06 sep, 2014

Bhadro 22, 1421 Zilqad 10, 1435 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 155

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8 | PRESCRIPTION

12 | ENTERTAINMENT

14 | SPORT

FLIGHTS OF FANCY

THE FAT EQUATION: HOW MUCH IS HEALTHY?

MOUSHUMI TO MAKE DOCUMENTARY ON SALMAN SHAH

ROONEY AN INSPIRATION: BECKS

Government to lose Tk100 crore in a Jica project

D E AT H T R A P

Six years into the eight-year project, BTCL is virtually yet to start its implementation n Muhammad Zahidul Islam The government is going to incur a loss of around Tk100 crore in a telecommunications project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) as the BTCL has violated the deal’s conditions in issuing a work order.

The Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) allowed US dollar in awarding the work order, submitting false information to the gov-

‘It was a simple and honest mistake...and the government gave us the go-ahead’ ernment and Jica authorities, although the donor agency had made it clear that the only currencies used in the project would have to be yen and taka.

The BTCL authorities now admit that the fluctuation in the currency exchange rate between yen and dollar has caused it the huge loss of Tk100 crore.

An investigation by an intelligence agency has also found that the BTCL violated the conditions by selecting two bidders each during two pre-qualification tender processes although at least three contestants had to be chosen for each tender.

The deadline of the project for the development of Bangladesh’s telecommunication infrastructure and installing fibre optic network across the country is June 2015 and the BTCL admits it

will be very tough to complete implementation of the project by that time.

Jaica approved a soft loan of JPY8.04 billion – worth Tk500 crore at the time of the contract – for the Telecommunication Network Development Project on condition that repayment and all work orders have to be made in yen, except for some work in the country that can be run through the local currency.

Two members of the BTCL Board of Directors placed notes of dissent against issuing the work order as it would violate the deal conditions, but the BTCL allegedly ignored that.

Investigating the corruption, the intelligence agency has found three BTCL officials and an official of the Japanese consultancy firm guilty.

When contacted, however, Project Director Ashok Kumar Mondal, who is one of the accused, claimed that it was the “only” mistake on their part and that some insiders and bidders were trying to make an issue of the mistake.

He expressed concern that this would ultimately damage the Bangladesh-Japan relationship.

Jica signed the deal to give Bangladesh JPY8.04 billion as a soft loan in 2006 at an interest rate of 0.01% with 10 years of grace period. It fixed 30 years’ period for the repayment of the loan.

The contract was signed on June 29, 2006 on condition that the Bangladesh government would be eligible for the loan when Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) was turned into a company.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

The transformer in the picture was set up very close to a building at Nababpur in the capital that may cause major accident any time. Jumbled and tangled wires used for providing power connections also pose serious threat to people living nearby MEHEDI HASAN

Khamenei agrees to back US against IS n BBC

Iran’s Supreme Leader has approved cooperation with the US as part of the fight against Islamic State (IS) in Iraq, sources have told BBC Persian.

Ayatollah Khamenei authorised his top commander to coordinate military operations with US, Iraqi and Kurdish forces, sources in Tehran said.

Iran has traditionally opposed US involvement in Iraq, an Iranian ally.

However, Shia Iran sees the extremist Sunni IS group, which views Shias as heretics, as a serious threat.

DHAKA UNIVERSITY ADMISSION TEST

7 held for cheating; 3 fraud gang members arrested n Tribune Report Authorities at Dhaka University (DU) yesterday held seven admission seekers, including the daughter of a High Court justice, for cheating in examination halls during the entrance examinations for honours courses.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, DU acting proctor Amzad Ali said: “They were caught while allegedly cheating in the examination hall using mobile phones.

“They have been handed them over to respected police stations where the centres were located.”

The proctor also added: “The only female accused, Sanjana Binte Bashir, daughter of a Supreme Court Judge, has been handed over to Chowkbazar police.

“She will be freed after filing a case with the police station but the rest of the accused will not be freed now.”

The other accused admission seekers are Faisal Kabir from Badrunnesa College centre, Ahadur Rahman from Agrani School and College centre, Ariful Islam from Dh-

anmondi Ideal College centre, Nurul Absar Payel from Teachers’ Training College Dhanmondi centre, Mehedi Hasan and Ershad Hauque from Home Economics College centre.

Meanwhile, police has arrested three members of an admission test fraud gang at Azimpur in the capital in connection with the entrance examinations.

The arrestees were Mamun, Shanto and Tariq, all students of Dhaka College.

The gang members were arrested with laptops and other electronic devices from the sixth floor of a building at Azimpur residential area in the afternoon.

Later, they were handed over to the Lalbag police station.

Lalbagh police station Sub-Inspector Amzad Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune that the arrestees admitted that they were members of a fraud gang that works to help university admission seekers cheat during entrance examinations.

The admission tests for the first year honours courses at Dhaka University began on Friday. l

INSIDE 3 | News

Flood situations have improved in Munshiganj and Kurigram while it is still worse in Gaibandha. Tens of thousands of acres of cropland have already been damaged in the flood in the districts.

4 | News

People in the flood-affected areas across the country remain at risk of death by drowning and snakebite as these, along with acute respiratory infection, accounted for 57 deaths in the past two weeks. The National Crisis Management Centre and Control Room of the Health Directorate prepared a list of the 57 people.

5 | News

Hundreds of students at the University of Chittagong are now scared to board the shuttle train, considered the lifeline for students, in the wake of the recent bomb attack on a running train.

6 | Nation

The guava farmers in Jhalakathi are being deprived of fair prices because of absence of proper road communication facility in the region.

7 | World

The Ukrainian government and pro-Russia rebels meeting in Minsk have signed a preliminary protocol to start a ceasefire.

Last month US air strikes helped Iranian-backed Shia militia and Kurdish forces break a two-month siege by the IS of the Shia town of Amerli.

The IS has taken over swathes of northern and western Iraq and eastern Syria in recent months.

US forces began carrying out air strikes on IS positions in August after they took over several cities in northern Iraq.

Elite unit

Ayatollah Khamenei previously objected to outside “interference” – including

by the US – in Iraq. Now, Iran seems to be taking steps to work more closely with the United States, says BBC Persian’s Kasra Naji.

Sources said Ayatollah Khamenei sanctioned Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force – an elite overseas unit of the Revolutionary Guards – to work with forces fighting the IS, including US forces.

General Soleimani has been active in the past few months in strengthening the defences of Baghdad with the help of Iraqi Shia militias.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

UN: 1 in 10 girls sexually abused n Tribune Report One in 10 girls across the world have been raped or sexually assaulted by the age of 20, says a United Nations report.

According to the report, about 120 million girls in the world, with higher rates in sub-Saharan Africa, were forced to have intercourse or take part in other sexual acts.

In the report, Unicef said a total of 95,000 children and teenagers, mostly  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Khilgaon Thana OC withdrawn for negligence of duty

Bangladesh Bank begins formulation of next five-year strategic plan n UNB Bangladesh Bank (BB) has started formulation of its next five-year strategic plan with an emphasis on strengthening its supervision to ensure transparency, accountability and good governance in the country’s banking sector.

“We want to reinforce our supervision to ensure accountability, transparency and good governance in the banking sector through utilising the maximum level of latest technology,” bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman said.

He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a three-day strategic planning workshop at the Brac Centre for Development Management (BCDM) at Savar, on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka on Thursday evening.

The BB chief also said the central bank is now working to find out further stringent measures taking lessons from the past for curbing financial irregularities in the banking sector.

All the officials in the rank of general manager and above are taking part in the in-house workshop on "Strategic planning: Heading towards a new horizon" to formulate the next five-year strategic plan for 2015-19. Seven strategic focuses have already been set in the draft plan aiming to turn the BB into a world-class central bank.

Among others, Deputy Governors of the BB SK Sur Chowdhury, Nazneen Sultana and Executive Director Ahsan Ullah spoke on the occasion. l

Uncle of deceased victim files murder case

n Tazlina Zamila Khan Police authorities yesterday withdrew the Officer-in-charge of Khilgaon police station Sirajul Islam Sheikh on allegations of work negligence centring the armed mugging of a father and a son on Thursday.

Confirming the order to the Dhaka Tribune, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Deputy Commissioner (Media) Masudur Rahman said: “We have received allegation of work negligence against him centring the incident where criminals robbed Tk48 lakh after killing a youth and injuring his father in Khilgaon on Thursday night. The order was given by police commissioner.”

On a reply to the decision, Sirajul told the Dhaka Tribune: “The order was passed as high officials considered it to be right. But, I reached at the spot on time and do not think that I had neglected my duties.”

DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner Saidur Rahman said: “We haven’t decided the transfer of the OC to other police station. We will decided it later.”

At the same time, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Md Ashrafuzzaman told the Dhaka Tribune: “The incident was not the only reason, earlier we found some allegations of work negligence against him.

Rough weather in the Bay makes fishermen’s lives difficult n Our Correspondent, Khulna Huge waves and stormy wind in the Bay of Bengal is forcing many fishermen to return to land, with hundreds of fishermen having taken shelter in the rivers and canals connecting to the Bay since yesterday morning.

Several fishermen told the Dhaka Tribune that the rough weather, due to a low pressure in the Bay, have been forced to abandon deep-sea fishing and find shelter. The weather has been especially bad since early yesterday morning, they said.

Md Kamal Ahmed, assistant forest conservator in the East Sundarbans range, said the fishing trawlers, especially those catching Hilsa, have entered the small canals in the Sundarbans to take shelter from the stormy weather.

There is a growing frustration among the fishermen due to the rough weather, as deep-sea fishing is their only way to earn livelihood.

They already have the sea robbers to worry about during the Hilsa catching season – the frequent bad weather only add to the misery, they said.

To add to their woes, the fishermen’s lives are at constant risk due lack of inadequate number of shelters in the coastal areas.

Sources said there are five cyclone centres in the Sundarbans, one of which is in a derelict state. The cyclone shelters were built in the 90s by a non-government development organisation. No renovation of the existing shelters or construction of new one have been undertaken in the past seven years.

The existing shelters can accommodate around 3,000 people during the storms, but the rest of the people have to find shelter in the forest, or in the trawlers and boats.

“Every season, the government earns several crore taka in revenue because of the deep-sea fishermen. But when the storms come, we cannot find shelter to protect ourselves,” a few fishermen lamented.

When contacted in this regard, Amir Hossain Chowdhury, forest officer in the East Sundarbans range, said the life risk during the cyclones can be reduced by building new cyclone shelters and renovating the existing ones. l

Correction In the news analysis titled “A boost for local militants?” published yesterday, it was inadvertently mentioned that leaders of the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami (Huji) “were not also linked with al-Qaeda.” Actually, many Huji leaders do have links with the international Islamist outfit. We regret the error. l

The decision was taken in the morning today (Friday).”

Meanwhile, Mujibur Rahman, uncle of the deceased victim, filed a murder case with Khilgaon police yesterday night accusing 4-5 unnamed people, confirmed SI Allauddin of the police station Earlier on Thursday, a group of muggers shot a father and his son and looted Tk48 lakh from them from Tilpa Para area under Khilgaon police station in the capital. The deceased was Saimon Hossain, 32, son of Israil Hossain, 60, who also received injuries in the attack.

According to police, the victims were the owners of Universal Money Exchange in Motijheel and were on their way back Goran home when the attack took place.

Following the incident, locals rushed the two victims to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where on-duty doctors declared Saimon dead on arrival.

Israil, who received gun shots in both legs and an arm, was transferred to the National Institute of Traumatology & Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) where he went through an operation on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the body of Saimon was sent to his house in Khilgaon following a postmortem. l

A police sergeant goes through documents of a motorbike at the capital's Tikatuli intersection yesterday. In a bid to maintain law and order, DMP has set up checkposts at all major points in the city MEHEDI HASAN

Minister: E-procurement in all ministries, divisions by July next n UNB

The government is planning to enroll electronic government procurement (e-GP) or e-tendering in its all ministries and divisions by July next in a bid to ensure more transparency and accountability in public procurement, said Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal.

“All the ministries and divisions are likely to come under e-GP system by July next,” he told UNB. The Planning Minister said the government is now carrying out e-tendering activities on a small scale at four key government agencies and the e-GP will be made mandatory as all will have to go through e-tendering process to ensure utmost transparency and accountability in the tendering process.

He said full implementation of the e-GP system will help eliminate the hassles over tender manipulation while the bidding price is likely to be made either plus or minus 5 percent of the tender price to ensure the quality of works.

Mustafa Kamal said this will also discourage the trend of taking work with much less than the tender price.

He said e-tendering in every ministry and division will be a time-befitting

initiative as expected by the Prime Minister. “Once e-tendering is introduced on full scale, gross irregularities will be stopped in public procurement.”

The minister said initiatives will also be taken so that no contract awardee could sell his or her work or bid to others in an attempt to ensure standard of works.

Mustafa Kamal told the news agency that capacity is also being enhanced at the agency concerned of the Planning Ministry to carry on e-tendering activities in a bigger way with the improvement of the relevant software.

As of September 4, 2014, some 9,875 tenderers and consultants have been registered with the e-GP process, including four international tenderers.

Besides, 25 more individual consultants have registered with the e-tendering system, according to the Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) of the Ministry.

Besides, some 9,415 tenders have been invited through e-GP system of which some 6,628 contracts have been awarded.

The World Bank is pressing the government in implementing e-GP in the country through Public Procurement

Reform Project (PPRP-II) for improved procurement outcomes, starting with the key procuring agencies.

Some four key government agencies - Roads and Highways Department (RHD), Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Bangladesh Ru-

'The extension period of PPRP II project aims to slowly role out e-GP to other government agencies because it requires training up the officials' ral Electrification Board (BREB), and Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) -- started online procurement through the newly-introduced e-GP system.

Later, 26 other government agencies have been included in the e-GP system to ensure transparency and accountability in public procurement.

Contacted, officials at the CPTU under the Planning Ministry said they

have successfully trained up all procurement-related officials of the four target agencies and brought them under e-GP. They said that process of bringing Public Works Department under e-GP is on as well and when that is done, all tenders under RHD, LGED, REB, BWDB and PWD, which covers almost 80 percent of all government tenders, can be done through e-GP. Sources at the Planning Ministry said the extension period of PPRP II project aims to slowly role out e-GP to other government agencies because it requires training up the officials, educating bidders and managing the change process to prepare any procuring agency to follow e-GP in procurement.

It took South Korea 15 years to achieve 98 percent compliance with electronic procurement. Japan and India are yet to make it mandatory, though they started long before Bangladesh did.

But considering the way the country is moving, the country would be able to make it mandatory fairly quickly compared to most of the other countries, hoped an official. l

Khamenei agrees Government to lose Tk100 crore in a Jica project to back US  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

His picture has appeared on the internet showing him in northern Iraq around the time of the breaking of the siege of Amerli – an indication that this cooperation may have already started.

‘No boots on the ground’

Meanwhile, Nato leaders meeting at a summit in Wales said they wanted to form a military coalition to take on the IS. “We need to attack them in ways that prevent them from taking over territory, to bolster the Iraqi security forces and others in the region who are prepared to take them on, without committing troops of our own,” Reuters news agency quoted US Secretary of State John Kerry as saying.

“Obviously I think that’s a red line for everybody here: No boots on the ground,” he said.

The brutality of the IS – including mass killings and abductions of members of religious and ethnic minorities, as well as beheadings of soldiers and journalists – has sparked outrage across the world.

Last month, Iraqi and Kurdish forces pushed IS forces back from parts of northern Iraq, but the group still controls what it has declared as a caliphate stretching across Syria and Iraq.

Since the Islamic revolution in 1979, the US and Iran have had a hostile relationship with each other. l

The BTTB was made a company – the BTCL – in 2008.

One part of the project involved upgrading the BTCL’s switching technology in the capital and Chittagong at a cost of JPY3.18 billion.

Five companies contested in the pre-qualification bidding, but the BTCL chose only two, violating the condition of selecting at least three companies.

According to documents obtained by the Dhaka Tribune, the BTCL in June last year awarded the work order to Marubeni-KT, a joint venture of Japan and South Korea, for Tk253.29 million – for work in the country – and for $44.99 million – for work abroad.

The NEC Corporation of Japan had submitted tender and bid only JPY3.44 billion for the work abroad and Tk450 million for the local construction work.

According to the exchange rate at that time, $1 was JPY80, but now it is JPY105.

The project officials converted Marubeni-KT’s offer in dollar into yen and declared it the lowest despite the fact that Marubeni-KT was not even eligible for bidding as its offer was in dollars.

As the BTCL decided to pay in dollars, it now needs around Tk100 crore extra for the fluctuation in currency exchange rate.

Jalal Ahmed, additional secretary of the Finance Division and Brig Gen SM Farhad, both members of the BTCL Board of Directors, noticed the matter and forecast that the yen-dollar rate

might fall again and Bangladesh might ultimately incur losses.

Brig Gen Farhad placed a written note of dissent at a board meeting on February 10, 2013, saying: “I disagree to approve the purchase proposal and issuance of Notification of Award before proper scrutiny of the total procurement process including evaluation by the BOD (board of directors).

“A bid quoted in USD which was considered and evaluated is beyond tender specified terms. This brings loss of about Tk50 crores to the government and cannot be accepted.”

Jalal Ahmed verbally supported this view at the meeting.

Sources alleged that some BTCL officials had misinformed the ministry about the guidelines for procurement by leaving out a portion that forbade the use of any other currency except for yen and taka.

Initially, the BTCL and Japanese consultant Y Kawabata refused Marubeni-KT’s offer, but the Japanese firm accepted the bidding a few days later and the BTCL approved it.

Y Kawabata is the representative of Japan Telecommunications Engineering Consulting Service, which was appointed as the consultancy firm for the project in 2010.

When contacted on Thursday, BTCL Managing Director Md Shah Newaz refused to make any comment on the matter.

Project Director Ashok Kumar Mondal said: “Different views can be placed in the board meeting, but in the end the board passed it.”

He, however, acknowledged that it was a mistake. “It was a simple and honest mistake...and the government gave us the go-ahead,” Ashok told the Dhaka Tribune at his office on Thursday.

Interestingly, the BTCL prepared the Bill of Quantity – a document on products required for sealing a deal under a project – after eight months of signing of the contract.

Under the second part of the project, the BTCL has not yet issued any work order for installing the fibre cable network in Dhaka and Chittagong cities although around six years have already passed.

The project’s tenure ends in June 2015.

Project Director Ashok said: “It will be tough to complete the work by the stipulated deadline. I have no idea what will happen if we cannot complete the work by this time.”

In the meantime, the BTCL faced a legal battle with one of the rejected bidders, which contested in the tender for setting up fibre optic network, as in this case also the BTCL selected two firms for the pre-qualification round.

The BTCL ultimately lost the fight.

In its verdict, the High Court observed that the BTCL had not come with clean hand. Later, as the state-owned company went to the Appellate Division, it upheld the High Court verdict.

When the Dhaka Tribune contracted Y Kawabata, he refused to comment and suggested talking to the BTCL. Explaining his role in an email conversation with this reporter, Kawabata said: “I’m not a decision maker, so that

Musician Ramkanai Das dies n Tribune Report Emiment singer and musician Ramkanai Das died around 11pm yesterday at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the capital's Metropolitan Hospital.

He was 79.

Ramkanai had been suffering from pneumonia following a brain surgery on August 29. He was admitted to the hospital with a brain haemorrhage on August 27.

Ramkanai was born in Sunamganj in 1935. Earlier this year, He received the Ekushey Padak, one of the highest civilian awards of Bangladesh, for his contribution to collecting folk songs.

He joined Bangladesh Betar’s Sylhet station in 1967.

Some of his music albums include Bandhur Banshi Baje, Surodhonir Kinaray, Raganjali, and Pagla Majhi.

Apart from the Ekushey Padak, Ramkanai received many other awards and honours including the honorary fellowship of Bangla Academy in 2012 and Rabindra Padak in 2000. l

we need consensus with BTCL authorities as well as JICA’s concurrence [to make any decision].”

Meanwhile, KT’s local agent has sued KT Corporation in a Dhaka court for not clearing its dues. l

UN: 1 in 10 girls  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

from Latin America and the Caribbean, were murdered in 2012.

It notes that children around the globe are regularly exposed to violence, including bullying.

