06 Dec, 2015

SECOND EDITION

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

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Agrahayan 22, 1422, Safar 23, 1437

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 230

STOCKS WORLD’S CHEAPEST, BANGLADESHI HELD IN BUT UNAPPEALING PAGE 15 MALAYSIA FOR IS LINKS PAGE 32

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

FULL COVERAGE OF PARIS COP21 PAGE 5

OC withdrawn after Kantaji temple blasts All eyes on n ministers as 1st week ends Mohammad Jamil Khan in Dhaka and Bipul Sarker Sunny in Dinajpur

Saiful Islam, n Meer from Paris The technical negotiations were officially closed in Paris yesterday, with the decision to send a 38-page draft climate agreement to ministers to use as the basis for next round of negotiations.

Over the past week, the draft agreement was streamlined and featured bridging proposals which will give the ministers the basis for working through the political issues underlying the deal, providing them with common-ground options from which they can begin their talks.

The draft Paris Climate Agreement that will go to ministers tomorrow was signed

off by the negotiators during the closing plenary of the Advanced Durban Platform track of talks in Paris yesterday.

Observers say key milestone reached in Paris yesterday as the draft climate agreement sent to the ministers, despite having many issues to be settled and many brackets remain to be deleted.

What the observers saw yesterday was the spirit of the leaders come through and movement in the negotiating blocs, as different priorities emerged and the North-South dynamic has become more nuanced around most issues, except for finance, where that still is in play.

Saudi Arabia acted as a roadblock while India being a more constructive player in the talks, dropping hints that there would be drama over the next week or so.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Loss and damage included in text Bakar Siddique, n Abu from Paris Negotiators have compromised and come closer to an agreement on the key issue of “Loss and Damage” that meant for providing compensation to the climate vulnerable countries.

Still, there were differences among the parties holding talks on the climate issues in Paris, but it has already been adopted in the draft text of the proposed agreement, which is go-

ing forward to the ministerial discussion starting tomorrow.

The least developed and small island states in the recent years have been pressing for the provision of compensation against the losses and damages arising out of climate-related events. Bangladesh has been identified as one of the most vulnerable countries.

“Finally, the issue was included in the draft text and it will go for further review in the ministerial meeting,” Dr Saleemul Huq, director of the International Centre for Climate Change and  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

At least 10 people were hurt, six critically, after miscreants blasted three improvised bombs on the Kantaji temple premises in Dinajpur early yesterday.

The bombs exploded around 1:15am when people were watching Jatra - traditional open air theatrical performance - at the “Bholanath Opera” tent organised on the occasion of the month-long Raash Mela. Festivities began on November

25 at the temple, according to witnesses and police.

Meanwhile, OC of Kaharol Abdul Mazid was withdrawn from duty last night for negligence in performing his duties.

Earlier, law enforcers detained five people for questioning in connection with the incident.

The six critically injured were transferred to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital for better treatment. They are Sadhon Roy, 35, Mokaddes Hossain, 32, Mithu, 30, Abdul Jabbar, 28, Saidur, 27, and Ramakanta Das, 22.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Democracy Day today n UNB The Democracy Day will be observed in the country today, marking the fall of autocratic ruler HM Ershad in 1990.

On December 6, 1990, military dictator Ershad stepped down in the face of a mass upsurge, and handed power over to a caretaker government ending his nine years of autocratic rule which began through grabbing power in a coup on March 24, 1982.

Different political parties and socio-cultural organisations have taken various programmes to mark the day. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has issued a message greeting the countrymen on the occasion.

In her message, the prime minister said December 6 is a remarkable day in the history of reclaiming democracy.

In two decades since 1990, Bangladesh Awami League played a responsible role in protecting democracy and the voting rights, and the path for grabbing power illegally has been stopped through the 15th amendment to the constitution, she said. l

Municipal election an acid test for EC, says BNP n UNB BNP senior leader Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman yesterday said the December-30 municipal election is an acid test for the Election Commission to brighten its image and also get rid of its questionable and sordid past.

“There’re lots of questions about the neutrality of the Election Commission which is going to hold the municipal polls. It (EC) has been branded as a cadre force of the government. So, holding this election in a free and fair manner is an acid test for it,” he said.

Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader further said: “The municipal polls will have a serious impact on future parliamentary and other elections. So, we want to see for the last time as to how much the Election Commission and the government can earn the confidence of the county’s people and the global community.”

Mahbub, a BNP Standing Committee member, made the remarks while speaking at a discussion arranged by Jatiyatabadi Sangskriti Dal at the Jatiya Press Club. He criticised the EC for turning down BNP’s demand for deferring the election for 15 days.

“The Commission rejecting our demand has exposed its true colour.”

The BNP leader also alleged that a level-paying field is not created for fair polls as the Commission is not acting neutrally.

Mahbub also protested Pakistan’s claim that it did not commit any war crime during the 1971 Liberation War. “It is a blatant lie. We strongly protest the statement.”

At another programme, BNP Vice-Chairman Hafizuddin Ahmed alleged that the government has worked out a strategy to stage a farce in the name of municipal polls as it did during the three city polls held on April 28 this year.

He also alleged that law enforcers forced their many popular and prospective candidates to remain out of the election race by implicating them in “false” cases. l

News Kantaji temple blasts Dr Sayed Nader Hossain of the hospital told the Dhaka Tribune that they had found splinters in the bodies of Sadhon, Jabbar and Ramakanta. Of them, Sadhon’s condition was said to be critical.

After the blasts, local police said they were crude bombs, but could not give any further details.

Mizanur Rahman, additional superintendent of Dinajpur district police, told the Dhaka Tribune over the phone that they were not sure about the motive of the attack but considering it as an act of sabotage.

“We are checking whether there was any conflict between the leaseholder and those who failed to take the lease of the festival ground,” he added.

When contacted, lessee Hares Ali said: “I do not have conflicts with anyone. This attack was conducted to foil the historic event.”

Asked about the attackers’ identities, Hares alleged that it was part of a series of attacks and threats against Christian priests made in the last couple of weeks in the district.

On November 18, priest Dr Piarea Parelori, 78, came under attack by unidentified miscreants in the town’s Mirzapur Bus Stand area. On November 26, catholic church Father Karlos received death threat over phone while 10 others got threats through handwritten letters.

Witnesses and organisers claimed that the sound of the blasts was too loud to have come from crude bombs. The bombs exploded one after another.

“It seemed that someone was detonating the bombs from some other place,” said Ramen Chandra, a witness.

Nayan Chandra, another witness present near the spot, told the Dhaka Tribune that after hearing the blasts, like others he also started running to come out of the tent. “Later I saw many batteries at the spot,” he added.

The Crime Prevention Company 1 of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) 13 collected evidence from the crime scene.

Maj Mahmud Al Raju, commander of the company, could not confirm the type of the bombs before assessing the samples.

“We have collected some samples and are investigating the incident from different aspects,” he added.

Asked about the use of batteries in the bombs, Rahmatullah Chowdhury, an assistant commissioner of Detective Branch’s Bomb Disposal Unit, told the Dhaka Tribune last night that the batteries are generally used in Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Haris had filed a case with the police station against unnamed persons.

According to the investigators, the bombs were kept under the soil, so that people did not see it when they entered the tent.

The organisers piled straw on the floor as seating arrangement.

Superintendent of Dinajpur district police Ruhul Amin told the Dhaka Tribune that police were conducting search operations to arrest the culprits. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Loss and damage Development (ICCAD), told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said the LDCs group is pressing hard to get a separate article on “Loss and Damage” while the developed countries are trying to keep it under the adaptation chapter.

The draft released yesterday invites all parties to reduce the risk and address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change.

It said that a climate change displacement coordination facility shall be established to help coordinate efforts to address climate change induced displacement, migration and planned relocation.

“We are still unhappy as the draft does not contain a provision that can ensure compensation for the people facing climate induced displacement,” said Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, coordinator of the Climate Equity and Justice Network.

The US and the European Union expressed concern that if liability and compensation were linked to this, it could become a massive legal and financial headache.

To find a compromise, the US has been meeting with the AOSIS group that represents 44 small island states.

Addressing a press conference in Paris on Friday, US lead negotiator Todd Stern said compensation and liability was a “line we can’t cross” but hinted that progress was being made.

“I think we can come up with something that allays the fears of the EU and US where liability and compensation are concerned without us giving up any rights that we currently enjoy under existing international agreements,” Senator Fletcher said. l

All eyes on ministers as 1st week ends On the ratchet mechanism (meant for time to tome reviewing the progress of implementation of the expected agreement), it is complicated. This is the least mature area of the negotiations.

Bangladesh delegation member Prof Ainun Nishat said the parties agreed unanimously on arresting the temperature rise within the range between 1.5 degree and 2 degrees Celsius, which is a big achievement.

“We want it to be grant, but many other countries want it to be soft loan.”

He said the loss and damage issue was well documented, but there are some problems with choosing words, particularly about the displaced persons. It still remains within brackets.

Article 11 clearly describes how the countries, lagging behind implementation of the INDCs, will get assistance. The meeting will have to make it clear if anyone does not implement the INDC, he said.

“I think an agreement will be signed in Paris, but whether it will be legally binding or not still remains in the brackets,” he added.

The IPCC will issue a special report on the impact of climate change, and to this effect, involvement of economists will be increased with the scientists.

BIDS Senior Research Fellow Dr Assaduzzaman, who is a delegation member, said developing countries want to put “shall” in many areas, but developed countries want it to be “should” or “will.”

“It is certain that an agreement will be signed or an announcement will come,” he said, adding that there is a plan to take it to the

UN sometime in May to be signed by the leaders as a legally binding agreement.

“We’re trying to do something fresh and new to create ambition in Paris,” said Liz Gallagher of E3G. “That’s why we need to make sure review our pledges before 2020, and keep from locking ourselves out of ambitious action,” she added.

“Countries agree that there should be a global goal for adaptation included in any new climate deal,” said Sandeep Chamling Rai of the World Wide Foundation, raising a demand that the goal should be linked to science – by ensuring that actions do not allow global temperatures to increase beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Finance is a core part of the UN climate framework and a key driver of the outcome.

But developed countries are not coming forward to deliver plans.

“But we simply can’t expect ambition without some assurance that there will be assistance,” said Brandon Wu, ActionAid. On differentiation, developed countries have made it very clear that the old two-tiered system will not work. Developing countries have made it very clear that a system in which every country is the same is inequitable and unacceptable.

“We need a third way, a middle ground, which would need to be developed with a clear set of language, and could be based around indicators on responsibility and capacity,” Brandon said.

Officials had their final round of negotiations on Friday before the process goes to the even more crucial segment of ministerial level yesterday afternoon. The crucial second week

starts tomorrow when ministers will hold discussions on how further the issues still remained unresolved could be managed.

The officials came up with one single document after having negotiations over the past week on the previous two versions. Two versions of the document were released on the day before – the 38-page one included the “bridging proposals” by facilitators and another was 46-page compilation document.

On Friday evening, a single group got together in an effort to further narrow the options ahead of yesterday’s noon deadline.

Parties considered proposals to streamline the twin texts in order to come up with a cleaner, shorter single document, but could not reach consensus on many sections of the proposed agreement as brackets remaining around many sections.

The signs show an overwhelming majority of countries seeking an ambitious climate deal, but much work remains to be done over the remaining week.

Yesterday was a pivotal moment in the COP process, when officials hand the text over to ministers and Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister and COP President, assumed the responsibility of directing and shaping the negotiations.

Fabius has a challenging week ahead of him. He will likely be passed a text that needs a strong team of minister-level facilitators and a coalition of high ambition countries to move the process forward.

The stage is now set for a re-introduction of the political vision and ambition that world leaders set out at the beginning of COP21. l

AL hopes rebel aspirants to backtrack n Tribune Report The ruling Awami League still hopes that all the 71 mayoral candidates, who had submitted nomination papers as independent candidates for mayoral posts of the municipality elections, would withdraw their nomination papers voluntarily.

“Already four to five persons have withdrawn their nomination papers. We hope that the others will backtrack from the mayoral race by December 13, the last day of withdrawing nomination papers,” Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif said at a party press conference yesterday.

Earlier, the party threatened to expel leaders from the party if they contested the elections defying the party’s nominations.

Hanif faced the reporters after holding a meeting at the Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s political office at Dhanmondi. Several central leaders of the party were also present at the meeting.

The Election Commission started scrutiny of the nomination papers yesterday.

Terming the BNP’s objection against the EC “illogical and unacceptable,” the Awami League leader said: “BNP joined the five city corporation polls under the current Election Commission. Now the party says the EC is not fair … What does the BNP want?

The BNP recently criticised the EC as “spineless” and “subservient to the government” for not deferring the polls schedule as per their request. l

Several Olamas (religious preachers) in yesterday demanded immediate end to Peace TV telecasting in Bangladesh saying they were misleading the Muslims all over the world.

Meanwhile, the police chief yesterday hinted that they would collect information on those who were preaching radicalism and instigating youths to attack minority communities and bloggers.

Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque while addressing a discussion with Islamic clerics at the Police Headquarters asked the Olamas to file a written complaint and send it to the Information Ministry and police force.

He said both the ministries and law enforcement agencies would investigate the matter and if needed actions would be taken.

Mohammad Nayeem Uddin, one of the Olamas present at the conference, told the Dhaka Tribune that the Peace TV was misinterpreting Islam.

Meanwhile, the IGP said directives had already been is-

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Nomination of 17 mayoral aspirants scrapped

Govt asked to return disappeared people to families n Tribune report

n Tribune Report

Two international human rights body called upon the government to return all disappeared persons to their families.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) made the joint statement yesterday morning.

They issued the press release as 4th of December 2015 was two years of disappearances of eight activists belonging to the opposition political party.

The press release was issued just a day after 19 families, whose members disappeared two years ago, held a press conference on Friday morning demanding return of the near and dear ones.

The relatives of the disappeared victims’ appeals were denied by the executive and judicial authorities, and they received law enforcers denials, negligence, and further intimidation.

According to information gathered by human rights defenders, from January to November 2015, 59 people were forcibly disappeared in Bangladesh.

They said the role the judicial system of the country was playing about the recurrence of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions were also been questioned.

They also advised the judicial system to check the pattern of abductions, the inaction on the part of the law enforcement agencies and the profiles of the victims of disappearances. l

On the first day of scrutiny, the Election Commission yesterday cancelled the nomination papers of three BNP-backed mayoral aspirants, two from Jatiya Party and 12 independent candidates.

The aspirants will get the scope to appeal against the decisions by December 10.

A total of 1,223 mayoral candidates filed nomination papers across the country to contest the December 30 municipality elections. Moreover, 2,668 applications were submitted for reserved (women) councillor post and 9,798 for the general councillor positions.

The returning officers are set to complete the scrutiny of the nomination papers today.

The three BNP-backed mayoral aspirants whose candidatures were rejected yesterday are Sarwarul Abedin in Chhengarchar municipality of Chandpur, Fazlur Rahman in Feni municipality and Mustafizur Rahman in Parshuram municipality of Feni.

Sarwar’s nomination paper was turned down due to lack of necessary documents and flaws in some documents submitted to the election office. The returning officer of Feni also cancelled the nomination paper of independent candidate Atiqul Alam.

In Kushtia, the scrutiny of nomination papers in four municipalities, out of five,

Olamas demand ban on Peace TV n Kamrul Hasan

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sued to collect information on the people who are tactfully preaching radicalism.

About the twenty-one militants who were are awaiting the gallows would be punished as per the High Court directives.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Asaduzzaman Mia and other top police officials were present at the programme.

In the conference the Olamas provided some demands including making a list of the Imams in the country so that those who were misleading the people could be traced easily.

Khandoker Golam Mawla Nakshabondi said many students of Kawmi and Alia madrasas were joining militants groups after being instigated

by Olamas.

Another Olama claimed that the Madrasa Board should be freed from Jamaat influences.

If any Owaz Mahfil (religious sermon) is organised the organisers should take permission from the local police station concerned and the speeches should be recorded. l

was completed yesterday. Three mayoral candidates, out of seven, in Kushtia municipality got their nominations cancelled. They are KM Zahid of Jatiya Party, Dewan Abdul Khalek of Islami Shasontontro Andolon and independent candidate Shamimul Hasan Apu, who is known as a BNP rebel.

The nomination papers of another BNP rebel, Saiful Haque Khan, of Mirpur municipality, and independent candidate Ali Asgar of Bheramara municipality were also scrapped.

In Rajshahi, the nomination papers of three independent mayoral candidates in Aarani municipality were trashed. They are Nazrul Islam (sitting mayor and known as BNP rebel), Abdul Matin (known as Awami League rebel) and Masud Parvez.

With the cancellation of candidatures of the three BNP aspirants, two municipalities – Chhengarchar and Parshuram – have got single candidates against the mayoral posts. For this, the ruling Awami Leaguenominated candidates are set to be declared elected unopposed.

If the appellate authorities uphold the decisions of the returning officers, the Election Commission will have to declare the two ruling party mayoral aspirants elected uncontested after the December 13 deadline for the withdrawal of candidatures. l

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Bangladesh-Russia investment protection deal likely in February n Asif Showkat Kallol

Bangladesh and Russia are likely to sign a 15year “investment protection deal” in under which Russia wants to give its investors exemption from having to compensate for environmental and public health hazards.

Sources said the deal, likely to be inked in February, will give the exemption to investors from both countries.

Russia wants to expand trade with Bangladesh to $1bn within a year and for that it is seeking the investment protection.

According to an official of Bangladesh’s Industries Ministry, Russia wants this because most of its investment is in the power, nuclear power and gas exploration sectors here.

The official also said that the investment

protection agreement would also help in improving relations with China under Bangladesh’s “look east” policy.

An inter-ministerial meeting, to be presided over by an additional secretary of the Industries Ministry, on December 9 is likely to finalise the deal titled “Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments” Last week, Md Aminul Islam, deputy secretary of the ministry, send an eight-page draft of the Bangladesh-Russia investment protection pact to different ministries and divisions for opinion.

Industries Secretary Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “It is not easy to prepare an agreement for investment protection between two countries because negotiation is a time-consuming process.”

The Russian authorities sent their response to a draft of the agreement in May. Five months ago, Russia’s Gazprom was awarded five new onshore well-drilling contracts, but that work is still to begin.

Bangladesh and Russia began cooperation in the nuclear energy field in May 2010, after which both countries signed a series of agreements for building the 2,400 megawatt Rooppur nuclear power plant. As part of the agreement , Bangladesh and Russia are set to sign the fourth contract in a short time.

A couple of months ago, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said Bangladesh might have to spend around $13.5bn to build the Rooppur plant. Of the cost, $12bn will come from the Russian government in loans and the rest from the Bangladesh side, he said. l

CPB chief Selim receives death threat n Tribune Report

Mujahidul Islam Selim, president of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), has been threatened with death in an e-mail message.

The threat was sent to him in the form of an e-mail message from uddinnizam456@ yahoo.com.au early yesterday.

The sender identified himself as Nizam Uddin, ameer of a little-known group called Mission Jihad.

Nizam also said in the e-mail that his mobile phone number is 01747233070, CPB said in a statement yesterday.

The party demanded that the sender of the e-mail be arrested and necessary measures be taken to ensure the CPB president’s security. l

Awami League leader’s throat-slit body found in city n Kamrul Hasan

Police recovered the body of a ward-level Awami League leader with his throat slit from West Shanarpar area in Dhaka’s Demra area yesterday morning.

The deceased, Enamul Haq Gias, general secretary of Ward 8 unit of Sarulia Union Awami League, had been living in the area for 20 years and built a two-storey building.

Informed by a local, Demra police went to the spot around 11am and found the body with a slit throat slit and injury marks on the forehead and chin and his hands tied with a shirt. He lived some 200 metres from the spot.

The body was sent to the Mitford Hospital in the afternoon for autopsy.

Gias earned his living by renting out flats.

His wife Nasima said he had gone out around 7pm on Friday and returned around 9pm.

Around 10pm he got a phone call.

“As he was about to go out again, we asked him not to because it was quite late, but he went out saying it was emergency,” she said.

His son Mohammad Ujjal said his father’s mobile phone was switched off at 1am.

Yesterday morning, when Ujjal was returning from the London Market in the area, he heard from a neighbour that his father’s dead body was found near their residence.

