shooters were aged between 25 and 35. They did not wear any helmet,” he said. The official claimed that the mystery behind the gun attack would be uncovered soon.

Officer-in-Charge of Dhanmon-

Visitors look at different trees displayed at the month-long Tree Fair in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. The photo was taken yesterday RAJIB DHAR

War crimes accused Akram arrested n Tribune Online Report

The law enforcers have arrested Khan Akram Hossain, accused of committing crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation, from Rajshahi district on Thursday night, reported BSS. Akram, 59, alleged Razakar commander from village Doiboggohati under Morelganj police station in Bager-

hat, was on run since the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) 1 issued arrest warrantagainst him on June 10.

“Akram was the commander of Doiboggohati Razakar camp and we have found enough evidence against him that indicates his direct involvement in at least two incidents of crimes against humanity in Bagerhat,” Prosecutor Syed Sayedul Haque Sumon said.

According to the prosecution, Akram was directly involved in the Shakharikathi genocide in 1971, in which 42 people were killed and some were forced to convert.

Earlier on June 11, the police arrested Abdul Latif Talukder, Akram's alleged accomplice in crime, and the next day he was produced before the court. Latif is now in jail custody. l

di police station Abu Bakar Siddique said they are considering three issues for investigation --- enmity over any personal, business or political issues.

However, they were giving priority to the political rivalry.

“We made no arrest so far, but we are conducting drives. No case is filed till now,” he said.

Seeking anonymity, a DB official said they came to know that Shamim had political feud with the family of a lawmaker in Shariatpur.

The MP along with his family was preparing and creating grounds to make one of their members an aspirant for the next parliamentary elections.

Shamim was also thinking of competing in the polls. Moreover, Shamim’s men won the chairman and vice-chairman posts in the upazila polls.

“But we are yet to be sure if that feud was the reason behind the attack.

This is one of the angles we are digging out,” the official said.

He mentioned that Shamim has influence over the BCL as an ex-leader which can fuel feud.

Moreover, he has been involved with a business group and relation with the group had been worsening for the last two years.

There was also a feud over changing the ownership of a bank.

The official, however, did not disclose the name of the business group or the bank. “I think we will draw a conclusion soon,” he said. l

Formalin detection method unscientific LEVEL OF NATURALLY OCCURRING FORMALDEHYDE IN FOOD Food type

Level (mg/kg)

6.3 - 22.3 16.3 26.9 2.3 - 3.7 3.3 - 7.3 4.6 2.5 - 2.7 Processed meat products

Less than 20.7

Source: Centre for Food Safety, Hong Kong

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

due to natural variation, there was no fixed universal maximum residue limit.

The permissible daily intake limit for formalin set by the World Health Organisation is 10.5mg, they said.

The IPH and the National Food Safety Laboratory (NFSL) officials would brief law enforcement agencies to emphasise that the formalin-detection kits and instruments should be calibrated for testing the presence of formalin only in food and not in the environment.

While testing fruits, the focus should be on detecting formalin in not the fruits but the water or spray used on fruits, said officials, adding that the sale of formalin should be regulated and not be banned outright as it is an essential component in the field of medical and science.

The Dhaka Tribune has been learnt that with a view to reducing the panic

among people over formalin, the IPH and NFSL would perform a survey on commodities to generate data on natural level of formalin and would release the data on a regular basis to assure people that formalin indeed occurs naturally in food.

IPHN Director Dr Md Shah Newaz told the Dhaka Tribune: “We do not want anybody to mix formalin in food but we also do not want to see anyone subjected to punishment without getting the confirmation whether he mixed formalin in a food item or it occurred naturally in that. In that sense, it is not untrue that the ongoing drive against formalin is not based on scientific standards.

“We are trying to find a solution which we will present before the Health Ministry. Concerted efforts of several ministries are a must to bring an effective solution to the problem.” l

Police to file charge sheet before arresting key suspects  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

Fulgazi Upazila ruling party-backed Chairman Ekramul Haque on the academy road of Feni.

The role of police came under question as the murder took place within the close proximity of a petrol team of Feni Model police station.

After the incident, police have so far been able to arrest 26 people but district Awami League Joint Secretary Jahangir Adel and Jubo League leader Jiaul Haque Mister whose names came to the fore after the murder have not yet been arrested.

Family members and some locals said Adel and Mister were still roaming around the city even after their involvement was proved in the investigation.

Police have only issued red alert on the bordering areas only to help them flee into the neighbouring country, they said.

They also said police are not arresting them as Adel and Mister are close aides of ruling party lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari, who is also the general secretary of Feni district Awami League.

Meanwhile, police are alleged to be arresting innocent people in the name of arresting suspects in Ekram murder case and releasing them soon after in exchange for money.

If the family fails to fulfill the demands of police the arrestees are then placed on remand and forced to confess to their involvement in the murder.

Fazlul Haque, a local businessper-

son of Feni, told the Dhaka Tribune that police had arrested his two sons Nayan, 16, and Paban, 18.

Both Nayan and Paban completed Secondary School Certificate exams from Zia Academy. Fazul claims that police first arrested Nayan and as he failed to pay the money police demanded they arrested Paban without any reason.

However, police have finally given assurance to us that they would release Nayan and Paban later, said Fazlul.

Paritosh Gosh, superintendent of police of Feni, said that police were doing their duty with full responsibility and honesty. “We have progressed a lot and investigation is underway and no one involved in the murder will be spared. l

Rampant France run riot against Swiss  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

scored a third five minutes before halftime after Karim Benzema’s 32nd-minute penalty was saved by Diego Benaglio.

But Benzema kept up a rich vein of recent scoring form as he grabbed France’s fourth in the 67th minute and Moussa Sissoko added the fifth.

Substitute Blerim Dzemaili hammered home a low free nine minutes from time and a volley from Granit Xhaka in the 87th minute gave the Swiss a second late consolation goal.

The emphatic win continued France’s World Cup rehabilitation as they seek to bury the ghosts of four years ago when a player revolt left their reputation stained.

MATCH STATS Goals scored Total shots Shots on target Corners Offsides Fouls committed Yellow cards Red cards Ball possession

Switzerland France 2 5 17 22 8 16 5 3 1 2 12 16 0 1 0 0 57% 43%

Giroud, restored to the starting lineup, rose firmly after 17 minutes to head home Valbuena’s corner for the first goal and from the kickoff, Valon Behra-

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will visit the northern district of Joypurhat today to drum up public support in favour of their longstanding demand of election under a non-partisan interim government and protest recent killings and abductions.

The former premier will start her journey towards Bogra around 3pm from her Gulshan residence and will stay overnight there, said Syrul Kabir Khan, an official of BNP chairperson's press wing.

She will start for Joypurhat on June 22 and address a public rally at Ramdeo Bazla Government High School at 3pm.

Earlier, she visited Joypurhat on March 24 last year, but she did not hold any meeting in the district town. She went there to console family members of those who have been killed in police firing during recent clashes. l

mi’s errant pass was picked by Benzema who surged forward to set up Matuidi from the left.

A needless trip on Benzema by Swiss centre back Johan Djourou just past the half-hour mark brought a penalty but Benzema’s spot-kick was saved by Benaglio and Yohan Cabaye crashed the follow-up against the crossbar.

Giroud ran deep from his own half on a swift-counter attack to set up Valbuena for the third and France were comfortably in command at halftime.

Paul Pogba’s exquisite pass with the outside of his boot allowed Benzema to turn and score the fourth through the goalkeeper’s legs before the striker turned provider for Sissoko. l

Rafiur Rabbi attacked

n Our Correspondent, Narayanganj Cultural activist Rafiur Rabbi, also father of murdered Tanvir Mohammad Towki, has been attacked allegedly by the activists of Jatiya Party in Narayanganj.

The incident took place when he was distributing leaflets citing the call for not to vote for the criminals in Kalirbazar area around 6:30pm.

Seven activists of Twoki Moncho were also injured in the attack. They were admitted to local clinics.

Indicating at a specific “influential” family, Rafiur Rabbi said: “The incident proved that none is safe here from them.”

Sammilito Sangskritik Jote president Advocate Prodip Ghosh Babu said they were distributing leaflets in different areas in the evening. “Meanwhile, Narayanganj sadar model police station SI Mizan obstructed us and told that we were violating the electoral code of conduct by distributing leaflets.”

Several leaders and activists of Jatiya Party were also present along with police at that time. They engaged in altercation with the activists of Twoki Moncho. l

Fruit merchants urge end to drive against formalin  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

The manufacturer Environmental Sensors Company defines the device as a hand-held instrument to measure formaldehyde concentration within a range of 0-30ppm (parts per million) and a resolution of 0.01ppm.

After the press conference, Sirajul Islam demonstrated how the device was being used to measure formalin concentration in fruits and how the readings of the device could be misleading.

Unveiling the reports of tests conducted by the IFST on fruit samples collected from different markets across the capital, he further concluded that the devices used by the mobile courts were incapable of reading formalin concentrations in fruits or other edible items.

Sirajul also noted that all consignments coming into cities, mainly Dhaka and Chittagong were regularly checked for chemical adulterations by the traders’ associations.

“We have cautioned suppliers and farmers not to deliver formalin-treated fruits. Any violation in this regard would issue a ban on the supplier, preventing them from dealing with the association and its members,” he added.

“On Monday, leaders from different associations of fruit traders from across the country will come to the capital and sit for a meeting with us to decide on our future actions,” he said.

Chaired by the body’s general secretary, the press conference was also at-

Fruit importers leader Sirajul Islam speaks at a press conference yesterday, addressing the issue of the ongoing anti-formalin drive in the capital RAJIB DHAR tended by its Vice-President Haji Bairat Miah and former general secretary Sadhan Chandra Das, among others.

The Badamtoli fruit market, which started on the bank of the Buriganga River back in 1935, has been a primary source for most kitchen markets and roadside sellers in the capital.

On March 9 last year, the Badamtoli market association and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) took several steps to make the market formalin-free.

On Wednesday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Fruit Traders Association called an indefinite strike in the capital protest-

That’s how you steal a show  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

and probably wished him good luck.

In his career, Suarez made the headline on many occasions – may it be biting an opponent in the league, scoring spectacular goals or stopping the ball with his hands at the goal-line in a World Cup quarterfinal against Ghana.

With Liverpool, Suarez was seen crying on the pitch after they lost the English Premier League title on the final matchday. On Friday too he broke down into tears, but this time it was different. It was a burst of emotion borne out of happiness. Happiness of scoring two goals for Uruguay in front of a crowd of over 62,000 and most importantly keeping them alive in the World Cup. The win moved Uruguay to a great position of reaching the knockouts while for England it remains a farfetched dream.

After Suarez’s season with Liverpool ended he started to experience pain and discomfort in his knee and opted for knee surgery at the end of May that

kept him out of Uruguay’s final qualifiers, training sessions, and their opening-round match against Costa Rica which they lost 3-1.

His presence and movement in the field is a constant threat to the opponent and a half-fit Suarez was enough to seal the deal against England, where he has half a dozen of his club mates.

The stadium, packed with support for the South Americans, erupted upon hearing the striker’s name in the lineup who did not disappoint at all. A cleverly taken corner nearly sneaked through the near post in the opening minutes as Joe Hart’s quick reflex came to the rescue, but Hart was left with no chance when the Uruguayan’s calm header was placed across with perfection a few minutes later.

England did crawl back in the game courtesy of Wayne Rooney’s first World Cup strike, but with Suarez on the pitch Uruguay had every chance of restoring the lead. In the end it was the English captain Gerrard culpable again as, not

ing the ongoing anti-formalin drive.

Mango traders and growers in Chapainawabganj extended their support to the strike in the capital.

Meanwhile, DMP authorities yesterday held a meeting with the leaders of fruit traders’ association in a bid to convince them to withdraw the strike.

The meeting, held at the DMP headquarters, discussed the current situation and the DMP officials asked the traders to resume their business.

“The traders at Karwan Bazar have agreed to open their shops from Saturday morning,” claimed Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman. l

for the first time on the big occasion this season, a mistake in midfield has cost his side dear (an attempted header from the English captain which saw the ball brushing his head and fall perfectly onto the path of Suarez) as Suarez showed no mercy in unleashing a powerful and pinpoint strike to beat the onrushing Hart.

“This is incredible. I had told my team-mates that I had a dream of scoring two goals in this match,” said Suarez who was visibly emotional after the result. “We had to win this match and we did it playing like Uruguay does in these kind of games. Now we have to think about Italy, another very important rival.”

“This victory is for all those people who said so many bad things about the team, it’s for them.”

No other Uruguayan player has scored more goals for the national side than Suarez who took his tally to 41 on Friday and only 27 years old now, it can safely be said there are many more to come. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Saturday, June 21, 2014

measures UNHCR: Bangladesh 14th among Precautionary for MERS-CoV patients 20 top refugee-hosting countries n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Bangladesh ranked 14th among the top 20 refugee-hosting countries across the globe and the country comes ninth in relation to its national economy, hosting 111 refugees per 1 USD GDP per capita (PPP), said the UN refugee agency.

Pakistan had also the highest number of refugees in relation to its national economy, hosting 512 refugees per 1 USD GDP (PPP) per capita The report titled UNHCR Global Trends 2013 said Pakistan is the highest refugee-hosting countries across the world while Bangladesh is the 14th with 2,31,100 refugee people.

Pakistan had also the highest number of refugees in relation to its national economy, hosting 512 refugees per 1 USD GDP (PPP) per capita.

The number of people forced to flee their homes across the world has exceeded 50 million for the first time since the second world war, an exponential rise that is stretching host countries and aid organisations to breaking point, said the UNHCR report released on Friday.

More than 2.5 million persons were forced to abandon their homes and

seek protection outside the borders of their countries, mostly to next-door neighbours.

The year 2013 was marked by a continuation of multiple refugee crises, reaching levels unseen since the Rwandan genocide in 1994. By the end of -2013, some 51.2 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result result of persecution, conflict, generalized violence, or human rights violations.

The global figure included 33.3 million internally displaced persons and close to 1.2 million asylumseekers. If these 51.2 million persons were a nation, they would make up the 26th largest in the world.

Reflecting a shifting international dynamic, Afghanistan, which in the previous two years was the world’s principal country of origin for asylum-seekers, ranked third in terms of new claims behind Syria and the Russian Federation. Among the top10 countries of origin, six are experiencing violence or conflict – Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Iraq and Pakistan.

“We are seeing here the immense costs of not ending wars, of failing to resolve or prevent conflict. Peace is today dangerously in deficit.

Humanitarians can help as a palliative, but political solutions are vitally needed. Without this, the alarming levels of conflict and the mass suffering that is reflected in these figures will continue,” said Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

The UN refugee agency said there was a sharp rise in asylum claims in 44 industrialized countries over the

TOP-20 REFUGEE-HOSTING COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD | END-2013 (Total = 11.7 million)

Germany 187,600 Usa 263,600

Fr ance 232,500

China 301,000 Turkey 609,900 Lebanon 856,500

204,300 Bolivarian Rep. Of Venezuela

Chad 434,500 South Sudan 229,600

Americas Asia and Pacific Europe Middle East and North Africa Sub-Saharan Africa

Egypt 230,100 Ethiopia 433,900 220,600

Islamic Rep. Of Ir an 857,400 Ir aq 246,300 Jordan 641,900

India 188,400 Pakistan 1.6 Million

231,100 Bangladesh

Yemen 241,300

Kenya 534,900

Others 2.94 Million

UGANDA Source: UNHCR

course of last year, driven primarily by the crisis in Syria.

For 2013, the biggest increase in asylum applicants by region was in the 38 countries of Europe which together received 484,600 claims – an increase of a third from 2012.

Germany was the largest single recipient with 109,600 new asylum claims. France (60,100) and Sweden (54,300) were also major receivers.

Turkey, currently the biggest refugee-hosting country in Europe due to the Syria crisis (a registered Syrian refugee population of 640,889 as of March 18) also saw 44,800 asylum claims lodged last year, mainly from nationals of Iraq and Afghanistan. Italy received 27,800 claims and Greece 8,200.

North America received the second

highest number of asylum claims, amounting to nearly 98,800 in total.

Here, however, the main country of origin of applicants was China.

Canada, with its recent changes in asylum policies, received some 10,400 claims – half the number seen in 2012 (20,500).

The United States (88,400) has long been a leading country of asylum in industrialized countries, and in 2013 was second only to Germany in the number of applications received.

In East Asia and the Pacific, both Japan (3,300) and the Republic of Korea (1,600) received higher numbers of claims relative to previous years.

Australia (24,300) too saw a significant rise from 2012 levels (15,800), putting it almost on par with levels seen in Italy. l

Following the detection of the first confirmed case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the country, the health directorate has taken an initiative to open an intensive care unit for MERS-CoV patients at the capital’s National Institute of Chest Disease Hospital (NICDH).

Health directorate officials have already asked the NICDH, which also set up a specialised ward to treat avian influenza patients in 2009, to prepare a needs-assessment and budget for opening a specialised five to eight bed ICU. However, no tentative deadline has been set for preparing the facilities at the NICDH. The confirmed diagnosis of the country’s first MERS-CoV patient was announced on June 15. The patient, who had recently returned to the country from the US via Abu Dhabi, is currently recovering at a private hospital in the city.

Dr Mahmudur Rahman, director of Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control Research (IEDCR), said a technical committee headed by the director general of health services would sit in a meeting next Tuesday to decide how an effective and advanced preparation programme would be conducted.

Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, director of Communicable Disease Control (CDC), told the Dhaka Tribune that authorities had been alert about MERS-CoV since last year, and have already trained local-level health officials about diagnosing and treating the patients.

More than one lakh Bangladeshi Muslims are expected to take part in the upcoming hajj, while thousands of expatriates working in the Middle East also face the risk of carrying the MERS-

n Aminur Rahman Rasel

n Our Correspondent, Sylhet

Vendors selling fish and vegetables in an unhygienic place littered with garbage that spilled out of a dustbin container in Maniknagar area of the capital yesterday

MEHEDI HASAN

Khaleda likely to shake up BNP in Ramadan BNP: Hold talks if CG on agenda n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla After the reorganisation process of the BNP ground to a halt due to internal feud the party is now looking forward to the month of Ramadan to use it as a lever to put some life into the organisation.

The party that boycotted the January 5 election is now contemplating reconstitution of its committees, especially Dhaka city unit of the BNP and central committees of the Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal and Swechchasebak Dal during the month of Ramadan, said party insiders.

A good number of leaders believe that the Awami League will not budge on the dialogue until the BNP can bring it to its knee through a strong street campaign.

They said the party had realised that dependency on the diplomats would not bring any positive result until the party could wage any vigorous street movement.