Drawing on data from 190 countries, the report said the most common perpetrators of sexual violence against girls under 18 are current or former husbands, boyfriends and partners.

The violence cuts across boundaries of age, geography, religion, ethnicity and income brackets, Unicef executive director Anthony Lake said.

“It occurs in places where children should be safe - their homes, schools and communities. “Increasingly, it happens over the internet, and it is perpetrated by family members and teachers, neighbours and strangers, and other children.’’

The study revealed that about six out of 10 children aged between two and 14 were subjected to physical punishment from their carers on a regular basis.

One in every three girls, aged between 15 and 19 years, had been victims of emotional, physical or sexual violence committed by their husbands or partners, the report said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Flood situations improve in Munshiganj and Kurigram n Tribune Report Flood situations have improved in Munshiganj and Kurigram while it is still worse in Gaibandha.

Tens of thousands of acres of cropland have already been damaged in the flood in the districts.

This has left farmers scratching their heads about which way to live now.

Our Correspondent from Munshiganj reports: water is flowing below danger level at all rivers in Munshiganj.

It is flowing 36cm below danger level at Bhagyakul point of the river while at Mawa point it is 48cm below the danger level.

However, hundreds of people are still suffering as the recent flood has wreaked havoc in the district.

Many families are still living under the open sky with their livestock.

Crops of many fields have been destroyed and various water borne diseases have broken out as a post-flood effect.

Our correspondent from Kurigram reports: The overall flood situation has improved in Kurigram as water is falling in the Dharla, Dudhkumar, Phulkumar, Brahmaputra and Teesta rivers.

Some flood victims started returning home but residents of low lying areas could not because most of their homes are still under water.

Agriculture officials of the district said crops of about 40,000 hectares of land had been damaged in the flood.

With the recession of flood water, water borne diseases such as dysentery, diarrhoea and allergy have broken out. Moreover, little fodder is available during the flood and so flood victims are being compelled to sell their livestock.

Government and non-government organisations are distributing relief among floof-affected people, but it is hardly enough for them.

Many flood victims told the Dhaka Tribune that they wanted work, not relief.

Kurigram relief and rehabilitation officials said 950 tonnes of rice and Tk12 lakh in cash were being doled out to the flood victims in the district.

According to a BSS report, different crops including T-Aman paddy on a total of 3,429 hectares of land owned

by 36,000 farmers of four upazilas in the district have been damaged due to flood.

Official sources said water level of the river Brahmaputra, one of the major rivers in the country, continued to rise sharply for a couple of week until yesterday.

At one stage, the river crossed its danger level in the district inundating chars and river basin areas of Sundarganj, Sadar, Fulchhari and Shaghata upazilas.

As the chars and river basin areas of the upazilas went under flood water and remained under it over last two weeks, crops particularly T-Aman paddy were damaged, agriculture office sources said.

Of the total, some 3,105 hectares of land of T-Aman paddy were damaged, 124 hectares of seedbed, 100 hectares of Aus variety and 100 hectares of vegetables due to the flood, sources said.

Saiduzzaman, a farmer of Mollarchar area under Sadar upazila, said he cultivated Aman paddy on 5 bighas of land during the season but all the transplanted seedlings were damaged fully.

Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Mir Abdur Razzak said the farmers were suggested to replant the seedlings of late variety Aman paddy like Nazirshail and Ganzia paddy in the affected areas.

If it was not possible, the farmers were advised to go to farm early variety of robi crops to get desired yields to recoup the losses caused by flood, he added. Besides, as many as 17,074 houses of flood affected areas were also damaged due to the flood, said an official of DC office.

Due to the rise and fall of water level in the river Brahmaputra, erosion has taken serious a turn at different places including Kapasia, Ratanpur, Singria and Holdia of the upazilas, said acting district relief and rehabilitation officer and assistant commissioner Nazmul Huda.

Meanwhile, according to our Jamalpur correspondent, BNP Vice Chairman Abdullal Al Noman, also a former minister, visited flood-hit Islampur upazila and distributed rice, dry food and cash money among more than 200 affected people yesterday. l

Kazi Shahid’s second novel Pasha unveiled n Abid Azad Pasha, the second novel by Kazi Shahid Ahmed, chairman of Gemcon Group, was unveiled at Bangla Academy auditorium in the capital yesterday.

The programme started with a stage drama adapted from the novel.

The drama featured four old men on stage smoking hookah while Arun, a young man who lost one of his legs during the 1971 War of Liberation, and Nila, Arun’s wife, render different songs. In the final scene, Nila lays her head upon Arun’s chest as they recline on a bed.

“The novel explores events from the British era to contemporary times where the writer sketches out a picture of social change punctuated by movements like the anti-British movement, Muslim revolution, Swadeshi movement and the War of Liberation in 1971,” said renowned author and playwright Syed Shamsul Haque.

“The idea was beautifully presented through the love story of Arun and Nila

as readers also discover a wonderful combination of fairy tales and daily life happenings,” he said.

The love story is the life of this novel, he added.

Kazi Shahid said: “My father, a Swadeshi movement activist, brought me to Kolkata 62 years ago when the Muslims could not cultivate paddy and were compelled to cultivate jute. The readers will find many lines of dialogue in the book which were spoken by my father. There are many characters in it that are real.”

In addition to Pasha, the English version of Shahid’s first novel, Bhairab, first published in 2013 in Bangla, was also unveiled at the programme.

The 336-page English translation was done by Arifa Gani.

In February this year Kazi Shahid’s autobiography, Jiboner Shilalipi, was unveiled.

The programme was presided over

by Professor Rafiqul Islam while speakers and guests congratulated the author on the publication of his second novel in his seventh decade of life. l

Novelist Kazi Shahid Ahmed, also the chairman of Gemcon Group, and guests pose for a photograph at the launching of his second novel “Pasha” and the English translation of “Bhoirab” at Bangla Academy in the capital yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Members from the country’s indigenous communities stage a demonstration in front of the National Press Club yesterday, protesting the formation of a BGB camp at Dighinala and the assault on Saotals by land grabbers in Chapainawabganj recently MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

No more buildings without code n Abu Bakar Siddique The government will not allow construction of any building without following the National Building Code from now on to avoid accidents including collapse by natural and man-made disasters, Minister of Housing and Public Works Mosharraf Hossain said yesterday.

The ministry has recently revised the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) 1993 and planned to convert into a law for ensuring public safety, he added.

He said this while addressing the inaugural session of “International Seminar on Seismic Design and Good Practices of Building Construction for Safer Cities” held at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel in the capital.

It is estimated that 50 million people are at risk of encountering Himalayan quakes in this area, many of them residing in the densely populated cities of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

According to Bangladesh Meteoro-

logical Department, the country has experienced around 116 seismic disturbances since January 2007, of which, epicenters of 60 events were in Bangladesh.

‘Around 60% buildings in the country’s readymade garments sector were three to four times vulnerable than any building in Japan’ Considering the threat of an earthquake event, Bangladesh is taking measures to increase earthquake preparedness and promote risk reduction activities including revising building code, said the minister “We could reduce the probable loss of life and properties to a minimum level by getting prepared for earthquakes by maintaining building code properly,” he said.

The two-day long seminar was organised by the Project for Capacity Development on Natural Disaster Resistant Techniques of Construction and Retrofitting for Public Buildings (CNCRP) with support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Under this project, the government has been trying to make the country’s engineers able to asses and retrofit design for the existing vulnerable public buildings.

Citing examples of Rana Plaza, Spectrum factory and Phoenix Garments, Md Abdul Malek Sikder, director of the project, said all of them had collapsed because of faulty and weak foundation structures caused by violation of building code.

Moreover, citing a survey result of the project, Mikio Hataeda, the JICA chief in Bangladesh, said around 60% buildings in the country’s readymade garments sector were three to four times vulnerable than any building in Japan.

The survey was conducted on 55 garment factory buildings. l

Human chain against use of polythene bag n Tribune Report

A human chain was formed in the capital yesterday demanding strict enforcement of the ban on use and production of polythene bags and to encourage jute bags for the sake of environment.

The program, organised by Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) at Mohammadpur Town Hall area, was attended by writer Syed Abdul Maksud and General Secretary of BAPA Md Abdul Matin among others.

Syed Abdul Maksud said despite the act, production and use of polythene bags were going on unabated, due to lack of proper monitoring by the authorities concerned.

He urged all to use bags made of jute and help preserve environment.

A five point demand, including shutting down all illegal factories of polythene and making alternative products easily available to consumers, was put forward from the human chain. l

Fakhrul: Khandaker’s book reveals truth n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The BNP has claimed that the book “1971: Bhetore Baire” is a document against the ruling party’s long-drawn false campaign, saying the Awami League has caught fire as Liberation War hero AK Khandaker reveals the truth.

“What deputy chief of the liberation forces AK Khandaker has written in his book is the truth.” BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said yesterday.

He was addressing a milad and doa mahfil at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office to mark the fifth death anniversary of its ex-standing committee member M Saifur Rahman.

In his book “1971: Bhetore Baire” published recently, AK Khandaker claims that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman concluded his historic March 7, 1971 speech saying “Joy Pakistan.” The claim has triggered a fresh controversy.

Coming up with a sharp reaction on Thursday, MPs in parliament demanded that a case be filed against Khandaker on a sedition charge for distorting history and undermining Bangabandhu in the book.

Apparently reacting to the MPs’ attacks on Khandaker, Fakhrul said the book proved that the Awami League’s claim about Sheikh Mujib having proclaimed the country’s independence was wrong.

“A few MPs yesterday [Thursday] demanded trial on charge of treason of a person who was a valiant freedom fighter, fought in the field and made sacrifices for the country’s independence and who was their MP and minister a few months back!” the BNP leader said.

Slamming the MPs for making offensive comments on Khandaker, Fakhrul asked them to rather accept the truth revealed by Khandaker. l

National Professor Dr MR Khan poses for a photograph after announcing the launch of a trust – Child Heart Trust Bangladesh – at a press conference at Central Hospital in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR

Physicians: 50,000 born with heartrelated diseases every year n Tribune Report

At least 50,000 babies have been getting birth with heart diseases in the country every year while 20 to 25 cases per thousand live birth with mild to severe form of congenital heart diseases.

Some child cardiac physicians disclosed the information in a press conference held in the auditorium of Central Hospital in the capital yesterday.

They also said 40% of such type of the cases are from low income family and they warned of appearing the problem to the country alarmingly day by day.

In the press briefing, National Professor Dr MR Khan announced the inauguration of a trust titled Child Heart Trust Bangladesh-CHTB, who is the chairman of the trust.

In his speech, MR Khan said as heart disease rate in children has

been increasing in the country and the treatment cost is so expansive, many parents can not afford it. For this reason, the physicians concerned in a union formed the trust to help them.

He opined that the trust is wholly committed to giving free treatment to the poor and they want to established a specialised child heart hospital in the future.

MR Khan requested everyone to donate money to the trust for the impoverished parents who want to continue their children’s treatment, which started its journey on June 26 this year.

In another speech, paediatric cardiologist Dr

Nurun Nahar Fatema said the trust will also arrange the experts’ facilities from abroad to cover the vacuum of physicians in this arena.

“This is the high time to come forward for action against the disease and the government should prioritise it for the sake of the health sector,” Dr ABM Abdus Salam, secretary general of the trust. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, September 6, 2014

FLOOD-AFFECTED PEOPLE IN PERIL

Drowning, snakebite cause 57 deaths in 2 weeks n Moniruzzaman Uzzal People in the flood-affected areas across the country remain at risk of death by drowning and snakebite as these, along with acute respiratory infection, accounted for 57 deaths in the past two weeks.

The National Crisis Management Centre and Control Room of the Health Directorate prepared a list of the 57 people. Of them, 50 died of drowning, six of snakebite and the remaining one of acute respiratory infection. Besides, 26 fell ill because of snakebite.

Hundreds of houses have gone under water in the flood-hit areas and it has become really hard to live in those areas Almost all the 57 were children aged four days to 14 years. The others were old people of 60-85 years.

People in six districts were said to be at greater risk of such deaths - Sirajganj, Bagura, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Tangail and Jamalpur. The highest number of deaths by drowning, which was 18, was recorded in Sirajganj.

Parents and guardians in the floodhit areas remain concerned about the safety of their children and also the elderly members of the family in the wake of the deaths.

Flood has so far hit over 233 unions

under 37 upazilas in 10 districts across the country, including Kurigram, Jamalpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Faridpur and Tangail.

The health situation is deteriorating in the flood-affected areas as people continue to fall prey to a range of waterborne diseases.

Mahfuzur Rahman, information technology officer at the National Crisis Management Centre and Control Room of the Health Directorate, told the Dhaka Tribune a total of 6,527 people fell ill in the flood-hit areas from August 21 to yesterday.

“Of them, 3,642 had diarrhoea, 1,140 developed skin disease and 446 had eye problems.

“More than 600 medical teams have been working in those areas to provide healthcare service for the flood-hit people,” he said.

Professor Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, director of communicable diseases control (CDC), told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have been working to ensure the supply of medicine, anti-venom injections and water purification tablets in the flood-affected areas.”

“As for death by drowning, we cannot help much except creating awareness.

“Hundreds of houses have gone under water in the flood-hit areas and it has become really hard to live in those areas,” he said.

“Anti-venom injections are available but the people, especially in the village, still depend on the traditional treatment provided by an ojha (someone who takes out snake venom from the body). This leads to many deaths,” he added. l

A man repairs old bamboo baskets, used for transporting stones that are washed up on river bank, beneath the Kachpur Bridge in Narayanganj yesterday. He receives Tk20 for each basket he repairs RAJIB DHAR

Hanif: Government determined to stop militancy at any cost n Our Correspondent, Kushtia Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif, joint general secretary of Awami League, reaffirmed the government’s resolution to prevent the rise of militancy in the country in a meeting yesterday with the party members at his home in Kushtia. He made the statement while commenting on al-Qaeda leader Zawahiri’s recent video message which announced a plan

for Bangladesh, India and Myanmar.

Hanif said: “Our government takes into account the possibility of al-Qaeda’s attempt to spread its network through the religion based organisations, particularly the ones which accommodate war criminals, and we are determined to prevent them from doing so at any cost.”

He also said the government has always been concerned about the rise of militancy in the region and its initia-

tives to prevent the rise of militancy in the country would be continued.

Commenting on America’s concerns about the prosecution of the war criminals and the legality of the last election, Hanif said the USA tried in many ways to smother our fight for freedom then, and now, when the government is leading the country ahead and putting the war criminals under trial, they are again trying to stall the progress. l

Youth killed, another hurt over old rivalry Minor drowns in capital n Our Correspondent, Barisal One youth was hacked to death and another one was injured over an old rivalry in Wajirpur upazila of Barisal on Thursday night. Police detained the father of one of the attackers in this connection.

The deceased was identified as Sohag Sanyamat, 26, the son of Faruk Sanyamat from Kalibari Road area of the upazila town. The injured one was Saiful Islam, a friend of Sohag.

Anwar Hossain, officer-in-charge

of Wajirpur police station, said Sohag, with his friends Jahangir and Saiful, was coming home from Barisal by a motorcycle on Thursday night.

After dropping Jahangir at his home around 8:30pm, Sohag and Saiful took the VIP Road of the upazila, when Md Lalon, the son of Kasem Muhuri from Wajirpur VIP Road area, with his accomplices Imran, Mamun, Sajib, Altaf and others, ambushed Sohag and Saiful.

The attackers left the place after injuring Sohag and Saiful. who were

brought by the locals to Wajirpur Health Complex in critical condition.

On arrival, Sohag was declared dead by the duty doctors. Saiful was admitted to the health complex and later sent to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College (SBMCH).

Khorsed Alma Nantu, uncle of the deceased, lodged a murder case against 13 accused, including Lalon, yesterday.

Police detained Kasem Muhuri, the father of Lalon, for interrogation, said the OC of Wajirpur PS. l

Thousands of guardians crowd the Curzon Hall area on Dhaka University campus yesterday after the admission tests for the first year of honours courses began DHAKA TRIBUNE

RU’s debate contest ends n RU correspondent A two-day debate competition titled “Cute-BFDF 3rd National Debate Contest” commenced at the Rajshahi University yesterday.

Business Studies Faculty Debating Forum (BFDF) of RU organised the function.

RU Vice-Chancellor Prof Muhammad Mizanuddin inaugurated the competition at 10.30am.

Around 27 teams from 22 public and private universities including Dhaka University, Chittagong University, Jahangirnagar University and Khulna University have registered for the competition.

Yesterday, the first two

rounds and the quarter final was held while today the semifinal and the final are scheduled to be held at at 2.30pm.

Later, at 4.30pm, a forum titled “Digital Bangladesh: Our Expectation and Experience” will be held at the Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium with Muhammad Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, as the key speaker.

Dhaka Tribune, Banglanews24.com, Kaler Kantha, Jamuna Television, Sonar Desh and Rajshahi based Radio Padma are media partners of the event. l

n Tribune Report An eight-month-old minor boy drowned in the capital’s Mugdha area in Badda yesterday.

The dead Sirajul Islam was the only child of Md Noyon, a rickshaw puller, and Sharmin Akhter. The trio lived as tenants in the house of Selim Molla in the area.

According to the family, their house went under knee-deep water because of flooding in the area. Around 1pm,

Noyon and Sirajul were sleeping and Sharmin went for a bath. After coming, she noticed that Sirajul fell from the bed and had drowned in the water.

Sirajul’s grandmother Josna Begum rushed him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital however, the duty doctors declared him dead around 2pm. The body was taken to the morgue for autopsy.

Mugdha police station Sub-inspector Sazzad Hossain said: “No case was filed in this connection yet.” l

Obaidul: Soil test for padma bridge soon

n Our Correspondent, Munshiganj Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said soil test for the Padma bridge will start soon.

The first shipment of bridge construction equipment has arrived in Chittagong from China and the second will do by September 15, he told reporters while visiting the bridge project site at around 11am.

Korean company Hyundai and Chinese Sinohydro have been recommended as lowest bidders for the river training work, he said.

The minister said both the companies’ proposals will be sent to the purchases committee on the finance ministry by tomorrow. After that, one will be finally selected and approved by the prime minister.

The river training deal will be signed with the company the prime minister approves, Obaidul said, adding that the river training will be begun only after the deal is signed.

Dhaka Division’s Additional Executive Engineer Md Aftab Uddin Khan at Road Transport and Bridges Division, Executive Engineer (river training) Sharful Islam, among others, accompanied the minister. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Women shot in Badda n Tribune Report

News

5

Saturday, September 6, 2014

CU SHUTTLE TRAIN BOMB ATTACK

Students now fear to travel by it

A woman was shot by unidentified miscreants in the capital’s Badda yesterday afternoon.

The victim Sajeda Begum, 35, was home alone when the incident occurred.

Sajeda’s husband Abdur Rob said: “When I returned from jumma prayer around 2pm, I found the door of the house open.” “When I entered, I saw my wife was shot on her left leg.”

“I do not know who could have shot her,” he added. Rob owns a furniture shop on the ground floor of the house.

They resided on the second floor.

Dhaka Medical College Hospital police camp In-Charge Inspector Mozzamel Hoque said: “Sajeda has been admitted to the hospital with a bullet wound on her left leg and is undergoing treatment.” Officer-in-Charge MA Jalil of Badda police station said: “No one has been arrested yet in this connection.

The incident is under investigation.” l

n FM Mizanur Rahaman Hundreds of students at the University of Chittagong are now scared to board the shuttle train, considered the lifeline for students, in the wake of the recent bomb attack on a running train.

“Every day, my friends and I board the shuttle train to reach the campus.

Now it has become a chilling thought to take the train after the bomb attack last Monday,” said Tania Nasrin, a student of communication and journalism at the university.

“The bombs were hurled inside the compartment that was right before the one I had been in. I sat by the window and it could have hit me,” she said.

“My family members are now very worried about my safety as I board the train regularly. Student organisations

of the university often carry out attacks on the train to press home their demands,” she added.

A group of students who used to stay in Shah Amanat Hall and Suhrawardy Hall enforced an indefinite strike on the campus demanding reopening of the dorms, which were closed following clashes between Chhatra Shibir and Chhatra League (BCL) activists over establishing dominion.

Both the halls are dominated by Shibir and the university authorities said Shibir activists had allegedly made the attack.