Ujjal said his father had a feud a few months back with two locals named Liton and Kamal, both previously belonged to the BNP. He said his father had influence in the area and would often act as an arbitrator. “We often told him to leave politics but he would always laugh it away,” said Ujjal.

Lipi Akhter, younger sister of the deceased, told the Dhaka Tribune that his brother might have been killed as a result of a feud within the Awami League.

Abdus Sukkur, a local Awami League leader, however, said Gias’ activities against local extortionists could be the reason behind the murder.

Lipi said they would file a case after the burial. Sub-Inspector Abdul Quddus of Demra police station said they were looking for the killers. l

A group of mostly young men, who call themselves e-commerce businessmen, yesterday formed a human chain in the capital’s Shahbagh demanding immediate opening of Facebook RAJIB DHAR

E-commerce businessmen demand unblocking of Facebook n Tribune Report A group of mostly young men, who call themselves e-commerce businessmen, yesterday formed a human chain in the capital’s Shahbagh, demanding immediate opening of social media websites.

Since the government blocked popular social media websites and apps including Facebook, Instagram, Viber and WhatsApp on November 18, there have been news reports that social media-based businesses have been losing crores of taka.

The main banner they were holding had two inscriptions: Facebook and e-commerce

logos on the top left and “Digital Bangladesh” on top right.

The banner reads: “Unblock Facebook for the sake of Digital Bangladesh and promising e-commerce.”

One of the placards that the participants were holding reads: “Do not punish Facebook users, punish the criminals.”

Since the website and apps were blocked, many have been using a technology called virtual private network (VPN) to use these platforms.

At yesterday’s human chain, the message in a placard was styled after a popular anti-Ershad era slogan: “Down with VPN, free-

dom for Facebook.”

Another placard read: “Unblock Facebook, or give us a job.”

Yet another read: “Whatever we earn and eat comes through Facebook.”

In recent years, Bangladesh has seen a boom in Facebook-based trade and commerce.

Many young men and women have become self-reliant by selling apparel, bakery and food items, electronic gadgets, books and different lifestyle items on Facebook.

For these businesses, Facebook pages serve as alternatives for websites where they can showcase their products and by which they can save some money. l

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PARIS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Québec contributes CA$6m to LDCF n Abu Bakar Siddique, from Paris The Premier of Québec, Philippe Couillard, yesterday announced a contribution of six million Canadian dollar to the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF).

The commitment, made at the Paris COP21 climate talks, is the first-ever by a sub-national government and brings a total new financing to the US$252 million LDCF. Thanking Québec for its generous support, Naoko Ishii, CEO and chairperson of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), said: “This groundbreaking commitment

by Québec shows the growing international cooperation to help the most vulnerable and most exposed to the impacts of climate change.”

“By contributing to the Least Developed Countries Fund, Québec, as a federated state, is setting a precedent in international climate funding,” underscored the Premier.

Earlier this week, 11 donor countries pledged US$248 million to the LDCF. Welcoming the injection of more money for adaptation support, Naoko Ishii also said: “Given that we’re already locked into climate change trajectories for many years to come, increased investment in adaptation has to be at the core of the new climate agreement.” l

Environmentalists demonstrate during a street parade as part of the ‘Global Village of Alternatives’ events held in Montreuil, near Paris, France yesterday as the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) continues at Le Bourget near the French capital REUTERS

Climate Change: The financing gap

Climate Action summit coming up in May

n Sohara Mehroze Sachi, from Paris

n Abu Bakar Siddique, from Paris

Climate change is occurring faster than ever before. The adverse effects are being felt strongly around the world in the form of changing weather patterns and increasing frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events such as floods and cyclones.

While reducing greenhouse gas emissions i.e. mitigation is vital to reduce the rate of climate change, adaptation efforts are needed now to safeguard vulnerable people already experiencing climatic impacts. Rightly, adaptation to climate change has become an integral element of climate change negotiations taking place in COP 21.

In Lima COP last year, countries were asked to publicly declare in Paris what actions they intend to take to combat climate change. These intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) of countries form an important basis for negotiating the Paris agreement. So far adaptation components have been included by 135 countries in their INDCs, which is about 85% of all submissions, showing strong interest.

“Maybe by the end of COP we will have INDCs from everyone,” says Matti Goldberg of the UNFCCC Secretariat.

Adaptation needs

The priority areas identified in the adaptation components of submitted INDCs are

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water, agriculture, health, ecosystems, forestry, infrastructure, disaster risk reduction, energy, food security, fishing and biodiversity. Many of these goals are framed in terms of countries’ long term development aspirations.

Estimates of adaptation costs in developing countries are US$ 70bn to US$100 bn.

However, costs are likely to be 2-3 times higher than these estimates, as these only provide partial coverage of sectors and impacts, do not incorporate uncertainty or costs of delivering adaptation interventions and assume high levels of carbon dioxide emission reductions, which may not be the case.

The adaptation finance gap

In view of the above, it is clear that there is a major gap between the costs of adapting and the amount of finance available to do so.

Adaptation costs are emissions dependent – even in the next few decades high emission pathways will translate to high costs of adaptation.

According to UNEP findings, by 2050, adaptation costs with 4 degrees temperature rise could be double those of a scenario with 2 degrees rise.

The costs of adaptation in climate vulnerable nations are significant and increasing, and call for immediate enhanced mitigation action. So the adaptation gap is expected to grow, unless new and additional climate finance becomes available.

Current adaptation finance flows

While vulnerable countries such as Bangladesh are financing a majority of their adaptation expenses domestically, the adaptation needs far outweigh the available resources, so international assistance is crucial.

According to the Global Landscape of Climate Finance project, the amount of public finance committed for adaptation focused projects was a mere US$25 bn. Currently, 84% comes of adaptation finance from development finance institutions, 13% from governments and 3% from climate funds.

In 2014, only 3% of the climate funds committed to developing countries were adaptation finance.

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COP 21 and beyond

Although adaptation finance flows have increased, they are likely to fall short of current adaptation needs and would have to increase tremendously to match future needs. So a better balance between adaptation and mitigation finance should be accompanied by an overall increase in finance.

“In order to encourage ambition in adaptation, a qualitative global goal will be required, as well as collective and individual efforts to allow closing the gap in adaptation,” reads Peru’s INDC. And for this global goal, it is crucial that adaptation finance commitments are ensured in the Paris agreement. l 16

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YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 6:28AM

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday announced that a broad group of organisations would partner in 2016 to maintain momentum for multi-stakeholder climate implementation.

“I am heartened by the significant and growing coalitions that are emerging to tackle the challenges of climate change and realise new opportunities,” he said on Action Day at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris.

“Climate Action 2016” summit of leaders from government, business, cities and localities, civil society and academia will be held on May 5-6 of next year in Washington DC. The UN chief, the Global Environment Facility, Compact of Mayors and Michael Bloomberg, UN chief’s special envoy for cities and climate change, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, We Mean Business, and the University of Maryland are supposed to join that programme.

This high-level gathering will complement the ongoing implementation efforts and catalyse actionable, concrete deliverables in specific high-value areas, including: cities, land use, resilience, energy, transport, tools for decision makers, and finance. l

30.2ºC Jessore

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Fajr: 5:05am | Zohr: 11:49am Asr: 3:35pm | Magrib: 5:11pm Esha: 6:41pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Six fake currency smugglers remanded n Tribune Report A Dhaka magistrate court yesterday granted a five-day remand for six suspected fake currency smugglers including a Bangladesh-born Pakistani national in a case filed with Airport police station in the capital.

Metropolitan Magistrate Kazi Kamrul Islam passed the order after Sub-inspector Tarique-uz-Zaman, also investigation officer of the case, produced them before the court seeking a 10-day remand for interrogation.

Those who were put on remand are Abdullah Selim, Md Jahangir, Abdul Khalek, Kamrul Islam, Abu Sufian, and Mamun Ur Rashid. Of them, Selim is a Pakistani.

Sub-Inspector Ashraf Ali, general recording officer (GRO) of Dhaka CMM court confirmed that the six accused were placed on remand.

Earlier, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested the six members of a fake currency smuggling and human trafficking gang from near the Shahjalal International Airport in the capital city.

The RAB also seized fake Indian currencies worth Rs1 crore, Tk6.24 lakh, a large amount of US dollars, Pakistani rupees, UAE dirham, Saudi riyal, 28 Bangladeshi and Pakistani passports and a large number of fake seals from them during the drive. l

‘Continuous power supply to be ensured for 100 economic zones’ n Aminur Rahman Rasel

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid yesterday said uninterrupted power supply would be ensured for the planned 100 economic zones in the country.

Private sectors have been asked to relocate there as industries developed in an unplanned way in the country, he said while addressing a seminar organised by CEMS Global and Energy Bangla in the capital.

Hamid said there is corruption in power sector, especially while providing new connections in rural areas. “We will try to check this but it is impossible to remove corruption completely.”

He said the energy sector’s progress is slow in the country because of corruption.

“We are trying to boost the progress. It will be a challenge to free the Power Division from graft by 2016.”

The government has taken measures to cut illegal power and gas connections and drives will begin from January in this regard, said the state minister.

“By the next three years, 70% of house-

holds will be covered by LP gas and we are working on it. We are building three new LNG (Liquefied natural gas) terminals and industries will run by imported LNG,” he said.

Hamid also said the government is investing an additional one billion dollars on hydroelectricity.

Ijaz Hossain, professor of chemical engineering at Buet, presented the keynote paper at the seminar.

Ijaz said importing alternative fuel is required to meet the gap between demand and production. “Also, efficient use can save our fuel.”

“It is possible to fulfill the demand for fuel of local industries by imported LNG. Coalbased and oil-fired power plants can ensure the use of alternative fuel. Moreover, people have to use LP gas for cooking instead of gas supplied in pipes,” he said, adding that it is also important to fix the price of LP gas.

Director General of Power Cell Mohammad Hossain said electrcitiy connections will be ensured for all by 2021.

“The government is emphasising renewable energy, particularly for solar-based power plants. The government has already achieved

UNFPA State of World Population report 2015 launched n Tribune Report The United Nations Populations Fund globally launched this year’s State of World Population report titled “Shelter from the Storm” on Thursday.

This year, the report stated that essential health needs of women remains neglected after natural disasters and conflicts.

It said the health needs of women and adolescents are too often neglected in humanitarian response to natural disasters and conflicts around the world, even though whether women and girls live or die in a crisis often depends on access to basic sexual and reproductive health services like midwives and HIV prevention.

The report shows that of the 100 million people in need of humanitarian assistance around the world today, about 26 million are women and adolescent girls in their childbearing years.

According to the State of World Population, three fifths of maternal deaths today occur in countries that are considered fragile because of conflict or disaster; pregnancy and childbirth kill 507 women every day in these settings.

UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin in a statement said: “The health and rights of women and adolescents should not be treated like an afterthought in humanitarian response. For the pregnant woman who is about to deliver, or the adolescent girl who survived sexual violence, life-saving services are as vital as water, food and shelter.”

UNFPA’s “Shelter from the Storm” calls on governments and assistance groups everywhere to move women’s health and rights, and in particular women’s sexual and reproductive health, from the back seat to the front seat of the world’s humanitarian agenda. l

success in the development of power sector.”

Hossain hoped that the government will be able to ensure reliable power supply by the end of its tenure.

Consumers Association of Bangladesh Adviser Prof Shamsul Alam said the lack of good governance is now prevailing in the energy sector which should be addressed. “Otherwise, affordability cannot be ensured.”

Former director of Petrobangla Mokbul-e-Elahi claimed the proven reserve of gas is not 15 trillion cubic feet.

“This is a wrong data which often mislead foreigners. Exploration of hydrocarbon has been shut down and only a limited number of organisations are allowed to do that,” he said.

Buet Professor M Tamim said 85% of the development of export is happening due to cheap energy and low cost of labour.

Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Managing Director UK Bhattacharya said integrated planning is very important for power sector.

“If energy cost is increased, the cost of development will go up and growth will decline,” he added. l

Bus assistant put on 3-day remand n Tribune Report

Several organisations bring out a rally from the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital marking the World Dignity Day yesterday, demanding that the Discrimination Elimination Law 2015 be passed in the parliament MEHEDI HASAN

A Dhaka court yesterday placed a bus helper on a 3-day remand in a case filed against him on charges of verbally abusing a female student of Dhaka University on a public bus.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate SM Masud Zaman passed the order after sub-inspector Raihan-Uz-Zaman, also investigation officer of the case, produced bus helper Md Mamun before the court seeking 7-day remand for interrogation.

Earlier, police arrested Mamun, a helper of Shukhtara Paribahan, from the capital’s Gabtoli area hours after the victim filed the case with Darussalam Police Station under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. According to the case statement, Mamun abused the DU’s Geography Department student verbally on her way to the capital’s Gabtoli from Manikganj on Friday. l

CCC Mayor: Disabled

Two killed, two injured in Chittagong people to get free road accident healthcare facilities n Tribune Report

Two people, including a woman, were killed and two others injured in a head-on collision between a CNG-run autorickshaw and a pickup van in Banskhali upazila of Chittagong yesterday morning.

The dead were identified as Morium Begum, 55, and Shripod Joldash, 38, said Officerin-Charge Swapan Kumar Majumdar of Banshkhali police station. However, the detailed identities of the victims and the injured could not be confirmed till the filing of this report.

Quoting witnesses, OC Swapan Kumar

said: “The accident took place around 8am when a pickup van rammed a city-bound CNG-run autorickshaw from the back near Ekkaitta Pukur Par area of Pukuria Union under the upazila.”

“The van was trying to overtake the CNG which was carrying four people,” he added.

Among the injured, the woman was rushed to Banskhali Upazila Health Complex in critical condition but she succumbed to her injuries later. The other critically injured, Joldash died at Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

No one was arrested in this connection yet, the OC said. l

n Tribune Report

Chittagong City Corporation Mayor, AJM Nasir Uddin declared yesterday that people with disabilities would receive free healthcare service from the corporation healthcare center.

Organising by Chittagong City Corporation, on the occasion of International Day for Persons with Disabilities at Chittagong Theatre Institute, the mayor made this announcement.

As a chief guest, the mayor insisted that the persons with disabilities will not be treated with remissness. l

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News

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Awami League faces adamant rebel in Sreepur MUNICIPALIT Y POLLS 2015

The local Awami League leaders are divided over campaigning for the party-nominated candidate since the rebel candidate, Ahsan Ullah, is also popular.

Raihanul Islam Akand, Gazipur M U N I C I P A L I T Y P O L L S 2 0Ahsan 1 5 is an influential member of the upazila unit Awami League and the first The incumbent mayor of Sreepur municipalvice-president of Sreepur University College ity in Gazipur was nominated by the Awami Students’ Union.

League for the next election slated for De“I did not seek nomination from the party. cember 30, but a rebel candidate has become But it does not mean that I will not contest a matter of concern for the ruling party. the polls. I cannot break the promises I made The mayor, Anisur Rahman Anis, too was a to my voters,” Ahsan told the Dhaka Tribune. rebel candidate during the previous election Anis is also hopeful of winning the polls. “I but later the party welcomed him. He is the follow the party’s instructions. So the party has acting president of Gazipur district unit Sranominated me considering my contributions. I mik League, workers’ wing of the ruling party.

MUNICIPALIT Y POLLS 2015

n

am 100% sure about my victory,” he added.

District unit Awami League General Secretary Azmat Ullah said that the party leaders should follow the central command and that rebel candidates should withdraw their nominations if they are really devoted to the party.

On the other hand, BNP has picked Sreepur municipal unit General Secretary Md Shahidullah Shahid as their mayor candidate. He is supposed to get support from all the leaders and activists of the party and the other components of the 20-party alliance.

A former student leader, Shahid is the son of late BNP leader Yakub Ali Master. Party leaders said Shahid might win the mayoral

race because of his father’s reputation.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Shahid expressed concerns about a fair election. He said that the party leaders and activists were afraid of arbitrary arrests, for which, many of them were staying outside home.

“I shall win if the election is held peacefully and the voters can cast their votes without any fear,” he added. There are around 58,000 voters in the grade II municipality.

Voters said that they were looking for an efficient mayor who would be able to ease their everyday sufferings caused due to the sorry state of the streets, unplanned drains, and water and gas shortage. l

Jetty, warehouse workers go on work abstention n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong

The unloading of goods from lighter vessels in 16 jetties along River Karnaphuli in Chittagong has reportedly remained suspended since yesterday morning.

Sources said the jetty and warehouse workers went on work abstention to protest an attack on a labour leader.

However, Officer-in-Charge of Sadarghat police station Mainul Islam said he had no information regarding the assault on any labour leader.

Abul Kashem, president of Ghat Gudam Malik Samity, also claimed that he had no information of any such attack on any labour leader.

On the issue, the assaulted Idris Howlader, convener of Chittagong Ghat Gudam Sramik Sangram Parishad, told the Dhaka Tribune that the workers had voluntarily abstained from their work demanding punishment of his attackers.

Idris claimed that his assaulters attacked him with sharp weapons on Friday night.

He was currently undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

There are a total of 16 jetties and 64 warehouses along the River Karnaphuli. On an average, 10,000 tonnes of goods are unloaded in the 16 jetties every day which are supervised by several organisations of labourers and contractors. l

Man found dead n Tribune report, Chittagong

Police found a dead body in the pond at Boalkhali upazila in Chittagong yesterday.

The police said, the deceased is Sayed Jobayer Hossain, aged about 45.

Officer-in-Charge of Boalkhali police station, Mohammed Shamsul Islam said that the floating dead body was found in a local pool at Popadiya union.

The Officer-in-Charge said to Dhaka Tribune, “Local people marked the dead body and informed to the police while police recuperated the body and sent it to Chittagong Medical College Hospital for post-mortem”.

“Besides the dead body police also recovered a bicycle from the waterhole,” said the Officer-in-Charge. The police did not confirm it as murder since the body did not have any mark of injury,” added the OC. An anomalous case has been filed in this connection. l

Sirajganj 6 lawmaker Hashibur Rahman Swapon seeks vote for the Awami League candidate in the upcoming municipality elections in violation of the electoral code of conduct while addressing a crowd at a local school ground in Shahjadpur yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Showdowns, feuds highlights of election build-up MUNICIPALIT Y POLLS 2015

lam and former municipality mayor Halimul Haque Muru’s feud with current MP Hasibur Rahman Swapan has become more visible than ever as the elections approach.

Our Correspondent, Sirajganj the Awami League central high M U N I C I P A L I T Y P O L L S 2 0Although 15 command has nominated Miru for the mayor Showdowns by and internal feuds among run, MP Swapan had extended his support for Awami League contestants and lack of enthuVP Rahim. siasm in the BNP-Jamaat tent have been the On the other hand, candidates from the highlights of the build up to the upcoming BNP-Jamaat tent are yet to start public repolls to the municipalities in Sirajganj district. lations in full swing in Shahjadpur. So are Those Awami League leaders who have those candidates who have decided to run not got the party ticket have been equally independently after being denied nomination busy doing public relations as those who got from the BNP. the party’s nod.

In Sirajganj municipality, ruling party’s VP Abdur Rahim for example might have mayoral nominee Syed Abdur Rouf Mukta, not got nomination from the Awami League, former district chamber president, has been but that has not prevented him from running strongly visible on the election field. Because as an independent candidate for the mayor of he has blessings from local boy Health Ministhe Shahjadpur Municipality. ter Mohammad Nasim, a big section of local In the Awami League tent, MP Chayan Is-

MUNICIPALIT Y POLLS 2015

n

leaders and activists are already campaigning for Mukta.

This has been causing problems for independent candidate Swechchhasebak League leader Shamsuzzaman Alo, who failed to get party ticket.

Elsewhere, former fisheries minister’s wife Ashanur Biswas in Belkuchi, Nazrul Islam in Ullapara, Abdullah Al Pathan in Raiganj, and Hazi Nizam Uddin in Kazipur are all strongly doing public relations with Awami League nominations.

On the other hand, BNP nominees – district BNP general secretary Advocate Mokaddes Ali in Sirajganj municipality, Masud Raihan Mukul in Kazipur, M Belal Hossain in Ullapara, Nazrul Islam in Shahjadpur, Abdur Razzak Bhuiyan in Belkuchi and Nuur Sayeed Sarkar in Raiganj – are still to give their full efforts in campaigning. l

HC circuit bench demanded in Chittagong n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong The establishment of a High Court circuit bench in Chittagong was demanded by people of different walks yesterday for faster disposal of cases.