The party has segmented its movement into two phases – an issue-based movement just after the Eid-ul-Fitr and the oust-governmentmovement soon after the Eid-ulAdha, said a number of senior leaders reflecting the view of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia who shared

WHO advice Based on the current situation and available information, the WHO encouraged all its member states to continue their surveillance for acute respiratory infections and to carefully review any unusual patterns.

Until more is understood about MERS-CoV, people with diabetes, renal failure, chronic lung disease, and immune-compromised persons are considered to be at high risk of severe disease from MERS CoV infection.

Therefore, these people should avoid close contact with animals, particularly camels. l

New gas reserve found in Rupganj

Minor raped in Sylhet, two held

Two people were arrested yesterday for kidnapping and raping a nine-year-old girl in a hotel in South Surma of Sylhet.

The two were Humayun Rashid, 23, son of Ataur Rahman from Kuchai village of Moglabazar thana, and Juned, 24, son of Panki Mia from Ganganagar village.

Alamgir Hossain, manager of the hotel, was also arrested for interrogation.

Police rescued the girl, who was abducted from Goainghat two days ago, from Birati Hotel early yesterday, said Shafiqul Islam Khan, sub-inspector of South Surma police outpost. She is the daughter of Nikhil Patra from Pratappur Nakshia Punji in Goainghat.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of police led by Shafiqul conducted a drive at the hotel, and found Humayun and the victim in room 223. Juned was later arrested from North East Hospital area.

Quoting the girl, Shafiqul said the duo picked her up, took her to the hotel and then raped her.

She will undergo forensic test at Osmani Hospital, he said.

We are also looking into the hotel manager’s involvement in the incident, added Shafiqul. l

CoV to the country.

If anybody arriving from a Middle East country becomes sick with high fever, pneumonia or respiratory ailments within 15 days of return, they should immediately seek doctors’ attention, specialists cautioned.

Before making the pilgrimage, hajis would be advised by doctors on preventative measures against MERS-CoV, while the Saudi government has asked Bangladesh to send physically fit people to perform hajj this year.

The health directorate has plans to create mass awareness about the disease, with the Ministry of Religious Affairs scheduled to meet on June 23 to discuss about MERS-CoV. Dr Mahmudur, however, assured that there was no need to worry at the moment as the prevalence of MERSCoV was now low. The preparations were made as advance precautionary measures, he added.

Globally, there have been 701 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS-CoV infection, including at least 249 related deaths that have officially been reported to the World Health Organisation.

her ideas with them in recent times.

Khaleda Zia herself also said she would launch movement after Eid on different occasions. She, however, did not specify exactly when she would do so.

“There is no alternative to strengthening the party organisationally. We have strong organisational strength outside the capital but weak in the Dhaka city,” said Tariqul Islam, a standing committee member of the party.

“As all the major movements including the upsurge against autocratic Ershad gained pace from the capital we are thinking of reorganising the Dhaka city unit BNP and its other associated bodies very soon,” he said.

The BNP failed miserably to bolster its movement especially in Dhaka during the pre- and post-January 5 election movement.

Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia at that time expressed her anguish and anger at the Dhaka city unit leaders and activists.

Realising the gravity of the situation the former premier took an initiative to reorganise the party but it fell apart midway through due to internal conflict.

The BNP chief herself held meetings with several district committee leaders

and some district committees were dissolved too but the process suddenly stopped.

A senior leader seeking anonymity said programmes like hartal or blockade would not be announced after Eid-ul-Fitr excepting some issuebased movement programmes.

“We have identified the errors and initiative has been taken to correct those. Though the reorgainsing process is going in snail’s pace it will gain momentum in the month of Ramadan,” he said.

The senior leader also said the BNP is a large political party and it always takes time to take a decision and its implementation. “We cannot take any decision whimsically.”

“Around fifty thousand of our leaders and activists are now behind bars and it will take some more time to get them back in our midst. Before we launch a movement we should also give deep thought to this point too,” he said.

A mid-ranking but influential leader said Khaleda Zia might fly to Saudi Arabia in the middle of Ramadan and party’s Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman is supposed to join her.

“Some important decisions on the reconstitution of the BNP are expected to come from there.” l

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The BNP standing committee member, Nazrul Islam Khan, yesterday said the party would not back away from its demand for an election under a non-partisan caretaker government even if a dialogue took place.

“The ruling party has to take initiative to resolve the prevailing political crisis, otherwise people of Bangladesh will settle the issue. The BNP is ready to hold talks but the non-partisan interim government should be high on the agenda,” he said.

The BNP leader came up with his speech after placing wreath at the party founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave in the capital.

Nazrul said if the government failed to take any steps to resolve the crisis through talks, people would resort to tough movement under the leadership of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Attending a discussion at the National Press Club, BNP standing committee member Rafiqul Islam Miah said his party came to power three times with a clear mandate from the countrymen.

He maintains that writ petition is not necessary to run democracy in the country, rather people’s mandate is imperative to ensure democratic system of government.

“The lawmakers got elected just getting 5% votes. everybody knows it. So the court order is not necessary,” he said.

The leader reiterated that the BNP would take office again with a clear mandate of people. He said such an opposition party came to the parliament as was always eager to please the government and shirk form making any criticism in fear of losing posts in the cabinet.

Regarding the attack on Chhatra League leader Shamim, Rafiqul said: “AL has to suffer the consequences of sponsoring the terrorists’ godfathers.”

He maintained that both the opposition and the ruling party men were at risk of the evil influence of these godfathers. l

New gas reserves have been found in an exploration well at Narayanganj’s Rupganj that is being drilled by state-run Petrobangla’s exploration wing Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex) If commercially viable amount of gas is found for extraction at the site, it will become the 26th discovered gas field of the country.

“The drilling work of the well has recently been completed. There is gas in two zones (lower and upper) of the well area,” Bapex MD MA Baki said yesterday.

“The well’s drilling ended after 3,615 metres. The ‘login’ and ‘casing’ [methods to determine gas reserve] process has recently ended in the lower zone, where the gas was found between 3,591 and 3,593 meter; while gas was also detected between 3,326 and 3,332 meter.

Then we confirmed that possibility of a gas reserve had surfaced during the login process,” he said.

“We are now able to explore gas in 4,700 PSIG [pressure per square inch gas] in the lower zone. But exploring gas from the zone will not be commercially viable.

“Now, we will conduct ‘drilling steam test’ [DST] at the well to confirm the gas reserve in the upper zone,” he said, adding: “A drilling steam test is to find out how much recoverable gas the reserve has and how much it will produce every day.”

He said the authorities were yet to confirm how much gas there could be in the reserve.

The DST was said to continue for two more days before any conclusive results were on hand, the Bapex MD said.

“If the reserve is proven to be commercially viable, we will be able to add gas from this well every day,” he added.

Once the gas reserve was confirmed, the authorities plan to set up a 6kmlong gas transmission line to feed it to the national grid, Baki said, adding that there were also plans to dig several development wells at the site.

The cost of digging the experimental well, under the Rupganj Oil/Gas Exploration Well Digging Project was estimated at Tk97 crore.l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, June 21, 2014

1,500 Bangladeshis in Iraq vulnerable n Rabiul Islam At least 1,500 Bangladeshi migrant workers living in the trouble-torn Iraqi city of Mosul are at risk, an official concerned said.

“There are around 25,000 migrant workers in Iraq and 1,500 of them living in Mosul are at vulnerable,” Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Khondaker Showkat Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday.

A good number of Bangladeshis who took refuge in different places, including hospitals, are in need of food and drinking water, he said.

“It is true that Bangladeshis in Mosul face trouble. We have communicated with International Organisation for Migration. We are ready to evacuate them, if necessary.”

Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain on Thursday announced that the government was ready to evacuate Bangladeshi workers from Iraq.

Bangladeshis were safe in Karbala, Nazjaf, Kurdistan and South Iraq, he said, adding that no Bangladeshi was

New web portal for climate change research launched n Tribune Report A new web portal for climate change research, named Gobeshona, was launched at Brac University in the capital yesterday afternoon.

Ainun Nishat, vice-chancellor of the university, chaired the launching ceremony.

Gobeshona is a collaborative initiative focused on research on climate change in Bangladesh, says a press release. It aims to make such research more effective by encouraging knowledge sharing and enhancing research quality so that reliable information are available to the appropriate channels in order to enable positive responses to climate change.

It features publications, ongoing research, events and opportunities for researchers. It also enables interaction between the researchers and other interested individuals and institutions.

The web portal can be found at www.gobeshona.net. l

kidnapped or killed in Iraq.

The secretary said the Bangladesh embassy in Iraq had shifted 51 migrants from Mosul to Kurdistan. They were kept in a camp set up by the embassy with the help of Kurdistan government, but 16 of them had fled.

“If the situation does not improve, we will bring them back,” he said.

“We are in touch with the Bangladesh embassy in Iraq. We talk to the ambassador every day.”

After taking control of Mosul, militants had captured a major chunk of mainly Sunni Arab territory stretching towards the capital.

Meanwhile, the government had decided to suspend sending workers to Iraq until a safe and secure environment prevails there.

Several thousand Bangladeshi workers were waiting to go to Iraq for jobs, but the government had decided to suspend sending these workers on security grounds.

Bangladesh was closely observing the situation in Iraq and had stayed in touch with the Bangladesh embassy in Baghdad. l

Palanquine carrying bride was once a part of Bangalee culture which is a rare sight in the 21st century. The picture of palanquine bearers carrying a bride to the rythm of traditional wedding song was taken yesterday from Comilla city DHAKA TRIBUNE

Bangladesh Embassy in Iraq ready to help repatriate workers n UNB The Bangladesh Embassy in Baghdad is ready to help repatriate Bangladeshis if they are willing to return home as the overall situation in troubled Iraq has remained unchanged, said the Bangladesh Ambassador to Iraq yesterday.

“There has been no improvement yet. So far, as we know, Bangladeshis are safe, and the Embassy will help if anybody wants to go back home,” Bangladesh envoy Maj Gen Rezanur Rahman Khan said.

He requested all the Bangladeshis to contact only the Embassy officials for any help to avert frauds as some dishonest people might take advantage of the crisis in the name of assistance that might put the Bangladeshi workers even in double trouble.

“We can send them back home only if they want to,” said Rezanur Rahman advising Bangladeshi workers even not

to seek support from any Bangladeshi fellow when it comes to repatriation.

He said the Embassy has opened 24-hour helpline (00946-7816601805, 00964-7814238351) for the Bangladeshis living in Iraq. “Even my cell phone number is open for 24 hours.”

Responding to a question, the envoy said the passports of workers were usually kept in owners’ custody in Iraq.

“Even though, we can arrange sending them back home if anybody doesn’t have passport.”

Describing the situation, Rezanur Rahman said they were all in danger indeed. “We request Bangladeshis in Iraq not to go outside their homes unless there is any emergency need.”

He also urged the media people to convey the message to Bangladeshis who are in touch with the media.

Belal, hailing from Habiganj, said there were 27 Bangladeshis in a group and they were living in an under-construction

building while six others live close to them. “Save us. If we were not taken back home, we would have to die here.”

Kawser Ul Haque, another Bangladeshi hailed from Faridpur, said they had almost run out of their food stocks.

“We have started taking one meal a day instead of three. We cannot go out. Everything is closed.”

Sheikh Sabina Rahman, wife of Belal, said they were trying to reach government officials through locals for bringing back her husband safely.

Bangladeshis from Bogra, Madaripur, Shariyatpur, Comilla, Jamalpur and Brahmanbaria are also there in the group who want to come back home.

Earlier this month, Sunni insurgents took control of Tikrit, Mosul and some other provinces in the Middle Eastern country. The troubled Bangladeshis said almost all Iraqis left the area as the rebels are dominating Tikrit, some 160 km away from the capital Baghdad. l

Transport workers block road in Jessore, commuters suffer n Our Correspondent, Jessore Several hundred people travelling between Jessore and Benapole suffered as transport workers blocked the Jessore-Benapole road for about an hour in protest of the assault on one of their fellow workers during vehicle check by members of Border Guard Bangladesh yesterday.

The authority concerned closed the responsible BGB member after the incident.

Lt Col Matiur Rahman, director of 26 Border Guard Battalion, told the Dhaka Tribune that a BGB man was closed and attached to his battalion as he had reportedly assaulted a transport worker.

He said the assault happened when the worker did not cooperate during vehicle checking on the rout. BGB had in-

Sufia Kamal’s birth anniversary observed n Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique

Members of Mohila Parishad yesterday place floral wreaths at the portrait of poet Sufia Kamal to mark her 103rd birth anniversary at the Bangla Academy NASHIRUL ISLAM

Poet Sufia Kamal launched a relentless struggle against communal hatred, and her role in women’s progress in Bangladesh was unforgettable, said speakers while commemorating this iconic figure’s contributions on her 103rd birth anniversary.

Organised by Mahila Parishad, the celebration of Sufia Kamal’s birth anniversary took place in Abdul Karim Shahitya Bisharad Auditorum at Bangla Academy in the capital around 4pm yesterday.

The event’s theme was “Anti-communalism movement, democracy and Sufia Kamal.” Shamsuzzaman Khan, director of Bangla Academy, presented the keynote paper.

He said Sufia Kamal had been a fighter in all the democratic and progressive movements of Bangalis, dedicating her life in establishing humanity and spreading humanistic values.

He also mentioned her role in teaching children about patriotism.

Ayesha Khanam, president of Mah-

ila Parishad, presided over the event, while Maleka Banu, general secretary, read the welcome note. Rakhidash Purakayastha, joint secretary, also addressed the event.

Ayesha Khanam said despite coming from a conservative background, Sufia spread the light of progressive struggle throughout the nation and she would remain an inspiration for the struggle in the future.

At the event, Justice Debesh Chandra Bhattacharya was posthumously awarded for his contributions by Mahila Parishad. His son Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya received the award.

While receiving his father’s award, Dr Bhattacharya said the reasons behind Sufia’s struggles were still prevalent in many ways.

He said Bangladesh had yet to be successful in establishing a competitive democratic system and come out of communal hatred, which could still be seen in the incidents like the recent attack on Biharis.

The discussion session was followed by a cultural programme. l

formation that Indian goods were being brought into the country, which is why BGB was conducting the vehicle check.

“A BGB team of south-west region, Jessore was conducting the checking around 1:30pm at Natunhat on the Jessore-Benapole road,” the BGB official said.

A high-rank official of BGB resolved the situation after reaching the spot, he added.

Shahidul Islam, OC of Kotwali police station, and transport workers told the Dhaka Tribune that a number of vehicles remained stranded on both sides of the road as the agitated transport workers blocked the road. The block was withdrawn around 2:30pm.

When contacted, Azizul Alam Mintu, president of Paribahan Sangstha Sramik Samity, confirmed the incident. l

Culture affairs secretary injured in road accident n Tribune Report Cultural Affairs Secretary Ranjit Kumar Biswas has been critically injured in a road accident in Boraigram upazila of Natore yesterday afternoon.

Ranjit’s bodyguard Rafiqul Islam and car driver Din Mohammad were also injured in the accident.

They were first admitted to a local clinic and later were shifted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital as their condition deteriorated.

“Ranjit Kumar was flown to Dhaka by air ambulance around 6pm after an operation at the RMCH,” said Professor BK Dam, head of the RMCH orthopaedic surgery department.

He said Ranjit received severe injuries on his head.

Fuwad Ruhani, officer-in-charge of Banpara highway police camp, said the cultural affairs secretary Ranjit Kumar was returning to Dhaka from Rajshahi.

“Ranjit’s vehicle collided head-on with a goods-laden truck at the bypass crossing of Banpara-Hattikumrul highway around 2pm,” the OC Fuwad added. l

Teachers yet to catch on to creative question system n Mushfique Wadud

Teachers are yet to catch on to the creative question system, which has been introduced in the Secondary School Certificate examinations since 2010, not to mention of students.

Suggestion books with the tag line “Question Bank Under Creative Question System are selling in the book markets, which means students are going for these books when to get to the creative question system.

On the other hand, the system was introduced to lead the students to creative thinking, cutting their dependency on the notebooks and guidebooks.

But, even in the last four years, teachers are yet to cope with the system, which

is why students are being compelled to go for memorising answer sheets and swallowing in the examinations.

Visiting some book stalls at City’s Nilkhet Book Market yesterday morning, Dhaka Tribune found many suggestion books with the tag line “Question Bank Under Creative Question System.”

These suggestions are comprised of possible questions in Secondary School Certificate examinations.

Salespeople at the book stalls said most book stalls in city were selling this type of suggestion books.

“There are also guides and note books stating that these are guide books under creative question system,” said a sale person named Sohel Rana.

Creative question system was intro-

duced in 2010. Students faced creative question system on 21 subjects in this year’s SSC examination.

Under the system, students are to write answers on their own but they are still memorising note books and guidebooks as teachers are making same question papers again and again, without showing any creativity.

Speaking to teachers and students, Dhaka Tribune found that a good amount of teachers have not yet been able to understand and adopt the system even after five years of its introduction.

“My teachers do not understand to answer in the creative question system and so I have got myself admitted into a coaching centre,” said Abdullah Raihan, a class nine student of city’s Mir-

pur Shahid Smrity High School.

Students and teachers said the condition in the rural areas is even worse.

According to the government data, a good number of teachers cannot make question under creative question system.

The Education Ministry sent a letter to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education on May 6 saying that 42 percent of the teachers cannot make question papers under the system.

Teachers also admitted that they do not understand creative question system.

Jatish Chandra Ray, a school teacher from Lalmonirhat, wrote on June 15 on the Education Ministry-run blog for teachers “Shikkhok Batayon” that teachers were facing problems in mak-

ing question papers under the creative question system and requested some suggestions on the blog. Five teachers came up with some suggestions.

Abul Ahsan, a professor at Dhaka University’s Institute of Education and Research, said that if the creative question system had failed to cut student’s dependency on guide books, suggestions, this was meaningless.

“When there are guidebooks and suggestions, this is certainly not the creative question system,” he said.

He said teachers should be given intensive training on the creative question system.

Abul Ahsan also said sometimes teachers’ lack of sincerity is responsible for not being able to make question

papers under the creative system.

“Teachers prefer ready-made questions to save their time because it requires a good amount of time to make question papers under the creative system,” he said. “Strict instructions should be given to teachers to make question papers under the creative system.”

Director General of Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Fahima Khatun said the directorate had given strict instructions to teachers so that questions were made as per the creative system.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid while speaking at a programme at a city hotel last week said some five lakh teachers were given training on the creative system. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Heavy downpour cripples life in port city Dwellers face difficulties as low-lying areas go under water He also blamed the poor sewerage n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong and drainage system of the city for the The low lying areas of Chittagong city submerged in waist-deep water following a heavy downpour yesterday, causing immense sufferings to city dwellers.

