January 9, 2016

SECOND EDITION

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

|

Poush 26, 1422, Rabiul Awal 27, 1437

AL MP ACCUSED OF GRABBING HINDU LAND PAGE 4

|

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 263

|

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

IRREGULARITIES DRY UP POSSIBILITIES IN PARBATIPUR PAGE 5

A FATHER INDEED PAGE 32

One in six Cox’s Bazar kids out of school With children feeling compelled to choose employment over education in the littoral areas of Cox’s Bazar, schools are emptying out at an alarming rate.

Pronouncements about a literacy rate target of 100% are lost beneath the sound of crashing waves on the seaside, where hundreds of children busily salt and cure fish when they should be in class.

The poverty-stricken district’s annual average dropout rate is a staggering 16.88%.

According to the district’s primary education office, 7,195 boys and 6,360 girls had dropped out of school in 2015, abandoning 599 government and private schools in eight upazilas.

The problem is primarily economic.

“Limited sources of income in the district force children into work,” Kabir Ahmed Sawdagar, chairman of the Cox’s Bazar Fishing Boat Owners Association, told the Dhaka Tribune. “If you want more youngsters in school, improve the employment opportunities in the district for adults,” he said.

During a visit to the coastal areas organised and funded by the Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum, the Dhaka Tribune found that in Maheshkhali, Sundaripara and Kutubdia most dropouts come from poor families.

The major source of income in the area is fish drying.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Jamil Khan, n Mohammad back from Cox’s Bazar

Children who should be at school getting education are in a dry fish factory in Cox’s Bazar instead, working. School-going children from poverty-stricken families in the coastal district are opting to drop out of school to earn livelihood for themselves and their families. The trend is growing at an alarming rate

PM: BNP lost municipal polls for arson attacks

1.5 million attend Jumma prayers at Ijtema

n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj

Jamil Khan and Raihanul n Mohammad Islam Akand, Gazipur

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the BNP failed to secure votes in the recently-held municipal elections because of its nationwide arson attacks carried out as part of the anti-government protests early last year.

She said voters did not vote for BNP candidates because of the spate of firebomb attacks that were made in different parts of the country in an attempt to topple the government.

“Legal action must be taken against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for burning people alive. She appeared to be weighed down by defeat as she stood before the court,” she said while addressing a programme arranged to distribute laptops and multimedia projectors among different educational institutions in Tungipara Bangabandhu Memorial Complex.

Tungipara upazila administration hosted the programme.

“Democracy ensures development of a country and we have already proved it. No advancement is possible if democracy is absent,” said the prime minister.

She laid wreaths at the grave of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and also inaugurated the newly-constructed Tungipara Sheikh Russel Shishu Park.

Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana offered prayers at the grave seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of Bangabandhu. Prayers were also offered seeking the country’s continued peace, progress and prosperity.

The prime minister later joined a Doa and Milad Mahfil where local Awami League leaders, newly elected mayors and councillors and their family members were also present. l

Thousands of Muslim devotees joined Bishwa Ijtema on the bank of the Turag River in Tongi of Gazipur as the first phase of the congregation began yesterday.

Ijtema began in the morning, with the main sermon, known as Aam Boyan, given

by India’s Mawlana Abdur Rahman after the Fajr prayers.

Even though the main sermon was given in Urdu, it was translated into Bangla, English, Arabic, Tamil, Malay and Turkish languages as Muslims from different countries joined the congregation.

As it was Friday, huge crowds who have no relation with Tabligh Jamaat gathered at the venue and patiently listened to the sermon.

The Jumma prayer was conducted by

Mawlana Mohammad Jubayer of Kakrail mosque at noon. Apart from the venue, people joined the prayer on roofs of nearby buildings, on bus roofs, on footbridges, and on premises of different government and private organisations.

Along with locals, a number of lawmakers also joined the prayer. According to organisers, around 1.5 million people attended the prayer.

After the Asr prayers, India’s Mawlana Mohammad Joaher gave the sermon, which was followed by the sermon of Mowlana Mohammad Saad after the Magrib prayers.

Nurul Islam, a devotee, told the Dhaka Tribune the temperature slightly drops in the late hours of night but the cold is tolerable.

Gias Uddin, one of the organisers of Ijtema, told the Dhaka Tribune devotees from  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

DT

2

News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

15 stranded Bangladeshis rescued from Nicaragua highway n Tribune Report Fifteen lost Bangladeshi migrant workers were rescued by the police in Nicaragua on Thursday, a local media reported.

Nicaraguan police said they found the 15 Bangladeshi migrants wandering on the highway after their traffickers abandoned them.

Police Commissioner Leonidas Roque said the migrants were being taken from Costa Rica to Honduras. That route takes them across Nicaragua on their way to the United States.

Roque told local media that the migrants were found “disoriented” about 12 miles south of Managua.

Quoting the migrants, a number of news outlets reported that the human traffickers had also robbed them before leaving them stranded on the highway.

The victims said they had walked for three days from the Costa Rican border.

Media reports stated that the Bangladeshi migrants had paid the smugglers between $100 and $500 for the trip across Nicaragua.

One of the victims was quoted by the local media saying that he along with other migrants had left Bangladesh because of the ongoing political unrest.

They have been taken to an immigration holding centre, reported PTI. l

Bangladesh for collective role to address Rohingya problem n UNB Bangladesh, as an active member of OIC contact group on Rohingya issue, has emphasised a collective role of international community to address the issue.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali highlighted measures taken by the government of Bangladesh to resolve the matter with a constructive dialogue with the government of Myanmar, which is expected to get due importance after the assumption of office by the new government there, led by Aung San Suu Kyi of NLD. The issue came up for discussion when AH Mahmood Ali met Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Ameen Madani at his office in Jeddah on Thursday, said a Foreign Ministry press release yesterday.

In the meeting, the Bangladesh foreign minister offered readiness of the government of Bangladesh to extend full support to the cause of Muslim Ummah where OIC has been engaged.

He briefed the secretary general about initiatives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for socio-economic development of the country.

The OIC secretary general briefed Bangladesh foreign minister about the OIC’s priorities and the forthcoming summits and conferences.

He reaffirmed the OIC’s interest to continue its engagement with Bangladesh to enhance peace and development as well as political stability across the Muslim world. l

Devotees attending the first phase of Bishwa Ijtema perform Jumma prayers near the bank of Turag River yesterday

RAJIB DHAR

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

One in six Cox’s Bazar kids out of school “A majority of these dropouts will never return to school because their parents prefer that they work to earn extra money for the household. Poverty in the area is very high,” District Primary Education Officer ABM Siddiqur Rahman explained to the Dhaka Tribune.

Siddiqur said attendance was better in the Sadar upazila, but in remote areas like Maheshkhali and Kutubdia, schoolchildren often drop out to help family with work in the dried fish industry.

“We try to counsel them against leaving school but some students live in such remote areas that teachers cannot easily get there,” he says.

Fish drying is done for nine months of the year, from September to May. Poor families in the coastal areas try to maximise their earnings during this time.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Kamrunnahar, a mother of five children, said: “It is

better to make Tk60 per day working than wasting time in school.”

“If I send my child to school, what will we eat?” she asks.

After speaking to dozens of families, it appeared as though most inhabitants of Maheshkhali upazila are not willing to let their children study beyond class III. The common sentiment was: “If it is a girl, better to marry her off; if it is a boy, then he had better dry fish or collect wood to sell in the bazaar.”

Marina Jannat, just 17-years-old and already the mother of a girl named Mamuni, told the Dhaka Tribune that not marrying early would have been a sin and a mistake because she might not find a husband later.

Drawn by the promise of biscuits and a monthly stipend, school attendance is relatively good between classes I and III, said Maheshkhali upazila education officer Ashish Chiarn. But the numbers drop off steeply

after class III, he added.

The data seems to bear this out.

According to the district primary education office, in Kutubdia upazila in 2014, there were 4,485 students in class IV. In 2015, the number of students in class V is just 3,300.

In Teknaf upazila, in 2014 the number of students enrolled in class IV was 7,338. In 2015, just 5,730 students enrolled in class V. Attempts to convince parents to send their children to school must overcome the reality of poverty, the pull of tradition and the language gap between standard Bangla and the coastal dialects.

Officials of the education office admit that they have difficulty communicating with pupils’ guardians because they are linguistically ill-equipped to do so.

ABM Siddiqur Rahman, district primary education officer, said attempts are now being made to reach out to families in the local dialects. l

1.5 million attend Jumma prayers 17 districts and foreign nationals from 93 countries joined the first phase.

“We are expecting that the number will rise further,” he added. The Akheri Munajat will be held tomorrow, which will mark the end of the first phase of Ijtema.

40 hawkers held

Three devotees die

Sakhawat Hossain, senior assistant superintendent of Gazipur traffic police, said some 1,500 traffic policemen would be on duty in Gazipur and nearby areas during Ijtema.

Besides, around 60 closed-circuit television cameras were installed at the venue while police and RAB built 14 watchtowers by police and RAB. Additional police forces were deployed to ensure security while RAB patrolled the venue using helicopters.

Three devotees died of age-related health problems at the venue on Thursday night, Firoz Talukder, officer-in-charge of Tongi police station, told the Dhaka Tribune.

The three are Nurul Islam, 72, of Kurigram, Joynal Abedin, 55, of Gopalganj, and Farid Uddin, 72, of Natore.

“Their namaz-e-janaza was held on the Ijtema ground and the bodies were sent to their hometowns,” added OC Firoz.

OC Firoz said 40 hawkers were detained from around the Ijtema venue yesterday as they were selling unhygienic foods to devotees. Legal action will be taken against them, he added.

Security measures

Dowry-free marriage

Like the previous years, dowry-free marriages would take place at the venue after today’s Asar prayers.

From yesterday noon, the organisers began registering names who wished to get married without dowry at the venue in the first phase of Ijtema.

Mobile courts

Some 10 mobile courts operated around the venue to check food quality in hotels and restaurants.

Rahenul Islam, additional magistrate of Gazipur, said mobile courts would operate every day in three phases to remove illegal structures and also to check the quality of food. l

3

DT

News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

AL denies trying to split up 20-party n Abu Hayat Mahmud The Awami League yesterday said it had never attempted to split up the members of the BNPled 20-party alliance, adding that the AL did not believe in ruining other political parties.

“The BNP is announcing falsehood against the government and Awami League. In the history of Awami League, there has been no record of us splitting up any political party.

Rather, it was BNP founder Ziaur Rahman who tried to ruin and ban Awami League after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” said the party’s Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif.

His comments were a response to BNP Vice-Chairman Maj (retired) Hafizuddin Ahmed’s claim on Thursday that the government had been trying their best to break up the 20-party alliance.

Addressing a press conference at the party chief’s Dhanmondi office, Hanif accused Hafizuddin of making baseless remarks to get a suitable position during his party’s crisis moment.

“BNP leader Mr Hafizuddin is trying to fool

the nation with an unacceptable and fake issue. He [earlier] tried to ruin the BNP as well by supporting the previous army-backed government,” Hanif said.

The comments from both leaders follow the departure of Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), a founding partner of the alliance, from the political combine on Thursday.

IOJ chief Abdul Latif Nejami, however, said the decision to severe long-time ties with the BNP was not the result of any kind of pressure from any quarter.

Replying to a query yesterday, Hanif said the 14-party alliance would not take in any former BNP-led alliance members as those political parties were against the ideals of the Liberation War. “However, if any of these parties choose to shift to the ideals of the Liberation War, we will consider about them,” he added.

Meanwhile Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan also echoed Hanif yesterday, telling a programme in Madaripur that a large number of BNP leaders would leave the party soon because of the destructive politics of Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman. l

IS claims responsibility for Jhenaidah murder n Tribune Report International militant group Islamic State yesterday claimed that their members had killed the elderly homoeopathy doctor in Jhenaidah, Chhamir Uddin Mandal, on Thursday.

The US-based SITE Intelligence Group that monitors extremist activity said the jihadist group had asserted that it killed the man because he converted from Islam, Reuters said.

"Soldiers of the caliphate were able to eliminate the apostate, named 'Samir al-Din', by stabbing him with a knife," SITE quoted the group as saying.

Religious extremism has surged in recent months in Muslim-majority Bangladesh with the IS claiming responsibility for the killings of foreigners, attacks on mosques and Christian priests over the last few months. On the other hand, newly-formed group al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent earlier claimed responsibilities for the murder of several secularists.

But the government has rejected Islamic State's claims of involvement, blaming political opponents and banned militant group Ja-

ma'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh for the attacks.

Son of Surat Ali Mandal from Kaluhati village, Chhamir, 85, was converted to Christianity in 1993, but again switched back to Islam around four years back, locals said. Chhamir used to say prayers at the local mosque.

Sadar police OC Hassan Hafizur Rahman said Chhamir had been practising homoeopathy for the last 40 years at Belekhal Bazar.

He could not ascertain why the doctor had been killed.

When contacted, Chhamir's family members said they were in the dark about the motive behind the murder.

Locals who went to the chamber around 3pm found him sitting on his chair. They first thought that he might have suffered a stroke, but later saw that he was stabbed two to three times on his chest.

The OC said that the killers might have chosen the time as there was a bull-cart race under way at the nearby ground.

Chhamir's son Monirul Islam filed a case on Thursday night against some unnamed persons. l

visit our website @

www.dhakatribune.com

A visitor tries out 3D vision technology at Grameen Phone’s Smartphone and Tab Expo 2016 yesterday at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital’s Agargaon area MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

DT

News

4

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Rights body accuses AL MP of grabbing Hindu land n Tribune Report

Human rights monitoring group Ain o Salish Kendra yesterday claimed that the ruling party’s lawmakers from Thakurgaon and some other areas were involved in grabbing the land of the Hindus.

ASK Executive Director Sultana Kamal, also an adviser to a former caretaker government, said that they had got proof of the allegations against Thakurgaon MP Dabirul Islam and his followers during a visit to Baliadangi on November 24-25.

A team visited the area to scrutinise the allegation of torture on the Hindus on June 19 last year.

Disclosing findings of the tour at the National Press Club, Sultana Kamal said that attacks on minority communities had increased recently. Such incidents go against the spirit of the Liberation War and the ruling party which had promised to uphold the

spirit, she said, demanding immediate action against the perpetrators.

Asked if any other MP other than Dabirul was involved in such activities, she said they had found allegations against a minister from Faridpur, Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman Fizar.

Earlier, Bangladesh Hindu-BuddhistChristian Oikya Parishad, a platform of religious minority communities, made the same allegation against several ruling party ministers and lawmakers including Dabirul.

They claimed some miscreants were engaged in gobbling the land of the minorities across the country using the name of the ruling party.

Kajal Debnath, president of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, at the press conference yesterday said the followers of a minister in Dinajpur had attacked on Hindus and grabbed their land recently in Parbatipur area.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurates Sheikh Russel Shishu Park in Tungipara yesterday

Road accidents kill four in Dhaka n Tribune Report

At least four people were killed in separate accidents in the city yesterday.

Two of them were identified as Saidul Islam, 22, and Faruk Hossain, 30.

Sub-Inspector Anisur Rahman of Ramna police station said Saidul’s body was recovered from the Minto road around 5am on Friday.

Ramna police OC Moshiur Rahman said Saidul had his family’s phone number in his pocket. His family said he worked as an assistant to a vegetable vendor.

Faruk was run over by a sand-laden truck near Kadamtoli early yesterday. He died minutes later, said Abul Hossain who took him to the hospital.

Two unidentified men were killed in a collision between a truck and a mini truck at Tongi. Turag police station OC Mahbub E Khuda said he believed the victims were drivers of the two vehicles.

But one of them was donning a traditional Muslim dress, which means he could have been on his way to attend the Biswa Ijtema at Tongi. l

Jiten Chandra Singh of Baliadangi said lawmaker Dabirul’s son Mazharul Islam had attacked on his brother Bhokaram Singh on June 19 last year. They ordered him to hand over the land to them, and at one stage he was stabbed.

He said Bhokaram’s son Avilal Singh had gone to Delhi after the attack.

Subroto Chowdhury, general secretary of Vested Property Act Resistance Movement, presented the summary of their report at the programme. He alleged that the police and locals had remained silent during the attack in Baliadangi area last year.

He said around 8-10 people were injured in the attack. Later Akuram moved to India with his family members.

Subroto claimed that the MP and his followers made the attack to evict the local Hindus with an intent to use their land for the newly-established Ranabagh Islam Tea Garden. l

FOCUS BANGLA

Muhith: Bangladesh lacks marine science, tech resources n Nure Alam Durjoy Bangladesh still lacks skilled manpower and institutional capacity that are required to use modern marine technology, said Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of a conference on coastal and marine environment in the country, the minister said: “We still don’t have the science and technology to use coastal and marine resources. We are behind the Maldives and Thailand in this regard.

“But the biggest need is to create a skilled manpower to use these resources, which would include both scientists and business personnel.”

The two-day conference, jointly organised

by Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) and Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN), is being held at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh in the capital.

Addressing the conference, Bapa President Abdullah Abu Sayeed said the country needs development, but not at the cost of the environment.

Later at a plenary session, stressing how important the knowledge of marine science is, Khorshed Alam, secretary (marine science) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the sea is a huge area with diverse resources and woes. “We can do little without the knowledge of marine science.”

He said: “Last year, about eight million tonnes of fishes were caught in the Bay of Bengal, but our fishermen caught only 73,000 tonnes because they don’t know the latest method of deep sea fishing.”

The same knowledge can boost eco-tourism, too, he added.

