27 dec, 2014

Paush 13, 1421 Rabiul Awal 4, 1436 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 263

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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AVENUE T

8-9 | SPECIAL

11 | OP-ED

12 | SPORT

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

INTOXICATING SUNDARBANS

THE THREE FS OF FREEDOM

SK JAMAL DC EAGER TO PROVE CREDENTIALS

Hartal in Gazipur protesting ban on BNP rally The party says the ruling Awami League stages drama to foil BNP gathering Tarique recently at a programme in Al-Masum Molla n Mohammad London called Bangabandhu Sheikh with Gazipur Correspondent The BNP-led 20-party alliance yesterday called a day-long general strike for Saturday in Gazipur protesting the ban imposed on its scheduled rally by the district administration.

AKM Fazlul Haq, the BNP district chief made the announcement yesterday following a meeting of the party standing committee at the Gulshan office of party Chairman Khaleda Zia. Apart from this, party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced that the party would also stage demonstration on Saturday across the country protesting the ban on its rally.

The district administration clamped section 144 in the district after Awami League’s student wing Chhatra League announced to resist BNP’s pre-scheduled rally on December 27.

BNP alleges imposing section 144 is part of government’s plan to thwart Khaleda’s December 27 rally BNP-led 20-party alliance announced holding the rally as part of its countrywide campaign to drum up support in favour of its demand for an election under a non-partisan government.

Earlier the alliance has held 10 such public rallies in different parts of the country.

The BNP rally is scheduled to be held at Bhawal Bodr-e-Alam Government College.

Chhatra League vowed to resist the BNP programme and announced that they too will hold a rally on the same venue and the same day protesting the remarks of BNP’s Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, and demanded his expulsion from the party.

Gayeswar arrested, Khaleda demands case withdrawal n Tribune Report A Dhaka court yesterday sent BNP Standing Committee Member Gayeswar Chandra Roy and three others on threeday remand in a case filed with the Shahbagh police station for the attempted murder of AL MP Chhabi Biswas.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia strongly condemned Gayeswar’s detention saying: “it reflects the autocratic character of the illegal government.”

“The Awami League government is oppressing BNP men to exact vengeance,” she said in a press release yesterday.

The three other arrestees were identified as BNP’s Chhatra Dal Turag police station unit Organising Secretary Md Atikur Rahman and BNP supporters Md Mohiuddin Chowdhury and Mizanur Rahman.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Tosruzzaman granted the remand request  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Mujibur Rahman a “razakar”.

Gazipur district administration yesterday morning told journalists that they would not allow any political party to hold any meeting as both parties failed to reach a consensus.

“No political party will be allowed to hold rallies at Bhawal Bodr-e-Alam Government College for the sake of law and order,” Nurul Islam, Gazipur district commissioner, told journalists.

Nurul Islam also said neither BNP nor Chhatra League obtained permission to stage rallies at the venue.

“We will initiate necessary measures so that none can create an anarchy in the area centring the political event,” he added.

Just an hour later district Police Super Harun-ur Rashind at a press briefing said an indefinite ban was imposed on any gathering at Gazipur’s Bhawal Badre Alam College from 2pm yesterday until further notice.

The police super also said: “We have tried several times to bring the two parties together to enable them to reach a consensus, which they failed. Therefore, we decided to impose section 144 to maintain law and order.”

BNP alleged that imposing section 144 on its rally in Gazipur is a part of government’s plan to thwart BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s scheduled rally on December 27.

“Deshnetri Khaleda Zia was scheduled to speak at a Gazipur rally on Saturday as a chief guest. The government has imposed section 144 as part of its planned conspiracy,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary general of the party, told Dhaka Tribune over phone.

The spokesperson of the party claimed that they followed all the procedures to get permission but as the government staged a series of dramas, the BNP was got granted permission to hold the rally.

“The government will not allow  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Fire-fighters in an operation to rescue a four-year-old boy who fell into an at least 500 feet deep abandoned well in the capital’s Shahjahanpur area yesterday

4yr-old falls into 500-foot deep well Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Abu Hayat Mahmud A four-year-old boy fell into an abandoned narrow well that is at least 500 feet deep at Shahjahan Railway Colony in the capital yesterday.

The child, named Ziad, fell down accidentally while playing with his friends at the colony playground around 3pm yesterday. His playmates notified his family soon after the incident.

On information, three units of fire-fighters rushed to the spot within half an hour and started an operation to rescue the child, said Mehedi Hasan, OC at Shahjahanpur police station.

“According to the locals as well as the fire service experts, the well is at least 500 feet deep,” the OC told the Dhaka Tribune.

The rescue team sent an oxygen

cylinder down so that the boy could breathe inside the well, which is a 16inch wide pipeline with a two-inch pipe inside it, and later, he was given juice and water, according to witnesses. The fire-fighters also sent him a torch light.

Ziad is the youngest among three children of his parents. His father Nasiruddin is a security guard at Motijheel Ideal School and College. The family lives in the colony.

A distressed Nasirullah pleaded with the rescue team to bring his son back up.

“Please bring him up no matter what it takes,” he cried, also asking everyone to pray for his son’s well-being.

The fire-fighters started the rescue operation around 4pm. They started by talking to him, addressing him by his name, and then they sent a rope line down and asked Ziad if he could hold it tightly.

As soon as Ziad got a tight hold of the rope, the fire-fighters started to pull him up. However, after a while, Ziad could not keep holding on to the rope and fell down again.

The rescuers kept talking to the boy to ensure he was alive and sent down the rope again.

Between 4pm and 7:30pm, the firefighters repeatedly tried to bring up the child by using the rope line, but failed every time as he could not hold on to the rope for long enough. After 7:30pm, the fire-fighters sent down a sack and asked Ziad to sit on it.

That plan also failed as the child fell again after being pulled up for a while.

Major Shakil Newaz, chief of the rescue team from the Fire Service and Civil Defence Department, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were frequently  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Ashif Islam Shaon

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has proposed to India’s Border Security Force (BSF) that trespassers be handed over directly to the respective border force instead of going through the police, at a high level meeting between the forces in Dhaka.

“If a trespasser does not have a serious criminal record, he or she should be handed over directly to the respective border force so that they are quickly released. Otherwise, judicial procedures in both countries require a long time before they are released,” a senior official taking part in the ongoing director general level talks between the two forces at BGB Headquarters in Pilkhana, told the Dhaka Tribune last night.

The official said in many cases Bangladeshi trespassers had to suffer for more than a year in addition to serving

a six-month jail term in India for illegally entering the country.

“We proposed the direct handing over of trespassers who are not carrying any contraband, but had crossed the border to meet relatives in a foreign territory,” the official, who requested not to be named, said.

2,899 Bangladeshis were rounded up while trespassing into India in the last 11 months The follow up meeting began amid the recent border killing of a Bangladeshi farmer, Moshiur Rahman Moshi, 35, by BSF on Thursday along the Medinipur frontier in Jibonnagar upazila in Chuadanga. The BSF delegation was in Dhaka at that time for the conference.

According to media reports, BSF members from the Putkhali border camp in India entered the Bangladesh territory and opened fire on a group of farmers, numbering four or five, while they were working in the fields around 5pm, leaving Moshi dead on the spot and two others injured.

An official said, “We are not sure whether DG [BGB chief] has discussed the killing at the one to one talk over breakfast with his counterpart.”

Sources taking part in the talks said Thursday’s killing was not raised at the meeting.

In the last 11 months, the BSF rounded up 2,899 Bangladeshis while trespassing and handed them over to local police.

During the same period, the BGB detained 192 Indian nationals inside the Bangladesh territory. Of the 192 Indian nationals, 115 people were sent back  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

n Agencies Saddam, a key militant commander who was responsible for facilitating the Peshawar school massacre, was killed by security forces in Khyber Agency’s Jamrud area on Thursday night.

Political Agent of Khyber Agency Shahab Ali Shah, while speaking at a press conference in Peshawar, said Saddam was killed in the Gundi area of Jamrud, adding that one of his accomplices was also arrested in an injured condition.

As a key operational commander of the Tariq Gedar group of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Saddam had facilitated the Taliban gunmen who had launched the attack on Army Public School in Peshawar, Shahab said.

Saddam was also said to be the mas-

3 | News

Leaders of ruling Awami League have alleged that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was trying to instigate the politics of violence, terrorism and confrontation in the country.

RAB yesterday arrested a top yaba dealer along with five of his associates after a special drive in Chittagong and Gazipur. A total of 215,314 yaba tablets and Tk19 lakh were also recovered at that time.

Family ravaged by dread n Abu Hayat Mahmud and Mohammad Jamil Khan

At around 3pm yesterday, Nasiruddin, a security guard at Motijheel Ideal School and College, who was home for the weekend, was settling down to a nap after lunch.

His wife Khadiza Begum, a diabetic, was putting away the glasses and plates from lunch with her 14-year-old daughter Shorna in their one-room flat.

Their Tk5000 sub-let is situated on the second floor of house 41 at the Shahjahanpur Railway Colony. The Sirajganj couple have lived in this rented room for the last two years together with their three children.

Their two sons, Ziad, 4, and Zihan, 6, had left minutes earlier to play in a nearby field with friends.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

BGB proposes simplified trespasser Militant facilitator of exchange, mum on Thursday killing Peshawar school n attack killed in Khyber

INSIDE

4 | News

DHAKA TRIBUNE

5 | News

Dense fog with a spell of cold weather disrupted road, water and air journeys since Thursday night, putting passengers in trouble.

6 | Nation

It is the dry season – and the time for fishing festival in Rajshahi’s Barendra area. Young people have been busy trying to bag the biggest catch in the drying canals and lakes.

7 | World

The foreign ministry of Belarus, which has been hosting Ukraine peace talks, says the much-anticipated round of negotiations on Friday has been scrapped.

15 | Entertainment

Shipan Mit and Mahiya Mahi duo’s first big screen venture “Desha: The Leader”, a political thriller, hit the cinemas in the country yesterday.

termind behind the 2013 attack on a polio team in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which killed 11 security personnel.

He was also involved in killing eight scouts personnel along with the deaths of various of tribal elders, Shahab said.

P7 ARREST ORDER FOR AZIZ Separately, he said Operation Khyber One had extended to other areas of Khyber Agency and that militants were being hunted down.

Intensifying their efforts to counter militants in Khyber, security forces upped action in the region in October.

In response to a query, Shahab said the area in Tirah, from where the Mangal Bagh FM radio is operational, has not been cleared by security forces as yet. l

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrives today n UNB Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, now in Kathmandu, will arrive in Dhaka this evening on a three-day visit that is being considered a step towards further boosting of the bilateral ties between the two countries.

The Chinese foreign minister is coming at the invitation of his Bangladesh counterpart AH Mahmood Ali. Wang Yi is scheduled to land at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 6:40pm, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Both countries will have bilateral talks, led by the two foreign ministers, tomorrow morning.

During the Chinese minister’s visit, the two countries will review the progress on MoUs, agreements and Letters of Exchange signed between the two countries during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s official visit to China from June 6 to 11 this year.

The two countries will also discuss programmes to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh

Bangladeshis injured in Cambodian capsize

n UNB Three crew members died while seven others – two Bangladeshis and five Chinese nationals – were rescued after a Cambodian cargo ship sank off the Aomori Prefecture in the Sea of Japan early yesterday.

The 1,915-tonne Ming Guang sank approximately 18km off the Aomori coast around 6am local time in stormy waters, the Global Times report quoting Xinhua. All 10 crew members were rescued by a helicopter and a patrol boat but three of them were confirmed dead after being taken to hospital.

Two of the victims came from China and one from Cambodia.

According to Japan’s coast guards, the vessel was carrying scrap items to South Korea from Hokkaido. l

and China in 2015 in a befitting manner, by jointly organising various events and activities throughout the year.

Wang Yi will also meet President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during his visit.

Before arriving Dhaka, Wang Yi will meet Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala at Baluwatar and President Ram Baran Yadav at Sheetal Niwas, apart from meeting top political leaders there.

Yesterday, the Chinese foreign minister and his team had bilateral talks with Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Mahendra Bahadur Pandey and the ministry officials.

China will increase official aid to Nepal by more than five times from fiscal 201516 to develop infrastructure in the landlocked nation where regional rival India has long wielded political influence.

The jump in assistance was announced after talks between visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Nepalese counterpart Mahendra Bahadur Pandey.

Wang Yi will leave Dhaka at 2:15pm on Monday. l

A road loaded with a number of vehicles in the Ramna area of the capital hardly shows any sign that it was the weekly holiday yesterday

AL, Jubo League joint meeting today n UNB A joint meeting of Awami League and its youth front Jubo League will be held today to discuss preparations to make the ruling party’s programmes scheduled for January 5 and 10 a success.

The meeting will begin at 4:30pm at Awami League President Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi office, said a press release yesterday.

Jubo League chairman and general secretary, presidents and secretaries of Jubo League Dhaka City North and South units will be in the meeting with Awami League central leaders.

In a statement, Awami league general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam urged all concerned to attend the

meeting on time.

Awami League will celebrate ‘Democracy Victory Day’ on January 5, the first anniversary of the 10th parliamentary elections, bringing out colourful

Awami League will celebrate ‘Democracy Victory Day’ on January 5 rallies throughout the country simultaneously.

The ruling party will also mark the Homecoming Day of Bangabandhu by arranging a rally in the capital’s Suhrawardy Udyan. l

Hartal in Gazipur protesting ban on BNP rally  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

opposition party to hold a rally and that is why the Gazipur administration and Chhatra League have staged dramas over the last few days.”

The BNP leader alleged that the government had proved that they do not want to give any space to the opposition.

“The government obstructed the holding of our rally in the capital and now it is doing the same outside the capital.”

Earlier, the party said even though Chhatra League has made threats, the party will hold its rally in Gazipur and party Chairperson Khaleda Zia will join the rally. “We want to state very clearly that the meeting will be held tomorrow (Saturday). We will certainly go to Gazipur. Now it is up to the government to ensure that our rally takes place,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary general of the party, said at a press briefing at the chairperson’s Gulshan office.

“Gazipur’s DC and SP also told us that there would no problem. But two to three days back Chhatra League announced that it would not allow us to hold the rally, and with direct police patronisation they occupied the venue.

It is anarchy.” The BNP leader warned

of dire consequences if the government continues to snatch people’s democratic rights in holding rallies.

Meanwhile, after imposing section 144, five platoon police were deployed in Bhawal Badr-e-Alam College Grounds to maintain law and order.

Apart from this, law enforcers were also deployed at different strategic points of the city.

On Thursday night, police raided houses of BNP leaders and arrested nine including district Jubo Dal Senior Vice-President from Gazipur.

“On Thursday night, three were arrested from different areas of Tongi,” Sajeda Lata, on-duty officer of Tongi Police Station, said.

Fouzia Sultana of Joydebpur Police Station, said: “We have arrested six from Gazipur area.”

Though the BNP-led 20-party alliance leaders and activists were arrested on security reasons, Sramik League, Jubo League, Mohila League and Chhatra League brought out processions at the Chandana intersection.

Towhidul Islam Dip, general secretary of Gazipur city Chhatra League, said: “We came to know about section 144. we respect the law. We will an-

nounce our programmes later.”

Earlier, on Thursday Chhatra League men equipped with iron rods and sticks took control of Bhawal Badre Alam College grounds in Gazipur.

In the presence of law enforcers, Chhatra League and other front and associated bodies of Awami League set fire to banners, festoons and placards of the BNP-led alliance.

They also hung large banners and a canopy at the college to hold a counter rally there tomorrow (today) to protest Tarique’s abusive words against Bangabandhu.

Meanwhile, tension gripped Gazipur city dwellers ahead of the likely faceoff between Awami League and BNP over the December 27 BNP rally.

“The government is not doing the right thing as foiling BNP rally will trigger violence and law and order will deteriorate,” Arif Hossain, a grocery store owner in Tongi, said.

Tajul Islam, a fruit vendor in Tongi Station Road, said: “Only Allah knows what will happen on Saturday. Only Allah knows how many mothers will lose their children? I will not open my shop tomorrow. Who will look after us if something happens?” l

19-member Indian team to the talks.

The BGB delegation includes its additional director general, regional commanders, and officials of its headquarters, officials of the Home and Foreign Affairs Ministries, Department of Narcotics, National Security Intelligence, Land Records and Survey and the Joint Rivers Commission.

The BSF delegation includes senior officials of BSF headquarters, frontier inspectors general and officials of the Union Internal and External Affairs Ministries.

The meeting emphasised ways to control border crimes especially smuggling of arms and drugs in line with the Coordinated Border Management Plan signed on July 30, 2011, officials said.

Starting at 11am, the yesterday’s talks continued until 2:20pm.

The Indian delegation will travel to Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf over the next two days.

The high-level meeting will be concluded with the signing of a Joint Record of Discussions on December 29.

Bangladesh shares 2,429 miles of border with India. l

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

BGB proposes simplified  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

to India while 77 were handed over to the Bangladesh police.

The BGB and BSF delegations were following up on border related issues after the last meeting held in New Delhi in August.

The BGB director general, Major General Aziz Ahmed said the discussion was fruitful and he hoped some important decisions would be taken to maintain a peaceful border.

An Indian Home Ministry official at the talks expressed concern over the infiltration of Rohingya nationals since there were indications of Rohingya involvement in recent terrorist activities in India.

The BGB side followed up the trial of the Felani killing case.

The BSF shot dead Felani Khatun on January 7, 2011 while she was crossing the border into Bangladesh over barbedwire fences at Anantapur of Phulbari in Kurigram along with her father.

The BGB chief was leading a 23-member team while BSF director general Devendra Kumar Pathak was leading a

RAJIB DHAR

Family ravaged by dread  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Suddenly, one of Ziad’s friends was banging on the door shouting: “Uncle, Ziad has fallen down a hole in the playground and we can hear him crying.”

Nasiruddin leapt out of bed and ran towards the hole in the playground without even putting on his slippers.

The fearsome thought of losing a child down an abandoned deep tube-well proved too much for the boy’s mother, who fainted.

Nasiruddin, hearing the sound of his little boy’s voice, tried to shimmy down the opening of the well without thinking. He was completely shattered.

He could hear Ziad’s voice whimpering over and over: “Mother, help me.” But the mouth of the deep shaft was too narrow to go down to and in the end he

sat, helpless, next to it.

Fire fighters reached the spot soon after being contacted by area residents.

Nasiruddin, hoping for a miracle, ran to the nearby mosque to pray for his son and appealed to a nearby religious group to hold a mahfil to pray for saety of the boy.

He has since gone hoarse from calling for help. When fire fighters got to the scene, he had a blank look on his face. When anyone speaks to him, he says: “Please, pray for my son, pray that the Almighty brings him back to me.”

In the meantime, the local woman of the area went in search of Khadiza.

She regained consciousness after two hours. After coming to, she tried to go out to the hole in the field but fainted again near the stairs of the building.

Relatives of Khadiza and Nasiruddin, in the meantime, reached the stairs where Khadiza had collapsed. After coming to again, she has remained there on the stairs, sobbing and calling out for her little boy.

While family and friends gently asked her to go back to the flat and rest, Khadiza said: “Do not say anything to me. Give me back my son. If you are not able to return him to me then stop, I will not return home without him. If he does not come back, then I will go with him.”

Shorna and Zihan, Ziad’s siblings, remained with their mother, weeping.

When the Dhaka Tribune last saw Khadiza around 11pm, the diabetic patient had not had a sip of water to drink all day and had fainted repeatedly throughout the day. l

4yr-old falls into 500-foot deep well  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

having conversations with the child to ensure that he was alive.

“We have sent food and oxygen so that the boy can survive until he is rescued,” he said.

“We are trying to rescue the child by sending down rope and sacks, but he cannot hold on to the rope line or the sacks long enough for us to pull him out as he has grown weak because of the stay inside for so long,” he said.

“We are taking this measure as it is not possible to send someone down the pipe as it is too narrow and nearly 500 feet deep.

“We sent a camera down the well, but it could not find Ziad as it covered only around 400 feet,” the fire chief said.

“So we are trying a new technique and trying to pull up the two-inch wide pipeline inside the 16-inch using a crane to bring out the boy,” he said.

“We are trying our best to rescue the child, and we are hopeful that we will succeed.”

Around 11pm, the rescue team was able to pull up narrower pipeline completely, making more space in the 16inch pipeline.

“This is the first time that we are facing this kind of situation. We have experts here, so we will be able to bring

out the child safely after cutting the pipe,” Major Shakil said.

According to locals, the well is an abandoned pipeline for a deep tube well, which was used to supply water to the entire colony; it went out of commission and the pipeline was covered with a metal cap about a year ago.

But recently the metal cap was taken off and a sack was placed to cover the opening, they said.

“As the first well stopped working, Bangladesh Railway authorities decided to install another tube well, and a contractors’ firm named AR Traders won the tender. Jahangir Alam, senior sub-assistant engineer at the railway, was the project supervisor,” Tofazzal Hossain, director general of Bangladesh Railway, told the Dhaka Tribune last night.

