28 March, 2015

SECOND EDITION

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

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Chaitra 14, 1421, Jamadius Sani 7, 1436

ABBAS, RIPON JOIN MAYORAL RACE PAGE 3

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 2, No 352

GODFATHER OF NIGERIA’S OPPOSITION PAGE 10

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ALTERNATIVE LIVING CAN SAVE SUNDARBANS PAGE 32

10 dead as rumour leads to stampede at Hindu festival Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Adil Sakhawat back from Langalbandh, Narayanganj At least 10 Hindu pilgrims were killed and 40 injured in a stampede yesterday during the Astami Snan bathing ritual in the Old Brahmaputra River at Langalbandh in Narayanganj.

The annual religious ceremony, observed this year from precisely 5:48am yesterday to 6:59am today, had received large numbers of visitors around the time of the accident at 9:15am. Of the 16 quays set up for bathers, Rajghat, near where the stampede took place, was considered the most auspicious.

Witnesses and law enforcement officials said a rumour that a bailey bridge, used by pilgrims to get to Rajghat, was collapsing set off a stampede that left 10 people dead.

Bina Chakrabarti of Patuakhali, who was on the bridge at the time, told the Dhaka Tribune that she saw some young people, who she said were trying to get the crowds to move more quickly, shouting that the bridge was collapsing.

The ensuing panic led to the stampede shortly afterwards, she said.

“If law enforcers and volunteers had been more active, the accident might not have happened,” she said.

Narayanganj Additional Superintendent of Police Mokhlesur Rahman, however, told the Dhaka Tribune: “That is not true. All of the police officers were active from the time the gathering began. If someone claims that police activity only increased after the accident, that is not true.”

Other witnesses also blamed the mismanagement of the approach and exit routes to the Rajghat for the deaths.

The Dhaka Tribune found that the approach road is nearly 12 feet wide while the bridge narrows to a width of eight feet. A huge number of sandals were found lying on the road in the aftermath of the stampede.

Seven women and three men died in the tragedy.

They were identified as Suchita Rani, 70, of Patuakhali, Bhanu Mati, 50, of Noakhali, Kanan Shah, 50, of Daudkandi, Maloti Dash, 60, and her son Nitai Dash, 50, of Manikganj, Tulshi Debnath, 50, Bhagabati, 40, and her daughter Rahi, 28, of Dhaka, Ranjit Chandra,  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

PAGE 3 Four JMB men arrested in Dhaka

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

BNP-Jamaat to run city polls jointly n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla BNP and Jamaat are poised to contest Dhaka and Chittagong City Corporation polls jointly as the Islamist party that earned infamy for its role in 1971 assured its ally of not fielding any candidates.

BNP has finalised Abdul Awal Mintoo for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Mirza Abbas for Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Monjurul Alam for Chittgagong City Corporation (CCC) elections.

Some other leaders of the party also collected nomination forms as its back-up candidates.

A senior BNP leader said: “Jamaat will not field any mayoral candidate to facilitate BNP’s victory.

Jamaat will field a few number of ward councillor candidates enjoying full support of BNP, he said.

Jamaat with many of its top leaders being already convicted by International Crimes Tribunal for their crimes committed during the country’s Liberation War in 1971 is yet to say anything publicly about the polls.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Saudi bombs Yemen rebel camps, lashes out at Iran n AFP

Mourners grieve over victims of a stampede at the Astami Snan ceremony that left 10 Hindu devotees dead at Langalbandh in Narayanganj on the banks of the Brahmaputra River DHAKA TRIBUNE

PAGE 4 Cutting fuel oil and LNG dependency the way forward

PAGE 6 Cox’s Bazar salt producers fear losses

Arab coalition warplanes bombed rebel camps in Yemen yesterday in a second straight day of strikes led by Saudi Arabia, which accused Iran of “aggression” across the region.

A months-long rebellion by Shiite fighters has escalated into a regional conflict that threatens to tear apart the impoverished state at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia has vowed to do “whatever it takes” to prevent the fall of its ally President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, accusing Shiite Iran of backing the Huthi rebels’ power grab.

At least 39 civilians have been killed so far in the Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm against the Huthis, officials at the rebel-controlled health ministry in the capital said.

Twelve of the victims died when surrounding residential areas were hit in a raid against a military base north of the capital, the officials told AFP.

PAGE 6 Work on Khan Jahan Ali Airport to resume

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

PAGE 9 Suu Kyi ducks Myanmar army parade

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SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

Hasina: Khaleda lost strength to stand again n

UNB

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said Khaleda Zia has no more strength to stand again as she has extremely failed in her hartal and blockade in the name of movement.

“She [Khaleda] has failed extremely and she has no strength to stand again due to her such failure...they [BNP-Jamaat] have failed and they would never succeed,” she said.

All have turned back to the BNP chief, Hasina said adding “To whom will she [Khaleda] now set her face?”

The PM was addressing a discussion meeting marking the Independence Day held at the Krishibid Institution auditorium in the city. AL chief Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting organised by the party.

The AL chief said if the BNP top leader has the common sense, then she might have got the right message continuing her so-called hartal and blockade for the last 81 days.

Hasina said Khaleda has proved herself a cohort of the Pakistani occupation forces by not paying respect to the language martyrs on February 21 and not paying tributes to the war heroes in Savar on the Independence Day. Hasina said the extent of work that the Almighty has bestowed upon her, she would continue to accomplish it until the country’s people get a better life and living. “I believe, one day we will have to die. So, I do not fear death.

Khaleda has no strength to deter me from serving the people of my country,” she added. l

Astami Snan: A chance for redemption

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Mohammad Jamil Khan and Adil Sakhawat, back from Langalbandh

Believing that a dip in the Brahmaputra on an auspicious day in Chaitra washes away all sins, Hindu pilgrims gather along the two kilometre bank of the river at Langalbandh for Astami Snan every year.

Devotees bathe in the river at 16 places, but the most auspicious of these is the Rajghat.

The story behind this holy ceremony goes like this: Ages ago, Renuka, the beautiful wife of the sage Jamadagni, enraged her ascetic husband by yearning for the luxuries of her parents’ home.

In a fury, Jamadagni asked his five sons to kill their mother. The older four refused, but little Parashuram obeyed and dutifully dispatched his mother with an axe.

Now, defiled by the sin of matricide, father and son sought out a way for Parashuram to be cleansed.

In the Himalayas, Jamadagni discovered the god Brahmaputra, and sure enough, a dip in its source did the job.

To atone for his misdeed, Parashuram worked to bring the Brahmaputra to the plains below.

He attached his axe to a plough and dug a canal allowing the Brahmaputra River to wend its way down the hills and valleys and finally stop at Langalbandh, exhausted.

There Parashuram stopped ploughing the land. And there, devotees return to wipe away the stain of sin. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

BNP-Jamaat to run city polls jointly Even Jamaat leaders have not yet collected nomination form for either mayoral or councillor posts in Dhaka and Chittagong.

In the upazila election held in 2014, BNP-Jamaat contested the polls jointly and Jamaat bagged more ward councillor posts than BNP. BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas, International Affairs Secretary Asaduzzaman Khan Ripon, Finance Secretary Abdul Salam, BNP central leader Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and pro-BNP teachers leader Selim Bhuyan collected nomination forms for DSCC polls.

While Abdul Awal Mintoo collected nomination form for DNCC polls and Monjurul Islam for Chittagong City Corporation.

Monjur on Friday tendered his resignation as a mayor and collected nomination form.

BNP insiders said they were making all-out preparations to join the polls but at the same time keenly observing the prevailing political situation.

The party is also thinking about placing

some proposals within a day or two to the government to ensure a level-playing field.

The party might also boycott the polls if the said level-playing field is not ensured for which it will wait until the last date of nomination paper withdrawal, party sources said.

“We want to participate in the election and there is not the slightest shadow of doubt about it but the atmosphere is still not suitable for a fair election, said BNP Standing Committee Member Mahbubur Rahman.

BNP leaders and activists are yet to get released and potential candidates are fearing arrest. It is the government that has to create the atmosphere conducive to a fair election, he said.

Meanwhile, a seven-member pro-BNP professionals led by former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Emajuddin Ahamad yesterday met BNP Chief Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office.

After emerging from the meeting Emajuddin said Khaleda Zia was very much positive about participating in the city corporation polls.

But if the level-playing field is not created BNP might backtrack on its decision to join the polls, he added.

A senior leader said the party would back Mintoo and Monjurul Islam but in case Abbas failed to run the race Abdus Salam would get the party blessing.

He said election and movement would go hand in hand and party Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman also signalled the party to take part in the polls as part of the movement.

“So blockade will not be withdrawn soon and general strike (hartal) will again be enforced from Sunday,” he said seeking anonymity.

Abdullah Al Noman, vice-chairman of the party, said people’s grievances against the January 5 election would be reflected in the city corporation polls.

When asked what they would do if a congenial atmosphere is not created, Noman said: “We have some other alternatives. We are now observing the situation and let’s see what the government does.” l

Saudi bombs Yemen rebel camps, lashes out at Iran Three dawn strikes yesterday hit the presidential compound in south Sanaa which the rebels seized last month, witnesses said.

Warplanes also bombed a Huthi-controlled army brigade in Amran province, north of the capital, and arms depots in the northern rebel stronghold of Saada, residents said.

Hadi, backed by the West and Gulf Arab states, arrived in Riyadh on Thursday with officials saying he was on his way to Egypt to take part in a two-day Arab League summit.

It was the first confirmation of his whereabouts since the rebels began advancing this week on the main southern city of Aden, where the president had taken refuge since fleeing Sanaa last month.

Saudi Arabia says more than 10 countries, including four other Gulf monarchies, have joined the anti-Huthi coalition.

Terror and hysteria

As explosions rocked Sanaa, families who had yet to flee huddled in fear in their homes.

“Whenever a plane flies over our home and is met by anti-aircraft gunfire, my three children run to a corner and start screaming and crying,” said Mohammed al-Jabahi, 32.

“We spent a night of non-stop terror and hysteria.”

An anti-aircraft missile wounded eight people, one of them seriously, when it exploded in a market in Sanaa yesterday, a day after it was fired by Huthi fighters, a security official said.

The Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television said the kingdom had deployed 100 fighter jets to the operation, while the United Arab Emirates had committed 30, Kuwait 15 and Qatar 10.

Bahrain said it had committed 12 fighters.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly also mobilised 150,000 troops near the border.

Trading accusations

The White House voiced concern about “reports of Iranian flow of arms into Yemen,” while Riyadh lashed out at Tehran.

“The Iranians are the ones who are meddling in the affairs of the Arab countries whether it’s in Lebanon, in Syria, in Iraq ... in Yemen,” the kingdom’s ambassador to the United States, Adel al-Jubeir, told Fox News.

“We have to deal with Iran’s aggression in the region. We’re dealing with their support of the Huthis and the Huthis’ attempt to take over in Yemen,” he added.

Iran reacted furiously to the Saudi-led strikes, calling them a violation of Yemen’s national sovereignty.

“Any military action against an independent

country is wrong and will only result in a deepening crisis and more deaths among innocents,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.

Former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who resigned in 2012 following a year of nationwide protests, is accused of allying with the rebels, relying on the loyalty of many army units that he built during his three-decade rule.

The conflict has thrown up a major hurdle to Washington’s longstanding drone war against al-Qaeda militants who have exploited the power vacuum in Yemen since Saleh’s downfall.

The Islamic State (IS) group, which has seized vast tracts of territory in Syria and Iraq, is also vying for prominence with Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

IS recently claimed its first attack in Yemen – suicide bombings which killed at least 142 people at Shiite mosques in Sanaa.

Riyadh said it was boosting security on its borders and across the oil-flush kingdom.

Washington said President Barack Obama had authorised the “provision of logistical and intelligence support” for the campaign, while Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Sudan said they were joining it. Pakistan also said it was ready to defend Saudi Arabia’s “territorial integrity” but appeared to rule out any immediate participation in the fighting. l

10 dead as rumour leads to stampede at Hindu festival 55, of Comilla and Nukul Chandra, 55, of Gopalganj.

“We handed the bodies over to the victims’ families with a compensation of Tk25,000 each,” Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Anisur Rahman Miah told the Dhaka Tribune.

Ambulances were provided to send the bodies to the victims’ native villages, he added.

The injured were being treated at nearby hospitals.

The pilgrimage area was covered with 16 closed circuit television cameras and four police watch towers.

Thirty-five medical camps, 70 tube wells and 16 women’s changing rooms had been set-up by the organisers. Observers said the preparations were insufficient for an event

that draws a minimum of 1.5 million participants every year and has been known to draw crowds of up to 2.5 million.

Witnesses said the river was full of water hyacinths, limiting the area available for bathers and compelling pilgrims to crowd available spaces.

Kishan, a relative of victims Vagabati and Rahi, told the Dhaka Tribune that the deceased were his aunt and cousin. They were trying to bathe at the Rajghat because of its greater holiness, he said.

Suruj Miah, a resident of the area for six decades, told the Dhaka Tribune that he had never before seen anything like yesterday’s stampede.

Asked, Bashu Dev Chakravarty, general secretary of the Langalbandh Snan Udjyapan

Committee which organises the event, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The accident took place due to narrow space on the road and bridge.

Nothing else.”

Allegations of irresponsibility of our volunteers have nothing to do with it, he said.

A three-member probe body was formed to investigate the incident.

The committee will be headed by Local Government Division Deputy Director Ishrat Hossain Khan and will include Narayanganj Additional Deputy Commissioners Mahmudur Rahman Habib and Mizanur Rahman.

The committee is expected to submit its report on the incident within five days.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed their deep shock at the deaths of the pilgrims. l

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NEWS 3

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

BNP’s Mirza Abbas, Ripon join Dhaka mayoral polls fray

HRW: Brands’ lack of transparency kept BD RMG problems unaddressed

n UNB Manjur resigns as Chittagong mayor to seek re-election The Human Rights Watch has observed that ing city corporation polls of Dhaka and Chit- Manjur Alam bought his nomination paper the lack of supply chain transparency by the n Adil Sakhawat in Dhaka and tagong scheduled for April 28, its leaders have around 3:30pm. brands was a key reason for not addressing Tarek Mahmud from Chittagong

BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas and International Affairs Secretary Asaduzzaman Ripon have joined the mayoral race for Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).

They collected nomination papers from the returning officer’s office yesterday.

Chittagong Mayor M Manjur Alam, who had announced his desire to run for a second term, yesterday resigned from the city corporation post and collected nomination form.

Around 11am advocates AKM Shahjahan, Mohiuddin Ahmed, Zainul Abedin and Senior Vice-President of Jubo Dal Abdus Salam Azad collected the nomination form for Mirza Abbas while advocate Jillur Rahman for Ripon from the DSCC Election Commission office around 3.35pm, confirmed EC official Nababul Islam.

Abbas was the mayor of the undivided Dhaka City Corporation in 1991 and was the housing and public works minister.

Although there is no official announcement from the BNP on contesting the upcom-

WEATHER

DRY WEATHER LIKELY SATURDAY, MARCH 28

started collecting nomination forms.

BNP Economic Affairs Secretary Abdus Salam, former lawmaker Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu and pro-BNP teachers leader Selim Bhuiyan have already collected nomination papers to join the DSCC fray.

Pintu is serving life term in the BDR carnage case; Selim is also behind bars for his alleged involvement in a blockade violence case.

The three others too are accused in several violence-related cases.

Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said the aspirant candidates must secure bail from the court concerned to run the race.

A total of 28 aspirant mayoral candidates, 923 councillor candidates, 171 reserved women councillor candidates have so far collected nominations to join the DSCC polls fray.

In Chittagong Assistant Returning Officer Md Shafiqur Rahman, who is also the district election official of Bandarban, said incumbent Mayor M

After collecting the form Manjur at a press briefing said he would contest the poll under the banner of the Chattagram Unnayan Andolan, an organisation of pro-BNP professionals.

BNP Vice-Chairman Abdullah Al Noman said the BNP had endorsed Manjur’s nomination for the mayoral race.

Earlier, Manjur, also an adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, handed over his resignation letter to CCC Panel Mayor Mohammad Hossain at the city corporation office around 3pm.

A total of 625 aspirants for mayor, ward councillors and reserved female ward councillors collected their nomination forms as of yesterday. Of them, 15 will vie for mayor, 87 for reserved female ward councillors and 523 for ward councillors.

According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission, the deadline for submission of nomination papers is March 29 while nomination can be withdrawn until April 9. l

the problems at Rana Plaza before the catastrophe happened.

“Brands’ lack of supply chain transparency was a key reason why the problems at Rana Plaza were not addressed,” said the New Yorkbased rights watchdog in an article published in its website yesterday.

The HRW noted that unions and labour rights groups gathered brand labels of the clothes produced in the destroyed factories from the rubble, and demanded that those brands contribute to the compensation fund for the victims and support broader reform measures.

HRW Germany Director Michalski said: “German clothing brands should be leading the way globally in demanding their suppliers respect workers’ rights and that factory environments meet international standards for safety.”

“For their part, German shoppers should demand that brands make it clear where products are made and under what conditions so they can make fully informed consumer decisions,” he said. l

Four JMB men arrested in Dhaka

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:09PM

TOMORROW SUN RISES 6:04AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

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Chittagong

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Rajshahi

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Rangpur

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Khulna

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Barisal

31

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Sylhet

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Cox’s Bazar

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YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

37.2ºC Rajshahi

16.8ºC Srimangal Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr

4:46am

Sunrise

6:01am

Zohr

12:06am

Asr

4:28pm

Magrib

6:10pm

Esha

7:26pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Arrested members of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh are being taken to RAB headquarters. RAB, in a drive, arrested four operatives of the banned Islamist militant outfit along with grenades, petrol bombs and bomb-making materials from Dakkhin Khan area in Dhaka yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

n Tribune Report The Rapid Action Battalion yesterday arrested four JMB members from the capital and recovered grenades and explosives from their possession.

RAB forces carried out the drive at a house in Kashai Bazar of Dakkhin Khan area at around 2am to arrest the members of banned Islamist militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh.

At a press briefing later in the day, RAB authorities said 12 petrol bombs, 30 crude bombs, an Arges grenade and 60 detonators were recovered during the raid, along with a number of books on jihad.

The arrestees are Ziaul, Razzak, Mofazzal and Hanjala – all aged between 32 and 40 years.

RAB Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan, director of RAB’s legal and media wing, said: “Ziaul, Razzak and Hanjala are mid-level members of JMB, while Mofazzal is only a member.

They had never been arrested before.”

The house that was raided belongs to Abdur Rouf, a former Bangladesh Biman official, who lived next door with his own family.

The RAB director said Rouf had rented out the house without properly verifying the identities of the tenants.

Bombs found abandoned in Chittagong

In a joint drive, the police and BGB members yesterday recovered 10 petrol bombs, eight crude bombs and an improvised explosive device that might be a time bomb – from a rooftop in Sundorpur union of Chittagong’s Fatikchari.