Wahiduddin Ahmed, economics professor at Dhaka University, said: “There is a conflict between the interest of environment and economic development – not only in our country, but around the world as well. So authentic information and knowledge are needed to bridge the gap between them. The environmental and economic activists should work together to form a vibrant policy based on scientific knowledge.” l

5

DT

News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

CLIMATE PROJECT

Irregularities dry up possibilities in Parbatipur n Nure Alam Durjoy, back from Dinajpur A river re-excavation project in Dinajpur that was supposed to provide better irrigation facilities among other benefits has done little to make the lives of locals better.

Between January 2013 and June 2014, the Water Development Board (WDB) implemented the Tk123.84 crore project of re-excavating and constructing regulators on the Kharkharia River in Dinajpur’s Parbatipur upazila and creating a protection embankment on the Dhepa River in Kaharol upazila.

Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund financed the project, aiming to provide multiple benefits to over 10,000 people.

But locals in Parbatipur say the excavation project has only done damage to the area.

“Instead of benefiting us, the project has only harmed us. They [project officials] have dumped the [excavated] soil in cultivable land in the area,” said a farmer named Faruk Sarkar from Benirhat village near the river Kharkharia.

Blaming the WDB for doing the job poorly,

only delayed the project’s progress.

An official at WDB’s Dinajpur office, requesting anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had a tight budget of Tk70 crore for re-excavating the river as the rest of the money went to the Dhepa river protection dam.

Another allegation that locals repeatedly raised while talking to the Dhaka Tribune was that project officials had overall done a shoddy job.

During a recent visit to the area, the Dhaka Tribune found that two of the five regulators in the sluice gates of Kharkharia were not working, while another had broken down.

The remaining two also could not be closed once opened. To make matters worse, there was no sluice gate operator hired by the WDB to manage the water flow.

All of it, however, did not matter during monsoon as leaks in the sluice gates allowed river water to easily pass and flood the arable lands.

Locals also said the contractor, who they claimed was hired because of his political al-

he said much of the damage has been done because the authorities concerned did not even ask the opinion of locals before carrying out the project.

Faruk, who owns 20 bighas of arable land beside the river, said he has to use water from deep tube-wells for irrigation. “The river has very little water, nobody can use it for irrigation,” he said.

Md Sahir, a landless farmer who lives near the river, said he did not even have any idea about the river excavation work.

Other locals alleged that the WDB had failed to compensate many people whose land was acquired during the construction of a sluice gate on the river.

However, Anwar Hossain, WDB sub-divisional engineer (Dinajpur) and the then in-charge of the project, denied such claims, saying only a couple of farmers had suffered damage to their crops because of the project.

He added there were no provisions for compensation under this project, while any sort of attempt at compensating victims would have

Speakers: Bangladesh in urgent need of climate research facilities Aubert also agreed with Dr Huq and Dr Rahman about the need of such research facilities in Bangladesh as the country is at the forefront of facing climatic hazards.

Regarding the Paris Agreement on climate change which was adopted around a month ago in the French capital, she said the agreement is a big success for the global community as they have finally come to a common understanding to find a way out from the impacts of global warming.

Regarding the importance of research while tackling the negative impacts of climate change, Dr Ainun Nishat, professor emeritus at Brac University, said more research on climate change effects in vulnerable area will reveal what the climate vulnerable people need and their local knowledge that can be used to adapt to the changing situation.

“We need to bring the knowledge to a common platform to find solutions to this crisis collectively,” he added.

Dr Saleemul Huq mentioned that Gobeshona has been emerging as a knowledge hub on the issue of climate change; it has already accommodated 1,000 study reports in its resource pack.

Praising the initiative, Dr Nishat said this kind of dedicated research is completely new in Bangladesh which could be a positive resource for the government regarding policy-making.

The Gobeshona conference consists of several plenary sessions and presentations on sectors including climate change and livelihoods, water, health, migration, and renewable energy. l

Dr Ainun Nishat addresses climate researchers on the first day of the second annual conference of Gobeshona, a climate change knowledge sharing platform, in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR

n Abu Bakar Siddique Research facilities to study climate change is a necessity in Bangladesh to help the country formulate a specific plan of action to combat the negative impact of global warming, speakers said in the capital yesterday.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the second annual conference of Gobeshona, a knowledge-based platform in the country, speakers said a good research can identify the state of a particular problem, or crisis, and figure out a way to resolve it.

“The research findings will ultimately help the policy makers to make better decisions when planning, formulating and implementing climate policies,” said Dr Saleemul

TEMPERATURE FOREC AST FOR TODAY

DRY WEATHER SATURDAY, JANUARY 9

Dhaka

Huq, director of International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).

The four-day conference, organised by the ICCCAD, is being held at the Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) in the capital’s Bashundhara residential area.

Gobeshona is a network of experts and activists focusing on the effects of climate change in Bangladesh aiming to make climate research more effective and share knowledge.

Echoing Dr Huq, IUB Vice-Chancellor Dr Omar Rahman said climate research facilities in the country is an urgent need as Bangladesh has already been facing many crises, including the global climatic fallout.

Addressing the session as chief guest, French Ambassador to Bangladesh Sophie 28

17

Chittagong

26

16

Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 5:28PM

28

12

Rangpur

24

12

Khulna

28

13

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 6:43AM

28.5ºC Khulna

9.5ºC Jessore

Source: Accuweather/UNB

legiance, had excavated to only two or three feet of depth, even though the excavation should have been at least five to six feet deep.

Pointing to several waterholes in the middle of the dry riverbed, locals told the Dhaka Tribune that the contractor had dug those in exchange of money from people who wanted to use the waterholes for fishing during the dry season.

Seeing overwhelming irregularities by the contractor, the angered locals had also engaged in clashes with project officials. The violence injured a driver of a dragger machine and left a motorcycle belonging to the WDB vandalised.

When asked about the irregularities and ineffectiveness about the project, WDB’s Anwar Hossain said the re-excavation work now helps irrigate about 15,000 hectares of arable land.

Because of the project, no land now remains uncultivated, Anwar said. “The project has increased employment opportunities for the landless farmers,” he added. l

EC mulls 2nd phase municipal polls in March n Tribune Report The Election Commission is reportedly thinking about organising the second phase of elections to remaining municipalities in March.

In the first phase, 234 municipalities out of 323 went to polls on party lines on December 30. Re-polls will be held at 20 of those municipalities on January 12.

An election commissioner, seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that the EC would meet shortly after the re-polls to discuss the second phase. The municipalities in this phase will include those where the mayors’ tenures will end in April and May. He said the first phase of the Union Parishad election will be held in the coastal unions in March and others will go to polls between May and July. The EC is amending electoral codes and has already received lists of 4,544 unions from Local Government Division that are ready for holding election.

Several EC officials said they preferred organising polls to remaining municipalities simultaneously with the UP election.

A senior EC official said the second phase may be pushed back to May if remaining municipalities did not go to polls by March. But several officials said polls to at least 20 municipalities would be held in March.

EC officials said they were looking for a suitable time for polls as the SSC and HSC exams are scheduled for February and April respectively.

“We’ll make sure the UP election’s timing will not trouble the examinees and that we will get enough manpower for polls duty,” the election commissioner added. l 30

17

PRAYER TIMES

Sylhet

25

11

Cox’s Bazar

26

18

Fajr: 5:21am | Zohr: 12:05am Asr: 3:52pm | Magrib: 5:28pm Esha: 6:58pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

DT

6

News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Jubo League man killed as Bogra transport workers clash n Our Correspondent, Bogra

A Jubo League leader was killed in a clash between two groups of transport workers in Bogra’s Santahar yesterday noon.

Shafiqul Islam, general secretary of Jubo League’s Santahar union unit, died after he was hacked with sharp weapons.

At least 10 others were also injured in the clash that broke out in CSD Gate area between CNG-run autorickshaw and battery-run easy bike workers in the wake of a longstanding turf war. The injured were sent to different hospitals.

Angry autorickshaw workers vandalised the house of Jatiya Party’s Adamdighi upazila unit General Secretary Ferdous Hasan Sumon, who is also the president of the local easy bike owners association.

They also unleashed vandalism at 10 spots, including the business of NHM Milon, president of the upazila unit of Jatiya Party, and lit fire.

The autorickshaw workers later resisted firefighters, who came from Naogaon to douse the flame.

Panic spread in the area soon after the clash erupted and store owners closed their shops to avoid damage. Police fired rubber bullets and teargas shells to bring the situation under control.

Members of the local CNG ownersworkers association blocked the SantaharBogra highway for nearly an hour. They lifted

Child domestic help sets herself on fire

Angry CNG-run autorickshaw drivers and workers try to chase away firefighters as they try to extinguish the fire set by the autorickshaw workers during a clash with easy bike drivers in Santahar, Bogra yesterday afternoon DHAKA TRIBUNE the blockade after police arrived there.

Additional police were deployed to avert further unrest and Jatiya Party’s Santahar

municipality unit President Abdul Latif was detained.

Officer-in-Charge of Adamdighi police

station Shawkat Kabir said in the evening the situation had calmed down and no case was lodged. l

Fascism undercover of democracy, alleges BNP

n Tribune Report

n UNB

A 10-year-old domestic help set herself on fire in the capital’s Ramna area yesterday morning, allegedly having had enough of her employers’ torture.

Doctors at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where the child was taken, said she sustained 95% burns and is currently in a critical condition.

“Her respiratory organs have been badly damaged,” said Dr Partha Shankar Paul, resident surgeon at the DMCH’s Burn Institute, while talking to the Dhaka Tribune.

Police said the victim, who comes from Sonatola village in Bogra, has been working as a domestic help at the flat of Mehedi Hasan Kallol in Siddheshwari, Ramna since 2014.

She set herself on fire around 9:30am yesterday and sustained the severe injuries. Her employer Kallol brought her to the Burn Institute of the DMCH. Kallol claimed that he did not know why she had tried to burn herself alive.

However, the victim was taken to the hospital, she was heard screaming that she could no longer bear the torture of Kallol and his wife Polly and wanted to end her life, sources at the hospital said.

Police is still waiting to take any legal action based on the allegation, but Ramna police station has already been alerted about the incident, said Inspector Mozammel Haque, in-charge of DMCH police outpost.

Sources at Ramna police station said police were monitoring the victim’s response to treatment for now and keeping the accused couple under the surveillance; as soon as the victim starts getting better, they will proceed to take action in this matter. l

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday alleged that the Awami League-led government has established fascism in the country undercover of democracy.

“We’re now going through an absolute fascist rule undercover of democracy. There’s a despotic rule here,” the BNP leader said.

Addressing a discussion, he further said: “We’ve been repeatedly saying all preparations have been made to establish a one-party rule. No one has now any right to express his or her opinion. Those who hold different opinions are being implicated in cases and sent to jail.”

Fakhrul called upon all to get united putting aside their divisions and conflicts to get rid of the country’s current situation.

“Amar Desh Family” arranged the programme at the Institution of Engineers,

Bangladesh marking the 1,000 days of its acting editor Mahmudur Rahman in jail.

The BNP acting secretary general alleged

Now the journalist community is divided. They even can’t say anything about their interests due to the division. A quarter is getting benefit from this division that the government has efficiently divided the entire nation, including the journalist community. “Now the journalist community is divided. They even can’t say anything about their interests due to the division. A quarter is getting benefit from this division.”

He also accused the government of snatching people’s all rights, including voting one. “All rights have been snatched, but Bangladesh is calm and normal. It’s not usual nature of the country’s people as they had fought for establishing their rights and liberated the country. So, this calm and silence are not normal.”

Admitting that their party has made many mistakes as an opposition party, Fakhrul said BNP may have not achieved immense successes being the opposition, but movements have ups and downs. “We believe people’s struggle will turn successful someday. So, let’s get united taking a vow to restore our rights,” he observed.

Fakhrul demanded the government release senior BNP leaders, including its standing committee members MK Anwar and Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and senior journalist, including Shawkat Mahmud and Mahmudur Rahman.l

Two killed in accidents in Sitakunda upazila n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong Two people were killed in separate accidents in Chittagong’s Sitakunda upazila yesterday morning.

A man was killed in a road accident on Dhaka-Chittagong highway near Sitakunda after a bus lost control and crashed into the central reservation.

The dead Md Mostofa, 40, was a helper of the crashed Keya Paribahan bus, said Officer-

in-Charge Md Shahidullah of Bar Awlia Highway Police Outpost.

The OC said the incident took place near Bar Awlia area of the upazila after the Chittagong-bound bus from Dhaka lost control of the steering and crashed, leaving the helper spot dead.

Meanwhile, in another accident, a man of about 50 years of age was crushed to death under the wheels of a train in Sitakunda.

The identity of the dead could not be as-

certained yet, said Government Railway Police Assistant Sub-Inspector Delwar Hossain, who is in-charge of Foujdarhat Police Outpost.

The ASI said the incident took place on the rail tracks between the Kumira and Bhatiyari areas of the upazila.

He might have been killed sometime in the night, the ASI added.

The body was sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital for autopsy. l

Chittagong battles traditional brick kilns to protect environment n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong Traditional brick kilns in Chittagong are posing a serious threat to environment as 80% of them are yet to adopt environment-friendly low-emission technologies.

The Department of Environment (DoE) issued a circular in September 2010 asking brick fields to upgrade their emission system

by September 2012. The deadline has been extended until June 30, 2016.

The Brick Making and Kiln Establishment (Control) Act 2013 mandates transformation of traditional kilns into ‘energy efficient and modern’ ones. It suggests converting conventional Fixed Chimney Kilns (FCK) into environment-friendly technologies like Zigzag, Hybrid Hoffman, Vertical Shaft and Tunnel.

Apart from the tunnel method, the other three generate less carbon dioxide, black carbon, and carbon monoxide. FCK is the most popular method in Bangladesh. Zigzag is being widely adopted among the prescribed methods.

DoE’s Chittagong region supervises seven districts – Chittagong, Brahmanbaria, Comilla, Chandpur, Noakhali, Cox’s Bazar and Feni.

According to it, only 72 brick kilns out of 349 in Chittagong have low-emission technologies. Around 60% registered brick kilns in Brahmanbaria, 96% in Comilla, 69% in Chandpur, 83% in Noakhali, 67% in Cox’s Bazar and 84% in Feni have adopted modern technology.

DoE Director Md Mokbul Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune that brick kiln owners in Chittagong were reluctant to adopt modern technology. “We’re encouraging them to adopt the environment-friendly technologies and I hope they will meet the deadline,” he said.

DoE’s Chittagong unit Deputy Director Sheikh Saleh Ahmmed said: “We’re taking tough measures against errant brick kiln owners. Anyone running an illegal brick kiln will face a maximum one-year jail term or a Tk1 lakh fine or both, and all equipment will be confiscated.”

He said the owners should remember that using modern technologies was cost effective and it would minimise the production cost and maximise profit. “Brick kilns using outdated technology are a major source of air pollution. Toxic emissions from conventional brick kilns interrupt photosynthesis, and

cause respiratory diseases,” he added.

Md Sahabudin, president of Chittagong Lohagara Brick Kiln Owners’ Association, said installing a FCK cost them Tk25 lakh but upgrading it to Zigzag cost between Tk70 lakh and Tk80 lakh. “We are annoyed with the chopping and changing,” he said.

“The law prohibits installation of a brick kiln within 1km of a residential neighbourhood, school, arable land, forest, marshland, city corporation, municipality, and upazila headquarters. Now it seems there is no place to set up a brick kiln in the country,” he said.

Researcher Salma Sultana, who teaches chemistry at Chittagong BAF Shaheen College, argued that the traditional brick kilns should adopt modern technology without delay, claiming that conventional brick kilns were responsible for 30% air pollution in Bangladesh.

“They emit more smoke than any other factory as the burning process is lengthy. They are also responsible for emitting harmful gases like carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and other matters that cause serious respiratory diseases like bronchitis and asthma. Besides, the pollution also weakens the human body’s immune system.” l

7

DT

News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Sherif: BNP out to impede progress n BSS

Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sherif yesterday said the anti-liberation BNP-Jamaat alliance was hatching conspiracies to thwart the country’s development activities.

“BNP-Jamaat alliance always tries to halt the country’s progress. But the incumbent government is continuing the development activities to build a poverty and hunger-free country,” he said.

The minister was addressing as the chief guest at a function of sewing machines distribution among trainees at Khoirash Government Primary School under Chatmahar upazila in the district.

He said after the Awami League led government came to power, the trial of crimes against humanity is being continued and several war criminals had walked to gallows amid different national and international conspiracies.

The government has made a remarkable progress in women empowerment, poverty alleviation, increasing of growth rate and flourishing of information and communication technology, Sherif said.

Society for Social and Technological Support organised the function with its director general Dr Sayeed Sabari Rajab in the chair. l

Increasing people’s awareness about disaster underscored n Tribune Report

Speakers in a function in the district yesterday underscored the need for increasing people’s awareness about natural disasters including earthquake.

They also expressed their views that Bangladesh is also in the risk of newly added earthquake as the country particularly the northern region is situated in the seismic zone because of its geographical location.

They opinion came at the meeting of disaster management committee (DMC) at the conference room of deputy commissioner (DC) in the afternoon with DC M. Abdus Samad in the chair.

The meeting was also addressed, among others, by civil surgeon Dr. Nirmalendu Chowdhury, district relief and rehabilitation officer M Habibur Rahman, leader of Fire Service and Civil Service Department here ATM Golam Mostafa, SKS Foundation representative M. Ashraful Islam and journalist Sarker M. Shahiduzzaman.

As Bangladesh is one of the major natural disaster-prone countries in the world, there is the high possibility of increasing the natural calamities including earthquake in the country, the speakers said.

DC M. Abdus Samad in his speech emphasized on creating much awareness, early preparedness, education and knowledge among the people and making them well equipped in handling disaster moments aimed at lowering the risks of natural disasters.