The showers began at around Thursday night and later turned into heavy rainfall and continued till the half of Friday, where Chittagong Divisional Met Office sources recorded 326.2 millimetres of rainfall in the last 24 hours till 9:00am yesterday.

Bishwajit Chowdhury, a meteorological forecast official for Chittagong city’s Patenga area, said rainfall may continue for the next few days due to low pressure in the Bay of Bengal and because of monsoon.

Most low-lying areas of the port city, particularly Bakalia, Chawkbazar, Agrabad, Halishahar, Kapasgola, Chandgaon, Shulakbahar, Enayet Bazar, Boropol, Muradpur, Sholoshahar, Bahaddarhat and Probartak intersection, have been water-logged following the rainfall.

Motor vehicles were hardly seen in those areas while rickshaws were seen plying on the city roads. Commuters, greatly outnumbering the rickshaws, had to face immense trouble to travel through water-logged areas to reach their destinations.

Being a holiday, offices and different educational institutions remained closed.

AKM Saiful Islam, a resident at the city’s Halishahar area, told the Dhaka Tribune that water flooded the ground floor of his four-storey building.

water logging.

Abdur Rahim, public relation officer of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), said some areas went under water but the city corporation was working to solve the problem.

When asked over phone, CCC Mayor M Manjur Alam avoided the matter and hung up saying he would brief over the issue at his office today.

Meanwhile, loading and unloading of merchant vessels in the outer anchorage of the Chittagong Port remained halted till filing this report due to the unexpected weather conditions, said Mohibul Hoque, director (administration) of Chittagong Port Authority.

He also said other activities at the port jetties and yards had seized in the morning due to the downpour, but the situation returned to normalcy at around noon.

A special weather bulletin of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department yesterday said under the monsoon’s influence, the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Borguna, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barisal, Pirozpur, Jhalakathi, Bagherhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by 1-2 feet height above normal astronomical tides.

Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra had been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal number three. All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay were advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice.

A brief spell of rain submerges a road in the port city's Muradpur area yesterday, causing tremendous sufferings to city residents Fearing a possibility of a landside in the port city, the district administration yesterday urged hill-side dwellers to take shelter in nearby school buildings and cyclone centres.

Mezbah Uddin, deputy commissioner (DC) of Chittagong district, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had been informing hill-side people to evacuate the hills as there are risks of landslides.

RMG factory fire leaves 20 workers injured in Ashulia

Upazila chairman among three Jamaat men held in Gaibandha n Kailash Sarkar n Our Correspondent, Gaibandha A devastating fire broke out at a ready-

workers sustained injuries while they had been coming out of the four-storey factory in a hurry. The others sustained wounds during the process of dousing the fire.

“As soon as the fire broke out, it engulfed the entire building in moments amid heavy heat, thick dark smokes and fireballs leaving the workers into a frenzy,” said Shahjahan, one of the workers, and added: “Then we came down from the factory running.”

He said the fire gutted almost all the machineries and fabrics, cottons and threads of the factory. Mostafizur Rahman, director of Ashulia Industrial police unit, said many of the workers sustained injuries as they had been running out of the factory amid panic.

The injured workers were admitted to different local hospitals and clinics.

“Usually 1,500 employees work in the factory everyday, but since it was Friday, there were around 150 workers on duties,” he added. l

“In the afternoon, a team from the district administration, led by Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Abdul Quader, evacuated 200 families from the city’s Motijharna

DHAKA TRIBUNE

area, a risky hill slope, and sent them to nearby school buildings,” said Dipak Jyoti Khisha, assistant commissioner of Panchlaish circle in Chittagong Metropolitan Police. l

30,000 yaba pills worth Tk1cr seized, two held n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Detective Branch (DB) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) yesterday morning nabbed two people with 30,000 pieces of yaba pills from a motor parts store in Fisherighat area of Chittagong.

The arrestees were Md Akhter Hossain, 42, from Chandpur district, and Mohammad Azam, 50, from Chittagong district, said a DB press release.

A special DB team, led by Assistant Commissioner of Chittagong port zone Md Anwar Hossain, carried out a drive at Azam Mechanics on Iqbal Road at Fisherighat around 7am and detained the duo, said Babul Akhter, additional deputy commissioner of DB in CMP. “We seized 150 plastic packets, each containing 200 pieces of yaba pills,

from them,” he said, adding that the pills were worth Tk1 crore.

The arrestees were handed over to the Kotwali police station and a case was lodged with the police station in this connection.

During primary interrogation, the arrestees said on June 14, Alam boarded FV Sagar, a fishing trawler he owns, and travelled to deep sea while some people on another boat met him at a place far from Teknaf on the bay on June 16 around 10pm. They went away after giving Alam the packets, saying it contained motor parts.

Yesterday around 6am, Akhter handed the packets, which he had collected from Alam, to Azam, said the DB additional deputy commissioner.

Babul said they were looking for Alam. l

Police arrested three Jamaat-e-Islami men, including an upazila vice chairman, in Gaibandha on Thursday.

Palashbari police station Officer-in-Charge Gopal Chandra said they had arrested Palashbarhi Upazila Vice Chairman Abu Taleb from the upazila premises in the afternoon.

Taleb, amir of Sadar Union Parishad Jamaat had been accused of obstructing government activities and carrying out terrorist activities in many cases, he said.

Sundarganj police station Officerin-Charge Mozammel Haq said they had arrested Jamaat activists Anwar Hossain, 46, and Md Abdul Bari, 28, from their houses at Panchgasi Shantiram village early in the morning.

Anwar, son of Ismail Hossain, and Bari, son of Khalil Akanda, had been accused of carrying out sabotage activities in some cases, he said. l

made garment factory located at capital’s outskirt Ashulia leaving at least 20 persons, most of them are workers, injured yesterday evening.

The fire was originated around 6:30pm at the ground floor of ZA Apparels located at Saturia in Ashulia.

Officials at the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters said six units of the fire fighters from the Ashulia, Savar and Dhamrai stations of the FSCD, along with the workers of the factory, put out the blaze with their joint efforts for over one and a half hours.

According to the FSCD officials, the police and witnesses, most of the

Garment workers stage demo n Our Correspondent, Gazipur

Child theatre festival begins n Our Correspondent, Barisal

WEATHER

Workers of Cherry Towels Ltd at Mirzapur in Gazipur staged demonstration in front of the factory yesterday following a remour that a worker died at the factory.

Following the vandalism and protest, the factory authority closed the factory.

Humayun Kabir, sub-inspector of industrial police, told the Dhaka Tribue that a labourer of the factory had fallen sick in the afternoon. Later, factory authority took him to a nearby hospital from where a remour spread that the worker had died.

As soon as the news of his death spread, employees of the factory took to the street and staged demonstration as well as vandalised a portion of front side of the factory.

On receiving information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. l

A three-day children theatre festival started in Barisal city yesterday night.

Shabdaboli Group Theatre (SGT) organised the festival at Ashwini Kumar Hall.

Syed Dulal, president the SGT, presided over the inaugural ceremony while Sahan Ara Begum, convener of the festival and cultural organiser of the SGT, inaugurated the event.

The inaugural session was addressed among others by Abdus Sobhan Shikdar, principal secretary at the office of the prime minister, Shohidul Alam, deputy commissioner, Barisal and Faruk Hossain, secretary of the SGT. On the first day of the festival, “Kaljatra” by Barisal Shishu Theatre, “Upanok Samachar” by Bhor Holo Shishu Theatre of Bhola were staged and dances were performed by “Nrityangan”, Barisal. l

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

SATURDAY, JUNE 21 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:49PM SUN RISES 5:12AM FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

31°

27°

Chittagong

29°

26°

Rajshahi

31°

27°

Rangpur

31°

26°

Khulna

29°

26°

Barisal

28°

26°

Sylhet

28°

25°

Cox’s Bazar

30°

27°

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

32.8ºC Dinajpur

24.5ºC Chandpur

Source: Accuweather/UNB

Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

3:43am 5:10am 12:00am 4:40pm 6:48pm 8:16pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Witnesses and FSCD officials said the fire was originated from a short circuit on the ground floor and it spread around in moments after it came in contact with a warehouse full of cotton and threads there.

The photo taken yesterday shows that city dwellers throng a water pump of Wasa as crisis of drinking water deepens at Mugdha in the capital MEHEDI HASAN

Looted goods recovered in Jhenaidah villages n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah

PRAYER TIMES

The fire gutted almost all the machineries and fabrics, cottons and threads of the factory

In several drives, police recovered a huge lot of looted goods from different villages in Jhenaidah Sadar upazila on Thursday night.

The goods were reportedly robbed from a number of villages following a murder in Maroli village in the same upazila.

Shallow machine, furniture, utensils, tube wells, ceiling fans, water

pumps and other domestic belongings were found in the recovered goods, among other things.

Jhenaidah Police Sub-Inspector Ziarul Islam said some followers of ruling party leader Advocate Abdul Malek robbed the household items for houses in around eight villages when an Awami League activist named Serajul Islam Rintu Munshi was gunned down in Dighirpar village on June 10. An associate of Rintu Munshi was also shot at

that time.

The items were seized from the houses of ruling party activists Babar Ali, Lokman Hossain, Alimuddin Member, Moka Biswas, Jamal Uddin, Sahidul Islam, Nayeb Ali, Abdul Kuddus, Abdul Mazid and Selim Gazi. All are followers of Advocate Abdul Malek.

Police said five separate cases had been filed with the Jhenaidah Sadar police station in this regard, and 47 people had been arrested so far. l

2 die from electrocution n CU Correspondent

Two persons were electrocuted yesterday in separate incidents in Chittagong city’s Rowfabad area under Baizid police station and Patiya upazila in the district.

The victims, Md Nazrul Islam, 20, son of Sher Ahmed hails from Kelishahar area in Patiya upazila and Md Abu Siddique, 16, son of Jalal Uddin of Moheskhali in Cox’s Bazar, said police sources.

Nayek Abul Basar of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) police outpost said Nazrul was

electrocuted at Kelishahar Sadhon Market when he tried to switch on the generator of the market around 11am yesterday.

He was rushed to the CMCH where the on duty doctors pronounced him dead, said Nayek Bashar.

Meanwhile, A live electric wire came down upon Siddique in a field near his residence at Arefin Nagor under Baizid police station around 12:30pm, leaving him critically injured.

The youth was whisked off to CMCH where the on duty doctors pronounced him dead, added Nayek Bashar. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Attending classes under the open sky n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi Students of Nandigram Government Primary School in Durgapur of Rajshahi have been attending classes under the open sky for five days as a storm left the tin-shed school building completely destroyed.

The teachers are forced to teach almost 200 students beneath a Krishnachura tree in the school’s playground, or in the adjoining bamboo plantation as no effective measure from the government has yet been taken. No government official visited the school either.

n Our Correspondent, Jamalpur State Minister for Jute and Textile Mirza Azam yesterday said the government would take stern actions against those educational institutions which were patronising militancy behind educational activities.

He said after failing to get government permission, these so called educational institutions had been set under the partonisation of those people, who have connection with militancy.

Later, the educational institutions register their students from approved schools from where they take part in public examinations.

These types of institutions provide militant training to its students, he said, adding it is high time to take measures against the institutions.

The minister made the remarks while addressing a teachers gathering as the chief guest in Jamalpur district town.

Guardians are reluctant to send their children to the school amid such a situation On June 14, a storm wreaked havoc on the school, destroying three classrooms and the office. As it was a government holiday on the day because of Shab-e-barat, none was hurt.

Because of the monsoon, there are frequent rains in the area, compelling students to take shelter in nearby houses. They, along with teachers, also have to use the toilets of the adjacent homes.

The school was founded in 2008 with assistance from locals and teachers. It was nationalised on July 1 last year but the teachers are yet to receive salaries. The school also takes a leading position every year in terms of results of the students.

Meanwhile, guardians are reluctant to send their children to the school amid such a situation.

NEWS IN BRIEF Child dies after taking kerosene A two-year-old child who had drunk kerosene mistaking it for water died at Gaibandha sadar upazila on Thursday.

Ontora, daughter of Ratan Chandra Sarker of Chapadah village, soon fell sick and was rushed to Gaibandha Adhunik Sadar Hospital, his family said. She however died soon afterwords, they said.

Medical experts said that if anybody consumes kerosene in excess, it can cause his or her death, affecting the respiratory system.

– Our Correspondent

Yaba haul seized in Cox's Bazar Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized 30,000 pieces of yaba tablets in an abandoned state at Teknaf upazila in Cox's Bazar yesterday. Teknaf BGB Battalion 42 Captain Abujar Al Jahid put up the value of the yaba tablets at Tk90 lakh. He said they had ran a drive on the bank of the Naf river at the upazila's Jaliapara early in the morning, when six to seven people ran away, leaving the yaba tablets there.

– Our Correspondent

Listed criminal slaughtered A criminal who was wanted in at least seven cases was found slaughtered at a jute field in Meherpur's Damurhuda upazila yesterday. Damurhuda police station Officer-in-Charge Mashiur Rahman said they had on information recovered the body of Lijon,32, son of Yadul Islam alias Haba Faqir of Gopalpur village under Mujibnagar upazila at midday.

He said Lijon might have been killed by his rivals following an internal conflict.

– Our Correspondent

2,970 bottles of phensidyl recovered

Detective Branch (DB) of police recovered about 3000 bottles of Indian contraband phensidyl syrup from a privet car in Kalihati upazila under Tangail yesterday. Tangail DB police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ghulam Mafizur Rahman said they had signaled a private car to stop near Bangabandhu Bridge, but it did not go by and hurtled away.

– Our Correspondent

Mirza Azam: Tough action against educational institutes for supporting militancy At the programme, the minister urged teachers to dedicate themselves to nurture children as worthy citizens through providing them with time-befiting education.

He said the government had achieved nearly hundred percent student enrollment and dropout rate has reduced remarkably.

With AKM Fazlul Haque, deputy director of Secondary and Higher Secondary Mymensingh region in the chair, the programme was addressed among others by Deputy Commissioner MD Sahabuddin and Principal of Government Ashek Mahmud College Shafiul Islam Akando.

Acting president of Jamalpur district unit Awami League Advocate Baki Billah and its vice-president Akiqur Rahman Chana were present at the event.

The programme was moderated by Nasima Akter, headmaster of Jamalpur District School. l

Train stop in Jhenaidah n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah Students of Sheikhpara Government Primary School take a class under open sky as their classrooms have been damaged by a storm a few days ago DHAKA TRIBUNE Fatematuzzohra, headmistress of the school, said teaching activities at the school was being seriously hampered and teachers were finding it hard to continue delivering lectures.

“We are yet to receive any govern-

ment assistance. I call on the authorities to take measures in order to rehabilitate the school soon,” she said.

Durgapur Upazila Education Officer Gofran Halim said he was aware of the school’s sorry state and Assistant Edu-

cation Officer Masud Rana visited it on his behalf.

“Higher authorities have been informed of this. The decision they will take will be implemented rapidly,” he added. l

Canal grabbing troubles thousands n Our Correspondent, Pirojpur

Thousands of people are suffering from water crisis as an influential Juba League man has grabbed and dammed a canal connecting the Boleshwar river for increasing the size of his brickmaking business at Mothbaria upazila in Pirojpur.

Local people have also protested against it but Md Sohel Laskar, an Upazila Juba League member, does not seem to be moved at all by it because he continues to keep the dam over the canal as before.

Tushkhali Union Awami League organising Secretary Md Harun or Rashid said Sohel had built a brick field around 400 yards away from Chhotomachua canal a few years ago and six months back, he had built a dam over the mouth of the canal connecting the Boleshwar river and filled a part of the river with sand at that place.

Fisherman Shahin Howlader said their four trawlers had become extremely damaged because they had failed to shift them elsewhere due to the dam over the canal built by Sohel unbeknown to them.

Union Parishad member Afzal Hossain said: “Over 1000 families, including those of fishermen and farmers, depend on the canal and considering this, I requested Sohel not to build the dam but he did not keep my request.”

Chhoto Machhua villager Sogir Far-

azi’s wife Asma Begum said: “We are suffering from water crisis because we cannot do our daily chores and even take bath in the canal properly due to lack of water in it.”

“We even formed a human chain protesting this situation [created by Sohel] but it has not yet borne any fruits.”

Tushkhali Union Tahsildar (land officer) Gobinda Samaddar said: “The canal and the river that Sohel has grabbed falls under Khas Khatian No 1 (government land ledger). I will write to the upazila nirbahi officer about this very soon.”

Tushkhali Union Parishad Chairman Md Shahjahan Hawlader said:

“Grabbing the canal and the river are not the first allegations against Sohel.

There are many other land grabbing allegations against him.

He has been doing such illegal activities by using his party’s influence in the locality. I will raise this issue before the meeting of the upazila development coordination committee.”

Mothbaria Upazila Awami League President Rafiuddin Ahmed said: “Sohel is a Juba League member of the Upazila Juba League committee. The party will not take any liability for whatever land grabbing business he remains involved in.” l

A Jubo League leader allegedly put fence along the bank of Baleshwar River in a bid to grab the river. The photo was taken on Thursday DHAKA TRIBUNE

An intercity train stop was inaugurated at the Kaliganj railway station in Jhenaidah yesterday afternoon.

Lawmaker Anwarul Azim Anar of Jhenaidah 4 constituency inaugurated the stop as the chief guest. Kaliganj Upazila Parishad Chairman Jahangir Alam Thandu, Kaliganj Municipality Mayor Mostafizur Rahman Biju were

present, among others, during the inaugural session.

Motabbar Ali, the station master of Mobarakganj railway station, said there had been no railway stop of any intercity train services in Jhenaidah, although the trains from and to Khulna, Dhaka, Rajshai and some other important stations used to pass through the Kaliganj railway station. A long-awaited demand of the people of Jhenaidah l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Saturday, June 21, 2014

7

50 million and counting n Reuters, Geneva

A January 16 file photo shows Syrian refugees walking among tents at Karkamis’ refugee camp near the town of Gaziantep, Turkey. The number of people driven from their homes by conflict and crisis has topped 50 million for the first time since World War II, with Syrians hardest hit, the UN refugee agency (UNCHR) said on June 20, in an annual report released on World Refugee Day AFP

Jayalalithaa, Karunanidhi to slam governments Hindi push n Agencies Language has always remained an emotional issue, especially in a state which has seen violent anti-Hindi agitations in the 70s.

Now, the Modi government’s directive to officials on use of Hindi on social media platforms has kicked up a similar row with political parties across the spectrum opposing it.

If DMK patriarch Karunanidhi saw a sinister design in imposing the language on non-Hindi speaking states, AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa argued with facts and cited rules and regulations to demand modification of the home ministry order to ensure use of English language as well.

Referring to the office memoranda issued by the ministry of home affairs, Jayalalithaa said it directed officials to compulsorily use Hindi, or both Hindi

and English, with Hindi being written above or first.

