14 Feb, 2016

SECOND EDITION

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

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Falgun 2, 1422, Jamadiul Awal 4, 1437

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 299

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

Migrants vulnerable to exploitation in Malaysia

INSIDE

Child affairs desk at police station?

Absence of children affairs desks at police stations is discouraging young victims from lodging complaints and sharing information with investigators.  PAGE 3

Airlines staff charged with turtle smuggling

Three staff members of Malaysia Airlines have been sentenced to imprisonment and charged with fines for their involvement in the smuggling of 30 turtles which were rescued at the airport on Friday night.  PAGE 4

Malaysian immigration officials recently raid and destroy a camp in the remote mountains where Bangladeshi migrant workers live

Sayeed Asiful Islam and n Abu Adil Sakhawat

PHOTO: MIGRANT88

a minority, and legal arrivals who become undocumented by default if they switch jobs, are at increased risk of exploitation by employers or detention by authorities.

After surviving the “floating coffins” and jungle cages used by people smugglers or the costly legal labour recruitment system offered by the public and private sectors, Bangladeshi workers are often no better off than where they started.

Burdened by the debt of buying passage to Malaysia – whether by legal means or otherwise – most are inclined to try their luck in

The land of promise for tens of thousands of Bangladeshi labourers, Malaysia is fast becoming a place of bondage for them.

A loss of registration status has left between 800,000 and 948,000 Bangladeshi nationals, according to data from Malaysian rights organisation Tenaganita, vulnerable to low-wage exploitation or police raids and detention.

Despite its need for imported labour, the problem of dealing with the 3.2 million undocumented labourers from all over the

world has made many Malaysians less welcoming towards Bangladeshi workers, even those using legal channels.

The approval by Cabinet on February 8 of a draft memorandum of understanding to export 1.5 million workers under the G2G Plus scheme has led some quarters in Malaysia to protest against a renewed influx of foreign workers.

Some local Malaysian NGOs are calling for a moratorium on labour imports until existing undocumented labourers are registered.

Malaysia’s registration system ties workers to an employer and a job. So illegal entrants,

AL leader backing Jihad murder accused

3,000kg gold seized in three years at airports

n Mohammad Jamil Khan

n Syed Samiul Basher Anik

Father of four-year-old Jihad, who died falling into an abandoned deep tube-well at Shahjahanpur railway colony in December 2014, has been under constant threats to withdraw the case he had filed against railway officials for negligence.

Nasir Uddin Fakir was earlier threatened by the two prime accused and their men. But now the ruling party-backed councillor of ward 11, Hamidul Haque Shamim, has joined hands with the accused.

Customs authorities in Bangladesh have seized nearly 3,000kg of gold bars and jewellery in the last three years from the three international airports in the country.

The price of the seized gold is Tk1,450 crore, said data from the Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation, a specialised wing of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

During the period, a total of 130 people have been arrested, said the data presented at a seminar on “Countering Smuggling and Eva-

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

sion of Customs Duty” in Dhaka yesterday.

The directorate organised the seminar at the IDEB auditorium.

In 2015, 784kg gold was seized, 1,540kg in 2014 and a little over 620kg was seized in 2013, and all of it was deposited in Bangladesh Bank’s vault, officials said. In addition this, in drives conducted by the intelligence agencies also brought 1,900kg of the precious metal to the central bank.

However, experts said this recovery is only 10% to 20% of the actual volume of gold that is smuggled every year through Bangladesh.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Shrimp export shrinks 19% in 7 months

The country’s shrimp export has suffered a nearly 19% fall in the first seven months of the current fiscal year, said the latest Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data.  PAGE 15

Puja, Falgun add colours to Boi Mela

Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, and Saraswati puja were the highlights of the 13th day of Amar Ekushey Boi Mela 2016.  PAGE 32

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Migrants vulnerable to exploitation the hope of recouping their costs and sending money home.

“Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia are vulnerable, especially if they have fallen out of the system,” a senior research volunteer at Tenaganita, who asked not to be named, said.

“Registering undocumented labourers would be a good thing,” the volunteer added.

Documenting labourers enhances their ability to resist being exploited by unscrupulous employers and enables them to have recourse to the law if disputes over working conditions, wages or other matters arise.

Theoretically, registration would essentially mean getting existing foreign workers a job, since legal status is tied to an employer and a job.

Properly utilising the foreign labour force would probably be a win-win situation: workers would enjoy legal protections and underutilised labours would be utilised more fully.

“Without the proper papers, workers have little standing in the courts and power rests overwhelmingly with employers. While Malaysia has superb labour laws, even better than some first world countries, they suffer from inefficient enforcement by the authorities and by delays in the courts,” the Tenaganita volunteer said.

This restoration of legal standing will be important for the 15,000 and 18,000 Bangladeshis who are in custody for various offences and in a variety of holding facilities in Malaysia, including the notorious “immigration depots.”

“If you treat them badly, they’ll take it quietly”

Malaysia’s economy can absorb the existing undocumented foreign workforce and still require the extra 1.5 million that Bangladesh is getting ready to supply through formal channels.

That is so because the demand for labour in 3-D jobs – which stands for Dirty, Dangerous, and Demanding – is said to be around 9 million. There are currently just 6 million foreign labourers in Malaysia of whom just 2.8 million have valid documentation of some kind. But unscrupulous employers have little reason to welcome registration because that would increase labour costs, the Tenaganita volunteer said.

“Bangladeshi labourers are the most expendable group of labourers; if you treat them badly, they’ll take it quietly,” Ashikur Rahman, chairman of Migrant 88, a Bangladeshi migrant rights NGO in the process of being registered, told the Dhaka Tribune.

When action is taken to address the problem of undocumented workers, labourers suffer but their employers and the system that leaves them in limbo are untouched, he said.

Take the raids on undocumented workers in the Cameron Highlands in 2015. In a Rakyat Post report published on January 10, 2015, the president of the Regional Environmental Awareness of Cameron Highlands (REACH), Ramakrishnan Ramasamy, pointed out that not a single employer had been charged with employing undocumented workers.

“A bit higher than a dog”

Advocacy for Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia is inadequate, Migrant 88’s Ashik said. Labourers complain that Bangladesh embassy staff are often unsympathetic towards them.

“They see me as a bit higher than a dog,” Ashik recalls one migrant worker telling him.

Volunteers of rights organisations in Malaysia have told the Dhaka Tribune that Bangladesh embassy staff are slow to respond to requests for assistance and are often indifferent to the plight of workers.

Many migrants labourers alleged that embassy staff sought bribes to process even routine paperwork, but this could not be independently verified by the Dhaka Tribune.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Shahidul Islam responded to these concerns over the telephone.

He said his staff routinely provided services to Bangladeshis at a rate far beyond the embassy’s capacity, adding that embassy staff had strict orders to maintain the highest standards of courtesy and professionalism when providing citizenship services.

But he admitted that with the overwhelming workload it was possible that those standards were not always maintained.

“Why does Bangladesh, which has a million and a half nationals in Malaysia, operate a High Commission with just 11 officers?”

Ashik said. Other South Asian countries have been far more effective in protecting their labourers in Malaysia.

The position of Indian workers, for example, is bolstered by the presence of a historic community of Malaysians of Indian origin who are able to advocate for them and assist them.

Nepal has leveraged the renown of the Gurkha soldier to corner the market for imported security personnel and has worked to create favourable working conditions for its nationals.

“Modern day slavery”

Ashikur Rahman of Migrant 88 – the number 88 refers to Bangladesh’s telephone country code – says Bangladeshi labourers are often asked to buy their own safety equipment.

“Construction workers are asked by some employers to purchase even basic safety gear like helmets or gloves, which labourers often do not do because they would rather save their income,” he said.

Plantation workers are routinely exposed to hazardous chemicals that can cause serious long-term damage to the respiratory system, skin, eyes and endocrine system. “But they are often not given protective clothing and have little or no access to health care facilities.”

“Modern day slavery – that is what many Bangladeshi labourers are enduring in Malaysia,” Ashik said.

The irony is that ethnic Malays, who make up about half of the country’s “bhumiputras” or sons of the soil, were themselves migrants to what is now Malaysia. Other powerful communities such as the Chinese and Indians were also migrants and often enjoy more say in modern Malaysia than the indigenous communities, known as “orang aslih.”

Despite protests by local groups who oppose more Bangladeshi labourers coming to the country, High Commissioner Shahidul is optimistic about the future prospects for the export of manpower. He reaffirmed that at the government-to-government level, both countries are keen.

The logic is simple: Bangladesh’s labour surplus can easily be absorbed by Malaysia’s labour-hungry economy.

The question that remains for both countries is why it is taking so long to realise that a healthy and well-treated labour force, no matter its origins, is equally important to economic productivity and social justice. l

3,000kg gold seized in three years “Bangladesh is in serious threat of smuggling due to its geographical location with [relation to the] ‘golden crescent’ and ‘golden triangle.’

“Therefore the authorities should look into why gold is coming into Bangladesh,” said Maj Gen (retd) Abdur Rashid, a security analyst.

Bangladesh’s shortcomings lie in identifying threats and the nexus between smuggling, terrorism, and organised crime is threatening the country.

The security expert suggests that the authorities should combine research, training and preventive measures to bring smuggling down to tolerable level, if not to zero.

According to a 2014 NBR report, 86% of the total smuggling consignments entering the country is gold.

Citing customs houses in Dhaka and Chittagong and the Customs Intelligence, the report says that in terms of value, gold accounts for 95% of all smuggling items.

On February 2 last year, authorities recovered 62kg of gold from national flag carrier Biman’s aircraft Ranga Provat. Customs intelligence seized 105kg of gold at the Dhaka Airport on April 26, 2014 from another Biman aircraft, Arunar Alo. Abdul Matlub Ahmad, president of Bangladesh’s apex trade body FBCCI, said that the recovered volume is just the tip of the iceberg.

He urged the revenue authorities to look into why and how the gold is coming into Bangladesh, who is bringing it, and where it is going.

Officials said organised gangs of local smugglers linked with foreign syndicates are increasingly using Bangladesh as a route for the illegal transportation of gold, foreign currencies, contraband drugs and medicine.

The smuggled gold usually comes to Bangladesh from Dubai in the UAE, Singapore and

Malaysia. Gold bars from Dubai typically weigh 10 grams; those coming from Malaysia and Singapore weigh up to one kilogram, according to law enforcers.

Usually, smuggled gold is hidden inside passengers’ body, luggage, strapped under aircraft seats, abandoned in aircraft and airport restrooms.

Innovative techniques include hiding the gold inside computer hard drives, multimedia projectors and television sets, soaps and food sacks.

Recently, Customs Intelligence detained a person coming in from Malaysia who had three packets full of gold in his stomach at the Dhaka airport.

Records show that sometimes diplomats coming in from other countries are also involved with smuggling.

Delwar Hossain, professor of International Relations at Dhaka University, said: “Transnational networks are involved in the smuggling. They use money obtained from smuggling for criminal financing.”

He also prescribed emphasis on inter-agencies coordination and intelligence information sharing to prevent the crime.

Home Ministry Senior Secretary Mozammel Haque Khan said time has come to think about the 80% of the smuggled goods that remains out of net.

Moinul Khan, director general of the Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation, said smugglers are coming up with newer innovative techniques for smuggling gold.

Regarding public perception on where the gold is actually deposited, Moinul said: “An inter-ministerial committee is working to find out if the gold actually goes into the Bangladesh Bank vault.” l

AL leader backing Jihad murder accused Shamim called Nasir at his office on Tuesday night through prime accused Jahangir Alam, a senior sub-assistant engineer of Bangladesh Railway now on bail, and asked him to settle the case in presence of his supporters and all the accused. As Nasir refused to do so, Shamim and his men forcefully took his signature on a blank paper.

The ward councillor also assured him of giving Tk5-6 lakh, but warned that he should not disclose the matter to anyone, said Nasir, who is a security guard at Motijheel Model School and College.

He then informed the matter to the second investigation officer in the case, DB Sub-Inspector Mizanur Rahman, who suggested that he file a general diary with Shahjahanpur police. But Nasir was obstructed by the councillor’s supporters on the way to the police station on Wednesday and threatened not to do so.

When contacted, both Shamim and Jahangir refuted the allegation of intimidating Nasir.

Councillor Shamim said: “Basically, Jihad’s father wants to settle the matter and he sat with the accused at my office. “I did not take his signature forcefully,” he claimed.

On the other hand, Jahangir claimed that the councillor had initiated a meeting since Jihad’s father wanted to settle the case.

The body of Jihad was pulled out of the 17inch diameter abandoned shaft on December 27, 2014 – around 15 minutes after fire officials called off a nearly 23-hour search. Jihad fell into the pipe, some 40 yards from his

house, while playing with his friends.

Later Nasir filed a case with Shahjahanpur police against seven to eight men naming railway official Jahangir and contractor Abdus Salam, owner of JSR House that installed the tube-well.

On April 17 last year, Inspector Abu Zafar of Shahjahanpur police submitted charge sheet against the duo accusing them of negligence in performing their duties properly.

In legal terms it is culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Nasir filed a no-confidence petition with the court on April 21 alleging that the IO had deliberately dropped the names of several accused – Abu Zafar, Saiful Islam, Dipak Babu and Nasir Uddin – to divert the course of the lawsuit.

In the mean time, Salam was granted bail on April 26 while Jahangir on May 21.

After a hearing on the petition, a Dhaka court on June 4 directed the Detective Branch of police to assign an inspector-level officer to re-investigate the case and submit a report by July 6. But the investigating officer failed to comply with the order and sought time on several occasions.

Asked about the progress in the investigation, SI Mizanur Rahman said that he was informed about Nasir being threatened by the accused and the ward councillor. “I asked him [Nasir] to file a GD with the police over the matter.

“I have almost completed the investigation and hope to submit the report before the court later this month,” he told the Dhaka Tribune. l

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Police suspect entire racket selling newborns n Kamrul Hasan Investigators yesterday said they suspected that former nurse Salma Akhter arrested in connection with selling a newborn baby on Friday had formed a group that is involved in such acts in the capital's low-grade hospitals.