“The contractors were working on the new pipeline and opened the old one for the work, but did not follow the necessary precautions, which is why this accident took place,” he said.

Jahangir was suspended around 10:30pm last night, and AR Traders was blacklisted because of this, he said.

In a press briefing at the site around midnight, Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence Brigadier General Ali Ahmed Khan said specialised teams from LGED and Wasa and experts from Buet were working along-

side the fire fighters.

“We are trying to send down a specialised camera brought from Wasa, and we are also working on making a catching device, following the recommendations by Buet experts, to pull out the child,” he said.

In addition, a man named Bashir Uddin Ahmed volunteered to go down into the well around 11:30pm to bring out the child. He took all the preparations to follow through with the plan, but ultimately he was not allowed to go down because the experts wanted to observe the situation down the well through the camera first.

Tasqim A Khan, executive director of Wasa, said: “It is a matter of great pride that Bashir volunteered to go down in order to rescue the kid. But we cannot allow a life to be put at risk in order to save another.”

Around 1am, the rescue team sent down the Wasa specialised camera in the well to observe the situation inside.

When this report was filed at 1:30am, the camera had yet to find any trace of the child.

State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Benazir Ahmed visited the spot and directed the rescue team to give their maximum efforts to bring the child out safely. l

“The people will not accept this and they are getting ready to stage a massive demonstration in order to end the era of the illegal government,” Khaleda said.

Claiming that all important government positions had been filled by diehard Awami Leaguers, she said: “The illegal government has turned the law enforcement agencies into a gang of miscreants and are using them as a tool of oppression against the BNP.” She blamed law enforcement personnel for the ongoing incidents of killings and disappearances across the country, saying: “Law enforcers have failed to ensure the security of the common people in the country.”

She said law and order situation had deteriorated since the Awami Leagueled government took power.

“It thought it would stay in power forever by snatching people’s right to vote. As they have failed to win the people’s support, they are carrying out acts of vengeance and unleashing violence on their opponents,” she added.

The press statement claimed that incidences of killings and abductions

are being carried out by the “cadres” of the Chhatra League and Jubo League in order to resist those involved in ousting the “illegal government.”

Referring to Wednesday’s Bakshibazar clashes, Khaleda said: “The government has declared a violent war against the BNP. In fact, the war has been declared against the people.”

BNP leaders and activists clashed with Chhatra League activists near the Bakshibazar makeshift court ahead of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s appearance in court in two corruption cases on Wednesday.

At least 30 people including AL MP Chhabi Biswas were injured in the clash. Assailants torched the AL lawmaker’s car which was parked in front of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Two cases were filed against 150 leaders and activists of the BNP and its youth and student wings in connection with the clash.

Former Chhatra Dal president Azizul Bari Helal and incumbent President Rajib Ahsan were accused in a case filed on the night of the incident. l

Gayeswar arrested, Khaleda demands case withdrawal for the arrestees after the investigating officer (IO) of the case, Shahbagh police station Inspector (investigation) Md Habil Hossain, produced them before the court with a 10-day remand plea.

IO Habil told the court that the BNP leader was behind the planning of the police assault and the attack on Chhabi Biswas.

The Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested Gayeswar from his house in the Siddheshwari area of the capital in the early hours of Friday, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Masudur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune.

“Soon after the arrest, Gayeswar was taken to the DB office and shown arrested in the case lodged with the Shahbagh police station over Wednesday’s violence, the attack on the Awami League lawmaker and police assault,” the police deputy commissioner said.

Masud said the three others were arrested during a drive in the Turag area of the capital on Thursday night.

During the drive, machines to leak

vehicle tyres were recovered from their possession. They were shown arrested in the Shahbagh case for suspected involvement in the Bakshibazar violence, he added.

Some 54 machines were recovered from their possession. During the interrogation, they confessed that they were to use the devices during the clashes.

Detectives also conducted raids on the houses BNP Dhaka city unit convener Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel on Thursday night.

‘Entire country a jail’

The BNP chief demanded the immediate release of Gayeswar and called upon the authorities to withdraw all “false” cases filed against him.

She demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detained BNP members.

“The Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina herself is leading a terrorist gang as she loves her position more than the country,” she said, adding that the entire country had been turned into a jail.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, December 27, 2014

AL: Khaleda instigates politics of violence The BNP-Jamaat alliance wants to create an unstable situation like that of 2013, but the government The government will resist any kind jit Sengupta said Khaleda was trying to guilty, appear before the court. We will tions and to halt democratic process in n Abu Hayat Mahmud of violent activities of the BNP-Jamaat the country. create instability to attain her political receive you with garlands,” he added.

Leaders of ruling Awami League have alleged that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was trying to instigate the politics of violence, terrorism and confrontation in the country.

The BNP-Jamaat alliance wants to create an unstable situation like that of 2013, but the government will not allow them to carry out any destructive activities in the country, they said.

The AL leaders made the remarks while speaking at different programmes in the capital yesterday.

AL Advisory Council Member Suran-

goals.

He was addressing a meeting organised by the Bangabandhu Academy at the Institution of Diploma Engineers in the capital.

Pointing to Khaleda Zia, Suranjit said: “Shun the path of politics of clashes and violence. Otherwise, its consequences will be disastrous.”

“You [Khaleda] should also to prove that you have not misappropriated the money meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust,” he said.

“If you want to prove yourself not

About the AL’s scheduled rally to be held on January 5 in the capital, the AL leader said, “We swill observe the day (January 5) as the “Day of Victory for Democracy”.

“Your [Khaleda] party can also organise public meetings on any other day.

Apply to the administration and in that case we have nothing to say.”

In another programme, Food Minister Advocate Quamrul Islam said the BNP-Jamaat led alliance had launched destructive activities in the last year to foil the January 5 parliamentary elec-

“But they failed to foil the election,” he said.

He was speaking at a programme organised by Bangladesh Swadhinata Parishad in the capital.

The parishad organised the programme to protest the recent remarks made by BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the country’s War of Liberation.

Quamrul said peace and stability are prevailing after the January 5 general elections in the country.

to protect the people’s lives and property, he said.

“BNP has to face dire consequences, if they launch any violence in the name of movement,” he added.

In the same programme, AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Hasan Mahmud blamed BNP for what he called spoiling the political environment and destroying democratic practices in the country.

Both Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman should be eliminated from politics, he added. l

Contractor shot for not paying extortion

A Modontak bird fails to find a prey as number of fishes has drastically declined in the Passur River during the last 18 days after an oil tanker capsized in Joy Monir Gol area of the Sundarbans. The photo was taken from Harbaria area by the river SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Taposh ‘killer’ yet not arrested n FM Mizanur Rahaman

Even after 12 days to the murder of Chittagong University (CU) unit Chhatra League activist Taposh Sarker, police are yet to arrest the prime accused in the case.

Hathazari police yesterday said they were still trying to arrest Ashrafuzzaman Asha, deputy cultural affairs secretary of the dissolved committee of the CU Chhatra League unit.

According to the case, Taposh, a first year student of the Department of Sangskrit, died after Asha opened fire from the Shah Jalal dormitory, targeting Choose Friend with Care (CFC) men at Shah Amanat Hall during a factional clash on December 14.

The clash took place between shuttle train-based Chhatra League groups, CFC and Varsity Express (VX).

Taposh was an activist of the CFC, led by CU former joint secretary Sumon Mamun and former vice president Amit Kumar Basu of the dissolved committee of the university Chhatra League unit.

Police recovered a light gun, four rounds of pistol bullets, sharp weapons and arrested 30 Chhatra League leaders and activists from the Shah Jalal Hall

Ship with first consignment of export rice leaves for Sri Lanka today n BSS State-run Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC)’s cargo ship “Banglar Kakoli” carrying 12,500-MT of rice is expected to leave Chittagong Port for Colombo today, Chittagong Port sources said.

Bangladesh for the first time will be exporting 12,500 tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka as part of an agreement between the two countries to export 50,000-MT of rice to Sri Lanka.

Jahirul Islam, an official of the Food Department, Chittagong zone, said the shipment of the rice was completed and the ship would start for Colombo Port in the morning.

Bangladesh aims to produce more than 34 million tonnes of rice this year

n Tribune Report A contractor was shot in broad daylight by armed assailants in the capital’s Rampura area yesterday as he refused to pay extortion money.

The shot sand and brick businessman Md Badal Khan, 45, is now undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s casualty ward. He is a resident of Bagichar Tek in West Rampura in the capital.

When asked, Badal, describing the incident, said when he went out of the house around 3:45pm for some work, two youths came in front of him and shot him on his left leg.

He said nearly two weeks ago, a person named Sajal, identifying himself as a close associate of criminal Sujon who is in jail for the last six months, demanded Tk2 lakh as extortion for the new year. “I was attacked as I refused to pay,” he said.

“I will able to identify the youths if I see them again as the two did not wear any masks,” he added.

Mahbubur Rahman Talukder, officer-in-charge of Rampura police station, said they have been informed about the incident and were in search of the two attackers. A tense situation has been on the campus since the authority enforced ban on political activitiesl

3

on the same day.

Investigation Officer, Habibur Rahman, a sub-inspector of Hathazari police station, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that they had already arrested 24 accused in the murder and arms cases.

Efforts were on to arrest the other accused, including Asha, the prime accused in the murder case and second accused in the arms case, he said.

On December 20, Chittagong Superintendent of Police AKM Hafiz Akhter ordered the Hathazari police to swiftly deal with all the students’ murder cases on campus. He also ordered the arrest of all the accused in the cases.

Profile: Assrafuzzaman Asha

Former Chhatra League leader Ashrafuzzaman Asha, hailing from Jessore, admitted himself to the Department of Botany for the 2007-2008 academic session of the university.

He had been residing in the third block of the Shah Jalal Hall until the clash.

Police recovered six banned Jihadi books, written by Syed Abul A’la Maududi, from the block during the arms recovery drive on December 14.

Asha was also involved in criminal activities, including tender grabbing and

According to the Food Ministry, encouraged by a bumper yield and good stocks at home, the government decided to export at least 50,000-MT of rice, first of its kind since the independence, to Sri Lanka in the current fiscal year.

In response to a proposal to import boiled rice by the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Bangladesh signed a pact on August 26 to export 50,000 tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka in a first government-to-government deal.

According to the Food Department, Bangladesh exports aromatic rice every year, but boiled rice would be exported for the first time.

Bangladesh aims to produce more than 34 million tonnes of rice this year.

Its reserves have risen to more than 1.2 million tonnes from nearly 1 million tonnes a year earlier.

The world’s fourth-biggest rice producer, Bangladesh consumes almost all its production to feed its population of 160 million.

Bangladesh has so far exported only aromatic rice in small quantities.

In the last two fiscal years, export of aromatic rice amounted to Tk77 crore, according to government statistics.

This year, rice production has been satisfactory fulfilling the demand of the local market. l

‘No big momentum in economy yet’

drug peddling, on the campus. Be it his rivals, general students or journalists, none reportedly were spared of his assaults.

Along with former office secretary Jalal Ahmed, former publishing secretary Habibur Rahman Robin and leader Rupom Bish, he established the shuttle train boggy-based Chhatra League group, Varsity Express (VX).

The group made headlines for their reckless activities on the campus many times over the last two years.

On November 18, 2013 Asha had physically assaulted Hasib Hanan, reporter of Daily Bonik Barta, during a clash between the Chhatra League and Shibir near the Shah Amanat Hall.

On November 14, the Chhatra League leader locked the examination hall demanding that he be allowed to sit for the masters examination, forcing the authorities to cancel the scheduled examinations. Seeking anonymity, a former organising secretary of the CU Chhatra League unit, said Asha was also involved in controlling allocation of shops on the campus.

He arranged for allocations of two shops-one at Shahid Minar and another at CU Gate No 2 by exerting his political influence over the university authority. l

n UNB

Though the country’s economy did not get back the real momentum in the outgoing year, it showed the signs of stability and its sustainability largely depends on socio-political stability in the coming days, said economists and business leaders.

“Though we haven’t seen a big jump from the previous year but a possibility has emerged this year. I see a brighter growth prospect in the coming year,” Director General of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Dr Mustafa K Mujeri told the news agency.

He, however, said it will be difficult to maintain what has been achieved in the outgoing year if there is no political and social stability in the country.

“If we can maintain the current trend, we’ ll be able to march towards our economic targets in a faster pace.”

Former Finance Adviser Dr AB Mirza Azizul Islam said in Bangladesh economic date is calculated on fiscal-year basis but not on calendar year.

Mirza Aziz, however, said he does not see any big momentum in the country’s economy, and cited a number of

reasons in favour of his understanding.

He said the revenue collection target of Tk 149,720 crore for fiscal 2014-15 is unlikely to be achieved, while the overall situation in the country’s financial sector is worrisome.

“The capital deficit of banks, especially state-owned ones, and the number of classified loans are on the rise,” he said adding that it indicates that bad days are still there in doing business and borrowers are unable to payback loans.

The renowned economist also said though the private sector credit flow witnessed a little bit of rise, it is still not satisfactory and is far behind the central bank’s target of private sector credit growth.

He said export growth almost hit the zero level though remittance inflow has increased a bit but it is not sure whether it will be sustainable or not.

“Considering all these factors, the GDP growth will be close to 6% in the current fiscal year,” Mirza Aziz said.

BIDS DG Dr Mujeri, however, thinks the economy is getting back its usual pace though all the economic indicators were depressed and standstill in the previous year due to political instability.

“I find the pace of economic activities in this year almost satisfactory.

But we need to maintain the pace,” he added.

Both Mirza Aziz and Dr Mujeri think that inflation will come down in the coming days.

FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed thinks the country’s economy is now on a stronger base following the joint efforts of the public and private sectors.

He said the FBCCI will continue to put in its efforts to bring down bank interest rate to single digit for expediting industrialisation and contributing to the economy more.

Dhaka Chamber of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) thinks boosting investment for higher economic growth still remains a big challenge for the current fiscal year.

“The government needs to take all necessary steps to attract more domestic and foreign investment in the country,” said DCCI President Hossain Khaled.

The DCCI observed that banks are charging excessive interest on credit that discourages the private sector borrowers to go for fresh investment. l

BNP probe slams govt’s stewardship of Sundarbans n Tribune Report A BNP probe into the Sundarbans oil spill yesterday called on the government to ban the use of the Sela River as a navigation route to avert further ecological damage to the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest.

The seven-member probe committee demanded the immediate reopening of the Mongla-Ghosiakhali route and the removal of illegal embankments on the waterways to restore the navigability of the channel.

Oil tanker Southern Star 7, with a cargo of 358,000 litres of furnace oil, sank in the river at Mrigmari area under the East Zone of the Sundarbans after being hit by cargo vessel Total Cargo at 6am on December 9, causing a devastating oil spill.

The probe body, led by former minister Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, blamed the government for damaging the ecology and biodi-

versity of the tidal mangrove forest because the vessel was forced to operate on the Sela River due to the lack of navigability of the legal waterway, the Mongla-Ghosiakhali route.

The legal navigation route has been closed since 2011 due to siltation caused by the establishment of unplanned embankments and commercial shrimp cultivation in the region which takes up saline water from the nearby rivers.

“The government must bring those responsible for the accident to book and ensure that compensation is paid to avoid such man-made disasters in future,” the probe body said in a written statement.

“The government failed to take any effective measure during the first 48 hours of the oil spill which ultimately enhanced the damage,” it said. The probe body, which included several party leaders and civil society organisations, visited the site of the accident on December 22. l

The activists of the Awami League take position in Chandana area of Gazipur yesterday to foil the rally of BNP to be held there today DHAKA TRIBUNE

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Top drug lord arrested with 2 lakh yaba tablets in Ctg Reveals unique way of smuggling n Mohammad Jamil Khan The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) yesterday arrested a top yaba dealer along with five of his associates after a special drive in Chittagong and Gazipur. A total of 2,15,314 yaba tablets and Tk19 lakh were also recovered at that time.

“Based on an intelligence report, the RAB officials went on a drive on Thursday midnight and arrested drug kingpin Jahidul Islam alias Alo, 35, around 3am from the Moddhorampur Amin Contractor Road area of Halishahar, Chittagong,” said Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan, RAB’s legal and media wing director.

“At that time, Alo’s driver Jashim Uddin Rana, 35, was also arrested from the spot with an imported pistol, a magazine, three rounds of bullets, 20,000 pieces of yaba tablets and a Toyota Premio car,” informed Mahmud Khan, addressing a briefing at the RAB headquarters in Uttara of the capital yesterday.

The RAB claimed that Alo was the leader of a smuggling gang and during the interrogation he gave out the address of a house where a huge quantity of yaba tablets was reserved.

The RAB raided the said house situated in the same area from where Alo was detained and found 1.90 lakh yaba tablets, cash Tk18.99 lakh, one motorbike, 37 mobile sets, 20 SIM cards, one video camera, two cameras, three laptops, various modern equipment to transport yaba and eight cheque books of various banks.

“We also arrested Abdul Malek Ra-

sel, 27, Md Shahed, 24, Md Jabed, 25, and Md Jakir, 26, who worked as Alo’s associates,” Mahmud Khan said.

During the interrogation, Alo admitted that he was actively involved with yaba trading and sold the tablets in the capital and Chittagong area having brought the drugs from China and Myanmar.

He also declared that he had nearly Tk2.58 crore, collected by selling drugs, reserved in various banks.

Commander Mahmud said Alo had given them details of how uniquely yaba was smuggled into Bangladesh.

A well connected group of smugglers use fishing nets to smuggle yaba.

Yaba tablets are concealed inside the plastic floats usually attached along the edges of a casting net to help it float.

Posing as fishermen, the smugglers cast the net as nearer to the maritime border area as possible and leave it there. After a while, another group from Bangladesh picks up the fishing net.

The net is then brought to the Chittagong port, where the yaba pills are collected from the floats and distributed across the country using various methods.

“On the information derived out of the arrestees, RAB officials conducted another drive at the Tempo Stand area of Tongi police station in Gazipur and dug out 5,000 more yaba tablets from there,” said Mahmud.

He further divulged that Alo, who had already been jailed once for the same offence, had been in the drug business for a long time.

Starting out with his brother-in-law

Md Sagir, Alo soon made a huge syndicate of his own and expanded the network across the country, especially in Chittagong’s Baskhali, Anowara, Firingi Bazar area and in the capital, Dhaka.

“On August 2012, Sagir with arms and yaba tablets was arrested by law enforcers. And getting information from him, law enforcers arrested Alo later on. While in jail, Alo got connected with other drug dealers and started a full fledged business after securing bail four months later,” the media wing director said.

“We will continue the drive to trace the other members of the syndicate,” added Mahmud saying that legal action will be taken against the arrestees.

In a separate drive, police yesterday afternoon arrested a truck driver and his helper with 5,000 yaba tablets from Chittagong’s Chandanish upazila.

The arrestees were Md Abdur Rahman alias Monu, 36, son of Late Habibur Rahman, and Syedul Amin, 18, son of Md Sikdar, said police sources.

Both the arrestees hailed from Teknaf, said Sub-Inspector Dheman Majumdar of Chandanish police station.

SI Dheman said on receiving information, police raided a Patiya upazila bound salt laden truck on the Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar Highway in front of Gachbaria Government Degree College around 2:30pm.

Later police seized 5,000 tablets of yaba which were kept in a packet inside the salt consignment in the truck, the SI added.

A case was filed with Chandanish police station in this regard. l

Unemployed marine cadets demand jobs n Tribune Report

Garments Sramik Trade Union Kendra brings out a rally in front of the National Press Club yesterday after the inauguration of its sixth central convention MEHEDI HASAN

International conference on civil engineering begins at Cuet n CU Correspondent A day-long 2nd International Conference on Advances in Civil Engineering was held at the Chittagong University Engineering and Technology (Cuet) yesterday.

Researchers and engineers from 11 countries took part in the conference.

Some 163 articles were presented at the event in 24 technical sessions.

University Grant Commission Chairman Prof Dr AK Azad Chowdhury inaugurated the programme at the central auditorium on the Cuet campus.

Cuet Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Jah-

angir Alam was present as the special guest on the occasion. Addressing as the chief guest, Prof Azad urged scientists to conduct research in collaboration with national and international level organisations and scientists.

Infrastructures are the sign of development of a country, he said adding that the civil engineers have to find out the way eco-friendly structures which everyone can afford.

With Cuet Civil Engineering Department’s Head Prof Dr Md Rabiul Alam in the chair, the conference’s convenor Prof Dr GM Sadikul Islam also spoke on the occasion. l

Unemployed cadets of Bangladesh Marine Academy yesterday demanded that the government takes steps to eliminate existing problems in their visa processing to get jobs in foreign shipping companies.

Their other demands include exploring the job market for the cadets, cancelling license of those academies which do not have internship programmes for their cadets, and stopping the activities of some fake companies which are en gaged in recruiting mariners illegally.

To press home their demands, former cadets of Bangladesh Marine Academy arranged a press conference at the Dhaka Reporter Unity Auditorium in the capital.

