02 Feb, 2016

SECOND EDITION

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

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Magh 20, 1422, Rabius Sani 22, 1437

BD 137TH IN ECONOMIC FREEDOM INDEX PAGE 3

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 287

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

MOTHER FLINGS NEWBORN FROM FOURTH FLOOR PAGE 5

MESSY START TO BOI MELA PAGE 32

Large cache of weapons recovered in Sherpur Hasan and Shahriar Milton n Kamrul from Sherpur RAB has recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from Sherpur’s Nalitabari upazila, saying that the weapons were similar to those found during a drive in Satchari of Habiganj in 2014.

Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan, spokesperson for the Rapid Action Battalion, told a press briefing that a team from RAB 5 made the find during an operation early yesterday near the border with India.

The recovered weapons cache included one anti-aircraft gun base, 22,000 heavy machine-gun bullets, 17,000 SMG bullets, a large number of bullets, two anti-aircraft spare barrel, two heavy machine gun, five machine gun spare barrel, one spare target sight, two sniper rifles, one AK-56, one 7.62mm pistol, 20 MG drum, different types of machines for cleaning rifles, five satellite phones and short- and long-range walkie-talkies.

Asked whether the weapons cache

RAB forces display the arms and ammunitions they found during a drive in Sherpur’s Nalitabari yesterday

Militants get bail and just disappear Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Md Sanaul Islam Tipu Law enforcement and intelligence agencies do not have information on the whereabouts of at least 192 militants – some of them trained explosives experts – who got bail in the last few years.

As part of the efforts to dig the reason behind the recent spike militancy in the country, law enforcers have been trying to trace these militant leaders and activists.

Unofficial sources suggest that many of them have illegally crossed the border and fled to India’s West Bengal.

The matter was discussed on Sunday in the weekly meeting of the cabinet committee on law and order at the secretariat.

Police headquarters data shows that in 2015, a total of 70 cases have been registered with various police stations across the coun-

try and 235 militants and their sympathisers arrested.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) – the law enforcement agency tasked with handling militancy – arrested nearly 1,300 people until December 2015 since its inception in 2004.

RAB has also recovered 128 firearms, 3,500 bullets, 638 grenades and 2,011kg explosive substances and a large number of jihadi books during the period.

Police and its various detective branches, known as DB, have arrested nearly another 1,000 suspected militants and sympathisers over this period.

Case study

In November 2009, the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested Abu Motaleb alias Motu along with one of his associates at Motijheel in the capital city.

During trial at a special judge’s court of

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Pakistan High Commission staff freed after detention n Tribune Report

Dhaka after remand, Motu gave a confessional statement that he was an operative of the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

He also confessed that he is a bomb-making expert wanted in Pakistan for plotting an attack on the Indian and US embassies and fought in war in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

Motu secured bail from the High Court in mid-2012. He attended a couple of hearings after that but has remained traceless since the start of 2013. The court had issued an arrest warrant against him and police are still looking for him.

When contacted, Motu’s lawyer Faruq Ahmed said: “Motu used to contact me over phone for a few months after he got bail. But I have not been in touch with him since. I contacted his relatives several times but they have not responded.”

A Pakistan High Commission official was detained by the police yesterday afternoon, only to be released some three hours later.

Abrar Ahmed Khan, a Pakistani national working as an assistant private secretary in the press section of Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka, was picked up by the police around 2pm in the capital’s Gulshan.

The police detained Abrar as he was suspiciously roaming around on a motorcycle near the Agora departmental store in Gulshan 2 area, said DMP Detective Branch Additional Deputy Commissioner (North) Mahfuzur Rahman.

Later, it was found that he did not have any driving licence or valid documents for the vehicle.

Maruf Hossain, deputy commissioner (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told the Dhaka Tribune that the police also recovered Rs3,500 from Abrar’s possession.

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Video shows boy being tortured in Habiganj n UNB The video footage of a minor newspaper vendor being tortured after having been tied with a tree in Nabiganj upazila on a petty theft charge has triggered an angry outcry.

Police detained three people for interrogation after the video clip of the incident that occurred on Friday went viral on the social networking site Facebook.

The video footage showed a Misbah Chowdhury beating Dabir Hossain, 13, after tying him to a tree.

On information, local UP chairman and others rescued the minor boy.

On Friday, Dabir sold a newspaper to Mohammad Chowdhury, Misbah’s brother.

As the restaurant owner did not pay him for the newspaper, the vendor took a packet of biscuit from the restaurant.

Later, Misbah called Dabir to the restaurant and then took him to a secluded place where he tied the boy with a tree and unleashed torture on him. l

Verdict in Noni-Taher war crimes case today n Ashif Islam Shaon The International Crimes Tribunal is scheduled to deliver its verdict in a war crimes case filed against alleged razakars Obaidul Haq Taher and Ataur Rahman Noni of Netrokona today.

A three-member Tribunal 1 headed by Justice Anwarul Haque fixed the date yesterday.

On January 10 this year, trials were concluded and the verdict was kept waiting. The state sought capital punishment for them while the defence sought acquittal from the war crimes charges.

Tribunal Registrar Shahidul Alam Jhinuk told reporters that the tribunal has directed jail authorities to produce the two accused at the tribunal at 10am for their verdicts to be pronounced.

The prosecution’s probe body began investigations against Taher and Noni on June 6, 2013, and submitted their findings on November 5, 2014. The two men were arrested on August 12, 2014.

Six charges were framed against them on March 2 last year by the tribunal for their alleged involvement in committing crimes against humanity during the country’s Liberation War in 1971.

According to the prosecution, the two men were involved in the abduction and killing of at least 15 persons including Awami League leader Fazlur Rahman Talukder at Barhatta, and looting and setting fire to 400450 houses during the war in 1971.

Taher and Noni joined the local Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation army, and were notorious for the atrocities committed in various parts of Netrokona including the Sadar upazila and Barhatta, mainly against the local Hindus. Taher was the commander of the local razakar unit. l

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with the winners of Bangla Academy Literary Award 2015 and other guests at the inaugural ceremony of Amar Ekhushey Boi Mela 2016 at Bangla Academy yesterday FOCUS BANGLA

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Pakistan High Commission staff freed Large cache After Abrar identified himself as a staff of the Pakistan High Commission, he was reportedly taken to the Gulshan police station.

Police then informed the Foreign Ministry and the Pakistan High Commission, ADC Mahfuz said, adding that Abrar was finally handed over to the second secretary of the high commission around 5pm.

However, Pakistan High Commission later issued a press release alleging that the police had harassed Abrar, who has been working there since July 2011.

According to the release, Abrar was on his foot when he was picked up in front of his Gulshan 2 residence by some policemen, four of them wearing jackets marked “DB.” They also took Abrar’s motorcycle after forcefully entering his apartment building.

Quoting Abrar, the release claimed that he was handcuffed and blindfolded before being put on a moving van for four hours.

The DB men also allegedly demanded Tk5 crore from Abrar and threatened of implicating him for possession of Indian fake currency. The high commission official was further threatened with crossfire and of be-

ing “dumped in the river,” according to the press release.

“The Pakistan High Commission strongly condemns this incident and rejects the false and fabricated charges levelled against its official. Unfortunately, the High Commission sees a disturbing pattern of harassment of its officers and officials, followed by a mud-slinging campaign and media trial,” the press release read.

Commenting on the response from Pakistani officials, ADC Mahfuz told the Dhaka Tribune that such allegations were totally baseless. No police could do anything after knowing the identity of Abrar as a high commission official, he said.

However, DB sources told the Dhaka Tribune that Abrar had long been under their surveillance for suspected links to terrorism financing.

Last year, Pakistan High Commission official Mazhar Khan was expelled from Bangladesh after allegations of terrorism financing.

Later, another Pakistani official named Farina Arshad was sent back to Pakistan after she was also accused of terrorism financing. l

belonged to any international terrorist organisation, the RAB commander said it was not possible to comment without further investigation.

He added that the drive was still not over and.

RAB officials were tipped off before yesterday’s raid at Chengbeng area in Poragaon union. The firearms and ammos were stored in at least four spots in the hills of the area.

A RAB source told the Dhaka Tribune that information provided by four persons detained in Rajshahi on Sunday had led to the Sherpur drive, led by RAB 5 Commanding Officer Lt Col Mahabub Alam and Company Commander Mobashwer Hossain Khan.

Sherpur has a history of weapons being stored by criminals in the area. In 2012, a large number of bullets and AK-47 rifles were recovered from a village in Nalitabari.

In 2010, police seized around 13,000 rifle bullets from Sherpur’s Jhenaigati upazila; a few months earlier, the same number of rifles were recovered from Bakakura Gucchagram of Sherpur’s Jhenaigati Upazila.

Between 2007 and 2011, around 50,000 bullets, rockets, land mines and weapons were found in Jhenaigati’s border areas near India. l

Militants get bail and just disappear How they get bail

Thanks to loopholes in law, weak investigation and procrastination in trial, more than 450 of those militants have managed to get bail, sources said.

Most of them have been put in jail in cases filed by police with lower courts under the anti-terrorism act, which does not allow for bail. However, lower courts do not have the jurisdiction to grant bails in such cases.

Existing regulations bind police to file charge sheets in anti-terrorism act cases within 180 days of filing. But police never manage to filed charge sheets within the stipulated time.

Moreover, when the accused persons move the High Court, seeking bail, police have no role to play; usually public prosecutors handle such cases on behalf of the state.

In the absence of a charge sheet, the public prosecutors have very little to say when the accused person cook up stories of personal or family crises and seek bail on humanitarian grounds. As a result, the HC grants them bail.

According to law enforcement agencies, most of the militants who have disappeared after securing bail are members of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI-B), Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Ansarullah Bangla Team, Hijb ut-Tahrir and local followers of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The blame game

Seeking anonymity, a highly placed source inside police said: “It is literally impossible to submit charge sheet in cases filed under the anti-terrorism act in just 180 days.”

After arresting a suspected militant, law enforcement agencies usually place him on remand. During interrogation, the suspect mentions the names and addresses of some of his associates.

“But because militants keep changing their locations continuously, police hardly ever trace those associates. As a result, charge sheets cannot be filed within the stipulated time,” the source said.

Eventually, when bail orders from the HC

reaches the jail, the authorities release the suspected militants.

Another highly placed source from the police headquarters told the Dhaka Tribune: “This is happening because there is no coordination between police and jail authorities.

“It is the jail authorities’ duty to inform local police or intelligence agencies before releasing any militant or top criminal on bail.”

However, when contacted, the jail authorities denied having any such duty.

Jahangir Kabir, senior super of Dhaka Central Jail, said: “We only check the documents sent from the court. If police inform us about any particular inmate, we have no problem in informing them.”

Police spokesperson Monirul Islam, also head of the DMP’s Detective Branch, said: “Police have nothing to do if anyone gets bail from courts.”

He also said that they have information that militants are trying to regroup after coming out on bail. “We are now searching for their hideouts and arrest them again.” l

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Bangladesh 137th in economic freedom index n Tribune Report Bangladesh has been ranked 137th among 178 economies in the 2016 Index of Economic Freedom, released by the Heritage Foundation yesterday.

Last year, Bangladesh was ranked 131st, scoring 53.9 points.

The US think tank termed the country’s economic freedom status “mostly unfree,” saying there are concerns over rule of law and open markets in the country.

The country scored 53.3 points, down 0.6 points compared to the last year’s ranking, according to the report jointly prepared

by Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal.

“Overall entrepreneurial activity is disadvantaged by an uncertain regulatory environment, poor infrastructure, and the absence of effective long-term institutional support for private-sector development,” read the report.

Bangladesh has shown remarkable mac-

Economic Freedom Snapshot 

2016 Economic Freedom Score: 53.3 (down 0.6 point)

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Economic Freedom Status: Mostly Unfree

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Global Ranking: 137th

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Regional Ranking: 29th in the Asia– Pacific Region

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Notable Successes: Management of Public Finance

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Concerns: Rule of Law and Open Markets

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Overall Score Change Since 2012: +0.1

roeconomic resilience, and its economy has grown steadily over the past five years, it said.

“Nonetheless, overall entrepreneurial activity is disadvantaged by an uncertain regulatory environment, poor infrastructure, and the absence of effective long-term institutional support for private-sector development.”

Former finance adviser to the caretaker government, AB Mirza Azizul Islam, said the country’s weak trade regime, poor infrastructures and regulatory complexities might affect investments.

According to him, the private sector investment has stuck at around 21% in the past few years.

Bangladesh is ranked 29th in the AsiaPacific region, while among South Asian countries, Bangladesh has the second lowest place with only Nepal trailing at 151st place.

Sri Lanka is ranked 93rd, Bhutan 97th, India 123rd, Pakistan 126th and the Maldives 132nd.

The report said despite a decade of economic and social gains for much of the population, Bangladesh remains one of the world’s poorest nations.

Bangladesh has shown notable success only in management of public finance although “a large bureaucracy hinders government effectiveness”.

“Endemic corruption and criminality,

weak rule of law, limited bureaucratic transparency, and political polarisation continue to undermine government accountability,” said the report.

The report also mentioned that obtaining necessary permits for start-ups remains time-consuming. “Contract enforcement and dispute settlement procedures are inefficient, and property laws are antiquated,” it added.

Globally, Hong Kong tops the list followed

by Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland and Australia. The five countries from the bottom are North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and Turkmenistan.

“Economic freedom is a crucial component of liberty. It empowers people to work, produce, consume, own, trade, and invest according to their personal choices,” said the report.

Rule of law, government size, regulatory efficiency and market openness are considered to be four pillars of the economic freedom, the report said. l

6,828 absent in first SSC test n Tribune Report

A total of 6,828 examinees were absent while seven were expelled for cheating as the first Secondary School Certificate and its equivalent test was held across the country yesterday.

An invigilator was also expelled for helping candidates unfairly in the exam.

Five candidates of the vocational board, one from madrasa board and one from Jessore board were expelled, according to the Education Ministry.

The number of students absent at exam venues under Dhaka board was 847. It was 510 in Comilla board, 423 in Jessore board, 279 in Chittagong board, 252 in Sylhet board, 250 in Barisal board and 306 in Dinajpur board. l

Examinees at Motijheel Government Boy’s High School exam centre in the capital on the first day of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

GM Quader, ABM Ruhul Amin spokespersons for JaPa n Mohammad Al-Masum Mollah Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad assigned the party’s newly appointed co-chairman GM Quader and Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader as spokespersons of the party.

In a press release, the main opposition Jatiya Party said that GM Quader and ABM Ruhul Amin

Hawlader will speak for the party from now.

“Statements, remarks and speeches of others will not be considered as the version of Jatiya Party,” the release said.

The decision came just after a day of the party’s presidium committee meeting in its Banani office in the capital. Raushan Ershad did not attend the meeting and presidium leaders loyal to her skipped the meeting too.

On January 17, Ershad appointed his younger brother GM Quader as co-chairman of the party and protesting this sudden decision, Jatiya Party leaders loyal to Raushan announced the Opposition Leader as acting chairman of the party.

On January 19, Ershad relieved Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu from the secretary general post and appointed ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader in his place. l

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Government to fix number of cars a family can own n Tribune Report The government is planning to set a ceiling for the number of private cars a single family can have, with an aim to ease the capital’s crippling traffic congestion.

“A proposal has been incorporated in the draft Road Transport and Traffic Bill 2015 to fix the highest number of private cars for every family,” Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader told parliament yesterday.

Process is now at the final stage to enact two separate laws – Bangladesh Road Transport Authority Bill 2015 and Road Transport

and Traffic Bill 2015 – as alternatives to the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1983, he said replying to a question.

The minister, however, did not specify the ceiling of private cars for a family.

In reply to another question, Obaidul said the government has a plan to construct a second Padma Bridge at Paturia-Goalanda point.

He expressed hopes that it would be possible to start construction of the proposed bridge in time if foreign donation is available.

Meanwhile, the minister said some 227 black spots for traffic congestion and road accidents on different highways have been

National Poetry Festival kicks off n DU Correspondent More than 200 poets from eight countries would recite poems to fans and enthusiasts at the 30th Jatiya Kabita Utshab that began yesterday on the Dhaka University campus.

The Jatiya Kabita Parishad, which organised the two-day festival, dedicated this year’s event to Language Movement veteran Tofazzal Hossain who died last year.

Eminent poet Syed Shamsul Haque, who inaugurated the festival, urged poets to fight against autocracy, militancy and fundamentalism with poetry. He asked the organisers to arrange such events at least twice a year to spread the appeal of poetry.

Apart from recitations, poets, writers and representatives from Bangladesh, India, Sweden, Norway, Morocco, and Taiwan took part in an open discussion.

Local participants include Shamsul Haque, Burhanuddin Khan Jagangir, Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, Pias Mojid, Asad Chowdhury and Dialara Hafiz. l

55% jute exported in 2014-15 FY n Tribune Report Bangladesh met half of its export target for jute products in the 2014-15 fiscal, Textiles and Jute Minister Emaz Uddin Pramanik told Parliament yesterday.

“Our aim was to export 2,15,540 metric tonnes but we managed to export 1,17,953 metric tonnes – 54.98% of the target,” he said.

Pramanik said sale of jute products, produced by Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation, declined after the Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010 was implemented. The government wants to export of 2,13,955 metric tonnes of jute products in the current fiscal.

Bangladesh also exports raw jute to India, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Germany, Korea, Brazil, Djibouti, Russia, Vietnam, Ivory Coast, USA, UK, El Salvador, Iraq and Iran. The minister said 75.58 lakh bales (1 bale = 180kg) of jute had been produced in the 2015-16 fiscal.

In the last fiscal, Bangladesh exported about 10 lakh bales of raw jute and earned Tk816.74 crore, he added. Between July and December of the current fiscal, 5.46 lakh bales of raw jute was exported that earned Bangladesh of Tk474.31 crore. l

Poet Chinmoy’s book published n Tribune Report The book titled “The Garden of Love-Light Poems of Sri Chinmoy” was published on Saturday at Bishwo Shahitto Kendro in the capital.

Bangladeshi born Sri Chinmoy is a poet, composer, musician and artist who has received a gold medal for literature from France and the World Peace Literature Award from University of Washington, USA. The poet is best known as a man of peace and for his twice-weekly meditation programmes at the United National in New York.

This is the third book published in Bangla by Balaka Prakashan.

Chinmoy has written over 1,600 books. His “Wings of Joy” published by Simon and Shuster has sold over 1,00,000 copies. l

identified through a survey.

Of them, remedial works for 68 black spots have already been completed, he said replying to another question.

Besides, remedial works for 15 more black spots would start soon under Joydebpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga four-lane highway project, he said.

For the remedial measures for the remaining 144 black spots, a Tk165 crore project titled Improvement of Road Safety at Black Spots of National Highways has already begun, the minister added.

Replying to another query, Obaidul said a four-lane highway was not the

solution for reducing road accidents; rather, awareness was more necessary.

“Apart from this, in many cases drivers become reckless. It seems sometimes that they [drivers] become kings of the road behind the steering wheel. They do not want to follow the law; that is why accidents take place.”