Miscreants hurled bombs at the train while it was crossing Chowdhury Hat area of Hathazari upazila on the second day of the strike, leaving at least two students injured.

Afzalur Rahman, a student of inter-

national relations, said he usually sits by the window but now is frightened to do so.

“Bombs or stones might be hurled from outside again,” he said.

Prosun Chowdhury, who studies public administration and was in the compartment which was attacked, told the Dhaka Tribune there would have been more casualties if the bombs exploded inside the compartment.

“Bomb attack on shuttle train is a new trick and we have not seen such incidents before,” he added.

Sub-Inspector Arab Ali of Sholoshohor Railway Station Government Railway Police (GRP) outpost said a team of GRP had been deployed on the train after the bomb attack to avert further unrest or untoward situation.

Blaming Shibir for the attack, Saiful

Islam Romel, former vice-president of Chhatra League of the university unit, told the Dhaka Tribune the authorities concerned should look for the sources of the bombs.

“Shibir enforced the strike under the guise of general students,” he said.

Refuting the allegation, Mustafizur Rahman, Shibir president of the university unit, said Chhatra League and the university authorities deliberately blamed them for the attack.

“This is because we support student movements. We are not involved in any activities that could create anarchy on the campus,” he said.

Proctor of the university Siraj Ud Dowla said: “We asked police to beef up the security on the train. We are also trying to resolve the deadlock as early as possible.” l

Minister: Production in Dada match factory within 3 months n Our Correspondent, Khulna

A youth was killed in a road accident on Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Mirsarai upazila yesterday morning.

The deceased was identified as Md Belal Mir, 28, son of late Insan Uddin, hailing from Kachuya thana of Bagherhat district.

Nayek Jahangir Alam of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) Police Outpost said, a speedy truck had knocked down the youth while he was crossing the road at Moddhom Sonapahar area at around 11:30am.

Locals whisked him off to CMCH where the on duty doctors declared him dead. l

WEATHER

PARTLY CLOUDY SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:13PM SUN RISES 5:42AM FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

33

Chittagong

31

26 26

Rajshahi

33

26

Rangpur

33

26

Khulna

31

25

Barisal

31

25

Sylhet

32

24

Cox’s Bazar

29

25

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

35.0ºC Dinajpur

24.0ºC Sylhet

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:24am 5:40am 11:57am 4:28pm 6:13pm 7:30pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Customs officials of Shahjalal International Airport yesterday recovered 1.5kg of smuggled gold worth Tk75 lakh inside a vacuum cleaner.

An alleged smuggler named Mahibul Haque Khan, 39, was arrested, who was carrying the machine.

Sources at the airport said the officials detained Mahibul, who came there from Singapore by a flight of Malaysian Airlines, around 12pm while he was crossing the green channel along with the vacuum cleaner in which 9 gold bars, 12 gold chains and 12 gold rings were stashed.

Assistant Director of Department of Customs Intelligence and Investigation of Shahjalal International Airport Umme Nahida Akhter said: “Mahibul is a member of smuggling gang." l

300 vehicles queue up at Mawa terminal n Our Correspondent, Munshiganj

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu said the government is going to resume production in Khulna Dada Match Factory within three months, which has remained out of manufacture for long due to various types of problem.

“The government is sincere to restart production in the Dada match factory within three months through resolving all sorts of problem prevailed there as well as the ownership crisis. For this reason, the local administration has kept authority on it despite having there only 30% government share so that none can sell any equipment,” Amu said.

The minister yesterday noon made the remarks to the workers concerned following visiting the factory Afterwards, Amu addressed a programme arranged inside the factory, which presided over by local DC Anis Mahmud while other government officials and distinguished personalities attended among others. l

Road crash kills one in Chittagong n Our Correspondent, Chittagong

1.5kg gold found in vacuum cleaner at Dhaka airport n Tribune Report

The Dhaka South City Corporation conducts an eviction drive against illegal establishments at Gulistan in the capital yesterday

Barisal bus terminal turns into a muddy ditch n Our Correspondent, Barisal Barisal central bus terminal located in Nathullabad area in the city has become unfit to keep vehicles as the bus depot virtually turned into a muddy ditch with filthy water.

Local sources said passengers prefer to get on busses from different parts of the city instead of coming to the bus terminal as the situation inside the terminal reached an alarming state.

After visiting the terminal it was seen that deep ditch with filthy water existed in front of the terminal building and parking places.

Different types of wastes were kept in front of the terminal as Barisal City Corporation fails to clean the area regularly, said sources.

Amzad Hossain, a commuter, said they felt uneasy boarding vehicles after crossing the nasty garbage and water-filled muddy ditches.

Israt Jahan Pappu, a female passenger, said they preferred to board running vehicles quickly on busy roads, endangering their lives just to avoid the bus terminal.

Sudam Gosh, another passenger, said: “We could not save ourselves even after boardingthe vehicle from the bad smell caused by the waste dumped in front of the terminal.

Dipak Das, a leader of bus owners association, said the bus terminal remained in a sorry state because of a lack of repair and maintenance by the Barisal City Corporation.

Monir Hossain, counter staff of Eagle Paribahon, told the Dhaka Tribune that not only the ground of the bus terminal but also terminal building remained unusable.

Habibur Rahman, a driver of Shakura Paribahan, said: “We try to avoid parking inside the terminal during active hours because if any of the wheels of the vehicle get

stuck into a hole, it would be difficult to salvage it.”

To avoid hassle, transport workers park their vehicles in front of education board office, said Badal Shikdar, said another transport worker.

Mostafa Kamal, secretary of district road transport union, said: “If you see the terminal after a heavy rain spell, you will find that it turns into a large pond.”

Ahsan Habib Kamal, mayor of the BCC, acknowledged that vehicles parked on roads endanger lives.

He, however, said they were not repairing the bus terminal as the terminal would be shifted to another place soon.

Construction of a modern terminal at the cost of Tk150 core near the entrance point of the city would start within next fiscal, the mayor said. l

Kanaighat settlement office wrought with irregularities n Our Correspondent, Sylhet The residents of Kanaighat upazila of the district have been suffering from irregularities and corruption which allegedly prevails in the local land settlement office.

It was learned that former objection officer Mukter Hossain of Kanaighat upazila settlement office, whose main task is to conduct survey of land and dissolve any dispute, was transferred three months ago.

Later, the officer did not hand over the record book and hearing copies of the cases to the office, the staff there also acknowledged the matter. As a result, the clients have not been able to get the necessary papers they need.

As sequel to the matter, many corrupt officials have been involved in unusual bribe business on fake promise of giving papers.

Staff of the office desperately demand bribe in exchange for giving any related papers of land deeds to them A local of the upazila named Jamal Uddin, who claimed of being one of the victims, said the staff of the office desperately demand bribe in exchange for giving any related pa-

pers of land deeds to them. In many cases, the officers procrastinate in handing over papers to their clients.

In this regard, Mukter Hossain said he was transferred to Gopalganj three months before ending the task assigned to him and some papers he already forked over to the office concerned.

About the suffering of people due to not having necessary papers, he advised the struggling clients to contact the upazila assistant settlement officer.

Contacted, Kanaighat upazila Assistant Settlement Officer Abdur Rahman denied the allegation of corruption, saying he directed Mukter to hand over the necessary papers as early as possible. l

FOCUS BANGLA

At least 300 vehicles were stuck on both sides of Mawa-Kawrakandi ferry terminal yesterday as the ro-ro ferry service resumed following a 77-hour suspension.

Although 14 ferries resumed operations at night after terminal 3 had been rebuilt, strong current hindered the speed a bit.

Manager of BIWTC Mawa office Sirajul Haque said the terminal was set up 100ft east of the previous position of terminal no 3 after which the ro-ro ferry service resumed.

“The Karnaphuli ferry, which was closed because of the strong current in the Padma, is now in operation,” he said.

Ferry service had severely been disrupted since August 19 due to river erosion and strong current, bringing misery to people of 21 southern districts.

Apart from Bir Sreshtho Ruhul, Amanat Shah and Shah Ali ferries, Thobal, Raniganj, Ranikhet Raipura and Taplu were operative.

Ramsree ferry was sent to the dock for repair while Lenting ferry could not make its way to Dhaka because of the intensity of current. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Saturday, September 6, 2014

escapes from Guava farmers count loss for Schoolboy abductors in Tangail poor road communication n Our Correspondent, Sylhet

Police rescued a schoolboy from Tangail when the boy contacted them after escaping from the kidnappers yesterday, five days after he went missing.

The rescued boy’s name is Anik, 12, the son of Mobarak Ali from Kachuar Bohor village under Fenchuganj upazila in Sylhet. Anik is a student of class seven in PPM High School.

Officer-in-Charge of Fenchuganj police station Nandan Kanti Dhar told the Dhaka Tribune that Anik left home on September 1 after a fight with his parents. On the next day, his father lodged a general diary with the local police station.

The OC also informed that after leaving his house, the boy came to Dhaka, where he was abducted by some miscreants, who extorted money from his father over the last few days. When the boy became sick on

n Our Correspondent, Jhalakathi The guava farmers in Jhalakathi are being deprived of fair prices because of absence of proper road communication facility in the region.

This season, the guava farmers expected to transport guava to the capital and other cities as one year ago Japan International Corporation Agency (Jica) took up a Tk5 crore project to improve communication system in the region.

However, because of their sluggish construction work, the transportation of guava is highly hampered, claimed a number of guava farmers and traders.

Guava cultivation is the primary source of income for majority of the inhabitants of 36 villages under Jhalakathi sadar upazila and Swarupkathi upazila which are known as guava producing areas.

Guava farmers blamed that four bridges and a two kilometre wide road from Baukathi to Bhimruli, the central guava selling point in the region, were left in a half-built state.

Therefore, they had to sell guavas at a dirt cheap rate this year.

Owner of a guava orchard, Nirmal Bepari, who came to sell guava at Bhimruli Bazaar said the market for the seasonal fruit was down this year.

Another guava farmer Shomoresh Halder said until the roads and bridges were completed they could not get fair price.

Guava growers come to Bhimruli floating market to sell their produces to wholesalers

Natore sweepers live in inhumane condition for lack of pure drinking water and sanitation

Kidnapped child found dead, two held Correspondent, n Our Chapainawabganj A child was found dead after five days of her abduction at Batalahat Kaliganj in Chapainawabganj on Thursday night.

Kabita,4, daughter of Kurban Ali, was found dead at Batalahat Kaliganj on Thursday.

Commanding officer of Rapid Action Battalion 5 Lieutenant Colonel Mahbub Alam said: “Kurban’s cousin Shihab Reza abducted Kabita from in front of her house around 11am on August 30.”

“He demanded Tk5 lakh ransom from Kurban over mobile phone,” he said.

Later, RAB officials arrested Shihab and Emran Ali of Ajairpur Abujarpara village, and their associate Sagar Ahmed, 25, from Boalia Bridge after tracking their mobile phone on Thursday afternoon.

Following Shihab’s confessional statement, RAB members recovered Kabita’s body by digging up earth at a place near Polladanga High School around 10:30pm.

The kidnappers killed Kabita by slitting the throat on the day of abduction and hid the body inside a septic tank, said the RAB official. l

n Our Correspondent, Natore The sweeper community of Natore has been living in inhumane condition in their colonies for a long time.

They have no land, healthcare, and access to pure drinking water. Lack of proper sanitation and hygiene is a huge challenge in their everyday life. Moreover, many of them are living under life risk as the dilapidated rooms can come down on them any time.

Out of the many sweeper colonies in the seven upazilas of the district, Alaipur colony, Hospital colony, Station Bazar colony, and Tebaria hut colony are the most inhabited ones. The Alaipur colony is the biggest among them.

Around 200 sweeper families live in the Alaipur colony in a limited number of tin-roofed, brickbuilt and run down rooms. On average about 10-12 people of a family live in each room like a pack of sardines. The family members have to take turn to sleep on the flat floor.

There is no privacy for the couples or adults. The sufferings of the children and women especially know no bounds during summer nights.

As such communicable diseases like diarrhoea spreads throughout the colony easily.

The municipality run schools for the sweepers’ children are also in sorry condition. There are no benches for students, only a table and chair for the teacher.

Municipal authority has set up only 2 tube wells while there are only 8 toilets in the Alaipur colony.

The people, who are responsible for keeping the city clean, cannot wash themselves due to a shortage of bathrooms. Hence, they often suffer from various skin diseases.

The situation is worse in other colonies, where there is no tube well, latrines and proper accommodation. The sweepers live in makeshift rooms on the government land.

The colony residents alleged that the municipal authority had not taken any step to provide a better living condition. The young children, men, women, and also sick persons have to go in the jungle to attend nature’s call by taking risk.

The women have to fetch pure drinking water from far. Moreover, rainy season makes their life more miserable as rooms go under water

Bhola passport office unproductive since one and a half years Government has been spending around Tk4 lakh per month as office expenses n Our Correspondent, Bhola The local passport office in Bhola is yet to start its activities, although the office was established and necessary employees were recruited in March, 2013.

On August 12, 2014, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through video conference inaugurated 33 local passport offices in separate districts. Ten of these offices, including Bhola, were scheduled to start functioning in the first phase.

Officials concerned alleged that the Bhola office could not start functioning as it did not receive any directive from the Home Ministry in this regard.

However, the government has been spending around Tk4 lakh per month as office expenses – office rent, salaries and other bills, including electric bill – since the establishment of the office.

Talking to different officials

this year the farmers are hardly cutting any profit as the roads and bridge project is not completed yet. Farmers could get higher price if a factory for processing and preserving guava was established in this region.” l

at a low price, they said.

This year, the guava is being sold at Tk80-400 per maund.

Deputy Director of Jhalakathi Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Abdul Aziz Farazi said: “Despite ample production

Farmers from different villages come to the Bhimruli haat to sell guava on boats.

Sale rises when agro-based companies like Pran Foods Ltd come to buy guavas, otherwise the farmers are compelled to sell their produce

DHAKA TRIBUNE

concerned, this correspondent has found that a total of five rented flats were being used as office premises that cost Tk25,000 per month.

Assistant Manager Md Mizanur Rahman of the office told the Dhaka

Officials concerned alleged that the Bhola office could not start functioning as it did not receive any directive from the Home Ministry in this regard Tribune that a total of 18 employees – one assistant manager, two office assistants, one record keeper, one accountant, one data entry operator, three out sourcing persons and nine workers on contracts – had been getting salaries from the government.

The assistant manager, however, expressed hopes that they would be able to start functioning soon, once they got directives from higher authorities.

Meanwhile, expressing discontent over the current situation, Bhola Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Jahangir Alam told the Dhaka Tribune that around 20,000 passports were issued and renewed in the district every year.

“Despite having a local passport office in the district, this large number of people need to contact the passport office in Barisal,” he said.

Although the government had been spending a lot of money for the local passport office in Bhola, the authorities concerned were delaying to take measures, not paying any heed to such huge financial loss, Jahangir Alam added.

Experts opined that the Home Ministry should take effective steps in this regard as soon as possible. l

and spreads water borne diseases.

When contacted, Ranajit Jamader, the newly elected president of Natore Harijan Oikkya Parishad, acknowledged the problems and said, there was an urgent need for more 200 rooms in Alaipur colony. They have repeatedly appealed to the municipal mayor without any success.

“The mayor suggested us to build rooms after filling up the colony’s pond with our own money.

But we can hardly take care of our families with the money we earn, let alone build more rooms. We also need at least 8 toilets and 5-6 tube wells.” he added.

Lokkhon Jamadar, another leader of the organization said, the other colony members had been living under risk due to poor housing condition. “If the municipal authority or water development board or the railway authority could lease their land to us in exchange of a token money; or the government allotted us Khash land or built colony rooms, our sufferings may come to an end.”

He urged the government to take immediate steps in this regards and alleviate the living standard of the sweepers. l

Abducted businessman rescued; family still facing threat n Our Correspondent, Thakurgaon Family of a businessman, who was abducted and later rescued by police, is passing days in fear as the abductors are threatening to kill them.

In a press briefing at Thakurgaon Press Club yesterday, wife of businessman Salahuddin Babu, alleged that though her husband was found, perpetrators were still at large. “The abductors are now threatening to kill my family.” said Morsheda Parveen Rekha.

A case has been filed with Thakurgaon Sadar police station in this regard.

Earlier on September 2, Salahuddin Babu was abducted from his own house by a group of miscreants with a motive of extortion and land grabbing.

Upon information, police tactfully rescued him with the help of local UP member Firoz.

Officer in-Charge of Sadar police station, AKM Mehedi Hasan said: “Salahuddin was rescued within six hours of abduction. He, however, was badly tortured by the miscreants. He has been admitted to Sadar hospital.” l

Wednesday, the abductors admitted him to a hospital in Bogra.

On Thursday night the kidnappers started for Dhaka with the boy. On the way, Anik got off from the car telling the abductors that he wanted to go to the bathroom, and went to a local shop, where he requested the owner to let him use his cell phone. From that shop he called the officer-in-charge of Fenchuganj police station, who informed the Tangail Highway police about the boy’s location.

The highway police rescued the boy from that shop and took him to Mirzaganj police station. Meanwhile, the kidnappers fled the scene. When informed, a team of police, along with Anik’s father, from Fenchuganj went to Mirzaganj on that very night.

Around 4pm yesterday, OC Nandan told to this reporter that members of police, with Anik, had reached Dhaka by then, and they would return to Sylhet by night. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Ukraine and proRussia rebels ‘sign n ceasefire deal’

World

EU set on Russia sanctions, could suspend them if ceasefire holds

n

BBC

The Ukrainian government and pro-Russia rebels meeting in Minsk have signed a preliminary protocol to start a ceasefire, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says.

He said that the truce would start at 15:00 GMT. The announcement came after reports of further clashes in the east.

Western countries are meanwhile working on further sanctions against Russia.

The West accuses Russia of sending arms and troops to back the rebels in eastern Ukraine. Moscow denies this.

The talks in Minsk, capital of Belarus, involve former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, Russian ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov and leaders of the self-proclaimed “people’s republics” in Donetsk and Luhansk.

They come after Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward a seven-point peace plan.

The plan includes a halt to “active offensive operations” by the Ukrainian military and pro-Russia rebels, interna-

tional ceasefire monitoring, unconditional prisoner exchanges and humanitarian aid corridors.

Shelling

As the peace talks in Minsk began, fighting in eastern Ukraine continued.

Ukrainian government forces and volunteers are trying to hold on to Mariupol on the Azov Sea. The BBC’s Fergal Keane, in Mariupol, tweeted that pro-Russia forces seemed to be hitting Ukrainian positions some 4km (2.5 miles) outside the city.

Large plumes of smoke could be seen as Ukrainian artillery fired back, he says. Ukrainian fighter jets also hit rebel positions.

The Minsk peace talks coincided with Nato’s summit in Wales, where leaders agreed on a new “spearhead” military force, able to deploy to trouble spots in a matter of days.

The decision came amid growing Nato concern at the Ukraine crisis in particular Russia’s role - and the rise of Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. l

Reuters, Brussels/Newport

The European Union was set to agree on new economic sanctions against Russia on Friday but could suspend them if Moscow withdraws its troops from Ukraine and observes a ceasefire, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

Ukrainian government representatives and pro-Russian rebels agreed to declare a ceasefire on Friday at talks in Minsk, the first such breakthrough in the five-month war, but Merkel said the deal was not in itself enough to halt sanctions.

It would have to be verified whether the ceasefire was being implemented, whether Russian troops were being withdrawn and whether a buffer zone was established, she told a news conference at a Nato summit, adding: “Everything is in flux.”

“Therefore we should expect that these sanctions could indeed be put into force, but with the proviso that they can be suspended again if this process really takes place,” she said.

Britain also backed such a solution.

Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond told the BBC he favoured going ahead with the immediate implementation of

7

Saturday, September 6, 2014

sanctions and then lifting them if the ceasefire held.

Earlier, diplomats spoke of possibly postponing the entry into force of the sanctions for up to a week to give President Vladimir Putin time to show he was resolving the conflict.

Envoys from member states were meeting in Brussels on Friday and the diplomats said the details of the additional sanctions package should be settled then.

The European Union and United States imposed sanctions against Russia after Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula in March, and tightened them since then, accusing Russia of supporting pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s east.