All the members of DMC and NGO representatives including journalists took part in the meeting. l

Resident students at Shaheed Janani Jahanara Imam Hall of Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University in Tangail leaves the hall yesterday after the authorities order to vacant the building as it has developed cracks due to recent earthquake DHAKA TRIBUNE

Mymensingh Press Club gets new committee n Our Correspondent, Mymensingh M Babul Hossain and M Saiful Islam were elected Secretary and Joint-secretary respectively of Mymensingh Press Club new executive committee. The election of 16-member executive body was held at press club auditorium yesterday.

The other office-bearers are- Vice-presidents: Advocate Mozammel Haque and Prof

Mahmud Jahangir Hasan), Treasurer: Advocate Bikash Roy, Departmental Secretaries : Md Nazrul Islam, ANM Bazlur Rahman, Md Aminul Islam and Amit Roy and members-Dr KR Islam, Sheikh Mohiuddin Ahmed, Prof Rebeka Yeasmin, Ataul Karim Khokon, Neamul Kabir Sajal, Anwarul Hasan Rumi and MA Matin.

Deputy Commissioner of Mymensingh is the ex-officio President of the executive body. l

2 killed in sunshade collapse n UNB

Two siblings were killed as a window sunshade collapsed on them at Sultanpur village in Gabtali upazila yesterday.

The deceased were Rosni, 11, and her sister Rista, 4, daughters of Sonali Bank officer Rafiqul Islam of Thanthania Hajipara in the district town of Bogra. Locals said Rosni and Rista came to visit their relative’s house at Latiganj Sultanpur village. l

DT

8

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

News

Five killed in road accidents Quality education n hampered due to shortage of students, teachers Tribune Report

n Our Correspondent, Sirajganj

Kazipur A M U Government Girls’ High School at Kazipur upazila in the district suffers shortage of students, teachers and staffs posing a big challenge to the attainment of quality education.

Locals said when almost all the educational institutions in the country were busy with new enrolment of students, the situation was quite opposite in the school.

Despite having required infrastructure, the school with 300 seats is running with only 22 students and seven teachers due to mismanagement and lack of proper monitoring, they alleged.

There are no subject-wise teachers or fourth class employees, and no annual sports or recreational events at the school.

As a result, guardians are leaning towards private schools for enrolling their kids since there is proper management in those institutions despite lacking in necessary infrastructure or other facilities.

Despite having required infrastructure, the school with 300 seats is running with only 22 students and 7 teachers Locals, however, are eager to make the school fully functional.

Sources said, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Shahid M Monsur Ali, with his own initiative, set up the school on 84 decimals of land at Char Alampur under Kazipur upazila headquarters in 1972 with an aim to expand women education. But, after its regularisation in 1988, the school did not make any progress. Complaining about poor number of students at the school, the teachers, who joined here earlier, went to other schools in the district headquarters.

Allegations have been raised against the Acting Headmaster of the school Momtaz Pervin that she is irregular at office and is trying to take transfer elsewhere.

Since there are not qualified teachers, many guardians have cancelled admission of their kids from the school and admitted them to other schools.

No new students were enrolled in the 6th grade at the school in this academic year.

Now, there are only 22 students including seven at class VII, four at class VIII, two at class IX, and others at class X along with SSC examinees. While visiting the school recently, it was found only the SSC examinees attending class at the school.

Due to lack of teachers against specific subjects, its infrastructure including lab and computer sections are of no use.

Former headmaster and member of School Management Committee S M Habibur Rahman brought allegations of irregularity at the office against the Acting Headmaster Momtaz Pervin and her lack of management skills in running the institution.

Assistant Teacher at the school’s Bangla Department Kamal Pasha said: “I have been teaching here for the last 10 years. The school has no subject-wise teachers. There are two teachers of business administration subject, but there is no such department.”

“Most qualified teachers are eager to teach at town schools and do not want to come here only for the school’s management situation,” he also said.

Night guard at the school Md Tarikul Jaman, who also performs clerical works here, said: “I have been working here for the last 10 years. Earlier the school remained fully operative with lots of students, but now those days are gone. For the last eight years, the number of students has been reducing.”

Md Ramjan Ali of Alampur village said: “Once the school had name and fame. For girls’ education, the school was a better option at this remote area. But, only due to mismanagement and negligence of the school authority, it has arrived at such a bad position.”

Upazila Nirbahi Officer and President of School Management Committee Md Shafiul Islam said: “Teachers do not usually come here since there is no proper housing facility and sufficient students. Since the school is for girls only, so the enrolment rate is comparatively low.”

When contacted, Laila Khanam, education officer of the district, said: “I have visited the school several times and asked the acting headmistress about the bad position of the institution. But she could not answer satisfactorily.”

“Later, I sit with the higher authorities and informed the situation to them,” she said.

“I think a full time headmaster and more qualified teachers should be appointed to overcome the situation,” she added.

However, Momtaz Pervin, the acting headmistress of the school, could not be reached while she was phoned several times. l

Land office employee injured in attack n Our Correspondent, Shariatpur An employee of the Naria Sub-Registry office was injured in an attack by miscreants in Rupbaburhat area of Zanjira upazila of the district yesterday.

The victim was Md Shahidul Islam, the clerk of the Naria upazila land office hailing from Satdaria village of Rajoir upazila in Madaripur district.

A gang of four miscreants on a motorcycle

waylaid Shahidul in the area around 5am on his way to Dhaka along with some important official documents, said sources at the land office.

The criminals stabbed the land office employee indiscriminately, leaving him injured.

They also snatched his bag containing the official papers and cash money.

At first the injured was sent to Zanjira Health Complex. Later doctors referred him to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital as his condition deteriorated. l

At least five people, of them two of a family, were killed in road accidents in Shariatpur and Sherpur districts yesterday.

Our Shariatpur correspondent said two persons of a family were killed in an accident on the Mashura Road under Naria upazila of the district in the morning.

The deceased were Abdul Aziz Bepari, 55, and his grandson Mukter Hossain, 3, of Mirkadim Pourasabha in Munshiganj district.

Police said the accident occurred when a battery-run easy bike head-on collision with another easy bike in the area, leaving them injured on the spot.

The wounded were rushed to Naria Upazi-

la Health Complex and Shariatpur Sadar Hospital where they succumbed to their injuries.

In Sherpur, three teenagers were killed as a truck hit their motorcycle on the Nalitabair-Nakugaon Road at Noyabil in Nalitabari upazila in the afternoon.

The deceased were Jamal Uddin, 18, son of Abdur Rahim, M Nazrul Islam, 18, son of Alal uddin, and M Rajon Miah, 19, son of Habibur Rahman, of Charali Bazar in the upazila. Nazrul and Jamal were students of Class X while Rajon a student of Class IX of Muktijuddha High School.

Sub-Inspector Arif Hossain of Nalitabari police station said the trio were returning to Nalitabari Bazar by a motorcycle after attending a marriage ceremony. l

9

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Pre-reading task 1. What is the G8?

2. Is your country part of the G8?

3. Which will be the wealthiest countries in the future?

Now read the article and compare your experiences with those outlined in the article.

Exercise 1 Vocabulary: Matching. Match the words from the text with their correct definitions: 1. macroeconomic management 2. developing countries 3. microeconomic issues 4. newcomers 5. raw materials 6. an advocate 7. the Industrial Revolution

The future of the G8

n Graham Bradford

be at the top table of world trade. And the newcomers? Brazil, India and China. In terms of gross domestic product (GDP) China has already overtaken Italy and is now level with the economies of Britain and France.

China’s hunger for raw materials has injected huge sums of money into the Brazilian economy. At the moment Brazil is a relatively poor country with a large gap between the rich and poor. If Brazil continues to allow globalisation to fuel economic growth this situation could be dramatically changed. Brazil is already an increasingly powerful advocate for the developing world in global institutions such as the World Trade Organisation, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

In the 1780s, before the Industrial Revolution started in Britain, China and India

Since 1975 leaders of the major industrial democracies have been meeting to discuss the principal economic and industrial issues facing the world. The initial members of the group were France, the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan and Italy. Canada joined in 1976 and Russia, the newest member, joined in 1998. Topics discussed at these meetings include macroeconomic management, international trade, and relations with developing countries. Recently, the threat of terrorism has been added to the list along with microeconomic issues such as employment and access to the internet.

John O’Neill, a global economist at Goldman Sachs in London, predicts that by 2050 only the USA and Japan will still

BIGSTOCK

dominated world trade. The rapidly growing strength of these two economies has led economists to predict that in 40 years’ time India and China will again be among the world’s leading economic powers.

This will lead to a tri-polar world: the current wealthy nations – China, Brazil, Russia and India – and ‘others’. This redistribution of wealth will lead to a shift in global power as the wealthy newcomers enjoy greater voting rights in organisations such as the World Bank and the IMF. How will the wealthy nations of today react to these changes to the map of global power?

Economic growth in India, China and Brazil need not result in economic decline in Europe. Everything depends on how these countries adapt to shifting patterns in global wealth. l

Word search L

E O Y I

A

S T N W D R N C C A B H T

E A A E T O Y

F

R X D T E N

I

S O N A T U D

E A U M K A S G N WD S

C P

O X T N K

I

L

L

T

T

T A V O M

I

A

I

E

T D M O S

E

T W

I

P L R Q H O E F

I

I

F

I

D A W S Q

Z R N O T C A T

U R A S P A N W G

V N P

I

I

P

I

O N K N

N H W V C W Y V R

J

N B P V

F H L

F H L

S R

O

I

G

Want to find more learning activities?

Visit www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish

Dominat_d international Econ_mic Organisati_ns Globalis_tion P_wer Indus_rial Tr_de InstitutI_ns W_althy

Exercise 2

I W A

T G T W E

Answers

R

Summary 1

G U

J

5a

O F Y

Exercise 1

H W Q R T N R D K D G Q N C

See if you can find these words in the grid. They can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal and backwards.

6b

F

1d

L W Z Z S

7c

O J

2e

I

3f

E Q

4g

D U V

DT

Learn English

a. the basic contents of a product – the raw materials of steel are iron ore and carbon b. a person who supports a given cause c. the period some 250 years ago in England when factories started to make cotton cloth d. high-level economic policies such as multinational trade agreements e. countries with economies that are below the levels of those in Europe and North America f. details of economic management such as the fixing of tax rates g. someone who has had no previous experience of a situation Exercise 2 Comprehension: Summary. Look at these summaries of the text. Which is the best summary?

1.

Today’s distribution of wealth in the world is going to change radically over the next 50 years.

Countries such as Brazil, China, Russia and India will be among the world’s wealthiest nations and will be powerful players on the world stage. This growth need not mean economic decline in today’s wealthy European countries. What happens here depends on how they react to developments in the global economy.

2.

There will be changes in the distribution of wealth in the world over the next 50 years. Countries such as India, China, Brazil and Russia will become wealthier. Some countries that are wealthy today, such as Italy and the UK, will be a lot poorer by the middle of this century.

These countries will lose a lot of their political power on the world scene too.

3.

The world will be a very different place in 50 years time. India, China, Russia and Brazil will be the richest countries in the world. These countries will play powerful roles in global bodies such as the World Trade Organisation, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Today’s rich countries, especially those in Europe, will lose most of their global political power.

© British Council 2016

DT

10

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Feature

3 ways to make an impression in 2016 Let this be the year you shine frapes and photo tags might be all in the n Sabrina Fatma Ahmad spirit of fun, but they may be hurting you By now it’s well past the time to be thinking about the resolutions you made at the close of last year, and just the right moment to take advantage of the tabula rasa of the brand new year and doing something about making life work for you. Here are three ways to get going.

Dress the part Want to score a second date? Make an effort to look nice on the first one. Want to ace that job interview? Iron that shirt, and shine those shoes. You can whine and moan all you want about “superficiality,” but at the end of the day, the packaging sells the product, so invest in what you wear. This doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to buy expensive threads.

Invest in a solid, reliable wardrobe of versatile basics, and you’re off to a good start.

Spring clean your social network If this is the year where you make career a priority, you must take better care of your social profile, and these days, that mostly means your online presence. Those silly

professionally. If you’re trying to come across as someone dependable and professional, and yet 90% of your posts are pouty selfies, there’s a good chance you’ll be passed over for a promotion or assignment. So take stock of what you’re posting, and what people are posting about you, and then give your digital footprint a good clean.

Be a trooper Whether you’re at work, or still in school, there is no better way to garner respect and drive home your worth than by doing a good job. Quit the sense of entitlement, and the narcissistic navel gazing, and be the person who’s on time, on the job, and can be relied on. Take initiative. If you want to be seen as a good worker, go the extra mile to get the job done. If you want to be thought of as a good friend, do more than just “like” someone’s posts. Make some time for some quality time. You get the idea.

Make this the year you become the person you have always wanted to be. l BIGSTOCK

Quoting inspiration Elevating thoughts from the brightest of minds

n Rad Sharar Bin Kamal Adrienne Rich: Cultivate honorable relationships “An honorable human relationship — that is, one in which two people have the right to use the word ‘love’ - is a process, delicate, violent, often terrifying to both persons involved, a process of refining the truths they can tell each other.

It is important to do this because it breaks down human self-delusion and isolation. It is important to do this because in doing so we do justice to our own complexity. It is important to do this because we can count on so few people to go that hard way with us.”

From lies, secrets, and silence

BIGSTOCK

Søren Kierkegaard: Resist absentminded busyness “The unhappy person is one who has his ideal, the content of his life, the fullness of his consciousness, the essence of his being, in some manner outside of himself. The unhappy man is always absent from himself, never present to himself. But one can be absent, obviously, either in the past or in the future. This adequately circumscribes

the entire territory of the unhappy consciousness.”

From either/or: a fragment of life Rainer Maria Rilke: Live the questions “I beg you, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything.

Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.”

From letters to a young poet Bertrand Russell: Make room for “fruitful monotony” “We are less bored than our ancestors were, but we are more afraid of boredom. We have come to know, or rather to believe, that boredom is not part of the natural lot of man, but can be avoided by a sufficiently vigorous pursuit of excitement.”

From the conquest of happiness l

DT

Editorial 11

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

INSIDE

When in a hole, stop digging PAGE 12

Let’s take climate change seriously PAGE 13

BIGSTOCK

Climate change PAGE 14

Private sector can make better use of unproductive state land

T Greed was good PAGE 19

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

he government should heed the call made by the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry this week to lease or transfer idle and unproductive state-owned land to the private sector as a way to increase investment.

In its dialogue with the industries minister last month, the International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh made a similar suggestion asking for a new industrial policy to clear the way for leasing out sick and closed-down SOEs to private investors.

While the minister would not go further than promising to encourage new public-private partnerships, it is evident that it is long overdue for the government to review the way it utilises land it either owns directly or controls through stateowned enterprises.

In a review last year, the Privatisation Commission identified 1,288 acres of unused land occupied by 39 major loss-making SOEs as sites where over 250 industrial units could be set up generating upwards of over Tk1,500cr a year for the government.

At a time when Bangladesh needs to create two million jobs a year to make the most of its demographic dividend, it makes no sense for the government to limit the land available for private investment by allowing loss-making SOEs to occupy potentially far more productive sites.

There is a compelling economic case for the government to actively consider leasing or selling more of these lands to help develop much-needed RMG parks and industrial zones.

With its proven track record in creating employment, the private sector can make better use of these underused resources. This would help build investor confidence and be invaluable in attracting FDI. Bangladesh should not risk the opportunity costs of failing to use such lands more productively.

The government should speed up moves to make better use of state controlled land for the benefit of the economy.

The opportunity costs of not making better use of state owned lands are huge

DT

12

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Opinion

When in a hole, stop digging Sometimes you can make matters worse with your explanation

n Asif Baul

L

est anyone accuse me of wanting to side with Piers Morgan in his clumsy defence of Chris Gayle’s excruciatingly public chat up lines in Australia, I must make clear I usually follow the satirical magazine Private Eye in dubbing him Piers Moron.

The former CNN presenter and editor predictably fell into one of his renowned Twitter controversies after suggesting that the Australian journalist Mel McLaughlin should have been “flattered” when the Jamaican batting legend propositioned her during a post-match TV interview in Hobart.

Morgan has form on awkwardly-received flirting himself. On his first day as copresenter of ITV’s Good Morning Britain last November, his immediate riposte to a jokey reference by co-host Susanna Reid to herself as “Morgan’s TV wife” was “Do I get conjugal rights?”

Quite funny actually. But like his offthe-cuff defence of Gayle, it was clearly a projection of embarrassing middle-aged wishful thinking.

Stick to annoying the NRA with support for Obama’s efforts on gun control, Piers!

As for the Jamaican batting legend himself, he at least appeared to dimly notice Ms McLaughlin’s discomfort, because after responding to a question about his hitting

Did Mel McLaughlin miss the chance to deliver the perfect comeback?

Were people in the ‘old days’ really more sexist, racist, and homophobic than today, or is it the case that allowing more space for offensive speech, made it easier to challenge and ridicule bigoted views?

style by saying, “to see your eyes for the first time is nice. Hopefully we can have a drink afterwards,” he added the now viral: “Don’t blush, baby.”

Somewhat strangely, upon fining Gayle $10,000 for breaching expected professional standards during the interview, his appropriately named Big Bash employers, the Melbourne Renegades, cited “cultural differences” in his defence.

As a performer sometimes expected to respond to hecklers, I have to feel sorry for Mel McLaughlin because I am sure all her friends afterwards will have told her the perfect comeback line to Gayle would have been for her to brought the stadium down by telling him: “In your dreams.”

Next time, maybe.

But in the meantime, it’s all been enough to create a perfect storm of social media outrage. That’s the way the INTERNET works.

