E paper april 11, 2015

SECOND EDITION

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

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Chaitra 28, 1421, Jamadius Sani 21, 1436

MOST BNP CANDIDATES FACING CASES PAGE 3

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 1

QATAR ENVOY PAYS FOR AL CONFLICTS PAGE 10

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

OBAMA SET FOR KEY CASTRO MEETING PAGE 10

Kamaruzzaman lives to see another day The death row convict seeks time for the third time to decide his next course n Tribune Report A two-hour-long drama outside the Dhaka Central Jail last evening – occasioned by a remark by State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal – kept everyone in anticipation of developments inside the prison with respect to the execution of convicted war criminal Muhammad Kamaruzzaman.

Until then, it was official that Kamaruzzaman had not given a final decision on seeking presidential mercy when two magistrates visited him in the morning.

Earlier in the evening, those at the jail gate presumed that execution might be imminent as security measures were beefed up in the area upon the directives of a minister. After nearly an hour, the jail doctor entered the prison.

But around 9:15pm, the Lalbagh police deputy commissioner and Senior Jail Superintendent Forman Ali left the central jail, while security measures relaxed after 9:30pm. Generally, these officials witness execution of convicts at the Dhaka Central Jail.

There was, however, no official statement

on these developments, one way or the other.

Kamaruzzaman’s family members told a private television channel that they had not been formally informed about any decision.

The Jamaat-e-Islami leader yesterday sought more time, for the third time since he was communicated the apex court judgement, to decide whether he would walk the gallows or seek presidential mercy, his only lifeline at this stage.

Around 8pm, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at a programme said the convict would not get more time to take

11 return home from Yemen

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‘Insult to victims of 26/11’: Lakhvi walks free from Pak jail, angering India n Agencies

n Adil Sakhawat The first group of 11 Bangladeshis including eight women and children stranded in Yemen arrived Bangladesh yesterday from Djibouti by an Emirates flight.

Those 11 Bangladeshis reached the Shahjalal International Airport at 5:30pm yesterday, an SMS from State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam confirmed the news of their arrival.

Later, a Foreign Ministry press release said, Additional Foreign Secretary Mizanur Rahman received them at the airport. Senior officials of the ministry were also present on the occasion.

As of Friday, 304 Bangladeshi nationals have been evacuated from Yemen to Djibouti.

Of of them, 272 were rescued by Indian Naval Ship (INS) from Hodeida and 20 have been evacuated by Air India from Sanaa.

“The remaining 287 are currently staying in Djibouti under the arrangement of the Foreign Ministry,” it said.

The Foreign Ministry has set up a Repatriation Control Room in Djibouti led by the Bangladesh ambassador in Kuwait to conduct the repatriation process.

It is expected that more Bangladeshis will be evacuated from Yemen to Djibouti for ultimate repatriation to Bangladesh soon.

The whole repatriation operation is being carried out under the direct supervision of Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali, the release added.

An official from Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking anonymity said some 553 Bangladesh nationals registered their names for coming back home from Yemen up to April 9.

According to the Foreign Ministry, some 1500-3000 Bangladeshi nationals are living

decision on whether he would seek presidential mercy: “The Jamaat leader was given adequate time to file the mercy petition. Earlier in the day, two magistrates visited the jail in order to talk to him over the issue. But, he is taking too much time.”

Kamal on Thursday afternoon said the district magistrate was on his way to meet Kamaruzzaman.

When the magistrates met the death row convict yesterday morning and tried to convince him to give his decision,

The photo shows three members of a Bangladeshi family who arrive at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from war-torn Yemen yesterday. They are among the 11 Bangladeshi nationals who were stranded in Yemen and arrived in Dhaka from Djibouti by an Emirates flight DHAKA TRIBUNE

India has lodged a strong protest after the main accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks case, Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, was released from Adiala Jail in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Friday following the Lahore high court’s dismissal of his detention orders issued by Punjab government in mid-March.

The operational head of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), parent organization of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Lakhvi, 55, was released from prison early on Friday morning after furnishing Rs 20 lakh in surety bonds.

“Lakhvi has been released and he is out of the jail now,” Malik Nasir Abbas, one of Lakhvi’s lawyers, told the media.

“I don’t know where he will go now,” he said. According to jail authorities, Lakhvi was picked up by JuD members amid tight security and was taken to unknown location.

“More than 50 JuD activists were waiting for Lakhvi outside Adiala jail since early morning,” a jail official said.

He, however, could be arrested again in a case which is still pending in the Islamabad high court. The government had filed an appeal in the court in January seeking cancellation of the bail granted to Lakhvi by an anti-terrorism court (ATC), trying him for the Mumbai attacks case, in Dec 2014. He had paid surety bonds worth Rs 500,000 before he was released on bail at the time. If the Islamabad HC decides to cancel the bail granted to him by the ATC, he could be re-arrested.

The Lahore high court on Thursday had dismissed his arrest order by the Punjab government under Maintenance of Public Order  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

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2 NEWS

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

PM says Iron fist ‘Insult to victims of 26/11’: Lakhvi walks free from Pak jail to grip firmly until BNP-Jamaat’s subversion vanishes n Abu Hayat Mahmud The government will continue to take the hard-line against the subversive activities of the BNP-Jamaat led 20-party alliance, warned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina before going on to chair an Awami League Advisory Committee meeting at the Gonobhaban yesterday evening.

“Unless we can entirely uproot the evil deeds of BNP-Jamaat, we will not let loose.

The treatment will remain firm, unforgiving.

Everyone involved in directing, executing and funding these activities will all have to face the music,”the PM said regarding the uncompromising, tight treatment the administration is dishing out to its opposition.

The premier then set her sights on the Human Rights Watch, angry that they have yet to make noise condemning the BNP-Jamaat violence whilst calling for suspending the execution of war criminal Muhammed Kamaruzzaman pending an independent review of

AL will try restricting BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from campaigning for BNPsupported candidates the verdict, and dealt a heavy hand: “This organisation published a controversial list of missing persons after the joint forces action that took care of the Hefazat-e-Islam sit-in.

Later, several persons from the HRW list were found to be alive.

“It [HRW] should keep mum, as it has proven time and again that it is the most opportunist and self-serving organisation. The HRW has lost its voice. There is no ink in its activists’ pens.”

The PM was speaking to journalists ahead of her meeting that, she said, was supposed to discuss the upcoming financial budget. The finance minister, among others, was in attendance.

The meeting mainly discussed the impending city polls in Dhaka and Chittagong.

The agenda included the upcoming budget, Kamarruzzaman’s execution and the role of the HRW and the United Nations regarding the executions among other political issues, sources from the meeting told the Dhaka Tribune.

The meeting decided that the AL will try restricting BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from campaigning for BNP-supported candidates in the City Corporation elections; BNP-Jamaat supporters will not be allowed to incite any violence or anarchy during the city polls.

Speakers in the meeting argued that since BNP chief Khaleda is the proven masterminded and leader of the arsonists, it is only fair that she is not allowed to campaign for the mayoral elections.

Awami League General Secretary and LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhit, prime minister’s advisors and other advisory committee members were present in the meeting.

Party sources said the issues may be discussed again in an Awami League Central Working Committee meeting on April 15. l

(MPO) and ordered his immediate release, drawing angry reaction from India.

While jail authorities could not immediately receive the court order, Lakhvi had to spent the night in prison, his abode for almost last five years.

India condemned Lakhvi’s release believing it an “insult” to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai attack.

“This is a very disappointing announcement. An insult to the victims of 26/11 Mumbai attack. The global community should take serious note of Pakistan’s double-speak on terrorism,” an Indian home ministry spokesperson reportedly said.

Lakhvi was arrested in December 2008 from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)’s headquarters in Muzaffarabad and the case against him and six co-accused was registered in February 2009. The six others accused in the case are Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid.

At the time of the attacks, Lakhvi was believed to be the operational head of the banned LeT. Lakhvi along with Zarar Shah was allegedly the key planner and executioner of the attack that killed 166 people in Mumbai. hile Pakistan has alleged that India failed to give it crucial evidence.

Lakhvi’s initial bail order in December prompted an angry response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said it came as “a shock to all those who believe in humanity”.

The horror of the Mumbai carnage played out on live television around the world, as commandos battled the heavily armed gunmen, who arrived by sea on the evening of November 26, 2008.

It took the authorities three days to regain full control of the city and the Indian government has long said there is evidence that “official agencies” in Pakistan were involved in plotting the attack.l

Kamaruzzaman lives to see another day Kamaruzzman did not say yes or no. He just said he needed time.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah said magistrates Mahbub Jamil and Tanjim Mohammad Azim went to the jail to meet Kamaruzzaman at 10:15am. They came out at 11:40am but did not make any comment before the media.

Forman Ali and Jailer Nesarul Alam accompanied the magistrates.

When approached, Forman Ali said he was unaware of the magistrates’ purpose: “Magistrates often come to jail, it is a routine job.”

The state minister for home affairs on Thursday said the convict would have to make a decision on the matter by the night.

According to sources seeking anonymity, Kamaruzzaman had requested jail authorities to execute him on a Friday and asked that his body be buried without a funeral bath.

Earlier, the Appellate Division judges took two days to sign the judgement that they gave on Monday upholding the death penalty of the Jamaat-e-Islami leader.

The jail authorities received the copy of the judgement on Wednesday and communicated it to the convict. But Kamaruzzaman, a key alBadr organiser during the 1971 Liberation War, on Wednesday and Thursday sought time to make his final decision.

As per the jail code, a convict gets a week to seek presidential mercy after the jail authorities receive the death warrant and communicate it to him. But Attorney General Mahbubey Alam earlier said the jail code was not applicable in war crimes cases. The sentence would be executed as per the direction of the government in line with the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act of 1973.

Kamaruzzaman is the second war crimes convict who filed a review petition with the top court. Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Molla was executed on December 12, 2013. He did

not seek mercy. The death sentence of another Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee was commuted to life-term by the apex court.

After the Appellate Division pronounced its judgement rejecting the review petition, New York-based Human Rights Watch and the UN Human Rights Council asked the government to halt the execution and ensure a fair review of the trial as, according to them, it did not meet acceptable standards.

The European Union, which advocates for abolishing capital punishment, also asked the government to impose a moratorium on execution.

Execution is in effect in at least 52 countries of the world as well as in 32 states of the US. In protest against the apex court judgement, Jamaat observed hartal on Tuesday and Wednesday, labelling it a judicial killing.

Kamaruzzaman has been in jail since July 29, 2010 when he was arrested in a case of hurting religious sentiment. He was shown arrested in the war crimes case on October 2 the same year. The trial began on July 2, 2012.

The war crimes tribunal on May 9, 2013 awarded Kamaruzzaman death penalty on two out of five charges proved against him.

He was sentenced to life term for two other charges and 10 years’ imprisonment in a fifth.

He was acquitted on two charges.

Kamaruzzaman challenged the verdict at the Appellate Division on June 6, 2013.

The apex court upheld the tribunal verdict on November 3 last year but commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment on one charge – the abduction and killing of Golam Mostafa.

The Jamaat leader was given capital punishment for the massacre of Sohagpur, now known as “Bidhoba Palli,” or the village of widows. He advised members of al-Badr and Razakar forces on July 25, 1971 to commit a large-scale massacre in association with

the Pakistani occupation forces at Sohagpur under Nalitabari upazila in Sherpur. The collaborators murdered 164 unarmed civilians, 44 of whom have been named, and raped many women.

The full text of the verdict was released on February 18 and the tribunal sent Kamaruzzaman’s death warrant to the Dhaka Central Jail the following day. He filed the review petition on March 5.

In 1971, Kamaruzzaman was a top leader of greater Mymensingh unit Islami Chhatra Sangha, then student wing of Jamaat. He was also the office secretary of East Pakistan unit Chhatra Sangha.

He played the role of a key organiser in the formation of the infamous al-Badr force with the selected students belonging to Chhatra Sangha.

‘Sohagpur massacre horrendous’ In its verdict, the tribunal said: “The fierceness of the event of the attack was launched in such grotesque and revolting manner in which the helpless victims, the unarmed hundreds of civilians, could not save their lives and honour.

“The act of massacre and devastation of human honour was diabolic and detrimental to basic humanness.”

Kamaruzzaman by his acts and conduct had participated in the perpetration of such horrendous attack that resulted in murder of hundreds of unarmed civilians constituting the offence of crimes against humanity, the tribunal verdict said.

It also observed that the act of mass sexual assault committed on women, in conjunction with the mass killing at Sohagpur village, shocks the conscience of humankind and aggravates the criminal liability of Kamaruzzaman as well.

Three rape victims, who also lost their husbands in the Sohagpur massacre, standing in the dock of the tribunal, narrated the trauma and demanded justice for the sexual assault and dishonour they suffered.l

11 return home from Yemen in Yemen, and all of them are not interested to come back home.

However, the Bangladeshis living there claimed that the number of Bangladeshi nationals there could be as many as 10,000.

Earlier on April 7, Bangladesh along with 25 countries sought India’s assistance to evacuate its citizens from strife-hit Yemen.

Countries that have sought India’s assis-

tance in evacuating its nationals from the war-ravaged Yemen, includes USA, France, Germany, Sweden, Singapore, Malaysia, Ireland, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Iraq, among others.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin shared the information on micro-blogging site Twitter on Tuesday.

“Requests for Indian assistance in evacuation from Yemen keeps growing. On last count

26 requests received,” he posted.

India on Friday stepped up its evacuation.

At least 1,052 Indians, including a newborn baby, have been evacuated from Yemen till Thursday. Yemen has been engulfed in strife as Shia Houthi rebels continued their advance against exiled president Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi’s loyalists who are being supported by Saudi Arabia-led air strikes. l

DT

NEWS 3

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

Most BNP-backed candidates facing cases 68% BNP-backed candidates are businessmen, with renting house a major source of income

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Most of the candidates included in BNP’s list of lone ward councillor contenders published yesterday are facing more than one cases and many of them are on the run.

The list is not complete because the party has not managed to reach consensus regarding who to back in at least seven wards in the capital city. The party kept wards 15, 20, 24, 39, 49 and 54 in the south open for candidates

EDUCATION OF BNP-BACKED COUNCILLOR CANDIDATES

PROFESSION OF BNP-BACKED COUNCILLOR CANDIDATES

and ward 26 in the north.

An analysis of the affidavits that these candidates have submitted with the Election Commission (EC) revealed that around 60% of are facing criminal cases.

Anwaruzzaman Anwar from ward number 27 of Dhaka north is facing a total of 47 cases which is also the highest among candidates from all parties.

Lokman Hossain Fakir from ward 13 of Dhaka south comes in second with as many as 45 cases.

In terms of education, around 30% of the candidates are graduates and the qualification of some 23% aspirants is below SSC. Around 21% said in their affidavits that they are self educated.

Only 18% have passed the SSC examination and 10% HSC exam.

Around 68% of the BNP-backed candidates

CANDIDATES’ SYMBOLS DHAKA NORTH CITY CORPORATION NO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

NAME Annisul Haq Tabith M Awal Abdullah Al Kafi A Y M Kamrul Islam Kazi Md Shahidullah Chowdhury Irad Ahmed Siddiky Nader Chowdhury Bahauddin Ahmed Mahi B Chowdhury Md Anisuzzaman Khokon Md Zaman Bhuyan Junaid Abdur Rahim Saki Md Shamsul Alam Chowdhury Moazzem Hossain Khan Mojlish Sheikh Md Fazle Bari Masud Sheikh Wahiduzzaman

SYMBOL Table Clock Bus Elephant Cricket Bat Ilish Gourd Peacock Charka Eagle Dish Antenna Table Telescope Cheetah Flask Orange Match

DHAKA SOUTH CITY CORPORATION NO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

NAME Sayeed Khokon Mirza Abbas SM Asaduzzaman Ripon Abu Naser Muhammad Masud Hossain A S M Akram Advocate Md Ayub Hossai Dilip Bhadra Bazlur Rashid Firoz

SYMBOL Ilish Mug Orange Charka Cricket Bat Eagle Elephant Table

9 Moshiur Rahman 10 Md Shafi Ullah Chowdhury 11 Mohammad Saifuddin 12 Md Aktaruzzaman alias Aayatullah 13 Md Abdur Rahman 14 Md Abdul khalek 15 Md Golam Mawla Rony 16 Md Zahidur Rahman 17 Md Baharane Sultan Bahar 18 Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury 19 Md Shahidul Islam 20 Shahin Khan CHITTAGONG CITY CORPORATION NO NAME 1 A J M Nasir Uddin 2 Arif Mainuddin 3 MA Matin 4 Md Abul Kalam Azad 5 Md Alauddin Chowdhury 6 Md Wayez Hossain Bhuyan 7 Md Solaiman Alam Sheth 8 Md Shafiul Alam 9 Mohammad Manjur Alam 10 Saifuddin Ahmed (Robi) 11 Sayed Sazzad Zoha 12

Hossain Muhammad Mujibul Haque

Cheetah Peacock Sofa Gourd Flask Cake Ring Laptop Shirt Table Clock Bus Ship SYMBOL Elephant Bus Charka Match Telescope Table Clock Dish antenna Ilish Orange Flask Cricket Bat Peacock

said they are businessmen. Interestingly, income from house rent is the main source of income of more than 16% of the candidates who said their profession is business.

The BNP has backed five women for the reserved female councillor posts; of them four are in the south.

Adorsho Dhaka Gorar Andolon, a pro-BNP election platform, issued a press release last night announcing the name of the candidates.

The platform’s convener Prof Dr Emajuddin Ahamed, also a former VC of Dhaka University, and member secretary Sawkat Mahmud signed the press release.

The release also said that they are backing Mirza Abbas for the south’s mayor and Tabith M Awal for the north.

A few days ago, ruling Awami League also published a list of the councillor candidates that it is supporting for the April 28 polls. l

Mayor candidates get their poll symbols n Munir Momtaj The Election Commission yesterday allocated symbols for the mayoral candidates in the elections to Dhaka north and south and Chittagong city corporations.

In Dhaka North, Awami League-backed mayoral candidate Annisul Huq got table clock as his symbol and BNP-backed candidate Tabith M Awal got bus after a lottery as both had wanted table clock.

Returning Officer Shah Alam distributed the symbols among the candidates at his office at Agargaon.

Jatiya Party leader Bahauddin Ahmed got Charka, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh leader Mahi B Chowdhury got eagle, Gono Sanghati Andolan’s Zonayed Saki telescope.

Communist Party of Bangladesh-backed Abdul Al Kafi got elephant and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-backed Nader Chowdhury peacock.

In Dhaka South, AL-backed candidate Sayeed Khokon was given Ilish and BNP-backed Mirza Abbas was given mug.

Returning Officer Mihir Sarwar Morshed distributed the symbols. l

Annisul: Khaleda’s participation in canvas to mar level-playing field n Abu Hayat Mahmud Mayoral hopeful for Dhaka North City Corporation Annisul Huq yesterday said Khaleda Zia’s participation in polls campaign would mar the prospect for a level-playing field.

If BNP Chief Khaleda Zia takes part in the campaign will there be a level-playing field in the upcoming city polls?” Annisul questioned while exchanging views with journalists at Lotus Kamal Tower in Nikunja of the capital.

“I want Khaleda Zia and her party men to join the city corporation polls race to make it more meaningful and contesting,” he told reporters gathered at his election office.

He congratulated BNP for its participation in the city polls saying that nobody is negligible in an election. “Every candidate is strong.”

Annisul said all of his achievements had come through hard work of 25 years and he could not afford to lose them in five years of his mayoral period if he wins.

“I have just honoured the request of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. After the premier’s request, I myself too thought that we should do something to turn the capital into a livable city and I decided to stand in the election,” he said.

He also claimed that he got positive response from city dwellers for his candidature for the DNCC polls. “If the people of Dhaka North elected me as the DNCC mayor I will always try fulfill their expectations.”

Annisul was given table clock as his election symbol. He will announce his election manifesto today at his central election office in Nikunja. l

BNP-backed mayoral aspirant Tabith Awal, son of BNP leader Abdul Awal Mintoo, starts his election campaign for Dhaka North City Corporation polls with electoral symbol ‘bus’ in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

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4 NEWS

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

Tk7cr haul shows gold runners preferring waterways n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong With Wednesday’s haul of gold worth Tk7 crore at a river jetty in Chittagong, police believe that smugglers are increasingly favouring water routes for smuggling gold into the country instead of the previously popular but now heavily monitored air routes.

