16 march, 2015

SECOND EDITION

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

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Chaitra 2, 1421, Jamadiul Awal 24, 1436

CALL RATE CUT INCURS $51M LOSS PAGE 3

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 2, No 340

MOLLAH MASUD ARRESTED IN INDIA

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www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

GOVT GETS $50M BELARUS CREDIT PAGE 4

PAGE 5

Where in the world is Salahuddin?

No one knows his whereabouts even after five days of the BNP leader’s disappearance Effectively the political opposition, BNP Salahuddin had been acting as the BNP picked up by plainclothesmen on the night of n Mohammad Al Masum Molla, spokesman since the arrest of the party’s and its allies have been waging a violent anMarch 10 from an Uttara appartment.

Ashif Islam Shaon and Mohammad Jamil Khan

Law enforcement agencies, including the police, CID and RAB, claim ignorance of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed’s whereabouts over five days after his disappearance.

All his family is able to say is that the former state minister for communications was

Law enforcers appear to be equally clueless. They deny ever picking up the BNP joint secretary general.

BNP chief Khaleda Zia alleged on Friday that the government was behind his disappearance, while the prime minister hinted that Khaleda was orchestrating the whole farce having told Salahuddin to go into hiding.

acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and his immediate predecessor Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, also a joint secretary general.

BNP’s press releases and announcements – mostly relating to the routine calls of general strikes – were sent to media outlets under his name.

ti-government campaign, calling for the ruling Awami League to step down and announce new elections for over two months now.

Although Salahuddin did not make any public appearances – and perhaps wisely so given the fate of his predecessors – the authorities were looking to arrest him since  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Law enforcers deny Salahuddin’s arrest n Ashif Islam Shaon

people – grade X student Subikash Chakma and Tridib Chakma. Six other hill people including Shushil Bikash Chakma, Rabi Ranjan Chakma and Lalon Chakma were also injured.

Sajek Land Protection Committee, Sajek Women’s Society, Uzo Bazar Protection Committee, Pahari Chhatra Parishad and Democratic Youths’ Forum participated in the march demanding relocation of the BGB headquarters and withdrawal of the false case filed against the indigenous people last year.

Law enforcers yesterday said they knew nothing about the whereabouts of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed, who has been missing for five days.

In their reports submitted to the attorney general’s office yesterday, the Special Branch of police, Criminal Investigation Department, Rapid Action Battalion, Dhaka Metropolitan Police and the police headquarters all claimed that they had not detained or arrested Salahuddin.

Salahuddin’s family members have, however, complained that lawmen had picked him up from a Uttara apartment five days back.

In response to a petition filed by his wife Hasina Ahmed, the High Court on Thursday asked the government to explain why it should not be directed to trace and produce Salahuddin in the court by 10:30am yesterday.

The bench of Justice Quamrul Islam Siddiqui and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore asked eight defendants, including the inspector general of police, director general of RAB, CID, Special Branch of police, and DMP commissioner, to answer the ruling.

During the hearing yesterday afternoon, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam cited DMP’s report as saying it did not detain or arrest Salahuddin. “They are trying to locate him,” he said.

RAB said Salahuddin was not in their custody while the CID said they had not picked him up as there was no case against him it was investigating.

The SB, too, said they were trying hard to find him out.

Quoting the police report, Mahbubey Alam said on March 11 Hasina Ahmed went to the Uttara police station with 20-25 TV reporters

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

A clash ensues between a group of hill people and security forces in Babuchhara of Dighinala in Khagrachhari district yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

17 hurt in marchers’ clash with security forces n Our Correspondent, Khagrachhari At least 17 people including eight indigenous people were injured in a clash between a group of hill people and security forces in Babuchhara of Dighinala in the district yesterday.

The indigenous people under the banner of Dighinala Land Protection Committee were marching towards the under-construction Babuchhara battalion headquarters of the Border Guard Bangladesh. They were barred in at least four spots by the combined security

PAGE 6 Goods stolen from fertiliser factory site

forces having members of the army, BGB, police and Ansar – accompanied by a magistrate.

Army personnel fired at least 20 rounds of bullets to disperse the agitators, who pelted stones and bricks, and used catapult against the law enforcers during the clashes.

Boalkhali Ashram’s teacher Arun Shanti Chakma and another unidentified day labourer were picked up during the daylong clashes, police and locals say.

The demonstrators alleged that the army men had tortured at least two indigenous

PAGE 7 Water crisis in Chittagong to go by October

PAGE 9 Elusive gas connection a boon to corruption

PAGE 11 Taliban attacks on Pakistan churches kill 15, spark riots

DT

2 NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Motijheel fire doused after 14 hours n Tribune Report After 14 hours of frantic efforts, fire fighters were able to extinguish the devastating fire that broke out at the multistorey Mia Amanullah Tower in the capital’s Motijheel yesterday.

Fire Service control room duty officer Shahjadi Sultana said fire fighters doused the flame around 5:30am.

A five-member body was formed to investigate the incident and estimate the loss, she said.

Although no casualties in the blaze were reported, fire service official Rafiqul Islam fell ill during the operation. He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and was soon discharged after primary treatment.

The fire broke out on the first floor of the building on Saturday afternoon. l

BNP condemns PM’s comments on Salahuddin n Tribune Report

BNP yesterday condemned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s comment on the disappearance of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed as illogical, unrealistic, and cruel. It demanded that the missing leader be presented to court.

“The PM’s remark that Salahuddin might have been taken out of the capital in sacks of trash is illogical, unrealistic, and cruel; we do not have words to condemn the remark,” said a press release signed by Joint Secretary Barkatullah Bulu.

The party demanded that the government produce Salahuddin in court in the shortest possible time to avoid any untoward consequences.

“People expect responsible statements from the prime minister, and the government cannot avoid responsibility by making sarcastic comments on such an important issue,” the statement read further.

Referring to housecleaning at Khaleda Zia’s office, Hasina at a programme on Saturday said: “Who knows maybe he [Salahuddin] was driven out with the junk; Khaleda Zia will have to answer it.”

On Friday, Khaleda alleged that the government may have arrested the BNP leader.

Salahuddin’s family had claimed that plainclothesmen picked him up from a house in Uttara last week. Both police and RAB have denied having arrested or detained him. l

Fire at jute bag factory n Tribune Report Fire last night gutted jute bag manufacturing factory Oporajeo, which was founded in 2013 in Savar with the injured workers of Rana Plaza.

The fire broke out around 9:45pm, Chief Executive Worker of the unique-styled factory Kazi Monir Hossain said. He, however, could not confirm how the fire had originated.

There was no worker inside the factory, located on the ground floor of a building in Thana Bus Stand area, at the time of fire, he added.

Fire fighters, who brought the blaze under control around 10:45pm, said the fire might not have generated from a short-circuit.

They also said a narrow back door at the factory was found broken.

The factory has 50 workers, victims of the Rana Plaza building collapse, and manufactures jute bags for local and international clients. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Where in the world is Salahuddin? there were cases against him. Barkatullah Bulu, another joint secretary general of the BNP, has replaced Salahuddin since his arrest.

The law enforcers have hardly been either forthcoming or cooperative, according to Salahuddin’s wife Hasina Ahmed, who is a former member of parliament too. She could not even file a general diary with the police. They would not accept it, she had alleged. Law enforcers had told her “the complaint was baseless.”

The police have, however, categorically said Salahuddin was not in their custody.

While law enforcement agencies – the Inspector General’s Office, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Special Branch and the hybrid crime-fighting unit Rapid Action Battalion – claimed ignorance about Salahuddin’s location before the High Court yesterday, DB officials told the Dhaka Tribune

that they continued to look for a woman, most likely the domestic aid at Salahuddin’s hideout, who also went missing after a few hours that he was picked up.

Police detectives say they have found out that the Uttara apartment where Salahuddin was staying belonged to a person named Habib Hasnat, a deputy managing director of First Security Bank. According to the security guard of that apartment, Habib Hasnat went out of his house on March 8 and told the guard to attend to any needs his guest might have.

He told detectives that the woman left the apartment a few hours after the BNP leader was taken away blindfolded.

A high official of a law enforcement agency, requesting anonymity, said both Salahuddin and Habib used Dubai-based roaming SIM cards to communicate. While Salahuddin’s

Law enforcers deny Salahuddin’s arrest and photojournalists around 10:45pm. She told the police that law enforcers had picked up Salahuddin from an Uttara sector 3 apartment between 9pm and 10pm the night before.

Hasina did not clearly say from who she had got the information first that her husband had been picked up.

She first said some unknown men had called her over phone giving the information; later she said she had heard the news from a person in Dubai over phone, the report said.

The police also said it was not clear to them why the family members took more than 24 hours to inform them about the incident and why they had gone to the police station with journalists.

When police offered her to go with them to the house for investigation Salahuddin’s wife refused. She also refused to file any GD. She left the police station after 40 minutes and the police lodged the GD themselves.

The attorney general, quoting the police report, further said the Uttara police went to that apartment and found that it was owned by late Sirajuddowla. A person named Reza, who lives in Dhanmondi, takes care of the house on behalf of Sirajuddowla’s daughter.

“The ground floor of the building has a garage on the west and a vendor named Ahsan set up a warehouse on the east. A delivery-

man named Saiful lives there,” said the report.

On the first floor, one Sukontho Karim lives on the east side flat and First Security Bank’s DMD Habib Hasnat and his wife Sumona live on the west side flat.

On the second floor engineer Khoshru I Jewel and his wife live and on the west side Nestle Manager Maj (retd) Hasib live with his wife and child.

The ground floor accommodates guards Ashraful and Akhter.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told the court that police found the Hasnat-Sumona’s flat locked from outside when they went there for investigation.

In an interrogation guard Akhter told the police that the couple had gone somewhere four days ago. Before leaving Hasnat told the guards that a guest would stay in the flat.

“Usually tenants come to and go out of the house until 11pm. On March 10, four-five men went to Hasnat’s flat around 9pm.

“Around half an hour later, the guest went out with those men in a car. The guard could not ascertain that the guest was Salahuddin.

The men who took him did not have any uniform,” said Mahbubey.

The guard told the police that the car did not seem to belong to law enforcers. The men had no handcuffs with them and it did not seem that the guest was picked up forcefully.

17 hurt SIM is found inactive, the other one is currently being answered by one Helal.

The BNP has, meanwhile, demanded that the government produce Salahuddin before the court, evidently implying that the government was behind the disappearance. Currently the spokesman of BNP, Bulu said in a statement yesterday, also refraining from making a public appearance, the prime minister’s suggestions were “illogical, unrealistic and cruel.”

Another BNP leader and an MP, Ilias Ali had also disappeared under suspicious circumstances on April 17, 2012 during the Awami League government’s previous tenure, leading to similar allegations and counter-allegations between the BNP and the ruling party. Ilias is yet to be found. l

The police also interrogated the tenants, who said they were unaware that law enforces had picked up anybody from the building.

They also had no idea where the couple had gone leaving the guest in the flat.

Police came to know that Hasnat had taken a leave from his bank and Sumona was not in her father’s home. The couple lived alone in the flat and since the incident their phones have been switched off.

“In this situation, police could not be sure if Salahuddin Ahmed was in the flat or anyone arrested him or just abducted him,” the attorney general said.

“Maybe he hid since the police had already been looking for him,” he said, urging the court to dispose of the ruling as the law enforcers could not do anything else in this regard.

BNP leader and senior lawyer barrister Moudud Ahmed opposed the disposal of the ruling, saying they did not get the police report’s copy. He also argued that the reports submitted to the AG office were not endorsed with affidavit.

The court said: “Why should we take much time for such a subject? We can dispose the ruling with the observation that efforts of finding him [Salahuddin] should be continued. We have other cases to deal with.”

In reply Moudud urged the court to consider the case on humanitarian grounds. l

Army’s Dighinala Zone Adjutant Captain Towhidul Islam said the clash had taken place around 12:30pm in Karbari Para area. At that time, eight army personnel sustained injuries. He, however, could not give identities of the injured.

Regional Commander Brig Gen SM Mahbubul Alam said the hill people had attacked a patrol team of the army in Noapara area with bricks and catapult, leaving several army men injured.

Later in the day, Dighinala Land Protection Committee Convener Poritosh Chakma in a statement announced daylong transport strike in Dighinala for today protesting the attack of security forces, torture and gunshots on the demonstrators.

He demanded that the 21 families who had been evicted last year for the BGB headquarters defying a High Court status quo be given back their land.

Also former Babuchhara union chairman, Poritosh said the marchers were first obstructed near Maini Bridge. For that, they held a rally there. Later they were barred at Nu-o Para, Banchhara and Rangapanichhara (Karbari Tila) Model School and Babuchhara. The law enforcers fired blank shots as a portion of the demonstrators reached near Rangapani area.

Earlier, the local administration and the army stopped road communication so that the indigenous people could not join the march, organisers alleged adding that around 14,000 hill people gathered for the march.

Chairmen and vice-chairmen of the local unions were also present.

On May 14 last year, BGB personnel from its 51 battalion took position in Dighinala’s Jatna Kumar Karbari Para and Shoshi Mohon Karbari Para and forcibly evicted 21 indigenous families on June 10. At that time, 18 locals mostly elderly women were injured. The BGB later filed a case against 150 people including 111 named. Police arrested a number of indigenous people in the case.

Both the Khagrachhari DC and BGB officials had denied claims of the 21 families’ ownership of the land.

Being evicted, the families took shelter in two classrooms of Babuchhara High School.

“The families are now staying at the office of Babuchhara deputy assistant agriculture officer,” reads a statement signed by Dighinala Land Protection Committee member Secretary Dharmo Jyoti Chakma. l

DT

NEWS 3

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

BTRC pushes for call rate cut that caused $51m loss n Muhammad Zahidul Islam The government has lost more than $51.44m in the last five months alone following a decision to halve the international incoming call termination rate and rearrange a revenue sharing structure.

However, despite the massive losses, the telecom regulator – which earlier lobbied for the reduced rates – is now again recommending that the slashed termination rate stays in effect for six more months.

When the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission asked the government last year to cut the call termination rate from US 3 cents to 1.5 cents per minute, the BTRC also assured that the move will increase the call volume and bring in an extra Tk200 crore in profits.

But the reality turned out to be a stark contrast to their proposal, as the six-month-long temporary arrangement caused $51.44m in losses to the BTRC since September 18 last year.

According to the proposal, the government share in international call termination earnings was also cut down from 51.75% to 40%, meaning the government received 40% of 1.5 cents per minute.

EARNINGS & LOSSES OF GOVERNMENT REVENUE FOR THE LAST TEN MONTHS Particulars

Total call minute Total Revenue BTRC share IGW share

ICX share ANS share

April ‘14- 17 Sept ‘14

8,576m

$257.28m

$133.14m

$34.08m

$38.59m

$51.45m

18 Sept ‘14 – Feb ‘15

13,616m

$204.24m

$81.69m

$40.84m

$36.76m

$44.93m

Loss/Gain

(+)5,040m

(-)$53.04m

(-)$51.44m (+)$6.75m

(-)$1.82m

(-)$6.52m

The revised revenue sharing structure resulted in only the IGW operators profiting from the change; while the burden of losses fell on the BTRC along with other mobile and landphone operators and ICX operators.

However, with the temporary arrangement set to expire on Tuesday, March 17, the BTRC has asked for the arrangement to be extended.

A letter on this regard, signed by BTRC system and service wing Director Lt Col Mohammad Zulfikar, was sent to the government on Thursday.

BTRC Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose said six months was a very short time to find out the outcome of this issue.

“Every day incoming calls are increasing and we think that if we get some time, the government’s earnings will increase and we can make up the losses,” he told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Asked about the BTRC letter, Md Feroz Salah Uddin, additional secretary of the Telecommunication Division, told the Dhaka Tribune on Thursday that they would go through the BTRC proposal before sending it for the Finance Ministry’s approval.

However, sources inside the BTRC said there was disagreement within the telecom regulator about the purpose of the fresh recommendation.

“After a huge loss of public money, the BTRC is once again going for it; which means they are doing it in favour of losing hundreds crores of taka of public money,” a senior BTRC officer told the Dhaka Tribune on condition of anonymity.

Mobile operators also expressed their concerns about six more months of reduced rates, saying they were losing large amounts of money for the changes introduced last September.

The Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) sent a letter to the BTRC yesterday saying: “We would also request the commission to organise a consultation meeting before revising the international incoming call termination rate and revenue sharing model.”

According to BTRC data, since the slashing of rates in last September, the volume of calls has increased but revenue collection has decreased.

Between September 18 and the end of February this year, the International Gateways (IGW) carried 13,616 million call minutes, a big rise from the 8,576 million minutes during the previous five month period of April to September 17 last year.

The previous 51.75% revenue sharing structure and 3 cent price meant the BTRC received $133.14m during last year’s April-September period, while the Inter Connection Exchanges (ICX) and the call receivers operators (ANS) also received greater shares of profits.

But the reduced price and 40% revenue share allowed the BTRC to collect only $81.69m during September-February period, while the ICX and ANS also suffered losses, and only the IGW profited $6.75m. l

Tk5 lakh bounty for Redwanul Rana n Tribune Report The Dhaka Metropolitan Police yesterday declared Tk5 lakh bounty for helping them to arrest North South University student Redwanul Azad Rana, who is a fugitive accused in the killing of blogger Ahmed Rajeeb Haider and attack on another blogger Asif Mohiuddin.

“The amount will be given to the people who will help police to detain Rana or give information about his hideout,” DMP Deputy Commissioner (media and public relations) Masudur Rahman said.

The Detective Branch of police, now investigating the killing of secular blogger Avijit Roy, also suspect that Rana might have masterminded the attack on the US citizen and his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya on February 26.

Earlier, the DB sent letter with Rana’s photograph to the Immigration Police and the BGB so that he would not able to leave the country. l

The sale of old tyres had been on the decline since the 20-party enforced hartal and blockade programmes began in January. But as vehicle numbers gradually increase on streets, these tyre sellers return to a busy routine again in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur Beribadh yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Shibir got tech-savvy men to spread propaganda n Mohammad Jamil Khan

At least 50 activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir trained on technology from abroad have actively been carrying out over one hundred blog sites and Facebook pages since 2010 to promote Jamaat-e-Islami’s propaganda among Bangladeshis across the world, detectives say.

All the tech-savvy operatives of Chhatra Shibir, Jamaat’s student front, maintain several email accounts and Facebook profiles while act as administrators of the pages which have been involved in spreading propaganda and inciting violent attacks against the government.

Detectives have come up with such information after interrogating KM Ziauddin Fahad, a Chhatra Shibir leader who is believed

to be chief editorial administrator of Facebook page Basherkella. Yesterday was the second day of his eight-day remand in police custody.

According to intelligence sources, analysing the Facebook statuses of Fahad, they have traced some profiles suspected for inciting violence. The detectives are now trying to trace location of those instigators.

Chhatra Shibir’s online activities increased significantly in 2013 when the International Crimes Tribunal started delivering verdicts in war crimes cases, in which mostly the top leaders of the party that sided with the Pakistani occupation forces in 1971 were tried.

After the tribunals pronounced verdicts in the cases against senior Jamaat leaders Abdul Quader Molla and Delawar Hossain

Sayedee early 2013, the Chhatra Shibir supporters started inciting violent attacks on law enforcers, state properties and pro-liberation people through some Facebook pages having no direct mention about the persons behind the scene.

Those pages also posted photos and false information about the prime minister, ministers, media personalities, bloggers and war crimes activists provoking their fans, mainly those who support Jamaat-Shibir, to kill them.

Moreover, supporting the radical Islamist platform Hefazat-e-Islam, these pages also tried to establish that the government was acting against the innocent Muslims of the country.

Detectives say their main agenda is to create chaos by misleading the ordinary Muslims.

Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of the Detective Branch of police, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have came to know that at least 50 people, who are expert in technology, have been controlling the administrative activities of social media pages run by Jamaat-Shibir.”

He said the detectives had learnt about such activities first in 2010. “At that time, we got information that 30 Chhatra Shibir men took training on technology from abroad,” Monirul, also the DMP spokesperson, said.

A large portion of Chhatra Shibir leaders and activists are now engaged in cyber crimes. “We are making a list of the key leaders and will launch drives shortly to arrest them,” Monirul said. He, however, could not confirm the source of funds. l

DT

4 NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Govt gets $50m Belarusian bank credit for municipal equipment n Asif Showkat Kallol The government will take $50 million credit from the Development Bank of Belarus to procure equipment and motor vehicles for construction and maintenance services needed by the country’s city corporations and municipalities, official sources said.

Bangladesh has 321 municipalities and 11 city corporations. A Local Government Division official said: “It was a long negotiation between Belarus and Bangladesh last year to finalise the $50 million credit programme.”

“We will take a loan from the Development Bank of Belarus JSC at one percent simple interest, which is quite a low rate compared to that offered by local private commercial

banks,” the official said.