Replying to another query, the minister said the first phase of Dhaka-Chittagong four lane construction work is about to be complete.

“I hope that the prime minister will open the four lane at the end of May this year,” he said. l

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Dhaka SI accused of sexually harassing university student n Tribune Report A police sub-inspector was suspended yesterday for the alleged sexual harassment of a university student.

Two separate police teams are investigating the allegation against Adabar police station Sub-Inspector Ratan Kumar while a Dhaka court ordered judicial probe.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Tejgaon Division Deputy Commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarkar said he was unaware of the incident and added that the victim, an ASA University student, had not lodged any police complaint.

Quoting media reports, Biplob said the SI gave “inappropriate proposals” to her.

The victim started a case against SI Ratan at the Dhaka Women and Children Repression Tribunal 4. Judge Saleh Uddin Ahmed recorded her deposition yesterday before ordering a judicial inquiry.

SI Ratan was accused of threatening to im-

Students of Dhaka University’s department of world religion and culture bring out a rally against religious intolerance on the university campus yesterday MAHMUDHOSSAINOPU

Mother flings newborn from 4th floor n Arifur Rahman Rabbi A newborn baby has allegedly been thrown out from the fourth floor of an apartment building in the capital’s Bailey Road area.

Surprisingly, the boy survived the incident and is undergoing treatment at Ad-din Hospital, said SI Aminul Islam of Ramna police station.

He said: “Being informed, we rushed to the spot and rescued the newborn boy from the roof of an adjacent tin-shade shop. After a few hours of hectic effort, the police identified the boy’s mother, Beauty Akhter, 17, who threw him out of the fourth floor of the building.

“Beauty, who worked as a domestic help at the flat, is being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital under police custody.”

When contacted, the Manager of Ad-din Hospital, Abu Syeed Mollah, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The boy’s condition is stable but he is suffering some injuries and also a fracture on his leg.”

Locals said they heard a big sound around 11:30am Monday and found the newborn boy crying on the roof of a tin-shade shop, and called the police immediately.

Beauty’s employer Firoza Begum told the Dhaka Tribune: “She was working at my house since she was a child. She left the job last year and went to her village home in Sirajganj district. She returned a few months ago and we appointed her again.

“We did not know that she was pregnant.

Even we failed to notice it as her body never showed any sign of pregnancy.”

During primary investigation, Beauty admitted that she threw her baby out from the flat, said the SI. “Further investigation is underway.” l

TEMPERATURE FOREC AST FOR TODAY

FOGGY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2

Dhaka

plicate the victim in false cases if she did not agree to his proposal. The policeman denied the charges.

Biplob said their probe team had been asked to submit a report within three working days. DMP Commissioner Md Asaduzzaman Mia formed a separate committee and ordered to report its findings within three working days.

SI Ratan told the Dhaka Tribune that he had known the girl “for a long time”. He said he had investigated an arson case against her husband, a Mohammadpur unit Jubo Dal activist.

“She said it had caused a rift between the couple. She brought the allegation to exact revenge,” the SI claimed.

However, a Jubo Dal leader of Mohammadpur unit told the Dhaka Tribune that there was no one in the unit bearing a name similar to that of the victim’s husband. But there was a grassroots-level BNP activist who was yet to get a post. l

Govt fails to enforce meteredfare system for autorickshaws n Shohel Mamun The government has failed to enforce the revised metered-fare system for CNG-run autorickshaws in the capital which was introduced only three month ago.

A survey by Passengers’ Welfare Association Bangladesh (PWAB) has found that none of the CNG-run autorickshaw drivers are following the government-fixed fare rate.

The survey report, released by the PWAB yesterday, says around 62% of the autorickshaw drivers take passengers only on a contract basis, and the rest of the drivers ask for Tk20-Tk40 extra than the meter fare.

“No one is following the government regulations, as we have found in our survey,” PWAB General Secretary Mozammel Haque Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune.

Sources said the Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD) has received a number of complaints in this regard and has sent a letter to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), who is responsible for the proper implementation of the new system, to look into the matter.

The Dhaka Tribune contacted BRTA Secretary Shawkat Ali in this regard, who said: “We already decided on some initiatives to resolve this situation at a meeting on January 27.”

He said the mobile courts, which were active only during daytime, will now work 30

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I charge extra fare because the owner of my autorickshaw demands more money as deposit than the government rate

However, a high official at the BRTA said the number of mobile courts are not enough to pull off the job.

“We have only four or five mobile courts, which are not enough to cover a megacity like Dhaka. Besides, the mobile courts do not have enough law enforcement personnel to conduct drives in the city,” he told the Dhaka Tribune, requesting anonymity.

He further said the new initiatives to implement the metered-fare system have to be executed strictly in order to be effective.

The government put the new fare system into effect on November 1, with recalibrated 14

Rangpur

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meters installed in the autorickshaws.

Autorickshaw drivers initially followed the new system, but with time most of them have gone back to the old ways.

This reporter recently tried to hire CNG-run autorickshaws in several areas around the capital and found that none of them agreed to follow the metered-fare system.

“I charge extra fare because the owner of my autorickshaw demands more money as deposit than the government rate,” said Kabir Hossain, an autorickshaw driver in Banani.

However, when this reporter asked him for the mobile phone number of the autorickshaw owner, he refused to give it.

Another autorickshaw driver, named Motin, in Mohakhali said it was the excess fuel cost that was the problem.

“Before, my autorickshaw only needed Tk200 of CNG for an entire day, but now I can’t travel for even half a day with the same amount of gas,” he said.

Shawkat Ali said they would look into this matter as well. “We will visit the CNG-run autorickshaws garages; anyone who is found to charge extra money for deposits will be fined accordingly.”

Barkat Ullah Bolu, convener of Dhaka CNG Autorickshaw Owners’ Association told the Dhaka Tribune that they agree with the BRTA’s decisions. “We have received many complaints in this regard as well. We met with the BRTA officials and think their course of action will help resolve this issue.” l

day and night to ensure that the new fare system is being followed.

“We will also form civil teams who will work around the city to identify the drivers who are charge extra fare,” he added.

30.0ºC Satkhira

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Fajr: 5:21am | Zohr: 12:13am Asr: 4:09pm | Magrib: 5:45pm Esha: 7:15pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

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DU launches Mechatronics Engineering Department with 16 students n Tribune Report A new department named “Mechatronics Engineering Department” was opened at Dhaka University yesterday, said a press release issued by the university.

Vice-chancellor Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique formally inaugurated the new department as the chief guest.

The programme was held at his office lounge.

Presided over by the newly appointed chairman of the department, Professor Dr Hafiz Muhammad Hassan Babu, the programme was addressed by Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Professor Dr Rafiqul Islam, Nawara Mahmood Broti and Julkarnyne Tasin.

The new department began its journey with three highly qualified PhD holder faculty members and 16 meritorious undergradiate students.

Welcoming the 16 students to the university, the vice-chancellor congratulated them for constituting the first batch of the department.

He said: “Mechatronics engineering is the top most and the latest technology-based subject in the world. Despite some limitations, this department will be given a complete shape very soon.

“Dhaka University is the oldest and the highest seat of learning in the country. It has a glorious past history and the students must uphold its image.

“The students of mechatronics engineering must play a vital and foremost role in making Bangladesh a digital country according to the dream of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.”

The new department has been housed on the second floor of Kazi Motahar Hossain Bigyan Bhaban (Science Annex building). l

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279 absent on first day of SSC exam in Ctg n Tribune Report A total of 279 candidates were absent on the first day of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination under Chittagong Education Board.

Examination Controller of Chittagong Education Board Mohammed Mahbub Hasan told the Dhaka Tribune that a total of 101,143 SSC candidates appeared on the first day of SSC examination and 279 students remained absent yesterday. According to the education board, a total of 112,959 students have sit for the SSC examination. Of them, 52,066 are male and 60,893 are female. l

93 held in Ctg n Tribune Report

A girl with physical disabilities takes the SSC examination at Rajshahi Government School centre in the city yesterday. The girl namely Rumki achieved GPA 5 in the JSC in 2013. This year, she is also expecting a brilliant result AZAHAR UDDIN

Chittagong District Police yesterday during an overnight drive arrested 93 people from different upazilas of the district on various charges. Police also recovered 315 litres liquor during the drive.

Additional Superintendent of Police (special branch) Kazi Abdul Awal of Chittagong District Police told the Dhaka Tribune that police had arrested 93 people in connection with different charges and seized 315 liters liquor. Of them, 84 were warrant accused. l

Mandatory meter use falls flat in Ctg n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong The initiative of mandatory meter use in CNG-run auto-rickshaws in Chittagong city fell flat yesterday as about half of the CNG auto-rickshaws have not installed meters yet.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Sunday reiterated that no CNG-run auto-rickshaw could ply in the capital and port city without meter from yesterday.

The CNG auto-rickshaw drivers were given a deadline for calibration (installation of metres) till January 31 and the newly-fixed fares of CNG-run auto-rickshaws were scheduled to come into effect from yesterday in the port city.

While visiting different spots of the city, this reporter witnessed that the commut-

ers locked into altercation with the CNG auto-rickshaw drivers over the newly-fixed fares.

The commuters alleged that the drivers were reluctant to carry passengers in line with the newly-fixed fares.

Meanwhile, the CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers alleged the police only took action against the registered auto-rickshaws for not installing meters.

“The long-distance commuters do not wish to go following meters,” said a CNG auto-rickshaw driver.

“We do not have any confidence in the meter since the drivers of the CNG auto-rickshaws tamper the meters in most cases,” said Salma Sultana, a teacher of BAF Shaheen College.

“Around 13,000 CNG-run auto-rickshaws are registered to ply in the Chittagong met-

ropolitan. However, 5,000 auto-rickshaws have so far installed meters. We hope that the rest of CNG auto-rickshaws will instal meters shortly due to the stern action,” said Mohammad Shahidullah, deputy director of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Chittagong.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Masud-ulHasan, deputy commissioner (traffic-north) of CMP said they had filed about 1,000 cases on the first for not installing meters in the CNG auto-rickshaws.

“We could not conduct drives in the morning as we did not want to make SSC examinees sufferers. However, we started our drives from noon and filed around 1,000 cases against the errant CNG auto-rickshaws,” said the CMP deputy commissioner.

Meanwhile, Mozammel Hoque Chowd-

hury, secretary general of Passengers Welfare Association of Bangladesh said mandatory use of meter in CNG-run auto-rickshaws in Chittagong was destined to end in smoke.

“As per the BRTA, 13,000 CNG auto-rickshaws are permitted to ply in Chittagong city.

Around 7,000 more CNG auto-rickshaws ply in the city without registration. However, so far as we know that half of the CNG auto-rickshaws were calibrated,” said Mozammel.

“The mandatory use of meter will become successful only when a monitoring body will be formed involving all stakeholders, including representatives of the commuters,” he added.

The new fare for CNG-run auto-rickshaws was fixed at Tk40 for the first two kilometres and Tk12 for each additional kilometre. The waiting charge for the CNG-run auto-rickshaws was fixed at Tk2 per minute. l

COCAINE HAUL CASE

Khan Jahan Ali Group’s chairman put on 2-day fresh remand n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

A court in Chittagong yesterday placed Nur Mohammad, chairman of Khan Jahan Ali Group, on two-day afresh remand in connection with much-talked about cocaine haul case.

Assistant Commissioner (AC) (prosecution) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Nirmalendu Bikash Chawakrabarty told the Dhaka Tribune that the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Jalak Ray had passed order after Nur Mohammad was produced before the court in the evening with three-day remand plea.

Earlier, a court in Chittagong on January 25 fixed February 1 for fresh remand hearing

date of Nur Mohammed and asked the investigation officer (IO) of the case to present before the court.

With the fresh remand, Nur Mohammed was put on remand in two times in cocaine haul case. He was arrested on January 15 by the Rapid Action Battalion.

At presence, the much talked-about cocaine haul case is being investigated by RAB 7’s Additional Superintendent of Police Mohiuddin Faruquee following a court direction.

On December 7, last year, a court in Chittagong ordered the RAB to lunch anew investigation into the case rejecting charge sheet pressed by CMP’s Detective Branch.

Accusing eight persons, including two Bangladeshi-born UK expatriates, DB’s Assistant Commissioner (AC) Mohammed Kamruzzaman submitted charge sheet before the court on November 19, last. But the IO then dropped the name of Nur Mohammed from the charge sheet saying his involvement could not be found during the investigation.

Other accused of the case are COSCO Shipping Agency’s Manager AKM Azad, Mondol Group’s Commercial Executive Atikur Rahman, Real Estate Company official’s Mostafa Kamal, Prime Hatchery Limited’s Manager Golam Mostafa Sohel, Security Company Official Mehedi, C&F Company Official Saiful Islam,

UK-expatriate Fazlur Rahman and Bokul Mia. Of them, six accused of the case were arrested and two UK-expatriates were shown fugitive.

Mostafa Kamal, Golam Mostafa Sohel and his cousin Mehedi Alam gave their confessional statements before the court.

An accused of the case also admitted the involvement of Nur Mohammed in cocaine consignment during his confessional statement.

Acting on a tip-off, Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation sealed a container carrying 2,140 kilograms of liquid cocaine kept in 107 drums in Chittagong Port on June 6, last year. l

DT

8

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

News

SSC examinee among 2 killed in M’singh road accident n Tribune Report Two people, including a female SSC examinee, were killed and 15 others injured in separate road crashes in Haluaghat and Bhaluka upaizlas of the district yesterday.

Abdul Haq, officer-in-charge of Haluaghat Police Station, said when SSC examine Merina Nokrek, daughter of Gagan Majhi, was retuning home at East Gobrapukur from Dhara High School examination centre on a rickshaw van.

Her long scarf got tangled in one of the wheel of the rickshaw van and fastened tightly around her neck when she reached at Sasharpar in Haluaghat upazila in the afternoon, leaving her dead on the spot.

In another incident, Babu Mia, a bus driver was killed and 15 people were injured when a bus plunged into a roadside ditch at Meherabari in Bhaluka upazila in the afternoon, said Maruf Rahman, sub-inspector and in-charge of Bharadoba Highway police camp. l

Artistes are seen performing at the foot of Sylhet Shaheed Minar yesterday. The Sammilito Natya Parishad organised a cultural programme marking the beginning of February which is considered as the month of language to the Banglee nation DHAKA TRIBUNE

Bangasonahat port yet to be fully functional in 2yrs n Ariful Islam, Kurigram Bangasonahat, the 18th landport of the country in Kurigram , lies in rundown state as the infrastructre work yet to be completed after it was opened on April 28, 2014.

When visited, it was found that some tinshed houses were made by locals in the port area. But the initiative taken by the government was totally absent.

The port sources said traders fear that the port might collapse anytime as the concern authoriies did not take steps to develop it.

The traders pay taxes to do business without having access to the facilities they need, with the government appearing to be indifferent to improving infrastructures.

The traders were allowed to import 10 types of products from India.

Of the ten, they can import only one thing.

But they cannot export any sort of product through the port.

Business with Assam, Nagaland, Tripura,

Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya is easy and cost-effectivve.

The government in the first four months earned Tk8 crore in revenue from local traders who imported only coal and rock. But now it cannot earn so much.

Traders are importing rock from India through the port located in Bhurungimari upazila, but the import and export of all the products permitted by governments of both countries has not yet begun.

Traders in the upazila say this has made them face losses.

Port workers meanwhile say they are forced to accept low wages as import and export activities are yet to begin in full swing.

They also say they are devoid of fair payments due to the lack of complete infrastructure.

Ataul, a porter, says the labour leaders recruiting more and more workers in exchange for their own benefits has aggravated the problem.

“There are now many workers who remain unemployed. As for me, I can load and unload goods from only two to three trucks a week, earning a mere Tk400-500. This is impossible to run my family with this paltry sum.”

The government in the first four months earned Tk8 crore in revenue from local traders who imported only coal and rock Shahin Ahmed, a local trader, said the lack of proper infrastructure had slowed down business to a greater extent.

Another problem is that the Sonahat railway bridge, which connects the Dudhkumar River, is a risky route, which has caused business expenses to go up.

Transport communication is not good at all for the traders. They cannot carry goods

as 12-kilometer road from Kurigram to Sonahat, 18-kilometer road from Bhurungamari to Kurigram have been lying in poor state.

According to locals, when vehicles ply the road, they cannot stay in home due to dusk and dirt as the narrow road pass by their home.

Truck driver Biplob said the vehicle might stuck and the escalator breakdown anytime due to bad-shape of the road.

Moloykumar Chakrabarti, engineer of Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), said the roads were under the port authority. They would take step to repair it.

Assistant Commissioner of Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate in Kurigram, Parvej Reza Chodhury, said the authorities should focus on resolving the problems that traders are facing not only to increase revenue but to boost import and export as well.

Md Alam Haider, president of Bangasonahat Port Eport Import Association, urged the authorities to build the required infrastructures. l

Two more bodies recovered

Man killed in clash over sand quarry domination

Prisoner dies in Kashimpur jail

n Tribune Report

n Our Correspondent, Sirajganj

Two more bodies were recovered from Meghna river in Haimchar upazila on Monday after a trawler capsized in the river on Tuesday, raising the death toll from the incident to six.

Being informed by locals, police recovered the bodies of Nargis,28, wife of Shah Alam of Ishanbala village and Ratan,2, of Laxmipur district, from the river in the evening, said upazila nirbahi officer SM Sarwar Kamal.

He said the bodies were handed over to their respective families with Tk 10,000 for burial of each. l

A man was killed in a clash between two groups over the control of a sand quarry in Sirajganj yesterday.

Babu Sheikh, 30, son of Akbar Ali of Dhanbandhi Puthiabari area, was a supporter of a group named Bakkar Pradhan.

The clash left another 10 people injured.

Manikul Islam, sub-inspector of Sirajganj Sadar police station, said the clash erupted between Bakkar Pradhan group and Uzzal Sheikh group in the backdrop of a longstanding conflict over the control of a

A convicted prisoner died at Kashimpur jail in Gazipur in the early hours of yesterday. The deceased Motiur Rahman, son of late Ali Asgar, was a resident of Siddik Bazar in the capital.

Subrata Kumar Bala, jail super of Kashimpur central jail 1, told the Dhaka Tribune that Motiur fell sick in the jail around 2am on Monday. He was firstly taken to jail hospital and later taken to Shahid Tazuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital where on duty doctor declared him dead.

On August 14, last year, a mobile court sentenced Motiur to 10-month imprisonment for illegal drug peddling. l

MEGHNA TRAWLER CAPSIZE

sand quarry on the char of the Jamuna River.

“There have been a series of clashes between the groups since Sunday afternoon.

On Monday morning, they attacked each other with locally-made weapons and Babu sustained critical injuries during the clash.

“He was taken to Sirajganj Sadar Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead,” said SI Manikul. Acting inspector of the police station Basu Deb Sinha said tension mounted in the area after the clashes and additional police were deployed to prevent further unrest.