“This makes the use of Hindi mandatory and English optional,” Jayalalithaa said taking serious objection to this.

Quoting from the Official Languages Rules 1976, the Tamil Nadu chief minister said communications from a Central government office to a state or Union Territory in region ‘C’ or to any office (not being a Central government office) or person in such state shall be in English.

“In this context, while the office memoranda have been primarily made applicable to government of India officers and offices located in “Region A,” social media by their very nature are not only accessible to all persons on the internet but meant to be a means of communication to persons living in all parts of India including those in Region C,” she said. l

More than 50 million people were forcibly uprooted worldwide at the end of last year, the highest level since after World War Two, as people fled crises from Syria to South Sudan, the UN refugee agency said on Friday.

Half are children, many of them caught up in conflicts or persecution that world powers have been unable to prevent or end, UNHCR said in its annual Global Trends report.

“We are really facing a quantum leap, an enormous increase of forced displacement in our world,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres told a news briefing.

The overall figure of 51.2 million displaced people soared by six million from a year earlier. They included 16.7 million refugees and 33.3 million displaced within their homelands, and 1.2 million asylum seekers whose applications were pending.

Syrians fleeing the escalating conflict accounted for most of the world’s 2.5 million new refugees last year, UNHCR said.

In all, nearly 3 million Syrians have crossed into neighbouring Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Jordan, while another 6.5 million remain displaced within Syria’s borders.

“We are seeing here the immense costs of not ending war, of failing to resolve or prevent conflict,” Guterres said. “We see the Security Council paralysed in many crucial crises around the world.”

New and old crises

Conflicts that erupted this year in Central African Republic, Ukraine and Iraq are driving more families from their homes, he said, raising fears of a mass exodus of Iraqi refugees.

“A multiplication of new crises, and at the same time old crises that seem never to die,” he added.

Afghan, Syrian and Somali nationals accounted for 53 percent of the 11.7 million refugees under UNHCR’s responsibility. Five million Palestinians are looked after by a sister agency UNRWA. Most refugees have found shelter in developing countries, contrary to the myth fuelled by some populist politicians in the West that their states were being flooded, Guterres said.

“Usually in the debate in the developed world, there is this idea that refugees are all fleeing north and that the objective is not exactly to find protection but to find a better life.

“The truth is that 86 percent of the world’s refugees live in the developing world,” he said.

Tens of thousands vote as Hong Kong democracy ‘referendum’ kicks off n Reuters, Hong Kong Tens of thousands of people voted for full democracy in Hong Kong within the first hour of an unofficial online referendum, a civil campaign that has sparked warnings fromChina’s Communist Party leaders.

Social tensions have steadily risen in the former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997 - with pro-democracy activists threatening to blockade part of the city’s financial district if China doesn’t allow opposition candidates to run in a 2017 election.

While Beijing says Hong Kong can go ahead with a city-wide vote in 2017 for the city’s top leader, the most far-reaching experiment in democracy in China since the Communist takeover in 1949, senior Chinese officials have ruled out allowing the

public to nominate candidates.

Instead, Beijing insists a small committee of largely pro-Beijing loyalists choose who gets on the ballot, which would effectively render the ability to vote meaningless.

Even with the ‘PopeVote’ website functioning only intermittently after a cyber-attack earlier in the week, more than 50,000 votes were cast within an hour and a half of opening, said pro-democracy activists who organised the ballot. Most of the votes were cast through a smartphone app.

Some 37,000 pre-registered to vote in the days beforehand.

A spokesman for the Hong Kong government said internet vote had “no legal effect” and there was no provision under Hong Kong laws for such a vote.

Around 200 supporters marched peacefully in the rain to Hong Kong

government headquarters, singing, waving banners and urging more people to participate in the symbolic call for full democracy at a critical juncture for the city.

Government and police sources have warned of the risk of other radical groups joining or ‘hijacking’ the so-called Occupy Central movement, with police on Friday bolstering security around the legislature after a small band of demonstrators tried ramming their way into the building last week.

Pro-Beijing newspapers, Chinese officials and Hong Kong business tycoons have strongly criticised the Occupy Central campaign, which plans mass protests in the Central business district this summer, saying it will harm Hong Kong.

Activists say it is a ‘peaceful movement’ demanding a ‘genuine choice’ for Hong Kong’s 5 million eligible voters. l

Israel kills Palestinian teen in escalating West Bank arrest raids n Reuters, Hebron West Bank Israeli troops killed a Palestinian teenager in the occupied West Bank on Friday and arrested 25 people, pursuing a weeklong crackdown against Islamist militants and house-to-house searches for three Israeli teenagers who went missing eight days ago.

Palestinian medics said Mohammed Dudin, 15, was killed in the village of Dura, near the city of Hebron in the West Bank. The Israeli military said troops had fired live ammunition when rocks and firebombs were thrown at them during an arrest raid.

Israel said it arrested 25 people overnight in some 200 towns, refugee camps and cities in the West Bank, totalling 330 arrests including 240 from

Hamas, the Islamist group Israel accuses of kidnapping three Israeli teenagers who went missing near a Jewish settlement on June 13.

Dudin was the second Palestinian killed since these raids began.

Palestinians threw a hand grenade wounding a soldier lightly elsewhere in the West Bank, the military said.

Some 1,150 sites in the territory have thus far been searched, the military said, in its mission to deal a blow to Hamas while in pursuit of Gil-Ad Shaer and US-Israeli national Naftali Fraenkel, aged 16, and Eyal Yifrah, 19.

Israel has also struck out at welfare organisations it accuses of aiding Hamas, a group that opposes Israel’s existence. Soldiers raided 30 such institution on Thursday. l

A Palestinian uses a slingshot to throw stones during clashes with Israeli security forces following a weekly protest against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum, near Nablus yesterday AFP

Ukraine to call for buffer zone on Russia border

n Reuters, New Delhi

n Reuters, Kiev

India is expanding a covert uranium enrichment plant that could potentially support the development of thermonuclear weapons, a defence research group said on Friday, raising the stakes in an arms race with China and Pakistan.

The revelation highlights a lack of nuclear safeguards on India under new Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while sanctions-bound Iran faces minute scrutiny in talks with world powers over its own nuclear programme.

New units at the Indian Rare Metals Plant would boost India’s ability to produce weapons-grade uranium to twice the amount needed for its planned nuclear-powered submarine fleet, IHS Jane’s said.

The facility, located near Mysore in

China sends four oil rigs to South China Sea amid regional tensions n Reuters, Beijing/Hong Kong China has sent four more oil rigs into the South China Sea in a sign that Beijing is stepping up its exploration for oil and gas in the tense region, less than two months after it positioned a giant drilling platform in waters claimed

by Vietnam.

The announcement comes at a time when many countries in Asia are nervous at Beijing’s increasing assertiveness in the potentially energy-rich waters, where sovereignty over countless islands and reefs is in dispute.

Coordinates posted on the website of China’s Maritime Safety Administration showed the Nanhai number 2 and 5 rigs had been deployed roughly between China’s southern Guangdong province and the Pratas Islands, which are occupied by Taiwan. The Nanhai 4 rig was towed to waters close to the Chinese coast.

Earlier this week, the maritime body gave coordinates for a fourth rig, the Nanhai 9, which would be positioned just outside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone by Friday.

Wang Ching-hsiu, deputy director of Taiwan’s Land Administration Department, said Taipei claimed an exclusive economic zone around the Pratas Islands, but declined to comment on the rig deployments. l

UN warns Britain over child voodoo victims, sex tourists n AFP, Geneva

IHS: India nuke enrichment plant expansion operational in 2015 southern India, could be operational by mid-2015, the research group said, basing its findings on analysis of satellite imagery and public statements by Indian officials.

“Taking into account all the enriched uranium likely to be needed by the Indian nuclear submarine fleet, there is likely to be a significant excess,” Matthew Clements, editor of IHS Jane’s Intelligence Review, told Reuters.

“One potential use of this would be for the development of thermonuclear weapons.” No comment was available from the Indian government press office or the foreign ministry. Pakistan reacted with consternation, with a senior aide to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif saying the news underscored India’s “established hegemony.”

“This is something that India has

Desperate refugees and migrants from the Middle East and Africa have drowned after taking rickety boats in North Africa to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe, mainly viaItaly.

Italy has a mission, known as Mare Nostrum or “Our Sea,” which has rescued about 50,000 migrants already this year. Italy will ask the European Union next week to take over responsibility for rescuing migrants, a task that is costing its navy 9 million euros ($12.25 million) a month.

“It is important to have a European commitment there and to make sure that such an operation can be sustainable,” said Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal.

The EU bloc has harmonised its asylum system, but the 27 member states still differ in how they process refugees and in their approval rates for asylum applications, he said.

A record 25,300 unaccompanied children lodged asylum applications in 77 countries last year, according to UNHCR. “We see a growing number of unaccompanied minors on all routes. We see them in the Mediterranean routes, we see them in the Caribbean route, through Mexico to the United States, we see them in the Afghan route into Iran, into Turkey, into Europe,” Guterres said. “We see them everywhere.” l

been trying to develop for a long time,” said Tariq Azeem. “We don’t want any nuclear race. That doesn’t bode well for either country.”

Unlike Iran, India is not a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. New Delhi tested its first nuclear weapon in 1974, provoking international sanctions that barred it from importing nuclear technology and materials.

It conducted tests again in 1998 that drew a quick response from Pakistan, triggering an arms race between the neighbours, who have fought three wars since independence in 1947. A civil nuclear cooperation deal with the United States, sealed in 2008, gave India access to know-how and fuel in return for a pledge - so far unfulfilled - to bring in US firms to expand India’s nuclear power generation capacity. l

President Petro Poroshenko will call for the creation of a 10-km (6.25-mile) buffer zone on the border with Russia under a 14-point plan to bring peace to east Ukraine, according to an unofficial copy published by media on Friday.

Ukraine says fighters from Russia and supplies of guns and other military equipment have been coming into the country to support pro-Russian separatists, and tightening control of the 1,900-km (1,190-mile) border is Ukraine’s main security headache.

Details of the proposal to create a 10km buffer zone, contained in a photographed copy of the 14-point plan and carried in Ukrainian media, were not spelled out.

It was not clear if the whole of the proposed demilitarized no-man’s land would be on Ukraine’s side of the border or part of it on the Russian side. It was also not clear what the status of people living in border areas would be.

Acting Defence Minister Mykhailo Koval told parliament on Friday that government forces were now back in control of the border and there was now no possibility of military equipment being ferried in to the rebels from Russia.

Poroshenko, installed in office on June 7, is under pressure to secure support from Russia, as well as his backers in the West, for a plan to end the rebellions in the Russian-speaking east and stabilise the country after seven months of upheaval. l

Hundreds of children are believed to have been kidnapped in Africa and brought to Britain for brutal voodoo rituals, a UN watchdog said, urging London to do more to combat the scourge.

“We’re concerned about reports that hundreds of children have been abducted from their families in Africa and trafficked to the UK, especially London, for religious rituals,” said Kristen Sandberg, head of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

“They are used in so-called voodoo rituals, and are also raped and sexually abused. The number of convictions is extremely low,” the former Norwegian supreme court judge said Thursday.

British police are reported to have recorded scores of cases over the past decade of children who have faced torture and abuse as part of witchcraft rituals.

The case of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie – born in Ivory Coast – brought the issue into the public eye in 2000 when she was killed by relatives who said she was a witch.

A year later, police found the dismembered corpse of a Nigerian boy in London’s River Thames, believed to have been used in a ritual.

And in 2010, 15-year-old Kristy Bamu died after being tortured by his sister and her partner, both originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who claimed he was cursed. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Prescription

Saturday, June 21, 2014

‘Growing pain’ nothing to worry, easy to handle Growing pain is often described as an ache or throb in the legs – mostly in the front of the thighs, the calves, or behind the knees. Growing pain is common in pre-school and school-going children. Growing pain tends to affect both legs, and occurs at night, and may even wake a child up ing pain,” and it affects about one in 10 them. Growing pain does not cause n Dr Israt Shormy children. The pain doesn’t occur every other problems, and it does not affect

There’s no evidence that a child’s growth is painful. And growing pains don’t usually happen where growth is occurring or during times of rapid growth

Cause is unknown

day might increase the risk of leg pain at night. Moving the legs does not make the pain any better or worse.There is no pain in the joints.

How it presents

Growing pain usually causes aching or throbbing feeling in the legs. This often occurs in the front of the thighs, the calves, or behind the knees. Usually both legs hurt. This pain is known as “grow-

Though the exact cause of growth pain is unknown, it may be linked to several things, including tiredness in the muscles, poor posture, or stress, but each of these suspected causes is not present in every child who suffers from growing pain. Growing pains are not caused by bone growth, and will normally end by the teen years. There’s no evidence that a child’s growth is painful. And growing pains don’t usually happen where growth is occurring or during times of rapid growth.

No specific treatment

There’s no specific treatment for growing pain. You can make your child more comfortable by putting a warm heating pad on the sore muscles, and massage

5 diet and nutrition myths

5 TIPS

growth. Growing pain often gets better on their own within a year or two.

And if it does not go away completely in a year or so, it often becomes less painful. In the meantime, you can help ease your child’s discomfort with selfcare measures, such as massaging your child’s legs. Some things that may help to decrease the pain include:  Massage the area.  Reassure the child that the pain will be gone by morning.  Stretch the muscles in the legs or the arms.  Place a heating pad or warm, wet towel on the area.  Give your child a warm bath.  Give ibuprofen or acetaminophen.  Don’t tell your child that the pain is caused by playing or growing, as the child may become afraid of both.

BIGSTOCK

day. It comes and goes. Growing pain often strikes in the late afternoon or early evening, and disappears by the morning.

Pain worsens through the night, especially at bedtime. Sometimes the pain awakens a child in the middle of the night.

Growing pain does not cause children to limp, nor makes it hard for them to run or play normally. If your child is limping, complaining of pain during the day, feels ill, or if his leg is sore, then you should consult your pediatrician, as your child may be injured or have an infection.

Uff! Toothache

See your doctor if       

Intense pain.

Pain that lasts through the morning.

Swelling or redness in one particular area or in a joint.

Pain associated with an injury.

Pain associated with fever.

Limping or limited movement of the limb.

Any rash with weakness of limbs l

BIGSTOCK

Although this pain is called growing pain, there’s no evidence that growth hurts.

Growing pain may be CHILD HEALTH linked to a low pain threshold. It usually affects pre-school and school-age children.

It is slightly more common in girls than in boys. Researchers thought running, climbing, or jumping during the

QUICK TIPS FOR WC

Vaccination during pregnancy

One of the biggest dilemmas for dieters is sorting fact from fiction when it comes to nutrition claims. So, get ready to set five of those urban, nutrition myths straight.

ria toxoid and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine: One dose of Tdap vaccine is recommended during each pregnancy to protect your newborn from whooping cough (pertussis), regardless of when you had your last Tdap or tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccination. Ideally, the vaccine should be given between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.

Seeing the word “lite” on a product may automatically trigger a response to purchase that product. More often than not people are buying these products because they believe that “lite” products are low in fat. This word can be quite deceiving considering it can have other meanings. For example, ‘lite’ oil means light in colour and ‘lite’ dry biscuits can mean light in salt. The fat and kilojoule content of these products is usually the same as the regular product.

BIGSTOCK

Olive oil is lower in fat than other oils

Olive oil contains the same amount of fat as other oils. The type of fat found in oils varies – olive oil contains predominantly monounsaturated fat.

These healthy fats can help control cholesterol levels if they replace saturated fats in the diet. Olive oil also supplies beneficial anti-oxidants.

But if you are watching your weight, the amount of all fat in your diet should be controlled, including the use of oils.

By increasing my protein intake I will build huge muscles

Adequate protein is essential for muscle repair and maintenance. However, every gram of dietary protein is not converted to a gram of muscle.

Consuming more protein than your body requires can result in the excess being stored as fat if your overall kilo joule intake exceeds energy expenditure. Without the appropriate strength training regime your body will not automatically convert the protein to muscle. So if you want to increase your muscle mass, combine a well-balanced diet with an appropriate strength training program.

Bananas are loaded with fat

Bananas are high in energy-giving carbohydrates and low in fat. They are a good source of fibre, potassium and vitamin C. Some people believe they are high in fat because of the creamy texture and sweet taste of the perfectly ripened banana.

BIGSTOCK However, once you dip banana in batter, deep fry it and call it a banana fritter – well that’s a different story! l

| Dr Kazi Mahbuba

BIGSTOCK

Motion sickness

l Tetanus toxoid, reduced diphthe-

‘Lite’ means a product is low in fat

BIGSTOCK

Tooth decay is the primary cause of toothaches for most children and adults. Bacteria that live in your mouth thrive on the sugars and starches in the food you eat. These bacteria form a sticky plaque on the surface of your teeth. Acids produced by the bacteria in plaque can eat white coated hard part your teeth (enamel), create a cavity. The first sign of decay may be a sensation of pain when you eat something sweet, very cold or very hot. A toothache often indicates that your dentist will need to work on your teeth. Until you can see your dentist, try these selfcare tips for a toothache:  Rinse your mouth with warm water.  Use dental floss to remove any food particles wedged between your teeth.  Take an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever to dull the ache.  Apply an OTC antiseptic containing benzocaine directly to the irritated tooth and gum to temporarily relieve pain. Don’t use benzocaine in children younger than age 2 without supervision from a health- care professional. Direct application of oil of cloves (eugenol) also may help. Don’t place aspirin or another painkiller directly against your gums, as it may burn your gum tissue.

Meherun Nessa, n Dr Gynaecologist Vaccination is a very small but important part during pregnancy. Generally, vaccines that contain killed (inactivated) viruses WOMEN’S can be given during HEALTH pregnancy. Vaccines that contain live viruses aren’t recom-

mended for pregnant women.

Two vaccines are routinely recommended during pregnancy:

l Flu (influenza) shot: The flu shot is

recommended for women who are pregnant during flu season – typically November through March. The flu shot is made from an inactivated virus, so it’s safe for both you and your baby. Avoid the nasal spray vaccine, which is made from a live virus.

Getting the flu shot and the Tdap vaccine during pregnancy can protect you from infection and can also help protect your baby after birth before he or she can be vaccinated. This is important because flu and whooping cough can be particularly dangerous for infants.

If you’re traveling abroad or you’re at increased risk of certain infections, your health care provider might also recommend other vaccines during pregnancy – such as hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines.

Certain vaccines should generally be avoided during pregnancy, including:

Varicella (chickenpox) Human papillomavirus  Measles, mumps and rubella  Zoster If you’re planning a pregnancy, talk to your health care provider about any vaccines you might need beforehand.