A proposal by the Local Government Division to procure 11 types of equipment and motor vehicles with credit from the Development Bank of Belarus will be placed at the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase. The proposal was signed by Abdul Malek, the secretary in charge of the Local Government Division.

The proposal reads: “The Local Government Division will acquire equipment and motor vehicles at European standard at a low cost which is good for the government exchequer.”

According to the proposal, Bangladesh and Belarus have already signed a framework agreement on the provision of export commodity credit. This covers the procurement of equipment and motor vehicles for city corporations

The closure dam on the bank of the Chhoto Feni River in Companiganj upazila was destroyed by high tides, just two hours after it was constructed DHAKA TRIBUNE

Noakhali dam adjustment attempt fails 4th time n Our Correspondent, Noakhali The closure dam on the bank of the Chhoto Feni River in Companiganj upazila was destroyed by high tides for the fourth time on Saturday, just two hours after it was adjusted.

Sandbags were placed to finish the adjustment but the structure still could not withstand the force of water.

There were three previous attempts to adjust both sides of the dam but to no avail.

In 2013, Tk49.48 crore was allocated for the project but the allocation was later increased to Tk150 crore as work could not be completed. The current allocation stands at Tk174 crore.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated

the construction on January 8, 2013, but work was suspected after two months and 14 days.

The project, once completed, will bring 80,000 hectares of arable land under irrigation facilities. This will boost harvest and will result in the annual production of an additional 2,46,113 tonnes of food estimated to be worth around Tk200 crore.

Noakhali Water Development Board Executive Engineer Imu Riazul Hasan said the project would largely contribute to the economic development of the area.

“The project area will get a facelift while the dam will resist intrusion of saline water into the 1.30 lakh hectares of land. Employment opportunities will also be created for the poor,” he added. l

and municipalities without any service charge.

Bangladesh will put up a 15% advance to import equipment and the remaining 85% in loans will be repaid over 11 years at 1% interest, according to the proposal.

Moreover, the Development Bank of Belarus will give a three-year grace period for its credit programme.

The Belarusian government will provide a two-year warranty for the import of the equipment, as per the proposal.

The municipal shopping list includes wheel loaders, excavators, combination asphalt rollers, log grapples with kickouts, log grapples, hydraulic hammers, twin drum vibratory rollers, bulldozer blades, drill machines, backhoe loaders and skid steer loaders. l

Mosharraf blasts Rajuk for questionable role n Tribune Report Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain has slammed the Rajuk for failing to play due role in the capital.

“Some unauthorised commercial establishments have been erected in the residential areas in the capital due to the inertia of Rajuk that has sufficient manpower, but does not work properly. There are some corrupt officials as well,” said minister Mosharraf.

He made the remarks while addressing a press conference hosted by Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters’ Forum (BSRF) in the Secretariat yesterday.

The minister blamed the corrupt officials for the construction of the buildings.

“We face hurdles to take legal action against them [the illegal building owners] as they manage stay order from the High Court in this regard,” Mosarraf continued. l

DT

NEWS 5

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

body Wasa: No water crisis this summer Teenager’s found in Chittagong

n Abu Hayat Mahmud There will be no scarcity of drinking water in the capital this summer, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) officials have told the Dhaka Tribune.

Similar promises made in previous years by the state-owned utility have not always been kept.

During the warm season, the capital typically suffers from water shortages and poor water quality.

Shortages of drinking water in different parts of the city in previous summers, reportedly forced residents to purchase bottled water to meet their demand for drinking water.

Residents describe summer water supplies as “foul smelling” and “dirty,” and say the utility company has done little to solve the problem.

Arifa Islam, a resident of South Shewrapara, said: “We faced a severe crisis in March last year because the water supplied by Wasa

smelled awful. We did not drink, bathe or cook with the filthy water it supplied.”

“There has not been a problem, so far, this year,” she added.

Shukrabad resident Shafayet Hossain said in his neighbourhood last year, people could not get fresh water from Wasa pipes because the water was contaminated.

High-ups in the water and sewerage utility said pipelines had been checked this year in most areas of the capital, and said the company was on standby to troubleshoot any problems.

Dhaka Wasa Managing Director Taqsem A Khan told the Dhaka Tribune that Wasa would continue to supply the city with water from its treatment plants.

He denied that there was any trouble with Dhaka’s water supply.

But several Wasa officials, who asked not to be named, told the Dhaka Tribune that falling groundwater levels had repeatedly caused Wasa to fail to provide adequate supplies of water during the dry season.

They said the utility company was increasingly seeking to tap surface water resources.

The officials claimed that the quality of water at Wasa’s treatment plants was unlikely to improve before the monsoon because the Buriganga and Shitalakkhya rivers were highly polluted.

In order to develop environmentally sustainable water supplies for Dhaka, Wasa intends to produce 500 million litres of water per day from the Meghna River at Bishnandi Point in Araihajar upazila, Narayanganj.

Tapping water from the Meghna River will help Dhaka Wasa source 70% of its supply by 2021 from surface water sources, officials said.

It will also halt the depletion of ground water levels which have been severely diminished in recent years.

Dhaka Wasa currently has the capacity to produce 2.25 billion litres of water per day.

Dhaka city residents require 2.2 billion litres per day, officials said. l

n CU Correspondent The police found the body of an 18-year-old man at Dewanbazar in Bakalia area, Chittagong yesterday morning.

The deceased, Md Sazzad Hossain, 18, from Satkania upazila, worked in a mobile shop at Riazuddin Bazar in the city, said Mohammad Mohsin, OC of Bakalia police station.

He said locals spotted Sazzad’s body on the rooftop of a six-storey building at Nirapad Housing Society in Dewanbazar in the morning and informed the police.

The OC said, adding that initial inspection revealed bruises around Sazzad’s neck.

Sazzad was a resident in the building his body was found at, living with his employer Sohel who moved to a new house in Mousumi residential area at Chawkbazar two days ago.

Police raided Sohel’s new residence, where they found 1,000 yaba pills and arrested his wife Nargis Akhter. They are now looking for Sohel, who has a criminal record. l

Inu: BNP chief must surrender before court n Tribune Report Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu has said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia must surrender before the court, or else the government will be compelled to arrest her.

Speaking at a press briefing in the Secretariat yesterday afternoon, he said: “If she [Khaleda] does not show respect towards the law and refuse to surrender, the government will be compelled to arrest her.

“Her place is not at the dialogue table anymore; rather, it is in Kashimpur jail as she has killed many people with the hartal and blockade programmes,” he said.

Ruling out Khaleda’s claim that a fresh election is the only solution to the current political crisis, Inu said there is no crisis in the country over election.

The government did not stop anyone from participating in the election, and it will not bar anyone in future as well, the minister said.

“We want to make it clear: no responsible government can allow this wanton destruction of lives, livelihoods and property just because one particular party remains out of power. The country needs peace to prosper and the government will do everything possible to make that happen,” he said. l

Law practitioners cast votes in the election of the High Court Bar Association in the capital yesterday

3 hurt in BCL attack n Tribune Report

Top criminal Mollah Masud arrested in India

Three people were injured when around 40 men, allegedly Chhatra League activists, attacked an electronics shop in Chittagong‘s Lalkhan Bazar area yesterday evening.

The three injured are staff of AC Bazar Limited, the store which was attacked, have been admitted to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said Khulshi Police station Sub-Inspector Munir Hossain Mian.

The police said the attack - carried out by men equipped with sticks and rods - was an act of a lingering grudge. No arrest has been made in connection with the attack. l

n Tribune Report The Criminal Investigation Department of West Bengal in India has recently arrested Mollah Masud, one of the top terrorists of Bangladesh and a criminal on the red-alert list of Interpol.

A press release of Bangladesh police headquarters issued yesterday said the Indian CID arrested Masud under section 14 of the Foreigner’s Act of India and a case was filed on March 8 in this connection.

The police also said India’s New Delhi In-

terpol confirmed the arrest of Masud.

There are a number of cases against Masud in the capital’s Ramna police station.

The police headquarters also said Masud would be brought back soon and a process was going on.

Additional Inspector General Mahbubur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have already taken initiatives to bring him back. But I cannot say for sure how long it will take.”

Mollah Masud was a madrasa student and later studied at Siddheswari College. He vied for the general secretary post of the college’s

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

student union.

He was also the body guard of Ghulam Azam, a convicted war criminal.

However, as the trial of war criminals began he joined the Seven Star group, an underworld criminal gang operating mainly in Dhaka. Following a conflict with other members of the gang Masud formed another criminal gang named Aga 5.

He later fled to India when the home minister declared a reward for the news leading to his arrest along with other top-listed 22 criminals. l

DT

6 NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Goods stolen from fertiliser factory site n Our Correspondent, Sylhet Police in Sylhet have detained two men suspected of trying to move iron goods worth Tk50 lakh from the construction site of a fertiliser factory illegally to Dhaka.

Harun Mia, 40, and Abdul Majid, 38, were detained on Saturday in Madhabpur, and the goods of Fenchuganj Shahjalal fertiliser factory were seized from the lorry those were loaded onto.

Police were tipped off about the crime and later detained the two men. The lorry and the goods of 62 varieties were also taken to police station.

Harun, who hails from Lakshmipur, is the driver of the lorry while Majid of Manikganj is a crane operator.

The factory authorities formed a three-member committee to investigate the incident. They also brought the goods and

the detainees from Madhabpur to Fenchuganj yesterday.

Sources said the miscreants were able to bypass the factory’s security arrangements as they set off for their destination. The goods were said to be bound for Demra in Dhaka.

Additional General Manager of the construction project, ANM Shariful Alam, said the probe committee was asked to submit a report soon.

He also said the factory’s assistant security officer, Sajidul Haque, had lodged a case with Fenchuganj police station against five persons.

Amir Uddin, sub-inspector of the police station and the investigating officer of the lawsuit, said police were trying to nab all those involved in the incident.

Local lawmaker Mahmud Us Samad had called for a fair investigation. The construction of the factory began in 2012. l

Journalist Saiful Islam dies n UNB

Veteran journalist Saiful Islam Talukder died of cardiac arrest at his Gopibagh residence in the capital around 11pm on Saturday. He was 56.

He was a joint secretary general of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and a special correspondent of the daily Amader Samoy.

His namaz-e-janaza was held twice in the capital – on the National Press Club premis-

es and at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity – before his body was taken to Chandpur for burial at his family graveyard yesterday.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed profound shock at his death.

In a condolence message, the president said Saiful Islam had worked for the welfare of the journalists apart from performing his professional duties.

The president prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.

Saiful is survived by his wife, a son, three daughters, a host of relatives and well-wishers. l

54,481 learners get scholarship n Shohel Mamun A total of 54,481 students, who earlier passed this year’s Primary School Certificate (PSC) examinations, have been awarded with scholarship based on their results.

Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman yesterday afternoon announced the scholarship at a press conference held in the Secretariat.

Of the awardees, 21,983 students gained position in the talent-pool quota and they were entitled to get Tk200 each per month

while the rest 32,498 in the general quota are to receive Tk150.

Monipur High School and College became the country’s highest scholarship holders with 145 students.

One student from each ward of the city areas across the country and four pupils from each union were selected for the scholarship.

The students’ list has been made available on www.dpe.gov.bd.

A total of 2,628,083 students passed the PSC examinations this year. Of them, GPA 5 achievers were 224,411. l

DU student commits suicide n Tribune Report

Police recovered the body of a Dhaka University student from his Dhanmondi residence yesterday early morning.

Selim Reza, Sub-Inspector of Dhanmondi police station, said they had found the body hanging from the ceiling of a verandah around 8am.

The deceased was identified as Sabbir Hasan, 18, 3rd year student of Dhaka Univer-

sity’s Computer Science and Engineering Department.

Badrul Alam, father of the deceased, said: “We found him hanging from the ceiling of a verandah of our 5th floor flat and informed the police.”

Amzad Ali, acting proctor of Dhaka University told the Dhaka Tribune that Sabbir committed suicide over love affairs.

However, SI Selim Reza said they would investigate the death. l

Shunning the foot over-bridge, pedestrians risk their lives to cross the busy in Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR

DT

NEWS 7

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

City water crisis to go by October n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Following several rescheduling of project deadlines, the implementation of Karnaphuli Water Supply Project is finally on its course to be finished by this October, with around 75% of the work now completed.

AKM Fazlullah, managing director of Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, expressed hopes of achieving the October target for the project in Chittagong’s Rangunia upazila.

Once the project is complete, around 70% water demands of the Chittagong city residents would be met by a new water treatment plant that will supply an additional 140 million litres of water per day (MLD), he added.

“Firstly, the project cost was estimated Tk967 crore in 2006; the cost was revised to Tk1,510 crore in 2010; however, the final sum up cost may stand at Tk1,800 crore on completion of the project,” Fazlullah told a press briefing following a visit to the project site in Rangunia yesterday.

The project’s initial duration was supposed

to be March 2006 to June 2010, but the land acquisition of the project was not completed until 2009 – resulting in the revision of the project implementation schedule to July 2010-October 2014.

However, construction was hindered during 2013 and for several months in 2014 because of political unrest and some local problems, the Chittagong Wasa MD said.

“But the project’s construction work is now going on in full swing, and if the momentum is continued, the entire work will be concluded this October,” he added.

The Chittagong Wasa MD said the Rangunia site on the banks of the Karnaphuli was chosen as it was possible to collect water from that point throughout the year, while the water salinity there was less than any other point of Karnaphuli River.

“We will daily acquire 145MLD water from the river, which is only 3% water of the river, and will supply 140MLD purified water to the city through our newly set up 68.09km of pipelines,” he said.

Project Director Jan-e-Alam said the water treatment plant would be bigger than the port city’s lone existing plant at Chandgaon’s Mohora area. Once another ongoing water treatment project in Hathazari’s Madunaghat is completed, around 97% water demand of the city dwellers would be met, he added.

If it is completed by October, the city residents would reap the benefits by December, Jan-e-Alam added.

At present, Chittagong Wasa has 582km of pipeline network for 52,000 service connections and is capable of supplying 210-220MLD water, which is 42% of the city’s total demand.

On June 29, 2006, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), signed a loan agreement worth 12,224 million yen (over $100.75m) with the Bangladesh government for the project comprising of 143MLD water treatment plant construction, conveyance, transmission and distribution pipelines installation, a new reservoir construction in the city’s Nasirabad, Batali Hill reservoir and Khulshi Booster Pump Station modifications. l

WEATHER

DRY WEATHER LIKELY MONDAY, MARCH 16 DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:08PM

TOMORROW SUN RISES 6:06AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

34

24

Chittagong

34

24

Rajshahi

32

22

Rangpur

32

20

Khulna

35

21

Barisal

35

20

Sylhet

35

20

Cox’s Bazar

34

24

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

35.5ºC Faridpur & Patuakhali

15.5ºC Srimangal Source: Accuweather/UNB

BCL factional rivalry sparks tension at SUST n Our Correspondent, Sylhet

Tension arises at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology again after four students belonging to a faction of the university’s Chhatra League unit beat up a member of their rival group on the campus yesterday.

Around 1pm, four students, all studying in the anthropology department of the university attacked Arif, a third semester student of Environmental Science in front of the E building inside the campus.

Panicked, many students have already left the dorms while many are passing hours in anxiety on campus.

The attackers are the members of “Anjan-Uttam” group formed by Chhatra League Vice-president Anjan Roy and BCL leader Uttam Kumar, claimed Arif who works for Chhatra League General Secretary Imran Khan.

After receiving primary treatment, at the university’s medical centre, Arif talked with

reporters at the proctors office.

He said: “Out of nowhere the members of Anjan-Uttam group attacked me. They beat me with iron rods without any reason.”

The four attackers are third year students, Roni and Shakhawat, and second year students, Limon and Roni, he identified.

Divided into different groups the activists of Anjan-Uttam group have taken position inside the campus, said Imran Khan.

“The attack on Arif is unfortunate and condemnable. I have talked with the VC urging him to hand over the attackers to police as soon as possible. Arif is a meritorious student and is involved with the kind of healthy politics that we do. That is why some terrorists attacked him posing as Chhatra League activists,” he said.

Ackowledging the incident, acting proctor of SUST Assistant Professor Emdadul Hoque said: “We will take action after discussing with the Vice-Chancellor.”

Jalalabad police station Officer-in-Charge Akhter Hossain said: “Additional police forces have been deployed on the campus. At present the situation is calm.”

On March 8, despite a ban on political activities, two rival factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League, flexed their muscles at SUST. Witnesses said the faction, led by BCL committee President Sanjiban Chakrabarty Partha, entered the campus around 3pm with 30-40 men and staged a demonstration. Imran Khan and BCL leader Sajedul Islam Sabuj were present at the time.

Hearing about the demonstration, the Anjan Roy and Uttam Kumar came to the campus with 20-25 people. They also brought out several processions.

On November 20 last year, a BCL man named Sumon Das died during a clash between two rival factions over establishing supremacy at the university. l

PRAYER TIMES Fajr

4:51am

Sunrise

6:06am

Zohr

12:07am

Asr

4:27pm

Magrib

6:08pm

Esha

7:23pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

visit i i our website @

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I’M MADE IN BANGLADESH: TODAY’S WINNERS STORY OF THE DAY

PHOTO OF THE DAY

I am a schoolboy in Bogra, and I won first place in the National Astro Olympiad! I am very proud to be a winner of a national competition, even with the few facilities available this small town I grew up in. This is my “I’m made in Bangladesh” story.

–MD FARHAN RAWNAK ORNOB Armed Police Battalion Public School and College, Bogra What’s your “I’m made in Bangladesh” story?

Send your submissions to my.tribe@dhakatribune.com See facebook.com/JoinDTribe for contest details

Colourful Bangladesh with red and green

G’SON BISWAS

DT

8 NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Berbari-Dariapur road in dire state due to lack of maintenance n Our Correspondent, Tangail The Berbari-Dariapur road in Sakhipur upazila of Tangail has been lying in dire state for a few years due to lack of maintenance.

Local people said the road has turned unfit for vehicular movement as no repair work was done in last 12 years.

The unpaved road dotted with numerous potholes has turned into virtually a ditch for thousands of passengers who travel on the road every day.

During the dry season, the road is covered in dust, but in rainy season, commuters’ sufferings have no bound.

About 50,000 inhabitants of 30 villages of Sakhipur and Basail upazilas of the district depend on the road which connects Sakhipur and Basail headquarters and Tangail district town.

The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) had completed construction work of the five-kilometre road in 2003.

Mostly CNG-run autorickshaw, battery-run

autorickshaw and rickshaw van run on the road and these types of small vehicles have to go slow taking hours to travel five-kilometre distance.

Abdur Razzak, a van puller of Akandapara village of Sakhipur upazila, said: “It is very difficult to drive vehicle with passengers on the dilapidated road.

Sometimes, passengers fall down from the van and get hurt.”

“Why the authorities are not taking steps to repair the road?,” Abdur raises question.

Runa Akter, a resident of Jadubpur village, told the correspondent said it was a must to repair the road immediately as it had become unfit to move.

Faruque Ahmed, CNG driver and also resident of Dariapur village, said it took 20 to 25 minutes to cross the road in a better condition, but now it took almost an hour.

Zamir Uddin, headmaster of Nakshala High School, said students had to suffer a lot as the road houses a number of schools.

“Students of my school fall in difficulties for the dilapidated road.

“Their sufferings had no bound during the rainy season,” he said.

In rainy season, students fall in pothole as they cannot see because it is covered by rainwater, he added.

Md Baized Hossain, owner of Siyam poultry feed in Nakshala Bazaar, said he faced trouble while carrying goods.

“Drivers of feed-leaden trucks do not want to come here for the run down state of the road. They demand higher rent from us. I beg the authorities concern to repair the road as soon as possible.”

Badsha Miah, a farmer of Jadubpur village, said: “I need to pay more to carry my produced paddy.”

Manas Mandal, engineer of LGED, Sakhipur upazila, said: “We have informed the higher authority to allocate money to repair the road.

But the money is yet to be sanctioned for the purpose.” l

Garment worker strangled in Ashulia n Our Correspondent, Savar A man has allegedly strangled his wife in Ashulia.

The dead, Salma Akter, 25, used to work at a readymade garment factory named Shomsher Knit Garments located in Sreepur, Ashulia.

Relatives of Salma and police informed that Salma and her husband Aynal used to live in a rented house in Sreepur area. The couple used to engage in altercations over different familial issues. On Saturday night, following such a dispute, Aynal strangled Salma and left after locking the house.

Yesterday morning, through window, the neighbours spotted Salma’s body lying inside her room and informed police. Ashulia police recovered the body and sent it to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Ashulia police station Officer-in-Charge Mostafa Kamal said there were marks of injuries on Salma’s neck. Police primarily suspect that she was strangled. A case was filed in this connection. l

Withdrawal of cases against Anu Mostafa demanded n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi Members of civil society demanded quick withdrawal of three cases filed against journalist Anu Mostafa in Rajshahi.

Civil society members also threatened to go on tougher movement if the cases are not withdrawn soon.