The latest wave of sanctions was announced after Western countries said they believed Russia had send ground troops into Ukraine, helping the rebels launch a major advance last week.

French President Francois Hollande said on Thursday shortly after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s announcement of plans for a ceasefire that sanctions would be activated “if there is no progress (on Ukraine), but everything will depend on the coming hours.”

EU leaders agreed at a summit last Saturday to prepare the new, third, set of sanctions within the week and diplomats said the 28 ambassadors should be able to iron out outstanding differences on a text of measures later on Friday.

Governments are wrangling over details, partly in the hope of limiting the effects of sanctions on their own economies and businesses operating in their own markets. Several smaller EU countries, notably the Czech Republic and Slovakia, have expressed scepticism about sanctions.

Among the most contentious areas is a proposed tightening of an export ban on goods that can have both a military as well as a civilian purpose.

There are also differences over the wording of measures to ban Russian state-owned companies from borrowing through syndicated loans in the EU, sources said, as well as over a list of Russians to be subject to a ban on entry to the bloc.

One key element of the new sanctions will be expanding a ban on raising money in the EU capital market to all Russian state-owned firms. An existing ban applies only to state-owned banks. Expanding the ban could affect major oil Russian oil companies, including Rosneft. l

WHO report gives misleading view on e-cigarettes, experts argue n Reuters, London A World Health Organisation-commissioned review of e-cigarettes contains errors, misinterpretations and misrepresentations, meaning policymakers may miss their potential health benefits, a group of tobacco addiction experts said.

In a critique of the WHO’s background paper on e-cigarettes, which acted as a blueprint for a WHO report last month calling for more regulation of the devices, the experts said its evaluation of the evidence was inaccurate.

“I was shocked and surprised when I read it,” Ann McNeill, a researchers at the national addiction centre at King’s College London, told reporters at a briefing. “I felt it was an inaccurate portrayal of the evidence on e-cigarettes.”

The uptake of e-cigarettes, which use battery-powered cartridges to produce a nicotine-laced vapour, has rocketed in the past two years, but there is fierce debate about their potential risks and benefits.

The WHO’s report last month called for stiff regulation of e-cigarettes as well as bans on indoor use, advertising and sales to minors. l

Islamic State guides Egyptian militants, expanding its influence n Reuters, Cairo

Supporters gesture during a speech of Pakistani cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan as part of an anti-government protest near the prime minister’s residence in Islamabad on September 4 while rain drenches Pakistan and causes widepread flooding AFP

Heavy rains kill 73 in Pakistan as floods spread n Reuters, Islamabad At least 73 people have been killed across Pakistan after heavy rains brought flash floods and caused homes to collapse in the Punjab and Kashmir regions, government officials said Friday.

Most deaths occurred in the city of Lahore, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s powerbase, further damaging the government’s standing after weeks of protests aimed at forcing the premier to step down. As the political crisis dragged through its third week, people’s attention turned to the devastation brought by the floods, with television channels showing live images of villages and towns inundated by muddy water.

At least 43 people have been killed in Punjab province and 30 in the Himalayan region of Kashmir in recent days, officials said.

“Most of the 43 dead in Punjab died because the roofs of their homes collapsed,” said Nisar Saani, a director at the Punjab Disaster Management Authority. “The rest were electrocuted.”

Authorities have issued flood warnings across the country.

“We are bracing for more deaths as more rains are expected,” said Khawaja Omer Rashid, a spokesman at Kashmir’s disaster management authority.

In the Indian part of the disputed Kashmir region, at least 65 people were killed after heavy rain triggered flash floods, officials there said on Thursday.

Pakistan’s civilian governments have long been perceived as riddled by corruption and largely ineffective, leaving the powerful military to step in during disasters. l

Pakistan opposition in talks with government to end political crisis n

Reuters, Islamabad

Leaders of Pakistani protests demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation pressed on with talks with the government on Friday, reviving hopes for a political solution to a crisis that has destabilized the coup-prone nation.

Anti-government protests turned deadly last weekend, with thousands trying to storm Sharif’s house, in an outburst of violence which has prompted fears that the country’s powerful army might intervene and even topple Sharif.

But by Friday, the protest site was

almost empty, with just a few hundred people huddling in torrential rain.

After weeks of deadlock, protest leaders Imran Khan, a former cricket star, and Tahir ul-Qadri, a firebrand Sufi cleric, are in talks with government officials to find a political solution.

Negotiations revolve around six demands that Khan has made, including that the prime minister step down, fresh elections be held and electoral reforms carried out.

“We are talking with the protesters but their motives are plain for all to see,” Sharif told parliament.

Qadri and Khan have taken an inflex-

US says forms ‘core coalition’ to counter Iraq militants n Reuters, Newport Wales The United States said on Friday it was forming a “core coalition” to battle Islamic State militants in Iraq, calling for broad support from allies and partners but ruling out committing ground forces.

“We need to attack them in ways that prevent them from taking over territory, to bolster the Iraqi security forces and others in the region who are prepared to take them on, without committing troops of our own,” US Sec-

retary of State John Kerry told a meeting of 10 nations.

“Obviously I think that’s a red line for everybody here: no boots on the ground.”

The defense and foreign ministers of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Poland and Denmark met on the sidelines of a Nato summit in Wales to discuss a strategy for addressing the Sunni militant group that has taken over swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory. l

ible stand on their demand that Sharif quit, and it was unclear what kind of solution would suit all the parties.

But Islamabad was full of speculation on Friday that the opposition might drop their demand for his resignation and agree to end their anti-government campaign. But in public, protest leaders remained adamant on their key demand.

“The government has accepted five out of six demands ... and the sixth is just unreasonable and non-negotiable,” said ruling party minister Ahsan Iqbal, referring to the demand that Sharif resign. l

Islamic State, fighting to redraw the map of the Middle East, has been coaching Egypt’s most dangerous militant group, complicating efforts to stabilise the biggest Arab nation.

Confirmation that Islamic Sate, currently the most successful of the region›s jihadi groups, is extending its influence to Egypt will sound alarm bells in Cairo, where the authorities are already facing a security challenge from home-grown militants.

A senior commander from the Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, which has killed hundreds of members of the Egyptian security forces over the last year, said IslamicState has provided instructions on how to operate more effectively.

“They teach us how to carry out operations. We communicate through the internet,” the commander, who asked to remain anonymous, told Reuters.

“They don’t give us weapons or fighters. But they teach us how to create secret cells, consisting of five people. Only one person has contact with other cells.”

Militant groups and the Egyptian state are old foes. Some of al Qaeda›s most notorious commanders, including its current leader Ayman al-Zawahri, are Egyptian.

One Egyptian president after another has crushed militant groups but they have always resurfaced.

The success of Islamic State in seizing large parts of Syria and Iraq has raised concerns in Egypt, where authorities are battling Ansar as well as militants who have capitalised on the chaos in post-Gaddafi Libya to set up over the border.

Islamic State became the first jihadi group to defeat an Arab army in a major operation after steamrolling through northern Iraq in June almost unopposed by the Iraqi military.

Militant threat

Unlike al-Qaeda, which specialises in hit and run operations and suicide bombings, Islamic State acts like an army, seizing and holding territory,

a new kind of challenge for Western-backed Arab states.

Army offensives have squeezed Ansar, forcing its members to flee to other parts of Egypt, the commander said.

But it still poses a security threat.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has expressed concerns about militants over the Libyan frontier. Security officials say these groups are inspired

by Islamic State, an offshoot of al Qaeda notorious for beheadings and mass executions, most recently of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

Sisi, who as army chief toppled Islamist President Mohamed Mursi last year after mass protests against his rule and then cracked down on his Muslim Brotherhood, has restored some political stability.

But militant groups still present a major challenge. Security officials say thousands of Egyptian militants have joined Islamic State’s jihad in Iraq and Syria and authorities are concerned they could return home to fight the government.

That would pile pressure on Egyptian security forces who have failed to end a campaign of bombings and shootings which killed hundreds of soldiers and police since Mursi’s fall.

Egyptian security officials say leaders of Islamic State and Ansar have established contacts. Meanwhile, militants based in Libya have also forged ties with Ansar, creating a complex web.

Headless corpses

Ansar recently said it had beheaded four Egyptians, accusing them of providing Israel with intelligence for an air strike that killed three of its fighters.

Four headless corpses were found in the Sinai Peninsula. It was the first time that any decapitations had been made public in Egypt, a strategic US ally which has a peace treaty with Israel and controls the Suez Canal, a key global shipping route.

In a video on Twitter, armed men in black masks stood over the kneeling captives as one of the militants read out a statement. Minutes later, the four men had their heads cut off. l

IAEA report shows little progress in Iran nuclear investigation n Reuters, Vienna The UN nuclear watchdog said on Friday little substantive headway has been made so far in its long-running investigation into suspected bomb research by Iran, a setback to hopes for an end to a stand-off over its atomic activity.

The lack of movement in the inquiry by the International Atomic Energy Agency will disappoint the West and could further complicate efforts by six world powers to negotiate a resolution to a decade-old dispute with Iran over its nuclear ambitions.

Obtained by Reuters, the confiden-

tial, quarterly IAEA report said Iran had failed to address key questions about the nuclear research - provided to the agency by Western intelligence years ago - by an agreed Aug. 25 deadline.

Moreover, the Islamic Republic had implemented just three of five nuclear transparency steps under a confidence-building deal it reached with the Vienna-based IAEA, according to the report.

It said Iran, where a moderate president took office a year ago and revived nuclear diplomacy with the West, had also told the IAEA that suspicions about the nature of its programme were “mere allegations and

do not merit consideration.”

The IAEA had also observed via satellite imagery “ongoing construction activity” at Iran’s Parchin military base, the report said. Western officials believe Iran once conducted explosive tests there of relevance in developing a nuclear weapon and has sought to “cleanse” it of evidence since then. Iran has long denied UN nuclear inspectors access to the base.

In what big powers are likely to see as a positive note in the report, Iran cut its stockpile of low-enriched uranium potential bomb fuel - to 7,765 kg in August from 8,475 kg in May. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Prescription

Saturday, September 6, 2014

The fat equation: How much is healthy?

Confused about whether you can spread butter on your toast, chew on a chop or enjoy a bowl of creamy pasta guilt-free? It is true that fat is essential for health, but like trans fats are better avoided substances around the body. blood.” They also said, “High levels of n Prescription Desk Loosely speaking, there are four LDL cholesterol, in particular, contrib-

E

arlier this year, Time magazine ran an article with the tag line: “Scientists labelled fat the enemy. Why they were wrong.” The story went on to suggest saturated fats aren’t as bad as previously thought, and said that diet guidelines should be overhauled. Some scientists agreed, some didn’t, and we were left confused. So what exactly should we be eating in terms of fat?

Unfortunately, there’s no definite answer everybody agrees on. We’re certainly emerging from a culture in which we were told that dietary fat was just plain bad and everything low fat was fabulous. We know trans fats should be avoided and aren’t likely to ever emerge from the unhealthy diet wasteland. We know omega-3 and omega-6 fats are good for us. Previously, we avoided saturated fats. But recent research suggests saturated fats – found in foods such as red meat and full-fat dairy foods – may not be the heart attack-inducers they were thought to be.

The bottom line is the human body needs fat. Not all fats are created equal when it comes to their impact on health and, as more research is showing, lumping them all into the same camp or trying to live a fat-free existence can be bad for your health.

types of fat: saturated from animals, including dairy; monounsaturated from nuts, seeds, olives and avocados; polyunsaturated, including the healthy omega-3 and -6 fatty acids; and the all-bad trans fats, which are found in highly processed deep-fried and commercially-baked packaged foods.

The essential nutrients

The heart of the matter

Along with proteins and carbohydrates, fats are macronutrients that are essential for a whole lot of bodily functions, from providing energy, being shock absorbers for organs and transporting vitamins and other fat-soluble

BIGSTOCK

‘Eating too much saturated fat has been shown to raise the level of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in your blood’ Now a growing number of scientists worldwide who are no longer prepared to say saturated fats are bad and should be avoided at all costs. The study referenced in Time turned many previously held thoughts about fat on their head.

In that study, researchers at Cambridge University in the UK found that current evidence doesn’t support guidelines that restrict saturated fatty acid intake to reduce the risk of heart attack.

The Heart Foundation, however, is still very much in the camp of saturated fats naysayers. “Eating too much saturated fat has been shown to raise the level of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in your

PSORIASIS

FOOD THERAPY

Improve your cholesterol profile through diet

A skin disease needs special attention

You can improve your cholesterol profile by eating more fibre and cutting back on saturated fats and trans fats. Dietitians explain the ways to improve your cholesterol levels through your diet.

Cut back on cholesterol-rich foods

Cholesterol is found in foods of animal origin such as meat and poultry.

The following foods are especially rich in cholesterol: organs/offal, egg yolks and shellfish. Saturated fats can be found in foods like full cream versions of dairy products, butter, coconut milk/oil, palm oil, poultry skin and animal fats like ghee and lard. This group of fats can increase the levels of LDL-cholesterol in our body. Trans fats present in BIGSTOCK store-bought cookies, cakes, doughnuts, crackers, margarine, shortening and fried foods also raise LDL-cholesterol levels. Fast food chains often use hydrogenated oils that contain trans fats.

Opt for ‘healthier’ fats and oils instead

Good fats generally refer to monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fats. These are considered good because they seem to lower LDL-cholesterol levels. However, you need to stay mindful of the calories. Too much fat, even good fat, will still provide excess calories!

Sources of monounsaturated fat include some vegetable oils such as olive oil, canola oil, nuts like almonds and cashews, and avocados. Polyunsaturated fats can be found in vegetable BIGSTOCK oils like soybean oil, sunflower oil and corn oil. Omega-3 fats can be found in salmon, sardines and mackerel.

Some food products like bread and eggs are enriched or fortified with omega-3 as well.

Increase your consumption of fibre-rich foods

You can improve your cholesterol profile by having a balanced diet that includes adequate fibre. There are namely two types of fibre, soluble and insoluble. Dietitians recommend a daily intake of 20g a day of dietary fibre for women and 26g a day for men. “Fibre, particularly the soluble one, is beneficial because it binds excess cholesterol and eliminates it from the body through waste.

Both soluble and insoluble fibre can be found in grains, lentils, BIGSTOCK legumes, fruits and vegetables.

Examples of sources of fibre are oats, brown rice, kidney beans, peas, apples, bananas and spinach. A good way of including more fibre in your diet is to have the whole fruit with the skin on, such as apples and grapes.

Consider sterols and stanols Stanols and sterols are plant compounds found naturally in some vegetable oils, nuts, grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. They can help lower LDL-cholesterol levels by interfering with cholesterol absorption in the body.

BIGSTOCK

| Compiled by Dr Kazi Mahbuba Akhtar

n Prescription Desk

P

soriasis is a genetically programmed inflammatory disease that affects primarily the skin in about 3% of individuals. Psoriasis begins as a small scaling papule. When multiple papules coalesce, they form scaling plaques.

These plaques tend to occur in the scalp, elbows, and knees. Although psoriatic plaques can be limited to only a few small areas, the condition can involve widespread areas of skin anywhere on the body.

These plaques can be itchy, and

when the scale is peeled away, small bleeding points may appear. Psoriasis tends to occur in areas of trauma.

This condition often waxes and wanes spontaneously.

Many patients with psoriasis have abnormal nails. Psoriatic nails often have a horizontal white or yellow margin at the tip of the nail called distal onycholysis because the nail is lifted away from the skin. There can often be small pits in the nail plate, and the nail is often yellow and crumbly.

Psoriasis can be associated with a destructive arthritis called psoriatic arthritis.

ute to the build-up of fatty material, called plaque, on the inside of your blood vessels. These fatty build-ups can block the arteries and increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.”

There’s an “international scientific consensus” that replacing saturated fat with “good” unsaturated fat, in particular polyunsaturated fat, reduces the risk of heart disease. This position is supported by the World Health Organisation, other leading international heart associations such as the American Heart Association, the CSIRO and the Dietitians Association of Australia.

So... hold the butter?

Dietitians said, “If people are eating a healthy diet that’s rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, then a scrape of butter on their Vegemite toast isn’t going to hurt. In fact, evidence is showing that the body likes a combination of fats,” they said. “If you hate the taste of low-fat cheese or enjoy the occasional cappuccino with full-fat milk and are eating lots of fruits and veggies and other healthy foods, then you don’t need to beat yourself up.”

It’s a good idea to replace saturated fats with healthier fats. Salmon is considered a very healthy fish that’s rich in good fats. However, 100g can also contain 5g of saturated fat and, ideally, we shouldn’t be consuming much more than 10g of saturated fat a day. And here the rules are challenged because a slice of cake may only have 4g of saturated fat – but what’s the healthier food option? It’s the salmon, of course,” the dietitian added. l

Instant noodles have long been a popular meal option, loved for their convenience and low cost. But a new study suggests they may increase the risk for heart Research disease and stroke.

And the study has sparked renewed interest in an eye-opening video that shows how our stomachs handle processed foods.

Instant noodle is a precooked and usually dried noodle block, sold with flavouring powder and/or seasoning oil, usually in a separate packet; though in the case of cup noodles the flavouring is often loose in the cup. Dried noodle blocks are cooked or soaked in boiling water; some instant noodle products are seal packed- these can be reheated or eaten straight from the packet.

US researchers have found that women who eat instant noodles at least two times a week have an increased risk of high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar and high cholesterol.

The study examined the data from 10,711 adults just over half of whom were women in the Korean National Health and

What to do if insect into ear canal

Insects may fly into the ear and become trapped. Sometimes, the insect dies after entering the ear; other times, it may remain alive and attempt to work its way back out of the ear. In either case, the insect can cause fear and discomfort and the insect should be removed immediately.

If an object becomes lodged in the ear, follow these steps

Don’t probe the ear with a tool: Don’t attempt to remove the foreign object by probing with a cotton swab, matchstick or any other tool. To do so is to risk pushing the object farther into the ear and damaging the fragile structures of the middle ear.

Remove the object if possible: If the object is clearly visible, pliable and can be grasped easily with tweezers, gently remove it.

Try using gravity: Tilt the head to the affected side to try to dislodge the object.

What causes Psoriasis?

It is now clear that there is a genetic basis for psoriasis. This hereditary predisposition is necessary before the disease can be triggered by environmental factors.

Diagnosing Psoriasis

Psoriasis is often diagnosed by a competent physician or at least suspected on the basis of its appearance and distribution.

Occasionally it may be necessary to remove a small piece of skin (a biopsy) and have it examined by a pathologist to confirm this conviction.

Psoriasis Treatment:

Topical treatments are very useful because they are relatively safe, quite effective, and can be applied directly to the disease. They take the form of lotions, foams, creams, ointments, gels, and shampoos. They include topical steroids, tar preparations, and calcium- modulating drugs.

For a more extensive disease, a useful option is ultraviolet light exposure.

There are lasers that produce UVL in wavelengths similar to narrow-band UVB can be quite effective for small plaques of psoriasis.

There are a variety of drugs administered systemically that are useful in controlling psoriasis.

Drugs like methotrexate and cyclosporine are administered orally and can affect the liver, kidney, and bone marrow. l

Instant noodles bad for health! n Prescription Desk

QUICK TIPS

Nutrition Examination Survey.

The researchers from Harvard University found that there was a 68% higher risk of metabolic syndrome among women who ate instant noodles more than twice per week regardless of whether the rest of their diet consisted of rice, fish and vegetables, or a diet rich in meat and fried foods.

“The consumption of instant noodles was associated with increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome in women, independent of major dietary patterns,” said the study in the Journal of Nutrition.

But this was not the case in men.

A senior professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard told that the results could be attributed to women reporting their diet more accurately or because postmenopausal women were more sensitive to the effects of carbohydrates, sodium and saturated fat.

Instant noodles should not be included as part of a healthy diet because it is typically highly processed and contain a large amount of calories, saturated fat, sodium, and glycemic load. It’s better to avoid the consumption of instant noodles, although occasional consumption (eg, once or twice per month) should not be a problem, researchers said. l

Try using oil for an insect: If the foreign object is an insect, tilt the person’s head so that the ear with the offending insect is upward.