Safikul Islam, a sub-inspector at Fatikchari police station, said: “Following a tip-off, a team of police and BGB [Border Guard Bangladesh] raided the house of a person named Hashi Sikdar in Sadeknagar village under the union at around 3am, and recovered the explo-

sives which seemed to have been left abandoned on the rooftop.”

The SI added that the police did not arrest anyone as they could not find any connection between the residents of the house and the explosives.

A general diary was filed with the police station in this regard, reports our Chittagong University correspondent. l

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4 NEWS

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

Cutting fuel oil and LNG dependency the way forward n Aminur Rahman Rasel Power sector leaders recommend reducing the dependence on fuel oil and LNG-based power plants and called for quick decision-making on domestic coal development in order to hit the targeted electricity generation capacity of 40,000MW by 2030.

They offered seven recommendations in support of the government’s plan to achieve electricity for all by 2021 and achieving a power generation target of 40,000MW by 2030.

Power Division additional secretary and convener of the workshop organising committee, Ahmad Kaikaus, placed the recommendations at the closing ceremony of a two-day workshop last week to address the emerging energy situation.

The Power Division, under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, organised the workshop.

Recommendations included setting up domestic and imported coal-run power plants for base load and speeding up the process of

getting them set up.

The use of nuclear energy for base load was also suggested since it is cost effective.

The workshop called for the reduction of fuel oil and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)based combined cycle power plants because they are very costly.

Participants emphasised cross-border power transfers, institutional development, human resource development and introducing a corporate culture at public sector entities.

Although the limited remaining discovered reserve of natural gas is fast depleting, the country has discovered a reserve of high quality coal.

But because the government has not been able to decide whether or not to mine coal domestically, the country currently relies mostly on imported coal.

But for the coal import option to be used optimally, many issues and challenges must be overcome.

Bangladesh has no coal import port infrastructure and it does not have the trained

manpower to implement major projects like a coal port or to operate the latest technology coal-fired power plants.

Ahmad Kaikaus told the workshop that securing primary fuel for power generation remains the main challenge.

Other challenges include securing financing for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.

Instituting a fair land acquisition compensation and resettlement policy and land constraints in urban areas, especially Dhaka city, were also highlighted as challenges for the future.

To improve the sector’s performance the public sector should get private sector-like incentives, proper planning and coordination between the power and energy sectors should be maintained and power projects should take early steps to get their Environmental Impact Assessment clearance, he said.

The country has a present installed power generation capacity of 11,609MW which includes 500MW imported from India. l

Sexagenarian burnt alive in Chittagong, 24 houses gutted n Tribune Report A sexagenarian was burnt alive and at least 24 thatched houses were gutted in Arefin Nagar area under Baizid police station in the port city early yesterday.

Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters’s Assistant Director Md Iyahiya said the fire originated at the kitchen of a house at around 3am. In a short time, the blaze managed to engulf the other neighbouring houses as well, he added.

Iyahiya said Abdul Ali, 60, was asleep inside his house when the fire started. His remains were later found by family members inside the burned building.

“Being informed, fire fighters from Agrabad and Baizid fire stations in the city rushed to the spot and doused the blaze after two hours’ efforts”, he said.

The losses caused by the fire was estimated at Tk3 lakh.

It is mentionable that another man was burnt to death in a slum’s fire that broke out in Bakalia area on March 23. l

4 DB MEN DETAINED AND RELEASED BY BSF

7 Comilla detectives suspended, probe committee formed n Our Correspondent, Comilla

The Detective Branch of Police in Comilla yesterday suspended seven of its members who had illegally entered India on Wednesday while chasing drug smugglers and four of whom were detained and later released by the Indian border security.

Comilla district Police Superintendent Tutul Chakraborty also formed a three-member committee to investigate the matter, police sources said.

The suspended detectives – Sub-Inspector Gazi Mahbubur Rahman, assistant sub-inspectors Alamgir Hossain and Sabuj Miah, constables Selim, Anwar, Bikash and Taposh – were conducting a drive against drug smugglers near the Bangladesh-India border in Ashabari area in the district’s Brahmanpara upazila when the incident took place, the sources said.

Chasing the gang of drug smugglers and dealers, the detectives mistakenly entered India and were attacked by the smugglers as well as the locals. While three of them were able to escape, Alamgir, Sabuj, Selim and Taposh were beaten by the mob and then handed over to the Indian Border Security Force.

The detention spurred a meeting between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the BSF late Wednesday night, followed by the release of the four Detective Branch members, sources told the Dhaka Tribune.

Of the four, Sabuj and Selim were severely injured and are currently undergoing treatment at Comilla Medical College Hospital.

The probe committee has been ordered to submit the probe report within three working days, said Comilla DB OC AKM Manzur Alam yesterday. l

Indigenous women perform a dance at an annual event on food security at the Rajabari School field in Rajshahi ‘s Godagari upazila yesterday

AZAHAR UDDIN

Conference on gender, diversity and development begins at DU n DU Correspondent A three-day-long international conference on gender, diversity and development – organised by the DU department of women and gender studies – began yesterday at the Dhaka University.

DU Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique inaugurated the conference at Nabab Nowab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of the university, a press release from the DU public relations office stated.

Speaking there, the DU VC urged people to work together for establishing gender equality and ensuring women empowerment across the country and the world.

He emphasised on achieving gender equality in all spheres of our national life to make Bangladesh a middle income and progressive country.

“Women are the greatest contributors to our garments sector as well as our national economy... We have to increase more investment in female education to make them

skilled workforces,” the VC added.

Chairperson of the department of women & gender studies Tania Haque presided over the inaugural session while Professor Emeritus of DU Dr Najma Chowdhury, Deputy Representative of Unicef Dr Anjana Mangalagiri and Director of USAID Bangladesh Thomas Kress addressed the event as special guests.

Around 500 representatives from various countries including the US, the UK, Netherlands, India, Pakistan and Nepal are participating in the conference. l

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SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

Cox’s Bazar salt producers fearing losses n Our Correspondent, Cox’s Bazar Salt producers in Cox’s Bazar say they are apprehensive of being deprived of fair prices.

They say it is mostly due to the reluctance of salt factory owners, general strikes and similar political programmes, and because of the rising costs of raw material.

Some nine lakh people in the district make their living from salt. The daily essential is predominantly produced in Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Ramu, Teknaf, Pekua, Chakaria, Kutubdia and Maheshkhali upazilas.

Salt produced in eight upazilas of the district is sold across the country. Some 50 small and large salt factories set up in Islampur area refine the produced salt.

Azizul Haque, a salt producer in Maheshkhali, said he has been lending money to local salt workers for a decade.

“I give them Tk20,000-25,000 per acre but now there is doubt whether they will be able to repay the loan this year,” he said.

Ansarul Karim, a salt trader, said he was facing difficulties to even recover his investment, let alone making a profit.

Maheshkhali Salt Producer and Trader Association General Secretary Nesar Uddin said some syndicates have also attempted to import salt in the face of BNP’s indefinite transport blockade.

“This will put local salt producers in big trouble. This has happened in the past as well,” he said.

Moniruzzaman, former president of Natun Bazar Salt Producer and Trader Cooperative Society in Maheshkhali, said the political programmes have gotten in the way of transporting salt.

“By the same token, traders in Chandpur,

A salt worker is seen taking care of his salt field in Cox’s Bazar Jhalakati, Narayanganj and some other places are unable to come to Cox’s Bazar to buy salt. This has invited trouble for salt producers as they are left with a large volume of unsold produce. Now if salt is imported, it

will only exacerbate the plight of producers,” he added.

But Deputy General Manager of Cox’s Bazar BSCIC (Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation) Md Abdul Latif refused

Construction of Khan Jahan Ali Airport to resume soon n Tribune Report The construction work on Khan Jahan Ali Airport, which remained stalled since 1996, will resume soon, said Deputy Commissioner of Khulna Md Jahangir Alam.

The DC said the work involving Tk 544.75 crore will begin soon after allotment of fund.

The work was stopped after land acquisition and earth filling for the construction of the airport despite having much importance for overall development of the southwestern region, including speeding up Mongla port activities.

Some 97.55 acres of land were acquired for the airport at Fayla in Rampal Upazila near Khulna-Mongla highway. Bagerhat District

administration handed over the land to Civil Aviation Authority in 1996. Later, earth filling work was done spending Tk110 million.

The then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia laid the foundation stone of the airport on January 27, 1996, but there has been no progress in the work since then. In 2001, when the BNP-Jamaat government came to power the work earth filling began again which was later stopped for lack of fund allocation.

After visiting the site of the proposed airport, then Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Lt Col Faruq Khan engaged experts of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology to prepare the pre-feasibility study report on the project in 2012.

Later, an expert team from Khulna University of Engineering and Technology submitted the report to the Civil Aviation Authority highlighting the importance of the airport and with recommendation for constructing the airport in two phases. Later, the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry sent their proposal to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Later, the Prime Minister ordered construction of the bridge on priority basis.

Sources at the district administration said 150 hectares of additional land will be acquired for the project.

“We are expecting that the work will begin in July and will be completed by the next three years,” said Director (Planning and Training) of Civil Aviation Authority M Ziaul Kabir. l

NEWS IN BRIEF Man kills wife in Savar A person has allegedly suffocated his wife to death in Savar municipal area, on the outskirts of the capital. The deceased is Brishty Rani, 30, wife of Mongol Chandra Das, a government official Savar Tax office. Locals said there was conflict between the couple since their marriage. They locked into a quarrel with each other on Thursday night. Following the matter, Mongol suffocated his wife to death and tried to flee the scene on Friday morning. However, the locals caught him and handed him over to

the police. On information, police went to the spot and recovered the body. Savar model police station OC Abdul Motaleb said the body has been sent to Dhaka Medical College morgue for autopsy. He said a murder case has also been filed in this connection. – Our Correspondent, Savar

Schoolboy dies during holy bath in Mymensingh A schoolboy has got drowned while talking holy

bath at the Brahmaputra river during a Hindu festival in Mymensingh. Deceased Ontor Das is the son of Ronjon Das and a class VIII student at Mukul Niketon High School. Mymensingh Fire Service Assistant Dircetor Abul Hossain said: “Ontor got drowned while he to take holy bath in the river along with his parents in the afternoon.” On information, divers from the fire service went to the spot and recovered the body. Divers said he died getting stuck in quicksand. – Our Correspondent, Mymensingh

DHAKA TRIBUNE

to comment whether salt producers would be facing problems.

He said salt fields are still being surveyed and this year’s production target has been set at 18 lakh tonnes. l

Quader: BNP contradicting itself joining city polls

n Our Correspondent, Madaripur Communication Minister Obaidul Quader said BNP is contradicting itself. He said: “BNP is calling the [city corporation] election a farce, and is taking part in it at the same time.

They call the government illegal but want to hold dialogue with it.”

“BNP has fallen in their own trap while trying to entrap the government with their movement,” said the minister while visiting the seventh Bangladesh China Friendship Bridge construction site in Madaripur.

He added: “BNP has bought the nomination forms and are taking part in the election, even if under a different name. In the nine city corporation elections held before BNP nominees won seven times, and independent candidates won twice.

“Awami League has not officially selected candidates for those elections and have never won. Despite that, we are holding this election because the citizens are suffering being deprived of entitled services. This election is being held to keep those services up and running.”

The communication minister expressed satisfaction at the possibility of early completion of the bridge project by July, the deadline was till December. The 694-metre-long bridge in the Kajirtek area over the Arial Khan River in Madaripur. l

DT

Spotlight 7

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

TRAGEDY MARS HINDU RELIGIOUS CEREMONY Tears of grief competed with the flow of the Brahmaputra yesterday after a stampede at a Hindu religious ceremony claimed the lives of 10 devotees who had travelled to Langalbandh in Narayanganj to take part in an important bathing ceremony.

The Astami Snan, a ritual bath in the Brahmaputra River taken on an auspicious day in the Bangali month of Chaitra, annually draws between 1.5 and 2.5 million participants.

Witnesses said the stampede broke out following rumours that a bailey bridge being used by participants to approach the ceremonial site’s holiest spot, the Rajghat, was about to collapse.

Panicked pilgrims left behind a trail of lost sandals and slippers as they scrambled to safety.

Eyewitnesses claimed that a group of younger pilgrims began shouting that the bridge was in danger of collapsing – and setting off the stampede – in order to hurry fellow devotees along.

The ceremony’s organisers have been criticised for failing to make sufficient preparations for the massive gathering of pilgrims. The police have been accused of not doing enough to manage the crowds and keep order on the walkways at the site. Sixteen CCTV cameras and four police watch towers at the site failed to prevent the tragedy from occurring.

DT

8 WORLD

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

Arabs inch closer to old dream of joint Arab force n AP, Sharm El-Sheikh

Fire shoots from the roof of a building after it collapsed and burst into flames in New York City’s East Village as seen in this picture taken by Scott Westerfeld March 26. Rescuers from the Fire Department of New York were headed to the location, which was on Second Avenue and East 7th Street in Manhattan, an spokeswoman said REUTERS

Disputes emerge as Netanyahu starts work on new Israel govt

n AFP, Jerusalem Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began talks Thursday to form a new Israeli government, which will have to mend shattered ties with key ally Washington, while tackling pressing social and security issues.

After a bitterly fought campaign that exposed deep splits within Israeli society and a damaging rift with Washington, Netanyahu knuckled down to the task of building a coalition likely to be dominated by right-wing and religious parties.

By mid-morning, disputes were already emerging, an indicator of likely problems in piecing together an operational government.

The coalition will have to hit the ground running in order to shore up shattered ties with the administration of US President Barack Obama and address divisions at home.

It will also have to handle an emerging nuclear deal with Iran, vehemently opposed by Netanyahu, as well as the imminent threat of Palestinian legal action at the International Criminal Court.

And pressure against West Bank settlement resurfaced, with outgoing UN Middle East envoy Robert Serry calling for the new government to “freeze” it in order to restore trust.

“Illegal settlement activity cannot be reconciled with the objective of a negotiated two-state solution and may kill the very possibility of reaching peace,” said Serry, who is stepping down after seven years. l

Arab leaders meeting this weekend in this Egyptian Red Sea resort are moving closer than ever to creating a joint Arab military force, a sign of a new determination among Saudi Arabia, Egypt and their allies to intervene aggressively in regional hotspots, whether against Islamic militants or spreading Iranian power.

Creation of such a force has been a longtime goal that has eluded Arab nations in the 65 years since they signed a rarely used joint defense pact. And there remains reluctance among some countries, particularly allies of Iran like Syria and Iraq — a reflection of the divisions in the region.

Foreign ministers gathered in Sharm elSheikh ahead of the summit, which begins Saturday, agreed on a broad plan for the force.

It came as Saudi Arabia and its allies opened a campaign of airstrikes in Yemen against Iranian-backed Shiite rebels who have taken over much of the country and forced its U.S.- and Gulf-backed president to flee abroad.

The Yemen campaign marked a major test of the new policy of intervention by the Gulf and Egypt. The brewing Yemen crisis — and Gulf fears that the rebels are a proxy for Iranian influence — have been one motivator in their move for a joint Arab force. But it also signaled that they are not going to wait for the Arab League, notorious for its delays and divisions, and will press ahead with their military coordination on multiple fronts.

Egyptian officials said the Yemen airstrikes

EU keeps Hamas on terror list despite court ruling n AFP

The European Union kept Hamas on its terrorism blacklist Friday despite a controversial court decision ordering Brussels to remove the Palestinian Islamist group from the register.

Brussels has lodged an appeal against a December ruling by the bloc’s second highest court that Hamas should be delisted for the first time since 2001.

“Hamas stays on list during Council’s ap-

peal to December judgement,” Susanne Kiefer, a spokeswoman for the European Council said on Twitter. The appeal process is expected to take around a year and a half.

Two other groups have however been withdrawn since the last EU list was published in July 2014: the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, which US officials have accused of funnelling money to Hamas, and Al-Takfir and Al-Hijra, an Egyptian Islamist group. l

Nigeria recaptures Boko Haram ‘HQ’ Gwoza n AFP Nigeria’s military on Friday announced that troops had retaken the town of Gwoza from Boko Haram, from which the group declared their caliphate last year.

“Troops this morning captured Gwoza destroying the Headquarters of the Terrorists self-styled Caliphate,” Defence Headquarters in Abuja said on Twitter.

“Several terrorists died while many are

captured. Mopping up of entire Gwoza and her suburbs is ongoing,” it added in a separate message.

Earlier this month, residents who fled the town in Borno state told AFP that militants had been massing in Gwoza and killing local people who were unable to flee.

That led to speculation that the group, which has been pushed out of a number of towns in three northeast states in recent weeks, was preparing for a final assault. l

are to be followed by a ground intervention to further weaken the rebels, known as Houthis, and their allies and force them into negotiations. They have also moved ahead with action in Libya after its collapse into chaos since 2011 and the rise of militants there — including now an affiliate of the Islamic State group that has overrun much of Iraq and Syria. Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have both carried out airstrikes against Libyan militants in the past year.

In their agreement Thursday, the foreign ministers called on the chiefs of staff of the Arab League’s 22-member nations to meet within a month to iron out details of the force, like its budget and mechanism, and report back to the organization.

The Egyptian military and security officials said the proposed force would be made of up to 40,000 elite troops and will be headquartered in either Cairo or Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The force would be backed by jet-fighters, warships and light armor. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Arab league officials said some Arab nations had reservations about the creation of a joint force, including Iraq, whose foreign minister, Ibrahim a-Jaafari, has counselled fellow ministers that more time was needed for planning. Iran holds massive influence with Iraq’s Shiite-led government and its military advisers are playing an active role in the fight by government troops and allied Shiite militias against militants of the Islamic State. l

Prosecutors: Evidence Germanwings co-pilot hid illness

n AP, Montabaur Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz appears to have hidden evidence of an illness from his employers, including having been excused by a doctor from work the day he crashed a passenger plane into a mountain, prosecutors said Friday.

The evidence came from the search of Lubitz’s homes in two German cities for an explanation of why he crashed the Airbus A320 into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board.

Prosecutor’s spokesman Ralf Herrenbrueck said in a written statement that tornup sick notes for the day of the crash “support the current preliminary assessment that the deceased hid his illness from his employer and colleagues.”

Such sick notes from doctors excusing employees from work are common in Germany and issued even for minor illnesses. Herrenbrueck didn’t reveal details of what illness Lubitz was suffering from.

Herrenbrueck said other medical documents found indicated “an existing illness and appropriate medical treatment,” but that no suicide note was found. He added there was no indication of any political or religious motivation for Lubitz’s actions.

Germanwings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, refused to comment on the new information. l

DT

WORLD 9

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

Suu Kyi ducks Myanmar army parade on health grounds n AFP Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday snubbed a grand annual parade showcasing military strength for the first time in three years, as the country’s army chief warned against “any disturbances to stability” in upcoming elections.