Police seized 120 gold bars and 16 pieces of gold jewellery from Anu Majhir Ghat in the port city’s Sadarghat area on Wednesday. Two people were arrested.

Sadarghat police station Officer-in-Charge Abul Kalam Azad told the Dhaka Tribune that a police team led by Sub-Inspector Anwar Hossain conducted the drive at the electron-

ics warehouse AC Mela around 11:30pm.

“SI Anwar and his team found a parked red private car outside the warehouse being loaded with four big cartons. The SI challenged the warehouse manager Titu, 35, and his assistant Emran, 27, saying the cartons contained smuggled items,” the OC said.

Titu then tried but failed to bribe SI Anwar into letting the car and its contents pass, he said.

“Titu then contacted Jasim Uddin, one of the tenants of the warehouse and the importer of the electronics goods. Jasim offered Anwar a Tk1cr bribe,” the OC added.

“Anwar seized the consignment and informed senior officials,” the OC said, adding that police found 120 gold bars weighing

Deadlock ends at Kazi Farms Thakurgaon factories Correspondent, n Our Thakurgaon The intervention of Thakurgaon’s Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Chandra Biswas broke the deadlock at the factories of Kazi Farms Limited in the district as workers returned to their workplaces yesterday.

Thousands of workers of the factories in the district heaved a sigh of relief as a satisfactory compromise was reached between the factory authorities and the three groups – Thakurgaon Motor Paribahan Sramik Union, Thakurgaon Kuli Sramik Union and Thakurgaon Truck-Tank-Lorry-Covered Van Sramik Union.

The deputy commissioner chose to mediate on Thursday as previous attempts to reach a compromise between the warring parties failed.

General Manager of Kazi Farms Limited’s Thakurgaon

office, Mohiuddin, said the deadlock had caused a loss of around Tk100 crore.

“We believe the differences will be fully resolved through talks and also without acts that lead to financial losses,” he said.

Manager of Kazi Hatchery Limited in Habibpur, Masud Alam, yesterday said there were no further obstacles and factory operations had turned normal.

President of Thakurgaon Truck-Tank-Lorry-Covered Van Sramik Union, Joyen Uddin, said protests had been called off in the wake of the deputy commissioner’s assurance.

The deadlock was the result of the three groups demanding Tk200 in toll from each truck carrying Kazi Farms products and an opportunity for local workers to work inside the company’s factories in defiance of organic safety measures. l

BUFT opens Textiles Club n Tribune Report BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT) launched its Textile Club at a programme on April 9 at campus auditorium.

The BUFT authorities picked the three years celebration of the Textile Engineering (TE) and Textile Technology Management (TTM) departments as the occasion for

opening the club.

The club’s motto is to make textile students more capable in a multi-dimensional way in today’s competitive world.

Prof Dr Syed Masud Husain, vice-chancellor of BUFT and Prof Mashud Ahmed, vice-chancellor of Bangladesh University of Textiles were present as special guests at the event that was accompanied by a cultural programme. l

Deputy IG Shahidul dies arrive in Dhaka this morning and will n Tribune Report be taken directly to his Dhanmondi Deputy Inspector General of Police Shahidul Islam died in a hospital in Germany on Wednesday when he was undergoing treatment.

Shahidul was working in a UN Mission in Italy. His body is scheduled to

residence, said a press release.

His first namaj-e-janaza is scheduled to be held at Rajarbagh Police

Lines at 10am, followed by the second one after Johr prayers at Dhanmondi Taqwah Mosque. l

14.2kg and jewellery weighing 5.8kg hidden inside the cartons.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abdul Jalil Mandal visited the crime scene and announced a reward for SI Anwar’s integrity in discharging his duty.

A case under the Special Powers Act was lodged with Sadarghat police station against Jasim Uddin, his partner and fellow tenant of the warehouse, Bhobitosh Bishwas, and numerous unidentified people, the OC said.

CMP Assistant Commissioner of Kotwali Circle Shah Mohammad Abdur Rouf told the Dhaka Tribune that the gold bars and jewellery had been brought via the waterways from Dubai to evade import duties.

The following day, police conducted a daylong raid at the warehouse but failed to find any other illegal items, the AC said.

“We sealed off the warehouse at night and started further raids yesterday,” he said.

Strong surveillance of Chittagong’s Shah Amanat International Airport has compelled gold smugglers to prefer surface routes, police sources said.

“But since land routes are closely watched, waterways are favoured,” he said.

“Smugglers have become dependent on water routes because they are less closely monitored,” said the AC of Kotwali Circle, adding that the smuggled gold came into the country via Chittagong port. l

DT

NEWS 5

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

Ambassador to Qatar pays for conflicts among ruling party leaders n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman The recently recalled Bangladesh ambassador to Qatar, Syed Masud Mahmood Khundoker, has reportedly paid the price of conflicts among Awami League leaders in Doha.

Several leaders from the Awami League’s Qatar unit claimed that the decision to recall the ambassador was an injustice to him despite having many achievements in his diplomatic role there.

In a rare incident, the Prime Minister’s Office in a written directive asked the Foreign Ministry in the first week of this month to recall the Bangladesh envoy.

The ambassador earned the wrath of the Qatari Sainik League leader when he did not give in to some of the leader’s unjust demands, claimed Shafiqul Islam Talukder Babu, senior vice-president of Awami League’s Qatar unit.

Babu said the Sainik League leader had de-

manded that he be engaged in the embassy’s dealings with the community there instead of the AL unit leadership.

Bangladesh missions generally engage the units of the mainstream political parties for such activities.

When asked why the ambassador was recalled at the instructions of the PMO, a senior official of the Foreign Ministry told the Dhaka Tribune on condition of anonymity: “We have our limitations.”

The top leadership from the ruling party’s Qatar unit recently travelled all the way to Dhaka from Doha to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to express their disagreement over the decision.

“We had a meeting with the prime minister to explain the situation in Doha,” Babu told the Dhaka Tribune.

Qatar unit President Omar Faruque Chowdhury and Qatar’s Bangabandhu Parishad

Senior Vice-President SM Faridul Haque were with Babu during the meeting on Wednesday.

“The ambassador has tried to maintain unity in the Bangladeshi community [in Doha] but the Awami League leader wanted to create a division in it,” said Babu, who is also the founder of Jubo League in Qatar.

In what is apparently a rare feat, the diplomatic skills of the ambassador was also recently acknowledged by Qatar’s Labour Minister Abdullah Saleh Mubarak Al-Khulaifi.

“We had a dinner on March 26 to celebrate the Independence Day at a seven-star hotel where the Qatari labour minister was present.

This has been the first time in my 22 years in Doha that I saw any Qatari labour minister having dinner with Bangladesh community,” Babu said.

“The Qatari minister told us: ‘This is the first time you have a true Bangladesh excellency. He can win the heart of all. I am going

Four die in road accidents in Dhaka

NBR promotes 51 officials under three ranks

n Kamrul Hasan At least four people died yesterday in separate road accidents across the capital. Two injured were admitted to the Dhaka Medical Hospital.

The casualties were Shakila Israt Jhumur, 30, her son Amin, 6, and Farida Yasmin, 33; another person has yet to be identified.

Jhumur and her son Amin were killed after a pick-up van hit their rickshaw in front of Matuail Institute of Child & Mother Health in capital's Jatrabari yesterday morning.

Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost Assistant Sub-Inspector Sentu Chondro Das said the duty doctor declared Jhumur and Amin dead when they were brought to the hospital at around 11:30am.

Jhumur’s daughter Ritu Akhter, 9, suffered injuries in the accident, said Jatrabari police station Sub-Inspector Abdul Awal.

Shortly after the accident, locals caught the driver and the helper of the pick-up, Dhaka Metro-Ta-118612, and handed them over to police, Abdul Awal said.

Meanwhile, Farida Yasmin, 33, was killed and her husband Abdul Hashem was injured in another accident.

Farida’s brother-in-law Sharif said Farida died when a truck ran over Hashem’s motorcycle in Amulia, Demra yesterday morning.

Three of the dead were received by their relatives. No case was filed with the police station until yesterday.

The concerned police officials said they were preparing to file cases.

Besides, another unidentified body was found in Mohakhali yesterday.

The body has an injury on the head.

Sub-Inspector of Mohakhali police station Hridoy Kumar Poddar suspects the person might have been hit by traffic.

Locals informed police soon after he collapsed on the road yesterday morning.

Police is preparing to file a case in the incident, he added. l

to allow another 50,000 Bangladeshi workers because of him.’”

Qatar accepted about 90,000 workers in 2014 and another 25,000 went to Doha in the first three months of this year.

Babu, who was engaged in politics with Awami League Publicity Secretary Hasan Mahmud during his university years, said they came to Dhaka at their own expenses to explain the issue to the top leadership.

Babu and SM Faridul Haque also had a meeting with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam on Thursday.

“We met the state minister and he assured us that he would look into the issue,” Babu said.

The Awami League leader said they did not have any problem about the government’s decision to recall Masud as it is a routine matter that ambassadors would come and go, but not in this manner.

“It will be an unjust decision.” l

n Tribune Report

A man named Mainul wails at Dhaka Medical College Hospital after his wife Shakila Earsad Jhumur, 26, and son Hamim, 4, died in a road accident in Matuail area of the capital yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has promoted 51 of its official to the ranks of additional commissioner, joint commissioner, and deputy commissioner under Custom and Value Added Tax (VAT) offices.

The NBR, through three separate orders signed by its Second Secretary Md Shamsuddin on April 9 made the decision with immediate effect.

As many as 17 official of the rank of joint commissioner were promoted to rank of additional commissioner, 10 officials of the rank of deputy commissioner were made joint commissioners while 24 officials of the rank of assistant commissioner were promoted to the rank of deputy commissioner.

The NBR took the decision within four days after the wholesale promotion of 873 bureaucrats on April 6.

On April 4 and 5, the tax body reshuffled duties of 40 officials under customs and VAT wing, including promotion of an additional commissioner to the post of commissioner.

NBR officials said that the tax body is making changes in duties of its officials to bring administrative dynamism and achieve the revenue target set for the current fiscal year.

The NBR is assigned to collect Tk1,49,720 crore as revenue in the current fiscal year.

However, in the first seven months of ongoing fiscal, the tax authority has collected Tk79,978.72 crore against the target of Tk82,946 crore.

Income tax and VAT wing of NBR witnessed shortfalls in this duration, mainly due to the ongoing political turmoil.

NBR officials in administration said that there might be more reshuffle at revenue administration very soon.

In this regard, NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman said efforts are on to maximize the revenue collection and improve stakeholders’ relations. l

DT

6 NEWS

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

Salma Bani and Rubaiyat Ahmed win Gemcon Literary Award 2015 n Nure Alam Durjoy Two litterateurs, Salma Bani and Rubaiyat Ahmed, were given Gemcon Literary Award 2015 for their works ‘Immigration’ and ‘Ekjon Sub-Editorer Chhenra-Khonra Din’ respectively.

Dr Kazi Anis Ahmed, litterateur and director of Gemcon Group, handed over the awards to them yesterday evening at Bangla Academy’s Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad Auditorium.

“It is a matter of great joy and pride to give away the award to deserving candidates every year. We are indeed delighted and inspired,” said Dr Anis during his welcome speech.

Gemcon Literary Award 2015 winner Salma

Bani was given Tk5 lakh as prize money while Gemcon Young Literary Award winner Rubaiyat Ahmed was given TK1 lakh along with crests for each of them.

“It feels good and I am very delighted to have won this prestigious award. This will help me go further with my writings,” said Salma Bani while expressing her feelings.

Rubaiyat Ahmed said he was thankful to Gemcon Group and dedicated the award to his father Selim Al Deen.

A panel of distinguished judges picked the two winners from a competitive short-list.

The ceremony was attended by Dr Rafiqul Islam, former vice-chancellor of University Liberal Arts Bangladesh, among others. l

Winners of Gemcon Literary Award 2015 pose with the guests and judges at the end of the award giving ceremony held at the Bangla Academy Auditorium in the capital yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

List of BNP-backed councillor candidates of DNCC and DSCC n Tribune Report

Dhaka North City Corporation Ward No Ward 1 Ward 2 Ward 3 Ward 4 Ward 5 Ward 6 Ward 7 Ward 8 Ward 9 Ward 10 Ward 11 Ward 12 Ward 13 Ward 14 Ward 15 Ward 16 Ward 17 Ward 18 Ward 19 Ward 20 Ward 21 Ward 22 Ward 23 Ward 24 Ward 25

Name

Mostafizur Sazzad Kazi Sabbir Anwar Mahfuj Robiul Ferdousi Doctor Md. Masud ALM Babul Abdul Akhter Liakot Syed Sahinur Kazi Faruk Habib AGM Foyez Abul Mahmudul Saiful

Ward 26 Ward 27

Open Anwaruzzaman

Ward 28 Ward 29 Ward 30 Ward 31 Ward 32 Ward 33 Ward 34 Ward 35 Ward 36

Abdus Enayetul Abul Farid Atikul Sahbuddin Osman Amir Sajeda

Dhaka South City Corporation Ward No Ward 1 Ward 2 Ward 3 Ward 4 Ward 5 Ward 6 Ward 7 Ward 8 Ward 9 Ward 10 Ward 11 Ward 12

Name Humayun Habiba Abul Md Md Md Md Ismail Moqbul Md Md Fazle

Rehab in-charge found dead n Kamrul Hasan

Police recovered a man’s body from a drug rehabilitation centre named Help Life in the capital’s Khilgaon yesterday.

The deceased, Md Bashir, 35, was the in-charge of the rehab and lived in Basabo area.

Police discovered his body in the almost deserted centre after raiding the establishment following an early-morning tip-off, said Saiful Islam, sub-inspector at Khilgaon police station.

“We received word about patients fleeing the centre just after the Fazr prayers. When we reached there, the centre was almost empty, and we found Bashir’s body with his hands and legs tied with rope and his mouth gagged with a towel,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said police suspected

Bashir might have died from suffocation, as there were no visible injury marks on his body.

Police detained four staff members of the rehab in this regard, and spoke to the wife of the building’s owner, all of whom claimed Bashir mistreated the rehab patients, that is why they killed him and fled the centre, Saiful said.

But police suspects the detainees may be involved in the murder as well, he added.

Bashir’s elder brother Md Babul said his family was informed of Bashir’s death by Sabujbagh police station in the morning.

“We last saw him yesterday [Thursday]. He used to visit us once every three or four days.

A case will be filed in this connection,” Saiful said l

Ward 13 Ward 14 Ward 15 Ward 16 Ward 17 Ward 18 Ward 19 Ward 20 Ward 21 Ward 22 Ward 23 Ward 24 Ward 25 Ward 26

Md Md Open Sirajul Saidur Md Md Open Khaja Open Sayeed Open Hazi Mir Ashraf

Ward 27 Ward 28 Ward 29 Ward 30 Ward 31 Ward 32 Ward 33 Ward 34 Ward 35 Ward 36 Ward 37 Ward 38 Ward 39 Ward 40

Sayeeda Umme Shafiqul Hazi Md Emranul Md Md Yakub Open ABM Meherun Open Maqbul

Ali

Ward 41 Ward 42 Ward 43 Ward 44 Ward 45 Ward 46 Ward 47 Ward 48 Ward 49 Ward 50 Ward 51 Ward 52 Ward 53 Ward 54 Ward 55 Ward 56 Ward 57

Md Open Md Md Abdul Md Kazi Atikullah Open Raisel Nazir Badol Md Open Hazi Hazi Md

Dhaka South City Corporation (Reserved seat) Ward No

Name

2,3,4 5,6,7 8,9,10 1,11,12 13,19,20 16,17,21 14,15,18

Shamima Hosne Hosne Majeda Syeeda Shirin Open

22,23,26 24,25,29 27,28,30 31,32,33 35,36,37 34,38,41 39,40,49 48,50,51 42,43,44 45,46,47 52,53.54 55,56,57

Nilufa Shahin Samsun Nasrin Mrs Mamtaj Farida Rashida Moni Asma Khaleda Salma

Dhaka North City Corporation ( Reserved seat) Ward No 1,17,18 4,15,16 2,3,5 6,7,8 9,10,11 12,13,14 19,20,21 22,23,36 24,25,35 26,27,28 29,30,32 31,33,34

Name

Saleha Amena Meherun Mili Nazma Runa Tahmina Open Aleya Rokeya Farhana Anowara

DT

NEWS 7

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

Abducted Workers’ Party leader rescued in Munshiganj n Our correspondent, Munshiganj Police rescued a leader of the Workers’ Party from Katakhali area of Munshiganj Sadar early yesterday, eight hours after his abduction.

The leader Tapan Saha, 35, was abducted from the capital’s Gulistan area on Thursday evening.

Recalling the abduction, Tapan said: “Five teenagers abducted me at gunpoint from in front of Gulistan Market around 7pm, asking me to get on their micro-bus. Then they tied my eyes and took me to a field after around two to three hours.”

“After reaching their destination, they opened my blindfold and I saw some other people. They then contacted my family and demanded Tk50,000 as ransom,” he added.

“In the meantime, they took Tk25,000 from my bKash account,” Tapan said, adding that the abductors later took away his mobile phone and left the place.

Sub-Inspector of Munshiganj Sadar police station Shafiqul Islam said being informed by locals they had gone to the spot and rescued Tapan around 2am. l

WEATHER THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

SATURDAY, APRIL 11 DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:19PM

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:41AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

35

25

Chittagong

32

24

Rajshahi

37

24

Rangpur

34

22

Khulna

36

24

Barisal

35

24

Sylhet

33

20

Cox’s Bazar

32

24

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

36.8ºC Dinajpur

18.0ºC Sayedpur Source: Accuweather/UNB

The 400 years old Atia Mosque in Delduar upazila of Tangail is gradually losing its charm as intricate terracotta patterns on the walls fade away due to lack of preservation DHAKA TRIBUNE

Atia Mosque in a run-down state n Our Correspondent, Tangail The 400-year old Atia Mosque in Tangail’s Delduar upazila, known best for being featured in a previous version of the Tk10 note, has been lying in a dilapidated condition for years.

Locals blamed the lack of any renovation initiative from authorities concerned as the reason why the historical mosque was falling apart.

Constructed under the patronage of zamindar Syed Khan Panni in 1608, the Atia Mosque was built in the architectural style of the Sultani and Mughal eras featuring intricate terracotta designs on its wall.

In recognition of the mosque’s significance as part our heritage, it was featured on the Tk10 currency that was introduced in 1996.

Visiting the mosque recently, the Dhaka Tribune found that the structure’s walls had developed cracks and the terracotta designs

Fajr

4:23am

Sunrise

5:41am

Zohr

12:00am

Asr

4:31pm

Magrib

6:18pm

Esha

7:36pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

“The Department of Archaeology has been contacted for renovating the mosque as soon as possible.”

Shubho and Sharif, SSC candidates living near the mosque, claimed that both local and international tourists frequently visited the famous Atia Mosque.

Blaming the authorities for their negligence in preserving the aesthetic beauty of the mosque, they demanded that the Atia Mosque again be featured on the Tk10 note or on a currency with a higher denomination.

Clothes trader Shafiqur Rahman, who travelled from Tangail’s Korotia along with his wife and niece to see the mosque, said: “I am very disappointed after seeing the sorry state of the mosque.”

Shafiqur’s nience Samanta Islam, who is a college student, also pointed out that tourists there should be welcomed by signboards in both Bangla and English describing the history and significance of Atia Mosque. l

Quader: Change mindset to improve traffic flow n Our Correspondent, Gazipur

PRAYER TIMES

on the dome and the walls were falling apart.

Md Rafiqul Islam, the muezzin of the mosque, told the Dhaka Tribune that the plaster on the walls had become damp, while heavy rainfall resulted in water leaking through the roof.

Syed Monirul Haque, a local who had been appointed by the Archaeology Department as the site director, claimed that the boundary walls were being damaged as trees and bamboo plants outside the area were growing into the walls.

Md Shahin Mia, a local, claimed that the mosque had only a nominal amount of repairing done in 2000. He added that the authorities concerned ignored a previous renovation request from the mosque committee five years ago, saying that the mosque was behind on their priority list.

Asked whether any recent initiative has been made to repair the mosque, Tangail Deputy Commissioner Md Mahbub Hossain said:

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said eight or twelve lane highways would not resolve traffic congestion if people did not change their mindset.

“The problem is with traffic management, which is not possible if people do not follow traffic rules properly.”