Try to float the insect out by pouring mineral oil, olive oil or baby oil into the ear. The oil should be warm but not hot. As you pour the oil, you can ease the entry of the oil by straightening the ear canal. Pull the earlobe gently backward and upward for an adult, backward and downward for a child. The insect should suffocate and may float out in the oil bath.

Do not use this method if the child has ear tubes in place or if there is any suspicion of a perforation in the eardrum — pain, bleeding or discharge from the ear.

If these methods fail or the person continues to experience pain in the ear, reduced hearing or a sensation of something lodged in the ear, seek medical assistance. l

| Compiled by: Shirsho Saaeadat

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Heritage

Saturday, September 6, 2013

9

The fishing fleet

Description of nearly two centuries of husband seeking travel between Britain and the sub-continent there, it appears parents were ready n Tim Steel to entrust offspring to hazardous

T

he earliest of European settlers in the lands that are now Bangladesh, were famous, one might almost say infamous, in their home lands, for their miscegenation with the women and girls they found in the parts of Empire in which they spent their working lives.

Many of the most acquisitive returned home, not just with enormous wealth, but leaving behind a heritage of Anglo Indians that haunted the society of the Raj for generations.

But if it haunted the most moralistic of the British ... frequently from somewhat lower middle class origins ... it inevitably haunted, too, the most religious, and most nationalistic, of the native peoples.

Some men, however, stayed, and founded, in the early days, such famous, “white Mughal” dynasties as the Gardners and Skinners, others, later, simply remained with

voyages with the prospect of hooking an eligible husband.

And it was probably the, perhaps unspoken, but certainly thought, use of the “hooking” word, that may have inspired the description of nearly two centuries of husband seeking travel between Britain and the sub-continent, as the, “fishing fleet.”

After Britain’s Industrial Revolution, which, there is little doubt, derived much of its funding investment from the wealth generated in its increasing Indian territories, Britain saw the steady rise of a professional and commercial middle class.

This rising middle class were, especially with medical advances, as well, the ready producers of large families.

The unmarried daughters of such families were often considered, in the vernacular British parlance, as being, “on the shelf,” by their mid twenties, if they had failed to find a husband.

As the bureaucracy of the East

Whilst the actual identity of the sitter is difficult to establish, with her rich, though informal, robes and splendid jewels it is likely that the subject of this charming portrait was the bibi of a British East India-man, and it represents both a novel development in the painting of women and also a new section of society itself, the bibis of the white mughals. As British society became ensconced in India, certain indigenous traditions were assimilated into Anglo-Indian protocol and so the keeping of one or, in some cases, more mistresses became accepted. Such notables as John Wombwell, William Hickey, Colonel Claud Martin, Sir Charles Ware Malet and Major William Palmer all commissioned paintings of their bibis, William Palmer even immortalised both his concurrent bibis and their children in a painting of his family by Francesco Renaldi. Indeed, he married one of his bibis as declared in the Times of February 19, 1925 that announced the marriage of a ‘great-grandson of General Palmer and his Begum of Oudh.’

It is apparent from such historical documents that the bibi was more than just an amorous consort but that she fulfilled the role of wife, companion and mother. Indeed personal accounts from British men emphasise this fact in their reference to bibis in tender terms, William Hickey declared his bibi ‘as gentle and affectionately attached a girl as ever man was blessed with,’ and refers to his friend Colonel Cooper’s bibi as ‘a beautiful Hindostanee woman to whom he was greatly attached’

The men of the East India Company, and their successors in the Raj period attracted the British parents of young women who sought both wealth and position for their daughters

WIKIMEDIA

their families, having founded more ordinary dynasties that remain, with distinctively European family names, even today.

These relationships, even marriages, have left, it is said, not only the family heritages, but such cultural heritage that took a reverse direction, bringing to Europe such habits of personal hygene as the slowly developing habit of daily bathing, that so transformed social hygene back in Britain.

But the men of the East India Company, and their successors in the Raj period, known to be in a position of social admiration and envy, as well as economic potential, attracted the British parents of young women who sought both wealth and position for their daughters.

A little like parents in today’s Bangladesh who seek, or are prepared to encourage, marriage of their sons and daughters to holders of British, Canadian, US or Australian passports for their social and economic potential, poverty stricken upper and middle class parents encouraged their daughters to seek an employee of the East India Company, and, later, the Raj, to secure, often not just their daughter’s future, but also their own.

From the middle of the 19th century, and the beginning of the Raj, Indian Civil Service employees were regarded as the greatest prizes, with such as Plantation supervisors the lowest on the list of prospects.

From the earliest days, when the economic potential of East India Company employees became apparent in Britain, so apparent that, in 1719, Daniel Defoe set Robinson Crusoe’s last adventure, in his eponymous novel, in the lands around the Ganges delta, revelling in the wealth to be obtained

India Company developed, especially following the Act of Permanent Settlement in 1793, and through to the middle of the 19th century, the rules of the Company increasingly reflected the morality of that rising middle class. Graduates of the Administrative Academy, and their Military College, were discouraged, both to marry before the age of thirty, and to associate with local women in India.

Earlier, East India Company employees, especially, the more senior, had regularly developed relationships with, especially, more aristocratic local women, and many of the more junior responded to their natural urges in the time honoured fashion of bordellos.

The social evolution of administration, however, saw all such relationships, officially, at least, frowned upon.

In Britain, the families overburdened with unmarriagable daughters, slowly began to realise that, in the Indian territories, especially those most highly regarded, in the Bengal that flourished under administration based in Calcutta, but operated across the rich lands, most of which now lie in Bangladesh, offered the prospect of rich pickings in the league of eligible husband material.

As the writer, Anne de Courcy, puts it in her book, “The fishing fleet,” the girls who were, “too intelligent, too poor, or too plain to make good matches at home ... were trawled around the balls and clubs of Calcutta and Delhi as soon as they arrived.”

Distant relatives and friends, the older married women of The Company, and later, The Raj, were commissioned to supervise such trawling.

De Courcy focuses, rather, on the

later 19th century, and early 20th, the height of the Raj, but there is little doubt that “the flee,” began to arrive at a much earlier age.

Match making did not only rely on such trawling, of course. Even the great Warren Hastings found his second wife aboard the ship returning him to Calcutta in 1769; she was, at the beginning of the onboard romance, already married to someone else. The very long voyages, around the Cape, of the earliest century, or so, were, surely, also rich fishing grounds!

There is not much doubt that even aboard ship on the way out, catches could be hooked; and, if the trawling in India failed, there was always a last chance during the long voyage home.

As the UK Guardian Newspaper put it in its revue of de Courcy’s book, her, “girl’s eye view of the Raj makes clear the damage imperialism did, not just to India, but to the imperialists themselves. Indian Civil Service men had no home leave for eight years, so the offspring of the marriages might not see their fathers for many years in a row. De Courcy includes the accounts of several miserable offspring born in India and incarcerated at boarding schools in England. As an account of husband hunting, ‘The fishing fleet’ is thorough and serviceable. As an account of how to screw up two societies at once, it’s unparalleled.” There is little doubt that the social effects of Indian life on the ruling and administrative middle classes of Britain may, even yet, have no entirely escaped its socially damaging influences.

And there is little doubt that traces of the consequences of this form of social engineering linger still. In Britain, the awful public school system has had to rapidly reform itself, especially

in recent decades, but the emotional and physical abuse the system facilitated and harboured has, undoubtedly, left an inheritance.

The other side of that coin leaves the possibility that, the “fishing fleet” may well have mitigated what might, otherwise, have led to far higher levels of abuse and miscegenation. The modern appeal of “Portuguese Eyes,” the blue, green and grey eyes that grace so many attractive brown skinned faces today, in Bangladesh, especially in the far south east, may be more apparent to the visitor that to the local purist.

And the continuance of both a strong, if small, Christian tradition, and family names of a decidedly European origin betrays the integrity of many of the European visitors, over the past five centuries, who fell in love, and put down roots. For both good, and ill, it may be reasonable to consider that the “fleet” has had a lasting effect on both sides of the coin.

Something that those who have migrated to Britain, but who have continued the traditions of the “fleet” in a reverse direction, relying on relatives or marriage arrangers to overcome the visa obstacle the now stands in the way, may care to reflect on.

We do know that the earliest migrants to Britain, from the earliest seamen, the “laskars,” who settled in Britain from as early as the 17th century, like the early European settlers in India, developed relationships and marriages, with British girls. Miscegenation was two sided, but the “fishing fleet” of the 18th and 19th centuries was entirely one sided. How times change! l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.

Match making did not only rely on such trawling, of course. Even the great Warren Hastings found his second wife aboard the ship returning him to Calcutta in 1769

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Saturday, September 6, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Free up land for RMG relocations

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t least 209 RMG factories, employing some 120,000 people, have closed in the last 15 months.

Worker representatives estimate only around 40% of those laid off have secured full-time jobs in other RMG factories with perhaps another quarter gaining contract work.

The closed factories are largely split between sub-contracting sites and factories located in shared multi-storey urban buildings. A number of sites were also closed following labour unrest.

Decisive action is needed to secure investment in safer, purpose-built factories to stop the growth of unemployment among RMG workers.

There is major potential for Bangladesh’s RMG industry to keep creating jobs and move up the value chain. However, if land is not secured for new factories, it will be prevented from growing and many more workers risk losing their jobs as owners focus on paying for necessary building and safety improvements.

Historically, many RMG buildings have been inherently unsafe as they were located in shared urban buildings, which were poorly equipped or not built with enough fire escapes.

The government must help the RMG sector secure more land to allow investment in modern, safe factories. The best way to do this would be to develop RMG industrial parks on idle government and state-controlled lands near Dhaka and Chittagong.

Garment factories which are now located in multi-storey urban buildings could then be relocated to new, safer sites and buildings.

Leasing under-utilised public land for development by RMG factory owners will allow it to be put to more productive use and attract new investment to secure more jobs.

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

Diamonds in the ash

Develop RMG industrial parks on idle government and state-controlled lands

Let private sector take over state-run banks

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irectors of state-run banks are still failing in their duty to monitor and protect risks to their banks’ assets.

With bad debts continuing to grow in banks owned or run by the state, there is little sign that the Tk5,000 crore ($625 million) set aside to bail out state-owned banks in the coming year will stem continuing losses.

Reforms required by the central bank are not making sufficient headway. Bangladesh Bank reports indicate that directives to minimise fiscal risks have been ignored or inadequately implemented.

There is little surprise that a recent investigation has found that the state-run Bangladesh Commerce Bank Ltd (BCB) violated credit rules to lend huge amounts of money to an MP. Reportedly, officials of BCB’s Bangshal branch breached the single borrower exposure limit of 15% of the capital to loan almost 28% of the bank’s capital.

While eight officials have been suspended over the alleged irregularities, and further inquiries are underway, the case is a further indication that political interference, corruption and other irregularities are endemic in the state-run sector.

The problematic state-run banks should not be given new capital.

The most effective solution is to transfer loss making state-run banks to private management.

Privately-run banks have consistently proved themselves to be better run as they are freer from political interference and being directly accountable to their shareholders, their management is better at stopping fraud, and reducing risks and loses.

The government should reduce losses to taxpayers by privatising state-run banks.

Reduce losses to taxpayers by privatising state-run banks

August 29

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 7 represents D so fill D every time the figure 7 appears.

You have one letter in the control grid to start you off. Enter it 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

SUDOKU Mursalin Hasan Chowdhury Remix “Children are given heavy work. They are exploited and paid very low wages. On average, children work 28 hours per week and earn Tk222, or $3.30. About 93% of the children work in the informal sector, which makes it challenging to monitor and enforce protective laws.”

Three shot dead in capital

August 28 Kamrul Hassan “Dhon dhonne pushpe vora / Amader ei boshundhora ….”

Yesterday, someone was slaughtered, and today, three were shot. There’s more to come.

Save our green spaces

August 29

Mohammad Tanvir Khalid “Ensure proper accountability to keep parks and playgrounds maintained and safe.”

In Mirpur, around my locality, we have lost three playgrounds/parks where I had played in my childhood. My son does not have a playground to play in now.

Samia Chowdhury, the Bangladeshi entrepreneur

August 30

We know all this, and that children are exploited and abused not only in their workplaces but also domestically, but what can we do? At most, we can help one or two of them, but what about the rest?

The government should come forward and do something about this!

Faith, hope, and promise August 29

Jashim Chowdhury Placing the ball in the parliament’s court is always a good idea. This makes things open and the chance of fairness grows substantially. I don’t believe that parliament would impeach a judge in the dead of the night. Moreover, impeachment will be the toughest task when a judge’s quality, disposition, and morale are beyond question.

Under the present system of our governance, there is clearly a missing institutional linkage between the court and legislature. The court is already packed within the vortex of the executive.

This is no less true under the Supreme Judicial Council system. Parliamentary involvement will shed light on the thus-far dark corners of the room.

We habitually judge everything from our appraisal of short-term calculations. The amendment has a serious and substantial interest to preserve in the long run. Keeping the “local specifics” of Bangladesh, I feel that the Article 70 recommendation is the most cherished one.

Who killed Archie?

August 29

Jahura Hussain “She has chalked up a long track work record working for large US corporations.”

It is always great to see Bangladeshis succeed in business!

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

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Needy (4) 6 Floor covering (3) 7 Starchy food (4) 9 Wading bird (4) 10 Bucolic (5) 11 Icy cold (5) 12 Kimono sash (3) 14 Assail (5) 17 Girl’s name (5) 20 Beverage (3) 21 Within the law (5) 23 Nut (5) 25 Swathe (4) 26 Golf club (4) 27 Mouse-coloured (3) 28 Lacerate (4)

DOWN 1 Malignant substance (6) 2 Beginning (6) 3 Trick (4) 4 Knight’s title (3) 5 God of the earth (3) 7 Ill-mannered (4) 8 Ship of the desert (5) 10 Curved bone (3) 13 Bread maker (5) 15 Salty (6) 16 Offer (6) 18 Tribe (4) 19 Japanese monetary unit (3) 22 Be adjacent (4) 23 Farm animal (3) 24 Male swan (3)

Ahsan Khan What happened to Jughead?

Aishwarya and Irrfan Khan pair up

CALVIN AND HOBBES

August 30

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

Mahmid Abdullah “Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has roped in Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Irrfan Khan in his upcoming film ‘Jazbaa.’”

Irrfan Khan is great!

PEANUTS

CROSSWORD

Sunny to replace Gazi in Test squad

August 30 MD Bappy “Left-arm spinner Elias Sunny is likely to be called up to the Bangladesh side for the upcoming two-match Test series.”

Gazi has already turned into a garbage bowler! Useless stuff from him so far. He has to be innovative if he wants to lengthen his career.

Tired and down, test your thyroid August 30 Steve Davis Do you get headaches too?

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Saturday, September 6, 2014

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n Ekram Kabir

angladesh saw a rapid rise of the non-governmental sector in the 90s. A huge number of NGOs started to work at the field level for filling up the gaps that the public sector was leaving behind, or it was becoming too much for the government to accomplish various development activities.

The government, the people, as well as the media in Bangladesh welcomed the NGOs and their operations here. Almost all newspapers had a separate page for the covering and report on development activities run by the NGOs. There’s no doubt that the NGOs achieved great feats in many areas, especially in healthcare, sanitation, education, small and medium business, and women’s employment. It was the NGO sector which actually taught us how to elevate awareness on certain causes in the minds of the citizens.

Most of the bad name is coming from those who are involved in microcredit. Several NGOs have been – and are – cheating people in the name of social development and employment.

The common people, on the other hand, are not well-informed about the organisations they are transacting money with.

A recent report says there are a total of 54,507 NGOs across the country who received registration from at least 10 ministries and agencies. These NGOs are supposed to work as voluntary organisations with the people’s money, as well as with the money they get from the foreign donors.

The number is so big that the authorities don’t have the capacity to monitor them. Therefore, many NGOs aren’t caring to following the regulations. Some were even alleged to be involved in terror financing in this country. An NGO in Bhola was found financing terror acts, whereas it was registered for helping acid victims.

Many are engaged in microloan

There’s no single agency to look after the state of the affairs in the development sector

The post-90s scenario wasn’t very good. The media reports on this sector started to die down. A huge number of NGOs suddenly mushroomed across the country. At a time, it seemed the number was more than the real requirement.

A group of opportunists started to abuse “development” as means to make quick money. A peculiar business attitude engulfed the NGO sector with a tendency to abuse the aid money. The authorities have been facing tough times for controlling, although they have been trying their best.

operations illegally. Social Welfare Ministry registration doesn’t allow anyone to work with microcredit, but later the same NGOs seek permission from Joint Stock Exchange or any other ministry and run microcredit programs.

The government has cancelled registration of about 3,000 NGOs, and respective ministries have also formed committees to monitor and cancel registrations of NGOs that are found breaking the law. However, reports say the government is failing to stick to its cancel order, as politically influential

Do NGO registrations need a closer look? people and foreigners have been pressuring the government to re-issue the cancelled registrations. Allegations of misappropriation against these NGOs were found by the government. The offices of the deputy commissioners at the district level are supposed to monitor these NGOs, but in reality, they hardly do their job.

The government has been trying to bring the NGOs under one controlling authority, and it initiated to formulate new laws for NGO registration and monitoring. A Social Security Council

BIGSTOCK

was proposed for monitoring all NGOs in the country.

The proposed 13-member council was to evaluate all conditions for registration including the source of money and expenses. The council was to collect reports from other committees and take decisions about the NGOs. It was powered to cancel the registration of any NGO with suspicious operations.

A few NGOs had opposed the formulation of the new law, and they have proposed for strengthening the

Beyond the pale I

t was the summer of 1510. Herat, a Sunni populated region currently in Afghanistan, came under the effective control of Shah Ismail, a Shiite ruler and the founder of Safavid Dynasty in Persia. Sheikh Zainuddin was the Sunni Imam of the central mosque of Herat – who dared to utter the names of four caliphs of Islam before the Jumma prayer of Friday – was beheaded in front of thousands of Muslims of the mosque by the Shiite soldiers of Shah Ismail.

The barbaric murder of James Foley by the Islamic State militants, beheading him in front of the whole world can be compared with the killing of Sheikh Zainuddin of Herat. It was nothing but a sheer example of what is happening in some parts of Iraq and Syria now.

Annihilation of civilians from the rival camps has become an everyday matter in those troubled region. IS militants have shown the world to what extent they can go to reach their goal to establish an Islamic State in Iraq and Levant.

Moreover, reports suggested that the IS militants have been operating a brutal campaign against the Yazidis of Iraq since last month. Yazidis are

the affairs in the development sector.

The media also isn’t too focused on this sector.

We see only occasional news reports or special stories. The news reports on NGO operations can also serve as a monitoring tool. The government may consider encouraging the media to increase its focus on NGOs. There should be some authority which can impose some reins on the bad practices in this sector. l Ekram Kabir, a journalist, is a DT columnist.

Digitally diplomatic

known as a Kurdish ethno-religious community whose ancient religion is linked to Zoroastrianism, devotees of fire. Hundreds of members of this community were massacred, while thousands of them had to flee for life.

cut supplies to the Shiite populated city of Amerli, which was seized by the IS militants two months ago and remained under their control. The military operation to reach the town began on August 30, when an alliance

IS militants have shown the world to what extent they can go to reach their goal

Prior to the annihilation of Yazidis, IS militants were seen murdering the members of Iraqi security forces who are loyal to the Shiite-dominated central government of Iraq formerly led by Shiite leader, Nouri al-Maliki.

They have also made some advance to the Northern Iraq – a safe home to its Kurdish population.

According to the recent developments, IS has chosen a new way to punish their opponents and have

REUTERS

n Aaqib Md Shatil

NGO Affairs Bureau. They have successfully convinced the government, saying that the new law would put an obstacle of smooth functioning of the NGOs that are operating now. That’s how the law got stalled, and no one knows whether it would ever see the light of the day. Right now, the Social Welfare Ministry is looking after NGO operations.

Monitoring in this sector is truly poor. No one actually knows who is doing what, and when. There’s no single agency to look after the state of

of Iraqi government forces, Shiite militias, and Kurdish Peshmerga attacked IS positions. On the other hand, the US government of Obama launched fresh air-strikes upon the IS insurgents to halt their advancement towards Northern Iraq.