“Four to five people were detained in this connection,” he added. l

n Our Correspondent, Gazipur

9

DT

Tech

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

The 7th chapter 2016 has its first month in the books, but there’s plenty of time ahead before the new iPhone 7 makes its debut

nMahmood Hossain We’ve only spent a single month of the new year, and there’s already rumours about what will be available with Apple’s newest smartphone. For now, we’ll just call it the iPhone 7. And we’ll also look into a list of things we want from the new phone and possibly get. Fingers crossed.

PHOTO: BIGSTOCK

Water fight It’s not the newest technology or advancement in building smartphones but it will definitely be a new addition to an iPhone. Sony spearheaded the entire idea very effectively, and other well-known brands followed suit. It’s a bit baffling how many people actually get into contact with water or somehow bump into water damage.

The interesting thing is the recent models (6s and 6s Plus) of iPhones were found to be actually water-resistant, but the company never claimed it has the ability to block out water. The chances may not be high of implementing the waterproof feature, but it’s not impossible.

Kick it to high gear This is possibly the most obvious addition of the lot. Just like any other flagship smartphone, the new iPhones will improve on performance significantly. While other companies might boost their own performance, it’s highly possible that the new iPhones will update their RAM to 4GB. There’s also the updated A10 chip, improving last year’s impressive A9 chips.

Again, there’s probably a 90% chance of this actually happening.

Disconnect to connect Another feature Apple may be looking into is the NFC found in Android smartphones.

Apple does have the NFC enabled but it

only allows to function when it comes to Apple Pay system, which is something not everyone enjoys fully. They are yet to enable the NFC to tap onto other devices like other smartphones or Bluetooth headphones.

“No wires” is the future of the smartphone market, hopefully Apple catches on.

Charged up On the topic of doing things wireless, charging the iPhone without it being plugged in would be a huge and desirable new feature. Wireless charging, in general, is something you will see more and more of with new smartphones to be released this year. The odds of this actually happening is quite low, but it would be a very welcoming idea, especially for an iPhone. Then again, people are still getting themselves power bricks and iPhone covers that serve as a backup power box. Who knows, instead of wireless, they will probably house bigger batteries.

Make some space This has been a common pet-peeve with iPhone users for a very long time. For those not in the know, the iPhone has never provided storage expansion. Apple has always made the 16GB model their entry level iPhone. Nowadays, 16GB will never be enough for a smartphone user. In fact, it’s shameful. On this topic, we’re all hoping that the 32GB iPhone will be Apple’s

Charging the iPhone without it being plugged in would be a huge and desirable new feature.

Wireless charging, in general, is something you will see more and more of with new smartphones to be released this year

new entry model. This will leave Apple consumers with 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. All with the appropriate price tags, of course.

The last thing they need is to scare away new costumers with their already premium prices.

Through the lens Another obvious upgrade will be found in the iPhone’s camera. Tagging along with its optical image stabilisation, and possibly higher megapixels, you can bet that Apple will take even better care of the new cameras on the new models. This is pretty much a given in the smartphone world, you can only expect smartphones to improve on

their cameras and overall performance.

What you shouldn’t expect, however, is the changes in design. For most, there isn’t much you could do to improve on the iPhone’s iconic designs. A lot of the facial features of the device have signature values that many brands have somewhat copied. As they say, imitation is the best form of flattery. If anything, you might see the display grow in size within the same dimensions of the current iPhone models.

Same size phone with a larger screen, and it may be improved with a shatterproof material too. Well, only time will tell what the trendsetters at Apple will be coming out with next. l

DT

10

Feature

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

MalMath:

A new step by step math solver

P

ISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) indicated that large numbers of 15-yearold students struggle to master basic numeracy skills in UNICEFsupported countries. In the majority of these countries, more than half of the students — that’s about 1.3 billion students — fail to reach the minimum level of performance in mathematics.

Because of its inescapable practical applications, math is taught in every level of our education system, starting from elementary schools to university levels. And whether you are an amateur or an expert in math, everyone needs assistance in solving math problems from time to time. So, in the absence of a helpful source of assistance (a teacher or a friend), we can ask the ubiquitous Internet to help us, or we can use the guide books found in the book stores. We can also use a new math-solving application, called MalMath.

Launched on May 5, 2015, MalMath is an android application that can solve math problems with step by step solutions and provide graphic analysis. The app is quite simple to use: just type in a math problem, press the “solve” or “click” button. And, MalMath will present the solution, including the following helpful features.

PHOTOS: COURTESY

Step by step description This is the main feature of MalMath. For each problem that is solved, the steps of the solution are provided for the user. However, knowing that some users can’t understand faster than others, Malmath provides additional sub-steps. Even the sub-steps may contain other steps, until the most detailed explanation that a user may need.

Highlights One of the unique features of MalMath is highlighting the part of the expression that was changed from the previous step. This provides an intuitive way to understand steps without having to read the description or analyse the whole expression. In addition, users can enable animations, which means that the problem will be solved each step at a time, using highlights to make it easier for the user to follow the solving process.

Problem generator There are students who have already learnt the basics of math and want more exercises to challenge their understanding. “Problem generator” is one the most helpful features for those students.

Problems are generated from various fields: Algebra, Trigonometry, Limits, Differentiations and Integrals. Moreover,

Launched on May 5, 2015, MalMath is an android application that can solve math problems with step by step solutions and provide graphic analysis.

The app is quite simple to use: just type in a math problem, press the “solve” or “click” button

there are three difficulty types to choose from: Easy, Medium and Advanced.

Graph analysis In MalMath, you can plot functions and it will draw the function or fill the area (depending on the problem). Also, multiple functions are supported, so you can plot two functions at the same time, and compare their graphs. In addition, MalMath will also make the analysis of the graphs. This means that it will show you a table with points from domain to inflexion intervals.

Languages Math terminology is very difficult to understand even for native people who don’t have a math background. It is one of the main issues for students who do not have English as their native language, especially those who are in primary and high school levels. Therefore, MalMath is trying to build a system that will support many languages.

Currently, MalMath supports English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Turkish, Albanian, Croatian, Arabic, Portuguese, Azerbaijani, Persian, Russian and Japanese.

Similar apps exist in the Android app market that offers the same services as MalMath. However, MalMath plans to succeed over other products by using geographical strategy to growth and offering an appealing and efficient way to study math. MalMath is free, and can be used offline, which means it will appeal to high school students, especially low-income students, who cannot afford expensive study guides or apps.

MalMath’s main mission is to provide students with detailed solutions for math problems in such a manner that they can understand the solving process. Its main objective is not to solve every math problem but to help students understand the solving process.

Whether you are a student, thriving to improve your math skills, or a parent, trying to help your kid with homework, MalMath is here to help. Try it out: www.malmath.com/ play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com. malmath.apps.mm www.amazon.com/MalMath-Step-by-stepsolver/dp/B016Z3VYFK Content provided by SD Asia

DT

Editorial 11

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

INSIDE

When there’s nothing left to burn Gruesome photos showing the aftermath of smoking will be one of the key features of cigarette packets in Bangladesh. Other things like taxes are meant to keep increasing the prices of cigarettes so that it becomes more and more unaffordable. But the thing is: Does it even matter?

PAGE 12

What makes a good teacher?

How can a student, who completed his Bachelor’s only a year ago and then just got his/her Master’s degree, become a full-time teacher of the highest education institute without having the required depth of knowledge on the subject, proper knowledge of research, or English language proficiency?

PAGE 13

Pakistan, the peacemaker Extremists cannot be divided into good and bad. They are like Frankenstein’s monster. No matter how docile they seem to have been, when thwarted they turn on those who have been their benefactors PAGE 14

Be heard Write to Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/ DhakaTribune.

The views expressed in Opinion articles are those of the authors alone. They do not purport to be the official view of Dhaka Tribune or its publisher.

BIGSTOCK

Stakeholder co-operation key to financing RMG upgrades

R

eports that the government plans to revive the option of reduced corporate tax rates for the garment sector offer further good news for businesses looking to upgrade RMG factories.

Ongoing efforts by the government, ILO, and stakeholder initiatives such as Accord and Alliance have been making welcome progress on remediation and improving safety standards, and the value of garment exports is steadily increasing.

For the garment sector to achieve its goal of doubling exports to $50 billion by 2021, a comprehensive approach needs to be taken to maximise investment in building new factories where productivity and standards can both be improved.

Lack of land and reliable energy supplies are the two biggest deterrents that need to be overcome. It is still vital then for the government to facilitate greater investment by freeing up underused, state-owned land for the development of new industrial parks.

The government also needs to keep up a national focus on enhancing labour rights. This can help not only improve working conditions and increase the appeal of Bangladeshi goods, but also strengthen the industry’s case for securing a fairer deal from importing nations such as the United States which impose higher than average quotas on RMG products.

All stakeholders stand to benefit by helping to grow long-term investment in the sector. Better conditions and factories can both help raise productivity and quality for consumers and help to improve living standards for workers.

Buyers and brands must play their part by investing more in long-term orders and building closer relationships with well-performing producers, to enhance the sector’s cash flow and enable it to attract new funds to keep upgrading standards.

All stakeholders can benefit from the improved productivity and standards that greater investment can bring

DT

12

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Opinion

When there’s nothing left to burn Smoking kills, but it is a choice that is made by the smoker

n SN Rasul

C

radling a cigarette between one’s fingers and blowing smoke into the cold, dark night is perhaps an undeniable pleasure to those who take up the unhealthy habit. When your heart’s been broken, there’s no money, in-laws are breathing down your neck, spouse is being a pain, parents say you don’t visit them enough, the only friend you have is a death stick. Conversely, when you’re having the time of your life, your parents are out of the picture, and so are your in-laws, that woman you wanted to marry said yes, you’re making the big bucks, you light one up to celebrate.

Is there no way out of the rings of smoke?

When it comes to smoking, there is hardly anyone in the world who would deny the damage it causes, except perhaps people in the same group as BoB, who still think the Earth is flat and deny that the moon landings happened or that, with nary a tone of irony, “jet fuel can’t melt steel beams.”

That is not to say one shouldn’t be doubtful of every piece of information that is thrown at us, but some things are less ubiquitously deniable than others.

Since there is no debate as to whether smoking is de facto “bad” for you -- in fact, there is a hefty consensus -- the main argument seems to be one between giving people the the choice to kill themselves through the combination of nicotine and tar, or lack thereof.

Our relationship with the cigarette can be rather complicated at times

Gruesome photos showing the aftermath of smoking will be one of the key features of cigarette packets in Bangladesh.

Other things like taxes are meant to keep increasing the prices of cigarettes so that it becomes more and more unaffordable. But the thing is: Does it even matter?

Should the government really have any say as to what we do choose to do with our own bodies?

Not to take a page out of the feminist cookbook, but every now and then, they do get it right. Our rights over our own bodies have always been a crucial aspect of defining civil liberties, whether it be for women to dress as they wish to, to “be” with whoever they choose to. Or plainly for giving people the benefit of the doubt, by not insulting their intelligence and leaving it up to them to decide whether something is harmful for them or not, and responsible enough to live with those choices.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s, for a second, stick to the side that wants to ban smoking, make it illegal. One bit of news claims that big tobacco companies like BAT have been using other “hybrids” of

tobacco when farming, without the explicit permission of the government. Apparently, there are four kinds which are meant to be used, and a jilted ex-manager of Rangpur has claimed that they’ve been using more than that, at least eight.

And in an interview with the president, a certain Matthew L Myers, of some institution (an institution that I’ve never heard of -- this is not to insult them; I do not know the names of many an institution), going by the elongated name of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, claims were made about how, in Bangladesh, progress is being made with regards to preventing smokers from catching the habit.

Gruesome photos showing the aftermath of smoking (via images of reddened mouth ulcers and blackened lungs and slightly bent cigarettes to insinuate erectile dysfunction)

will be one of the key features of cigarette packets in Bangladesh in the future.

Other things like taxes are meant to keep increasing the prices of cigarettes so that it becomes more and more unaffordable for the customers.

But the thing is: Does it even matter?

Some statistics would claim that pictorial warnings, increased prices, and the implementation of a minimum age do, in fact, reduce the number of smokers. But who cares? In Bangladesh, really, pictures and prices would make a difference? The most expensive of cigarettes can easily be afforded by some of the poorest, and that is not even saying anything about the Tk1 to Tk2 Sheikhs.

Doesn’t all this seem superfluous if one is already aware of the fact that “smoking kills”? If this is the case, why isn’t it being banned outright? Trying to put warnings on a literal death stick, which is there for the very act of consumption, which is in itself composed of addictive materials, is a lot like telling suicidal people about how the ground is hard and jumping towards it from a good height will kill them.

Either way, both the parties know what they’re doing.

But also: Maybe baby steps? The tobacco lobby isn’t the easiest to mess with.

No smoker really wants to keep smoking (though I’m sure there are exceptions. Read: Teenagers) because everyone knows that it’s bad for you. The real issue here is whether it should still remain legal in an age when we are very aware of the facts, of not only how

it negatively affects the smoker, but also those around them, and the environment.

This is, in effect, a fight between a libertarian and a liberal. How much should the government interfere with the choices we make? Small government or big? And the argument isn’t confined to smoking, but every material deemed harmful and/or addictive, which are both relative terms, and can be applied to many other things that are legal.

Only recently, much of the US legalised cannabis. Why not here? And if that, why not all the other life-killers, the heroin, the yaba, the cocaine? Some might say this is a non-argument, and the lines aren’t as blurry as I might be, at this point, making it seem.

But they are blurry. The choices and the decisions we make -- one between giving the people the right to mess up their lives as much as they want and taking that very right away from them -- is as close to each other as it can get.

Give the people the right to be fat and addicted to drugs? Maybe. But, wouldn’t that lead to some sort of anarchy?

Probably not. What needs to be made is a calculated decision. Perhaps the best thing to assume would be to take for granted that most people are stupid and don’t know any better. Or that they have the freedom to be as stupid as they wish.

Either way, we must stand on one side of the line. Or must we? Can’t we stand on both? l SN Rasul is a journalist and academic. Follow him @ snrasul.

13

DT

Opinion

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

What makes a good teacher?

Are we learning anything from our university lecturers?

In most cases, our teachers are not providing us with the education they’re meant to

n Sultana Ismet Jerin

M

y relatives and well wishers frequently forward me circulars of vacancies for teachers at universities that they come across.

I ignore. Maybe the possibility of getting appointed is not high in my case but, of course, I can at least drop my CV for the sake of my relatives, if not for my own interest.

But I ignore. I am a graduate of the University of Dhaka and I wasn’t the first girl in my class. I do not regret that and I am young enough to get a good result and apply confidently for teachership in the future.

But does a good result mean that I am eligible for becoming a university teacher?

In my words, definitely not.

I see being a full-time teacher as being a researcher, a writer, a scientist, and an invaluable resource capable of spreading light among multiple generations and transforming sand into gold. And I am afraid, even if I do get results, I cannot be a good teacher unless I am truly passionate about the profession.

Unfortunately, the country has had very few “real teachers” and I would not have realised this brutal truth unless I had gone to University of California for a course.

I can say this because I found myself to be a low-quality human resource when compared to the other international students.

I deliberately do not mention the name of my department as it would look like a direct attack on my teachers -- which is not my point. With due respect to all those few real teachers, who still exist in this country,

I am here to vent my utter frustration over the practices going on in universities in our country. A frustration that grew seeing international students and universities.

In my undergraduate and graduate classes, I saw 80% of my classmates not even bothering to read a single line from the main text, cramming notes written in Bengali that they had inherited from the seniors of the department who had written them a decade ago.

And then, in the exam hall, they would regurgitate the lines they had crammed the night before. Why bother to read the main texts when these outdated notes can bring good marks? I am not trying to defame teachers here; it is also on us to not have been motivated enough to read the books either.

More than 90% of my classmates would submit their assignments in Bengali as they were not capable of writing in English and did not even bother to improve their English skills. Point to be noted: There is nothing wrong with writing in Bengali but there should have been a practice of improving both the languages equally, if not mastering them.

A university student is incomplete if he or she cannot write a single correct sentence in English, especially a student of a department which highly demands its proficiency. And, unfortunately, teachers, never asking students for assignments in English, would accept assignments written in Bengali, completely plagiarised.

“Plagiarism” and “citation” are two words that do not exist in our dictionary. On top of

BIGSTOCK

How can a student, who completed his Bachelor’s only a year ago and then just got his/her Master’s degree, become a full-time teacher of the highest education institute without having the required depth of knowledge on the subject, proper knowledge of research, or English language proficiency?

that, while students of overseas universities spend sleepless nights in fear of “Turnitin”(a plagiarism checker software), ready-made theses and assignments are available at Nilkhet. Pay the price and it’s yours. And one is done with every semester!

Recently, I was asked to submit an academic writing sample to an overseas university, and, when I was browsing through the academic papers that I had to produce for different courses, I hardly found any paper other than my thesis that would qualify to be submitted as an academic writing sample for an admission assessment.

Citation is something that most students do not know about, and you can forget about different styles. And the unfortunate thing is, we got good marks in those papers.

And then, the greatest irony is that it we who are becoming the teachers.

Recruitments in my department or at

any private university stand as proof.

Undoubtedly, low quality teachers will continue to produce some more low quality students and the cycle continues.

That is not to say that there are no talented teachers, students, and departments. They are there, but they are the exceptions.

This low quality of human resources has seminal effects on the county’s growth. How can a student, who completed his Bachelor’s only a year ago and then just got his/her Master’s degree, become a full-time teacher of the highest education institute without having the required depth of knowledge on the subject, proper knowledge of research, or basic English language proficiency?

What would they -- and could they -teach the students? l Sultana Ismet Jerin is a freelance contributor.

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Opinion

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Pakistan, the peacemaker The country has, surprisingly, taken strong actions against religious extremism

Pakistan can play key role in Afghanistan’s conflict resolution

n William Milam

I

see in the news that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has offered to host talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia to reconcile the feuding rival nations. This was after meetings with Saudi King Salman and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

According to the news reports, the prime minister considered draining the current hostility between the two countries stating it is a “prime duty and sacred mission” for Pakistan.

At the same time, the Pakistani foreign ministry says it is endeavouring to put some life into the peace process in Afghanistan by including the Taliban in talks that so far have only involved the Afghan government, the US, China, and Pakistan.

Given what appears to be serious fragmentation among different factions of the Afghan Taliban, and the fact that the Taliban (fragmented or not) must feel they are on a roll militarily against the Afghan National Army and the coalition forces, this looks to be a steep uphill task.

When you think you are winning, the incentives to come to the bargaining table are seriously diluted.

There is little progress so far, although some factions of the Taliban may be wavering. On January 24, their envoys (representing some of them, at least) attended a conflict resolution Pugwash Conference in Doha. Some Afghan representatives attended the conference too, but in personal capacity.

Both sides need to learn a little about conflict resolution, and the opportunity to talk seems very inviting. This conference is billed as not being part of the “official” peace process that Pakistan is trying to shepherd.