They issued the threat in a human chain organised by “Rajshahi Rokkha Sangram Parishad”, a leading social organisation in Rajshahi city.

The human chain which also protested the countrywide violence during the BNP-sponsored blockade and hartals, was held at Shaheb Bazar Zero point yesterday morning.

General Secretary of the organisaion Jamat Khan said destructive acts should not be let to go which was taking lives of innocent people.

Speakers, however, condemned filing of three cases against senior journalist Anu Mostafa, Rajshahi bureau chief of daily Jugantor.

The three cases were filed recently against Anu Mostafa with the Rajshahi city’s Boalia police station.

The cases were filed following a news over realising extortion by officer-in-charge of Boalia police station was published in the daily, the speakers said.

Civil society leaders, however, issued a threat to the police high official with a tougher movement if the alleged cases against Anu Mostafa were not withdrawn unconditionally soon.

Shahin Akter Reni, a noted social leader, Hasan Millat and Mamun Ar Rashaid, president and general secretary of Rajshahi Sangbadik Union and SM Saju, president of Rajshahi TV reporters union, addressed the human chain. l

A bulldozer destroys a huge amount of various liquor and drugs worth Tk76 lakh on BGB premises in Naogaon yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Four killed in road accidents in 3 districts n Tribune Report

At least four people were killed in separate road accidents in Khulna,Jamalpur and Chittagong districts yesterday.

Our Khulna correspondent reports: Two workers were killed in a collision between a truck and a motorcycle at Maltia Bottola on the Khulna-Satkhira Highway. The deceased were identified as Mahbur Rahman, 32, and Anwar Hossain, 28, of Dumuria Betagram.

SI Saifur Ahmad of Chuknogor Highway police outpost said the accident took the

place due to dense fog.

Meanwhile, police seized the truck and detained its driver Abul Kha. Jamalpur correspondent said a brick-field worker was killed in an accident at Bakshiganj upazila under the district yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Lalchan,25, Bakshiganj police station Officer-in-Charge Mostafizur Rahman said the accident took place when a fertilizer laden truck coming form opposition direction ran over Lalchan, leaving him dead on the spot while he was returning home by bye-cycle.

CU Correspondent said a minor girl was killed and four others were injured in a road accident on the Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar Highway at Patiya upazila in the district.

The deceased was identified as Moni Akhtar, 08, daughter of Nabi Islam of the upazila.

ASI Harunur Rashid of Patiya Highway police outpost said a three wheeler-run human hauler carrying six persons was rammed by a BRTC passenger bus from behind around 12:30 pm in Monsa Chowmuhony area. Four were critically injured during the accident.

Moni died on the way to Patiya Hospital. l

DT

NEWS 9

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Elusive gas connection a boon to corruption n Our Correspondent, Brahmanbaria Hundreds of clients of Brahmanbaria municipality and adjacent areas have been facing immense sufferings due to delay in new gas connections.

According to the citizen charter of Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company Ltd (BGDCL), which is in charge of providing new gas connections in Brahmanbaria, a consumer should get the connection within 15 working days of placing application. But the new connection remains elusive even after more than a year.

About seven thousand new consumers in Brahmanbaria have been waiting for gas connections. BGDCL authority said they were not able to provide new connection due to shortage of equipment.

However, many consumers alleged that

some unscrupulous employees of the company had been providing illegal connection to consumers who paid about Tk20-30,000 as bribe.

The government fee for a new domestic gas connection is Tk4,400, which was increased to Tk8,600 in September, 2014. Though many clients have paid the increased amount, they were yet to get gas connection.

Taj Md Yasin, resident of Birasar area of Brahmanbaria municipality and former chairman of Natai Uttar union, said he had deposited the money accordingly. “But since then 14 months have passed and I am still waiting for gas connection.”

“I cannot file a case fearing that I may not get gas connection if I do that,” he added.

Meanwhile on last Friday, Sub-Inspector of Brahmanbaria Sadar police station Abu Bakr Siddique seized a large amount of equipment

meant for illegal gas connections for 85 families in Sindhura village of Sadar upazila.

“We conducted a drive on a tip off and seized the gas connection equipment. However, no one could be arrested since they fled the scene.”

He also informed that a general diary had been filed and a case could be lodged if BGDCL wanted to.

Md Al-Amin, president of Bakhrabad Contractors’ Welfare Samity, said they had to face the wrath of clients due to corruption of BGDCL. “We have been told that the company did not have the necessary equipment to provide new gas connections. But it is not true. Titas, the other gas distribution company, has been providing connections without any hassle. They get their equipment from National Tubes, the same company that supplies to

Bakhrabad,” he said.

He alleged that some officials of BGDCL had been creating artificial crisis to make some extra cash.

“Bakhrabad company did not even float any tender for acquiring equipment. But they are blaming National Tubes for equipment shortage,” Al-Amin added.

Contacted, Raifqul Islam, managing director of BGDCL, said: “We provide connections as per the demand of consumers. However, there is a shortage of equipment like MS pipe, locking cork, gas bulb and other items. National Tubes, which is our supplier, does not have the equipment now.”

He however claimed that a lot with the equipment was expected to come from India within a week and then they would start providing new connections. l

NEWS IN BRIEF Alleged robber lynched in Madaripur An alleged robber was beaten to death at Miarchar village under Bahadurpur union of the district yesterday. The identity of the deceased could not be known yet. Quoting the locals, Assistant Superintendent of Police Abu Bakar Siddique said: “A gang of robbers entered the house one Sikim Ali Matubbar in Miarchar around 9am. Sikim’s son Arbis received severe head injuries as the robbers hit him with sharp weapons.” Hearing the victim’s scream, the locals went to the spot and chased the robbers.

“They managed to capture one of the robbers and beat up severely, leaving him dead on the spot,” said ASP. – Our Correspondent, Madaripur

Krishok League leader killed A local leader of Krishak League, a front organisation of Awami League, was killed at Ramchandrapur village in Sadar upazila yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Mintu Sarder.

Sources said Mintu was arranging a religious function at the village at night. At one stage, he went home and did not return. His son went to find out him but he found the body lying near the home. On information, police recovered the body. The police suspected he might be strangulated to death. A case was filed in this connection.

– Our Correspondent, Jhalokathi

Smuggled drug worth Tk77 lakh destroyed Smuggled drugs, such as phensidyl syrups, wines, cannabis and banned injections, worth about Tk 77 lakh were destroyed in presence of high officials of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Naogaon yesterday. The drugs were seized by the anti-smuggling squads of BGB during several drives in last 10 months in different frontier areas of the district. The drugs, including 13,192 bottles of phensidyl syrup,33 liters refined wine, 69 bottles of Indian wine,1,266 different kinds of banned injections, 3 kilogrammes of hems and tobacco related drugs, were destroyed by bulldozers at the BGD headquarters. BGB commander Colonel Zahid confirmed the incident.

– Our Correspondent, Naogaon

Children walk across a dried up river bed with sacks full of harvest. With the onset of Chaitra, the end of spring and the beginning of summer, rivers and canals in some parts of Rajshahi are already drying up in the scorching heat. The photo was taken at Bypass area of Poba upazila yesterday AZAHAR UDDIN

Ban on passenger vessels on risky coastal routes starts

Man sued three days after death n Our Correspondent, Madaripur

n Our Correspondent, Barisal

Three days after death, a case has been booked with Sadar police station against a man who was murdered during a reported clash in Ghunsi village here on March 7.

Murdered Hero Sheikh was made number five accused in the arms case filed on Tuesday.

In this regard, Shirkhara UP Chairman Majibur Rahman Hawlader who claimed himself a freedom fighter said two cousins named Habi and Mofez from the village had been loggerheads over establishing supremacy there for long. Earlier, both were accused in about ten cases including murder case, he added.

As sequel to the incident, muscle-men of Mofez killed Hero by firing shots and hacking for taking side with Habi. Later, the rivals claimed that a gunfight as well as clash with them led to the death. Madaripur Assistant Superintendent of Police Abu Bakkar Siddique said: “Police finally will take legal steps after looking into the lawsuits.” l

The annual seven-month ban on passenger vessels plying the accident-prone routes touching the Meghna estuary and the coastal area along Barisal division became effective yesterday.

Aiming to protect travellers, the ban is imposed on transports that do not have valid licences or sea-survey fitness certificates to travel on these routes as the region, where water transports are the main mode of travelling, is vulnerable to natural calamities such as cyclones and storms at this time of the year, said Abul Bashar Mazumdar, deputy director of marine safety and traffic management at the Barisal office of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).

The ban was first enforced by the Department of Shipping, under the Ministry of Shipping, on June 18, 2000 following a series of

fatal accidents on around 3,000km of river routes in the area, Bashar told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The BIWTA authorities have already issued an order regarding the ban to stop all passenger-carrying trawlers and postpone route permits of 14 launches that travels between different points in the area, said Sourav Hossain, inspector of BIWTA Barisal office.

However, the ban creates an acute crisis of passenger vessels in the area and confines a large number of people living in isolated river shoals and islands due to lack of proper transportation, said Dr Mizanur Rahman, member-secretary of Barisal Nagarik Parishad and a local resident.

“Alternative arrangement for transportation needs to be in place, because the people living in the isolated areas will be forced to travel using small boats and trawlers, putting themselves at risk,” he told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. l

DT

10 WORLD

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Monitor: More than 215,000 dead in four years of Syria war

Syrians dig through the rubble of a building in search of survivors in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of the capital Damascus, following reported air strikes by regime forces on Friday AFP

n AFP More than 215,000 people have been killed in Syria in four years of conflict, a monitoring group said yesterday as the brutal civil war entered its fifth year.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had documented the deaths of 215,518 people in Syria since March 2011, among them more than 66,000 civilians.

Some 5,000 people have been killed in the past five weeks alone.

The civilian death toll includes 10,808 children, and nearly 7,000 women, according to the group.

While civilians accounted for nearly a third of the deaths, the majority of those killed in the conflict have been combatants.

On the government side, 46,138 soldiers

have been killed, along with more than 30,000 Syrian pro-regime militiamen, the Observatory said.

In addition, 3,401 Shiite fighters from abroad have been killed in battle alongside regime forces, among them hundreds from Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement.

On the rebel side, the Observatory gives separate death tolls for fighters from jihadist and non-jihadist groups.

It reported the deaths of nearly 27,000 jihadists, from the Islamic State group and the Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front.

It said more than 39,000 other rebel fighters had been killed, but included in that figure Kurdish militia killed battling jihadists in the north and east.

It reported the deaths of a further 3,147 people who had not been identified.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the figures were almost certainly not complete.

The death toll “is certainly higher than the more than 215,000 we have recorded because of the large number of missing people whose fate is unknown.”

He said some 20,000 people had disappeared in regime custody.

The fate of many thousands more civilians and fighters from all sides who have been kidnapped also remains unknown.

“More than 215,000 people have been killed and the international community remains silent and not a single crime has been punished by an international court,” Abdel Rahman said.

“This impunity only encourages the murderers to continue their crimes.” l

Moshe Kahlon: Likud exile, now kingmaker n AFP

Once a popular minister from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, Moshe Kahlon could well find himself in the position of kingmaker after Tuesday’s general election.

Kahlon’s centre-right Kulanu party, which he formed after leaving Likud, is projected to win between eight and 10 seats in the 120-member Knesset – trailing a fair distance behind his former party’s 21, and the 24 of the centre-left Zionist Union.

There are 25 lists contesting the polls but under Israel’s complex electoral system, the task of forming a new government does not

automatically fall to the party that wins the largest number of votes.

The winner will be the one who can succeed in cobbling together a coalition commanding a parliamentary majority of at least 61 seats.

And with polls predicting the rightwing and religious bloc will take up to 57 mandates, compared with 54 for the centre-left and Arab parties, Kahlon’s decision on who to back is likely to play a crucial role.

Both Likud and the Zionist Union have already offered him the finance portfolio, he says, in return for his backing.

The 54-year-old, who has a justifiably wide smile, announced he was stepping down

from politics just before the last election in 2013, which he did not contest.

But he returned to the political stage in October at the head of a new party called Kulanu, Hebrew for “All of Us”.

Two months later, Netanyahu called snap elections after firing two centrist ministers: finance minister Yair Lapid, head of Yesh Atid; and justice minister Tzipi Livni who leads HaTnuah.

Kulanu’s campaign has focused almost exclusively on the housing crisis – a key concern for voters who are struggling with soaring property prices, with Kahlon pledging to lower costs which have hit the middle classes hardest. l

An Indian responds to ‘India’s daughters’

n Tribune Desk

Indian media is reporting about a tit-for-tat video made by an Indian man that attempts to draw attention to Britain’s own rape problem.

Titled “United Kingdom’s Daughters” and produced by Harvinder Singh, it was uploaded to YouTube earlier this week and became a Twitter trending topic in India on Thursday.

The video is an Indian’s respose to the BBC documentary “India’s Daughters.”

The video, a low-budget production, begins with a series of “facts” about sexual assault and rape in Britain, set to music and still images. In this section, it asserts that 250 people are raped daily in Britain, and that 10% of rape cases result in a conviction. Pointedly, it says that a third of Britons believe women are responsible for rape – apparently a reference to the horrific comments made by a rapist in “India’s Daughter” – and that fewer women die as a result of rape in Britain as they “resist less.”

Some of the facts featured at the start of the documentary match up with attributable sources: Statistics suggest that there around 230 rape cases a day in England and Wales. Rape conviction rates are around 10% in Britain, and at least one study has shown a third of Britons blame the victims in rape cases. Other statements are much harder to comprehend. One simply says “United Kingdom 5th at the World’s Rape List,” apparently a reference to a dubious list published a few years ago. Importantly, there appears to be no real evidence women in Britain resist any less than Indian women.

After this, the film then cuts into what appears to be a British documentary about sexual assault in Britain, before again cutting to another British show on the same subject – ironically, both appear to have been initially shown on the BBC, which broadcast “India’s Daughter.” The video ends with a message that suggests rape is a global problem, not simply one for India. l

Feared Iran general tops person of year poll

n AFP

An Iranian general who has been a key adviser in Iraq’s fightback against the Islamic State group was voted Iran’s person of the year in an annual poll released yesterday.

General Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, won 37% of the votes cast in the survey to mark the Persian New Year, Nowruz.

Once rarely seen, Suleimani is now frequently pictured in social media near the front line in Iraq and has been spotted close to this week’s battles in Tikrit.

He has become the public, if unofficial, face of Iran’s support for the Iraqi and Syrian governments against IS jihadists, reportedly landing in Baghdad hours after IS overran Iraq’s second city Mosul last June.

Suleimani beat last year’s winner, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in the poll, which is conducted by KhabarOnline, a moderate conservative news website.

Zarif, who heads Iran’s negotiating team in nuclear talks with the world powers, scored 28% this year.

According to KhabarOnline, 463,000 votes were cast between March 7 and March 14, with the results being released one week before Nowruz, which falls on March 21. l

DT

WORLD 11

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Iraqi Kurds say Islamic State used chlorine gas against them

n Reuters Iraqi Kurdish authorities said on Saturday they had evidence that Islamic State had used chlorine gas as a chemical weapon against their peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq in January.

The Security Council of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region said in a statement to Reuters that the peshmerga had taken soil and clothing samples after an Islamic State car bombing attempt on Jan. 23.

It said laboratory analysis showed “the samples contained levels of chlorine that suggested the substance was used in weaponized form.” The Kurdish allegation could not be independently confirmed.

Chlorine is a choking agent whose use as a chemical weapon dates back to World War One. It is banned under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits all use of toxic agents on the battlefield.

Peter Sawczak, spokesman for the Dutch-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said: “We have not had a request from Iraq to investigate claims of use of chemical weapons in Iraq, and the OPCW cannot immediately verify the claims.” l

People and rescuers gather outside a church after a suicide attack in Lahore yesterday

Taliban attacks on Pakistan churches kill 15, spark riots n AFP

Fifteen people were killed and more than 70 injured when two Taliban suicide bombers attacked churches in Pakistan’s Lahore yesterday, sparking mob violence in which two other suspected militants died.

Up to 4,000 Christians later took to the streets of the eastern city, many armed with clubs as they smashed vehicles and attacked a city bus station in a rare show of anger by the beleaguered minority.

The bombings occurred during prayers at two churches located around half a kilometre apart in the city’s Youhanabad neighbourhood that is home to more than 100,000

Christians, officials said.

Doctor Mohammad Saeed Sohbin, medical superintendent of the nearby General Hospital, told AFP: “We have received 15 dead bodies and 70 injured,” adding that the figure did not include the suspected militants who were lynched or the bombers.

Zahid Pervez, the top health official in Lahore, confirmed the death toll and told reporters that 78 people were wounded in both attacks.

Broken window panes, blood and shoes were scattered across the blast sites.

Police spokeswoman Nabila Ghazanfar said two policemen guarding the churches were among those killed in the attacks, while two people were beaten to death by protest-

REUTERS

ers who took to the streets after the blasts.

“Policemen on duty at both the entrances tried to stop them but the bombers blew themselves up,” she told AFP. “The angry mob protesting after the blast beat to death two people whom they suspected of being associates of the attackers.”

An AFP photographer saw the bodies of the two suspected militants on fire after the beatings. It was not clear whether they were still alive at the time.

The Pakistani Taliban’s Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction described the blasts as suicide attacks and vowed to continue their campaign for the enforcement of Sharia Islamic law, in a statement emailed to the media. l

Officials: US to keep more troops in Afghanistan than planned n AP The Obama administration is abandoning plans to cut the number of US forces in Afghanistan to 5,500 by year’s end, bowing to military leaders who want to keep more troops, including many into the 2016 fighting season, US officials say.

While no final decision on numbers has been made, the officials said the administration is poised to slow withdrawal plans and probably will allow many of the 9,800 American troops to remain well into next year.

There also are discussions about keeping a steady number of counterterrorism troops

into 2015, including options under which some would remain in the country or be nearby beyond 2016.

Currently, about 2,000 US troops are conducting counterterrorism missions, and military leaders have argued that they will need to continue pursuing the remnants of al Qaeda and to monitor Islamic State militants looking to recruit in Afghanistan.

Officials say President Barack Obama probably will use a Washington visit by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani this month as the time to announce his decision on a new withdrawal timeline.

US officials familiar with the debate said it’s not clear yet whether the White House will agree to a small, symbolic decrease by the end of this year or insist on a larger cut.

They note that there is some stiff opposition to any change, largely from national security adviser Susan Rice.

In recent weeks, Pentagon leaders, including Defense Secretary Ash Carter, have acknowledged the discussions about slowing the pace of troop withdrawal.

But they increasingly are confident that the military will get its way and keep a robust force in Afghanistan beyond year’s end. l

Pope calls for an end to persecution of Pakistani Christians

n Agencies Pope Francis told the faithful in St. Peter’s Square that he was pained by the news of two terror attacks against churches in Pakistan and called for an end of persecution against Christians.

The pontiff said during his traditional yesterday prayer that the numerous dead and injured were persecuted “only because they are Christians”.

Pope Francis said he felt great pain over bomb attacks outside two churches in Pakistan, departing from scripted remarks in his customary address to decry “persecution” of Christians.

“These are Christian churches. Christians are persecuted, our brothers spill their blood simply because they are Christians,” the pontiff said after his Angelus address. l

Maldives defends controversial jailing of ex-leader

n AFP The Maldives government yesterday told its critics to respect a controversial decision to jail the honeymoon islands’ first-ever democratically-elected president for 13 years amid a growing global backlash over the verdict.

The US, European Union and regional power India have expressed concern over the jailing of Mohamed Nasheed on anti-terror charges for ordering the detention of a judge in 2012 when he was president.

President Abdulla Yameen said Nasheed had the right to appeal and urged international partners to engage with his government “constructively”. l

DT

12 EDITORIAL

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Please clarify position on Salahuddin

T

he government needs to make a clear and unequivocal statement on the case of BNP joint secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed, who disappeared on Tuesday.

Law enforcement agencies responding to a High Court order reported on Sunday that they are not holding him and have been trying unsuccessfully to trace his whereabouts.

Salahuddin’s family is entitled to a full explanation as to how and why several plain clothes men apparently showing Detective Branch IDs were able to pick him up from a house in Uttara on Tuesday evening. If this is not the case, the authorities must look into his disappearance urgently.

The government’s credibility is already in question because in several past cases of BNP officials disappearing, they have been ultimately confirmed to be held by law enforcers and brought before a court.

More recently, the Nagarik Oikya convenor Mahmudur Rahman Manna, was eventually traced and taken to court, after a 20 hour absence about which there is still no official explanation for who held him for much of this period.

The lack of adequate and plausible explanations in these cases, where authorities have repeatedly altered their story, places the onus on the government to confirm that it has no involvement and that this is a case of abduction, as they claim.

Given the circumstances reported by Salahuddin ‘s family, speculation from senior government officials that he has gone into hiding is unhelpful and possibly prejudicial, and should best be avoided.