The minister made these comments while visiting the newly constructed Mawna flyover at Gazipur’s Sripur area yesterday noon.

Seeking support from the administration and traffic police, Obaidul Quader underscored the need for enforcing strict traffic laws along

with improving country’s infrastructure.

“The construction work of Mawna flyover has been completed before the stipulated time.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the flyover, which is the first one outside of Dhaka and Chittagong, on Saturday,” he said.

He hoped that the work to upgrade Joydebpur-Mymensingh highway to four lanes would be completed within June this year.

Highlighting various development projects in the area, the minister said the bus rapid transit from Gazipur to the airport would also have multiple flyover and the Tongi bridge would be expanded to an eight-lane one.

Besides, there will be five flyovers on

Joydebpur-Elenga four-lane upgrade project, he said.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haq, Gazipur Awami League’s president Azmat Ullah Khan, chief engineer of Roads and Highways Department Firoz Iqbal, project director general Brigadier General Muhammad Zubair Salekin and Gazipur deputy commissioner Nurul Islam, among others, were present during the minister’s visit.

The 400-metre Mawna flyover, costing about Tk70 crore 22 lakh, is expected to ease traffic congestion in the area and ensure smooth flow on the major highway of the country once inaugurated. l

DT

8 NEWS

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

320km coastal embankment at risk n Our Correspondent, Khulna The embankment spanning 320 kilometres in four upazilas of Khulna is in dire condition.

Built in the 60s, many sections of this embankment have sunk in or worn away due to lack of restoration. The upazilas are Dacope and Koira of Khulna, Sharankhola of Bagerhat, and Shyamnagar of Satkhira According to the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) these embankments could not be repaired or restored as there is not sufficient funding.

In Koira upazila, parts of the embankment are getting washed away with tidal waves. In Dacope, countless families live on the government land next to the worn-out embankment near the Kamalkhola and Gunari villages.

With no place else to go, these people are at great risk as the embankment may wash away during heavy monsoon with expanses of land getting inundated.

According to the BWDB, 365.24km of the embankment is under the purview of its Khulna 1 office. Due to lack of repair, 109km of it is in dilapidated condition.

Under Khulna 2 office 7.45km of 510km embankment has become worn out. Four kilometre of 315 under BWDB Bagerhat is in a very risky state. Another 40km of the embankment have sunk in, allowing water to flow in whenever it is high tide.

Under BWDB Satkhira 1, 75km 0f 377 has become risky and 5km of it extremely risky, which might break off anytime. Under Satkhira 2, many parts of the embankment broke off

in 84km of the 422km.

Abdul Jabbar, resident of Kathkata village in Koira, said: “Pieces of the bank falls away even with a slight increase in waves.”

Resident of Doshalia village Nitai Pal said: “We are spending our days and nights worrying about this worn-out embankment.”

Upazila Council Chairman Sheikh Abul Hossain said: “River bank erosion started in three polders. The World Bank has taken the responsibility to construct durable embankments in polders 32 and 33. Emergency work needs to be carried out immediately to stop the erosion in several areas. Hundreds of thousands of people are panicking because of the erosion in 34 points of the three polders.

Atleast 10 rivers are seeing excessive increase in water level than the usual.”

BWDB Khulna 2 Executive Engineer Pijush Krishna Kundu said: “The risky 7.45km embankment needs to be repaired before monsoon. As the World Bank is likely to start work at polders 32 and 33 in June, BWDB is unable to work there.

But a funding request has been sent to the ministry for work on the embankments at the two polders. Repair work is going on at the risky parts of polder 31.”

BWDB Khulna 1 Executive Engineer Mujibur Rahman said: “As no funds have been allocated, the worn-out embankments cannot be repaired in time.”

Bagerhat BWDB Executive Engineer Md Mainuddin said: “Two crore taka was allocated for embankment repair but that amount is insignificant.” l

Weak marketing keeps strawberry farming in dreary state n Tribune Report Weak marketing system and lack of adequate preservation facilities have kept the prospect of strawberry farming in Kurigram in a dreary state.

Growers are also dismayed at the poor sale of the fruit that is cultivated worldwide and appreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness.

Besides, there have not been seen any effective efforts from the sides of the government and non-government organisations for uplift of this sector of agriculture.

As a result, strawberry cultivation, which could have been much promising, has shrunk to a great extent.

A very small number of people are now involved in strawberry farming here, and most of them take it just as a pastime.

Nabiul Islam, a former executive engineer of Local Government Engineering Department, has cultivated strawberry on 10 decimals of land at the garden of local LGED office in Chhinai union taking it as a diversion.

He said a lot of care and money is needed from plating to fruiting for strawberry farming.

Compared to the production cost, the crop does not give so much yield and the fruit also does not have much demand in the market as well.

But Idris Ali, a strawberry grower of Halokhana Sonnashi village, said he had cultivated strawberry on seven decimals of land in 2011 and earned Tk seven lakh from it.

After seeing his tremendous success, a few farmers in the district were enthusiastic to go for massive cultivation of this sweet and nutritious fruit. At least 45 farmers of the district had taken training for it.

But they did not get any profit from strawberry cultivation, he said.

Idris Ali believed that poor marketing arrangements were the main obstacle behind their loss.

Idris Ali said at first he received a three-day training from Prof Dr M Manjur Hossain, a teacher of Rajshahi University, who specialist in strawberry farming, in March, 2009.

Later he planted 50 saplings of strawberry on his yard. l

Homesteads and livelihoods of people living in Nolian launch terminal area of Dacop upazila in Khulna are on the verge of extinction due to erosion by the Shibsa River. The photo was taken yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sylhet-Chhatak train service suspended for 3 months, commuters suffer n Mohammad Serajul Islam, Sylhet

The passenger train service between Sylhet city and Chhatak has remained suspended for more than three months, causing immense suffering to the local commuters.

The train service was put on hold for security reason on January 5, when the BNP-led 20-party alliance enforced an indefinite transport blockade around the country, said Kazi Shahidur Rahman, station master at Sylhet railway station.

The railway authorities also appointed Bangladesh Ansar members at vulnerable

points along the route to avoid untoward incidents, he told the Dhaka Tribune.

This interruption in service is causing quite an inconvenience to the regular commuters on this route.

“Most of us prefer the train service because it is cost effective. The fare is Tk12 – Tk8 for students.

But without the train service, we have to commute on the road, in which case we have to pay around Tk45 for bus fare, or at least Tk80 for CNGrun autorickshaw fare,” said Shamim Ahmed, resident of Mansinagar village in Chhatak.

“We demand immediate resumption of the train service.”

But that is unlikely, according to Shahidur Rahman.

“The train used in this service is currently in the yard. The station master’s post at Chhatak railway station is also vacant. So immediate resumption of the service is uncertain,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

The 35km train route was built in 1956 to carry stones from Chhatak to Sylhet, according to railway sources. There are two stoppages between Chhatak and Sylhet: Afjalabad and Khajanchi. When the service was active, the train left Chhatak at 8:30am and left Sylhet at 4:30 pm.

DT

NEWS 9

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

8 deer poachers held in Sundarbans, 2kg venison seized n Tribune Report

Being exhausted by heatwave a woman drinks water from a jug while she is working at a wheat field. Wheat harvest is going on full swing everywhere in Barind area, but farmers are frustrated as price of the crop has remarkably fallen in the local markets. The photo was taken from Borshapara village of Godagari upazila, Rajshahi recently AZAHAR UDDIN

Forest guards arrested eight members of a deer poaching gang along with two kg of venison from Nandabala area of the Sundarbans under Mongla upazila early yesterday.

The arrestees were identified as Mohsin Sheikh, 45, his son Yeasin Sheikh, 25, M Badsha Sheikh, 40, Saiful Mallick, 30, Rafique Sheikh, 36, Hasibur Rahman, 32, all hailing from Shikir Danga village in Rampal upazila of the district, Ibrahim Mallick, 30, a resident of Borodia village, and Shahadat Moral, 35, of Perikhali village in the same upazila.

DFO of the Sundarbans East Zone M Amir Hossain Chowdhury said the forest guards during their regular patrol challenged a trawler and two boats in the Pashur River in the early hours.

Two kg of venison were recovered after searching the vessels. Later, the forest guards arrested the inmates of the three vessels.

A case was filed in this connection. l

No primary school in 485 Sunamganj villages n Our Correspondent, Sunamganj Schools in urban areas in Sunamganj have admitted students more than two to three times their capacities in the face of an acute shortage of government primary schools in villages.

There is no publicly-funded primary school in 485 villages under 11 upazilas, which is particularly depriving students of remote haor areas of quality education. The number of such villages in Sunamganj Sadar upazila is 157.

Each of the villages having no primary school is home to 1,000-2,000 people, according to district primary education office sources.

A total of 35 government primary schools have been established in the district as part of a project to build 1,500 schools in areas across the country where there is no school.

Of the 35, 19 are in operation and 13 have not yet been fully constructed while tenders for the remaining three have not been invited.

Namita Sarker, head teacher of Kalibari Government Primary School which is located

at the heart of the town, said a total of 810 students from pre-primary education to the fifth grade attend classes in two shifts.

“We only have two school buildings and nine classrooms to teach all these students.

Many parents from the locality and nearby areas want their children to be enrolled in the school as we have achieved a good academic achievement in terms of results,” she said.

“But we have only one toilet for all 810 students. There is no separate toilet for the teachers either. The electrical wiring in the classrooms has turned very old and there can be accidents any time.

“The floors of the school buildings erected in 2010 have become unusable. Waterlogging is commonplace in front of the school during the monsoon as there is no drainage system,” said the head teacher.

Assistant teacher Minakshi Das said students during the full summer fall sick because of poor ventilation in the classrooms.

Another assistant teacher Nazmin Mazumder said the number of students is evidently

disproportionate to the size of the classrooms.

“For this, teachers are forced to speak aloud but still the students sitting at the back struggle to listen to lectures. We also have a shortage of school benches and other furniture,” she added.

Education Officer of Sunamganj Sadar upazila, Md Solaiman Mia, admitted that schools are scanty compared to the number of students.

“The government primary schools are forced to accept many more students than their capacities, which also translates into a huge pressure on teachers. This is not an environment conducive to teaching and learning both on the part of students and teachers,” he said.

Education Officer of Dharmapasha upazila, Rokeya Akhter Khatun, said one way to reduce the pressure on existing schools is to build more schools in the upazilas.

Md Bazlur Rahman, education officer of Doarabazar upazila, said the inadequate number of teachers in many schools is another big problem that needs to be addressed. “Stu-

Unabated sand lifting from Mohananda River triggering erosion n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

A section of influential people are lifting sands illegally from the bed of the Mohananda River under Godagari upazila in Rajshahi district intensifying the threat of river bank erosion to adjacent villages.

According to sources, people of 10 coastal villages in Gangobari, Sultanganj, Sarengpur, Anupnagar and Kabutorpara are passing days in tension as rainy season has all set to start.

Locals alleged that the soil dealers have been doing their business by managing lo-

cal administration and political leaders with bribe.

The lifted soil is being sold out to the local people and nearby brick kilns at the rate of Tk150 to Tk175 per feet.

During a visit, it was found that the soil has been lifted from many parts closed to the river bed digging about 20 feet and for this a great portion of the bank may be devured in upcoming rainy session.

“If immediate steps are not taken, many parts of the coastal villages will be devoured by the flow of the river in the upcoming rainy ses-

sion,” said Abudl Hannan of Gangobari village.

“In dry session, we normally cultivate boro and different kinds of vegetables in the river bed. As the soil traders have allegedly grabbed the river bed, we are being deprived,” said Maksud Hossain of Sultanganj village.

When contacted, two local influential Jahangir Alam and Maiful Islam of Sultanganj village denied the allegation.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khalid Hossain said that he was not informed of the incident.

He also said: “I will take stern action after investigation into the incident.” l

dents living in remote and distant parts of the district are the worst sufferers.”

Chairman of Sunamganj Sadar upazila, Dewan Joynul Jakerin, said the high land prices in the municipal area is one of the biggest impediments to establishing new schools.

“The problem can be resolved if the government acquires land,” he said.

Pir Fazlur Rahman, lawmaker of Sunamganj 4, said it is sad that Sunamganj lags far behind the whole country when it comes to access to education.

“During the fifth session of the tenth parliament, I urged the finance minister to take plans for resolving the existing problems in the haor areas. I also urged to take development plans,” he said.

Md Hazrat Ali, Sunamganj district primary education officer, said the higher authorities had been informed of the villages devoid of primary schools.

“Now it is up to the government to decide how many schools they will establish in the district,” he added. l

Tailback on DhakaChittagong Highway n Our correspondent, Munshiganj An 8km long tailback was created on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway yesterday as a goods-laden truck broke down on a bridge.

Bhaberchar Highway Police Outpost’s Sergeant Md Saiful Islam said: “A goods laden truck went out of order on the Meghna-Gomati bridge at 4am creating a tailback up to 8km on both sides.” The truck was removed with a wrecker at 8:30am. The traffic movement on the bridge returned normal at 11:30am.

The weekend saw a rush of vehicles on the highway. A number of buses, trucks and private cars remained stuck in the traffic jam. l

DT

10 WORLD

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

Obama set for key Castro meeting in Panama City n BBC, Panama City Delegations of 35 nations from North, Central and South America are gathering in Panama for what is being billed as a “historic” Summit of the Americas starting Friday, for two days.

Not only will it be Cuba’s first, it is also the first time former foes Barack Obama and Raul Castro will meet since a recent thaw in relations.

The two shook hands once before, at Nelson Mandela’s funeral in 2013.

But their encounter in Panama is the moment all the photographers gathered here are waiting for.

The length and warmth of their handshake is set to be pored over by analysts for clues as to how their relationship is progressing since the surprise announcement on 17 December that they would seek to re-establish diplomatic ties.

On Friday, Obama and Castro spoke on the phone after arriving in Panama City, according to a Facebook post by Jorge Leganoa, the deputy director of Cuba’s state-run National Information Agency.

He provided no additional details but White House officials confirmed to news agencies the call had taken place.

On the margins

US Secretary of State John Kerry, centre right, and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno RodrÌguez, centre left, flanked by their respective advisers, sit together in Panama City on Thursday holding a bilateral meeting - the first between officials at their level since 1958 REUTERS Cuba be removed from the US list of countries which sponsor terrorism.

President Obama said on Thursday that all he was waiting for now was a recommendation from his advisers, leaving many expecting an announcement at the summit.

The White House has been playing coy, saying that while there are no plans for any formal one-to-one meetings between the two presidents, there may well be an opportunity to “meet on the margins.”

This is in keeping with the secrecy which surrounded the talks that led up to the December announcement.

It is something which seems to have worked well for the two sides and which they

appear reluctant to let go of just yet.

The US and Cuban leaders shook hands during Nelson Mandela’s funeral in 2013 Hopes that they would have reopened their embassies by the time of the summit have already been dashed.

But one of the main hurdles on the road to re-establishing full diplomatic ties is tantalisingly close to being lifted.

The State Department has recommended

Polish festival drops Balkan maestro Bregovic over Crimea remarks

Iran denounces Saudi-led campaign in Yemen

n AFP, Warsaw

A Polish music festival on Thursday said it cancelled an appearance by famous Balkan composer Goran Bregovic over his comments about Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula, which Russia annexed last year.

Poland has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters over the last year as Ukrainian soldiers have fought pro-Russian separatists in the country’s east.

Started in 2010, the annual rock music festival takes place in the Polish southern city of Oswiecim, where Nazi Germany built the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp during World War II. The Life Festival Oswiecim stands “against war and all forms of aggression, racism, anti-Semitism and human rights violations,” the organisers said in a statement on the festival website.

Organisers condemned comments made

by Sarajevo-born Bregovic, one of the most famous musicians in the Balkans, following a March 26 concert in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol.

Bregovic was reported to have praised Russia and urged the West to be “cured of its paranoia.”

“The performer’s statements run contrary to the values cherished by the Life Festival founders,” they said. l

n Agencies Iran’s highest political authority has denounced the Saudi-led intervention against Houthi fighters in Yemen, in what appears to be the strongest criticism of the campaign so far by an Iranian leader.

Ayatollah Ali Khameini said on Thursday Saudi Arabia would not be victorious in its war against the Zaydi Shia fighters, and described the aerial bombardment as “genocide.”

“This is a crime and genocide that can be prosecuted in international courts,” Khamenei said of the air raids carried out

by Saudi Arabia and its allies, Reuters news agency reported.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly accused Iran of arming and supporting Houthi fighters, who control Yemen’s capital Sanaa and who were on the verge of capturing the southern port city of Aden, where President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was based, before the Saudi air strikes began.

Iran summoned the Saudi charge d’affaires in Tehran in response to those “baseless accusations,” IRNA news agency said.

Khamenei also criticised what he called “a few inexperienced young men” controlling foreign affairs in Saudi Arabia, a veiled reference to the Saudi king’s son, Mohammed bin

Fly in the ointment

But for all the warm glow around the the newly rekindled relationship between the

Salman, the defence minister who is leading the air campaign.

“They prefer barbaric behaviour over dignity,” Khamenei said in comments reported

by Associated Press news agency.

Khameini’s comments follow a plea by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani for all sides to bring an end to hostilities.

“To the countries in the region, I say, let’s adopt the spirit of brotherhood. Let’s respect each other and other nations ... do not kill innocent children. Let’s think about an end to the war, about ceasefire and humanitarian assistance,” Rouhani said.

The Iranian condemnation came as Houthi fighters and allied military units captured Ataq, the capital of oil-rich Shabwa province, despite 16 days of bombardment by the Saudi air force.

Strikes in Sanaa yesterday targeted weapons storage sites used by soldiers loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a powerful supporter of the Houthis.

The air raids, which hit the Defence Ministry and other facilities, lasted hours, residents told Reuters news agency.

Also yesterday, two planes carrying emergency medical aid landed in Sanaa, the first deliveries from international aid groups since the heavy fighting began. l

two old foes, there is also nervousness about another meeting - between President Obama and his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro.

There have been tensions between the two countries for years but relations reached a new low last month.

On March 9, President Obama signed an executive order imposing sanctions on Venezuelan officials suspected by the US of committing human rights abuses.

The order stated that the situation in Venezuela constituted “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”

The wording caused outrage not just in Venezuela, which regularly accuses the US of interference and of fomenting coups against President Maduro, but also in other Latin American nations.

Venezuela’s left-wing allies predictably denounced it, but there was also concern among members of regional group Unasur and countries which would not automatically jump to Maduro’s defence.

And more than 10 million people followed Maduro’s call to sign a document demanding its repeal.

In the run-up to the summit, US officials have been trying to play down the significance of the order’s wording, calling it “completely pro forma” and assuring Venezuela that “the US does not believe that Venezuela poses a threat to national security.”

But Maduro, who is himself not one to mince his words, is unlikely to pass up the opportunity to vent his anger on such grand a stage.

Just as with the handshake between Obama and Castro, the photographers will be at the ready. l

Erdogan won’t restore Egyptian ties ‘until Morsi freed’

n Reuters

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, says Egypt should free ousted president Mohamed Morsi from prison and lift death sentences against his supporters before Ankara could consider an improvement in relations with Cairo.

Ties between the two former allies have been strained since then Egyptian army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi toppled elected president Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 after mass protests against his rule.

Egyptian security forces then mounted a fierce crackdown against the Brotherhood, killing hundreds of its supporters as they protested in Cairo, arresting thousands and putting Morsi and other leaders on trial.

“Morsi is a president elected by 52% of the votes. They should give him his freedom,” Erdogan was quoted by Turkish newspapers as telling reporters as he returned from an official visit to Iran.

An official from Erdogan’s office confirmed his comments.

Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood has close ties with Turkey’s ruling AK Party, which Erdogan co-founded and which has emerged as one of the fiercest international critics of Morsi’s removal, calling it an “unacceptable coup” by the army. l

DT

WORLD 11

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

China blasts Obama over military ‘muscle’ in South China Sea n AFP, Beijing Beijing hit back Friday at US President Barack Obama’s criticism of Chinese construction in the disputed South China Sea, arguing that it is Washington that has greater military “muscle.”

The Chinese foreign ministry’s retort came a day after Obama warned that Beijing was “using its sheer size and muscle to force countries into subordinate positions,” amid reports of controversial Chinese land reclamation efforts.

“The US leader talked about China’s ‘sheer size and muscle’, but one can also see clearly who has the biggest size and muscle in the world,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing.