The demand was made during a view-exchange meeting jointly organised by Bangladesh Peshajibi Parishad and Chittagong unit of Bangladesh Manabadikhar Commission.

Speakers at the meeting said they would wage movement if necessary to press home

their demands. They also said they would call on President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to realise their demands.

Chairing the meeting, Abul Hashem, Chittagong District Public Prosecutor and convener of High Court Circuit Bench Bastabayan Parishad, said their demand was a rightful one.

“Everyone wants a movement in this regard, however, we would like to have confidence in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Our demand will be fulfilled if the PM considers it with all sincerity. We will soon meet the pres-

ident and prime minister and raise our legitimate demand. But prior to that we would like to discuss the issue with the politicians of Chittagong and different government officials at different levels,” Hashem said.

Prof Dr Sekander Chowdhury, Kazi Khosrul Alam Quddusi, secretary of Chittagong University Teachers’ Association, Ibrahim Hossain Chowdhury, member of Bar Council, and Mohsin Chowdhury, secretary of Chittagong Press Club, addressed the meeting among others. l

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News

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Solar power lights up Munshiganj char areas n Our Correspondent, Munsiganj

Once upon a time, the rural char areas of Tongibari upazila were in complete dark and it was impossible to travel for late night passers-by.

But now the scenario has totally changed with the installation of solar panel lights in the ares.

According to sources, the new transformation has brought a wide range of social changes by reducing thefts, robberies and mugging in one side and on the other side increased the confidence level of working people easing their homecoming journey at mid-night.

These solar-panel-charged lights, in-

stalled in the remotest char areas of Hasail and Dighirpar, which were impassable during nights, are experiencing the touch of footsteps of a large number of people.

According to locals, the flood eroded places are being transformed into suitable places for human habitation.

Agricultural activities marked by cultivation have ushered in new hope in those descended lands by way of generating rural employment.

Credit goes to the Test Relief (TR) activities of Rehabilitation and Relief Ministry for installation of the solar lights in those areas.

Alauddin, a resident of Chathatipara in the upazila, said the installation of a solar panel at the Asabol graveyard near the crossing of

Chathatipara-Satulla road was helping people a lot who return home at midnight from working places.

Earlier, the place was a safe haven for criminals, drug addicts and muggers threatening the security of the pedestrians at night.

The initiative and supervision of Sagufta Yeasmin Emily, MP, has contributed a lot to the installation of high quality solar lights which brought this quick transformation in social life and opened a new avenue for economic advancement in the areas, said locals.

Zakir Hossain, upazila relief officer, said: “Until now 100 home solar lights and 124 street solar lights have been installed under the ongoing development work.” l

Youth hacked to death n Our Correspondent, Khulna

Miscreants hacked a man to death in the city early yesterday.

The deceased was Gouranga Biswas,26, a resident of Muripotti area of the city.

Police and locals said one Shukur called Gouranga over his mobile phone and took him to a Christian graveyard in the area around 1am.

An altercation ensued between them, and at one stage, Shukur hacked Gouranga with a sharp weapon, leaving him dead on the spot.

Shafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Sadar police station, said locals found the body and informed the police.

The police recovered the body and sent it to Khulna Medical College Hospital morgue for an autopsy. l

One held with firearm

n Our Correspondent, Satkhira Police arrested a man with a shutter gun and bullets from South Nangla village in Debhata upazila of the district yesterday.

The arrested was Abdul Gafur, son of late Kalu Haji of the village.

Enamul Haque, officer-in-charge of Satkhira Detective Branch (DB) of police, said on a tip-off, a team of DB police conducted a raid at the house of Abdul Gafur and arrested him with the gun and ammo. l

15 Jamaat-Shibir men among 56 held n Our Correspondent, Satkhira Joint forces in separate drives from Friday night to early yesterday arrested 56 people, including 15 Jamaat-Shibir activists, in different places of the district on various charges.

Sub-Inspector Enamul Haque of Satkhira police station, said the joint team conducted separate drives in the eight upazilas and arrested 56 people, including 13 of Jamaat and two of Shibir. He said the Jamaat-Shibir men were arrested on sabotage charges. l

Even though he is not allowed to, a detainee is seen busy using his mobile phone before being locked up behind bars in Rajshahi city. With his cycle in one hand and the handcuffed culprit in another, a policeman leads the detainee and two other lawmen from the city’s Shaheed Kamruzzaman Chattar to the New Market police outpost yesterday AZAHAR UDDIN

Stage demolished over obscene dance shows n Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

Jaharul Islam, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Aditmari upazila in Lalmonirhat district yesterday demolished a stage erected for obscene dance shows and burnt down a makeshift gambling tents.

Sources said the UNO eventually intervened himself at the scene while the local union parishad chairman and members accompanied him with village police. Locals said the show was underway for the past several days polluting the social atmosphere.

“The situation appeared so intolerable that we were forced to send our girls to relatives houses in other places for their safety.

We could not sleep in peace fearing unexpected incidents as the shows drew unsocial elements,” said housewife Nira Akter.

Farmer Mokhlesur Rahman said unsocial elements preferred to carry out their activities at the Gobodrhan village on the Teesta char, which was four kilometers off mainland and bordering India and having boundaries also with Rangpur.

“I preferred to mobilise the local people and their representatives. I did not feel to seek the police support as I though it is not required,” said the UNO. Akhtar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Aditmari police station, said he was unaware of the incident but the UNO did the right thing. l

College girl set on fire by ‘husband’ dies n UNB A college girl, who received severe burn injuries after her husband and mother-in-law allegedly set her on fire by pouring kerosene five days ago, succumbed to her injuries at her father’s house in Kachua upazila yesterday.

The deceased was Sonia Akhter, 20, daughter of Mojahar Shikder of Gopalpur village in Kachua upazila and a 2nd year student of Business Administration at Shaheed Sheikh Abu Naser Women’s Degree College in the upazila.

The victim’s father said Sonia was recently married off to Rintu of Rajprashad village

in Bhandaria upazila of Pirojpur district and lived there with her in-laws.

On Nov 28, following a brawl over concealing Rintu’s marital relation with another woman, Rintu and his mother poured kerosene over her body and set her on fire.

Seriously injured, Sonia was admitted to Barisal Medical College Hospital, and, later, shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospitaol for better treatment.

As the doctors at DMCH told the family members that Sonia was suffering with 90 percent burn injuries, the family members took her to her village home where she breathed her last on Saturday morning, said her father. l

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Career

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

GEEKY Social How is the job atmosphere at GEEKY Social?

GEEKY Social, as it’s aptly named, is a haven for creative geeks who love what they do.

It’s comprised of digital marketing fanatics who are passionate about their work, but enjoying every second of it at the same time. The office feels closer to home, with the sound of laughter echoing from every corner during leisure hours and the hum of dedicated discussions in hurried strides when the pressure is high. The employees are never made to feel as such, but as a family of misfits, in an environment where work becomes their play.

“Working at GEEKY Social has never been more fun, especially when you can work from anywhere and everywhere, even from home. As an intern, GEEKY Social has given me a innovative learning opportunities to execution of various campaigns on social and digital media platforms. Fantastic environment, ample learning opportunities, fantastic brands, impactful assignments; all of these were a blessing along with the diversified and versatile team I worked with.

Couldn’t have asked for a better start.”

-Tasfiq Ahmed, GEEKY Social

What kind of person would fit perfectly in your company?

With a mindset to provide work at it’s best, the GEEKY team strives to not only fulfill the requirements of their clients, but also to deliver projects with pride. That’s where actual passion and enthusiasm comes in, to be able to love what you do and not having to be told to go the extra mile; for as much as the work is interesting and engaging, a dedicated “Geek,” would consistently perform, for their objective is to become better than they were before. And that, is the kind of person we value and wish to have, someone who loves what he or she does.

GEEKY Social is a digital advertising, media, and creative content agency with a team of over 20 people that helps brands achieve great results in social and digital media spaces. It’s one of the first specialised social media marketing startups which fosters businesses to promote their brands in various social media platforms.

Head office: 39 New Paribagh, Banglamotor, 1000 Dhaka, Bangladesh Phone: +880 1912 337 754 Email: contact@GEEKYsocial. com

What are the deal breakers for an employee working at GEEKY Social?

Well, it must be stated that we all shall face problems, sooner or later. Barriers will bard our path in natural order and we wish for our members to be honest when they face issues.

Hence, integrity is vital.

tips

The raise game Surefire ways to reach your pay grade

nTasmia Tabassum Do your research It’s mandatory to do some light research to see what the usual salary range is for your present position. If it happens that you are very well paid considering your level of expertise, asking for a raise may just end up doing more harm than good.

Pick the right time Remember when you wanted to ask your mother for some extra pocket money, but waited till she was in a good mood to actually ask her for it? Well, this is a lot like that, except the boss isn’t your mother. Asking for a raise when the company is going through a rough time, or your superior is preoccupied, will have worse consequences than being just sent up to your room. Right timing works wonders.

Go the extra mile Sure, you do what your job description asks you to do. But that’s what your regular pay is for. If you are going to ask for a raise, ensure

that you’ve earned it. Learn new skills, get more projects done with increasing efficiency so efforts get noticed by your employer. Build up the case for why it should be you, and not everyone in your position, who deserves a raise. Always be on the lookout for new opportunities to show your skills and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.

Keep score, don’t be a wallflower Don’t just keep working quietly, expecting your employer to notice, then sulk when he/ she doesn’t. It’s your responsibility to ensure your employer knows your contributions.

Keep a log of your own accomplishments, be your own brand. A word of caution- don’t go overboard. “That idea I gave last year sure is saving the company millions, eh? Good thing I’m here!” Haha, not funny. Don’t brag at the office. Ever. Not even humble bragging. Simply keep a mental note of your achievements, and be sure to share them with your boss when you ask for a raise.

Given your contributions were valid and impactful, they are bound to persuade your boss that you deserve a raise.

Don’t be the John Snow Know what’s happening in the office. What are the biggest current activates? Who are the best performers, and what are they doing different? Don’t be caught unawares when that colleague you never thought much of, suddenly impresses the boss with the right idea at the right time and walks away with a raise.

Keep an eye out for trends, deviations, your employers, colleagues, and competitors.

Wear your boss’s shoes Wear them, walk around in them, run a marathon in them.

It shouldn’t be that hard to know your boss better if you pay attention and pick up on

subtle cues. Is he eager to see a project that’s due soon? Don’t wait for him to request updatessend them yourself, showing that you are responsible, don’t require micromanagement, and value his opinion.

BIGSTOCK

Keep these in mind, and you should get a raise in no time! l

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News

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

FDCB brings ‘TRESemme Khadi Utshab’

To rekindle the age old heritage of Khadi, Fashion Design Council of Bangladesh (FDCB) has arranged a Khadi exhibition and Khadi based fashion show on December 11-12.

Through a press conference held yesterday at the Bengal Art Gallery in Dhanmondi, the council members confirmed that the two-day-long festival, which will be held at Hotel Radisson, will be inaugurated by Asaduzzaman Nur, Cultural Minister of Bangladesh. Special guests will include defense attaché of Indian High Commission Brig J S Nanda, Norwegian high commissioner Merete Lundemo and Debapriya Bhattacharya. The title sponsor of the Khadi Utshab is TRESemme, the premium hair care brand of Unilever Bangladesh Limited; co-sponsors include the City Bank Limited, Green Delta Insurance, Bengal Group Limited, Square Toiletries Limited and Sailor. Media Partner for the event is Maasranga Television.

18 designers from Bangladesh and six designers from Kolkata will participate in the programme. The designers from Bangladesh are Maheen Khan, Kuhu, Emdad Haq, Chandana Dewan, Lipi Khandker, Shaibal Saha, Biplob Saha, Mumu Maria, Nawshin Khair, Farah Anjum Bari, Sabana Ali, Humaira Khan, Shahrukh Amin, Tenzing Chakma, Afsana Ferdausi Wormy, Rifat Reza Raka, Farah Diba and Samia Rafique. The designers from Kolkata are Debarun Mukherjee, Santanu Das, Sanjukta Roy, Paromita Banarjee, Sayanton Sarkar and Rimi Nayek.

The Bangladeshi designers at the festival will adorn Khadi dresses with various Bengali motifs such as nakshi pitha, shondesh, sheetal paati, alpona noksha etc.

The exhibition will be open for all. l

Four seasons of 71 Snaps ThirdEye’s journey in photography

n Features Desk We often use the term “third eye” to mean an inner vision, or conscience. ThirdEye Photographic Society, which was established in early 2007, aims to realise their inner vision for the improvement of photography in Bangladesh.

It began with a group of young photographers coming together to share their love for the art. Syed Shakhawat Kamal, Md Abdul Khaleque, and Toukir Ullah Khan Eusufzai , intended to improve the scene, by providing young and beginner photographers with the right skills and know-how. While the group was formed in 2007, they launched themselves as a serious platform on August 4, 2012, with a press conference and a website launch. The the group expanded and formed its executive council, comprising ten elected members. Eminent photographers Anwar Hossain and Chanchal Mahmood also agreed to join in an advisory capacity. The following month, the Society had their first exhibition at Drik Gallery, titled “71 Snaps International Photo Exhibition, Season-I” featuring 71 photographers from 15 countries.

The following year, ThirdEye organised “Square 71 Snaps Photo Exhibition Season II” at the Shilpakala Academy, under the theme of “Beautiful Bangladesh”, and dedicated to the prominent writer/photographer/ filmmaker Zahir Raihan.

2014 saw ThirdEye officially receiving their registration as a Society; as well as a membership affiliation from the Photographic Society of America. They launched their third season of “71 snaps”, this time with the theme of “Freedom”, and dedicated to Manzoor Alam Beg.

This year, ThirdEye received the prestigious membership into the Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique (FIAP). Their annual “71 Snaps” exhibition is to be held at Drik Gallery from December 8-11. The title sponsor for the 2015 edition is East Coast Group, and the theme is open, but with an emphasis on culture and heritage. This year’s event is dedicated in loving memory of the late Tareque Masud, prominent filmmaker. The Lifetime

Achievement Award from this year goes to Syeda Khanam, a pioneer female photographer. In addition to the usual exhibition, ThirdEye is also organising, for the first time ever, its “National Photography Conference and Workshop” at Alliance Française de Dhaka. The workshop will feature prominent architect/cinematographer Anwar Hossain, renowned photographers Chanchal Mahmood and Rafiqul Islam. l

Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP).

During this event, the RMG factory owners were briefed on national policies and international standards governing the economic inclusion of persons with disabilities through presenting success stories of workers with disabilities.

There was also a discussion session, where Khorshed Alam, chief executive officer of NSDC, along with RMG workers with disabilities and owners of RMG factories took part. It was illustrated that equal access to dignified employment for those with disabilities are currently being promoted by several national and international policies and documents.

The “Bangladesh Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2013,” calls for action to create work and employment opportunities for those with disabilities in public and private sectors. The government has already signed and ratified the “UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)” in 2007. Article 27 of the convention states that parties recognise the rights of persons with disabilities to work on an equal basis with others.

So far, ISD has completed auditing in 92 RMG factories for barrier-free access and disability inclusive HR policies. l

Disabled no more Inclusive Skills Development (ISD), a component of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, organised the event “Inclusion Matters: Looking Towards 2021” on December 2. GIZ works on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The aim of this event was to sensitise Bangladesh’s Readymade Garments (RMG) industry on including skilled workers with disabilities in the mainstream workforce.

The international day of people with disabilities is globally celebrated on December 3 and this year’s theme is “access and empowerment of people of all abilities.”

The prime objective of this event was to inaugurate the champions of inclusion - a platform of RMG factory owners of Bangladesh to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the mainstream workforce. GIZ has organised this event in cooperation with Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Centre for Disability in Development (CDD) and Centre for the

DT

Editorial 11

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

INSIDE

My mother, the terrorist The average Bangladeshi is too savvy to fall for fairytales about technology any more. Please take steps for safety, law and order, and justice -- all of which we support. Stop scapegoating technology, choking the Internet, and listening to your expensive security consultants PAGE 12

The Maldives in trouble One has to wait and see how this develops. Will either of the two major powers also come forward to try to ensure good, stable governance in Maldives?

PAGE 13

Water, wars, and an uncertain future Strategic Foresight Group took two steps. First, we developed a Water Cooperation Quotient for 219 shared river basins from 148 countries. Second, we collaborated with Switzerland to create a Global High Level Panel on Water PAGE 14

Be heard Write to Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email letters.dt@ dhakatribune.com

Send us your Op-Ed articles:

opinion.dt@dhakatribune. com www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook. com/DhakaTribune

NASHIRUL ISLAM

Disaster resilience is key in the fight against climate change

A

s the finance negotiations of the global climate conference in Paris reaches a critical phase, Bangladesh has asked for $69 billion in grants until 2030 from the Global Climate Fund in order to implement its emissions reduction and climate change adaptation plans.

If and when Bangladesh does receive any part of this climate finance, it is important to spend a large portion of these green funds on building disasterresilient infrastructure. Although there are existing projects, such as the Coastal Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Project in southwest Bangladesh, this cannot be enough.

It is estimated that $1 out of every $3 spent on development has been lost due to crises caused by climate change, amounting to a total loss of $3.8 trillion worldwide. These disturbing numbers show that we not only need to use our climate finance to invest in infrastructure, but that all urban and regional development interventions from now on need to be aimed at building societies and economies that are resilient to climate change.

Bangladesh has already engaged in the building of embankments and cyclone shelters, re-excavation of canals, aforestation, and the promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Now is the time to urgently focus on other infrastructure improvements as well, such as disaster-resilient roads and bridges, paved trading areas, integrated water supply systems, efficient power supply systems, and proper drainage and sanitation facilities.

As suggested by the Asian Development Bank, it is also necessary to involve communities in designing and maintaining local infrastructure such as irrigation or water systems for greater long-term efficiency and financial viability.

Inclusive and resilient infrastructure is crucial to the long-term battle against climate change, and investments in infrastructure today will lead to a more sustainable future.

Inclusive and resilient infrastructure is crucial to the long-term battle against climate change

DT

12

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Opinion

My mother, the terrorist The question everyone is asking is: Ar koto talbahana?

n Khokon Kamali

I

have always used technology as essential to export-import business. You send a detailed work order at night, and by the time you wake up, the client in Europe has processed it using their daytime.

Many times, I blessed the inventors of GMT time zones, broadband, Wi-Fi, Skype, messenger, and all the rest.

Some of the older generation remained immune to technology. I could not convince my mother to take up typing. Then, about a year ago, the same time as most of Bangladesh, she discovered WhatsApp and Viber. She took to it for same reason as many others: Staying in touch with relatives abroad (a sister in Malaysia). Soon, mother became expert at sending messages with photos. She also became active on Facebook, making family albums of photos.

These are activities that majority of Bangladeshis now share. Another huge portion uses it for outsourcing business.

But this possibility is not what government sees, they see instead the possibility that a handful of people are using it for planning so-called terror attacks, even though there’s no real evidence (claims via media are not enough).

I had earlier mentioned Naomi Klein’s idea of “disaster capitalism” and how both sides gain through “war on terror.” I forgot to mention the sub-group of security consultants: Government, military, and private.

Consultants, by definition, need to highlight new problems, so they can get big contracts and get paid for “solving” them. Is it one of these consultants who has given the advice that blocking Facebook, Whatsapp, and Viber is going to curb terrorism? I didn’t know my mother’s family photos are a weapon.

I have questions for the security services and consultants. Are you giving the information based on which officials are making statements that don’t have basis in technology? You told the government the block would be absolute. Within a few hours, most people were able to access the services via VPN, of which there are numerous varieties in the world.

The minister said at a press conference that the government can see who is still accessing Facebook and this is against the law. But it’s not true that it’s against the law.

Government only blocked these services, they did not pass a law saying these services cannot be used; although after reading this some official may say “let’s pass a law making Facebook illegal.” It’s also not true that the government can see who is using Facebook through VPN, you can only see they are using VPN, you can’t see the data going through it.