The marine cadets urged the government to give permissions to foreign shipping companies to establish their offices in Bangladesh, and to appoint maritime councillors in Panama, Liberia, Bahamas, United Arab Emirates, England, Singapore and Malaysia.

Speaking on the occasion, Ashraf Ibn Noor, former senior vice president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), the country’s shipping sector is on the verge of demolition due to corruption and greed of some vested interest groups. Some private marine academies providing fake certificates to many people to work as mariners, he said.

There are 18 marine academies, including 17 private ones, in the country.

More than 10,000 cadets are being graduated from the academies. But only 120 cadets get training from 38 vessels. l

Bangladesh Udichi Shipli Goshthi brings out a rally from the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital yesterday on the occasion of its national convention 2014 MEHEDI HASAN

Biman hopeful about finding profit route next year n UNB After passing a bumpy year on all aspects, national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines is now talking about returning to profitability leaving behind all the bad days.

“We hope to be back to profitability next year, Insha Allah,” AM Mosaddique Ahmed, a director of Biman, now serving as the acting managing director and CEO of the national flag carrier, told UNB. Mosaddique said Biman will include two Dash 8-Q400s aircraft next year.

This was Biman’s seventh attempt to collect turboprop aircraft for resuming flights on its domestic routes along with some other regional ones, including Yangoon and Kolkata. Currently, it has no small aircraft to carry passengers on domestic routes.

He said Biman is planning to introduce its routes to Guanzhu, Sanghai, Colombo and Male next year. It would also increase its frequencies in Kuala Lumpur and destinations in Saudi Arabia if everything goes well.

Mosaddique also mentioned that Biman would develop the software and fuel management system in the new year.

Talking about its achievements, the Biman’s acting CEO said the airline added two 777-300 ERs, decided to resume the domestics routes and procure two small aircraft in this regard, increased the frequencies on Dhaka-London route, started crew schedule automa-

tion, introduced revenue management system, travel agency portal and SMS based services.

He also mentioned that this year Biman introduced and cancelled the Dhaka-Frankfurt route as the route was a loss making one.

Mosaddique said Biman suspended Dhaka-Delhi and Dhaka-Hong Kong routes for the same purpose.

The national carrier has posted losses every year except 2007-08 and 2008-09 According to a primary calculation, the loss of the national flag carrier was Tk254 crore in 2013-14 fiscal year.

The national carrier has been posting losses every year except 2007-08 and 2008-09 since it became a public limited company in 2007, according to Bangladesh Economic Review 2014.

According to Biman sources, Biman incurred a loss of Tk46 crore in 200910, Tk224 crore in 2010-11, Tk594 crore in 2011-12, Tk191 crore in 2012-13.

“Biman passed a mixed year in 2014 when something went well while some others bad for the national airliner,” said Mosaddique Ahmed.

The year started with the resigna-

tion of the first foreign managing director and CEO Kevin Steele, who was appointed in March 2013 for a two-year term. The post has been lying vacant since April 17 last.

But the national flag carrier got another foreign national as its new MD and CEO and he will join his office on January 5 next year. South Africa-born British citizen Kyle Haywood is going to be the new Biman boss.

The second foreign MD and CEO of Biman, Kyle Haywood, the managing director of Fastjet, a low-cost South African carrier, served in traditional carriers such as British Airways and Etihad Airways, and low-cost carrier Air Arabia.

He also served as the CEO of Air Uganda.

The big blow to Biman came at the end of the year when a Biman DGM and four other staff were arrested for their involvement in gold smuggling. Those arrested Biman employees included DGM Emdad Hossain, Flight Captain Shahidullah and schedule in-charge Tozzamel Haque.

Besides, frequent incidents of gold seizure from Biman and airports of the country also revealed the anomalies and corruption in the management of Biman Bangladesh.

The Biman officials’ involvement in gold smuggling sparked off huge criticisms across the country and fingers were pointed at the Chairman of Biman Board for not taking punitive actions against the responsible Biman officials.

Some MPs in Parliament also spoke against the Biman Chairman. l

Two people killed in two separate incidents n Our Correspondent, Mymensingh

Different household items made of clay stocked for drying up in Joygiripur Bangla Para area in Rajshahi’s Puthia upazila. Clay Pottery, an ancient art that is on the brink of extinction now, is being preserved by only 40 potter families in the area AZAHAR UDDIN

Two persons have been killed in two separate incidents in the Dhobaura upazila in Mymensingh.

The dead were 70-year-old Suruj Ali from Haripur area and 45-year-old Ali Ahmed, a former Union Parishad member from Borovita area of the

same upazila.

Witnesses said a brawl took place at a tea stall in the Haripur area in the morning, when a rival hit Suruj on the head, leaving him dead on the spot.

In another incident, Ali was stabbed by miscreants on Thursday night. He was taken to the Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital, where he was

declared dead.

Locals suspected that he might have been killed in sequel to some enmity with his rivals in the locality.

Dhobaura police station Officer-in-Charge Abdul Haq confirmed the occurrence of both the incidents and said they were trying to arrest the people involved in the murders. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Dense fog disrupts journeys across country Ferry services in Padma face six-hour suspension

Two Shibir men held in Rajshahi n RU Correspondent

Local goon held with ammunition n Tribune Report Police arrested a local goon with a firearm and ammunition from Lohagara upazila in the Chittagong district yesterday.

The arrested Mir Kashem alias Samrat, 36, is an extortionist in the upazila, said Lohagara police station Sub-Inspector Ariful Islam.

Police seized one light gun, five rounds of cartridges and a machete from his possession.

Mir Kashem was held while he was on his way to Putibila Wajiristan Sikdarpara area in the upazila to illegally grab a piece of land. He was an accused in an extortion case filed with the Lohagara police station, said SI Arif. l

Amid chilly breeze people with bag and baggage go through an ordeal yesterday as most of the buses missed schedule due to dense fog. The photo was taken from the Gabtoli Bus Terminal in the capital RAJIB DHAR any other unexpected dangers as dense fog made it difficult to move through.

BIWTC Shimulia terminal Manager Sirajul Haque said ferry services on the Shimulia-Kawrakandi route resumed around 11am yesterday.

Robin, a driver of Al Hamra Paribahan at Gabtoli bus terminal, told the

Dhaka Tribune it was difficult to see what was several metres away on the road because of fog.

“Usually, it is a four-hour journey from Gaibandha to Dhaka but it took me six hours to reach the capital on Thursday night,” he said.

Jewel, a ticket counter official of

NASIM TO PARTY MEN

The police have arrested two members of Islamic Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, from New Buthpara, a Jamaat-Shibir dominated area called as Shibir cantonment in Rajshahi. They were sent to jail after producing before court yesterday afternoon.

The arrestees are Jahangir Hossain, 27, president of ward 30 unit Shibir and his brother, also a Shibir activist Jahid Hossain, 25.

Officer-in-Charge of Motihar police station Alamgir Hossain said: “The siblings, who were wanted in different cases, have remained fugitive for long.”

The OC added that the Shibir-brothers had their involvement with several numbers of incidents of violence at Rajshahi University and Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology areas. Some 11 criminal cases were filed against Jahangir while Jahid was wanted in two cases, said the police. l

WEATHER

Establish supremacy on road on 5 January n Our Correspondent, Sylhet Awami League Presidium Member and Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim urged the party men to establish supremacy on the road on 5 January.

“Those leaders and activists will remain stay in house on 5 January are not a Awami Leaguer,” he said.

The minister said this while exchanging views with Sylhet district and city units Awami League at Sylhet District Council Auditorium yesterday night.

Referring to January 5 general election, Mohammad Nasim said martial law could have been promulgated in the country if the election was not held in time.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had protected democracy by holding the election following the constitution.”

He said Awami League would stay in power till 2019 and the next

general election will be held as per constitution.

Presided over by city unit Awami League President Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, district Awami League President Abduz Zahir Chowdhury Sufi-

'Those leaders and activists will remain stay in house on 5 January are not Awami Leaguers' an, General Secretary Shofiqur Rahman Chowdhury, Mahmudus Samad Choudhury MP, Sylhet city unit secretary Asad Uddin Ahmed and Sadar Upazilla Chairman Asfaq Ahmed, among others, addressed the function.

Health Minister will visit Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital today morning. l

Hanif Enterprise at Gabtoli, and Soikat Enterprise official at Sayedabad bus terminal Alok said almost all the vehicles had returned around an hour after the schedule.

Meanwhile, the authorities of Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong and also the port of Chittagong

n RU Correspondent An activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) of Nawab Abdul Latif hall of Rajshahi University (RU) yesterday allegedly humiliated the hall provost who attempted to search the room of the activist.

According to witnesses, Muhammad Hafiz, an activist loyal to RU unit BCL President Mizanur Rahman Rana, threatened hall provost Professor Biswanath Sikder brandishing a machete in presence of law enforcers. He also hurled abusive words at him.

The incident took place at 2pm when the provost, along with the police, attempted to search the room of Hafiz for the six routers, which were stolen on Thursday night from the north block of the hall.

Hafiz, a third year student of Islamic History and Culture, has been residing at room 206 illegally for a long time, a hall official told the Dhaka Tribune.

DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 5:19PM SUN RISES 6:40AM 25 27 24 25 25 26 27 26

n Tribune Report

13 15 10 12 10 13 12 16

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

28.1ºC Sylhet

09.4ºC Jessore

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

5:19am 6:39am 11:59am 3:43pm 5:19pm 6:40 pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Moreover, Hafiz had the double occupancy room all to himself by showing his political power, the official added.

When the hall provost went to Hafiz’s room to search for the stolen devices, Hafiz dashed towards the provost and attempted to beat him with a machete.

Later, police, house tutors of the hall and few BCL men resisted Hafiz.

Police, however, did not take any action against Hafiz. They also did not seize the home-made weapons from him.

When contacted, hall provost Professor Biswanath Sikder acknowledged the incident and told that Hafiz was seeking an apology for his misconduct.

“I will inform the university VC to take action against him,” he added.

Muhammad Hafiz denied the allegation of brandishing a machete and admitted that he had asked for apology. l

Man held for threatening MP on Facebook n Our Correspondent, Hobiganj A man in Habiganj was arrested for sharing a status on Facebook with derogatory remarks against Advocate Abu Zahir, MP of Habiganj 3.

In the status update on November 29, Minar Uddin, 27 threatened Zahir, who is also the chairman of Awami League Habiganj unit.

Informed by Zahir, police arrested Minar, son of Monfor Miya of Mosatafapur village under Nabiganj upazila, on Thursday from Inatganj Bazar area under Nabiganj police station.

Personal assistant of Zahir yesterday filed a case in this connection. l

Police constable held with yaba n Our Correspondent, Savar Detective Branch officials held a police constable for selling drugs in Savar on Thursday night.

Amzad Hossain, 40, was held from Savar Bazar bus stand area who works as a constable at Savar Model police station.

While conducting a raid in the area police held Amzad Hossain and found 200 yaba tablets hidden inside his clothes, said DB officials.

Quoting Amzad, they said Amzad was involved with the illegal trade. He used to collect the contraband item from other officers of the police station and sell them to local traders.

Savar circle ASP Russel Sheikh said legal action would be taken against Amzad if the allegation was found true. l

‘Vehicles carrying excessive loads damaging roads’

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

suspended several flights and sailing schedules because of fog.

Shah Amanat airport sources said several domestic flights were rescheduled and also delayed yesterday.

Nur-E-Alam, manager of the airport, said dense fog disrupted yesterday’s flight operations. l

BCL activist abases RU hall provost

DRY WEATHER LIKELY

FORECAST FOR TODAY

2.5 kg gold bars recovered in Ctg n CU Correspondent Customs officials at the Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport recovered 24 gold bars weighing around 2.5 kilogrammes from a toilet at the airport on Thursday night.

However, one was arrested in this connection.

Chittagong Customs House Assistant Commissioner Tapon Kumar Chawkrabarty said customs officials found a bag containing the gold bars worth of Tk1.20 core in an abandon condition. The gold bars were kept wrapping with black tapes. l

n Abu Hayat Mahmud Dense fog with a spell of cold weather disrupted road, water and air journeys since Thursday night, putting passengers in trouble.

Drivers were forced to drive on roads slowly as dense fog significantly lowered visibility. Those driving public transports on different routes even suspended trips to avoid running vehicles in hazardous conditions.

Waterway passengers suffered most because of the abrupt change in weather. Ferry services remained suspended for more than six hours between Shimulia and Kawrakandi routes and also between Daulatdia and Paturia routes on the Padma River yesterday.

To avoid the risk of accident, officials halted ferry services on both routes from around 4:30am to 11am, compounding the woes of a large number of Dhaka-bound people who travelled to their hometowns because of the Christmas holiday and the weekend.

Shah Alam, who came to Dhaka from Jessore by a bus of Eagle Paribahan yesterday, told the Dhaka Tribune he had to wait at Daulatdia ferry terminal for about four hours because of the suspension of ferry services.

“It was an ordeal for not only me but all of us who were in the bus. It was very cold there,” he said.

Eight ferries on the Shimulia-Kawrakandi route and four on the Daulatdia-Paturia route remained stuck in the middle of the journey.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) control room sources said more than 100 vehicles, including ferries and launches on the Shimulia-Kawrakandi route, were forced to anchor at a char area in the middle of the Padma River because of decreased visibility.

Shafiqul Islam, Daulatdia terminal manager of the BIWTC, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that ferry services were suspended in order to shun accidents or

5

Saturday, December 27, 2014

After arriving on a skate scooter, this child poses for a photo sitting on a bullock cart yesterday at an exhibition portraying different traditional elements of Bangladesh in the capital’s Ramna Park. The festival was organised by Banglink RAJIB DHAR

Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader yesterday said the vehicles carrying excessive loads and reckless driving have been largely damaging roads and highways across the country.

He said load control centres are being set up on all of the highways in the country and development works of 37 accident-prone roads are being conducted to reduce the extent of road accidents.

Obaidul Quader said this while launching the Singpara Excel Load Control Centre of the Roads and Highways Department on the Tentulia-Dhaka Highway under Sadar upazila in Panchagarh as the chief guest.

He also said if anyone tried to create anarchy in the country by vandalising property and killing people in the name of movement, the government would be bound to be on the hard line.

However, if anyone followed the democratic ways, the government would create no obstacle.

Talking about the recent Bakshibazar clash, the minister said: “It was the BNP activists who attacked

our MP Chhobi Biswas and torched his car. No one from our party ever attacked Khaleda Zia or misbehaved with her.”

“The BNP is facing existential crisis.

They do not have the ability to drum up any movement now. However, if there is any violence, the government will do what is needed to protect people’s lives,” he added.

Member of the Parliament and President of Panchagarh district Awami League Nurul Islam Shujan, its General Secretary and former AL Lawmaker Mozaharul Haque Pradhan, Peoples’ Perspective Expert of the Prime Minister’s Office Naimuzzaman Mukta, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Salah Uddin and Police Super Abul Kalam Azad, were present.

Meanwhile, the minister also inaugurated a digital fair in Thakurgaon.

Thakurgaon Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Chandra Biswas, President of the standing committee of water resources ministry Ramesh Chandra Sen, MP of Panchagarh-1 Nurul Islam Shujon, Education Secretary Nazrul Islam Khan and SP Abdur Rahim Shah among others. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Liberation War monument lies half-done for 18 years n Our Correspondent, Moulvibazar A monument in the memory of the Liberation War martyrs lies under construction for 18 years now in front of the Freedom Fighters Complex in Moulvibazar.

According to the Moulvibazar Muktijoddha Sangsad, in 1996, Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad allocated Tk1 lakh fund for constructing the monument by the side of historically significant Monu River in the district.

Adding a few more funds collected locally, the construction work started to roll on, however, it discontinued after spending around Tk1.5 lakh and had been at a halt since then.

Upon a visit, the holy spot was found filled with moss, bamboo traders occupied most of the premises by stocking their bamboos for sale.

However, different local organisations including the district administration place floral wreaths there every year on December 8, the day Moulvibazar was freed from the Pakistani occupation forces in 1971.

During the 1971 Liberation War, the Pakistani occupation forces set up camps on both sides of the Monu River by which the half-done monument lies today.

They used to harass the passersby on the bridge over the river, while, many a times they have shot local Bangalis, particularly the supporters of the freedom fighters, and threw their

bodies into the river.

In retaliation, the freedom fighters demolished the bridge to disrupt communication among the Pakistani military forces.

Later the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) took the initiative to build a memorial there to uphold the history of the Liberation War to forthcoming generations. Moulvibazar Freedom Fighters’ Unity Commander Jamal Uddin said Tk15 lakh was needed for completing the monument following design.

Despite repeated plea to the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, no fund was allocated.

“The ministry said they provide funds for new projects only, not the halfdone or old ones,” said the commander.

Besides, in 2010, the Local Government Engineering Department, RHD and engineers of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works Moulvibazar office made a draft budget of Tk65 lakh to build a park around the monument spreading up to the bank of Monu River.

However, the project never saw light as the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs did not approve it.

While contacted over the matter, Utpol Shumonto, an engineer of Moulvibazar RHD office, said: “Our office does not have any fund allocated for this project. However, if the freedom fighters’ unity takes up the project then Roads and Highways Department can provide assistance.” l

It is the dry season – and the time for fishing festival in the Barendra areas of Rajshahi. Young people in the region have already busied themselves trying to bag the biggest catch in the drying canals and lakes. The photo was taken recently at Agra Beel in the district’s Durgapur upazila AZAHAR UDDIN

Five killed, six injured in road accidents n Tribune Report

Five people were killed and six others injured in road accidents in Chittagong, Tangail and Chapainawabganj yesterday.

In Chittagong, two people were killed and a man was injured in road accidents in Chittagong Port Jetty and Karnaphuli areas in the port city early yesterday, reports our Chittagong correspondent.

The deceased are Samir Nath, 18, and Muslem Uddin, 26. The injured is

Ruhul Amin. In an incident, Samir was injured critically as a container hit him when he was engaged unloading goods from a ship at the Jetty No 13 of Chittagong Port around 12:30 am.

He was rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where doctors declared him dead.

Meanwhile Muslem and Ruhul were injured when a bus hit the motorbike of the duo from behind in Bhellapara area around 11:30 pm.

Guest birds landing in Tanguar haor in droves n Our Correspondent, Sunamganj

Guest birds are flying to the Tanguar Haor in droves in Sunamganj district.

Hundreds of people have started visiting there to feast on their eyes and make the winter days fly away fast.

Flocks of guest birds are seen flying and heard chirping every noon and corner of the 9727-hectare wetland ecosystem. Most birds have flocked on Rupaboi and Lesua bils, considering them safest of all in the haor.

Migratory birds are not even fewer crowding the other bills, including Hatirgata, Pekunia, Rua, Chatania, Bal-

udoba and Berberia. Locals say around 70 to 80 species of birds, including those locally named as Lenja Hansh, Banli Hansh, Sorali Modna, Ganga Kabutar, Kolakori and Piari, have already arrived in the haor.

They think the number of the guest birds will increase with the intensity of the winter in the country.

Twenty-three-year old Manik Sarker of Indrapur village said flocks of birds come to the bills early in the morning and stay here till late in the evening.

They eat and play in the water.

Thirty-five-year-old Ripon of Janjail village said birds keep flying all day long,

which keeps us staring in them. “It is a unique sight for which we wait all the year long.” Sixty-five-year-old Malek Mia of Golabari said guests birds are flying in here more than last year. Thousands of birds take shelter on the bils every night.

Sripur Union Parishad Chairman Biswajit Sarker said people have now understood the importance of the guest birds and so bird hunting gone down sharply, making the haor a safe haven for the migratory birds.

A community-based social marketing project has been in place under the International Union for Conservation of Nature in the district.

Assistant Project Officer Md Mehedi Hasan also confirmed the increasing arrival of birds in the wetland ecosystem and said “Guest birds no longer consider this haor unsafe as much as they used to in the past and so their number increases every year.”

The haor, straddling between Dharmapasha and Tahirpur upazilas of the district, is a unique wetland ecosystem of national importance and has come into international focus.

The government declared Tanguar haor as an ecologically critical area in 1999 as a result of the overexploitation of its natural resources. l

Elderly woman succumbs to loan repay pressure Correspondent, n Our Chapainawabganj

BNP’s Meherpur unit brings out a procession yesterday to protest the ‘premeditated attack on the motorcade of Begum Khaleda Zia in the capital,’ as well as to demand immediate withdrawal of the ‘false’ cases against Tarique Rahman DHAKA TRIBUNE

Section 144 imposed in Dharmashala n Our Correspondent, Sunamganj The local authorities in Dharmapasha upazila have imposed Section 144 for today as Awami League and Jubo League have called meetings at the same place.

The restriction, which will be in effect from 6am to 12 at night, was imposed amid fear of deterioration of law and order as local units of both Awami League and Jubo League have scheduled meetings on the shaheed minar premises in Madhyanagar Bazar.

The restriction entails a ban on all sorts of meetings, rallies and mass gatherings in the upazila.