The veteran democracy campaigner, who has suffered a bout of minor ill health in recent days, was conspicuously absent from the Armed Forces Day ceremony.

She has attended for the last two years since she entered a fledgling parliament set up under the quasi-civilian government that replaced junta rule.

“She needs to take as rest at this moment.

That’s why she couldn’t attend the ceremony this morning in Naypyidaw,” source close to Suu Kyi from her National League for Democracy (NLD) party told AFP, adding that she was “fine.”

The 69-year-old, who was taken ill on a number of occasions during her gruelling 2012 by-election campaign, has recently ramped up her activities as the country prepares for crucial polls expected in early November.

Suu Kyi’s party is expected to sweep the elections, seen as a test of democratic reforms, if they are free and fair.

But the Nobel laureate is currently barred from becoming president because of a provision in the junta-era constitution, which the military has resisted altering.

The election build up has coincided with rising fears that much lauded reforms in Myanmar are stalling, with recent police protest crackdowns fuelling concerns over the democratic transition. Yesterday’s parade in Naypyidaw was one of the biggest displays of military might in recent years.

Thousands of troops marched through an enormous parade ground backed by tanks,

Syria’s Assad says West wants to weaken Russia

n Reuters, Moscow

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has accused the West of trying to weaken Russia by turning Ukraine into a puppet state, a tactic he said had also been used against his own country.

“I keep coming back to the fact that there is a connection between the Syrian crisis and what is happening in Ukraine,” he told Russian government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta in an interview, excerpts of which were published yesterday.

“Firstly because both countries are important for Russia, and secondly because the goal in both cases is to weaken Russia and create a puppet state.”

The United States and the European Union have imposed economic sanctions on Russia over its role in the crisis in Ukraine.

Russia, a long-standing ally of Assad, denies sending troops and weapons to support separatists fighting government forces in east Ukraine and says Western powers helped orchestrate the overthrow of a Moscow-backed Ukrainian president last year. l

Russian superhighway could connect London to New York

n Agencies Russia has unveiled ambitious plans to build a superhighway that, in theory, could make it possible to drive from London on one end to New York on the other.

According to a report by The Siberian Times, the head of Russian Railways is asking the government to seriously consider his project dubbed the Trans-Eurasian Belt Development, the first modern transportation corridor that would link up the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.

Plans call for the construction of a new high-speed railway and the development of major roads that would span the length of Russia, link up with existing transportation networks in Europe and Asia – and cross the Bering Strait.

A network that would run about 20,000 km (12,400 miles) in length. l

Philippines’ Aquino: Give Muslims self-rule or ‘count body bags’

n AFP Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, right and her assistant leave after attending the Union Parliament regular session in Nyapyitaw March 26 REUTERS mounted missiles, fighter jets and airborne soldiers abseiling from helicopters on ropes.

Army senior general Min Aung Hlaing said in an address that this year’s vote “represents an important landmark of democracy implementation.”

But he added: “I want to say that any disturbances to stability of the state... won’t be allowed in the general election,” according to an official translation of his speech.

In the same speech, Min Aung Hlaing cautioned against “too rapid” reforms, warning that they could cause “instabilities.”

He also reaffirmed the army’s support

for the transition away from military rule, which shocked observers when it began in 2011 and has led to the lifting of most Western sanctions.

Nonetheless Myanmar’s military remains deeply involved in politics four years after the end of outright junta rule and holds a quarter of parliamentary seats.

It is currently battling rebels in the Kokang region of northern Shan state in fighting that has riled neighbouring China, which mobilised fighter jets after a bomb apparently from a Myanmar warplane landed in Chinese territory earlier this month. l

Thai junta chief considers martial law replacement n AFP Thailand’s junta chief yesterday said he was considering lifting martial law, but only after passing a new order to replace it.

Speaking to reporters during a trip to the beachside resort of Hua Hin, former army chief turned Prime Minister Prayut Chan-OCha said he had already drawn up a replacement provision.

“I have prepared for it already to be used after the martial law,” he said.

“If I lift the martial law, you all will know,” he added.

It is the first time Prayut has indicated a potential lifting of martial law, which bans political gatherings of more than five people and outlaws criticism of the junta.

Critics, businesses and Thailand’s western allies have called for martial law to be lifted.

It was imposed two days before the mili-

tary takeover that followed the ousting of Yingluck Shinawatra’s democratically elected government after months of often violent street protests.

But Prayut did not elaborate on what the new order would look like.

Under the interim charter the generals signed off on after seizing power, the junta already has sweeping powers to make widespread unilateral decisions.

Prayut has vowed to return power to an elected civilian government but only once reforms to tackle corruption and curb the power of political parties are codified in a new constitution.

Rights groups say basic freedoms have fallen drastically since the military took over with critics arrested and hassled by the authorities, the press muzzled and tough lese majeste legislation increasingly used to stifle political opposition. l

Philippine President Benigno Aquino called on lawmakers yesterday to pass a bill endorsing a pact aimed at ending a decades-long Muslim separatist rebellion, warning them they would otherwise start counting “body bags.”

Aquino had wanted the bill, which would give autonomy to the majority Catholic nation’s Muslim minority in the south, passed this month.

But Congress suspended debates on the proposed law in the face of public outrage over the killings of 44 police commandoes by Muslim guerrillas in a botched anti-terror raid in January.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which signed a peace deal a year ago yesterday, had said its members fired in self-defence at the commandoes, who passed through a rebel camp while going after Islamic militants. l

Govt: Pakistan will defend Saudi Arabia but not escalate conflict

n AFP Pakistan is ready to defend Saudi Arabia’s “territorial integrity” but has not yet decided to join Riyadh’s coalition fighting Yemen rebels, the defence minister said yesterday.

Saudi Arabia began air strikes in Yemen on Thursday to defend the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi from advancing Shiite Huthi rebels.

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the country would defend Saudi sovereignty “at any cost,” but appeared to rule out any immediate Pakistani participation in the fighting, which has so far been confined to Yemen itself.

“We don’t want to be part of any proliferation, we will try to contain it,” Asif told parliament, adding that there was concern it could fan sectarian tensions in Pakistan and the Muslim world.

The Saudi ambassador in Washington said Thursday that Pakistan was among 10 countries ready to join a coalition to protect the Yemeni government. l

DT

10 LONG FORM

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

The godfather of Nigeria’s opposition the country only produces a fraction of the electricity it needs. The People’s Democratic Party has won every national election since the reinstatement of democracy in 1999, but for the first time in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, it promises to be a tight race. To take a stand against current President Goodluck Jonathan and his PDP, the two largest parties in the opposition have recently merged into APC. The new party unites constituencies in the north and the southwest of the country, a considerable bloc of the Nigerian electorate.

Bola Tinubu is the driving force behind this strategy that could turn politics in Africa’s largest economy upside down. In Nigeria, politics revolves around personalities; political manifestos and party lines are secondary. That is why it is important to know the people behind the party.

Mother of all

Banners with her portrait hung for weeks on the lamp posts lining the streets of Lagos in 2013. Next to the low resolution picture of the veiled woman were some words that said how dearly this “mother of all” would be missed. The banners flapped in honour of the late Abibatu Mogaji, the woman who adopted Bola Tinubu at a young age and who is the only mother he has ever known. Till her death on June 15 at the age of 96, Mogaji was President of the Association of Nigerian Market Women and Men.

Mobil Oil. In those days, Ben Akabueze was relationship manager at the Nigerian International Bank, and he remembers Tinubu as a diligent employee who drove a hard bargain to get the best results for his firm. “He is somebody who likes to win for the company, an organisation, or a cause.”

His accountant friend already held strong opinions and he loved a good debate.

Still it surprised the banker when Tinubu announced in 1992 that he would go into politics, this at a time when the umpteenth military regime since Nigerian independence seemed to be opening the door for democracy.

Nigeria was not to enjoy democracy for long, as the military regime annulled the Third Republic’s presidential elections. Not long thereafter, General Sani Abacha seized power, and for many Nigerians in politics, journalism, and civil society, Nigeria got too hot to stay in. Bola Tinubu went into exile in 1994.

Democratic movement

“This is how we all sat, around a table such as this one,” Professor Ropo Sekoni says in his parlour in the Lagos suburb of Ikeja. He points at the armchairs surrounding the salon table. “But Tinubu never stayed on his seat, he was always moving from one place to another.” The professor describes the first time he met Bola Tinubu, in the mid-90s, in

Officially, the man in the kaftan is nothing more than an ordinary party member, but the crowd knows better than that

n Femke van Zeijl

T

he cheering sets in as soon as the crowd in the gallery spots the small figure in his white kaftan strolling over the tracks of Teslim Balogun Stadium. The voices swell to a roar when the frail man begins to climb the gallery steps. He squeezes a path through the horde of young men wearing hats and t-shirts with the logo of the Nigerian opposition party APC; he is applauded, patted on the shoulders, blocked in his way. Once he even has to shove his round spectacles back onto his nose, the glasses having shifted in the commotion, but he remains perfectly calm, like a man accustomed to such attention.

It is December 11, 2014. In a few hours, Nigeria’s largest opposition party will announce the winner of its primaries in this stadium in Surulere, a middle-class neighbourhood in the megalopolis of Lagos. Then it will become clear who is going to be the presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress in the coming elections that are supposed to be held on March 28. Judging from the fanlike behaviour of the crowd, you would say the favourite contestant had just entered the

stadium, but nothing could be further from the truth. Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not partake in the primaries. Officially, the man in the kaftan is nothing more than an ordinary party member, but the crowd knows better than that.

Bola Tinubu (62) was governor of Lagos State from 1999 till 2007. After his two terms, he gave his successor Babatunde Fashola, the current governor, a leg up and thus kept his finger in the pie. APC’s newest gubernatorial candidate also comes from Tinubu’s inner circle. Tinubu has proven himself the kingmaker of the opposition: Without his blessing, a candidate cannot win. Even the agbero boy in the stadium knows this: “In Nigerian politics you need a lot of money, or a godfather like Tinubu.”

On March 28, Nigerians are going to the ballot box to vote for a president and a National Assembly. The new government of Africa’s most populous country will meet a colossal task. The ill-equipped Nigerian army, despite support from Chadian and Cameroonian forces, still has a hard time curbing Boko Haram in the northeast of the country; unemployment is rife and two-thirds of Nigerians live off no more than two dollars a day;

As a boy, Tinubu often accompanied his mother to meetings. From her, he learnt the importance of grassroots politics. The experience also turned him into a street fighter.

His mother, a frontline supporter of the then ruling political party in Lagos, would send off her son to hand out pamphlets. Many a time -- and not always successfully -- little Tinubu had to scuttle off through the market aisles in order to avoid a beating by supporters of an opposing party.

He encountered his other source of political inspiration in the mid-70s when he moved to Chicago for his studies. There he got fascinated by the Daleys, an IrishCatholic family at the heart of urban politics: Richard J. Daley was the city’s mayor for 21 years until his death in 1976. Even today, the Daley family plays an important role in the US Democratic Party.

Diligent employee

Despite his admiration for the Daleys, it would not be until 1992 that Bola Tinubu became politically active himself. After rounding up his studies as an accountant, he returned to Nigeria in 1983 as a treasurer for

a living room in Bowie, a city in between Baltimore and Washington DC. It was a meeting of Nigerian exiles who were fighting for the return of democracy.

Apart from Tinubu’s restlessness and the fact that he went outside every few minutes for a smoke, the professor remembers his constant emphasis on the term “fiscal federalism.” With all its internal differences, Nigeria could only remain together by decentralising power, Tinubu was convinced.

At that point the accountant was already a successful trader in real estate. His financial support to the democratic movement and also to the many Nigerians who sometimes ended up penniless in the US or the UK, generated a lot of loyalty for Tinubu. He could therefore count on broad support when he stood for the office of Lagos State governor at the return of democracy in 1999, elections he would subsequently win.

The politician Tinubu made his biggest enemies in the era that followed, when he shoved aside the Alliance for Democracy, the party on whose platform he had run for governor. He refused to follow the party line, and picked old friends and capable professionals

DT

LONG FORM 11

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

instead of the party veterans for his cabinet.

The frail man from Lagos was also regularly in disagreement with the burly ex-general in the Nigerian capital Abuja: President Olusegun Obasanjo. With Lagos in the hands of the opposition, the president did everything to restrict funding to that state. Tinubu fought back by dragging the federal government to court 19 times.

But under Tinubu’s administration, Lagos flourished. The new governor managed to clean up and revive the tax system. When he took office, the internal state revenue was 600 million naira a month; when he left eight years later, it had grown to 7 billion. Today, 20 billion naira (about 90 million euros) flows into Lagos coffers every month, this for a state with a population almost the size of Florida’s.

Asíwájú

Thursday afternoon, a few weeks before the elections: Tinubu’s living room, which feels like a hotel lobby, is filled with expectation.

The big man is holding audience, and his house on Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, one of Lagos’ prime real estate areas, is brimming with people.

When Tinubu enters the room half an hour later, they all jump from their seats. In the presence of Asíwájú, as his followers call him -- a word which means “leader” in the Yoruba language -- you stand up. It is hard to imagine this is the same man who a friend from his time in exile describes as “the most egalitarian Nigerian I know.”

Well-known journalist and presenter Funmi Iyanda is worried about Tinubu’s transformation into Asíwájú: “Nigerians have a tendency to celebrate their leaders, even the questionable ones. But no human being is to be made God. It is time we realise that leaders are our servants, not the other way around.” In such an environment even the most democratic of minds will become despotic, she feels.

Nevertheless, Tinubu is not one of those typically Nigerian ogas (bosses) who cannot bear criticism, and Iyanda knows this from her own experience. As a young journalist she once compared Tinubu with Steve Urkel, the bespectacled character from the sitcom Family Matters. “I fully expected him to hate

Some believe Lagos can thrive under Tinubu

me after that, but I got a phone call saying that he thought it was funny.” When he took office as governor, he even asked her to join the transition committee that was to come up with a roadmap for Lagos’ future. “I never saw such a collection of bright minds,” says Iyanda. “He is good at identifying talent and using people to achieve what he set out to do.”

corruption. Some even call him “Lagos’ biggest thief,” an aspersion they say is supported by the amount of property he has allegedly acquired. Tinubu is said to own “half the city,” and thus must have gotten his fortune illegally, they claim. The politician behind his desk shrugs off any accusations. “If I respond to all false allegations, I would lose focus.

Nothing ever stuck, so why should I bother?”

Corruption

Many Nigerians do see Lagos as the best achieving state, but given the quality of governance in the country, their standards are pretty low

Meritocracy

This is likely his most poignant difference with the average Nigerian leader: Tinubu is not afraid to gather competent people around him. “A leader is successful when he develops other leaders,” he states in his office adjacent to the parlour full of waiting people.

A constant refrain in Nigeria is that you don’t achieve something because of what you know but because of who you know.

Tinubu has however shown that he believes in meritocracy: He is interested in the capabilities of the people he surrounds himself with. An example of this is his successor to the governor’s seat, the technocrat Fashola.

There’s also Tinubu’s old friend, the banker Akabueze. His appointment as Commissioner of Economic Planning and Budget was controversial mainly because he was the first ever commissioner who was not Yoruba, the ethnic group that forms the majority in Lagos.

His street popularity is not reflected by the elite, as many intellectuals are much less fond of his leadership. At the bottom of that aversion are the endless rumours about his

One of Tinubu’s most outspoken critics was Segun Oni. As the PDP’s National Vice Chairman for South-West, he dubbed Tinubu “the most corrupt politician in Nigeria.”

But Nigeria is a country where politicians change sides as easily as they change kaftans, and last year Oni defected to Tinubu’s APC. Now he praises his fellow party member for his political astuteness and plays down his own accusations as inspired by nothing more than partisan politics. “As politicians, we don’t have time to check this information. I wouldn’t repeat the allegations. Moreover, if by now the anti-corruption people have not gone after him, it means Tinubu has a clean bill.” Tinubu’s “clean bill” could just be an indication of how difficult it is to find documented evidence of corruption in Nigeria.

At best, Bola Tinubu is a paradox. The politician claims to believe that taxpayer’s money should be utilised for the good of the people and has even lobbied -- in vain -- for a clause in the APC manifesto about welfare for the elderly and widows. But in his final year as governor, he also forced through a pension law that, among other things, provides him with a house in Lagos and Abuja, six cars to be replaced every three years and new furniture every two years, as well as a cook, steward, gardener, and other household help, all to be paid for by Lagos State.

Expect to chop

“You can’t take Nigerian politicians too serious when they take the moral high ground,” says Folarin Gbadebo-Smith. They all have skeletons in their closets, he means to say.

According to the Chief Executive of the Lagos-based Centre for Public Policy Alternatives, the political system inherited from the British is organised to extract resources

and funding from the country in order to enrich its rulers. “Once you are at the head of the political food chain, no one expects you to deliver a service to the people. They will expect you to chop (eat) and attend to your immediate small circle.”

Leaders with vision are scarce. That is why he feels it would be unfair to brand Tinubu as a power-hungry godfather. “Then you miss the policy of this man. He is much more a political strategist than a dictatorial personality. Lagos is better off under Tinubu. Whether the development would rate high at a global level is a different matter. But he created an environment in which people can thrive economically.” Many Nigerians do see Lagos as the best achieving state, but given the quality of governance in the country, their standards are pretty low.

Back to Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, where Tinubu’s appearance aroused so much enthusiasm. The votes have been counted, and it is now clear that former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari will run the race for APC against President Jonathan.

When you glance around the emptying stadium, you see artificial grass covering the pitch, tracks divided by neatly drawn chalk lines, and walls freshly painted. This stadium is maintained by the Lagos State government.

It is a striking contrast to the National Stadium deteriorating on the other side of the road under the management of the federal government.

The condition of the National Stadium is representative of the country’s government.

Whoever wins the presidency, Jonathan or Buhari, he will inherit a failing state. The rulers in the capital Abuja have, in the past, mainly indulged themselves in looting the country’s treasury with impunity, without caring much for the needs of the people.

There is no guarantee the graft will lessen under the reign of another party. But whoever becomes president of Nigeria, he is more likely to be held accountable for his actions, because, for the first time, he will meet a solid political opposition.

And that might be Bola Tinubu’s biggest feat. l Femke van Zeijl is a Dutch journalist based in Lagos, Nigeria.

DT

12 EDITORIAL

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

Use financial levers to fight climate change

T

he government needs to harmonise national policies to work better with international efforts to cut greenhouse emissions and increase investment in renewable energy.

Since 2010, an international movement for fossil fuel divestment has persuaded 180 institutions and long-term investors with assets of over $50bn to divest funds away from unsustainable business models which make climate change worse by putting resources into carbon assets that are likely to be become unusable as climate change grows.

The rapid growth of such initiatives shows the potential of joining up with global moves to fight the huge threats posed by climate change.