She called on Washington to “genuinely make efforts to safeguard peace and stability” in the region.

Beijing asserts sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including areas near the coasts of other states, using a line that first appeared on Chinese maps in the 1940s.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all have overlapping claims.

Newly-released satellite images on the

Pakistan parliament backs neutrality in Yemen conflict

n Agencies

Pakistan’s parliament has unanimously passed a resolution affirming the country’s “neutrality” in the Yemen conflict, in a move that indicates the South Asian country will not be joining a Saudi-led military coalition that is currently fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen.

A joint session of parliament has been debating the issue in the capital Islamabad all week, and unanimously passed the resolution, presented by Ishaq Dar, the finance minister, yesterday afternoon.

The resolution expresses the “desire that Pakistan should maintain neutrality in the Yemen conflict,” while reaffirming Pakistan’s “unequivocal support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

Members of parliament agreed that Pakistan would “stand shoulder to shoulder” with Saudi Arabia in case of a violation of that country’s territorial integrity, or a threat to Muslim holy sites in Mecca and Medina.

The vote yesterday comes on the heels of frenetic diplomatic activity, with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iranian foreign minister, in Islamabad for a two-day visit that concluded on Thursday, following Pakistani leader Nawaz Sharif’s meetings in Turkey with that country’s leadership on the issue.

Pakistani leaders have also met senior Saudi officials in Riyadh in the last two weeks, while the country’s military leadership has been in talks with Iran and Egypt.

Pakistan, alongside regional ally Turkey, has placed itself as a peace broker in the conflict, calling on the UN and Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) to take a pro-active role in fostering dialogue to end the conflict. l

website of the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank show a flotilla of Chinese vessels dredging sand onto a feature known as Mischief Reef.

Before-and-after images of other outcrops in the Spratly Islands show aircraft runways appearing from jungle, smooth-sided solid masses where there once was coral and man-made harbours replacing natural reefs.

Analysts say the pictures show how China is attempting to create “facts in the water” to bolster its territorial claim.

Manila, among the most vocal critics of Beijing’s actions in the region, on Friday appealed to the international community to intervene conceding it and other countries were powerless to stop China’s construction of the artificial islands.

“We are asking the international community to tell China that what it is doing is wrong, and to ask China to stop this reclamation work,” Philippine foreign affairs spokesman Charles Jose told AFP. China’s declared defence budget of 886.9 billion yuan ($142.9 billion) this year is 55

times the Philippines’ 115.5 billion pesos ($2.6 billion).

Manila believes Beijing is rushing the reclamation to undermine a United Nations ruling expected next year on a Philippine challenge to its claims, Jose said.

“We think China has a plan and they think they have the means to do it and they can actually do it. So that’s why they’re doing it,” he said.

On Thursday, Obama waded into the debate, telling a town hall meeting during a visit to Jamaica that Beijing should not push around countries with which it is in dispute in the South China Sea. “Just because the Philippines or Vietnam are not as large as China doesn’t mean that they can just be elbowed aside,” Obama said.

The United States has no claim of its own in the region, but broadly supports its Asian allies against Chinese pressure and has asserted that freedom of navigation is in its national interest.

Hua on Friday maintained that China has maintained “security and peace” in the region and was working with neighbouring countries. l

India on verge of deal for French Rafale jets

WIKI COMMONS

n Reuters India is close to finalising a deal for dozens of Rafale fighter jets during its Prime Minister’s visit to France on Friday, four French officials said, an agreement that would come after three years of talks between the two countries on a larger contract.

Le Monde newspaper reported earlier on Friday that talks centred on the purchase of 63 Rafale jets for $7.7 billion.

A French diplomatic source said there could be an announcement as early as Friday evening but the deal could involve fewer planes: more than the 24 France sold to Egypt in February but fewer than 50.

“There were discussions that lasted

throughout the night,” said a French government source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the talks. “We are probably in the final straight. We have never been so close.”

Two other French sources said talks were continuing throughout Friday.

Indian officials confirmed a major push to reach an agreement to buy the Rafales during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.

Talks have been going on for more than three years amid differences over pricing and local assembly for the planes, which are manufactured by Dassault Aviation.

The firm, whose shares were up 3.6 percent by 1526 GMT, declined to comment, as did the French presidency and the defence ministry. l

Obama says concerned China bullying others in South China Sea

n Reuters, Kingston/Beijing

US President Barack Obama said Washington is concerned China is using its “sheer size and muscle” to push around smaller nations in the South China Sea, drawing a swift rebuke from Beijing which accused the United States of being the bully.

China’s rapid reclamation around seven reefs in the Spratly archipelago of the South China Sea has alarmed other claimants, such as the Philippines and Vietnam, and drawn growing criticism from US government officials and the military.

While the new islands will not overturn US military superiority in the region, workers are building ports and fuel storage depots and possibly two airstrips that experts have said would allow Beijing to project power deep into the maritime heart of Southeast Asia.

“Where we get concerned with China is where it is not necessarily abiding by international norms and rules and is using its sheer size and muscle to force countries into subordinate positions,” Obama told a town-hall event in Jamaica on Thursday.

“We think this can be solved diplomatically, but just because the Philippines or Vietnam are not as large as China doesn’t mean that they can just be elbowed aside,” he said. l

Democratic official: Clinton to announce presidential bid Sunday

n Reuters, Washington

Hillary Clinton is expected on Sunday to announce, via video and social media, her intention to seek the Democratic presidential nomination, a party official told Reuters yesterday.

Following the announcement, the former secretary of state will travel to the key primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire, said the source, who is close to Clinton.

“She’s expected to make her intention to run known on Sunday,” the source said.

In her previous presidential run in 2008, Clinton lost to the current president, Barack Obama, in part because of the Obama campaign’s clever use of social media to draw attention to his candidacy and raise huge sums through small donations.

Her use of social media is also an appeal to young voters, whom Clinton needs to become American’s first woman president. In 2012, young political staffers made the now 67-year-old former first lady an Internet sensation with the blog “Texts from Hillary.”

Also yesterday, Clinton released an update to her memoir, “Hard Choices,” in which she described her final days as secretary of state and her feelings about her first grandchild, as her campaign is expected to concentrate on making her relatable to ordinary Americans.

“Becoming a grandmother has made me think deeply about the responsibility we all share as stewards of the world we inherit and will one day pass on. Rather than make me want to slow down, it has spurred me to speed up,” she wrote. l

DT

12 EDITORIAL

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

Sustainable energy needs sustainable pricing

W

e welcome the prime minister’s request to power board officials to adjust electricity prices to reduce the gap between the cost of production and the price of the utility.

There is no justification for the Power Development Board to be spending more on producing and procuring electricity at a higher cost than the price which consumers are charged.

Sustainable prices are imperative for the country to develop and ensure sustainable energy supplies.

For the government to fulfill its stated vision of energy security through increased investment in developing new gas and oil supplies and encouraging greater use of renewable energy sources, it has to start getting pricing right.

Pricing policies must be reformed to enhance incentives to cut waste and invest in new energy sources. This requires an end to the policy of spending valuable taxpayer funds on subsidies which artificially keep the costs of gas and electricity low This would not only reduce wasteful consumption but would provide power companies with more funds to invest in improving distribution and production. It would also free up scarce funds that could be better invested in education and development, and be used to support renewable energy development The government must join up pricing polices so they support its longterm goal of providing electricity for all and delivering energy security. Making better use of market mechanisms to discourage waste and encourage companies to invest in newer and more sustainable energy supplies is the right way forward.

Cut subsidies to cut waste and incentivise investment

Consult widely on pension plans

I

t is reported the government plans to bring in legislation to upgrade and develop public and private pension schemes in Bangladesh.

This is a huge undertaking with major implications for all citizens and employers in the land. It is imperative that the government consults widely and draws upon lessons available from other countries, to ensure the schemes it proposes are practical to implement and can deliver benefits at optimum cost.

Foresight now can pay many dividends by reducing administrative costs and maximising investment opportunities for pension funds in future.

With our youthful population and the demographic dividend of many more people entering the workforce than leaving it, now is definitely the right time to start saving to provide funds for people in retirement.

In practice there are many questions to be explored. The mooted Citizens’ Pension to guarantee a set monthly sum to poorer senior citizens is the simplest to consider, as it can build on experience from social safety net programs.

Proposals for a Private Sector Pension Program however, require much deeper consideration.

How will it be funded? If contributions are compulsory, how high is fair and what tax benefits can be used to increase them? How and who will invest funds? Will benefits be guaranteed and transferable between employers?

There is certainly merit in trying to establish a framework that helps all employees. To work in practice though, the government has to be able to answer such questions in detail. It must get the principles and details right, from the beginning.

Foresight now in getting details right will pay dividends

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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Obesity and gender-discrimination March 28

Mac Haque I seriously doubt if Sohail has had too much of an opportunity going out for a jog or walk in Dhaka city and his generalisations indicate neither has he done any research on the subject.

I happen to live in Mirpur which is essentially a middle class suburb and go out almost every morning for a jog and free Pranayama Yoga classes that are offered in two separate venues around the two stadiums in the area. No less than 5 to 10,000 people in Mirpur of both gender go about walking or jogging, and in my Yoga class almost 80% of attendees are women!

They include pre and post teen women in fashionable western sports wear, stretch jeans and T-shirts, as well as women who we would otherwise pass off as “Hefazat/ Jamaat types” wearing hijab, nikabs with salwar kameez being the most common and popular wear. As far as age demography is concerned, they range from maybe 10 to 80+ years. That said, the prettiest part in Mirpur to go jogging is the Mirpur DOHS and there too the picture is much the same.

While I have missed the DT piece on women with obesity, the issue really is: We have made absolutely no efforts to encourage the culture of well being and physical fitness.

For instance, there are no TV shows on the subject (with breakfast shows the usual fare of obscene political pontification) nor have anybody made any effort to figure out what is already on offer and dessiminate objective informations on the same. Also, what about the hundreds upon thousands of men and women out in the morning at Ramna Park, Suhrawardy Uddyan, Hatir Jheel parks in an around Banani, Gulshan, Baridhara, Uttara -- and I am not even mentioning the many smaller localities and neighbourhoods? Have we any datas on “fitness freaks” nationwide?

As far as safety and security is concerned, I do not recall reading any reports of women either being raped or subject to sexual harassment during morning walks. Quite on the contrary, on the flipside -- what I see on a day to day basis, especially in Mirpur, is the delightful sight of hundreds of thousands of women out on “morning walks for survival” -the garments workers’ brisk walking on their

way to their jobs. It’s really up to us to figure out the mechanisms of how women in the financially marginalised spectrum of society feel and remain “safe” and co-exist peaceably at all times of the day or night with the male gender which on the flipside our affluent cannot or will not? What also needs to be discarded together with our closet mollahism is also our vulgar and degrading elitist trappings that provokes fear mongering.

Barney Underwood True, you never see middle class women walking, let alone jogging. This is why we need young women going round in miniskirts and bikinis to take people’s minds away from middle-aged women who just want to lose some weight. It’s the ultimate soution and would be incusive by giving religious parties something to talk about as well. Come on sisters.

Zed Lucky to get home without cuts and bruises?

I understand that the situation of women in our country is not particularly promising, but isn’t it stretching a bit? When I go out to jog in the morning, it proves quite difficult to maneuver around the throngs of aunties walking about. There are some who also jog. I can’t vouch for other places, but if you come to Dhaka sometime, go to the parks in Gulshan, Banani, and Baridhara in the morning or evening and you will see middle-aged and older women walking or jogging.

Dreampie A meaty subject. munazir This culture must stop. I didn’t, however, understand why a middle-aged woman will have cuts and bruises (at the least) for going out jogging in track suits. Going out in groups might help to keep the walkers-runners safe. More importantly, the city corp/govt needs to ensure that there are sufficient foothpaths so that women can walk feeling safe. I see RMG workers walking miles to and back from work. Guess staying in groups help them stay safe.

Mohammad Zaman Higher prevalence of allergy and asthma is directly linked to societal affluence and its ugly doppelganger -- warmer climate …

Until I read Esam Sohail’s piece, I had not thought of the effect of affluence on female obesity. Now, when thinking of my last trip to Dhaka, I recall every middle-aged female I have in Dhaka was overweight ...

Thanks Esam.

DT

OPINION 13

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

The sixth mistake n FS Aijazuddin

I

f ever Pakistan needed a spinal transplant, it is now. X-rays have revealed that, whatever rudimentary backbone it may have had at birth, over the years that has atrophied.

On two occasions recently, it has taken intervention at the highest level for the flabby administrative organs of our government to take action. It took a chief of army staff to order the director-general rangers to remove decade-old illegal encroachments outside Bilawal House in Karachi, before the culprit -- a former president -- “volunteered” to remove them himself.

It took an order from the chief minister of Punjab for his police to arrest the son of a former foreign minister of state for killing an innocent young man in a fit of drunken road rage in Lahore’s Cavalry Ground. The culprit was traced to Khushab, surrendered and then confessed.

If Pakistan needs a new spine, some medico-sociologists might prescribe a number of other replacement procedures as well. It could benefit, for example, from lung transplants to replace those damaged by polluted air.

It badly needs a new pair of kidneys for those destroyed by contaminated undrink-

able water. It could do with a new liver to process food adulterated with invisible toxic additives. What about a stomach transplant in place of one ravaged by gluttonous self-indulgence?

A heart transplant to replace one thickened by callousness and insensitivity? Or cornea transplants to enable us to see our national priorities in perspective?

Everybody needs a head and within it a brain that can think, can reason. Our prime ministers as the head of government are expected to rationalise and decide what is in our body politic’s best interest, and what is not.

Today, Nawaz Sharif finds himself again a victim of political schizophrenia. It happened once before in May 1998 when, after the Indian nuclear blasts at Pokhran, he had to decide whether to retaliate or not.

A visitor who met him during those days of incalculable tension recalls, that during the 20-minute interview, the prime minister’s concern appeared to be primarily when his guest’s elders had quit the old city of Lahore (andrun-e-shehr) and whether another branch of relatives had come from Ferozepur or from its andrun-e-shehr.

He exhibited a similar sang froid at the recent Joint Session of Parliament while the prodigal PTI returned to its seats after

agitating for weeks to remove him from his. A former president of PTI has revealed that the 126-day long dharnas last November/December had been orchestrated by the former head of ISI General Shuja Pasha.

No one in parliament (with the possible exception of Aitzaz Ahsan) is a classicist. Had they been, they would have been warned

by Cicero against such unconstitutional interventions: “A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.

For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist.

A murderer is less to fear.”

Watching Mian Nawaz Sharif’s calm unruffled demeanour of late indicates that he has made up his mind on the Saudi/Yemen crisis.

He can see the dangers churning in the whirl-

pool into which Pakistan is being sucked, by invitation. He must have calculated the predictable sectarian backlash between the Shias and the Sunnis within the country and on its border with Iran.

But he is bowed by the burden of the debt his country owes to Saudi Arabia and his family to the House of Saud. He knows that largesse is a rain-check, issued by affluent desert tribals who wish to encash it with the Saudi equivalent of interest.

The Saudis expect their kindnesses to be repaid in military kind. Being a politician, Nawaz Sharif will appear to manoeuvre, prevaricate, stall, but to understand his true mind, one should remember that the first azan at his political birth was read in his ear by General Ziaul Haq, and that he once aspired to be Ameer ul Momineen.

If our parliament is bereft of classicists, so are the United States and Saudi Arabia. Had they opened their Cicero, they would have read his warning of the six mistakes that mankind has made century after century.

The last mistake in Cicero’s list reads: “Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.” l FS Aijazuddin lives in Lahore and is a columnist for Dawn, Pakistan’s main English-language newspaper.

This article was first published in Dawn.

Are we poor? n Panuel Rozario Prince

S

ince the beginning, developed countries have been trying to “develop” the two-thirds of the world’s population who live in the “Third World” countries to be more like the West, neglecting their profound historical, cultural, and political uniqueness.

Some argue that the idea of international development is an extension of the Eurcentric imperialist vow to reshape the world in the image of Europe and North America.

Perhaps, the people living in Africa and Asia are in a terrible and primitive condition from which they needed to be rescued!

So, the Western scholars started conducting big budget research projects on innovative ideas and theories of change -- most of them are biased by western thought -- of how underdevelopment, as well as poverty, can be washed away radically.

Ironically, they are still struggling to bring in desired widespread dramatic change, despite the Western idea of releasing poorer people from the “poverty trap” by upgrading their living conditions through a huge influx of cash, in-kind support, and massive infrastructural development.

In many cases, when a chronically malnourished, poor community of the Third World is given readymade foods as an aid from the First World, the community does not actually eat more or change its food habits, instead, community members replace their boring foods with more interesting ones and technically remain malnourished. If the head of a typical poor family in the Third World gets enough money as aid to increase the food spending of the whole family, many of them will choose tobacco, gambling, or

going to the cinema.

Even in countries where the mega development projects were successful, the beneficiaries were not likely to get good jobs or make more money. This happens due to the unceasing injection of the First World’s “theory of changes” into the social structure of the Third World, discarding the important differences between Western and Eastern thought.

Being underdeveloped, or poor, is more a political and culturally predisposed concept than a general and measurable economic indicator. For example: Western philosophy weighs the worthiness of life’s pursuits based on material outcomes. People need to have money and resources to become capable of doing what they want to do (eg pursuing higher standards of living through owning modern homes, having inorganic readymade foods, buying medical and educational services, accessing different types of entertainment, and so on) in order to be happy.

Conversely, Eastern philosophy believes in a reverse order, where people’s happiness is independent of what they “have” or “do.” It argues that being happy is an inner reality, and not determined by external circumstances.

The international development community must admit to the basic rules of nature, and the difference in ecology which promote boundless diversity in cultural and political practices. Millions of people in Africa and Asia cannot read, afford good food, or get basic security for their lives due to a complex system of culture, politics, history, laws, infrastructure, and individuals. These are important parts of their society which determine both harmony and discord.

When donors pour billions of dollars into

BIGSTOCK

improving the living conditions and lifestyles of these communities, they change it in a way that communities could not have expected, and the people sometimes become greedy.

Poor people intentionally worsen their conditions and start preferring a low standard of living to get more aid. In many cases, government stakeholders also become reluctant to perform their duties, since they feel the foreign donors are replacing their obligations and taking the lead.

It is true that those countries really need financial aid, and that developed countries will have to continue putting more money in those territories -- otherwise the “Global Village” will collapse and international trade will become stagnant.

Hence, if rich countries want to help poor ones, they need to spend more time knowing them. Understanding of the culture and po-

litical context requires deep local knowledge, which is dependent upon lived experience in local conditions.

The theory of change needs to be tested and adjusted regularly in different contexts and time frames. Development is a slow process, and cannot be attained with a standard mega program.

No human being on Earth is poor. Funding is not needed to develop the citizens of the Third World. A people-centric approach is required where the beneficiaries will feel self-respect, ownership, and the worth of being human. Western concepts need to be combined with local ideas. Donors must engage the government, the private sector, and the community as active partners to uphold stakeholders’ morale. l Panuel Rozario Prince works as an NGO professional.

DT

14 OPINION

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

BIGSTOCK

Of mayors, here and there n Esam Sohail

I

t is said that elections are the feasts of democracy. The sights, sounds, and smells of boisterous canvassing, the jockeying for popular support, the strategising and polling … that is potent cocktail for a heady adrenaline rush for political junkies.

Right out of college, and through graduate school, I spent plenty of time in the thick of such heady campaigns, canvassing, doing telephone polls, putting together events and whatnot. One of my favourite mementoes is a picture with former President George HW Bush taken in Iowa when my friends and I were camped out there during a fall helping out his son President George W Bush in his own quest for the presidency.

I get the excitement being generated for the city corporation elections in Dhaka and Chittagong, trust me I do. The possibility of elections seems to have already reduced the tension and gloom in the political atmosphere and provided a valve for pent up political energies to be channeled in slightly more wholesome pursuits.

But the analyst in me has the usual tough question: What exactly is the end-purpose of a mayor and councilors in the city corporations in Bangladesh? And that is even with the rather overtly optimistic and naive assumption that the elections will be free, fair, and transparent, and that the individuals getting the most votes will assume and keep office.