Dharmapasha Upazila Nirbahi Officer Saiful Islam said Section 144 was imposed as two rival groups called meetings at the same venue.

Officer-in-Charge of Madhyanagar police station Md Hasanuzzaman said police were assigned at the venue to avert any untoward situation. l

A father’s struggle towards prosperity n Our Correspondent, Noakhali Zakir Hossain, 55, was born in an impoverished family at Dasher Hat village in Hatiya upazila, Noakhali. Growing up in a thatched cottage watching people around him constantly struggling to survive, education was a luxury he was never able to afford.

From a very early age, Zakir started working along with his family. He mostly worked in cultivating paddy, but during the off seasons, he worked other odd jobs. As his family grew and with no regular work in Hatiya, Zakir eventually moved to Chatkhil upazila in the district for better opportunities. Chatkhil is where he became a rickshaw puller.

Amid all this struggle, Zakir never forgot the emptiness that came with not being able to get education. Feeling it was already late for him, he decided to live his dream through his children.

And he did succeed. Father of five sons, Zakir worked day and night so that his children would be able to study without interruption. His efforts were fully supported by his wife, Aleya Begum.

Now the couple is proud parents of Md Rasel, 23, who completed his honours final year exam in English at Chittagong University; Md Azad, 21, who is studying philosophy at the same university; Md Farid, 19, who got admitted at Sir Salimullah Medical College this year; Md Zahid, 17, who runs a small business after dropping out of Class VIII; and Tuhin, 13, who is in Class V. Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Zakir said he was proud to work in paddy fields, dig soil and pull rickshaw, because the money he made from these jobs was spent for his sons’ education.

“Now my sons do not want me to pull rickshaw anymore. So I have decided to stop,” he said, smiling. l

An elderly woman allegedly killed herself for failing to pay back the loans taken from non-government organisations in Chapainawabganj.

The deceased was identified as Rekha Bewa, 60, wife of late Sullur Rahman of Ramkrishtapur area of Chapainawabganj municipality.

Officer-in-Charge of Chapainawabganj Sadar police station Jasim Uddin said Rekha Bewa had taken several loans from various NGOs. “She was suffering from anxiety for not being able to pay the loan installment. On Thursday night she committed suicide by hanging herself with a rope.” l

Meherpur DC, SP in India for a conference on border issues

Correspondent, n Our Meherpur A team of four, led by Deputy Commissioner of Meherpur Mahmud Hossain, went to India to attend a conference on border issues.

The team left for Krishnanagar of Nadia district of Paschimbanga yesterday morning. The other team members are Superintendent of Police Hamidul Alam, Additional Deputy Commissioner Hemayet Hossain, and Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Gangni Abul Amin. l

They were taken to CMCH where doctors announced Moslem dead.

Our Tangail correspondent reports, a man was killed and four people were injured in a road accident on Basail-Nolua road in Basail of Tangail yesterday.

The deceased is M Helal Mia, 60, a resident of Zadabpur village in Sokhipur upazila, and an Imam of a mosque in the village.

Basail police said the accident took place as a truck and CNG-run auto-rick-

shaw collided head on around 3pm, injuring the auto-rickshaw’s five passengers, including its driver.

The injured were rushed to Basail Upazila Health Complex where Helal was declared dead by the doctors.

Our Chapainawabganj correspondent reports, two people were killed and a man was injured in an accident on Chapainawabganj-Rajshahi highway at Swarupnagar-Biswaroad Intersection in Chapainawabganj. l

Abducted schoolboy found dead in Rajshahi n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi Police have recovered the beheaded body of a 10-year-old schoolboy after five days of his abduction from Deyanpara under Mahanpur upazila in Rajshahi.

Body of Fazle Hossain Rabbi, a class III student of Berabari Primary School under Mohanpur, was recovered from a field in the early hours of yesterday.

Family members said he had gone missing on December 20. Then, Rabbi’s father Ali Hossain filed a case with Mo-

hanpur police station. Abdul Hamid, officer-in-charge of Mahanpur police station, said: “We arrested three suspects in this connection on Wednesday.”

The arrestees are Aminul Hossain, 30, Shahabuddin, 28, of Berabari and Jahangir Hossain, 28, of Baghdhani village of Poba upazila. The accused are now in Rajshahi jail.

The OC said: “on the basis of information from the arrestees, we recovered Rabbi’s body and sent it to Rajshahi Medical College morgue for autopsy.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

7

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Ukraine talks break down Kiev and rebels to exchange hundreds of prisoners

n Agencies The foreign ministry of Belarus, which has been hosting Ukraine peace talks, says the much-anticipated round of negotiations on Friday has been scrapped.

Ministry spokesman Dmitry Mironchik told The Associated Press that the talks broke down but did not give a reason.

The opening round was held on Wednesday, one day after Ukraine’s decision to drop its non-aligned status, which added a new element of tension to the attempts to resolve the violent crisis in the country.

The talks were to discuss how to improve an often-violated cease-fire that was declared in September, to pull back heavy weapons and to exchange of war prisoners. The negotiators included representatives of Ukraine, Russia, pro-Russian rebels and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Prisoner exchange Firemen work outside a still smoking cellar mosque in Eskilstuna, Sweden, Thursday. Five of the twenty at prayer inside were taken to hospital after inhaling smoke when a burning object was hurled through a window, setting fire to the building in the early afternoon AP

Kiev and pro-Russian separatists will exchange hundreds of prisoners soon, an aide to the head of Ukraine’s SBU

state security service said on Friday, as the military reported a slight increase in rebel attacks.

The agreement to swap 125 Ukrainian servicemen for 225 rebels held by Kiev followed peace talks between envoys of Ukraine, Russia, the separatists and European security watchdog OSCE on Wednesday.

“We’ve prepared 225 people, which we will hand over. The main thing is for this not to fall through now,” the SBU’s Markiyan Lubkyvsky told Reuters by telephone.

The uprising by separatists began a month after Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in March, following the popular overthrow of Ukraine’s Moscow-backed president, and has killed more than 4,700 people.

The pro-Western government in Kiev accuses Russia of orchestrating the rebellion in Ukraine’s east, a charge denied by Moscow.

Exchanging prisoners is one of the criteria of a 12-point peace protocol, which also includes a ceasefire, agreed

by Kiev and rebels in September. But most of the plan has not yet been im-

China raises Nepal aid five-fold in regional diplomacy push

Jharkhand’s first non-tribal CM to take oath on Sunday

n Reuters, Kathmandu

n Agencies

China will increase official aid to Nepal by more than five times from fiscal 2015-16, officials said on Friday, to develop infrastructure in the landlocked nation where regional rival India has long wielded political influence.

The jump in assistance was announced after talks between visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Nepali counterpart Mahendra

Bahadur Pandey, part of a deepening engagement which is expected to lead to a visit by President Xi Jinping next year.

Both India and China have been courting the Himalayan nation as they worry about its slow transition from a constitutional monarchy to a republic and the end of a 10-year civil war in 2006 that has left deep divides.

China is concerned about the presence of Tibetans in Nepal, many of

whom have crossed the treacherous Himalayas from their homeland. On Friday, Wang laid the foundations of a police academy to train officers of Nepal’s Armed Police Force that guards districts bordering Tibet.

Beijing will build the police academy as a gift on top of the annual aid of $128m, up from the current $24m, Krishna Prasad Devakota, a Nepal finance ministry official, said. l

Five-time MLA and BJP national vice-president Raghubar Das was elected Jharkhand’s first non-tribal chief minister Friday, three days after his party’s victory in the assembly elections.

At the meeting to elect the legislative party leader, Das’ name was proposed by Khunti MLA Neelkanth Singh Munda and supported by legislators

Saryu Rai and CP Singh.

Central observer JP Nadda made the official announcement at the BJP office in Ranchi. “I congratulate him and expect that the BJP alliance will now provide good governance in the state. He will fulfil the Prime Minister’s mantra Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas.”

After his name was announced, Das said the government’s first priority would be to provide a good, corruption-free government. l

Arrest warrant issued for Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz

Senior UN officials in Sudan asked to leave

Offensive against Assam militants launched

Senior Civil Judge Saqib Jawad issued a non-bailable arrest warrant on Friday against Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz while hearing a case filed by civil society members.

During the hearing, the investigation officer of the case requested the court to issue an arrest warrant for Abdul Aziz for investigation, based on a First Information Report (FIR) that was previously registered against the cleric at Aabpara Police Station.

Judge Saqib accepted the investigation officer’s request and an arrest warrant was issued, which will be followed by the police taking legal procedures to arrest Aziz for further investigation.

In response to the arrest warrant, spokesman for the Lal Masjid Shuhada Foundation Hafiz Ehtisham said that Maulana Abdul Aziz will resist arrest.

He added that there have been arrest warrants against political leaders in different cases such as the Model Town incident and the attack on PTV’s office, but they were not arrested. Therefore, Maulana Aziz will resist any such move, Ehtisham said.

The non-bailable FIR was registered under section 506 (2) of the Pakistan Penal Code which states punishment for criminal intimidation or threats.

Following the deadly attack on Army Public School in Peshawar, civil society activists gathered outside the capital’s Lal Masjid last week to protest a statement by the cleric in which he refused to condemn the massacre.

A civil society activist, Ahmad Ali, told Dawn that Maulana Abdul Aziz refused to condemn the incident in Peshawar and said he could not call the students who were killed ‘martyrs’.

The protesters chanted slogans against Maulana Abdul Aziz as a staff member came out of the mosque and warned protesters that any further chanting will not be tolerated by the management. Police in riot gear also arrived at the scene and asked the protesters to disperse.

Station House Officer (SHO) at Aabpara Police Station Abdul Rehman while talking to Dawn confirmed that an FIR had been registered against participants of the protest. “The protesters violated Section 144, they blocked the road and delivered hate speech against the administration of the mosque,” he said.

He added that the FIR had been registered on the request of the mosque administration. For two days, the protests were held in front of the mosque during which the Maulana also reportedly threatened the protesters. l

n Agencies

n Agencies

n Agencies

Sudan is reported to have ordered two senior UN officials to leave, amid tensions between Khartoum and the peacekeeping mission in the western Darfur region.

A UN spokesperson, who spoke on condition of anoymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said Ali Zaatari and Yvonne Helle were ordered to leave on Thursday.

Zaatari has been UN resident coordinator at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) while Helle worked as the UNDP’s country director.

The UNDP and Sudanese foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Stephane Dujarric, the UN spokesperson, said the UN had protested against the expulsions.

“The UN has filed a protest with the government of Sudan following their decision to request the departure of two senior UN officials from the country,” he told the AFP news agency.

Dujarric said Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, “condemns” the move and urged Sudan to “immediately” reverse the decision and cooperate with UN entities in the country.

“The sanctioning of United Nations personnel sent to Sudan to carry out their duties in accordance

with the United Nations Charter is unacceptable.”

‘Situation worsening’ The head of the UN peacekeeping forces said UNAMID was unlikely to bow to Sudan’s request to leave when the situation there appears to be worsening, Reuters news agency reported.

It was unclear clear why the UN officials were asked to leave, or when they would have to exit the country. The UN staffer declined to provide further details.

Zaatari, a Jordanian national, had been in Sudan for nearly two years, and Helle, who is from the Netherlands, had spent about a year heading the UNDP’s office in the country.

The expulsions come as Sudan’s government is locked in a dispute with the hybrid UN-African union mission in Darfur known by its acronym UNAMID. Ties between the two have frayed over Khartoum’s anger at the mission’s attempts to investigate a report that government troops raped 200 women and girls in a village in Darfur on October 31.

‘Exit strategy’ sought Sudan demanded UNAMID form an “exit strategy” from Darfur, where they have been deployed since 2007, and ordered it to shut a human rights office in Khartoum last month. l

Japan close to S Korea and US defence deal n Reuters, Tokyo Japan, the United States and South Korea are close to reaching a deal on sharing and safeguarding sensitive information on North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs, Japan’s Defence Ministry said on Friday.

As Japan lies well within the range of North Korea’s mid-range missiles, acquiring military intelligence on North Korea in a timely manner is vital for its security.

“Ever since defense ministers of Japan, the United States and South Korea agreed on the importance of information sharing in May, discussion has taken place at various levels,” a Japanese Defence Ministry official told a briefing.

“And now we are in the final stages

toward signing.”

Under the framework, South Korea would pass relevant information to the United States, with which Seoul already has a legally-binding pact to share and safeguard intelligence called General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), and then the US would pass the information onto Japan.

It would also work the other way around as the United States has signed a GSOMIA with Japan as well.

Some South Koreans have voiced concerns about signing a security pact with Japan, a one-time colonial ruler. Besides Japan’s annexation of Korean peninsula that ended in 1945, bilateral ties have been plagued by a prolonged territorial dispute over a group of tiny islets. l

Security forces on Friday launched a major offensive against the banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Sangbijit) responsible for the massacre of over 70 adivasis in Assam’s Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts.

On Friday morning, Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh met Union home minister Rajnath Singh and discussed about the ground situation in Assam and ways to in-

tensify operations against the militant outfit.

“We are definitely going to intensify our operations in Assam,” the army chief told reporters in New Delhi after a meeting with Singh.

The home minister, who returned to the national capital on Thursday evening after a two-day visit to Assam to take stock of the situation after the violence perpetrated by the Bodo militant group, discussed the current situation in the state with Gen Singh. l

plemented due to repeated violations of the ceasefire and because separatists defied Kiev by holding leadership elections.

Ukraine’s Interfax news agency quoted a rebel representative as saying the prisoners would be swapped

by Dec. 30. Lubkyvsky did not confirm this date, but said the exchange would happen “soon.”

It is not known exactly how many prisoners are currently held by the two sides, but Ukraine’s military said this month around 600 Ukrainians were in rebel hands.

Around 1,300 people have been killed since the ceasefire was agreed in September, according to the United Nations, but the fighting has lessened significantly in December. [ID:nL6N0TZ193] On Friday, however, the military said rebels had slightly stepped up their attacks on Ukrainian positions in the east of the country.

“In the past two days, (rebel) fighters started using artillery and GRAD rocket launchers. Attacks have intensified to a minor extent,” military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told Reuters by phone. l

Swedish mosque hit by arson in Eskilstuna n BBC An arsonist set fire to a mosque in the Swedish town of Eskilstuna on Thursday, injuring five people, police said.

About 15 to 20 people were attending midday prayers in the mosque, located in the ground floor of a residential building, when the fire broke out on Christmas Day. Local media footage showed smoke and flames billowing from the windows before firefighters put the blaze out.

The incident comes amid a fierce debate in Sweden over immigration policies.

The far right wants to cut the number of asylum seekers allowed into Sweden by 90%, while mainstream parties are intent on preserving the country’s liberal policy.

“A witness saw somebody throw an object through the window of the building, which serves as a mosque, after which a violent fire began,” police spokesman Lars Franzell told reporters.

He said five people were taken to hospital for treatment of injuries ranging from smoke inhalation to lacerations.

Police are treating the incident as arson but no arrests have been made so far, Mr Franzell added. l

Bodo villagers moving towards a safer place after they were attacked by Adivashis, in Kokrajhar on Thursday

AP

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi says wants West to spur reform not reimpose sanctions n Reuters, London Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday called on the West to encourage her country’s government to enter meaningful reform talks but told it not to reintroduce punitive sanctions even though democratic reforms were foundering.

Suu Kyi, who is ineligible to become president after planned parliamentary elections next year because of a technicality in the constitution, criticized the West for being too optimistic about change but said it could help by pushing for talks.

“That’s a problem with the international community. They have not lost interest in Burma, they still want Bur-

ma to have a happy ending,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, using the country’s old name.

“But they think that they’ll get a happy ending simply by insisting that it is a happy ending and that’s not how things happen.”

Myanmar began its emergence from international pariah status in 2011 when military leaders launched reforms after nearly half a century in power and installed a quasi-civilian government, but the military still holds substantial sway.

US President Barack Obama visited last month, saying the law that barred Suu Kyi from becoming president “doesn’t make much sense.”

Suu Kyi, who wants the constitution

amended so she can run for president, said reforms were not going “too well” and that the government wasn’t keen on genuine change with many people in the military continuing to believe they were the only ones who could hold the country together.

But she strongly rejected the idea of reintroducing European Union sanctions which were lifted in 2013 to reward Myanmar for progress in moving towards democracy.

“I don’t like going backwards,” she said. “I like going forwards so I think rather than reintroducing old methods I think what would help greatly is if everybody seriously put their minds to doing whatever they can to encourage negotiations.

That is the doorway to the future.” l

Special Menace at the mangrove 8

Saturday, December 27, 2014

DHAKA TRIBUNE

The worst mangrove environment disaster in Bangladesh by oil spill

bled area and employ the army and the coast guards to quickly clean up the oil and oil slick in order to protect the biodiversity of the Sundarbans.

The plying of engine-run water vessels through the rivers of the Sundarbans is an utter violation of national and international rules and standards. The authorities who gave permission to run water vessels through the forest “must take the liability” of this calamity.

The Ministry of Shipping should be held responsible for the capsize of the oil tanker. Padma Oil which is under the BPC is also responsible for the incident as it did not conduct required inspection before operating such activities.

The accident

About 350,000 litres of oil has already spread over 10,000 square kilometres area after this accident

COURTESY

S

n AKM Wahiduzzaman

undarbans is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. It covers approximately 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 sq mi) of which 60% is in Bangladesh with the remainder in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The mangrove forest is now facing a major environmental disaster, after a vessel, carrying over 350,000 litres of furnace oil, capsized in Sela River, as the spill particularly jeopardised a dolphin sanctuary, the local food chain and the entire local ecology. Various authorities, who neither have the experience nor capability to handle such a mishap, have been trying to pass the responsibility to each other instead of making a move. The situation is getting worse by the minute since a tanker carrying 3.58 lakh litres of furnace oil sank in the early hours of December 9, 2014. The affected areas include Joymonir Ghol, Andharmanik and Nandabala.

The Sela River is known as a sanctuary for sweet-water Irawaddy and brackish-water Ganges dolphins. So, these marine creatures are the first in the line of victims of oil spill. Rare species like lizards, otters, snakes, BlackCapped Kingfishers, Horseshoe Crabs and Endemic River Terrapins were found dead and smeared with oil along the banks of the Sela River.

As a coastal mangrove forest, the vegetation in the Sundarbans gets inundated twice a day by high tides. Now that there is oil, as water recedes with low tide, the oil will remain on the vegetation and the forest topsoil. The vegetation is the main food for various kinds of deer that live in the dense forest surrounding the river. The deer, in turn, is one of the main foods of the Bengal tigers. So, in the long run, the population of deer and tigers – the two best known animals from the Sundarbans – will be affected.

The mangrove ecosystem of Sundarbans is primarily made up of four kinds of salt-water trees: Sundari, Kewra, Goran, Poshur and Gol. These trees reproduce from the windfall seeds that fall on the ground. As oil settles on the forest topsoil, these seeds will die and in the long run, the regeneration of the Sundarbans will be badly affected. That in turn will put the deer and different types of primates in trouble who depend on these trees for living.

These windfall seeds are the staple food of Pungash fish that also inhabit the Sela waters. This fish again is one of the main foods of crocodiles – a famous reptile from these forests. If Pungash does not get anything to eat, they will die, eventually putting the lives of crocodiles at risk as well.

The government has not taken proper measures to protect the Sundarbans despite the demand of the country’s people and concern of the international

The clean-up so far has covered an insignificant portion of the volume of the oil spill

COURTESY

Water and environment experts have raised question as to why the vessels had been allowed to ply inside the Sundarbans even after objections by the Forest Department some years ago

organisations, including UNESCO and Ramsar Convention, since this accident had occurred. Even after this accident, the government hopelessly failed to fight against the disaster as they do not have the necessary equipment for sucking up the oil from the water. Instead, they asked local people to collect the furnace oil using fishing nets, sponges or any other manual means and sell it to the State-run Padma Oil Company putting them under health risk.

Background of the disaster

The present Bangladesh government has established a number of quick rental and cogeneration peaking power plants. 100MW Gopalganj Power Plant is one of them built by Energypac for Power Development Board (PDB). It is a cogeneration peaking power plant, operational only at peak hours, when demand is higher, and stopped when the demand is low. The generators of this plant run on heavy fuel, ie, furnace oil, which is cheaper to set up, but costly to

run. Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) supplies furnace oil for this plant. And they hired Southern Star –7 to do this job.

Southern Star –7 was not fit for oil carrying; rather, it was a sand-carrying cargo. The tanker had no head light to move in a densely foggy night. It had no registration and insurance. It was permitted to operate without following proper procedure. Even inspection during loading and unloading of oil was not done properly. The cargo was

used as an oil tanker to make profit overnight.

It is not surprising that the disaster has been reportedly linked to corruption among ruling party elites. The owner of the tanker, Amir Hossain Farid, who did not have proper documents that would certify his cargo ship as capable of transporting oil, grabbed the work through allegedly exercising his connections to a senior minister. Whether the reports are in the end confirmed or not, there can be little doubt that the relevant rules and regulations could not have been flouted with such impunity, leading to the catastrophe, had it not been for official collusion and corruption. At the end of the day, corruption is at the heart of the crisis, as always.