It is imperative Bangladesh plays its part not just by raising living standards to help improve the resilience and ability of our people to adapt to the negative consequences of climate change, but also by supporting efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions around the world.

Nationally, we can achieve much to stimulate investment in renewable energy sources by cutting subsidies on fossil fuels.

Internationally, the government can be more pro-active in supporting global carbon taxes to help the world move towards more sustainable energy policies.

While globally and historically, emissions from Bangladesh are negligible, and are not a barrier to efforts to industrialise our economy, it is important we try to do so sustainably to prevent the negative consequences of climate change becoming even worse.

This would add even further to the moral authority and legitimacy we have to demand better from the rest of the world in fighting climate change.

Support global carbon taxes and join up with growing internaional campaigns to reduce emissions

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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‘Defeated forces of 1971 are behind arsons’ March 7

Molla A Latif Yes, agreed. But the winner of 1971 is in power, and what are they doing exactly?

Please make no fusses about it. Enough has been done and enough fuss had been made.

This is not expected from the daughter of the Father of the Nation. If you are afraid of doing what is needed, then leave it to those who will dare to do it.

People want to live in peace. They want education for their children. Schools and colleges are forced to be closed. Time is not idle. Livelihoods have been jeopardised for daily wage earners.

The people cannot move from one place to another, even if their near and dear ones are ill seriously. This is a suffocating situation for the common folk, who are not being

ensured of a steady income and facilities. masum Molla A Latif: I feel obliged to mention there have been several placards hanging on streets asking Khaleda to stop burning people alive with photos of burnt people, as if arsonists may feel pity when attacking further and would spare the citizen not taking their lives for that time and beyond.

The government is dealing in criminal conduct, from a political view, by not taking any stern action, instead resorting to public campaigns against arsonists which gave publicity to their instructors.

Anon Makes sense. They are angry!!!

DT 80 suspected Shibir men held with firearms

Rubel makes Tamim happy!

March 10

March 18

Raise awareness to end malnutrition

B

angladesh needs to improve awareness of good nutrition and better co-ordinate programs to fight poverty and build social safety nets, to ensure that everyone in the nation has access to a healthy diet. This is absolutely essential to help save some of the over 53,000 children who die each year from complications arising from child and maternal malnutrition.

The knock on effects of malnutrition are huge. Socio-economic surveys show clear correlations between poverty and poor nutrition in early childhood with higher rates of stunting, susceptibility to infections and lower later life chances in education and employment.

Malnutrition costs the country over $1bn in lost productivity a year. Ending it would not only improve the lives of millions but help break the cycles which perpetuate poverty into future generations.

The annual costs of effective intervention to ensure a sufficient variety of quality foods to children in need have been shown to be perfectly manageable and to more than pay for themselves by reducing illness and raising future incomes.

Poverty alone is not the only problem, as rising rates of obesity among wealthier children are showing. It is ensuring awareness of good nutrition and access to a proper variety of foods which is key to preventing malnutrition.

Better co-ordination is needed to improve the effectiveness of providing fortified supplementary foods and raising awareness among young mothers about the importance of ensuring balanced diets to both boys and girls.

We must become better at fighting malnutrition to give all children the proper start in life they deserve.

Awareness and access to good nutrition are key to breaking the cycle

Padma Nadir Majhi Law enforcment agencies’ drama goes on.

Babul Sarwar Ban Jamaat now!

Adnan Qader 80 people?

HRW: Probe Salahuddin’s disappearance March 19

Babul Sarwar What the US govt does outside it’s country ours does that inside our own country – evil everywhere!

UK urges to end violence in Bangladesh March 6

Molla A Latif The UK should take care of the Bangladesh Chief Commander of Violence living there in London.

Now gold seized from Korean diplomat March 6

George Williams Has he never heard of airport metal detectors?

Dreampie Yeah he does. [Wink wink, nudge nudge] RChow Dropped the ball or not, cricket is a team sport, no one man can contribute to the team’s loss or win individually, any one player can have an off-day, but it is the team that wins or loses. We should stop this culture of blaming or worshiping one person.

BTRC must help, not hinder the market March 7

changigeek BRTC is an unfit regulator. There’s nothing to gain by putting off big, and proven, companies or by not collecting fees properly as it is prone to allowing. As your story about the World Mobile Congress showed, Bangladesh’s rules on VoIP are out of sync with most countries and actively deterring developers from entering a growing global market.

A paper leviathan

March 6 sundar It boils down to the undeniable fact that we are a God-forbidden society. We have, therefore, nothing but to weep and cry.

DT

OPINION 13

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

The great grilling n Ryan Burkwood

I

n most instances, I would be the first to bemoan the UK’s drift towards the American-style, big budget, media-heavy electioneering campaigns. Not so when TV debates were introduced during the last election.

This, I thought, is what we’ve been waiting for, a proper platform to engage people in politics again. A formal debate where leaders of the main parties could be held accountable and couldn’t hide behind obfuscation, spin doctors, and parliamentary privilege (an age old act that protects MPs from all laws when speaking in parliament, essentially allowing them to lie).

David Cameron (the current prime minister, then, the challenger) said time and time again that debates were essential for our society. “I’ve always wanted these debates to happen. I mean they happen in every country. They even happen in Mongolia for heaven’s sake and it’s part of the modern age that we should be in.” (The inherent racism aside, I wholeheartedly agree.)

The first debates we had were a huge success. A three-way platform was agreed between the three main parties with three debates, the first half of each debate focused on a particular theme (domestic, international, and economic affairs), before general issues were discussed. The questions were not disclosed to the leaders before the debate. Public interest in the debates was huge, with the first debate watched by 9.4 million people.

It also led to Nick Clegg (the leader of the third party, the Lib Dems) seeing a huge

boost in popularity. Normally sidelined in the press and in political commentary, this new platform allowed them to put forward their progressive platform and separate themselves from the drudgery of the two main parties.

It was democracy in action, a beautiful thing to see. It is worth noting that after seeing an upswing in their vote share and forming a coalition government, the Lib Dems went on to break nearly all of their election pledges made during the debates.

However a blow was struck for engagement and democracy. We saw the highest turnout since 1997, when all trends were showing voter apathy decreasing, these debates turned the tide.

Fast forward to 2015. A proposal is sent to the prime minister outlining three debates, one with the leaders of the Conservative and Labour parties, a second also including the Liberal Democrats, and a third including UKIP. The Green Party wrote to the broadcasters demanding that they be included -- they declined; Cameron quite rightly pointed out that with the increase in small parties’ support, many people are suggesting that they should also be included in the debates and that he won’t take part unless the Greens are included.

Thanks to the prime minister’s ultimatum and a 275,000 strong petition, the broadcasters relent and put forward a new proposal including the Greens, as well as the SNP (Scottish National Party) and Plaid Cymru (who only stand in Wales) followed by debates with the three main leaders, and then lastly, the main two. A fair compromise that

REUTERS

allows everyone a proportional voice.

It seems now, however, that Mr Cameron is singing a different tune and refuses to take part in any debates that include less than all party leaders. A cowardly move intended to reduce any airtime he has to share with his main rival Ed Miliband (the leader of Labour).

The broadcasters take the bold move of threatening to empty chair the prime minister and push forward with the debates without him. This puts them in a sticky situation; being independent, they are not allowed to make any sort of political statement, but also have to give equal time to all major parties.

Going ahead without the PM could have been seen as a political statement, it certainly has enough ground to be challenged in court.

Not having the debates at all could just as well be seen as not providing the parties with a platform to speak to the public.

I was hoping the broadcasters would hold their nerve, as the collapse of the debates would be solely seen as the PMs fault. With

multiple polls showing the electorate believe he acted in a cowardly manner, the debates would go ahead even if he refused to take part.

Sadly, it seems that in the last few days, they have relented and agreed to a single full seven-way debate. This is capitulation at its worst, allowing the PM to flex his political power to cow them into agreement.

I cannot lay the whole blame at the feet of the broadcasters however, what is needed now (as with the media regulator) is an independent body tasked with deciding the format of the debates with all parties signed up to abide by its decision.

This would lead to far less airtime, and, in this writer’s case, far less print space taken up with meaningless posturing and politicking and more time spent on the real issues at hand. l

It was perhaps unavoidable that the chef preparing that last meal for such convicts should reveal his recipes. Brian Price, a former inmate of a Texas prison, wrote an unusual book titled Meals to Die For (2004) in which he discloses the sort of dishes he devised.

His culinary inventiveness bordered on the morbid. He named his dishes Posthumous Potato Salad, Post-mortem Potato Soup, and Old Sparky’s Genuine Convict Chilli that offered three degrees of spiciness -- 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 volts. One wonders how many on death row presented with such a menu on their last night shared his macabre sense of humour.

More recently, an innocuous dish -- mutton biryani -- has assumed a sinister connotation in Indo-Pak relations. Ujjwal Nikam, the public prosecutor in the 2008 Mumbai attack, announced some time ago that Ajmal Kasab (the only surviving accused) had asked for mutton biryani. The insatiable Indian press swallowed Mr Nikam’s story; its ravenous readership digested it.

“Mutton biryani” suddenly became a synonym for Paki-pandering. It so permeated the India psyche that when on New Year’s night 2014, a Pakistani vessel was spotted off the Porbandar coast, a zealous Coast Guard DIG

BK Loshali gave orders that to his subordinates to “blow the boat off,” adding caustically: “We don't want to serve them biryani.”

Within hours, Loshali had to eat his own words. His admission was quoted by the same Indian press that carried his taunt: “The operation was classified in nature and its details were not shared (with me) … it was (my) boss inspector general, North West region, Kuldip Singh Sheoran who was in charge of the operation.”

Now suddenly, three years after Kasab’s hanging, the Mumbai public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam has felt obliged to make a belated confession: “Kasab never demanded biryani and was never served by the government …

I concocted it just to break an emotional atmosphere which was taking shape in favour of Kasab during the trial of the case.”

Poor Kasab. Left behind by his accomplices, disowned by his handlers, mocked by his enemies, he became another victim, yet another sacrifice on the butcher’s block of Indo-Pak animosity. And to think he was hanged without being allowed a parting taste of mutton biryani. l

Ryan Burkwood is an actor, director, teacher, and activist.

Last suppers n FS Aijazuddin

D

eath row confessions, like beads of sweat, reek of fear. It is natural for any human being, faced with the prospect of execution, to unburden his or her soul before catching up with it lighter in the hereafter.

Dr Samuel Johnson once said: “When a man knows that he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”

Saulat Mirza (a MQM worker) has been on death row since 1999.

He had been convicted two years earlier of the murder of Shahid Hamid, managing director of KESC (now K-Electric). Mirza has had not a fortnight but 15 years to concentrate his mind wonderfully. With less than a few hours left to live, though, he decided to divulge confidences that would otherwise have been interred with him.

His revelations are incendiary. They involved complicity of the MQM chief Altaf Hussain and the sitting governor of Sindh Ishratul Ibad in that murder. Saulat Mirza intended that his self-serving distribution of culpability would have the same terminal effect on the MQM leadership that DG Federal Security Force Masood Mahmood’s did when he turned approver and claimed that he had

received orders to murder Ahmed Raza Kasuri from Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Bhutto died on the gallows for the accidental death of Kasuri’s father; Masood Mahmood died in the anonymity of a US witness protection program.

The president granted Saulat a reprieve just hours before the time of his execution, presumably to encourage him to reveal more. The government then decided otherwise.

It asked for a second black warrant. If granted, Saulat faces the gallows again, this time for less than 16 years. Like all condemned prisoners, he will be offered a last supper. Who knows what that meal will comprise?

There is no such mystery in American state executions. American academics study everything to death, including death itself. A recent study by Cornell University Food and Brand Lab analysed the final meals of 247 people executed in the United States between 2002 and 2006.

The study concluded that “those who perceived themselves as innocent would request fewer calories or decline to receive a last meal altogether” than those who admitted guilt.

The innocent die hungry; the guilty prefer to travel on a full stomach.

FS Aijazuddin lives in Lahore and is a columnist for Dawn, Pakistan's main English-language newspaper.

This article was first published in Dawn.

DT

14 OPINION

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

BIGSTOCK

Obesity and gender-discrimination: Yes, they’re related in Bangladesh n Esam Sohail

A

bout a week ago, an alarming report regarding female obesity in the metro areas was published on the front pages of this newspaper. It goes without saying that obesity is one of the foundational phenomena of any number of chronic, debilitating, and often fatal diseases.

The report was alarming but not quite surprising.

Sociologists and health care professionals in the West and in East Asia have long known the trend where a slow uptick in the standard of urban living coincides with slightly more access to richer foods, more labour saving gadgets for domestic work, and fewer children in the household.

Put together, all these trends help reduce, albeit slightly, the need for raw physical labour in the household for educated, urban families. Given that even today a disproportionate burden of domestic chores is undertaken by women, this change, while slight, can trigger weight gain, a process that has a proclivity to become more pronounced as one grows in age.

There are no easy solutions to this sideeffect of modern life, as the obesity rates in the United States and Canada amply demonstrate. Nonetheless, a simple solution does exist and is often taken advantage

of by other societies that have faced this conundrum: Simple and regular exercise.

In the modest North American city that I live, it is quite normal to see men and women of a professional background change into informal attire and go out to walk the neighbourhood streets after the work day is over.

Women of any age simply cannot think of going out to take a stroll, let alone a jog, through the few open spaces or footpaths that are available in our cities

There is no expensive equipment, athletic trainer, or fancy gadgetry required for this activity (Well, in my case, that is not entirely true: My “athletic trainer” is my dog Copper, whose food, grooming, and healthcare costs do add up!).

It is simply a matter of routine and desire.

Easier said than done, I know. And for women, it is a tall order in a society like

urban Bangladesh.

With the rapidly shrinking open spaces in most metro areas, the opportunities for jogging or walking are becoming more limited by the day, while very few can afford the exorbitant costs of joining the newly built gyms and exercise parlours.

Even in public areas where some semblance of open air is available, what do we see? Just some months ago, in as supposedly a “progressive” place as the University of Dhaka campus, two young women and their award-winning photojournalist uncle were assaulted just for being out and about in fresh air.

When their friends came to peacefully protest this outrageous incident at the Shaheed Minar, the ruling party’s own student wing was there threatening them with violence for supposedly wearing “Western” outfits.

Were it not for the rather brave intervention of the daughter of a cabinet member who happened to be there to plead with the statuary police to protect the victims, only God knows what would have happened.

Unfortunately, such instances have been all too common for all too long a time to the point that women of any age simply cannot think of going out to take a stroll, let alone a jog, through the few open spaces or footpaths that are available in our cities.

The very fact that a grown woman would want to engage in physical exercise, walk, jog, or participate in informal sports in a public place is anathema to the modern Bengali psyche, secular or otherwise.

I mean, let us be blunt: A middle-aged woman in a tracksuit jogging around even in an upscale area like Dhanmondi in daylight hours will be very lucky to get home without cuts and bruises, if not much worse. You can then imagine the same woman in the evening hours at Moghbazar or Old Dhaka.

As you see, we pay a real price -- in this instance, of health and wellbeing -- for discrimination. This price is only going to inch upwards as, ironically, the urban standards of living slowly improve over time.

I really don’t know what solution there is in the context of Bangladesh, if any. If 44 years after Independence, a Bangladeshi woman cannot take a walk in her own neighbourhood without a very real fear of harassment, injury, rape, or death while the perpetrators openly roam free, I doubt there is much to be hoped for at this point.

But then, within us we have always had the flicker betting against hopelessness and somehow winning the wager, haven’t we? l Esam Sohail is an educational research analyst and college lecturer of social sciences. He writes from Kansas, USA.

DT

CAREER 15

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

Five secret ways to a good western university degree

A

t this time of the year many students will be considering university applications for the next year. Of course, the dream of many students in Bangladesh is to get a degree from a renowned western university, but huge barriers stand in the way. A ferocious combination of high fees, challenging admission requirements and a complicated visa process come first, then there may be English language tests to deal with, not to mention the various cultural, social and travel challenges to manage in order to succeed at a foreign university. However, the rewards available for those who successfully navigate the route are tremendous. So, how can you do it?

There is an old expression about how to get to the top of any organisation: “You can go through the front door or you can climb up the back.” In this case, getting into a western university “through the front door” means achieving the high O and A-level results needed, then having parents and family wealthy enough to pay the full tuition fees.

On the other hand, “climbing up the back,” means being aware of some of the other lesser known methods of gaining acceptance to a good university.

Not many people need to be told that it takes lots of good grades and lots of money to get into a good university -- that much is obvious. However, a good school or college should be able to advise their students on how to get into a foreign university when one or both of those is not available. Guidance in writing a compelling personal statement is one thing and a good letter of reference is another -- but that is just the start.

Number 1

First of all, like any other business, western universities need customers (ie students).

While many of the most well-known (eg the Ivy Leagues, Oxbridge etc) are massively oversubscribed, there are literally thousands of other institutions that are not. And, although they may not advertise it, they can be a bit more flexible in accepting certain applicants.

Attracting foreign students has become big business in the west, and South Asia has become a prime target market for university recruitment departments. Many of these institutions recognise that some South Asian applicants may not have had the benefit of modern teaching techniques which focus on original thought, individual confidence and communication skills. The truth is, the rote-memorisation methods are still found in many traditional teaching environments and coaching centres leave many students from South Asia woefully unprepared for western universities.

As a result, many western universities now offer “foundation” or “pathway courses” which cater to those students who do not have the grades to “get in through the front door.” Such courses can range from just a few months to over a year. Most of these courses are taught right on campus and the students live with all the other students, and share all the resources and engage in all the extracurricular activities. The learning curve is not nearly as steep though and is designed for those whose academic achievement or language skills still need a bit of work.

Number 2

To complete a degree from a top university does not mean you have to start at a top university. Many local and community colleges offer two year courses which allow the student to “top up” the degree by joining the better known university in the final years.

Gaining acceptance to such smaller colleges is usually much cheaper and less difficult and they can provide a much easier adjustment process to the new country and society.

students who can display need. Many of these may just be for a few thousand dollars provided by a wealthy resident or local business. However, many universities are “needs blind” meaning they accept applicants solely on their academic ability. If you have the ability, they will fund the student’s tuition out of their own. A quick check on, say, Wikipedia, will provide a list of all the universities that do so.

Number 4

Many western universities are anxious to develop ethnic and cultural diversity. This may be less true for some of the big urban institutions, but more so for the smaller regional ones. Students need to learn how to write a convincing letter of application and do extensive research into all the thousands of colleges and universities that are out there. Many of these institutions are looking for key attributes that extend beyond just grades and SAT scores. Such research may be time consuming but it consumes nothing other than time and bandwidth, so it is within the ability of almost any student in Bangladesh seriously interested in studying abroad.

Bangladesh of-

fers a couple of specific things that appeal to foreign universities such as micro-finance and adapting to climate change.