Perhaps security consultants are trying to make money by getting the government to buy new spying software (which only these consultants can operate, of course). Now that the American NSA (National Security Agency) has announced that, in the face of legal challenges, they will stop collecting bulk phone data from American citizens,

Banning Internet services isn’t the answer where will the US companies that built surveillance software go? Perhaps they will find enthusiastic buyers in our government.

Maybe there are already foreign “security experts” giving our government advice, that guide them to buying this expensive, and now discredited, software.

BIGSTOCK

she announced that: “If, after we lodge a complaint that a girl in a village will commit suicide, yet they take four days to remove the objectionable post, then the girl cannot be saved.” When did the Facebook block become about sexual harassment posts in villages?

All the lofty announcements of letters

The average Bangladeshi is too savvy to fall for fairytales about technology any more. Please take steps for safety, law and order, and justice -- all of which we support.

Stop scapegoating technology, choking the Internet, and listening to your expensive security consultants

Another official said that National ID Card will be required to register for Facebook.

This would require giving Facebook direct access to our National ID Card database. This is neither technically feasible, nor would Facebook ever want anything to do with this. Why did he say it, why did the media report it without basic fact-checking?

A facebook executive visited the minister, and she has said “Facebook doesn’t accept that there are many things considered defamatory in Bangladesh.” Why has the conversation moved to defamation? Didn’t the government say the block was to prevent violence?

The next day, at another press conference

and meetings with Facebook will cause more embarrassment when Facebook doesn’t obey government instructions, as it has done in China and Iran, two other countries that also send letters to Facebook often. No international technology company will allow a government to carry out surveillance on citizens through their service. Certainly not in the post-Snowden era.

You can only force BTRC to follow your orders, because they are not real technologists, only supplicants, but the Internet is not made in, or owned by, Bangladesh -- it is global. You can no longer use censorship ideas of the 1980s Ershad period, because we are now in the global,

there is no going back.

A news report claimed that, over a hundred IP addresses belonging to militants were identified. But about a year back my head of IT was explaining to me that Bangladesh and other data bandwidth poor countries use “dynamic IP,” which means the same IP is sometimes assigned

by ISP’s to more than one person. Has the technology changed in one year such that Bangladesh now has one IP address per person? Or is the law enforcement talking about IP addresses specific to a locality (but my IT head said dynamic IPs are not locality specific)? Somebody is definitely not telling the whole truth.

It also does not make sense that there are “Digital Bangladesh” billboards outside fivestar hotels, while we are going through the fifth or sixth block of internet services, first Youtube, then Facebook, then Skype, then WhatsApp, then Viber, then Facebook again.

In the last seven years of a government that promised technology freedom in their election manifesto.

The average Bangladeshi is too savvy to fall for fairytales about technology any more. Please take steps for safety, law and order, and justice -- all of which we support.

Stop scapegoating technology, choking the Internet, and listening to your expensive security consultants.

I read an excellent article on Global Voices recently, in which the main photo was the best. A young student holds a sign up in front of the Raju sculpture demanding all social media apps be opened again. The slogan at the top says it for all citizens of Bangladesh: “Ar koto talbahana?” l Khokon Kamali is a businessman.

13

DT

Opinion

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

The Maldives in trouble This island nation has become a political battleground for India and China

n Selina Mohsin

S

eptember 28: A dazzling, bright day as President Yameen’s speedboat approached the main jetty of the capital Male -- an explosion occurred.

Yameen was unscathed, but three persons, including his wife, sustained minor injuries.

Suspicious, intolerant, and dictatorial Yameen immediately suspected an assassination attempt. The FBI investigation found “no conclusive evidence” of a bomb blast caused by an “improvised explosive device” in the debris of the blast, only remnants of the speedboat.

Nevertheless, former President Nasheed, a prisoner of conscience and renowned climate change advocate, was sent back to jail, just a month after his 13-year jail sentence was commuted to house arrest, thereby fueling unrest among his supporters. Nasheed’s trial under a new anti-terrorism law had been a farce, and the 13-year sentence was both arbitrary and disproportionate.

Yameen came to power in September 2013 by violating Articles 107, 262, and 268 of the constitution. His repressive regime gave immense discretionary authority to the judiciary puppets of Yameen.

A month after the speedboat blast, Yameen declared an unprecedented state of emergency, two days prior to a planned demonstration by former President

defend himself.

In a yet another arbitrary move, the parliament abruptly removed Prosecutor General (PG) Muhtaz in a speedy vote. Media reports stated that the PG was disinclined to charge the vice president of bribery without concrete evidence. This sacking again raised criticism from international organisations, local NGOs, and the opposition party.

Nikhil Narayan, from the International Commission of Jurists, stated that sacking of the Prosecutor General was a “clear violation of the international principles of separation of powers enshrined in both international law and the constitution of Maldives.”

He further added that “the PG’s office is an independent constitutional body under Maldives constitution. The PG must be allowed to carry out his legitimate constitutional mandate without arbitrary political interference or intimidation by other branches.”

The ruling party’s MPs claimed that the PG had leaked confidential documents.

The PG informed the press that the speaker refused to accept a letter from him seeking to defend himself at a committee meeting open to the public.

Everything happened too fast, and he was sacked within 11 hours after the government decided to remove him. The Majlis’ sitting was held at midnight with only the ruling party’s MPs. Simultaneously, Nasheed’s supporters The deteriorating socio-political situation in the Maldives doesn’t bode well for Maldivians

One has to wait and see how this develops. Will either of the two major powers also come forward to try to ensure good, stable governance in Maldives?

Nasheed’s MDP. All types of protests were banned and the police empowered to undertake raids and arrests of protestors without any court order.

The US cautioned the government of Maldives that this state of emergency and provisions in the recently enacted antiterrorism law were being used against political opponents.

International human rights groups, the US, the UK, the EU, and the Commonwealth questioned the government’s rationale for declaring a state of emergency and strongly urged restoration of constitutional rights.

Yameen lifted the nation-wide state of emergency after only six days, not because of the world’s concern, but because it negatively impacted on the lucrative tourism industry.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, who had also been present in the speedboat on the day of the blast, was accused of “dereliction of duty.”

A day after the declaration of emergency, the parliament (Majlis) hastily declared that the vice president should be impeached, without providing Adeeb any opportunity to

were being harassed even in peaceful protests. They were cordoned off, pepper sprayed, and arrested. Many had to be hospitalised.

The UN Working Group on arbitrary detention stated that former president Nasheed did not receive a fair trial.

Hollywood star George Clooney’s wife, lawyer Amal Clooney, who is defending Nasheed, has received support from the UN as well as other countries in her fight for Nasheed, whose fundamental rights were severely violated.

Finding no allies in the Western world, President Yameen has increasingly turned to China and Saudi Arabia for support. A growing trend of Islamic conservatism is resulting in insularity intolerance and militancy at home and abroad.

The educational curriculum contains stories glorifying the youth joining jihadist groups, thereby negatively influencing impressionable minds. Women’s rights have reached rock bottom. The situation seems to get worse and worse.

The events in the Maldives are dramatic.

People feel that they are caught in a

Bollywood soap opera as each scene unfolds in an unexpected and unbelievable episode while their young population, bored in Male’s cramped surroundings and under the influence of drugs, embraces religious extremism. A beautiful country with enchanting resorts is turning into a police state.

With tourism making it the most prosperous of the South Asian countries, Maldives is geo-politically important due to its strategic location in the Indian Ocean on the shipping routes between Asia and the West.

Both China and India are vying for influence and maritime dominance. India has set the Indian Ocean as a foreign policy priority to contest China expansionism.

Modi has declared that India will play a positive role in the security of island states to shape the “region’s security architecture.”

India’s increasing energy demands mean it is dependent on the Indian Ocean for both energy and trade.

Over 90% of India’s foreign trade by volume and 77% in value terms is seaborne, amounting to a third of its GDP. Countering the Chinese term “String of Pearls” in the Indian Ocean, India has coined SAGAR (Ocean in Hindi) meaning “Security and Growth of All in the Region.”

Since India’s 2013 “Trilateral Maritime Security Agreement” with Sri Lanka and the Maldives, New Delhi has been seeking a more co-operative stance with them and other island states.

Accordingly, India has agreed to establish “a maritime domain awareness network”

REUTERS

radar system in island states, with the largest number of radars in the Maldives.

Vietnam and Japan are similarly seen as strategic partners in the Pacific region.

It is significant that the Indian Navy’s main drive for increasing its capabilities is China’s assertive policy and expansion of influence in the Indian Ocean.

India’s caution regarding maritime issues with China was clearly evident in the joint statement at the end of Modi’s visit to China in May 2015.

It made no reference to maritime collaboration or to Asia Pacific security. It also did not refer to China’s “One Belt One Road” (OBOR) or the “Maritime Silk Road,” both of which India distrusts.

By contrast, India-US joint strategic vision statement included a section emphasising “the importance of safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and over-flight throughout the region, especially in South China Sea.” This is an agreement to counter Beijing’s handling of “conflicting regional territorial claims.”

Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean is great and increasing while India is responding by promoting security relationships with its maritime neighbours and island states. Maldives is a critical partner for both China and India.

One has to wait and see how this develops. Will either of the two major powers also come forward to try to ensure good, stable governance in the Maldives? l Selina Mohsin is a former High Commissioner to Maldives.

DT

14

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Opinion

Water, wars, and an uncertain future A shortage of water will lead to unthinkable consequences

Strategic Foresight Group took two steps. First, we developed a Water Cooperation Quotient for 219 shared river basins from 148 countries.

Second, we collaborated with Switzerland to create a Global High Level Panel on Water

Water is inextricably tied up with global peace

n Sundeep Waslekar

I

n December 2009, I met Walid Muallem, foreign minister of Syria, in his office in Damascus, along with an eminent British politician. He rolled out before us his vision of peace process with Israel in phases.

He had two essential conditions. First, secured access to the waters of Tiberias should be guaranteed. Second, Turkey should underwrite the peace process. He said that the government in Damascus could trust only one state as the guarantor of its interests. It was Turkey under Erdogan’s leadership.

In our Blue Peace report, published in February 2011, Strategic Foresight Group proposed several solutions to use water as an instrument of peace and prosperity in the Middle East. One of them was adapted from Muallem’s framework.

A month after the release of the report, Syria was engulfed with civil strife. The primary reason was the erosion of social contract between the state and its citizens.

But one of the key contributing factors was drought and the failure to pursue regional water cooperation, which had forced many farmers into destitution and migration to overstretched cities. Syria’s most trusted ally turned into its most strident enemy. A regional war followed, that now threatens to turn into a global confrontation.

In some other parts of the world, leaders have recognised the unstated relationship between water, peace, and security. The relations between India and Bangladesh dramatically improved when a treaty for managing the Teesta River was drafted in a grand bargain over the security paradigm.

In 2013, Strategic Foresight Group brought together leaders of the ruling and opposition parties in India and Bangladesh to prepare a framework that would lead to the signing of the Teesta River treaty and introduce a mechanism to avert water conflict for the next thousand years.

In the former Yugoslavia, no sooner was the Dayton Agreement signed, did the newly born states enter into an agreement for collaborative management of the Sava River. It contributed to achieving peace and cooperation in the Balkans, which had only seen death and violence until then.

As the subtle equation between water, war, and peace was being revealed in different parts of the world, unnoticed by the global public opinion, Strategic Foresight Group took two steps. First, we developed a Water Cooperation Quotient for 219 shared river basins from 148 countries. It proved that any two countries engaged in active water cooperation do not go to war for any other reason.

Second, we collaborated with the Government of Switzerland to create a

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Global High Level Panel on Water and Peace in November 2015. Co-convened by the governments of 15 countries from all continents, the panel is chaired by Danilo Turk, former President of Slovenia. HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan is a distinguished member of the body.

The panel will respond to appeals made

by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to examine the linkages between water, peace, and security.

It will propose a global architecture to use water as an instrument of peace through financial incentives, establishment of hydrodiplomacy mechanisms, encouragement to form joint water management bodies in all basins, promotion of best practices, and most significantly, engagement of senior political leaders in the water discourse. The panel will hold consultations in different parts of the world and present its report to the United Nations system by December 2017.

If the panel succeeds in preparing an operational architecture, it will have an impact on the life of 2.3 billion people living in shared river basins of the developing world, with a combined annual economic product of $10 trillion. Over the years, as cooperative water management spreads, the incremental capital output ratio will go down and the military expenditure will also decline. This will create a peace dividend of $200 billion per year.

If the panel fails to propose a convincing global architecture, chaos will take place. At present, water resources are depleting at the rate of over 320 billion cubic meters in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. This is equal to 10 Euphrates Rivers disappearing from the face of the earth every year. If this trend continues, there will be steep decline in food production and a fresh demand for about 200-300 million tonnes of food grains in the international market.

This will raise food prices to unprecedented heights. Food riots will follow not only in Nepal and Nigeria but also in Peru and Paraguay. No country in the world will escape the calamity of high food prices, forced migration, terrorism, dictatorships, and perhaps a World War starting in 2039.

Didier Burkhalter, Swiss foreign minister, cautioned at the launch of the Global High Level Panel: “Water is not just about development. It is also about security.” Syria had understood this in December 2009. But failure to act with urgency has driven the entire Middle East to the precipice.

It is about time that the world wakes up before the story of Syria is repeated in every region. l Sundeep Waslekar is President of Strategic Foresight Group, an international think tank that has worked with or on 50 countries from four continents.

DT

Business 15

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

INSIDE BB: Several incentives in offing for wooing NRB investment Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman has said several incentives for the non-resident Bangladeshis are under consideration if they invest in the special economic zones like hi-tech park and industrial park. He urged the NRBs to invest more in Bangladesh for making their investment secure and profitable with taking full advantage of all facilities. “Bangladesh is now an attractive hub for investment,” he said while addressing a conference on NRB Investment: Capital Market and Real Estate at a city hotel held yesterday. PAGE 16

Big plans underway to boost tax collection The National Board of Revenue has taken up a series of reform initiatives including modernisation of its all three core wings to boost revenue collection. PAGE 17

Bangladesh’s stocks world’s cheapest, but unappealing n Kayes Sohel Stocks in the country are cheapest in the world, but yet to make any appeal among local and foreign investors.

Bangladesh is the most undervalued stock market and China the most overvalued market in the world, according to the latest valuations of Chicago-based leading investment research provider Morningstar.

The country’s stock markets have become cheaper following the widespread volatility in this year.

“Its is lack of confidence that drives prices down, making them cheaper,” said Mirza Azizul Islam, former finance adviser to the caretaker government.

“And frequent complaints of manipulation and weak regulatory framework holds back to restore confidence,” he said adding that incompetent legal system is another reason for losing appetite for stocks, though it is recently improved as special tribunal begins to function.

The cheaper price of stocks so far failed to woo foreign fund managers as foreign investment makes up only around 2% of total investment at Dhaka Stock Exchange, which is the lowest in South Asia region.

“The current investment environment is yet to create any fascination among local investors, let alone foreign investors,”

said Aziz who is also a former chairman of Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission.

However, he said foreign investment is very risky in a retail dominated market. Because, most retailers having lack of investing knowledge and herd behaviour always follow foreign investors who may pull out fund from the market any time, he added.

“So, I am not particularity anxious about wooing foreign investment.”

Morningstar Quantitative Valuation coverage published in June this year reveals that Bangladesh is the most undervalued stock market in the world, followed by other markets in the nearby regions; Iraq, Qatar

BTRC to sit with IIG for settling unstable internet market Opec rules out oil output ceiling OPEC members failed to agree an oil production ceiling on Friday at a meeting that ended in acrimony, after Iran said it would not consider any production curbs until it restores output scaled back for years under Western sanctions. PAGE 18

Capital market snapshot: Past Week DSE Broad Index

4,641.0

1.5% ▲

Index

1,124.2

2.1% ▲

30 Index

1,772.2

2.5% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

25,080.3

14.2% ▲

650.7

3.4% ▲

All Share Index

14,215.5

1.7% ▲

30 Index

12,467.2

1.5% ▲

Selected Index

8,651.7

1.7% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

1,694.0

6.0% ▲

50.3

-4.7% ▼

Turnover in Mn Volume

CSE

Turnover in Mn Volume

n Ishtiaq Husain Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has decided to sit with the International Internet Gateway (IIG) operators for settling the unstable internet market in the country.

To provide affordable internet price and also to stop unethical practices in the internet business, BTRC wants to consult with the stakeholders for setting a minimum price of internet bandwidth.

An official of the regulatory body said, “The highest policy level meeting between the commission and the IIG operators will be held soon for providing benefits at the end users level.”

“Though there was a regulations to cap on the bandwidth prices at bulk level, the regulatory body didn’t take any measures in this regard. To protect the industry, it was mandatory for fixing a maximum and minimum layer prices,” said Moynul Haque Siddiqui, managing director of Fibre@ Home.

He stated that tariff regulation is a very important part of this business and the industry will survive only if the regulatory body could take proper measures in this connection.

“It is a must to set a benchmark of price to stop unethical practices, or else, end users won’t get any benefits ultimately despite reducing of price,” said another official of an IIG operator.

The IIG operators have long been urging the commission to intervene the market to set a benchmark price to stop anarchism in the market.

According to industry insiders, though the government is reducing wholesale bandwidth price, the end users are yet to get its due benefit, as there is no benchmark of prices.

Against this chaotic situation in the market, end users don’t get the benefits as everyone is fixing the internet prices as per their own wishes. Besides, the operators are also not maintaining its quality of services.

A general manager level officer of an IIG operator said, “If the regulatory body wants to protect the industry, the long waited meeting could be an important one to solve the on going crisis.”  PAGE 18 COLUMN 1

and Saudi Arabia.

At present, the DSE benchmark index, DSEX, is hovering around 4,600-mark and in June when Morningstar made calculation the index hovered around 4,500-mark, indicating that the market has become more cheaper.

Morningstar’s quantitative equity research covers 30,000 companies globally.

The calculation uses Morningstar’s Fair Value Estimate for stocks, which measures the ratio of a company’s quantitative fair value estimate to its last market close price.

Alongside China, Ireland, Russia and Japan look the most overvalued stock markets, it said. l

Building, fire safety equipment expo begins tomorrow n Tribune Report

A three-day trade expo begins tomorrow in the city to showcase globally recognised building and fire safety equipment.

The expo titled “Third Building and Fire Safety Affairs International Trade Fair” will be the platform for vendors and factory managements especially for the SMEs to discuss about the latest advancement of safety especially fire detection and fighting equipment.

The fair, which will be jointly organised

by Elevate Partners Ltd, Alliance, Bangladesh  PAGE 18 COLUMN 1

DT

16

Business

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

ATAB warns Etihad, Malaysia airlines of fuel surcharge dispute n Tribune Report Leaders of travel agents of Bangladesh have threatned that they will stop selling tickets of Etihad and Malaysia airlines if the latters do not incorporate their fuel surcharge into base fare by December 10.

“We will stop selling tickets of the two airlines including other international airlines if they do not do the same,” The Association of (ATAB) President Monjur Morshed said at a press conference in his office in the capital yesterday.

He said we can go for more vigorous programme if our demand is not met.

ATAB Secretary General Aslam Khan and Executive Vice-President Abdul Qaium were present at the press conference, among others.

ATAB is an association of 3,000 travel agents in Bangladesh.

Malaysia and Etihad are the leading airlines embroiled in the surcharge dispute.

Terming it ridiculous, Monjur said Malaysia airlines charges TK310 on its flight from Dhaka to Kuala Lumpur as fuel surcharge while TK16,500 on its return flight from Kualal Lumpur to Dhaka. l

Air extends BB: Several incentives Regent special offer n in offing for wooing NRB investment Tribune Report

‘BD is now an attractive hub for investment’

n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman has said several incentives for the non-resident Bangladeshis are under consideration if they invest in the special economic zones like hi-tech park and industrial park.

He urged the NRBs to invest more in Bangladesh for making their investment secure and profitable with taking full advantage of all facilities.

“Bangladesh is now an attractive hub for investment,” he said while addressing a conference on NRB Investment: Capital Market and Real Estate at a city hotel held yesterday.

He said different savings instruments such as non-resident foreign currency deposit, US dollar premium bond and wage earners development bond are available for investment by NRBs. The central bank has taken additional measures to attract NRBs to participate in these trading platforms, which are now mostly digitised, he added.