Major Kamran Kabir Uddin, deputy director of RAB 3, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have found some documents in her flat which indicate that she has people working for her in hospitals that are of low quality. We are now checking the documents.”

On Friday, RAB arrested Salma, 33, her husband Saiful Islam, 34, Anwara Begum, 46, and Babu, 36, in a house in Banani during an exchange of Tk1 lakh for trading a newborn baby.

A RAB 3 team led by Major Kamran raided the house after a tip-off.

RAB sources said Salma would procure newborn babies from poor families, saying she was infertile, and would later sell the babies to others.

As for the baby that was being sold on Friday, Salma told its mother Bina Akhter on Thursday that she would take the boy to Bikrampur in Munshiganj but refused to give any contact number or address.

She just told Bina that she would contact her within a day.

But on Friday, she finalised a deal to sell the baby boy.

Bina told the Dhaka Tribune she was totally unaware that her child was being sold.

Major Kamran said Salma generally rents a flat for three to four months and move out after selling a baby.

“Salma rented the flat in Banani in December and told the flat owner early this month that she would leave at the end of the month.”

RAB handed over the two-day-old baby to Bina late on Friday and the baby was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday.

The child was admitted to the intensive care unit and was undergoing treatment under RAB protection in the hospital. l

IG: Departmental action against accused policemen n Tribune Report Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque said they were preparing departmental cases against the accused police members who were found to be involved in several criminal activities in recent time.

IGP Shahidul made the announcement yesterday around 1pm while addressing a book launching ceremony as chief guest in the capital's Dhaka Club.

The IGP pointed out that whenever they found evidence against any accused policeman, they have suspended them from duty.

The police is now preparing to file departmental cases against them based on the evidences, he added.

Asked about the progress in arresting the killers of blogger Avijit Roy, he said police are yet to arrest the killers but the suspects are under surveillance. l

Artists perform a dance routine to welcome spring at Bokultola at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University as part of a traditional cultural programme arranged by the Jatiya Boshonto Utshab Udjapan Parishad yesterday RAJIB DHAR

Child affairs desk at police station – what’s that? n Mohammad Jamil Khan Absence of children affairs desks at police stations is discouraging young victims from lodging complaints and sharing information with investigators, ultimately denying justice to many of them, children rights bodies say.

Take the case of a 14-year-old school girl from Demra for example. She was allegedly raped by her neighbour in the capital on Monday. Once freed from the rapist’s clutches, she informed her parents of the ordeal and who later filed a case against the suspect, 22-year-old Saddam Hossain.

As the victim is a child, the case was supposed to be handled by a child desk official at the police station. But the police station concerned did neither have a child desk nor any officials assigned to it.

Demra police station’s Sub-Inspector Sumon Bhoumik told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that he was investigating the case. “I spoke to the victim with the help of a female constable to follow up the case,” he said. The victim is undergoing treatment at the OneStop Crisis Centre at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

When asked why no officer was assigned to the child desk, Sub-inspector Ahad, who was the duty officer yesterday evening, said: “You know nothing. Such officials are only available at the victim support centres under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police at Tejgaon.”

The condition is almost the same at 49 police stations under the DMP – most of them

do not provide the services. In August last year, the police headquarters instructed police stations across the country to set up a separate child related desk.

It asked them to assign a separate official, preferably a sub-inspector and if possible a female one, to handle the desk. The police headquarters directed district police superintendents and deputy commissioners of the metropolitan areas concerned to monitor the child desks and their activities.

The Children Act 2013 stipulates establishing such desk at every police station. But two years after the act was passed and six months since the police headquarters dispatched the directive, many police officers still know nothing about the child affairs desk.

Dhaka Tribune contacted Salahuddin Khan, officer-in-charge of Banani police station, regarding the issue. “What is that?” he asked this correspondent. “Why is it needed?”

Even the police high-ups showed negligence. DMP Deputy Commissioner Maruf Hossain Sarder told the Dhaka Tribune that he needed time to learn the latest status of the desk.

At some stations, police officers claimed they had shortage of manpower. Abdul Jalil, officer-in-charge of Badda police station, said they could not separately assign an officer for the task as they did not have enough manpower.

A recent survey by the World Vision and Center For Service and Information on Disability (DSID), showed only seven police sta-

tions in Dhaka had dedicated child affairs desks. DSID Project Manager Akram Hossian told the Dhaka Tribune that the actual number could very well be below that as some of the police stations that claimed to have child desks would not be able to show them.

But Assistant Inspector General of police Nazrul Islam refuted the claim. “Children-friendly police officers have been appointed to police stations across the country.

But due to a shortage of space and manpower, it has not been possible to assign them to the specific desk.”

Children rights bodies claim the absence of child desks at police stations are contributing to a rise in crimes against children. Sabira Sultana, national advocacy coordinator of World Vision, said a child affairs police officer was supposed to pile up all the case status updates of an area and take actions accordingly.

“The absence of dedicated child affairs desks at most police stations in Bangladesh and many police officers’ ignorance about them are contributing to the continuation of crimes against children,” she added.

AS Mahmood, director of Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum, told the Dhaka Tribune that the children of the country were not getting proper justice in the absence of child desks headed by female officers as stipulated by the Children Act. “A child victim fears sharing information with regular officials but information can be collected easily if a trained female officer is given charge of the case,” he pointed out. l

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News 2 bKash staff shot, Tk13 lakh snatched n Tribune Report

A group of muggers snatched Tk13 lakh from two bKash sales representatives after shooting them in the capital’s Kafrul area yesterday.

The two - Md Mosharraf, 28, and AlAmin, 22 – were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) after they were injured, said Kafrul police station Sub-

The detained Malaysia Airlines staff with police members and the rescued turtles at Dhaka airport

Malaysia Airlines employee charged with turtle smuggling n Mohammad Jamil Khan Three staff members of Malaysia Airlines have been sentenced to imprisonment and charged with fines for their involvement in the smuggling of 30 turtles which were rescued at the airport on Friday night.

The Airport Magistrate’s Court issued the verdict yesterday against Samiur Rahman, 35, assistant station manager, Jewel Ahmed, 29, passenger service specialist, and Mizanur Rahman, 30, baggage handler of the airlines.

Samiur was fined Tk1 lakh, while Jewel and Mizan were both fined Tk1 lakh and sentenced to one year in prison.

The court also asked the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) to conduct a departmental inquiry against absconding scanning operator Md Hasan Parvez for helping the convicts in the crime, said Sharif Md Farhad Hossain, executive magistrate of the court.

Earlier on Friday night, a team of Airport Armed Police Battalion (APBn) recovered 30 turtles from three luggage bags on Departure Belt No 4 at Dhaka airport. All three bags had

tags of Malaysia Airlines.

“We contacted the airlines authorities right away and they gave us their passengers’ list, consulting which we identified the owners of the luggage,” said Alamgir Hossain Shimul, senior assistant superintendent of police at the APBn, yesterday.

The three passengers – Rafiqul Alam, Shahin Alam and Salek Mandal – were withdrawn from the flight for interrogation, during which police learnt that none of them were aware their bags carried the turtles, Shimul told the Dhaka Tribune.

“Later, we collected the CCTV footages, which showed that the convicts had put the turtles in those bags with the help of Hasan Pervez, the CAAB scanning operator,” he added.

The recovered turtles were handed over to Forest Department Inspector Ashim Mallick yesterday morning, Shimul said.

Mallick later told reporters that the turtles, identified as Black Chitra turtles, together weighed nearly 85kg and were worth around Tk10.5 lakh. The turtles were later released at Bangabandhu Safari Park in Gazipur, he added. l

BCG founding anniversary today n Mohammad Jamil Khan The Bangladesh Coast Guard will be awarding 31 members of the force in recognition of their professional excellence and courageous roles during anti-crime operations last year.

The awards – Bangladesh Coast Guard Medal (BCGM) and President Coast Guard Medal (PCGM) – will be handed over today in a programme marking the coast guard’s 21st founding anniversary which will be held at its headquarters in the capital’s Agargaon, sources said.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal will attend the programme as chief guest.

Officials in the coast guard said eight personnel will be receiving the BCGM award this year.

They are Captain Mohammad Shahidul Islam, Commander Mohammad Nurul Huda, Lt M Habibur Rahman, Lt ANM Rakib-Ul Hasan, Lt

AM Rahatuzzaman, officials M Aminul Haque, M Shahidul Islam and DI Uddin.

The PCGM will be awarded to ten – Commander Mohammad Habib-ul-Alam, Lt Sayed Abdur Rauf, Lt Diskan Chowdhury, Sergeant Lt Md Abul Hashem, officials M Jakir Hossain, Md Makbul Hossain, MM Rahman, M Ferdous Shah and Md Hanif Miah.

BCGM (service) award will be given to seven – Commodore Yeahia Sayed, Captain Mohammad Kawsar Alam, Captain M Maksud Alam, Commander Mohammad Mahbubul Alam, Commander Mohammad Manzurul Hossain Khan, Lt Commander Afsar Uddin Ahmed and Munshi Md Khayrul Bashid – and PCGM (service) award will be awarded to six officials – Commander ATM Rezaul Hasan, officials M Mizanur Rahman, M Manzurul Islam, Md Abdul Karim, Md Fazlur Rahman and Md Khandokar Masum. l

Inspector Md Raihan.

Witnesses said five muggers riding two motorbikes intercepted Mosharraf and Al-Amin in front of Police Staff College at Kafrul in Mirpur 13 around 10:30am and snatched the money after shooting both of them.

A number of bKash agents and salespersons have been shot and mugged in different parts of the country in recent months. l

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‘LGED working for full ADP implementation’ n Tribune Report The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) is working for 100% implementation of the Annual Development Programme (ADP), Chief Engineer Shyama Prasad Adhikary has said.

“We are implementing development works worth Tk130 billion in the current fiscal and a significant portion of the works is being implemented in the Chittagong Division,” he said at a development review meeting in the port city recently.

Shyama noted that about 40 projects were being carried out for urban, rural and water resources development in the division.

The chief engineer urged LGED officials and project directors for meeting deadlines.

He also asked them to ensure 100% implementation of the ADP and maintaining the qualitative standards.

Shyama Prasad also directed the officials to adopt environment-friendly projects with emphasis on those required for improving communication and living standard in hilly and remote areas.

LGED Additional Chief Engineer Mir Illias Morshed and Anowar Hossain, superintendent engineers Ashish Kumar Paul, Shahidul Haque, Mur Mohammad and Mosharraf Hossain also spoke, among others. l

A section of agitating farmers hold a sit-in programme yesterday in front of the Ghagoa Union Council office in Gaibandha Sadar upazila demanding fair price of their products DHAKA TRIBUNE

NCPS demands UNled EIA for Rampal n Tribune Report

The National Committee to Protect Sundarbans (NCPS) has demanded conducting an environmental impact assessment (EIA) study for the coal-fired Rampal Power Plant by the UN to get a clear idea about the possible environmental impacts on the Sundarbans.

It said the study should be conducted by a group of international independent experts, reports the UNB. NCPS Convener Sultana Kamal came up with the demand at a press briefing in Dhaka yesterday to mark the Rampal Day, a day to be observed on Sunday by political, social, environment groups to protest against the government’s move to set up coal-fired power plants near the Sundarbans.

NCPS leaders dubbed the EIA report by Department of Environment a distorted one and urged the government to suspend all sorts of work of Rampal plant and Orion Group’s power project until the proposed UN committee finalises its report.

“We are the citizens of the country, not vassals. Raising voice is the responsibility of citizens. So, the government is bound to accept our demand,” the UNB quoted her as saying.

She also urged the government to limit tourists to Sundarbans protected areas and not to allow vessel movement and shrimp farming within the mangrove forest. l

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Worried Unesco sending experts to review situation n Abu Bakar Siddique A Unesco delegation is coming to Bangladesh to learn about Dhaka’s initiatives to tackle environmental impacts of a coal-fired power plant near the Sundarbans and the 2014 oil spill disaster that threatened to upset the already critical ecology of the world’s largest mangrove forest.

The three-member team, comprised of experts from Singapore, Canada and Switzerland, is expected to visit by mid-March, Chief Conservator of Forests Yunus Ali said, adding that it would sit with ministries, civil society, experts, media and locals living beside the forest, to understand the scenario.

A delegation of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) will accompany the Unesco team and later file a report.

Yunus said: “The Unesco is concerned about the future of the Sundarbans. Its team will take a look at government initiatives to reduce environmental threats posed by the Rampal Power Plant and the December 2014 33

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risks and ways to mitigate them in a meeting with the Environment and Forests Ministry.

It will sit with the energy ministry to get updates on risk reduction measures as the coal-fired plant’s location sits near the forest.

Power-starved Bangladesh is setting up a 1,320 megawatt plant near the Sundarbans in association with India, despite opposition from environmentalists who fear the project would damage the forest’s ecosystem and biodiversity. The government says it will use super critical technology to significantly reduce pollution and threat to the forest.

Meanwhile, the National Committee to Protect Sundarbans has demanded stopping construction of the plant. At a press briefing in Dhaka, its Convenor Sultana Kamal, said the government had been implementing the project “through a wrong Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).”

In a prepared speech, she demanded the assessment be done by the United Nations.

The committee also wants halting other construction works by private firms in the forest periphery. l

oil spill.”

With an area covering about 10,000sq-km, the Sundarbans was declared a World Heritage Site by the Unesco in 1997. The Sundarbans is known for its wide range of fauna, including 260 bird species, the Bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python.

Its mangroves and rivers are home to a vast array of plant and animal life, much of it unique to the region.

On December 9, 2014, an oil tanker shipping about 350,000 tonnes of furnace oil capsized in the Shela River inside the Sundarbans after being hit by another vessel. The oil quickly spread in the river and its estuaries, threatening the ecosystem.

Yunus said the Unecso visit was positive and that its report would help Bangladesh take proper actions to preserve the forest.