Number 5

Online courses are becoming increasingly sophisticated nowadays and students in countries like Bangladesh can attain complete degrees from some top western universities without leaving the country -- and at a fraction of the cost! Websites like Coursera and Edx are the first port of call, and there is Open University as well, but many individual university websites will have such information as well. Just type “MOOC” (Massive Open Online Courses) into any search engine and see what it provides!

Like so many things, desire to achieve something is the most important attribute in accomplishing it. Where there’s a will, there is always a way. l William Westgate is Principal of Regent College, Dhaka www.regentcollegebd.com.

Number 3

While many of the well-known American universities show eye-watering tuition fees of $65,000 or more per year (>50 lakh), a phenomenal array of scholarships are available for those savvy enough to uncover them.

Websites like www.unclaimedscholarships. us is one place to check, but you will find that many universities and colleges have countless scholarships and bursaries available to

BIGSTOCK

n William Westgate

BIGSTOCK

DT

16 HERITAGE

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

Wealth, trade, and Bangladesh

English nation.” In some ways, their regret may seem surprising; in 1659, “he stopped the (English) saltpetre boats on their way down from Patna, and hampered their trade in every way.” No doubt the accommodation that was evidently achieved came in the form of silver and gold!

Aurangzeb had, it seemed, so much regretted the appointment, that he sent his uncle, Shaista Khan, to replace him, compensating Mir Jumla’s son by inviting him to court, where he made a great favourite of him.

Even his uncle’s appointment, too, he rapidly came to regret, but it took him fourteen years before recalling him. It was on Shaista Khan’s arrival that it was recognised that, “his revenues were very great, altogether as much if not exceeding, the Emperors revenues.” It seems that the Mughals fought, so long and so hard, for the control of these lands, focussed, even then, on Dhaka, simply because the revenues generated there equalled, or exceeded, those from the rest of their Indian empire altogether.

n Tim Steel

I

t was the sixth Mughal Emperor, the fratricide and father imprisoning, Aurangzeb, one of the greatest and most militarily successful of the Mughal emperors, who is famously said to have described the Bengal of his time, the capital of which was Dhaka, as “The paradise of nations for its wealth and trade.”

A man much in need of wealth to finance his considerable, and mostly successful, military ventures, he had every reason to be grateful for that wealth.

Rewarding Emir Mir Jumla for his assistance in organising the betrayal of Shah Suja in the midst of the battle between Aurangzeb and his elder brother, Aurangzeb gave to him “the Government of 3 kingdoms, Orixa, Bengala and Pattana (Patna) ... for the term of his life and of his eldest son,” “settled upon him with an absolute power and title of Nabob (Viceroy).” He subsequently regretted handing over so much power and wealth.

Mir Jumla chased Shah Suja out of Bengal, the Prince fleeing Dhaka with his wife and children, “about two hundred of his retinue ... and he carried six or eight camels load of gold and jewels.” Clearly a reflection, by the contemporary writer, Alex Hamilton, amplified by the record of Thomas Bowrie, another contemporary British commentator, of Suja’s accumulated wealth in Dhaka.

Bowrie’s amplification, indeed, lists, “great store of treasure, viz gold and silver rupees, vast riches in jewels, namely diamonds, rubies and pearls.” Such was the Bengal treasure of even a great, well respected administrator.

Mir Jumla confirmed Dhaka as his capital, strengthened its defences, then attacked Assam. And died.

His passing is noted by Bowrie, as one publicly grieved by Aurangzeb, but privately satisfied. He also noted that the English, especially, being resident in Dhaka, greatly regretted his passing, “a most indulgent prince … very charitable, and a great lover of the

and the honourable East India Company. An exploitation that would continue for at least three centuries as the navy and the armies of Britain built, and maintained, an empire!

Woven fabrics, especially both silk and fine muslin, the former comprising both the best, and the largest proportion of Indian subcontinental production, and cotton were a large part of the trade.

Diamonds, from Orissa; the mid seventeenth century French jeweller, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, himself, acquired from there the famous Hope diamond, amongst myriad others; and gem stones transited through the markets of the Delta, from such as Myanmar, Thailand and Sumatra. In 1717, the writer, Daniel Defoe was sufficiently aware of the potential to set the last adventure of his great hero, Robinson Crusoe, successfully trading in opium and diamonds thereabouts.

Agricultural products and possibly slaves were amongst the trades .... not to mention the duties official and unofficial, payable on the goods imported from Europe and Africa.

Throughout these dramatic years, Dhaka remained, firmly, capital, and the centre of this vast revenue-collecting area of Bihar, Orissa and Bengal

Paradise indeed! What, we may well ask, was the source of this wealth and trade? Well, we do know, because the world knew, that the Ganges delta continued, as it had been for over two thousand years, a great crossroads of trade, both by sea from east and west, and also down river from the north and northwest.

In the deltaic lands of Bangladesh itself, without doubt, such crops as indigo, sugar, cotton and the opium, of which early English traders commissioned the cultivation, and, above all, in terms of raw materials, saltpetre, to which there are several mid 17th century references. These references include substantial cargoes of 700 or 800 tonnes for England, indicating, clearly, the relatively early date of its exploitation by the English

When Shaista Khan was, himself recalled to Delhi in 1677, the great British East India Company Nabob of the early period, Sir Streynsham Master, wrote, “This person hath bin Nabob or Governor of Bangala 15 years, and hath got so great a treasure together as the like is seldom heard of nowadays in the world, being computed by knowing persons at 38 curore (crore) of rupees, each curore is a million sterling at 2s 6d rupee so his treasure is above 40 million sterling and his income daily [is] 2 lack or 200000 rupees which is above 20000lb sterling of which his expense is above the one half, and yet he is every day more covetous.”

The estimated modern equivalent value in sterling of £40 million in 1677 is a minimum of an astronomic £5,927,000,000!

DT

HERITAGE 17

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

Wealth, and trade, indeed.

The origins of this wealth and trade are neither hard to appreciate, nor hard, even, to see, today.

The Ganges basin civilisation evolved, perhaps as early as the third millennium BCE, between Harappan refugees from climate change in the Indus Valley, and incoming Aryan nomads from the lands around Iran.

It became one of the world’s earlier urban based, manufacturing people, from which, inevitably, trade developed. The Ganges delta, with links, both through the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers, to the northern communities in China and the Himalayas, and by sea, both east and west.

The origins of this wealth and trade are neither hard to appreciate, nor hard, even, to see, today

Silver coinage of the early centuries of the last millennium BCE, recovered from sites across Bangladesh indicate that such trade had already, even then, moved beyond barter, and there is little doubt that merchants in such cities as that slowly emerging at Wari Bateshwar, Mahasthangarh, Bhitagarh, and Egarosindhur, in Bangladesh were major participants in such trade, as would their rulers have been.

Such a centre of trade, inevitably, supported the development of its own manufacturing, and jewellery making, metal working and fabric weaving in both cotton and silk, became world famous over centuries.

The collection of taxes from thriving mer-

chant communities, thriving manufacturers of such as the enormous quantities of muslins and silks, and thriving landholders were a firm foundation in what had become highly populated lands. Customs duties on imports and exports in a great international trading centre; and, perhaps, by the time of the well organised Mughal regime, the large “bribes” payable by an ever growing population of foreign establishments and visitors to set up, maintain and support their establishments, and to facilitate their trades.

It is beyond doubt that the English, alone, who from early on after establishing a foothold at Balasore, in Orissa, in 1634, seem to have taken little time to develop their exploitation of the vast saltpetre deposits with which the lands of the Ganges were very rich, accounting, it is estimated, for about 70% of world supply. There is no doubting, as the bribes payable to Mir Jumla, to allow passage, confirm that every boatload of that significant cargo was substantially paid for!

Apart from a brief period of twenty years, during which Shah Suja, as the Governor of Bengal, “for personal and political reasons,” believed to be something to do with his love of hunting, shifted it, throughout these dramatic years, Dhaka remained, firmly, capital, and the centre of this vast revenue-collecting area of Bihar, Orissa and Bengal.

Curiously, just the area that, a century later, following the victories at Plassey and Baxar, the honourable East India Company sought, and gained control of, from Aurangzeb’s much weakened successors. And from which they are said, in the first six years of their control, to have transferred 6,000,000 pounds in profits to Britain (about 600,000,000 pounds present value), which probably represented less than half the wealth actually transferred, most of which was personally acquired wealth by employees of the “honourable” company.

Somehow, considering such lavish wealth, Aurangzeb’s observation suddenly seems no great hyperbole! l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.

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Investing in children to prepare for disasters n Iqbal Ahmed When a disaster happens, children are at high risk to health, malnutrition, and exploitation due to hazardous and unstable conditions.

According to UNICEF, there are two critical issues for the future of climate change impacts on children -- health and economy. Unsanitary conditions, loss of homes, and increased waterborne diseases are health risks children are exposed to. On the other hand, loss of livelihoods and assets to a child’s family makes them susceptible to child labour as the family tries to cope with reduced income. These issues are central to research, because they affect children’s well-being as well as climate change policy and development practices.

Investment in children ensures long-term rewards for children, their families, and their communities, in spite of children’s vulnerability to the risks of climate change. For example, child-centred Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) programs in the northern districts of Bangladesh have enabled children and community members to mitigate the risks of climate-induced disasters.

While visiting Bagerhaat and Gopalganj districts with a group of visiting researchers from ICCCAD, I got to hear the experiences and survival stories from women and children during climate-induced hazards. Women and children suffer from various health and economic problems as a result of climate-related hazards. Diarrhoea, pneumonia, amasha (severe upset stomach), and high fever are very common among children. Additionally, during flood season, schools are often inundated, disrupting children’s education.

Adaptive capacity or a child’s ability to cope with a disaster alone is not enough to protect them against climate-related hazards. Children’s participation in decision-making processes is a key issue in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). Research shows that it is essential for children to participate and “take control” of their “views” through their “own agency.” In other words, children must be able to reflect upon and make decisions about their own well-being and to understand the consequences of their actions.

Giving children participatory rights also requires an understanding of various the-

oretical and contextual concepts such as poverty, climate change adaptation, and resilience. These concepts are essential to addressing issues and debates that are essential to understanding children’s capacity to reduce climate-induced hazards. Child-centred approaches not only enable children to cope with climate-induced disasters, they also directly place children at the heart of their communities -- vulnerable to cyclone, flood, and other calamities -- as sources of knowledge and action to mitigate climate change issues.

The investments in children’s knowledge and ability to deal with disasters will remain with them throughout their lives and enhance a nation’s capacity to respond to disasters and deal with its after effects Bangladesh is making strides to reduce children’s vulnerabilities during climate hazards.

For example, in 2010 Bangladesh’s Ministry of Education incorporated disaster preparedness into the curriculum of primary and secondary education. International non-governmental organisations are also actively working on this issue. PLAN International implemented a student-led DRR program in a northern district in Bangladesh to reduce the effect of the climate disasters during the monsoon season when the country encounters 80% of its total annual rainfall and frequent flooding.

Yet we need to do more. We must ensure that research institutes and non-governmental organisations like PLAN, ICCCAD, and Association for Development Activity of Mainfold Social Work (ADAMS) do not end up working alone.

The investments in children’s knowledge and ability to deal with disasters will remain with them throughout their lives and enhance a nation’s capacity to respond to disasters and deal with its after effects. The government must step

A boy showers in the rain in Paglabazar, Mollahat in to create a platform for effective collaboration between NGOs, private and public sector entities, and community members to reduce vulnerabilities of children and their communities to climate-induced shocks and stresses. l

IQBAL AHMED

Iqbal Ahmed is a PhD candidate at the University of Leeds in UK and a Visiting Researcher at the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).

No need for luck to survive: Why we should care about n Sonja Rosina Ayeb-Karlsson

If there had been effective DRR bonna would not have had to rely on luck to survive GIBIKA, SONJA AYEB-KARLSSON

Layout/Archive/Climate Change/28 March 2015 [Saturday]

I would like to introduce Bonna, a girl born one November night in 2007 in Mazer Char, a coastal village in Pirozpur District of Khulna. It wasn’t just any November night and Bonna isn’t just any name. People in southern Bangladesh use “bonna” to describe flood and cyclone. The name was given to this little girl after being born the same night that devastating cyclone Sidr hit southern Bangladesh -- a horrifying night that is printed deep into the memory of many Bangladeshi citizens. Sidr claimed the lives of four people in Bonna’s village Mazer Char, but up to 10,000 people in the whole country.

Bonna was lucky. She survived the night that so many others didn’t, thanks to her father’s courage. The family never made it to the cyclone shelter. They left their home too late.

Bonna survived because her father climbed up a tree and managed to hold on to some branches

while balancing his newborn baby in his arms: There was nothing to do but to wait and pray. At one point, water swept over the tree and I looked down on my empty arms. I was sure that my child had been lost in the disaster -- he tells me.

It was a miracle that he found baby Bonna under his t-shirt. It is still not clear to him how she managed to end up there, but she did.

The Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) was held in Sendai, Japan between March 14 and 18. A new 10-year global framework for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and resilience is to replace the first Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA). The conference was the largest ever held on DRR with an estimated 40,000 people from all over the world participating in conference-related events.

Sendai is far away from you and me in Dhaka. A high-level conference like this might not appear relevant to most people here in Bangladesh -- but it is.

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This page has been developed in collaboration with the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and its partners Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). This page represents the views and experiences of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Dhaka Tribune or ICCCAD or its partners.

REDUCING THE IMPACTS

Bangladesh’s contribution to the climate change solution n Kashmala Kakakhel

2015 is when the new Climate Deal is anticipated to be signed by over 190 countries.

The deal is envisioned to hold the major economies accountable for the repercussions of their green house gas emissions directly caused by increased industrialisation and urbanisation over the last few decades. These gases build up in the atmosphere and warm the climate, leading to multiple changes in the atmosphere, land, and the oceans; ultimately resulting in frequent flooding, sea level rise, droughts, and other disasters.

Mitigation goals beyond 2015

While it is clear that future global emission targets will be largely determined by major economies such as the US, China, and India, the approach taken by progressive countries builds political momentum and puts pressure on these economies to take action.

Bangladesh is one of the smallest emitters, yet one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. Despite limitations, it has consistently developed community-led solutions to adjust to the impacts of climate change, and has also offered political leadership to the Least Developed Country (LDC) group, at the ongoing climate change negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Under the Convention, countries across the globe have committed to a new international climate agreement by December 2015 at the Paris climate summit. As part of that commitment, countries agreed to publically announce what actions they intend to take well in time for them to be included in the Climate Deal.

These public announcements are now

known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). They will largely dictate the level of commitment to the Deal and the ambition of countries to put the world on a low carbon, climate resilient future.

Decision-making transferred to Capitals

This means the responsibility now lies with the countries to develop ambitious and comprehensive INDCs; especially those who need to reduce their emissions by a significant amount.

The UNFCCC however, is coaxing countries to ensure that adequate plans of emission reductions are put in place to limit the average global surface temperature increase to 2°C over the pre-industrial average. Science indicates any amount above that can have devastating impacts. Once all INDCs are submitted latest

by October 1, 2015, the UNFCCC will allow civil society, academics, and other countries to analyse impacts of these plans on global emissions in time for the climate deal in Paris.

Reflecting national level circumstances and capacities, the INDCs will be prepared in the spirit of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities, allowing for the fact that different countries are at different stages of development, technological maturity, and financial stability and therefore their contributions will vary accordingly.

Domestic process initiated by Bangladesh

Despite its status as an LDC, the prime minister at the UN Climate Summit (New York, September 2014) announced that Bangladesh is committed to developing an ambitious yet realistic INDC which will capture its national efforts on mitigation, while at the same time ensuring it does not hamper its growth trajectory either.

The Ministry of Environment and Forest, supported by Climate and Development

Knowledge Network (CDKN) is taking the lead in initiating a domestic process of bringing stakeholders from across the government, private sector, and civil society together. The exercise is designed to understand how best to capture its current efforts to reduce emissions and efforts towards adapting to climate change that include mitigation co-benefits and build these into a national narrative as its contribution.

Bangladesh plans to submit its INDC by August 2015. Currently considering six sectors, energy, forestry, agriculture, waste, transport, and industry, the idea is to track the Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (Black Carbon, Methane, and others) that have a short lifespan within the atmosphere but has critical impacts on temperature increase which leads to climate change. Within the six sectors in Bangladesh, the energy sector has the most potential to reduce these emissions.

For its INDC, most of the calculations will be based on this sector. Using 2012 as the base year, the team will prepare a couple of scenarios (if Bangladesh were to reduce emissions by different amounts and its implications on development and economic growth in country), one of which will be selected through national consensus for submission to the UNFCCC. Not only will Bangladesh set an example for other LDCs, but should force the real polluters to take note of their lack of serious commitment to solving a global problem primarily created by them where countries like Bangladesh are willing to be part of the solution despite its limited resources. l Kashmala Kakakhel is the Country Programme Manager – Bangladesh for the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN).

Disaster Risk Reduction Bonna was lucky that night. She survived.

But many others were lost to the cyclone. Instead of talking to this energetic little girl today who convinces me to put flowers in my hair, I could have ended up visiting a family who lost their child that night. Through efficient DRR, people will no longer need luck to survive.

The WCDRR in Sendai highlights the value and importance of disaster risk reduction, disaster awareness and preparedness such as a well-functioning early warning system. The conference brought together people from 187 countries, including 25 heads of state. Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 is a step towards action, towards making the world a safer place. The Sendai Framework is about prevention effectiveness and decreasing climatic disaster risks, limiting losses and damages, or simply saving lives. Sendai is also about Bonna and all the other people living in disaster prone areas of the world. It is about making sure that all the

“Bonnas” in the world and their families have a shelter and enough time to put themselves and their assets in safety. It is about making sure that people receive training on what steps to take when a cyclone is approaching -- how to best prepare, plan, and act in a short amount of time.

It is about making sure that when the next “Bonna” is born somewhere in the world, she will be kept safe in the arms of her father while waiting out the cyclone in a robust shelter. l Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson manages the Gibika (researchto-action) project on behalf of United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) and Munich Re-Foundation (MRF). The Gibika project is a five-year research-to-action partnership with the aim of improving livelihoods and living conditions of people through scientific research and communityled action in Bangladesh.

A steady grip: Bonna holding her mothers hand GIBIKA, SONJA AYEB-KARLSSON

We need to learn from the needs of the poorest n Paul Steele and Aaron Atteridge 2015 is an important year for sustainable development, with expectations that a new set of sustainable development goals will be agreed at the United Nations in September, and that governments will reach a new climate agreement in Paris in December.

The agreements could bring new sources of financial support for countries such as Bangladesh. While the prospect of new funding is welcome, there are real risks that it will not reach the hands of those who would benefit the most.