However, I can’t help agreeing with Gayles’ defenders that as bad behaviour by sports stars justifying a professional fine

goes, his offence was remarkably trite and relatively harmless.

Must everything that sports stars say be subjected to online lynch mobs?

I think not. The case of Tyson Fury, the recently crowned British world Heavyweight boxing champion, comes to mind.

A huge petition was organised in December calling on the BBC to rule him out of the running for its popular Sports Personality of the Year vote because of his history of misogynistic and homophobic remarks.

In addition to suggesting “a woman’s place” was “in the kitchen or on her back,” Fury’s expression of religious beliefs equating abortion and homosexuality with paedophilia, understandably caused offence.

Whether the call to ban him, which is predicated on the inherently flawed idea that sports stars have to be role models, was justifiable, is a moot point.

In the event, Great Britain’s Davis Cup hero Andy Murray deservedly romped home

and Fury failed to make the top three.

Recognition went where it was due. To a well rounded, dry-witted individual whose enormous ability has struggled to keep pace with his contemporary Novak Djokovic snapping at the heels of Laver and Federer in the all-time-greats stakes.

For his part, Murray, a massive boxing fan, refused to have any truck with calls to ban Fury, while clearly not endorsing his comments.

Perhaps he had in mind, like I did, Tyson Fury’s turbulent upbringing in the much stigmatised Irish traveller community.

As an articulate, if foot-in-mouth, individual, Fury’s accomplishments could have gone some way to overcoming the gross caricature of Irish travellers exemplified by Brad Pitt’s incoherent portrayal of a traveller boxer in the film Snatch.

Or more likely he was thinking of Muhammad Ali, no mean slouch himself with sexist remarks, who was the most popular sports personality in Britain (and the world) bar none in the 1970s.

Although occasionally called up by the likes of Sir David Frost on his (since recanted) Nation of Islam beliefs about white people being devils, his popularity in the UK never dimmed, as the public relished his charismatic wordplay and immense sporting talent.

The world has clearly moved on since then, a friend wistfully remarked during a chat about Tyson Fury.

Were people in the “old days” really more sexist, racist, and homophobic than today, or is it the case that allowing more space for

offensive speech made it easier to challenge and ridicule bigoted views?

As it happens, the Fury furore erupted in the UK around the same time as half a million members of the British public petitioned the government to ban Donald Trump from the UK, after the curiously coiffured, would-be Republican candidate suggested banning Muslims from the United States.

For once, at least, governing politicians resisted the lure of cheap popularity by calling upon the UK’s traditions of free speech, and pointing out the lack of logic in responding to Trump’s offensive pandering to racists in seeking to ban Muslims with another ban. Two bans don’t make a right.

This was clearly the sensible stance.

By all means, refute his remarks freely and see how he responds.

And so it came to pass that Trump has gone on to compound his offensiveness, duly giving all US citizens good cause to pause before hitching their votes to his much-hyped bandwagon.

The same goes, in less globally important ways, for the increasingly inept responses

by Fury, Gayle, Morgan to calls on them to retract their varyingly offensive remarks.

This has merely helped give the public insight into their inner thoughts.

For this, we can thank the one thing all these prominent and powerful men have in common: Their failure to appreicate one of the golden rules of stand-up comedians.

When in a hole, stop digging! l Asif Baul is an occasional compere and stand-up comedian.

13

DT

Opinion

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Let’s take climate change seriously The next American president will have to treat climate change as a priority

Mr President, the fate of the world is in your hands

The poorest countries with the largest populations are predicted to be hit the hardest. And the biggest injustice about all this is that Bangladesh is responsible for only 0.3% of the emissions driving climate change

n Adit Hasan Khan

T

he year 2016 will be of great significance for many reasons, one of which is because this is the year the United States is to elect their new commander-in-chief. The American presidential election, for very obvious reasons, is one of the most talked-about democratic processes in the world. Even powerless silent observers such as myself follow the election updates and party nominations very closely for one simple reason: The chosen leader of one of the most powerful nations in the world has the potential to affect all of our lives.

So, despite being fully aware of the minute probability of the next president actually seeing this, I would like to leave a message for the 45th president of the US. Now, before moving to the crux of the matter, I want to clarify that I have nothing but love, respect, and admiration for this wonderful country. Having said that, there are certain things about the US that baffle me. For instance, the attitude of the average

American towards climate change is very different from that of the average Asian, European, or even Canadian.

According to the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, approximately a quarter of Americans do not believe in climate change. And according to a survey presented in ecowatch.com, America has the highest proportion of adults denying climate change in the entire world. Multiple sources around the world, including insideclimatenews.org, classify the US as the world’s second-largest polluter.

Now, I respect the right of every person in the world to hold on to their beliefs. But I do want to share some of the struggles that the people in my country have faced, and, though, it might not change anybody’s opinion, it might shed some light regarding the horrible consequences of climate change, should they come to pass.

Climate change is predicted to impact a lot of countries, but few places in the world are in as much danger as my homeland, Bangladesh. Maybe seeing the impacts of the harsh changes in climate on a regular

BIGSTOCK

basis has robbed us the luxury of being in denial. The New York Times, in an article titled “Borrowed Time on Disappearing Land,” outlined some of the problems facing our people.

Rising sea levels are already eating up chunks of our land; families that have lived for many generations in villages closed to rivers are being forced to migrate as their lands sink. The rise in sea levels has also robbed many people already living in destitution of their only source of livelihoods.

The venomous salt in sea water has taken away people’s ability to farm their lands. A lot of these folks are forced to sell their children into bonded servitude in big cities.

Bangladesh relies almost entirely on ground water for drinking supplies because the rivers are so polluted. The resultant pumping causes the land to settle. So, as sea levels are rising, our cities are sinking, increasing the risks of flooding. Thousands of people have already started to move away from the lowest-lying villages in the river deltas of the Bay of Bengal -- but in a small, poor country, where many are struggling to make ends meet, it is unlikely that these people can successfully resettle and find means of sustenance anywhere else.

The slums where many of them end up are in the capital, Dhaka, and are also built on low-lying land, making them vulnerable to reliving the same tragedies once again.

Signs of erosion are everywhere in the Ganges Delta -- the world’s largest delta -- which empties much of the water coming from the Himalayas.

River deltas around the globe are particularly vulnerable to the effects of rising seas, and wealthier cities like London, Venice,

and New Orleans also face uncertain futures.

But, it is the poorest countries with the largest populations that are predicted to be hit the hardest. And the biggest injustice about all this is that Bangladesh is responsible for only 0.3% of the emissions driving climate change. In other words, it is not our pollution level that is making us suffer.

One of the most common dialogues that I have heard from American politicians sceptical of climate change is that they need more evidence to be certain of climate change. I would request anyone reading this to ask themselves what the term “more evidence” implies. In the context of my country “more evidence,” to put it in their words, simply describes a situation of horrendous environmental degradation that displaces millions of people from their homes.

And if that does manage to convince the skeptics, it will be too late for a huge chunk of our population. If 2015 has left me with only one message, then that message is when millions of people are displaced from their homes, the rest of the world is not too keen to take them in.

It will be unfair to say that all of America has the same view. States like New York and California have generally led the fight against climate change in the country, but it is an issue commonly disregarded by many states and their political representatives.

So, if I could make one humble request to the next American president, that request would be to take environmental issues seriously, as the world desperately needs America’s co-operation on limiting environmental degradation. l Adit Hasan Khan is a freelance contributor.

DT

14

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Climate Change

Prospects and problems of promoting low carbon urban development Exploiting the potential of renewable energy

n Dr M Aminul Islam The growth of cities in Bangladesh is happening at an unprecedented rate, which, despite the problems, is an opportunity to develop in a sustainable and low carbon pathway. A low-carbon economy is one that produces minimal green-house gas emissions such as carbon dioxide. This kind of development is instrumental in helping cities achieve significant benefits and cobenefits of growth by integrating energy efficient sustainable initiatives and green development principles into city planning.

Rapid urbanisation and population growth is expected to continue in the country, putting pressure on land and resources.

Recognising the challenges, the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) has adopted a multipronged strategy in the power sector that includes energy conservation, load management, and adopting grid and offgrid electrification. The GOB articulated a Vision and Policy Statement on Power Sector Reforms in 2002, which aims to: (i) provide universal access to energy by the year 2020 with improved reliability and quality (ii) stabilising the sector’s financial status and increasing its efficiency (iii) operating the sector on commercial principles and increasing private sector participation

Low carbon policies

Bangladesh enacted a National Energy Policy in 1996 and established the Sustainable Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) in 2012. SREDA is an autonomous body to lead the government’s efforts in promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency in the country. Support to form and strengthen SREDA is provided by GIZ and UNDP, and GOB has allocated resources to initiating low carbon initiatives through the agency.

The National Energy Policy and SREDA give special importance to low carbon interventions in policies and plans as well as its mainstreaming. To fully realise the potential of these policies and institutions, awareness campaigns, the gradual implementation of low carbon programs, capacity building, and institutional strengthening are needed.

The Ministry of Power and Mineral Resources, Local Government, Public Works/Housing and Urban Development, Department of Environment, City Corporations, City/Urban Development Authorities, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute all have the responsibility to implement low carbon urban initiatives and following the National Building Code, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Energy Standards, and Energy Performance Index.

Barriers to achieving sustainable low carbon urban development

ILO/ALAN DOW/BMET

Despite these advances in policy, there remain challenges which form barriers to sustainable low carbon development in Bangladesh. There is a need for stakeholders involved in this arena to pay attention to the following factors and address these gaps going forward: (i) Absence of a regulatory framework and policies for utilisation of public urban open spaces, waste minimisation, energy efficiency in public lighting and buildings. Urban areas in Bangladesh include structure plan and urban area plan that have to be prepared by the City Corporations and urban development authorities. These plans of the cities need to incorporate cost-effective, low carbon solutions. These changes in the plans must be people-centered and need to be prepared with community participation. (ii) Waste-to-energy issue has not received enough attention resulting in landfill areas being overburdened. Space crisis for waste dumping is a critical barrier in city cleaning efforts (iii) Inadequate environmental regulations and co-ordination for management of solid waste and other industrial wastes (iv) Poor co-ordination between the agencies in-charge of the implementation of the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) and city corporation bylaws for promoting energy efficiency in buildings and public lighting (v) No up-scaling of proven interventions such as Integrated Resource Recovery Centres (IRRC) which provide solutions for decentralised waste management for cities in Bangladesh and create opportunity for public-private partnerships (vi) No efforts to sensitise city dwellers and raise awareness on greening city development. Without the involvement and co-operation of city dwellers, city corporations cannot achieve the targets set for low-carbon development (vii) Absence of a common platform for mutual exchange of ideas, best practices and policy discussion on urbanisation and urban development: There is no common forum to share experiences and promote good practices for those working in the urban sector. This is very important to developing a safer, more liveable city as the co-operation among multiple stakeholders leads

The 2nd Annual Gobeshona Conference for Research on Climate Change in Bangladesh is taking place from January 8-11, 2015 at the Independent University Campus in Dhaka.

The conference showcases the latest research on climate change in Bangladesh, connecting researchers, practitioners, policymakers, government, academia, multilateral agencies, development partners and students on a wide range of Bangladesh specific climate change research.

Launched in 2014, the program is a knowledge platform connecting people and institutes doing research on climate change in Bangladesh. Gobeshona aims to make research on climate change more effective in informing policy and practice by sharing findings, ideas and addressing the quality of relevant research produced in Bangladesh. Gobeshona has four components: 1. Gobeshona web portal - www.gobeshona.net 2. Monthly seminar series 3. Young Research Program 4. Annual conference The conference is preceded by a Young Researcher Workshop, held on January 7, 2016, followed by two days of plenary and parallel sessions on the latest research on climate change in Bangladesh from a multitude of national and international stakeholders. The final day, January 11, is the Science-Policy Dialogue hosted jointly with the Government of Bangladesh. The conference is free to attend, for a full list of sessions, please visit http://www. gobeshona.net. Today’s program will include sessions on: v Migration v Local Adaptation Planning v Disaster Risk Reduction v Climate Change and Health v Water, Sanitation and Health v Waste Management v Loss and Damage to better urban sector management and implementation of policies. The Bangladesh Urban Forum established in year 2011, whose mandate is to promote dialogue and action to address urban issues, needs to be empowered and have the representation of key players.

Mainstreaming through planning and budgeting processes of city and urban authorities with low carbon and cleaner city agenda is a critical gap.

Renewable energy as one of the low carbon energy sources in the national energy mix is vital to reducing share of green house gasses in. Bangladesh also plans to tap into the renewable energy sector. The government’s Renewable Energy Policy targets meeting 5% of total power demand from renewable energy sources by 2015 and 10% by 2020. The Remote Area Power Supply Systems (RAPSS) guideline of 2007 allows the private sector to participate in the development, operation, and maintenance of electricity generation system and distribution to networks in remote rural areas including isolated islands to achieve universal access by 2020. However, beyond the successful solar home systems (SHS) program, there has been little investment in renewable energy generation since the policy was announced.

The country has resources, experts, suppliers, manufacturers, research organisations, NGOs, and clients to promote, fully adopt low carbon innovations and help diffuse these technologies. However, the country is lacking in the ability to integrate these stakeholders and attract investment through an appropriate institutional framework and financial mechanism. The socio-economic and technical factors in context to Bangladesh need to be taken into consideration for the choice of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) and for their implementation processes.

Currently, there is inadequate local technical and engineering capacity to develop, design, implement, operate, and maintain RE-based power generation projects in Bangladesh.

There are also no accredited academic and vocational institutes that provide courses in RET applications and engineering, as well as specific courses on RE policy making/ formulation, energy economics, policy impact analyses, and environmental and socio-economic impact assessments of RE projects. Supportive policy for private sector engagement and financial mechanism is therefore required to be established to facilitate these stakeholders to channel RETs in Bangladesh. Such renewable energy services need to be decentralised and made affordable for better customer satisfaction and management systems.

The use of renewable in our energy mix has co-benefits not just in mitigating climate change through reducing dependency on fossil fuels, but also in protecting natural resources, environment, and forests. l Dr Aminul Islam is Senior Adviser, Sustainable Development, UNDP in Bangladesh and Co-Chair of the Climate Change, Environment and Disaster Cluster of the Bangladesh Urban Forum.

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

15

DT

Arts & Letters

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

This painting by Dhaka-based artist Farzana Ahmed Urmi is a part of the Samdani Art Award exhibition at the Dhaka Art Summit, coming February 5-8. Urmi’s practice focuses on printmaking and painting and is heavily influenced by the people she encounters in her daily life. Her canvases are full of human stories.

This figurative work complimented by abstraction is from her “Lines in Mood” series, that shows mental dysphoria and self-denial.

INSIDE

16

Overview: Dhaka Art Summit

17

What to look forward to

18

Book Review: Piazza Bangladesh

Send your submissions to: anl@dhakatribune.com

DT

Arts & Letters

16

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

The power couple behind the Dhaka Art Summit Nadia and Rajeeb Samdani give South Asia an ever-expanding platform in the art universe

T

he Dhaka Art Summit is the world’s largest non-commercial exhibition and research platform for South Asian Art, with over 80 international partners convening in our very own city.

The third edition of the biennial event will be held February 5-8 at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in partnership with the country’s National Academy of Fine and Performing Arts.

“I am so honoured that art professionals from over 60 leading public institutions such as the Centre Pompidou, Guggenheim, MoMA, Stedelijk, Tate, Queensland Art Gallery, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, and more are committed to making the journey to Bangladesh to engage deeply and meaningfully with South Asia,” said Nadia Samdani, founder of the Dhaka Art Summit.

“We currently have curators from the UK, France, and the US with us in Dhaka, a testament to the warm and safe environment that Bangladesh provides for research and creative expression,” she continued. The chief curator is Diana Campbell Betancourt, the Samdani Art Foundation Artistic Director.

Dhaka Art Summit is accepted as the main meeting point for art professionals from the region. Over 300 leading artists, curators, writers, and many other art professionals from across South Asia and the world have been invited to participate in the different aspects of the program, which includes new commissions, curated group exhibitions, talks, performance and film programs, book launches, and the Summit’s first historical exhibition called Rewind.

For the unique format of the summit, the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy will be transformed into an inspirational space where visitors can trace the past and future of art and its exchange within South Asia and the rest of the world.

The event celebrates art and expression in spectacular fashion. With extended hours, the summit is effectively two days longer than the previous 2014 edition. Now with a free and ticket-less format, any interested visitor is welcome to the venue to marvel at the works of art on display.

Dhaka Tribune is the media partner for the Dhaka Art Summit.

n Sabah Rahman

F

or those familiar with the Dhaka art scene, Nadia and Rajeeb Samdani hardly need any introduction.

They are the co-founders of the Samdani Art Foundation, which supports local contemporary artists and scholarly research. Nadia is also the founder of the Dhaka Art Summit, the largest noncommercial platform for South Asian art in the world.

Partners in life as well as art, Nadia and Rajeeb have devoted extensive time to taking trips that involved exploring galleries and museums, and are a fixture at every important art fair and festival where they often serve in an advisory capacity.

The Samdanis were included in the acclaimed magazine ArtReview’s Power 100 List 2015, which showcases the current most influential people in the art world for their work developing the South Asian art scene.

They have been featured in countless art publications and top-shelf media outlets, including the New York Times, the Financial Times, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, catapulting Bangladesh to prominence on the international art stage.

Partners in life as well as art, the two have devoted extensive time taking trips that involved exploring galleries and museums, and are a fixture at every important art fair and festival where they often serve in an advisory capacity

Rajeeb and Nadia also have one of the most significant private art collections in the country. In 2014, they were nominated for the Forbes India Art Award in the Young Collector of the Year category.