The team will discuss the damage caused by the oil spill and measures to reduce further risks with the Shipping Ministry, which oversees vessel movements in and around the Sundarbans. It will also try to identify the

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News

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Saraswati Puja celebrated across the country n Tribune Report The Saraswati Puja was celebrated across the country yesterday with traditional gaiety, religious festivity and spirit of pursuit of art and knowledge which Goddess Saraswati provides.

The devotees of Hindu people assembled at the puja mandaps and sought blessings from the Goddess of Learning for education.

The celebration also included offering of Devi Aradhona, cultural functions and staging of dramas at temples, educational institutions and domestic residences in the country.

The puja mandaps and temples were decorated with light and colourful decorative stuffs in celebration of the festival and thousands of devotees sought blessings from the Goddess of Learning.

In Rajshahi, the people celebrated the day with traditional gaiety and spirit of pursuit of art and knowledge everywhere in the division.

Puja mandaps, mandirs and a large number of educational institutions have been colourfully decorated as hundreds of devotees seek blessings since morning from the `Devi Saraswati’, the Goddess of knowledge.

The devotees, especially the students attired in colourful dresses, offered special prayers and observed fasting as per the ritual of the festival to seek knowledge and talent from the Goddess Saraswati.

In Rajshahi metropolis, a large number of images of Goddess Saraswati, symbolizing a graceful woman riding on a swan, were erected at different puja mandaps, mandirs and educational institutions, reports BSS. Particularly, Saraswati Puja was celebrated at Rajshahi University, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi College, Rajshahi Medical College, Teachers Training College, Polytechnic Institute side by side with different educational institutions and many other points and open places in the city.

RAB man, 4 others held for extortion n UNB

A Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) member and four others were arrested in Naryanganj’s Sonargaon yesterday on charge of extortion.

The arrestees are Constable Humayun Kabir, 30, of Rangpur RAB 13, microbus driver Mahbubul Islam,30, Md Hasanuzzaman, 29, Shaheda, 45, and Amzad Hossain, 32.

RAB 11 sources said one Mohsin of Sonargaon was accused in a case filed by his wife over a family feud last year.

Constable Humayun contacted Mohsin saying his wife lodged a complaint with RAB 11 and that he would be arrested in this connection, said RAB 11 Lt Commander Md Gulzar Hossain.

As Mohsin wanted to settle the matter through negotiations, Humayun demanded money from him. Mohsin gave him around Tk3.5 lakh in phases, Gulzar added. Finally, Mohsin informed RAB about it when Humayun demanded more money although Mohsin’s wife withdrew the case.

A RAB 11 team arrested them when Humayun and his four accomplices went to Asariar char from Rangpur around 11am. l

A Hindu priest officially introduces toddlers to alphabets as a ritual of Saraswati puja, the festival devoted to the goddess of knowledge, learning and wisdom, at one of the altars at Jagannath Hall on Dhaka University Campus yesterday RAJIB DHAR To mark the celebration, Rajshahi University Central Puja Udjapon Parishad organized a discussion and cultural function styled “Bani Archana-1422” at RU Central Mondir premises with its president Prof Nikhil Ranjan Biswash in the chair.

Indian Assistant High Commissioner in Rajshahi Abhijit Chattopadhyay and his wife Dr Patralika Chattopadhyay addressed the

programme as guests of honour.

The celebration also included offering of Devi Aradhona, Pushpanjoli, `archanas’, `anjolis’, `aratis’, distribution of `Prashad’, `Arati Competitions’, cultural functions and staging of drama.

Similar reports on celebration of Saraswati Puja were received here from Chapainawabganj, Natore, Naogaon, Bogra, Joypurhat,

Teen held over killing of oil tanker captain in Chittagong n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

Police early yesterday arrested a teenager in Chittagong EPZ area on charge of murdering the captain of an oil tanker in January.

The arrestee was Ariful Islam, 19, son of late Khokon Howlader of Pirojpur.

He was held in possession of two mobile phones of the 51-year-old victim, Md Mohsin, and a saw which was used to commit the crime.

“Ariful is a garment worker at the EPZ area. He killed Mohsin at his [Ariful’s] house at Kalshi Dighir Par of the EPZ area over an extra-marital affair with his mother Nazma Begum,” said Chittagong Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner (crime and operation) Debdas Bhattacharya at a press conference at the CMP headquarters.

He said Mohsin, a resident of Dhaka, would often come to Chittagong as part of his job and would stay in Ariful’s house during his time in the port city.

“Nazma’s husband died five to six years

ago and her illicit relation with Mohsin infuriated Ariful. Ariful, during interrogation, said Nazma gave him a task outside the house when Mohsin came in on January 15.

Upon his return, Ariful found Mohsin and his mother in a compromising situation.

“Later in the evening, Ariful strangled Mohsin to death in the absence of Nazma and hid the body under the bed. The following day, he bought a saw and cut Mohsin’s body into ten pieces.

He dumped a part of the body in Halishahar area and the remaining parts in the Karnaphuli River,” Debdas said.

Mohsin’s brother filed a complaint with EPZ police station on January 15 as he did not return home and police later detained Nazma for questioning.

“Despite the detention of his mother, Ariful behaved normally and police suspected that something was wrong. He later went into hiding in Pirojpur and police arrested him after his return to Chittagong,” said EPZ police station Officer-in-Charge Abul Kalam. l

Pabna and Sirajganj districts.

Our Barisal correspondent said on the occasion, most of the educational institutions of the city set up Puja Mandop and placed the books and educational items on the foot of the idol of Saraswati to get her blessing in educational life.

Religious rituals, special prayer, aroti, discussion, cultural functions were also held. l

5-men teams to recommend BNP UP chairman candidates n UNB

BNP yesterday asked its district unit leaders to ensure that the names and voter numbers of their chairman candidates recommended by grassroots leaders for the upcoming union parishad (UP) polls reach the party central office at least seven days before the EC’s stipulated deadline for the filing of nomination.

For each union parishad, five BNP leaders-the upazila unit party president and general secretary, and the union parishad unit party president, general secretary and organising secretary--will jointly recommend a chairman candidate for the party’s approval to run the UP polls, said a party press release.

“District unit BNP presidents and general secretaries are requested to collect the correct full names and voter numbers of the recommended chairman candidates and ensure these reach the BNP central office seven days before filing of the nomination paper,” it added. l

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

News

Three suspected robbers lynched People’s lack of respect for the law and their growing distrust in law enforcement agencies also major reasons behind extra-judicial killings police sent four injured people to Araihazar n Our Correspondent, Narayanganj Health Complex under police custody after Three suspected robbers were beaten to death by mob in Zindapark area of Daudpur union in Rupganj upazila in the district early yesterday.

Of the three, two were Nasir Hossain, 38, son of Abu Mian in Jessore and another Ezazul Islam, 23, son of Nasir Uddin in Narail while the third one could not be known.

Additional superintendent of Police Mukhlesur Rahman (crime) said a group of five to six robbers entered into the house of Abdul Kuddus Sikdar, a businessman, in the area around3:30 am.

They tied up the owner of the house Abdul Kuddus Sikdar, his brother Razzak Sikdar, daughter Josna Sikdar with rope and beat them severely and snatched the keys of steel Almirah and looted Tk1 lakh and 30 vorie of gold ornaments.

Hearing the screams of house inmates, locals rushed in and caught three of them while the others managed to flee.

They gave the trio a severe thrashing, leaving two of them dead on the spot and another died on the way to hospital. Two knives and two cocktails were recovered from their possession.

The three bodies were sent to Narayanganj General Hospital for Autopsy.

Deputy Commissioner Anisur Rahman Miah and Superintendent of Police Dr Khondoker Mohid Uddin visited the spot.

It is mentionable eight suspected robbers were killed and four others injured in a lynch-mob attack in Araihazar upazila of the district on December 10, 2015, during their bid to ‘loot a rice godown’.

Four of the dead were Shawkat, 30, and Rubel, 28, hailed from Madyapara village in Mymensingh district, Razib alias Rony, 35, from Noakhali and Jewel alias Titu, 32.

Inspector (investigation ) Arifur Rahman of Araihazar police station said the four dead and injured were identified through the call list of their mobile phones.

Narayanganj ASP M Jahirul Islam said

rescuing them from the spot.

Quoting local people, the ASP said, ‘a gang of robbers’ broke the locks of ‘Bhai Bhai Store’ at Purinda Bazar under Satgram union tying up the hands and legs of two night guards around 4:30am.

One of the night guards, Zaman, managed to flee and informed local people as the robbers were loading rice bags into a truck, he added.

Being informed, local people made an announcement over the loudspeaker of a mosque.

“Then the villagers rushed in and encircled the robbers. They also beat up them leaving eight dead on the spot. A resident in the area said, being chased, three robbers fell into a pond. They were pulled up from the pond and lynched there while five others were beaten to death near the bazar and a kindergarten.

Rice shop owner Abdul Gafur said he was informed around 5:30am about the incident.

He also said that a robbery had been committed to his maternal uncle’s shop, a mile away from the spot, few days ago.

ASP Jahirul Islam said the detainees confessed that they were ‘professional robbers’ and commit robbery in Mymensingh region.

Mob killings continue unabated in the country with more than 100 people getting killed every year. The offenders seldom face trial in a society that seems to be plagued by a culture of impunity, said rights activists.

National Human Rights Commission Chairman Mizanur Rahman expressed concerns over the death of the eight robbers in mob beating.

According to rights body Ain O Salish Kendra, 104 people were killed in mob beating between January and September in 2015. At least 127 were killed in 2014, at least 128 in 2013, and 126 in 2012.

People’s lack of respect for the law and their growing distrust in law enforcement agencies were also major reasons behind extra-judicial killings, the rights activists said. l

Shimulia-Kawrakandi ferry service resumes n Our Correspondent, Munshiganj Ferry service on Shimulia-Kawrakandi route resumed around 8am yesterday after suspension of nine hours due to dense fog in the area.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) sources said five ferries were forced to anchor at the middle of the Padma River for poor visibility with about 1,000 passengers and different kinds of vehicles.

Besides, about 200 river vessels were stranded on different routes of Padma, Meghna and Dhaleswari rivers due to thick

fog, the sources added.

Khaled Newaj, assistant general manager (AGM) of BIWTC at Shimulia Ghat, said the ferry and other river vessels service resumed in the morning after lifting of heavy fog.

“The ferry movement was suspended around11 pm for avoiding accident due to blurred River marking point on Shimulia-Kawrakandi route,” he said.

He also added more than 500 different kinds of vehicles-- including passengers buses and goods-laden trucks were awaiting on both sides of the river. l

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DT

Career

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

PHOTO: BIGSTOCK

living thing is much more valuable than just a piece of paper.

What is the most expensive thing you own?

I am myself the most expensive thing.

Money talk With Sabhanaz Rashid Diya

How important money is to start a business or take an initiative?

I think money is important but it is not the most important thing. The most important thing to start a business is to have an idea.

Money can help you to structure your venture but it does not possess the power to make it a success.

What are few of luxurious habits you have?

I have this luxurious habit of chasing my dreams.

n Fatema Mohammad

How much money did you have when you started it?

When I started, I borrowed only Tk500 from a friend’s father.

Money is both a foe and a friend. It enables us and at times, it misguides us. We spend most of our lives working, thinking, spending and worrying about money. Even then, it remains as one of the biggest taboos to talk about.

People often blame having money or lack of it for not being able to start something or make a difference. For young people with passion to start a business or initiative money often becomes a barrier and for grownups with money it often becomes a source of undue pride. At times, we put unjust importance on money and claim opposite as well.

On the eve of global money week, this is our attempt to understand money better and therefore how people think about it.

Entrepreneurs, young people and kids talking openly and a little philosophically about money and having it and therefore lack of it. Let us start this mini-series with:

Sabhanaz Rashid Diya.

Sabhanaz Rashid Diya is a Social Entrepreneur and the Founder of One Degree Initiative Foundation-a non-profit focuses on mentoring young people to become active change makers. She is also an author of two books and a relentless proponent of youth empowerment as a means to national progress. She came from a financially stable background but it does not help once you become responsible for your own life. She spends her days working for an organisation that is not profit driven, yet she lives a good life.

What do you think about money?

Money is very limited in its definition. It is not only paper built but also a worth.

Personally I am not very fond of money.

Although money is built to measure one’s worth but I consider it as a very poor instrument of measuring one’s worth. It is sometimes strange to me how a piece of paper can evaluate human worth. I think any

What are the current sources of your income?

I run a non-profit organisation. Whatever I earn from it, I reinvest it to my venture for its improvement.

What are the major areas of your expenditures?

My utility bills, house rent. I don’t get to spend much on my luxury because I prefer to live a very humble life.

Do you save every month or do you end up in budget deficit?

Since I run a non-profit organisation, I have to invest my income in it. So at the end of every month, I neither can save nor end up in budget deficit. I can carefully bring the perfect balance between my income and my expenditures.

How did you get to where you are today, financially?

I started with absolutely nothing. The strategic planning of revenue models and patience has got me where I am today financially.

Did you ever live in poverty?

Every day is poverty. Although we define poverty in a very economic sense, but not being able to do what you love and chase what you dream is also a form of poverty.

Fortunately, I wasn’t born in poverty. But I lived in poverty when I started as I did not have any money to run after my dreams and change them into reality.

Although we define poverty in a very economic sense, but I think not being able to do what you love and chase what you dream is also a form of poverty.

Any money advice?

Do not value money more than what it’s worth. l

Reprinted from www.futurestartup.com

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Feature

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Sweet surrender n Chef Asaduzzaman Noor, Westin This week we bring to you a Valentine’s special spread of classic sweet delicacies: a rich dark chocolate fudge cake and another soft raspberry meringue delight. If you’re in the mood to impress your love with an out-ofthe-box version of old favourites, these recipes can quickly be the way to your beau’s heart.

Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Yield: 1

For chocolate ganache • Dark chocolate 1000gm • Fresh cream 1000gm • Butter 100gm For sponge • Butter150gm • Sugar 300gm • Eggs 150gm • Cocoa powder 100gm • Flour 300gm • Baking soda 10gm • Baking powder 10gm For garnish • Pistachios • Silver/gold leaf For strawberry sauce • Strained strawberry puree 250gm • Sugar 200gm Directions 1.