Stock market stays modest throughout week n Tribune Report

The stock markets saw a modest rally in the past week, extending their gaining streak for the third consecutive week that ended Thursday.

Trading activities got momentum in the week as the securities regulator’s some measures subdued concerns over weak economic data and political front.

During the week that ended on Thursday, the benchmark of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, settled at 4,641, rising over 67 points or 1.5%.

The blue-chip comprising index, DS30, was up 42 points or 2.5% to 1,772.

The DSE Shariah Index, DSES, added 23 points or 2% to 1,124.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Categories Index, CSCX, closed at 8,651, surging 144 points or 1.7%.

The week’s daily average turnover on DSE crossed Tk500 crore, up 14% over the previous week and highest in over three months. Engineering, Pharma and Power sectors witnessed highest trade volume, which together accounted for 54% of the week’s total turnover.

Telecommunication sector was the week’s best performer, gaining 6.5%, led by Grameenphone.

Investors also put fund on engineering, cement and power sectors, which surged 6.3%, 3.8% and 2.3% respectively. The major losing sectors were mutual fund and non-banking financial institutions.

“Stocks ended the week with consistent

gain as the market was driven by industry specific news and economic updates,” said Lanka Bangla Securities.

It said as the market has already digested quarterly earnings, all eyes are on how the market triggers impact the bellwether stocks.

IDLC Investments said mixed macroeconomic and capital market news exposure prompted investors to demonstrate mixed investment plan.

‘Stocks ended the week with consistent gain as the market was driven by industry specific news and economic updates’ Participants took the path of profit booking alongside reshuffling strategy throughout the five sessions of the week, it said.

“Especially, the securities regulator’s imposition of two-year lock-in period on sponsor-directors’ bonus shares of newly listed companies, boosted up investors’ confidence, pushing the DSEX beyond 4,600mark during the week.”

Last week, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission took a number of decisions, including imposition of two-year lock-in period on sponsor-directors’ bonus shares of newly listed companies, extension of withholding margin rules and deadline extension also for transactions in the negative accounts till next year. l

Moreover, BB Governor said, “The government is also encouraging public-private partnership, tax holiday and other exemptions on investment to boost investment by the NRBs.” “Virtually all industrial sectors in Bangladesh are open for investment by the NRBs. They can engage in profitable investment by setting up cost effective labour intensive export manufacturing bases in Bangladesh producing for markets in host countries and elsewhere,” he noted.

In fact, some of them already invested in the areas of aviation, hotels and restaurants, fish and agro-processing industries.

The governor said, “BB is now working to facilitate the NRBs to investment in the real estate sector in Bangladesh.

“A circular will be issued in this connection immediately.”

The central bank is also working to allow the NRBs for opening their bank accounts through online, he added. l

The private jet operator, Regent Air, has extended its special discount airfare until December 15 on the occasion of its 5th anniversary, said a press statement of the company yesterday.

Air passengers will be able to avail up to 40% price discount on tickets till the extended time frame.

The special offer was scheduled to end on December 05, 2015, but the authorities made the extension for the benefit of passengers.

The special discount has been offered for five international and two domestic routes since last November 15.

The discounted fare has been fixed at Tk17,024 on Dhaka-Bangkok-Dhaka, Tk18,531 for Chittagong-Bangkok-Chittagong, Tk19,996 for Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur-Dhaka, Tk24,512 for Dhaka-Singapore-Dhaka, Tk8,516 for Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka, Tk9,503 for Chittagong-Kolkata-Chittagong, Tk5,233 for Dhaka-Chittagong-Dhaka, Tk5,233 for Dhaka-Chittagong-Dhaka and Tk6,006 for Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar-Dhaka.

The passengers could collect tickets from all sales centres of Regent Airways and its approved travel agents.

The special offer ticket holders should have to travel between January 5, 2016 to October 26, 2016, added the release. l

CORPORATE NEWS

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited has recently donated Tk 10 Lakh to Bangladesh Handball Federation.

The bank’s chairperson, Engr Mustafa Anwar handed over a cheque to AKM Nurul Fazal Bulbul, president of Bangladesh Handball Federation ing over the cheque of Tk.35.00 milion to Mr. Shamsul Haque Cheeshti, the president of Anjuman Mufidul Islam and former secretary to Bangladesh Government on December 03, 2015 at Islami Bank Tower

Mercantile Bank Limited has recently donated Tk 2 Lakh to Bhedargonj Head Quarter Pilot High School in Shariatpur. The amount will be used to help the school’s financially insolvent retired teachers, said a press release. The bank’s MD & CEO, M Ehsanul Haque handed over a cheque to Dr Helal Uddin, member of the school’s celebration committee

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Business

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Big plans underway to boost tax collection ‘As businesses are main players in resource mobilisation, we have formed partnership with chambers,’ says NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman in an interview with Dhaka Tribune

‘The middle-income people have the tendency to pay tax, but there is a lack of such tendency among high-income group’

National Board of Revenue Chairman Nojibur Rahman in conversation with the Dhaka Tribune recently

Showkat Kallol and n Asif Syed Samiul Basher Anik

‘There are some economically vibrant upazilas where you will find many people have taxable incomes, but not paying tax. This is due to lack of awareness. They even don’t know that they have to pay tax against their income’

The National Board of Revenue has taken up a series of reform initiatives including modernisation of its all three core wings to boost revenue collection.

It will also work in partnership with the country’s apex trade body to ahcieve the goal. Dialogues with the FBCCI are being held under the initiative.

About the dialogues, NBR Chaiman Nojibur Rahman said: “We need business community’s views regarding challenges and achievements of this fiscal year’s budget.

Through such programmes we can also have idea about next budget.”

“As businesses are the main players in resource mobilisation with the grassroots associations having an important role, the NBR has introduced partnership with the chambers,” he said in an interview with Dhaka Tribune recently.

NBR chief said there would be four working groups focusing capacity building and training, income tax, customs and value added tax. This is to help the officials learn how a business works and the businessmen understand the revenue-related laws and rules.

Partnership dialogues will be organised in Dhaka on a regular basis. Such programmes will then be spread across the country under supervision of the working groups, said Nojibur.

The discussions will mainly focus on the new Vat and Supplementary Duty Act 2012 to be effecting from July 16.

Currently, there are 1.75m TIN holders in

MEHEDI HASAN

the country although around 8m people have taxable incomes.

“The country’s economy is inherently very strong. We have some 8m solvent economic units who are capable enough of paying income tax, and the number is on the rise,” NBR chairman said.

The tax authority will coordinate its works with Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and collect macro data from the Bureau to find out non-taxpaying people with taxable incomes.

The regular door-to-door survey will also continue.

Nojibur said in Vietnam out of total 65m people, 30m pay tax, while in Bangladesh only 1.6m out of 160m pay tax.

He said the middle-income people have the tendency to pay tax, but there is a lack of such tendency among high-income group.

“If the high-income people were also committed to their duty of paying tax properly, it would help improve our tax-GDP ratio.”

He said awareness campaigns would be introduced in prospective parts of the country to have more people under the tax net.

“There are some economically vibrant upazilas where you will find many people have taxable incomes, but not paying tax.

This is due to lack of awareness. They even don’t know that they have to pay tax against their income.”

In regards to Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism, NBR chairman said the authority is trying to assign a person in each of different offices to deal with long-pending cases.

“There will be a legal solution group with representatives from income tax zones and

commissionerates.

“We have also appointed three retainers and we want seven more to fight in courts.

If there is 10 retainers, they can monitor the progress of the cases in high courts.

“Directives have been issued to field-level commissionerates to hold regular meeting with stakeholders to make ADR a fully functional.

“ADR will be a prominent subject for all FBCCI-NBR working groups,” Nojibur said.

About modernisation of NBR, he said the customs department has already implemented Asycuda World that is interlinked with networks of banks, importers and exporters, and customs clearing and forwarding agents.

He said the income tax wing has introduced electronic taxpayers identification number while e-return filing will be introduced in July 2016.

NBR chief said the opportunity cost is now very high in Bangladesh for income tax return filing, “so NBR is introducing e-filing so that people can file the returns staying at home.”

With the implementation of Vat law next year, registration and others will be done online.

Nojibur Rahman said the current direct tax code is not user-friendly, so the authority is drafting direct tax code both in Bengali and English to facilitate taxpayers understand the legal provisions.

While asked on utilisation of the Pangaon Port which has remained virtually non-functional since its inauguration in November 2012, the chairman said: “The infrastructure of Pangaon is very modern and now time has come for businesses to use it.”

“Businesses in recent inter ministerial meeting have assured us that they will use the port while shipping, commerce, home and communication ministries said they would take all initiatives required to popularise the port.”

In regards to the capacity, Nojibur said manpower of NBR was increased to 20,000 in 2013 from 10,000 in 2009. He said appointment of 700 more officers is in the process.

The NBR is constructing its own 30-storey building in the capital’s Agargaon, while there is also a plan to build a 40-storey tax building in Chittagong, the chairman said.

The NBR is also planning to build revenue complex in every district as the works are currently done in the rented field-level offices, he said. l

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Business

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Opec rules out oil output ceiling n Reuters, Vienna Opec members failed to agree an oil production ceiling on Friday at a meeting that ended in acrimony, after Iran said it would not consider any production curbs until it restores output scaled back for years under Western sanctions.

Friday’s developments set up the fractious cartel for more price wars in an already heavily oversupplied market.

Oil prices have more than halved over the past 18 months to a fraction of what most OPEC members need to balance their budgets. Brent oil futures fell by 1% on Friday to trade around $43, only a few dollars off a six year low.

Banks such as Goldman Sachs predict they could fall further to as low as $20 per barrel as the world produces more oil than it consumes and runs out of capacity to store the excess.

A final OPEC statement was issued with no mention of a new production ceiling. The last time Opec failed to reach a deal was in 2011 when Saudi Arabia was pushing the group to increase output to avoid a price spike amid a Libyan uprising.

“We have no decision, no number,” Iranian oil minister Bijan Zangeneh told reporters after the meeting.

Opec’s secretary general Abdullah al-

hear an outburst of laughter from reporters and analysts in the conference room.

‘Everyone welcome’

Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh talks to journalists as he arrives at his hotel ahead of a meeting of OPEC oil ministers in Vienna, Austria on Thursday REUTERS Badri said Opec could not agree on any figures because it could not predict how much oil Iran would add to the market next year, as sanctions are withdrawn under a deal reached six months ago with world powers

over its nuclear program.

Most ministers left the meeting without making comments.

Badri tried to lessen the embarrassment by saying Opec was as strong as ever, only to

a year ago, Saudi Arabia pushed though an Opec decision to defend market share instead of cutting output, ultimately hoping to drive high-cost producers such as U.S. shale firms out of the market.

Many poorer Opec members have said the group’s largest producer was effectively twisting their arms, prompting the Saudi oil minister, Ali al-Naimi, to say he would listen to everyone this time.

Iran has made its position clear ahead of the meeting with Zangeneh saying Tehran would raise supply by at least 1 million barrels per day - or one percent of global supply - after sanctions are lifted. The world is already producing up to 2 million bpd more than it consumes.

Naimi earlier had said he hoped growing global demand could absorb an expected jump in Iranian production next year: “Everyone is welcome to go into the market”.

He made no comment after the meeting.

At the meeting, Opec welcomed back returning member Indonesia, its 13th member.

The cartel accounts for about a third of world oil output and does not include Russia or the United States, which rival Saudi Arabia as the world’s biggest producers. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

Building, fire safety equipment Draghi: ECB to intensify actions to boost inflation if necessary Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Electronics Safety and Security Association of Bangladesh (ESSAB), will be held at the Bangabandu International Convention Centre.

“Remediation work of garment factories in Bangladesh is on and such expo is very important to carry out the post-inspection activities,” said Alliance Chief Safety Officer Mark Chubb while addressing a press conference at Alliance’s office in the city.

M Rabin, vice-president and managing director of Elevate said, “Most of the safety equipment need to import and considering the demand for such equipment, the expo will bring the internationally certified makers of those under a single umbrella.”

Alliance that inspected some 837 garment factories and almost all factories need some form of remediation especially fire and electrical issues where access to

safety tools and technologies are critical, he said.

Responding to a query, he said, “On an average, a factory set up in a 18 to 20 years old building having four to six floors with 1000 workers needs to invest $2,50,000 to fix it fire and electrical issues.”

The factory will need to invest five to ten times more if it requires sprinkler system, he also added.

Some 36 organisations including 13 global vendors and four service providers will showcase their products ranging from fire doors, hydrants and pumps, sprinklers, fire alarms, detection and protection machinery and services.

On the sidelines of the exhibition, eleven lecture tracks and two panel discussions including loan management, how to re-mediate and install fire doors, risk management, affordable finance during the showcase will be arranged. l

Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Ltd reduced wholesale bandwidth prices that came into effect from September 1.

Each megabit per second (Mbps) bandwidth has been fixed at Tk625 while it will cost Tk800 for internet service providers.

The company has fixed Tk558 for each Mbps of bandwidth for a bundle of 20 gigabits, down from Tk980 earlier. For internet service providers, however, each Mbps will cost Tk720 and they have to buy a minimum of 5 Gbps.

“As BSCCL directly sells its bandwidth to IIG operators, we are not responsible to mon-

itor the prices at end users’ level,” said Monwar Hossain, managing director BSCCL. Though the IIG operators welcomed the government move to slash the bandwidth prices, they are still unhappy, as the regulatory body didn’t set any benchmark of prices.

The country’s demand for bandwidth may reach 210 Gbps by 2021. Bangladesh will get another undersea cable of around 1,400 Gbps by 2016. Bangladesh’s submarine cable, whose lifetime will end in next 12 years, has a bandwidth capacity of 200 Gbps, while it sells only 32 Gbps. l

BTRC to sit with IIG

n AFP, New York Mario Draghi said Friday that the European Central Bank would intensify efforts to support the eurozone economy and boost inflation toward its two percent goal if necessary.

Speaking one day after the ECB’s moves to expand stimulus fell short of market expectations, the central bank president said that he was confident of returning to that level of inflation “without undue delay”.

“But there is no doubt that if we had to intensify the use of our instruments to ensure that we achieve our price stability mandate, we would,” he said in a speech to the Economic Club of New York.

“There cannot be any limit to how far we are willing to deploy our instruments, within our mandate, and to achieve our mandate,” he said, according to the text of his remarks.

On Thursday the ECB sent equity markets tumbling, and reversed the euro’s downward course, after it announced an interest rate cut that was less than investors had expected and held back from expanding the size of its bond-buying stimulus.

The bank cut its key deposit rate by a modest 0.10 percentage point to minus 0.3%, and only extended the length of its bond purchase program by six months to March 2017.

Critics said that was not strong enough action to counter deflationary pressures on the euro area economy.

Some analysts believed a desire for stronger moves, like an expansion of bond purchases, was stymied by powerful, more conservative members of the ECB governing council, including Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann.

But Draghi insisted that there was “very broad agreement” within the council for the extent of the bank’s actions.

And, he added, it would do more if necessary: “There is no particular limit to how we can deploy any of our tools.”

He acknowledged some market doubts that central banks are proving unable to reverse the downward trend in inflation, say-

‘There cannot be any limit to how far we are willing to deploy our instruments, within our mandate, and to achieve our mandate’

ing that, even if there is a lag to the impact of policies in place, they are working.

“I would dispute entirely the notion that we are powerless to reach our objective,” he said.

“The evidence at our disposal shows, on the contrary, that the instruments we are currently deploying are having the effect intended.”

Without them, he added, “inflation would likely have been negative this year.” l

19

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Feature

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Another decade of the academy 60 years of Bangla Academy at a glance

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

n Features Desk Bangla Academy, the National Academy of Arts and Letters in Bangladesh, observes its 60th anniversary today. The 60 years of its existence were eventful, and beyond the scope of words to chronicle its success.

Bangla Academy owes its inception to the historic Language Movement which attained its peak on February 21, 1952, as a result a number of activists giving their lives to demand Bangla as the state language.

On November 26, 1955, the provincial government promulgated an order forming a preparatory committee for the establishment of Bangla Academy. Muhammad Barkatullah was appointed special officer on December 2, 1955, and the Bangla Academy was formally inaugurated the day after, on December 3.

Renowned litterateur and journalist Maulana Akram Khan was the first president, while scholar Dr Muhammad Enamul Haque became the first director of Bangla Academy on December 1 the next year.

The Bangla Academy Act, 1957 was adopted on April 3, 1957 in the Legislative Assembly of East Pakistan. The Bangla Academy Order 1972 was promulgated. The Central Board for Development of Bengali was merged with Bangla Academy on May 17, 1972. Dr. Mazharul Islam became the first Director General of Bangla Academy on June 2, 1972. The Bangla Academy Ordinance, 1978 was promulgated during the military regime of Ziaur Rahman. As a result, Bangla Academy lost its autonomy. The Jatiya

Sangsad passed The Bangla Academy Act, 2013 on September 15, 2013.

Since its inception on December 3, 1955 Bangla Academy has played a remarkable role in collection, research, translation, compilation and publication as well as in cultural activity, scholarly discussion and dissemination of thoughts and ideas for the development of Bangla language and literature and for the promotion of Bangla culture. Initially many writers and scholars contributed immensely to put the Academy on a firm footing.

The first book published by Bangla Academy was Laili-Majnu edited by Ahmad Sharif (1921-1999). Among its numerous publications, special mention may be made of Anchalik Bhasar Abhidhan—a dictionary of the regional dialects of Bangladesh.

Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah, one of the outstanding scholars and linguists of the subcontinent, compiled and edited this monumental work.

As the struggle of the Bengalis for cultural freedom and political independence gained a momentum in the late 1960s, Bangla Academy, by virtue of its unique position as the epitome of Bengali resurgence, not only heightened the conscious fostering of a common linguistic medium for Bengali solidarity but also sharpened Bengali nationalism through its various activities of cultural awakening, especially its annual Ekushe celebration. As a result, Bangla Academy was a special target of gunfire following the brutal military crackdown on

March 25, 1971.

After liberation Bangla Academy became endowed with fresh vigour. The Academy organised the First National Literary Congress of Bangladesh in 1974.

It was inaugurated by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister of Bangladesh. This Literary Congress, held for eight days at the premises of Bangla Academy, was attended by 83 writers from six countries and 313 writers of Bangladesh.

Bangla Academy has been playing a key role in the field of folklore in Bangladesh.

The Academy organised three national folklore workshops. Bangla Academy embarked upon a massive project to survey the current status of folklore in each district.

Bangla Academy sponsored the First International Folklore Conference in Dhaka from April 13-15, 2013. Since 2014 Bangla Academy has been holding The Folklore Summer School annually.

The longest book fair of Bangladesh is held annually at the behest of Bangla Academy. Dedicated to the martyrs of the Language Movement, this book fair is called the Immortal Ekushe Book Fair, and it is popularly known as Ekushe Boi Mela. As the Immortal Ekushe Book Fair coincides with the program of Ekushe that Bangla Academy launches annually, this month-long event has evolved into a national cultural festival reflecting the indomitable spirit of the modern Bengali nation. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh inaugurates the Book Fair on the first day of February each year.

Bangla Academy is committed to studying and understanding Rabindranath Tagore through manifold programmes from year to year. Bangla Academy celebrated the 150th Birth Anniversary of the universal poet and humanist Rabindranath Tagore in 2011. On this occasion Bangla Academy published 30 books. Bangla Academy is similarly committed to conducting research on national poet Nazrul Islam and his works.

The Academy has already published the complete works of the poet.

Two pioneer works of Bangla Academy are Standard Bangla Grammar edited by Pabitra Sarkar and Bangla Bibartanmulok Abhidhan edited by Golam Murshid. The second one was a massive work in three volumes. These two publications have tremendously enhanced the prestige of Bangla Academy in the academic circles of both Bangladesh and West Bengal.

Among the ongoing research activities of Bangla Academy the most noteworthy are Bangla Sahityer Itihas, Bangla O Bangalir Itihas in four volumes, The Writers’ Bibliography Series, and Publication of Critical Works on Fiction, Essays and Plays.

Bangla Academy also undertakes the serious job of translating major works in English and other languages into Bangla and those in Bangla into English.