As I write this, balloting is underway for the mayoral and city council elections in

my modest North American city of about 400,000 people. A competitive race -- ostensibly non-partisan like Dhaka’s and Chittagong’s, but with party supporters obviously involved -- between two strong candidates for mayor and several for each of the open city council seats makes for an interesting evening watching the returns.

you get a picture of a mayor and councilors who are actually responsible to their fellow citizens for some serious quality of life issues.

And what do the mayors of Dhaka and Chittagong do? Or for that matter, what exactly do the ward commissioners do?

Let’s go beyond the symbolic and prestigious. Apart from attesting certificate copies,

And what do the mayors of Dhaka and Chittagong do? Or for that matter, what exactly do the ward commissioners do?

But it is more than just interesting: These results will have an effect on the lives of city dwellers. How so? Well, for starters, the mayor and city council are collectively responsible for the city’s police and fire departments, including the hiring, sacking, equipping, and disciplining members of these emergency response forces.

City planning, building inspections, municipal courts, and zoning are also in the exclusive purview of the municipal government as is the provision of water and sewage lines. Throw in the maintenance of the city’s parks, roads, airports, and bus service, and

supervising the dilapidated garbage-hauling mechanism, and contracting out vegetable and cattle markets, is there anything else for which the municipal corporation mayors and councilors in Bangladesh are responsible to their citizens? City planning -- or what passes for it in Bangladesh -- is the province of the different development authorities, there are no city parks left worth the name, roads are dug up by every department from RHD to PWD and filled by nobody, Wasa and DESCO handle water and power respectively (if hardly responsibly), while the police and fire services are controlled with an iron fist by the

home ministry.

Heck, even the constant renaming of major city thoroughfares is dictated by the sensibilities and sycophancies of cabinet members.

In other words, with the exception of the ability to impose certain limited levels of property taxation, the notion of local government simply does not apply to the municipal corporations of Bangladesh in any meaningful manner.

Such practical impotence perhaps explains why the current regime has summarily dismissed and jailed the elected mayors of several other metropolises whose only crime seemed to have been a refusal to join the ruling coterie.

I am not contending that the titular prestige of being a mayor or ward boss in a capital city isn’t important. It is. But it should and can be effective as well as important. For starters, the Constitution of Bangladesh provides a pretty direct mandate for establishing effective local governments at all levels-municipal, upazilla, and district.

That particular mandate has been followed with just as much fidelity as the other constitutional mandates regarding a national ombudsman, an independent judiciary, and free speech.

Wouldn’t it make sense to have municipal governments that do a little more than attest school leaving certificates? l Esam Sohail is an educational research analyst and college lecturer of social sciences. He writes from Kansas, USA.

DT

LONG FORM 15

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

The politics of remembering and forgetting Shurjo Sen and Bhagat Singh

Neglected?

n Garga Chatterjee

I

f you live within the territorial limits of the Union of India, it is very likely that you were unaware of two important red-letter days in late March. You are not alone. Bhagat Singh was executed on March 23, 1931 and Shurjo Sen was born on March 22, 1894. Governments that utilise half a chance to put full-page ads and billboards with various fathers, mothers, and other demigods of the nation silently let those dates pass. For dwelling too much on these characters can create doubts in the minds of subjects brought up on a steady dose of “swaraj” via Congress mid-wived ahimsa.

The anti-colonial struggle (even keeping aside other kinds of contemporaneous struggles for the moment) might start taking many more hues beyond the tri-colour. Hue-expansion is not easy, especially after more than 60 years of mythification. Myths solidify in time, memories that contest those myths fade. In a nation-state that has successfully been able to portray violence that is not sanctioned by the state as intrinsically evil, the role of violence being a constitutive part of the anti-colonial struggle (the good fight) might give such kind of oppositional forms legitimacy if not legality. All the more reason, certain characters will go unsung or passed over.

Just for the record, Shurjo Sen, a school-teacher in Chittagong and a non-Gandhi type of Congressite, was a Bengali anti-colonial revolutionary who led his group of fellow-revolutionaries to raid the British armoury in Chittagong. A huge British retaliation holed up his band in the Jalalabad hills, where most of his compatriots were martyred. He was caught after being in disguise through various safe-house networks.

Tortured by having his teeth broken by a hammer, nails pulled out, and limbs and joints broken, his unconscious body was hanged. So electric was the potential of his remains that his body was thrown in an unknown location in the Bay of Bengal. From freedom seeking revolutionary school-masters to millionaire fundamentalist demagogues, the forces of the West have always feared the power of a dead body among coloured people.

Bhagat Singh is arguably the most popular revolutionary in Punjab and the upper and middle Gangetic plains of the subcontinent in the late 1920s and early 1930s. His stature remains unblemished today, inspite of the extended posthumous murder scheme by a combination of neglect and lip-service -something that the Indian Union is adept at.

Bhagat Singh was associated with the murder of the cruel British police officer Saunders, to avenge Lala Lajpat Rai’s death by police beatings. Bhagat Singh and his compatriot Batukeshwar Dutta threw bombs (with no intention to kill and no one was killed either) and leaflets inside the Central Legislative Assembly, and courted arrest shouting “Inquilab Zindabad” (Long live, Revolution).

He was a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. He was executed by the British government and their brown collaborators in the form of Lahore jail authorities and personnel. The end after the end was strikingly similar to Masterda Shurjo Sen’s. Jail authorities secretly broke the rear wall of their own jail (Bhagat Singh’s supporters kept vigil at the front), cremated him and his other executed comrades near village Ganda Singh Wala (Kasur, West Punjab) and threw all remains and ashes into the mighty Sutlej so that the great martyr

disappears without a trace. He hasn’t and for that the people are responsible, not their government.

In today’s Lahore, few want Bhagat Singh.

In post-partition India, few beyond West Bengal (and there too, a dwindling tribe) remember Shurjo Sen. Such is the fate of the selfless and childless types. There is one thing common among the people the state wants us to forget. They don’t have children and grandchildren sitting in the parliament.

But keeping alive certain fat cats’ ancestors’ names is not anyone’s duty as a citizen, is it?

The nation-states in the subcontinent provides a long afterlife to such ancestors.

The Indian Union also fancies itself as the “successor” to all things sub-continental. It is true that this successor status is partly due to the overtly sectarian “national-culture” idiom in the successor states of the Republic of Pakistan. Its all good to appropriate the dead -- they don’t physically spit back. Masterda Shurjo Sen’s armed insurrection against the colonial occupation in Chittagong and myriad such events, ideas, conceptions, ownerships, get projected exclusively, onto the post-partition Indian Union.

This has given rise to a misshapen, smug, and imperial vision of one’s past. Shurjo Sen punctures this fancy. He remains palpably alive in East Bengal than anywhere else.

Even in the recent protests at Shahbag, lakhs raised slogans in his name. “Shurjo Sen-er banglaye, jamaat-shibirer thhai nai.”

(No place for Jamaat-Shibir in Shurjo Sen’s Bengal). While such chanting is tactical (no such “Hindu” name in the post-47 stars of that nation-state), that such a tactic is even possible points to a different kind of political idiom and remembrance. No such mass currency of his name in West Bengal, let alone the Indian Union.

In the Indian Union, many viewers of the two recent Shurjo Sen movies (Chittagong and Khele Hum Ji Jan Se) came to know of him for the first time through the movies.

The language of both films is Hindi. The Indian Union has never had jurisdiction over the area where the actual events and the film-plots are largely set. Bollywood has taken this location without its people and has managed to mangle it, to make it palatable and understandable to a Hindi-understanding audience. Shurjo Sen and his compatriots largely spoke Bengali and Chittagonian.

Shurjo Sen and Chittagong can be packaged with technological finesse.

The past is always better suited for appropriation. Hence Shurjo Sen, the “Indian,” can be sold -- distinct and divorced from the contemporary “Bangladeshi” backdrop of illegals and border-killings. Of Shurjo Sen being a “Bangladeshi” in the post-71 nation-state sense is also dubious, but at least it is a complicated appropriation -- partly reflecting the lines of fissure of that polity. Nation-states are the worst possible short-hand for identities, or for anything that humanity holds sacred.

However, not everything can be packaged

like this. For example, to make a Hindi film on Chawngbawia, a legendary hero of the Mizo people or a romantic drama set in a Naga village with Naga characters, will be dismissed as absurd. Shurjo Sen talking to his comrades in Hindi is also absurd -- but it can pass off. The Naga or the Mizo does not.

It cannot be mere coincidence that most of the areas where infamous kala ain Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is in force are also those whose heroes are deemed unfit for appropriation and marketing “nationally,” whatever that means. So there is a geography Bollywood has conceived, of what is “ours,” what is partly like “ours,” and what is very unlike “ours.” Though not spelt out, these conceptions need to be taken seriously. For people kill and occasionally get killed with such conceptions in mind.

Who is remembered and who is not, has to do with who has held the power to shape our textbooks and “common sense” and who didn’t. Most official heroes now have wellheeled scions staying in what is what yuppies increasingly call the NCR (National Capital Region). Albert Einstein said that “common sense” is a collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.

The questions to ask are: How did we acquire our conceptions of the past? From whom? Is there a pattern in the things we have been told? Are there other stories to be told? Why were they not told? What is the connection between the ownership of the machinery and infrastructure of story-telling and the nature of our “common sense”?

Could there be other senses, as “common,” for people beyond the pale of propaganda?

Do they have lesser rights to voice their opinions? Why so? Because they can be put behind bars, or worse still, never heard of again? In short, do we have any understanding of our past (and present) that does not, in the final analysis, derive its “legitimacy” from “might is right” and “we are good”?

Let us take the Bollywood make-up off Shurjo Sen. This has to go beyond the language issue. There is a need to contest the synergy of the Bollywood film industry and “cultural past” formation projects of the nation-state. Is there a film on Shurjo Sen made in post-71 Gonoprojatontri Bangladesh.

If yes, what is the narrative? If not, why not -- given the claim that the People’s Republic of Bangladesh is also “Shurjo Sener Bangla”?

Let us study the silences of the textbooks, that pages that were excluded, the stories that were mis-told. We might be amazed and disturbed at we find. Adulthood, among other things, is the loss of simple heroes and self-affirming binaries. Unlearning common sense is painful -- we build our conceptions of selfhood around them. But becoming adult humans, as opposed to being pupils of the state, is a necessity, to protect right from might. l Garga Chatterjee is a political and cultural commentator. He can be followed on twitter @ gargac.

DT

16 CLIMATE CHANGE

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

Study quantifies benefits unlocked by new climate action commitments ‘This new analysis shows that any governments currently formulating climate action plans should consider the significant benefits for their people that could be achieved by setting their ambition levels to maximum’

Source: NewClimate Institute for Climate Policy and Global Sustainablity. Full Report available at http://bit.do/CoBenefits

M

ore jobs, fewer deaths, and money saved from fuel imports. That’s what the climate action commitments laid out by the EU, US, and China will deliver to their nations, according to a study by NewClimate Institute, and commissioned by Climate Action Network.

The new study calculates that as well as helping reduce climate change risk, the steps outlined in the plans for these three economies will mean a total of almost 1 million new jobs by 2030. It will save the lives of around 113,000 people who will no longer die prematurely thanks to reduced air pollution, and huge savings from avoiding the high costs of imported fossil fuels.

What’s more, scaling up their commitments to be in line with the transition to economies powered by 100% renewables by mid-century will mean unlocking even more benefits for these nations. More ambitious plans would collectively create around 3 million jobs by 2030, save the lives of around 2 million people who would otherwise fall victim to deadly air pollution, and would save around US$520 billion from avoided fossil fuel imports per year. If all countries took climate actions at this scale, global warming would not cross the 20C threshold, beyond which scien-

tists predict climate change to spin out of control. Such action would also give us an even chance of staying within 1.50C -- the threshold advocated by many of the most vulnerable nations.

NewClimate Institute’s Niklas Höhne, author of the study, said: “This new analysis shows that any governments currently formulating climate action plans should consider the significant benefits for their people that could be achieved by setting their ambition levels to maximum.”

Climate Action Network chair Mohamed Adow said: “Over 100 countries have thrown their support behind a phase out of fossil fuel emissions and it’s not hard to see why -- making a just transition to 100% renewable energy is a no brainer as it means healthier economies and healthier people.”

The report comes as developed countries -- and others in a position to do so -- were expected to lodge their offers with the UN by today. These offers will form the building blocks of a new climate agreement to be signed in Paris this December.

The study shows that Europe stands to save around USD$33 billion per year on avoided fossil fuel imports through its climate action plan, but this would jump to around USD$170 billion a year if the region scaled up its offer.

China’s battle with air pollution has been well documented, as has the country’s actions to get it under control. Beijing’s new climate offer will save around 100,000 lives a year, but as they scale up their efforts that figure rises to around 1.2 million people annually.

The United States is expected to formally lodge an offer with the UN which will create around 470,000 jobs by 2030 in the country’s burgeoning renewable energy sector, with even more potential in the country’s energy efficiency sector.

This study once again confirms key findings from last year’s Fifth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which informed governments that the only way to build and retain prosperous economies is through both mitigating and adapting to climate change.

All eyes will now turn to other major -more and more isolated -- economies such as Japan, Australia, and Canada whose governments appear to have missed the deadline for lodging climate action commitments with the UN. With evidence piling up on the side of scaling up action and the multiple benefits that delivers, their people will increasingly question government decisions that fail to speed up the people-driven transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies. l This article originally appeared in ClimateNetwork.org and has been reprinted with Climate Action Network’s permission.

Source: NewClimate Institute for Climate Policy and Global Sustainablity. Full Report available at http://bit.do/CoBenefits

The new window of opportunity under the green climate fund: What’s different this time for LDCs? n Bowen Wang

T

he year 2014 took the momentum on climate action to new heights. In September 400,000 citizens of the world, made their presence loud and clear at the people’s climate march in New York, culminating all the way to the Lima Climate Forum at the end of the year. All of this is building up to a milestone agreement on climate change to be signed in Paris in December this year.

Climate finance is a major component of that deal -- how the activities to tackle climate change will be paid for. For those keeping an eye on the climate finance landscape, the most exciting progress may come from the Green Climate Fund’s (GCF) latest decisions on its accreditation mechanism. It depicts a brand new future where the least developed countries (LDCs), such as Bangladesh will be brought into a golden age for capacity upgrading, stimulated and supported by climate finance.

The Green Climate Fund is to be the main vehicle for financing global efforts in mitigating climate change and adapting to its impacts in the post-2015 era. Naturally, procedures on how national, regional and international organisations will be accredited (qualified for sufficient fiduciary capacity and thereby being entrusted with donors’ funding) to receive GCF fund for climate actions is the central concern for developing countries.

At its 8th Board Meeting, GCF has elaborated how its innovative “fit-to-purpose” accreditation mechanism will operate and improve developing countries’ accessibility to the fund. The “fit-to-purpose” approach in its nature is a “tired accreditation process.” It classifies applicants based on the scope and nature of the project or program that they intend to carry out, and requires them only to demonstrate adequate capacities to deal with tasks and risks that are corresponding to the scale and complexity of their proposed projects.

GCF does not follow a “one-size fits all” accreditation process, rather a “fit for purpose” model. It is different from the Adaptation Fund (AF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), in that way. Under the “fit for purpose” model, LDCs are required to meet the standards and safeguards to address risks for the projects of any size they wish to implement. The standards and safeguards requirements are therefore, less onerous. The “fit-to-purpose” accreditation, therefore, makes the GCF fund accessible to a much wider scope of institutions and projects, regardless of their size and capacity constraints.

On top of this, GCF allows accredited organisations to upgrade the scale and nature of intended activities as their institutional capacities evolve over time. As its capacity expands over time, it will not be judged against its previous capacity, rather on its current, enhanced capacity. This flexible arrangement enables organisations in LDCs to start their national climate actions from a basic level, giving them the necessary time and space to go through the learning curve towards conducting large projects.

It increases country ownership in a progressive manner and cuts off burdensome procedures that undermine the incentive for countries to apply for higher accreditation status.

However, challenges for LDCs emerge from the GCF’s Environmental and Social Safeguards (SEE). GCF requires organisations to address environmental and social risks at not only the project level, but also internally within their organisations. It indicates considerable institutional efforts to familiarise the SEE performance standards, develop and deploy environmental and social management systems. These tasks are new to most LDCs and they have to do their homework. From a strategic position; these challenges also provide an opportunity for countries to identify their gaps in addressing social and environmental risks, which can have many positive effects in the long run.

GCF is functionally ready to go now. Many aspects of its framework hold great potential to help LDCs strengthen their national systems to tackle climate risks and provide the financial resources to do so. Now LDCs must play their part to take advantage of the opportunity and make themselves ready to receive what GCF has to offer. l Bowen Wang is a climate change policy research consultant and visiting researcher at the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).

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CLIMATE CHANGE 17

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

Solutions for growing vegetables in the high salinity areas of coastal Bangladesh

Villagers growing vegetables in a gunny bag that fulfill their nutritional needs in a high salinity area

Bitter gourd is being grown in the corck box using rejected infusion bag for drip irrigation MD ANWAR HOSSAIN

n Md Anwar Hossain

I

n rural Bangladesh, growing vegetables and fruits in one’s own yard or homestead garden and consuming fresh produce is a very common practice among villagers.

However, this picture is fully different in the Southern coast of Bangladesh. Vegetable cultivation in crop lands and homestead gardens cannot be practiced in this area because the soil is contaminated with salt following saline water intrusion after cyclones and the unplanned expansion of shrimp farming using saline water. As the water evaporates, it leaves excess salt in the soil, increasing the

salt concentration every day.

Salinity varies from season to season (salinity increases in the dry season and decreases during the rainy season), even plot to plot. This changes the soil chemistry that makes it difficult to grow crops and vegetables. The local farmers and agriculture extension officers identified high soil salinity, lack of fresh water for irrigation, and lack of appropriate technologies as the major problems in vegetable production.

The reduction in vegetable production in homestead gardens and crop lands is reducing the intake of vegetables which is needed for a healthy diet. What villagers used to grow in their own garden, they now have to buy from

MD JAHIDUL HASAN

the market, which is an added strain on their household budget and the vegetables are often not fresh. Most of the people living in the coastal area drink rain water and desalinised water which does not contain any minerals.

So, mineral and vitamin deficiency is an acute problem of this area which leads to malnutrition, stunting, hampers mental growth of the children and also creates different types of diseases. Women and lactating mothers also suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiency.

A group of farmers of Uttar Bedkashi, Koyra with the help of Islamic Relief, Bangladesh, have showcased a number of innovations -bringing together local knowledge, resources,

and scientific know-how to improve vegetable production. To avoid salinity contamination, they sow the seeds in the gunny bag, concrete pot, or cork box. The soil is allowed to bathe in the rain water and sufficient organic matter is added to improve the soil quality. It is important to select crop species which are stress tolerant. The vegetables planted in the summer season are: Lau, (water gourd), chal kumra (white gourd), dharosh (ladies finger), dhundol (sponge gourd), kolmi shaak (water spinach), and puishak (Indian spinach). In the winter season, morich (chili), korola (bitter gourd), tomato, data (amaranth), olkopi (knolkhol), beet, and dhonia (coriander) are planted.

The monsoon cropping season requires no irrigation as there is sufficient rain. In the winter season, low cost drip irrigation technology using rejected infusion bags and mud pots are used. Winter vegetables are grown in the pits made on the shrimp dykes and sacks in homestead gardens. Vegetable cultivation uses both organic and inorganic fertilisers in appropriate doses. The yield for winter vegetables has been good so far, but the production during the monsoon season is much better.

The technologies have created much interest among villagers. The dyke cropping and sack gardening with low cost drip irrigation technology could suitably be expanded and replicated, where growing vegetables is almost absent or very poor due to high salinity. Shrimp farmers have benefited from having extra income from crop cultivation and enough vegetables for their own consumption. This has increased livelihood options as well as providing adequate nutrition for families in the area. l Md Anwar Hossain is the Deputy Program Manager (Technical), Climate Change, Islamic Relief, Bangladesh.

Can ‘CadMit’ make a difference in addressing multidimensional vulnerabilities?

Golam Rabbani and n Md Zoheb Mahmud Khan

C

limate change itself is said to be one of the most treacherous and damaging phenomena in the 21st century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states: “Taken as a whole the range of published evidence indicates that the net damage costs of climate change are likely to be significant and to increase over time.”

The implications of such are rather formidable when coupled with other significantly contributing factors such as geo-physical location. Bangladesh, a country predicted to be one of the most impacted countries by climate change has just such a geographical trait, being the delta of three major riverine systems and having its unique funnel-shaped bay.