And there is the big one -- the Pakistani and Indian foreign secretaries meet in early

REUTERS

February to relaunch the dialogue that would, hopefully, lead to a gradual (probably the best we can hope for) normalisation of relations between the two countries.

Given the state of ties over much of the past almost 70 years, this will be conflict resolution at its highest level.

In fact, I hope both countries send representatives to the Pugwash conference for a refresher course.

So now, added to the already ongoing Afghanistan peace process and the aboutto-start Pakistan-India talks, there is the possibility of mediation (and conflict resolution) between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

For many Pakistan observers like me, it is a real treat to see the country involved, in one way or another, in at least trying to resolve two conflicts at the same time, and yet willing to take on a third. I wonder if the Pakistani foreign ministry will have to raise its hiring quotas.

To be seriously involved in three such important conflict resolution efforts will require much staff work in new areas for the ministry and the government, and may also require added talent.

In the midst of spreading its diplomatic wings, however, we are reminded of the conflict within Pakistan which must be resolved by some very hard-headed decisions and policies.

If there was nothing else to remind us of this, there was the attack last week on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, in which 22 people were killed and many wounded. The toll of the dead and the wounded would have been much greater if some of the teachers had not fought back -- at least one losing his life in the process.

“It is a dagger aimed straight at the heart of Pakistan.”

This was followed by the chilling statement from a senior Pakistani Taliban commander that more attacks against

universities and other schools would follow and the Pakistani Taliban will now target “the places where they [soldiers, lawyers, politicians] are prepared ... the schools, the universities, the colleges that lay their foundation.”

While other Taliban spokesmen disavowed the attack (a symptom of the Pakistani Taliban’s fragmentation), if this were to become the strategy of even some of the Taliban groups then it would be a dagger aimed straight at the heart of Pakistan -- its youth, who will inherit the country. The statement is also aimed at frightening the Pakistani people and undermining support for the current effort to extirpate extremism, the NAP. Pakistan has taken some surprisingly strong actions in the past week or two against the extremist elements in the country. It may indicate that more is to come.

It would be disheartening, on the other hand, and perhaps prophetic, if these actions are reversed.

The arrest of Maulana Masood Azhar and closing down the Jaish-e-Mohammed

abducted Pearl. He is a primary accessory to murder at the very least. In any case, the confession of Khalid Mohammed Sheikh is not to be trusted because of the way it was obtained, and because as he has no hope of ever seeing the outside of a prison again.

Why wouldn’t he take the blame for a lot of crimes to help his extremist associates?

I don’t know how many people remember that hijacking, or that both Masood Azhar and Omar Sheikh were among its beneficiaries. I remembered immediately, not because of Danny Pearl, but because I followed that hijacking very closely to its denouement in Kandahar. There was an American woman passenger on board we were concerned about.

My friend Zahid Hussain did, because he was there covering the story. And he wrote of the connection a few days ago. But perhaps we both noted it because we see the entire network of extremist groups in Pakistan, and elsewhere, as interconnected in both spirit and in mindset.

For example, the leader of the United Jihad Council (UJC), Syed Salahuddin, who had earlier taken credit for the attack on

Extremists cannot be divided into good and bad. They are like Frankenstein’s monster. No matter how docile they seem to have been, when thwarted they turn on those who have been their benefactors, without remorse. The only way round this is to beat them to the punch

(JeM) were long overdue. The JeM has been universally listed as a terrorist organisation by almost every government or international organisation that keeps such lists.

Azhar went underground for a long time, but has recently emerged with the same tired, terrorist, anti-India, hortatory rhetoric.

His arrest immediately brought to mind the 1999 hijacking of an Air India flight which led to the release of Azhar by India and two other terrorists being held for violent acts.

Azhar immediately created a sensation by turning up in Karachi and giving fiery extremist speeches, and was later connected to the attack on the Indian parliament.

Another of those released with Azhar was Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the abductor of the journalist Danny Pearl. He was tried and convicted for Pearl’s murder by a Pakistani court in 2002.

Though the verdict is now questioned because of the confession of Khalid Mohammed Sheikh while being tortured in US custody and then in Guantanamo Bay detention -- there is no doubt that he was the leader and brains of the team that

Pathankot Air Force base in India (to the strong skepticism of Indian intelligence agencies), said the other day that the Pakistani government should not have cracked down on JeM or arrested Azhar.

He said their aims should be supported by all Pakistan, including the government and the media, which should have been the patron of that organisation rather than banning it.

But I think that the Pakistan government, and hopefully the army, may finally be learning that extremism is a virus that spreads widely and quickly if not resisted firmly.

And it ultimately kills. Extremists cannot be divided into good and bad. They are like Frankenstein’s monster. No matter how docile they seem to have been, when thwarted they turn on those who have been their benefactors, without remorse. The only way round this is to beat them to the punch. l William Milam is a Senior Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington, DC, and former US Ambassador to Pakistan and Bangladesh, and Chief of mission in Liberia.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

January updates on Asia’s mammoth factory sector released yesterday showed the new year began much as the old one ended with too much capacity chasing too little demand. PAGE 17

Travelers’ delight: Falling oil prices mean cheaper air fares Plummeting oil prices have led to falling plane ticket prices - and prospects for an even bigger bonanza of consumer-friendly fares in the coming months, airline industry experts say. PAGE 18

Capital market snapshot: Monday DSE Broad Index

4,560.4

0.4% ▲

Index

1,101.1

0.5% ▲

30 Index

1,729.6

0.6% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

3,934.9

-0.8% ▼

115.1

-6.7% ▼

All Share Index

14,040.0

0.4% ▲

30 Index

12,400.7

0.6% ▲

8,531.4

0.4% ▲

300.3

-0.9% ▼

14.3

1.9% ▲

Turnover in Mn Volume

CSE

Selected Index Turnover in Mn Tk Turnover in Mn Volume

11 01 20

2 1-1 1 20

earnings will increased because of income from the renewal and licence fees from planned 4G auction to be participated in by the six operators, according to the letter.

The operators have already filed a case on SIM replacement tax dispute, which has delayed 4G auction.

An official of a mobile operator said if the regulatory body does not announce technology neutrality in its amended guideline, no operator will participate in the unused spectrum auction.

Technology neutrality would minimise operator’s cost to offer services in a single band, he added.

The Post and Telecommunication Division has targeted to earn Tk7357.98 crore

14 13 321 1 20 20

6,902

78 1,6 8 9 -10 -0 -0 7 9 8 0 0 0 20 20 20

10,085

Amount in taka/crore

5,405

The Post and Telecommunication Division will miss the revenue target in this fiscal year as BTRC fails to sell its unused 15 MHz 3G spectrum in 2,100 band and 10.6 MHz in 1,800 band, official sources said.

But Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission hoped that it would be able to achieve the revenue target in the next fiscal year from one time spectrum assignment fee for 4G from six mobile phone operators.

The Post and Telecommunication Division recently made the observation in a letter addressed to Senior Finance Secretary Mahbub Ahmed.

BTRC Chairman Dr Shahjahan Mahmood yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that revenue earning would decline in this fiscal year as the regulatory body could not sell its unused spectrum on time.

According to the letter, the revenue earning from licence renewal, spectrum auction and revenue sharing of mobile operators have not come every fiscal year.

Usually, those earnings from mobile phone companies came in 5-10 years interval and earnings of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Limited has declined as land phone users are indifferent to the land phone use over the last couple of years, the letter reads.

As a result, the revenue earnings of the Post and Telecommunication Division is set to miss its earning target for FY’15-16.

However, the letter said revenue target for FY’17 will be achieved as the BTRC’s

BTRC REVENUE COLLECTION

6,958

Asia’s factories parched for demand, need stimulus

Showkat Kallol and Ishtiaq n Asif Husain

3,047

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) has requested the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to reduce Value Added Tax (VAT) rate to 7% from existing 15% with implementation of the new VAT law that will come into effect from July 1, 2016. PAGE 16

Post and Telecommunication Division fears revenue shortfall

2,371

FBCCI for 7% VAT under new law

3,195

INSIDE

15 41 20

Source: BTRC

in the current fiscal year, Tk10,734.90 crore in FY’17, Tk11,368.22 crore in FY’18, Tk12,732.41 crore in FY’19 in line with the national budget announcement.

The BTRC revenue declined by 32% as the regulatory body failed to fulfill its target due to a series of complexities with the mobile operators in FY’15.

It deposited only Tk1,440 crore to the national exchequer in the first half of the current fiscal year. Initially, the revenue collection was estimated at Tk13,660 crore, and now its revenue collection stands at between 31.56% and Tk6,902 crore in the last fiscal year.

In FY’14, BTRC collected Tk10,085 crore, which was the highest revenue so far earned by the government. l

IMF cuts Bangladesh growth outlook to 6.3% n Tribune Report The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut economic growth to 6.3% for this fiscal year from 6.8% as foretasted in October last year.

The projection is much lower than the government’s target of 7% for the current fiscal year.

In FY16, real GDP growth is projected at 6.3%, supported by higher public sector wages and public investment, according to IMF’s midterm review, which was released yesterday after the meeting of its executive board that concluded 2015 Article IV Consultation with Bangladesh.

IMF said tax revenue performance has been weak, with revenues increasing more slowly than GDP. Also, private domestic demand, particularly private investment, has been subdued, partly contributing to a slowdown in credit to the private sector, it added.

“Various economic activity indicators suggest a slower-than-expected start to the current fiscal year,” said the IMF said.

Despite global headwinds and episodes

of domestic unrest, Bangladesh has had a strong macroeconomic performance in the two years since the last Article IV consultation, supported by prudent policies under the recently-completed Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement with the IMF. The IMF said Bangladesh’s growth is projected to accelerate gradually to 7% over the medium term, as public investment is further ramped up and constraints on investment ease, with private investment also supporting a recovery in private-sector credit.

“Provided calm prevails, prudent policies remain in place, and structural reforms are implemented as envisaged, the medium-term economic outlook should be positive and marked by continued stability and high growth,” it said.

Inflation is forecast to remain broadly stable in the current financial year and edge up slightly next fiscal

year, due to temporary effects from higher public sector wages and the introduction of new VAT. “Growth has been robust, external reserves have risen, inflation has abated, and social indicators have improved,” it said.

However, it encouraged the government to continue sterilised foreign exchange intervention and consider adopting a basket of trading partners’ currencies to guide foreign exchange intervention policy going forward. l

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Business

FBCCI for 7% VAT under new law n Tribune Report The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) has requested the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to reduce Value Added Tax (VAT) rate to 7% from existing 15% with implementation of the new VAT law that will come into effect from July 1, 2016.

The FBCCI yesterday made the request to NBR as it found that the existing rate of 15% is too high in comparison with other countries.

“15% is very high and Bangladesh is not Malaysia, not even Thailand. The rate is 6% in Malaysia and 7.5% in Thailand. But why Bangladeshi people will pay 15% VAT?” FBCCI President Abdul Matlub Ahmad questioned.

Urging the NBR to immediately work on the VAT percentage rate, he said: “The rate should be fixed in between the rate of the two countries.”

“7% should be the fixed online tax under the VAT Online Project that will come into effect from the first day of next fiscal,” said Matlub while addressing a seminar on “Business Process of New VAT Law” at IDEB Bhaban in the city. VAT Online project of NBR organised the programme.

The parliament in 2012 passed the Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act to automate the overall VAT administration to increase the revenue collection.

Following the initiative, the taxes authorities in 2013 undertook the VAT Online Project to ensure a client-friendly and a service-oriented automated system.

The NBR is scheduled to start online VAT registration from July 1, 2016 and is expected that the all procedures including registration, payment, return filing, refund, legal actions under new VAT act will go online.

The new Value-Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act-2012 will have no provisions for package VAT or truncated value-based VAT system. With the introduction of the law, all level of business have to pay a unique and a single VAT rate at 15%.

Matlub said, “Business people want to pay tax, but they do not want to pay Tk1 as tax by paying Tk3 as cost of harassment. The online project will solve the problem.”

The FBCCI President also requested NBR to introduce training for all business people in the country on the new VAT law by joining with FBCCI. With reference to a report by Customs, Excise and VAT commissionerate, Dhaka (South), Matlub said: “I feel very sad and ashamed to see only 9% of the registered VAT payers are paying their VAT while only 4% are paying package VAT. “Where are the rest 96%?” he questioned.

He also urged the NBR to work on settling court related cases involving Tk20,000 crore VAT claims before the VAT Online project comes into effect.

State Minister for Finance MA Mannan urged the NBR officials to work properly as the new technology, which will come into effect from next July, will earn a huge amount of revenue.

“We have taken up many ambitious projects and we need huge amount of money,

but we do not want to put anyone to manage the fund,” he added.

NBR member (VAT policy) Jahangir Hossain said: “The new law has the potentiality to substantially improve the revenue collection as the law was designed with four goalssignificantly support business, enhance capacity of NBR, provide environment friendly revenue administration, and increase government’s capacity to support expenditure projects.”

NBR member Md Rezaul Hasan, also the project director of VAT Online Project made a presentation on project implementation status where he said the new law would ensure online platform which will have central data processing unit, call centre and service centres, fully automated VAT administration and integration with external systems.

Describing on the progress of the project, he said online VAT registration would begin from April 2016 while VAT payers would be able to file their return and payment – and claim refund through online by August 2016.

The new system will encourage voluntary compliance, ensure paperless and online VAT system and higher revenue yield for development, he hoped.

Three presentations on overall registration process, change management and organisational reform and on VAT online processes were presented to the stakeholders at the seminar.

NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman and NBR Senior Member Farid Uddin also addressed the seminar. l

Stocks break 8th day fall n Tribune Report

Stocks rallied amid volatility yesterday, breaking their eighth day fall.

The market opened lower in the morning but later started to move up steadily, led by mainly mid and large cap stocks as the day wore out.

The benchmark index DSEX gained over 19 points or 0.5% to 4,560, rolling back from six-week low in previous session.

The Shariah index DSES rose 6 points to 1,101. The blue chip comprising index DS30 was up 10 points to 1,729.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX closed at 8,531, rising 33 points.

However, the bottom line is that trading activities continued to remain depressed as the DSE turnover was at Tk393 crore, slightly down 0.8% over the previous session.

Pharmaceuticals popped out as the turnover leader after one month, accounting for more than 20% of the total DSE turnover.

Non-banking financial institutions sector remained favourite, soaring 1.5%, driven by the state-owned ICB with a rally of 2.5%.

Textile sector moved up 1.1%, engineering 1%, pharmaceuticals 0.7%, power 0.4% and bank 0.2%.

On the other hand, food and allied declined 1.6% and telecommunication 0.05%.

Lanka Bangla Securities said major large cap stocks were under pressure, however renewal in buying interest in mid- and small cap stocks in last trading hour capped the day’s losses. l

E-commerce in Bangladesh ANALYSIS FINAL PART Saad Ishtiaque and n Ahmed Adib Sarwar With regard to infrastructure development and policy support from the government, there have been several noteworthy initiatives and in some cases, blueprints for initiatives.

For instance, the government has initiated the development of a 232-acre hi-tech park to attract investment from multinationals and local investors.

The park is expected to create 70 thousand jobs, contribute to several businesses in the e-commerce value chain, and benefit the industry through technological spillovers.

Moreover, the government is set to revise the Telecom Policy 2012 to render it more customer and investor-friendly.

Consequently, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication started a public consultation program on March 2015, seeking feedback from consumers and other stakeholders through public websites and SMS service.

The government has also announced that VAT is inapplicable to e-commerce businesses in order to encourage local entrepreneurs. A second submarine cable that is in the planning will enable 4G services and provide bandwidth of 1400 Gbps, compared to the current availability of 200 Gbps (and regular usage of 32Gbps).

Findings from Focus Group Discussions with Industry Experts A recent Focus Group Discus-

sion (FGD) of local e-commerce entrepreneurs deliberated on the current state of the sector, existing challenges, how they are currently being overcome and what ECAB, the government and policy makers could do to assist e-commerce entrepreneurs.

The salient outcomes of the FGD are as follows:

ness sector, but at present, confidence and awareness levels are generally low. The participants recommended that awareness campaigns such as e-commerce fairs be organized across the country to address the existing low level of awareness.

With regard to financing, e-commerce could benefit greatly from government regulations and

The bulk of e-commerce or online business in Bangladesh is generated from and dependent on Facebook. However, Facebook allows only the basic information on customers to be gathered, such as name and his geographical location.

E-commerce business involving shopping outsources its door-to-door delivery services to third parties for a service charge. This process involves dispatching orders to the third party who receive payment from the customers only after delivery is completed.

The problem with third party delivery system is that the payments made by the third parties are always delayed from their end. This puts a damper in the already existing cash flow delays faced by e-commerce entrepreneurs.

The existing payment system has some hurdles to overcome. The payment is almost entirely Cash-on-Delivery (COD). Advance payment is nil and card or online payment is not very popular in Bangladesh due to a perception of insecurity and low level of trust among card users. People are very concerned by credit and debit card frauds.

Several e-commerce entrepreneurs do not possess any business experience and are unaware of how to finance their activities, lack technical knowledge about market entry and access, and have limited systemic understanding of their target customer segments.

There is a lack of awareness among the wider potential e-commerce user community about the benefits of e-There is inadequate knowledge about the appropriate marketing techniques, online and offline, for e-commerce businesses.

The sector generally suffers from a lack of investment and skilled human resources, especially, in the officer positions, which require employees to have completed at least a graduate level of education.

Generally, the FGD participants indicated that lack of awareness of e-commerce’s benefits constitute the most significant barrier to the sector’s growth and development. Buyers will eventually accept and trust e-commerce as a legitimate busi-

policies that encourage low-cost financing to this sector. A greater interest in this sector on the part of financial institutions could lead to a win-win situation, considering the scope and potential of this sector. Growth of this sector would also encourage

greater entrepreneurial activity, and eventually, more business for financial institutions through loans and other products.

With regard to the paucity of human resources, the participants recommended that there be greater collaboration between e-commerce businesses and universities, via internship programs that aim to build up the skills of potential e-commerce sector employees from the groundup. The participants also emphasized the inclusion of e-commerce in the academic course curricula as early education can play a pivotal role in creating the skilled human resources essential for the growth of this sector.

The participants also highlighted that general business knowledge is found to be lacking among the general population, who need to be made aware. They thought that the lack of e-commerce sector knowledge is part of a larger lack of business literacy in the country.

Even investors in e-commerce, many of whom belong to influential business houses or families, often demonstrate a lack of technical knowledge essential for investing in and contributing to the operations of an e-commerce business. Ground breaking products and services from individuals without adequate technical support are hardly likely.

Business development information has to be provided to several start-ups to fast track the growth of e-commerce in Bangladesh.

To this end, the industry experts who participated in the FGDs encouraged greater participation by universities, industry associations and trade bodies in working closely with ECAB and the government to strategically catalyze the growth. l

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Asia’s factories parched for demand, need stimulus n

Reuters, Sydney

January updates on Asia’s mammoth factory sector released yesterday showed the new year began much as the old one ended - with too much capacity chasing too little demand.