The most urgent need is for authorities to find Salahuddin and ensure his safety, whatever turns out to be the true story as to his disappearance.

Be heard

Writeto toDhaka DhakaTribune Tribune Write Tower,8/C 8/CPanthapath, Panthapath, Sukrabad, Shukrabad,Dhaka-1207 Dhaka-1207 FRFRTower, Email letters.dt@dhakatribune.com Email letters.dt@dhakatribune.com Sendususyour yourOp-Ed Op-Edarticles: articles: Send opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com www.dhakatribune.com www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

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The fifth column February 20

Sheikh Hasina, which really puts a lot of pressure on him, given that he also runs a newspaper that has to show a modicum of impartiality. This is Hasina’s way of keeping Anam in line. Won’t have a big impact, and he will continue to do what he does best, be a puppet and run his newspaper like his personal dairy.

Lack of adequate explanations in past cases places the onus on government

Improve targeting of safety nets

B

etter co-ordination and targeting is needed to ensure social safety net programs deliver the most positive impact for the funds spent.

Over 11.5% of the government’s budget, Tk25,370cr, is allocated this fiscal year to support schemes such as food for work and vulnerable group feeding which are aimed at helping the nation’s poor.

With 99 different such programs being undertaken by 19 different ministries, there is ample scope for improving co-ordination of safety net schemes to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness.

The government also needs to ensure better monitoring of funds. Many beneficiaries have alleged favouritism and local political influence plays a part in the allocation of assistance. It is imperative to improve transparency and tighten oversights so that the right beneficiaries are reached.

Experience shows that good targeting delivers good results. The government should use data from improved district level poverty maps to better target the poorest people in the poorest communities.

It is well established that money spent on improving childcare and encouraging education makes the most difference in the long term to reducing poverty rates. Programs for poor children and mothers are particularly crucial.

Social inequality means that our nation’s achievements in reducing poverty by around 1% each year still lag far behind increases in GDP. Directing more funds to invest in education and skills is the best way to overcome inequality and to prevent poverty. Building human capital so that more people can gain useful employment is key to lifting the multiple disadvantages that poverty imposes on so many people.

Better coordination and focus can help lift more people out of poverty

Karl Hungus Haha! I can at least rest assured that my current level of intelligence will keep me above the threshold required for prime ministerial candidature. I don’t know what case Ms Hasina is trying to make with this fiasco, but it is most definitely worrying.

SAM MOHSIN Shabbash Zafar Sobhan!

Shottobadi Mahfuz Anam is a known sycophant of

SAM MOHSIN Shottobadi: So, Mr, Shottobadi, just one question to you: If Mr Anam is a known sycophant of Hasina, how come we are not aware of such known facts? I myself get to talk to many NRBs and never found one commentator like yourself here in the USA. However, it is true that in BD there are people who have such biases.

Hafeejul Alam As the matter is in the court of law, it’s better to wait for the court’s verdict. However, I believe TDS will never go for yellow journalism.

DT Facebook post of Mynamar Air force taken down February 20

‘It’s the govt’s duty to protect people from violence’ February 20

Baran Chakma What’s the problem with Myanmar showing her weapons?

Tarik Chowdhury Baran Chakma: They can show whatever weapons they like, but they are not entitled to show a sovereign nation under their territory. We believe in harmony with our neighbours, but that doesn’t mean we are weak. Cheers.

Baran Chakma Tarik Chowdhury: Did they commit any harm to the Bangladeshi people? Are they being aggressive towards the Bangladesh Army? We have learned that the Bangladesh Army is financing Rohingya muslims in Bangladesh! Is this true or false ?

Tarik Chowdhury Baran Chakma: Could you provide any proof on the allegation you made?

Also, it is a matter of common sense.

Molla A Latif At the same time as expressing concern over the human rights of the criminals killed by law enforcers is equally contradictory.

Prescribing dialog with the killers also goes against the principles of the state and international norms of rule. Application of force is inevitable in controlling the barbaric terrorism, and asking for restraint in it means inflating the terrorists with further extremism.

WD But is it not the responsibility of the opposition to stop killing people in order to grab power? Did you not call the PM to stop the execution of Quader Molla? Makes perfect sense now.

DT

OPINION 13

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

The curious case of Bangladeshi politics in the US n Syed Shahbaz Sikandar

S

o Sajeeb Wazed Joy alleges on social media that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party planned to kidnap and kill him in the US, and the Internet breaks down in Bangladesh?

Not quite. In this soap operatic political culture, there is far more than meets the eye. The prime minister’s son and ICT adviser brings this allegation after a federal case lasting nearly two years draws to its routine conclusion.

Rizvi Ahmed, a native of Bangladesh living in Connecticut, and his acquaintance Johannes Thaler, also living in Connecticut, were arrested on August 2, 2013. The US Department of Justice has stated that both men pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy, admitting to colluding with former FBI special agent Robert Lustyik to obtain confidential law enforcement data regarding a Bangladeshi political figure. They admitted to soliciting bribes in exchange for federal information from September 2011 to March 2012.

The former FBI special agent was arrested on September 17, 2013 and also pleaded guilty to engaging in a bribery scheme.

Lustyik worked in the counter-intelligence squad at White Plains, New York. He was a childhood friend of Johannes Thaler. The entire case started as Rizvi Ahmed wanted a suspicious activity report on a Bangladeshi figure from a rival political party.

In the US, these reports usually deal with potential financial crimes. According to text

messages retrieved for the court case, Rizvi Ahmed was asked to pay a $40,000 retainer and $30,000 monthly fees in return for documents to “set up [the victim] and get the inside from the party.” He and Johannes Thaler also admitted that the confidential data would be used to locate and harm the intended victim and others associated with the victim.

Upon reviewing the Southern District Court of New York’s criminal docket for this case, one sees no mention of a plot to kidnap and murder anyone. As Sajeeb Wazed has stated that he provided a victim statement, one can hypothesise that he was the subject of the suspicious activity report that was sought illegally. As certain portions of a court hearing can be closed, the publicly available transcript does not include his name.

However, the fact remains that Rizvi Ahmed has been sentenced only for the bribery scheme, and no one in the US has yet been apprehended for plotting to kidnap and murder anyone affiliated with this case.

Moreover, unless someone is in the witness protection program, where US Marshals provide witnesses with a new identity and location in return for testimony, one does not need to pay an FBI special agent such a huge sum to discover someone’s whereabouts.

To find out about a prominent Bangladeshi political figure in the US, simply scan through the multitude of US-based Bangladeshi newspapers, websites, and community events to

BIGSTOCK

know all you need to know and then some.

This case was about garnering damaging confidential law-enforcement data on a political rival, and it ended up devastating the lives of the culprits. Rizvi Ahmed has been sentenced to 42 months imprisonment, and Johannes Thaler was given 30 months. Fur-

thermore, former FBI special Agent Lustyik’s sentencing is scheduled for April 30th. In the high-stakes gamble of Bangladeshi politics, even those in the US can wage their lives away. l

a key player responsible for the Indian famine of 1943 (known in Bengali as the Akaal).

Reportedly, three million people died of starvation, whereas the response from the then colonial masters was simply callous.

Controlling the intricate mechanism of food supply was Winston Churchill. As Field Marshal Sir Archibald Wavell writes in his memoir: “Apparently it is more important to save the Greeks and liberated countries than the Indians and there is reluctance either to provide shipping or to reduce stocks in this country.”

In addition, a scorched earth policy was adopted in coastal Bengal where, fearing possible Japanese intrusion, all rice collections were destroyed, thus precipitating the misery of the masses. Anyway, this is not a history lesson, but a few basic facts need to be kept in mind, because when people come to see the statues, how will they relate or reconcile the social/political stands of the men represented?

Churchill is deemed a great Englishman, but perhaps the future faces of Britain, comprising, to a large extent, of ethnic minorities, will dare to question that and decide to look at several dimensions instead of blindly giving in to accepted wisdom.

A few years ago, some British politician was referring to the glorious past of the country, which is somewhat disconcerting, because the past of a colonial power is replete with incidences of repression, shenanigans, avarice, and blatant invasions of other nations. Of course, there are plenty of note-

worthy deeds, like improving the judiciary, communication, education, and all that, but often the negatives are simply expunged.

I am curious to know how the two statues will be explained to young people who come to visit Parliament Square. This man was an avid imperialist, with all his actions motivated by interest of his country, securing victory in the last Great War, while the other rose against foreign rule with messages of peace -- both are heroes.

Such explanations will surely inspire a few to look for a deeper answer to reach his/her own conclusion, whereas most visitors will listen and then move to the other statues in the common “I am a tourist and all details are to be taken casually” sort of manner. To end on a positive note, though the past cannot be brushed clean, in a changed world, the complex equations of another time hardly matter anymore.

Look at Germany appearing as the saviour of most European nations -- this would have sounded implausible in the post WWII period! If grudges can’t be discarded, the world will go stagnant so while it’s good to know the truth, life also needs to adapt.

For the current Great Britain, Gandhi’s statue also sends out a message, albeit a subtle one: Whatever the stance, a true great (despite being an opponent once) is always respected in a democracy. How about a pint of Guinness on that! l

Syed Shahbaz Sikandar is a freelance contributor.

A fakir among sahebs n Towheed Feroze

H

ow time changes social and political equations -- Mahatma Gandhi, termed scornfully as “the half-naked Indian Fakir” by Winston Churchill, has now found a larger than life presence in London Parliament Square.

And who else but the current British PM to scatter some flowers at the foot of the statue of the man who advocated protests by peace and not through agitation. Gandhi’s philosophy divides people -- pragmatists and cynics look at it as being somewhat Utopian, while millions still find value in his ideals. Whether one is a supporter of Ghandiji’s ideology or not, one thing is clear, he commands, more or less, wide global respect.

The interesting thing about human history is that we may not approve of romantics, and decide to take their ideals with pinches of salt, but deep inside, there grows a veneration for them simply because, in a world of too much cynicism, their ways touch a chord somewhere deep within us, where perhaps a romantic remains dormant.

Think of Che Guevara rationally: There was no chance that he could have managed to spread the revolution of the masses across the world; dying in a Bolivian jungle was -- sorry to hurt the sentiments of Che aficionados -- the best thing that happened to him.

If he had been alive, given the equations of the cold war and how the international communism-capitalism machinations were

unfolding, Guevara as a living man would have descended into long-term depression.

People like him are not made to live in Cuba and make a world of their own in their little revolutionary paradise. They want to propagate, take new challenges, and there he would have failed eventually.

If Gandhi was a devoted proponent of Indian independence, Churchill was the opposite

Anyway, as British leaders, plus noted Indians, pay tribute to the man represented by a large statue, one cannot help but ask how the current UK generation will reconcile the anti-British stance of Gandhi to the ferocious imperialistic ideals of Winston Churchill, whose statue is also not far away.

If Gandhi was a devoted proponent of Indian independence, Churchill was the opposite. In fact, Winston Churchill, the much-feted prime minister, also recognised for his unwavering efforts towards securing victory in World War II, has been found to be

Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.

DT

14 OPINION

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

REUTERS

More than a game n SM Shahrukh

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esides the dazzling batsmanship on display in the Cricket World Cup 2015, there is the television coverage, the commentary, the analyses, the pre and post match shows, and, oh yes, there are bowlers! With the two new balls and the batting power-play rules, the bowlers are proving to be, more or less, toothless, and are totally at the mercy of the batsmen and waiting for them to make mistakes in wielding the tree-trunks that they use for bats these days.

The two new balls have taken the reverse swing out of the picture, and that has given an unnecessary advantage to batsmen. The obvious absence of quality wrist spinners is also glaringly obvious. Imran Tahirs of this world can never hope to achieve anything like a Shane Warne or Abdul Qadir or Anil Kumble, even though Kumble was not the classical wrist spinner. Besides Tahir, Rangana Herath, Shahid Afridi, Shakib-al-Hasan, Ravichandran Ashwin are providing spin bowling for their respective teams, but till now, the veteran Daniel Vettori looks most threatening, at least in checking the flow of runs.

Ashwin and Shakib are doing average jobs but no spinner looks good enough to set the world on fire as yet. I will be pleasantly surprised if things change drastically from the quarter finals onwards when it comes to the effectiveness of the current crop of spinners.

An off-spinner anywhere near the genius of a Muralitharan or a Saqlain Mushtaq is absent from this World Cup as well. The dual absences of Saeed Ajmal and Sunil Narine have taken away two premier exponents of spin bowling from this World Cup. The dropped-in pitches being used are a major disappointment too. RK Gupta writes in Kidangan.com: “One charm of cricket is the role of host pitches that can completely transform the game on a given day. The current

tournament is being staged in multiple venues in Australia and New Zealand, where pitches have unique properties. In Australia, host pitches promote pace and bounce whereas New Zealand ground conditions are more suited to seam and swing. One major change that the 2015 World Cup brings is about 'droppedin' pitches for five out of seven knockout games. These pitches are being curated away from the venues and they will be installed just before the games to alter the special peculiarities of local playing conditions.”

Traditionalists are decrying this practice as veering too much away from, well, traditions. An irate Australian cricket writer has gone to the extent of calling the tournament “the rental World Cup.” Being a long time follower of the game, I tend to agree with his ire. Brett Lee, the now retired fast bowler, has voiced his dissatisfaction with this practice too. I wonder what choice words someone like Dennis Lillee would have used had he been forced to bowl on these pitches. Old-timers may remember his disgust at Pakistani pitches way back in 1979; he never came to India as a player.

The traditional bounce and pace of the Australian pitches are almost absent and it takes giraffe-like fast bowlers such as Morne Morkel or Muhammad Irfan to push the batsman deep into their creases.It is amazing to see batsmen charging at blitzmen like Dale Steyn or Mitchell Johnson with impunity. The swing of the New Zealand pitches has also been nullified even though NZ bowlers like Tim Southee and Trent Boult are doing quite okay. It helps to be closer to home, I guess.

And the batsmen are flourishing! Kumar Sangakkara has already scored four blazing centuries and looks good for a couple more.

Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers are making merry. The Indian and Australian batsmen are not doing badly either, Shikhar Dhawan having scored two centuries already and Glenn Maxwell and David Warner are looking

ever more menacing. Though sluggish at the beginning, Bangladeshi premier batsmen have joined the bandwagon too and hopefully not too late.

Ever since Kerry Packer punched the “old guard” of cricket down in the mid 1970s, cricket has become more of a television sport than the age-old idea of going to the ground with hampers full of sandwiches and beverages and making a day of it, and snoozing a session in the process too. For those of us unable to travel to the land down under, there is but the one choice -- sit in front of the television and enjoy the matches.

Television coverage has also gone through changes over the decades and it is no surprise that the tournament is more of a commercial package. I have no problems with that; after all, cricket is no more the poor man’s game and restricted to the “Commonwealth” states. It has gone global and with an ever expanding diaspora in the Americas and the world over.

The cricket coverage packages include, as touched on before, pre and post match shows, highlight packages, and in-depth analyses. Also, the introduction of a live game is made by an attractive lady usually with Bollywood razzmatazz. However, how attractive Mayanti Langar looks in her skimpy dresses is another debate altogether.

In the spirit of globalisation, there is a congregation of commentators and analysts from all over the world, though no Bangladeshis have been included. Overall, the presentations are adequate, albeit with some obvious biases and inept assessments.

As the tournament nears the closing stages, the commentators from England seem a bit deflated, even though they have eaten enough humble pie since the last Ashes triumph and people like Mike Atherton, Ian Botham, and Nasir Hussain have learned their lessons and keep demeanours of equanimity, but nothing can dampen the

exuberance of David “Bumble” Lloyd and his Lancashire accent.

Nasir Hussain has always impressed me with his analysis of the game and it is no wonder that Ian Botham considers him England’s best captain since the philosopherbatsman Mike Brearley. Sourav Ganguly has always been forthright about his passion for the game and his captaincy of India, but his analysis is also well thought-out and he keeps his emotions under control. India’s best captains since the Nawab of Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar and Sanjay Manjrekar can’t always keep their bias under check, Wasim Akram is unashamedly rooting for his home country, and of course, his knowledge of swing bowling shows that behind a great bowler works a great mind too.

Ian Bishop is an epitome of patience and self-control considering the pathetic state of West Indian cricket. Rameez Raja is an unctuous character and after attaining the favour of his masters (the satellite channel owners mostly), he is making forays into an area where his bias for and against certain teams is glaringly obvious. Pommie Mbangwa and the South Africans are new to this trade and seem quite amenable, Shaun Pollock is the gentleman personified.

The Australians can’t keep their on-field sledging habits of their playing days away from their commentary, at times, and just the other day Shane Warne and Michael Slater made such fun of the mobility (or lack of it) of former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga that Russell Arnold couldn’t help but voice the umbrage he took at the comments of the Aussies.

Then there is the ubiquitous Harsha Bhogle, with facts and figures at his fingertips -he reminds me of the nerdy boy in class who is a tattle-tale and with whom no one ever wants to be friends. l SM Shahrukh is a freelance contributor.

Helpline launched to receive complaints from garment workers

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US dailies join ‘micropayments’ news startup Blendle

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Nerves set in as ECB unbottles policy genie

20

DT

Business

15

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

ADB awards best performing project teams in Bangladesh

n Tribune Report

A helpline has been introduced on a pilot basis to record garment workers’ complaints about their workplace safety, security and rights so steps can be taken to resolve them.

The government launched the pilot project yesterday for six months in Ashulia, and if it is successful, such helplines will be set up across the country.

The workers can drop complaints simply making a call from their mobile phone handsets.

“This is to take effective steps to address the workers’ concerns about safety, security and rights,” said Labour and Employment Minister Mujibul Haque at the launching ceremony at his office.

He hoped it would be helpful for the workers regarding the prevailing problems in the country’s largest industrial sector.

“It (the project) can also reduce the worker-owner dispute to zero level and help increase productivity in the factories,” the minister added.

The Help Line – 0800 44 55 000 – will be run by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE).

It will be set up with the support from the International Labour Organization and Royal Norwegian Government.

A trained supervisor and four other agents will be available to receive calls and provide services through the helpline.

The helpline will remain open from 9am to 10pm throughout the year.

Calls received through the helpline will be logged and forwarded to either DIFE, the Fire Service and Civil Defence Department or the Directorate of Labour to deal with.

After the verification, if the allegation is proved, necessary steps would be taken to resolve it.

“Over the last two years, unprecedented efforts have been made to enhance workplace safety and improve workers’ rights in the ready-made garment sector in Bangladesh,” ILO Country Director Srinivas B Reddy.

“By providing workers with the chance to air grievances this Help Line gives a voice to the voiceless,” Reddy stressed, adding “It will also play an important role in facilitating better workplace relations by helping address grievances that may otherwise escalate into mass protests or court cases.”

The workplace safety and workers rights at the country’s RMG industry emerged as a concern after the deadliest collapse of Rana Plaza building that killed over 1,135 workers and injured 2,500 people.

Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar, DIFE Inspector General Syed Ahmed and Director of Labour SM Ashrafuzzaman were also present at the function. l

Study: Bangladesh to be 23rd largest economy by 2050 UK-based PwC warns political instability, natural disasters to act as headwinds

n Kayes Sohel Bangladesh is projected to become 23rd biggest economy in the world in next 35 years, joining for the first time a list of newly emerging and established emerging economies, said a study.

The country, now in 31st in the ranking, is seen to move up to 29th by 2030 and could grow at an average annual rate of over 5%.

Gross domestic product at purchasing power parity (PPP) terms is expected to stand at $1,291bn by 2030 and $3,367bn by 2050 from $536bn now.

However, in order to realise this, Bangladesh needs to tackle the adverse shocks such as political revolutions and natural disasters, said the study of PwC, a UK-based global consulting firm.

According to it, Bangladesh is among eight newly emerging economies to be included in the latest update of its “World in 2050” report for indicating signs of sustained rapid growth in the long term.

The other new entrants are the Philippines, Colombia, Egypt, Iran, the Netherlands, Pakistan and Thailand.

The top ten fastest growing economies are all developing countries: seven are from South and Southeast Asia and three are from Africa, according to the latest PwC update entitled “The World in 2050: Will the Shift in Global Economic Power Continue?”

The report, with a release date of last month 2015, presents the long-term projections of potential GDP growth up to 2050 for 32 of the largest economies in the world, covering 84% of total global GDP. “We project the world economy to grow at an average of just over 3% per year in the period 2014-50, doubling the size by 2037 and nearly tripling by 2050,” it said.

The global economic power shift away from the established advanced economies in

North America, Western Europe, and Japan will continue over the next 35 years despite a projected slowdown in Chinese growth after around 2020, it added.

China will clearly become the largest economy by 2030, dislodging the United States, while India could challenge the US for second place by 2050.

Indonesia, Mexico, and Nigeria could push the United Kingdom and France out of top 10.

In fact, in global GDP ranking in PPP terms, China has already overtaken the US in 2014, the report said.