However, the IS militants are not the only group who are wiping out the people of their rival camps. The Shiites, many other Sunni groups, and the Kurdish militants are also taking part in the annihilation of their opponents.

Last week more than 30 people were killed in three car bomb attacks in the Northern city of Kirkuk in Iraq.

Kirkuk is a Kurdish populated region.

Apparently, the bombings occurred to knock down some personnel of Kurdish forces of the region who were about to declare an independent Kurdistan cutting every single ties with Iraq forever. Though the assailants are yet to be traced, Sunnis are being blamed since the bombs exploded.

Some other developments that rocked the war-riddled territory include the shooting in a mosque of a Sunni populated village that left almost 70 people dead. According to the witnesses, two masked gunmen stormed into the mosque in the village of Beni Weis and fired on the worshipers with automatic weapons. The attackers are still to be traced, but the allegation is against the Shiites of the region. However, the shooting had followed the attempted assassination of a Shiite local leader.

The current situation of Iraq reminds us of the French philosopher Blaise Pascal, who once said: “Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions.”

The sectarian clash sparked in Iraq between the Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds of the country since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 has reached its peak this year. This year alone, thousands of Iraqis were subject to sectarian strife in Iraq. Every single religious group engaged themselves in the brutal eradication of the followers of the other religions or sects.

The sectarian violence-riddled Iraq can be compared with the Yugoslavia of 1980s. After the end of World War II, Yugoslavia was formed as a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Slovenia. While Josip Tito also known as Marshal Tito was in office, he ruled the six republics evenhandedly, compelling them to remain unified as a state.

But after his death, the ethnic conflicts between the inhabitants of Yugoslavia led the nation to a civil war – the Yugoslav War. Yugoslav War was a series of ethnic conflicts fought from 1991 to 1999 on the territory of former Yugoslavia.

Though Josip Tito was widely criticised as an authoritarian by the west, his successful economic and diplomatic policies as a ruler, during the days of Cold War, helped the Yugoslav republics to avoid any sort of ethnic violence for decades. A wide-ranging ethnic cleansing was launched in the land of Yugoslavia after the death of the “benevolent dictator” in 1980s.

And all those genocides resulted in the breakup of the nation.

Now, the only question that is arising in the mind of the observers is if there is any future of a united Iraq.

Though the answer will be given by time, many can quite easily predict that the answer is going to be a no. Iraq is badly in need of a benevolent dictator, otherwise the days of a unified Iraq is numbered. l Aaqib Md Shatil is a blogger and member of Dhaka University Model United Nations Association.

n Rabiul Islam

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he Awami League shared Dhaka Tribune’s report on an opinion poll which shows the majority’s satisfaction with the current government of Bangladesh in their official Facebook and Twitter pages.

They have around 375,000 likes on Facebook and 1,600 followers on Twitter (and growing). Through these mediums, they are sharing news to communicate with the people who possess virtual identities.

Given the population figures of Bangladesh, the number of Facebook and Twitter followers in their respective pages doesn’t seem quite satisfactory. Surprisingly, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed, has 743,680 likes on Facebook and 5,664 followers on Twitter. No official Facebook or Twitter account can be found for the opposition BNP.

Given the population of Bangladesh, the number of Facebook and Twitter followers doesn’t seem quite satisfactory Sadly, neither the former nor the present government leader has official Facebook or Twitter accounts.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US President Barack Obama, South Korean President Lee Myung Bak, and many other political leaders use virtual tools to connect with their people.

Their newsfeeds in social media, like Facebook or Twitter, are maintained most of the time by their official staff.

Their newsfeeds not only attract and influence their own people but also the “netizens” around the globe.

According to the website Internet Live Stats, in July 2014, there were about 2,925,249,355 (40.4% of the world’s population) internet users around the world. Amazingly, in 1994 it was less than 1%. The site also reported: The number of internet users

has increased tenfold between 1999 and 2013. The first billion was reached in 2005. The second billion in 2010.

The third billion will be reached by the end of 2014. Most of the print and electronic media have their own official websites and social media accounts to reach their readers and viewers. Taking these major factors into account, world leaders have taken the virtual world very seriously.

Internet Live Stats ranked Bangladesh 42nd in its list of 196 nations. According to their statistics, up until July 1, 2014, there were 10,867,567 (6.86% of the country’s total population) Bangladeshi individuals accessing the internet via phones and computers in Bangladesh.

Social media has had impacts on diplomacy as well. The Huffington Post reports: “The impact Twitter has on diplomacy apart from being a broadcasting tool for election campaigns is hard to measure. However, the fact that a growing number of global leaders mutually follow each other is evidence of the importance of digital diplomacy. In particular, foreign ministers and their institutions have focused on connecting with their peers. In September 2013, the US State Department followed 22 other foreign offices as well as Iran’s President @HassanRouhani and Foreign Minister @JZarif, timidly establishing diplomatic relations between the US and Iran on Twitter.”

The power of social networks such as Twitter and Facebook is that they connect people globally and bring citizens closer to their leaders. We follow people to know what they are doing. They follow us to know what we are doing.

Not only that, we also look for news and views from all around the world. We regularly argue and debate on worldwide news. We like, we comment, we share our own and each other’s views within the social media so that we can understand each other more.

If our social and political leaders also come to the electronic sphere with their own philosophies and agendas, it’s possible that we will be able to understand them better. When the people have a clearer understanding of their leaders, it becomes easier for them to decide who to follow. l Rabiul Islam is a freelance contributor.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Week-long Salman Shah retrospective n Entertainment Desk

Moushumi and Salman Shah in a scene from ‘Keyamat Thekey Keyamat’

Moushumi to make documentary on Salman Shah n Milan Afridi Salman Shah was the male lead for actress Moushumi in her first film “Keyamat Thekey Keyamat” in 1994, and later the duo shared screen in several hits, including “Antorey Antorey,” “Sneho,” and “Denmohor.”

Remembering her late co-star on his 18th death anniversary today, Moshumi will inaugurate a week-long retrospective film show at the Balaka Cineworld in the capital. Organised by Dhuli Communications, the film show is the first of its kind to honour the late actor, whose life and work will also be remembered by several other organisations, including Salman Shah Smriti Parishad and RTV. On this occasion, the Dhaka Tribune caught up with Moushumi to talk about her memories of the prematurely demised actor.

You are going to inaugurate a film show on your first film’s hero. How are you feeling?

First, I want to thank Dhuli Communications who organised this event. I am

glad that such a show is going to take place for the first time in the country.

He was a close friend of yours. How do you cope with the loss?

Having Salman as my best friend was like a blessing. I can never erase him from my heart, and he will live through his work in Bangladesh. I miss him in every step of my life. He brought many people back to the cinema halls. I have yet to find one film buff in this country who has not watched any of his films.

He is an icon in our film industry.

There is this story about you once storming out of a shooting spot after a fight with him. How did you reconcile?

Salman was such a nice person that it was hard to be angry at him for long.

That day, I went home without finishing the day’s shoot, and I even probably decided not to continue in that project. But later at night Salman came to my house and kept blaring his car horns. When I went down to see what the commotion was about, I saw it was him, and a moment later we both were laughing. I completely forgot I was an-

gry at him.

Salman left an impression on every person he met. He always treated each and everyone with respect in a shoot, which you rarely see anyone doing these days.

Marking the 18th death anniversary of the country’s iconic film actor Salman Shah, a weeklong memorial film festival will commence today at the Balaka Cineworld, Dhaka.

Organised by Dhuli Communication, the festival will showcase seven popular films featuring Salman Shah to reminisce the peak of his career. The event will also include commemorative speechs, screening of documentary film on Salman Shah and publication of a memorandum besides screening the popular films of Salman Shah.

His first film titled “Keyamat thekey keyamat” will be showcased today and “Antorey antorey,” “Tumi Amar,” “Shujon Shokhi,” “Shopner Thikana,” and “Sotter Mrittu Nai” will be showcased from September 7 to 11 respectively.

Born as Shahriar Chowdhury Emon but widely known as Salman Shah, was a shining star in the Bangladesh film industry. He started his career with the one episode TV-play “Pathor Shomoy.” After that he was seen in TV advertisements. Salman’s first appearance in a major role was in “Keyamat Thekey Keyamat” released in 1994. He had starred in many successful films, and in his short film career he starred in 27 films. l

KHAN HASAN MUHAMMAD RAFI

Existence Delineated! on display n Entertainment Desk The sixth solo exhibition of Bangladesh-Canadian artist Fahmida Urmi Hossain titled “Existence Delineated!” is taking place at Dhaka Art Center in the capital’s Dhanmondi area.

The exhibition features the artist’s most recent works of paintings, photography, video and installation. Fahmida believes that life is a series of connecting moments, traversing physical and philosophical frontiers. She cre-

Payer Awaj Pawa Jay

Do you have anything to remember him by?

There are pictures and other things that have never been shared with the world.

I want to make a documentary on him, and in that documentary I plan to reveal those never-before-seen memorabilia. I plan to release it before his next death anniversary.

Would you like to say something to the fans?

I want to ask the audience to please support the praiseworthy initiative of Dhuli Communications. I know you have watched Salman’s films before, but I think watching them again after so many years on big screen will certainly bring the sweet old memories back. I myself will be present on the opening day and hope you will be there too. l

Ferdousi Majumdar, Keramat Maola, Tropa Mazumdar and Paresh Acharya (from left) acting in a scene from the theatre production ‘Payer Awaj Pawa Jay’ by Theatre (Bailey Road) which was staged at the Shilpakala Academy on Thursday. The play was staged as part of the ongoing festival Ganga-Jamuna Natyo O Shankskritik Utshab featuring theatre troupes and cultural organisations from Bangladesh and India KHAN HASAN MUHAMMAD RAFI

Deepika-Ranveer’s ‘wedding’ video out on web

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan launches SD Burman’s biography

n Entertainment Desk Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan called SD Burman an “unmatchable artiste” while unveiling a biography on the legendary music composer, which has been penned by veteran journalist-author Sathya Saran.

Titled on the composer’s famous song “Sun mere bandhu re,” the book tries to encapsulate the much-celebrated musical journey of Burman and includes anecdotes from megastar Amitabh Bachchan and actress Waheeda Rahman among others about their working experience with him.

“He was one of the music greats of

our country, his thinking and creativity was unique. The range of music he gave from ‘Bandini’ to ‘Pyaasa’ to ‘Guide’, he was amazing at everything.

His melodies had a different appeal.

“One of the best things about him was that he brought folk music in film tunes,” Khan said at the launch last night.

Khan said that Burman’s greatness stood unmatched and even his musician son RD Burman could not come to surpass him.

“A few days ago, people tried to make me say that RD Burman surpassed his father in music talent, but I could not say that because SD Burman was unmatchable and stood apart among the artistes that come before and even after him,” he said. Saran, a self-confessed fan of SD Burman’s work, said she only started writing the biography after she felt she could understand Burman “I wanted this book to be different than his previous biographies. I took some time and started reading about him to understand the kind of person he was.

“Only when I felt I had gotten that inside me that I started penning this,” said the writer, who has also interviewed music arrangers that worked with Burman on his films. l

ates art to seeking the balance between art and life.

The exhibition is the title of her installation project, and attempts have been taken to create sensible environments to help the viewers become actively part of it.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Canadian High Commissioner in Dhaka Heather Cruden on August 30, while artist Monirul Islam and Professor Rafiqun Nabi were also in attendance.

The show will run until September 8. l

n Entertainment Desk The guests are ushered for their wedding reception, and the newly-weds cut the

cake. And after Ranveer stuffs the cake in his mouth, he dies. “That’s a wrap up for Ranveer Singh,” announces “Finding Fanny” director Homi Adajania.

The “Finding Fanny” team has unveiled an exclusive video of the making of Deepika Padukone‘s wedding scene with Ranveer Singh from the film.

This making video is proof that Ranveer got into the skin of the character despite it being just a two-minute part.

In the video, Homi Adajania explains how to give the expressions and how to enact the sequence.

Ranveer says that he agreed to play the part since he found it amusing.

“Homi explained the scene and it was very funny.

I’m quite excited for it.” In an earlier interview, Homi had said that Ranveer’s energy is infectious.

Deepika also revealed that there was no face for the character of Gabo, and someone casually suggested that Ranveer could do it. “He prepared for it like he would do for a full role in a film,” she said.

The film also stars Arjun Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapur and Naseeruddin Shah and is scheduled for release on September 12. l

Mirakkel Akkel Challengers at IGCC today 21 Jump Street 7:30pm HBO

n Entertainment Desk A stand-up comedy performance by Mirakkel Akkel Challengers will take place held today at 6:30pm at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in the capital’s Gulshan area.

The event will feature Abu Hena Rony, Farzana Sagir Shoshi, Jamil Hossain and Anwarul Alam Sajal.

“Mirakkel” is a comedy reality show in Zee Bangla, a Kolkata-based Indian TV channel, and is widely popular in both Bangladesh and India. l

Two graduates go back to high school as undercover cops to stop the prevalent synthetic drug dealings.

Scarlett Johansson gives birth to daughter n Entertainment Desk The 29-year-old actress and her fiancé Romain Dauriac have welcomed their first child together into the world and have named her Rose.

A representative for the couple said Scarlett and the little one are both doing well following the birth, but they are seeking privacy and they do not wish for their baby girl to grow up in the spotlight.

The loved-up pair, who started dating in 2012, sparked rumours they were expecting a child together in March this year, just three months after Scarlett revealed that she was keen to start a family.

She said: “I would like to have my own family, that would be nice.

“They say it's never the right time and I am sure that's true, but I think you have to plan it like anything else.

“At some point it is something I look forward to.” l

Did you know?

England’s Jos Buttler has a strike rate of 222.2 playing sweeps & reverse sweeps in ODIs in 2014

Sport

14 Revived France

too good for new-look Spain

13

Saturday, September 6, 2014

DHAKA TRIBUNE

14 Money is the

15 Federer in great

name of the game: Ferguson

escape, sets-up Cilic semi-final

Openers give WI solid base Taijul, Shuvagata grab wickets on Test debut shower swept across the ground. n Agencies, St. Vincent Opener Chris Gayle earlier departed Opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite enjoyed virtually two trouble-free sessions to take the West Indies to 182 for the loss of two wickets at tea on the opening day of the first Test against Bangladesh in St. Vincent yesterday.

Brathwaite was unbeaten on 89 while Darren Bravo was not out on 17 after 59 overs from the tourists on what appears to be a placid pitch.

Mushfiqur Rahim’s decision to put the home side in after winning the toss was based on the anticipation of assistance for the faster bowlers on a surface that would have had some additional moisture due to persistent rainfall on the island of St. Vincent in the days leading up to the Test.

However, Al-Amin Hossain and Rubel Hossain failed to have any impact while off-spinner Mahmudullah proved unusually expensive when he was brought on within the first half an hour in an attempt to stem the free-scoring openers.

Bangladesh’s debutant pair of spinners Shuvagata Hom and Taijul Islam were also given opportunities to make an impact, but without success, the only respite for the fielding side being a ten-minute break in play as a light

DAY 1, AT TEA West Indies 1st innings C Gayle lbw Shuvagata K Brathwaite not out K Edwards c Mominul b Taijul D Bravo not out Extras (b-1 nb-1) Total (59 overs, 2 wickets) Fall of wickets: 1/116, 2/133

for 64 after being adjudged leg before wicket off Shuvagata. In the process, Gayle became just the third West Indian - after Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes - to amass 7,000 Test runs as an opening batsman.

Gayle started watchfully before stepping up a few gears, striking ten fours and one six, which took him to the half-century mark in the minutes before lunch.

In stark contrast, Brathwaite displayed his trademark obduracy throughout the session, only occasionally venturing on to the attack with shots that brought him four boundaries.

After the departure of Gayle, Kirk Edwards was the only other batsman to be dismissed for 10. Edwards was caught at silly-point off debutant spinner Taijul.

West Indies pulled a bit of a surprise in their selection decisions by choosing to omit all-rounder Jason Holder, despite the gangling fast-medium bowler and useful lower-order player scoring a half-century on his debut against New Zealand in his native Barbados in June.

Shane Shillingford was also left out of the final XI, with duties as frontline spinner resting on the shoulders of Sulieman Benn once again. l

To bat S. Chanderpaul, J. Blackwood, D. Ramdin, K. Roach, J. Taylor, S. Benn, S. Gabriel Bowling Al-Amin 9-5-22-0, Rubel 12-0-45-0, Mahmudullah 3-0-21-0, Shuvagata 17-344-1, Taijul 18-4-49-1 Bangladesh Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Shamsur Rahman, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Shuvagata Hom, Rubel Hossain, Taijul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain.

Bangladesh debutant Shuvagata Hom (C) watches as West Indies openers Chris Gayle and Kraigg Brathwaite pick up some runs, during the 1st day of their 1st Test match at St Vincent yesterday WICB

Last-gasp Bangladesh deny Sri Lanka n Shishir Hoque A superb last-gasp save from Bangladesh goalkeeper Asim Gope earned the hosts a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Sri Lanka in the inaugural match of the second edition of the FIH Hockey World League Round 1 at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium yesterday.

The heroics of Gope not only helped

Bangladesh to salvage all three points but also took the home side on the verge of becoming the champions in HWL Round 1 for the second consecutive time.

In a game which saw Bangladesh struggle to find their rhythm against a weaker neighbouring side, the hosts were leading 3-2 with just a few seconds left till the final whistle when Sri Lanka earned three consecutive penalty corners followed by a penalty stroke.

The pressure was immense as the penalty stroke would have been the fi-

nal shot of the game following the end of stipulated time. A few Sri Lankan players were already celebrating after claiming the penalty stroke but Gope proved to be the hero diving to his right to deny Weerasooriya Lahiru’s penalty.

Bangladesh, however, began the game brighter of the two sides as Hasan Jubair Niloy gave the hosts an early breakthrough with just four minutes on the clock. Niloy flicked a fierce hit of Irfan towards Sri Lankan goalie Amila Rathnasiri who stood no chance of saving the shot.

Bangladesh goalkeeper Asim Gope (C) is the toast of his teammates following the 3-2 victory over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the FIH Hockey World League Round 1 at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium yesterday MUMIT M

Cricketers to leave for Asiad on Sep 27 n Mazhar Uddin The Bangladesh cricket team will begin their title defence in the upcoming 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea aiming to retain the gold medal that they had won four years ago in Guanzhou, China. The reigning champions will leave for the south-western city of South Korea on September 27.

Chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) media committee, Jalal Younus, who will be the team manager on the tour, informed that the board is confident of defending the title. “Our main aim is to retain the gold as we are scheduled to leave for Incheon, South Korea on September 27,” said Jalal.

Although Bangladesh will also take part in the Asiad’s football and hockey competitions among other events,

cricket offers the most realistic possibility of attaining a gold medal. “We will be looking forward to winning gold for Bangladesh in cricket. We would like to see a gold in the medal tally like

Our main aim is to retain the gold as we are scheduled to leave for Incheon, South Korea on September 27 the previous occasion,” he said. Led

by Mohammad Ashraful, Bangladesh clinched gold after defeating Afghanistan in the men’s final in 2010.

With the exception of regular skipper Mushfiqur Rahim, who will miss

64 89 10 17 2 182

the tournament due to his wedding reception, the selectors have picked up the strongest possible squad with veteran paceman Mashrafe bin Mortaza as captain.

Ace all-rounder Shakib al Hasan will also feature for Bangladesh having seen his six-month suspension reduced by the BCB recently. “Shakib’s name was on the list of the 30-member preliminary squad so there is no problem in this issue as he will be participating in the event,” he added.

Alongside Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Hong Kong, Bangladesh will begin their campaign in the quarterfinals and will be joined by the top two teams of Group A and B. Bangladesh will play the fourth and final quarterfinal at the Yeonhui Cricket Ground in Incheon on October 1. l

Sri Lanka collected their first penalty corner three minutes later but Tharanga Gunawardana failed to exploit it after a decent save from Gope. Pushkor Khisa Mimo on the other hand wasted a glorious chance to double the hosts’ lead a minute later when his reverse hit was parried away to safety by Rathnasiri.

The visitors though did not take long to come back to the game and equalised in the 13th minute from their second penalty corner. Sadaruwan Priyalanka changed the direction of Weerasooriya’s flick to send the ball home.