China was again the epicentre of disappointment as its official measure of manufacturing fell to the lowest since mid-2012, but the weakness also encompassed such bellwethers of high-tech trade as South Korea and Taiwan.

The dearth of demand and resulting downward pressure on inflation was why the Bank of Japan felt moved enough to cut interest rates below zero last week, and why many more were likely to ease further this year.

The data are a taster for European and United States surveys later in the day, with growth in manufacturing activity likely static in the euro zone and contracting across the Atlantic.

“One risk is that developed world businesses pull back in the face of rising currencies, weak productivity, and sub-par emerging market demand.

“Central banks recognise these risks, and experience shows that they respond quickly to weakness in their industrial sectors, even when it isn’t a precursor to recession.” wrote Bruce Kasman, head of economic research at JPMorgan.

“Based on past experience, JPMorgan suspected the continued stagnation of manufacturing could result in a full percentage point of monetary easing in one form or other.”

The official version of China’s PMI survey for manufacturing slipped to 49.4 in January, from 49.7 the month before and short of forecasts of 49.6.

While the miss was minor, the services index also disappointed by easing to 53.5 and challenged hopes consumption would take over from industry as the driving force for the world’s second-largest economy.

A private survey, the Caixin/Markit China Manufacturing PMI, underscored the trend by showing factory activity shrinking for the 11th consecutive month.

A view inside a closed brick factory building is seen on the outskirts of Beijing

More demand required

The news was relatively brighter in Japan where its factory barometer slipped only a tick to 52.3 in January as a pick up in exports helped keep activity expanding.

Yet that export performance relied on the yen staying weak, hinting at another reason the BOJ acted so boldly when easing policy last week.

India also recorded an unexpected return to growth as its erratic PMI jumped to a fourmonth high of 51.1 in January, after slumping to a 28-month low of 49.1 in December.

Other countries in the region were not so fortunate. South Korea’s manufacturing index eased into contractionary territory in January at 49.5, while the country’s exports suffered the sharpest annual fall since August 2009.

China is South Korea’s largest export market, taking about one-quarter of shipments, followed by the United States and the European Union. Smartphones, cars, semiconductors and flat-screen displays all notched falls

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Business

REUTERS

in January, boding ill for bellwether companies traditionally propping up the economy.

The story was much the same for another electronics hub, Taiwan, where factory growth slowed amid lacklustre demand.

Steep falls in selling prices and input costs also underlined the risks of deflation across the region, and the need for yet more stimulus.

“Shipments being this weak means a recovery in consumption is urgently needed.

If you look at the economy as a whole, this might boost the need for policy easing,” said Lee Sang-jae, chief economist at Eugene Investment & Securities.

A raft of European PMIs due later Monday are expected to show at least a modicum of growth with the index for the euro zone as a whole seen holding at 52.3.

The influential US reading from the Institute of Supply Management was forecast to stay at a sub par 48.0, though there could be some upside risk given a surprisingly strong outcome from the Chicago region last week. l

Muhith hints job contract extension for 3 DGs n Tribune Report

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has in principal agreed to extend job contract of three Deputy Governors (DGs) of Bangladesh Bank.

The minister yesterday came up with the hint of job extension of the central bank’s DGs while responding to a question of a journalist immediately after a meeting with the Bhutanese speaker held at the Secretariat office in the city.

The three DGs are- SK Sur Chowdhury, Abu Hena Mohd. Razee Hassan and Nazneen Sultana. The tenure of job contract of them has come an end on January 21 and currently they are not attending the office anymore.

“Yes, we will reappoint the DGs,” replied the minister as the journalists reminded him that central bank is now running without DGs. In response to another query about the appoint of the new DGs, the minister said: “It is a long procedure to appoint the new DGs and it will take three months if we want to appoint new DGs.” He also opined that it is better for us to appoint DGs on contractual basis. l

China shares slip n Reuters, Shanghai

Chinese shares stumbled lower yesterday after an official measure of activity in the giant factory sector fell to its lowest since mid2012, offering no respite from the economic drift that has dogged markets for months.

The Shanghai Composite Index eased 1.6%, while the CSI300 index of the largest listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen lost 1.4%.

The official version of the PMI survey for manufacturing slipped to 49.4 in January, from 49.7 the month before and short of forecasts of 49.6.

While the miss was minor, the PMI for services also disappointed by easing to 53.5 and challenged hopes consumption would take over from industry as the driving force for the world’s second-largest economy.

A private survey - the Caixin/Markit China Manufacturing PMI - underscored the trend by showing factory activity shrinking for the 11th straight month. l

Ctg Radisson Blu becomes New Hotel of the year 2015 n Tribune Report, Chittagong.

Radisson Blu Chittagong Bay View, the port city’s first upscale international hotel, has been awarded with the New Hotel of the Year 2015.

The recognition came at the Carlson Rezidor Asia Pacific award ceremony which was held in Bangkok, Thailand between January 26-28 of this year.

This award reflects the commitment of Radisson Blu Chittagong Bay View to deliver an excellent international upper scale product in Chittagong and by its employees’ dedication to deliver a true and genuine guest satisfaction.

The luxury hotel launched its commercial operation on April 14 last year. Owned by Sena Hotel Developments Ltd and managed

by Carlson Reizdor, one of the largest hotel

groups in the world, Radisson Blu Chittagong Bay View was inaugurated formally by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on March 1 last year.

Equipped with the state-of-the-art technology and furnished in a modern and contemporary style, the hotel has as many as 241 spacious rooms and suites, 4 international restaurants and 3 bars, separate lounges for separate guest categories.

The hotel is an ideal choice for business and leisure travelers. With its 2100 square meters of ballroom and meeting space, the hotel is an attractive venue of choice for banquets, weddings, conventions, seminars and small meetings. With its 98,000sqm of sprawling space the hotel is equipped with all modern facilities including free internet, with an array of services including infinity pool, outdoor tennis courts, gym and spa. l

The picture shows Radisson Blu Hotel at the bay of Chittagong

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Business

Travelers’ delight: Falling oil prices mean cheaper air fares n AFP, New York Plummeting oil prices have led to falling plane ticket prices - and prospects for an even bigger bonanza of consumer-friendly fares in the coming months, airline industry experts say.

With fuel prices down by two-thirds from the dizzying heights of mid-2014, when oil topped $100 per barrel, the once cash-strapped airline industry is now reaping record profits.

Increased competition also have helped coax down once stubbornly high fares, the experts say.

“We’ve seen typical domestic prices drop about 14% over the past year,” Patrick Surry, chief data scientist at Hopper, the airfare pre-

diction app, told AFP. “The drop in fuel prices is a major factor, along with increasing competition from low cost carriers, both domestically and internationally,” Surry said.

Experts say fuel makes up about a third of an airline’s costs. With oil and jet fuel costs down two-thirds since last year, airlines can expect to reduce their overhead by about 20%.

Some of the best bargains are for air fares to popular US travel destinations like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, cities where competition is stiff.

Good deals can also be had on routes to the southwestern US energy meccas of Houston and Dallas, where the slowdown in the

HSBC arranges $333m loans for BPDB n Tribune Report Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) Bangladesh has arranged $333m loans for Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to finance the 416-mega watt Ghorasal Third Unit Repowering Power Plant Project in Ghorasal, Narsinghdi.

HSBC recently signed an agreement with the BPDB to help the state-owned power producer use the fund backed by the Export Credit Agency (ECA), according to bank’s statement.

BPDB which owns 54% of the country’s total power generation capacity along with its subsidiary companies will be implementing the project.

Bangladesh will provide sovereign guarantee to support the implementation, which will take three years to complete. The government plans to increase the total electricity generation capacity from existing 12,071MW to 24,000MW by the year 2021.

Md. Zahurul Haque, BPDB secretary, and Arnaud Cachard, head of HSBC’s export finance, Asia Pacific, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

Dr Tawfiq E Elahi Chowdhury, adviser to the Prime Minister, Monowar Islam, power division secretary, Md Shamsul Hasan Miah, BPDB chairman and Francois de Maricourt, CEO of HSBC Bangladesh were present at the signing ceremony. l

CORPORATE NEWS

Ambassador of Japan in Bangladesh, Masato Watanabe and executive chairperson of Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA), Major General Mohd Habibur Rahman Khan have inaugurated a dormitory built by OP-Seed Co (BD) Limited yesterday

Anwar Ispat has recently signed an agreement with Mediacom Limited for availing its services, said a press release. COO of Anwar Ispat, SM Oniket Selim and director (operations) of Mediacom, Pradip Nag signed the agreement

oil business has led to discounted air fares.

Some companies said they are using the windfall in fuel costs to reduce debt and to make needed reinvestment in their infrastructure.

“We are utilizing our cash to continue to secure our future,” said Gerry Laderman, senior vice president at United Airlines.

“In 2015, we prepaid $1.2bn of debt, including $300m in the fourth quarter.”

Likewise, Richard Anderson, CEO at Delta, said of his company: “Our focus on our longterm goals is unwavering. We will continue to reinvest in the business at an appropriate level to sustain long-term growth.”

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics in a

report earlier this month (January) said air fares by foreign travelers on US airlines fell 15% in 2015, the largest calendar-year drop since the index was first published in 1987.

The decline in ticket prices was steepest for air travel to Latin American and Caribbean (down 17.8%), but there were also big drops in fares to Asia (down 14.6%) and Europe (down 11.7%).

Cheap fares to the Olympics?

Travel industry experts said that the relatively low prices were likely to continue throughout 2016, including an anticipated 23% drop in the price of air fares to Rio this summer, just in time for the Olympic games. l

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Kathak International Poets Summit 2016 “Kathak International Poets Summit 2016” was held on January 31, 2016 at National Gallery Auditorium of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka (National Academy of Fine & Performing Arts). Hosted by KATHAK, Bangladesh-Poetry Initiative, this event is focused on getting poets and poetry lovers together to define path for the bilateral development and propagation of the poetic arts in Bangladesh and other countries of the world.

There were four world renowned poets

from Sweden, Slovakia, Morocco and Taiwan participating in this summit. Besides, a number of poets from Taiwan have also attended the summit.

Swedish poet Bengt Berg, Slovakian poet Milan Richter, Dr Benaissa Bouhmala poet from Morocco and Dr Lee Kuei-shien poet from Taiwan have been awarded with “Kathak Literary Award 2016.”

Other notable poets from Taiwan included Lin Fo-er, Lee Ruo-ying, Dr Fang Yaw-chien, Tai Chin-cho, Chen Xiu-zen and from

Bangladesh Asad Chowdhury, Hayat Saif, Mohammad Nurul Huda, Habibullah Sirajee, Jahidul Huq and Aminur Rahman who attended the summit.

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad has graced the occasion as the chief guest and honourable Swedish Ambassador Johan Frisell was present as the special guest in the event.

Director general of Bangla Academy, Shamsuzzaman Khan presided over the summit and delivered the welcome

Symphony presents H175

Symphony introduces its new smartphone Symphony H175 which comes with great features at an affordable price. H175 comes with a 5- inch IPS display, 64bit Quad Core processor and a stunning 4000 mAh battery. The handset runs on 5.1 Android lollipop OS and features a 3-megapixel back (auto-focus) and a 5-megapixel front camera.

With its 64-bit 1.3 GHz quadcore processor and 2GB of RAM, full HD video will be viewed smoothly and apps will run much faster. Games will run smoothly for the Mali T720 GPU. The set has 16GB internal storage that can be extended up to 32GB with a micro SD card.

Symphony H175 is now available in grey and white for Tk10,490 only. l

speech. CEO of Bangladesh Tourism Board, Aktaruzzaman Khan Kabir handed over souvenirs to all the participant poets and guests at the programme.

Three books were launched at the programme - Prithibi Shera Samakaleen Char Kabir Kabita, Summit Anthology and POESIA DE NICARAGUA. All these books were edited and translated by Poet Aminur Rahaman and published by Adorn Publication.

All the invited poets recited their poems in the inaugural of the summit. l

Affordable furniture at your fingertips Furniture and home appliances are integral components of modern home décor.

However, consumers, especially those belonging to the middle class and higher middle class income group, often fail to find furniture of the right design and price to suit their taste and the size of their wallets.

Moreover, roaming from shop to shop to find the right combination can be a daunting and time consuming task.

The meteoric rise of online classified platforms has occurred precisely because of their ability to address this particular problem. People now can easily choose the furniture of their preference from thousands of available options, that too at an affordable cost. Since the items are transferred from customer to customer, the prices are much lower than the original tags. The buyer can also physically verify a product from the original user before making a purchase.

Over the years, online classified platforms have enjoyed soaring popularity worldwide including Bangladesh for this very reason.

They have highly influenced our buying and selling habits.

People looking to sell their old furniture or other commodities to make way for new ones also find an answer in these online platforms. They can post an ad of the items

for free, adding not only to the vast riches of the platform, but also finding thousands of potential buyers for their items.

Ekhanei.com in Bangladesh features more than 40 thousand furniture and home appliances such as sofas, cupboards, wardrobe, beds, dinner tables, AC, microwave ovens and many more. Ekhanei. com also reports a staggering 329% increase in the number of uploads of home and living products in a matter of one year.

Shylendra Nathan, CEO at Ekhanei.com, says, “Online classified platforms have become very popular as a medium of quick buying and selling. Products belonging to a vast range of categories are changing hands every second.” l

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CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Miss achievement (4) 5 Prescribed amounts (5) 9 Wilfully disregard (6) 10 Land measure (3) 11 Becomes firm (4) 12 Tracking system (5) 14 Top room (5) 16 Notion (4) 19 Weary (4) 21 Utters gratingly (5) 24 Flowed back (5) 27 Old stringed instrument (4) 29 Bishop’s territory (3) 30 Coating on teeth (6) 31 Plants’ supports (5) 32 Require (4)

DOWN 1 Clenched hand (4) 2 Mature (3) 3 Whole (6) 4 Missing (4) 5 Mocks (7) 6 Sorrowful (3) 7 Period of time (3) 8 Liquid part of blood (5) 13 Top card (3) 15 Long angry speeches (7) 17 Take for granted (6) 18 Long lock (5) 20 Anger (3) 22 Scheme (4) 23 Grasped (4) 25 Wager (3) 26 Insect (3) 28 Golf mound (3)

Downtime CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 18 represents L so fill L every time the figure 18 appears.

You have two letters in the control grid to start you off. Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

As you get the letters, fill in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check off the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

A B C DE FG H I J K L MN O P Q RST UVWXYZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

INSIDE

Food: A weapon of war in the Middle East

African leaders back push for Int’l Criminal Court pull out African leaders have backed a Kenyan proposal pushing for a pullout from the International Criminal Court, leaders said Sunday, repeating claims it unfairly targets the continent.

PAGE 22

Explaining the importance of Iowa in 2016 race

Yesterday, Iowa residents cast the first votes in the long race for the White House. This year, twelve Republican candidates and three Democratic hopefuls are vying for the lead in the race.

PAGE 22

In a Middle East torn apart by war and conflict, fighters are increasingly using food as a weapon.

Millions of people across countries like Syria, Yemen and Iraq are gripped by hunger, struggling to survive with little help from the outside world. Children suffer from severe malnutrition, their parents often having to beg or sell possessions to get basic commodities including water, medicine and fuel.

The biggest humanitarian catastrophe by far is Syria, where a ruinous five-year civil war has killed a quarter of a million people and displaced half the population. All sides in the conflict have used punishing blockades to force submission and surrender from the other side — a tactic that has proved effective particularly for government forces seeking to pacify opposition-held areas around the capital Damascus.

Humanitarian teams who recently entered a besieged Syrian town witnessed scenes that “haunt the soul,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. He accused both the government of President Bashar Assad and the rebels fighting to oust him of using starvation as a weapon, calling it a war crime.

The UN and aid agencies have struggled with funding shortages and growing impediments to the delivery of humanitarian assistance despite Security Council resolutions insisting on the unconditional delivery of aid across front lines.

In Yemen, the Arab world’s most impoverished nation, nearly half of the country’s 22 provinces are ranked as one step away from famine conditions.

Here’s a look at major areas in the Middle East under siege or suffering starvation--

Syria

Myanamr’s new era dawns Hundreds of lawmakers from Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League of Democracy (NLD) were sworn into Myanmar’s parliament on Monday, with enough seats to choose the country’s first democratically elected government since the military took power in 1962.

PAGE 23

The UN estimates more than 400,000 people are besieged in 15 communities across Syria, roughly half of them in areas controlled by the Dae’sh group. In 2014, the UN was able to deliver food to about 5% of people in besieged areas, while in 2016 estimates show the organisation is reaching less than 1%.

In 2015, the World Food Programme was forced to reduce the size of the food rations it provides to families inside Syria by up to 25% because of a funding shortfall. The agency says it has to raise $25m every week to meet the basic food needs of people affected by the Syrian conflict.

According to the UN children’s agency, malnutrition is a major threat among millions of refugees. A Unicef report last year showed that almost 2,000 Syrian refugee children in Lebanon are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, and need immediate treatment to survive.

It warned that situation could deteriorate even further as malnutrition is linked to such factors as poor hygiene, unsafe drinking water, lack of immunization, diseases and improper infant and young child feeding practices.

IRAQ

People in need

YEMEN

Over a million

SYRIA

1 million to 500,000

Less than a 100,000

SYRIA The number of people in need of assistance has increased by over a million last year to 13.5m.

Access to the 4.5m people in hard-to-reach locations saw very little improvement in 2015.

These are areas where passage is not allowed or safety guaranteed for aid.

4.5m people hard to reach

1 in 10

393,000

aid convoys completed

Yemen is the Arab world’s most impoverished nation. The war has exacerbated problems of water shortages, high unemployment and severe food scarcity.

Out of a total of 113 requests to deliver aid convoys submitted by UN to the government of Syria, 13 have been approved and completed. Of the 393,000 people in besieged areas less than 1% are receiving food and other aid.

people in be sieged areas...

YEMEN

1%

receiving food or aid

21m of Yemen’s 24m people require some kind of humanitarian assistance to meet basic needs or protection. 14.4m do not have enough food, 7.8m are severely underfed.

7.8m

19.3m

14.1m

14.1m

in need of food

of clean water

of healthcare

of protection

IRAQ While conflict in Iraq hasn’t led cases of starvation, malnutrition is an increasing problem reports Marwa Awad of the World Food Programme.