Live vaccines should be given at least a month before conception. l  

Any type of transportation can cause motion sickness. It can strike suddenly, progressing from a feeling of uneasiness to a cold sweat, dizziness and then vomiting. Motion sickness usually quiets down as soon as the motion stops. The more you travel, the more easily you’ll adjust to being in motion. You may escape motion sickness by planning ahead. If you’re traveling, reserve seats where motion is felt least:  By train: take a seat near the front and next to a window. Face forward.  By automobile: drive or sit in the front passenger’s seat. If you’re susceptible to motion sickness:  Focus on the horizon or on a distant, stationary object. Don’t read.  Keep your head still, while resting against a seat back.  Don’t smoke or sit near smokers.  Avoid spicy and greasy foods. Don’t overeat.  Take an over-the-counter antihistamine, such as meclizine or one containing dimenhydrinate , at least 30 to 60 minutes before you travel. Expect drowsiness as a side effect.

| Compiled by: Shirsho Saaeadat

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Heritage

Saturday, June 21, 2014

9

The light of asia, born in Bangladesh

SYED LATIF HOSSAIN

T

n Tim Steel o the, estimated, 350 million devotees of the teachings of Prince Gautama of Nepal, the “Enlightened One,” Bangladeshi born Chandragarbha, is one of the most significant teachers in the history of their belief traditions. After his death, inTibet, in 1053, amongst other identifications, he has been widely known as, “The Second Buddha.”

bha’s early upbringing was “royal,” and peaceful; like Gautama, he was well educated, although his education certainly owed much to the rich tradition of Buddhism, for which there is evidence in Bangladesh reaching back to at least the fourth century BCE. At the age of 18, he renounced his family ties, and sought to become a pupil of the distinguished teacher of Tantra, called Jetari. In an age in which parental influence and control is known to blight many promising

Ordained a monk at 19 years of age, and completing his education eleven years later, he travelled to Java and Sumatra to continue his studies

Buddhist temple in Ramu

DRIKNEWS

He first saw the light of day, it is believed, in Vikrampur, modern Munshiganj, born into the family of one of the, “kings,” or local chierftains, who held land under the Pala rulers, in 980 CE. The government of China has recognised what is believed to be the exact location of his birthplace, by building a Pagoda, and an assembly hall there.

The millions of Buddhists in China are happy to acknowledge the birthplace of a man who they believe contributed so much to the social development of China, especially the province of Tibet.

Bangladesh, today, is very rich in the heritage of that Pala dynasty, which ruled extensive lands of north India, from the middle of the eighth century to the middle of the 12th.

With an estimated 400 ruined Vihara, monasteries cum schools and universities, the greatest concentration, it is believed, of the contemporary world, in the lands that are now Bangladesh, alone, the impact of those rulers was enormous, in, especially, learning, commerce and trade.

They also left behind such extraordinary sites as that as Bhitagarh, in Rangpur Division, close to Punchagarh, which, being slowly excavated, is proving to originate in the sixth century, pre-Pala, the largest fortified city in North India.

Like Prince Gautama, Chandragar-

careers, it is worth noting that the tradition of self management of young people, in fact, reaches a long way back in the cultural history of Bangladesh.

Ordained a monk at 19 years of age, and completing his education eleven years later, he travelled to Java and Sumatra in the company of gem merchants, to continue his studies. That he accompanied gem merchants, of course, reflects light on the continuing strength of trading internationally through the Ganges Delta.

the Delta, and up the rivers into Central Asia, there is also little doubt, perhaps even from as early as the fourth century BCE. Even copies of the great, and unusual, seventh century, cruciform Vihara at Paharpur are to be found in Cambodia and Sumatra.

At the age of 44, Atish Depanker Srijnan, as he had come to be known, travelled back to the Indian subcontinent, via Sri Lanka, where he became, it is said, Principal of the famous “University” of Vikramshila, in Bihar, one of the famous five such places of that age, in India. Two of those five we can easily identify as lying in the lands of Bangladesh, Paharpur, and Jaggadala.

However, others believe that, in fact, he became Principal of the large, recently rediscovered Vihara in Vikrampur, close to the site of his birth.

Contemporary writings describe his Vihara, whether in Bihar or Vikrampur, as having 8,000 students, from across the known world, and 108 Professors.

It is not hard to imagine that influence from modern India may account for some of this confusion, or the benefits that India feels it might gain from such identification!

Whatever the truth of that, the Bangladeshi born man, who was to become known, variously, as, “The Eye of Asia,” “The Light of Asia,” and “The Second Buddha,” widely admired and respected, not only for his learning and teaching, but also his practice of that learning, was invited, at about the

Contemporary writings describe his Vihara as having 8,000 students, from across the known world, and 108 Professors In fact, there is little doubt that the heritage of international trade, that was focussed on the Ganges Delta, and the lands that are now Bangladesh, through which the three great Asian rivers, the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna flow, continued to flourish for many centuries more.

That Buddhist philosophy and study spread internationally through

age of 60, to travel to the Tibetan Empire, to help to restore the declining practice of Buddhist traditions.

The Tibetan Empire flourished, not only across today’s Tibet, but far across the Himalayas, and into Central Asia, and may even have held, in the early years, some hegemony over what was to become the Pala Empire. By the 11th century, it was slowly declining,

with what is known as “The Era of Fragmentation” advancing. Throughout its history, Buddhism had been a guiding principal of Imperial rule, but, by the time of Atish, much of that tradition was lost.

Despite grave misgivings, Depanker agreed to head to Tibet for three years, to assist in the restoration work.

He never returned to his homeland, earning enormous distinction and respect, not least through the assistance of his disciple and assistant, Bromston-pa-rgyal-bar-byun-gna.

The 13th century arrival of the Pathan invaders in North India, fleeing just the depredations inflicted by the Mongol hordes that also finally overthrew the Tibetan Empire, the coming of Islam saw the, quite literal, completion of the destruction of much of the Buddhist tradition of the lands of Bangladesh that was commenced by the Hindu Sunga Dynasty.

It was, doubtless, in the Pathan invasion, followed by that of the largely Muslim Mughals, that both the Buddhist tradition in Bangladesh, and the heritage of Buddhist learning, such as the immense contribution made by Depanker, was lost.

The same Mongol invasion was doubtless responsible for the loss of his heritage in Tibet.

It was only as the result of research in Tibet, especially that carried out by Sarat Chandra Das, another Bangladeshi born scholar, traveller ... and spy(!) ... of the late 19th and early 20th century, that Depanker’s importance, in the history of Buddhism, came to light.

Kings and princes come and go, as do politicians, but very few leave a lasting mark on the history of the world, and, few more, on the history of a people.

That Atish Depanker, born Chandragarbha, should have been expunged from the history of his birth country may well be considered a pity. A remarkable man of enduring strength, intelligence, and evident integrity, it seems that he might well, otherwise, have been a great example of personal achievement, and enduring fame, to a new generation of this young nation, Bangladesh. l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing, and tourism consultant.

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Saturday, June 21, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

No question as to legitimacy

W

e are glad that the court has confirmed that the MPs elected in uncontested seats in the January 5 elections were nonetheless constitutionally elected, and that there is thus no legal barrier to the legitimacy of the 10th parliament.

It has always been this newspaper’s position that, despite their shortcomings, the national polls were legal and constitutional, and to have this confirmed by the court was a salutary step.

Although the provision allowing for such a large number of uncontested seats in the elections may or may not be a wise or desirable one, it is still the law as it stands. Revisiting the provision to make adjustments for future polls is an option, but the MPs elected thus far are not only entitled to, but legally obligated to, partake in deliberation and passage of laws.

The opposition is perfectly within its rights to call for fresh elections and to argue that the current government lacks moral legitimacy. Indeed, we too have expressed our qualms about the non-representative nature of the government and also urged fresh elections within a reasonable period of time.

However, the current government is a legitimate one as far as the law of our land is concerned, and political arguments as to its illegitimacy or illegality are potentially destabilising and dangerous.

Let the legality of the parliament including the members elected unopposed not be called into further question. Let us accept the legality of the current government as a premise for the political dialogue and even agitation to come.

The MPs elected thus far are legally obligated to partake in deliberation and passage of laws

No excuse for thuggery

S

hakib al Hasan is a national hero, looked up to by millions.

However, no matter who he is, he must still abide by the same tenets of common decency, and indeed common law, that the rest of us do. Indeed, as a public figure, his responsibility is even greater.

There can thus be no excuse for Shakib beating up a young man for allegedly harassing his wife, no matter what the provocation. The beating of the young man followed by his arrest and incarceration strikes us as a textbook example of abuse of power and privilege that is absolutely shocking.

Placing oneself above the law, as Shakib did in this instance, is unacceptable.

Compounding his sins, under the rules of the game, he should never have even left the players’ enclosure for any reason, much less to administer street justice to a hapless spectator.

Even more concerning is that this is reportedly not the first time he has acted in this way, nor is there any evidence that he is at all apologetic or regretful for his actions. Had there been some contrition or acknowledgement on his part, that would have gone some way to ameliorating his actions, but as it is, it seems clear that he does not understand how or why he was beyond the pale.

Shakib’s actions have been shameful. He is lucky to avoid legal liability for his outburst, but there can be no question that he deserves, at the very least, serious disciplinary action as a rebuke for his behavior. To do otherwise would be to send the message that stars are above the law.

Shakib must abide by the same tenets of common decency and common law that the rest of us do

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

We are all Bangladeshis June 16

Syed Kamal I thank Dhaka Tribune for taking a factual and civilised position. By engaging in such acts, perpetrators bring Bangladesh into disrepute. If you want Bangladesh to be known as a progressive and civilised country, then you have to behave accordingly.

Imzy The acts of violence are wrong, however to say they are Bangladeshi is wrong, they are stranded Pakistanis, and Pakistan simply shows once again how they behave, and Bengalis and Bangladesh are their slaves, by refusing to take their people back.

Ronnie I completely endorse DT’s unequivocal and principled stand on this issue. This kind of bigoted bestiality targeting a particular minority people in this country must not be tolerated by either the government or by average, fair-minded Bangladeshis. Alas, I reckon it might be asking too much of the incumbent government to properly investigate the facts of this latest atrocity and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Sammy Ronnie: Right on again, mate! The Baksal regime is largely built on this chauvinistic, uber-cultural ethos, and, as we are finding out, their own MP was alleged-

Increase income tax slab-limits June 17

Md Ashraf Hossain The finance minister declared proposed budget for 2014-15 financial year on June 5 in the Jatia Sangsad. He did not, however, propose an increase of the free income tax limit from the existing Tk220,000.

The other slabs also will not be increased. That is, income tax is levied at 10% on the next Tk300,000, 15% for the next Tk400,000. Indeed, in the present proposal, 20% income tax will be levied on the next Tk500,000 and 25% for the next Tk3 million and 30% on the next full amount. Unfortunately, the proposed rate of income tax will encourage tax evasion, and those in the limited income group, especially service holders, will suffer much.

In rural areas, hundreds of businesspersons do not pay income tax at all, even earned taxable income. But service holders in urban as well as rural areas cannot evade taxes, as their employers show the salaries in exact figures to show high expenditures in their business. The real income of service holders in Bangladesh have fallen significantly in the last couple of years because of high inflation.

The business communities shift the burden of price increases to buyers by increasing the prices of their products and services, taking it as an opportunity to earn more profits. In fact, inflation brings more money to businesspersons. The service holders then are helpless. They bear the whole burden of inflation, as their salaries do not rise instantly with the rising prices. Consequently, they have to reduce the quantity of goods purchased and services they need.

The free taxable limit should be raised to Tk300,000 and income tax may be imposed at the rate of 5% on the next Tk500,000, 10% for the next Tk500,000, 15% on the next Tk500,000, 20% for the next Tk500,000, and 25% on the rest for the 2014-15 financial year.

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 3 represents M so fill M every time the figure 3 appears.

You have two letters in the control grid to start you off. Enter them in the 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

ly involved in this. I am just waiting for a minister to claim this was done by Khaleda Zia and Tareque, lol.

Ronnie Sammy: All of what you said is obviously true, no question. The rampant criminality and savagery in our society today is both pervasive and unprecedented. And we didn’t get to where we are today, in a day, week, or month. It’s the culmination of the conscious cultivation of just such a malfunctioning culture that has today spiraled out of control. It’s a frightening crisis.

What I find especially outrageous, though, is this government’s serially abject abdication of its duty to uphold law, order and justice, and its total capitulation to, indeed its apparent protection of, all types of killers and criminals, many of whom, unsurprisingly, are AL homeboys. The ruling party is clearly hostage to the will of the various hoodlums and “godfathers” who had helped it to retain power through means we’re all aware of. Brutalising a bunch of people of the Bihari minority, (albeit, Bangladeshis, nevertheless) with all the motives behind it, cannot seem too risky for the perpetrators in the current climate of impunity and government apathy.

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.

Ekram Kabir My heartfelt thanks to DT for writing this editorial.

You sound humane.

Flag euphoria hides the pain within June 16

Ronnie I was never the flag-waving type of fan (or person) anyway. I just don’t like it. I don’t wave our national flag during cricket tournaments at home, much less flaunt the German flag during World Cups in all the years (since Mexico ‘86) that I have been a fervent fan of the Mannschaft. That said, I do not endorse any faux-nationalistic decree by the government banning the flying of foreign flags by local fans during the ongoing World Cup tournament.

It’s entirely unnecessary and downright silly.

I haven’t heard anything yet discouraging the donning of team jerseys by fans. That would be an even worse over-reach.

But it’s equally silly to argue, as the author does, that depriving fans the freedom of freely flying the flags of their loved national teams amounts to “robbing them of their right to enjoy a sporting event.” This is flat-out childish and sappy. I honestly don’t personally know any ardent football fan whose enjoyment of the game is so flakily reliant on flying chosen flag that he’d suffer grief over being denied that liberty. It’s complete clap trap and I hope the author knows it, too.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Moisture free (3) 3 Smart and fashionable (4) 6 Subtle emanation (4) 7 Flightless bird (3) 9 Insect (4) 10 Barrel (3) 11 African river (4) 13 Backbone (5) 16 Speak (5) 18 Gratis (4) 19 Tree (3) 20 Masculine (4) 21 Plunder (3) 23 Girdle (4) 24 Book of the Bible (4) 25 No score (3)

DOWN 1 Useless remains (5) 2 Male sheep (3) 4 Whetstone (4) 5 Incision (3) 6 Joint (5) 8 Combine (5) 9 Merriment (4) 12 Bury (5) 14 Chaste (4) 15 Heavenly body (5) 17 Insurgent (5) 18 Level (4) 20 Spoil (3) 22 Kimono sash (3)

TJ A very interesting point of view that we get hyperexcited about Brazil, Argentina, or other football teams during the World Cup because our team could be as successful as we hoped for. The FIFA World Cup is a time for celebration worldwide.

There is no harm enjoying the games, but being extremely enthusiastic about supporting these teams seems a bit absurd to me.

CALVIN AND HOBBES Stand together June 15

TJ A government is judged by examining how they treat the minorities of the country. Thus the government needs to be more careful when they are handling issues like violating the rights of the Khasis by trying to grab their land where they have been living for decades.

Evil people politics TJ: I doubt it’s the sole parameter through which a government is judged, but I see where you were going with that.

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

What are they there for?

June 15

Ekram Kabir Still asking questions?

Breadbitten By this point they (statutory bodies) might as well be furniture. The kind that just sits there, forever, collecting dust.

Switzerland 2- 1 Ecuador June 16

Wali So, the Swiss are the first European team to beat a Latin American team in this WC14!?

Bravo Switzerland!

SUDOKU

Op-Ed

DHAKA TRIBUNE

11

Saturday, June 21, 2014

The concrete jungle n Anika Tasneem

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We don’t need no education

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n Ekram Kabir

’ve just been struck by a mindboggling piece of news in a vernacular daily. The incident sounded like the trailer for a horror movie. On June 11, a math teacher from a Sunamganj school gave 48 used razor blades to her students and ordered them to cut their hands and legs. The reason for this gruesome order was that the students didn’t do their homework. No student had completed their 30 sums. The school administration had said they would investigate into the incident and take proper action.

This incident leads me to point out the state of punishment in schools across Bangladesh. Our teachers usually punish their students with slaps, blows, caning with sticks and dusters, making the students hold their ears and touch their noses to the ground, imposing too much homework, and detaining students for long times in a separate room. Sometimes, teachers tell their students to stick their tongues out, chew torn pages from their copies, kneel down like a turtle, walk like a horse, etc.

We’ve also seen how madrasa students in our country are beaten up by their teachers to become “disciplined.” There have been thousands of instances of teachers punishing students in our country. When I was in grade two, one of our teachers rushed into the classroom and struck me with the broken handle of a chair, which had a nail sticking out. I tried to block the strike by raising my hand, but the

nail pierced through one of my fingers.

Apparently, our teacher was angered by the noise coming in from our classroom, but I was not the instigator.

That was in 1972. The recent Sunamganj incident suggests that nothing has changed in this country since I was a child. Students across the country continue to be punished and victimised by their teachers, which is a serious detriment to a proper education and the normal growth of children.

The government has of course banned eleven kinds of punishments in Bangladeshi educational institutions, but the horrifying ways students are punished continues with grim impacts on the children’s psychological development.

don’t understand how our teachers (and some parents) got this idea of making better humans by punishing small children.

There’s another type of punishment currently going on in schools, which is the process of victimising a particular student. When a teacher happens to develop some sort of disliking for a certain student, that student’s life is doomed. The student is demonised as a black sheep of the class, or even the school, and all possible future development for this particular student is blocked. The student loses interest in everything and becomes branded as a bad person. The teachers benefit from the school authorities by making a devil out of that student. This is an

Students across the country continue to be punished and victimised by their teachers, a serious detriment to a proper education

They (teachers) believe they are doing a great service to their students by punishing them like this. They think they are helping their students become disciplined, responsible, and better students. There are of course some parents who also think along the same lines as these teachers. They think punishment will make their children better human beings in the future. I

atrocious practice which our teachers are engaged in.

There are many reasons for this.

The first one that pops up in my mind is that there’s absolutely no training for teachers in Bangladesh, either that or the way they are trained in grossly flawed. Secondly, the recruitment process for teachers is quite defective, as no assessment of teachers’ psychol-

ogies or family background is ever conducted. Finally, school authorities are quite immature in dealing with the development of small children.

I was in a semi-military school at the age of 12. We had a system of stern punishment and physical training. We had endured it all as we were told at the very beginning that punishment and hardship were part of the training, in order to prepare us for the military.

We accepted them and were never upset about it. In six months, we had become hardened enough to endure all sorts of physical tests of endurance.

We had fantastic teachers who never complained about any of us.

They never made villains out of any of us. They used to deal with us through punishment and counseling, and we still remember those teachers with fondness. But I could never forgive my second grade math teacher for making me bleed.