They have always had a keen interest in the arts and had their own separate collections before combining their treasure trove of masterpieces.

Nadia started her own collection at the age of 22.

In addition to the long list of designations under his belt, Rajeeb Samdani also happens to be the Secretary General of Bangladesh

Human Rights Foundation, as well as the Founder of TAC Charitable Hospital.

The South Asia Institute recently announced the founding members of their Arts Advisory Council, which will unite South Asia’s curators, museum administrators, artists, and art educators with Harvard faculty and students to facilitate the understanding and appreciation of art from the sub-continent.

It comes as no surprise that the Samdanis made this list as well. l Sabah Rahman works for the Dhaka Tribune.

17

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

REWIND Aurelien Lemonier will host an exhibition about architecture in Bangladesh, honouring the “humanistic modernity” of the legendary Muzharul Islam. A panel discussion chaired by Farrokh Derakhshani (Director of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture) will accompany the exhibit.

SOUL SEARCHING

In partnership with Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council and the Delfina Foundation, the Samdani Art Award will showcase the work of 10 artists living and working in Bangladesh in an exhibition curated by Daniel Baumann, Director of the Kunsthalle in Zurich, along with artists Ayesha Sultana and Ruxmini Choudhury as assistant curators. Each of the 10 finalists will have their exhibited works and portfolio evaluated by a jury of people working in some of the world’s most important museums.

Dhaka Art Summit’s first historical exhibition, showcasing 12 artists active before the late 1980s from across South Asia will illuminate the “alternative universe offered by transnational modernism.” It will be advised by Sabih Ahmed, Amara Antilla, Diana Campbell Betancourt, and Beth Citron.

Considering the factors that define the Bangladeshi art, 51 artists, including the oldest living Modernists, are presenting their works in this exhibition to re-discover their artistic sources. The selection consists of prominent artists who were directly involved with developing the described characteristics of Bangladeshi art.

SHIFTING SANDS, SIFTING HANDS

THE LEGACY OF MUZHARUL ISLAM

THE SAMDANI ART AWARD

CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP

What to look forward to

VAST Bhutan will stage a children’s workshop for two days of the summit, working together with the youth of Dhaka to make an immersive installation from local waste products. These creative workshops will engage a new generation with the important topic of climate change.

DT

Arts & Letters

Curated by Nikhil Chopra, Madhavi Gore, and Jana Prepeluh, The Performance Pavillion relates to the idea of everything being in a state of becoming or flux, especially the human body, where movement and change are with us from the moment of birth to death. Participating artists include Sajan Mani, Manmeet Devgun, Venuri Perera, Yasmin Jahan Nupur and Atish Saha.

DT

18

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Arts & Letters BOOK REVIEW

Italy and Bangladesh, and everything in between Neeman Sobhan’s collection of short stories gives us a glimpse into the lives of Bangladeshis here and abroad n Sumayeah Ridah Hasib

I

nspired by the lives of people around her in Italy and few other places, Neeman Sobhan’s Piazza Bangladesh revolves around the stories of immigrants in Rome. The author has been residing in Italy for nearly three decades, and it is no surprise to the reader that the book gives us a glimpse of the different facets of lives of the Bangladeshi immigrant.

The book comprises of 11 different short stories, of which a few are linked while others lead elsewhere, including the nostaligic past of Bangladesh, or a dreamlike journey through Delhi and Jaipur which also offers a comtemporary view into the lives of American Bengalis.

The book begins with “The Girl from the Window Across,” Naureen, one of the members of the elite class, who works as a professor at a university and suddenly her peaceful, quiet home is disrupted with the sudden presence of her in-laws.

The detailed description of her father-inlaw’s slumber on the couch, with the TV set to a news channel, or her mother-in-law’s smothering love for feeding Naureen, makes the reader relate to a typical Bangladeshi household.

Then there is her brother-in-law, whose comparison of the old and shabby Rome to Puran Dhaka makes her nostalgic about her own sister in Nawabpur. Perhaps the older readers will get dewy-eyed at the descriptions of the once so lively Nawabpur.

Sobhan then proceeds to tell us briefly about the lives of the struggling Bangladeshi immigrants in Rome, with whom Naureen and her social circle would not mingle unless there was a community event.

The next story describes the life of Putul, who is also Naureen’s friend, and her husband Omar and her mother-in-law Farida. The story doesn’t merely stick to Putul’s life, but also provides an insight into the struggling life of Farida and Omar while they were in Bangladesh. And again the writer has managed to take readers on a walk down memory lane, with her description of Dhaka in the 60s, and the fanciness of the posh areas of Gulshan in that era, with this single story.

The story of Putul’s life also bleeds into the next excerpt “A Minor Hour,” and the writer gives an insight into Putul’s life in the past. And draws resemblances to her daughters’ lives, with the life of a young Putul in Comilla in the 60s, and how devastating the turnout was for her Christian friend Esther during the 1971 war of independance.

The next part of the book moves from Italy to the Americann suburbs, where Rina

Rina still tries to hold onto her little piece of Bengali culture, with her daal-bhaat, the Bangla and Hindi songs she plays in her car radio regularly. However the past life of Rina and the cold relationship with her father, is a perfect depiction of the usual father-daughter relationship in tradtional Bangladeshi families

still tries to hold onto her little piece of Bengali culture, with her daal-bhaat, the Bangla and Hindi songs she plays in her car radio regularly.

However, the past life of Rina and the cold relationship with her father are a perfect depiction of the usual fatherdaughter relationship in tradtional Bangladeshi families. A reader would easily sympathise with Rina, and her efforts to seek his approval, which she fails in as her letter to him never reaches him before he passes away.

The book concludes with a story of Sabera and Anwar, the elderly couple, titled “Departures and Arrival.” This story finds its way back into Rome, and is again reconnected with Putul and Naureen, to

whom Sabera is like an elder sister in this foregin land, where most lack relatives. It is almost a necessity to find family amongst fellow sub-continetal people. Sobhan has done an excellent job in capturing the essence of the lives of each of these Bangladeshi immigrants.

The reader can easily relate to the pain and grief caused by a member leaving the country or when some elder relative passes away in their far-off Bangladesh. It almost feels like we are reading about people we know, and we experience their emotions as the stories progress.

Each excerpt in Sobhan’s book is not merely a depiction of the day-to-day lives of immigrants, but she has carefully taken the readers back to Bangladesh, and not in

modern times, but to an era which we have only heard of in stories.

There has been sufficient research done about the pre-war era of Bangladesh, and, also, the lives of the characters have been given intricate detailed explanations.

For a young reader, this is the perfect book if they would like to know about life before partition, and how Dhaka used to be back then. And for the older generation, this book is sure to make them nostalgic.

The arrangement of the stories is such that it is bound to keep readers glued until they are done with the very last page. This is definitely a must-read. l Sumayeah Ridah Hasib is an engineer and works for the Dhaka Tribune.

19

DT

Heritage

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Greed was good Did the greed of the Mughals take them down a path of oppression?

n Tim Steel

T

oday, Wall Street has become a byword for greed. As the great Mahatma Gandhi said: “There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed.”

It has often been said of Robert Clive, perhaps the most famous, or infamous, of the British who acquired control of these lands of Bangladesh in 1763, that he became the “richest and most hated” man in Britain.

The extent to which employees of the East India Company were, subsequently, able to enrich themselves, from the early days of the Company in India, at least until the Act of Permanent Settlement in 1793, leaves many of them also open to the kind of criticism that Warren Hastings had to face following his impeachment by Parliament in London, and Clive in the court of public opinion and envy.

A leading member of the move to impeach Hastings was Edmund Burke. He had, in his Parliamentary career, spoken out against what the colonists of America

All the accumulated value of the treasure Shaista Khan took to Agra, to mitigate, for his nephew, his avarice, was, it seems, of almost unimaginable worth

regarded as “unprincipled exploitation,” probably on behalf of the Bristol merchants who were his constituents, and been overruled on his proposals for reform.

It is, however, possible to wonder to what extent the exploitation, went by the Company and its employees -- educated and informed by the behaviour of the Mughal rulers throughout the century and a half before Plassey and Buxar by which the Company gained control, as an effective colonising power.

Shaista Khan, the maternal uncle of Aurangzeb, unquestionably one of the most powerful and effective of Mughal Emperors, was “given” over lordship of the three states of Bengal, Orissa, and Bihar, in 1664.

He continued in office, with one brief break, until 1688. In 1678, he was, briefly, recalled by Aurangzeb, allegedly for failing to pay into the Emperor’s treasury the vast sums of revenue collected in the three flourishing states.

He is said to have told his nephew that the funds were as secure in his keeping as in the treasury in Delhi!

However, in 1680, following two years of management by two dismal successors, he was returned to Dhaka.

Aurangzeb, who famously praised Bengal -- by which he almost certainly meant Bihar and Orissa -- “The Paradise of Nations,” for its wealth and trade, badly needed finance for his many and various wars.

The Mughals also were conquerors of an alien people, their struggle to control the riches of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, mightily opposed by Hindus and Muslims alike.

The growing numbers of European merchants and traders, too, largely responsible for the growing wealth produced, appear to have had mixed feelings about Shaista Khan’s extortions, admitting that at least they knew where they stood with him.

The means by which revenues, far beyond those compelled by law, were collected could well make a volume in themselves.

It is clear that no means of extorting funds from European traders were ignored either. Nor can we doubt that the many Muslim zaminders, many from the Afghan tradition, displaced by the arrival of the Mughal Persians, were equally exploited.

Indeed, one such zaminder is on record as wishing for an English victory at Plassey, on the basis that nothing could be worse than the extortions of those around the Nawabs of Bengal.

Sir William Wilson Hunter, who, in 1880, after a successful career as a statistician with the Raj administration from its earliest days, published a lengthy History of British India, notes: “Saltpetre was one of the chief articles of export from Bengal. As early as December 1662, the Court (of the Company) ordered the Bay Factors (the Balasore

residents) to yearly get in readiness for the ships 500 or 600 tons of Saltpetre.”

Hunter note the many stoppages of saltpetre boats to demand extra revenues to release them in time to catch the monsoon winds for sailing.

For a nation, like the English, engaged somewhere in warfare (including civil wafare!), such cargoes were highly time sensitive.

It is, indeed, examination of Shaista Khan and his Dhaka based regime that amongst all of the Mughal period, most attracts our closest attention in consideration of Mughal standards and practice of governance.

Sir Streynsham Major, in charge of Company affairs on the east coast of India for much of the mid 17th century, a major source of our information about the environment in which the Company, and other European traders, worked in Bengal and the other states under the control of Shaista Khan, made his own assessment.

“He is every day more covetous than before, so that to write of the ways in which his agent (one of the craftiest men in the kingdom) continually invents, with his local rulers, to bring money into his coffers, might almost be admirable, for their wit and cruelty.”

“His officers oppress the people, monopolise most commodities even as low as grass for animals, canes, firewood, thatch, etc; nor are they lacking in ways to oppress the people of all sorts who trade, whether natives or strangers, since whatever their business, if they complain to Dacca, it is explained as being in the interests of the Nawab.”

This was an opinion, evidently widely shared.

On being recalled to Agra, in 1678, it is recorded by another contemporary observer, Shaista Khan, “hastened with all speed, having opened his exchequers of gold and silver.”

His treasure, such accounts tell us, “had now grown to incredible heights.” Indeed.

Sir Streynsham Major hazards a guess at a value of about 40 million pounds which would be estimated, today, at between 5 billion pounds, and 1 trillion pounds!

In order, however, to consider even the possibility of such valuations, we need to also, consider the sources of the wealth from whom such vast sums could be extorted.

The Europeans, we know, arrived to trade, including in their cargoes, manufactured goods.

The merchants of many nationalities and religious groups were acting as had merchants in the area for over two millennia, as traders in local and international merchandise, from the basics, such as rice, and livestock such as elephants (from Thailand), through the rich sources of diamonds from Orissa, gemstones, musk from the Himalayas, saltpetre, silks, satins, muslins, cotton cloths, dyes (especially indigo), lacquers, sugar, spices -- a veritable cornucopia -- also including slaves.

It was, clearly, not only taxes on their trades and cargoes that were the source of some of that wealth, but also the squeezing of even humble farmers and trades people.

After all, Shaista Khan and his entourage, were Persian-born, not Bengali, simply an earlier occupier than the British.

All the accumulated value of the treasure Shaista Khan took to Agra, to mitigate, for his nephew, his avarice, was, it seems, of almost unimaginable worth. For him, at least, in a phrase that has echoed down the ages, “greed is good!,” must surely have been heartfelt. And, those who succeeded him, must have, in suffering, or admiring, his financial depredations on the diversity of peoples in these lands, have learnt much about “getting rich quick!” l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.

DT

20

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

CROSSWORD Across 1 Written pass (4) 5 Notions (5) 8 Buy back (6) 9 Augury (4) 10 Frozen treat (3) 12 Clergyman (6) 13 Melodious (6) 15 Ineffective (6) 18 Weapons (6) 20 Greek letter (3) 21 Regrets (4) 23 Come forth (6) 24 Big (5)

Down 1 Multitude (5) 2 Border (3) 3 Perfect (5) 4 Number (3) 5 Moving force (7) 6 Send out (4) 7 Prophet (4) 11 Slightly cold (4) 12 Arbitrator (7) 14 Single entity (4) 16 Accustom (5) 17 Mitigates (5) 18 Actual (4) 19 Impartial (4) 21 Corded fabric (3) 22 Incite (3)

Downtime CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 1 represents B so fill B every time the figure 1 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

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

INSIDE

INSIGHT

Rupture with Iran may not have been Saudi aim, but Riyadh has no regrets n Reuters, Riyadh Obama won’t endorse opponents of stricter gun measures US President Barack Obama on Thursday vowed not to campaign or vote for any candidate, including Democrats, who opposes tighter gun laws, as he publicly challenged critics of his policies.

PAGE 22

Sharp drop in Rohingya migrants after Thai, Bangladesh crackdowns The number of migrants leaving Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat in the past four months has plummeted because of Thai and Bangladeshi crackdowns on human smugglers, the United Nations and a rights activist said on Friday.

PAGE 23

David Cameron woos Berlin and Budapest in EU reform battle British Prime Minister David Cameron secured encouraging signals from the leaders of Germany, Hungary and the Netherlands as he swung through Europe Thursday, despite key reservations over an EU reform deal he wants at a summit next month.

PAGE 24

The diplomatic rupture with Iran triggered by the execution of a Shia cleric was probably a side effect of a decision taken by Saudi Arabia for domestic reasons, rather than the outcome of a deliberate ploy to enrage its regional opponent.

But whether or not they intended to raise the heat in a tense rivalry that already underpins wars across the Middle East, Saudi Arabia’s new rulers have shown no sign of regret.

Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also defence minister, reassured the world on Thursday the crisis would stop short of an all-out war between the Gulf region’s main powers.

“A war between Saudi Arabia and Iran is the beginning of a major catastrophe in the region, and it will reflect very strongly on the rest of the world. For sure we will not allow any such thing,” he told the Economist.

But in the days since the execution, Riyadh has done nothing to halt an escalation in confrontation, demonstrating a level of comfort with brinkmanship unheard of in the typically cautious kingdom before King Abdullah died a year ago and was replaced by his brother King Salman.

The night after a Saudi executioner put Shia Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr to death in a high-security prison, Iranian protesters stormed Riyadh’s Tehran embassy and Mashhad consulate. Riyadh responded by cutting off diplomatic ties.

King Salman, the sixth brother to rule as king since 1953, has set in motion the first transfer of power to a new generation for six decades, appointing his nephew Mohammed bin Nayef as crown prince and his own son Mohammed bin Salman as deputy.

Saudis say the rupture with Iran is the latest evidence that the new rulers are less hesitant to act than their predecessors.

Sources close to the Riyadh authorities say the stormings of the diplomatic buildings in Iran came as a surprise, even though such attacks are hardly unprecedented: the British embassy in Tehran was torched in 2011 and one Saudi diplomat was killed in a similar attack in 1988.

Nevertheless, one well-connected Saudi said that while he did not believe the Saudi rulers expected the embassy attack, they would have been willing to risk Iranian reprisals to carry out an execution they believed was fully justified.

“The mood with the government is to push back against Iranian encroachment.

So if Iran tries to intervene in a domestic matter, it’s complete anathema,” the Saudi said.

increasing support for rebel groups fighting against Iran’s ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Nevertheless, many in Riyadh insist the government was not trying to pick a new fight with Iran by executing Nimr, a cleric Riyadh had long accused of stirring up unrest, and who was executed along with dozens of Sunni Muslims also accused of terrorism.

They point to a series of steps Riyadh had taken in recent months towards a thaw with Tehran, including working hard to get a new ambassador approved in Iran after a

months-long hiatus, opening a new embassy in Shia-ruled Iraq, and sitting opposite Iran at Syria peace talks last month in New York.

Saudi officials say that by taking offence at the execution of Nimr, Tehran has demonstrated its claim of dominion over all Shias regardless of national borders, which Riyadh in turn calls a fundamental threat to the international system.

Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir this week said Iran needed to decide if it was a normal nation state or “a revolution”. l

Rupture follows steps towards thaw

King Salman and the two princes have taken aggressive steps over the past year to confront what they see as growing Iranian influence in the Middle East - going to war in neighbouring Yemen to halt a takeover by Shia rebels they consider Iranian pawns, and

Shia girls hold signs of cleric Nimr al-Nimr as they take part in a protest rally in Islamabad

REUTERS

DT

22

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

World

Obama won’t endorse opponents of stricter gun measures n AFP, Washington, DC US President Barack Obama on Thursday vowed not to campaign or vote for any candidate, including Democrats, who opposes tighter gun laws, as he publicly challenged critics of his policies.