Over the years, loss of human lives has been significantly reduced from 138,000 deaths in the 1991 cyclone to approximately 10,000 during Cyclone Sidr in 2007. However, the mortality, economic as well as non- economic loss and damages are still shocking.

Livelihood options are adversely affected by climate

induced hazards. Crop cultivation especially in the coastal region, fishing in rivers, canals, and ponds, social forestry, cattle, and poultry farms are destroyed during climatic hazards. The direct exposure of Bangladesh to these devastating occurrences and the repercussions that reverberate throughout the country are further augmented by additional factors that include poverty, education, lack of awareness on climate risks, and excessive population growth.

These multidimensional implications of climate change could perhaps have been coped with if it were not for the repeated and increasingly intensifying nature of the disasters. By the time families, farmers, communities, businesses, and governments have resurfaced from the depths of the loss from the previous disaster, another one strikes with similar, if not even greater force. Examples of the 1991, 2007, 2009 cyclones and the 1988, 1998, 2004, and 2007 floods can be cited here. The resilience and security especially in terms of food, water and sanitation they built within the intervals are damaged again if not completely washed away.

There needs to be a comprehensive approach

and support given to affected communities if these worsening figures are to be reduced and resilience of people is to be increased to make it sustainable.

Those of us working to tackle climate change have so far been following an “AdMit” (Adaptation and Mitigation) approach. Affected people and communities are being provided with alternative livelihoods, access to water and renewable energy sources. What is not being provided though, is proper compensation for the loss and damage, both collateral and otherwise, that these people are bearing due to the direct and indirect impacts of climate change. People are receiving alternative livelihoods such as poultry and crab farming and solar power systems, solar lamps and improved cook stoves. However, gaps remain such as: What is going to compensate the loss of hundreds of children who have not been able to go to school for a year in the villages of North Bedkashi Union in the Koira Upazila of Khulna after Cyclone Aila? Who is going to pay the sum total of the farmer’s house that got washed away for the second time in five years on the banks of the Jamuna river?

The approach that needs to come in is CAdMit

(Compensation, Adaption and Mitigation). Climate Change is aggravated mostly because of the centuries of greenhouse gases emitted by industrial countries.

These economies have to step up and bear the brunt of the cost being inflicted on poor rural communities of the vulnerable coastal districts of developing countries.

Without compensation, in proper and adequate forms, these communities will keep falling into the vicious cycles of increasing disasters and their impacts due to climate change. A global level “compensation fund” could be created for sustainable solutions to the poorest of the poor communities along with all adaptation and mitigations efforts. Priority of access may be given to the Least Developed Countries and most vulnerable countries like Bangladesh. l Md Golam Rabbani and Zoheb Mahmud Khan are senior researchers at the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS). BCAS is an independent, non-profit, non-government, policy, research and implementation institute working on Sustainable Development (SD) at the local, national, regional and global levels.

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.

DT

18 HERITAGE

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

The missing link

Brahmaputra.

Although the Brahmaputra is, reasonably, supposed to be the main thread of what the Chinese have called the Southern Silk Road, there has always been speculation about how ancient traders have, with ease, made the link from that river, and the subcontinent, to the nascent Yellow River as the main, riverine, route to the great urban centres of prehistoric China.

The Teesta route into Sikkim, and thence to Tibet, was, almost certainly, one such connection; as was the ancient Ledo Road from Assam through Upper Myanmar, to Yunnan.

The fact that Ptolemy clearly marked Ramcu, at a location identifiable with today’s Ramu, suggests that, in addition to valley routes towards Mandalay from Sylhet and Chittagong, there were even more easterly routes, including, no doubt, such rivers as the Naf, and the great rivers of modern Burma.

The Lohit River rises in eastern Tibet, in the Zayal Chu range of mountains, passes through Sichuan Province, and crosses into India at Kibithu. The pass through which the river enters India is in the very north of Arunachal Pradesh, not so far from the northern Myanmar border, flowing on for two hundred kilometres, through into Assam.

In this northern state of India, an ancient part of which is now in Bangladesh, it flows into the waters of the Tsangpo River, also with its origins in Tibet. The joint waters of these two rivers become the famous, holy, “son of Brahma,” the Brahmaputra. Thence, it flows to the lands around the Ganges Delta where its waters meet those of the Ganges and Meghna, forming the world’s largest delta. At the heart of modern Bangladesh.

Here, since ancient times, this diversity of trading routes to the seas around the Delta, have formed one of the world’s earliest and

Promotion of such an ancient trading route must, inevitably, include Bangladesh as the only realistic port of exit and entry

n Tim Steel

T

he Southern Silk Road, probably the earliest of all those ancient trading routes and modern tourism icons, like the rest of them across the vast lands of Central Asia, appears to have had many diversions, both major and minor.

The links between the emerging civilisations of the known world, east, west and south, have, especially along that which runs through Central Asia, left many conspicuous landmarks of the wealth that travelled that way. In China, as in Bangladesh and India, too, such traces are not hard to find.

However, water has always been regarded, logically, as the highway of the ancient world, and it is the great rivers of South Asia that have left clues to their early, and extensive use for trade between those emerging civilisations of Europe, Asia, and Africa.

It can be no accident that the earliest maps

of the world, such as the Babylonian Imago Mundi of about 600 BCE, indicates three continental parcels of land; or that the map, credited to the Milesian, Anaximander, from about 560BCE, much more clearly reveals this tripartite view of the world. By the time of the map credited to another Milesian, Hecataeus, about 500BCE, he even marks a range of mountains across Asia which it seems reasonable to credit as the Caucasian range, running into the Himalayas, in which a river rises, and runs along the front of the range to the sea, which it seems also reasonable to identify as the Ganges. The facility of mapping such features indicates the longterm age-old, and substantial experience of them.

By the time of Ptolemy’s map of the mid 2nd century CE, which clearly marks a river branching off the Ganges, and passing, northeastwards, through the Himalayan range, we are, with certainty, able to identify the

However, it may well be that the missing link in speculation about such key linkages, all of which seem to involve substantial, and necessarily hazardous mountain crossing, to date, could well be the, currently, closely protected and militarised route of the Lohit River. Rising, as it does, in Tibet, and passing through the Himalayas without, apparently, according to the distinguished French archaeologist, Jean-Francois Salles, who has done so much research in Bangladesh in recent decades, ever rising more than 1,000 metres above sea level.

This is one of the two great passes by which, in 1962, China entered Indian territory at the beginning of the Sino-Indian War. It is, however, perhaps the most navigable, by water and by waterside, through the Himalayas.

greatest centres of trade. From the delta, water borne trade reached lands, certainly west, by road and river through the Ganges basin, and, by sea, beyond, to East Asia, Arabia, Africa, and Europe. And also, the emerging nations of Southeast Asia.

There was a time when Europe regarded the lands of the eastern Mediterranean as the “cradle of civilisation.” Now, we are having to think again, as such as the Harappan Civilisation, and that of the Ganges Basin, emerge under the archaeologist’s trowel.

The lands where the waters of the Lohit enter India are still populated by a wide diversity of Tibetan Burmese tribal peoples -ancient peoples with ancient traditions. And this concentration may well have derived, historically, in this remote terrain, from the

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HERITAGE 19

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

trade that would have flowed through it, from very ancient times; as early, even, as 10,000 years before the Common Era, considering such possible linkages as the domestication of rice, that appears to have occurred in the fertile valleys of Yunnan and Sichuan, over twelve millennia ago, to be followed by such development in the Ganges Basin within

a millennium or so.

Exploration of the terrain, today, is difficult, if not impossible, in view of the military sensitivity of it as a navigable passage between the two great neighbouring, but rival, nations.

Someday, perhaps, archaeological exploration may well reveal more substantial evi-

dence of the vital linkage between emerging empires; thus far, however, it is only the self evident accessibility as a link between the archaeology of prehistoric China with its documentary and archaeological evidence of ancient, transnational trade, and the legendary, documentary and archaeological evidence of the links with the subcontinent, that provide,

largely, circumstantial evidence of them.

We may well wonder why India itself is so discrete about the identity, and the history, of this, hitherto, missing link in the consideration of the Southern Silk Road.

There was a time when Europe regarded the lands of the eastern Mediterranean as the ‘cradle of civilisation’

However, it seems reasonable to suppose that, since promotion of such an ancient trading route must, inevitably, include Bangladesh as the only realistic port of exit and entry, India has preferred not to mention it.

Perhaps, more charitably, we may also suppose that, militarily, the frontier link is so sensitive that India is reluctant to encourage tourism in the area. Especially, given some of the politically rampant independence movements in the region.

Whatever the reason, it appears that this river, known as “the river of blood,” not only, it seems, for the colour of the laterite, or rustred from the iron oxide content in its soil, but also, we may assume, from its regular site as a field of conflict, has been, for millennia, the key link between sprawling empires, and rich centres of trade. l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing, and tourism consultant.

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20 LONG FORM

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

Thai coup: Good for China, bad for US The US pressures Thai generals to plan elections, despite rocky transition and royal succession

n Shawn W Crispin

T

hroughout US global wars against communism, drugs, and terrorism, Thailand has been an indispensable strategic partner. But the recent sharp deterioration in ties was evident in January when Thailand’s Foreign Ministry summoned the top US diplomat in Bangkok to register displeasure over the State Department’s critical comments about the country’s military rule. As the erstwhile allies drift apart, China has moved to fill the gap with economic and strategic overtures aimed at countering the US pivot policy towards Asia.

Thailand’s official rebuke stemmed from a January 26 public speech delivered by Daniel Russel, assistant US secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs. In remarks to a Bangkok university audience, Russel raised concerns about a lack of “inclusiveness” in the military government’s so-called political reform drive and maintenance of martial law more than eight months after seizing power in a democracy-suspending coup.

The US has been a consistent critic since then army commander, now prime minister, General Prayuth Chan-ocha ousted Yingluck Shinawatra’s elected government in May. Prayuth has since vowed to restore democracy after the passage of a new constitution and wide-ranging reform. Critics muted under martial law view the process as a charade to sustain the military’s political role.

While Prayuth’s coup was nominally staged to restore stability after months of debilitating anti-government street protests, many Bangkok-based diplomats suggest there was a hidden agenda to ensure that royalist generals rather than squabbling politicians are in charge during the delicate royal succession from ailing King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 87, to either his heir-apparent, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, or daughter Princess Sirindhorn.

First crowned in 1946 and revered by a broad cross-section of the population, Bhumibol’s passing is expected to diminish the monarchy’s overarching position in Thai society. Opposed political groups have jockeyed for position to fill the impending vacuum, contributing to a decade of turmoil characterized by revolving street protests and security clampdowns. The military has professed neutrality, but its paramount role of defending the crown is aligned with a royal establishment keen to sustain the palace’s power and privilege beyond Bhumibol.

Washington maintains what one US diplomat characterizes as an “engage not embrace” approach, a policy shift led by outgoing US Ambassador Kristie Kenney who initially refused to meet the coup-makers.

Thai officials had deflected criticism of the coup and its clampdown on free expression and assembly, but the kerfuffle over Russel’s remarks, including the senior envoy’s insinuation that Yingluck’s impeachment by the military-dominated National Legislative Assembly was more political than legal, indicates relations are nearing a breaking point.

REUTERS

Prayuth told reporters that Russel had relied on “one-sided” information to assess Thai politics and he felt “sorry” that a longtime friend “misunderstood” the country’s context. Those comments resonate with a royal establishment that backed the coup while sensing that Washington sides with Yingluck and her self-exiled billionaire brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Both sides of Thailand’s political divide profess to fight for democracy. Each has demonstrated authoritarian and abusive tendencies while in power.

China, on the other hand, has aired no complaints, adroitly navigating the political currents compared to Washington’s polarising pronouncements. Days after publicly scolding Russel, Prayuth hosted Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan, the latest in high-level bilateral exchanges since the coup. Chang offered, among other things, to expand the two sides’ fledgling joint military exercises to include air force maneuvres.

Initiated in 2010, Chinese-Thai joint military exercises are more symbolic than substantial. But Beijing’s overtures to boost strategic ties have taken some sting out of Washington’s decision to downgrade this year’s joint Cobra Gold exercises, the region’s largest, held annually in Thailand since 1981.

In punitive response to the coup, Washington limited this year’s maneuvres to humanitarian missions and reduced their naval component by some 20%. Some analysts speculate 2016 exercises could be cancelled if Thailand is not on a path to new elections.

The downsized maneuvres come amid a deal under consideration by Thailand’s Ministry of Defense to allow China to lead a multi-billion dollar modernisation of its Sattahip naval base on the Gulf of Thailand. Panitan Wattanayagorn, security expert and top aide to Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, suggests that allowing China naval access to Sattahip would “rebalance” the special US privileges long held at U-Tapao airfield, used for staging bombing campaigns during the

Vietnam War and, more recently, refuelling military planes in transit to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Strategic recalibration by Thailand could have profound implications for the region’s balance of power. A new Ministry of Transport proposal to convert U-Tapao into a commercial airport, if approved, would likely end or diminish US military access to the runways. A Chinese naval presence in the Gulf of Thailand meanwhile would shift dynamics in two key maritime theatres by giving China a southern flank in the South China Sea and a new pressure point in emerging competition with India in the Indian Ocean.

It’s not clear that Thailand, renowned for astutely calibrating its great-power relations, has decidedly swung towards China. An older generation of still influential soldiers, embodied by the former prime minister, army commander and top royal advisor Prem Tinsulanonda, recall the vital US role in repelling China-backed communist revolutionaries bent on overthrowing the Thai monarchy in the 1960s and 1970s and keeping Vietnamese invaders at bay in Cambodia throughout the 1980s.

Prayuth’s cadre is less beholden to those Cold War memories and views China’s rise as more economic opportunity than strategic threat. During a December visit to Thailand, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang inked a $12.2bn deal to build and help finance a north-south rail line connecting the Chinese city of Kunming to Bangkok and its industrial eastern coast. Prayuth’s economic lieutenants view the infrastructure as crucial to positioning Thailand as the soon-to-be-launched ASEAN Economic Community’s trade and transport hub. In 2013, China surpassed Japan as Thailand’s largest trade partner, representing around 14% of its total trade.

Still, Thailand’s ruling generals are aware of the risks of over-reliance on China, witnessed in the erosion of negotiating leverage in aid-for-concession Beijing deals for neighbouring Cambodia, Laos and Myan-

mar. Thai officials have bristled at China’s proposed conditions for constructing the rail link, including Chinese management of its operations, rights to develop land along the 870-kilometer route, and a 4% interest rate on related loans.

There’s also political risk that the rail line facilitates fast-track migration of Chinese into Thailand as surging Chinese property acquisitions in the country become increasingly sensitive.

Obama’s pivot has turned on rising regional anxieties about China’s perceived hegemonic ambitions, particularly among Southeast Asian nations with competing territorial claims in the South China Sea. Thailand has no claim in the maritime dispute. While Obama’s thinly veiled containment policy has built new strategic bridges to authoritarian regimes in Myanmar and Vietnam, and deepened ties to the Philippines’ military accused of abuses, the active alienation of Thailand’s generals has opened the way for China to counter US regional advances and drive a geographical wedge in its encirclement.

The apparent US stand on democracy and rights could ultimately have the opposite effect. Prayuth’s post-coup vow to restore democracy quickly was made in part to appease the US and Europe, traditionally Thailand’s most important economic and strategic partners. The former army chief has already pushed back his original 2015 timeline for elections to 2016. As China presents an alternative rich source of trade and security, western pressure for new polls will have diminished resonance with ruling generals as they weigh the diplomatic costs and benefits of retaining power until the royal succession is secure. l Shawn W Crispin has covered Thailand’s politics for more than 16 years variously with the Far Eastern Economic Review, Wall Street Journal and Asia Times Online. This article was previously published in Yale Global Online.

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T-JUNCTION

Identity bites INSIDE

22 Tell

Sparking up changes

A glimpse of the four teams who made it through to the final round of Startup Cup Bangladesh 2014.

23

24

Love bites

Keep running the process

Tell

Written in the stars

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SATURDAY, APRIL 11 2015

news

Sparking up changes A glimpse of the four teams who made it through to the final round of Startup Cup Bangladesh 2014

n Syeda Samira Sadeque Startup Cup was launched in Bangladesh in 2014, and tonight will mark the celebration of the completion of Bangladesh Startup Cup 2014. Sean Griffin, founder of StartUp Cup, will be present as chief guest, along with Araksia Martirossian, vice president of Entrepreneurial Community Development.

The competition had originally received 46 applications. After seven rounds spanned out over the past years, four teams have been finalised. Tonight, at the celebration, the final champion will be unveiled. The Dhaka Tribune caught up with the final teams about their products, dreams and aims.

Nilufer Karim Founder

Company: Memento International Product: Mushroom-enriched pickle Why this product?

I am an agriculturist. Healthy, nutritional and medicinal food is my area of interest. My interest largely lies in food products that can be processed and given to people for good health.

So, I decided, if I could market this product it would be good for the society, as I would make it available for them. Moreover, I want to start a business as well.

How will this serve the society?

There are lots of good values in this. It addresses issues of diabetes, kidney problems and high pressure. Mushroom has nutrients that can help these issues.

Fresh oyster mushrooms are not available all year around, so I wanted to make pickles because they have higher shelf-lives.

Currently I am making them in three different flavours: classic, sugar-free, and Kashmiri.

Towfiq Ul Alam Co-Founder

Company: Zpack Packaging Solutions Product: Packaging solution service Why this product?

Each product is unique, and we realise that each product has unique demands and needs for their packaging. We thus decided to provide a variety of packaging solutions for different companies. We provide customised packaging services, with cost-minimising solutions, that generate higher productivity and more output.

We are already working with different

Company: Shurokkha Product: Sanitary napkin for women of low-income background Why this product?

We have a market research firm, and through an assignment we discovered that women workers of lower income group – especially garment factory workers – often use scrap pieces of cloth as alternatives for sanitary napkin. This is problematic because it eventually leads to infection and graver health problems that women are not aware of.

What is your expectation about the outcome of this Startup Cup? All four finalists do different kinds of work. I believe we are all winners. Victory is not merely “winning” – us having come this far is our victory. We have learned so much. As an organisation, we have moved from being service-holders to a business organisation and mentalities of these two bodies are entirely different. And Startup Cup has helped us immensely with this transition.

Motasim Rahman

Debajit Saha Founder

companies.

Co-Founder How will this be of help for the women?

Upon research, we learned that women use these for two reasons: price and distribution. Using scrap pieces of cloth is cheaper than buying sanitary napkins. At the same time, we checked some pharmacies in those areas and learned that they are operated by men. This discourages women from buying sanitary napkins. Our aim is to produce low-cost napkins as well as making them available at the health center at factories so that women have proper access to them.

Company: Incogmito Product: Anonymous social network How does this product work?

Freedom of expression has become an issue in today’s world and we are trying to encourage people to express themselves.

In order to use this app, a user would have to log in through their Facebook account and their friends list would automatically get synced with the app. The user can then anonymously share photos and statuses on Facebook through this app.

Another feature allows the users to comment on a friend’s activity such as status or an uploaded photo on Facebook. An Incogmito app user will be able to see these updates on their app and comment anonymously.

It is currently at a production level, and we hope to release it soon in the market with updated features. It is currently available on iOS and Android.

How will you address issues of abuse?

We have thought about this, and will of course have a reporting system. We also have an algorithm that will allow us to determine if one person’s comments/messages are being flagged too frequently. If, as a user, you are reported many times, your posts will be moved to the bottom of the news feed.

The algorithm is designed such that only the good things will be promoted.

Furthermore, if a Facebook user does not like or want the anonymous comment on their activity, they can flag it, and we will take it off.

T-JUNCTION 23

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SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

letter to mars

Identity crisis n

Agony Aunt

I have intimacy issues with my girlfriend. We have been together for quite some time now, and, according to my girlfriend, it is time we crossed some boundaries. However, I cannot

bring myself to do it, or have her anywhere near me without suppressing an urge to barf. I am just not attracted to her like that. Do I not like her as much as I think I do? Or worse, am I homosexual?