8.2m

45%

1.9m

1.1m 2.3m

in need of urgent of the people in need, children in areas under newly displaced assistance who are children siege, cannot be reached by war in 2015

in need of safe water

Mohammad Razon/ Dhaka Tribune

Yemen

The humanitarian situation has dramatically deteriorated, nearly 300 days after the Saudi-led coalition began its air campaign aimed at driving Yemen’s Shia rebels from cities under their control. Coalition naval ships are blockading traffic in Yemen’s ports and rebels are besieging several areas, particularly the southern city of Taiz. Some 14.4m Yemenis, more than half of the population, are food insecure, an increase of 12% in the last eight months, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation said Thursday. In late December, the WFP said 7.8m of Yemen’s 24m people are in even more dire condition, “facing life-threatening rates of acute malnutrition,” up by more than 3m in less than a year. It said 10 of the country’s 22 provinces are in “the grip of severe food insecurity” at the “emergency” level, one step short of famine on the agency’s 5-level scale of food security. The severe shortage of food, fuel and medicine across Yemen led to an increase in the number of children suffering from mal-

nutrition while the destruction of health facilities treating them led to deaths. Some 3m children under five years require services to treat or prevent malnutrition, according to a Unicef report on January 13.

Iraq

Massive population shifts in Iraq due to violence has made it more difficult for millions of people to access food, medicine and safe drinking water. More than 3m Iraqis are displaced within the country by violence and instability. Ongoing violence in many of Iraq’s provinces that are also home to people who have been uprooted by conflict is of the greatest concern. In Anbar, Ninevah and Salahuddin the price of food has risen by as much as 38% in the last month, and in some cases the Iraqi government has had to airlift families out of towns and villages besieged by fighting between Iraqi government forces and Dae’sh fighters. l

Source: AP

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SOUTH ASIA

Blast kills 10, wounds 20 outside Kabul police office

A suicide bomber blew himself up in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Monday, killing 10 people and wounding 20 after joining a queue to enter an office of the civil order police, a senior official said. Kabul was hit last month by a series of suicide attacks as the Taliban have stepped up their campaign against the Western-backed government. The attacks coincided with renewed efforts to revive a peace process with the Islamist insurgent movement that stalled last year.

-REUTERS

INDIA

Rape victim sexually assaulted again in hospital

A teenage rape victim was allegedly sexually assaulted a second time while in hospital receiving treatment for the original attack in Jharkhand, police said Monday. The 15-yearold girl has told police that she was raped on Sunday by a security guard at the hospital where she had been admitted in the state’s Jamshedpur city. Police superintendent Chandan Jha told that they had registered a case and arrested the private security guard posted at the hospital after the girl’s complaint.

-AFP

CHINA

China sets up 5 new military regions

Chinese President Xi Jinping presided Monday over the creation of five new military regions, part of the streamlining of the 2.3m-member People’s Liberation Army while also signaling his firm control over the armed forces. The north, south, east, west and central regions replace the seven previous regions. Xi’s push to reform the military coincides with China becoming more assertive in its territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas, and as its navy invests in submarines and aircraft carriers and its air force develops stealth fighters.

-AP

ASIA PACIFIC

Tokyo: China arrests 4th Japanese over spying

Japan on Monday denied that it carries out espionage activities abroad as it announced that Chinese authorities have formally arrested a fourth Japanese citizen on suspicion of spying. China and Japan have been taking steps for more than a year to improve relations that remain plagued by tensions over the legacy of World War II as well as a maritime dispute.

Ties, however, remain shaky and the Chinese allegations of spying by Japanese nationals have become a new irritant.

-AFP

MIDDLE EAST

Israel blocks non-residents from Ramallah

Israel blocked non-residents from Ramallah on Monday after a checkpoint shooting wounded three soldiers, keeping commuters out of the West Bank city where the Palestinian Authority is based. The unusual move also applied to foreigners, although UN officials, international NGOs and diplomatic staff were being allowed in, diplomatic and UN sources said. Palestinians seeking to leave Ramallah were also undergoing security checks, leading to frustration in lengthy queues.

-AFP

African leaders back push for Int’l Criminal Court pull out n AFP, Addis Ababa African leaders have backed a Kenyan proposal pushing for a pullout from the International Criminal Court, leaders said Sunday, repeating claims it unfairly targets the continent.

Chad’s President Idriss Deby, elected African Union chairman at the two-day summit, criticised the court for focusing its efforts on African leaders.

No legally binding decision was made, and the decision to leave the ICC’s founding Rome Statute is up to an individual nation.

The decision is a “proposal...for the AU to develop a road map for the withdrawal of African nations”, a Kenyan presidential statement read.

The war crimes trial of former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo began last week, rekindling a bitter row across Africa over the international justice system.

Set up in 2002 as the last resort to try war criminals and perpetrators of genocide never tried at home, the ICC has opened probes involving eight nations, all of them African: Kenya, Ivory Coast, Libya, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Uganda and Mali.

The AU, led in particular by Kenya, has accused the court of unfairly targeting Africans for prosecution as the majority of its cases come from the continent.

This included a failed case to try Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and a faltering case against his deputy William Ruto, for allegedly masterminding deadly post-election violence in the east African country in 20072008 in which some 1,200 people died.

Around one-third of its member states are in Africa. l

Africans pursued by the International Criminal Court The ICC has opened investigations in 8 countries - all African - since 2003

Convicted Trial in progress, detained

Seif al-Islam Moamer Kadhafi’s son Detained en Libya

Trial in progress Free Awaiting trial detained Awaiting a verdict

William Ruto Vice-president

Arrest warrant Libya

Probe under way Preliminary investigation

Omar al-Bashir president

Mali

Guinea

Sudan Nigeria

Ivory Coast

Joshua Arap Sang Radio presenter

CAR Kenya D.R. Congo

Uganda Joseph Kony Rebel chief

Laurent Gbagbo Ex-president

Dominic Ongwen Rebel commander

Jean-Pierre Bemba Former vice-president

Simone Gbagbo Wife Sentenced to 20 years de prison in I. Coast

Charles Ble Goude Militia chief

Bosco Ntaganda Rebel leader Sylvestre Mudacumura

Thomas Lubanga 14 year jail term

Germain Katanga

Ex-militia chief

12-year jail term

Explaining the importance of Iowa in 2016 race Yesterday, Iowa residents cast the first votes in the long race for the White House.

This year, twelve Republican candidates and three Democratic hopefuls are vying for the lead in the race.

The state has seen some memorable moments on the campaign trail.

Obama’s eloquent speech at the 2007 Jefferson Jackson Dinner changed the course of the campaign and helped propel him to victory in Iowa.

In 2004, Howard Dean’s famous “scream” after a disappointing third-place finish doomed his candidacy. Dean’s scream wasn’t the only quirky moment in the state, although it was perhaps the most consequential.

Other examples include social conservative activist Alan Keyes jumping into a mosh pit at the prodding of television host Michael Moore during the 2000 campaign and countless candidates awkwardly eating corn dogs.

The key group in Iowa on the Republican side in 2016 will be more moderate “country club” Republicans. With Donald Trump

and Ted Cruz appealing to those conservative voters looking for red meat, if moderate Republicans in the eastern part of the state coalesce behind one establishment candidate – Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush or Chris Christie – it could make this a three-person primary, with evangelical, conservative and establishment camps each emerging with a viable contender.

On the Democratic side, students will be the key demographic to watch. This will be the first Iowa caucus in over a decade that has taken place when colleges and universities are in session. If Bernie Sanders can successfully organise and turn out young people across the state, it could give him an edge in several key counties across the state.

Turnout will also be important on the Republican side, as many of the voters most attracted to Trump’s candidacy are new to the political process. The higher the turnout, the better for Trump.

In contrast, overall turnout is a mixed indicator for the Democratic primary. While Sanders is also hoping to turn out a number of voters new to the political process, an increase in turnout doesn’t necessarily bode well for him.

After all, while Clinton may have lost the

state in 2008, she still vastly surpassed her vote goals and likely turned out more people than every other Democratic candidate in the history of the caucuses besides Obama.

By the data, Iowa is of small significance to the election. The state has just 3m of the country’s nearly 319m residents and so it does not have many votes in the Electoral College that will eventually elect a president from the parties’ nominees.

In the presidential nominations too, Iowa does not mean much in terms of sheer numbers: for both the Republicans and the Democrats, the state makes up about 1% of delegates who will later choose the nominees.

But Iowa can mean everything because of the simple fact that its contest comes first. While a candidate does not need to win Iowa to win its party’s nomination, results in Iowa are followed closely by the media and are an early signal of how the country as a whole will respond to the candidates.

In a race with many candidates, how a politician fares in Iowa can determine whether he or she will remain on the ballots for the rest of the US. l

Sources: AFP, NEW YORK TIMES, US NEWS, WASHINGTON POST, GUARDIAN

MYANAMR’S NEW ERA DAWNS Hundreds of lawmakers from Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League of Democracy (NLD) were sworn into Myanmar’s parliament on Monday, with enough seats to choose the country’s first democratically elected government since the military took power in 1962. The NLD won some 80% of elected seats in November’s historic vote, catapulting it to power as Myanmar’s ruling party after decades of struggle that saw many of its members imprisoned. The first sitting of the NLD-dominated parliament is another step in Myanmar’s drawn-out transition, which started with the election and will go on until the NLD government officially begins its term in April after parliament has picked a president.

Myanmar’s 51.5m n people expect the NLD to fix everything, from completing the transformation of an economy stunted by decades of isolation to bringing peace to states riven by ethnic conflict.

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USA

Cruz, Clinton in best financial shape headed into voting

Marco Rubio has emerged as the favourite of elite GOP donors, but the White House hopeful who scares them most is Ted Cruz, who is in the best financial shape of any candidate in the Republican field.

The analysis found that Cruz and his allied Super PACs had about $44m in the bank as the caucuses begins in Iowa. On the Democratic side, an analysis found that Hillary Clinton and her Super PAC allies have built the most robust and sustainable organisation with $67m on hand. -POLITICO

THE AMERICAS

Cuba’s Raul Castro in France for historic visit

Cuba’s President Raul Castro began an official state visit to France on Monday, his first ever to Europe, which is being seen as a key step in rebuilding his island nation’s ties with the West. Castro, 84, is on his first official trip to the EU since taking over from his elder brother Fidel in 2006. France has led the way in welcoming Cuba back into the diplomatic fold since it restored relations last year with the US. -AFP

UK

No deal yet in Brexit talks with Cameron Clockwise, from left, Aung San Suu Kyi arrives for the opening of the new parliament in Naypyitaw. New NLD lawmakers arrive for the opening of the new parliament. Aung San Suu Kyi’s identification is seen among new lawmakers before the opening of the new parliament REUTERS

PORTRAYAL

Trump: Celeb billionaire re-writing US politics n AFP, New York Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, the swaggering billionaire who revels in money and celebrity, has upended the 2016 presidential election by casting a spell over grassroots conservatives to the horror of the political establishment.

To his critics, he is a racist demagogue or at best, a buffoon with an orange permatan and an odd helmet of hair who would either hand Hillary Clinton the White House or lead the world into unmitigated catastrophe.

To his fans, he is the definition of American success, the cut-throat tycoon who can magically fix all that’s wrong with a country no longer sure of its place in the world and home to an increasingly frustrated white working and middle class.

What is clear is that the 69-year-old New Yorker defies the rules.

He insults women, Mexicans, Muslims -virtually everyone who crosses his path and yet his say-it-how-it-is honesty, defiance of political correctness and disdain for the political class has struck a chord matched by almost no other candidate.

He promises to build a wall on the Mexican border, deport millions of illegal immigrants and stand up to China to “Make

AFP America Great Again.”

He also plays fast and loose with statistics, and has never unveiled detailed policies.

He jets from rally to rally in his Boeing 757 like a rock star and sucks up roughly as much TV coverage as the other candidates combined, saving him tens of millions of dollars in paid advertising.

The big question is: Can he translate his poll numbers into votes? Will his campaign start to unravel when registered Republicans cast their first votes in the long road to the November election?

Wealth and celebrity profile

His true wealth is up for dispute. Trump told the Federal Election Commission he has more than $10bn. Forbes insists it is no more than $4.5bn. But there is barely a corner of Manhattan that the Trump Organisation hasn’t conquered with luxury build-

ings. Its portfolio of hotels, golf courses, casinos and luxury estates straddles the world, from California to Mumbai.

He has written a string of best-selling business books and cemented his fame by starring in NBC reality series “The Apprentice,” which spawned “The Celebrity Apprentice” -- until the network dumped him for offending Mexicans.

There were other business flops along the way. Four times between 1991 and 2009, his casino and hotel projects on the East Coast fell into bankruptcy.

He called Mexicans rapists, questioned whether America’s most distinguished exPOW, John McCain, was a war hero and seemed to imply that a Fox News anchor asked him difficult questions because she was menstruating.

He sparked international condemnation when he called for a ban on Muslims entering the US. In House of Commons, MPs debated whether he should be banned from Britain.

And still thousands, particularly lower income and less-educated white Americans, flock to his rallies, mesmerised by a man who promises that he can translate personal success into success for the country at large.

Previously a Democrat and an independent, he has ditched once liberal views on gun control and abortion, lurching to the right on the campaign trail, alarming and alienating moderate Republicans. l

No deal was reached between British Prime Minister David Cameron and EU president Donald Tusk Sunday in talks to agree changes to Britain’s membership of the bloc ahead of an in-or-out referendum. The EU president has agreed to another 24 hours of talks before publishing a draft of an agreement, Cameron wrote on Twitter. A senior government source had said that Cameron would press for an immediate post-referendum ban on EU migrants.

-AFP

EUROPE

Belgian-French summit following Paris attacks

The Belgian and French prime ministers hold talks in Brussels on Monday aimed at bolstering counter-terror cooperation after Belgium came under fire for failing to help prevent the Paris attacks. Charles Michel of Belgium and Manuel Valls of France, joined by their interior and justice ministers, will also tackle the broader threat of terrorism across the EU and the Schengen passport-free zone that allows unhindered travel, a French official said. The mini-summit focused on French-Belgian cooperation on the subject of fighting terrorism and radicalisation and how to reinforce it.

-AFP

AFRICA

S Sudan troops suffocated 50 people in container

South Sudan government troops killed some 50 people by stuffing them into a shipping container in baking heat. Despite an August peace deal, fighting continues, and the conflict now involves multiple militia forces who pay little heed to paper peace deals, driven by local agendas or revenge attacks. The report, by the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, was submitted to the African Union summit and made public late Sunday.

-AFP

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

INSIDE

Pant hits fastest U19 fifty as India top Group D Rishabh Pant smashed a record 18-ball fifty as India U19 topped Group D with a seven-wicket win over second placed Nepal U19 in the U-19 World Cup in Mirpur yesterday. On the other match of the same group, New Zealand registered a consolation four-wicket win against Ireland while the Afghan youths beat Canada. PAGE 26

The Bangladesh Under-19 unit in all smiles with their mentor Mizanur Rahman Babul (R) briefing them in practice yesterday ahead of their Under-19 World Cup Group A tie against Namibia Under-19 in Cox’s Bazar today MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Djokovic fears only karma in GS history quest Another overpowering win kept him head and shoulders above his peers at the Australian Open, but Novak Djokovic said fears of a “big slap from karma” make him humble as he continues his quest for Grand Slam history. The achievements keep coming after he smashed world number two Andy Murray Sunday PAGE 27

Guardiola to succeed Pellegrini at City “Manchester City can confirm that in recent weeks it has commenced and finalised contractual negotiations with Pep Guardiola to become MCFC head coach for the 2016/17 EPL season onwards,” Manchester City said in a statement yesterday. PAGE 28

High flying Namibia challenge Junior Tigers n Minhaz Uddin Khan from Cox’s Bazar On pen and paper, Namibia are not even close to Bangladesh’s strength. But on field, the youngsters from the southwest Africa have stirred a storm in the Under-19 World Cup. After beating Scotland, they pushed defending champions South Africa out of the global event and the Namibia U19 boys are now threatening to gun down the high-flying home side in their last group game in Cox’s Bazar.

For a nation, where cricket comes after sports like football, rugby and hockey, Namibia U19 emerged as the surprise package in the tournament having secured a Super Eight berth alongside the young Tigers. Oozing with confidence, Namibia U19 proved they have the strong character and potential in their squad.

What makes Namibia’s journey more interesting is their open message to the stronger opponents. After beating Scotland, Namibia coach Rangarirai Manyande kept their promise of beating South Africa and

Lionel Messi is hoping to arrange a meeting with an Afghan boy who shot to fame after pictures of him dressed in a striped plastic bag jersey went viral, Kabul’s football federation said yesterday. Five-yearold Murtaza Ahmadi idolises the Argentine star but a jersey of him is beyond the means of his poor family. PAGE 29

9:00AM

Bangladesh v Namibia, Cox’s Bazar S Africa v Scotland, Cox’s Bazar W Indies v Zimbabwe, Ctg LIVE* *On Star Sports 1

now Bangladesh U19 are their next target.

The hosts, however, are expected not to be troubled by the challenge as they are still the favorites to top Group A and face Nepal U19 in the knockouts in Dhaka. But a slip-up today might prove costly as in that case they will be up against a strong Indian unit.

“To be honest we are not concerned of all

‘Bangladesh is not a favorite‘ n Minhaz Uddin Khan from Cox’s Bazar

Messi to meet Afghan boy in plastic jersey

Today’s Matches

these. We are having a good campaign, winning the first two matches, and we are motivated to do the same when we face them (Namibia),” said Bangladesh U19 captain Mehedi Hasan yesterday.

The home side has a simple mission – register the best result in the country’s U19 history. The spin department, led by left-arm spinner Shawon Gazi, will once again be instrumental behind Bangladesh result today.

However, Namibia U19 skipper Zane Green is hardly bothered. “We saw yesterday (Saturday against South Africa) that anything is possible. We believe in ourselves that we can beat any team,” he said.

For Namibia, who last faced Bangladesh at this stage in 2012, it is already their best ever result.

“It has been very exciting. It is the first time in Namibia cricket history that we made it to the quarterfinal. I think we play well as a team; play for one another. I think our team spirit is what takes us through and we will have the same tomorrow (today),” said the wicketkeeper-batsman. l

Namibia U19 coach Rangarirai Norbert Manyande ruled out Bangladesh U19 as the favourites when the home side meets his super-charged troop in the U19 World Cup at the Sheikh Kamal International Stadium in Cox’s Bazar. With both teams on two wins, the winners today will top Group A. “Bangladesh is not a favorite in any way.

We are ahead of them in the table through the net run-rate. They are a Test playing nation which is why they are favourites.

But (today) both teams are equal; there’s no favourite,” said the former Zimbabwean cricketer Rangarirai yesterday.

“We will definitely want to finish as group champions. We know what’s awaiting us. We didn’t play against this Bangla-

desh team but we played against them in 2014 World Cup. “We are quite confident having won the first two matches in this tournament. Bangladesh are obviously used to the conditions but if we play the same way, I don’t see why we can’t win,” said the former Namibian pace all-rounder.

Having qualified seven times, their achievement this time is the best in their U19 World Cup history. Their previous best was the 11th position they attained in the 16-team U19 World Cup in 2008 in Malaysia.

“We have a lot to do in this tournament.