In a concerted effort to garner support for contentious unilateral measures regulating the sale and purchase of guns, a sometimes combative Obama took to television to make his case.

Around 30,000 people are killed in America every year by guns, mostly in suicides.

In an opinion article in the New York Times and in a primetime CNN debate that featured questions from gun owners, Obama argued for executive measures regulating the sale and purchase of weapons, controversially bypassing Congress.

“Even as I continue to take every action possible as president, I will also take every action I can as a citizen,” he said in a message posted on the Times’ website.

“I will not campaign for, vote for or support any candidate, even in my own party, who does not support commonsense gun reform,” Obama said.

That relatively short list could include Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, who voted against gun reform in 2013.

On television Obama chastised critics who he said have “mischaracterised” his position and falsely believe he wants to repeal the right to bear arms and seize the estimated 350m weapons in the US. “It is a conspiracy,” Obama said. “I’m only going to be here for another year.”

“Keep in mind I’ve been president for over seven years and gun sales don’t seem to have suffered during that time.”

“I’ve been very good for gun manufacturers,” he said.

In a bid to empathise with gun owners, Obama also said he skeet shoots from time to time at Camp David, a presidential retreat near Washington.

Aiming at the NRA

Obama had less empathy for America’s most prominent pro-gun lobby, the National Rifle Association.

Obama repeatedly trashed the organisation -- which helps fund the election campaigns of strident gun advocates -- notably for not taking part in the debate near its own headquarters in Virginia.

“There is a reason why the NRA is not here,” Obama said. “They are just down the street. And since this is the main reason they exist, you’d think they would be prepared to have a debate with the president.”

NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam told the event host that “the National Rifle Association sees no reason to participate in a public relations spectacle orchestrated by the White House.”

‘It gets me mad’

Earlier this week a tearful Obama said unilateral measures were needed to tackle US gun violence.

Flanked by survivors and relatives of some of those killed, Obama became emotional as he re-

US President Barack Obama speaks at a town hall meeting with CNN’s Anderson Cooper (R) on reducing gun violence at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, on Thursday AFP membered 20 elementary school children shot dead three years ago in Newtown, Connecticut.

Obama on Thursday admitted he had surprised himself by shedding tears.

According to a CNN poll 67% of Americans support the measures -- which include an increase in background checks and registration of gun dealers -- while 32% oppose them.

Obama’s proposals have prompted a fierce response from Republicans looking to replace him in the White House.

On the campaign trail, party frontrunner Donald Trump said that if the people of Paris had guns, they could have prevented an attack by militants linked to the Islamic State group, who killed 130 people.

Trump also vowed to put an end to gunfree zones, if elected.

“You know what a gun free zone is to a sicko? That’s bait,” he said.

“I would get rid of gun-free zones in schools and on military bases. On my first day, it gets signed, there’s no more gun-free zones.”

Senator Ted Cruz, who is also running for the Republican presidential nomination, emailed supporters an image of the president in combat uniform, complete with helmet, claiming “Obama wants your guns.”

The White House called that message “irresponsible.”

“I think he’s appealing to people’s anxieties and insecurities and even outright fears in an attempt to win votes for his presidential campaign,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. l

23

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Sharp drop in Rohingya migrants after Thai, Bangladesh crackdowns n Reuters, Bangkok The number of migrants leaving Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat in the past four months has plummeted because of Thai and Bangladeshi crackdowns on human smugglers, the United Nations and a rights activist said on Friday.

Thai police launched a sweeping campaign against smuggling gangs in May following the discovery of 30 bodies in graves near a human-trafficking camp close to the Malaysian border.

The police operation led to traffickers abandoning 4,000 migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh at sea, sparking a chaotic round of “maritime ping-pong” as Indonesian, Malaysian and Thai navies pushed migrant boats away from their shores.

Tens of thousands of Rohingyas have fled poverty and persecution in western Myanmar since religious violence erupted there in 2012.

Most have headed for Muslim-majority Malaysia, but many have made landfall first in southern Thailand or been intercepted and held for ransom in camps hidden deep in Thailand’s jungles.

The region is now in its “sailing season”, with calmer seas after the rains, the busiest time for smuggling and trafficking ships plying the Bay of Bengal.

But Chris Lewa from the Arakan Project, a Rohingya advocacy group which tracks migration, said this year the number of people sailing was much lower due to action against smugglers in Thailand and Bangladesh.

About 1,500 people sailed from Bangladesh and Myanmar between September

SOUTH ASIA

Pakistan pledges to cooperate with Pathankot attack probe Pakistan’s prime minister and army chief pledged on Friday to cooperate fully with India on investigations into an attack on Punjab’s Pathakot air base last week. A statement issued by the Pakistani premier’s office citing a high-level meeting, which was also attended by the Pakistan army chief, Gen Raheel Sharif, said the meeting had reviewed the progress on the information received from India.

-REUTERS

INDIA

UP ruling party dares BJP to start building Ram temple

A migrant dives into the water from an overloaded wooden boat during a rescue operation REUTERS and December, said Lewa, compared with 32,000 people tracked during the same period in 2014.

“Thailand is closed and cannot be used for disembarkation,” Lewa said. “The few brokers that still seem to be involved are the ones that have pre-existing ‘orders’ for people to be brought over, that’s what we are being told at departure.”

“Anti-trafficking operations are going on in Bangladesh as well.”

Vivian Tan, regional spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency, said preliminary data suggested fewer people took to boats in the last quarter of the year.

“Based on our interviews with affected communities, it could be that smugglers

and potential passengers are taking a waitand-see approach following last year’s scrutiny and crackdowns,” said Tan. A major human-trafficking trial in Thailand involving 91 defendants allegedly involved with smuggling gangs that were trafficking Rohingyas and Bangladeshis, is underway.

Activists have called on authorities to step up witness protection in the trial, which involves an army general and police investigators.

Hundreds of people who made the trip last year remain in immigration detention centres and shelters in southern Thailand and 11 Rohingyas escaped from such a shelter on Friday, the head of the shelter said. l

US missile disappears, turns up in Cuba n AFP, Washington, DC

A US Hellfire missile has turned up in Cuba after going missing in a fiasco that has left American officials worried the technology may be shared with China, Russia or North Korea, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Though the missile was not carrying a warhead, the alarming diversion while it was in transit from Europe has spurred US investigators to probe whether its arrival on the communist island was the result of criminal activity or merely a series of mistakes, according to the newspaper.

And despite a historic thaw in ties with Cuba over the past year, Washington has been unsuccessful in its push to get the missile back, the WSJ said, citing unnamed sources.

It reported that American officials were not concerned that Cuba would take apart the Hellfire -- an air-to-ground missile often carried by helicopters -- but were worried that Havana would share the technology with US rivals China and Russia, as well as North Korea.

The missile’s far-flung journey began in early 2014 when it was sent from Orlando International Airport by arms firm Lockheed Martin to Spain, where it was used in a Nato military exercise.

DT

World

Ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh dared the BJP on the Ram temple issue on Friday, saying the state government will not allow “lifting or installation” of even a single stone at the disputed structure. SP spokesperson Shivpal Yadav said: “BJP is playing with the sentiments of people in the name of construction of Ram temple. They are not telling the site where they will build the temple. Our government will follow the court order in this regard.”

-PTI

CHINA

Mao Ze-gone: Giant statue of Communist leader demolished A gargantuan gold-painted statue of Communist China’s founding father Mao Zedong has suddenly been demolished, apparently for lacking government approval, state media said Friday, days after images of it went viral.

Images of the statue of a seated Mao towering some 37 metres over empty fields in the central province of Henan made worldwide headlines this week. But the RMB3m structure has been destroyed, the People’s Net news portal cited local officials as saying, adding the reason was “unclear”.

-AFP

ASIA PACIFIC

Vietnam army probes mysterious space balls

Vietnam’s military is investigating the appearance of three mysterious metal balls -- believed to be debris from space -- which landed in the country’s remote north, a senior army official said Friday. Two metal balls were discovered in northwestern Yen Bai province on January 2. Later a larger ball weighing some 45kg landed in a maize field in neighbouring Tuyen Quang province. -AFP

MIDDLE EAST

A hellfire missile From Spain it began a journey that was supposed to see it arrive back in the US, and was passed between several shipping firms on the first leg of its trip.

Officials loading a flight that was to carry the missile out of Madrid first noticed that it was missing, the Journal said.

They then determined that it had been put on a truck operated by Air France, which took it to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, where it was loaded onto one of the company’s flights to Cuba.

By the time the missile was tracked

WIKIMEDIA

down, it was already en route to Havana where an official noticed the labeling on its crate and seized it.

Lockheed Martin notified the State Department of the incident when it realised the missile was missing around June 2014, the WSJ said.

The US Justice Department is investigating the matter.

If the missile was purposefully diverted to Havana, the incident could be a violation of the Arms Export Control Act and even sanction laws against Cuba, the Journal said. l

Syria IS jihadist kills mother An Islamic State jihadist killed his mother in a public square in the Syrian city of Raqa who begged him to leave the organisation, a monitor said Friday. Ali Saqr, 20, had reported his mother, Lina, to IS authorities in Raqa “because she tried to persuade him to leave IS and flee the city,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Authorities subsequently arrested the woman and accused her of apostasy, the monitoring group said. On Wednesday, she was shot to death by her son “in front of hundreds of people close to the mail service building in Raqa city,” the Observatory added.

-AFP

DT

24

World

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

USA

State of emergency declared in California gas leak

The governor of California on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in a Los Angeles community where a massive gas leak has forced thousands of nearby residents from their homes. In issuing the emergency order, Governor Jerry Brown said all state agencies would be mobilised to stop the leak that started in October in the Los Angeles suburb of Porter Ranch, to protect public health, and to help the local community.

-AFP

THE AMERICAS

Bolivia, Peru ink $500m deal for Lake Titicaca clean-up Bolivia and Peru agreed Thursday to provide more than $500m towards cleaning up Lake Titicaca, whose polluted waters are home some animals nearing extinction.

The deal, which is meant to improve the lake’s biodiversity, includes environmental management and recovery through to 2025.

Lake Titicaca, which is the highest in the world, at an altitude of 3,800 meters above sea level, provides a habitat for a number of frogs, birds and fish, including two species that have almost been wiped out.

-AFP

UK

New guidelines ask Britons to consume far less alcohol

Guidelines on alcohol intake for men have been slashed by a third in new advice issued

by Britain’s chief medical officers Friday. Men are now being told they should drink only 14 units of alcohol per week, the same as for women and down from the previous level of 21 units. One unit is roughly equivalent to a small glass of wine or a small shot of spirits.

The advice, the first update of its kind for 20 years, also says people should take several days off drinking every week. It warns that regularly drinking any amount of alcohol increases the risk of developing cancer. -REUTERS

EUROPE

Germany: Many Cologne attack suspects were asylum seekers

David Cameron woos Berlin and Budapest in EU reform battle n AFP, Budapest British Prime Minister David Cameron secured encouraging signals from the leaders of Germany, Hungary and the Netherlands as he swung through Europe Thursday, despite key reservations over an EU reform deal he wants at a summit next month.

Cameron held talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban -- who expressed optimism about a deal even as he denied his countrymen were “parasites” seeking British welfare benefits -- and the leaders of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s sister party.

The British premier is battling for a deal at an EU summit in February before holding a referendum on Britain’s membership of the bloc, possibly later this year, but he faces opposition to his controversial demand to limit benefits for EU migrants.

Orban, a polarising figure in Europe for his own right-wing anti-immigrant politics, said Hungary “fully supported” three out of Cameron’s four demands, adding that he had “reason to be optimistic to find a common agreement”.

Cameron’s other demands are for the European Union to give Britain safeguards against more political integration, to protect countries that do not use the euro currency, and to boost economic competitiveness.

But Cameron’s final demand -- a fouryear delay before EU migrants working in Britain can claim welfare benefits -- was “difficult” amid concerns in many countries that it is discriminatory, Orban told a press conference with Cameron.

Cameron laid out his plans to fellow EU leaders at their last summit meeting in De-

cember, urging them to help him to make the reforms and avoid a “Brexit” from the 28-nation bloc.

Speaking in Budapest, Cameron said the welfare plans remained on the table but that he was “open to alternative solutions”, while holding out the possibility that a deal could take longer than the February summit.

Cameron has vowed to hold the in-out referendum by the end of next year but British media have reported he could hold the vote as soon as June 2016 if he gets a deal at February’s summit.

In Germany, Cameron met Merkel over dinner in Berlin on Wednesday and on Thursday held talks in the southern town of Wildbad Kreuth with the Christian Social

WORLD’S LARGEST BLUE SAPPHIRE

Belgium finds possible Paris attackers’ bombmaking hideout

n Reuters, Brussels

Germany said Friday 18 suspects in the mob violence that marred Cologne’s New Year’s Eve celebrations were asylum seekers, fuelling calls to quickly deport them. A week after the chaotic scenes outside Cologne railway station, federal police said they had identified 31 suspects whose alleged offences were “mostly theft and causing bodily harm”. Among the suspects are nine Algerians, eight Moroccans, five Iranians, four Syrians, two Germans and one citizen each from Iraq, Serbia and the US. -DPA

AFRICA

HRW: 140 killed in Ethiopia protests over state land plan

At least 140 people have been killed in Ethiopia over the past two months in a crackdown on anti-government protests sparked by plans to expand the capital into farmland, Human Rights Watch said Friday.

The number reported by HRW is almost double the previous toll of 75 the group gave last month. There was no immediate response from the Ethiopian government, which has previously put the death toll at five.

-AFP

Union -- sister party of the chancellor’s CDU. While Merkel is seen as generally supportive of Britain’s position, she has said that “fundamental achievements of European integration” are not up for debate -including the core principle of freedom of movement.

However Merkel later Thursday acknowledged that it was “not the intention of the law of free movement” to allow EU migrants to claim benefits from host member states immediately.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose country assumed the EU presidency this month, said Thursday he was “relatively optimistic’ that Britain can secure a deal in February. l

The worldís biggest blue star sapphire, the Lankan Star of Adam, is shown by its owner in Colombo on January 8, 2016. A Sri Lankan gem trader who owns the world’s largest blue star sapphire has decided to sell the dazzling stone, with a dizzying asking price of $300m AFP

Belgian investigators believe explosives used in the attacks in Paris in November may have been made in an apartment in Brussels that was rented under a false name and where a fingerprint of a key fugitive was found.

Police found material that could be used to make explosives, traces of explosive acetone peroxide and handmade belts during a raid on the apartment on December 10, federal prosecutors said in a statement on Friday.

Prosecutors investigating Belgian links to the Paris attacks said the apartment in the district of Schaerbeek had been rented under a false name that might have been used by a person already in custody in connection with the Paris attacks.

Investigators also found a fingerprint of Salah Abdeslam, the brother of one of the attackers, who returned from Paris the morning after the attacks and has still not been found.

According to newspaper De Standaard, the fingerprint indicates Abdeslam used the flat as a safe house after the attacks, given signs that the apartment had been partially cleaned up. l

DT

Sport 25

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

INSIDE

No EPL players in Uefa Team of the Year 2015 The Premier League was once again left trailing Europe’s top two leagues as the Uefa Team of the Year was announced.

England’s top division may claim to be the richest and most watched of Europe’s big five leagues, but it’s certainly lacking marquee stars, as fans across the continent have pointed out. PAGE 26

Challenge for Australia is to win abroad: Smith Australia captain Steven Smith believes the real challenge for his team is to win a series abroad and they will have to master the swinging ball if they are to succeed in their tour of New Zealand next month.

Smith and his men ruthlessly dominated the three-Test home series against West Indies. PAGE 27

Bernabeu awaits Zidane’s bow as boss Zinedine Zidane takes charge of Real Madrid for the first time when Deportivo la Coruna visit what is expected to be a sold out Santiago Bernabeu today. The Madrid fans turned out in their thousands to welcome Zidane at his first training session on Tuesday. PAGE 28

Federer overcomes illness and opponent Swiss great Roger Federer overcame the effects of a recent illness and a tenacious Grigor Dimitrov to book a place in the semi-finals of the Brisbane International yesterday. Federer, the defending champion, edged Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 in his fourth consecutive win over the Bulgarian. PAGE 29

Nabib Newaj Jibon’s joy knew no bounds after the young Bangladesh forward scored against Sri Lanka in their Bangabandhu Gold Cup opener at Shams-ul Huda Stadium in Jessore yesterday BFF

Bengal Tigers begin Bangabandhu Gold Cup with high-scoring win n Tribune Report The Bengal Tigers kicked off their Bangabandhu Gold Cup campaign with a resounding 4-2 win over Sri Lanka in the tournament opener at Jessore’s Shams-ul Huda Stadium yesterday.

Striker Shakhawat Hossain Rony continued his purple patch by netting twice in the either side of each half while centreback Yeasin Khan and youngster Nabib Newaj Jibon added one apiece to give Bangladesh a confident start to the eight-nation event.

Following their group-stage exit in the recently-concluded Saff Suzuki Cup in Kerala, India, Bangladesh head coach Maruful Haque was hoping for a good start and his charges provided exactly that as the Bengal Tigers began the new year with new hope.

Rony, who also bagged a brace against Bhutan in their last group match in the regional south Asian competition, maintained his fine form and once again proved himself as a reliable option upfront. The Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi forward has now scored four goals in his last two outings, which is more than any of his team mates in 2015.