Krishno Kumar put Bangladesh ahead again in the 22nd minute through a penalty stroke after his flick was stopped by Lalantha De Silva with his hand.

It took Bangladesh 27 minutes to get their first penalty corner and Khorshedur Rahman made no mistake finding the net with a smart flick after Krishno’s push was stopped by Sarwar.

Bangladesh almost grabbed their fourth goal from their fourth penalty corner in the 45th minute but Lankan defender Bandara Damith made a goalline clearance to deny Khorshed’s flick.

Sri Lanka reduced the margin in the 66th minute when Sadaruwan Priyalanka flicked home connecting a De Silva hit from the right.

Gope rescued the hosts from a shocking draw by saving the penalty stroke taken by Weerasooriya after three successive penalty corners in the dying stages of the game.

Bangladesh will play their last match in Round 1 against Hong Kong at the same venue tomorrow.

Practice makes Asim Gope perfect n Shishir Hoque The day could not have been more perfect for Bangladesh goalkeeper Asim Gope. The young netminder from Sylhet was at his marauding best as he inspired his nation to a nervy 3-2 win over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the FIH Hockey World League Round 1 at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium yesterday.

Gope showed great skills for Bangladesh throughout the entirety of the game, none more so when the hosts were leading 3-2 in the dying stages of the tie. He produced an incredible save to deny Lahiru Weerasooriya’s penalty stroke and spare the home side’s blushes en route to a crucial victory against their less-fancied opponents.

The penalty-stroke save though was the icing on the cake. The former BKSP goalie exhibited a complete performance as he made at least four stunning saves in the second half when the opposition players were pressing hard for the equaliser.

This was not the first time Gope displayed his heroics in a Red and Green jersey. He was inarguably Bangladesh’s best player during the recently-concluded three-match friendly series against a strong Indian side.

Before that, the former Mohammedan custodian singlehandedly guided Bangladesh to the Asian Games after a virtuoso

performance against Sri Lanka in the Qualifiers earlier in March this year.

Bangladesh were staring into the abyss as they headed into the tie-breaker with the scores locked at 2-2. Gope turned away three penalties as Bangladesh won the tie-breaker 3-0.

Gope though had to bide his time with long-serving goalkeeper Zahid Hossain at the helm. And when Zahid was suspended following an abject display in the Asian Cup held in August last year coupled with a poor disciplinary record, Gope took the opportunity with both hands and has not looked back since.

When asked to describe his latest, game-altering performance, the 22year old goalkeeper said there are no shortcuts to success. “I often practised penalty strokes after training, like 1020 times every day. I learned a lot from the seniors about the ways a player can enter the box, ways by which a player holds the stick. For instance if they hold it with strength, they tend to shoot towards the right side of a post.

I found out that the strong players usually shoot on the right side. Every goalkeeper has a policy and I have my own,” said Gope.

Gope, currently plying his trade with Abahani, explained how he felt after saving yesterday’s penalty stroke.

“If they had scored the goal it would not have been a good thing for us. I was confident that I would do something today (yesterday).” l

DT, Play-Pen reach Handball quarters n Tribune Desk Dhanmondi Tutorial and Play-Pen School reached the quarterfinals in the boys’ section of the 22nd School Handball Tournament beating their respective opponents at the Handball stadium yesterday.

Dhanmondi Tutorial outplayed Shaheed Nobi High School by 19-5 with Nawaz Ali netting seven goals while Play-Pen earned a narrow 6-4 victory over South Point School & College in the second round.

Meanwhile in the second round matches of the girls’ section, Sunnydale thrashed Shaheed Ramij Uddin Cantonment School 8-1 while Dhanmondi Tutorial handed South Point School a humbling 10-0 defeat courtesy six goals from Nafisa Islam. l

Dhanmondi Tutorial’s Nawaz Ali attempts a throw at goal as the Shahid Nobi defenders try to block him during their School Handball match at the Handball stadium yesterday MUMIT M

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Revived France too good for new-look Spain

English non-league team bid for Ronnie n AFP, London English non-league team Basingstoke Town have mounted an audacious bid to sign Brazilian superstar and former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho.

The 34-year-old playmaker, who previously starred for Barcelona and AC Milan, is currently a free agent after leaving Atletico Mineiro.

Representatives from Basingstoke, who play in the sixth tier of English football, have contacted Ronaldinho’s brother and agent, Ronaldo De Assis, to offer him a contract.

“Discussions have been had, and there is an offer on the table,” Basingstoke’s marketing director Simon Hood told local newspaper, the Basingstoke Gazette.

“Now it is up to Ronaldinho to decide whether he wants to take us up on it. He is on a free transfer and if he wants to get into English football, I cannot think of a better way to do that than by signing for Basingstoke Town.” l

Italy off to flying start under Conte n Agencies France got the better of a new-look Spain team on Thursday, a superb strike from substitute Loic Remy in the second half giving the hosts a 1-0 friendly victory.

Remy fired emphatically into the roof of the net at the near post in the 73rd minute from a Mathieu Valbuena assist to set France on the way to a win that they will feel they deserved against the deposed world champions.

Meanwhile, Italy gave new coach Antonio Conte a flying start , taking 10 minutes to equal their goal tally for the entire World Cup as they won a friendly in Bari against a depleted Netherlands, who were playing their first game under Guus Hiddink.

RESULTS

Bosnia-Hercegovina 3-0

Liechtenstein

Ibisevic 1, 13, Dzeko 24

6-1

Belarus

Stasevich 7-P, Kornilenko 55, Krivets 59, Olekhnovich 60, Kislyak 62, Aleksievich 75

Sweden Ibrahimovic 3, 24

Croatia Mandzukic 17,58

Belgium Mertens 18, Witsel 77

Italy

Tajikistan Fatkhulloev 34

2-0

Estonia

2-0

Cyprus

2-0

Australia

2-0

Netherlands

1-0

Spain

0-2

Uruguay

3-1

Venezuela

Immobile 3, De Rossi 10-P

France Remy 73

Japan

Cavani 34, Hernandez 71

South Korea Myung-Joo 33, Lee Dong-gook 53, 64

Rondon 21

Mario Balotelli, dropped by Conte after the maverick striker’s World Cup performance drew barely-veiled criticism from his own team mates, was scarcely missed as the lively forward line of Ciro Immobile and Simone Zaza pestered the Dutch rearguard in a convincing 2-0 win.

Conte, however, will be wary of reading too much into the performance as the contest effectively ended in the 10th minute when the Dutch were reduced to 10 men and Italy scored their second goal.

Netherlands, semi-finalists at the World Cup, were missing Arjen Robben, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Rafael van der Vaart in the first match of 67-year-old Hiddink’s second stint in charge.

The impressive 48,000 crowd in Bari had barely settled into their seats when Immobile latched onto a long ball over the Dutch defence, swept past goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen and scored into an empty net after only three minutes.

Daniele De Rossi converted a penalty seven minutes later after debutant forward Zaza was fouled by Bruno Martins Indi, who was harshly sent off, after the Dutch were caught out again.

In France, Missing several familiar faces, including the retired Xavi Hernandez and Xabi Alonso, Spain nevertheless maintained their style of old, controlling large periods of possession but without really threatening to break down the home defence.

France, meanwhile, had the best chances and should have been in front four minutes into the second half, but a clever Karim Benzema finish at the end of a flowing move was disallowed for offside, with television replays suggesting the Swiss officials got the decision wrong. l

Messi recovering well, Barca say n Reuters, Barcelona

RECORD BREAKER

Captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic struck twice in a 2-0 friendly win over Estonia on Thursday to become Sweden’s alltime leading scorer with 50 goals. The PSG striker netted a thumping left-footed volley from a corner after three minutes before breaking Sven Rydell’s tally of 49 goals, which had stood since 1932, in the 24th minute with another fine effort. Ibrahimovic swept home Seb Larsson’s cross to claim the record in spectacular style in his 99th appearance for Sweden REUTERS

Rooney an inspiration: Becks

Suarez ready for scrutiny after latest bite ban n AFP, Madrid

n AFP, London

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has said he needs to be more aware of his actions on the field after being handed a four-month ban for biting an opponent for the third time.

Suarez won’t be able to play a competitive game for Barca until October 25 due to his latest indiscretion when he clashed with Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in June.

And the former Liverpool striker said he is ready for the scrutiny that will await him on his return to action.

“I am calm because it was already hard in England and I coped with it,” the Uruguayan said in an interview on the Barcelona website.

“I am used to playing with this kind of pressure. Not so much pressure, but with a lot of eyes looking at you.

“People look at what you are doing and you have to get used to it, even more so now because I am part of the best team in the world so there will be a lot more eyes watching than before.

“Especially after what happened it will be even more so. You have to be wary, accept the responsibility and be intelligent.”l

Wayne Rooney has made a great start as England captain and will be an inspirational leader in the future, former skipper David Beckham believes.

The Manchester United striker was permanent England skipper for the first time in Wednesday night’s win over Norway in which he scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot.

Next up he will lead Roy Hodgson’s side into the first Euro 2016 qualififier against Switzerland on Monday.

“Young players will look up to Wayne for inspiration,” Beckham, England captain on 59 occasions, including on Rooney’s debut against Australia in 2003, told the Football Association’s website.

“He’s one of the most experienced players in the team now. He’s now the most respected player in the team.

“He’s a player who wears his heart on his sleeve. People want to see that passion; you fight for every ball and celebrate every goal you score, or every goal you set up.l

England captain Wayne Rooney (2L) in action during a team training session at St George’s Park in central England yesterday AFP

Real announce record income for 2013-14 season n AFP, Madrid Spanish giants Real Madrid’s have announced a record 603.9 million-euro income ($790 milllion £480.8 million) for the 2013-14 season. thanks in large part to winning the Champions League for a 10th time in May. Madrid’s total revenue was up 10.9 percent on last season, with the net profit slightly up from 36.9 million euros last year to 38.5 million euros.

Real also slashed their net debt by 21 percent to 71.5 million euros.

However, despite strengthening their position as the richest club in world football, Real’s board has come under fire for allowing key midfielders Angel di Maria and Xabi Alonso to leave in the final week of the transfer window last month for a combined 85 million euros.

Those departures came after the club made a combined 100 million euro splurge on World Cup stars James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos and Keylor Navas.

Madrid president Florentino Perez, though claiming the Argentine wanted a wage rise that would have seen him become the second highest-paid player at the club behind Cristiano Ronaldo.l

Argentina captain Lionel Messi is recovering well from a hamstring strain that ruled him out of Wednesday’s friendly against Germany, his club Barcelona said on Thursday.

Messi had been examined by Argentina team doctor Daniel Martinez and Barca medical staff and “both parties agreed that there have been considerable improvements”, the La Liga club said on their website.

“The player will continue doing specific recovery exercises until he is ready to resume normal training with the rest of his team mates,” they added, without specifying when that might be.

Messi has made a bright start to La Liga campaign and scored twice in their 3-0 opening-day win at home to Elche last month. He set up Barca’s goal in their 1-0 success at Villarreal in their second outing but was diagnosed with the injury after the game. Argentina won Wednesday’s friendly in Duesseldorf 4-2. l

Money is the name of the game: Ferguson n AFP, Nyon The huge sums spent on football transfers are “amazing” but cannot be changed, former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said on Thursday.

Speaking two days after a study showed that transfer fee inflation in Europe’s top leagues has hit 16% and that Manchester paid tens of millions of euros above the market rate for top purchase Angel di Maria, Ferguson said that was part and parcel of the sport.

“My personal opinion is that it’s never going to change, the world is progressing, and transfer fees with it, and I don’t know if there’ll be an end to it,” Ferguson said after a two day meeting with 18 top coaches hosted by European governing body UEFA. “Fortunately, I’m not at the hub of it nowadays. Certainly it’s amazing, the amount of money spent nowadays,” said 72-year-old Ferguson, who retired in May 2013 after 26 years as United boss.

Manchester sacked his successor David Moyes after just 10 months, and new manager Louis van Gaal has been given a green light to splash out on big name players for the 20-time English champions, who are looking to

rebuild following a disappointing seventh-place finish last season.

The club set a British record last week by paying 59.7 million pounds (75.5 million euros) for Real Madrid midfielder di Maria.

As the transfer window closed on Monday, they also signed Colombia striker Radamel Falcao on loan from Monaco and Holland international Daley Blind from Ajax.

Blind’s arrival, in a 14-million-pound (17-million-euros) transfer, had been expected, but the Falcao signing was a major coup.

United are reported to have agreed to pay Monaco around 10 million euros for the loan, with an option to make the deal permanent for 55 million euros.

All told, they have spent around 150 million pounds (190 million euros) on new players in the transfer window.

According to Swiss-based economic analysts the CIES Football Observatory, the di Maria deal was a case-study of the breakneck inflation.

CIES said United paid 30 million euros over the right price for the Argentina international.

The issue of over-the-odds fees was not formally on the table at the UEFA meeting.l

THE FIVE BIGGEST SUMMER TRANSFERS IN SERIE A

ALVARO MORATA

JUAN ITURBE

GARY MEDEL

FERNANDO TORRES

NEMANJA VIDIC

Real Madrid to Juventus; 20m euros

Verona to Roma; 22m euros

Cardiff to Inter Milan; 12.5m euros

Chelsea to AC Milan; loan

Manchester United to Inter Milan; free

Highly promising Spanish under-21 striker who never managed to become a regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid side. He scored 11 goals in 52 matches for the Spanish giants between 2010 and 2014. The 21-year-old was a pivotal member of Spain’s under-21 side who won the 2013 European Championship after landing the Under-19 version in 2011. He will hope that he doesn’t face the same problem in gaining a regular place in Turin as he faces competition from experienced Argentinian Carlos Tevez and Spanish international Fernando Llorente.

The Argentine under-20 international has already drawn comparisons with his compatriot Lionel Messi as like him he is a dazzlingly quick diminutive goalscorer. Spent last season on loan at Verona from River Plate, where he scored eight goals before the club bought him outright in May 2014.

Just two months later, he was sold to Roma who can offer him Champions League football for the upcoming campaign. Spent most of his life in Paraguay but declared his international future to Argentina.

The 27-year-old Chilean international made the trip from the Cardiff City Stadium to the historic San Siro after earning a move following an impressive World Cup. The Santiago-born defensive midfielder or centre-back also had spells with Boca Juniors and Sevilla and was never likely to stay at Cardiff once they were relegated from the Premier League, with his World Cup performances making him an attractive proposition for potential buyers. Has scored five goals in 61 appearances for Chile and was also part of the 2010 World Cup squad.

A change of country and air may do the talented Spanish striker the world of good after Milan ended his largely underwhelming spell with Chelsea by taking him on a two-year loan. Chelsea bought him for a then British-record £50 million in January 2011 but he scored just 45 goals in 172 appearances in all competitions at Stamford Bridge. Still just 30, Milan fans can expect him to be fully committed to the club’s cause but he will also soon come under pressure from the unforgiving supporters if the goals don’t flow.

The Serbian centre-back was a mainstay in the Manchester United back four between 2006 and 2014 and won the Champions League in 2008 as well as five Premier League titles under retired manager sir Alex Ferguson. Twice voted Premiership player of the season, he also made 56 appearances for Serbia before announcing his international retirement in 2011 following criticism from fans. Recurrent injury problems, especially with his knees, renders Vidic, who turns 33 in October, a gamble by Inter. He was sent off on his Serie A debut for Inter against Torino at the weekend.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Federer in great escape, sets-up Cilic semi-final

QUICK BYTES

Siddikur pulls out from European Masters Premier Bangladesh golfer Siddikur Rahman withdrew from the Omega European Masters due to back pain before the second round got underway at the Crans Sur Sierre Golf Club in the Swiss Alps yesterday. Following the conclusion of the first round on Thursday, Siddik had carded fiveover-par 70 in the $3m event but was unable to begin the second round’s play owing to pain on his back. “Sorry to inform you all that I have withdrawn myself from Omega European Masters because of severe back pain. Yesterday (Thursday) I continued my game with pain but today (yesterday) I couldn’t.

Under treatment now. Please pray for my fast recovery,” the 29-year old golfer was quoted as saying in his official facebook page.

–Tribune Desk

n AFP, New York

United new recruit Rojo receives visa Manchester United’s new signing Marcos Rojo has been given the green light to play for the club after they announced on Thursday he had been granted a visa. The 24-year-old Argentina defender joined United from Sporting Lisbon on August 20 for a reported fee of £16 million ($26.3 million, 20.2 million euros). But his visa application was delayed while British immigration officials investigated an alleged altercation that he had with a neighbour while living in Argentina in 2010, which resulted in criminal charges. However, United announced on their website: “The UK Border Agency has agreed to grant new Manchester United signing Marcos Rojo a visa and the defender will therefore be available for the Reds’ next game against QPR on 14 September.”

–AFP

Neymar replaces Silva as Brazil captain Brazil coach Dunga on Thursday said Barcelona star Neymar would be taking the armband from Thiago Silva but insisted he expected his players to show leadership throughout the team.

Neymar is still just 22 but has already made over 50 appearances for the five-time world champions. “He is a reference point for Brazilian football,” Dunga said at a news conference .

“He has great quality and, despite his age, he is experienced. “The captain is an example for all of his teammates overall. We have to have a strong group so that Neymar can grow more each day, as a player, as a person, being an example to children.”

–ESPNFC

British world champion stabbed Britain’s IBF world welterweight champion Kell Brook is in hospital on the Spanish island of Tenerife after being stabbed in the leg while on holiday, his promoters revealed on Thursday. Promoters Matchroom said that Brook’s condition was “stable” after the incident, which took place on Thursday morning. Brook was reported to be on holiday with his pregnant wife Lindsey. A spokeswoman from Spain’s Civil Guard told AFP: “A 28-year-old British man was stabbed in the left leg this morning in Golf del Sur in San Miguel de Abona. There have been no arrests at the moment, but an investigation is ongoing.”

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH BTV, Gazi TV, Ten Cricket 8:00PM Bangladesh tour of West Indies 1st Test, Day 2 Ten Action 7:00AM Fifa International Friendly Brazil v Colombia Ten Cricket 1:30PM Tri-Nation Series, Final Australia v South Africa Sony Six 06:30PM World Kabaddi League 2014 Ludhiana: Day 9 6:00AM Major League Soccer 2014 NY Red Bulls v Sporting KC Star Sports 4 6:00PM F1: Italian GP Qualifying Ten Golf 5:00PM European Tour 2014 Omega Masters, Day 3

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Roger Federer of Switzerland shakes hands with Gael Monfils of France after their men’s singles quarterfinal match on Day Eleven of the 2014 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Wednesday AFP

Roger Federer saved two match points to defeat Gael Monfils 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 and reach his ninth US Open semi-final Thursday, keeping alive his dream of a sixth title.

The 33-year-old Swiss second seed, bidding to become the oldest winner of a Grand Slam title in more than 40 years, was staring down the barrel of a demoralising exit when French 20th seed Monfils had two match points in the 10th game of the fourth set.

But once they were saved, the lifeblood was suddenly sucked out of the flamboyant but unpredictable 28-yearold Frenchman whose notoriously fickle stamina failed him in a one-sided fifth set.

The victory was Federer’s 26th in 27 night-time matches in New York and put him just one win away from a career 600 victories on hard courts, a landmark he can reach if he defeats Marin Cilic to make the final.

Croatian 14th seed Cilic toppled sixth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) earlier Thursday to reach his first US Open semi-final.

Federer’s win was his ninth from two sets to love down and first at a major since he had to engineer a similar Houdini act against another Frenchman, Julien Benneteau, at Wimbledon in 2012 on his way to his 17th and most recent major title.

“Gael played great tennis but even when I was two sets down I knew the finish line was still far away for him,” said Federer after the three-hour 20-minute duel put him in his first

semi-final since 2011.

“I knew I could play better tennis but on match point I wasn’t feeling so great anymore.

“I just thought this could be the last point, don’t give it away on an easy shot, make him work for it.”

As Monfils opened-up a two-set lead, Federer was in danger of falling to pieces with two uncharacteristic losses of his famed composure when he berated umpire Carlos Ramos and smashed his racquet on the net.

But eventually it was Monfils, playing in his first US Open quarter-final since 2010, who suffered the most serious power loss with his failure to convert his two match points in the 10th game of the fourth set leading to a brief final set which saw Federer sweep to victory.