Indonesia, together with Vietnam, is regarded as a fast-ris-

ing economy in the global GDP rankings in the long term, reflecting relatively high projected average growth rates of around 4.5% to 5.5% per annum over the period.

Of the other countries in Southeast Asia mentioned in the report, Indonesia, currently in ninth place, is forecast to move up to fifth by 2030 and fourth by 2050 “if it can sustain growth-friendly policies,” said the report.

Thailand, occupying number 21 in the ranking, is seen to stay in place in both 2030 and 2050.

Malaysia, at number 27, is seen to climb to 24th in 2030 and remain there until 2050. It is projected to grow at around 4% per annum on average in the period to 2050, “an impressive performance for what is already a middle income country.”

Vietnam is predicted to move up from number 32 to number 28 then number 22.

These projections assume, however, that emerging markets will follow broadly growth-friendly policies, said the report. “In practice, not all may do so and therefore, not all of these economies will fulfill the potential indicated by the PwC growth projections, although some could also exceed the projections if they can accelerate their investment rates and institutional reforms.” l

DT

16 BUSINESS

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

IEA supply warning sinks oil market n AFP, New York

The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post agreed to work with Blendle, which describes itself as a “digital newsstand” allowing readers to buy individual articles online, according to a joint statement AFP

US dailies join ‘micropayments’ news startup Blendle n AFP, Washington Three major US daily newspapers announced plans Thursday to make their articles available through a Dutch-based startup pioneering the use of “micropayments” for news.

The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post agreed to work with Blendle, which describes itself as a “digital newsstand” allowing readers to buy individual articles online, according to a joint statement.

“It’s a great honor that three of the most important newspapers in the world will start working with us,” said Blendle-founder Alex-

ander Klopping in the statement released by the New York Times.

The New York Times and German publisher Axel Springer agreed last year to invest in the platform founded by two young Dutch ex-journalists, which charges an average of 20 cents on average per article.

“We are glad to be one of the first American media organizations in Blendle’s international rollout,” said Steve Hills, president and general manager of the Washington Post.

“As the Post’s global audience continues to grow, this platform offers readers a new way to engage with our journalism.”

The price per newspaper or magazine article is set by the publisher and the revenue is split between the publisher and Blendle.

Last year, Blendle said all major Dutch newspapers and magazines had signed up for the service.

Blendle’s entry comes with many publishers struggling to adapt to a move to digital news, with mixed results from paywalls and online subscriptions.

Blendle has some 220,000 users in the Netherlands who pay mostly between 0.15 and 0.30 euros per article, according to its website. l

World oil prices sank Friday after the International Energy Agency warned that US crude inventories were nearing storage capacity amid a global oversupply.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for April lost $2.21 to close at $44.84 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

In London, the global benchmark, Brent North Sea crude for April delivery, settled at $54.67 a barrel, down $2.41 from Thursday’s closing level.

“The petroleum market is coming under renewed selling pressure after a monthly report from the International Energy Agency highlighted rising US inventories, echoing market concerns regarding storage capacity,” said Tim Evans of Citi Futures.

“It was a very bearish week,” said Matt Smith of Schneider Electric, citing the high inventories, and adding that “the super, super-strong dollar has pressured crude back to the mid-forties.”

A stronger greenback makes dollar-priced oil more expensive for buyers using weaker currencies, weighing on the market.

The Paris-based IEA warned that US crude output “so far shows precious little sign of slowing down. Quite to the contrary, it continues to defy expectations.”

“The unwinding of seasonal refinery maintenance may slow US crude stock builds in 2Q15 but will not stop them, and stocks may soon test storage capacity limits,” it said in its monthly report.

The IEA said that the recent rebound in oil prices, after the 60% collapse between June and January, would probably be fleeting.

“Behind the facade of stability, the rebalancing triggered by the price collapse has yet to run its course, and it might be overly optimistic to expect it to proceed smoothly,” it said.

Meanwhile the latest Baker Hughes US rigs report, released Friday, showed the number of crude-oil drilling rigs in the United States continued to fall, by 56 to 866 this week, down 41% from a year ago. l

NEWS IN BRIEF Facebook buys shopping search engine TheFind

Musleh Ahmed, vice president of Dhaka Regency Hotel & Resort has recently received an award for ‘Best NRB Investor’ at British Bangladeshi Business Award from the British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was the chief guest of the ceremony that took place in Birmingham, United Kingdom

Facebook on Friday waded further into e-commerce with the acquisition of shopping search engine TheFind.com. “For the last nine years we’ve worked hard to bring you a shopping experience that’s easy, efficient and fun - searching all the stores on the web to find just the right products you’re looking to buy,” TheFind said in a message at its website. “We are now starting our next chapter by combining forces with Facebook to do even more for consumers.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Members of TheFind team are joining Facebook, where they plan to put their technology to work making ads at the leading social network “more relevant,” according to the post. The acquisition will result in TheFind.com shutting down in the next few weeks. Facebook has been playing catch-up regarding searching for information at the social network and becoming a middle-man of sorts for online commerce.

“Together, we believe we can make the Facebook ads experience even more relevant and better for

consumers,” the social network said in statement.

TheFind - “Everything you need when shopping to quickly decide what to buy and where to buy it” will shutter the Silicon Valley base it has operated from since launching in 2006 and move team members to Facebook’s campus in Menlo Park, California. – AFP, San Francisco

Microsoft seen as gaining in cooling tablet market Global sales of tablet computers will see only slim growth in 2015, in a further cooling of a segment that was red-hot two years ago, a market tracker said Thursday. IDC said it expects tablet sales growth of just 2.1% this year, after an increase of 4.4% in 2014 and more than 50% in 2013. Tablets appeared to be on a tear two years earlier, but the market is being eroded by use of large-screen smartphones or “phablets” as well as slimmed-down laptop computers. IDC said it expects “low but positive growth” for the market, with increased focus in the business sector and some gains for Microsoft Windows in the tablet market. – AFP, Washington

DT

BUSINESS 17

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Greek minister: If Greece leaves euro zone, Spain and Italy would be next n Reuters, Berlin

Inflated euro sign is seen outside the new headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt

REUTERS

Nerves set in as European Central Bank unbottles policy genie n Reuters, Frankfurt For the first time in years, the European Central Bank is embarking on a policy course with a following wind. But already some officials are fretting that the gale they are unleashing may turn into a hurricane.

The concern is that the bond-buying plan launched on Monday to pump more than a trillion euros into the 19-country economy will send stronger members such as Germany that could arguably do without the support into overdrive, while fostering complacency among laggards.

The plan is aimed at lifting euro zone inflation from below zero back up toward the ECB’s target of just under 2%. But the risk is that it inflates real estate and share price bubbles and might cause Europe’s biggest economy, which already has record low unemployment of 6.5%, to overheat.

Such a scenario could widen the gap between rich and poor member states, further stretching the already strained fabric of European integration, tested again this week when Greece’s finance minister accused the ECB of “asphyxiating” Athens.

On the face of it, the ECB is upbeat.

The central bank projects its plan to print money to buy sovereign bonds – so-called quantitative easing (QE) – will turbo-charge a frail euro zone recovery that is already being helped by lower oil prices and a revival in bank lending.

This is crucial. Had the ECB launched the plan last year when growth was stagnant and banks were reining in credit, the new money would have had a harder time finding its way into the economy - and the stimulus might have fallen flat.

“We did it just at the turning point,” one senior euro zone central banker said of the QE launch, confident the plan can help buoy the

economy and lift inflation.

The ECB and its constituent national central banks plan to spend 60bn euros ($63.66bn) a month, mainly on sovereign bonds, until at least September 2016.

Buying sovereign bonds will hold down governments’ borrowing costs and keep market interest rates low, encouraging investors to move into riskier assets that will spur growth, while also pushing down the euro currency.

However, the speed and the extent of the euro’s EUR= fall - it has tumbled 12.5% against the dollar so far this year, well on track for the biggest quarterly loss since its launch in 1999 has taken many at the ECB by surprise.

Too successful?

some ECB policymakers are concerned about the effects of the policy genie they have unbottled, particularly the risks attached to pinning market interest rates below zero.

“I’m a bit nervous about this - that there might be something like too much success,” Governing Council member Ewald Nowotny said this week. “I have the feeling we do not understand the full effect of negative interest rates in many instances.”

Updated forecasts by ECB staff this month projected the QE program will raise growth rates in the euro zone and lift inflation from below zero up to 1.8% in 2017 - in line with the ECB’s goal of just under 2%.

The ECB was conservative, predicting growth accelerating from 1.5% this year to 2.1% in 2017. In December, it predicted growth of just 1% this year. Private economists say further falls in the euro mean growth and inflation could outpace the upgraded ECB estimates.

The risk is that QE will, as Nowotny says, bring too much success -- particularly in those countries that need it least. The dynamics of the program will pin down borrowing costs in Ger-

many just as a consumer-led boom is taking off.

Under the plan, the overall volume of central bank bond purchases will be constant in a given country even if yields on some maturities hit the -0.2% level the ECB has set as a floor for purchases - equivalent to its overnight deposit rate.

The national central bank in the country concerned - such as Germany - would have to redirect its firepower to buy other maturities to keep the total volume of the plan steady.

With yields on German sovereign bonds with maturities of up to 3 years around or below -0.20 percent, the lower limit for ECB purchases, a disproportionate amount of money will be thrown at longer-dated German securities compared to other countries.

The bottom line: borrowing costs will stay particularly low for Germans - just as inflation-beating wage deals and a little more government investment point to a robust rebound this year.

Some economists acknowledge that QE may not be appropriate for Germany but are resigned to the plan given the one-size-fits-all nature of monetary policy in the single currency area.

“In Germany, you have a situation where we’re moving towards over-potential,” an adviser to the Berlin government said. “But we’re in the monetary union, so there is one (monetary) policy.”

Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann told Reuters on Thursday the German economy’s “very robust shape” meant the national central bank would raise its growth forecast for this year to around 1.5% from 1% seen in December.

Klaas Knot, the Dutch central bank chief, warned that ECB bond purchasing may cause asset bubbles in some high-yield bonds, government debt, and stocks. l

If Greece were to leave the euro zone, Spain and Italy would also end up quitting the common currency bloc, Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos told German newspaper Bild in an interview to be published on Saturday.

“If Greece explodes, Spain and Italy will be next and then at some point, Germany. We therefore need to find a way within the euro zone, but this way cannot be that the Greeks keep on having to pay,” he said, according to an advance extract of the broad-ranging interview.

He also said Greece did not need a third bailout but rather “a haircut like the one Germany also got in 1953 at the London debt conference.”

Athens and Berlin have become engaged in a war of words and Greece has submitted a formal protest to the German Foreign Ministry, accusing Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble of having insulted his Greek counterpart, Yanis Varoufakis. Schaeuble denies having called Varoufakis “foolishly naive”, as reported by some Greek media.

I get the feeling that the German government is out to get us and some really want to push us out of the euro zone On Schaeuble, Kammenos was quoted as saying: “I don’t understand why he turns against Greece every day in new statements. It’s like a psychological war and Schaeuble is poisoning the relationship between the two countries through that.”

The relationship has already been strained

by Berlin’s tough stance on Greece’s debt crisis.

Kammenos said Schaeuble needed to put up with the new Greek government because it had been elected by the Greek people. He accused Berlin of interfering in Greek domestic affairs, adding: “I get the feeling that the German government is out to get us and some really want to push us out of the euro zone.”

This week Greece has renewed its campaign to seek compensation for the Nazis’ brutal occupation in World War Two, an issue that Berlin says was settled decades ago.

Kammenos called for reparations in the interview, saying, “The gold that the Nazis took to Berlin from Athens was worth a lot of money. We expect compensation for that and also for the forced loan and the destruction of archaeological statues.”

Kammenos also suggested Greece would stop taking refugees in the case of a “forced” Greek exit from the euro zone.

“Then no agreements would be valid anymore, no treaties, nothing. We would no longer be obliged to take in refugees as a country of arrival. Whoever wants to push us out of the euro zone should know that.”

He also said Greece was losing a lot of money due to European Union sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis, adding that Athens therefore needed compensation from the EU. “Otherwise we can’t and don’t want to take part in sanctions against Russia, which are only damaging our economy,” he said. l

DT

18 BUSINESS

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

News, analysis and recent disclosures SANDHANINS: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to purchase floor spaces measuring 7,994.34 sft. including 2 car parking space at BGIC Tower (ground floor and 1st floor), 34 Topkhana Road, Dhaka at the rate of Tk. 13,134.29 per sft. with total Tk. 10.50 crore (excluding stamp, registration fee and other relevant expenses) subject to the approval of Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority.

PTL: Credit Rating Information and Services Limited (CRISL) has rated the Company as A+ in the long term and ST-3 in the short term along with a stable outlook in consideration of audited financials up to June 30, 2014, unaudited financials up to December 31, 2014 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

BSRMSTEEL: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to purchase 335.45 decimal land at Chapatoli & Kaudala, Bandar, Narayanganj for construction of its warehouse. The approximate cost to purchase the land will be Tk. 11.30 crore.

The cost of construction of the warehouse will be approximately Tk. 50.00 crore.

SIBL: The Company has further informed that the 20th AGM of the Company will be held at Savar Golf Club, Savar Cantonment, Dhaka at 10:30 AM. The date and other information of the AGM as announced earlier.

Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

Company GeminiSeaFood-B Eastern Cables-A Ifad Autos -N SummitAlliancePort.-A PragatiLife Insu. -Z Bangladesh Welding -Z PrimeFin. 1st MF-A Standard Insurance-A MJL BD Ltd.-A Fareast Finance-Z

Closing (% Change) 9.41 6.51 6.44 5.89 5.76 5.63 5.56 5.22 5.13 4.73

CSE GAINER Company Bangladesh Welding -Z PrimeFin. 1st MF-A Eastern Cables-A Ifad Autos -N Berger Paints-A Fareast Finance-Z SummitAlliancePort.-A Daffodil Computers -Z Marico BD Ltd-A MJL BD Ltd.-A

Closing (% Change) 7.69 7.14 6.73 6.46 6.22 6.04 5.89 5.69 4.85 4.78

DSE LOSER Company 2nd ICB M F -A Pubali Bank - A Bank Asia -A Uttara Bank - A R. N. Spinning-Z Dulamia CottonZ Continental Insur. -A HeidelbergCement -A National Bank - A Karnaphuli Insur -A

Closing (% Change) -7.83 -6.45 -5.52 -5.45 -5.38 -4.88 -4.82 -4.70 -4.50 -4.35

CSE LOSER Company

Closing (% Change)

Bengal Windsor-A Eastern Bank - A Paramount Insur-A BGIC -A Republic Insu.-A Phoenix Insur -A City G Insu.-A Pubali Bank - A Jamuna Bank -A Sonargaon Tex -Z

-9.98 -7.06 -6.76 -6.56 -6.31 -5.97 -5.81 -5.66 -5.65 -5.56

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

DSE key features March-15, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka)

IPO Subscription: Tosrifa Industries Limited Subscription March 24, 2015 to March 31, 2015; NRB UPTO April 09, 2015.

Offer Price per share Tk. 26.00, Market Lot (Shares) 200.

Dividend/AGM FIRSTSBANK: 10% stock, AGM: 09.05.2015, Record date: 02.04.2015.

RELIANCINS: 15% cash and 15% stock, AGM: 30.04.2015, Record date: 19.03.2015.

UNITEDFIN: 5% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 23.04.2015, Record date: 18.03.2015.

LAFSURCEML: 5% final cash dividend (i.e. total 10% cash dividend for the year 2014 inclusive of 5% interim cash dividend which has already been paid), AGM: 11.06.2015, Record Date: 07.04.2015.

UNIONCAP: 10% stock, AGM: 31.03.2015, Record date: 16.03.2015.

TRUSTBANK: 5% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 30.03.2015, Record date: 15.03.2015.

DUTCHBANGL: 40% cash, AGM: 30.03.2015, Record date: 15.03.2015.

SOUTHEASTB: 15% cash, AGM: 29.03.2015, Record date: 15.03.2015.

ALARABANK: 14% cash, AGM: 31.03.2015, Record Date: 15.03.2015.

PRIMEBANK: 15% cash, AGM: 30.03.2015, Record Date: 10.03.2015.

PUBALIBANK: 10% cash, AGM: 31.03.2015, Record Date: 10.03.2015.

SIBL: 18% cash, AGM: 30.03.2015, Record Date: 10.03.2015.

DSE GAINER

Sector

2,537.34 52,350,994 71,675

Traded Issues

307

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

116

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

181

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

10

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,497.23

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

30.27

Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture

DSE Million Taka 155.65 64.49 28.49 300.36 75.73 572.49 6.73 239.45 420.42 6.89 152.34 16.15 15.64 161.29 46.09 13.50 48.09 122.82 23.01 67.63 0.08

% change 6.13 2.54 1.12 11.84 2.98 22.56 0.27 9.44 16.57 0.27 6.00 0.64 0.62 6.36 1.82 0.53 1.90 4.84 0.91 2.67 0.00

Million Taka 17.73 5.36 1.07 26.40 4.66 42.55 31.87 18.88 0.41 8.84 0.73 1.16 11.98 5.19 0.28 1.99 18.17 3.05 11.91 0.03

Average (% Change) 8.46 5.12 3.89 2.27 3.90 5.76 5.16 6.11 4.98 4.35

Average (% Change) 6.54 4.37 4.29 4.79 6.21 6.85 3.01 5.69 6.04 4.28

Average (% Change) -8.43 -4.46 -1.65 -2.26 -4.99 -4.65 -4.04 -6.12 -4.04 -2.31

Average (% Change) -9.97 -8.36 -2.34 -6.14 -6.36 -5.97 -5.74 -4.99 -4.02 -4.76

CSE

ClosingAvg. 200.44 135.89 64.56 59.54 116.26 16.89 13.24 24.32 123.95 15.36

ClosingAvg. 16.77 13.15 136.04 65.02 1679.18 15.76 59.83 13.00 1284.83 123.72

ClosingAvg. 261.90 20.77 14.30 21.64 24.95 7.80 15.91 472.68 10.68 15.64

ClosingAvg.