Pace the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix till the sugar dissolves.

Slowly fold in the eggs after beating them till a fluffy consistency is achieved.

2. On the other hand sift all dry ingredients together and add to the butter and egg mix. 3.Pour the cake mix in a 9 inch round mould and bake by 180oC for 45 minutes. Once baked, rest for 1 hour in a refrigerator and then demould.

For the Ganache : In a saucepan, pour the fresh cream and warm it, then add melted dark chocolate and butter and mix together. Cool this chocolate ganache .

Assembly of the cake: 1.

Using a heart shaped ring mould cut the prepared sponge.

2. Using a sharp cake knife cut the sponge horizontally across so as to give you two hearts.

3. Spread the prepared chocolate ganache on the top of the bottom heart and then sandwich it with the second piece.

4. Layer the top and sides of the sponge with whipped cream.

5. Coat with raspberry or strawberry sauce, garnish with some pistachios and silver leaf and serve with some moulded chocolates.

RECIPE AND PHOTOS: WESTIN

Fresh raspberry with meringue Yield 25

For meringue • Egg wihte 180gm • Sugar 280gm • Cornflour 30gm • White vinegar 5ml • Fresh raspberry 750gm • Whipped cream with chopped raspberries 250gm • Icing sugar to sprinkle 20gm • Raspberry edible colour 2gm • Mint leaves 50pieces • Raspberry sauce 250gm For the sauce • Fresh raspberry puree 400gm • Sugar 150gm • Cinnamon stick 10gm • Vanilla bean 1 Directions 1. For the raspberry sauce, in a heavy bottom pan, heat raspberry puree, sugar, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean till the sugar dissolves and a thick sauce like consistency is achieved. Transfer into a bowl and cool.

2.

3.

Beat egg white and sugar, vinegar, until fluffy, then add corn flour, raspberry colour and fold. 2.Pipe the meringue in a round shape approximately 2.5 inch then bake for 4 hours at 70oC. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Now pipe the whipping cream that has the chopped raspberries at the bottom of a glass and slightly tap

4.

5.

over a table to let the cream settle and form a flat surface. Chill in the refrigerator for half and hour.

Spoon some raspberry sauce on top and place two round meringue along with fresh raspberry and mint leaves on top of the spooned sauce.

Sprinkle the icing sugar on top using a sugar dredger ans serve. l

DT

Editorial 11

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

INSIDE

Bring me the head of this month’s victim Will we, too, one day be contemplating our silence at such times, ending with the rueful observation: Then they came for Mahfuz Anam and I did not protest because I was not civil society. By the time they came for me, there was nothing left anyway

PAGE 12

20 questions for Mahfuz Anam Did you do it knowingly? Do you have any supporting evidence? How could a respected editor of your stature keep silent after having made such a grave error?

PAGE 13

Investment for what?

Co-ordination within government will be required since many ministries and agencies will have a say in the approval and implementation of PPP projects.

A concerted effort is needed to build awareness, commitment, and capacity in a critical mass of government officials across a range of ministries and agencies 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

Bangladesh needs centres of excellence

T

he education minister is right to have drawn attention to the need to improve the quality of the nation’s universities.

In replying to a parliamentary question that the historical reputation of Dhaka University as “the Oxford of the East” is now nothing more than a popularly repeated saying, he was acknowledging a simple fact.

The quality of education and research needs to be drastically improved if Bangladeshi universities are to feature again in any widely recognised rankings of the world’s top universities.

In a nation with our large population, there is no shortage of talent to make this happen. Bangladeshi universities have access to many excellent students but for the most part, lack the resources and the investment for them to make an international impact in their chosen fields within the country.

This is a major reason why there is an abundance of Bangladeshi students and researchers studying and lecturing at major universities and leading institutions around the world.

Bangladeshi institutions simply lack the resources for the volume and quality of research and publications that institutions need to make the best use of their potential.

The government needs to significantly improve funding to allow for more sustained investment in research and to help our universities become more successful in attracting and retaining expertise.

Bangladesh can ill afford not to make better use of its educational potential. As well as causing brain drains of top talent, the failure to improve universities also harms the economy by making many businesses reliant on importing staff for key positions.

With the world economy becoming increasingly knowledge-led, we need to invest now in improving the quality of our universities to allow them and their students to earn more recognition at the global level and to turn brain drains into brain gains.

Invest in research to help universities become more successful in attracting and retaining talent

DT

12

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Opinion

Bring me the head of this month’s victim The Daily Star’s editor is the latest victim in a long list of witch-hunts

n Khokon Kamali

P

owers seem to have decided that it is time to cut down to size the two largest newspapers that are still a critical voice.

With smooth timing and synchronicity, a campaign has apparently begun against Mahfuz Anam, the editor of the largest English newspaper. On the exact week of the English newspaper’s 25th anniversary, the editor was ambushed in a public forum.

The show was hosted by regular host Munni Saha, but the attacking questions came from the news editor of Bdnews24.

He accused Anam of publishing news item during 1/11 which could not be substantiated. Bdnews24 then immediately put the clip online.

Watch the news clip (https://youtu.be/ Q7X6c0e1nsU) carefully, for the devil is in the details. The Bdnews24 news editor refers to two news reports in May 2007 -- one about Tareque Zia and Falu, and the other about Sheikh Selim.

Mahfuz Anam responds that each newspaper published this news item, not only The Daily Star. Then he amends the statement and says that Nurul Kabir’s New Age did not print the news item, and he deserves kudos for that.

Now comes the crucial moment in the clip. Mahfuz Anam says (3:11 in the clip) that he was not able to independently substantiate this news, and the newspaper mentioned this as well.

Without independently substantiating the news, the newspaper published a news report that had come from DGFI, and this was “the biggest mistake” of his journalistic career.

I have many questions for Mahfuz Anam.

Did he know at that time that the source for the news was DGFI? It isn’t clear at all from the clip, because he’s not allowed to finish his sentences (par for talk shows). Did he try to verify and fail? Did he publish a note in the article saying they were not able to verify?

There are many ways to parse this event.

Certainly The Daily Star’s fact checking process failed in this instance, as did the process for every newspaper in the country (except New Age). This could be a watershed moment in journalistic ethics discussion.

But that is not how the news item played out, because it seems the smear campaign was ready to be launched.

Instead of a news item that talked about the complexities of the case, Bdnews24’s banner headlines uploaded at 3:49am Dhaka time said “Mahfuz Anam admits to running DGFI reports” (http://bdnews24. com/media-en/2016/02/04/daily-star-editormahfuz-anam-admits-to-publishing-dgfifed-baseless-stories).

The YouTube clip was also uploaded on bdnews24’s YouTube channel with the same headline.

As Mahfuz Anam said twice in the news show, the news item was published four months after the military coup had already happened. Therefore it could not be

Have other news outlets practiced what they have preached with regards to fact-checking? “preparing the ground” for the coup as was being argued in the talk show.

But that is exactly the argument made in a news item published a day later in bdnews24. This time the portal cited the prime minister’s son’s Facebook profile to say that Mahfuz Anam was “trying to facilitate a military coup” and that he be “tried for treason.”

At the same time as this Facebook post as news report, Bdnews24 also printed an op-ed from Afsan Chowdhury. He says all the right things about “journalist standards” in this op-ed, but it comes from someone who does not run a newspaper and instead has the freedom to write polemics that do not require fact checking (eg “We don’t care about Felani”).

One news portal ran three items on this, and their new editor carried out the ambush interview. Publishing a news item without doing proper fact-checking is definitely a major error, and Mahfuz Anam has said it was an error.

But do other news outlets practice what is being preached? For some time now, this portal has been running “news items” against various members of civil society, and others. How much fact-checking is done before the publication of these items?

When the campaign to oust Muhammad Yunus from Grameen Bank was in full swing, this portal ran many news items alleging financial irregularities by Yunus, by his family members, by other GB executives.

None of these allegations have ever been proven, but I don’t recall the portal

BIGSTOCK

ever publishing any corrections. Nor do I remember anyone taking the portal to task for this or any other unsubstantiated news items.

The list of those who have been targeted one way or another in recent years is a long one: Muhammad Yunus. Mahmudur Rahman. Nurul Kabir. David Bergman.

Farhad Mazhar. Subrata Suvo. Piash Karim.

Wahiduzzaman. Debapriya Bhattacharya.

Moja Loss. And now Mahfuz Anam.

Will we, too, one day be contemplating our silence at such times, ending with the rueful observation: Then they came for Mahfuz Anam and I did not protest because I was not civil society. By the time they came for me, there was nothing left anyway Pastor Martin Niemoller has been invoked in the past, and he illuminates Bangladesh today as well.

Will we, too, one day be contemplating our silence at such times, ending with the rueful observation: Then they came for Mahfuz Anam and I did not protest because I was not civil society. By the time they came for me, there was nothing left anyway. l Khokon Kamali is a businessman and proud member of civil society.

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DT

Opinion

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

20 questions for Mahfuz Anam Mahfuz Anam admitted that he made a mistake. But there are still questions that need answering

Let’s play 20 questions

n Harun Ur Rashid

M

ahfuz Anam, you have admitted your mistake after eight years. But hearing what you had to say on a television talk-show last week and reading what has been published and re-published in your newspaper since then, as a journalist, I couldn’t help but want answers to the following questions: 1. Why did you take eight years to admit your mistake? If you had realised it then, why did you not admit it immediately?

2. If you did not have to face fact-based questions in the talk-show, would you have mentioned your mistake? In the beginning, you were losing your temper. You said no one would be able to go back home by raising unsubstantiated allegations on television. They would have to give proof.

When proof was presented, you first tried to avoid them, and having failed at that, you admitted your mistake. Why? 3. Was it a mistake? Or did you do it knowingly? Do you have any supporting evidence? How could a respected editor of your stature keep silent after having made such a grave error?

4. Who put pressure on you to publish the news without confirmation about the information? You said DGFI supplied you the information on Sheikh Hasina. Did they

BIGSTOCK

pressure you into publishing? Or did you publish them enthusiastically of your own accord?

5. You yourself said that Nurul Kabir’s newspaper New Age did not publish those reports. So, wasn’t there pressure on him as well?

by admitting mistakes? How would you compensate those who have been adversely affected by those wrong reports?

9. Are you sure that you will not repeat such mistakes, even during favourable or unfavourable situations?

10. Do you think that an organisation’s

Did you do it knowingly? Do you have any supporting evidence? How could a respected editor of your stature keep silent after having made such a grave error?

6. You have thanked Nurul Kabir for this.

Why could you not get that appreciation yourself? Or was there a bigger reward for you than a mere “thank you,” for which you published those reports?

7. There is scope to withdraw wrong reports. There are many examples of this in the world. You have admitted your mistake after eight years, but have not withdrawn those reports. So, will you withdraw those reports now even though it is late?

8. Can anyone avoid responsibility just

journalistic objectivity and truthfulness is safe in the hands of an editor who himself has broken journalistic regulations, defames anyone, and publishes wrong information?

11. While defending yourself in the talkshow, you said several times that “many other newspapers have published those reports.” Does it mean that a wrong thing becomes right if everyone does it?

12. What steps would you take to protect your organisation from yellow journalism?

Could you be honest, brave, and liberal

enough to step down, accepting your responsibility?

13. If I were an employee of your organisation and did the same thing you had done, would you have let me keep my job?

14. We are used to calling politicians corrupt. Is there any difference between immoral journalism and corruption?

15. Despite making mistakes, trying to stay on in your post (by republishing old stories) -- isn’t that behaving like someone who is not sorry for what he did?

16. Have you stopped publishing news reports fed to you by agencies?

17. You published similar unreliable reports on Khaleda Zia during 1/11. Will you apologise for those as well? Or will you wait until BNP comes to power?

18. How many such “fed” stories did you publish during 1/11? Will you publish a list of them?

19. You said many media houses had published those reports. This is a sweeping comment. Instead of talking that way, will you publish a list of those news organisations?

20. Mass media does not run on the whims of the editor, it runs according to a set of journalistic rules. Did none of your policy-makers object when you decided to publish those stories? l Harun Ur Rashid is News Editor, Bangla Tribune.

DT

14

Long Form

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Investment for what?

When it comes to attracting more FDI, are we moving in the right direction? This is the concluding part of yesterday’s long form A part of the FDI goes into other sectors, such as leather, light engineering, ICT and ICT-enabled services, and agrobusiness (pharmaceuticals remain a largely domestic owned industry). This FDI plays an important role in catalysing the transformative changes described under Scenario 3 for these industries.

A third wave of FDI goes into new industries, ie, industries that are consistent with the comparative advantages of the country but currently don’t exist in Bangladesh or are negligible. This type of FDI helps jump-start such industries and establish the Bangladesh brand in foreign markets.

A fourth wave goes into infrastructure and in the development of economic zones whose design, development, and management increasingly become a private sector activity.

What’s needed for the different scenarios to materialise

Pick your investments wisely

BIGSTOCK

n Akhtar Mahmood

F

DI can play varying roles in each of these scenarios.

The role of FDI

In all three scenarios, but particularly in the last two, there is an important role for FDI. Some part of it may come into garments, with an average

Co-ordination within government will be required since many ministries and agencies will have a say in the approval and implementation of PPP projects. A concerted effort is needed to build awareness, commitment, and capacity in a critical mass of government officials across a range of ministries and agencies productivity higher than current levels in Bangladesh, and including, in many cases, a higher value-added product mix. The entry of FDI on a large-scale helps disseminate good practices to locally-owned enterprises, resulting in increases in productivity and product-mix improvements in the locallyowned garment industry.

Movement along these different scenarios will require an enabling investment climate.

The volume-centric growth scenario will require particular attention to land and the environment. Lack of serviced industrial land has emerged as a major constraint to industrialisation and will become more severe as industrialisation accelerates.

The environment is suffering due to indiscriminate use of land for setting up factories and pollution associated with industrial production. Working conditions, both building safety and treatment of workers, is becoming a major issue with serious implications for social sustainability of industrial activity.