That is because, all-too-often, decisions about how to raise and spend funds ignore the needs of the poorest men and women in society. Yet it is the poorest who bear the heaviest costs. Adapting to changes in the climate carries costs, and these fall disproportionately on households who have the least.

Take the example of the villagers in Satkhira district who are increasingly struggling to cultivate crops because of the encroaching saltwater. Moving to a new area -- whether to Dhaka or elsewhere -- is hugely expensive and creates a myriad of risks. But the affected villagers have little access to support.

What is needed is a “bottom-up” perspective that recognises the situation of the poorest individuals and relate to their specific needs -- instead of the current funding model which is designed primarily with the needs of donors and international institutions in mind.

By spending more time and effort understanding the costs that the poorest face as a result of climate change, for example, the appropriate national and international funding mechanisms can be better designed to support and empower them.

Individuals also need to be empowered to engage in debates about local priorities and the use of climate finance, for example through participatory planning, delivery, and monitoring.

We believe that such an approach will lead to more attention on the role of local government -- which has a wide range of responsibilities that shape people’s well-being and resilience, providing local level infrastructure such as roads, and managing local natural resources. This means local government plays an important role in supporting poor households to adapt to climate change.

We also think it will lead to greater emphasis on ways in which existing forms of support can be adapted to provide greater support to the most vulnerable households -- with an emphasis on climate-resilient activities and a recognition of the need to avoid providing support for activities that are likely to be at risk from future climate change.

While it is important to ensure a robust and transparent international framework for the new post-2015 finance agenda, putting the recipients in the centre of the picture will align international agendas with local needs, and help developing country governments support the poorest and most vulnerable citizens in particular. l Paul Steele is Chief Economist at the International Institute of Environment and Development and Aaron Atteridge is a Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute.

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Promoting access to justice for women

I

n Kabir Hossain

n late November 2013, Shima (not her real name), eight months pregnant at that time, came to the Judge Court in Kishoreganj district along with her two year old son to lodge a case. She approached the crowded building hesitantly looking visibly worried. “It was a first time experience for me going to a court house and I was quite uncomfortable in the surroundings,” said Shima after a few months.

While standing in the crowded area Shima had recalled many scary stories she heard in the last couple of weeks from her close acquaintance about how women were harassed by unknown men for money in the district court area. Stories like these made her shudder in fear about the eminent danger. However, in the end, her resolve to fight a legal battle against her rapist gave her the courage to continue to climb the last few stair steps to arrive at the court verandah.

Shima was not alone. Jasmine, who is accused of trafficking children by her sister-inlaw, came to the court for the first time too.

Asma came to see her son who is being produced to the court for trial. Nargis came with a petition to settle a “mistaken divorce” case with her husband. All of these women have the same predisposition about the courts – it’s a difficult place for women. And, this is not only in Kishoreganj. A survey done in 2012 by the Judicial Strengthening Project (JUST) shows that, “91% of women felt uncomfortable entering a court” and this can easily deter women not to seek “legal remedies for offences committed against them.”

Luckily for Shima, Jasmin, Asma and Nargis, the Kishoreganj court building was surprisingly different. Thanks to the women and family-friendly facilities along with a range of capacities and tools supported by the Judicial Strengthening (JUST) Project – a joint initi-

FIROZ CHOWDHURY

For many poor women, delay in justice due to procedural complicacies is equivalent to denying them justice. After all, most simply do not have the means to continue the fight ative by the Supreme Court and UNDP, their experience was nothing like those who came to this court even a year ago. The court building now has a waiting room exclusively for women with an attached toilet. That waiting room soon became Shima’s informal support network. Women who wait in that room encouraged each other and shared information and tips; and Shima needed all of it.

While working in a farm, Shima was raped which led to an unwanted pregnancy. The perpetrator “managed” leaders of the local community and offered Shima Tk8,000 in exchange to settle the “incidence.” It was already a difficult choice for Shima to refuse

the deal and to decide to take the rapist to the court. However, once in the court, Shima realised, the waiting room was the critical support that she needed to maintain her resolve to continue the battle. “Without this room, it would have been difficult for me to wait in this crowded place,” said Shima. It was like a safe haven for many like her who echoed the same sentiment.

For many poor women, delay in justice due to procedural complicacies is equivalent to denying them justice. After all, most simply do not have the means to continue the fight. Hence, the project has also introduced a case management committee (CMC) which

includes various public functionaries of the district, including the police, department of women development, etc to improve the rate of case dispensation through offering integrated solutions to bottlenecks. And lastly, the project helped the judges to acquire new tools at their disposal to settle cases quickly.

For example, by using the newly acquired “mediation,” a judge in the Kishoreganj family court could end the two years of separation between Nargis and her husband in a matter of two months.

Since June 2012, UNDP partnered with the Supreme Court of Bangladesh to improve access to justice through the Judicial Strengthening Project (JUST), especially for underprivileged and vulnerable groups. The project is supporting courts in three districts (Dhaka, Kishoreganj and Rangamati) to improve the overall management and dispensation of justice, especially for vulnerable women and persons with disability.

Overall, the measures seem to be delivering the promised results. When the project did a follow-up survey in 2014, 100% of the female respondents expressed satisfaction in the improvement of facilities and overall management of cases compared to the baseline. Not surprisingly, another study on the family courts in the three pilot districts reveals that in just one year, the number of cases filed in those courts in 2014 has increased by 18% compared to 2013.

UNDP and Bangladesh Supreme Court are also trying to figure out how benefits like these can be made available in every court house in Bangladesh. It might not be long when there will be no dreadful stories out there to make women seeking justice, like Shima, shudder in fear. l Kabir Hossain works for the Judicial Strengthening Project of UNDP Bangladesh as Communications Officer.

A new ‘Law Review’ to agitate legal minds Bangladesh Law Review (BDLR) has been introduced to fill the research gap in the legal field

n Kawsar Mahmood

“L

aw Review” commonly stands for a law journal published and run by students of law schools.

However, with a view to setting up a common platform for creative legal minds, a group of young legal professionals in Bangladesh have pulled themselves together to advance legal research with the name “Bangladesh Law Review (BDLR).”

In this historical month of March, they are set to unveil the official website of this new online law journal (www.bdlawreview. org) that offers a flexible outlet especially for students and recent graduates to publish original articles, commentaries, notes, news and debates on timely legal topics. Eminent jurists and recognised authors will also be invited to join the discourse on jurisprudential philosophy and principles.

The founders are mainly proficient legal professionals, but they believe themselves

to be life-time law learners. As major contributions are expected from law students and larger readership is based on different law schools from all over the country, the popular appellation “Law Review” is justly embodied in Bangladesh Law Review. Although the name may sound unconventional, but it strongly signifies the purposes of the law review.

Think of any popular law school – Harvard, Oxford, Yale, Stanford, and Chicago – and you hardly find any of them without any associated journal. These journals and/ or reviews are as popular and reputed as the schools are.

Although advocacy is all about speaking, it is writing that largely characterises the legal profession. Good writing and articulate speaking require extensive command over the language. Editing, proof reading and source checking trains how to pay attention to details and are essential skills that every profession requires. Law reviews have been, discernibly, serving their respective law students in this regard for a long time.

But unfortunately, in our country, the importance of such law reviews was not felt much earlier until Dhaka Law Review (DHLR) came to exist – the initiators deserve appreciation for their challenging drive with the students of Dhaka University Law Faculty.

Furthermore, as the Bangladeshi education system is failing to facilitate, our law students themselves seldom feel the necessity for research. Moreover, our mainstream law journals are mainly focusing on receiving submissions from awarded authors. Hence, our young professionals and recent graduates are completely underestimated in contributing legal scholarship and advocating policy reform.

BDLR has emerged to ameliorate these big conundrums. It is an avenue for individual development that will eventually culminate into research advancement in Bangladesh. As the legacy of online legal journalism and trend of law review is still in the embryo in our country, BDLR comes to lead on. Looking forward, popularisation of research may be a daunting task, but an easily accessible platform for publication is set to be flourished immediately. l Kawsar Mahmood is Legal Executive, Grameenphone Ltd and Executive Editor, BDLR.

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24

Growing pains

Innervision by Asif

Tell

Written in the stars

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Tell

SATURDAY, MARCH 28 2015

dramamama

Anxious and lost Dina Sobhan is a free-lance writer, a part-time counsellor and a full-time mom

n Dina Sobhan

Q

My eight-year old has anxiety issues. Before any big event, his stomach starts to turn and before you know it, he has thrown up rice and daal from the previous night all over the carpet. It doesn’t matter if we’re home or outside, he just can’t deal with any anxiety. I have gotten countless complaints from his school teachers regarding this problem over the years and we even went to a child therapist to have this looked into. It was pointless. He’s just as bad as he was five years ago. We’ve even had him checked for any digestive disorder he might have. How do I get rid of this problem?

A

It’s relatively common these days for children to have issues with anxiety, be in related to academia, social competence and acceptance or simply a matter of temperament. If your son’s anxiety has been going on for five years, you’ve probably ruled out external factors and underlying medical conditions and attributed it to his state of mind. Whereas resources are limited in Bangladesh, there are school counselors who should be able to address the issue, as it does require some form of intervention. Ask around and discuss the issue with your friends and the parents of your son’s classmates. You might also consider looking at online resources and websites/blogs such as Turn Around or The Child Anxiety Network. Because it is a mental issue, you need to look into cognitive behavioral solutions, which will help alter the way he thinks and behaves. Meditation has also proved to be very effective, not just for adults but for people of all ages. While it is a matter of concern, there are many avenues of help available to you now. Don’t be afraid to embrace all possibilities, as you’ll ultimately be preventing your son’s anxiety from affecting his future development. l

mailbox

Must ask the moustache Your weekly ‘stache of wisdom Dear Mr Moustache, After the umpteenth fight with my parents, I went to cool off by hanging out with friends. Every one of them had pretty messed up stories about their own families. It made me realise just how dysfunctional family dynamics can get.

So where is this “ideal” family that we learn about in school? Or is that all social conditioning? To what end? Who really benefits from all these “good family values anyway?”

successful in their chosen fields. I have actually been very content to amble on in their wake, secure in the knowledge that they’re my safety net. I’m not very ambitious. My Dear Family Man, friends and parents are always pushing me, The ideal families that you learn about in school do exist, but they’re so rare that they’re telling me I could be better. Is it so wrong not the freaks. Haha. But seriously, the meaning of to want more? family lies in the order beneath the dysfuncDear Content tion. It makes sense to each family in its own Big shadows can be oppressive indeed. I’m way. You won’t always love your family, but like monsters in your closet, you’ll learn to live not so sure that you don’t want more, you could just want something different. If your with them. brothers’ existence gives you some peace at the back of your mind, fine, but find your Dear Mr Mo, own path l My brothers are all driven, responsible and

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SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

letter to mars

In the clutches of past mistakes

letter to venus

The open marriage n Agony Aunt I’m a mother of two, and I want to have an open marriage with my husband. We were married seven years ago, and I’ve grown out of my feelings for him. I’m over it. I love my husband but I’m not in love with him. In fact, I’ve even had a handful of affairs with various men in the past. I’m not ashamed of it. My husband is fully aware of this situation, and he is not guilty in this area either. The only reason we are not getting a divorce is for our children. We don’t hate each other.

We are okay with having each other as life partners, but we can’t commit to each other like that. Even then, how do I put forward the idea of an open marriage without potentially wrecking this marriage completely? As far as I am concerned, ignorance is bliss.

Call me old fashion, but giving up on

n Agony Aunt My girlfriend cannot accept my past.

My dating history is not something I am particularly proud of, and when I finally disclosed the whole saga to my girlfriend, she didn’t seem to take it very well. She started acting strange and after a few days of me badgering her, she finally told me it bothered her. She told me she couldn’t trust me anymore. She said she didn’t know who I was anymore. I want her to stay with me and I believe I’ve changed now, but I don’t honestly know how to make her see that.

Well, my dear, you just need to show her that you are not the person you used to be.

You matured and the days of being in your

ego and counting how many girlfriends you could have, those days are over and now you found ‘the one’. Ask her if she has any reasons to believe that you are not behaving well with her or with others. Men, please take notice and try to understand your woman, even though it is a really difficult thing to do at times. More importantly, tell her you actually WANT to understand her. l

Our Agony Aunt is a Life Coach and Relationship Coach as well as a Corporate and Organisational Consultant. AA lives and works in Bangladesh but travels extensively around the world to give seminars and to see her clients

softness and dreaminess. Times are tough now, and you should remember not to let your emotions interfere with your decision making.

HOROSCOPE

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 20)

It looks like your relations with someone will dry up. If you think someone close to you has been drifting apart, spend a little quality time with them. Don’t lose sight of what’s important.

VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 22)

You will be in a constant state of confusion the whole day. Your loved ones may need you, but the day will go by so fast you won’t even know what to do. Just try to keep calm and remain focused.

LIBRA (SEP 23-OCT 22)

You need to start focusing on people around you. Even if work has been keeping you busy, try to take time out for those who matter.

CANCER (JUN 21-JUL 22)

ARIES (MAR 21-APR 19)

The atmosphere this week will make you want to shy away from people and spend time alone. However, you must know that what work needs to be done should be done, because otherwise, you’ll be falling behind. Concentrate on what is important.

TAURUS (APR 20-MAY 20)

Your pragmatism will dissolve this week and you will find yourself in a cage of

a marriage after few years, it seems an immature way of going about it, let alone the disasters that an open marriage can cause if practiced by immature people.

Unless you were forced to marry him, you chose your husband, there must have been something that attracted you to him, all those qualities are still in him just as your qualities are still in you. Every marriage goes through crises: crises make the marriage stronger and better, if one works at it (this can be said about any crises in our lives: the will to find the opportunity in the crises).

You both seem to have given up, almost at the start of the marriage.

We are what we focus on, we see what we focus on, we became what we focus on. What are you focusing on? An open marriage puts the focus outside the needs of the couple and…Please, do not forget your CHILDREN. l

Your day is filled with colours and joy, and you will probably find yourself achieving all your goals with minimum effort. Be natural and free; don’t stop yourself from being lazy.

AQUARIUS (JAN 20-FEB 19)

If you have been stinging out in the last few weeks, this is the time you went crazy.

Indulge on things that make you happy and relax. Your financial trouble will be over very quickly.

SCORPIO (OCT 23-NOV 21)

You have nowhere to rush. Take the day off and depending on your personal preferences, you could either decide to spend some time with your folks or even sit with a book in your room all day.

LEO (JUL 23-AUG 22)

This day is perfect for solving unresolved issues from the past, improving relations and reforming your ideas and beliefs. Set new goals and stick to them.

CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 19)

This day promotes expansion of your outlook on life. Take a few minutes to think about where you’re going. Is there anything about your life you wish would change?

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22-DEC 21)

It might be time you brought some change into your life. Maybe you need to break out of a toxic relationship, or even get a new job.

PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20)

Plans that were not well executed in the past might need re-visiting. However, this doesn’t mean that you should abandon all current projects. Learn to manage time: the day has only a few minutes before you run out. l

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Written in the stars

changemakers

Man of many shades Asif Kamal Sheikh, Communication Advisor, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, aspires to be a doer rather than just be a dreamer. Besides his job, Asif has also started his own company, Innervision

n Saudia Afrin Dhaka Tribune has a conversation about how a youth can be so versatile learning from personal experiences.

Why did you choose to be a Communication Advisor?

Ever since I found consciences, I just wanted to make a difference to the world. This is a platform for me to learn and gain more experiences from. I need to learn how it works and how things operate. Working for SNV Netherlands Development Organisation is a matter of great privilege. It gives me an opportunity to contribute to the society at such an early age. Most importantly, communications is my strongest area of expertise and the job criteria perfectly utilises my knowledge in the field.

I can’t give full concentration to the company because my job as Communication Advisor is my first priority.

Tell us about Innervision?

The globally known stereotype is that Bangladesh is a poor country still exists.

Hence, I wish to promote a positive and modern way of living our lives and represent Bangladesh in an international level My dream is to create a social impact on everyone.

Right after my graduation, I started my own company Innervision, an event management firm with a great team, mostly consisting of young students. It is an initiative taken by a group of friends who are passionate about event management. The operations, however, are mostly run by a young student group since all the founding partners work in different organisations.

The mission of Innervision is to organise events that will leave a mark in the international platform for communication and development, so that our country is recognised globally.

Youth Nation, a social enterprise of Innervision, will start its journey from April in order to bring changes in society.

We actually have a couple of big events planned for this year. We kicked off this January with an international event and it was a huge success. Our aim is to get hold of three or four top notch international events by inviting Hollywood stars by next year.

How did you pull it off ?

Initially, there are a lot of things to manage, from sponsors to Donors, and confirmation

to cancellation. The hardest part is to make the business sustainable at such an age and also getting back profit.

Working oppurtunities don’t come easy for students. No one wants to hire you without any expierence, and if that is the case, how are you supposed to gain expierence without getting a job? Keeping that in mind, Innervision will primarily only hire students, who will progress through learning. The mission is to prepare them for the world, and be able to face the struggles that come with it.

What were the obstacles?

Obviously, there will be people who will say that our culture is being negatively affected by the whole westernisation. As a matter of fact, it’s actually true. A part of us, no matter what we say, have been exposed to the western culture a bit too much; we have started to forget our own culture and follow theirs. But I think globalisation will have its positive effects on us if we only choose to learn from other cultures, while still following our own.

Why did you choose to be a Communication Advisor?

Ever since I learned to understand my surrounding, I just wanted to bring positive changes in the world. This is a platform for me where I can learn and gain more experiences from the people and organisations I am working with. I need to learn how it works and how things operate.

Currently, I’m working on a project called “working with women” and the purpose is to promote sexual and reproductive health, and rights awareness among the RMG female workers.

To be successful what does a human being actually need?

Well, there a is no single solution to success.

But, being vocal and expressive is definitely one major prerequisite to success. At the very beginning, I was extremely shy and scared of public speaking. On top of that, I was nervous about being the centre of attention. Even during the first year of university, I trembled and kept sweating during my presentations.

But the realisation, “what is the point of being scared if my audience is also human just like me,” changed me. I took it as a challenge to improve my skills in language and public speaking. You will have to have a strong hold of Bangla but at the same

time you can’t undermine the power of international language that is English. The best way of doing this is to read as many books as possible, watch plenty of public speaking videos on YouTube/other sources and practising on your own in front of the mirror. However, another favourite strategy

A little bit of inspiration can change life

of mine is to watch stand-up comedies, which really helps. I think it’s effective and it keeps the audience engaged.

Hence, I started arranging public speaking sessions and workshops, while I was the president of International Affairs Club-IUB. One recommendation from me would be attending as many public speaking sessions as possible. Most importantly, get a mentor who can tell you where you’re going wrong and give you great tips. l

Trivia •

He used to play for the IUB football team. Although he has a massive ligament injury, he still loves to play football whenever he gets the time.

•

He’s also a huge fan of Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo.