% change 8.35 2.52 0.51 12.44 2.19 20.05 0.00 15.01 8.89 0.19 4.17 0.34 0.55 5.64 2.45 0.13 0.94 8.56 1.44 5.61 0.01

55.91 24.65 13.80 17.13 19.29 25.20 14.61 20.39 11.94 10.20

Closing 203.40 139.10 66.10 61.10 119.30 16.90 13.30 24.20 125.00 15.50

Closing 16.80 13.50 139.50 65.90 1679.20 15.80 61.10 13.00 1300.00 125.00

Closing 263.60 20.30 13.70 20.80 24.60 7.80 15.80 476.80 10.60 15.40

Closing

DHIGH 203.40 140.00 66.50 61.70 119.90 17.20 13.50 24.50 125.40 15.60

DHIGH 17.00 13.50 140.00 66.50 1679.70 15.90 62.00 13.00 1300.00 125.30

DHIGH

192.00 130.30 62.90 57.60 113.90 16.10 12.70 23.30 120.00 14.90

DLOW 16.00 13.00 131.00 63.20 1679.00 15.30 58.00 13.00 1235.00 120.00

DLOW

266.10 21.90 15.10 22.10 26.10 7.80 16.40 483.00 11.00 15.90

DHIGH

55.90 25.00 13.80 17.10 19.30 25.20 14.60 20.00 11.70 10.20

Million Taka 173.38 69.85 29.57 326.76 80.39 615.04 6.73 271.31 439.29 7.30 161.18 16.87 16.80 173.27 51.28 13.78 50.08 140.98 26.06 79.54 0.11

DLOW

261.00 20.20 13.60 20.20 23.40 7.80 15.70 466.10 10.50 15.00

DLOW

56.00 25.00 13.80 18.00 19.40 25.20 15.50 21.00 12.30 10.20

Total

55.90 24.30 13.80 17.00 19.20 25.20 14.30 20.00 11.70 10.20

% change 6.31 2.54 1.08 11.88 2.92 22.37 0.24 9.87 15.98 0.27 5.86 0.61 0.61 6.30 1.87 0.50 1.82 5.13 0.95 2.89 0.00

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

Turnover in Million

Latest EPS

3.905 6.178 130.766 131.495 1.053 2.115 2.875 0.697 156.555 5.423

Turnover in Million

-6.36 1.52 1.92 0.78 2.38 0.44 1.13 3.07 5.11 1.88

Latest EPS

0.264 0.047 0.909 13.882 0.034 0.974 7.803 0.013 0.076 10.913

Turnover in Million

-ve 89.4 33.6 76.3 48.8 38.4 11.7 7.9 24.3 8.2

Latest PE

0.44 1.13 1.52 1.92 49.25 1.88 0.78 0.86 48.72 5.11

Latest EPS

0.055 7.860 1.515 8.520 5.564 0.004 0.583 44.494 15.432 0.486

Turnover in Million

Latest PE

38.1 11.6 89.5 33.9 34.1 8.4 76.7 15.1 26.4 24.2

Latest PE

43.96 3.54 2.40 3.19 2.19 -4.02 2.27 20.88 1.13 1.40

Latest EPS

0.013 0.007 0.024 0.002 0.066 0.013 0.002 0.585 0.140 0.035

6.0 5.9 6.0 6.8 11.4 -ve 7.0 22.6 9.5 11.2

Latest PE

4.10 3.50 1.13 2.35 2.56 3.88 1.89 3.54 0.84 -0.84

13.6 7.0 12.2 7.3 7.5 6.5 7.7 5.8 14.2 -ve

CSE key features March-15, 2015 Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume) Number of Contract

212.24 5,527,523 10,733

Traded Issues

222

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

70

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

146

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

6

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,365.98

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.68

DT

BUSINESS 19

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

DSEX sinks to 7-month low Trade volume declines steeply munication, pharmaceutin Tribune Report cals, engineering and real

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Shahjibazar Power-N MJL BD Ltd.-A SummitAlliancePort.-A Ifad Autos -N ACI Limited- A LafargeS Cement-Z Shasha Denims -N Grameenphone-A ACI Formulations-A HeidelbergCement -A

Square Pharma -A Renata Ltd. -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A WesternMarine -N BD Submarine Cable-A

VolumeShares 1,371,650 1,263,099 2,208,504 2,025,493 282,132 835,918 2,466,201 280,839 368,085 94,131

Value in Million 257.08 156.56 131.50 130.77 129.89 104.32 94.24 92.53 52.29 44.49

% of TotalTurnover 10.13 6.17 5.18 5.15 5.12 4.11 3.71 3.65 2.06 1.75

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Shahjibazar Power-N Shasha Denims -N Ifad Autos -N BD Submarine Cable-A MJL BD Ltd.-A LafargeS Cement-Z SummitAlliancePort.-A ACI Limited- A CVO PetroChem RL-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A

Grameenphone-A National Bank - A ACI Formulations-A aamra technologies-A Square Pharma -A

165,315 36,682 1,101,920 740,119 241,922

100,476 454,959 213,493 100,698 88,207 64,730 130,420 14,218 14,965 198,528

16,617 405,369 29,561 107,445 15,299

42.68 41.86 35.42 30.83 30.29

19.43 17.27 13.88 12.69 10.91 8.04 7.80 6.55 6.45 6.38

5.47 4.39 4.18 3.96 3.95

1.68 1.65 1.40 1.22 1.19

9.15 8.14 6.54 5.98 5.14 3.79 3.68 3.09 3.04 3.01

2.58 2.07 1.97 1.87 1.86

ClosingP 200.20 125.00 61.10 66.10 463.90 124.00 37.70 330.30 142.60 476.80

258.50 1137.10 32.10 41.40 123.80

ClosingP

Change % 1.11 5.13 5.89 6.44 2.16 -0.48 -2.58 1.60 2.00 -4.70

0.15 1.47 0.00 -1.43 -1.51

Change %

199.00 37.60 65.90 124.30 125.00 123.60 61.10 462.90 203.20 32.10

331.20 10.60 141.40 36.80 258.60

0.40 -2.34 6.46 -1.35 4.78 -0.16 5.89 1.96 2.52 0.00

1.35 -5.36 0.93 -1.08 -0.04

ClosingY 198.00 118.90 57.70 62.10 454.10 124.60 38.70 325.10 139.80 500.30

258.10 1120.60 32.10 42.00 125.70

ClosingY

198.20 38.50 61.90 126.00 119.30 123.80 57.70 454.00 198.20 32.10

326.80 11.20 140.10 37.20 258.70

DHIGH 209.50 125.40 61.70 66.50 464.70 126.20 39.10 332.00 143.30 483.00

DLOW 180.50 120.00 57.60 62.90 449.00 122.80 37.50 325.00 140.30 466.10

259.00 1148.80 32.60 42.40 128.90

257.00 1130.00 31.90 41.20 123.50

DHIGH

DLOW

208.90 38.80 66.50 128.80 125.30 125.30 62.00 464.00 208.90 32.50

180.70 37.30 63.20 124.00 120.00 122.70 58.00 450.10 180.70 31.90

332.00 11.00 143.00 37.20 260.00

326.90 10.60 135.00 36.60 257.70

AvgPrice 187.42 123.95 59.54 64.56 460.37 124.80 38.21 329.47 142.05 472.68

258.17 1141.16 32.14 41.66 125.20

AvgPrice

193.37 37.96 65.02 126.04 123.72 124.15 59.83 460.70 431.19 32.16

329.41 10.83 141.34 36.87 258.34

Daily capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index :

4536.39755

(-) 0.45%

1709.40647

(-) 0.29%

13852.38970

(-) 0.60%

11349.01270

(-) 0.95%

8379.24900

(-) 0.63%

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

Stocks registered losses for the fourth straight session with volatility yesterday with the benchmark index DSEX sinking to seven months low.

The two-month long political crisis continued to drive away investors from the market, dragging down the trading activities.

The benchmark index DSEX lost 20 points or 0.5% to close at 4,536, its lowest since August 13 last year.

The Shariah Index DSES witnessed fractional loss of 0.1 points to 1,104. The comprising blue chips DS30 was down 5 points or 0.3% to 1,709. Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, shed 50 points to 8,385.

Last few sessions’ slow activity trend collapsed, as the turnover at the Dhaka Stock Exchange stood at Tk250 crore, steeply down 20% over the previous session.

In this depressing scenario, investors kept their concentration unchanged on Shahjibazar Power Company Limited and Mobil Jamuna Limited Bangladesh, accounting for 16% of the day’s total turnover.

Tannery was the biggest gainer rising 2.4%, powered by heavyweight Bata Shoe that rallied 3.5%. Telecom-

estate showed positive performance.

Banking sector stocks continued to take hit, slipping 1.6%. Textile, cement, non-banking financial institutions and IT sectors were also heavily down.

LankaBangla Securities said after a short pit-stop in the morning, investors showed their concern on political impasse in the country.

“They remained watchful as market has reached to an oversold situation,” it said.

Among the major industry updates, advance-deposit ratio in the banking sector remained stuck at around 70% in the recent months due to a dull business situation amid political unrest and uncertainty.

IDLC Investments said optimistic portion of the market is overrun by panicked sentiment continuously amid the bleak investment scenario.

The session failed to deliver any resistance, submitting to the strong downtrend, it said.

Zenith Investments said it seemed that investors who were already stuck with unrealised losses need to endure further periodical correction relating to ongoing political concerns. l

ANALYST

Optimistic portion of the market is overrun by panicked sentiment continuously amid the bleak investment scenario

DT

20 BUSINESS

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

ADB awards best performing project teams in Bangladesh n

Tribune Report

Asian Development Bank has awarded four of its best performing project teams in Bangladesh as part of efforts to promote efficient project implementation.

ADB Country Director for Bangladesh Kazuhiko Higuchi handed over the awards to the winning teams for the year 2014 at a ceremony in Dhaka yesterday, according to a statement.

The winning project teams are Sustainable Rural Infrastructure Improvement Project, executed by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED); City Region Development Project also executed by the LGED; and, Third Primary Education Development Project executed by the Directorate of Primary Education.

The Second Capital Market Development Program, executed by the Bank and Financial Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance, won a special program award for out-

standing efforts in 2014.

“The project teams were selected for efficiency, results delivery, effective project implementation, efforts to empower women, transparency, and other criteria,” said Higuchi.

The best project team recognition programme was initiated in 2001, and has been a regular annual exercise by ADB to promote development effectiveness of ADB-assisted projects in Bangladesh.

The Sustainable Rural Infrastructure Improvement Project (with the $60m loan from ADB) is helping to reduce poverty and raise incomes in 21 districts of north-west and south-west Bangladesh by improving climate-resistant road connectivity, and upgrading marketing facilities with specific provision for women.

The City Region Development Project (with the $120m loan from ADB) is supporting Bangladesh to overhaul urban planning,

infrastructure, and services in two big city regions.

The project is improving energy-efficient and environment-friendly urban services, and strengthening management capacity for Dhaka and Khulna city corporations and adjoining secondary towns.

The project’s outcome will include improved urban environment and infrastructure services based on effective regional and urban planning.

The Third Primary Education Development Project (with the $320m loan from ADB) is supporting the government’s priorities of providing quality primary education to all children of the country.

The Second Capital Market Development Program (with the $300m loan from ADB) is supporting the government initiative to meet the long-term financing requirements and thereby address the current infrastructure investment gap in Bangladesh. l

Government, ADB join hands to improve development works n Tribune Report Bangladesh government and Asian Development Bank (ADB) yesterday concluded a 15day joint review of ADB-assisted projects to further improve development results.

Senior government officials, project directors, and ADB staff members from its headquarters and the Bangladesh resident mission participated in the review.

The review program ended through a wrap-up meeting chaired jointly by Mohammad Mejbahuddin, Senior Secretary, Economic Relations Division, and Kazuhiko Higuchi, ADB Country Director for Bangladesh.

“The country portfolio reviewis an important annual exerciseto discuss a wide range of issues and agree on actions to enhance performance and achieve development results,” said Higuchi.

“The review identified and agreed on specific actions to further improve project readiness, reduce project startup delays, expedite procurement and fund disbursements, resolve project-specific issues, improve auditing, and accelerate land acquisition, resettlement and project implementation.”

As of 31 December 2014, ADB’s cumulative lending to Bangladesh stood at $16.1bn for 253 projects, while the technical assistance amounted to $242m for 439 projects.

ADB focuses its cooperation in Bangladesh on six sectors—energy; transport; water and other urban/municipal infrastructure and services; education; finance; and agriculture, natural resources, and rural development. l

FIs asked to introduce KYC forms for opening accounts

n Tribune Report

To maintain the government authorised prices of essentials, the Dhaka South City Corporation puts up a board in front of the Hatirpool kitchen market which never saw any update after July 25, 2014. The photo was taken yesterday on the World Consumer Rights Day RAJIB DHAR

The country’s financial institutions have been asked to introduce KYC (know your customer) form as well as uniform account opening form

by June 30.

The decision was made for the storage of actual information about clients by the financial institutions to comply with the anti-money laundering act, said a Bangladesh Bank circular issued yesterday.

“The FIs will have to use three kind of forms at the time of account openings. The forms are-account opening application form, account opening form and KYC profile form,” said the circular.

All FIs must use the uniform information in the account opening form, but additional information may be attached if any institution needs. l

Regulator fines United Insurance board Tk8 lakh n Tribune Report

Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA) has fined Tk8 lakh against all the board members of the United Insurance for violating the rules in appointing its managing director.

The decision was made at a hearing held at its headquarters on March 5. IDRA Chairman

M Shefaq Ahmed chaired the hearing while all the board members of the United Insurance were present, said a press release issued by the authority yesterday.

According to the release, all the eight directors of the company including its chairman Syed Aziz Ahmad, board member Saiful Islam, Shah Alam, M A Azim, Harunur Rashid, M Alam, Hafizullah and Wahiuddin Mahmood

have been penalized Tk1 lakh each.

The board of the insurance company had earlier made a decision to reappoint the managing director Syed Shahriyar Ahsan till the year 2016.

Later on, the company sent a proposal to IDRA for its approval in December last, eight months after making the decision by board in March in the same year, which is violation of rules.

As per the Insurance Act 2010, an insurance

company will have to inform the authority in written about MD appointment or removal within 15 days of taking decision.

Earlier, in 2007, the company had got the approval of the then Insurance Directorate for appointing Syed Shahriyar Ahsan as MD. But, it failed to fulfill the condition of the appointment agreement within seven days of submitting the appointment proposal. l

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21

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

T-JUNCTION

Celticcool Photo: Sabiha Akond Rupa

INSIDE Attentive to the core Want to score those extra brownie points with your favourite teacher at school? Find out how to go about it.

Good housekeeping Wondering how to make your favourite liner or gloss last longer? Just stash them away in the fridge.

23

beauty game

Cool it! hair care

Brush up

24 fitness

Heartbreak decoded teen health

Your ideal weight

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22 T-JUNCTION

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Schoologistics

school survival

Pet project

School edition Do you want to win the label of a “teacher’s pet?”

Here’s how you can do it

n Raisa Rahim Choose your teacher It’s very evident and self-explanatory in itself as to why you can’t always please all your teachers. Hence, decide what teacher you want to impress. Is it going to be your Art teacher, PE coach or the teacher of your favourite subject? Once you have done that, find out what your teacher is like, what ticks her off and what she expects from her/his students.

First impression Be presentable. First impression is very important. Teachers are also responsible to see if the students abide by the rules of the school, so, make their work easier. Follow the rules like a nice kid and you’ll get one step ahead in your mission. Try to look neat and clean, making sure that your nails and hair aren’t overgrown, your uniform is ironed and please, remove that ink stain

from your shirt’s pocket; that thing is nasty my dear.

Raise your hand You don’t have to be a genius to get your teacher’s attention; you’ll get it anyway the moment you giggle with your friends when she says, “turn to page ‘six’” but that’s not the route we’d want you to take. If you are to become the teacher’s pet, try drawing her attention by participating in the lecture and asking questions or adding your views on the topic at hand.

Come prepared to class Teachers love and appreciate students who submit their homework and assignments on time. Don’t leave out any problems in your homework, attempt all of it, that way even if you get any of them wrong, your teacher will know you’ve put in a lot of effort and might as well give you extra points if you’re lucky. On top of that,

you could also read the chapters before next class so you can be more active and participating when she discusses it in class, because any answer or insight you give goes to show that you were listening and paying attention in class. In other words “make her/him feel like she is doing her job well.”

May I? Teachers love pupils who are helpful - to their friends, classmates and the teachers.

Insist on carrying the heap of books/ copies for her/him. Prepare the classroom before she/he enters, that means you clean the board; organise the markers, chalks, dusters, etc. l

comic review

Mighty Punch packs a double whammy n Sabrina Fatma Ahmad The winds of spring bring in the scent of mango blossoms, reminding us that very soon, we’ll be able to chomp down on that delicious sweet fruit. And where there are mangoes, there’s our favourite atomic mango-powered superhero - Shabash.

This week, we take a look at Issues #4 and #5 of this well-loved home-grown comic. The creators from Mighty Punch Studios explain that, since their last story took two issues to complete, this time, they’re going for smaller, standalone stories, packing three into each issue.

Issue 4 is called Shabash at the Comicon, and the cover story, so to speak, centres around Shabash and his experiences of the recently concluded Dhaka Comicon. It’s a pretty meta story, featuring real characters such as the folks at Mighty Punch as well as Saadi Rahman of the Museum of Toys.

If you like classics like Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Space Jam, or, for a more recent offering, the deliciously baddictive Once upon a Time, this one is right up your alley, blending reality with fiction, and

peppering it with plenty of pop-culture references. Other stories in the collection have Shabash meeting his match at a game of para cricket. There’s also an MMORPGstyle depiction of the Brazil vs Argentina rivalry that springs up in our country during every World Cup football.

Issue #5 is another collection of shorts, bringing back some familiar faces from the previous comics. We meet Dr Keramoti again in “The Spoiler King Manifests,” and his time-travelling television sends Shabash on a major binge, as a result of which, he finds himself committing that most heinous of crimes - spoiling television shows for fans. Aside from nailing just how irritating it is to be around the compulsive “spoilers,” it also provides a tongue-in-cheek jab at how TV producers love their unholy mashups. If you were wondering what happened to King Blatt at the end of Issue #1, be prepared for a dark teaser in one of the other stories in this issue. Finally, there’s a little vignette about the unique culture in Old Dhaka.

The comics marry quirky and endearing artwork with witty, inter-textual storytelling. The level of detail (both in terms of art and text) is truly impressive.

Find out for yourself. Copies of these are available at Meena Bazar, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Jamil’s Comics. l

T-JUNCTION 23

DT

Tempt

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Cool it ! beauty game

4 beauty products to store in the fridge

n Sabrina Fatma Ahmad As the weather gets warmer, it’s time to pay attention to how the changing temps may affect the performance of your skincare products. Here are four types whose effectiveness increase with a little cooling.

reducing puffiness and dark circles, so it makes sense to give your under-eye cream an extra boost by storing them in the fridge.

Pro tip When applying the eye cream, rub in very gently, because any dragging motion can actually cause sagging in the under eye region and can defeat the purpose of using these creams.

Home-made/natural face/hair mask Whether it’s a basic turmeric/flour mask you whipped up at home, or a store-bought uptan mix to which you added water, the very fact that these things have allnatural ingredients mean they need to be refrigerated or they’ll go bad. Treat them as you would any cooked food in the house.

Under-eye creams Notice how, when you go to get a facial, they put something cool and soothing over your eyes? The cold itself goes a long way to

Face sprays and toners For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about creating rosewater face sprays as revitalisers for tired skin. Since these also

use all-natural ingredients, it’s best to store them in the fridge. Keeping toners in colder temperatures will also give you the added boost of tightening visible pores when you apply them.

Eyeliner pencils Like your cat-eye super precise? Pop your kohl liner in the fridge 10-15 minutes before you’re ready to use them. Take them out and sharpen while still cold, and then try lining your eyes.

You’ll be surprised by the sharpness of the lines. Time to try some fierce angles. l

hair care

Brush up

How often brushes and combs should be deep cleaned -

Once a month

Cleaning tips for your hair grooming tools

n Sabrina Fatma Ahmad You might be pretty thorough about yanking out the stray hair caught in your combs and brushes after you’ve used them, but the pools of gunk that accumulate at the points where the bristles and teeth meet the base, are harder to get out. Here’s how to battle them.

Eww, gross!

It sure is. That spongy dark substance is a combination of scalp grease, styling products, dust, and dead cells. Needless to say, left to collect in your brush or comb, it becomes the perfect breeding ground for fungus and bacteria, and can lead to skin diseases.

Combs and plastic/metal brushes Dissolve a little baby shampoo in lukewarm water. Immerse the brush and combs inside this and swirl around before letting them soak for a few minutes, to soften up the dirt. Use an old toothbrush to scrub between the teeth of the comb and through the bristles of the brush. Once the goo is gone, rinse in clean water, and then wrap in a towel to dry.

Round brushes Getting the hair out of round brushes with the fabric bases is much harder. Use a small pair of scissors to snip through the little balls of hair stuck stubbornly at the bottom, before you yank it out. Once it is cleaned, follow the same procedure for washing the brush, and then use a hairdryer to dry. Be careful as to not hold the hairdryer too close or you may damage the brush. l

DT

24 T-JUNCTION

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Take Care

Why love hurts fitness

Uncovering the neuroscience of a heartbreak

n Naveen Rahaman A split, regardless of how it happens, always leads to insurmountable pain for the one who has lost a loved one. Unsettled, and completely out of place, the moment we decide to call it quits, our world comes to an instant pause, triggering all sorts of disconcerting feelings. Whether they’re long, serious relationships or a short long-distance love, the moment we reach our finale, no matter how horribly stressful our relationship was, we cannot help but feel desperately and embarrassingly at a loss. In the wake of these situations, heartbreak is no longer just a word. It’s an agonising, full-fledged physical pain, one that stems from every nerve of our lovelorn bodies. Today we look at the scientific reasoning behind heartbreak.

What your brain says: According to experts, when we’re in the ultimate throngs of heartbreak, we feel a physical pain, often in our stomach or in our chest. The pain can feel like anything from a light ache to a physical stab.

Scientifically speaking, the pain can be attributed to either a sympathetic activation system or the parasympathetic activation system. The former is a “fight-or-flight” stress that revs up action in the heart and lung while the latter is a “rest-anddigest” response which slows down the heart. When both these actions occur simultaneously, it’s as if the heart’s brake and accelerator work together to create a conflict of action that resembles or feels like the heart breaking.

Studies of the MRI result of heartbroken individuals showed that both physical pain and rejection are located in the same place in the brain. In other words, when you do feel the loss of a loved one, the pain is no longer just a metaphor.

In a study published in the Journal of Neurophysiology in 2010, when heartbroken participants were asked to look at photos of their exes, their MRI showed that there

was activity in that part of the brain that registers pain. Interestingly, since physical and emotional pain share the same neural pathways, when one does have a breakup the body signals them to feel the pain.

According to the brain, love is quite like a drug addiction. When you’re with someone, you somehow feel dependent on that partnership and get used to feeling part of a couple. The moment the relationship is over you feel lost and worthless. A study conducted by Stony Brook University compared the brains of people in love

with those of drug addicts. The studies found that being addicted to love and a relationship is similar to a drug addiction.

It is one of the reasons why dealing with rejection is so difficult to cope with.