Sela River where the accident took place was not used as a transit route before. After the Mongla-Ghashiakhali channel outside the Sundarbans has turned unsuitable for shipping three years back because of excessive siltation in the Kumarkhali River, the channel through Sela River inside the Sundarbans was started to be used and kept open for inland water transit from India only.

The dredging on Mongla-Ghashiakhali channel was supposed to be ended and opened up the international route of shipping between India and Bangladesh by December this year after a three-year pause. But only 20% of the dredging was completed due to huge corruption and malpractices of the ruling Awami League in the tendering process.

The oil tanker was plying ignoring the objections of the Forest Department. The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) had allowed vessels to use the alternative route of Sela River ignoring the objections. About three years ago, the Forest Department asked the Ministry of Shipping to stop movement of vessels in the Sundarbans. The Department in 2011 wrote a letter to the BIWTA, which runs under the Ministry of Shipping, directing them to stop the movement of vessels. Asked why the vessels’ movement was continuing despite the objections, Divisional Forest Officer in the East Zone, Amir Hossain Chowdhury said that the BIWTA was allowing the movement of vessels in the Sundarbans, as they “did not care” about the mangrove forest.

Voicing concern over the oil spill following the capsize of Southern Star -7 oil tanker in the Sela River, water and environment experts have raised question as to why the vessels had been allowed to ply inside the Sundarbans even after objections by the Forest Department some years ago, that had put the world’s largest heritage and Bangladesh’s pride at great risk? The question was also raised whether it was an accident or a planned attempt to destroy the world’s largest mangrove forest and its biodiversity? They suggested the government to announce it a trou-

Oil tanker Southern Star -7 was on its way to the Gopalganj power plant with 357,664 litres of furnace oil. It anchored in the Sela River due to fog as it had no head light to move in a densely foggy night. Southern Star -7 capsized as another tanker MT Total hit it at around 6am in Chadpai Dolphin Sanctuary in Mrigamari area, seven kilometres away from Joumonirgul area of Mongla in Bagerhat. Seven crew members managed to swim ashore, but its captain Mokhlesur Rahman drowned and died.

This accident caused the biggest disaster to date in the mangrove forest of the Sundarbans. About 350,000 litres of oil has already spread over an area of 10,000 square kilometers after this accident. The slick spread to a second river and a network of canals in the Sundarbans. The oil spill has blackened the shorelines.

No steps were taken to salvage the vessel or clear the oil to bring the pollution under control within 24 hours.

The place where the oil has spilled is a sanctuary for dolphins. This place is declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site and by the UN to be “one of the important wetlands of the world.”

This accident is more than enough to point out just how important the Sundarbans are as a global heritage site and also how unprotected the forest actually is. It shows how dangerous it is for oil, coal or toxic products to be transported through the rivers of the forest.

Effects of oil spill on the Sundarbans

Oil spill in rivers or channels of the mangrove forest in the Sundarbans is much more damaging than any oil spill in the sea or river. Because, the spilled oil will stay in the ecosystem of the affected area up to 50 years.

The oil slick will have a severe impact on the aquatic lives and the mangrove plants grown along the shorelines where the thick layer of oil has gathered. Fish and other aquatic lives would start dying in large numbers in a day or two, while the mangroves might start dying after a month. The spill will also cause a huge problem on the shorelines of canals and rivers for the animals of the mangrove forest to drink from.

The air around the Sundarbans is thick and it smells foul. The black slick flowing down the Sela and Pashur rivers, covering grasses and plants on their banks, gives a feeling that it is not the world’s biggest mangrove forest, rather an industrial city cursed by civilisation’s waste.

Animals have begun to die. The water hyacinths on the two rivers have turned black. Some Golpata trees have gone under heavy layers of oil.

One local, Abu Jafar, spotted two animals - a monitor lizard and an otter - dead and smeared with oil along the banks of the Sela.

Unless one knows, there is no reason to believe that what is coming into the canal is water, because it is black and has a thick layer of concentrated oil on top.

Even the soil on the banks of the canal has turned black. The line stretches as far as the eyes can see. Everything below that line appears pitch black.

Fishermen who depend on the forest said the amount of fishing was high in the first two days after the accident and subsequently declined significantly.

“I used to catch around 20kg a day, but I got only 8kg on Thursday. I think weak aquatic species like small fishes, shrimps, crabs and others, might have died by getting smothered in the oil spill,” said Afjal Hossain Khan

DHAKA TRIBUNE

who lives near the Sorki canal of the nearby Mrigamari forest beat. “Perhaps the contamination of the water by the furnace oil was a reason for the reduction of the amount of fish in the nets,” he added.

Faruk Khan and his 10-year-old son, who trap crab in the Sundarbans, said that over the last few days, the number of crabs he has netted has dramatically decreased.

“During the last two days we have collected only 32 crabs weighing 6kg, though we usually collect at least 20kg in that time,” he added.

Political ecology researcher Tanzim Uddin Khan said two or three days are not enough to measure the negative impacts of the accident on different species of flora and fauna. We have to wait for some time to know the actual range of the damage unleashed.

Health risk

The Bangladesh government launched an intensified manual campaign to clean up seepage following a huge oil spill in 34,000 hectares at the Sundarbans. Forest authorities engaged 100 hired boats (both mechanised and local) and about 200 workers to remove spilled oil from adjoining canals of two rivers - Sela and Pashur - of the reserve forest using local equipment.

While a major government-led clean-up operation is being delayed by indecision, local people in the area are manually sopping up the floating furnace oil with sponges, encouraged by a Padma Oil offer to purchase the furnace oil for Tk30 per litre.

The clean-up so far has covered an insignificant portion of the volume of the oil spill.

Rafiqul Islam Babu, a local contractor of Padma Oil Company, said he purchased only 2,200 litres of oil collected by local people in the Joymonirgol area till December 11.

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Fish and other aquatic lives would start dying in large numbers in a day or two, while the mangroves might start dying after a month.

The spill will also cause a huge problem on the shorelines of canals and rivers for the animals of the mangrove forest to drink from

“I think we will be able to purchase hardly 80-90 barrels (16,000–18,000 litres) from local people in the next few days because the spilled oil has already spread across a vast area and started to dissolve,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

On Thursday afternoon, the authorities asked local people via loudspeakers to collect oil floating on the river.

But residents said they found it difficult to gather the oil because of its rapid and continuous spread across the river and surrounding areas.

Ismail Ali, a resident of Joymonir Ghol village said he, together with five others, collected some 350 litres of furnace oil from the water in the last two days.

“We cannot work throughout the day to collect the oil because we have to wait for high tide as the oil detaches from the trunks of trees and soil and floats on the water during the period of high tide,” he added.

Local oil collectors are taking the ultimate health risk and may cause various skin diseases including hair fall if the furnace oil mixed water came in contact with the face or hair.

Improvident government worsens situation

The imprudent and improvident government worsened the situation further in the Sundarbans. Starting from

the moments after the accident, no particularly effective step has been visible from the government side till date.

In the absence of major government push to contain the ecological damage, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan crowd-sourced the clean-up effort, asking local residents to collect whatever spilled furnace oil they could. He said Padma Oil was willing to pay for it.

Environmentalists blasted the government’s handling of the serious issue as a piecemeal approach. It is impractical to expect the villagers to extract spilled oil from the surface of the so many rivers and canals, they said.

Though Navy vessel “Kandari 10” was brought from Chittagong on December 11 as the lone initiative by the government, it could not begin to apply oil dispersant till date because it had not been cleared to do so by the Environment Ministry.

On the other hand, amid the grave concern from different quarters over the environmental impact of the disastrous accident, shipping minister Shajahan Khan on Saturday said the oil spill in the Sela River and its surrounding areas “will cause little” to the Sundarbans. “We have talked to foreign experts who said the oil spilled from the crashed tanker will not harm the world’s largest mangrove forest that

much,” he said while talking to reporters after visiting Chandpai Range of the mangrove forest.

The minister further said, “It will not affect dolphins and other animals as the oil has not spread that much. The oil could not enter the forest as fishing nets were used on the mouths of canals to prevent its spread. Besides, local people are collecting the spilled oil.”

Replying to a question, Shajahan Khan said the government will decide whether it will shut the naval route of Chandpai range amid such a serious disaster.

Rampal power plant: The possibility of future accidents

To make matters worse, the government is now developing a 1,320MW coal-fired power station adjacent to the World Heritage Area. The Rampal Coal Plant is a joint partnership between India’s state-owned National Thermal Power Corporation and the Bangladesh Power Development Board. Construction has started and dredging including land filling is going on.

While the coal plant is located outside of the World Heritage Area, it will require dredging of the Pashur River to facilitate the transport of coal to the plant, and coal will be shipped through the World Heritage Area, presenting a significant threat to the ecological integrity of the Sundarbans.

It is mentioned in the project proposal that 4.72 million tonnes of imported coal will be transported to the Sunderbans’ Akram Point using large ships for Rampal Power Plant. From there, lighterages will ship the coal to the plant.

According to this plan, large ships will sail to Akram Point, which is 30 kilometres deep into the Sunderbans, 59 times a year. The rest of the way to the plant, spanning 67 kilometres, will be sailed by a number of lighterages 236 times a year.

In this way, according to the found evasive EIA report, the transportation of coal will affect the environment from three aspects. First: discharge of coal, dirt, fuel and chemicals from frequently sailing large and small ships will heavily contaminate the adjacent sea, rivers and the coast. Second, at Akram Point, where transfer from large ships to small lighterages will take place, discharge of coal wastes to the river water will cause huge contamination. Third, extensively frequent maritime transportation throughout the Pashur river will damage its banks, adding to the sound and light pollutions caused by the ships, which would negatively impact the ecosystem and wildlife.

UNESCO has already expressed concern about the project, stating: The EIA for the plant does not consider the impact of dredging in the rivers adjacent to the property. Only limited consideration has been given to the transport and transfer of coal in close distance to the property and no mitigation efforts beyond already existing regulations are known.

The dredging necessary to keep the channels of the Pashur River open for navigation is likely to alter the morphology of the river channels, which, in combination with erosion and sedimentation caused by the wakes of large vessels, would be likely to affect priority habitat for freshwater dolphins and other aquatic species, such as the critically endangered Batagur turtle (Batagurbaska) and vulnerable small clawed otter (Aonyxcinerea). Coal dust

Now that there is oil, as water recedes with low tide, the oil will remain on the vegetation and the forest topsoil

Top from left clockwise: A reptile dead on the shore of the Sela River. A snake affected by spilled oil. Map showing oil spill spread in the Sundarbans

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Saturday, December 27, 2014

COURTESY

released into the environment during transport and transfer is likely to have a significant direct adverse impact on mangroves, fish, and probably freshwater dolphins, amongst other endangered species.

At its last meeting in June 2014, the World Heritage Committee requested “the State Party to undertake a comprehensive Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to ensure that cumulative impacts of developments in the Sundarbans are adequately assessed, including in relation to the Outstanding Universal Values of the property.”

The Bangladesh government was further requested to provide a report to UNESCO by February 1, 2015 on the state of conservation of the property and on the urgent progress required to address the issues raised.

The devastating oil spill demon-

strates just how vulnerable the Sundarbans is to industrial shipping accidents and how careless the concerned authorities are in maintaining this World Heritage Site.

Transparency International Bangladesh’s Executive Director, Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, “This accident gives some indication of just how risky it is to use this river route through the Sundarbans and also how dangerous it is to set up the Rampal power plant next to the forest. The government must immediately stop this river route and remove the Rampal power plant project from here, or else we will lose Sundarbans’ status as a World Heritage Site and the forest itself will eventually be destroyed.”

NGOs and community groups are calling on the Bangladeshi government to halt the Rampal Coal Plant and protect the precious Sundarbans forest. The oil spill is devastating, but let’s hope it will be a wake-up call to the government.

Conclusion

The Sundarbans is a unique habitat for a number of wildlife. Apart from the Bengal tiger, Gangetic and Irawaddy dolphin, primates, Indian fishing cat, Indian otter and spotted deer, many other prominent fauna populate the single biggest mangrove forest in the world.

The healthy existence of the forest is absolutely crucial for Bangladesh. In 2007, the Sundarbans, acting as a natural shield, weakened down the devastating cyclonic storm Sidr, preventing it from inflicting irrevocable damage to a huge coastal populace of the country.

An oil tanker sinking and resulting in spillage of 358,000 litres of furnace oil is a major environmental disaster for the Sundarbans mangrove forest. No remedial measures have been taken to contain the spill. This is so because no effective counter measure exists as the forest department lacks just enough logistics to deal with the calamity. What is even more abhorrent is that although it is illegal to operate vessels through protected forests, in reality, hundreds of such vessels have been navigating the Sela River since 2011 when Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Agency (BIWTA) had lifted the ban.

Now that the vessel has sunk and oil has spilled across a 20km area, precisely what is to be done is the challenge.

Unless measures are taken now, biodiversity in the area is set to suffer severely. The afflicted area will adversely affect marine and wildlife of the mangrove forest if not contained. We are informed that with the rise in tide, the oil will spread further into other parts of the channel. Given that the Sundarbans is a world heritage site and home to many unique species of plant and animal life, it is time to enlist the help of the Navy which is purported to have in its stock chemical agents to scoop up oil spills. In the longer run, authorities need to undertake dredging of Mongla-Ghasiakhali channel to restore its navigability and ban all heavy marine vessels from using the Sundarbans water channels. l The author is Assistant Professor of Geography, National University, Gazipur

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Saturday, December 27, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

BB has no business policing CSR

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angladesh Bank has recently issued new guidelines to banks on how to conduct their CSR activities. We would like to remind the authorities at Bangladesh Bank that CSR does not protect the millions of ordinary depositors who have entrusted the banks with their savings.

Instead of policing CSR, we would like to see Bangladesh Bank concentrate on fulfilling its core responsibility.

Our central bank’s core responsibility is to regulate and audit banks to ensure that depositors’ money is not mismanaged. Based on the large-scale fraud that has been uncovered at Sonali Bank and Basic Bank (and other stateowned banks), Bangladesh Bank does not appear to be performing its core function successfully.

The growth of the economy depends on a well-managed banking system. Banks like Sonali Bank and BASIC Bank are being bailed out with taxpayers’ money because of rampant fraud. This is nothing but a waste of taxpayers’ money. Bangladesh Bank should concentrate on addressing the serious fraud in state-owned banks, which threatens the public’s confidence in the banking system.

We believe that Bangladesh Bank has no business interfering in the CSR activities of private banks. It is a waste of time and resources, and diverts from the real problems that need to be solved in our banking sector.

CSR does not protect the millions of ordinary depositors who have entrusted the banks with their savings

A comprehensive solution to traffic

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

Clean-up efforts at Sundarbans veer off course December 16

Too often we have focused on band-aid solutions that fail to get to the heart of the problem

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to begin with), and be prompt to seek help from outside? Seriously, do you not get tired of disappointing the people of the country? Because we sure are getting tired of being constantly disappointed by our leaders.

Akhtar Shah Veer off course? Really? There wasn’t a “course!”

Was there? What was it? Asking a group of locals to use their old biscuit tins and plastic-watering containers to collect oil?

This monumental, ecological disaster operation needed a coordinated, resourceful, expert-led plan of action, with long-term monitoring built in.

But alas, let’s face it. Someone and/or some people (a “learned” minister included) have sent in a “pedal bike to compete at a Formula 1 race!”

Seira Why won’t these people, for once in their lives, accept that this is beyond their level of competence (not that they are very competent

Mobile internet loses 1m users in November December 18

Akhtar Shah Seira: Quite right. When meritocracy buys a oneway ticket out of the country, and blind loyalty becomes the only yardstick of appointment for important/critical positions, nothing better can be expected. I am sorry to say. sujaul khan Dear friends of Dhaka Tribune, hats off again for your incisive reporting. You keep the beacon of hope alive.

Please keep the pressure on the powers that be. A humble request to keep the Sundarban oil spill in the news. The best weapon that the government has is our goldfish memory and Hujug (hype) Bangali. We owe better to nature.

Sundarbans are the only livelihood for millions. A pristine sanctuary for the best of natural flora and fauna. Please keep pushing the envelope.

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

Bangabandhu’s family to come under presidential retirement scheme December 16

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ne cannot overstate the extent of the traffic problem in our capital. All residents of the city are aware of the many challenges posed by Dhaka’s traffic on any given day.

Even though many ideas have been floated to improve the traffic situation on our roads and highways, most have addressed only one aspect of the problem while ignoring the many others.

It is high time for experts and the government to come together for a more comprehensive plan to reduce traffic congestion in the capital, by keeping in mind the big picture.

The centralisation of activity in Dhaka has brought the city near its breaking point.

Long-term steps towards decentralisation are a crucial component in curbing traffic.

We should also consider improving and developing our public transportation system, and firmly enforcing all traffic laws to avoid chaos on our roads.

We must ensure there are enough good roads as well. Currently, our capital’s road system is insufficient for a metropolis its size.

Careful strategic planning is needed when building roads and highways, keeping in mind the volume of traffic these roads are expected to see.

From penalising jaywalkers to banning rickshaws, too often we have focused on band-aid solutions that fail to get to the heart of the problem. A city’s traffic system is a multi-faceted challenge, and to rise up to it we need a comprehensive and sustainable strategy.

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 17 represents C so fill C every time the figure 17 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

Shirin Fair enough. There are more harmful privileges which politicians award themselves. Can’t help noting that of our three finest presidents, two were murdered and one is still leading a political career at a near Mugabe age.

Yaseer Arafat Kakon This is alarming.

SA Yaseer Arafat Kakon: Yes it is. If mobile internet companies don’t get their act together, they can expect to lose more users.

Hasina asks Khaleda to rein in son December 19

anon LoL. This is nothing more than Bhabi politics.

Victory Day celebrated across the country December 17

Dr Ahsan Habib How ridiculous is it that, amid so much show of fanfare, the real freedom fighters are dying from starvation. There is no official record of how many people actually died. Just send 10 people to each of the 86,000 villages and get a list of dead people when it is still possible. But it will never be done.

Neither Hasina nor Khaleda are inspired by the true spirit of 1971. They are traders of the spirit of 1971.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

bdguy82 So Ershad cannot receive a pension because he has been found guilty by a court, but he can be appointed a special envoy to the PM with the rank of a minister. How ironic.

The virtues of victory December 16

Evil People Politics Our nation has indeed come quite a long way in these four decades, but there’s still a lot to be done.

That’s where the youth comes in.

A citizen Enjoyed this little refresher course in the brief history of our nation. The history of the next 43 years is up to us.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Pale (3) 3 Graceful bird (4) 6 Break suddenly (4) 7 Early freshness (3) 9 Egg-shaped (4) 10 First woman (3) 11 Place for bees (4) 13 Venomous ill-will (5) 16 Resting (5) 18 Swarm (4) 19 Male sheep (3) 20 Goading device (4) 21 Mineral spring (3) 23 Book of the Bible (4) 24 Cicatrix (4) 25 Insect (3)

DOWN 1 Walks through water (5) 2 Copy (3) 4 Undulation (4) 5 No score (3) 6 Diaphanous (5) 8 Plaintive cry (5) 9 Above (4) 12 Articles (5) 14 Jetty (4) 15 Stops up (5) 17 Region (5) 18 Musical instrument (4) 20 Distress signal (3) 22 Kitchen utensil (3)

Case recorded as policeman’s misconduct revealed December 16 vhs Sometimes I am not sure if the police are there to protect us or to harrass us further.

Killing us softly December 17

EP “The messages are clear: There’s nothing to worry about regarding the latest spillover, and be ready to witness further such accidents in the future.”

I know it’s incredibly cynical to say this, but this shameful incident really has overshadowed the spirit of Victory Day this year.

Momoaswan Well said.

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

Zero-Agenda This disaster will surely leave lasting impacts on our country’s overall health, be it in terms of the environment or even the economy.

Ignorance dims glory of ‘71 martyr December 16

rose “Abdul Halim Mia was one of the thousands of pen pushers of the erstwhile East Pakistan’s civil service machinery. As chief clerk at Rajshahi’s water development board office, Halim Mia must have had to deal with a lifetime of mundane work and hardly anyone of note.

But the onset of war drew out a different man.”

Halim was a martyr, and he deserves to be recognised for his sacrifice.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

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Saturday, December 27, 2014

Enough is enough n SNM Abdi

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BIGSTOCK

The three Fs of freedom

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n Esam Sohail

egitimately indeed, we have heard of the demand for credible elections in Bangladesh, an event that has not taken place since 2008. Yet, elections alone do not a democracy make anymore than, as the 17th century English poet Richard Lovelace said: “Stone walls do not a prison make.”

What the real opposition (as distinct from the make-believe one) has consistently and steadfastly failed to do since the dubious January 5 polls is present any vision of an alternative, beyond the oft-repeated and vitally important demand for real elections.