We want to prove that yesterday’s win (against South Africa) wasn’t a fluke. We want to go as far as possible in this tournament. We knew that we could surprise a few teams, and we have shown it,” said Rangarirai. l

Namibia U19 coach Rangarirai Manyande speaks to his top order batsman during practice in Cox’s Bazar yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Hosts breakdown U19 World Cup into series

BRIEF SCORES Canada 147 all out, 50 overs (Arslan 38, Abraash 33; Muslim 3-31, Wali 3-21) Afghanistan 149-6, 24.1 overs (Tariq 56, Ihsanullah 31; Miraj 3-17) Afghanistan beat Canada by 4 wickets

n Minhaz Uddin Khan from Cox’s Bazar Bangladesh U19 team adopted a clever strategy which has helped the junior Tigers focus on the U19 World Cup and shred the extra pressure of playing on home soil.

According to the side’s left-arm spinner Saleh Ahmed Shawon, they divided the tournament into two series and winning against Namibia U19 today will mean they will complete the first series on a high note.

“We are thinking this competition as a series. Our captain, vice-captain and team management all have made us believe that this competition is a series and approach it that way. This makes the journey easier I believe,” explained Shawon yesterday.

“The result so far has been positive as you can see. My personal experience is it eases the pressure and puts away the tension that we have to be the champion.

“We needed to win six matches to lift the World Cup. We are now left with four matches. We have divided this whole competition into two series consisting three matches each,” he added.

Our captain, vice-captain and team management all have made us believe that this competition is a series and approach it that way Bangladesh have beaten Scotland and South Africa and on both occasion batted first and threw a target of around 250 before the bowlers sealed full points. Asked if he thinks this sort of a total will be enough as the tournament moves forward, Shawn said, “240 runs is enough for us to defend on any kind of wicket for the kind of bowling attack we have.

“It will be hard for any given opponent to chase 240 runs against our attack, let the wicket be a good batting track,” said the 18-year-old who is eying the top place in the U19 World Cup bowling chart. l

The third Shah Cement – AKS Cup Golf Tournament concluded with a prize giving ceremony at the Golf Garden of Army Golf Club on Saturday. Master General of Ordnance (MGO) of Bangladesh Army Major General Md Abdus Salam Khan addressed the closing ceremony as chief guest

Nepal 169-8, 48 overs (Sunar 37, Rajbir 35; Avesh 3-34, Washington 2-20) India 175-3, 18.1 overs (Rishabh 78, Kishan 52) India beat Nepal by 7 wickets Ireland 212 all out, 47.5 overs (Tector 56, Dennison 46; Ravindra 3/36, Josh Finnie 3/20) New Zealand 213-6, 40.1 overs (Allen 97, Phillips 58; Anders 4-32) New Zealand beat Ireland by 4 wickets

India U19’s Rishabh Pant goes big during his 24-ball 78 against Nepal in their Under-19 World Cup match in Mirpur yesterday

CRICINFO

Pant hits fastest U19 fifty as India top Group D n Tribune Report Rishabh Pant smashed a record 18-ball fifty as India U19 topped Group D with a seven-wicket win over second placed Nepal U19 in the Under-19 World Cup at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.

On the other match of the same group, New Zealand U19 registered a consolation four-wicket win against Ireland U19 while the Afghan youths handed their Canadian counterpart a four-wicket defeat to remain third in Group B.

India U19 v Nepal U19

Nepal managed only 169/8 after a delayed start saw both teams lose two overs from the stipulated 50.

Put into bat, Sandeep Sunar top scored with 37 while Rajbir Singh made 35 as Nepal posed no real threat against the Indian bowl-

ing attack. Medium pacer Avesh Khan picked three scalps while Mayank Dagar and Washington Sundar took two wickets each.

In reply, India stormed to their target with more than 30 overs to spare courtesy of an outstanding first wicket partnership between Pant and captain Ishant Kishan.

Left-handed Pant hammered the fastest fifty of youth ODIs while Kishan made 52 as the duo added 124 runs to take the game away in a flash.

Pant was heading towards the fastest century record but eventually returned after scoring 78 off just 24 balls which featured nine fours and five sixes.

New Zealand U19 v Ireland U19

The Kiwis registered their first win of the tournament in Fatullah after restricting Ireland to 212 and reaching the target with four wickets in hand despite an early hiccup.

The side was reduced to 45 for four inside 13 overs before middle-order batters Finn Allen and Dale Philips joined in the middle to rack up a match-winning 141-run fifth wicket partnership. Allen missed out on the magical three figures by just three runs while Philips scored a composed 58.

Afghanistan U19 v Canada U19

At the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Tariq’s 56 guided the Afghans to an easy win with 25 overs to spare.

Tariq smashed nine fours and six and was complimented by skipper Ihsanullah who scored 31 to help their side register their first win in three games.

Earlier, Canada were bundled out for a mere 147 with Muslim Musa and Samsur Rahman taking three wickets each. Arsalan Khan was the only notable scorer for Canada with 38 runs. l

Shah Cement-AKS Cup Golf ends n Tribune Report Asif Hossain Jabed emerged champion in the Shah Cement-AKS Cup Golf Tournament that concluded at the Army Golf Club on Saturday.

Major General Md Abdus Salam Khan, afwc, psc, Quarter Master General of the Ordnance, Bangladesh Army addressed the grand closing ceremony as chief guest.

Diversified Business Units of Abul Khair Group, Shah Cement & AKS, sponsored the tournament, where a total of 580 golfers took

part across five categories – Junior, Senior, Ladies, Regular and Veteran.

Brigadier General Md. Hyder Rashid (Retd.) and Sahela Sultana Parvin won in the Senior and Ladies category respectively. Brigadier General (Retd.) Shahidullah Chowdhury, executive director Abul Khair Group, Major Hamidur Rahuman Chowdhury, president of Army Golf Club and chairman of tournament committee Brig General Md. KM Salzar Hossain were also present during the occasion among others. l

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

QUICK BYTES Trapp saves PSG Kevin Trapp held St Etienne at bay before Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice in the last half hour to give runaway Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain a 2-0 win on Sunday. PSG, who have won 20 and drawn three of their 23 games, extended their lead to a mammoth 24 points after second-placed Monaco lost 3-0 at Angers on Saturday. They also equalled the Ligue 1 record of 32 games unbeaten, set by Nantes in 1994-95.

REUTERS

Australian Open men’s singles champion Serbia’s Novak Djokovic plays with children during a visit to the Melbourne City Mission’s Braybrook Early Learning Centre yesterday

Ajmal targets WT20 return Pakistan’s discarded off-spinner Saaed Ajmal says he is hopeful of proving his form in a forthcoming domestic league as he targets a return to national colours in the World Twenty20 this March. The 38-year-old, whose accuracy and deceptive doosra helped drive his team to victory in the 2009 edition, has struggled to make an impact since coming back last February from a five-month ban for chucking.

AFP

NZ prime triple-spin threat for World T20 New Zealand will be hoping to stifle their opponents by taking pace off the ball with the inclusion of three frontline spinners in their 15-man squad for next month’s World Twenty20 in India. Off-spinner Nathan McCullum, left-armer Mitchell Santner and leggie Ish Sodhi all found a place in the Kane Williamson-led side for the March 8-April 3 tournament, and the trio can expect to see plenty of action on the host nation’s slow pitches.

REUTERS

Dubai cop jailed for posting Messi’s passport A Dubai court sentenced a policeman to one month in prison on Monday for posting a video showing Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi’s passport on social media, local media reported. The Gulf News daily reported on its website that the policeman, identified only by his initials J.J., was criticised in particular for having “abused the telecommunications system”.

AFP

Benfica win 7th straight to keep up title chase Titleholders Benfica thumped Moreirense 4-1 away on Sunday to notch their seventh successive league win and keep up their pursuit of Portuguese leaders Sporting on Sunday. Two goals from Jonas, a spectacular volley by Kostas Mitroglou and another goal from Nicolas Gaitan kept Benfica two points behind Sporting, who beat Academica Coimbra 3-2 on Saturday.

REUTERS

REUTERS

Djokovic fears only karma in GS history quest n AFP, Melbourne Another overpowering win kept him head and shoulders above his peers at the Australian Open, but Novak Djokovic said fears of a “big slap from karma” make him humble as he continues his quest for Grand Slam history.

The achievements keep coming for the supreme Serb after he smashed world number two Andy Murray 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) in two hours, 53 minutes Sunday to lift his fourth trophy in five Grand Slams.

It moved the 28-year-old to 11 Grand Slam titles, joint fifth on the all-time list and, at his

ATP RANKING POINTS 1. Djokovic 16,790 2. Murray 8,945 3. Federer 8,795 4. Wawrinka 6,325 5. Nadal 4,880

6. Ferrer 4,325 (+2) 7. Nishikori 4,235 8. Berdych 4,200 (-2) 9. Tsonga 2,905 (+1) 10. Gasquet 2,760 (-1)

current rate, closing fast on Roger Federer’s all-time record of 17.

Not only has Djokovic become the first man in nearly 50 years to win six Australian titles, he has also established himself as a class

Chelsea face City in FA Cup tie n Reuters Premier League champions Chelsea, beginning to find their form under Guus Hiddink after a shocking start to the season, will face Manchester City in the outstanding tie of the FA Cup fifth round following Sunday's draw.

Hiddink won the FA Cup with Chelsea during his first spell as interim manager in 2009 and has seen them improve since the sacking of Jose Mourinho in December. They stretched their unbeaten run to nine matches with a 5-1 win at Championship side Milton Keynes Dons in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday.

City, who are bidding for the title as well as seeking success in the Champions League and League Cup, where they face Liverpool in the final, also enjoyed an easy away win with a 4-0 success at Aston Villa on Saturday.

The draw

Chelsea v Manchester City; Reading (II) v West Bromwich; Albion or Peterborough (III); Watford v Leeds United (II); Shrewsbury Town (III) v Manchester United; Blackburn Rovers (II); v Liverpool or West Ham United; Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal; Palace; Arsenal v Hull City (II), Bournemouth v Everton. l

‘Prove it!’ Neymar says Barcelona football star Neymar insisted Sunday he is innocent of tax evasion allegations, days after losing an appeal against a $112,000 fine for filing irregularities in 2007 and 2008.

“I am happy within myself,” he said in an interview with Brazil’s Globo television. “Before saying nonsense – that we hid this, or hid that – they should prove it,” he said.

AFP

apart from his main rivals: Murray, Federer and Rafael Nadal. Murray never recovered from a first set which passed in a blur 6-1 -suffering the same fate as Nadal and Federer, who lost the first set by the same scoreline in their heavy defeats to Djokovic this year.

But Djokovic said he refuses to accept that he has separated himself from the top echelon of men’s tennis, previously dubbed the ‘Big Four’, although results may show otherwise.

“I don’t want to allow myself to be in that frame of mind,” he said, sitting next to the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup for the sixth time in the depths of Rod Laver Arena. l

LVG braced for fan gauntlet against Stoke n AFP, London Louis van Gaal will risk the wrath of Manchester United’s fans again today when his side resume their push for a top-four Premier League finish against Stoke City. Having talked up United’s title chances following their 1-0 win at Liverpool, the manager saw his team fall to an abject 1-0 home defeat against Southampton on their last league outing, after which they were booed off by angry fans.

With 15 games of the season to go, Leicester City remain the unexpected leaders, but they now face a potentially season-defining run of fixtures, starting with a home game against Liverpool. Claudio Ranieri’s men then face back-to-back trips to Manchester City and Arsenal, but full-back Christian Fuchs says they will relish each occasion. l

EPL FIXTURES

Players of AEL Larissa and Acharnaikos stage a sit-down protest in a tribute to migrants who have lost their lives trying to reach Greece’s Aegean islands in the city of Larisa, Greece on Friday

Arsenal Crystal Palace Leicester City Manchester United Norwich City Sunderland W Bromwich Albion West Ham United

v v v v v v v v

Southampton Bournemouth Liverpool Stoke City Tottenham Hotspur Manchester City Swansea City Aston Villa

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

EUROPEAN TRANSFER DEADLINE UPDATE TOTTENHAM'S FAZIO LOANED TO SEVILLA Tottenham defender Federico Fazio has returned to Spanish side Sevilla for the rest of the season, the Premier League club has confirmed. Fazio, 28, joined Spurs from the La Liga club in 2014, but has made just one appearance this season.

BREMEN SIGN TOTTENHAM YOUNGSTER German side Werder Bremen have announced the signing of Tottenham Hotspur defender Milos Veljkovic. The 20-year-old, who helped Serbia win the Under-20 World Cup in 2015, has signed a contract that will keep him at the Bundesliga club until 2019.

VILLA'S GARDE TO MISS OUT ON DOUMBIA Aston Villa manager Remi Garde has said he is disappointed to miss out on his two main targets in the January transfer window, after Croatian goalkeeper Lovre Kalnic was denied a work permit and striker Seydou Doumbia joined Newcastle on loan.

The manager also confirmed that no players would leave the club on deadline day.

KUBAN CANCEL ARSHAVIN CONTRACT Former Arsenal and Russian international midfielder Andrei Arshavin has had his contract cancelled by Russian Premier League side Kuban Krasnodar, the club from the south of Russia announced on their website (www.fckuban.ru).

NEWCASTLE SIGN ROMA'S DOUMBIA Newcastle United have signed striker Seydou Doumbia from Italian Serie A club Roma on loan subject to a medical, the BBC reported. Doumbia, 28, was already on loan, at CSKA Moscow, and scored eight goals in 19 appearances for the Russian side in all competitions this season.

MILAN RELEASE DUTCHMAN DE JONG AC Milan have terminated defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong's contract, according to a statement on the Serie A club's website (www.acmilan.com). De Jong, 31, made six appearances for the Italian club this season and is reportedly in talks over a move to Major League Soccer's LA Galaxy.

CARDIFF SIGN DANISH STRIKER ZOHORE English Championship side Cardiff City have signed striker Kenneth Zohore from KV Kortrijk, the Welsh club said on their website (www.cardiffcityfc. co.uk). Zohore, 22, has represented Denmark from Under-17 through to Under-21 levels.

NO DEADLINE DAY SIGNINGS FOR SAINTS Southampton manager Ronald Koeman has said he is happy with the business the club has done in January and ruled out signing any players on deadline day. The Saints signed striker Charlie Austin from Queens Park Rangers in January, their only major deal of the window.

DEBUCHY, GNABRY COULD LEAVE ARSENAL Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said a move for right-back Mathieu Debuchy is unlikely though still possible, while midfielder Serge Gnabry could leave for the Championship, with two clubs interested in taking the 20-year-old on loan. Wenger also said he is 99 percent sure Arsenal will not make a major signing before the window shuts at 2300 GMT.

WEST BROM TO TAKE PRITCHARD ON LOAN West Bromwich Albion have agreed to take Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Alex Pritchard on loan until the end of the season, with the 22-year-old undergoing a medical at the West Midlands club, according to reports in the British media.

Departing Terry leaves glittering Chelsea legacy n Reuters, London John Terry will pass into Chelsea folklore as their greatest captain during the most successful period in their history and his announcement on Sunday that he will leave at the end of the season marks the end of an era.

Along with keeper Petr Cech, who quit last year, Frank Lampard, who departed in 2014, and Didier Drogba, who left in 2012, Terry was key to Chelsea’s success in the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Europa League and the Champions League.

In many ways he was even more important than the other three because he was the skipper and the heartbeat of the side no matter who was in the managerial hotseat at the club.

Despite off-field controversies, including a charge of racist abuse for which he was cleared in court, and an alleged affair with a former team-mate’s ex-girlfriend, in almost 18 years Terry hardly ever let Chelsea down on the pitch.

Including caretaker and interim managers, 13 different coaches have been in charge of Chelsea since Terry made his debut as a 17-year-old in 1998.

None of them, apart from Jose Mourinho who managed Terry twice, has had more impact on Chelsea’s transformation from a run-of-the-mill Premier League team to European champions under billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich.

In almost 700 appearances for the Stamford Bridge club, Terry was the one who rep-

resented an old school, never-say-die, thunderous approach that helped bring Chelsea more success than at any time since the club was formed in 1905.

Never the quickest player, he has supreme positional sense, a clever tactical brain, and a fearless drive in the opposition goalmouth that has brought him more headed goals than any other defender in the Premier League era. l

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Wins his first major honour, the FA Cup in 2000 Named Uefa defender of the year in 2005, 2008 and 2009 Completes a Premier League and FA Cup double in 2010 Wins the Champions League in 2012 as Chelsea captain - although he misses the final through suspension

Earlier this season, after the champions’ stuttering start to the campaign, former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp said: “I still think John will be a massive player this year.

“He is close to irreplaceable and, if Chelsea are going to win the league again, I think they will need him at his best. I simply cannot see them winning it with any combination of Gary Cahill, John Stones or Kurt Zouma at centre-back.” l

Guardiola to succeed Pellegrini at City n AFP, London

Outgoing Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola will take over from Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City on a three-year deal from the end of the season, the English club announced yesterday.

"Manchester City can confirm that in recent weeks it has commenced and finalised contractual negotiations with Pep Guardiola to become MCFC head coach for the 2016/17 EPL season onwards," the club said in a statement.

"The contract is for three years. These ne-

gotiations were a re-commencement of discussions that were curtailed in 2012.

"Out of respect for Manuel Pellegrini and the players, the club wishes to make its decision public to remove the unnecessary burden of speculation.

"Manuel, who is fully supportive of the decision to make this communication, is entirely focused on achieving his targets for the season ahead and retains the respect and commitment of all involved with the leadership of the club."

Guardiola announced in December that he would leave current club Bayern Munich in May after three years at the helm, with an intention to coach in England next season.

The 45-year-old Guardiola notched up the treble of Champions League, German Cup and Bundesliga titles in 2013, but in the last two seasons, Bayern have exited the Champions League at the semi-final stage.

The ex-Spain international previously coached Barcelona from 2008-12, leading the Catalan giants to domestic and Champions League glory in a remarkable run of success.

The much-travelled Pellegrini, 62, signed for City in 2013, becoming the first Chilean to coach in the Premier League.

During his tenure, City have won 64 of the 99 games played. The only coach to have won more in his opening 99 Premier League games is Jose Mourinho (73).

Manchester City, who sit second in the Premier League behind Leicester, remain in the running for four trophies this season. l

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Mancini set for crunch talks after Milan mauling n AFP, Milan

Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini is set for crunch talks at the club after a crushing 3-0 derby defeat to AC Milan left a sizeable dent in his side’s Serie A title hopes.

Mancini was sent off for dissent in the second half of a stormy encounter at the San Siro on Sunday, where he lost his composure on his way through the tunnel by sticking his middle finger up to a group of Milan fans.

The 164th ‘Derby della Madonnina’ -- as the fixture is commonly known -- turned in favour of hosts Milan when Inter striker Mauro Icardi’s 70th minute penalty came off the post.

Inter’s heads dropped and Milan capitalised with two quick goals in succession from Carlos Bacca and M’Baye Niang adding to Alex’s 35th minute opener to hand Mancini’s men their heaviest derby defeat since a 3-0 reverse in April 2011.

Inter remain in fourth place but are now nine points adrift of leaders Napoli, who thumped Empoli 5-1 at home the same day as champions Juventus routed Chievo 4-0 in Verona to stay within two points.