The good part about all this is, that despite all the pain and suffering, our brains will soon be accustomed to the single life, as long as you give it enough time. The way drug addicts can get over their addiction, given enough time and effort, similarly, our neural circuits will adjust to the new found love for singledom. l

teen health

Balancing the scales What’s the right weight for my height?

n Sabrina Fatma Ahmad One of the biggest body image concerns a teen has is about his/her weight. And if it isn’t bad enough that adolescents have to deal with constant, confusing changes in their bodies, they get bombarded with mixed messages about this. There are magazines screaming at us about losing weight, there are feminists screaming just as loud against fat-shaming, and neither party is bothered about what the doctors have to say. So let us correct this by talking about something called the “BMI.”

in muscle composition, it’s normal to experience a weight gain. But there’s more to fitness than the reading on your scales.

BMI Doctors use something called a BMI, or Body Mass Index, to calculate whether you’re healthy or obese. This is a ratio of your height to your weight. You measure your weight in kilograms over your height squared in centimetres. The resulting numbers are measured in a chart to see how you stack up against the average BMI for your height and age range. There’s a big range of “normal” on the chart, so if you’re anywhere between the 5th percentile and the 85th, you’re at a healthy weight.

Bodies grow and develop differently You and your friend might be the same height, but have completely different weights. Don’t let this get you down. When you hit your puberty, what your natural body shape is, and also what genes you

have, as well as, of course, your lifestyle – all of this figures into what your ideal weight should be, from a strictly health perspective.

And particularly during your teen years, when your hormones are revving up and you’re seeing a growth spurt and changes

Conventional wisdom At the end of the day, what’s more important than a bunch of numbers is your lifestyle. If you’re eating a balanced diet, putting in about 30 minutes of physical activity a day, and getting enough sleep, it doesn’t matter what the scales say. You’re healthy, and that’s what counts. l

Lionel Messi’s double for Barcelona in the 2-0 win against Eibar on Saturday has seen him move ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the European Golden Shoe. Messi struck a 31st minute penalty - his 31st Liga goal, one more than Ronaldo.

Sport 26

BANGLADESH FANS TRULY WAITING FOR THE ‘MAUKA’

27

PAKISTAN, WEST INDIES INTO QUARTER-FINALS

29

25

DT

LEADER

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

THE MONTH OF MARCH, MANZARUL AND INDIA

Times, they are a changing n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Soumya Sarkar takes a selfie while watching the Rolex Melbourne Grand Prix at Albert Park yesterday. (Inset), Soumya poses with a Scuderia Ferrari. Britain’s two-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had to grind out a tough win as seven among the 18 drivers were unable to finish the race.

Hasta la vista, baby! n Mazhar Uddin from Melbourne How often in our lives do we get the chance to see Terminator 2 star Arnold Schwarzenegger in flesh? Well, I had the rare, lifetime opportunity to witness my all-time favourite action hero at Langham Hotel yesterday.

The two-time former California Governor came to Melbourne to watch the Rolex Australian Grand Prix, the Formula 1 season’s curtain-raiser, which took place yesterday.

The Tigers are staying at the same hotel and I was waiting there yesterday for some news when I suddenly saw the big guy walking towards a car which was waiting for him outside the hotel. I was surprised to see him! I became a huge fan of him after watching one

of his epic movies, Terminator 2, back in my childhood days.

However, to my utter disgust, I was unable to take a picture with him due to security reasons.

I came to learn that the Bangladesh cricketers also wanted to take a picture with the Hollywood superstar but failed in their pursuit as the security officials did not allow them.

In the meantime, Soumya Sarkar must also be a F1 fan like Schwarzenegger. Apparently, it was Soumya’s childhood dream to watch a F1 race right in front of his own eyes. And, the Tigers’ latest batting sensation got his wish as he witnessed two-time champion and British star Lewis Hamilton strolling to victory at Al-

bert Park yesterday.

Soumya was accompanied by Bangladesh Cricket Board media manager Rabeed Imam and later posted a few pictures on his facebook profile.

As for the other cricketers, Nasir Hossain and Taskin Ahmed were spotted at a restaurant having lunch while senior cricketers like Shakib al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim enjoyed some leisure time with their wives at the cosmopolitan city.

Yesterday was the Tigers’ last rest-day.

They will begin their quarter-final mission from today and will train at the Melbourne Cricket Ground ahead of their last eight clash against defending champions India this Thursday. l

Following a below-par 2014, the only booster Bangladesh received heading into the World Cup was the clean-sheet over Zimbabwe at home. The Tigers dominated the southern African nation in both the Tests and ODIs, winning 3-0 and 5-0 respectively, and erased the bitter memories of the previous events that included losses against Associates Afghanistan and Hong Kong in the Asia Cup and World Twenty20 respectively.

The bilateral series sweep over Zimbabwe gave the cricketers confidence ahead of the mega event but the general sentiment was different. Majority in the country’s cricketing arena harboured low hopes and expectations.

Many even thought that Bangladesh might repeat their dismal showing in the 2003 World Cup where they finished bottom of Pool B after suffering defeats against Associates Canada and Kenya.

In the past one month, fast bowler Al Amin Hossain landed himself in hot water after breaking the team curfew and was later sent home while team manager Khaled Mahmud was also among the headlines following an impromptu visit to a casino in Melbourne.

However, the cricketers barely paid any attention to the off-field distractions as they romped past Afghanistan, Scotland and England on their way to the last eight.

The Tigers are now just three wins away from the title, the closest they have ever been in the flagship event. Many are even considering this achievement as the Tigers’ third most memorable moment alongside the ICC trophy triumph in 1997 and the 2012 Asia Cup final berth.

Two people are largely responsible for the Tigers’ upturn in fortunes – skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza and coach Chandika Hathurusingha.

Mashrafe has been a courageous leader and has led the side admirably, taking risks at the right moment. Hathurusingha on the other hand brought about several positive changes ever since taking the helm in the middle of last year. One of Hathurusingha’s best decisions has been to promote Mahmudullah up the batting order. The right-handed batsman has revived the Tigers’ batting, striking consecutive hundreds, not by taking undue risks but by rotating the strike sensibly.

The Tigers will now head into the quarter-final against India with a lot of confidence.

In the recent past, the Tigers overcame the India challenge in two major tournaments – the 2012 Asia Cup and the 2007 World Cup. It is no surprise therefore that former Indian cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar is asking his compatriots not to take Bangladesh lightly. l

DT

26 Sport

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Bangladesh fans truly waiting for the ‘Mauka’ n Mazhar Uddin from Melbourne The exciting quarterfinal clash between neighbouring rivals Bangladesh and India is still three days away, but the social medias are already heating up with videos uploaded by fans of the respective nations.

Indian television channels don’t easily let go the chance of bragging about their team and what was funny at the beginning is now irritating the majority of the cricket followers all over the world. “Mauka Mauka”, meaning “opportunity, opportunity”, the dialog from an ad that was initially launched to mock Pakistan have reached a new height after it continued with all the other teams India have faced in their group and all having a tagline #WeWon’tGiveItBack meaning India will defend their title successfully.

India face the high-flying Tigers next and it is needless to say unlike the other nations’ supporters the Bangladeshis have been up to the task in making several versions of the ad on their own.

The issue shouldn’t have been dragged thus far but the sparks were created after an Indian home-made video upload indicated “India are like the big brother to Bangladesh as the former helped the latter in winning the liberation war against Pakistan in 1971.”

The reactions were not supposed to be calm and it wasn’t as the Bengal fans logically critcised the Indians for their “dry sense of humour” and why not.

However, Bangladesh’s crazy cricket fans also replied back with their own version of “Mauka, Mauka” in which they highlighted India’s defeat in two major tournaments to Bangladesh – one in the 2007 World Cup group stage that eliminated the Blues while the other in the Asia Cup in 2012.

The Indian critics have also made controversial statements earlier on live TV shows including former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu who termed Bangladesh’s cricket as “poor.”

However, the good thing is that the players from both sides are focused on the game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and they are not involved in any of the off-field battles taking place. l

While the Bangladesh cricketers are practising on the field, their fans are also busy preparing for the much-anticipated quarter-final against India at Melbourne Cricket Ground this Thursday. The non-resident Bangladeshis have backed the players closely in the past one month in the World Cup and Fahmid Ahmed, Farah Shams, Sabrina Sadique, Zarifa Chowdhury, Rezvi Yasin, Reza Ali, Mushfiqur Rahman, Farha Rahman Rishnat Choudhury and Shomik Choudhury are just a part of the Tigers unit in Melbourne COURTESY

FIXTURES Team

POOL A

POOL B

P

W

L N/R Pts NRR

Team

P

W

L N/R Pts NRR

New Zealand

6

6

0

0

12 +2.564

India

6

6

0

0

12 +1.827

Australia

6

4

1

1

9 +2.257

South Africa

6

4

2

0

8 +1.707

Sri Lanka

6

4

2

0

8 +0.371

Pakistan

6

4

2

0

8 -0.085

Bangladesh

6

3

2

1

7 +0.136

West Indies

6

3

3

0

6 -0.053

England

6

2

4

0

4 -0.753

Ireland

6

3

3

0

6 -0.933

Afghanistan

6

1

5

0

2

Zimbabwe

6

1

5

0

2 -0.527

Scotland

6

0

6

0

0 -2.218

UAE

6

0

6

0

0 -2.032

Quarterfinal 1 March 18 In Sydney (9:30am BST) South Africa v Sri Lanka

Quarterfinal 4 March 21 In Wellington (7am BST) New Zealand v West Indies

-1.853

Semifinal 1 March 24, in Auckland (7am BST)

Final March 29 in Melbourne (9:30am BST)

Semifinal 2 March 26 in Sydney (9:30am BST)

Quarterfinal 2 March 19 In Melbourne (9:30am BST) India v Bangladesh

Quarterfinal 3 March 20 In Adelaide (9:30am BST) Australia v Pakistan

UAE thank South African quicks for showing no mercy n AFP, Napier World Cup amateurs United Arab Emirates prepared to head home to their day jobs Sunday with words of thanks to Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel and one regret over a dropped catch against Ireland.

The UAE’s World cup comeback, 19 years after their one and only previous appearance, ended with a sixth straight loss when the West Indies pulled off a six-wicket win at McLean Park in Napier.

“It was a satisfactory performance from us, but we know we could have done better,” captain Mohammad Tauqir said.

“Overall the whole tournament has been very special for the whole team.”

Morkel and Steyn were singled out for a ferocious spell of intimidatory bowling which Tauqir took as recognition that his team of part-timers deserved to be part of cricket’s ODI showpiece.

“I’m very thankful to them for bowling to us they way they did,” said Tauqir, who scored three before he was bowled by Steyn.l

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Sport 27

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

HOW IT STANDS AFTER WC GROUP STAGE Top score

Best bowling figure

CH Gayle (215 off 147 balls) v Zimbabwe

TG Southee ( 7/33) v England

Highest batting average

Best bowling average

Sarfraz Ahmed (Pak) 150

MA Starc (Aus) 8.50

Most hundreds

Most dismissals by WK

KC Sangakkara (SL) 4

D Ramdin (WI) 13

Most fifties

Most catches by fielder

Misbah-ul Haq (Pak) 4

UT Yadav (India) 8

Most sixes

Highest total

AB de Villiers (SA) 20

Australia (417/6) v Afghanistan

Most ducks

Largest victories

Krishna Chandran (UAE) 3

By runs: Australia (275 runs) v Afghanistan

Highest Partnership

By balls remaining: NZ (226 balls) v Eng

CH Gayle, MN Samuels (372 runs) v Zimbabwe

By wickets : India (9 wickets) v UAE

MOST WICKETS

Player

MA Starc (Aus)

Pakistan’s Sarfraz Ahmed celebrates his century during their World Cup match against Ireland at the Adelaide Oval yesterday REUTERS

IRE v PAK IRELAND W. Porterfield c Afridi b Sohail P. Stirling lbw b Adil E. Joyce c Akmal b Wahab N. O’Brien c Akmal b Rahat A. Balbirnie c Afridi b Haris G. Wilson c Wahab b Sohail K. O’Brien c Maqsood b Wahab S. Thompson c Akmal b Rahat J. Mooney c Akmal b Wahab G. Dockrell run out (Wahab) A. Cusack not out Extras: (lb2, w10)

R B 107 131 3 8 11 18 12 10 18 36 29 38 8 16 12 15 13 19 11 8 1 1 12

Total (all out, 50 overs)

237

Fall of wickets 1-11 (Stirling), 2-56 (Joyce), 3-86 (N. O’Brien), 4-134 (Balbirnie), 5-182 (Porterfield), 6-189 (Wilson), 7-204 (Thompson), 8-216 (K. O’Brien), 9-230 (Mooney), 10-237 (Dockrell) Bowling Sohail 10-0-44-2 (2w); Adil 7-0-31-1 (2w); Rahat 10-0-48-2 (2w); Wahab 10-0-54-3 (3w); Afridi 10-0-38-0; Haris 3-0-20-1 (1w); PAKISTAN Ahmed Shehzad c Joyce b Thompson Sarfraz Ahmed not out Haris Sohail run out (Balbirnie/Dockrell) Misbah-ul Haq hit wkt b Cusack Umar Akmal not out Extras: (b1, lb1, w13)

R B 63 71 101 124 3 7 39 46 20 29 15

Total (3 wkts, 46.1 overs)

241

Fall of wickets 1-120 (Shehzad), 2-126 (Haris), 3-208 (Misbah) Bowling Cusack 10-1-43-1 (3w); Mooney 9-1-40-0 (3w); Thompson 10-0-59-1 (3w); Dockrell 6-0-43-0; K O’Brien 10-0-49-0 (4w); Stirling 1.1-0-5-0; Result: Pakistan won by seven wickets

Inns Wkts

Econ

Player

3.67

KC Sangakkara (SL)

5

16

8.50

Mohammed Shami (Ind) 5

15

12.60 4.39

TA Boult (NZ)

6

15

15.60

JH Davey (Scot)

6

15

20.73 6.22

TM Dilshan (SL)

JE Taylor (WI)

6

14

18.35 5.08

Mahmudullah (Ban)

Wahab Riaz (Pak)

6

14

22.42 5.49

DL Vettori (NZ)

6

13

13.69

M Morkel (SA)

6

13

16.38 4.08

TG Southee (NZ)

6

13

20.76 4.82

R Ashwin (India)

6

12

21.50 4.52

4.17

3.21

Pakistan, West Indies into quarter-finals n AFP, Sydney Pakistan and the West Indies secured the two remaining places in the quarter-finals of the World Cup on Sunday after coming through must-win matches in the last of the tournament’s group games.

The 1992 champions, Pakistan beat Ireland by seven wickets in a winner-takes-all clash in Adelaide.

Earlier in Pool B, the West Indies saw off the United Arab Emirates by six wickets in Napier. West Indies’ win saw the 1975 and 1979 champions them edge out Ireland for a last-eight place on net run-rate.

The quarter-finals begin with Sri Lanka’s match against South Africa in Sydney on Wednesday, while defending champions India faced Bangladesh in Melbourne on Thursday.

Australia take on Pakistan in Adelaide on Friday and fellow tournament co-hosts New Zealand play the West Indies in Wellington on Saturday.

The Ireland-Pakistan match took place almost eight years to the day since the Irish knocked the Asian giants out of the 2007 World Cup. That defeat for Pakistan in Jamaica was followed the day after by the death of coach Bob Woolmer.

There was no repeat of Ireland’s celebrated victory in the Caribbean as Pakistan posted their fourth straight win of this World Cup, including a victory over highly-fancied South Africa, after starting the tournament with two straight losses.

MOST RUNS

Ave

Sarfraz Ahmed scored his maiden one-day international hundred and Pakistan’s first of this World Cup as they finished on 241 for three, chasing 238 to win, with 23 balls to spare.

Pakistan had dismissed Ireland for just 237 despite a century from Irish captain William Porterfield, who won the toss.l

0

Centuries by Pakistan wicketkeepers in the World Cup before this game. Before this game, Pakistan were one of two teams Afghanistan being the other - whose batsmen hadn’t hit a century in this World Cup.

7

Hundreds by wicketkeeper-batsmen in this World Cup. Overall, there have been 15 centuries by wicketkeeper-batsmen in World Cups, 11 of which have come in the last-two World Cups. Kumar Sangakkara has hit five of those.

0

Captains from Associate member teams to hit a century in the World Cup before William Porterfield.

32

Runs conceded by Pakistan in the batting powerplay - the most they have conceded in these overs in this World Cup.

8

Number of batsmen to get out hit-wicket in the World Cup before Misbah-ul Haq in this match. Regis Chakabva was the last player to be dismissed in this manner, against UAE earlier in this World Cup.

Inns Runs

Ave

SR

6

496 124.00 119.51

BRM Taylor (Zim)

6

433

72.16 106.91

AB de Villiers (SA)

6

417

83.40 144.29

6

395

79.00 98.25

5

344 86.00 82.89

SC Williams (Zim)

6

339

S Dhawan (India)

6

337

56.16 94.13

Misbah-ul Haq (Pak)

6

316

52.66 77.64

Shaiman Anwar (UAE) 6

311

51.83 91.47

HM Amla (SA)

307

51.16 98.08

6

67.80 109.00

Misbah eyes victory over Australia and world title n AFP, Adelaide Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said the emphatic seven-wicket win over Ireland on Sunday had given his team strength and belief that favourites Australia can be beaten in the World Cup quarter-finals.

Pakistan are due to clash with the co-hosts on Friday at the same Adelaide Oval where they knocked the non-Test nation out of the tournament in what was a must-win game.

“Of course we can beat Australia,” Misbah told reporters after the match.

“Nothing is certain in one-day cricket and no one can take victory for granted.

“Obviously Australia will be playing at home and are used to the conditions. They will also get a lot of backing from their supporters.

“But you can never predict what will happen. One good spell or one good innings can change the course of a match. I think any team is beatable, especially in one-day cricket.”

Misbah said the experience of playing two matches at the Adelaide Oval - Pakistan had lost to India in their first match on February 15 - will stand his team in good stead.

Misbah had already insisted -- in the immediate aftermath of the win over Ireland -- that there was no reason why Pakistan could not be crowned world champions on March 29.

“Of course we can win the World Cup. We have the momentum. The bowling is doing really well, the batting is beginning to do its part,” said Misbah.

Pakistan finished third in Pool B behind defending champions India and South Africa.l

DT

28 Sport

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Archers fly for Thailand today n Raihan Mahmood

Bangladesh archery team pose with the federation officials after the presser at the BOA House yesterday

COURTESY

Singapore friendlies called off n Shishir Hoque Bangladesh Under-23 football team’s scheduled friendly against Singapore U-23 has been called off due to a lack of sufficient time and visa complications.

Bangladesh Football Federation, earlier, planned to play two friendlies against Singapore at their backyard as part of their preparation for the upcoming AFC U-23 Championship Qualifiers in Dhaka but a lack of enough time and visa complications forced the federation to call off the plan.

Meanwhile, after returning to Dhaka last Thursday, Bangladesh’s Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif trimmed the 36-member national U-23 squad to 26.

Abahani’s Milon, Sheikh Russel’s Rakibul, Sohel and Fazley Rabbi, Mohammedan’s Ibrahim, Muktijoddha’s Javed, Shahed and

Biswajit Ghosh, Rahmatganj’s Krishna Mali and Farashganj’s Rafi were ousted from the list.

All the 26 players along with the coaches went to BKSP yesterday for the residential training camp ahead of the Group E Qualifiers.

Bangladesh have been placed in Group E

alongside Syria, Uzbekistan and India. The men in red and green will face Syria in the opening match on March 27. Bangladesh will then take on Uzbekistan and India on March 29 and 31 respectively.

Only the group champions will progress to the final round. l

BANGLADESH U23 SQUAD Rayhan Hasan, Yeasin Khan, Sohel Rana, Rubel Mia, Toklis Ahmed Tonmoy (Sheikh Jamal); Nahidul Islam, Atiqur Rahman Fahad, Shahedul Alam Shahed, Aminur Rahman Sajib, Shakil Ahmed, Tutul Hossain Badshah, Omar Faruk Babu, Wahed Ahmed (Abahani); Russel Mahmud Liton, Tapu

Barman, Hemanta Kumar Vincent Biswas, Yousuf Sifat (Sheikh Russel), Nurul Naeem, Jewel Rana, Sujan Hossain (Mohammedan), Anisur Rahman (Muktijoddha), Mezbah Uddin, Kaiser Ali (Brothers Union), Mohammed Naeem (Team BJMC), Nurul Absar (Rahmatganj) and Masud Uddin (BKSP).

With the aim of creating future stars who will take up the responsibility in the 2017 Asian Archery Championship, billed to be held in Bangladesh, a young and talented Bangladesh archery team will fly to Bangkok today to participate in stage two of the Asia Cup. Sheikh Shajib is the lone recognised name among the eight male and four female members of the archery team, who will fight in the recurve and compound bow events. A total of 30 countries will take part in the week-long event. Bangkok’s famous Rajamangala Stadium will host the competition.

NRB Global Bank, Bashundhara Group and Bangladesh Army are the sponsors of the archery team.