In almost exclusively emphasising legitimate elections, however, the genuine opponents of the regime forget two of the three “F”s of freedom as it pertains to free, modern societies.

Indeed, free elections, the first F of freedom, are the building block of a free society that seeks to be governed by its own consent. Contrary to what the ruling party pretends to understand, having an electoral exercise with only the ruling party and a tailor-made loyal opposition is not a free election; any pretense of even that election having much legitimacy is out of the window when the electoral machinery from the national commission to the polling officers serves at the pleasure of the ruling party.

Right now, the prime minister can change this sad narrative and test her government’s actual popularity by letting an all-party Election Commission have plenipotentiary powers for 90 days and call a snap general election.

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At the same time, given the prevailing ground realities, it will behoove the opposition to come up with proposals other than the caretaker government idea that seems to be a non-starter so far. But what after such a credible election once it takes place and everyone buys into it? I mean, we have had those before, right?

It is a tragedy that detractors of this government are yet to tell us how their version of democracy will be any more free The second F of freedom is free institutions. Much of Bangladesh’s severe problems of governance and even the dubious elections can be traced to the lack of independent institutions that could have garnered the trust of the people across deep political chasms.

Whether it is the Election Commission or the Anti Corruption Commission or the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) or any of the dozens of regulatory or law enforcement agencies, the bitter fact is that none of them are much more than an appendage of whomever the head of the government happens to be.

Most such organisations have either no constitutionally-protected autonomy, or the rules of business have

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made them utterly dependent on the fiscal and human resource largesse of the government of the day. Some of these organisations have very limited statutory powers anyway and even those powers are never exercised – out of prudent caution by career minded civil servants – to control the excesses of ruling party henchmen.

Sadly, I am yet to hear a single proposal from a former prime minister or any of her partners in the democracy restoration movement about how they would go about reforming these vital institutions so that they serve the public without fear or favour. What good would free elections do when institutions simply change from serving one set of political masters to another as a result?

The strength and autonomy of institutions is all the more important for the opponents of the government, because such guarantees alone can assure a sceptical public that the war crimes trials will continue – albeit with much needed due process reforms – no matter who is in office.

Without those aforementioned free institutions, the most essential individual liberties – the third F of freedom – can hardly be protected, as history has repeatedly shown us.

Absent free elections and free institutions, there are no truly free people.

We bemoan how there is a dearth of real history and a lack of creativity in public education, while not a day goes by without utter high-handedness by some agent of the state abridging one fundamental right or the another with impunity. It is a matter of abject shame that 42 years into the crafting

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of the 1972 Constitution, its grandiose guarantees of basic rights of expression, speech, gender equity, travel, and press are celebrated far more in their violation than in their upkeep.

Without these rights, no real historian will dare to examine national history professionally and no creative mind will risk reaching the limits of creativity lest she or he incur the wrath of the state or the mob. And yet, nothing has been heard for a year from the opposition about its plan to protect these rights in a concrete, structured, and actionable manner.

Talk is cheap, and exhortations at rallies are no substitutes for real proposals. Even a modest proposal to actually empower the NHRC to crack down on state-sponsored human rights violators would have been a welcome breath fresh air; but alas, nothing but stale air flows from these rallies asking for a change of government.

This government rests on dubious legitimacy and, knowing that, seeks to keep itself in power through a slow, steady, and methodical curtailment of all that makes a democracy an actual society based on the consent of the governed. It is a tragedy of stunning proportions, however, that the well-meaning detractors of this government are yet to tell us how their version of this democracy will be any more free than the one they seek to replace.

Like other Bengalis, I too await that explanation. l

What worries me as an Indian is that bullying Bangladesh sullies the reputation of the world’s largest democracy Tellingly, he hasn’t visited Bangladesh after becoming the PM but has been to Nepal twice and once to Bhutan.

Significantly, Modi distinguishes between Muslim and Hindu Bangladeshis: While Muslim Bangladeshis are infiltrators; Hindu Bangladeshis are genuine refugees who India welcomes.

He also advocates “stronger border management” – officialese for telling the BSF to shoot more Bangladeshis.

Former Indian Premier Manmohan Singh is known as a gentle, sober, and erudite man. But ahead of a state visit to Bangladesh in September 2011, he branded a quarter of that country’s population as “anti-Indian.”

The Prime Minister’s Office website quoted him saying: “At least 25% of the population swears by the Jamait-ul-Islami (sic) and they are very anti-Indian and in the clutches of (Pakistan’s) Inter Services Intelligence. We do not know what these terrorist elements are up to.”

I’m not aware of any other head of state describing the people of another country as Singh did. But Bangladeshi leaders didn’t give him an earful. On the contrary, he was warmly welcomed, and plied with gifts within days of tarnishing his host’s reputation. India’s high-handedness begs the question: When will Bangladesh wake up and say enough is enough? l SNM Abdi is an Indian journalist and political commentator. This article was previously published in Arab News.

REUTERS

Stone walls don’t make our prisons anymore

f the United Nations institutes a prize to honour the world’s most forgiving nation, Bangladesh is sure to bag it. Dhaka’s tolerance level is phenomenal when it comes to coping with New Delhi, which loves to humiliate Bangladesh — hemmed in on three sides by India — every now and then.

Narendra Modi last month hurled abuses at Bangladesh, telling the whole world that he didn’t give a damn about the neighbouring country. While Modi’s antipathy for all things Muslim is no secret, Manmohan Singh too said nasty things about Bangladesh in 2011, exposing the institutionalised animosity toward India’s eastern Muslim neighbour.

Even ministers in charge of home or external affairs don’t hesitate to slam and snub Bangladesh on any pretext.

New Delhi paints Bangladesh as a sub-Saharan country brimming with criminals and smugglers whose life’s ambition is to sneak into India.

To be sure, India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has gunned down a 1,000 Bangladeshis like rabbits in a decade.

Bangladesh is maligned as a theocratic state where Hindus live in fear.

Strangely, Bangladesh’s rulers grin and bear the barrage of Indian abuse.

The Awami League government never hits back. There is no tit-for-tat response to offensive and scurrilous remarks. The Bangladesh Foreign Office never summons India’s high commissioner in Dhaka for a dressing down. And the AL doesn’t organise protests outside India’s diplomatic mission or burn effigies of Indian leaders.

I wonder why the Bangladeshi premier and president are so kind-hearted when it comes to India. They have probably taken very seriously the Biblical promise that the meek will inherit the earth — or at least half of South Asia!

What worries me as an Indian is that bullying Bangladesh sullies the reputation of the world’s largest democracy. New Delhi’s coercive tactics are deplored by saner sections across India. But it is high time Dhaka asserted itself. It must tell New Delhi to treat it with the respect all sovereign nations are entitled to regardless of their size. If India persists, Bangladesh should draw red lines and warn New Delhi of the consequences of crossing them.

On November 30, Modi publicly declared that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants are destroying Assam, thereby projecting Bangladesh as a failed coun-

try whose nationals are fleeing. He also characterised Bangladeshis as a destructive race and threatened them with dire consequences.

Modi’s insolence outraged liberals in India but Bangladesh quietly swallowed the insult. Modi targeted Bangladesh in the run-up to the elections too. But his new rant reveals that his attacks on Bangladesh while canvassing for votes wasn’t just poll rhetoric but emanated from a deep-rooted sectarian aversion which has been boosted by a landslide victory in the elections.

Esam Sohail is an educational research analyst and college lecturer of social sciences. He writes from Kansas, USA.

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The New Year dilemma n Ekram Kabir

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very year, when New Year’s Eve approaches, almost everyone in urban Bangladesh starts planning on how to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new one.

Celebrating the start of the Gregorian calendar year is by no means similar to our Bengali new year. Everybody acquires a party mood, they want to dance, they want to sing, and they want a different celebration.

You can’t have this type of celebration inside your homes. One needs to come out, either at a party centre or in a club, or in a restaurant, and join in a New Year’s Eve party. People across the world do that; they gather at a certain place for welcoming the New Year. In some countries, they have state celebrations.

In Bangladesh, however, the scenario is quite different. First of all, we don’t have places to go. Even if we do, those places are very expensive where only a handful of people can afford to go. Then, we have clubs across the country where only members can go.

For the rest of the people, the streets are the only places where they can

come out and have some fun.

But for the common people, that’s perhaps not possible, as the home ministry has already alerted them not to come out on the streets and celebrate. Poor us. We don’t have access to expensive places, and our last resort of

having fun has also been prohibited.

Sometimes, I feel there are so many prohibitions in our country that sometime we feel like a controlled lot. We are told not to have fun when it’s time to have fun.

However, there’s always an alterna-

BIGSTOCK

tive. Those who have nowhere to go would obviously arrange something to have fun. The people, especially the young ones, would perhaps gather at a friend’s house and celebrate. Some circles will arrange music on the rooftops and dance.

No matter what, some would look for booze; some would be successful, and some wouldn’t. The government’s view on the 31st celebrations is that “whatever you do, remain confined indoors.” Despite being indoors, we are bound to see a few news reports in the morning of January 1 that law enforcers have raided a few clubs and residences, and arrested a few persons for one night. And the media will invariably publish pictures of a few dressed-up girls getting arrested.

There’s of course another side of the mirror. When it comes to celebrating New Year’s Eve, we really haven’t grown up as a mature lot. We seem to cross the level of decency while making merry. We sort of overdo everything when we are allowed to do anything.

We have ample example to believe we cannot digest when we are given the freedom to celebrate as we want.

We all remember what a gang of students did to a lady in the heart of Dhaka University. One such incidence is enough to prove our unpreparedness in celebrating 31st night.

We need to have some fun when the whole world is celebrating.

All work and no play will make us dull people

So, on the part of the government, it won’t encourage us to celebrate New Year’s Eve, as we might go crazy, which might give the whole nation a bad name. But on the other hand, we do need to have some fun when the whole world is celebrating.

All work and no play will make us dull people. What the authorities, especially the city corporations, can do is

to turn this global celebration as a state level one. The authorities can arrange musical concerts and social gatherings across the towns. The people would bear the costs of the celebrations and the government would only organise the security.

There was a time when we spent New Year’s Eve on our sofas, watching foreign television stations, people in other countries making merry. Those pictures and news items have certainly created an element of aspiration among us; and we also want to celebrate the New Year.

Apart from this fact, society has changed. Several global aspects of life have entered our lifestyle, which we cannot deny and ignore. We notice there’s a dilemma among us, as well as in our government, regarding whether we should really become “international” and at the same time keep our Bengali nationality.

We just want to have some fun on New Year’s Eve. Wondering when our policy-makers would make some room for that.l Ekram Kabir is head of program, ABC Radio 89.2, and a Dhaka Tribune columnist.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, December 27, 2014

13 Afghan women’s

cricket crushed by threats & tradition

14 McCullum

195 flays Sri Lanka

14 Chelsea stroll

to victory over West Ham

Sport

Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club midfielder Mamunul Islam going through the drills during a practice session at the club premises yesterday (L) while the Busan IPark footballers train at Bangabandhu National Stadium

Did you know?

Manchester City are the only Premier League team to have scored in every away game this season

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Sk Jamal DC eager to prove credentials n Shishir Hoque Four-time South Korean top-flight champions Busan IPark will be up against a spirited Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club when the two sides lock horns in an international friendly at Bangabandhu National Stadium today.

The match will kick off at 5pm and Channel Nine will transmit the friendly live from the venue.

Sheikh Jamal, recently crowned King’s Cup champions in Bhutan, will be determined to prove their worth against the former AFC Champions League winners. The Dhanmondi-based outfit, also the Bangladesh Premier League champions, have a star-studded squad at their disposal, consisting 12 representatives from the national side. However, against Busan IPark, Sheikh Jamal will probably en-

counter their toughest test yet.

While the Bangladesh powerhouse are about to step into their sixth year in professional football, the Busan-based club were established in 1983. Three years later, the K-League team claimed Asia’s equivalent of the Champions League, the premier club competition.

Therefore, the South Korean club are ahead in terms of experience.

Considering the might of the opponents, Sheikh Jamal looked deep into the footage of the recent international friendly between Bangladesh and the Japan Under-21 side – another East Asian team. Seven Sheikh Jamal players started in the friendly which Bangladesh lost 3-0.

Hence, it was apparent in yesterday’s pre-game presser that Sheikh Jamal and their national players are looking to right the wrongs committed

in the Japan friendly.

“This match is important to us for two reasons. Firstly, we clinched the

King’s Cup in Bhutan but most of the fans were unable to watch our matches. This time we want to prove our-

Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club skipper Nasiruddin Chowdhury (L) shakes hands with his Busan IPark counterpart yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

selves on the field in Dhaka and show people how we play,” Sheikh Jamal coach Maruful Haque told the media yesterday.

“Secondly, we need to learn from the Bangladesh-Japan U-21 friendly.

We need to avoid the mistakes as most of the national footballers hail from Sheikh Jamal,” added Maruf, whose six-month ban from all football activities under the Bangladesh Football Federation’s jurisdiction was lifted three days ago.

“I watched two games of Busan IPark before but all of their players are not here. Their average age is 24 and their individual skills are better than us. But, I have told my players to overcome the technically superior opponent by being tough, mentally and physically,” he said.

Maruf said they will be looking to

Bat on Everest planned Four pacers in Tigers’ 15-man squad as tribute to Hughes n Mazhar Uddin

n AFP, Melbourne Planning is under way to place a bat which once belonged to Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes on Mount Everest in a tribute to the batsman who died last month, an official said Friday.

The death of Hughes, 25, from a head blow sustained while playing a

domestic match at the Sydney Cricket Ground stunned the sports world and triggered an outpouring of grief.

Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards said Friday that the Cricket Association of Nepal had proposed the Everest idea.

After Hughes’ death, bats were left outside the front doors of homes in Australia and around the world and a spontaneous #putyourbatsout campaign received a massive response with thousands posting pictures of bats on Twitter.

Edwards also told a Boxing Day Test lunch there were plans for a 63-over game to be played in Nepal as part of the tribute to Hughes who was 63 not out when he sustained the fatal injury, Australian Associated Press reported.

“So although we enter the festive season with heavy hearts, the community’s response has been comforting and in many ways uplifting,” Edwards said in Melbourne.

In another development, a report said Friday that Cricket Australia has trademarked the phrase “63 not out” to prevent people from cashing in on the death of the batsman.

“Cricket Australia registered the trademark in conjunction with Phillip’s management purely as a defensive registration to prevent others trying to exploit Phillip’s memory,” a CA spokesman told The West Australian.

“There was some evidence of that starting to occur which is why we have taken this action,” the spokesman said.

The West Australian said unlicensed Hughes merchandise is being sold by online auction sites including t-shirts, stickers and memorial trophies. l

Keeping the conditions in Australia and New Zealand in mind, chief selector Faruk Ahmed yesterday said the national selection panel will opt for four pacemen in the 15-man Bangladesh squad for the 2015 ICC World Cup. “We have eight-nine pace bowlers, including a seamer-allrounder, in the 30-member provisional squad. We will pick four from them in the final 15-man squad,” Faruk said yesterday.

“In every tour, we try to select at least three pacers in our squad.

Considering the long tour and the conditions in Australia-New Zealand, we have planned to pick four seam bowlers,” he said.

The national selection panel’s chief also assessed the recent performance of the pacemen in question, especially Al Amin Hossain who recently remodeled his bowling action after it was deemed to be illegal by the International Cricket

Council (ICC).

“Besides Al Amin, Rubel Hossain too could not perform in the [Dhaka Premier] league. Taskin Ahmed, Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Mohammed Shohid and Abul Hasan Raju on the other hand are playing consistently. Shafiul Islam, meanwhile, has just returned from injury,” he said.

“If you observe Al Amin closely you will see that he has bowled throughout this year. His bowling rhythm has been disrupted a bit after being called into question. I think he is a talented bowler and will eventually overcome it,” he said.

Faruk informed that they will finalise the squad by January 2. According to the ICC guidelines, the final 15-member squad must be announced before the January 7 deadline.

The former captain added that the remaining four matches of the Super League phase of the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) will be crucial for the cricketers gunning for their re-

spective places.

“We have ahead of us four matches of the Super League phase of the DPL. Those who are under our observation will get the chance to impress us in two matches before the formation of the final squad,” he said.

Faruk also spoke at length about the prospects of young leg-spinner Jubair Hossain, who made his debut in the recently-concluded bilateral series at home against Zimbabwe.

“Jubair is in our mind. But it is quite important to maintain the right combination in the team. Considering the conditions, we have to form the final squad. If he becomes necessary for the team’s combination we will call him up,” he said.

The 48-year old concluded by saying they have plans to develop the women’s national team and informed that they will soon create a pipeline in order to usher more women cricketers in future. l

take advantage of being the home side.

“We have to utilise our home ground, environment and crowd. The players are focused and motivated to do well. If we play our natural game, I expect something positive from tomorrow’s (today’s) match,” he said.

Busan IPark coach Yoon Sung Hyo on the other hand praised the Bangladesh top-flight winners.

“The clubs in Bangladesh and India are getting popular in recent times. We heard that they (Shekh Jamal) are a good team and have quality players in their squad. I can’t say now how we will play but we will put up a performance so that everyone will remember us,” said Yoon.

Both the sides revealed their formation in yesterday’s presser. While the hosts will go with their natural 4-3-3 formation, the visitors will deploy 3-5-2.l

Handball Championship starts tomorrow n Raihan Mahmood The biggest handball event in the local circuit, the Exim Bank 24th National Handball Championship, comprising 29 teams, begins at the Shaheed (Capt.)

M. Monsur Ali handball stadium tomorrow.

Defending champions Border Guard Bangladesh and last year’s runners-up Bangladesh Police are expected to face stern competition from another powerhouse, Bangladesh Ansar, who will take part in the tournament after a three-year hiatus.

The Bangladesh Handball Federation (BHF) has prepared two extra courts at the adjacent Paltan ground to accommodate the matches. All the teams will play one match at the natural surface.

BHF general secretary Asaduzzaman Kohinoor hoped the tournament will be the perfect warm-up for the Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games, slated for April next year.

Tournament committee chairman Hasanullah Khan Rana, secretary Khalequzzaman Swapan, handball federation joint secretary Nurul Islam and official Selim Mia Babu among others presented the event to the media yesterday.

Sponsors Exim Bank has provided a purse of Tk1.2m for the tournament.l

Hasanullah Khan Rana (C) speaks in the presser of the National Handball Championship yesterday COURTESY

DHAKA TRIBUNE

QUICK BYTES

McDowall looks to get Rangers back on track Rangers caretaker manager Kenny McDowall says his aim is to get the Ibrox club back to performing on the pitch following a turbulent one off it. McDowall was promoted from Rangers assistant manager till the end of the season this week after Ally McCoist was placed on gardening leave the day before the board faced a stormy AGM in front of disgruntled shareholders. McDowall, who joined the club from bitter rivals Celtic in 2007 was first team coach under Walter Smith, became assistant manager when McCoist was appointed as manager in 2011. And McDowall, who played for Partick Thistle and St Mirren winning the 1987 Scottish Cup with the latter when they beat Dundee United, admitted replacing club legend McCoist in the dugout would be a hard task. “It’s a difficult circumstance that I have found myself in, but I have to be professional and handle that,” said the 51-year-old. “This is a massive club with a tremendous fan base who deserve the best. All I can do is my best and hope that is good enough to get the team winning on the park.

–AFP

Vietnam gets tough with life bans for match-fixers

Vietnam’s soccer federation has banned nine players for life for fixing an Asian club match, part of efforts to win back dwindling confidence of fans and rebuild a reputation tarnished by bribery scandals. The former Vissai Ninh Binh players received jail terms of up to 30 months in August for rigging an away match against Malaysia’s Kelantan this year in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup. The scandal was one of many in recent years in a country notorious for illicit gambling and with one of the world’s worst track records for match-fixing. It led to Vissai Ninh Binh’s withdrawal from the Vietnamese top flight amid fears league games could also have been fixed. Such measures are rare in Vietnam, which routinely hands down harsh penalties to criminals but has given relatively lenient punishments for throwing games.

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) announced the bans on Thursday. It has been working closely with police to investigate suspicious activities and has previously suggested legalising smallstakes betting to curb the problem.

–Reuters

Russia 2018 Organising Committee in budget deficit The Local Organising committee for the 2018 World Cup in Russia will have a budget deficit for the next year, the country’s minister for sport Vitaly Mutko said on Friday. Mutko was speaking at a meeting held by the organisation’s directorate of which he is a member. “We will have a budget deficit for 2015. The Organising committee is looking for support from independent sources,” the minister told the R-Sport news agency. “The construction costs of the stadiums has not changed at the moment, however market prices could lead to changes in this respect.” Mutko also said the opening ceremony could take place in the Dynamo stadium, which will not host any matches during the tournament, rather than the Luzhniki Stadium as was originally planned. “The Organising committee is looking into the possibility of holding the opening ceremony a day before the opening match at the Dynamo Stadium.”