•

Director of Operations at Udion Foundation. He used to run their local projects here in Bangladesh.

•

The graduate from Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) is in love with music. He once tried to play guitar but the mission remained unfinished.

Michael Clarke was momentarily stumped by a bungled question which appeared to be about his sex life after their WC semi-final win over India. The embarrassed reporter quickly corrected himself, telling Clarke he had meant to say “the tremendous success”

Sport 27

UNDERARM INCIDENT STILL RESONATES

28

DHARMASENA, KETTLEBOROUGH TO STAND IN FINAL

29

25

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SEX TALK?

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

CLINICAL SYRIA TALL ORDER FOR BANGLADESH

Indian fans fume at Kohli, team n Agencies

Angry Indian cricket fans burn the posters of Virat Kohli and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma in Ahmedabad on Thursday after the team lost to Australia in the World Cup semi-final AP

India crashing out of the Cricket World Cup on Thursday after being bashed up by Australia in the second semi-final disheartened cricket fans in the city. A dismal show by Indian cricket team poster boy Virat Kohli in the clash on the cricket field left his hundreds of local fans, particularly females, dejected.

Kohli, who scored just one run before being sent back to the pavilion, turned out to be the ‘villain’ of the match. “I have started hating him now,” said Surbhi, who claimed that she was a diehard fan of Kohli ‘but before this match’.

“It was the day to deliver and he failed. I think his girlfriend Anushka Sharma should not have gone to the match venue in Sydney,” she said.

Rubbal and his group of friends, who skipped their college with a hope of seeing India sailing into the final, fumed, “They have wasted our day. All the team members are equally responsible, but Kohli threw his wicket away. Where was the need for playing that stupid shot (on which he was caught). Anushka Sharma should not have gone there,” they said.

Fans were upbeat till skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was batting. Suresh Raina’s wicket turned their mood sombre.

Many employees had skipped going to their offices today just to watch the India-OZ cricket clash live. The common rooms at Panjab University hostels and city colleges were jam-packed with young supporters cheering for Team India.

Indian cricket fans, who spent a good part of the day in front of TV sets, were highly disappointed by the end of the day.

Few city residents even performed ‘yagnas’ to invoke divine blessing for Indian cricket team. The defeat left them shocked.

“It is disheartening that the Indian team lost the only match they were expected to perform,” said Pritush Goyal, a cricket lover.

Many youngsters, who had got together at a common place to cheer for the team, were left unhappy with the match’s fate. “We expected the Team India to retain the World Cup. However, they are out of the tournament before the final,” said Tanay Bhardwaj.

“The batting line, especially experienced players such as Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, could have performed better and displayed the temperament they are known for,” said a group of students at PU. The defeat also saddened many children who had bought crackers for celebrations expecting that India would emerge winner today.

Ankit Sharma, a Class VII student and a resident of Mansa Devi Complex Sector 4, said, “All the fire crackers are a waste now.”l

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26 Sport

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

2 BEST TEAMS, 30 TOP MEN, 1 ULTIMATE TROPHY AUSTRALIA Michael Clarke, 33, right-handed batsman.

244 matches, 7907 runs, wickets 57. Highest score: 130. Returning from a hamstring surgery, Clarke played his first match of the tournament in the narrow defeat to New Zealand. Apart from being one of Australia’s finest batsmen, Clarke’s creative approach to the captaincy has been key to his country’s revival.

George Bailey, 32, right-handed batsman.

57 matches, 2017 runs. Highest score: 156. His 478 runs at an average of 95.6 as stand-in skipper on the 2013 tour of India established him as the go-to man when Clarke is injured. With Clarke back in side, Bailey is set to sit out of the final.

Pat Cummins, 21, right-arm fast bowler. 12

matches, 19 wickets. Few bowlers have made more of an impression on their test debut than Cummins. With Josh Hazlewood cementing his position as the third seamer in the side, Cummins may have to bide time.

Xavier Doherty, 32, left-arm spinner. 60

matches, 55 wickets. With Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith and Michael Clarke all able to offer a part-time spin option, Doherty is unlikely to get an opportunity in the final.

James Faulkner, 24, all rounder (left-arm

pace, right-hand bat) 43 matches.

814 runs, HS: 116; 57 wickets, BB: 4-48 Faulkner can swing the ball both ways, has good control and has developed into a ruthless finisher who can be relied upon to get Australia over the line.

Aaron Finch, 28, right-handed batsman. 48

matches, 1,727 runs. Highest score: 148. The big-hitting opener has had a stop-start international career but always forced himself back into the reckoning by weight of runs. The 156 he hit off 63 balls with 14 sixes in a T20 against England in 2013 illustrated his brutal firepower in the shorter forms.

Brad Haddin, 37, wicketkeeper. 125 matches,

3122 runs. Highest score: 110.

Dismissals: 179 A tough competitor with a sure pair of hands. His ability to launch a lower order counter-attack and his contribution to the leadership of the group have helped keep at bay the contenders to his spot behind the wickets.

Josh Hazlewood, 24, right-arm fast-medium

bowler. 12 matches, 19 wickets.

Long compared to fast bowling great Glenn McGrath, Hazlewood was one of the youngest players to play ODI for Australia when he made his debut in 2010. The right-arm quick has played only seven matches since but all but one of them were this season. Seems to have cemented his place as the third seamer.

Mitchell Johnson, 33, left-arm pace bowler.

152 matches, 236 wickets. Highest score: 73 not out Described by Dennis Lillee as a “once-in-a-generation bowler,” the tall pace bowler now has two ICC Cricketer of the Year awards. His 236 wickets at 25.45 in 152 ODIs tell only part of the tale of one of the few bowlers who can genuinely scare a batsman and turn a match in a couple of spellbinding overs.

Mitchell Marsh, 23, all-rounder (right-hand-

ed bat, right-arm medium) 17 matches, 451 runs, 11 wickets.

Highest score: 89. Another of Australia’s band of young all-rounders. Assured performances in his first two Tests in the ill-fated series against Pakistan last year gave him the chance to put together a sustained run in the international game.

Glenn Maxwell, 26, all rounder (right-hand-

ed bat, right-arm off-spin). 48 matches, 1367 runs, HS: 102; 33 wickets, BB: 4-46 An enigmatic and destructive batsman.

Maxwell has enthralled fans with his breath-taking 360-degree batting and scored his maiden ODI century against Sri Lanka.

Steve Smith, 25, right-handed batsman,

occasional leg-spin bowler. 57 matches, 1,493 runs, HS: 105; 27 wickets, BB: 3-16 Smith’s form with the bat earned him the test captaincy when Clarke was injured late last year. Scored a career-best 105 that secured Australia’s semi-final victory against holders India.

Mitchell Starc, 25, left-arm fast bowler. 40

matches, 81 wickets, BB: 6-28 The other left-armer in Australia’s pace attack. Starc has emerged as the best Australian bowler in the tournament and his tally of 20 wickets makes him second only to New Zealand’s Trent Boult (21) in the wicket-takers’ list.

David Warner, 28, left-handed batsman.

61 matches, 2002 runs, HS: 178. Aggressive, belligerent and when in full flow one of the most destructive batsmen in the modern game, Warner is a fixture in Australia’s opening partnership.

Warner blasted a career-high 178 against Afghanistan but is yet to register another significant score in the tournament.

Shane Watson, 33, all rounder (right-arm

medium pace, right-handed bat) 186 matches, 5684 runs, HS: 185 not out; 166 wickets, BB: 4-36.

Watson is a belligerent batsman and a World Cup winner in 2007 but often seems to throw his wicket away with a rash shot when looking set for a big score. When free of the injuries that have plagued his career . Dropped for the match against Afghanistan, Watson has made a comeback in the playing side where his experience has stood Australia in good stead.

NEW ZEALAND Brendon McCullum, 33. Top-order

Luke Ronchi, 33. Wicketkeeper. 48 matches.

batsman. 248 matches. 5,808 runs. High score: 166. Exhilarating hitter with exceptional bat speed. Has floated up and down the order in recent years but has given the co-hosts a flying start as an opener. He has scored four half-centuries at the World Cup with a strike-rate of almost 192.

985 runs. 74 dismissals. High Score: 170*. New Zealand-born, Australia-raised Ronchi played four one-day internationals for Australia in 2008 but moved back to his country of birth three years ago. A hard hitting and free flowing batsman he will close the innings for the team.

Martin Guptill, 28. Top-order batsman. 107

Daniel Vettori, 36. Left arm spin bowler/

matches. 3,724 runs. High score: 237*. An aggressive pure-striking batsman, Guptill set the tournament alight with an unbeaten 237 in the quarter-final against West Indies. He is New Zealand’s top-scorer in the World Cup with 532 runs with two hundreds and a fifty.

Kane Williamson, 24. Top-order batsman.

all-rounder. 294 matches. 2,244 runs. 305 wickets. High Score: 83 Best Bowling: 5-7. Widely considered as one of the best limited overs bowlers in the world, his variation of flight and pace compensate for a lack of turn. Vettori has conceded under four runs an over for his 15 wickets in the tournament.

73 matches. 2,674 runs. High Score: 145*. The glue that holds New Zealand’s batting together, Williamson came into the tournament in the form of his life but has scored one fifty at the World Cup and has failed to convert the starts into big scores.

Nathan McCullum, 34. Off-spin bowler/

Ross Taylor, 31, Top-order batsman. 158

Kyle Mills, 36. Fast medium bowler. 170 match-

matches. 5,094 runs. High Score: 131*. An aggressive, exciting batsman, the controversy of his removal as captain two years ago appears behind him and the team. Taylor has matured in the past two years and has spent a lot of time trying to eradicate the slog-sweep to deep mid-wicket.

all-rounder. 78 matches. 1,030 runs. 55 wickets. High Score: 65 Best Bowling: 3-24. The elder brother of captain Brendon. The seamer-friendly conditions and Vettori’s success has meant he has not got a game at the World Cup.

es. 240 wickets. Best Bowling: 5-25. Extremely competitive, he has been involved in on field confrontations, particularly against South Africa. With the rest of the pace battery in prime form, he has not got a game.

Tim Southee, 26. Fast medium bowler.

Tom Latham, 22. Batsman/occasional

wicketkeeper. 26 matches. 502 runs. High Score: 86. Established himself as a solid Test opener, but is yet to get a game in the tournament. Technique and temperament probably better suited to open or number three than come in later and throw the bat at the ball.

93 matches. 131 wickets. Best Bowling: 7-33. The leader of the bowling attack, Southee has developed a world class Test partnership with Boult. Had a superb 2011 World Cup finishing with 18 wickets at 17.33. Southee mowed down England with seven wickets and has bagged 15 so far, but gone off the boil since.

Corey Anderson, 24. All-rounder. 34 match-

Trent Boult, 25. Fast medium bowler. 24

Grant Elliott, 36. All-rounder. 66 matches.

Mitchell McClenaghan, 28. Medium

es. 918 runs. 50 wickets. High Score: 131*. Best Bowling 5/63.

Anderson was the youngest player to be offered a New Zealand first-class contract at 16. He has excelled both with the bat and the ball at the tournament, scoring 231 runs with two fifties and 14 wickets.

1,526 runs. 29 wickets. High Score: 115. Best Bowling: 4-31.

The surprise selection in the team after an absence of 14 months.

The South African-raised right hander is calm and deliberate when batting, as shown in the recent Sri Lanka series as he kept the scoreboard ticking over while other players attacked.

A canny medium pace bowler with well disguised slower deliveries and a solid fielder. He scored a crucial 84 not out in New Zealand’s semi-final win over South Africa, including a six to overhaul the target in the final over.

matches. 39 wickets. Best Bowling: 5-27. The left-arm swing bowler can move the ball both ways in the air and off the pitch and has formed a strong new-ball partnership with Southee. He is currently the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 21 scalps.

fast bowler. 35 matches. 66 wickets. Best Bowling: 5-58. The aggressive left armer became the second fastest man to 50 ODI wickets in 23 matches. He got a single match, against Bangladesh, but conceded 68 without a wicket.

Matt Henry, 23. Medium fast bowler. Nine

matches. 21 wickets. Best bowling: 5-30. A fiery fast bowler, who bowls consistently above the 140 kph mark, He was drafted in as a replacement for fast bowler Adam Milne.

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SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

Kiwi fans hit back at Hayden MCG jibe n AFP, Sydney New Zealand fans poked fun on Friday at Matthew Hayden after the former Australian batsman suggested the Black Caps would be overawed by the huge dimensions of the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the World Cup final.

New Zealand go into the championship match on a run of eight wins in eight games at the tournament but all of their matches have been played on their own, much smaller, grounds.

“There were a number of times in the semi-final where the New Zealand batsmen appeared to be hitting big balls, but they’d be getting caught three quarters of the way to the fence at the MCG,” Hayden wrote in his column for www.news.com.au.

“Let’s be honest, the size of Eden Park (in Auckland) is ridiculous. It shouldn’t be a cricket ground. If you can half throw it from the long off boundary to the opposite end it’s too small.”

Hayden’s comments led to an outburst of tongue-in-cheek responses from Kiwi fans, with the hashtag #mcgsobig trending on Twitter.

Some of the wittiest included: “#MCGsobig streakers need a drinks break at half way.” “#MCGsobig that the Great Southern Stand is still technically claimed by the Dutch.” “#MCGsobig David Boon could drink 52 beers walking from one side of it to the other.”

“The MCG is so big captains issue GPS co-ordinates when making fielding changes. #MCGsobig.” “#MCGsobig The state of Texas can fit in it, twice.” #MCGsobig @The_Proclaimers wrote #500Miles about walking to the changing room.” “#MCGsobig many believe the lost city of Atlantis is somewhere in the outfield between fine leg and 3rd man #CWC15#BacktheBlackCaps.” “#MCGsobig those aren’t lights but large suns from a neighbouring galaxy.” l

‘MCG holds no fears for Kiwis’ n AFP, Melbourne New Zealand seamer Tim Southee believes the Black Caps have the experience and the firepower to topple Australia in Sunday’s World Cup final in Melbourne.

Southee said the Black Caps were relishing the opportunity of playing in their maiden World Cup final -- a match that will also mark New Zealand’s first appearance at the vast Melbourne Cricket Ground in six years.

Australia captain Michael Clarke reckons his side’s knowledge of playing at the MCG will be a major factor in the final as the home team chase a fifth World Cup title following their emphatic 95-run semi-final victory over defending champions India in Sydney on Thursday.

But that doesn’t wash with Southee, who has claimed 15 wickets at 27.13 in the tournament and formed a potent new-ball combination with left-armer Trent Boult, the tournament’s leading bowler with 21 wickets at 15.76.

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden suggested the sheer side of the MCG for a New Zealand team who’d played all their previous matches at this World Cup on their own, much smaller grounds -- sparking a tide of derisive comments on social media from Black Caps fans.

But Southee told reporters at the MCG on Friday: “We are not too worried about the size of the ground.

“It’s a dream come true for all the guys.

This is as good as it gets, taking on Australia in Australia on one of the best cricket grounds in the world.”

Veteran left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori has more experience of the MCG than his New Zealand team-mates, having played there seven times since 1997, while skipper Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor have played there twice with Martin Guptill, Grant Elliott, Southee and Kyle Mills all having had one MCG appearance each.

New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori (L) and Tim Southee laugh during a training session in MCG yesterday All seven played in New Zealand’s last visit to the ground, when they beat Australia by six wickets in 2009.

“We haven’t played here for a long time.

We have good memories from that (2009) game as well,” Southee said.

“A lot of the guys have played in front of pretty big crowds in India. There will be close to 100,000 people screaming (on Sunday).

“It will be interesting to see what it’s like here.”

Southee added: “The rivalry between Aus-

AP

tralia and New Zealand does pretty much cover every sport and it is massive.

“We’re probably seen as the ‘little brothers from across the ditch’ and we do quite well in other sports (such as both rugby codes) to compete.

“Australia have had the wood on us over the last couple of years in cricket.

“As a kid growing up it was always Australia that you wanted to play against...You’re always wanting to have one-up over the ‘big brothers’.” l

Underarm incident still resonates before final n AP, Melbourne

In this Feb. 2, 1981 file photo, Australian bowler Trevor Chappell (R) bowls underarm to New Zealand batsman Brian McKechnie in the last ball of an ODI in which New Zealand needed to hit six runs to force a tie at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia AP

Relations between New Zealand and Australia at a political level have regained their natural cordiality in the 34 years since cricket’s notorious “underarm” incident, but in the sporting context memories of the incident have dimmed very little and the shadow it casts is no less.

That shadow will inevitably fall over the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday when New Zealand and Australia meet in Cricket World Cup final: the incident has become folkloric and is evoked routinely when teams from the nations meet on any significant sporting occasion.

It was on the same MCG pitch on Feb. 1, 1981 that Australia captain Greg Chappell instructed his brother Trevor to bowl, underarm, the last ball of a one-day international match when New Zealand needed to hit six runs to force a tie. That type of delivery, rolled along the ground, took away any chance that the New Zealand batsman would have any chance of lifting the ball off the pitch and hitting it out of the ground for a six.

Though at least three players on each of

the current squads weren’t born when the underarm delivery was bowled, and though most of the others were too young to have regarded it with any interest, the incident will still have been inculcated in their collective memory.

But wherever Australian and New Zealand fans gather for a game, even if no controversy attaches itself to the outcome, the day described as being among the most infamous in cricket history will likely be referenced in some way.

It may be difficult to recall, three decades later, just how severely the manner of delivery of a single ball in a single game of cricket damaged bonds between nations which had been forged on battlefields in two world wars.

Robert Muldoon, New Zealand’s Prime Minister at the time, described it as “the most disgusting incident I can recall in the history of cricket. It was an act of true cowardice and I consider it appropriate that the Australian team were wearing yellow.”

Former Australia captain Richie Benaud, who was working as a TV commentator at the game, said it was “one of the worst things I have ever seen done on a cricket field.”l

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28 Sport

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

Uzbekistan winger Igor Sergeev (11) heads home his side’s opening goal against India in the AFC Under-23 Championship Group E Qualifiers at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday

Uzbekistan begin with win

Uzbekistan’s persistence pays off n Raihan Mahmood Uzbekistan coach Bakhtiyor Ashurmatov’s faith upon his players paid off yesterday. During the interval of their AFC Under-23 Championship Qualifier against India yesterday, he had asked his players to concentrate till the last minute and his charges did just that, scoring two late goals to win their Group E opener at Bangabandhu National Stadium.

The coach expressed satisfaction with the proceedings as the Uzbeks claimed a 2-0 victory over the Indians. “During the interval, I told my players to fight till the last minute and keep their concentration. I thank my players as they did just that and thanks to the Bangladesh people who supported us,” Ashurmatov told the media after the game.

“We came here seven days ago. Good reason for that because it is very hot. If you saw my players today, they were not only attacking all the time. They were also defending and playing passes. Playing 90 minutes in one tempo is not possible. That is what I told my players today,” he said.