An International Literary Conference was held on February 1-4, 2015 as part of the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of

The longest book fair of Bangladesh is held annually at the behest of Bangla Academy

Bangla Academy. Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, inaugurated it at Bangla Academy on February 1, 2015.

The International Literary Conference was attended by many litterateurs, essayists, novelists and poets from home and abroad.

The Government of Bangladesh awarded the Swadinata Purushkar (the highest national award) to Bangla Academy in 2010 in recognition of its excellent work and attainments in the development and promotion of Bangla language, literature and culture.

As we look back and look forward, it is our expectation that Bangla Academy will move ahead with its mission and vision to meet the new challenges in the years to come. l

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20

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Coarse file (4) 4 Aspect (5) 9 Liable (3) 11 Unmixed (4) 12 Concretion of nacre (5) 13 Swift Malay boat (4) 14 Fewer (4) 15 Letting contract (5) 19 Summit (5) 21 Eat into (4) 25 Roman emperor (4) 26 Clan (5) 28 Drug-yielding plant (4) 29 Large cask (3) 30 Become void (5) 31 Curved (4)

DOWN 1 Deeply absorbed (4) 2 Monkey (3) 3 Play for time (5) 5 Fruit (6) 6 Remedy (4) 7 Love god (4) 8 Tantalise (5) 10 Sacrificial table (5) 16 Reflected sounds (6) 17 Religious denominations (5) 18 Corruptly mercenary (5) 20 Commonplace (5) 22 Delicate bodily membrane (4) 23 Season’s yield (4) 24 Outlet (4) 27 Hair arrangement (3)

Downtime CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 18 represents G so fill G every time the figure 18 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 DE FG H I J K L MN O P Q RST UVWXYZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

DT

World 21

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

INSIDE

California shooting investigated as ‘act of terrorism’ n AFP, San Bernardino

Hunted Hazaras travel Death Road through Afghanistan West of the Afghan city of Maidan Shahr is a 40-kilometre stretch of paved highway known as “Death Road,” where drivers say the country’s ethnic Hazara minority are slaughtered by militants “like sheep and cows.”

PAGE 22

Erdogan: Turkey has alternatives to Russian oil, gas Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that Ankara could find alternatives to Russian oil and gas, as bilateral tensions escalated over the downing of a Russian warplane.

PAGE 23

The mass shooting in California is being probed as “an act of terrorism,” the FBI said late Friday as reports surfaced that the female assailant had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group on Facebook.

“The investigation so far has developed indications of radicalization by the killers, and of potential inspiration by foreign terrorist organizations,” FBI director James Comey told reporters.

But he said there was no indication that Syed Farook, 28, and his 29-year-old Pakistani wife Tashfeen Malik were part of any network. Authorities earlier had put her age at 27.

The developments come two days after the couple massacred 14 people and wounded 21 others at a year-end office party in San Bernardino – the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since the Newtown school massacre in 2012.

US-born Farook and Malik were killed in a firefight with police hours after the attack, leaving investigators to comb through their belongings to try to determine a motive.

“We have uncovered evidence that has led us to learn of extensive planning,” David Bowdich, the assistant FBI director in charge of the Los Angeles office, told reporters.

“There’s a number of pieces of evidence that has essentially pushed us off the cliff to say we are now investigating this

Residents in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state Saturday were grappling with the aftermath of devastating floods as authorities stepped up relief work following the worst deluge in decades that killed over 250 people.

PAGE 24

as an act of terrorism.”

He said investigators were examining a Facebook posting in which Malik is believed to have pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, made around the time of

Wednesday’s attack.

The massacre, if proven to be terror-related, would be the deadliest such assault on American soil since the September 11, 2001 attacks. l

California shooting – what we know so far n AFP, San Bernardino The FBI said Friday the mass shooting in California was being investigated as “an act of terrorism,” amid reports the female assailant had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group online.

Here is a summary of developments in the probe:

Killer couple

India’s southern city of Chennai grapples with deadly flood aftermath

Mourners visit a makeshift memorial near the Inland Regional Center on December 4 in San Bernardino, California AFP

Wednesday’s attack was carried out by a married couple, parents of a six-month-old baby girl, with no known history of violence or radicalism.

The assailants have been identified as Syed Farook, a 28-year-old US citizen who worked for the local county in environmental matters, and Tashfeen Malik, 29, a Pakistani national.

They were killed in a shootout with police hours after the attack.

The couple had left their infant daughter with Farook’s mother before the attack, according to a relative.

14 dead, 21 wounded Fourteen people were killed and 21 wounded when Farook and Malik opened fire inside the Inland Regional Center, a social services facility in San Bernardino, California.

The attack took place inside a packed conference room rented by the county’s public health

department for a year-end event, which Farook had been attending.

Authorities identified the victims as six women and eight men ranging in age from 26 to 60. All but two were county employees and co-workers of Farook.

Act of terror?

The FBI said Friday the mass shooting is now being investigated as terrorism.

“We have uncovered evidence that has led us to learn of extensive planning,” the assistant FBI director in charge of the Los Angeles office, David Bowdich, told reporters.

“There’s a number of pieces of evidence that has essentially pushed us off the cliff to say we are now investigating this as an act of terrorism.”

FBI Director James Comey said, however, that there was no indication the couple were “part of an organized larger group or part of a cell.”

Authorities have also been looking into a work-related cause, following reports Farook may have snapped at his office party when a religious discussion got out of hand.

Allegiance to Islamic State group Malik is believed to have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a Facebook post made under another name, around the time of the attack, according to media reports.

The FBI has confirmed it is looking into the supposed pledge.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia Investigators are looking into several foreign trips made by Farook prior to July 2014, according to the FBI. He notably visited Saudi Arabia. Federal investigators have also suggested he traveled to Pakistan, but that is denied by the family’s lawyer.

His wife held a Pakistani passport and traveled to the United States on a K1 fiancee’s visa.

The couple is believed to have made a pilgrimage to Mecca in the summer of 2014, during which they married. Malik has spent time living in Saudi Arabia.

Heavily armed The couple were armed with assault rifles and handguns – all legally purchased. They fired dozens of rounds at the Inland Regional Center, before fleeing in a black SUV. Explosives rigged to a remote-controlled car were also found at the scene of the carnage, but the device failed to go off.

Police said 1,600 rounds of ammunition were found on the couple and in their car following the police shootout in which they died.

About 5,000 additional rounds, 12 pipe bomb-type explosive devices and bomb-making material were found at the couple’s home. l

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World

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Minister: Hundreds of Tunisian women join jihadists in Syria n AFP, Tunis Around 700 Tunisian women have travelled to Syria to join jihadist groups, Minister for Women Samira Merai told parliament on Friday.

Some 5,000 people from Tunisia, which is battling an Islamist insurgency at home, are

West of Afghan city of Maidan Shahr is a 40km stretch of paved highway known as ‘Death Road,’ where drivers say the country’s ethnic Hazara minority are slaughtered by militants ‘like sheep and cows’ AFP

Hunted Hazaras travel Death Road through Afghanistan n AFP, Kabul West of the Afghan city of Maidan Shahr is a 40-kilometre stretch of paved highway known as “Death Road,” where drivers say the country’s ethnic Hazara minority are slaughtered by militants “like sheep and cows.”

“The spit dries in our mouths from fear when we pass it,” says Mohammad Hussain, who ferries passengers along the road from Kabul to Hazarajat, a region in the central highlands of Afghanistan where the Hazaras have traditionally settled.

Over the years, Hussain says, he has seen the headless bodies of so many people he claims were killed by the Taliban that “I have become ill and have nightmares.”

The highway through Taliban-infested Wardak province is one of just two ways to go by road to Bamyan, the main city in the Hazarajat region and a homing beacon of sorts for Hazaras across the country.

For many, “Death Road” is a symbol of the persecution they have faced for decades.

A recent string of beheadings and kidnappings amid fears over a resurgent Taliban and the rise of the Islamic State group saw thousands turn out in Kabul early this month in protests – a sight not seen in the capital for many years.

Hussain joined them: “We are being slaughtered like cheap sheep and cows with no consequences... Nobody seems to care about us Hazaras,” he tells AFP in Dashte Barchi, a majority Hazara neighbourhood in the outer suburbs of Kabul.

“Insecurity has become like a terrible nightmare for Hazaras. They can’t leave their homelands, and if they do, they risk being beheaded by these extremists on the roads,” Aziz Royesh, a Hazara rights activists and one of the organisers of the protest says.

There are no statistics available charting the number of killings that have taken place along “Death Road,” but the growing sense of insecurity has seen Mohammad Zaman, who used to drive passengers in and out of Hazarajat, finally admit defeat.

“I gave up driving and sold my car because ... I did not want to witness my passengers being kidnapped or killed again,” he tells AFP.

Massacred, enslaved, exiled

The protests which swept Kabul on November 11 appeared to catch authorities off guard and highlighted increasing fury at the Hazaras’ sense they have been left unprotected by the government.

The Persian-speaking Shiite ethnic group, estimated to account for some 10% of Afghanistan’s 30 million population, have long had a troubled relationship with the state.

They were massacred in large numbers, expelled from their lands and sold into slavery in the late 19th century under King Abdur Rahman Khan, says Sayed Askar Musavi, author of a book on the Hazaras.

Khan, he said, subjugated many groups, but “his campaign against Hazaras was particularly harsh, mainly because of their faith identity as Shiites.”

In later decades they lived as low-class citizens working mostly as labourers and servants, Mousavi said.

Then, in the mid-1990s, came the Taliban’s brief rule of Afghanistan.

The Sunni Islamists carried out several mass killings of Hazaras, including one in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in 1998, where Human Rights Watch said at least 2000 civilians were executed – most of them Hazaras.

The tide finally turned in 2001 when the Taliban were toppled and the new Afghan constitution recognised Shiite sects of Islam.

Educated and hard-working, the Hazaras have formed a new Afghan middle class.

But the Taliban have surged again in recent months, stoking fears of more sectarian violence compounded by the Islamic State group’s attempts to gain a foothold in Afghanistan.

The Zabul Seven

The sense of insecurity has been inflamed by the macabre discovery of the beheaded corpses of a group of Hazara kidnap victims in the southern province of Zabul who have become known as the “Zabul Seven.”

It is not clear who murdered them – some local officials have pointed the finger at the Islamic State group, but the claim has not been verified – and they were not the first such kidnappings or beheadings.

But they came at a charged moment, igniting the November protests in Kabul and other Afghan cities.

Protesters paraded the seven coffins in front of the presidential palace, where they demanded President Ashraf Ghani and his chief executive Abdullah Abdullah resign for their failure to protect the Hazara from persecution.

“For the past 14 years, we have been helping the government, and using civil ways to make our demands,” Royesh, the protest organiser, says. l

thought to have joined the ranks of the Islamic State group (IS), and other groups, in Syria, Iraq and Libya.

“We have noted a development in the phenomenon of terrorism,” Merai said. “Today there are 700 (Tunisian) women in Syria and women in Tunisian prisons” on terrorism charges. l

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Erdogan: Turkey has alternatives to Russian oil, gas n AFP, Ankara

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that Ankara could find alternatives to Russian oil and gas, as bilateral tensions escalated over the downing of a Russian warplane.

“It is possible to find different suppliers,” Erdogan said in a televised speech, referring to Qatar and Azerbaijan.

The shooting down by Turkish fighter jets of a Russian warplane on the Syrian border on November 24 has plunged relations between Moscow and Ankara into their biggest crisis since the Cold War. The Turkish strongman said Russia had made “no sign” that the crisis would affect their energy partnership, but he implied that Ankara was seeking new suppliers.

Erdogan this week visited the Gulf country Qatar where he agreed a deal for LNG purchases, while his Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu travelled to energy-rich Azerbaijan.

Turkey depends on outside suppliers for 90.5% of its oil and 98.5% of its natural gas, the president said.

Addressing concerns over possible natural gas shortages, Erdogan said Turkey can also use its renewable energy resources.

Russia’s energy minister said Thursday that Moscow has suspended talks on their joint TurkStream project to pipe gas to Tur-

Baghdad demanded Saturday the immediate withdrawal of forces it said Turkey illegally deployed in Iraq, which is struggling to assert its sovereignty while receiving foreign assistance against the Islamic State group.

A senior officer from the Kurdish forces in the region – which are allied to Ankara – downplayed the deployment as a routine training rotation but a Turkish paper said it was part of deal to set up a permanent base.

The Turkish troops, tanks and artillery were sent to Nineveh, a northern province largely held by IS, in an area currently controlled by Kurdish forces but also claimed by Baghdad.

Facing major political pressure as a result of statements by American officials, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has taken an increasingly hard public line on foreign forces in Iraq over the past week, terming the deployment of ground combat forces a “hostile act.”

“The Iraqi authorities call on Turkey to... immediately withdraw from Iraqi territory,” a statement from his office said.

“We have confirmation that Turkish forces, numbering about one armoured regiment with a number of tanks and artillery, entered Iraqi territory... allegedly to train Iraqi groups, without a request or authorisation from Iraqi federal authorities,” it said.

The deployment “is considered a serious violation of Iraqi sovereignty,” it added.

Major General Nureddin Herki, the commander of Kurdish peshmerga forces

SOUTH ASIA

Chennai airport opens for flights carrying relief supplies The Chennai airport opened on Saturday for limited flights carrying relief supplies for the rain-hit state. Four relief aircraft took off from the airport till Saturday afternoon.

Partial operations have begun at the airport amid intermittent rain. This is the first set of flights to operate out of the airport since Tuesday evening, when the airport was shut due to excessive water logging.

AGENCIES

INDIA

2 blasts in Guwahati’s market, 2 injured At least two people have been injured in twin explosions in Guwahati’s Fancy Bazaar area in Assam. The area, in the heart of Guwahati, is a trading hub popular with Hindi-speaking communities. The near simultaneous blasts assume significance as it comes before elections next year. Early reports suggest the explosives may have been kept in a garbage dump near a temple.

AGENCIES

CHINA

China says corruption suspect returned from US Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan key and southern Europe.

Erdogan dismissed the remark as a “lie,” saying that in fact Turkey had suspended

AFP

the project – and long before the plane incident – because of Russia’s “non-compliance with our demands.” l

Iraq urges Turkey to withdraw troops n AFP, Baghdad

DT

World

in the area, said the newly-arrived Turkish troops were part of a routine rotation in a training programme accompanied by a protection force that has since returned to Turkey.

‘We have confirmation that Turkish forces, numbering about one armoured regiment with a number of tanks and artillery, entered Iraqi territory... allegedly to train Iraqi groups, without a request or authorisation from Iraqi federal authorities’ “Before some time, a number of Turkish officers arrived to train Hashad al-Watani forces in the Zilkan base,” Herki said in a statement, referring to volunteer anti-IS fighters.

“Another team arrived to the camp to replace the previous team, and the mission of the (new) force that came was only to protect the trainers and return the previous team to Turkey,” he said.

Herki rejected reports that a large Turkish force had deployed to take part in an operation to recapture the nearby city of Mosul from IS.

Political pressure on PM

But Turkish media reported much more major deployment than that described by Herki.

“Turkey is establishing a base in the Bashiqa region of Mosul with 600 soldiers,” Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported on its front page.

The newspaper said that an agreement to do this was concluded early last month between Iraqi Kurdish regional president Massud Barzani and then Turkish foreign minister Feridun Sinirlioglu.

The peshmerga forces deployed in the Bashiqa area are loyal to Barzani’s party, which has close ties to Ankara.

Baghdad’s relations with Turkey have improved recently but remained strained by Ankara’s relationship with Barzani and differences over the Syrian civil war.

Abadi has repeatedly said Iraq needed all the help it could to fight IS but is also walking a fine line between receiving that support and projecting sovereignty.

The Turkish deployment is just the latest in a series of challenges he faced over the past week that have pushed him to take a hard line on foreign forces helping Iraq against IS, which overran large parts of Iraq last year.

Calls from two American senators for the number of US troops in Iraq to be tripled combined with Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter’s announcement that Washington would send a special forces contingent to fight IS in Iraq and Syria put Abadi under heavy pressure. l

A former government official suspected of corruption who fled to the United States returned to China on Saturday with Washington’s cooperation, the ruling Communist Party said.

Huang Yurong, a former highway agency boss in the central province of Henan, came back after “persuasion” by Chinese authorities, the party’s internal disciplinary body said on its website. Several people Beijing has accused of corruption have returned from the US to China in recent months, despite the two countries lacking an extradition treaty.

AFP

ASIA PACIFIC

Singapore daily names Lee Kuan Yew its Asian of the year Singapore’s Straits Times newspaper on Saturday named the late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew as its “Asian of the Year” for his influence on regional and global affairs. “Few Asians have made such an impact as Mr Lee. His passing was a reminder of how big a role he played in steering and shaping modern Singapore,” the award citation said. Lee, who died in March aged 91, received a hero’s funeral after an unprecedented outpouring of grief from Singaporeans who now enjoy one of Asia’s highest standards of living. He was consulted for decades by world leaders for his views on Asian affairs.

AFP

MIDDLE EAST

3 dead as Lebanese army raids home of alleged militant A suspected militant killed himself and two family members by detonating an explosive bomb belt during an army raid in northern Lebanon on Saturday, an army statement said.

The army said Mohamed Hamza, a fugitive wanted in connection with militant activity in Tripoli, had tossed grenades at troops as they sought to arrest him in the village of Deir Ammar. “One of them exploded, injuring seven soldiers... after which he detonated an explosive belt, killing himself and two relatives, and injuring others,” the army statement said. A security source said the two others killed were Hamza’s mother and niece.

AFP

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24

World

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

USA

US Supreme Court to hear Puerto Rico debt appeal case The US Supreme Court agreed to consider Puerto Rico’s appeal of a ruling forbidding its use of a US law that would allow it to declare bankruptcy and restructure its crushing debt. Puerto Rico – a US possession in the Caribbean since 1898 – is attempting to restructure much of its $72bn of debt.

Officials have made clear that it might miss debt payments in the next month.

AFP

THE AMERICAS

Mexico arrests three over murder of Australian surfers Mexican authorities have arrested three alleged highway robbers in connection with the suspected murder of two Australian surfers who vanished last month, prosecutors said Friday. The tourists’ burnt-out van was found with two unidentified bodies on November 21 in the violence-plagued northwestern state of Sinaloa, but authorities have not confirmed that the remains belong to the Australians.

The van belonging to Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman was stopped on November 21 by a gang driving a car that flashed police-like lights on a road in Sinaloa, said chief state prosecutor Marco Antonio Higuera Gomez.

AFP

UK

British bombers hit oil field targets in Syria for 2nd time British bombers made their second round of strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria late on Friday, again hitting oil fields, British defence minister Michael Fallon said on Saturday.

“Last night we saw the Typhoons in action for the first time, successfully hitting an oil field, oil well heads in eastern Syria out in the Omar field,” Fallon told Sky News. British lawmakers approved the bombing of Islamic State targets in Syria on Thursday.

REUTERS

EUROPE

Turkey arrests Israeli organ trafficking suspect A Turkish court early Saturday ordered the extradition of a suspected Israeli organ trafficker who is wanted by Interpol, Turkish media reported. Boris Volfman was stopped at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport on Friday after flying in from Bangkok on suspicions of organ trafficking and fraud, the Dogan news agency reported. Early on Saturday, the court formalised Volfman’s arrest and ordered his extradition to Israel after a 40-day arrest period, media reports said, describing him as the head of the trafficking ring.

AFP

AFRICA

C African Republic rebel leader pledges to block polls An ex-Seleka rebel leader Nourredine Adam said Friday he would not allow elections due later this month to take place in the regions of the Central African Republic under his control. The country is preparing to hold a referendum on December 13 on a proposed new constitution ahead of polls on December 27, following years of violence after a bloody coup in 2013. One of the poorest and most unstable countries in Africa, the landlocked former French colony plunged into chaos after president Francois Bozize, a Christian, was ousted in a coup in March 2013.

AFP

Indian residents make their way through floodwaters in Chennai

AFP

India’s southern city of Chennai grapples with deadly flood aftermath n AFP, Chennai, India Residents in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state Saturday were grappling with the aftermath of devastating floods as authorities stepped up relief work following the worst deluge in decades that killed over 250 people.