A contract was signed on Friday regarding the construction of the stadium in Rostov-on-Don, the last to be approved. The 2018 World Cup will use 12 stadiums in 11 cities, including two in Moscow and one each in St. Petersburg, Samara, Saransk, Rostovon-Don, Sochi, Kazan, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod and Yekaterinburg.

–Reuters

n Reuters, Melbourne Young captain Steven Smith compiled a watchful half-century to guide Australia to 259 for five at stumps and leave the third test against India delicately poised after an attritional opening day in Melbourne on Friday.

Smith won the toss and put his team in to bat but the hosts were on the back foot for much of a mild, sunny day in front of a festive Boxing Day crowd of 70,000.

Continuing a stellar run of form, Smith was unbeaten on 72 at stumps, with wicketkeeper Brad Haddin surviving a couple of body blows from India’s pacemen and clutching to a scratchy 23.

Though not helped by some appalling fielding, particularly in the morning session, India’s bowlers stuck to their task on a benign drop-in wicket to pin Australia down in the final two sessions.

Smith and middle order batsman Shaun Marsh resumed after tea with Australia on 174-3, but Marsh was out quickly for 32 with a rash front-foot swipe at paceman Mohammed Shami that gave an edge to India wicketkeeper and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Test debutant Joe Burns, replacing injured all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, managed 13 runs before bottom-edging an Umesh Yadav delivery to Dhoni.

Where Smith never really appeared under great threat, out-of-form wicketkeeper Haddin was under the gun constantly from India’s quicks but scrapped through the final overs to ensure the hosts lost no further ground.

Australia’s batsmen are likely to be

disappointed with their return, with several making starts but only Smith cashing in.

Rogers and Shane Watson raised half-centuries after lunch but were both out within minutes of each other.

One ball after a mix-up over a single, Rogers nicked an edge to Dhoni behind the stumps off Shami, while Watson was trapped lbw by spinner Ravi Ashwin for 52 with an ill-timed sweep.

Under pressure after a string of low scores, the all-rounder failed to make India pay after being dropped in the slips by Shikhar Dhawan on 37.

Yadav dismissed opening batsman David Warner for a duck in the second over but India squandered the start with poor fielding as the hosts pushed to 92-1 at lunch.l

AUSvIND, DAY 1 Australia 1st innings C Rogers c Dhoni b Shami D Warner c Dhawan b Yadav S Watson lbw b Ashwin S Smith not out S Marsh c Dhoni b Shami J Burns c Dhoni b Yadav B Haddin not out Extras (b1, lb6, w1, nb2) Total (5 wickets, 90 overs)

R

B

57 126 0 6 52 89 72 158 32 83 13 27 23 53 10 259

Fall of wickets 1-0 (Warner), 2-115 (Rogers), 3-115 (Watson), 4-184 (Marsh), 5-216 (Burns) Bowling I. Sharma 21-6-54-0 (2nb), Yadav 20-2-692, Shami 17-4-55-2 (1w), Ashwin 27-7-60-1, Vijay 5-0-14-0

Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (3R) celebrates dismissing Australian batsman Shane Watson on the first day of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday AFP

Elgar battles to much-needed ton Yasir Shah inspired n Reuters, Port Elizabeth Opener Dean Elgar struck his third Test century as South Africa rode their luck to finish the first day of the second Test against West Indies on 270 for two on Friday.

Elgar, who came into the match with his position under scrutiny, scored 121 as he shared a second-wicket partnership of 179 with Faf du Plessis which frustrated the touring side who were the architects of their own downfall as they let numerous chances slip in the field.

Du Plessis will resume on a patient 99 along with Proteas captain Hashim Amla, who scored a double-century in the first Test in Pretoria and has reached 17.

After being sent into bat, the day belonged to left-hander Elgar, who was involved in his fourth century stand in Test cricket - remarkably all with Du Plessis.

Following the early loss of out of form opener Alviro Petersen, caught at cover by Leon Johnson off Shannon Gabriel for 17, South Africa edged to 68 for one at lunch.

2ND TEST, DAY 1 South Africa 1st innings D Elgar c Ramdin b Peters A Petersen c Johnson b Gabriel F du Plessis not out H Amla not out Extras (lb-4 nb-4 w-5) Total (for 2 wickets, 88 overs)

R

B

121 239 17 35 99 228 17 33 13 270

Fall of wickets 1-47 A. Petersen Bowling Taylor 19 - 4 - 64 – 0, Peters 15 - 6 - 14 – 1, Holder 13 - 5 - 25 – 0, Gabriel 15 - 0 - 52 – 1, Benn 25 - 3 - 81 – 0, Samuels 1 - 1 - 0 - 0

They pulled away in the afternoon session though as sloppy West Indies offered four lives to the batsmen and were made to pay for their profligacy.

Du Plessis, out for a duck in the first Test, had eight when he slashed the ball to Marlon Samuels at gully off Jerome Taylor, but was dropped.

The right-hander, on 26, was also put down at first slip off left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn and the next ball the tall West Indian was left fuming as wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin missed a simple stumping chance after Elgar skipped down the wicket with his score on 48.

Elgar was fortunate to survive a run-out chance on 73 when he gave up halfway down the wicket having called an impossible single to mid-on and watched with relief as the throw missed the stumps. l

by Shane Warne n Reuters, Karachi Pakistan leg spinner Yasir Shah is determined to make an impact at next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand having been inspired by the great Shane Warne.

“I started playing cricket because I idolised Shane Warne. He has been my role model and I’m keeping my fingers crossed I can make the World Cup squad,” Shah told Reuters.

Warne, who finished with 708 Test and 293 ODI wickets, is rated as the greaTest leg spinner in cricket history.

“Warne transformed cricket with his approach and aggression as a spinner.

I want to emulate him and it would be a dream come true if I can leave an impact in Australia,” Shah, 28, said.

Soldiers play in Afghanistan in memory of WW1 truce n Reuters, Kabul British and German soldiers gathered in a dusty field in Afghanistan on Wednesday to play a game of soccer in memory of a Christmas truce spontaneously called between their armies a century ago during World War One. That moment in 1914 - when troops along Europe’s Flanders front met after four months killing each other to sing carols, exchange gifts and play soccer in No Man’s Land - is celebrated as a triumph of humanity over the savagery of war.

A hundred years later, on a military base halfway around the world, the soccer match took place between concrete blast walls in a country where Britain and Germany have spent over

Shah is in Pakistan’s 30-man preliminary World Cup squad and, with experienced off-spinners Saeed Ajmal and Muhammad Hafeez suspended from bowling in international cricket, is in line to spearhead Pakistan’s spin attack at the tournament.

Chief selector Moin Khan has already reassured Shah about his prospects of making the squad, saying: “Certainly after his superb performances in the Tests against Australia and New Zealand he is in our World Cup plan.”

Shah, who hails from the small town of Swabi in Khyber Pakthunkhawa province, has been busy studying footage of Warne as he prepares himself for a bigger role in ODIs. He is confident of playing well in Australia, where he says the extra bounce in the pitches will help him a lot.l

German and British troops participate in a football match to commemorate the Christmas Truce of 1914 at the ISAF Headquarters, in Kabul on Wednesday.

British and German soldiers deployed in Afghanistan gathered in a dusty field to play a game of football in memory of the Christmas Day truce spontaneously called between their armies during the First World War in 1914

a decade in a coalition fighting against the Taliban insurgency. Those playing in the Afghan capital Kabul said they hoped it would send a message of hope to enemy combatants in the country ravaged by decades of conflict.

“It’s about celebrating what joins us, what is united,” said Brigadier James Stopford, commander of the British forces in Afghanistan. “Look at the comradeship of the people here.”

The British and German teams were jovial as they sang Silent Night and posed for pictures, much like the 1914 scenes described in letters by soldiers to their families.

The coalition’s combat mission will officially end this year without defeating the Taliban. l

REUTERS

Afghan women crushed by threats and bombs n Reuters, Kabul

Ten Cricket 2:30PM South Africa v West Indies 2nd Test, day 2

Star Sports 1 6:00AM (Sunday) Australia v India 3rd Test, Day 3

Channel 9 5:00PM International Club Friendly Sheikh Jamal v Busan IPark

Star Sports 3 T20 Big Bash League Sydney Thunder v Sydney Sixers

13

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Smith anchors Aussies on attritional day

DAY’S WATCH

2:15PM

Sport

The founder of the Afghanistan national women’s cricket team, Diana Barakzai, poses for a picture at the Kabul Cricket Stadium on Wednesday REUTERS

The story of Afghan cricket is a rare bright spot in the troubled country’s recent past, full of unlikely successes and glory that have helped unify a divided nation. Unless you’re a woman player.

A national women’s cricket team formed in 2010 with some fanfare was quietly dissolved this year amid Taliban threats, insecurity and conservative beliefs that led to a shortage of players.

“It does not exist,” said the newly appointed chairman of Afghanistan’s cricket board, Nasimullah Danish, when asked about the team. “The situation is not very much prepared for developing women’s cricket in Afghanistan.”

Activists say the fate of the squad is indicative of a wider lack of institutional support for women in sport in a country where many men are deeply uncomfortable with the idea of their sisters and daughters competing in public.

It is also a reminder of the ambiguous results of millions of dollars spent by donors on women’s development

in Afghanistan - a problem detailed in a December report by a U.S. watchdog on spending in the country (http://bit. ly/1wOLDzX).

The founder of the national women’s team, Diana Barakzai, resigned in April. She said the cricket board obstructed the team because of a belief that women should not leave home unescorted, or be given the chance to learn the sport.

“Afghanistan’s cricket board does not support cricket for women, even though I have 3,700 girl cricketers across Afghanistan,” said Barakzai, who, like many other Afghan cricketers, learned the game as a refugee in Pakistan and says her mission is to teach more women to play.

“I hope their attitude will change,” she said.

Danish is dreaming big for the men’s game.

He wants to make Afghanistan a top cricketing nation within 10 years, from having next to no base a decade ago.

Since 2000, when the Taliban ended a

ban on the sport, cricket has developed rapidly, with an Afghan league and a men’s team that has made its mark internationally.

When the men’s team qualified for the 2015 World Cup in Australia, street celebrations broke out across Afghanistan, highlighting the power of sport to unite the fractious country.

For many young Afghans, sports stars are the first heroes they have known that are not carrying Kalashnikovs.

But Danish will also have to help build up the women’s squad if he is to achieve his goal of making Afghanistan a full member of the International Cricket Council by 2025, since a national women’s team is one of the criteria for joining.

He drew a sharp breath, however, when asked about developing the sport for women, which he insists he supports fully. “(The Taliban) said ‘you should not develop women’s cricket, it is not in Islam, it is not in Afghanistan culture. If you do so, we will not be responsible for your players’,” Danish said, describing a threaten-

ing phone call from the militants.

Resistance from conservative families who don’t want their daughters to play adds to the challenge, he said in his bustling office in Kabul Cricket Stadium.

Danish accused Barakzai of running the team, which included members of her family, for personal interest. Barakzai laughed at that suggestion and accused the board of misusing U.S. aid money.

Danish said he was investigating the administration of the board under the former chairman he took over from last week, but that he had not uncovered evidence of corruption.

Insecurity adds to the problems for women, said Tuba Sangar, who now heads the women’s department at the cricket board, and it meant skilled sportswomen from across the country do not get a chance to play, limiting the talent pool.

“Every day, every week there are bombs, when these security problems are happening, how can the families deal with it? They don’t let their daughter come and play cricket,” said Sangar.l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Saturday, December 27, 2014

B 65 34 98 8 134 80 51 19

Total (7 wickets, 80.3 overs)

429

Fall of wickets 1-37 (Rutherford), 2-60 (Latham), 3-88 (Taylor), 4-214 (Williamson), 5-367 (McCullum), 6-420 (Neesham), 7-429 (Watling) Bowling Lakmal 17-3-83-1 (1nb), Eranga 18-1-82-1, Mathews 9.3-1-34-2, Prasad 12-2-62-1 (2w), Kaushal 22-0-159-1 (5nb), Thirimanne 2-0-5-0

Brendon McCullum came agonisingly close to breaking the world record for the fasTest Test double century as he bludgeoned Sri Lanka’s attack around Hagley Oval to lead New Zealand to 429 for seven at the close on the first day of the first Test on Friday.

McCullum had raced to 195 from 134 balls before the home skipper was caught in the deep by Dimuth Karaunaratne off debutant spinner Tharindu Kaushal, sparking a rush to the exits from the capacity crowd of 8,000 in Christchurch.

The existing record was set in the same city when New Zealand’s Nathan

Astle took 153 balls to reach his double century against England at Lancaster Park in 2002.

The 33-year-old McCullum belted 18 fours and 11 sixes in his innings as he became the first New Zealand batsman to surpass 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year and broke his own national record for the fasTest century, which came off 74 balls.

Mark Craig was on five after wicketkeeper BJ Watling was trapped lbw for 26 in the final over but the hosts were in a dominant position after they had been asked to bat by Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews on a green pitch.

“Once I got under way and managed to create a partnership with Kane (Wil-

liamson), the runs began to flow quite nicely,” McCullum told RadioSport.

“It was nice to have a good solid day and put ourselves in front of the game and put some pressure back on Sri Lanka.”

Despite the bowler-friendly conditions, Sri Lanka’s attack did not look penetrating, despite New Zealand slumping to 88-3 shortly after lunch and the match seemingly swinging back towards the visitors.

Suranga Lakmal, however, dropped a simple caught and bowled opportunity off Williamson with the score on 103 and the floodgates opened.

McCullum punished anything short by slashing it to the cover-point boundary and when the Sri Lankan bowlers

McCullum’s strike rate against Shaminda Eranga. He saved his best for Suranga Lakmal, against whom he scored 45 off 23 balls (SR 195.65).

The number of sixes for McCullum in Tests in 2014, easily a record in a year. The next best is 22,

by Adam Gilchrist in 2005 and Virender Sehwag in 2008.

Test runs for McCullum in 2014, which is by far his best in a year; his previous highest was 764 in 2008. This year, McCullum has scored those runs at 72.75, and a strike rate of 72.56.

Runs scored by McCullum in the 55th over of the innings, off Lakmal (4,6,6,0,4,6). It’s the joint fourth-best in Tests, and two runs off the record: Brian Lara had scored 28 off Robin Peterson in Johannesburg in 2003-04.

The run rate during the 153-run stand between McCullum and Jimmy Neesham, which is the third quickest among all 150-plus stands in Tests.

Tharindu Kauchal’s economy in his debut Test. Among bowlers who have bowled at least 12 overs in an innings on debut, only two have a poorer economy rate.

CRICINFO

McCullum 195 flays Sri Lanka n Reuters

429

R 27 18 54 7 195 85 26 5 12

195

New Zealand 1st innings T Latham c Kaushal b Eranga H Rutherford b Lakmal K Williamson b Prasad R Taylor run out (Silva) B McCullum c Karunaratne b Kaushal J Neesham c Sangakkara b Mathews BJ Watling lbw Mathews M. Craig not out Extras (lb4, w2, nb6)

145.52

NZvSL, DAY 1

74

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum walks off the field after making a whirlwind 195 off just 134 balls against Sri Lanka on the first day of the first Test in Christchurch yesterday

11

December 195 v Sri Lanka at Christchurch

140.7

November 18, 39 v Pakistan at Abu Dhabi 43, 45 v Pakistan at Dubai 202 v Pakistan at Sharjah

The number of sixes McCullum hit in this innings, which is the joint second-highest in a Test innings, after Wasim Akram’s 12 during his unbeaten 257 against Zimbabwe.

McCullum also struck 11 sixes in his 202 against Pakistan in Sharjah last month, which makes him the only batsman with two innings of ten-plus sixes.

33

June 7, 17 v West Indies at Kingston 4, 3 v West Indies at Port-of-Spain 31, 25 v West Indies at Bridgetown

Balls taken by McCullum to get to his century, the fastest in Tests by a New Zealand batsman. He broke his own record of 78 balls in the Test against Pakistan in Sharjah last month.

1164

INNINGS IN 2014 February 224, 1 v India at Auckland 8, 302 v India at Wellington

McCullum’s strike rate, the fastest for a 150-plus innings in Tests.

26

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum’s record breaking exploits continued on Friday as he imposed his will on a Test match to bend it to his team’s advantage for the fourth time this year.

McCullum smashed 195 runs from 134 balls at Hagley Oval to lead New Zealand to 429 for seven at the close of the first day’s play of the first Test against Sri Lanka, despite his side having been put in on a green-pitch.

The innings came within a whisker of becoming the fasTest Test double century, eclipsed his own New Zealand record for the fasTest century and enabled him to become the first New Zealander to score 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year.

The innings demonstrated for the fourth time this year how much McCullum can, when the mood takes and circumstances allow, impose himself to shape the game’s outcome.

In the opening Test of 2014 against India and with the off-field antics of Jesse Ryder and Doug Bracewell overshadowing the team, McCullum came to the crease with his side 30-3.

By the time he was out, he had shared in big partnerships with Kane Williamson and Corey Anderson and put on 105 runs with the bowlers to guide his side to 503, of which he scored 224. New Zealand won the game by 40 runs.

It was the second Test at Wellington’s Basin Reserve, however, that truly cemented his name in the record books.

Facing a 246-run first innings deficit, New Zealand were 52-3 when McCullum came to the wicket before they slumped further to 94-5 and facing defeat inside three days.

McCullum, however, hunkered down and batted for 775 minutes before he became the first New Zealander to score a Test triple century.

While he was dismissed shortly after, he trudged off with the game saved and the two-match series won.

McCullum’s third Test performance against Pakistan in the UAE last month again showed how few other batsmen in the world can change the momentum of a match.

Pakistan had scored 351 in 125.4 overs on a slow Sharjah pitch before McCullum tore the Pakistani bowlers apart with 202 in a 297-run partnership with Williamson.l

Brendon McCullum’s score, which is his fifth highest in Tests. Had he scored five more runs, he would have become the second batsman - after Michael Clarke to score four double-centuries in a year. He would have also almost certainly snatched the record for fastest double-century: the current record is Nathan Astle’s 153 balls, while McCullum scored 195 off 134.

7.84

Captain McCullum produces again when team needs it most n Reuters

7.22

STATS

Runs scored by New Zealand in a day, which equals the fourth highest in a day in a Test in New Zealand. The highest is 442, in a New Zealand-South Africa Test in Wellington in 1932. This is the highest for New Zealand in a single day’s play.

pitched up, he simply belted the ball back over their head.

He shared in a 126-run partnership with Williamson (54) and then a 153run stand in 19.3 overs with all-rounder Jimmy Neesham (85) as the hosts took the visitors out of the conTest by scoring at more than 5.3 runs an over.

“I was trying to be a little aggressive when the ball was up to get them to back their length off and that would create a scoring opportunity,” McCullum added.

“I think there is still something in the wicket for the bowlers if you bowl the fuller length, so hopefully when we do get the ball in hand we can create some opportunities.” l

Chelsea, City, United keep gifts to themselves on Boxing Day n AFP, London Van Gaal has not given up on title n AFP, London Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal insists that winning the Premier League title remains a goal for him and the players despite being 10 points adrift of leaders Chelsea heading into Friday’s fixtures.

The 63-year-old Dutchman - who originally said when he took over after the World Cup this year that he foresaw a three year rebuilding process - has overseen a revival in the club’s fortunes in recent months after a poor start to his reign which was Manchester United’s worst since the 1986/87 season.

However, he takes United into the home game with Newcastle on Friday on the back of a run of six wins and a draw.

“Our goal is still to be the champion at the end of the season. It is always to be first,” Van Gaal said.

Van Gaal, who earlier this year guided the Dutch to the World Cup semi-finals where they lost on penalties to Argentina, has spent 150 million pounds on new players and says that United can do better than the target set by the board at the outset of the season.

The board’s goal was for United to finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League which is something they failed to achieve last term under the disastrous stewardship of David Moyes. l

Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United showed their rivals no seasonal cheer on Friday as they pulled away from the pack in the Premier League with one-sided Boxing Day victories.

Leaders Chelsea set the tone by overcoming West Ham United 2-0. City following suit with a 3-1 success at West Bromwich Albion and United kept pace by beating Newcastle United 3-1, with Wayne Rooney scoring twice and making one.

Chelsea continue to lead City by three points, with United seven points further back, while West Ham’s loss allowed Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Swansea City and Liverpool to make ground in the race for the top four.

Arsenal will attempt to do the same later on Friday when they welcome Queens Park Rangers to the Emirates Stadium.

Goals in each half from John Terry and Diego Costa - his 13th of the campaign - earned Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea a one-sided home win over West Ham, who slipped to fifth.

West Ham were expected to provide a stern test after a run of five games without defeat, but despite Morgan substitute Amalfitano hitting the post late on, Sam Allardyce’s team were well beaten in what was the London rivals’ 100th encounter.

City were again without injured strikers Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko at a snow-splattered Hawthorns, but they made short work of West Brom regardless to register a ninth consecutive victory.