In a press conference held at the Dutch-Bangla Bank auditorium of the Bangladesh Olympic Association yesterday, Kazi Razibuddin Ahmed Chapal, general secretary of the Bangladesh Archery Federation, pinned bright hopes on the archers. “Yes, there is a lack of experience but no dearth of talent. I have every belief in this team. They will perform well and bring laurel for the country,” said Chapal, whose son Kazi Rafid Ibne Razib is also among the archers.

Long-serving coach Nishith Das also echoed the same sentiment. “They have done well in training. The difference is not huge with the recognised names. Moreover, the females are better in some comparison,” said Nishith.

The archers are Shajib, Mohammed Tamimul Islam, Mohammed Nurul Huda, Mohammed Jabed Alam, Mohammed Anwarul Kader, Aliul Islam, Sumon Kumar Das, Rafid, Tamanna Parvin, Sushmita Banik, Roksana Akter and Shyamoli Roy. Shoaib Chowdhury will be the team leader while Rahatus Sattar is the manager.

Rafikul Islam Tipu, convenor of the federation’s media committee, was also present on the occasion. l

NATIONAL SCHOOL HOCKEY

6 schools confirm last-8 slot n Raihan Mahmood BAF Shaheen School, Chittagong, Dinajpur District School, Rafikuddin Memorial School, Comilla, Khanjanpur High School, Joypurhat, Moyejuddin High School, Faridpur and JM Sen School, Chittagong confirmed quarter-final slots in the First Security Islami Bank National School Hockey yesterday.

In the last matches of the different groups yesterday, BAF Shaheen School beat Faridpur Muslim Mission 1-0, Ahmed Bawani Academy thrashed VJ Govt. High School 7-0, Fatullah Pilot High School overpowered Arjat Atarjan School 6-2 and Dinajpur District School outplayed Municipal Preparatory, Jessore 5-1.

The two remaining quarter-final slots will be decided today. l

PIONEER FOOTBALL

Narayanganj pip Shafiuddin n Raihan Mahmood Narayanganj Football Academy edged past Commissioner Shafiuddin Smriti Sangsad 4-3 in the Dhaka City Corporation Pioneer Football League at the Bashabo ground yesterday.

In the other match at the same venue, Ilu Smriti Sangsad beat Tarek Rahman Sporting Club 1-0.

At the Mohammedpur Eidgah ground,

Kishore Football Club, Mohammedpur registered a solitary goal victory over Kamrul Sporting Club while Dhanmondi Football Academy beat Becharam Dewry Boy’s Club 2-1.

At the Haji Abdul Alim Eidgah ground in Lalbagh, Sat Raoja Nabin Sangha beat Haji Mofiz Football Academy 1-0 while Abdul Hadi Lane Jubo Sangha outplayed Amligola Football Club 3-1 in the other match of the day.l

An action in the match between Municipal Preparatory and Dinajpur District School in the First Security Islami Bank National School Hockey at the hockey stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

DT

Sport 29

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Minnows Burley burn Man City, Blues held n AFP, London Chelsea edged towards the Premier League title with a draw against Southampton in what was a superb contest at Stamford Bridge yesterday. Diego Costa’s 18th league goal of the season gave Chelsea the lead before Dusan Tasic equalised from the spot after Nemanja Matic had fouled forward Sadio Mane.

Manchester City wasted a chance to put pressure on Premier League leaders Chelsea as the champions crashed to a shock 1-0 defeat at struggling Burnley on Saturday.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side would have moved within two points of Chelsea with a victory, but instead they departed Turf Moor with their hopes of retaining the title hanging by a slender thread after a lacklustre performance was punished by George Boyd’s second half winner.

City remain five points behind Chelsea. To make matters worse for City, Jose Mourinho’s side will still have one more game in hand after facing Southampton.

The dismal defeat, their first against Burnley since 1974, was the worst possible warmup for City’s Champions League last 16 second leg trip to Barcelona in midweek and added to the growing pressure on Pellegrini.

Arsenal cemented their position in the top four as Olivier Giroud’s blistering strike inspired a 3-0 rout of West Ham. l

50* 107

Carter’s score, his maiden half-century in ODIs, in his eighth innings.

The partnership between Amjad Javed and Nasir Aziz, which equals the highest for the seventh wicket in World Cup history.

3

The number of times a No. 8 batsman has scored more than 60, which was Aziz’s score, in World Cup history.

2

The number of times West Indies have had the opposition five down for less than 30 in this tournament - they also had Pakistan at 25 for 5 in Christchurch.

4 6

Wickets for Jason Holder, the third time he has taken four in an ODI.

The number of batsmen bowled in the UAE innings, only the fifth instance of six or more batsmen being bowled in an innings in a World Cup game.

The month of March, Manzarul and arch-rival India n Minhaz Uddin Khan Exactly eight years ago on this day, Bangladesh cricket was rocked with the untimely demise of left-arm spinner Manzarul Islam Rana. The Khulna cricketer, following the end of a National Cricket League match, rode on the back of his teammate Sajjadul Alam Shetu’s motorbike to a local restaurant, but losing control the duo collided with a minibus on their way which took away both of their lives. At 22, Manzarul was the youngest Test cricketer to pass away.

Bangladesh lost a bright prospect in March, but for some reasons the cricket team have always managed to make the month memorable by pulling great wins in this month and dedicating it to Manzarul.

At time of the accident, the Bangladesh team were in West Indies participating in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 and they received the shocking news just ahead of their tie against India in Trinidad and Tobago.

The players were distraught, but not short of motivation as they wanted to beat India for Manzarul. Current national captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza, who was more than just a friend to Manzarul, picked up four wickets in the

match to eventually cause one of the major upsets.

On March 16, 2012, Bangladesh defeated India again in their Asia Cup tie. Mashrafe was the leader of the bowling in that game too, with 2 for 44. The Tigers were not carried away with the win rather the historic five-wicket win was right away dedicated to Manzarul by the then Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim.

Consequently, Bangladesh stands at the door-step of yet another do or die fixture against India. The Tigers will face the defending world champions in the second quarterfinal of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in Melbourne on Thursday.

People are saying Bangladesh will definitely look for inspiration from those wins in 2007 and 2012. No doubt, Manzarul will be smiling from up above, giving inspiration to his team and making the ongoing mega event a more memorable and special one.

Rana has played in six Tests and 25 oneday internationals.

The left-arm all-rounder played six Tests and 25 ODIs for Bangladesh and took five and 23 wickets respectively. He also scored 257 runs in Tests and 331 runs in ODIs.

No rift in team, says Holder n

AFP, Napier

West Indies skipper Jason Holder dismissed talk of a rift in the ranks Sunday as he led his side to a likely World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand.

Holder, a surprise choice to lead the West Indies to the World Cup, appeared to be involved in an on-field argument with former captain Darren Sammy during their must-win final Pool B match against the United Arab Emirates in Napier.

The West Indies’ eventual six-wicket victory all but propelled them into the knock-out phase, with only an unlikely tie in the final match between Pakistan and Ireland in Adelaide able to derail them.

The mission seemed in the bag when Holder won the toss, put UAE into bat and rapidly reduced them to 46-6 before Nasir Aziz and Amjad Javed staged a 107-run stand.

Sammy was brought on to try to break the

partnership with the score at 108-6 after 30 overs and was not happy when taken out of the attack after just one over that yielded four runs.

Sammy and Holder appeared have strong words which Holder later played down as “a little banter on the field” saying they wanted to have some fun but “unfortunately it probably didn’t look that way.”

He later conceded they “had a little tussle there. It’s just part of the game. At the end of the day we shake hands and still smile together.”

Sammy later posted a picture on Instagram of him enjoying a beer with Holder in the locker room although his conciliatory smile was in stark contrast to his captain’s stonyfaced expression.

The West Indies World Cup campaign, which started with a shock loss to Ireland, has been dogged with suggestions of unhappiness in the camp with the 23-year-old Holder struggling to get the respect of the senior players.l

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 2 12:00AM Italian Serie A Fiorentina v Milan

Star Sports 4 1:45AM English Premier League Swansea City v Liverpool

Ten Sports 12:00AM ATP: BNP Paribas Open IW Round 3 Day 1

West Indies captain Jason Holder (2R) celebrates the wicket of United Arab Emirates batsman Amjad Ali (L) during their Pool B 2015 Cricket World Cup match at McLean Park in Napier yesterday AFP

He made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in 2004 and played his maiden ODI against England in 2003.

Manzarul used to bat in the lower order and was an useful left-arm spinner. l

Manzarul Islam Rana (4 May, 1984-16 March, 2007)

UAE v WI UAE Amjad lbw b Holder Berenger c Ramdin b Holder Chandran c Smith b Holder Khurram b Taylor Shaiman b Taylor Patil b Holder Javed b Russell Aziz c Holder b Samuels Naveed b Russell Tauqir b Taylor Guruge not out Extras: (lb4, w10)

R 5 7 0 5 2 6 56 60 14 2 4 14

Total: (all out, 47.4 overs)

175

B 19 7 6 5 6 20 99 86 9 19 10

Fall of wickets 1-13 (Berenger), 2-16 (Chandran), 3-17 (Amjad), 4-21 (Khurram), 5-26 (Shaiman), 6-46 (Patil), 7-153 (Javed), 8-167 (Naveed), 9-167 (Aziz), 10-175 (Tauqir) Bowling Taylor 8.4-0-36-3 (2w); Holder 10-1-27-4 (4w); Roach 8-0-54-0 (2w); Russell 8-3-20-2 (2w); Samuels 10-4-25-1; Sammy 1-0-4-0; Smith 2-0-5-0; WEST INDIES Smith c Patil b Guruge Charles c Chandran b Javed Samuels c Berenger b Guruge Carter not out Russell c and b Javed Ramdin not out Extras: (lb4, w3)

R 15 55 9 50 7 33 7

Total: (4 wkts, 30.3 overs)

176

B 9 40 18 58 8 50

Fall of wickets 1-33 (Smith), 2-53 (Samuels), 3-109 (Charles), 4-118 (Russell) Bowling Aziz 6-0-47-0; Naveed 6-0-34-0 (1w); Guruge 7.31-40-2; Tauqir 3-0-22-0; Javed 8-0-29-2 (2w) Result: West Indies won by six wickets Man of the Match: Jason Holder

DT

30 DOWNTIME

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Festivity (4) 5 Storehouse (5) 8 Handsome thoroughfare (6) 9 Curve (4) 10 Doctrine (3) 12 Enigma (6) 13 Christian festival (6) 15 Stanzas (6) 18 Compels (6) 20 Flightless bird (3) 21 Dislike intensely (4) 23 Combined (6) 24 Cavalry weapon (5) 25 Refuse to admit (4)

DOWN 1 Legend (5) 2 First woman (3) 3 Looks after (5) 4 Conclude (3) 5 Longings (7) 6 Discharged a debt (4) 7 Large volume (4) 11 Blackthorn (4) 12 Income (7) 14 Minute particle (4) 16 Flood (5) 17 Shabby (5) 18 Tumbled (4) 19 Downfall (4) 21 Concealed (3) 22 Perfect score (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 20 represents C so fill C every time the figure 20 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.

A B C D E FG H I J K L M N O P Q RST UVWXYZ

SUDOKU

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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.

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

DT

SHOWTIME 31

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Turn it up n Showtime Desk This week we have a very special play list to share. The one and only Shakib Chowdhury, the awe-inspiring front man of the local rock sensation Cryptic Fate, who sported a beard before beards became all the rage gives us a peek into what he’s listening to on repeat.

1. Skeleton Christ – Slayer Well, what can I say? It’s Slayer. And they’re as good as they've ever been.

2. Lorbe Bangladesh – Cryptic Fate We made this song specifically for World Cup Cricket and Bangladesh is winning, so the song is always on my play list.

3. Lion heart –Of Monsters and Men This Icelandic folk rock band is awesome and so is this song. It’s so inspiring.

4. A Thousand days before – Soundgarden This song is from Soundgarden's comeback album. It’s a unique song with a magical groove. You hear it and you fall in love. It takes you places.

5. Mind your manners – Pearl Jam Whatta song! Vintage Pearl Jam. 'Nuff said!

6. Only Time – Enya I heard this song in the Van Damme Volvo truck ad. Been listening to it ever since. Another one of those songs that take you places.

7. Know your enemy – Green Day A rocking song about absolute power and absolute corruption. A song for this age.

8. Akromon – Cryptic Fate I've been waiting 13 years to make a song like this. So I can't get enough of it.

9. No more tears – Ozzy Osbourne A haunting melody. Really immerses you.

Aces High – Iron Maiden My favorite song of all time. So, it’s always on. l

Mehreen releases motivational song for women

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

n Showtime Desk On the eve of International Womens Day, the well known singer, Mehreen released a a single to motivate members of the fairer sex. The infamous Ayub Bachu, who needs no introduction, wrote and composed this number called “Ami Nari Ami e Pari”. A music video was also released on Youtube as well as other hot sites. Brought to you by the Go Girls Production house, this song inspires women to live their dreams and overcome common obstacles. The best part? Ayub Bachu actually wrote the lyrics.

How cool is that? l ADAM LEVINE @adamlevine #FBF #MSG https:// instagram.com/ p/0MGh2QqjfK/

Quotes of joy n Showtime Desk The Army Stadium sure was the place to be on March 7th to witness the wonder that was the Joy Bangla Concert, an event to mark the historic speech given by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Young Bangla, the organisers behind the concert is a platform for the youth, initiated by Centre For Research and Information (CRI). This star studded event had it all from laser shows to music by local superstars. We asked the band members of the rock giants, Cryptic Fate to tell us what their thoughts on having been a part of this important show.

“The joy Bangla concert was a life time experience for me. Playing in front of an enormous crowd was mind blowing. It was great to see the profound unity of the like minded people.”

- K. Sarfaraz Latifullah “The Joy Bangla concert was the best concert I have ever played in. The stage, the set, lights and sound, everything was awesome. The crowd was amazing and we had our own green room with an attendant who took care of us. It was very well organised and great to perform at an event commemorating the great speech by Sheikh

Mujib on 7th March.”

-- Shakib Chowdhury

The return of James

James has just finished recording his latest track “Ami akasher kachey jantey chai” for “Sweetheart”, an upcoming Bengali movie. For this song, Shafiq Tuhin will play the role of music director, lyricist, and composer. They completed the recording for this song last week.

Shafiq Tuhin said, “James is one the most highly sought-after musicians in Bangladesh. Before this song, he sang another song that I have composed for the movie “Desha: The Leader.” Hopefully audience and viewers will like the new song by James.”

BRITNEY SPEARS @britneyspears Who else is listening to @Madonna’s #RebelHeart today? Totally feeling this album! http://smarturl.it/ RebelHeart

“It was a great experience. The crowd was awesome and what a fantastic initiative” -Farhan Samad “It was a blast of good sound and out of the world stage experience.

Communications with the crowd seemed a bit hard cause of the distance and I believe we need more responsible bouncers in the crowd. Cause Bangladesh did reach up to a glorious scale of live gig standard with the Joy Bangla concert.

I hope to see more concerts like these in the future to pay tribute to our heroes who helped shape up this country.

God bless” - Rafa l

Sound bytes n Showtime Desk

FARHAN AKHTAR @FarOutAkhtar MIT Manipal..!!

Love you all, you crazy crazy people.

We had a blast today.. Full points to the audience.

Shine On!! @ FarhanLiveBand

Runa Laila set to wow UK audiences

Runa Laila is currently visiting the United Kingdom to participate in a concert scheduled to be held on Moday, March 16th, organised by Bangladeshi expats there. After this trip, she will return to Dhaka and attend “Celebration of Music” on April 10. This one is a tribute concert for the 50th Anniversary of her illustrious musical career.

Entourage Entertainment is the brand behind the show and it will take place at Bangabandhu International Conference Center. Indian signer KK and Pakistani singer and actor Fawad Afzal Khan will also join the crew at this concert. l

WHAT TO WATCH TELEVISION OBLIVION Star Movies 01:16pm Cast: Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman, Nikolaj CosterWaldau.

After decades of war with the alien Scavs, the surface of the earth become devastated. One of the few remaining drone repairmen assigned to Earth, discovers a crashed spacecraft with contents that bring into question everything he believed.

CHAK DE! INDIA SONY MAX 03:00pm Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Vidya Malvade.

Kabir Khan, a convicted former captain of an Indian Hockey team is given an opportunity to coach the Woman’s National Hockey team, which is will provide a platform for him to get his honour and dignity back.

DT

32 BACK PAGE

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

BANGLADESH 23RD LARGEST ECONOMY BY 2050 PAGE 15

HASTA LA VISTA, BABY! PAGE 25

M

Engineer Mofizuddin Ahmed and Ferdousi Akter were one of the many couples who enjoyed the Couples’ Fair held by Dampati Society at Bishwa Sahitya Kendra auditorium yesterday. They have been married for 48 years RAJIB DHAR

Fair for couples promotes marriage

First of its kind in the city, to be held every year Quazi Rawnaq Hossain and Ulka Hossain, n Tribune Report married for 28 years, were seen enjoying the A unique gathering of couples named “Dampati Mela” (Couples’ Fair) took place at Bishwa Sahitya Kendra in the capital yesterday evening.

The first of its kind in Dhaka, the event was organised by Dampati Society, a newly formed organisation that aims to promote the value of marriage and development of family bonding through regular study and eventual discourse.

The fair received good response, as quite a number of couples were present at the openfor-all event, exchanging their views on marriage and how to have a happy married life.

“We are happy to be here. I feel like a 25-year-old man right now,” said Saleh Ahmed, attending the fair with his wife of 41 years, Sahida Karim.

“The young generation should always remember that faith is a huge part of a successful marital relationship. It should never be compromised,” Saleh told the Dhaka Tribune.

Sahida said she was feeling nostalgic.

“There are so many memories. We have been together for around 41 years, but it seems as though all those years went in a blink of an eye.”

evening with some friends at the fair.

“Love should be sustained and nurtured all throughout a marriage; it should never be lost. There may be ups and downs in a marriage, but love must not be forgotten in times of trouble,” Rawnaq said.

Ulka said theirs was a happy family. “We have two children: one is 26 years old, and the other is 21. We are happy.”

Abdullah Abu Sayeed, founding chairperson of Bishwa Sahitya Kendra, inaugurated the event at 7pm. While giving the inauguration speech, he reminisced his married life, while his wife Rawshan Ara stood by his side.

“Good things and bad things will happen in every family, but people have to cope with that and keep the love for each other alive,” he said.

The event also gave special recognition to couples who have been married for at least 50 years. Honourees included Hayat Mahmud and Firoza Begum, and Syed Hasan Imam and Laila Hasan, among others.

Rahim Sarwar, member of the Dampati Society, said the event will be held every year on March 15 from now on. l

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From non-cooperation to People’s Raj

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This extract is part of a series that will run until March 25, in which we reproduce Rehman Sobhan’s contemporaneous account of the events of that momentous month in Bangladeshi history. This was first published in Forum on March 13, 1971

n Rehman Sobhan There are few precedents for what is going on in Bangla Desh today. In a matter of one week a de facto transfer of power from the Islamabad government to the people’s representatives has

been effected.

This has not been achieved by any spectacular victory on the battle front or by foreign intervention, or a formal surrender of power by the rulers, but largely by peaceful means.

One says this in spite of the massive death toll in the last week because these deaths were at the cost of the people of Bangla Desh and the forces of oppression.

The unique feature of this condition springs from the fact that peaceful non-cooperation has been taken a stage beyond to active cooperation with the people’s representatives. In most freedom struggles non-cooperation was a vital element in the struggle. This was designed to paralyse the economy and administration and make life for the rulers untenable.

Such a move could not be sustained indefinitely because the ruling power could always depend on a class of collaborators from the ranks of the administration, business and property-owning classes.

These elements have made it possible for even the French to enforce their writ in Indo-China at the height of the resistance and even the Germans and Japanese to keep the society functioning during the period of occupation in Europe and South

East Asia.

In the freedom struggle in India, the civil service, judges and other elements, were always available to keep the show on the road and the police force was there to enforce law and order at all times. Only very rarely were troops required and this too in support, rather than in substitution, of the local administration.

What is therefore unprecedented for Bangla Desh is the fact that non-cooperation with the rulers in Islamabad is total.

For the last week, not a single element in the administration has been available to collaborate, from the chief justice of East Pakistan to the chief secretary. This has never happened to my knowledge in any other country, in contemporary history.

In the extraordinary case of Radio Pakistan, when the military arbitrarily suspended the broadcast of Sheikh Mujib’s speech at the Race Course, after having given prior permission, the staff simply closed shop and went horne.

This created a major crisis in the districts where the abrupt cancellation of an announced broadcast threatened to create a law and order situation as people suspected that Mujib had been arrested.

When this prospect was intimated to the military authorities, along with the fact that no news at all would henceforth be broadcast from any radio station in Bangla Desh, they agreed to let the news be broadcast on the 8th morning.

On such terms did the radio network here resume operations and continue to operate their own news bulletin from Dacca Betar Kendra, leaving Radio Laos from Karachi to tell us all about news in Laos and the Middle East -- anywhere but about Bangla Desh. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com