An efficient economic zone regime coupled with a modern land administration system, and greater attention to the environmental and social aspects of industrial activity is critical for the volumecentric growth pathway. Both from the environmental as well as inclusive growth points of view, there is need for greater geographic balance in future industrialisation in Bangladesh. This will also require an efficient economic zone’s regime and improved connectivity within the country.

Innovation and adoption of good practices is key to the productivity-driven growth paths. Action will be required on a number of fronts. At the macro-level, there will be a need for a good innovations system, ICT backbone infrastructure, security of property rights (so that the returns from investments in innovation and productivity improvements can be appropriated), and a regulatory governance system that ensures that new laws and regulations are conducive with the requirements of an innovation and productivity-driven economy.

At the meso and micro levels, there will be need for innovative financial products, especially early stage and risk capital, a

service provider market that facilitates adoption of productivity-enhancing measures, and micro-level regulatory reforms that facilitate innovation. This growth path will also involve some industry consolidation with closure of inefficient firms. Good exit policies and management of the transitional social costs of industry restructuring will thus become important.

At the heart of all scenarios lies infrastructure investments. Going forward, the critical arena here is PPP. The government has established a policy and legal framework for PPPs, and a central office to help roll out the program.

Nonetheless, two critical agendas will require greater attention. Land acquisition for infrastructure will require transparency of land ownership and efficient ways to address the social consequences of displacement.

Co-ordination within government will be required since many ministries and agencies will have a say in the approval and implementation of PPP projects. A concerted effort is needed to build awareness, commitment, and capacity in a critical mass of government officials across a range of ministries and agencies. Such efforts need to go beyond traditional training programs and should aim at building a community of government officials committed to the idea of PPPs. The quantum jump in FDI inflows will require a revamping of the investment promotion and facilitation machinery in government. Investment promotion activities will need to become more sophisticated and targeted, underpinned by deep knowledge of sector characteristics in the country and investor motivations abroad. Investment approval processes across all relevant government offices will need to be streamlined and sophisticated feedback loops put in place to get just-in-time alerts about implementation gaps, including investor grievances.

All this will require a paradigm shift in BoI. But this will not be a task for BoI alone. In FDI facilitation, as with the PPP agenda, there is a need to train a critical mass of government officials across several ministries and agencies.

This is a challenging agenda, but an important one. Strategic thinking and sustained implementation is key.

Bangladesh will need to be unique, not just in the imagination of poets, but in the actions of its government.

But investment for what? That is the key question. As we double our efforts to attract foreign investment, it is important to be clear about our strategy. How exactly will such investment flows contribute to our development goals? l Akhtar Mahmood works for an international development agency.

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INSIDE Bangladesh can capitalise on Myanmar tourism Myanmar is gaining momentum of a popular tourist destination while Bangladesh can capitalise on its neighbour’s booming tourism business with the help of existing direct flight connectivity. PAGE 16

Payment network ‘Terra’ to foray in Bangladesh Bangladesh is among the top ten remittance beneficiary economies in the world. Significantly, the small sums of money migrants send to their families equal $15bn annually and contribute 9% to the country’s GDP. PAGE 17

Shrimp export shrinks 19% in seven months n Tribune Report The country’s shrimp export has suffered a nearly 19% fall in the first seven months of the current fiscal year, said the latest Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data.

The data showed in July-January period of the fiscal year 2015-16, Bangladesh bagged $291m from shrimp export, a figure which is 18.98% less than $359m a year ago.

Fall in supply by shrimp producers, economic recession and fluctuation of exchange rate in destination countries, especially in the Euro zone, have been blamed for the drop in shrimp export earning.

“Bangladeshi farmers produce only 300 kg of ‘black tiger’ shrimp in one hectare of land, while our competitor countries are producing 2,000 kg of shrimp in the same amount of land,” said Md Golam Mostafa, senior vice-president of Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA), describing the poor supply situation. “This has contributed to the fall (of export).”

He also found devaluation of Euro against US dollar as another cause of drop in earning. The EU is the largest export destination for Bangladeshi shrimp.

Golam Mostafa said if Bangladesh wanted to remain competitive in the global market and to push up the shrimp export to $1bn, focus should be given on intensive method of cultivation rather than traditional one.

He also stressed: “The government should take initiative to increase production of ‘black tiger’ shrimp which has a huge demand in our destination countries.”

The sector people said they were also

Oil rockets from 12-year low on renewed talk of OPEC cut Global oil prices surged as much as 12% on Friday after a report once again suggested OPEC might finally agree to cut production to reduce the world glut, while a bounce in stock markets fed appetite for risk. PAGE 18

Capital market snapshot: Past Week DSE Broad Index

4,581.3

0.2% ▲

Index

1,118.9

0.9% ▲

30 Index

1,759.6

1.0% ▲

18,635.5

-9.4% ▼

490.1

-17.0% ▼

All Share Index

14,145.5

0.5% ▲

30 Index

12,761.2

1.6% ▲

Selected Index

8,590.1

0.5% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

1,231.5

-15.4% ▼

45.4

-30.0% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk Turnover in Mn Volume

CSE

Turnover in Mn Volume

Shrimp being processed at a plant facing problems in having access to funds to collect shrimp from cultivators.

Besides, the low cost Vannamei shrimp production in competitor countries is another threat for Bangladesh as they offer lower prices.

BFFEA vice-president said the government needs to come up with policy and financial supports to help farmers start intensive cultivation so production can be increased.

There has already a government plan to increase shrimp production through intensive cultivation method in which land will be divided into clusters, and by introducing semi-intensive cultivation method in a larger scale.

The government has also taken an initiative to brand Bangladeshi “black tiger” shrimp in the global market, especially in the US market. The decision was made at a

DHAKA TRIBUNE

commerce ministry meeting last week.

As part of the initiative, a delegation led

by Senior Commerce Secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamoon will visit Seafood Expo North America (SENA) to be held from March 8 in the US. The delegation will talk to the buyers so more Bangladeshi shrimp can be exported to the market.

According to the commerce ministry data, in the last fiscal year, Bangladesh produced 223,788 tonnes of shrimp, 3.47% down from 231,842 tonnes in the FY2012-13.

Meanwhile, in the FY2014-15, Bangladesh exported 44,278 tonnes of shrimp, falling over 7% from 47,635 tonnes in the previous year.

In the last fiscal year, the export earnings from the shrimp sector also slumped by 7.36% to $510m, which was $550m in the previous year. l

BB to probe EBL ATM forgery n Tribune Report

Mahindra rolls out a mini pickup n Tribune Report

Mahindra and Mahindra Limited, the largest Indian auto manufacturer, has launched its new mini pickup with a payload capacity o 1 ton suitable for intra and intercity transportation of goods.

Rangs Motors Limited has been appointed for distributing ‘Supro Maxitruck’ in the local market. It is a vehicle for carrying small quantity of goods. It also has the warranty of two years and will be available in attractive colours.

The mini pickup was launched at a ceremony held in the city’s Rangs Bhaban yesterday, with Sohana Rouf Chowdhury, managing director of Rangs, Sagar Vadkamker, general manager of Mahindra and Pankaj Singh, country manager of Mahinda attending. l

Bangladesh Bank will investigate the allegation of money withdrawal without client’s knowledge through ATM forgery in Eastern Bank Limited.

“The matter is alarming for any banks and the central bank will form an inquiry team over the issue,” said SK Sur Chowdhury, deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank.

“No one will be spared if found involved in the incident,” he said yesterday after a meeting held in a city hotel.

Eastern Bank had to close all its Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) for six hours — from 12pm to 6pm— on Friday after some unusual transactions were reported by several account holders.

Mahbuba Akter Dina is one of the victims that lost money on Friday.

Dina got two SMS notifications from the bank at 7:15am and 7:19am, stating

that Tk80,000 had been withdrawn from Mutual Trust Bank’s ATM booth at Mirpur in the capital.

But the ATM Card was with her at that time. Finding it unusual, she called EBL’s Customer Care Department that also confirmed the transactions.

“EBL has informed us about closing down its ATM booths,” said Shubhankar Saha, executive director of Bangladesh Bank.

He said banks will have to compensate their clients for the loss of money. l

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Business

Bangladesh can capitalise on Myanmar tourism n Ishtiaq Husain, back from Myanmar Myanmar is gaining momentum of a popular tourist destination while Bangladesh can capitalise on its neighbour’s booming tourism business with the help of existing direct flight connectivity.

A myriad of tourist spots are drawing foreign tourists including tour-loving Bangladeshis to visit Myanmar.

An initiative to boost tourism business between Bangladesh and Myanmar can be a boon for both the countries, said Kazi Wahidul Alam, editor, fortnightly tourism newspaper, The Bangladesh Monitor.

Taufiq Rahman, chief executive officer of Journey Plus, a tour operator, told the Dhaka Tribune Dhaka-Yangon direct air connectivity has opened up a huge scope to bring foreigners to Bangladesh.

“If tour operators and Bangladesh government take initiative, we can offer a special package for tourists visiting Myanmar.”

The visiting tourists in Myanmar would then be able to easily come to Bangladesh that would add to revenue earnings, he added.

The largest reclining Buddha, magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda, Royal Kandougyi lake,

Inya lake, Bogok market and British colonial heritage buildings are the ones that can captivate the holidaymakers.

When Myanmar was open to foreign investors in 2010, many have since been setting up their business firms. In line with that, Biman Bangladesh airlines have also started running Dhaka-Yangon direct flight.

Novoair, a private airliner of the country, launched its maiden international flight on Dhaka-Yangon-Dhaka route on December 1.

The management of the airline is happy with the way its air passengers are responding to its flight.

Mofizur Rahman, managing director of Novoair, said Myanmar, endowed in natural resources, and situated in the fastest growing region of the world, is opening up. Many global companies have already made their investment while many are trying to gain access.

“We are committed to making ways for Bangladeshi businessmen to explore opportunities there through smooth flight connectivity.”

“At the same time we want to promote people-to-people contact to facilitate tours,” he said. For many years, Myanmar witnessed 2,00,000-2,50,000 tourists that landed in the country through Yangon airport.

FBCCI wants to cut BGB’s authority as customs officials n Tribune Report Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) has urged the government to curtail the Border Guard Bangladesh’s (BGB) authority to act as customs officials.

FBCCI President Abdul Matlub Ahmad made the request while addressing a seminar on “Countering Smuggling and Evasion of Custom Duty” held in the city yesterday.

Urging the government to scrap the BGB’s existing authority as custom officials to check the goods within 5 miles along the bordering areas, he said: “Once the goods are checked by the customs officials at the borders, further checking by the BGB men is nothing but harassment to the business people.”

Currently, BGB officials are empowered with searching goods, detaining and arresting people under several sections of customs act 1969, within five miles from the bordering area.

“As customs department have so many efficient officials, why are you empowering BGB men in conducting your job within five miles of the bordering areas?” he questioned.

Responding to an allegation against dishonest businesses involved in duty evasion, he said: “It is true that all the businessmen are not good. Similarly, all the customs officials are also not good. Time has come to look into it. We need to find out the bad people in their services.”

He asked the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to publish info on some exemplary punishment given to both NBR and businessman.

In response, Senior Secretary to Home Ministry Mozammel Haque Khan said: “The law enforcing agencies under his ministry wants to help the customs officials in the implementation and enforcement of the legal issues for trade facilitation.”

“I am sorry if the BGB men fails to recov-

er anything by detaining people after they crosses first stage of security. However, if they (BGB) find something illegal, then it would be a matter of great concern,” he said.

Currently, Bangladesh has 4,427 kilometers border with India including 489 kilometer of unprotected area. In addition, there is also 300 kilometers of area with Myanmar.

Bangladesh Garments Accessories & Packaging Manufacturers & Exporters Association President Rafez Alam Chowdhury suggested the NBR to assign the respective business associations with specific responsibility to help duty evasion from their sector people.

Security analyst major general (retd) Abdur Rashid said: “Custom has showed its success in combating smuggling through ports, but smuggling is still rampant outside the ports that needs to be addressed urgently.

Dhaka University International Relations Department Professor Delwar Hossain asked the NBR not only to look into how to collect revenue for the country, but also to conduct study on how smuggling patronise criminal financing in the country.

Automation of NBR, reduction of information gap between agencies, adaption of global best practices, and strengthening partnership with business community can help prevent smuggling and duty evasion, he suggested.

State minister for Finance M A Mannan asked the customs officials to use the modern technologies for increasing the revenue and finding out ways for more revenue collection from the potential sources.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith asked the NBR to ensure business-friendly atmosphere by reducing harassment to the businesses.

Presiding over the seminar, NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman said: “The authorities are committed to ensuring zero tolerance against any harassment, corruption and misconducts.” l

The total number of tourists including those that arrived in the country through border was between 6,00,000 and 8,00,000, according to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.

From 2011 onward, the number of holidaymakers started to rise dramatically. In 2013, their total number reached 2 million while in 2014, it was 3 million.

Last year, around 5 million tourists visited Myanmar. The trend Myanmarian authority to anticipate that by 2020, the number of foreign visitors would stand at 10 million.

Now every year, around one million new tourist pay a visit to the country.

To attract foreign tourists, Myanmar has taken a lot of initiatives for the development of tourists spots. Now they are running a project named “8th Year Mega project” for tourism development with the assistance of Asian Development Bank (ADB) which started in 2012.

The construction of new international airport, modern hotel, roads renovation is going on rapidly under the project.

Though Myanmar used to be an unknown, unloved, forgotten country, its recent initiatives to ease visa helped a lot to bring tourists to this country.

Located right between two of Asia’s major

tourist destinations: India and Thailand, Myanmar has gone from bust to boom in just a few years.

Sohail Majid, head of marketing of Novoair, said as Yangon is a very exotic tourist location for travellers, the number of tourists has increased by one million every year on an average over the last three years.

More than 8,00,000 tourists entered Myanmar by air and water while more than 2.2 million visited the country through land, according to the tourism ministry.

Tourist arrival is the highest in Yangon, Mandalay, Inlay and Bagan hotel zones, added the source.