In the absence of regular fixture Hemanta Vincent Biswas, who was out to injury,

juvenile striker Jibon got the nod ahead of veteran forward Jahid Hasan Ameli. Captain Mamunul Islam partnered Sohel Rana in central midfield while Jamal Bhuiyan sat just in front of the back four.

The home side began the game brighter of the two teams and it took them only 17 minutes to break the deadlock with pacey winger Zahid Hossain delivering a lovely assist for Rony from the right flank. All Rony had to do was calmly place the ball home past the Lankan custodian.

The weekend crowd’s jubilation however, lasted only three minutes due to some

RESULT Bangladesh Rony 17, 86 Yeasin 21, Jibon 43

4–2

Sri Lanka Figurado 20 - P Chaturanga 52

sloppy defending by experienced centreback Nasir Uddin Chowdhury. Nasir upended Silva inside the box and Figurado duly stroked the ball from the spot.

Yeasin though restored Bangladesh’s lead just a few moments later when he glided home a header from a curling Mamunul corner.

Bangladesh could have caused further inroads in the 28th and 33rd minutes and

it was Mamunul who was the provider on both occasions. Rony and Nasirul Islam Nasir however, narrowly failed to add to Bangladesh’s lead.

Two minutes before the first half whistle, the men in red and green atoned for their earlier misses as Jibon made it 3-1 following a swerving Zahid free-kick from 20 yards.

The islanders then reduced the arrears against the run of play seven minutes into the second half and surprisingly, Jamal turned out to be the culprit. The midfield enforcer slipped in front of his own box and Chaturanga capitalised on the blunder, poking past Bangladesh netminder Shahidul Alam Sohel.

The Lankans threatened a few more times after their second goal but Sohel and the Bangladesh back four stood firm.

Rony’s second of the day gave the hosts some much-needed breathing space in the 86th minute and Maruful’s disciples saw off the remainder of the game without further trouble.

The Bengal Tigers will face reigning champions Malaysia in their second Group A clash this Tuesday at Dhaka’s Bangabandhu National Stadium. Before that though, the Malaysians will take on Nepal in their opening match today at the same venue. l

DT

26

BPL 2015

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Windies U19s first to arrive in Bangladesh n Mazhar Uddin While Australia withdrew their name from the forthcoming 2016 ICC Under-19 World Cup owing to security worries, the West Indies team had no such concerns as they became the first visiting side to arrive in Bangladesh, a full 18 days before the showpiece event.

Having arrived yesterday, the junior Windies cricketers will get two days to prepare themselves before the three-match one-day series against their Bangladesh counterparts gets underway at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. The two teams will then depart for Chittagong for the second and third one-dayers, scheduled to be held at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium this Thursday and Saturday.

Bangladesh Cricket Board arranged the series to prepare the home side for the 11th edition of the age-level competition. This is the second time Bangladesh will be hosting the flagship event after 2004. On that occasion, the home side, comprising Nafees Iqbal, Naeem Islam and Aftab Ahmed among others, emerged as the plate champions defeating an Australian outfit containing Moises Henriques, Steve O’Keefe and Tim Paine.

Following the West Indies one-dayers, the junior Tigers will play two practice matches against their English and Zimbabwean counterparts before taking on holders South Africa in their tournament opener in Chittagong on January 27. Two days later, the junior West Indians will face England in their opening match.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s participation, in place of Australia, has been confirmed by the International Cricket Council. l

Bangladesh pace sensation Mustafizur Rahman was the toast of the security personnel following the Tigers’ arrival in Khulna yesterday

No EPL players in Uefa Team of the Year 2015 n Agencies The Premier League was once again left trailing Europe’s top two leagues as the Uefa Team of the Year was announced.

England’s top division may claim to be the richest and most watched of Europe’s big five leagues, but it’s certainly lacking marquee stars, as fans across the continent have pointed out.

Not one Premier League player (Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Eden Hazard, Wayne Rooney, Sergio Aguero) have managed to break into Uefa’s best XI. Angel Di Maria made the team last year, but as Manchester United fans will testify,

that was more for his heroics with Real Madrid than at Old Trafford.

UEFA TEAM OF THE YEAR Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich & Germany) Dani Alves (Barcelona & Brazil) Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid & Spain) Gerard Piqué (Barcelona & Spain) David Alaba (Bayern Münich & Austria) Paul Pogba (Juventus & France) Andrés Iniesta (Barceona & Spain) James Rodríguez (Real Madrid & Colombia) Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid & Portugal) Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina) Neymar (Barcelona & Brazil)

Ozil was in the team in 2013, but again, that was more for what he did in the white of Real Madrid than the red of Arsenal. The last time a Premier League player made the team in his own right was when Gareth Bale, then of Tottenham Hotspur, was selected in 2011.

Previous to that Premier League players were regulars in the team, with Ashley Cole, Cristiano Ronaldo, John Terry Didier Drogba, Steven Gerrard, Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas all receiving votes in past years.

More than 600,000 voters (640,948) cast their vote on the Uefa website and another 165,494 were made on Twitter for a total of 7,050,428 votes. l

KAZI SANTO

Platini pulls out of FIFA race, vows to clear name n AFP, Paris Suspended UEFA chief Michel Platini vowed to clear his name of sleaze allegations and slammed outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter as he pulled out of the race to lead football’s world body.

Platini told French sports newspaper L’Equipe that he would concentrate on fighting his eight-year ban from football, as he abandoned his bid to contest the FIFA election on February 26.

“I will not present myself for the presidency of FIFA. I am withdrawing my candidature,” he said, in an interview published in full yesterday.

“I no longer have the time nor the means to go to the voters, to meet people, to fight against the other candidates.

“In withdrawing, I am dedicating myself to my defence.”

Platini and Blatter were suspended for eight years by FIFA’s ethics committee over a $2 million payment made to Platini in 2011 for work carried out between 1999 and 2002.

The 60-year-old Platini said his ban has made it impossible for him to put together a campaign to take on the sport’s most powerful job.

“It is a question of the calendar, but not only that. How can you win an election when you are prevented from campaigning?” he said. l

27

DT

Sport

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Challenge for Australia is to win abroad: Smith n Reuters, Sydney

QUICK BYTES ICC U-19 World Cup squads finalised The International Cricket Council through a media release yesterday informed that all the 16 squads of the participating teams for the impending Under-19 World Cup have been finalised. Bangladesh will be hosting the U-19 World Cup for the second time after 2004 with the opening match between the hosts and defending champions South Africa slated for January 27 at Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. The home side have retained five cricketers from the previous World Cup squad while three-time champions India kept three from the last edition in 2014.

However, South Africa, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe will be playing with a fresh set of cricketers. Ireland was confirmed as the 16th and final participant after Australia withdrew their team from the flagship event citing security concerns.

–TRIBUNE REPORT

Suarez handed ban for provocative comments

India’s Virat Kohli plays a shot during the Twenty20 match against a Western Australian XI in Perth yesterday. India posted 192/4 while in reply, WA XI managed 118/6 AFP

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has been given a two-match cup ban for using provocative language after their King’s Cup last-16 first-leg clash against Espanyol, the Spanish federation said yesterday. At the end of a bad-tempered derby on Wednesday which Barca won 4-1, insults were exchanged by both sets of players in the tunnel after leaving the pitch.

–REUTERS

Pakistan keep coach Waqar for England tour

Oscar denies bust-up with Costa

Pakistan said Thursday they will keep national team head coach Waqar Younis in place until the end of their England tour later this year.

Waqar’s two-year contract expires in May, but Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan said his team management would continue until September.

“We have not taken a final decision on the contracts of the team management but Waqar and other staff will continue until the end of Pakistan’s tour of England,” Khan told AFP. Pakistan play four Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 on the tour which

Chelsea’s Brazilian midfielder Oscar has taken to Twitter to deny reports of a training ground row with team mate and Spain international Diego Costa. British media reported on Thursday that the pair nearly came to blows after exchanging tackles in a training session ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup third round tie against Scunthorpe United.

–REUTERS

Sunderland sign Bayern defender Kirchhoff

n AFP, Karachi

starts June 29. After two warm-up games the first Test starts at Lord’s from July 14.

Waqar took over as head coach in June 2013, and under him Pakistan have lost six of their nine one-day series.

They have shown improvement in Tests, however, winning four of their six series, losing one and drawing the other.

“I appreciate that Pakistan Cricket Board and its chairman Shaharyar Khan have trust in my ability. I will always do my best to lift the team,” Waqar said.

The tour will be Pakistan’s first to England since their infamous tour in 2010 when three players were charged for spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test. All three were jailed in Britain. l

Australia captain Steven Smith believes the real challenge for his team is to win a series abroad and they will have to master the swinging ball if they are to succeed in their tour of New Zealand next month.

Smith and his men ruthlessly dominated the three-Test home series against West Indies, winning it 2-0 after the rain-hit final match ended in a draw in Sydney on Thursday.

“We’ve always played quite well at home but the challenge for us is to make sure we’re winning series away from home, and that starts with a tough series for us in New Zealand,” Smith said.

After this month’s limited over home series against India, Australia tour New Zealand and Smith warned the conditions would be difference across the Tasman.

“Hopefully we can adapt to the conditions we’re going to face in New Zealand,” Smith said.

“I daresay they’re going to have a bit of grass on them and are going to swing a bit. So we have to be better than we have been previously on those sort of wickets and hopefully we can adapt well and have a successful tour there.”

Victory in New Zealand, provided England translate their 1-0 lead in the ongoing fourmatch series in South Africa into series victory, will see Australia return to the top of the Test rankings.

Smith had no doubt his team mates would adapt to the conditions to achieve top rankings.

“I’ve had a few chats about it to some of the boys. When you’re under pressure you go back to the way you know and that can hurt you a little bit away from home.

“I think you almost have to find another way to do things. Whether that be playing in England or New Zealand making sure you play under your eyes. Here you can play out in front of you a little bit more but that will get you into trouble in England and New Zealand.” l

Premier League strugglers Sunderland have signed defender Jan Kirchhoff from Bayern Munich for an undisclosed fee, the club said on Thursday. The towering centre back, 25, began his career at Mainz before joining Bayern in 2013. He also played on loan at Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga.

–REUTERS

Wenger hopes to seal ‘complicated’ Elneny deal Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hopes to complete the signing of FC Basel midfielder Mohamed Elneny by early next week after reported work permit issues threatened to stall the transfer. With midifielders Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin out with injury, Elneny would be an welcome addition to squad, which was stretched thin during the festive period.

“It’s complicated a little bit, but we are working hard on it and hope in the next two days we get to the end,” Wenger told reporters.

–REUTERS

Aga Khan Gold Cup Golf begins The two-day Aga Khan Gold Cup Golf Tournament got underway yesterday at Kurmitola Golf Course. Air Marshal Abu Esrar, Chief of Air Staff, Bangladesh Air Force teed off proceedings on the opening day’s play as the chief guest while members of the Aga Khan community in Bangladesh and Kurmitola Golf Club were also present during the occasion. The prize distribution ceremony will be held today evening at the Banquet Hall of Kurmitola Golf Club.

DT

28

Sport

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Pressure on for both coaches as Roma face Milan n Reuters, Milan The pressure will be on for both coaches when AS Roma and AC Milan meet today with the two sides stuck in a midseason rut.

Italian media say that Sinisa Mihajlovic has been given two games to avoid becoming the fourth Milan coach to be fired in the space of two years.

Rudi Garcia’s position at Roma is scarcely more comfortable after winning once in their last nine outings, a run which included the 6-1 Champions League drubbing by Barcelona which reportedly had club president James Pallotta seething.

Both teams compounded their misfortune on Wednesday by failing to chalk up what should have been routine wins.

Instead, Roma were held 3-3 at Chievo after twice letting slip the lead while Milan missed a hatful of chances before losing 1-0 at home to a Bologna side coached by the club’s old favourite, former winger Roberto Donadoni.

“We’re fully aware of the situation, but in these moments it’s important that we don’t get carried away and that we stay united,” said Mihajlovic, in his first season at Milan after his move from Sampdoria.

“We have to work hard and we will try and do well away at Roma.

“It’s normal for there to be pressure at Milan and that has always been the case. It’s only right and we have to get used to it,” he added.

“We have to be able to perform even in these type of situations. I never give up, that’s the least of my problems: the lion does not lose his sleep.”

Despite their poor run, Milan are seventh with 28 points and Mihajlovic is still hoping to take them back to the Champions League after an absence of two seasons. l

SERIE A Carpi v Udinese Fiorentina v Lazio Roma v AC Milan

Real Madrid’s new French coach Zinedine Zidane (bottom) takes part in a training session at the Valdebebas training ground in Madrid yesterday

AFP

Bernabeu awaits Zidane’s bow as boss n AFP, Madrid French legend Zinedine Zidane takes charge of Real Madrid for the first time when Deportivo la Coruna visit what is expected to be a sold out Santiago Bernabeu today.

The Madrid fans turned out in their thousands to welcome Zidane at his first training session on Tuesday, hours after he replaced the sacked Rafael Benitez, who paid the price for his unpopularity with the club’s stars and fans alike after just seven months in the job.

By contrast, Zidane is beloved at the Bernabeu for his five years as a player in the Spanish capital, most notably scoring a sensational winning goal in the 2002 Champions League final.

Yet, Deportivo’s visit will be his first match

in senior management having only previously coached Madrid’s feeder team Castilla for the past 18 months.

Zidane has a tough task if he is to deliver only Madrid’s second league title in eight years with Real trailing league leaders Atletico Madrid by four points and Barcelona by two - having also played a game more than the European champions.

“This is a difficult but stimulating chal-

LA LIGA Barcelona Getafe Sevilla Real Madrid Levante

v v v v v

Granada Real Betis Athletic Bilbao Deportivo Rayo Vallecano

African player of the year staying at Dortmund n AFP, Abuja Star Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rejected English Premier League overtures as he celebrated winning the African player of the year award.

The Gabonese, who is the leading Bundesliga scorer this season, was reduced to tears after stopping Yaya Toure getting a fifth straight title on Thursday night.

“I am staying at Dortmund,” the 26-yearold Aubameyang, who has been linked with an $85 million move to Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool, said after accepting the prize at a gala in Abuja.

“I am so happy. I am not someone who

usually cries but it is quite an emotional moment. When you are standing alongside players like Yaya Toure or Andre Ayew there is pride in winning such a trophy ahead of them because they are great players and I obviously admire them a lot.”

“I will really have to work a lot. Obviously I think I have the skills and the talent to make it again next year but it will require lots of work and many sacrifices as well.”

Aubameyang, who has scored 18 goals in 17 Bundesliga games this season, earned 143 points in a poll of African coaches, seven more than Manchester City’s Toure. Ghana and Swansea City striker Andre Ayew was third on 112 points. l

lenge, I want to take up the challenge and do my utmost to win titles,” said Zidane.

“I will be satisfied with winning everything. Our objective is to win, we have two titles that we can win and we are going to try until the end of the season.”

Zidane has signalled his intention to retain the star attacking trident of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema up front and will have a fully-fit squad to choose from after captain Sergio Ramos returned to training on Thursday.

However, Deportivo’s resurgence under former Madrid midfielder Victor Sanchez has been one of the revelations of the season.

The Galicians have only lost three times in the league this season and have already taken points off Barcelona and Atletico.l

Osvaldo to link up with Tevez in Boca n Reuters, Buenos Aires Italy striker Dani Osvaldo has returned to Argentina looking for a second shot at helping his favourite club Boca Juniors win a record-equalling seventh Copa Libertadores this year.

Argentine-born Osvaldo, who spent the first half of 2015 at Boca before moving to Porto, began pre-season training with the Argentine team on Thursday and was set to sign yesterday when club president Daniel Angelici returns from holiday, the sports daily Ole reported.

The 29-year-old former Espanyol, AS Roma, Southampton, Inter Milan and Juventus striker rescinded his contract with Porto last week to pave the way for a return to Buenos Aires. l

29

DT

Sport

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Federer overcomes illness and opponent n AFP, Brisbane

DAY’S WATCH Channel 9 2:45AM Bangabandhu Gold Cup Malaysia v Nepal

Ten Sports 03:30PM WTA Tour 2016 Brisbane International Final

Ten Action 2:30PM A-League 2015/16 Melbourne City v W Sydney Wanderers I-League 2016 5:00PM Mohun Bagan v Aizawl FC 7:30PM Salgaocar v Bengaluru 1:00AM French Ligue 1 2015/16 Angers SCO v SM Caen

Ten Cricket 9:00PM ATP World Tour 250 Qatar Open Final

Sony Six The Emirates FA Cup 8:30PM Arsenal v Sunderland 11:30PM Manchester United v Sheffield United 1:30AM Italian Serie A Roma v AC Milan

Sony Kix 8:30AM Brisbane International 2016 Semi Finals 1:30PM Hopman Cup 2015 Final Spanish La Liga 9:00PM Barcelona v Granada 11:00PM Sevilla v Athletic Club 1:30AM Real Madrid v Deportivo La Coruna 3:30AM Levante v Rayo Vallecano

Star Sports 1 2:00PM KFC T20 Big Bash League Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars

Star Sports 4 5:30PM Aircel Chennai Open 2016

Neo Sports 3:00AM PGA Tour 2016 Hyundai Tournament of Champions

Roger Federer of Switzerland plays a shot to Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia yesterday REUTERS

Swiss great Roger Federer overcame the effects of a recent illness and a tenacious Grigor Dimitrov to book a place in the semi-finals of the Brisbane International yesterday.

Federer, the defending champion, edged Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 in his fourth consecutive win over the Bulgarian.

After racing through the first set with a display of almost perfect tennis, Federer, who has been battling illness this week, seemed to tire in the second as Dimitrov grew in confidence.