In a matter of weeks, Inter’s title bid has slipped dramatically and reports on Monday claimed relations between Mancini and Argentine striker Icardi are so bad the club are considering selling him for a cut price of 25million euros on the final day of transfer action.

Happy to be winning by slim scorelines of 1-0, Mancini said it’s now time to go back to basics. “We have to get tough in defence again, organised in midfield and get the strikers scoring again. We have to rely on the qualities we have in the team,” Mancini said. l

DAY’S WATCH CRICKET STAR SPORTS 1 8:30AM ICC U19 World Cup 2016 West Indies v Zimbabwe

FOOTBALL STAR SPORTS 1 2:00AM English Premier League Manchester United v Stoke City

STAR SPORTS 2 1:35AM English Premier League Leicester City v Liverpool

STAR SPORTS 4 1:35AM English Premier League Arsenal v Southampton

STAR SPORTS French Ligue 1 11:50PM AS Monaco v SC Bastiais 1:50AM Montpellier v Olympic Marseille

SONY SIX 01:30AM Italian Serie A Sassulo v Roma

ITALIAN SERIE A Chievo

0-4

Juventus Morata 6, 40, Sandro 61, Pogba 67

Bologna

3-2

Mounier 12, Donsah 24, Destro 88-pen

Sampdoria Muriel 54, Correa 80

Genoa

0-0

Napoli

5-1

Higuain 33, Insigne 37, Camporese 52-og, Callejon 83, 88

Fiorentina Empoli Paredes 28

Torino

0-0

Verona

Udinese

0-0

Lazio

AC Milan

3-0

Inter Milan

Alex 35, Bacca 73, Niang 77

AC Milan’s Alex heads to score against Inter Milan during their Serie A match at San Siro stadium in Milan on Sunday REUTERS

Messi seeks to meet Afghan boy in plastic jersey n AFP, Kabul Barcelona star Lionel Messi is hoping to arrange a meeting with an Afghan boy who shot to fame after pictures of him dressed in a striped plastic bag jersey went viral, Kabul’s football federation said yesterday.

Five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi idolises the Argentine soccer star but a jersey of his favourite player is beyond the means of his poor family in the volatile province of Ghazni near Kabul.

His elder brother Homayoun, 15, made him the blue-and-white-striped plastic shirt with Messi’s named scrawled in marker pen and posted the photos of Murtaza wearing it on Facebook in mid-January.

Jorge Messi, Lionel’s father, told AFP on Saturday that the footballer was aware of the photos that made waves on social media and

“wants to do something” for his young fan.

The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) on Monday said Messi was keen to meet Murtaza as soon as possible, though no date or venue has so far been finalised.

Ronaldo hits treble in Real rout n AFP, Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 29th La Liga hat-trick as Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid moved back to within four points of leaders Barcelona with a 6-0 thrashing of Espanyol on Sunday.

However, Gary Neville’s terrible La Liga run since taking charge of Valencia continued with a 1-0 loss to Sporting Gijon on Sunday -- Los Che’s first home defeat since November 2014.

In keeping with their fast starts under new boss Zidane at the Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid raced into a 4-0 half-time lead with Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez’s first goal since November adding to Ronaldo’s double. The three-time World Player of the

SPANISH LA LIGA Sevilla

3-1

Gameiro 1, Iborra 47, Konoplyanka 76

Valencia

Levante Rossi 55

0-1

Sporting Gijon Sanabria 50-pen

Las Palmas

2-1

Viera 33-pen, Jose 90

Real Madrid

Celta Vigo Bongonda 5

6-0

Espanyol

Benzema 7, Ronaldo 12-pen, 45, 82, Rodriguez 16, Duarte 86-og

Year sealed his latest La Liga hat-trick nine minutes from time before Oscar Duarte’s own goal ensured a repeat scoreline from when the sides met earlier this season. l

“Messi has been in communication with the federation to set up a meeting with the young boy,” AFF spokesman Sayed Ali Kazemi told AFP. “We are working to see whether Messi will come to Afghanistan or the five-year-old will travel to Spain or they will meet in a third country.”

There was no immediate comment from FC Barcelona.

Setting up a meeting in Afghanistan, in the grip of a fierce Taliban insurgency, is fraught with security challenges.

The Spanish embassy in Kabul told AFP it would do whatever possible to facilitate a meeting in a European destination.

Murtaza’s father, a poor farmer in Ghazni’s Jaghori district, admitted he could not afford to buy him a replica jersey, adding that Murtaza only had a punctured ball to play with. l

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Verdant green proved to be the standout colour trend

SAG Awards Helen Mirren sparkles In stunning silver gown n Showtime Desk Actress Helen Mirren is practically the definition of class, and she certainly kept up her sophisticated reputation with her Screen Actors Guild Awards gown, while adding a little sparkle to the mix!

The 70-year-old actress stunned in an embellished silver dress that had jaws dropping. With a dress this gorgeous, Helen made one thing very clear, she’ll always bring her A-game to the red carpet!

Although the dress provided plenty of glamour to Helen’s look, she paired her gown with some glittery hoop-style earrings, a diamond band bracelet, and a gold box clutch. Considering her dress was such a showstopper, she kept her hair simple with some loose waves that perfectly accented her dazzling look. l

Kachhakachhi stars Bijori and Intekhab

Ostitto’s soundtrack release n Showtime Desk Upcoming romantic flick Ostitto’s audio album released yesterday at a restaurant in the capital. Tisha and Arifin Shuvo, leading stars of the film, graced the launching ceremony while the film’s director Anonnno Mamun, lyricist Kabir Bakul, Dinat Jahan Munni, Ibrar Tipu and Lihat Lemis were also present at the launching event.

Earlier, the film’s song “Ayna Bolna” saw a release on Youtube and was viewed nearly 300,000 times, while another track “Ami Bangla’r Hero” has earned moderate viewing.

The fifth directorial venture of

n

Showtime Desk

Popular television actors Bijori Barkatullah and Intekhab Dinar will be seen in the drama serial Kachhakachhi. Bijori will play the role of a matchmaker, while Intekhab will be seen as an engineer.

Jenny, Shatabdi Wadud, Naziba Basher, Anowarul Haque, Shazu Khadem, Swagata and others are cast in the new drama written

by Iraj Ahmed, and directed by Muntasir Bipon. The serial encircles the lives of five youths, and the story of their ups and downs.

Premiered yesterday, the serial will be aired every Sunday and Monday on Ekushey Television at 10:30pm. l

gown, with a deep V-neck and satin detailing. Eva Longoria was in a beaded mesh, body-baring Julien Macdonald dress with deep decolletage, and Julianne Moore arrived in a glittery green Givenchy couture gown. l

Among the goddesses in green were nominee Marisa Tomei in a long-sleeve silk gown, with a plunging neckline from Zuhair Murad’s fall 2015 couture collection. Nominee Kate Winslet wore a custom Giorgio Armani teal silk cady

Anonno Mamun depicts a story of an optimistic autistic girl who battles against dire situations to take part in the Special Olympics. Tisha has portrayed the role of the autistic girl, while Arifin Shuvo played the role of her trainer.

Alongside Tisha and Arifin Shuvo, the film also stars Shuchorita, Subrato, Sujata and Don, among others.

Produced by Dream Box Ltd, the film’s background score is composed by Ibrar Tipu and the songs are composed

by Ibrar Tipu, Pritom Hasan, Navid Parveg and Akash. Ibrar Tipu, Dinat Jahan Munni, Pritom, Lihat Lemis, Nondita, Tashin, Akash and Tanvir Rossi lent their voices to the songs. l

Prachyanat brings Bon Manush on stage

n

Showtime Desk

Theatre troupe Prachyanat will stage its much-acclaimed production Bon Manush today at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Directed

by Bakar Bakul, the play is based on American playwright Eugene O’ Neill’s The Hairy Ape. The play depicts O’ Neill’s social concerns for the oppressed industrial working class.

The Nobel Laureate playwright’s drama features how unjustly the working class is treated through the tragedy of a brutish person named Yank.

The Hairy Ape was received largely as thought-provoking entertainment in O’Neill’s day, and it continues to provide readers of today with an insightful view of a pivotal time in American society, ultimately exploring human nature and a society that would endanger and disassociate many of the hard-working people within it.

Rifat Ahmed Nobel designed sound for the play, while Parvin Sultan Koli choreographed, and ABS Jem designed the set and lighting.l

Extra innings with Srabonno

PHOTO: ASAD US SAKY

n Rumpa Farzana Zaman Srabonno has been working in the media for quite a long time. She is an anchor, model and actress. She’s usually hosting live shows. But nowadays, Srabonno has been shown on cricket based programmes.

The Showtime team caught up with her recently to have a little chit-chat to find out a side of her most people aren’t aware of.

Defining Srabonno in one over • I love to smile. Whatever the situation is, I keep smiling.

• I am a hard working person. I love work.

Except the seven hours of sleep, I keep

Pritom releases “Bhaiya” with Hard Kaur

• • • •

myself busy with work.

I am a multitasker. I am a BCS doctor, I’m modelling, acting, anchoring and so on!

I am a dream lover. No matter how impossible the dream is, I keep running after my dreams.

I am advanturous. I love to explore. New places, new taste, anything!

I am my parents’ princess. Trust me! You can ask them!

Ten strong wickets of Srabonno’s life, which has made her a stronger person • Getting admission in a Government Medical college.

• Passing FCPS and BCS.

Bangladeshi musician Pritom Ahmed has released a song with Indian hiphop artist Hard Kaur. The song titled “Bhaiya” has been popular on YouTube since its release on January 1.

The shooting for the music video to the song started on Sunday at the Bombay Brother’s Studio. From there, Pritom informed that Bollywood director Aiyaz Khan was directing the video, and the shooting would continue until the end of today. Twenty-five models from Bollywood are taking part in the video, while Hard Kaur’s part of the video had already been done.

Hangama.com and other Bollywood based online musical platforms have released the song. l

Any ‘Bold’ situation?

I was wrong when I thought being a medical student meant I can’t take on other activities. That’s why I have started working in the media. Perhaps this is not an actual bold situation; you could call it LBW. So what Srabonno’s ‘Test’ plan?

• Becoming a successful specialist doctor, after completing FCPS part 2.

• I want to be a role model. I want to create examples to the world, to girls who want to be famous. You do not have to sacrifice your personal life, educational progress or career for anything. Look at me. I am bold, beautiful and a doctor of the Bangladesh Government! l

Varun Dhawan, Kajol regret being a part of Dilwale? n Showtime Desk

n Showtime Desk

• The photo shoots by Foisal Masum and Abu Naser, which put me in the spotlight.

• Getting selected after auditioning for Channel 24 and being selected as an anchor.

• Anchoring 21 episodes of travel stories

by Shahriar Shakil.

• Getting involved with Cricket programmess, especially hosting cricket related shows from the last World Cup, Cricket Mania, Cricket Highlights and now cricket extra.

• Being shown as a model for top national Dailies.

• Getting popular TVCs like Ispahani tea, RFL kitchen sink etc.

• Anchoring live shows for several channels, concerts like BTV 50 years celebration, Anjan Dutt live concert and others.

• Acting in a short film by Redwan Rony.

According to a popular journalist’s column, after Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, it’s Varun Dhawan who is unhappy with the way his character was shown in the film. Varun Dhawan is not thrilled with how his role turned out in Dilwale. The actor feels he was merely ‘padding’ to the central plot that revolved around Shah Rukh and Kajol. In the same year that he delivered big hits with Badlapur and ABCD2, Varun apparently feels slighted at having being reduced to the comic sidekick in a Shah Rukh Khan vehicle, says the column.

Varun, who is currently shooting for his brother’s upcoming venture Dishoom with John Abraham and Jacqueline Fernandez, was initially stoked about being a part of a SRK-Kajol starrer.

However going by what the

report says, we wonder why the actor even chose to sign the dotted line when he read the script beforehand.

Meanwhile, the column also states that Kajol is regretting her decision of being a part of Shetty’s cast for the last blockbuster of 2015, alongside Bajirao Mastani. Kajol has said that she regrets turning down the lead in Kahaani, which is Sujoy Ghosh’s next so she could do Dilwale, says the column. l

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Showtime

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

WHAT TO WATCH

Hit and Run HBO Hits 8:53PM Mary, on her way back from a night out, hits a big bump on her car. When she gets out to find out what she hit, she reveals that its a man stuck to her bumper. In a state of panic, she beats up the man and buries him in the forest and runs. Watch the movie to find out what happens next.

Cast: Laura Breckenridge, Kevin Corrigan, Christopher Shand National Treasure: Book of Secrets Star Movies HD 4:29PM Ben Gates, a treasure hunter played

by Nicholas Cage, embarks on a new adventure in this sequel of the previously released hit movie and faces a whole new set of challenges this time. After the revelation of an old assassin’s diary linked with the Lincon murder, he crosses impossible obstacles to solve a mystery that would define his family.

Cast: Nicholas Cage, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren Parker HBO 5:51PM An extraordinary thief is betrayed by his crew after a heist that got them millions considering that was the last job he did, it did not go as smoothly as he wanted it to be. After being saved by a family who found him in a pond, he embarks on a mission to find out each and every one of his crew and take his revenge.

Cast: Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Chiklis.

Blade Warner Bros 7:06PM Blade’s mother was bitten by a vampire when she was pregnant with him. After being born it gave him powers to become the day walker- a vampire who walks during daytime without burning. Watch the movie to find out how he becomes the slayer of his own kind.

Cast: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson X:Men: First Class Star Movies 9:00PM This movie takes you back to the time before Charles and Erik took the name of Professor X and Magneto. The time when they worked together for a greater good. Watch the movie to find out how this sequel of the movie takes you back to the beginning of it all.

Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence.,

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Back Page

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

IMF CUTS BD GROWTH OUTLOOK TO 6.3% PAGE 15

HIGH FLYING NAMIBIA CHALLENGE TIGER CUBS PAGE 25

EKUSHEY

EXTRA INNINGS WITH SRABONNO PAGE 31

BOOK FAIR 2016

Messy start to Ekushey Boi Mela n Nure Alam Durjoy Preparations of Amar Ekushey Boi Mela 2016 were still incomplete when the fair was inaugurated yesterday; with the construction of at least 100 stalls still incomplete.

The pathways inside the fairgrounds were seen strewn with bamboos, wood and other construction materials.

Though the fair was inaugurated at 3pm, it did not open for public until 6pm.

Publishers claimed that the fair authorities had yet to complete providing power supply to a number of stalls as well as other important places.

On the Suhrawardy Udyan side of the fair, stalls and pavilions of all publication houses had limited lighting, despite the fair authorities and the security authorities’ promise that enough lighting would be provided.

“I don’t understand why the preparation is still not complete,” said Anisur Rahman, a student at Dhaka University. “This messy condition of the fair will not help with the number of visitors.”

At the Bangla Academy premises, all the stalls that were alloted to government and non-government organisations and media houses remained closed yesterday, most of them still unfinished.

Visitors look through the collection of books at a stall on the opening day of Amar Ekhushey Boi Mela 2016 yesterday RAJIB DHAR The publishing houses that could not open stalls in Suhrawardy Udyan include Ankur Prakashani, Shova Prokash, Troyee Prakash, Dhrubapada, Boipatra, Rodela Prakashani, Pathshala, Sahitya

Prakash, Bhashachitra and Utsya, among others.

Mohammaed Shahadat Hossain, publisher of Annesha publishing house, said this was not unusual.

“Generally the first day of the book fair is like this. I hope this state will change by tomorrow [today],” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

When contacted, Dr Jalal Ahmed, secretary of the book fair committee, said the committee had been busy with the inauguration, so they could not pay attention to the preparation work.

“Everything will be all right tomorrow.

We have already taken measures to complete the unfinished work,” he told reporters around 7pm yesterday.

The decoration of many other stalls were found to be incomplete, which is a violation of the book fair guidelines since the decorations were supposed to be finished by January 26, Jalal said.

Despite the messy state, some stalls of renowned publishing houses saw a healthy amount of visitors.

Starting today, a seminar will be held every day until the end of the fair, on different issues related to contemporary literatures as well as the history and research work of Bangla Academy.

Tomorrow, an international poetry festival will take off at the academy’s Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad Auditorium, featuring a wide range of poets from home and abroad. l

Biman mulls joint venture for ground handling at Dhaka airport

RU law teacher gets death threat

n Ishtiaq Husain

A Rajshahi University professor has filed a general diary after receiving an anonymous death threat.

Hasibul Alam Pradhan, a professor of law who recently authored the book “Bangabandhu Muktijuddho Bangladesh”, filed the general diary with Motihar police station yesterday seeking security.

In the diary, he mentioned that someone called him at his home number on the night of January 24 but his housemaid received the call as he was outside the country at the time.

The caller told the house help that he would find Professor Hasibul and kill him even if the teacher was hiding underground.

Motihar police station Officer-in-Charge (investigation) Ashok Chauhan said an investigation had been initiated based on the general diary. “Police will provide him with adequate security,” he added.

Hasibul was a member of the previous committee of Awami League’s Rajshahi unit. l

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has planned to manage ground handling on a partnership basis with an aim to better serve the passengers.

M Asaduzzaman, acting managing director and CEO of Biman, said it was also an initiative to ease the troubles of passengers.

“We admit that we have limitations, such as manpower shortage and lack of adequate equipment, when it comes to providing good ground handling services. In spite of these limitations, the airline is trying its best to serve passengers,” he said.

Asaduzzaman said the board of directors of Biman had already approved the purchase of ground handling equipment.

“After hiring enough manpower and purchasing the necessary equipment, this problem will be resolved. But to deal with the problems for the time being, officials have

been directed to increase supervision at the airport. Also, Biman will soon publish a circular inviting companies to submit their proposals for the joint venture initiative, he added.

Asking not to be named, a top Biman official told the Dhaka Tribune bringing ground handling under a joint venture had been a long-awaited matter in the wake of the deterioration of the quality of service.

A total of 34 local and foreign airlines, including Biman, currently operate flights at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while most of the foreign airlines carry passengers in wide-body aircraft.

Around 200 flights arrive at and depart from Dhaka airport every day while Biman annually handles around 4.2 million passengers who travel by 25 international airlines.

A wide-body aircraft carries over 400 passengers. As Biman lacks adequate equipment and manpower, it cannot handle such a large

number of passengers at the same time.

Harassment of passengers at Dhaka airport is a regular phenomenon, especially for the home-bound expatriate Bangladeshis.

According to a report of the airport authorities, some 20-30 passengers lose their baggage every day as they return home or depart for abroad.

Also, tampering with luggage and theft have become a regular incident passengers face, but Biman has failed to stop this despite repeated actions.

“This is exactly why Biman should immediately task a good organisation with ground handling management,” Shirajul Islam, a businessman who regularly flies to different destinations, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Meanwhile, several ground handling companies such as Dnata, Swissport and SATS have expressed interest in partnering with Biman for providing ground handling services. l

n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

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