Tourist arrival through Yangon International Airport recorded 7,59,181 in the first nine months from January through September last year, up 82,174 from 6,77,007 tourists in the same period of the previous year.

A lot of hotels are sprouting up across Myanmar to meet the need for accommodation of the increasing number of tourists, according to the Myanmar Hoteliers Association.

Meanwhile, the government has established 17 hotel zones in Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan regions, mostly popular for tourist destinations. l

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Payment network ‘Terra’ to foray in Bangladesh CEO: Every third household is reliant on international remittances to fund consumption in Bangladesh Bangladesh is among the top ten remittance beneficiary economies in the world. Significantly, the small sums of money migrants send to their families equal $15bn annually and contribute 9% to the country’s GDP. An overwhelming majority of Bangladesh’ 9m migrants are, however, unbanked, resulting in a significant proportion of inflows being routed via informal channels. Mobile-enabling remittances can create a ubiquitous, affordable and secure channel for cross-border transfers.

India-based Terra, a mobile-first global payment network, is set to foray into Bangladesh to make international money transfers ‘as simple as sending a text message”. Ambar Sur, Founder and CEO Terra, in an exclusive interview with the Dhaka Tribune, details the company’s vision and plans for the Bangladesh market and the broader impact of digitisation on the remittance landscape. The interview was taken by Kayes Sohel.

Dhaka Tribune: How does Terra operate in foreign remittance globally and particularly in Bangladesh?

Ambar Sur: Mobile wallet services have taken off with mobile payments users’ outnumbering bank account holders in many markets in Africa and Asia. Digital prepaid payment instruments that first began by offering low-value e-recharge have made inroads to claim larger parts of the customer wallet by providing convenient and secure options for transfers, loans and micro-savings. In Bangladesh, for example B-Kash operates 18 million wallet accounts and processes an approximate $26 million in daily transactions.

The growing usage of mobile wallets presents service providers with an opportunity to interconnect wallets for channelising international peer to peer transactions. Currently, the use of mobile wallets to smoothen global flow of private transfers remains underleveraged on account of the standalone nature of these services.

Terra is building the rails for mobilepowered international payments. We are architecting a new model by interconnecting existent digital financial service providers while assuming complete responsibility for obtaining and/or ensuring adherence to all regulatory requirements for conducting business. Our model predicated on the ability to aggregate available infrastructure supply would generate greater value for customers at lower costs and ultimately expand the industry.

Why is Terra keen to enter in Bangladesh?

Terra is not a new entrant in the Bangladesh market. We have institutional backing from Mahindra Comviva, one of the first global companies to believe in the mobile opportunity in Bangladesh. The company has helped further the vision of Digital Bangladesh by broad- basing mobile telephony services growth. Our e-recharge solutions have made it possible for mobile network operators to profitably cater to customers who spend less than $2 a month, pushing mobile penetration from less than 5% to over 70% of the total populace in the last decade.

Similarly, Mahindra Comviva pioneered mobile payment products for the financially

extensive agent networks, regulatory and compliance costs are shared among scheme participants.

Is Bangladesh’s present infrastructure enough for Terra’s operation?

Bangladesh has a long history of encouraging digital innovation to expand financial services access among unbanked segments.

In 2015, Bangladesh crossed the 25 million mobile money customer mark. A fast maturing domestic mobile payment ecosystem has created fertile conditions to launch services that enable customers to text money from any global location. With a distinct focus on building a cash-lite economy, the central bank is creating an enabling policy framework for remittance initiatives that actualise the potential of the mobile.

Who are Terra’s competitors?

Ambar Sur, Founder and CEO Terra

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

‘Bangladesh has a long history of encouraging digital innovation to expand financial services access among unbanked segments. In 2015, Bangladesh crossed the 25 million mobile money customer mark. A fast maturing domestic mobile payment ecosystem has created fertile conditions to launch services that enable customers to text money from any global location’

marginalised segments in Bangladesh.

Continuing on this trajectory of innovation, Terra is well-positioned to usher a similar digital revolution for international transfers, a $15 billion market annually. In Bangladesh every third household is reliant on international remittances to fund consumption. Yet blue-collar migrants find it unviable to transfer small sums of monies to their family on-demand and at frequent intervals. There is a strong existent demand for affordable and ubiquitous international money transfer products among low-income migrant households.

Why will consumers choose Terra?

Terra’s tagline is “Transfer Happiness”. Remittances function as an economic as well as an emotional lifeline for migrant households.

When a migrant sends a gift to his daughter or pays a bill on behalf of the family, the act of transferring money is fundamentally an act of delivering happiness to loved ones.

From the perspective of a financial services network, a consistent, reliable and transparent services experience reinforces the positive emotion and creates a base of satisfied customers. Beyond the immediate transactional experience, we have expanded the contours of our core value to encompass economic security. Accordingly, we empower customers to better manage their financial lives by bringing relevant, innovative propositions to the market. For instance, an ability to bundle asset-based products ---micro-savings and micro-insurance ---- with

international remittances expands Terra’s role in our customers’ personal financial ecosystem, creates differentiation and increases attractiveness of our service relative to competitors.

A large proportion of the money is drained away by the transaction costs of sending money internationally, especially in the developing countries. What do you think about it? Please share some data?

Annually, beneficiary households in Bangladesh lose $1.5billion or 10% of total remittance volume in transaction fee. The high fee structures to transmit monies create a disincentive for use of formal channels. A cost-impact analysis, however, also needs to factor hidden, non-monetary expense incurred by beneficiaries in terms of lost productivity and time spent on travel. A study of non-monetary benefits conducted by Terra Research teams indicates for every percentage shift to mobile transactions, the country gains $20 million in monetary terms.

How will Terra help reduce the cost of money transfer?

Terra is rewriting the rules of international remittance from being a high-value, low-volume business to becoming a low-value high-volume business. Transferring money is expensive on account of limited inter-connectivity between financial institutions and mobile wallet schemes. By bridging mobile wallet islands, Terra further improves the economic viability of micro-remittances as critical services infrastructure including

The digital transformation of remittances is central to Terra’s vision, mission and competitive strategy.

Founded with the vision to create a global network for micro-transfers, our defining tenet is; “Send Money to Any Mobile.”

For actualizing our vision, it was imperative the company clearly define competition.

Rather than classify competitors narrowly as other money transfer companies, who collectively have a 25% share of the market, Terra is focusing on the significant 75% dominated by cash.

Cash is our primary competitor and has propped and supported a substantive informal remittance market for decades. The wide use of cash has severe, negative ill-effects, as it prevents economies from effectively deploying remittance receipts for overall development.

Lowering the preference for cash among migrants and providing simple to use, universally available, cost-efficient mobile-powered alternatives can boost domestic financial sector earnings. In addition, using mainstream channels for remittances would bring households into contact with other formal financial services, including savings, loans, mortgages and insurances and foster economy-wide financial inclusion.

What’s Terra’s market share globally and in Bangladesh?

Globally and in Bangladesh, mobile-powered international remittances are at an early stage of growth. Currently, the share of mobile among formal remittance channels is a modest 2%. With 300 mobile wallet services available globally and a growing interest among financial regulators to use mobile for international remittances the pace of growth would accelerate.

Terra services are commercially available in the GCC and the Philippines. We are in the process of launching in two other South Asian countries by March 2016. We are also conducting trials in four other countries in Africa.

In the next twelve months, the positive network effects generated by integrating mobile wallet services would trigger a virtuous cycle of growth, attract more partners and customers onto the network, propelling Terra into a leading market position in the international mobile transfer market. l

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Business

Oil rockets from 12-year low on renewed talk of OPEC cut n Reuters, New York Global oil prices surged as much as 12% on Friday after a report once again suggested OPEC might finally agree to cut production to reduce the world glut, while a bounce in stock markets fed appetite for risk.

Despite the strong daily gain, oil prices were poised to end the week down as much as 5%.

The United Arab Emirates’ energy minister said the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries was willing to cooperate on an output cut, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday after crude futures settled in U.S. trade.

Many traders were skeptical at first about the report, noting that Venezuela and Russia had tried in vain earlier in the week to stir Saudi Arabia and other major producers into agreeing to output cuts.

But after a 75% price slump since mid2014 that has taken crude prices to more than 12-year lows, many were inclined to believe that a rebound was due sooner or later if production tightens or demand picks up.

“We expect declining US oil production, in particular, to drive the oil price back up to $50 per barrel by the end of the year,” Frankfurt-based Commerzbank said in a note.

US crude contracts over the next five years were trading under $50 a barrel on Friday, rising above that level only from November 2021 onwards.

US crude’s front-month CLc1 settled up $3.23, or 12.3%, at $29.44 per barrel, reaching a session high of $29.66. It hit a 12-year low of

China central bank: Speculators should not dominate sentiment n Reuters, Beijing

An Oil and Natural Gas Corp’s (ONGC) well is pictured in an oil field on the outskirts of the western city of Ahmedabad, India REUTERS $26.05 the previous day. For the week, it lost 4.7%. Brent’s front-month LCOc1 closed up $3.30 at $33.36 a barrel, having slid below $30 on Thursday. Weekly losses were pared to 2%.

Prices extended gains after data showed an eighth straight weekly drop in the number of US rigs drilling for oil. Oil also got a boost from the rally in global equity markets.

Some cited Monday’s Presidents Day holiday in the United States, saying fewer players wanted a short position in oil ahead of the longer weekend break for the New York

crude market.

But others, like Tyche Capital Advisors’ Tariq Zahir, were hoping to profit again from bearish bets once the rally peaks. “It gives me great opportunity to put out new shorts in crude spreads,” he said.

Many expected wilder price swings in coming weeks.

“It’s not a one-way price movement anymore,” said ABN AMRO’s senior energy economist Hans van Cleef. “We will see a period of high volatility.” l

Speculators should not be allowed to dominate market sentiment regarding China’s foreign exchange reserves and it was quite normal for reserves to fall as well as rise, central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan was quoted as saying on yesterday.

China’s foreign reserves fell for a third straight month in January, as the central bank dumped dollars to defend the yuan and prevent an increase in capital outflows.

In an interview carried in the Chinese financial magazine Caixin, Zhou said yuan exchange reform would help the market be more flexible in dealing with speculative forces.

There was a need to distinguish capital outflows from capital flight, and tight capital controls would not be effective for China, he said. China has not fully liberalized its capital account.

Zhou added that there was no basis for the yuan to keep depreciating, and China would keep the yuan basically stable versus a basket of currencies while allowing greater volatility against the US dollar.

The government also needed to prevent systemic risks in the economy, and prevent “cross infection” between the stock, debt and currency markets, he said.

The comments come after China reported economic growth of 6.9% for 2015, its weakest in 25 years, while depreciation pressure on the yuan adds to the case for the central bank to take more economic stimulus measures over the near-term. l

Consumer companies’ outperformance no longer guaranteed by cheap oil n Reuters, London Consumer companies are offering investors a small degree of relief from the turmoil in banking and resources in a results season dominated by fears about slowing economic growth.

But those companies say lower oil prices no longer translate into a traditional boost for spending on their products because households are using the money saved at the gas pump and on energy bills to stash cash, pay

off debt or on other items.

This means those companies may not be as much of a safe haven investment as they used to be in times of low commodities prices or economic stress.

Since 2008, food and beverage stocks have offered a 142% total shareholder return, nearly double that of the market overall, according to Thomson Reuters global equity indices. Since the start of the year, they have lost 3.4%, versus 12% for the global index.

“In the context of a market that’s in meltdown, the performance consumer goods has been delivering is pretty good,” said Jefferies analyst Martin Deboo.

Consumer stalwarts PepsiCo, Unilever and French cosmetics firm L’Oreal all reported better-than-expected revenue in contrast to dismal results from banks including Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank and oil, gas and mining firms. Tobacco company Philip Morris International gave a strong outlook and

liquor giant Diageo reported improvements.

There have also been good results from General Motors, Adidas and Norwegian Air, and analysts are on the lookout for similar trends next week in reports from Nestle, Michelin, Puma and Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Consumer confidence has risen in the United States and Europe, nearing 2007 levels, and car sales, which analysts call a good proxy for discretionary spending, are showing promise of staying healthy in 2016. l

CORPORATE NEWS

Dhaka Bank Limited has recently inaugurated its 85th branch at Kamarpara in Tangi.

The bank’s MD and CEO, Syed Mahbubur Rahman inaugurated the branch

Dewan Mujibur Rahman has recently been re-appointed as MD and CEO of NRB Commercial Bank, said a press release. Rahman has been performing as MD and CEO of the bank since its opening

Sonali Bank Limited has recently held an event, ‘Bankers Darbar’ at its head office.

The bank’s MD & CEO, Pradip Kumar Dutta was present at the event as chief guest

Dhaka University declared the champion in National Debate Festival at DIU-2016

Dhaka University Debating Club (DU DC) clinched the championship in the Daffodil International University Debating Club (DIU DC) National Debate Festival among all other universities, which was held from January 21 to February 13. Saint Joseph College came out on top and Government Science College became runners-up among other colleges. Motijheel Ideal School won and Government Laboratory School became runners-up among other schools. A total of 32 university teams, 16 college teams and 24 school teams participated in the DIU DC National Debate Festival.

Dipu Moni MP, chairman at Parliamentary Standing Committee of Foreign Affairs and former foreign

19

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Biz Info

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Okapia mobile launches valentine’s day Offer On occasion of Valentine’s Day, Okapia Mobile has launched ‘Bondhur Jonno Bondhu Smartphone 100 Takai’ offer.

According to the offer, every 20th Bondhu smartphone buyer will receive a balance recharge worth Tk3,890. MRP of this smartphone is Tk3,990 and ultimately every 20th consumer can enjoy Bondhu smartphone at Tk100.

The offer will end on March 15, 2016.

Within this time a Bondhu smartphone buyer, upon buying the phone, will have to keep the phone powered on with a SIM card for at least 24 hours, and must have minimum balance to send an SMS. The computer will automatically announce the

name of the every 20th buyer. The buyer will receive the ranking on the day next to that when he or she will have purchased the phone, and will receive the balance recharge within the next 72 hours.