Barfing my dear, is not an indication of homosexuality. You may be, but you have not gven me enough information. However your reaction is quite extreme, it indicates not all is well with the relationship. I would advise you to take a break from your girlfriend, be honest with her. Write back so that we can go deeper into this. 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.

letter to venus

Rekindling old flames n Agony Aunt How do I tell my boyfriend I want to go back to my ex? After breaking up with my ex, I had been in a really bad place, and, unfortunately, I decided to deal with it by seeing someone new. I thought it would take away the pain, even though I knew I didn’t have real feelings for him. Now, after almost four months of seeing each other, I realised I really do want to be with my ex again, and I don’t know how to tell my boyfriend, or if I should do it at all. I mean my ex and I broke up for valid reasons. Should I dive into that mess all over again? Should I close that chapter forever and move on?

self some space to think clearly. Wait a few more months and if the feelings for your ex do not stop, approach him. I fear that if you go back to your ex without a break, it may not work out as you have not sorted out what made that relationship not work out in the first place. Take the courage and free this new boy friend, he does not deserve to be a stop-gap. l

You did not tell me what the “valid reasons” are, so it is a little difficult for me to judge the situation. What is clear is that you need to break up with the new one and give your

tact

Love bites Advice on love, as lame as it gets

n Sabah Rahman There is great advice to guide you through your life, when it comes to love. What sucks is the fact that people will try to give you pointers that will only do you harm. These “people,” doling out their so called wisdom, are usually single and have no clue what they’re on about.

One love

Some will insist that there is just one person in the world who is perfect for you. While

we are really ecstatic for people who found their one “soulmate” and lived happily ever after, the rest of us have had to learn from trial and error. The person we dated in high school may have been perfect back then, but people change. Divorce and break-ups exist for a good reason. Sometimes you just need to find someone who is better for you.

So far, so close

“Play hard to get,” they’ll tell you. This usually applies to women but can extend to men as well. “Wait three days before you call him.” This theory may not conclude well at all. We’re not advocating going the whole nine yards on the first date, but come on! If someone is into you and you dig them back,

being idle and procrastinating and actually get work done in time.

HOROSCOPE

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 20)

If you have been craving attention from someone close to you, this is the time you cut to the chase and rethink.

CANCER (JUN 21-JUL 22) ARIES (MAR 21-APR 19)

It looks like the motivation you seemed to have lost in the last few weeks is back in full swing.

TAURUS (APR 20-MAY 20)

You might overcome your general inertia of

Your week will be as calm and uneventful as it can possible be. Time to take that snooze you deserve.

LEO (JUL 23-AUG 22)

Your busy schedule this week might need a little dusting. Remember that work isn’t the most important item on your to-do list.

why make them jump through ridiculous hoops? If you two are going to make sparks fly, there is no point in delaying the process too long. Letting the interested party know you like them back is not going to make you look desperate. Don’t waste time playing games.

So unfair

All indeed is not fair in love and war. You may still be obsessed with your ex, who obviously wants nothing to do with you but trying to get them back using shameless and needy tactics is just not the way to go. Ever.

Whether you’re stalking them via Facebook, leaving snarky messages about their new person of interest or straight up breaking

VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 22)

You may not look like it, but your inner world might be nearing an explosion. If you feel like your emotions are getting too difficult to control, steer clear of them.

LIBRA (SEP 23-OCT 22)

You are in a quite a bit of a mood. Your goals and priorities will change, and you should have a chance to catch up with lost time.

SCORPIO (OCT 23-NOV 21)

The day will be successful for those of you who want to make the most of it. Your pillows can wait.

ceramic plates on their doors when they’re out on a date, just don’t. Don’t be that psycho. Learn when to move on.

Waiting in vain

Some might say that no matter how bad things get, if you’re a couple, you need to stick it out. “Things will work themselves out,” they say. What if you are miserable in your current situation? What if there is abuse? Will you just linger on in misery just so others don’t judge you? Absolutely not!

Trying to make things work when you know in your heart that it’s just not working can take a huge toll on both your lives.l

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22-DEC 21)

It is quite possible that you might feel less helpful towards your loved ones this week.

Chances are, this is only a phase.

CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 19)

If you have made some bad decisions in the past and haven’t yet done anything to fix them, this might be a good time.

AQUARIUS (JAN 20-FEB 19)

Give yourself some time off to spare a breath. Relax and revise your goals.

PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20)

Be careful of bad surprises. Luck might attack you from either angle. l

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Written in the stars

changemakers

Keep running the process eCourier is on it’s way to create a new dimension in e-commerce and courier system delivery services to the citizen’s doorsteps.

With such an initiative, I believe that we, as a service provider, can become more credible to the customers.

n Saudia Afrin eCourier has been on the top of the list amongst stakeholders for nearly two years.

Coming up with the concept of delivering products using a bicycle to avoid the immense traffic in the city, eCourier has made a fresh new trend in the traditional delivery system. They have earned the title of the most trustworthy, inexpensive and fastest online courier service.

Biplob Ghosh Rahul, Founder & CEO, eCourier, among others, have battled against the most obvious mind-set that e-commerce is a wrecking ship. Few years back, E-commerce was an unconventional and alien sector in the context of Bangladesh. eCourier is a full fledged courier service that is currently busy transporting on a 24/7 hourly basis. The ambitious and optimistic CEO, Biplob, who strongly in himself, started a software business along with some friends, which didn’t succeed, however, he never lost hope. He started working with Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) as a programme manager and ICT ministry for a while to achieve networking skills. Biplob has never backed down whenever challenges came his way. This young man aspires to be an entrepreneur rather than a businessman. In order to make the transport system more environment-friendly, Biplob launched eCourier on August 2013, making the delivery easy and inexpensive. Let’s find out about the man behind eCourier, in a conversation with Saudia Afrin.

What was the inspiration behind eCourier?

I always dreamt of doing something on my own rather than working for another company. Yes, it is true, during my graduation, I worked for a Telecom company. Then I started a software business with my friends that didn’t succeed. I was wondering what I would do and was losing my enthusiasm. Finally, I discovered one important key factor to move forward in this sector, which is that one should have a bag full of networks. I was planning to work a big company like BASIS to develop not only my networking skills but also to determine

where I can work next.

Back then, E-commerce was just becoming popular, and that’s when I came up with the concept.

What are the difficulties?

A few years back, the national and multinational companies were not willing to merge with online services. On top of that, eCourier is dependent on delivery online purchases. Initially eCourier was such a concept that was not fully understood by the traditional companies. However, through working with different companies, eCourier finally started getting positive responses from them. There are many top charted online web portals like Ajkerdeal.com, Biponi, Iferi, Esho. com, Aponjon, fortuna and many more, which creates a more competitive environment for eCourier.

E-commerce in Bangladesh works in a different way than that in other countries. Here, the service is based on cash-on-delivery.

Your opinion on the relationship among customer, E-commerce and eCourier?

It is true that the industry is growing rapidly, hence we need to become more trustworthy and reliable to the customers. In this regard, eCourier signed an agreement with Access to Information, which aims to build a digital nation by bringing

What is the speciality of eCourier?

I started thinking about cost and time management since it’s hard to maintain time in this city due to excessive traffic.

After spending six months in research and development, and also being a cyclist, I choose bicycle as the prime commute for my services considering its eco-friendly nature and never-stopping attitude even in traffic.

I developed a software for eCourier to customise the system according to the customer’s requirements and further developments.

Would you like to talk about what eCourier will be doing next?

This is a dream project for me. By end of this year eCourier will hopefully be available in prominent districts. And we hope that 64 divisions will be under eCourier’s delivery system by 2016. I want to reach out to all of the 16-crore people in Bangladesh.

For more query please visit http://www. ecourier.com.bd/ l

To me, entrepreneurship is all about making a positive change through problem solving.

Paris Saint-Germain’s tempestuous striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic received a four-match ban from Ligue 1 officials for his comments attacking France and its referees

Sport 27

IN-FORM ARSENAL EYE TO CATCH CHELSEA

28

NASIR, SUNNY MOST IMPRESSIVE TIGER PERFORMERS IN BCL

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SALMA, ETI TONS GUIDE MSC TO GIGANTIC WIN

THE WORDS OF BENAUD Here are a selection of quotes from the man who came to be known as the ‘voice of cricket’ during a 40-year career behind the microphone.

On his approach to cricket commentary: “Put your brain into gear and if you can add to what’s on the screen then do it, otherwise shut up.”

On captaincy: “Captaincy is 90 per cent luck and 10 per cent skill. But don’t try it without that 10 per cent.”

On the media: “Media were never allowed into an Australian dressing room until I became skipper. I changed that and invited them in at the close of play each day, thereby confirming for many administrators they had appointed a madman as captain.”

On Australian legspinner Shane Warne’s 1993 “ball of the century” which bowled England batsman Mike Gatting on day two of the first Test of the Ashes series at Old Trafford: “What a cricketer, what a match-winner, what a ball. Gatting has absolutely no idea what has happened to it. Still doesn’t know. He asked (umpire) Kenny Palmer on the way out, Kenny Palmer just gave him a raised eyebrow and a little nod.”

On the infamous under-arm bowling incident, when Australia captain Greg Chappell had his brother Trevor bowl under-arm to New Zealand’s Brian McKechnie with the final ball of a one-day match in Melbourne in 1981:

“Let me tell you what I think about it, I think it was a disgraceful decision by a captain who got his sums wrong today.

“I think it should never be permitted to happen again - we keep reading and hearing that the players are under pressure and they’re tired and jaded and perhaps their skill is blunted.

“Well, perhaps they might advance that as an excuse for what happened out there today, (but) not with me they don’t. I think it was a very poor performance, one of the worst things I’ve ever seen done on a cricket field. Goodnight.”

On Australia legend Don Bradman: “I once said to (Australia all-rounder) Keith Miller how disappointed I was to have made my debut in the same year as Bradman finished. How wonderful it would have been to have watched him play at the SCG in 1940 and then been able to bowl at him on the same ground.

“Nugget (Miller) looked at me and remarked drily that everyone has one lucky break in a lifetime and that may well have been mine.”

On his skin cancer: “When I was a kid, we never, ever wore a cap. Not the flash ones ... Nugget Miller never wore a cap, so I didn’t. I wish I had. You live and learn as you go along.

“I recommend to everyone they wear protection on their heads. Eighty-four-year-olds don’t seem to mend as well as they used to.” l

Benaud - the end of a ‘Marvellous’ innings n AFP, Sydney Richie Benaud holds a revered place in international cricket, lauded as a “national treasure” and the most influential Australian cricketer and broadcaster of his era.

The Test great and pioneering broadcaster died in his sleep Friday at the age of 84 after fighting skin cancer and the debilitating effects of a car accident near his Sydney seaside home in 2013.

“Our country has lost a national treasure,” mourned Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards.

“After Don Bradman, there has been no

Australian player more famous or more influential than Richie Benaud.”

Benaud, who was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1961 for services to cricket, led Australia in 28 of his 63 Tests and did not lose a series as captain.

His adventurous leadership was encapsulated by the famous tied Test with the West Indies in Brisbane in 1960.

Australia were chasing 233 with 320 minutes of play left, and Benaud’s instinct was to go for an improbable win. He came in to bat at a perilous 92 for six and hit a rollicking 52, as Australia counter-attacked until a run-out on the last ball left the scores tied.

The dashing leg-spinning all-rounder epitomised his cricket by playing with his shirt unbuttoned to his chest and his collar upturned.

Benaud said recently he was paying the price for a cricket career in which he did not wear a hat or sunscreen against the often fierce sun.

“When I was a kid we never ever wore a cap. I wish I had. You live and learn as you go along,” he said.

“I recommend to everyone they wear protection on their heads. Eighty-four-year-olds don’t seem to mend as well as they used to.”

The first man to complete the double of

2,000 runs and 200 wickets in Test cricket, Benaud combined sport with life as a journalist for The Sun and the News of the World from 1956 until his retirement as a player in 1964.

He learned reporting on the police beat and began his broadcasting career on BBC Radio in 1960, moving to BBC Television three years later. He also had a stint on Britain’s Channel 4.

Benaud said of his laconic commentating style: “The key thing was to learn the value of economy with words and to never insult the viewer by telling them what they can already see.” l

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A fan (R) lays flowers at the base of a bronze sculpture of Australian cricketer and commentator Richie Benaud at the SCG yesterday. (Top) The Australian flag flies at half-mast at the SCG yesterday. Benaud, whose peerless commentary made him the beloved ‘voice of cricket’ to fans around the world following a scintillating on-field career, died peacefully overnight in his sleep, aged 84 AFP

REACTION TO THE DEATH OF THE ‘VOICE OF CRICKET’ BENAUD Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott “He was the accompaniment of an Australian summer ... He has been a part of the lives of millions of Australians and he will certainly be very much missed.”

ICC CEO David Richardson “Richie was a true legend, charismatic but always the perfect sportsman and gentleman. He was also one of the most complete sportsmen who dedicated his life to cricket. Cricket will miss Richie Benaud but will remember him with fond memories.”

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh “His legacy to the game will always live on. More so Richie’s stature as a true gentleman and role model for life will remain his greatest gift.”

Australia legend Shane Warne “As a cricketer, commentator and as a person, you were the best there’s ever been and to top it off, an absolute gentleman.”

Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara “So sad to hear about the passing of Richie Benaud. The great voice of cricket is no more. He defined an era with conviction and sincerity.”

“Richie stood at the top of the game throughout his rich life, first as a record-breaking leg-spinner and captain, and then as cricket’s most famous broadcaster who became the iconic voice of our summer.”

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson “A truly great person, you will always be remembered for what you gave to this world.”

“Saddened by the death of Richie Benaud, one of the greatest cricketing brains.”

Former Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram “The Voice of Cricket and a truly great man. Thank you for everything you gave us. You will be missed by so many.”

BBC commentator Jonathan Agnew Australia coach Darren Lehmann “Richie was truly one of the game’s greats.”

“He was quite simply peerless.

Nobody else had his authority, popularity and skill. If you speak to any broadcaster from any sport, they will point to Richie as the standard-bearer.”

“Respected and looked up to by all, you will be sorely missed #Legend Vale Richie Benaud”

Former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar

Australia opening batsman David Warner

“Wonderful personality who was always warm and encouraging.

Had great insights on the game.

Was not well but full of enthusiasm. Great loss to the world of cricket. Heartfelt condolences to Richie’s family and friends.”

Australia cricket captain Michael Clarke

Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan Cricket Australia Chairman W Edwards

Australia all-rounder Shane Watson

Former Australia pacer Glenn McGrath “Very sad news about Richie Benaud. A legend of Australian cricket & the commentary box.

We’ve lost a true Aussie icon”

Olympic winning cyclist Anna Meares “Rest In Peace Richie Benaud. What a marvellous innings you had!”

Former Australian batsman Dean Jones “A part of cricket died today.”

“Sad to hear the passing of the voice of cricket, great player and a true gentleman”

“He was a great player and a great captain; a wonderful leader of men and he continued that off the field. He loved winning. He helped the Australian team have the attitude where they wanted to win. He played the game the right way.”

England and Wales Cricket Board “Our thoughts are with the family & friends of legendary former Australia captain & cricket commentator Richie Benaud who has died aged 84.”

New Zealand Cricket “NZC is sad to hear that one of the game’s great personalities Richie Benaud has passed away at the age of 84.”

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QUICK BYTES Obituary

Mosharraf Hossain, father of Daily Ittefaq’s sports editor Motaher Hossain Masum, breathed his last yesterday at his hometown Feni. He was 82 and was suffering from old-age complicacies.

He left behind his wife, four sons, a daughter and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death. Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association and Dhaka Reporters Unity expressed deep shock over the passing away of Mosharraf and prayed for the salvation of the departed soul.

–Shishir Hoque

Pele’s Copa challenge to Messi, Neymar Brazilian legend Pele is looking forward to a star-studded Copa America tournament this summer -- but has challenged Barcelona stars Lionel Messi and Neymar to reproduce their best club form at international level. The threetime World Cup winner said the June 11-July 4 tournament in Chile promised to be a “Copa of Stars” with Messi and Neymar being joined by the likes of in-form Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez. “These days the individual players are better known than the teams,” Pele said during a visit to a homeless encampment. “It’s going to be a ‘Copa of Stars’, no doubt.” However Pele questioned whether Argentina captain Messi and Brazilian talisman Neymar would be able to hit the heights of their best club form.

–AFP

Mourinho criticises Ballon d’Or’s negative impact Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has criticised FIFA’s Ballon d’Or award given to the world’s best player for glorifying the individual at the expense of the team. The Portuguese coach found rare common ground with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, another critic of the award which has been dominated in recent seasons by Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. “I think Wenger said something that is interesting,” Mourinho said in an interview on the Telegraph website. “He is against the Ballon d’Or, and I think he’s right, because in this moment football is losing a little bit the concept of the team to focus more on the individual. “We are always looking at the individual performance, the individual stat, the player that runs more. Because you run 11km in a game and I run nine you did a better job than I did? Maybe not. Maybe my 9km were more important than your 11.

–Reuters

Alves closer to Barca exit as contract talks collapse Barcelona right-back Dani Alves is set to leave the Catalan giants after rejecting an offer to extend his contract beyond the end of the season, his agent confirmed on Thursday. Dinorah Santana said Barca had offered the 31-year-old a deal that could stretch from one year to three should he play in over 60 percent of his side’s games each season.

However, Alves has been heavily linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United and Santana said he had better offers on the table from other clubs. “He would accept three years, but the condition that a player plays 60 percent of the games every year for me is not a three-year deal, but a one year,” said Santana.

“Dani has a concrete offer on the table for a threeyear deal plus the option for an extra year with a better wage than he has here and a signing on fee.

–AFP

LEGENDS IN CHARITY

(L) Argentine legend Diego Maradona arrives at a press conference ahead of the ‘pro-peace match’ in Bogota while (R) Brazilian legend Pele poses for the press with a child during a visit to a low-income neighborhood in Santiago on Thursday AFP

In-form Arsenal eye to catch Chelsea n Reuters, London Arsenal are still playing catch-up to Chelsea but the in-from Gunners will be ready to pounce if the leaders suffer from some end of season yips, manager Arsene Wenger said on Thursday.

Arsenal are riding high in the Premier League and have shot up to second with 63 points from 31 matches after last weekend’s 4-1 victory against Liverpool.

Table-topping Chelsea still boast a seven-point and a game in hand advantage over the Gunners, but Wenger hopes his side can maintain an impressive run of form that has seen them win 10 of their last 11 league matches.

“We still have many challenges until the

end of the season,” Wenger told a news conference.

“We look behind us and people are chasing us, in front of us there’s quite a big distance with Chelsea but we work very hard to reduce that.

“Then we will see where we stand.”

EPL FIXTURES Burnley Southampton Sunderland Swansea Tottenham West Brom West Ham

v v v v v v v

Arsenal Hull Crystal Palace Everton Aston Villa Leicester Stoke

Barcelona face stiff title test n AFP, Madrid

La Liga leaders Barcelona will have to break Sevilla’s 31-game unbeaten run at the Sanchez Pizjuan to ensure they maintain a four-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of the table on Saturday.

LA LIGA FIXTURES Real Madrid Malaga Sevilla Almeria Celta Vigo

v v v v v

Eibar Atletico Madrid Barcelona Granada Rayo Vallecano

Barca swept aside Almeria on Wednesday to take their winning streak in all competition to nine games, but have the added complication of facing the on-form Andalusians just three days before a Champions League quarter-final, first leg away to Paris Saint-Germain.

“We know that they will be very difficult matches, but if we face them with the personality we have we will have a good chance because we are Barca,” said striker Luis Suarez after scoring twice against Almeria to take his tally for the season to 16. Barca will at least be able to welcome back six first-team regulars, including Neymar and Gerard Pique, after they were rested against Almeria.

Real Madrid can close to within a point of Barca before kick-off at the Sanchez Pizjuan as they host Eibar at the Santiago Bernabeu earlier on Saturday. The European champions have appealed the yellow card shown to Cristiano Ronaldo in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Rayo Vallecano which would see him miss out through suspension.

Atletico who have the tougher game on paper this weekend when they travel to seventh-placed Malaga and defender Jesus Games insisted their focus will be on that game with Valencia and Sevilla breathing down their necks.l

Arsenal travel to 19th-placed Burnley on Saturday and will welcome back midfielders Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta and Abou Diaby after injury.

Ronald Koeman has admitted Southampton’s target is qualifying for the Europa League after conceding defeat in his side’s bid to secure a top-four finish.

The Saints will kick off against Hull City at St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday in seventh spot, eight points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City with just seven games remaining in the Premier League season.