But the 17-time Grand Slam champion dug deep in the third, breaking Dimitrov in the fifth game and holding on to win in two hours, seven minutes.

Dimitrov hadn’t managed to take a set off his opponent in their three previous meetings and he looked to be heading to another straight sets defeat as Federer put on a dazzling display of power and precision.

The former world number one conceded only two points on serve in the first set and put enormous pressure on Dimitrov, who cracked when serving at 4-5 to hand Federer the opener in 35 minutes. However, Federer began to tire in the second and Dimitrov picked up the pace, forcing the set to a tiebreak before pouncing on some loose serving to level the match.

Federer lifted in the third then took advantage of a concentration lapse from Dimitrov. l

Holders Arsenal start road to FA Cup history n AFP, London Arsenal’s sights are set on the Premier League title but Gunners defender Calum Chambers says the possibility of becoming the first club in the modern era to lift the FA Cup for a third successive season will fire their defence of the trophy.

Arsene Wenger’s side face Sunderland in the third round at the Emirates Stadium today eight months after their 4-0 victory over Aston Villa in last season’s final.

And having ended the club’s nine-year wait for a trophy by beating Hull City 12 months earlier, the Gunners last suffered defeat in the FA Cup way back in February 2013.

The north Londoners sit top of the Premier League and beat struggling Sunderland 3-1 in December, meaning they will face Sam Allardyce’s team confident of extending their impressive run.

With the Champions League due to resume next month, Arsenal’s chances of becoming the first club since Blackburn Rovers in the 1880s to make it three FA Cup wins in a row will hinge on their ability to manage the demands of competing on different fronts.

But Chambers insists there will be no lack of incentive to deliver success in the main domestic cup competition.

Wenger has ruled out a return for Alexis Sanchez who has a hamstring problem, while Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky are still out.

Meanwhile, Black Cats boss Allardyce has criticised the scheduling of the next round of Premier League matches in the mid-week

following this weekend’s third round ties.

Allardyce claims it de-values the FA Cup and will force him into making several changes this weekend.

He says his priority is securing a 10th successive season of top flight football at the Stadium of Light, with his side facing a crucial visit to fellow strugglers Swansea four days after their trip to London.

Teenage defender Thomas Beadling and back-up goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, 21, are expected to be involved for the 1973 FA Cup winners.

Allardyce is unlikely to risk veteran defenders John O’Shea and Wes Brown, while nine-goal top scorer Jermain Defoe and key midfielder Lee Cattermole are also set to be rested for Wednesday’s trip to South Wales.

Injuries to Younes Kaboul, Seb Larsson and Jack Rodwell further lessen the options available to Allardycen. l

FIXTURES

Wycombe (IV) Arsenal Birmingham City (II) Doncaster (III) Everton Norwich City Southampton Watford West Brom West Ham Manchester United

v v v v v v v v v v v

Aston Villa Sunderland AFC Bournemouth Stoke City D Redbridge (IV) Manchester City Crystal Palace Newcastle United Bristol City (II) Wolverhampton (II) Sheffield United (III)

Azarenka strolls to final, to face Kerber n AFP, Brisbane Former world number one Victoria Azarenka waltzed into the final of the Brisbane International when she thrashed American wildcard Samantha Crawford 6-0, 6-3 in just 68 minutes yesterday.

Crawford had enjoyed an unexpected run to her first WTA semi-final but she was no match for Azarenka, who strolled through the first set in just 23 minutes.

Crawford overcame her nerves in the second set and began to find her range with her powerful groundstrokes, but Azarenka was always in control as she reached her third Brisbane International final. The two-time Australian Open champion won her maiden WTA title in Brisbane in 2009 and finished runner-up to Serena Williams in 2013. l

DT

30

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

Showtime

Highlights from the People’s Choice Awards 2016 n Showtime Desk The People’s Choice Awards is an audience oriented show. The show evolves around screaming fan base who are given the privilege to vote for their favourites from different categories. This year, Jane Lynch hosted the annual event, which is one of the first big ceremonies of awards season. Here are five highlights from the show:

Dakota Johnson recovered from a wardrobe malfunction

On her way to accept the Favourite Dramatic Movie Actress award, Johnson realised that presenter Leslie accidentally caused her dress to tear while giving her congratulatory hug. However, gutsy Dakota from Fifty Shades of Grey kept holding her top up and in attempt to make the situation less uncomfortable said she.

A man crashed the stage and the wrong winner was shown

Two strangers abruptly appeared on the People’s Choice telecast. One of the men showed up when the women from The Talk accepted the daytime hosts awards. Without a care, he bypassed the security to get to the mic in order to say something, however, to the audience’s surprise, Sheryl Underwood quickly drove out the stage-crasher, while Sharon Osbourne kicked him so Sarah Gilbert could finish her speech. Keeping the stranger on camera, the Favourite Social Media Star was announced. The winner was Buzzfeed’s Matt Bellassai, who was sitting behind the excited guy that camera men accidentally featured.

Jane Lynch sang, danced and poked fun at Steve Harvey

In a live opening number, Lynch showed off her Glee pipes while performing a song-anddance parody of Shut Up and Dance, which was called “stand up and choose.” Lynch also evoked massive laughter among the audience saying that she is like the multitalented Neil Patrick Harris, only “more masculine.” Later, she presented “new” Most Deserving of People’s Choice Award to Thomas Lennon, before realising that he was the first runner-up, also intending a pun at the Miss Universe finale mishap, and said that the winner was Miss Columbia! Ariadna Gutierrez showed up in a sash and crown to claim her prize, while Lynch made the remark saying: “It’s my fault, I didn’t bother to come to dress rehearsal and I just read the card wrong, I’m so sorry.” l

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS 2016 WINNERS MOVIE CATEGORY Favourite Movie - Furious 7 Favourite Movie Actor - Channing Tatum Favourite Movie Actress - Sandra Bullock Favourite Action Movie - Furious 7 Favourite Action Movie Actor - Chris Hemsworth Favourite Action Movie Actress - Shailene Woodley Favourite Animated Movie Voice - Selena Gomez Favourite Comedic Movie - Pitch Perfect 2 Favourite Comedic Movie Actor - Kevin Hart Favourite Comedic Movie Actress - Melissa McCarthy Favourite Dramatic Movie - The Martian Favourite Dramatic Movie Actor - Johnny Depp Favourite Dramatic Movie Actress - Dakota Johnson Favourite Family Movie - Minions Favourite Thriller Movie - Taken 3

Humanitarian Award Ellen DeGeneres

TV CATEGORY Favourite TV Show - The Big Bang Theory Favourite Network TV Comedy - The Big Bang Theory Favourite Comedic TV Actor - Jim Parsons Favourite Comedic TV Actress - Melissa McCarthy Favourite Network TV Drama - Grey’s Anatomy Favourite Dramatic TV Actor - Taylor Kinney Favourite Dramatic TV Actress - Ellen Pompeo

Favourite Cable TV Comedy - It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Favourite Cable TV Drama - Pretty Little Liars Favourite Cable TV Actor - Kevin Hart Favourite Cable TV Actress - Sasha Alexander Favourite Premium Cable TV Show Homeland Favourite Premium Cable TV Actor - Dwayne Johnson Favourite Premium Cable TV Actress Kristen Bell Favourite TV Crime Drama - Person of Interest Favourite TV Crime Drama Actor - Nathan Fillion Favourite TV Crime Drama Actress - Stana Katic Favourite Network TV Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show Beauty and the Beast Favourite Cable TV Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show Outlander Favourite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor - Jensen Ackles Favourite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress Caitriona Balfe Favourite Competition TV Show - The Voice Favourite Daytime TV Host - Ellen DeGeneres Favourite Daytime TV Hosting Team - The Talk Favourite Late Night Talk Show Host - Jimmy Fallon Favourite Streaming Series - Orange is the New Black

Favourite Actor In A New TV Series - John Stamos Favourite Actress In A New TV Series Priyanka Chopra Favourite Animated TV Show - The Simpsons Favourite New TV Comedy - Scream Queens Favourite New TV Drama - Supergirl MUSIC CATEGORY Favourite Male Artist - Ed Sheeran Favourite Female Artist- Taylor Swift Favourite Group- Fifth Harmony Favourite Breakout Artist- Shawn Mendes Favourite Male Country Artist - Blake Shelton Favourite Female Country Artist - Carrie Underwood Favourite Country Group - Lady Antebellum Favourite Pop Artist - Taylor Swift Favourite Hip-Hop Artist - Nicki Minaj Favourite R&B Artist - The Weeknd Favourite Album - Title by Meghan Trainor Favorite Song - “What Do You Mean?” by Justin Bieber Favourite Music Icon - Madonna DIGITAL CATEGORY Favourite Social Media Celebrity - Britney Spears Favourite Social Media Star - Matt Bellassai Favourite Mobile Game - Candy Crush Saga Favourite Video Game - Super Smash Bros.

Favourite YouTube Star - Connor Franta The DailyMail.com Seriously Popular™ Award - Maddie Ziegler

Eddie Redmayne recieves yet another nod for the BAFTA award for the second year in a row after winning plaudits for his role in The Danish Girl.

The shortlist for the prizes were announced at the BAFTA headquarters by Stephen Fry and actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw, in London.

Redmayne won a BAFTA and Oscar last year for The Theory Of Everything, and is to go against Leonardo DiCaprio in the best actor category. Bryan Cranston for Trumbo, Matt Damon for The Martian and Michael Fassbender for Steve Jobs are also named in the same category.

Starring in The Revenant, DiCaprio has been nominated for a BAFTA three times. He never won any of them.

Colin Firth remains the only soul to have won for consecutive years, for A Single Man

in 2009 and The King’s Speech in 2010.

Redmayne’s co-star Alicia Vikander is also nominated for best actress, against Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn and Brie Larson for Room.

Vikander also received two BAFTA nominations after her role as supporting actress in Ex Machina.

“The Danish Girl and Ex Machina have been such gifts of projects for me,” said Vikander.

“The fact that both of these projects were driven from the UK, with a predominantly British cast and crew and that both these films have been so generously recognised

by BAFTA today, makes this even more poignant for me.”

The BAFTA awards will be handed out on February 14 at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. l

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 WB 1:31 pm The film revolves with final chapter begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue their quest of finding and destroying the Dark Lord’s three remaining Horcruxes, the magical items responsible for his immortality. But as the mystical Deathly Hallows are uncovered, and Voldemort finds out about their mission, the biggest battle begins and life as they know it will never be the same again.

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint

Janet Jackson discards rumours of cancer

n Showtime Desk Janet Jackson confirmed she does not have cancer after she cancelled her world tour, causing a speculation about her health.

On Christmas Eve, the singer announced that she was postponing a few concerts, reportedly due to doctors telling her she required surgery. She was reported to not disclose further details about the matter at the time. However, she has now released a message to clarify that she is indeed not suffering from cancer, but diverted the topic just before

stating the problem in particular.

“The rumours are untrue. I do not have cancer,” wrote Jackson. “I’m recovering. My doctors have approved my concerts as scheduled in Europe, and as I promised, the postponed shows will be rescheduled.”

Jackson is ready to continue the European leg of her Unbreakable album’s tour in Birmingham from March 30, but with more than two months worth of concerts scheduled before it around North America.

She began her tour in Vancouver and has already performed extensively across

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

WHAT TO WATCH

Eddie Redmayne gets consecutive BAFTA nominations n Showtime Desk

31

DT

Showtime

North America from August 2015, along with numerous shows in Japan.

She updated her fans on her well-being through social media as a message on a black screen, in the firm of a two-minute video.

The video progressed with a cut from a track from her latest album The Great Forever, in which she sings: “Not too pleased with what you’re digging. I’m just busy living my life.”

Jackson removed herself from social gatherings after her brother Michael passed away in 2009, but began performing in global tours in 2011. l

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Star Movies Action 9:30 pm Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and battles a new threat from old history the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier.

Cast: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan Die Hard Star Movies 9:30 pm John is a cop in New York City. In Holly’s place of work. John and Holly get into an argument in the bathroom.

She leaves in a huff and get back to her office to find herself and the others surrounded by armed terrorists led by Hans Gruber. All are held hostage on the 30th floor while the rest of the building is emptied. What the terrorists don’t know is that John is also there in the building.

Cast: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia Thor Sony PIX 3:45 pm The warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard by his father Odin for his arrogance and sent to Earth to live among humans. Falling in love with scientist Jane Foster teaches Thor much-needed lessons, and his newfound strength comes into play as a villain from his homeland sends dark forces toward Earth.

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman

DT

32

Back Page

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

WHEN IN A HOLE, STOP DIGGING PAGE 12

TIGERS BEGIN GOLD CUP WITH WIN PAGE 25

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS PAGE 30 Dipon’s Jagriti will keep publishing books n Amanur Rahman Rony

Weekend and nice weather make the perfect combination for the Dhakaites to spend the day at DITF yesterday

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

A father indeed

Looking back at the BNP-led 20-party alliance blockade of 2015, the Dhaka Tribune’s Mohammad Jamil Khan seeks out the survivors of the firebomb campaign and reports on how they are doing The worst part of Abul Hasan’s ordeal has been dealing with his eight-year-old son’s reaction to his disfigurement.

Wife Rina Begum explains: “Our only son, Rifat, used to love climbing onto my husband’s shoulders. But since the attack, Rifat does not even sit near his father.

“I often find my husband shedding tears about this. I understand my husband’s pain but I am powerless to do anything about it.”

Abul Hasan, 35, was seared by the flames of a petrol bomb attack on his bus in the Matuail area of Jatrabari in the capital while returning home on January 23 last year.

Several operations and nearly a year later, Abul Hasan is able to feed himself without help from others. This is no small feat for the former sweater factory employee whose wife has been spoon-feeding him since the attack.

“My husband still cannot sleep at night because of the still-painful burn wounds on his back that cause him to shout out in pain,” Rina says. The attack left Abul with 30% burn injuries to his head, hands and back.

He has not worked since the arson attack

by BNP-led 20-party alliance blockaders last year. He spent three months at the Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute of Dhaka Medical

College Hospital before he was well enough to return home.

A monthly payment of Tk10,000 from the government is the family’s only source of income.

“This must be stretched to cover Abul’s treatment costs and the daily expenses for the three of us and my father-in-law Jabbar Khalifa and mother-in-law Farida,” Rina says.

The entire family, originally from Barisal, lives together in Narayanganj’s Rupganj area.

Abul Hasan was the only earning member of the family.

Despite Rifat’s awkwardness with his father, the student of the Shishu Kanan Ideal School in Narayanganj, has shown a maturity beyond his years in his adjustment to the family’s changed circumstances.

“While other children plead with their parents for chocolate or snacks, my son never makes any demands because he realises that we are having financial difficulties,” says Rina, her voiced tinged with bittersweet pride.

“The attack destroyed his childhood,” she says.

Abul Hasan’s recovery is a testament to Rina’s painstaking care and his own tremen-

dous resolve, but the long struggle has caused him to become increasingly despondent.

After initially refusing to speak to the Dhaka Tribune, he finally agreed to share his feelings. “What should I say? My whole world has been shattered.

“I sit idle at home. I have no work. My son will not come to me. My wife has to do everything,” Abul says.

He pauses, then continues: “Do you understand what I am talking about?”

“I never hurt anybody but a year later I still pass out from the pain they have left me with.

“You will not understand what I talking about unless you find yourself in my situation.”

Rina quietly says: “I do not know when things will get better. Abul still has to go to the hospital every two weeks. For now we must live hand to mouth.

“I just hope we can manage a decent education for my son.”

Abul, his eyes moist, says: “My only prayer to God is that He cures me so that I can support my old parents and family and secure a decent future for my son.” l

Jagriti, the publishing house of Faisal Arefin Dipan, will be there at this year’s Amar Ekushey Book Fair. There will be new books, too, from the house.

However, there has been confusion over participation of Shuddhashar, the publishing house of Ahmedur Rashid Tutul who was attacked by militants in Lalmatia last year.

The father of slain secularist publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan said his son’s publishing house will take part in the upcoming book fair and bring out some new books.

“Jagriti Prokashoni will publish new books and keep promoting the writers as it did earlier.

We cannot lose to the radicals or militants,” said Prof Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque, adding that the old books would also be available at the book fair that starts on February 1.

“It is not possible to overcome the loss our family has incurred, but I am trying to keep my son’s organisation alive. His well-wishers also want Jagriti to continue operations.”

Expressing frustration over the sluggish investigation process, the Dhaka University teacher said: “I knew it. I did not want to file a case after his murder considering the persistent culture of impunity in the country.

But I had to register a case on request of the university authorities and the government. But it did not bring any result.”

Dipan, who published two books of slain science writer Avijit Roy, was hacked to death in the capital’s Aziz Super Market on October 31, a few hours after another of Avijit’s publishers, Ahmedur Rashid Tutul, and two other writers came under similar attack in the capital’s Lalmatia area.

Police blame banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team for the attacks but are yet to complete the investigation.

Deputy Commissioner (south) of the Detective Branch of police Mashrukur Rahman Khaled said there was no progress in Dipan murder probe. “We are suspecting that it was an act of militants, but have not been able to identify the killers,” he said.

Shuddhashar publication owner Tutul could not be reached for comments on his plans for the book fair. He left the country in mid November fearing for his life.

Meanwhile, Avijit’s father Prof Ajoy Roy said no publisher had contacted him for publishing his son’s writings this year.

Former Buet lecturer Avijit, who had been living in the US for the last couple of years, came to Dhaka in February along with his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya despite facing threats by radical Islamists as two of his books got published by Shuddhashar.

They came under attack by some radicals on February 26 near the TSC intersection. Avijit died in a hospital the same night while Bonya received critical injuries. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com