Okapia Mobile’s Bondhu smartphone is equipped with Android KitKat (4.4.2) OS. In addition, it has a 4-inch WVGA IPS display, 1.3 GHz quad core processor, 512MB RAM, 4 GB ROM, 2 MP rear and VGA front camera.

For taking better selfies, the phone’s front camera comes with a selfie flash.

The offer is a continuation of Okapia’s continued endeavors of meeting customer needs for excellence in smartphones at an affordable cost. l

minister was present at the closing and award giving ceremony held on February 13 at the permanent university campus in Ashulia. The event was presided over by Md Sabur Khan, chairman of Board of Trustees, Daffodil International University while professor Dr Mizanur Rahman, chairman, National Human Rights Commission was present as the guest of honour. The program was addressed by Professor Dr Yousuf M Islam, vice chancellor at Emeritus, Professor Dr Aminul Islam, Professor AMM Hamidur Rahman, dean of Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Farhana Helal Mehtab, Moderator and Erfan Elahi Sharif, president of DIU DC. l

Aamra launches smart solution service

Aamra Companies, one of the largest conglomerates in Bangladesh, has launched “WE”, which is a revolutionary smart solution service for mobile phone users.

The launch ceremony was held at Pan

Pacific Sonargaon Hotel on February 13, 2016.

WE offers complete digital freedom to customers using a combination of smartphone devices, cloud storage up to

100GB, and free Wi-Fi access in more than 500 locations across Bangladesh, with an expansion plan of more than 1,500 locations by the end of 2016. The unique mix of smart devices, free data connectivity, and cloud storage at an affordable cost is perfect for the rapidly growing number of smartphone users in the country, which is why WE goes by the motto of ‘More than a Phone’. The service package will be available at 5 exclusive brand outlets in Dhaka and 1,000 retail outlets nationwide from February 14, 2016.

‘Having extensive experience in the technology sector in Bangladesh, Aamra

Companies is dedicated to fulfill the need of our customers. WE understand that smartphones are probably the most useful daily digital tool people use right now, and therefore have decided to add significantly more value to the daily lives of smartphone users of our country with WE,’ said Intekhab Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of Aamra Companies in a speech at the event.

The launching ceremony brought together personalities from Regulatory authorities and Distributors, Business Partners, and other stakeholders of Aamra Companies for interaction and exchange of ideas with high officials of the company.

Aamra Companies is the leading company in the ICT sector of Bangladesh. The company is not only the largest free Wi-Fi hotspot provider in the country, but also is the first enterprise and consumer grade Cloud Service provider in the country. l

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CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Slave (6) 5 Pale (3) 7 Airman (5) 8 Suffer (6) 10 Beak (3) 12 Soon (4) 13 Metal (3) 14 Male deer (4) 16 Encourage in crime (4) 17 Sheltered side (3) 18 Festivity (4) 20 Redskin's greeting (3) 23 Endured (6) 24 Cajolery (5) 25 Wager (3) 26 Temperature unit (6)

DOWN 1 Turn away (4) 2 Composed (6) 3 Protective garment (5) 4 Spleen (4) 5 Was victorious (3) 6 Consumed (3) 9 Single entity (4) 11 Seek charity (3) 14 Becomes firm (4) 15 Seesaw (6) 16 Tree (3) 17 Letting agreement (5) 18 Ran away (4) 19 Not working (4) 21 Be indebted (3) 22 Humour (3)

Downtime CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 16 represents N so fill N every time the figure 16 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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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

INSIDE

Political mood sours as transition talks hit a snag in Myanmar The mood of goodwill evident in early talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar’s military over the country’s transition to democratic government has soured, as tensions rise over how to divide up power and deal with the legacy of junta rule.

PAGE 22

US President Barack Obama arrives in Palm Springs California February 12. Obama is expected to spend much of the weekend golfing and will then host leaders of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on Monday and Tuesday at the Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage REUTERS

Things to know about Obama’s summit with Asean leaders Hopes for peace as South Sudan president names rival as deputy After more than two years locked in combat, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has appointed his arch-rival Riek Machar as vice-president, the post he held from 20052013 before being sacked.

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n Tribune Desk

according to international law.

President Barack Obama hosts Southeast Asian leaders at an unprecedented summit in California starting Monday as he looks to deepen ties with the region’s fast-growing economies. But a nation not invited - neighboring power China - will be the proverbial elephant in the room as the leaders grapple with sensitive territorial disputes.

As part of Obama’s so-called pivot in US foreign policy toward the Asia-Pacific, he has made a point of traveling to the region each fall to meet with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean.

Now, Obama is inviting Asean leaders to the US, and to the same venue where he hosted China’s President Xi Jinping in 2013. US officials say the two-day summit at the Sunnylands estate is not directed against China, a strategic rival of the US But the military might and economic clout of the rising Asian power is likely to loom over their discussions.

Some things to know about the summit:

Trade and tpp

Top issue: south china sea

5 numbers that mattered this week in US presidential election Continuing our new US Presidential election feature, where we dig in to the latest polls and loop in other data streams — like advertising figures, election results, voter registration trends and other measures that tell the story of the 2016 campaign.

PAGE 24

The top security issue on the agenda. China says it has a historical right to virtually all of the South China Sea and has built seven artificial islands, including airstrips, to assert its sovereignty. Taiwan and Asean members Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim land features in these potentially resource-rich waters, an important thoroughfare for world trade. Although not a claimant, the US has spoken out against China’s conduct and the Navy has sailed close to some of the artificial islands, angering Beijing but getting some quiet encouragement from most Asean members. The US is looking for Asean to take a unified stance by calling for the territorial disputes to be resolved

America has longstanding economic interests in Southeast Asia. US companies have invested $226bn in the region, and two-way trade was $254bn last year. On Day One at Sunnylands, the leaders will discuss how to expand trade and investment with the help of US entrepreneurship and innovation. Also likely on the agenda: the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, Obama’s signal achievement on trade, which the administration often characterizes as an opportunity for the US, rather than China, to shape the rules of world trade. The four Asean members in TPP - Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam - will want to know if it Congress will ratify the pact, which remains in doubt. Other Asean members, like Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, have expressed interest in joining TPP at a later date.

Threat from Dae'sh group

The US wants to deepen counter-terrorism and intelligence cooperation with Southeast Asian nations. Despite the region’s relative success in combating al-Qaida-linked militancy since 9/11, the Dae'sh group, or IS, appears to be gaining a foothold. Indonesian authorities said that IS funded a suicide attack that hit a Starbucks in Jakarta last month, the first major terrorist attack in the capital city in six years. Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, the world’s most populace Muslim nation, have all reported citizens traveling to fight in Iraq and Syria, and several small militant groups in the Philippines have pledged allegiance to Dae'sh.

Awkward questions about human rights

The 10 members of Asean run the gamut

of political systems, from open democracy to one-party rule. Obama will emphasize the importance of the rule of law and civil society but likely avoid open criticism of a particular nation. Human rights activists have faulted the US for inviting unelected leaders, like Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who seized power in a May 2014 military coup. Also attending is Cambodia’s Hun Sen, who has used violence and intimidation against political opponents and is making his first official US visit during a 31year tenure as prime minister.

Who isn’t coming

Like Obama, several of the Asean leaders are lame ducks with little time left in office. They include Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, whose six-year term ends in June, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who was sidelined at a recent Communist Party congress. Both men are due to come to Sunnylands, but the outgoing leader from Myanmar is sending a deputy in his place. Myanmar’s President Thein Sein has overseen democratic reforms in the former pariah state but his pro-military party was trounced in November elections and he’ll stand down by April. The new government led by the party of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has yet to take office. Myanmar’s outgoing President Thein Sein has at the last minute cancelled plans to attend the US-Asean summit in California next week, his office said late on Thursday, giving no reasons for the decision. While no official delegation from the Myanmar side had been announced before, experts expected the trip to be Thein Sein’s last chance to highlight his reformist legacy in front of President Barack Obama and Southeast Asian leaders. l

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World

INSIGHT

Political mood sours as transition talks hit a snag in Myanmar

Myanmar’s National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi talks to journalists during her meeting with the media in her office at the parliament in Naypyitaw on February 3 REUTERS

n Reuters, Naypyitaw, Myanmar The mood of goodwill evident in early talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar’s military over the country’s transition to democratic government has soured, as tensions rise over how to divide up power and deal with the legacy of junta rule.

The apparent stalemate has forced Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) to push back the election by parliament of a new president to March 17, cutting close to the April 1 deadline when the new government is supposed to start its term.

While negotiations have been conducted amid tight secrecy, lawmakers say divisions emerged after the military put forward its list of demands to the incoming government last month.

The appointment of ex-general Shwe Mann, now a key Suu Kyi ally, to a powerful advisory panel has also stoked mistrust, some say, because his insider knowledge could enable Myanmar’s new rulers to delve into the actions of the outgoing government.

“It seems like all of the members of the previous government are now panicking, so they try to use the military’s weight to protect themselves,” said a former senior lawmaker from the army-linked Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

Suu Kyi’s NLD won a landslide in Myanmar’s first democratic election in a quarter of a century in November, kicking off a lengthy transition from the semi-civilian government that in 2011 replaced a junta that had run the country for 49 years.

That transition began with mutual handshakes and speeches about “national reconciliation,” but as the talks drag on the tone of public debate - and that of legislators speaking privately - has changed.

In recent days, the NLD and the military have bickered via the media over whether Myanmar’s junta-drafted constitution, which bars Suu Kyi from becoming president, should be amended to let her take the highest office.

Ye Htut, the outgoing Minister of Information and presidential spokesman, said Suu Kyi should respect the military as, essentially, the country’s second biggest party, and urged her administration not to dwell on the issue of the presidency, instead focusing on economic reform.

Looking forward, or back?

Last week the NLD appointed Shwe Mann, a former speaker of the lower house who was purged from the USDP last year, as the head of the Legal Affairs and Examination of Special Matters Commission, a powerful panel that advises on legislation.

This choice, some MPs say, could be problematic for former members of outgoing President Thein Sein’s government if the

NLD decided to use the commission’s expertise to try to amend laws or revisit contracts approved by his administration.

The issue of not raking over the past has been crucial in efforts to establish a working relationship between Suu Kyi and her former foes in the military, which under the constitution retains a bloc of seats in parliament and control of key parts of the state apparatus.

When Suu Kyi met former junta leader Than Shwe in December she gave him assurances that the NLD would not focus on the past. In return, Than Shwe endorsed her as the future “leader” of the country.

Days before disbanding at the end of January, the parliament dominated by Thein Sein’s USDP passed a bill granting life-long immunity from prosecution to the president for actions taken in office, sparking protests from human rights organisations.

“That law only protects the president, but not his ministers,” said the former USDP lawmaker, who is also a member of Shwe Mann’s panel. He said the commission would look into recent budgets.

Military demands

The military is demanding the positions of chief minister in Rakhine, Shan and Kachin states and, crucially, Yangon, where the bulk of foreign investment is likely to concentrate as Myanmar’s economy grows at a rapid pace, two people briefed on the details of the talks said.

Both Shan and Kachin states are home to powerful ethnic armed groups involved in illicit activities ranging from drug production and smuggling to illegal jade mining.

Control over these states, which also include Special Regions - semi-autonomous fiefdoms with their own administrations and armies - is key for Suu Kyi, who has made a ceasefire with ethnic armed groups her top priority.

China, which has important economic and strategic interests in Myanmar, is also anxious to protect its influence, Win Htein, one of the top NLD leaders involved in transition talks said.

“Chinese government representatives and business associations are coming to us all the damn time to talk about the president and business deals,” said Win Htein. l

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Hopes for peace as South Sudan president names rival as deputy n AFP, Juba, South Sudan After more than two years locked in combat, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has appointed his arch-rival Riek Machar as vice-president, the post he held from 20052013 before being sacked.

The two leaders come from the south’s two main ethnic groups, Kiir from the Dinka people and Machar from the Nuer, tribes that are themselves split into multiple and sometimes rival clans.

They fought both alongside and against each other during the long and bitter war with Khartoum.

Here are profiles of the two leaders:

Salva kiir

The ex-guerrilla commander, usually clad in a cowboy hat, was for years more accustomed to leading troops in a bush war than making political speeches. He reluctantly took power only after the death of his chief, South Sudan’s first President John Garang, in a 2005 helicopter crash.

But since Kiir oversaw the birth of a nation whose southern capital Juba peacefully broke free from former enemies in Khartoum in July 2011, he has struggled to stem corruption and to rebuild after decades of conflict.

Huge sums from oil revenues have been squandered on Kiir’s watch, with the president in 2012 writing a desperate letter to 75 past and present officials begging for the return of an estimated $4bn in stolen funds.

Born in 1951 in the remote cattle-herding

In this photo taken Wednesday, January 21, 2015, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, left, shakes hands with rebel leader and former vice president Riek Machar, right AP state of Warrap among the majority Dinka people, Kiir spent much of his life carrying a gun. He still sports the thick beard of the bush rebel.

A career soldier, he fought in both Sudan’s first civil war, lasting from soon after independence from Britain in 1956 until 1972, as well as the subsequent 1983-2005 conflict.

Kiir was elected as South Sudan’s president in 2011. Elections due in 2015 never took place because of the war.

Riek machar

Charismatic and controversial, Riek Machar once charmed a big part of the international community with his broad, gap-toothed smile and eloquent speeches, while remaining deeply distrusted by many in South Sudan.

Born in 1953 in the oil-producing state of Unity, Machar comes from the Nuer people.

He never underwent the traditional deep horizontal forehead scarring that differentiates Nuer men from boys and used his education as a step up in life.

After an engineering degree in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, Machar gained his doctorate from Britain’s University of Bradford.

But he returned to fight after the outbreak of civil war in 1983, winning the support of many of his fellow Nuer to bolster the rebel army, until then dominated largely

by Dinka forces.

Machar grew frustrated with rebel commander John Garang, staging a failed 1991 coup against him and other commanders, including Kiir.