Fernando punished an error by goalkeeper Ben Foster to put City ahead in the eighth minute, with a Yaya Toure penalty and a David Silva goal extend-

ing the visitors’ lead before Brown Ideye scored a late consolation.

Manchester United returned to winning ways following last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa by sinking Newcastle at Old Trafford.

Rooney broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, tapping in after a sliding Radamel Falco steered Juan Mata’s pass across goal, and added a second goal 13 minutes later with an assured finish from Mata’s pass.

The United captain, who played in midfield again, teed up Robin van Persie to head home the hosts’ third goal eight minutes into the second half, be-

RESULTS

Burnley

0-1

Liverpool Sterling 62

Chelsea

2-0

West Ham

1-3

Southampton

Terry 31, Costa 62

Crystal Palace Dann 86

Everton

Mane 17, Bertrand 48, Alderweireld 53

0-1

Stoke Bojan 38-P

Leicester

1-2

Ulloa 48

Man United

3-1

Rooney 23, 36, Van Persie 53

Sunderland Johnson 1

Swansea

Tottenham Kane 1, Eriksen 71

Newcastle Cisse 87-P

1-3

Hull

Ramirez 33, Chester 51, Jelavic 90

1-0

Aston Villa

Sigurdsson 13

West Brom Ideye 87

1-3

Man City Fernando 8, Toure 13-P, Silva 34

fore Papiss Cisse replied with an excellent late penalty.

Southampton moved into the top four, three points below United, by winning 3-1 at Crystal Palace, who slipped into the relegation zone.

Sadio Mane rounded Allan McGregor to put the visitors ahead in the 17th minute, with quick-fire goals by defenders Ryan Bertrand and Toby Alderweireld making the game safe before Scott Dann scored late on.

Tottenham also exploited West Ham’s defeat by winning 2-1 at bottom club Leicester City.

Christian Eriksen’s 71st-minute freekick secured victory after Leonardo Ulloa had cancelled out Harry Kane’s first-minute opener for Spurs.

Swansea climbed as well, moving to within four points of the Champions League places by beating Aston Villa 1-0 thanks to Gylfi Sigurdsson’s curling 13th-minute free-kick.

Liverpool ended a run of three games without victory by winning 1-0 at Burnley through Raheem Sterling’s first league goal for September.

Liverpool lost goalkeeper Brad Jones to injury, which saw the dropped Simon Mignolet summoned from the bench, and Merseyside rivals Everton also lost their goalkeeper in a 1-0 defeat at home to Stoke City.

Tim Howard was forced off in the second half at Goodison Park, after Bojan Krkic had scored the game’s only goal from the penalty spot in the 38th minute.

In the day’s other game, Gaston Ramirez scored one and made another as Hull City escaped from the bottom three by coming from behind to win 3-1 at Sunderland. l

Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney (R) celebrates with teammate Radamel Falcao after scoring during the English Premier League match against Newcastle at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England yesterday AP

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Saturday, December 27, 2014

EWUPC presents photography exhibition today n Entertainment Desk

DESHA: THE LEADER hit the cinemas n Entertainment Desk Shipan Mit and Mahiya Mahi duo’s first big screen venture “Desha: The Leader”, a political thriller, hit the cinemas in the country yesterday.

Movie lovers can enjoy the first directorial venture of Saikat Nasir at least 70 screens in the opening week across the country. The film portrays a story about a political reality show.

Debutant Shipon Mitra has played the role of an honest and young political leader, Desha—the title character.

While Mahi has played as an anchor of the television reality show, that aims to find out an honest and popular political leader. The rest of the cast

A photography exhibition titled the 9th East West University Annual Photography Exhibition 2014 (EWUPC) will be inaugurated today at the Dhaka Art Centre.

A total of 50 pictures of twenty photographers in five categories featuring Architecture, Conceptual, People, Planet and Still life will be displayed at the exhibition.

The first and second prizes will be given in five categories at the inaugural ceremony.

Along with these awards, Photographer of

n Entertainment Desk As part of a six-day-long drama festival, the airing of TV plays featuring participants of Lux Superstars has begun on GTV. The festival has started from yesterday and will end on December 31. The plays will be aired everyday at 6pm. A TV play titled “Probesh Nished” Starring Arfan Nisho and Aparna will be aired today.

Meanwhile, the “Je Jiboney Golper Moto” featuring Nisha and Sporshia, “Credit Card” will be aired on the next day. On December 30, TV play “O2” featuring DJ Rahat, Badhon, Raha, and Kashfia .

“Bindu Theke Britto” with Tisha, Toya and Shatabdi Wadud will be aired on the concluding day. l

Clockwise: Aparna, Toya, Nisha and Badhon

the Year, Young Talent of the Year and Best Organiser of the year will also be given to respective students of EWUPC. Some 2205 photos from 147 photographers of East West University were submitted initially.

Noted Photographer Ismail Ferdous and AM Ahad, Photographer, AP were the Jury of this exhibition.

The EWUPC will give lifetime Achievement Award to Shafiqul Alam Kiron for his outstanding contributions in photography.

The exhibition will remain open from 3pm to 8pm until December 29. l

When Tony Stark’s world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

300 WB,7:30pm

King Leonidas and a force of 300 men fight the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 BC Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit HBO Hits, 5:40pm

Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest.

Exhibition

Shifting Sands Time: 12pm – 8pm Bengal Art Lounge 60, Gulshan Avenue

Film

Meghmallar Ouija Interstellar Gone Girl Annabelle Pipra Bidda Ek Cup Cha Into The Storm Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3D Time: 12:30pm – 10:00pm Blockbuster Cinemas Jamuna Future Park The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 John Wick Meghmallar Brick Mansions Big Hero 6 (3D) Pipra Bidda Time: 10am – 10pm Lavel 8, Star Cineplex Bashundhara City Panthapath

Kuhokjal to be staged today

n Entertainment Desk The Theatre’s latest production, “Kuhokjal” will be staged today at 7pm at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

The play knits a sad tale involving murder, abduction and betrayal. It addresses the anarchies in society, the prevailing gender disparities and the religious frictions.

The play, directed by Tropa Majumder, premièred on August 16 at the National Theatre Hall of the academy.

Veteran actor and theatre activist Ramendu Majumder plays the role of a priest who wants to destroy a locality in order to built a church.

The central character of the play is a young

Muslim man named Ghuron Shordar. His friend Tamokh converts to Islam and is killed brutally because of that. The murder is witnessed by Ghuron who becomes taumatised.

Later he involves, again, in a complicated relationship with his past love interest, Chandura, where the lady seeks his shelter after being rejected by her husband, a politician, while she is pregnant. After giving birth to a baby boy, the husband calls her back.

With a broken heart, Ghuron sets off in search of solidarity. He meets a vibrant Somani who is a dance teacher to the indigenous people of the region and an activist supporting the ignored minorities from being exploited by Father Thomas (Ramendu Majumdar). One day, Somali disappears. l

AMY ADAMS on cancelled Today interview: I was ‘confused’ and ‘frustrated’

Los Angeles judge denies Polanski bid to close 1977 child sex case n Entertainment Desk A Los Angeles judge has declined a bid from attorneys for Roman Polanski to close the 1977 child sex case against the Oscar-winning director, a court spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

The decision by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Brandlin on Tuesday is the latest defeat for the filmmaker in having the case dismissed without returning to the United States.

Polanski’s attorneys had filed court papers last week seeking an evidentiary hearing on what they called prosecutorial and judicial misconduct in the case in a bid to have it dismissed, at least in part to allow Academy Award-winning director of “The Pianist” to travel freely without the threat of extradition.

“While this court is empowered to order an evidentiary hearing, it may also exercise its discretion by declining to do so,” Brandlin wrote in a nine-page ruling.

The judge added that Polanski “forfeited his right to avail himself of the authority of this court under the fugitive disentitlement doctrine” but could return to California to obtain an evidentiary hearing.

The director’s lawyers have fought for years to have the case thrown out on claims that Polanski was a victim of judicial and prosecutorial misconduct. Courts have ruled they cannot address the issues unless he returns to California. l

Iron Man 3 Star Movies, 4:30pm

include Tarique Anam Khan, Sohel Khan and Manjurul Karim.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Mahi said it was challenging for to play the role as she has recently played a character of a journalist in another film named “Warning” directed by Shafi Uddin Shafi, A large amount of Chroma key, a special effects technique for compositing, and post-production editing has been used in the film, marking the improvement in the technical department of Bangladeshi productions.

However, the big budget film produced by Jaaz Mulimedia planned to release it on December 12.

But later the release was postponed due to censorship issues. l

Lux Superstars on small screen

15

n Entertainment Desk Noted recitation artiste Shimul Mustapha entertained the audience with his solo poetry recitation programme at Rabindra Sarobar Open Stage on Thursday.

He recited as many as 71 poems for the fifth time at a programme

KANGANA confesses being in a relationship n Entertainment Desk Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, who is happy in her current relationship, does acknowledge the challenges that come with being in one. “Freedom of being alone is intoxicating. Relationships can be very traumatic. But being in a healthy relationship can be very empowering,” says the 27-year-old, who’s currently shooting in Delhi.

Ask her to reveal details of her beau, and all she says is that for now, she’s happy to have found a companion. “I am in a relationship and enjoying this state. But, I don’t want to talk about it right now. It’s very special to me and I am glad to have found a companion. I hope I get into the position when I can talk about it. Right now, speaking about it would be unfair on the other person. As it is, relationships are difficult, aren’t they?” she asks. l

Amy Adams is speaking out about her Today interview that never happened. Adams was scheduled to appear on the NBC morning show last week, but producers scrapped the segment just before it was to take place after the actress said she would be unwilling to answer questions about the Sony hack.

At a screening for “Big Eyes,” she told USA Today that she was hoping to just discuss the film and did not want to weigh in on the studio’s scandal.

“I expressed [to Today’s producers] that I was uncomfortable. I said I would rather not add my voice to this conversation,” she said. “But it was clear they were drawing a hard line.

That this would be part of the conversation.”

Adams said she still was expecting to appear on the show after explaining her stance to producers. “I walked away from the conversation and went up to the room to do the interview,” Adams said. “I assumed they were going to ask me about [the hack]. And I was prepared for that, to whatever degree I was prepared.”

However, she was told minutes later that the interview was off. “I was confused and definitely frustrated,” she said. “I still don’t understand.”

In a statement released Monday, a Today rep said that the show’s producers pulled the segment because the show doesn’t allow guests to put restrictions on interview topics. A rep for The Weinstein Co., distributors of “Big Eyes,” said that the company stands firmly behind Adams’ actions. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Saturday, December 27, 2014

RU students fear aggravation of session jam n Nazim Mridha Students of several departments at the Rajshahi University fear that the problem of session jam could worsen as exam results have not been published even after a considerable period.

They have accused teachers of being indifferent to publishing results on time.

A few teachers have also alleged that their peers who are actively involved in politics and personal affairs are delaying the publication of results.

Professor Entajul Haque, the university registrar, told the Dhaka Tribune that results have to be published within two months after the completion of exams in accordance with the university rules.

“We will look into the problem,” he said.

‘Session jam is inevitable when students of a session take the final exam in a given year but the results are not published on time’ The third-year final exam of the Mass Communication and Journalism Department was held in March but students are still awaiting results.

Students of the department said their final-year studies are about to finish, but they have not yet received the third-year results.

Tanvir Ahmed, head of the department, told the Dhaka Tribune he would resolve the matter after consultation with the chief of the exam committee.

The second-year final exam of the Psychology Department was scheduled to be held by 2013 but it started on June 14 and ended on July 14 this year, with practical tests ending on September 3.

The results have not yet been published.

Besides, the third-year final exam was supposed to be held by 2012 but it was finally held from June 16 to July 25 this year and the practical tests were held on August 24. The results are yet to be published.

Postgraduate students of the department bear the brunt of session jam as their final exam which was supposed to end by 2011 was held from December 29 last year to April 29 this year. They are

still waiting for the results.

Chief of the second-year exam committee of the department Sabina Sultana said final results could not be published as two senior teachers had not yet submitted results of their respective courses.

Chairman of the department Professor Syed Muhammad Ziauddin, who was also the postgraduate exam committee chief, said the responsibility for publishing results rests on the respective exam committees.

But he refused to talk about why he had not yet published the postgraduate results.

Exams of the third year, final year and master’s studies were held in June, July and September this year respectively but the results have not been published as yet.

Chief of the third- and fourth-year exam committees Professor Shafiqunnabi Samadi and that of the master’s exam Professor Khandaker Farhad Hossain could not be reached for comment over the delay in publishing the results.

Several teachers of the department said publication of the results have been delayed as senior teachers tend to attach more priority to political engagement than academic affairs.

Chairman of the department Professor Harun-ur-Rashid, however, said the delay was caused by the re-assessment of scripts, adding that results would be published as early as possible.

Session jam is inevitable when students of a session take the final exam in a given year but the results are not published on time, said student adviser of the university Professor Sadequl Arefin Matin.

Such delay not only wastes study period of students but also has a negative impact on academic activities, he said.

Amanul Haque, exam controller of the university, told the Dhaka Tribune, publication of results is delayed when result sheets from the respective departments do not reach the office in time.

Department authorities are responsible for the delay in publication of results, he added.

Pro Vice-chancellor of the university Professor Chowdhury Sarowar Jahan told the Dhaka Tribune last year’s political unrest triggered session jam in a few departments.

I hope the problems will be resolved soon, he added. l

Homeless people gather around a small fire for warmth yesterday as a sudden spell of cold wave started in the country. The photo was taken from Panthapath area in the capital MEHEDI HASAN

Mohua Paul: A dreamer of equality n Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique Mohua Paul has been a champion of the rights of people with disability for 32 years, working to provide them, especially children and women, with education and other assistance to make them self-sufficient and empowered.

Her organisation Access Bangladesh, based in Savar, currently provides assistance to a total of 50 children with disabilities studying in 17 schools at Savar and Dhamrai in Dhaka to facilitate their education.

“We managed to get these children to enrol schools through advocacy.

We provide them with equipment – wheelchairs and such – and pay their fees. We also allocate a small fund for the teachers who take care of the children with disabilities. It may not be much, but try to do our best. The funds come from different DRR projects,” Mohua told the Dhaka Tribune.

Empowering women is also a priority for her. She provides training and financial assistance to disabled women to be able to get into the job market, or establish themselves as small entrepreneurs.

“But it is still difficult for women. So

we try to prepare them to gain skills as well as look up suitable job opportunities for themselves,” she said.

Mohua herself has been suffering from disability for years – her lower body was paralysed, when she was 12, due to Transverse myelitis in 1975.

“My family used to live in a house atop a small hill at Bian Bazar area in Chittagong. There was no school for children with disabilities in the area at that time. But I never gave up my ambition for education. My parents and four brothers also helped me never lose hope.

“I used to study at home and then

come to Dhaka and sit for the term exams at Ali Hossain School,” Mohua reminisced.

After passing the SSC exams in 1982, Mohua went to work at the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) as a secretary, where she climbed up the ladder and eventually became the an assistant director of the CRP, from 2002 to 2007.

During that time, she helped people with disabilities due to spinal chord injuries. Her notable work include organising vocational training for women with disabilities.

Throughout the 1990s, she was also the vice-chairperson of the National Disability Forum.

She took her advocacy further by founding Access Bangladesh in 2008, along with Albert Mollah, another devoted rights activist advocating for people with disabilities in the country.

She is currently the vice-chairperson at the organisation.

For her contributions in rehabilitating people with disabilities in the country, Mohua was shortlisted as one of the 1,000 women around the world for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005. l

16 DU second-time admission seekers in jail Asia marks 10 years since n Ahmed Zayeef Sixteen second time Dhaka University (DU) admission seekers are behind bars in a “false” case for vandalising different establishments of the university on December 21.

Students, teachers and security guards of the university said the protesters had not been involved in vandalism on the campus.

On October 14, just after the 2014-15 admission test, the authorities decided to allow only freshly passed HSC students to appear in its admission tests from the 2015-16 academic sessions.

Some students, who attended this year admission test of the university, started staging demonstrations demanding a reversal of the decision.

They staged a hunger strike, held rallies, and submitted a memorandum to President Md Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Vice Chancellor AASM AAMS Arefin Siddique.

Despite repeated assaults by police they continued their programmes from October 17.

On December 21, several students gathered in front of Raju Sculpture on the campus before going to meet the vice chancellor as part of their schedule

around 10am.

Shahbagh police, led by Proctor Amjad Ali, arrested eight of them from the altar of Raju Sculpture and four from the TSC area and seven from Suhrawardi Uddyan. They later released three, detaining 16 others.

DU Chief Security Officer SM Kamrul Ahsan filed the case with the Shahbagh police station in the name of university.

According to the first information report, “...outsiders in the name of students illegally gathered at the TSC and Dhaka university administrative building areas with sticks, brick chips and vandalised the main gate of the administrative building and one collapsible gate by knocking and hitting at it. They also vandalised different establishments of the university by throwing brick chips. Thus they caused an extensive damage of around Tk5 lakh.”

Dhaka University student Anup Kormokar, who was present at TSC area on December 21, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Over 100 police men were deployed at TSC area on that day. They arrested the students after the latter came in to gather there.”

“They even did not go to the administrative building area. So how could they vandalise there?,” he said.

The lock to the VC’s residence that was allegedly broken

MEHEDI HASAN

Abdur Rahman, the security guard of the vice chancellor office gate, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Around 1pm, some students came here with a rally while chanting slogans to meet the vice chancellor. We locked the gate as directed by the authority.”

“I did not see any sticks in their hands. They also did not throw any brick chips. They only broke the lock of the collapsible gate to storm into the building.”

When this reporter wanted to see the lock, another security guard named Dilip Chandra Sarker came up with the lock, but when he tried to show it broken, I saw it had not been broken at all.

Expressing surprise at such discovery, he said: “We thought it had got damaged.”

When Chief Security Officer Kamrul was asked to specify the university installations allegedly damaged by the arrested students, he began to stammer saying only: “There is, there is,” but could not say what had been vandalised.

He then advised the reporter to talk to the proctor about this saying: ““I wrote the FIR as ordered by the proctor at his office. Ask him where vandalism took place on the campus.”

Moshahida Sultana, assistant professor of the Department of Accounting and Information Systems of the university told the Dhaka Tribune, “The arrested students did not carry out any act of vandalism and so the authority could not show any proof against them.

This is just a false case.”

“They should be allowed to sit for the admission tests next year too because they were not notified by the university about its decision beforehand.”

When proctor Amjad Ali was contacted, he said he could not talk about it until Sunday. He also said this case was not filed by any order from his office. l

Indian Ocean tsunami n AP, Banda Aceh, Indonesia Crying onlookers took part in beachside memorials and religious services across Asia on Friday to mark the 10th anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami that left more than a quarter million people dead in one of modern history’s worst natural disasters.

The devastating Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami struck a dozen countries around the Indian Ocean rim, killing about 230,000 people. It eradicated entire coastal communities, decimated families and crashed over tourist-filled

beaches the morning after Christmas.

Survivors waded through a horror show of corpse-filled waters.

As part of Friday’s solemn commemorations, survivors, government officials, diplomats and families of victims gathered in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and elsewhere. Moments of silence were held in several spots to mark the exact time the tsunami struck, a moment that united the world in grief.

The disaster was triggered by a magnitude-9.1 earthquake — the region’s most powerful in 40 years. l

Cold wave sweeps across the country n Abu Bakar Siddique A mild cold wave has started to sweep across the country, causing a disruption of normal day-to-day routine with a rapid drop in temperature – below 10 degrees Celsius in some places.

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the lowest temperature in the country yesterday was 9.4 degrees Celsius in Jessore, while the highest temperature was 28.1 degrees Celsius in Sylhet.

The lowest temperature so far this winter was 8 degrees Celsius in Chuadanga on Tuesday.

Although the temperature is not too low, the weather feels colder due to chilly wind and lack of sun, said a met office meteorologist. “Weather condition will be like this for two or three more days,” he further told the Dhaka Tribune.

The cold wave, coupled with chilly breeze and dense fog, is causing difficulty to carry on with regular life for people across the country, especially the poor in the rural areas.

People living in the northern districts such as Dinajpur, Rangpur and Kurigram are taking the brunt of the bad weather conditions, many of them without the means to cope with the cold.

In the capital, the lowest temperature was recorded at 13.4 degrees Celsius yesterday, though it felt colder due to the wind. The dense fog has also been disrupting communication via roads and waterways; the water transports were especially difficult to navigate, causing several hours of delay to reach their destinations yesterday.

The ferry service on Mawa-Kawrakandi route was suspended for several hours due to heavy fog on Thursday night, leaving hundreds of vehicles stuck on both the sides of the river, creating a few kilometres of tailback.

The met office said that a few more mild cold waves may sweep over the north, northeast, west and central Bangladesh in the beginning of next year, dropping the temperature to 8-10 degrees Celsius. l

Somjit Bhuddharaj, 58, gestures after placing flowers next to a plaque with the name of his family, who was killed in the 2004 tsunami, at Ban Nam Khem in Thailand REUTERS

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