His counterpart Savio Medeira was left to rue the missed opportunities. “We all knew that Uzbekistan are a better team with better players. But, we ran our socks off and it’s natural as the game progresses to lose a little concentration. But, what I’ll be saying to my boys is they have to believe in themselves. They worked hard, they missed chances and they gave their best. So, I’m really proud of them. We will learn through mistakes and get better. We just could not take our chances,” said Savio.l

n Shishir Hoque Two late strikes enabled favourites Uzbekistan to kick off their AFC Under-23 Championship qualifying campaign with a 2-0 victory over India in the inaugural match at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

After a decent display by the Indians in the opening half, Uzbekistan found their rhythm in the latter stages of the game as midfielder Igor Sergeev and captain Vladimir Kozak netted one apiece to earn the Uzbek all three points in the Group E opener.

Uzbekistan, ranked 72nd, a full 101 places above India, struggled to impose their authority on the pitch in the first half due to the hot weather but they came back stronger in the second half to give the opposition a tough time. Winger Sergeev put up a brave perfor-

mance, creating a number of goal-scoring chances, including scoring one and assisting another.

Just when the game was rolling towards a goalless draw, Sergeev put Uzbekistan ahead two minutes before the final whistle. The winger headed home via the slippery hands of the Indian goalkeeper following a corner from midfielder Jamshid Iskanderov.

Skipper Kozak doubled the lead as well as sealed the victory in injury time, placing the ball into an empty net. Sergeev was the architect behind the goal as he provided a pass that gave the opponents no chance to defend.

India, earlier, began the game on a positive note. They had their first shot on target in the 16th minute when forward Jayesh Dilip Rane’s strike from the edge of the box was

Dharmasena, Kettleborough to stand in World Cup final n AFP, Melbourne Sri Lanka’s Kumar Dharmasena and England’s Richard Kettleborough will be the on-field umpires for Sunday’s World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand in Melbourne, the International Cricket Council said Friday.

Marais Erasmus of South Africa will be the television umpire, with Sri Lanka’s Ranjan Madugalle the match referee.

Both Dharmasena and Kettleborough stood in Australia’s 95-run semi-final win over defending champions India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday where they

both intervened, at different stages, to prevent an escalation of sledging as tempers became frayed.

Erasmus was the television umpire in that match as well.

England’s Ian Gould, who stood in the first semi-final between New Zealand and Pakistan, will be the reserve official for the final.

World Cup final match officials:

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), Richard Kettleborough (ENG) TV umpire: Marais Erasmus (RSA) Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI) l

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

saved brilliantly by Uzbek custodian Akmal Tursunbaev.

Tursunbaev produced another decent save to deny Germanpreet Singh’s powerful strike from 30 yards five minutes into the second half. Six minutes later, Holicharan Narzary found the Uzbek netminder on a one-on-one situation following a through pass from Abinas Rui Das but the forward’s shot was too weak and did not trouble Tursunbaev.

Three minutes later, Sergeev’s overhead kick from 12 yards flew over the crossbar after a lobbed pass from substitute midfielder Abbosbek Makhstaliev. Uzbekistan almost broke the deadlock in the 77th minute after two unsuccessful close-range efforts. First, Kozak’s shot was blocked by the Indian keeper before Makhstaliev hit the sidepost from a rebound.l

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SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

‘It was big boys against school boys’ n Raihan Mahmood Bangladesh head coach Lodewijk de Kruif pointed out the difference in standard between Syria and his team as the home side suffered a 4-0 defeat in the AFC Under-23 Championship Group E Qualifiers at Bangabandhu National Stadium.

“It was like big boys versus school boys. It’s the quality of highest level. I think you will admit that Syria were physically and technically superior. At the moment we cannot compete with teams like Syria. However, it’s football and we have to take the steps to improve in the future,” De Kruif told the media after the game.

De Kruif noted that nine of his eleven players appeared nervous in the initial stages of the game. “They were very nervous and failed to keep possession. You can see the fouls and the free-kicks. It was the consequence of nervousness. They are committing the same mistakes. However, in the second half they were better. I think the experience of playing against a strong team like Syria is a good experience for the boys,” said the Dutchman.

Syria coach Muhannad al Fakir on the contrary said he was well aware of the weak points of Bangladesh. “We started with allout attacks and we knew that it could unsettle Bangladesh. We are happy to start with a win, especially against the hosts. Winning the first match is important and I think we have taken a big step towards attaining the top spot.”l

Syria’s substitute midfielder Mahmoud Almawas celebrates scoring his team’s fourth goal against Bangladesh in the AFC Under-23 Championship Group E Qualifiers at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Clinical Syria tall order for Bangladesh n Shishir Hoque Bangladesh began their AFC Under-23 Championship Group E Qualifiers with a disappointing 4-0 loss against a strong Syria side at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

The defeat was apparently an indicator for the home side that they do not have much of a chance of progressing to the final round from a formidable group. All they can expect to gain from the Qualifiers is some much-needed experience and exposure.

The senior side of Bangladesh faced Syria three times before and lost all of them although their worst defeat came by a two-goal margin. The Syrian U-23 players, however, looked more mature and physically stronger

and taller than all of the Bangladesh players.

Some of the players of the visiting team even appeared older than 23.

Bangladesh badly missed the services of their best player in recent times, midfielder Hemanta Vincent Biswas. In the absence of Hemanta who was serving a suspension, the hosts began the game with Wahed Ahmed upfront. Skipper Rayhan Hasan played as a centre-back while Tapu Barman started at right-back.

Syria appeared to be too strong for the home side from the very beginning. They dominated midfield as well as the game right from the kick-off and gave little space to their opposition. The visitors did not take long to take the lead and straightaway put Bangladesh on the backfoot.

It was Omar Kharbin who made it 1-0 for Syria. The skillful midfielder opened the scoring with just five minutes into the clock as his powerful free-kick from 25 yards sneaked into the top-right corner leaving Bangladesh goalkeeper Russel Mahmud Liton stranded.

Syria almost doubled their lead in the 10th minute when defender Mouaiad Al Ajjan’s free-kick hit the merging point of the sidepost and crossbar.

However, Syria did not have to wait long as they found the back of the net again four minutes later from a set piece. Another free-kick

by Ajjan from the right flank met midfielder Amro Jeniat who headed home from the centre of the box, stunning the Bangladesh players in the process.

‘Brazil finding right balance’ n Reuters, Paris

Brazil’s Oscar (R) celebrates with team mates after scoring against France during their friendly at the Stade de France on Thursday REUTERS

Brazil are finally finding the right balance eight months after being left traumatised by their World Cup debacle on home soil, coach Dunga said after they beat France 3-1 on Thursday.

A 7-1 semi-final defeat by eventual world champions Germany, followed by a 3-0 loss to the Netherlands in third-place playoff left Brazil in tatters but Thursday’s friendly victory in Paris showed Dunga has put some self-belief back into the squad.

“I’m trying to give the players confidence after the World Cup and trying to find a balance,” Dunga, in charge since the finals following a stint from 2006-10, told a news conference.

Brazil have now won seven games in a row since their embarrassing World Cup exit, including on Thursday handing France their first defeat since the finals. Oscar, Neymar and Luiz Gustavo gave Brazil an emphatic win at the Stade de France after Raphael Varane had opened the scoring for Les Bleus, benefiting from the visitors’ clumsy defending at set pieces.

Meanwhile, eight months after the champagne corks popped following their World Cup triumph in Rio de Janeiro, head coach Joachim Loew has cause for concern as Germany’s Brazil 2014 hangover continues.

Only Lukas Podolski’s 81st-minute equaliser prevented Germany suffering a shock defeat to Asian champions Australia in Kaiserslautern on Wednesday in a 2-2 friendly draw.l

Syria narrowly made it 3-0 at the stroke of the first half when Muayad Alkhouli’s header hit the sidepost following a Amro Jeniat cross from the left flank.

Kharbin though made no mistake in the added time of the first half, extending the lead to 3-0 from the spot. Syria were awarded a penalty after Bangladesh’s Nahidul Islam Nahid handled the ball inside the box.

Bangladesh had their first and only chance of the game at the hour mark when striker Wahed’s volley from the edge of the box flew over the crossbar.

Syria’s substitute midfielder Mahmoud Almawas completed the rout in the 81st minute, slotting home past Liton in the near post after collecting a pass from Nassouh Nakkdahli. l

DAY’S WATCH Sony Six European Qualifiers 9:00PM Kazakhstan v Iceland 11:00PM Croatia v Norway 1:30AM Netherlands v Turkey

Ten Action 2:30PM A-League 2014/15 Melbourne City v Brisbane Roar

DT

30 DOWNTIME

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Inadequate (5) 5 Cicatrix (4) 8 Grain field weed (60 9 Long, narrow elevation (5) 10 Cautious (4) 11 Cut off (5) 12 Uneven (3) 15 Small valley (4) 18 Clamour (5) 21 As well (3) 22 Transmitted (4) 24 Yield to low spirits (4) 25 Door fitting (5) 28 Widespreading dominion (6) 29 Afflicts (4) 30 Very poor (5)

DOWN 1 Pulpit discourse (6) 2 Say further (3) 3 Finds fault (4) 4 Woody plant (4) 5 Piled the needle (5) 6 Wine (6) 7 Narrow beam (3) 13 Accomplish (2) 14 Scatter (6) 16 Behold (2) 17 Without company (6) 19 Appears to be (5) 20 Half an em (print) (2) 23 Not fat (4) 24 Extinct bird (3) 26 Anger (3) 27 Born (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 15 represents Z so fill Z every time the figure 15 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

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

WHO AM I?

I grew up to be gorgeous

CELEBS ON SOCIAL Mark Wahlberg @mark_wahlberg Your first look at the @entouragemovie trailer! https://www.facebook.com/video. php?v=101532 29174696532& set=vb.15116225 6531&type= 2&theater … #EntourageMovie

Can you name these young ones who grew up to be leading men on and off screen? This just goes to show that no matter how awkward you’re childhood may have been, there is always hope.

Check back next week for the answers.

Samuel L. Jackson @SamuelLJackson Welcome to LUUUVILLE. Sound like an old soul song? #CapitalOne #RoadToOnecaptl1. co/1FECoWP Answers to last week’s quiz: Andrei Tarkovsky, Stanley Kubrick, Akira Kurosawa, Satyajit Ray

NEWS Ancestors: Erosion and Emergence is the first episode of the multi-part public programme conceptualized as an interdisciplinary events platform of the Gujral Foundation project My East is Your West, an official collateral event at the 56th Venice Biennale.

QUIZ You have watched them all and acknowledged them for being award worthy. These films have topped the chart of academy awards and has won, not one, not two but more than three awards, and of course the stars have won countless fans through the movie’s success with great direction, casting, quality and costumes. Here are two costumes picked from these film. Guess which film each belong to.

This public programme is being curated

by Natasha Ginwala and will include a seminar on 27th March 2015, at 6:00 pm at the Goethe Institut in Dhaka, as well as a workshop for local artists, filmmakers and art students held in collaboration with Britto

Arts Trust on 28th March 2015 at 3:00 pm.

This seminar workshop observes the broader climate Within, which territories begin to conform to forms of artificial governance inscribed within the nation-state model. l

Bollywood top 10 n Showtime Desk Here’s a list of the top songs (in no particular order) from Bollywood on the airwaves this week.

Lady Antebellum @ladyantebellum We had a great time at the @QuickenLoans all-company meeting today! Can’t wait for the #WheelsUpTour!

WHAT TO WATCH TELEVISION

“Sooraj Dooba Hain” Roy (Ranbir Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez and Arjun Rampal) This is a feel good hit with a club vibe - a perfect way to start the weekend.

“Jeena Jeena” Badlapur (Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Huma Qureshi) This is a huge contrast to the rest of the list. It’s a heartfelt ballad sung by Atif Aslam.

“Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan” Roy (Ranbir Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez and Arjun Rampal) A charming number, fusing humble beginnings with a dash of modern beats.

“Chhil Gaye Naina” NH10 (Anushka Sharma and Neil Bhoopalam) Setting the tone of this thriller, here’s a rock tune to bang on your eardrums.

“Dard Karaara” Dum Laga Ke Haisha (Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar) A throwback to the melodies of the 90s, it’s classic Kumar Sanu.

“Birthday Bash” Dilliwaali Zaalim Girlfriend (Divyendu Sharma, Ira Dubey and Jackie Shroff) Yo Yo Honey Singh’s latest club banger will have you shamelessly singing along.

“Moh Moh Ke Dhaage” Dum Laga Ke Haisha (Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar) You can’t go through the week without a sweet treat, and here it is.

“Tipsy Hogai” Dilliwaali Zaalim Girlfriend (Divyendu Sharma, Ira Dubey and Jackie Shroff) Another dance track on the soundtrack, Dr Zues produces a legitimate twerk jam.

“Desi Look” Ek Paheli Leela (Sunny Leone, Jay Bhanushali, and Rajneesh Duggal) More of an item number, this will keep the hips shaking for a while.

“Jee Karda” Badlapur (Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Huma Qureshi) Plenty of heart, this tune had all the dancers crunking in choreography. l

WORLD’S WEIRDEST RESTAURANTS B

TLC 10:30am If vegging out in front of the TV while watching a marathon of an interesting show is your thing, you’re in luck. This entertaining show that features quirky, worldwide eating establishments is airing back to back until 4:00pm. Make sure to catch Operatic Eats and Ninja Style Dining.

Cast: Bob Blumer

KOFFEE WITH KARAN B

Star World 4:30pm Here’s another gem for your bingeing pleasure. This show will air until 11:30pm.

Although they may not be fresh new episodes, here is your chance to catch up on your favourite stars.

Cast: Karan Johar

A HAUNTING C

Discovery Channel 11:30pm What better way to end your Saturday night than watching an episode of A Haunting, a show dedicated to paranormal experiences.

Writers: Joseph Maddrey, Miranda Leigh, Paul Sauer, Allison Erkelens, Joe Wiecha

DT

32 BACK PAGE

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

WAYS TO A GOOD WESTERN UNIVERSITY DEGREE PAGE 15

PROMOTING ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR WOMEN PAGE 19

INDIAN FANS FUME AT TEAM PAGE 25

On the Indian side of the Sundarbans, authorities have fenced an area near the Shojne Khali Canal in South 24 Parganas district, in an attempt to prevent tigers from venturing into populated areas looking for food, and also to stop poachers from entering tiger territory

Alternative livelihoods can save Sundarbans India found success in stopping large-scale depletion of resources by curbing human intervention Bakar Siddique back from the n Abu Indian Sundarbans Reducing human intervention is the cornerstone of conserving the mangrove forest Sundarbans. India has found out that providing alternative livelihood for people dependent on forest resources can be effective as well.

Authorities in West Bengal of India have found some success in deterring rampant extraction of natural resources by turning them into farmers and fishermen and promoting eco-tourism.

Ten years ago, the West Bengal government, in association with NGOs, initiated an alternative livelihood programme in a fringe village called Bali – with a population of about 37,000 – in South 24 Parganas district where a part of the Indian Sundarbans lies.

The target was to turn people into paddy farmers, fishermen, honey-collectors and eco-tourism entrepreneurs so that they did not have to depend on the forest.

They were provided with all kinds of agricultural inputs such as seeds and irrigation machinery, enabling poor farmers to grow crops in whatever little land they had. Locals only had to invest their labour.

“The Bali area is now a multi-crop zone.

Earlier people used to grow only one crop – the Aman paddy,” said Anil Mistri, principal field officer of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI).

“Now that they can grow several crops, they do not have to venture into the forest for a living anymore,” Anil said.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) India, only about 20% of the people in Bali go into the forest nowadays, but that too occasionally.

“Around 4.5 million people live around the Sundarbans in India. Of them, one million live in 46 fringe villages. Bali is one of them.

This could be a role model for alternative live-

lihood practices. The villages in the Bangladesh’s part of the Sundarbans can follow suit,” said Anurag Danda, head of climate change adaptation of WWF-India.

These came to light during a three-day excursion to the Indian portion of the Sundarbans organised by the WWF with journalists of India and Bangladesh. They also had the opportunity to speak to experts, project authorities and locals.

Anurag said the success in Bali is still to be replicated in all 46 fringe villages but they hope to have similar achievements in the future.

During a field visit, this reporter met Harishadhon Sarker, 30, a resident of Bali. “The situation has changed remarkably in the area over the last 10 years. Many people have turned into crop and fish farmers from fishermen, honey collectors and extractors,” he said.

“We have already reduced indiscriminate extraction engaging people with different types of alternative livelihood options,” said Subash Chandra Acharya, former joint director of the Sundarbans Development Board of the West Bengal government.

“Strong implementation of existing laws to protect the forest has also played an important role in getting results,” he added.

Turning fish- and crab-catchers into fish-farmers has been of particular importance for the water bodies inside the forest because years of indiscriminate fishing had already led to an alarming depletion of fish variety.

“Most of the fish species are gone now.

Even 20 years ago, we used to catch different types of fish. But now, there is only vetki,” said Soumen Prodhan, 35, a resident of a fringe village called Sonagaon.

This is one reason why many fishermen have been forced to become cultivators, he said.

At present, there is a ban on catching all kinds of fish and crabs except for shrimp under 500 grams.

Fencing in the forest

Fencing of the forest area with iron poles and polythene nets has significantly reduced conflict between tigers and humans living in the territory.

Suryakanta Prodhan, 40, resident of Sonagaon claimed that there had not been a single tiger invasion over the last two years. “The fencing has saved the lives of humans and also our cattle,” he said.

However, Harishadhon from the Bali village has a different explanation.

“Because of the government’s initiative to promote eco-tourism in the Sundarbans, the number of tourists has been growing. Big boats carrying tourists into the forest have been keeping the tigers away from settlements,” he told this reporter.

On this side of the border

The government of Bangladesh is yet to take any such initiative. A number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been running alternative livelihood projects in the forest but on a very small scale and are still to see any significant success.

Ishtiaque Uddin Ahmed, country representative of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), told the Dhaka Tribune recently that Bangladesh can also introduce similar initiatives for protecting the biggest mangrove forest in the world.

Also a former chief conservator of forest in Bangladesh, he said: “Creating alternative livelihoods should be emphasised in the Bangladesh portion of the forest because this initiative has been highly effective in reducing human intervention.”

Around 4.5 million people depend on the Sundarbans for a living in India directly and indirectly. In Bangladesh, this is around 4 million.

There is, however, one major difference between the human settlements in India and Bangladesh.

In India, a large part of these 4.5 million people live in fringe villages which are close to the forest. However, in Bangladesh, there are very few human settlements inside the forest or near the forest. l PHOTOS: ABU BAKAR SIDDIQUE

Incapacitated deers are placed inside an enclosed space in Shundori Kathi Conservation Camp, where Bengal Tigers come to feed on the animals

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