Thousands of people in Chennai took to the mud-filled streets to buy essentials as authorities worked to restore communication and road networks after Tuesday’s record rains worsened weeks of flooding, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents marooned in the state capital.

Residents jostled at grocery stores, petrol stations and cash machines, with the city reeling under a severe shortage of supplies, including drinking water, after the rains finally stopped on Thursday.

“I had to wait almost three hours at the petrol station with more than 200 people trying to get fuel,” local resident V Prabha-

karan told AFP, adding filling stations have started rationing petrol.

Mobile communication services were badly hit by damage to power infrastructure and a shortage of fuel. The authorities said shortages of essential goods will start to ease as road and rail links are restored and dozens of special trains were running to bring in relief material.

Chennai’s international airport was opened for relief flights, four days after planes and the runway were submerged.

Officials hope commercial services will resume Sunday.

Hundreds of flood-hit cars and motorcycles remained piled up in the streets of Chennai, which were coated with a thick layer of mud.

Thousands of people were rescued earlier in the week in a massive operation by the Indian army and disaster management teams. Residents were plucked from the

rooftops of their marooned homes by helicopters and boats following the devastating floods which officials said were caused by the worst rains in a century.

Rekha Nambiar, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), who is leading a relief team of more than 1,800 men in the state, said crews were carrying out relief work after flood waters started receding, with the focus on potable water.

“Rescue work is over. We are focused on relief now. We are trying to shift men and machinery to provide drinking water in the affected areas,” Nambiar told AFP. She said teams were cleaning up residential areas to avoid a disease outbreak as authorities distributed water purifying chlorine tablets.

“Right now people are in dire need of food, water and sanitation,” she said.

Forecasters expect dry weather next week, ending a long spell of torrential rain. l

Seoul protesters call for president’s resignation n AFP, Seoul Tens of thousands of protesters marched in Seoul Saturday, accusing President Park Geun-Hye of sacrificing workers and farmers for large businesses and rewriting history textbooks to glorify her father’s authoritarian rule.

An estimated crowd of 30,000 people, many of them wearing masks in defiance of Park’s call for a ban on masking-wearing during protests, marched through the city centre behind a banner reading “Resign Park Geun-Hye,” chanting slogans.

Police had initially banned Saturday’s rally but organisers appealed to the Seoul Administrative Court, which overturned the order, paving the way for a second massive protest in the capital in the space of a month.

The first rally on November 14 drew around 60,000 people and saw numerous clashes between protestors and police using water cannon.

On that occasion, Baek Nam-Ki, a

69-year-old farmer, fell into a coma after being knocked to the ground by a water cannon during a clash outside the Jongro District Office.

Organisers vowed to mount a peaceful demonstration this time and 300 religious figures including Buddhists, Catholics and Protestants, each carrying a flower, helped prevent protesters from crossing police lines.

While presiding over a government cabinet meeting on November 24, Park described the earlier demonstration as an attempt “to negate the rule of law and incapacitate the government,” calling for a crackdown on those who incite “illegal, violent protests.”

She also called for a ban on the wearing of masks by protesters, saying it was the sort of practice adopted by the Islamic State group, sparking angry reactions from opponents.

Park’s administration is facing mounting resentment over a range of issues including

her plan to impose new history textbooks on schools, to further open the agricultural market and reform the labour market, making the dismissal of workers easier and cutting wages for older workers.

“President Park, Don’t try to turn South Korea’s national history into your family’s private history,” said a banner carried by a female student at a rally which took place outside the City Hall.

“We’re not IS, we are just poor students,” said another sign held by her colleague.

Saturday’s rally was jointly organised by groups including the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the federation of farmers’ associations known as Jeonnong, the national teachers union and the association of urban poor.

KCTU President Han Sang-Kyun said in a video message at the rally that KCTU would launch a general labour strike on December 16. Han has taken refuge at a Buddhist temple in Seoul to avoid being arrested for leading earlier protests. l

DT

Sport 25

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

INSIDE

BPL 2015 enters business end The Bangladesh Premier League 2015 enters the business end as 10 days from now the third edition will get its winner.

All teams are back in the capital after playing the mid-phase of the tournament in Chittagong. The competition is also expected to increase with all teams getting hold of their key foreign players. PAGE 26

Sangakkara showers praise on Mustafiz n Minhaz Uddin Khan Former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara, who retired after the World Cup in March, is surprised to see himself in the ICC ODI Team of the Year 2015. However, it is needless to say that it was his record of four back-to-back centuries in the World Cup that put the classy batsman in the list.

The Dhaka Dynamites skipper is delighted to have his BPL teammate Mustafizur Rahman in the same team. Sangakkara spoke to the media at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. Below are the excerpts.

Ireland beat Bangladesh in last-ball thriller There was high drama in the final of the ICC Women’s World T20 Qualifier 2015 yesterday when Ireland defeated Bangladesh by two wickets to clinch victory off the last ball. The two sides went into final having previously booked the last two coveted places in next year’s ICC Women’s World T20 India 2016. PAGE 27

Your say on the ICC ODI Team of 2015?

Chris gayle bats at the nets during Barisal Bulls prcatice at SBNS yesterday. The West Indian is eager to get back on the field against Sylhet Super Stars in the BPL 2015 today MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

‘Its good to be back’ n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Real thrown out of Cup over ineligible player Real Madrid’s woes deepened on Friday when the Spanish football federation (RFEF) expelled them from the King’s Cup for using an ineligible player in Wednesday’s last 32, first leg match at third-tier Cadiz. Real included Denis Cheryshev in their starting lineup. PAGE 28

India in command after Kohli leads by example Virat Kohli struck a fluent unbeaten 83 to help India overcome a top order collapse and virtually bat South Africa out of the contest on day three of the fourth and final Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium yesterday. Playing his first match as Test captain at his home ground, Kohli partnered Ajinkya Rahane. PAGE 29

The Bangladesh Premier League couldn’t have resumed in a better fashion as Chris Gayle returns, albeit different owner, to Barisal Bulls against Sylhet Super Stars, who has Shahid Afridi. The West Indian arrived in Dhaka on Friday and had a successful practice session with his franchise yesterday.

The training at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium was his first since recovering from a back injury that pushed him away from the field in July this year.

Gayle’s excitement reflected on his Twitter page from time to time. One of his tweet was the picture of the new humongous looking bats he will use in the BPL, while everyone is looking for another Gayle-storm today, the Caribbean said, “The photo had no message and given I have done so much of damage already in the world cricket, I don’t know what to expect.”

Bangladesh’s home of cricket, SBNS, has been a happy hunting ground for the destructive southpaw and he is delighted to be back here which will also mark his comeback to competitive cricket after four months.

Barisal are already doing excellent in the tournament and that also takes a lot of pressure off from Gayle. With four games remaining in the league stage, even joint-leaders Barisal will want Gayle, who has three BPL hundreds, to warm-up for the

knockout stage.

“It is good to be back. Good to be back (in Bangladesh), as you mentioned. I always do well when I play here and the team (Barisal Bulls) is also doing well. So it’s a bit pressure off from me. The game will be my first since I returned from the injury so I am looking forward to the game,” said Gayle.

“I will try and gain some momentum from my personal point of view and at the same time, the team is second place so that’s more important. We need to make give our self a chance to reach the final. I have practiced with the team after such a long time, the preparation went well (yesterday) and now looking forward to the game (today),” he added.

After playing for Barisal initially, Gayle featured alongside Afridi for the two-time winners Dhaka Gladiators in the last edition. He played only one game, the semi-final against Sylhet Royals, and scored a blistering 114, but did not stay back, despite requests from team owners, for the final game due to back strain.

When quarried if he thinks he will be able to deliver the goods given he has just returned, Gayle said, “I wont put so much strain on the body. But if the situation require that I need to bowl an over or two then fine. But you don’t want to overwork you body. You want to come back a bit stronger and build the momentum in the body and get the feel of what you are doing.” l

It is a privilege to be named in the ICC team.

I think Mustafiz was fantastic to be named there. Me, of course you know I already finished my career. So, I am surprised to make the list, probably because I played last year. A lot of great players are there and I am very happy.

Your thoughts on Mustafiz?

Mustafiz I think is a very very good bowler and he is only better because he is young. He is keen to learn. So he offers and his demand in Bangladesh has moved forward.

Dhaka not clicking as a team, where is it going wrong?

Yeah a couple of game we had problem, like against Comilla Victorians and Barisal Bulls.

But a magnificent innings from Evin Lewis took the game away from us. A few mistakes from us in the chase against Comilla crossed the game. But it’s Twenty20 game. We just need to get back as the host. To make sure we practice well. We go out in the middle. We have plans to play positive cricket. We had got that feeling. And that will be good for us.

Are the batsmen doing their job?

I think we have got enough very good batsmen in the side. We just need to some local boys to fire, they will. I have all the confidence in my local players, which I think is the best in Bangladesh. So, I give them some opportunity and see them have a go.

How would you rate Nasir Hossain’s performance given he is an Icon player??

Yeah, I think Nasir is very good for us both in bat and bowl. I’m sure he likes to run more and finish the games. He gets that. He is a very very good player and as an icon player I know he takes a lot of pride in how he trains and how he goes with his performance in the match. He is one of the best players in Bangladesh and I’m very happy to have him in the team. l

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26

BPL 2015

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

BPL 2015 enters business end

n Reazur Rahman Rohan

DHAKA DYNAMITES

Key Players: Kumar Sangakkara, Nasir Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman

The Bangladesh Premier League 2015 enters the business end as 10 days from now the third edition will get its winner. All teams are back in the capital after playing the midphase of the tournament in Chittagong. The competition is also expected to increase with all teams getting hold of their key foreign players. With the last phase beginning today at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, here’s a quick look at the team position, key players and their performance.

COMILLA VICTORIANS

Key Players: Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Ashar Zaidi, Abu Haider already has three BPL hundreds in the past, will also have his compatriot Kevon Cooper, the all-rounder who won Barisal two matches. Al Amin Hossain and Taijul Islam fit perfectly with the foreign trio as their bowling line-up has been outstanding in the season.

RANGPUR RIDERS

Key Player: Shakib al Hasan, Thisara Perera, Misbah ul Haq

Against all odds, a brilliant bunch of cricketers playing under brave-heart Mashrafe bin Mortaza have led the team to the top spot.

A squad struck down with injuries, Comilla’s performance was beyond superb as they exhibited a perfect example of teamwork in their seven matches. After late comers Shoaib Malik and Ahmed Shehzad, Andre Russell is expected to arrive for this last stage. Ashar Zaidi has answered to his captain’s call every time and delivered while Nuwan Kulasekara has also settled well in the pace-attack that also contains Abu Haider Rony. Despite Barisal at their tail, Comilla should comfortably finish in the top two and hope to win the Qualifier 1 and secure a berth in the final.

SYLHET SUPER STARS

Led by the great Sri Lankan tactician Kumar Sangakkara, Dhaka fetched just six points from as many games. Dhaka is simply fragile with the bat without Sangakkara. Rookie opener Shadman Islam is promising but Saikat Ali, Abul Hasan, Farhad Reza and Mosharraf Hossain do not really have that capability to bat out of danger when required.

Meanwhile, it is high time Nasir Hossain puts a meaningful contribution with the bat as the Dhaka icon cricketer so far scored 5, 15, 2, 33, 5 and 32. Dhaka need to start winning and Nasir must step up beside Sangakkara. It won’t be surprising if the Dynamites explode but not make it to the Eliminator.

CHITTAGONG VIKINGS

Key Players: T Dilshan, Mohammad Amir, Tamim Iqbal

They are lurking at the bottom with just one win from six games, but they have a strong opportunity of qualifying for the Eliminator.

Shahid Afridi’s arrival along with Sohail Tanvir is a huge boost for the side that lost narrow matches in the first two phases. With five fours and four sixes, Afridi started off with almost a match-saving 62 against Chittagong and his batting prowess should give enough confidence to Ravi Bopara and Mushfiqur Rahim. Bopara’s slow pace with the ball has also been very effective. Rubel Hossain hasn’t looked threating after making his comeback from a long injury lay-off but if everything clicks on Sylhet’s favour, they will upset one of the existing top fours. l

TOP FIVE AFTER BPL PHASE-2

POINTS TABLE

BARISAL BULLS

MOST RUNS

Teams

MOST WICKETS

Player

Inns NO Runs HS

Ave

Tamim Iqba (Chittagong)

8

41.42 119.83 3

290

Key Players: Shahid Afridi, Ravi Bopara, Mushfiqur Rahim

Coached by former Bangladesh mentor Shane Jurgensen and captained by the world’s leading all-rounder Shakib al Hasan, Rangpur Riders have registered the highest total and the second lowest total in the tournament and stands third with eight points from seven games. On their day they have beaten all odds, but it’s their erratic performance chart that is worrying. Shakib undoubtedly holds the key to success while Thisara Perera, Misbah ul Haq, Darren Sammy and Wahab Riaz complete a terrific T20 line-up. They have the capability to upset any of the existing top-two as it won’t be surprising if they squeeze through.

Key Players: Chris Gayle, Mahmudullah, Kevon Cooper They are currently the joint leaders having played a game lesser than Comilla. Five wins out of six reflects consistency and the local players have played a vital role here. However, their shout for the title will be loud with the arrival of Chris Gayle. If Barisal chooses to open the batting with the West Indian duo Evin Lewis and Gayle, the opposition bowlers might find their stats ruined. Gayle, who

1

They have only themselves to blame for their position in the table. Chittagong played the most matches, eight, and accumulated only four points courtesy of the wins in both legs against Sylhet Super Stars. Their performance has been controversial and ordinary at times while lack of depth in the bowling department has hurt them badly. With crucial catches going down and boundaries scored, Vikings made it feel like they have less fielders on the ground. Anamul Haque has also been equally awful both behind and in front of the stumps. The team must win their remaining two games and hope all other results go in their favour to create a small window for them to finish among the top four, which looks unlikely. They come to Dhaka on the back of three defeats in their four home games and might even feel they are here to complete the formalities.

69

SR

50 4s 6s 27

9

5

2

10

7

4/16 9.23 5.71 9.6 1/0

Barisal

6

5

1

10

7

4

3

8

Shakib Al Hasan (Rangpur)

6

13

Pts

Comilla

Inns Mdns Runs Wkts BBI 120

Won Lost

Ave Econ SR 4/5

Player

2

Mat

1

28

8

Abu Hider (Comilla)

7

0

189

13

4/28 14.53 6.83 12.7 1/0

Rangpur

75

44.80 117.89 2

24

2

KK Cooper (Barisal)

5

1

94

11

5/15

Dhaka

6

3

3

6

173

64

28.83 145.37 1

28

4

Mohammad Amir (Chittagong) 8

1

159

11

4/30 14.45 5.71 15.1 1/0

Chittagong

8

2

6

4

145

50* 36.25 117.88 1

12

2

Al-Amin Hossain (Barisal)

0

208

11

5/36 18.90 8.66 13.0 0/1

Sylhet

6

1

5

2

TM Dilshan (Chittagong)

8

1

228

67* 32.57 135.71

KC Sangakkara (Dhaka)

6

1

224

EMDY Munaweera (Sylhet)

6

0

Mushfiqur Rahim (Sylhet)

6

2

6

8.54 4.94 10.3 0/1

27

DT

Sport

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

QUICK BYTES Siddikur slips to 25th Bangladesh ace golfer Siddikur Rahman slipped from the top 10 position to joint 25th place after carding a three-over-par 74 on the penultimate day at the $1.5m Ho Tram Open yesterday. Siddikur, who posted two-underpar from his remaining nine second-round holes in the morning, carded two birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey in third round to make a three-day total of three-under-par 210 in the inaugural Asian Tour tournament in Vietnam. Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang overcame an early wobble to post a three-under-par 68 and took a two-shot lead over Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Shaun Norris of South Africa in Vietnam’s richest sporting event.

–TRIBUNE REPORT

Agrani beat Wari in Tier 2 football Agrani Bank Limited moved to the top of the Minister Fridge Bangladesh Championship League points table after beating Wari Club 2-0 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. Zulfiker Islam netted in the 10th minute before doubling the lead two minutes into the injury time. After losing to T&T Club in their opening match, Agrani Bank beat Fakirerpool to stage a comeback and yesterday’s victory put them jointly in top position alongside T&T Club with six points from three matches.

–TRIBUNE REPORT

MSN finds a home in Russian zoo If Barcelona’s Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi ever get to Saransk, one of 11 host venues for the 2018 soccer World Cup in Russia, they will find their namesakes playing already in the local zoo. Officials said on Friday that three new-born pumas at the zoo had been named after Barcelona’s Uruguayan, Brazilian and Argentine attacking trio.

–REUTERS

Saints won’t sell even for £100m, says Koeman Southampton manager Ronald Koeman is adamant they will not lose any players in the January transfer window and dismissed speculation that striker Sadio Mane is set to move to Manchester United or German champions Bayern Munich. Mane, who joined Southampton from Salzburg last season, was strongly linked by British media with a move to United in the close season and has scored seven goals for the Saints in all competitions this campaign.

–REUTERS

Sanchez could have been killed, fumes Wenger Arsene Wenger claims Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez could have been killed when Norwich defender Ryan Bennett pushed him into the Carrow Road camera pit last weekend.

Chile international Sanchez landed heavily in the cameraman’s area on the touchline during an incident in the first half of Sunday’s 1-1 draw and was later forced off with a hamstring injury.

–AFP

ICC WOMEN’S WORLD TWENTY20 QUALIFIER

Ireland women win trophy, beat Bangladesh in last-ball thriller n ICC There was high drama in the final of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015 yesterday when Ireland defeated Bangladesh by two wickets to clinch victory off the last ball of the game in Thailand Cricket Ground in Bangkok.

The two sides went into final having previously booked the last two coveted places in next year’s ICC Women’s World Twenty20 India 2016 when they won their respective semi-finals on Thursday.

But both sides were determined to finish the competition on a high as Bangladesh, having won the toss, reached 105 for three, thanks chiefly to a 74-run third-wicket partnership between Nigar Sultana (41) and Rumana Ahmed (38 not out). Leg spinner Ciara Metcalfe was Ireland’s best bowler and returned economical figures of three for 14 runs.

Set a victory target of 106, Ireland appeared to be coasting after Cecelia Joyce had steered the side early on with a breezy 32, but a flurry of middle order wickets put the pressure on thanks mainly to the efforts of Bangladesh duo Rumana Ahmed (2/ 16) and Nahida Akter (2/18). However Laura Delany (26*) held her composure to guide Ireland home off the last ball of the game to send Ireland into raptures in damp, challenging conditions.

Speaking after the Trophy final, a delighted Ireland captain Isobel Joyce said: “It’s an amazing feeling and I’m so proud of my team for getting over the line in really tough conditions. Bangladesh are an excellent bowling team, especially Salma Khatun who was bowling the last over, who is so experienced and would back herself every time to keep any team under eight (runs).

Bangladesh’s Rumana Ahmed was named

the player of the series after claiming 14 wickets in the tournament.

Bangladesh Women’s coach Janak Gamage reflected: “The plans was to bat first and get close to 115 runs, but unfortunately it just wasn’t enough. I thought our bowlers did very well throughout the tournament and though we’re disappointed today, we’ll look forward to playing in the World Twenty20.

Our target is to play well during the tournament and win a few games, but we know it will be a real challenge.”

Bangladesh and Ireland will join reigning champion Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies in the event proper, which will be staged alongside the men’s event from 11 March to 3 April 2016. l

Maradona revisited as Napoli savour top spot n AFP, Milan Fond memories of Diego Maradona’s enduring spell in Italy’s top flight have resurfaced as Napoli savour their place at the top of Serie A after 25 years ahead of Sunday’s trip to Bologna.

The year was 1990 and Maradona, who had helped Napoli to their first league title three years earlier, was in his pomp as Napoli strode towards their second and last ‘scudetto’.

Unbeknown to fans, it would be the last time Napoli sat top of the Italian league table for 25 years -- a wait that ended Monday when Gonzalo Higuain struck twice in a 2-1 win over 10-man title rivals Inter Milan.

Napoli sit top with a lead of one point on Inter, two on Fiorentina, four on Roma and seven on resurgent champions Juventus. As most of their rivals may have noticed already, Napoli’s return has not been by chance.