“I think he hit two big serves, a good forehand volley and then a good forehand down the line. I did my best, so it was okay,” he said.

Cilic pounded 19 aces past Berdych, recovering an early break in the third to force the tiebreaker.

“Very gusty - for both of us. “We are big guys, it’s not easy to deal with the wind and the ball moving in the air. I felt that I was using the wind a bit better today,” Cilic said.

Cilic has matched his best Grand Slam performance - a semi-final run at Australia in 2010.

“I had tough times the last couple of years and I’m really happy that things are working out with my team,” he said.

Berdych, a semi-finalist in 2012, said he served “horribly” nor could he make many inroads on Cilic’s. l

England avoid India whitewash n AFP, Leeds

Joe Root’s hundred in his first one-day international at his Yorkshire home ground laid the platform for England’s much-needed 41-run win over India at Headingley on Friday.

India still won the series 3-1 but England’s victory in the finale meant they avoided being whitewashed by the world champions.

Root’s 113 was the cornerstone of England’s 294 for seven -- their best ODI total of the season and a vast improvement on their 206 all out in a nine-wicket defeat by India at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

India faltered in their pursuit of 295, with Ravindra Jadeja’s dashing 87 at number seven too late to turn the tide.

It seemed India would restrict England to another meagre total when

the hosts slumped to 117 for four off 29 overs after losing the toss.

But Root, who became the first Yorkshireman to score an ODI hundred at Headingley, and Jos Buttler (49) repaired the damage with a fifth-wicket partnership of 108.

Recalled all-rounder Ben Stokes then chipped in with an unbeaten 33 as England’s bowlers were at last given some runs to play with.

For England, it was initially an all-too-familiar story as India’s pacemen make early breakthroughs before wickets fell to the spinners while runs dried up.

England found themselves 39 for two off seven overs.

Alex Hales mistimed a pull off recalled paceman Umesh Yadav and holed out to midwicket for four.

Moeen Ali had been promoted to

first-wicket down after making 67 at number seven at Edgbaston.

But the left-hander exited for nine when he sliced a wide length ball from Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Yadav at third man.

Under-pressure England captain Alastair Cook, trying to break the shackles, made 46 before he top-edged a sweep against off-spinner Suresh Raina and was caught by India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Dhoni then stumped Eoin Morgan (14) off Ravichandran Ashwin’s off-spin.

But the re-introduction of pace saw Buttler uppercut Yadav for six.

Buttler also pulled Ashwin for six and Root hoisted left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja over long-on for a six of his own.

England at last enjoyed a productive batting powerplay, scoring 55 runs for no wickets in five overs. l

India players celebrate defeating England 3-1 to win the series after their fifth One Day International match at Headingley cricket ground, Leeds, England yesterday AP

Lack of IPL hurting England India slams Botham’s IPL scrapping call in shorter formats: Akram n AFP, New Delhi

n Reuters, Mumbai

Not playing the Indian Premier League is the reason behind England’s struggles in the shorter formats, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram said, a day after England great Ian Botham called for the rich Twenty20 competition to be scrapped.

England were thumped 4-1 in Australia in their one-day international series at the beginning of the year and also lost recent series at home against Sri Lanka and India.

“England may pretend as much as they can, but they do get affected by losses in ODI cricket,” the 48-year-old Akram, one of the all-time best pace bowlers of the world, wrote in a column published in Friday’s Times of India newspaper.

“They just pretend to be not inter-

ested in the 50-over format. The only reason they are not good in one-day cricket right now is because they have a limited talent pool for the format.”

England are currently ranked fifth in the world in ODIs and few would wager on them in next year’s 50-over World Cup in Australia-NZ, a trophy the country has never won.

While former England all-rounder Botham believes the franchise-based IPL has become too powerful and could be fuelling corruption in the game, Akram thinks not playing in the tournament is hurting England.

Akram, one of Pakistan’s main architects during their World Cup triumph in 1992, agreed.

“Australia, India and SA play all year around in the shorter formats. Also all these players play IPL. That has helped their cause,” Akram added. l

Organisers of cricket’s Indian Premier League hit back angrily Friday at former England all-rounder Ian Botham’s call for the tournament to be scrapped, criticising him for having the “temerity” to issue lectures.

Delivering a keynote speech in London earlier this week, Botham said the IPL was “too powerful” for cricket’s long-term good.

But Sanjay Patel, secretary of the Indian board (BCCI), said Friday that Botham was in no position to take the moral high ground after his involvement in disgraced Texas financier Allen Stanford’s ill-fated T20 competition between the West Indies and England.

“I can still visualise the photo of Botham sitting in the front when Stanford went to England -- and he has the temerity to talk about IPL,” Patel told the Press Trust of India news agency.

“We don’t want his advice. We have enough top players like (former Indian players) Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, Kapil Dev and Rahul Dravid to advise us.”

Botham was one of several cricketing legends who appeared alongside Stanford at the 2008 launch of his competition which was cancelled after the first edition following allegations of fraud against the Texan.

Stanford was later sentenced to 110 years in prison for heading up a $7 billion Ponzi scheme in a verdict which was seen as a huge embarrassment for the England cricket board.

While few England players appear in the IPL, the annual tournament does feature star names from most of the Test-playing nations. Some have shunned the chance of playing for their country, opting instead to take the greater financial rewards on offer at the IPL. “How on earth did the IPL own

the best players in the world for two months a year and not pay a penny to the boards who brought these players into the game?” Botham said on Wednesday as he delivered the annual MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey lecture at Lord’s.

“I’m worried about the IPL. In fact, I fear it shouldn’t be there at all. It is changing the priorities of world cricket.”

But Patel said Botham had failed to “get his facts” right and that India had “distributed over $10 million as compensation to other cricket boards for allowing their players to play in the IPL”.

The IPL is currently being investigated for match-fixing and corruption

by India’s Supreme Court.

International news organisations, including Agence France-Presse (AFP), have suspended their on-field coverage of matches hosted by the BCCI since 2012 after the board imposed restrictions on picture agencies. l

Shahzad ‘faces action’ over religious spat European coaches ponder n changes to away goals rule AFP, Karachi

The head of Pakistan’s cricket board said Friday that batsman Ahmed Shahzad could face disciplinary action over a religious spat with Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Television footage showed Shahzad passing a religious remark at Dilshan after the third and final one-day international in Dambulla last week.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has set up a committee to look into the matter despite Sri Lanka Cricket and Dilshan not making an official complaint.

“Shahzad has breached the central contract in which it is clearly written that you will not involve in any religious spat with others so there can be disciplinary action against him,” PCB chief Shaharyar Khan told reporters.

n Reuters, Nyon

After Sri Lanka notched a seven-wicket win to take the series 2-1 and the players were walking off the field, Shahzad was seen on TV footage saying to Dilshan: “If you are a non-Muslim and you turn Muslim, no matter whatever you do in your life, straight to heaven.”

Dilshan replied he doesn’t want to go there, to which Shahzad replied: “Then be ready for the fire.”

The remarks stemmed from reports that 37-year-old Dilshan was born to a Muslim father and a Buddhist mother and was originally named Tuwan Mohamed Dilshan.l

Europe’s top club coaches have been contemplating whether the away goals rule should remain in force in the Champions League and Europa League.

The rule was introduced nearly 50 years ago when playing away in Europe was a novelty, but critics say it has now become counter-productive, unnecessary and unfair.

“There was s a bit of a debate about whether it has any significance today,” said former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson following a meeting of the elite coaches’ forum at UEFA headquarters on Thursday.

“Some think it is not as important as it used to be.....and the attacking em-

phasis on the game today means more teams go away from home and win.

“If we go back, say, 30 years, counter-attacking consisted of one or maybe two, players. Today, counter-attacks have players flooding forward in fives or sixes and really positive, quick passing.”

The rule, under which away goals count double if a two-legged tie ends with the aggregate scores level, was introduced into European competition in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965-66.

It was first used in a second-round tie when Honved progressed at the expense of Dukla Prague following a 4-4 aggregate draw.

At the time it was seen as preferable to having a time-consuming playoff or the arbitrary toss of the coin.l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Chemical-free pineapple growers counting losses for weak demand

Hong Kong ex-civil servant found guilty of scalding Bangladeshi

n Mohammed Afzal Hossain, Tangail

n Rabiul Islam

Farmers growing pineapples without chemical and hormone additives are facing mounting losses because demand for their product is proving to be weak.

Consumers prefer large, bright pineapples but naturally grown fruit is not as large or brightly coloured as its chemically-treated competitor.

Madhupur pineapples, once famous for their flavour and juiciness, have lost their original flavour because of the unrestricted use of growth hormones and chemicals.

Many farmers spray growth boosting chemicals on pineapple flowers to produce larger-than-usual fruit and then apply hormones to immature fruit

to artificially ripen them and ready them for harvesting.

Md Aziz Ullah, deputy director of Tangail Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), told the Dhaka Tribune that pineapples were being grown on 7,612 hectares of land this year in the district’s Madhupur upazila and Ghatail upazila.

Sanower Hossain, who is growing hormone and chemical-free pineapples in Mohishmara village under Madhupur upazila on six bighas of land, said, “consumers do not like our produce because of its size and colour. We are selling our fruit at half the price of chemically-enhanced fruit.”

“Because our pineapples mature naturally, we need to harvest it every day as they ripen. We cannot harvest

more than 50 or 60 pineapples a day.

So we have to hire labour every day to harvest the fruit and get it to market, raising production costs,” he said.

“We are still harvesting pineapples from our fields even now, but those who sprayed their fruits with chemicals and hormones sold off their produce when the price was high,” said Sanower.

Another farmer, Lokman Hossain, who planted chemical and hormonefree pineapples on 8 bighas of land said, “I am selling my fruits at Tk12 to Tk14 per piece while chemically treated pineapples sold at Tk20 to Tk25 per piece.”

He said he was sad that consumers only looked at the size and colour without comparing the flavour of

chemically-treated fruit and naturally grown fruit.

Tangail civil surgeon Dr Sayed Ibne Saied said: “All kinds of chemicals are harmful for health. It destroys the resistance power of the body. It may damage our kidneys and liver.”

Deputy Commissioner of Tangail Md Mahbub Hossain said: “We have taken some steps to discourage farmers from using hormones and chemicals to enlarge and ripen their fruit. We have instructed agriculture officers and Upazila Nirbahi Officers to raise awareness among pineapple wholesalers, consumers and the sellers of agro-chemicals.”

“Leaflets will be distributed and mobile courts will be used when appropriate,” the DC said. l

Workers from five garment factories of Tuba Group stage a protest in front of the National Press Club yesterday demanding clearance of their dues

3 children drown in Chittagong

n FM Mizanur Rahaman

Three minor boys drowned while taking bath in a local river in Nayabazar area of Lohagara upazila here yesterday noon.

The ill-fated boys are Md Sabbir, 07, son of Md Jasim; Naimul Islam, 6, son of Nur Alam and Md Irfan, 6, son of Md Ali, said police sources. All of the victims are residents of the area.

Quoting locals, Lohagara police station OC (investigation) Kefayet Ullah, said the tragic incident took place around 12:30pm when the boys altogether approached the Janchari river to take bath and became victim of drowning as they did not know how to swim.

After about one hour, locals spotted their bodies afloat in the river and informed police, the OC continued. l

n

The Pentagon yesterday confirmed that Ahmed Abdi Godane, a leader of the al Shabaab Islamist group, was killed in a US airstrike in Somalia this week, calling it a "major symbolic and operational loss" for the al Qaeda-affiliated militants.

"We have confirmed that Ahmed Godane, the co-founder of al Shabaab, has been killed," Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon's press secretary, said in a statement.

Since taking charge of al Shabaab in 2008, Godane had restyled the group as a global player in the al Qaeda network, carrying out bombings and suicide attacks in Somalia and elsewhere in the region, including the September 21, 2013, attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, that killed 67 people.

Godane publicly claimed responsibility for the Westgate attack, saying it was revenge for Kenyan and Western involvement in Somalia and noting its proximity to the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

His death leaves a gap in al Shabaab's

‘We are monitoring the matter, and hope the verdict will go in favour of the victim, and she is justly compensated’ Joint secretary of the expatriates’ welfare ministry, Nurul Islam, said some of the allegations were true.

“We held a meeting with recruiting agencies to determine how female migrants’ difficulties could be minimized,” the officials said, adding: “We are yet to revise the agreement between BMET and Hong Kong recruiters to accommodate the specific concerns raised about employment conditions in Hong Kong.”

Sources said around 500 female migrants are in Hong Kong working as housemaids.

Abdul Alim, a private recruiter, has sent 200 female migrants to the former British colony.

While talking to this correspondent, he admitted that it was true that workers were facing problems of different food habits, employers’ attitudes, and, sometimes, abuse.

“Hong Kong is a new market and we have to strengthen our training,” Abdul Halim, the owner of SA Trading, said. l

Major parties express mixed reactions over al-Qaeda statement Jatiya Party suspects video linked with BNP’s ongoing movement Miazee and Mohammad n Manik Al-Masum Molla Major political parties in the country have expressed mixed reactions over a newly-released video that claims to announce al-Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahiri’s plan to establish the flag of jihad in Bangladesh, India and Myanmar.

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, ruling party Awami League’s Joint General Secretary Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif said: “al-Qaeda might try to establish their presence in these counties through its Islamist parties, specially with anti-liberation forces.

“We remain alert and prepared to

US: Al Shabaab leader killed in Somalia strike Reuters

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

A Hong Kong ex-civil servant has been convicted of scalding her Bangladeshi employee with boiling hot water, months after Human Rights groups collected over 100,000 signatures to highlight the plight of domestic workers there.

Former civil servant Au Wai-chun, 61, was convicted by a Hong Kong court of pouring hot water down her maid’s shirt, causing first and second degree burns on her chest.

“The victim, Begum Raksona, is now under Technic Employment Service Centre Ltd in Hong Kong,” Bangladesh Consul General in Hong Kong Mohammad Sarwar Mahmood told the Dhaka Tribune over the telephone yesterday.

In such cases, the recruiting agency is required to take care of the victim until the case is settled, the consul general said.

“We are monitoring the matter, and hope the verdict will go in favour of the victim, and she is justly compensated,” Mahmood said.

Human rights groups collected 103,307 signatures from more than 160 countries calling on the Hong Kong government to take immediate steps to stop the abuse of foreign domestic workers, Hong Kong media reported in April this year.

Au plead not guilty to a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, but was convicted of the lesser charge of occasioning actual bodily harm. The judge determined that the prosecution had failed to prove there was intent, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on September 2.

Begum Raksona suffered first and second degree burns on her chest. Au is expected to be sentenced on September 22.

The court earlier heard that Au asked Raksona for a cup of hot water at Au’s home at Bauhinia Garden in Tseung Kwan O in Hong Kong on September 30, 2013.

Au complained that it was not hot enough, and after a row she poured the water down Raksona’s shirt.

There have been earlier allegations that Bangladeshi housemaids in Hong Kong had been tortured in various ways, including being threatened with job termination.

A number of Bangladeshi housemaids have returned from Hong Kong after losing their jobs and complained to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).

They demanded compensation, and sought to be exempted from the repayment of their bank loans. A senior official at BMET said they were not being pressured to repay the loans, but the loans had not been written-off.

“Sometimes we receive calls from housemaids who complain of torture and food problems, and some of them flee in search of better opportunities,” the official said seeking anonymity.

leadership and was seen as posing the biggest challenge to the group's unity since it emerged as a fighting force eight years ago.

Abdi Ayante, director of the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, said Godane's death would be "a game changer in many ways for al Shabaab."

"What is likely to happen is a struggle for power," he said a day before the Pentagon's confirmed Godane's death.

Ayante said fragmentation was also possible in the absence of a leader with Godane's experience and ruthless approach to dissent.

US forces struck Godane's encampment in south-central Somalia with Hellfire missiles and laser-guided munitions on Monday, but the Pentagon did not confirm his death until yesterday, saying it was still assessing the results of the airstrike.

US President Barack Obama, attending a Nato summit in Wales, mentioned the confirmation to reporters, saying: "We released today the fact that we have killed the leader of al Shabaab in Somalia." l

fend off any threat and criminal activity from al-Qeada.”

Meanwhile, main opposition in the parliament Jatiya Party’s Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu said: “Jatiya Party has always believed in democracy and democratic processes. We think that this video might be linked with BNP’s ongoing movement.”

BNP Standing Committee Member Lt Gen (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman said: “The situation is very much alarming and the government should take immediate action in his regard. Militancy can flourish taking advantage of the weakness of democracy.

“The government should immediate-

ly restore democracy in the country and bring people from defence, civil society

Enemies of Islam in this country are now trying to hatch such conspiracies to defame Islam and divert its followers using such issues and political parties under its confidence to eradicate militancy from the country.”

Meanwhile, a leader of Jamaat-e-Islami told the Dhaka Tribune that Islam

has no place for violence, militancy or terrorism.

“Enemies of Islam in this country are now trying to hatch such conspiracies to defame Islam and divert its followers using such issues,” said Jamaat’s Working Committee Member and International Affairs Secretary Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher.

Similarly, Abdul Latif Nezami, chairman of a faction of Islami Okko Jote and a Hefazat adviser, said: “The video is only a speculation and such conspiracies will never sustain in Bangladesh. Islam can be establish in a peaceful way, not through violence.”

Replying to a query, he claimed: “We

have no relation or link with al-Qaeda or other like-minded groups.”

Terming the new video as a deep conspiracy against Bangladesh, Islam and its establishments, Hefazat Secretary General Junaid Babunagari confirmed: “We have no relation with al-Qaeda.”

Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon Secretary General Muhammad Zafrulla Khan told the Dhaka Tribune: “We do not believe that al-Qaeda has a chapter in Bangladesh. This is an international conspiracy against Bangladesh and Islam.”

He also said his party had always stood against militants and Islamic law cannot be established using militancy or acts of terror. l

Google to build its own quantum computer n Tribune Desk Google is about to begin designing and building hardware for a quantum computer, a type of machine that can exploit quantum physics to solve problems that would take a conventional computer millions of years, said the Internet search giant in a recent online post.

Since 2009, Google has been working with controversial startup D-Wave Systems, which claims to make “the first commercial quantum computer.” And last year Google purchased one of D-Wave’s machines. But independent tests published earlier this year found no evidence that D-Wave’s computer uses quantum physics to solve problems more efficiently than a conventional machine.

Now John Martinis, a professor at University of California, Santa Barbara, has joined Google to establish a new quantum hardware lab near the university. He will try to make his own versions of the kind of chip inside a D-Wave machine, according to the MIT Tech Review.

Martinis has spent more than a decade working on a more proven approach to quantum computing, and built some of the largest, most error-free systems of qubits, the basic building blocks that encode information in a quantum computer.

“We would like to rethink the design and make the qubits in a different way,” says Martinis of his effort to improve on D-Wave’s hardware.

Martinis has taken a joint position with Google and UCSB that will allow him to continue his own research at the university.

Quantum computers could be immensely faster than any existing computer at certain problems. That’s because qubits working together can use the quirks of quantum

mechanics to quickly discard incorrect paths to a solution and home in on the correct one.

However, qubits are tricky to operate because quantum states are so delicate.

Chris Monroe, a professor who leads a quantum computing lab at the University of Maryland, welcomed the news that one of the leading lights in the field was going to work on the question of whether designs like D-Wave’s can be useful.

“I think this is a great development to have

legitimate researchers give it a try,” he says.

Since showing off its first machine in 2007, D-Wave has irritated academic researchers by making claims for its computers without providing the evidence its critics say is needed to back them up.

However, the company has attracted over $140 million in funding, and it sold several of its machines.

There is no question that D-Wave’s machine can perform calculations. And research published in 2011 showed that the machine’s chip harbors the right kind of quantum physics needed for quantum computing.

But evidence is lacking that it uses that physics in the way needed to unlock the huge speedups promised by a quantum computer. It could be solving problems using only ordinary physics.

Martinis’s previous work has been focused on the conventional approach to quantum computing. He set a new milestone in the field this April, when his lab announced that it could operate five qubits together with relatively low error rates. Larger systems of such qubits could be configured to run just about any kind of algorithm depending on the problem at hand, much like a conventional computer. To be useful, a quantum computer would probably need to be built with tens of thousands of qubits or more. l

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