Having said that, simply punishing and victimising students cannot benefit the education of the country. I think the teachers have to become educated first, otherwise they should choose another profession for themselves.

I feel like reminding our teachers the infamous lines from Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” – “We don’t need no education/ We don’t need no thought control/ No dark sarcasm in the classroom/ Teacher, leave them kids alone/ Hey, teacher, leave the kids alone.” l

We dream of a Dhaka which may be a healthy city some day, where all city dwellers have access to basic utilities Housing developers are more interested in making the maximum profits by building high-rises. As a result, wherever you look, you will see modern structures and buildings. Besides, the city is expanding in all directions without any proper planning. Thus, the city is losing its greenery and the land is now used for commercial purposes.

Because of lack of commitment and political will, the present government, just like the past ones, has failed to bring about any real improvement. The reason behind every crisis in the capital is that everything is done on an adhoc basis. Every government blames the lack of coordination between the utility agencies.

Certainly, if things are left as they are now, Dhaka will soon turn into the worst kind of concrete jungle, and therefore will become totally unlivable.

Still, we dream of a Dhaka which may be a healthy city some day, where all the city dwellers have access to basic utilities. l Anika Tasneem is a freelance contributor.

AMIRUL RAJIV

BIGSTOCK

n every part of Dhaka there are schools, hospitals, shopping malls, beauty parlors, and numerous establishments and organisations. Dhaka, during the rush hours, appears like a chaotic mega city. In fact, it is a city of crowds, bustling all the time.

This has happened because most of the people think that Dhaka is the only place with better opportunities, which are not available in other towns and the rural areas. This myth has inspired thousands of them to come to Dhaka, in many cases with their entire families. The impact of this huge influx of people can be felt at every level.

During summer, people face the reality when the crisis of water and electricity becomes more apparent.

Moreover, Dhaka is expanding in an unplanned way, which cannot yield any positive outcome. Dhaka has become unfit for living. Current trends of rapid urban growth are making people vulnerable to disasters. But, the fact is that urbanisation is here and it is here to stay. So, we should better consider the challenges associated with it.

Every single day, more and more people are coming to the city in search of jobs and better living conditions. The first challenge is to fulfill the growing demand. People are deprived of the basic facilities. Dhaka city dwellers, for instance, suffer from acute water crisis in every dry season, namely from March to June. People living in areas like Niketon, Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Shyamoli, Farmgate etc have to buy water from Dhaka Wasa.

However, the water that they get is not enough to cater to their normal household needs. The government steps have been proved ineffective so far. Also, excessive dependence on groundwater is a threat as the groundwater layer is dropping. However, the authority is not very concerned about it. It is not possible to use surface

water either because it is equally polluted.

With more and more people moving into the capital city, there is a dire need for land. Land is so scarce that people have filled in the rivers around the city to make space for new housing. Mass evictions are on the rise as landowners clear out slums to make way for more profitable building projects.

Ekram Kabir is a Dhaka Tribune columnist and the Executive Editor of Natunbarta.com.

Cracking down on bad food n M Abdul Latif Mondal

F

or over a month, newspapers around the country have been publishing reports of widespread adulteration of food. On May 26, the Dhaka Tribune carried a report saying that findings from tests at the Public Health Laboratory (PHL) over the past two years had shown that over 46% of the food items that were available in the market were adulterated, and around 80-99% of other popular items in the market, including ghee, juice, honey, sweets, candy, soybean oil, and powdered milk were found to have been contaminated with harmful chemicals.

Adulteration of food affects people of all strata in our society. It does not discriminate between rich and poor, between high-ups and common people

Quoting an FAO-sponsored test carried out at a government laboratory – the National Food Safety Laboratory – The Daily Star reported on April 28 that 40% of the 82 food samples tested in the lab contained banned pesticides and toxic substances beyond permissible limits. The banned pesticides included DDT, Aldrin, Chlordane, and Heptachlor – substances extremely harmful to the human body.

Carrots, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, capsicum, bananas, apples, pineapples, and mangoes were contaminated with these highly toxic pesticides.

Food adulteration has reached new heights. Hardly any category of food is available unadulterated. This may give rise to the question of whether we have any laws towards checking the adulteration of food items to begin with.

The answer is that there is no dearth of laws in the country which deals with the food adulteration menace. The most relevant laws are: Special Powers Act 1974, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution Ordinance (BSTI) 1985, The Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009, and Pure Food Act 2013. Of all these laws, the Pure Food Act (PFA) 2013, which replaces the Pure Food Ordinance (PFO) 1959, amended up to 2005, is the latest and most comprehensive one. It gives an elaborate definition of food and prohibits the mixing of chemicals such as formalin, calcium carbide, sodium cyclamate, and other substances which are harmful to human health.

It prescribes the responsibilities of the businessmen dealing with food.

It has a provision for the set-up of a unified authority, the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), to fight food adulteration and take care of other food-related concerns of consumers.

It also provides for the formation of a National Pure Food Management Advisory Council, headed by the food minister and comprised of members from various ministries and government,

private, and academic organisations.

PFA 2013 calls for either a sentence of seven years’ imprisonment or a fine of Tk1m, or both, for including life-threatening chemicals in foods. It also describes that for repeat offenders, the punishment would double. It provides for the formation of as many food courts as deemed necessary to prosecute adulterators. The Special Powers Act of 1974 asks for the death penalty as the maximum punishment for the offence.

BSTI Ordinance 1985 and its rules relate to the testing and quality control of certain industrial and commercial products, including food and drinks. The Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009 prescribes punishment of a maximum of either three years’ imprisonment, or a maximum fine of Tk200,000, or both, for adulterating foods.

Additionally, the higher courts have ordered relevant government departments and agencies to check for adulteration of different varieties of food more than once, and take action against the adulterators. In 2010 and 2012, the High Court (HC) ordered the police to file cases against food adulterators under the Special Powers Act 1974. In 2012, on a writ petition filed by the FBCCI, the HC also ordered the government to stop the import of food items contaminated with formalin and calcium carbide.

On April 29, the HC ordered authorities concerned to inform it within 20 days from the date of receipt of the order about the measures taken to stop the use of hazardous chemicals

and preservatives in food items by a section of unscrupulous businessmen and farmers.

The question may now be raised as to why the markets continue to be flooded with adulterated food items in spite of the existence of the aforesaid food laws and the directives issued by the HC. The answers are not that far to seek out.

First, the lack of strong political will has been the biggest hurdle in the implementation of food laws. Adulterators are very powerful individuals.

Many of them are members of big political parties, ones which have been ruling the country for the last two decades or so. Others maintain liaison with the party in power. Political consideration has thus dissuaded successive party governments from taking tough actions against the bigger adulterators.

Second, a number of ministries and agencies have so far been responsible for the production, supply, and marketing of pure foods for human consumption. The lack of coordination among these ministries and agencies has been an important factor for the food laws not being implemented.

Although the PFA 2013 has a provision for establishing a unified authority – the BFSA – to fight food adulteration and take care of other food related concerns of consumers, it has yet to come into effect even 8 months after the enactment of the act.

Third, the lack of well-equipped laboratories, both in terms of equipment and trained manpower, has

stood in the way of the implementation of food laws.

Fourth, the mobile court approach has largely failed to deliver the desired results. This is because the mobile courts suffer from a shortage of necessary specialists and equipment to deal with the adulterators’ newer techniques of avoiding detection and accountability.

Fifth, the government has failed to establish food courts as per provision of the amended PFO. The amendment made to the PFO in 2005 provided for the establishment of food court in each district and metropolitan area. The PFA that replaces the PFO has also a provision for the formation of as many food courts as deemed necessary to prosecute food adulterators. But the government has yet to become serious on this issue.

Sixth, a lack of public awareness about the hazardous effects of consuming adulterated foods, and their willingness to buy different varieties of adulterated food and foodstuff, have encouraged unscrupulous traders to market adulterated food items.

Adulteration of food affects people of all strata in our society. It does not discriminate between rich and poor, or between the high-ups in the government and common people. It is a national threat. Implementation of food laws and compliance with the HC directives will help ensure people’s access to safe food to a considerable extent. l M Abdul Latif Mondal is a former government secretary.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Artistic Musings of the Greats

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Subachan to stage Rupoboti n Entertainment Desk Subachan Natya Sangsad’s 49th staging of the play “Rupoboti” will take place at 7pm today at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA). Scripted by Nasreen Jahan and directed by the late Khaled Khan, this is the first time the play will be staged since the death of the theatre activist last December. “Rupoboti” is the last play directed by Khaled Khan.

The plot revolves around a flautist and his wife.

The story opens with the flautist who becomes

obsessed with the murder of his beautiful wife Rupoboti. As an artiste, he was struggling to keep his family afloat and his meagre earning was not enough to satisfy the hunger of his loved ones.

Rupoboti gets overpowered by a wicked magician who teaches her to overcome her hunger.

When she is brutally killed, the flautist becomes desperate in his grief to avenge her death and sets out to find her killer. Sonia Hasan will play the lead role while Sohel Khan, Ansar Ali, Saiful Imam and many others will appear in various roles of the production. l

Professor Emeritus Anisuzzaman, Qayyum Chowdhury, Nasir Ali Mamun, Monirul Islam at the inaugural ceremony of the exhibition

n Shadma Malik A collection of artworks titled “Artistic Musings of the Greats” by Nasir Ali Mamun is on display at the Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts. The exhibition is a fiesta for the art enthusiasts of the country as it is a collection of artworks by famous artists Quamrul Hassan, SM Sultan, Shamsur Rahman, Aminul Islam, Qayyum Chowdhury, Anisuzzaman and Monirul Islam.

Dhaka Tribune caught up with the collector to learn about his interest of archiving: “Since I was nine years old, I was fascinated with photos published in newspapers. I use to cut and collect them. Taking pictures and collecting autographs of renowned people was always my aspiration,” said Nasir.

“While taking photographs of notable personalities, I would carry scrap papers, notepads and pencils, and request them to give their autographs. Some artists drew and some wrote two lines of poetry for me. I collected autographs of Syed Shamsul Haq, Nirmalendu Goon; both

drew portraits of women along with their signatures.”

“Haq called me ‘Camerar Kobi’ (The Poet with the Camera) which was an immense honour for me.”

Asked about any interesting incident that happened while taking autographs, Nasir said: “In 1981, when Mother Teresa came to Bangladesh, I took her photo and asked for an autograph; she wrote ‘Shanti Shobar Jonno’ (Peace for everyone). S M Sultan drew my portrait and named it ‘Portrait of my friend.’”

In 1972, Nasir Ali Mamun introduced portrait photography in Bangladesh. The photographer took pictures of many international literary celebrities and creative personalities including those from the South Asian subcontinent. Till date he has had more than 40 solo photography exhibitions. Nasir would like to publish a photo catalogue of these icons from the ongoing exhibition. In addition, as part of his archiving process, the collector wants to open a museum titled “Photosium” in Savar.

The exhibition will remain open until July 5. l

n Entertainment Desk

Bangladeshi-British filmmaker Munsur Ali’s debut film “Shongram” will see its world premiere in London Indian Film Festival on July 14. The film will be screened again on July 16 at the Cineworld Shaftesbury Ave in London.

For the first time a Bangladeshi film is participating in the London Indian Film Festival which was established in 2010 to showcase independent film

SADIA MARIUM

contained playing during the flute solos.

All the pieces started with flute aalaps, with lead guitar support. Two of the pieces followed melodic phrases and improvisations on moderate tempo, and then surprise switchovers to melodies on faster tempos. One of the pieces followed mostly an open ended jam pattern, with some question answer sessions among the lead guitar and flute. There was also some question answer sessions between the flute and percussion.

The chief guest audience included Olivier Litvine, Director Alliance Française de Dhaka, and Abaji, a multi-talented French Lebanese instrumentalist from Paris.

The EMK Happy Hour is an initiative to support established individuals or groups in arts, culture and entrepreneurship. l

TODAY IN DHAKA Film

X-Men: Days of Future Past The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (3D) Pompeii 300 Rise of an Empire Tarkata Time: 10am – 10pm Star Cineplex, Level 8, Bashundhara City

Theatre

Godor Protikhhai Time: 7pm – 9pm National Theatre Hall Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy

Exhibition

Artistic Musings of Great Collector Nasir Ali Mamun Time: 12pm – 8pm Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts, Road No 16, Dhanmondi

from the subcontinent.

Fashion model and aspiring actor Dilruba Yasmeen Ruhee pairs with talented young actor Amaan Reza for the film. The international cast includes Bollywood’s Anupam Kher and Hollywood/European star Asia Argento.

Other Bangladeshi artistes in the film are Armaan Parvez Murad, Shubrotho and Ananta Hira.

“Shongram” is a romantic drama which is set against the backdrop of the Liberation War of 1971, a flashback

story told forty-three years later in London by a British-Bangladeshi freedom fighter Karim. He shares his experience with a reporter. He tells the tale of falling in love during a difficult time. Karim played by Amaan Reza falls in love with a jovial rural girl Asha played by Ruhee. What further complicates the situation is the fact that they were of different religion. Karim is Muslim while Asha is from a Hindu family - this single aspect becomes the cause for a rollercoaster journey. l

Tanvir Mokammel to attend film festival in Kolkata n Entertainment Desk

The EMK Happy Hour hosted the group called “Music Lab” on Thursday evening.

The lineup included Musarrat Jabeen Rahman (Flute), Shafkat Ahmed Dipto (lead guitar), Nahyan Imam (acoustic guitar), Imran Rabbani (Bass) and Sudipta Bardhan Shubho (drums). The group presented a different type of performance—the flute mostly sustained dhuns based on select raags and the lead guitar improvised freely based on those raag dhuns. The bass and acoustic guitars provided soothing harmonic support in the backdrop, while the percussion held everything together by imitating the style of tabla based percussion, changing the mood from rougher playing during guitar solos, to softer, more

Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) is organising a book reading session by “The Reading Circle” of the book “Mrityukshudha” of Kazi Nazrul Islam at 6:30pm today at IGCC, Gulshan 1.

In 1926, Kazi Nazrul Islam moved to Krishnanagar with his family. His stay there inspired him to write his second novel “Mrityukshudha.” The novel describes the dire poverty of the downtrodden and the struggles of a few individuals to better their lot and that of others. The novel also introduces the character of a revolutionary, who attempts to convey to the poor and the exploited an awareness of their rights. Like Nazrul’s other novels, there is a love triangle in this novel as well. Despite the starkness of the scenes of poverty in the story, there is a surprising amount of humour in it.

Members of “The Reading Circle” will discuss “Mrityukshudha” in a literary discussion at IGCC. Professor Rafiqul Islam, Professsor Emeritus, ULAB and a renowned Nazrul scholar will also speak on the occasion.

“The Reading Circle” formed eight years ago reads both Bangla and English books. In 2012, members of the group translated Kazi Nazrul Islam’s novel “Bandhon Hara” into English under the title “Unfettered.” l

World premiere of Shongram in London

Happy Hour at EMK

n Syeda Samira Sadeque

Book reading of Mrityukshudha at IGCC today n Entertainment Desk

Veteran filmmaker Tanvir Mokammel is flying out to Kolkata today to take part in the inauguration ceremony of the International Short and Documentary Film Festival of Eastern India as a special guest. Sandip Ray, son of the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray will also be present at the programme.

The festival will start at the Nandan cinema hall of Kolkata on June 23 and continue until June 27. Tanvir Mokammel’s hour length documentary “Karnaphulir Kanna” will be screend at the event. At the time of its release in 2005, the documentary was banned by the government of Bangladesh and after a

High Court writ petition, the documentary was released from court.

“Karnaphulir Kanna” is about the Chittagong Hill Tracts, an area situated in the south-west of Bangladesh bordering Myanmar and India, comprised of three districts, and home to twelve predominantly Buddhist ethnic groups who are collectively known as the “Jumma” nation. The first disruption of the peace in Chittagong took place from 1959-1962, when a dam was constructed on the Karnaphuli river, submerging 54,000 acres of arable land and making refugees of 100,000 people in the process. It is referred to by locals as “The Great Exodus.” These hill people suffered a second crisis in 1979 when the government brought plain land Bangalees from various districts and settled them in the region in an artificial and intrusive manner, propelling incidents of gross human rights violations.

Although a peace accord was signed in 1997 between the government and the Political Organization of the Hill People (PCJSS), the area remains one of the most unstable and impoverished in the nation. The film explores the agonies of the Chittagong inhabitants and is an example of what happens to a region and its people when they are kept out of the major national sphere.

Tanvir will also be attending a special film retrospective arranged in his honour by the Salt lake Film Society on July 5 and 6. Four of his films, “Lalon,” “Lalsalu,” “Rabeya” and “Jibondhuli” will be screened at the event. l

n Entertainment Desk

Won’t work with Bipasha Basu in future: Vasu Bhagnani

Producer Vashu Bhagnani is upset with Bipasha Basu, one of the female leads in his just released “Humshakals.” He has decided not to work with her again.

Directed by Sajid Khan, “Humshakals,” which also features Riteish Deshmukh, Saif Ali Khan, Ram Kapoor, Esha Gupta and Tammannaah Bhatia, hit the theatres of India yesterday. “I will not work with Bipasha in future. I should not give such statement, but I would try not to work with her,” Bhagnani said recently at the screening of the film.

The dusky beauty, who has been missing from all the promotional events of the film stated that she was dissatisfied with the end result of her role in the film.

Bhagnani says that he never misled her about her role.

“I myself asked Sajid to cast Bipasha. She is a lovely lady. But I don’t know what her problem is. After watching the film, she can’t say that her role is smaller. At the time of signing the film, I only gave her the remuneration. It’s not like we told her something else and have done otherwise,” he said. l

Brihonnola gets uncut censor n Entertainment Desk Ferdous’ film “Brihonnola” got uncut censor certificate last Monday. Directed by Murad Parvez, the film is made with the support of a government grant. “We have no urge to release the film immediately, rather we have planned for an Eid release,” said the director.

Along with Ferdous and Sohana Saba in the lead roles, Dilara Zaman, Dr Enamul Hque, Azad Abul Kalam, Intekhab Dinar, SM Mohsin, Jhuna Chowdhury and others form the cast of the film. Music of “Brihonnola” is directed by Emon Saha. This is Murad Parvez’s second film and the shooting ended in October. l

In the world of animals n Entertainment Desk Get plunged into the world of animals through the TV show “Be the Creature” which will be aired on the Animal Planet today at 7:30pm.

The show follows the Kratt brothers Chris and Martin as they place themselves in the thick of the animal world, sometimes in high-intensity or dangerous situations.