Meanwhile, Sherwood returns to White Hart Lane on Saturday for the first time since Spurs chairman Daniel Levy opted to terminate his contract, with Villa a precarious three points above the Premier League’s relegation zone. l

Holders Bayern in injury crisis n Reuters, Berlin Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola described his club’s injury situation “very critical” on Friday after central defender Medhi Benatia became the latest casualty.

“We had problems and now we have more problems. Our situation is very critical, very critical,” Guardiola told reporters.

“I never had a situation with so many injuries. But we are here. We will fight until the end for our club.” Bayern, with a 10-point lead, are chasing a treble of titles.l

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES Bayern Munich Schalke 04 M’gladbach Mainz 05 Paderborn Hamburg

v v v v v v

Eintracht Frankfurt Freiburg Dortmund Bayer Leverkusen Augsburg Wolfsburg

DT

28 Sport

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

Spinners lead junior Tigers to easy win n Tribune Desk Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team went one step closer to winning the seven-match youth ODI series against South Africa U-19 following their comprehensive 140-run win over the tourists in the second game yesterday at Shere-Bangla National Stadium.

South Africa U-19 once again had no answers to the home side’s spin attack and crumbled to 119-allout in 43.2 overs chasing 260 for victory to give Bangladesh U19 a 2-0 lead.

The Bangladesh U-19 spinners dominated the first match on their way to a five-wicket victory and they had the upper hand yesterday as well, accounting for seven of the 10 wickets to fall.

Spinners Nihaduzzaman scalped three wickets while Saleh Ahmed and Mosabbek Hossain bagged two each as the junior Proteas continued their struggle against slow bowling. Skipper Nazmul Hossain put in a fine all-round display, picking up two wickets and scoring a responsible 107-ball 73 earlier to enable the junior Tigers to a competitive 259/4 from their 50 overs.

Nazmul struck seven fours and a six and added 107 runs for the fourth wicket alongside wicketkeeper-batsman Zakir Hasan, who made a fine unbeaten 81 from 83 balls. Zakir blasted the same fours and sixes as his skipper. Mohammad Saifuddin hammered three late sixes and remained undefeated on 41 off just 27 balls. The unbroken 80-run stand for fifth wicket saw Bangladesh U19 end their innings on 259.

The two teams will now travel to Cox’s Bazar for the third youth ODI this Monday. l

BRIEF SCORES Bangladesh U19 v South Africa U19 in Mirpur

Bangladesh U19 259/4 in 50 overs Zakir 81*, Nazmul 73, Saifuddin 41*, Whitehead 2/23

South Africa U19 119 allout in 43.2 overs Verreynne 47, Nihaduzzaman 3/21, Nazmul 2/3, Saleh 2/21, Mosabbek 2/23 Result: Bangladesh U19 won by 140 runs Player of the Match: Nazmul Hossain Shanto

Bangladesh Under-19 skipper Nazmul Hossain celebrates one of his two wickets against South Africa U19 during the second youth ODI in Mirpur yesterday COURTESY

Nasir, Sunny most impressive Tiger performers in BCL n Mazhar Uddin

Arafat Sunny

Nasir Hossain

TOP 3 TIGERS IN BCL Players

BATTING M Runs HS

Nasir (North)

3

Mashrafe (South)

3

Sabbir (North)

3

Players

153

Ave

136

51.00

119

69

119.00

102

66

34.00

BOWLING M Runs

W

BBI

A Sunny (East)

3

73

11

4/11

Rubel (South)

3

123

9

5/42

A Hasan (East)

3

115

6

3/21

Unlike most of the other national cricketers, Nasir Hossain and Arafat Sunny have prepared well for the upcoming bilateral home series against Pakistan, shining with bat and ball respectively in the ongoing Bangladesh Cricket League one-dayers.

Skipper Nasir, whose BCB North Zone side will face Islami Bank East Zone in the final tomorrow, has continued his recent resurgence as he struck 135 runs in three matches to lead the run-scorers list among the national cricketers.

The right-hander, who was dropped for the bilateral home series against Zimbabwe last year, crafted his comeback in the 2015 ICC World Cup squad through impressive displays in the domestic circuit and the cricketer from Rangpur has not looked back since.

Following a successful campaign in the flagship event, Nasir has maintained his form in the BCL one-dayers too to give him some much-needed confidence heading into the Pakistan ODIs. Surprisingly though, most of the Tigers batsmen have been unable to shine in the BCL, as Bangladesh and Prime Bank South Zone skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza finds himself in second place in the list of the na-

tional batsmen with the most BCL runs.

Sabbir Rahman and Mushfiqur Rahim have managed a fifty each from three matches while Walton Central Zone captain Mahmudullah, the Tigers’ most successful batsman in the World Cup with twin hundreds, scored only 46 runs from three knocks.

Dashing opener Tamim Iqbal on the other hand managed 10 from his only knock before succumbing to an unfortunate injury. Shakib al Hasan missed the tournament due to his Indian Premier League commitments.

The Tigers bowlers, in contrast, have fared better than the batsmen. In-form left-arm spinner Sunny scalped 11 wickets, including best bowling figures of 4/11, to propel East Zone to the final. Fast bowler Rubel Hossain and seamer-allrounder Abul Hasan, who have both been chosen for the forthcoming ODIs, warmed up well for the challenges ahead, scalping nine and six wickets respectively. Young fast bowler Taskin Ahmed and Nasir might have taken five and four wickets respectively but both have performed their tasks well.

With the BCL final taking place tomorrow, the national cricketers of North and East Zone will be looking to apply the finishing touch before beginning their final preparation for the Pakistan series. l

Baki’s 2016 Rio Olympics dream still alive n Shishir Hoque Bangladesh shooter Abdullah Hel Baki kept alive his hopes of qualifying for the Rio Olympics next year as he finished 26th in the men’s 10-metre air-rifle event (qualification) of the ISSF World Cup Rifle/ Pistol in Changwon, South Korea yesterday.

Baki, winner of the silver medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, scored a total of 621.9 points to finish among the top 26 shooters in the world event, and sixth best among the Asian shooters. Baki’s score dwarfed that of well-known shooters like Indians Gagan Narang (44th), Abhinav Singh Bindra (46th) and Sanjeev Rajput (50th).

Baki, who traveled to South Korea a month ago for his conditioning camp, will take part in two more events today – 50m rifle 3-position and 50m rifle prone-men. l

DT

Sport 29

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 1 7:50 PM English Premier League West Brom Albion v Leicester City 10:00 PM Italian Serei A Parma v Juventus 12:40 AM Verona v Inter Milan

Star Sports 2 7:55 PM Spanish La Liga Real Madrid v Eibar 9:55 PM Malaga v Atletico Madrid 11:55 PM Sevilla v Barcelona 1:55 AM Celta Vigo v Rayo Vallecano

Star Sports 4 9:55 AM F1: Practice Session Grand Prix 12:55 PM F1: Qualifying Grand Prix 5:35 PM English Premier League Swansea City v Everton 7:50 PM Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa 10:20 PM Burnley v Arsenal

Ten Sports 11:30 PM Moto GP Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas

Ten Action 11:00 PM WTA Family Circle Open Semi Final 1 1:00 AM Coupe De La Ligue Final Bastiais v Paris Saint-Germain

Ten HD 5:15 PM Sky Bet Championship Derby County v Brentford 8:00 PM Millwall v Watford

Sony Six 4:30PM Indian Premier League 2015 Chennai v Hyderabad 8:30 PM Kolkata v Bangalore

Neo Sports 7:30 PM Bundesliga Monchengladbach v Dortmund

Neo Prime 7:30 PM Bundesliga: Bayern v Frankfurt 10:30 PM Hamburger SV v VfL Wolfsburg

Mohammedan and Bangladesh captain Salma Khatun (L) and Eti Mondal pose for a photo after their marauding unbroken 283-run partnership against Orient SC at Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium yesterday COURTESY

Salma, Eti tons guide MSC to gigantic win, Rupali Bank also win n Mazhar Uddin Unbeaten centuries from skipper Salma Khatun and Eti Mondal steered defending champions Mohammedan to a huge 316-run win over Orient SC in the Dhaka Premier Division Women’s Cricket League opener at Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium yesterday.

In the other game on the opening day, Rupali Bank Krira Parishad also clinched a comfortable 140-run victory over Ansar & VDP at BKSP 4.

Asked to bat first, Mohammedan piled up a commanding 349/2 in 40 overs as opener Eti

and Bangladesh captain Salma flayed the Orient bowlers all over the park.

Salma, the world’s number one all-rounder in women’s Twenty20 internationals, bludgeoned 26 boundaries on her way to 150 from just 86 balls while Eti scored 124 off 122 deliveries with the help of 15 fours. Together, the unbeaten third-wicket partnership of Salma and Eti put up 283 runs from 171 deliveries to take the game away from their opposition.

In reply, Orient were skittled out for just 33/9 in 20.1 overs as their last batter was unable to bat. Extras (13) was the highest scorer as none of the Orient batters posted

BCB mulling women team’s tour of Pakistan n Mazhar Uddin Bangladesh Cricket Board is planning to send the national women’s team to Pakistan for a series, informed MA Awwal Chowdhury, chairman of the women’s wing committee, yesterday.

The Bangladesh women’s team is likely to tour Pakistan next month, said Awwal during the Dhaka Premier Division Women’s Cricket League opener at

Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium.

“At the moment, we are not concerned over the security issue and we are planning to send the national women’s team to Pakistan next month,” said Awwal.

Since the brutal attack over the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore back in 2009, no Test-playing nation have toured Pakistan but the regulatory body of cricket in Bangladesh is planning to send its women’s team nonetheless.l

double figures.

Rumana Ahmed picked up three while Tahin Tahera took two wickets to lead Mohammedan to a tumping win.

Meanwhile in the other game, Rupali Bank registered 214/7 in 40 overs riding on Lata Mondal’s 78-ball 90 and a half-century from opener Shamima Sultana. Shohaly Akter’s 6/36 ensured Ansar & VDP were not out of the game after the first innings, like Orient.

However, Ansar & VDP could manage just 74 losing all of their wickets in 33.4 overs.

Sathira Jakir bagged three wickets while Nahar Jasmin picked up two. l

BRIEF SCORES Mohammedan SC vs Orient SC

Mohammedan 349/2 in 40 overs (Salma 150*, Eti 124*)

Orient SC 33/9 in 20.1 overs (Rumana 3/4, Tahera 2/9) Mohammedan won by 316 runs Rupali Bank KP vs Ansar & VDP

Rupali Bank 214/7 in 40 overs (Lata 90, Shamima 56)

Ansar & VDP 74/10 in 33.4 overs (Sathira Jakir 3/16) Rupali Bank won by 140 runs

DT

30 DOWNTIME

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Jump rope (4) 3 Playthings (5) 8Twofold (4) 9 Plunder (4) 11 Thick (5) 12 Part of a church (4) 14 Consumed (3) 15 Measuring instrument (5) 18 Replenish (5) 19 Be indebted (3) 21 Sketched (4) 24 Ranks (5) 26 Skin eruption (4) 27 At a distance (4) 28 Become less tense (5) 29 Frank (4)

DOWN 1 Alone (4) 2 Golf club (4) 4 Lyric poem (3) 5 Of the moon (5) 6 Final (4) 7 Glossy (5) 10 Docile (4) 11 Frighten from (5) 13 Sells (5) 16 Water pitcher (4) 17 Of the sun (5) 18 Of the kidneys (5) 20 Marital partner (4) 22 Insect (4) 23 Avoid (4) 25 Period of time (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 12 represents G so fill G every time the figure 12 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, APRIL 11, 2015

Jatra Biroti

WHAT TO WATCH TELEVISION

G.I. Joe: Retaliation B

HBO 9:30 pm In the continuing adventures of the G.I. Joe team, Duke and Roadblock, and the rest of the Joes face a twofold threat. Not only is their mortal enemy COBRA rearing its ugly head again, but there is also a threat from within the U.S. government: There might be an impostor in the White House. Meanwhile, Snake Eyes is on a search for inner peace but learns that his nemesis, Storm Shadow, is still alive.

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Channing Tatum, Adrianne Palicki

Race to Witch Mountain C

nShowtime Desk Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the city, Jatra offers the opportunity to call a time out and spend a quality evening with your loved ones, sipping away a cup of coffee and listening to the sweet melody of some the most exquisite musicians in the country. To make the experience better and everlasting, Jatra Biroti will continue to host a three-day recreational event every week.

The first day of the event, which was on Thursday, April 9, was presented by Saymon Zakaria. The event was called “Bhaabher

Hawaye Hawaye,” and represented the history and identity of Bangladeshi Spiritual Music, which dates back 2000 years. The people of this region put-upon spiritual music to devote to Buddhism and eventually started practising body and soulbased music. Gradually, Baul Music emerged from this, which focused more on the body and humanity.

Artists like Kohinoor Akhtar Golapi, sufi and baul music specialist From Kushtia, Nofel Uddin, dotara player from Pabna and many more joined the stage to deliver a tremendous performance for the audience.

Day two of the extravaganza, which was a Friday, April 10, was an open mic session.

Anyone and everyone is welcome on the stage with their instruments, voice and skills.

The last day of the event, which was Saturday, April 11, ended with Electro/ Acoustic performances: funky, folksy and jazzy.

The tickets are Tk500 (tea & phuckha included) for each day. The gate opens at 6pm sharp and closes after the place is bustling with 100 enthusiasts and music lovers. l

Star Movies 1:32 pm Jack Bruno, a Las Vegas taxi driver, is swept up in the adventure of a lifetime when he meets Sara and Seth, a pair of extraterrestrial youths who possess paranormal powers. In order to prevent an invasion of Earth, Jack must help the youths reach their spaceship, which is buried within Witch Mountain. But the task will not be easy, for government operatives and an alien bounty hunter are fast on their trail.

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, AnnaSophia Robb

Indian Premier League 2015: Kolkata vs. Bangalore Sony MAX 8:00pm

quiz CELEBS ON SOCIAL Justin Bieber @justinbieber Love the stage.

Thanks for having me @ArianaGrande and thanks LA. Gotta tour again soon :)

Let’s start with a little hint, shall we? These films have won the Oscars award for best picture. Guess which film these scenes are from and send your answers to us at our e-mail address. The answers will be revealed next week.

Seth Rogen @Sethrogen Thank you @ Tnobes1 for kicking ass at fundraising for @ Hilar4Charity’s #HFCU contest over the weekend! #ENDALZ Jimmy Kimmel @jimmykimmel and now, #Kentucky is onedefeated #FinalFour

2

1 Answers to last week’s quiz: From the left (Anna Kendrick, Emma Watson, Mila Kunis)

3

DT

32 BACK PAGE

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015

SALMA, RUBAIYAT WIN GEMCON LITERARY AWARD PAGE 6

SPARKING UP CHANGES PAGE 22

SPINNERS LEAD JUNIOR TIGERS TO EASY WIN PAGE 28

Female participation surprisingly low in city corporation polls n Shadma Malik Despite having female leaders in the country’s top political positions, female participants in the upcoming city corporation polls are surprisingly small in number.

Only 22 female candidates are contesting for the post of councillors in 134 general wards of Dhaka North, Dhaka South and Chittagong city corporations, against hundreds of male candidates, in the polls scheduled for April 28.

Several experts and activists have expressed concern over this shocking imbalance in the ratio of male and female candidates.

“Reserved seats notwithstanding, the number of female candidates in the general wards should have been higher,” said Rokeya Kabir, executive director of Bangladesh Nari Pragati Sangha. “But unfortunately, we have yet to accept women as active participants in state politics.”

There are a number of factors that restrict women’s participation, Rokeya believes.

“Social restrictions and religion have significant roles in confining women behind close

doors. People seek evidence of character from the female politicians. Another major factor is financial solvency: the male candidates are generally much more powerful in terms of finance. These issues cannot be resolved over night,” she told the Dhaka Tribune.

But equal participation of women in state politicals is a must, she said.

“The issues of safe travelling on public transports, safe movement around the city without fearing sexual harassment, etc will be addressed with more priority if we have more female representatives in the public offices.”

Rokeya’s sentiments echoed in what Minura Khan, president of Fair Election Monitoring Alliance, had to say about women in politics.

“Internal politics is at play here. Even in megacities like Dhaka and Chittagong, in a small ward, everyone knows everyone else.

Then why are women still far behind men in this elections? There are a few reasons. After 13 years, the city corporation polls are taking place in a non-partisan manner. Had it been party-based, the number of female participants would be much higher,” she told the

Dhaka Tribune.

“There still is an insecurity about participating in a political election without the support of a political party. Then there is the matter of being financially solvent. Women are still far from gaining economic independence.”

Sharmeen Murshid, chief executive officer of Brotee, a non-government civil society organisation, found a silver lining in this situation, however.

“This scenario is not unusual. We see very small number of women participating in upazila-level elections too. I am not concerned about the number. What I want to know is about who these women are. If they have political backgrounds, are standing independently and hope to win, I would say it is a step towards progress. These women are setting an example to encourage other women to participate in elections. In the local government elections, less money is invested, yet women are still far behind men. It is my observation that women participating in politics independently is a mark of progress.” l

Multiple studies address riddles of the Moon’s origin n BBC The Moon may have been formed by a collision between Earth and an object that was strikingly similar in composition to our own planet.

This could help resolve why Earth and Moon rocks are much more similar than we would expect from this “giant impact hypothesis”.

The study is one of three published in the prestigious journal Nature. Two further research papers in the issue report subtle, previously unseen differences in lunar rocks.

Scientists say they paint a consistent – and much clearer – picture of our satellite’s history.

The modelling study, done by researchers from Israel and France, precisely simulates the turmoil of the early, inner Solar System and quantifies the variety of collisions that might have occurred.

In its early stages, the proto-Earth would have been subjected to a string of brutal collisions with other wannabe planets.

According to our best understanding, the last of these was a cataclysmic tangle with a planetary body just ten times lighter than Earth – and the resulting debris eventually clumped together to make the Moon.

The problem is that most of what became the Moon should have come from the imposter – and based on our existing knowledge of what was flying where at that time, that imposter was thought to be a very different type of planet.

But what Dr Hagai Perets, one of the study’s

authors from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, and his colleagues found in their new simulations was that the impactor planet might, in fact, have been made of surprisingly similar stuff to the Earth – leaving only the sort of subtle differences that we do see in lunar material. Specifically, the models indicated a 20% chance that the impact could have been between such similar proto-planets.

Violent veneer

A different challenge to our current ideas about the Moon relates to what happened subsequently. To explain certain details in the Earth’s make-up, scientists have proposed

that both the Earth and Moon amassed a large amount of extra matter – a so-called “late veneer” – during a subsequent period when they were bombarded by huge numbers of meteorites.

And just like the original giant impact, this process should also have left a trail of evidence that had not been detected until now.

But for the first time, two new investigations of lunar rocks, one from the US and one from Germany, find support that there was a shift in the balance of the Earth’s ingredients away from that of the Moon; the findings were made by analysing samples from the Apollo missions with new levels of precision. l

Voice of cricket Richie Benaud dies at 84 n AFP, Sydney Former Australian captain Richie Benaud, whose peerless commentary made him the beloved “voice of cricket” to fans around the world following a stellar on-field career, has died aged 84.

Benaud, one of Australia’s most influential cricketers and television personalities, died peacefully overnight in his sleep, his family said. He had been fighting skin cancer and suffered serious injury in a car accident in late 2013.

“A sad day for Australia,” tweeted Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who offered a state funeral to Benaud’s family.

Flags flew at half-mast, including over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The gates were thrown open at the Sydney Cricket Ground where Benaud played and mourners laid flowers around his giant bronze statue.

“We have lost a cricketing champion and Australian icon. What an innings. RIP Richie Benaud,” Abbott said.

Benaud last captained Australia against South Africa in the 1963-64 series and went on to become a legend as one of cricket’s best known characters and broadcasters.

A pioneer of entertaining, attacking cricket, the veteran of 63 Test matches was the first player to score 2,000 Test runs and take 200 Test wickets.

A flamboyant player, Benaud moved into commentary, first with the BBC in England, where he was as well known as in Australia for his dry wit and distinctive style.

“My mantra is: put your brain into gear and if you can add to what’s on the screen then do it, otherwise shut up,” Benaud said, looking back at his success. “The key thing was to learn the value of economy with words and to never insult the viewer by telling them what they can already see.”

Benaud’s popularity and catchphrase “marvellous” propelled him into advertising and he was the mainstay in Australian television commentary before announcing in November 2014 that he had skin cancer. l

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