After some early wobbles, Maurizio Sarri’s men arguably boast the most potent attack-

ing game in the league and, along with Inter (nine goals) have Serie A’s stingiest defence.

The Azzurri sit firmly among the favourites to end Juventus’s four-year reign, but 25 years after Maradona’s Napoli reign was ended by a positive test for cocaine in the wake of the 1990 World Cup, Higuain remains modest.

“We deserve to be where we are but now we have to make the most of it,” said Higuain after Monday’s game, where he milked the applause of near hysterical fans at the San Paolo.l

FIXTURES Bologna Atalanta Fiorentina Frosinone Verona Sampdoria Carpi

v v v v v v v

Napoli Palermo Udinese Chievo Empoli Sassuolo AC Milan

BRIEF SCORES Bangladesh Women 105-3 in 20 overs (Nigar 41, Rumana 38*; Ciara 3-14)

Ireland Women 106-8 in 20 overs (Cecelia 32, Laura 26*; Rumana 2-16, Nahida 2-18) Ireland Women won by 2 wickets PoM: Rumana Ahmed (Bangladesh)

AFC bans 5 in Nepal, 1 in Tajikistan for life n AFP, Kuala Lumpur The Asian Football Confederation has imposed lifetime bans for match-fixing on four players and an official in Nepal and a Tajik referee.

“These cases show that the AFC’s strategy against match-fixing is delivering concrete results,” the regional body said in a statement late Friday, adding that it has “a zero tolerance to match-manipulation”.

Nepali official Anjan K.C. and the four players - Bikash Singh Chhetri, Sandip Rai, Ritesh Thapa and Sagar Thapa - were found guilty of offences relating to various friendly internationals during the period 2008-2012.

Tajik referee Murtazoev Parviz was found guilty of conspiring to influence the result of an October 6, 2015 match between the Maldives and Tajikistan in the AFC U-19 Championship.

Parviz, who was the game’s appointed referee liaison officer, attempted to corrupt the match referee who reported the offence.

All six had been provisionally banned by the regional governing body’s disciplinary committee in October. l

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Benzema double thrashes Getafe n AFP, Madrid Real Madrid bounced back from their embarrassing elimination from the Copa del Rey for fielding an ineligible player in midweek by cruising to a 4-1 victory over Getafe yesterday.

Karim Benzema was restored to the starting line-up and scored his first two goals since being caught up in a blackmail scandal involving French international teammate Mathieu Valbuena inside 16 minutes.

Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo then made it 4-0 before half-time before Alexis pulled a goal back for Getafe 21 minutes from time.

Victory moves Madrid up to second and cuts the gap on Barcelona at the top of the table to three points. However, Barca can restore their six-point advantage when they travel to Valencia and Atletico Madrid can retake second place with victory at Granada later on Saturday.

Benzema, Bale and Ronaldo started a league game for just the fourth time this season and just as in early season thrashings of Real Betis and Espanyol, their presence restored Madrid’s fire-power up front. l

SPANISH LA LIGA Real Madrid Benzema 4, 16, Bale 35, Ronaldo 38

4-1

Getafe Alexis 69

Real thrown out of Spanish Cup over ineligible player n Reuters, Madrid Real Madrid’s woes deepened on Friday when the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) expelled them from the King’s Cup for using an ineligible player in Wednesday’s last 32, first leg match at third-tier Cadiz.

Real included Denis Cheryshev in their starting lineup for their first match of the 2015-16 competition even though he should have been serving a one-match suspension and the Russia forward opened the scoring in a 3-1 victory. In a nine-page ruling, the RFEF sharply criticised Real, saying they should have been aware of the sanction, and as well as disqualifying the club fined them 6,001 euros ($6,520.69).

Already smarting after bitter rivals Barcelona thrashed them 4-0 at the Bernabeu in last month’s La Liga ‘Clasico’, it is another embarrassing setback for the world’s richest club by income. To add to Real’s problems, their striker Karim Benzema is under investigation over an alleged attempt to blackmail France team mate Mathieu Valbuena with a sex video. l

Riyad Mahrez scores the third goal for Leicester City to complete his hattrick against Swansea City at Liberty Stadium yesterday

REUTERS

slump to first Mahrez fires Leicester top, Bayern league defeat of season Stoke submerge City n AFP, Berlin

n AFP, London Riyad Mahrez scored a hat-trick as Leicester City won 3-0 at Swansea City yesterday to recapture the Premier League summit from Manchester City, who crashed to defeat at Stoke City.

Leicester striker Jamie Vardy was bidding to equal Jimmy Dunne’s 83-year-old English

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Arsenal

3-1

Campbell 33, Giroud 63, Ramsey 90

Manchester United

0-0

Southampton

1-1

Romeu 73

Stoke

Sunderland Giroud 45-og

West Ham Aston Villa Lescott 44

2-0

Manchester City

Arnautovic 7, 15

Swansea

0-3

Leicester Mahrez 5, 22, 67

Watford

2-0

Norwich

1-1

Tottenham

Deeney 30-P, Ighalo 90

West Brom McClean 39

Alli 15

top-flight record by scoring for the 12th game running, but it was Mahrez who stole the show at the Liberty Stadium.

The Algerian winger took his tally for the campaign to 10 goals, putting him joint-second behind 14-goal Vardy in the scoring charts and lifting Claudio Ranieri’s men two points clear at the top of the standings.

Mahrez broke the deadlock in the fifth minute when Marc Albrighton’s left-wing corner struck him and bounced in, before N’Golo Kante’s pass enabled him to run through and add a second goal in the 22nd minute.

Manchester City were well beaten at a windswept Britannia Stadium, where Stoke prevailed 2-0 courtesy of a pair of early goals that were each created by Xherdan Shaqiri and finished by Marko Arnautovic.

Arsenal also exploited City’s misstep at Stoke with a 3-1 home win over Sunderland that took Arsene Wenger’s side up to second place in the table.

Fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur also failed to make ground on the teams above them, drawing 1-1 at West Bromwich Albion after James McClean cancelled out Dele Alli’s volleyed 15th-minute opener for Spurs. l

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich lost their unbeaten record in Germany’s top tier this season in emphatic style yesterday, going down 3-1 away to Borussia Moenchengladbach.

It is only the second time Pep Guardiola’s Bayern have lost at all this season after they went down 2-0 at Arsenal in the Champions League in October. It was also Bayern’s first Bundesliga defeat since losing 2-1 at Freiburg last May as second-half goals by Oscar Wendt, Lars Stindl and Fabian Johnson left the Bavarian giants reeling. l

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA M’gladbach

3-1

Bayern Munich

Wendt 54, Stindl 66, Johnson 68

Hamburg

1-3

Djourou 90

Cologne

Ribery 81

Mainz 05 Jairo 16, 51, Clemens 76

0-1

FC Augsburg Bobdilla 64

Hertha Berlin

2-1

Darida 7, Brooks 60

Ingolstadt 04 Roger 66

Bayer Leverkusen Hernandez 29

1-1

Hoffenheim Uth 90+6

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

DAY’S WATCH Channel 9 Bangladesh Premier League 2:00PM Sylhet v Barisal 6:30PM Rangpur v Dhaka

Ten Sports 7:15PM Sky Bet Championship Sheffield Wednesday v Derby County

Ten Action 2:30PM A-League: Adelaide United v Perth Glory French Ligue 1 2015/16 7:00PM Olympic Marseille v Montpellier 10:00PM Girondins De Bordeaux v De Guingamp 2:00AM AS Saint-Etienne v Stade Rennais

Sony Six Italian Serie A 5:30PM Bologna v Napoli 8:00PM Fiorentina v Udinese 11:00PM Sampdoria v Sassuolo 1:30AM Carpi v AC Milan

Sony Kix 7:30PM Champions Tennis League: Final Spanish La Liga 3:00PM Real Madrid v Getafe 5:00PM Real Sociedad v Eibar 11:30PM Sporting Gijon v Las Palmas 1:30AM Athletic Bilbao v Malaga

Star Sports 1 10:00AM South Africa’s India tour: 4th Test, Day 4

Star Sports 2 10:30AM Yonex Indonesian Masters: Finals 7:20PM Indian Super League: Delhi v Goa 10:00PM EPL: Newcastle United v Liverpool Women’s FIH Hockey World League 1:30AM New Zealand v Netherlands 3:45AM China v Great Britan 6:00AM Argentina v Australia

Star Sports 4 International Premier Tennis League 2:00PM Japan Warriors v Singapore Slammers 5:30PM UAE Royals v Philippine Mavericks

India skipper Virat Kohli plays a square drive on the third day of their fourth Test against South Africa in New Delhi yesterday

India in command after Kohli leads by example n Reuters, New Delhi Virat Kohli struck a fluent unbeaten 83 to help India overcome a top order collapse and virtually bat South Africa out of the contest on day three of the fourth and final Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium yesterday.

Playing his first match as Test captain at his home ground, Kohli partnered Ajinkya Rahane (52 not out) to cobble together the first century stand of the low-scoring series after India had slumped to 57-4 following Morne Morkel’s triple strikes.

India’s overall lead swelled to 403 against a beleaguered South African team who were shot out for 121 in the first innings and have not gone past 185 in the series.

Morkel orchestrated India’s top order collapse, claiming two wickets in two balls in the morning after India had opted against enforcing the follow-on and decided to set the visitors a target instead.

After the lunch break, Morkel castled Shikhar Dhawan with a searing, inswinging yorker to dismiss him for 21 while Imran Tahir dismissed Pujara (28).

India could have been in bigger trouble when Kohli, then on five, was ruled caught behind only to be called back after TV replays showed the leg-spinner had overstepped. Kohli, hand on hip, was seen glaring at the umpire after being given out initially suggesting he did not nick it in an act of defiance that is unlikely to go unnoticed by the match officials. l

AP

SCORECARD, DAY 3 INDIA 1ST INNINGS 334 (A. Rahane 127, R. Ashwin 56; Abbott 5-40, Piedt 4-117) SOUTH AFRICA 1ST INNINGS 121 (de Villiers 42; R. Jadeja 5-30) INDIA 2ND INNINGS M. Vijay c Vilas b Morkel S. Dhawan b Morkel R. Sharma b Morkel C. Pujara b Tahir V. Kohli not out A. Rahane not out Extras: (lb2, nb1)

R 3 21 0 28 83 52 3

Total: (for 4 wkts, 81 overs)

190

B 15 86 1 79 154 152

Fall of wickets 1-4 (Vijay), 2-8 (Sharma), 3-53 (Dhawan), 4-57 (Pujara)

Bowling Morkel 17-6-29-3, Abbott 17-6-38-0, Piedt 18-153-0, Tahir 21-4-49-1 (nb1), Elgar 8-1-19-0

Zlatan breaks PSG’s league scoring record n Reuters, Paris Zlatan Ibrahimovic broke Paris St Germain’s league scoring record with two goals as the French champions continued to streak away from their Ligue 1 rivals with a 3-0 win at 10man Nice on Friday.

Victory moved the champions to 45 points from 17 games, a massive 16 points ahead of second-placed Caen who host Lille on Saturday. Nice are fifth on 25 points.

Edinson Cavani opened the scoring in the 35th minute from Ibrahimovic’s cross before the Sweden striker doubled the tally on the stroke of halftime from the penalty spot following the sending off of Niklas Hult.

Ibrahimovic made it 3-0 after the break with his 12th league goal of the season, taking him to 86 league goals for the club to

surpass record-holder Mustapha Dahleb who scored 85.

Three days after PSG were held to a 0-0 draw by promoted Angers, normal service resumed for the capital side who crushed Nice seemingly effortlessly at the Allianz Riviera.

After a fine one-two with Blaise Matuidi, Ibrahimovic set up Cavani, who beat Yoan Cardinale from close range.

In the 42nd minute Hult brought down Ibrahimovic in the box and PSG’s talisman striker converted the spot kick.

Hatem Ben Arfa, who has had an impressive start to the season at Nice, was kept at bay by a solid PSG defence.

Shortly after the hour, Ibrahimovic put the result beyond doubt with a low angled cross shot. l

Paris St Germain’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic (C) shoots to score against Nice on Friday REUTERS

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Dhruba Guha’s cool 3 million

n Showtime Desk Joining the ranks of those overnight Internet sensations is one relatively lesser-known singer by the name of Dhruba Guha.

Having released his debut album Shudhu tomar jonno during Eid ul Azha earlier this year, this dark horse would have slipped under the radar, but for his music videos, which he uploaded onto Youtube.

Over the space of a few months, the eight tracks from the album, particularly the titular track Shudhu tomar jonno, garnered some 3 million subscribers and as many downloads. l

European Film Festival at Star Cineplex n Showtime Desk The European Film Festival 2015 continues at our very own Star Cineplex at Bashundhara City with a very attractive lot for you

moviegoers. A sophisticated audience deserves an enticing visit to the cinema. So if you’ve got yourself a little time off today, it won’t hurt to press the pause button on life for some quality films. l

Today’s features include: The Agreement EU chief negotiator Robert Cooper has to settle an agreement on stable existence between Kosovo and Serbia. This is a Danish documentary by Karen Stokkendal Poulsen (writer and director), which brings its audience right into the core of these intense negotiations. This film was originally released in March 7, 2014 in Sweden.

Country: Denmark, Serbia and Montenegro, UK, Serbia, Belgium Language: English Show times: 1:05pm, 5:20pm

Finn Finn is a Dutch film that was released in December 11, 2013. The film is about a character named Finn who lives with this father, a carpenter. Both father and son are grieving over the loss of Finn’s mother, who died giving birth to him on Christmas Eve. The two now find comfort through the magic of music in order to fully heal and live on.

Cast: Mels van der Hoeven, Daan Shuurmans, Jan Decleir Country: Netherlands Language: Dutch Show times: 10:50am, 3:05am, 7:30pm

The festival will continue until December 11. See you at the movies!

From Creed to Black Panther

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

WHAT TO WATCH WALL-E Zee Studio 5:40 pm This animation film is set in the distant future when all human beings have left Earth as the planet is fully covered with waste. WALL-E is a robot who is staying alone on Earth to collect all the rubbish and probably make Earth habitable again. Watch the film to see what happens when Eve, a sleek robot, is sent to Earth to check out on what’s happening and WALL-E falls in love with her.

Cast: Ben Burtt (WALL·E / M-O), Elissa Knight (EVE), Jeff Garlin (Captain McCrea),

n Showtime Desk Creed, so far, has been getting great reviews.

The very strong, somewhat surprising, opening of Creed has now put director Ryan Coogler in the spotlight. His work, and the film’s success has caught the attention of the comic book turn film world. Marvel has started its negotiations with Coogler to direct their Black Panther film.

Coogler is fast becoming one of the industry’s hottest young directors. The filmmaker caught the attention of many in the critically acclaimed Fruitvale Station, starring Michael B Jordan, who also stars in Creed. Now that the casting of Black Panther is nearly complete, Coogler will have another franchise in hand to deal with. Even though there hasn’t been an official signing of papers, Marvel always gets their man.

Chadwick Boseman will be playing the lead role of T’Challa, the head of the fictional African nation called Wakanda.

The Black Panther comic was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, who first appeared in Fantastic Four. The African superhero has also been a long-serving member of Avengers. Both actor and superhero will make their debut on screen in the new Captain America: Civil War. l

Sequel to Trainspotting gets green lit

n Showtime Desk The big buzz out of Hollywood is that Danny Boyle has managed to gather the original cast of Trainspotting for another go at the big screen. The sequel has landed at Tri-Star (owned by Sony), and Boyle will

be in the director’s chair, naturally.

Returning to the project is the original principal cast, which includes Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremmer and Robert Carlyle. To take a step further, the original writer John Hodge has returned to pen the script for

Trainspotting 2. Whether he’ll be the sole writer is yet to be determined.

Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures cochair, has a longstanding relationsghip with Boyle since the mid-to-late 90s.

Rothman has been a supporter of Boyle’s since the film A Life Less Ordinary, when Rothman was an executive for Fox at the time. The relationship continued when Rothman had founded the Searchlight division at Fox, releasing Boyle’s 28 Days Later to Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours.

The original Trainspotting film was adapted from the 1993 novel by Irvine Welsh, which told the story of a group of lower income heroin users in Edinburgh.

McGregor’s character was the lead and narrator of the film, supported

by Miller’s Sick Boy, a drug dealer, Carlyle’s Begbie, a violent sociopath and Bremner’s Spud, a dim but genial friend.

Boyle went onto to state: “It’s been 20 years since we met these characters and John Hodge’s screenplay brilliantly explored what’s ahppened to them and to us – in the intervening years. We are grateful to Tom and Hannah for their support and we can’t wait to get going.”

Producing the new film will be Andrew Macdonald, Boyle, Christian Colson and Bernie Bellew through Figment Films, Decibel Films and Cloud Eight Films. l

The Hangover HBO 5:31 pm When a group of friends gets together for one last weekend-long bachelor party in Vegas, they think they had a good time. But it’s very hard to remember, and they are suffering the dreadful after-effects of girls, party and alcohol. And then they realize they have somehow lost the groom! Now, they must struggle to retrace their wild weekend to find their friend and deliver the bridegroom to his wedding even as they suffer from one killer Hangover!

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis The Karate Kid Sony PIX 3:00 PM Daniel (Ralph Macchio) is new to town and the local bullies give him too much trouble. They are all adept at karate.

That’s when Daniel decides to teach himself the martial arts. Help comes from unexpected quarters when his apartment caretaker Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) offers to teach him. It appears that Miyagi is a grand master.

Cast: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest Star Movies 11:30 pm Just as Will (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) get ready to exchange vows, their wedding plans take a toss when they’re arrested for helping Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) escape. In the meanwhile, Jack faces a watery prison after he goes back on a deal with Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), the captain of the ghost pirate ship.

Cast: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley Wanted Star Movies Action 3:45 pm Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) hates his life. He works as a clerk and is sick of his boss who humiliates him constantly. He has a girlfriend who has betrayed him by sleeping with his best friend and colleague. That is when Wesley meets the sexy Fox (Angelina Jolie).

Cast: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2015

Tarana-Facebook meeting today n Tribune Report

Officials of popular social media networking site Facebook will meet Tarana Halim, state minister for post and telecommunications, today at her office at the Secretariat.

Facebook’s South Asian public policy manager and legal consultant for the region will sit with the junior minister in the morning.

The meeting with Facebook comes at a time when the social networking platform, which has nearly 1.8 billion users worldwide and 18 million in Bangladesh, is suspended here on security grounds.

It, however, has no relation with the temporary suspension of Facebook by the government on security issues.

In a letter to Facebook dated November 30, Tarana Halim expressed interest in signing a deal to ensure cyber security, especially in a bid to stopping violence against women.

The next day, Facebook

gave consent to the discussion, as its Public Policy Director for India and South Asia Akhi Das replied to the state minister’s email agreeing to sit with the Bangladesh government.

On November 18, the government blocked Facebook, WhatsApp and Viber, citing security reasons after the Supreme Court rejected review petitions by war criminals SQ Chowdhury and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid.

After getting response from Facebook on December 1, Tarana said: “Hundreds of women are being victimised every day, which is alarming for our society and country.

But we did not get any positive feedback from the authorities concerned.”

She said she repeatedly raised the issues, especially about violence against women through Facebook, in different platforms.

“This time they agreed to sit with Bangladesh.” l

Bangladeshi held in Malaysia for IS links n Tribune Report

Malaysia’s police said yesterday they had arrested five people, including a Bangladesh national, for alleged links with militant groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

The country’s police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement that four of the arrestees are foreign nationals and one is a Malaysian.

The arrests were made between November 17 and December 1.

Among the arrestees is a 44-year-old European who works as a teacher in the state of Penang on a temporary basis, has links with al-Qaeda and allegedly participated in militant acts in Afghanistan

and Bosnia, police said.

The three other foreigners – a 31-year-old Indonesian man, a Malaysian and a Bangladeshi – were part of a cell linked to the Islamic State and were tasked with recruiting members to take part in militant activities overseas.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Shahidul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that he had learned about the arrest from news reports. “We know nothing else. We are waiting for information from the Malaysian authorities.”

Malaysia raised its terror threat level after reports on Friday that ten Syrians linked to the Islamic State entered Thailand in October to attack Russian interests. l

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