The series also features some graphic footage in an effort to portray life in the wild truthfully. “Be the Creature” is directed and written by Martin and Chris Kratt. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Opportunity lost for luckless Tigers The just-concluded three-match ODI series at home against a second-string Indian side was seen as the perfect opportunity for the Bangladesh cricket team to regain some much needed confidence following a string of seven consecutive losses in the 50-over format in the past few months.

The short five-day series against India was also the first assignment for new head coach of the Tigers, former Sri Lankan cricketer Chandika Hathurusingha, and the newly-recruited bowling coach, Zimbabwean Heath Streak, after former coach Shane Jurgensen resigned from his post a couple of months ago. With a new coaching set-up appointed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board coupled with an under-strength Indian side, the series was viewed as an opportunity for the Tigers to start afresh.

With the Indian team missing captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, run-machine Virat Kohli along with six other regular cricketers, Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim expressed his disappointment prior to the beginning of the series over the visitors’ squad stating that the opposition were taking them lightly by sending a second-string side before going on to declare that the home side were confident about clinching the series.

However, the three-match ODI series against India that ended in a 2-0 beating for the hosts with the third game washed out to rain was yet another toothless display by Bangladesh.

Besides the series defeat, the Tigers added another disastrous record to their name as they were bundled out for their joint-lowest total of 58 in the second ODI after they had managed to restrict India to 105.

The rot started for Bangladesh at the very top through their most experienced opener, Tamim Iqbal. The southpaw has been struggling with

the bat for some time and continued his miserable form as he departed for a painstaking 11-ball duck in the first ODI which Bangladesh lost by seven wickets despite posting 272 for the loss of nine wickets. Although the 25-year old left-hander was a tad unlucky with his dismissal in the first ODI, he has only himself to blame in the second ODI after dancing down the track to Mohit Sharma and presenting a catch to wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha in the second ball of the innings. One can ask why Tamim played such a shot in a situation where the Tigers needed less than three runs per over.

Chasing the paltry target of 106 in 41 overs, the Bangladesh batsmen were once again caught by the ghosts of the past as their last seven wickets were sent crashing for just eight runs and the match was eventually gifted to their opponents as one batsman after another threw away their wickets.

The fall of wickets at regular intervals is an alarming sign for Bangladesh which is refusing to go away. With the 50-over World Cup less than eight months away, the batsmen have to play with more responsibility if they are to stand any chance of succeeding in Australia and New Zealand.

However, there were some positives for the Tigers as the bowling front was solid and fared commendably, especially the pacemen who utilised the pitch and overcast conditions perfectly. In the face of some disciplined bowling by the Bangladesh pacers, the Indian batting line-up folded for just 105 in the second ODI before going on to lose nine wickets in the third ODI for the addition of 119 runs.

Overall, the Bangladesh seamers took 14 out of the 22 Indian wickets to fall in the three ODIs with youngster Taskin Ahmed bagging a five-for on his debut alongside impressive performances from veteran pace bowler Mashrafe Mortaza and Al Amin Hossain.l

13 ‘Clueless’ Broad takes his second Test hat-trick

Fans of Mohammad Ashraful hold placards at National Press Club yesterday protesting the eight-year ban received by the disgraced cricketer for role in match-fixing MEHEDI HASAN

Gayle steers West Indies to big win Chris Gayle blasted one of the fastest half-centuries in test cricket history to steer West Indies to an emphatic 10-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second test in Trinidad on Friday.

Set 93 to win after New Zealand made 331 in their second innings, West Indies raced to their victory target off just 13.2 overs before tea on the fifth and final day at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. Gayle smashed seven fours and six sixes to finish unbeaten on 80 off only 46 balls as West Indies levelled the three-match series at 1-1.

Fellow opener Kraigg Brathwaite ended on 14 not out and was named man of the match after scoring his maiden test hundred in the first innings. l

Stuart Broad admitted he had no idea he had become the first England bowler to take two Test hat-tricks and just the fourth in all after he struck with three succesive balls against Sri Lanka at Headingley on Friday.

The seamer, who had previously performed the feat against India at Trent Bridge in 2011, struck with the final ball of his 12th over to have Kumar Sangakkara well caught for 79 by Ian Bell in the gully.

The first ball of his next over saw Broad have Dinesh Chadimal caught at first slip by England captain Alastair Cook for 45. Next ball saw Shaminda Eranga caught behind by wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

But because the hat-trick had been split across two overs neither Broad nor his England team-mates realised what he had achieved until the public address announcer informed the crowd.

Sri Lanka were eventually dismissed for 257 on the first day of the second Test on Friday after losing the toss. l

In Iran, WC fun is a closed-doors affair When Iran qualified for the World Cup last year it prompted dancing on the streets of Tehran, with millions of men and women gathering to celebrate a rare sporting achievement.

It was an even rarer sight in the Islamic republic to see both sexes mix together so freely. Put bluntly, the police had a dilemma: act and spoil the party, or let the fun flow wildly for a few hours. They did nothing.

Now that the Iranian team is competing in Brazil, the authorities in Tehran don’t want the same thing to happen again. The message is simple: stay at home. Cafes and restaurants in the capital have been told to not show the games, which start in the evening because of the time difference and can

end in the small hours.

Saturday’s match against Argentina, one of the tournament favourites, is set to be the highlight for Iran, who are appearing in the finals for the first time since 2006 and the fourth time overall.

There could have been expectations of some sense of occasion regardless of the result, but the prospect of large public gatherings such as the street parties of last year’s qualification appear too much to contemplate.

Having been warned by police, trade associations for cinemas, restaurants and other public venues, have told their members to fall into line. It is not a popular move.

“I cannot understand why we are not allowed to watch the games in public. In all other countries, people come together and stand united in support-

ing their team,” said Shiva, a 26-yearold accountant, asking to be identified by her first name only.

“Why are we deprived of this simple right? What is wrong with showing solidarity with our boys? It is very frustrating,” she added.

Hezar Destan, a traditional Persian restaurant near Val-i-Asr, Tehran’s longest street, has a large television on which Iran’s qualifying matches were screened and supporters, many smoking Shisha pipes, watched from the relaxed comfort of Persian carpets.

But it is one of many such establishments forced to follow the guidance.

A cafe owner in affluent north Tehran who did a roaring trade during pervious matches has taken the same step, telling AFP he did not want to risk problems with the authorities. l

THE WORLD CUP GOAL-E FESTIVAL

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is being celebrated throughout the world, especially in Bangladesh where each and every single street is filled with flags of several participating countries. Koltabazar, Old Dhaka though will be a bit different than all the other streets as it will be decorated and painted with colourful graffiti and flags not just by the residents of the area but artists from all over the capital city in the upcoming days. The initiative was taken by Janala and One Degree Initiative MUMIT M

14

Sp rt DHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, June 21, 2014

SUAREZ SHOWS WHY HE DESERVES ‘WORLD CLASS’ LABEL

Luis Suarez made his case for inclusion in the debate over the world’s best player with both goals in Uruguay’s 2-1 victory over England as he came back from injury and instantly punished Roy Hodgson’s team.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi can cite better all-round skill and trickery but when it comes to the games most valuable quality of all - putting the ball in the back of the net - Suarez is certainly in their company.

Strangely, before the game, Hodgson had challenged Suarez to prove that he deserved to be placed in that ‘world class’ category.

“I think he will only be at that level when he shows it on this particular stage,” said the England manager.

It was also a particularly odd view given that Suarez had been instrumental in Uruguay’s run to the semi-finals in South Africa four years ago, scoring three times in the tournament. But mere statistics do not do justice to Suarez’s contribution to his teams nor to his qualities.

The Uruguayan is not a mere penalty area predator - although he fills that role better than anyone - but he can score from long-range, with power or precision, with his feet or with his head - and always with a measured composure and confidence.

He is the focal point of attacks for his club and country but the former Ajax forward is far more than a classic ‘target man’, being adept in wide positions, playing off the last defender or attacking from deep.

“Suarez has evolved the role of the modern centre-forward,” former England and Liverpool striker Michael Owen wrote this week.

“He is ensuring the top sides want far more from their forwards than a traditional ‘poacher’ or target man. You have to be far more flexible to thrive at the highest level. He scores every type of goal from any distance.

“Piece all this together and what you are left with is the most complete centre-forward in the world. There is no one at this World Cup better than Suárez in his position,” added Owen in his column for the Telegraph.

Neither the first half header nor the late strike past Joe Hart will be remembered as spectacular goals but both showed Suarez has mastered the art of scoring in any fashion in a way few else in the modern game have. l

Colombia into last 16 after Japan fail to crack 10-man Greece Colombia qualified for the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time in 24 years after Japan and 10-man Greece played out a dire 0-0 draw in Natal on Thursday.

Japan failed to take advantage of the Greeks being reduced to 10 men from the 38th minute when captain Konstantinos Katsouranis was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Both sides picked up their first point and can still qualify from Group C, although they must win their final matches to do so.

Greece play Ivory Coast, who are on three points, in their final match while Japan tackle Colombia, who have a perfect six points.

Japan winger Shinji Kagawa’s terrible year continued as after a miserable season with Manchester United Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni dropped him to the bench after a poor showing

against Ivory Coast.

Japan controlled affairs in the firsthalf thanks to the surging runs of leftback Yuto Nagatomo and the tight,

MATCH STATS Goals scored Total shots Shots on target Corners Offsides Fouls committed Yellow cards Red cards Ball possession

Japan 0 16 11 5 1 23 1 0 68%

Greece 0 9 5 7 3 18 4 1 32%

short passing of a potent midfield being marshalled superbly by Keisuke Honda.

Greece’s chances of taking something from the game lessened dramatically during a disastrous five minutes in the first-half.

First leading striker Kostas Mitroglou’s injury nightmare, which saw him barely play a game for Fulham after a multi-million pound move in January, continued as he hobbled off in the 35th minute.

Three minutes later he was followed by his Katsouranis, though for a less commendable reason as he was sent for an early shower after being booked for a second time in the game.

Greece coach Fernando Santos reacted to Katsouranis’s red card by turning to the experience of substitute Georgios Karagounis, Greece’s most capped player of all time, and sacrificing Genoa midfielder Ioannis Fetfatzidis.

Greece, though, have shown that they are never more dangerous than when their backs are against the wall and soon after they produced their best chance of the half, Vasilios Torosidis stinging the palms of Eiji Kawashima with a fierce drive from the right of the area. l

England captain Steven Gerrard (L) is consoled by Uruguay forward Luis Suarez after defeat in their Group D match at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo on Thursday AFP

Chances are ‘unbelievably slim’, says Hodgson England have an “unbelievably slim” chance of reaching the knock-out stage of the World Cup after Thursday’s 2-1 defeat to Uruguay, England coach Roy Hodgson said.

Two goals from Luiz Suarez sunk England in a hard-fought match in Sao Paulo, five days after they lost their opening match in Group D, going down 2-1 to Italy.

England must now beat Costa Rica in their final match and hope the remaining results go their way.

“Our chances are unbelievably slim,” Hodgson said. “We depend on Italy winning their next two matches and us beating Costa Rica by the requisite number of goals.”

“To continue, we needed a result today. We needed a victory and we didn’t get it.”

Hodgson said Suarez, who underwent a knee operation last month and was not fit to play in Uruguay’s opening match loss to Costa Rica, was quiet for most of the match but produced two moments of ruthlessness to separate the teams.

“I thought we controlled Suarez well in general play, he did very well to get away to the back post for the first goal but frankly for long periods of the game

Pekerman heaps praise on defensive rock Yepes Colombia’s 38-year-old defender Mario Yepes earned special praise from coach Jose Pekerman after helping his side hold on for a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast on Thursday.

“He was playing against the elite of Europe, Gervinho, Wilfried Bony, Salomon Kalou, all physically strong with great technique,” said Pekerman, referring to Ivory Coast’s European-based continent.

“Yepes has a great mentality. He has been very strong and he is a reference point for his team mates, it was a top-level performance,” added the Argentine.

Pekerman also waxed lyrical about playmaker James Rodriguez, who scored the first goal with a rare header.

“He has reached the very highest standards among players with his characteristics,” he told reporters.

“He is mature, he has commitment, he can finish, he has vision, he can

shoot and today he scored with a header to add something else to his technical qualities.”

“We have had two wins with players who are taking part at their first World Cup

MATCH STATS Goals scored Total shots Shots on target Corners Offsides Fouls committed Yellow cards Red cards Ball possession

Colombia Ivory C 2 1 11 15 8 11 5 5 3 2 11 14 0 2 0 0 45% 55%

which is very positive for us, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves,” said Pekerman.

“After many years of frustration, we have given satisfaction to the public, who have great passion for football. It’s been very painful missing out on this event.”l

we kept him quiet.

“We are normally used to seeing him more active in and around the penalty area.

“The second goal was an unfortunate flick off Steven Gerrard’s head and when he gets free with the goalkeeper he doesn’t miss.”

Downcast and laconic, Hodgson would not be drawn on what happens now for England.

“I think that in both games we’ve shown some elements of playing some good football and we’ve shown we are a team making progress,” he said. “But results decide everything and both results have been negative.”

Italy play Costa Rica on Friday before the final matches in Group D on Tuesday. l

MATCH STATS Goals scored Total shots Shots on target Corners Offsides Fouls committed Yellow cards Red cards Ball possession

Uruguay England 2 1 10 13 6 8 7 6 3 1 17 12 1 1 0 0 38% 62%

Balotelli wants kiss from Queen if helps England Italy striker Mario Balotelli may have put the kiss of death on England with his winning goal at their World Cup opener, but now he wants royal recompense if he becomes their saviour.

England’s second loss in Group D, to Uruguay on Thursday, left them on the brink of elimination. But there is a glimmer of hope for Roy Hodgson’s men if Italy beat Costa Rica on Friday.

If Italy were to then defeat Uruguay, and England were to also beat Costa Rica, in the final group games on Tuesday, Wayne Rooney and co may slip through on goal difference.

“If we beat Costa Rica I want a kiss, obviously on the cheek, from the UK Queen,” the ever-cheeky Balotelli, 23, Tweeted after England’s defeat in Sao Paulo.

Well known to the English from his days - and antics - at Manchester City, it was Balotelli’s cool header that gave Italy a 2-1 win over them in Manaus. l

Why so many goals at the World Cup? 1

The legacy of ‘tiki-taka’

Spain’s tournament may have been ended by Chile on Wednesday, but the defending champions’ six-year reign as the world’s pre-eminent national team has had a profound impact on the way that teams play. The ‘tiki-taka’ passing style pioneered

by Spain and Barcelona has been copied around the world, with proactive, attacking football and aggressive pressing now widespread. The example set by players such as Xavi and Andres Iniesta means that players have become accustomed to taking more risks in possession, which leads to more turnovers, and in turn, more goals.

2

Referee Joel Aguilar of El Salvador sends Greece’s Kostas Katsouranis (R) off with his second yellow card of the match against Japan in Natal on Thursday REUTERS

Warm weather

Compared to the cold weather of South Africa, where the 2010 World Cup took place, games in tropical and sub-tropical Brazil have in the main taken place amid warm conditions. The heat and humidity means that players tire more quickly and when players get tired, they make more mistakes. “Certainly (the conditions) are

A week into the competition, the average number of goals scored per game is just under 2.9, leaving the tournament on course to become the most high-scoring World Cup since the 1958 event in Sweden (3.6). Here, AFP Sports identifies six factors behind the unexpected goal explosion: playing a part,” said Australia coach Ange Postecoglou, quoted by the Daily Telegraph. “It’s contributed to the openness of the competition, because games get spread in warmer climates. That’s why you’ve seen some pretty open games.”

3

Early goals

It took Brazil defender Marcelo only 11 minutes to put the ball into his own net in the tournament’s opening game, the hosts’ 3-1 win over Croatia, and early goals have become a recurring theme. There were 25 first-half strikes in the tournament’s first 20 matches, and nothing opens a game up like an early goal. Already, seven teams have come from behind to win matches.

Only four managed the feat at the 2010 tournament.

4

Innovative tactics

While the 4-2-3-1 formation was the dominant playing system at the last World Cup, teams have enjoyed success in Brazil with more idiosyncratic tactical configurations. Holland’s 5-3-2 system enabled them to crush Spain 5-1 as it gave Louis van Gaal’s side numerical parity in midfield whilst allowing forwards Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie to remain high up the pitch. “The fact that our defence plays very deep frees up a lot of space for Robin and me,” explains Robben. “We have the whole pitch for leading counter-attacks.”

After a seemingly ineluctable slide towards single-striker systems in recent years, more and more teams are playing with two central forwards, and more forwards often means more goals.

5

Substandard goalkeeping

Fans in Brazil have already witnessed some exquisite goals – Van Persie’s looping header against Spain; Tim Cahill’s jaw-dropping volley against Holland; Lionel Messi’s solo special against Bosnia-Hercegovina – but standards of goalkeeping have been less impressive. Spain’s Iker Casillas made two woeful errors against Holland, while Russia’s Igor Akinfeev and Mathew Ryan of Australia have also committed high-profile blunders. Several leading nations have problems in the goalkeeping department – Brazil’s Julio Cesar and Argentina’s Sergio Romero are both short of match practice.

6

The snowball effect

The early-tournament goal spree is encouraging teams to throw caution to the wind, creating a climate where risk-taking is applauded and defensive play derided. “I’m surprised how open it’s been,” admits Daniel Sturridge. “It’s been quite open and, for the neutrals. I’m enjoying it, enjoying the occasion – watching games as well as playing.” l

Sp rt DHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, June 21, 2014

Messi wants more offensive Argentina Argentina captain Lionel Messi believes coach Alejandro Sabella has to back his side’s attacking capabilities and include him among a front three when they face Iran on Saturday in Belo Horizonte.

Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain is expected to return to Sabella’s starting line-up as the two-time winners look to seal their place in the second round of the World Cup with a victory over Iran.

V ARGENTINA

IRAN

Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte 21 JUN 2014 - 13:00 Local (10:00PM BST) Higuain came on as a substitute to set up Messi to score just his second ever World Cup goal as Argentina got their campaign off to a winning start against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Rio on Sunday.

And Messi said he feels more comfortable playing with both Higuain and Sergio Aguero in attack.

“We are Argentina and I think we need to concentrate on ourselves without fixating on who we are playing,” said the four-time World Player of the Year.

“We feel more comfortable with two up front and me behind because it makes it easier to counter-attack and, because we have more people in attack,

FACT BOX Referee: Milorad Mazic (Serbia) Probable teams Argentina

1-Sergio Romero; 4-Pablo Zabaleta; 2-Ezequiel Garay; 16-Marcos Rojo; 17-Federico Fernandez; 5-Fernando Gago; 7-Angel Di Maria; 14-Javier Mascherano; 9-Gonzalo Higuain; 10-Lionel Messi; 20-Sergio Aguero.

Iran

12-Alireza Haghighi; 15-Pejman Montazeri; 4-Jalal Hosseini; 5-Amir Sadeghi; 23-Mehrdad Pooladi; 3-Ehsan Hajsafi; 6-Javad Nekounam; 14-Andranik Teymourian; 21-Ashkan Dejagah; 16-Reza Ghoochannejhad; 2-Khosro Heydari.

we have more possibilities.”

Messi eased some of the pressure on his shoulders to finally deliver his best form at a major tournament for his country with his stunning effort in the 2-1 win over Bosnia.

However, his underwhelming firsthalf performance was still criticised by some and he admitted he needs to play closer to the opposition’s goal.

“In the first-half I found it difficult to get a hold of the ball and when I did I was very far from goal.

“The truth is when I did have the ball I lost it a number of times and at other times I was playing it backwards.

I was annoyed at not being able to play the game I had planned.”

Along with Higuain, Fernando Gago could return in midfield at the expense of Maxi Rodriguez as he too made a positive impression as a second-half substitute against Bosnia.

Javier Mascherano is also expected to win his 100th cap in midfield and insisted he is as hungry for success as he was on his international debut.

“I am not one of those players that makes the difference on the pitch, but more a player that sacrifices myself for the team. What is my secret? I live for this.”

Iran made an encouraging start to their campaign too as they held African champions Nigeria to a 0-0 draw in Curitiba on Monday. Coach Carlos Queiroz fiercely defended his side’s tactics in that match given their lack of facilities and poor preparation in comparison to their more illustrious opponents in Group F. l

Key stats:

The pair’s only past meeting, a draw in 1977, came during a four-team friendly tournament to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of Real Madrid.

Exactly 16 years before Saturday’s match on 21 June, 1998, Iran achieved their first World Cup victory by beating the United States 2-1 in France.

Argentina have earned three victories in as many meetings with Asian opponents in the World Cup, overcoming South Korea twice (3-1 in 1986, 4-1 in 2010) and Japan once (1-0 in 1998) Previous meetings

The teams have played once, drawing.

Last meeting

March 22, 1977, Madrid, Spain (friendly) - Iran 1 Argentina 1

Argentina’s Fernando Gago (L) and Lionel Messi warm up at a training session in Vespasiano, near Belo Horizonte, Brazil on Wednesday AP

Brothers put love on hold again Sombre Nigeria looking

V GERMANY

15

GHANA

Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza 21 JUN 2014 - 16:00 Local (1:00AM BST)

FACT BOX Referee: Sandro Ricci (Brazil) Probable teams Germany

1-Manuel Neuer, 20-Jerome Boateng, 5-Mats Hummels, 17-Per Mertesacker, 4-Benedikt Hoewedes; 6-Sami Khedira, 16-Philip Lahm; 18-Toni Kroos, 8-Mesut Ozil, 19-Mario Goetze; 13-Thomas Mueller Ghana

12-Adam Kwarasey; 4-Daniel Opare, Kwado Asamoah, 21-John Boye, 19-Jonathan Mensah; 5-Michael Essien, 11-Sulley Muntari, 10-Dede Aywe; 20-Kwadwo Asamoah, 7-Christian Atsu, 11-Sulley Muntari; 9-Kevin-Prince Boateng, 3-Asamoah Gyan.

Key Stats:

Germany defender Per Mertesacker will be playing in his 100th international if he starts, the 13th player to reach that milestone. Germany’s all-time leader is Lothar Matthaeus with 150 caps between 1980 and 2000. Miroslav Klose is second with 132 since 2001.

Klose is looking for his 15th World Cup goal, which would draw him level with Ronaldo of Brazil as the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer. Klose is currently in a tie for second with West Germany striker Gerd Mueller with 14 goals.

Previous meetings

The two have played twice with Germany winning both matches. Germany beat Ghana 1-0 in the final Group D match of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Their only previous meeting was a friendly in Bochum, Germany in 1993 which the hosts won 6-1

Kevin-Prince Boateng and half-brother Jerome grew up in the tough Berlin district of Wedding, learning about the subtleties of soccer and the inequalities of life in tiny caged-in cement playgrounds the size of an inner city basketball court.

The Boateng boys have come a long way from that under-privileged, rundown high-rise section of Berlin and will once again be applying those life lessons learned on the biggest stage at the World Cup on Saturday.

Kevin-Prince and his Ghana team square off against Jerome and Germany in the Group G showdown, a rematch for the brothers of their 2010 battle in South Africa which Germany won 1-0.

The Boatengs made World Cup history - the first time two brothers had played against each other in the tournament.

Although the Boatengs both live in Germany and regularly play against each other in the Bundesliga, Kevin-Prince switched allegiance to his father’s homeland of Ghana in 2009

because he felt he was not getting the chance he deserved with Germany.

A charismatic and natural leader on and off the pitch, Kevin-Prince has rarely shied away from expressing his opinion.

The muscular midfielder recently made headlines for saying Germany does not have any “Typen” (“toughguy”) leaders who step up and take charge when the chips are down - criticism that made waves.

“In really tight matches for Germany there was never anyone who stepped

up to take charge,” said Kevin-Prince, 27, ahead of the Germany match. “It’s a fundamental truth.”

The unspoken subtext of his comment is that he is exactly that kind of “Typ” that Germany sorely needs: a confident, courageous, bold, loud, and opinionated leader that Germany has not had since Michael Ballack retired - or especially since Stefan Effenberg’s era ended over a decade ago.

By contrast, Jerome is a natural born follower and admits he has always looked up to his older brother, who once led his AC Milan team off the field after being racially abused by fans.

Jerome, 25, followed Kevin-Prince into the Hertha Berlin youth programme at a young age after his older brother was discovered by a Hertha scout.

He later followed Kevin-Prince to England - Kevin-Prince played for Tottenham Hotspur and Jerome played for Manchester City. Jerome later moved to Bayern Munich and has been a stalwart defender for the team that won the 2013 Champions League and back-to-back domestic doubles in 2013 and 2014.l

Yaya, Kolo Toure mourn death of brother Ivory Coast World Cup stars Yaya and Kolo Toure were mourning the death of their brother Ibrahim on Friday after the 28-year-old was found dead in Manchester, the country’s football federation announced.

Ibrahim, who was also a footballer plying his trade with the Al Safa club in

Lebanon, passed away just hours after Ivory Coast had lost 2-1 to Colombia at the World Cup in Brazil.

“A tough day for the Toure brothers.

Just hours after the match Colombia v Cote d’Ivoire (2-1), Kolo and Yaya learned of the death of their younger brother Toure Oyala Ibrahim,” said a statement from the Ivorian Football Federation (IFF).

“The death of Ibrahim Toure

occurred on Thursday June 19 in Manchester.

“In these painful circumstances, the players of the national team of Cote d’Ivoire as well as the entire Ivorian delegation present in Brazil at the 2014 World Cup are to demonstrate their compassion for the Toure brothers, members of the Elephants and the great Toure family.” l

WORLD CUP IN BANGLADESH PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST Send us your photographs to WorldCupBD@dhakatribune.com

Last meeting

June 23, 2010, World Cup Group D match, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Germany 1 Ghana 0

DAY’S WATCH BTV, Gazi TV, Maasranga TV 2014 FIFA World Cup 10:00PM Argentina v Iran 1:00AM Germany v Ghana 4:00AM Nigeria v Bosnia Star Sports 1 4:00PM Sri Lanka Tour of England 2nd Test, Day 2

For more info visit our FB event page ‘World Cup in Bangladesh’ Photography Contest

Occupation: Student, University of Dhaka Place: Bongshal, Dhaka

for Bosnia boost The bomb attack that killed at least 21 people watching a World Cup game in Nigeria has cast a sombre shadow over the African champions’ build-up to Saturday’s date with Bosnia-Hercegovina in Cuiaba.

V NIGERIA

BOSNIA

Arena Pantanal, Cuiaba 21 JUN 2014 - 18:00 Local (4:00AM BST) Tuesday night’s bomb exploded in the midst of a crowd watching Brazil play Mexico on a giant screen in Damataru, capital of Yobe state.

Stephan Keshi’s men observed one minute’s silence at training on Wednesday as team media officer Ben Alaiya predicted the atrocity would add further motivation for a strong perfor-

mance at the Arena Pantanal.

Not that any extra incentive is needed as a win would push them onto four points and in a solid enough position to secure a ticket to the knockout stages as runners-up to likely table toppers Argentina.

They will have a clearer idea of what’s required before kick-off with Iran tackling Argentina earlier in the day.

Nigeria stand on one point, the reward for their part in the much-maligned goalless stalemate with Iran which left them without a World Cup win in nine matches.

One certitude about Saturday’s game is that defeat for Bosnia would mean an early trip back to Sarajevo after their concluding first round fixture, against Iran, next week.

Bosnia were stumped by Lionel Messi who set up the opening goal and then conjured up a superb second in Argentina’s 2-1 win. Coach Safet Susic has vowed that his men will step up a gear after a tactical move not to go all out against the South American giants.l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, June 21, 2014 DHAKA TRIBUNE Monday, June 16, 2014

13 The World Cup Goal-e Festival

14 Suarez deserves ‘world class’ label

Sport

15 Messi wants more offensive Argentina

Costa Rica send England packing n AFP, Recife

Costa Rica upset Italy 1-0 on Friday to seal England’s exit from the World Cup and reach the second round of the tournament for the first time since 1990.

Fulham striker Bryan Ruiz scored the Group D game’s decisive goal as Costa Rica clinched a famous win which left Italy’s World Cup hopes finely balanced.

England, who suffered their second defeat of the tournament with a 2-1 defeat against Uruguay on Thursday, needed Italy to beat the Costa Ricans to retain faint hopes of qualification.

But a lacklustre Azzurri struggled to impose themselves in the afternoon heat of Recife’s Pernambuco Arena.

Costa Rica followed up their 3-1 win over Uruguay with a deserved three points.

Ruiz rose to head a cross from Junior Diaz in off the crossbar. The goal came just moments after Costa Rica had been denied a clear penalty by referee Enrique Osses when Joel Campbell was bundled over by Giorgio Chiellini.

Costa Rica’s victory means they need only draw against England in their final first round match next Tuesday to top the group.

Italy face a nervous final match against Uruguay. A draw will be enough for the Italians but a Uruguay win would see them knocked out.

England’s exit is their earliest since 1958. However the English Football Association swiftly backed under-fire coach Roy Hodgson on Friday, saying

he would remain in the job until 2016.

“We are supportive of Roy Hodgson and would like him to stay as manager,” FA chairman Greg Dyke said in comments reported by British media.

“We do not see any value in changing. We think Roy has done a good job and it is an approach over four years and we hope to do better in the European Championships.”

MATCH STATS Goals scored Total shots Shots on target Corners Offsides Fouls committed Yellow cards Red cards Ball possession

Italy 0 10 6 4 11 10 1 0 58%

Costa 1 10 6 5 3 24 1 0 42%

While England licked their wounds, France and Switzerland headed into a pivotal battle in Group E. Elsewhere, controversy mounted over FIFA rules regarding players who suffer head injuries following an incident involving Uruguay’s Alvaro Pereira in the England match.

Pereira collapsed to the ground and lay motionless after appearing to be knocked out after Raheem Sterling’s knee accidentally knocked his head in the 61st minute of the match.

Even though Pereira insisted on staying on, FIFPro said players needed to be prevented from endangering themselves. l

Costa Rica’s Bryan Ruiz (R) scores the all-important goal against Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon (2R) during their 2014 World Cup match at the Pernambuco arena in Recife yesterday

Portugal reject long term fears over Ronaldo

Satan’s greatest triumph A Pudlian’s lament

I am convinced that when God parted ways with His favorite angel, He left Satan with powers over footballing destiny. This is the only way I can explain the insanely cruel things that happen in the sport. Take for instance the horrible turns of fate that have accosted Steven Gerrard, the greatest footballer ever.

For those who don’t know, and I shudder to contemplate the existence of such ignorance, Gerrard is the proud captain of the greatest football club ever, and also skippers the English football team. I must

stress that the latter isn’t quite as good as the former but mentioning that is probably a little unfair for nothing can ever be as great as Liverpool. But the record must be set straight.

Back to Gerrard and why life sucks. Over the last two months Gerrard, who for many many years has gloriously served Liverpool and England with the skill and passion only seen in places like Valhalla, was visited by the worst kinds of freak incidents in most important kinds of matches.

One was the infamous slip against Chelsea, which led to Chelsea’s first goal, the most heinous instance of bus parking in history, and the title slipping away from Liverpool’s grasp. The title would have been the first in Gerrard’s career. He has had numerous opportunities to leave Merseyside and go for greater glory and fortune, but like all men of greater steel has always chosen not to. Sticking with the club through

times of great trials and Hodgson. That he should commit the error that led to the disappearance of his finest chance at glory was beyond tragic. It was quite possibly the worst thing to happen to a good person this side of Mandela’s imprisonment.

The second incident happened yesterday, or day before yesterday by Tribune reckoning. Gerrard mistakenly headed the ball the way of Luis Suarez, a mighty fine gentleman and a great servant of Liverpool himself. Only in this instance fate had squared the two against each other in unholy white and blue.

Suarez is the kind of player who will not let go of a freebie even if it means humiliating his bigger brother, and that is what makes him the best striker in the world.

And he duly scored bringing heartache to Stevie the brave, and leaving England’s greatest citizen responsible for the country’s exit from the World Cup.

The fact that a player of Gerrard’s impeccability should commit such ghastly errors in the two most important matches of his life is proof not of his fallibility but of Satan’s omnipresence in football. One just needs to look at Gerrard’s 93% pass completion against Italy (not one of his better games mind you) to be convinced that he is not a man prone to making silly mistakes.

The “slip” and “head” were actually a nudge and kiss from the big evil.

For just like Manchester United can do no good, Stevie G can do no wrong.

In parting I should probably also mention that England seriously needs to reevaluate its football policy in its entirety if they are to ever be as good as we the English football fans believe they are. But more on the later. Today I fight for my brother and my captain’s honor and nothing else.

Remember children. The Big E (big evil) and not Stevie G! l

n AFP, Campinas Portugal’s Helder Postiga shot down fears over Cristiano Ronaldo’s longterm fitness on Thursday as the injury-affected star trained for the vital World Cup match against USA. Speculation has been rife over the world player of the year, who is suffering from tendonitis and has repeatedly needed ice treatment during training sessions in Brazil.

On Friday, Portugal’s captain had his left knee taped as he took part in light drills at the team’s training camp near Sao Paulo, raising expectations he will play Sunday’s game in Manaus.

Some reports have questioned whether the Real Madrid forward was risking aggravating his condition by playing at the World Cup. But Postiga said Ronaldo was able to train unimpeded.

“I don’t think that’s a question to be raised at the moment because he’s

Rooney’s brief moment of glory

from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The strong English crowd roared in unison when they saw a familiar figure enter the Arena de Sao Paulo pitch on Thursday night and set the blocks up himself. While the line-ups of England and Uruguay were being announced before the commencement of a crucial Group D encounter, all the English players’ names were cheered by the

fans but the loudest exhilaration was perhaps reserved for Wayne Rooney, the long-serving international from Manchester United. The 28-year old was motivated to put up his best display on the day and his intentions were clear – he wanted his team to get the best of Uruguay.

An unwanted tag hovered around the neck of the lad from Liverpool prior to the start of the 20th edition of the World Cup – entering his third global tournament without a single goal to his name in nine matches. Rooney though finally delivered in the greatest show on earth, grabbing his first World Cup goal for the Three Lions in 11 attempts. However, his joy proved to be shortlived as England’s night ended in disappointment via a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat.

The much longed-for World Cup goal arrived against the Celeste, a tap-in from a Glen Johnson defence-threading pass in the 75th minute and the strike was his 40th international goal in 94 games, joint-fourth alongside Michael Owen and behind all-time English goalscorers Sir Bobby Charl-

ton, Gary Linekar and Jimmy Greaves.

Rooney has scored for England in the Euros but the goal against Uruguay was probably his most important and one which erases the “failure” tag from his CV. Just imagine, Rooney hanging up his boots and despite a decorated career in club football, he has no goals to show for in the greatest show on earth!

Rooney will now feel that a heavy

REUTERS

load has been removed from his broad shoulders.

It was learned that he took extra workload upon himself to remain in the good books of his coach Roy Hodgson and was dead serious in the practice session ahead of the high-voltage match. But Rooney was a dejected man at the end. He did not talk with the press in the mixed zone as he brushed

training with us, he’s practising with us and he’s doing all the exercises,” Postiga told reporters.

“I’m not a doctor but I don’t think that’s in question.”

Ronaldo, 29, caused further concern over his fitness on Wednesday when he stopped training early and had ice applied to his knee at a public session.

On Friday, the Real Madrid forward showed no signs of discomfort as he took part in a warm-up passing exercise with team-mates Nani, Miguel Veloso, Helder Postiga and Ruben Amorim.

Watching media were ushered away after 15 minutes but Ronaldo’s appearance raises the likelihood he will play Sunday’s game, which has great significance after Portugal’s 4-0 loss to Germany.

Reports have been circulating questioning the fitness of Ronaldo, who is considered critical to Portugal’s chances of success at the World Cup. l

WHO’S SAYING WHAT AT THE WORLD CUP ON FRIDAY away the requests of the media by only saying, “No, sorry.”

Rooney’s equaliser in the 75th minute gave England renewed hope and it would have turned into a goal of paramount importance if the match ended in a draw, however, it was not to be.

Luck was simply not on Rooney’s side as he could have put his name on the scoresheet in the first half when he leapt several feet in the air and outjumped Uruguay defender Martin Caceres from a Steven Gerrard free-kick in the 31st minute but his header agonisingly hit the post. Before that effort, he also got another opportunity in the 10th minute but once again he was unlucky as he blazed a free-kick over the top corner and inches wide from being that much-coveted goal.

Right after scoring the goal past Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, he pointed to the sky, blew kisses to the crowd and ran to the corner in a wild celebration and embraced Johnson before being joined by others. His joy however did not last long as England embraced defeat and were on the brink of elimination. l

“I’m bitterly disappointed, of course, but I don’t feel I need to resign.”

England manager Roy Hodgson after the 2-1 defeat to Uruguay.

“For everything that was said, the doubts, this was a way to demonstrate everything I wanted to prove.”

Luis Suarez hits back at his critics after scoring the two goals against England.

“If we beat Costa Rica I want a kiss, obviously on the cheek, from the UK Queen.”

Italy striker Mario Balotelli jokes on Twitter over what he expects if helps England by scoring the winner against Costa Rica.

“I’m a very emotional person.

My life has always been difficult. I thought about my father who died in 2004, and I also thought about my tough life.”

Ivory Coast midfielder Serey Die who sobbed uncontrollably during the national anthems before the game with Colombia.

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