As the rebel army split along ethnic lines, Machar was accused of carrying out a brutal massacre in the Dinka-dominated town of Bor. After forging a breakaway faction, he later signed a deal with his former enemies in Khartoum.

But he returned to the rebel fold in 2002.

Once a peace deal was struck in 2005, he rose to become vice-president.

But he was sacked in July 2013 and, days before the war began, he openly challenged Kiir, calling him “dictatorial.”

The extent of Machar’s control over opposition forces on the ground is questionable, with key rebel commanders having split.

Machar welcomed news of the appointment from his current exile in Ethiopia, describing it as a step forward towards peace. l

TIMELINE

March 2012: Malian soldiers stage a coup, seizing power from President Amadou Toumani Touré in protest at the government’s failure to quell the rebellion in the north.

April 2012: Tuareg rebels seize regional capitals Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu, effectively controlling all of northern Mali. Tuareg fighters declare an independent state called Azawad.

January 2013: After the of town of Konna falls to fighters who planned to march on Bamako, France deploys about 2,500 ground troops to help the 3,000-strong African force already there to hold the line.

April 2013: France begins withdrawal of some of its 4,000 troops, and transitions control to MINUSMA, a regional African force tasked with providing security and stability to assist the Malian army. By the end of 2013, the French seek to

reduce their troop contingent to 1,000.

June 2013: A peace deal between Tuareg rebels and the government is signed, allowing the way to open for elections. The rebels agree to hand of Kidal, the town they captured following the French troops ousting of religious fighters in January.

August 2014: France and five West African countries — Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger — launch Operation Barkhane, a continuation of France’s military operation in Mali and Chad to combat rebel fighters. Three thousand French troops take part in the operation.

October 2014: Nine United Nations MINUSMA peacekeepers have been killed in Mali in the deadliest attack yet on the UN mission to the West African country.

March 2015: Al-Mourabitoun attacks La Tarrasse, a restaurant and bar popular with foreigners, killing five people, including a Frenchman and a Belgian. The group said the attack was partly in revenge for the killing of a leader of Al Mourabitoun in a Franco-Malian military operation.

April 2015: French special forces free Dutch hos-

SOUTH ASIA

Nepal Maoists mark 20 years since start of civil war

Nepal’s former Maoist rebels paid tribute to fallen comrades Saturday in a ceremony marking 20 years since the start of an insurgency that transformed the Himalayan nation from a Hindu monarchy to a secular republic. On 13 February, 1996, Maoist guerrillas attacked a police post in western Nepal’s Rolpa district, launching a decade-long civil war that eventually claimed some 16,000 lives and left hundreds of people missing. Hundreds of Maoist cadres gathered at the party’s office in Kathmandu, waving red flags as senior leaders placed garlands on the martyr’s pillar.

-AFP

INDIA

Seven killed in gun battle in Indian Kashmir

A fierce gun battle killed 2 soldiers and 5 suspected militants Saturday in Indian-administered Kashmir near the de facto border with Pakistan, army officials said. The 7 died during a heavy exchange of fire in the border village of Marsari, 130km northwest of the main city of Srinagar, defence spokesman N N Joshi said.

The 16-hour gun battle began on Friday when government forces zeroed in on an abandoned house after receiving information about the presence of suspected rebels.

-AFP

CHINA

China rules out joining antiterrorism coalitions

China won’t take part in any coalition fighting terrorist groups in the Middle East, but will do its fair share in its own way and is already helping Iraq, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday. China wants to develop deeper defence and anti-terrorism ties with the Arab world, including joint exercises, intelligence sharing and training, the government said in a policy document released last month.

-REUTERS

ASIA PACIFIC

Thai students mock military at football match

Political violence in Mali since 2012 Friday’s attack on UN base in Kidal that left 6 UN peacekeepers killed and some 30 wounded in northern Mali, highlights the fact that despite a peace accord signed last summer, the wave of political violence that began four years ago in the country’s sparsely populated north has not ended.

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tage Sjaak Rijke, who had been abducted by an al-Qaeda faction in Mali in 2011 by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) along with Johan Gustafsson from Sweden and Stephen Malcolm, who is a British-South African dual national. Gustafsson’s and Malcolm’s whereabouts are still unknown.

May 2015: French special forces kill four members of AQIM in northern Mali, including one of its leaders Amada Ag Hama. Ibrahim Ag Inawalen, a leader with Ansar Dine, was also killed.

June 2015: MNLA and the Malian government sign a peace deal, handing greater autonomy to the separatists in northern region of Mali in a bid to put an end to a cycle of uprisings. However, the deal remains fragile as attacks between various rebel groups and government-allied forces continue.

August 2015: Gunmen attack a hotel in central Mali used by United Nations staff, killing a UN employee and four others.

November 2015: Gunmen attack Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali, killing more than 20 people and taking scores of hostages. l

Sources: AL JAZEERA, BBC

Thai university students lampooned the military at a football game on Saturday in a rare act of open defiance against the junta, which has strangled political expression since seizing power two years ago. In a colourful parade around the Bangkok stadium where crowds gathered to watch a match between two of kingdom’s top universities, students brought out elaborate hand-made floats and banners mourning prolonged military rule.

The parade is a long-running tradition at the annual game between rival universities Thammasat and Chulalongkorn and is often provocative and political.

-AFP

MIDDLE EAST

Iran: Ready to put rivalries aside with Saudi Arabia

Iran and Saudi Arabia must overcome strained relations and work for stability in Syria and the Middle East, Iran’s foreign minister said on Friday, a day after Syrian peace talks brought the rivals to the same table for the first time in months. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference hours after his Saudi counterpart addressed the event, Mohammed Javad Zarif said he wanted to stop the bickering and had a simple message thay we need to work together.

-REUTERS

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USA

Senate passes provocative China bill

The US Senate on Friday backed a plan to name a plaza in front of the Chinese embassy for a pro-democracy dissident after what congressional sources called a tit-for-tat deal that led Senator Ted Cruz to stop blocking President Barack Obama’s diplomatic nominations. By unanimous voice vote, the Senate approved a bill introduced by Cruz, a leading contender for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, to name the plaza in Washington after Liu Xiaobo, a Nobel peace prize winner.

-REUTERS

THE AMERICAS

Venezuela leader gets emergency powers

Venezuela’s opposition on Friday vowed to speed up efforts to oust President Nicolas Maduro after he defied lawmakers by securing emergency powers to intervene in the crisis-hit oil state’s economy. The maneuvers intensified a political standoff that has raised fears of unrest and deepening economic suffering in the oil-rich, violence-plagued South American state. The Supreme Court on Thursday overruled opposition from lawmakers by approving Maduro’s decree to place the country in a 60day state of economic emergency.

-AFP

UK

John Kerry urges UK to stay in united EU

John Kerry has urged the UK to remain in the EU, saying the continent needed to be united, after it emerged Barack Obama would intervene to encourage an in-vote in Britain’s EU referendum. The US secretary of state said it was in the US’s interests that UK did not leave the union in the looming referendum. The EU faced a number of challenges including the possibility of a Brexit, Kerry said on Saturday at a security conference in Munich.

-THE GUARDIAN

EUROPE

French PM: More major attacks in Europe a certainty

More major attacks in Europe are a certainty, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls told an audience at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. There will be attacks, large-scale attacks, it’s a certainty, this hyper-terrorism is here to stay, he said. Valls was speaking at the three-day security conference in the southern German city, speaking alongside Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

-AFP

AFRICA

US commander: al-Qaeda Africa group strengthening

Two high-profile strikes in West Africa since November by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) could further strengthen the Islamist militant group, a US commander for North and West Africa said. AQIM, a militant group that emerged from the Algerian civil war in the 1990s and is now mostly north Mali-based, is emerging from a period of near dormancy marked by factional infighting. The group, linked to veteran jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar, claimed two hotel sieges in the Mali and Burkina Faso capitals in November and January that killed dozens, including many Westerners, proving its ability to strike further south.

-REUTERS

5 numbers that mattered this week in US presidential election Continuing our new US presidential election feature, where we dig in to the latest polls and loop in other data streams — like advertising figures, election results, voter registration trends and other measures that tell the story of the 2016 campaign.

primary era, there isn’t compelling evidence to suggest that Republicans have a leg up in Iowa and New Hampshire come November because voters in February found their contests more compelling.

282804 The number of the ballots cast in the New Hampshire GOP presidential primary, excluding writing-ins

Sanders’ money advantage over Hillary Clinton continues to grow, according to data provided by The Tracking Firm, a group monitoring the airwaves.

Sanders is spending more than $2.7m on TV and radio ads for the week beginning Tuesday – hitting states from Nevada (Feb. 20) to South Carolina (Feb. 27) to a number of March 1 states, like Colorado, Oklahoma and Minnesota.

By contrast, Clinton is only spending a total of $1.2m this week. That means she’s getting outspent by a wide margin in Nevada, for example: Sanders is spending nearly $1.1m in Nevada, almost double Clinton’s $544,000.

And given Sanders’ online fundraising blitz this week – his campaign says he raised more than $7m online after winning in New Hampshire – that advantage is unlikely to abate anytime soon.

Four days before the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, Gardner – the New Hampshire secretary of state and foremost defender of the state’s special status – predicted 282,000 voters would pull a Republican ballot, and 268,000 voters would select the Democratic ballot.

Gardner was nearly spot-on in predicting GOP turnout, but Democrats lagged. Fewer than 250,000 Democratic ballots were cast, excluding write-ins, according to statistics published on the secretary of state’s website.

Iowa has voted for the winner in the past three presidential elections (and that streak would go back to 1992 if we’re talking about the winner of the popular vote).

Then-Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry won neighbouring New Hampshire in 2004 – otherwise the state has picked the Electoral College winner in every election since 1980.

What does it mean that Republicans in these two states are more motivated, and independents are more interested in voting in the GOP race than the Democratic one?

Probably nothing. Given the limited sample size of presidential elections in the modern

$2.7m The amount of money Bernie Sanders is spending on TV and radio advertising this week

$568,000 The amount Donald Trump is spending on advertising this week

Remember Donald Trump’s public statements that he intended to spend $2m a week leading up to Iowa and New Hampshire? That didn’t last long.

Trump, who is partially self-funding

his campaign, has slowed his ad spending considerably. Then again, given his nearly 20-point victory in New Hampshire on Tuesday, he didn’t need to out-spend his rivals.

Trump is only spending $568,000 this week, mostly in South Carolina. Last week, in the week leading up to the New Hampshire primary, he spent $864,000 total in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

46 The number of public New Hampshire GOP primary polls released between January 1 and the primary

The New Hampshire polls were right – perhaps in part because of a rich volume of data, much of it conducted right up until the final 24 hours of the campaign. The landslide wins from Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders were largely expected, given the large leads both men had in pre-election polls.

3 The Number of Public South Carolina GOP primary polls released between January 1 and Friday

After the New Hampshire polling bonanza, Republicans move to South Carolina, where there have been few public polls this year.

Just three have been released so far, according to RealClearPolitics – with only one, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll, conducted by live phone interviewers.

There will be a handful of new polls over the next week, but there won’t be the rich trove of data there was before New Hampshire. l

Source: POLITICO.COM

Key points: Historic pope-patriarch declaration n AFP, Havana, Cuba

Terrorism

Poverty, refugees

Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill on Friday held the first meeting in nearly a millennium between heads of their two branches of the Christian church.

Here are key points from their joint declaration:

The international community must undertake every possible effort to end terrorism through common, joint and coordinated action. Attempts to justify criminal acts with religious slogans are altogether unacceptable. No crime may be committed in God’s name.

We cannot remain indifferent to the destinies of millions of migrants and refugees knocking on the doors of wealthy nations... The growing inequality in the distribution of material goods increases the feeling of the injustice of the international order that has emerged.

Church unity

Ukraine

Marriage

For nearly one thousand years... we have been divided by wounds caused by old and recent conflicts, by differences inherited from our ancestors. We are pained by the loss of unity. It is our hope that our meeting may contribute to the re–establishment of this unity willed by God. We urge Catholics and Orthodox in all countries to learn to live together in peace and love.

We invite all the parts involved in the conflict to prudence, to social solidarity and to action aimed at constructing peace. We invite our churches in Ukraine to work towards social harmony, to refrain from taking part in the confrontation, and to not support any further development of the conflict.

We are concerned about the crisis in the family in many countries... The family is based on marriage, an act of freely given and faithful love between a man and a woman... We regret that other forms of cohabitation have been placed on the same level as this union.

European values

Abortion

We give thanks to God for the current unprecedented renewal of the Christian faith in Russia, as well as in many other countries of Eastern Europe. At the same time, we are concerned about the situation in many countries in which... political forces, guided by an often very aggressive secularist ideology, seek to relegate them to the margins of public life.

While remaining open to the contribution of other religions to our civilization, it is our conviction that Europe must remain faithful to its Christian roots.

We call on all to respect the inalienable right to life.

Millions are denied the very right to be born into the world. The blood of the unborn cries out to God.

Christians suffering In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated... We call upon the international community to act urgently in order to prevent the further expulsion of Christians from the Middle East. We wish to express our compassion for the suffering experienced by the faithful of other religious traditions who have also become victims of civil war, chaos and terrorist violence.

Euthanasia, eugenics The emergence of so-called euthanasia leads elderly people and the disabled to begin to feel that they are a burden on their families and on society in general. We are also concerned about the development of biomedical reproduction technology, as the manipulation of human life represents an attack on the foundations of human existence. l

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

INSIDE SCORECARD SRI LANKA UNDER-19S R PHKD Mendis lbw b Miraz 26 MSU Pereira st Jaker b Miraz 34 WIA Fernando c Jaker b Miraz 6 KIC Asalanka c Zakir b Halim 76 S Ashan c Jaker b Rana 27 PVR de Silva lbw b Shawon 10 PWH de Silva b Saifuddin 30 JKC Daniel b Saifuddin 0 BADN Silva run out (Mosabbek /Jaker) 0 CBRLS Kumara c Saifuddin b Halim 3 AM Fernando not out 0 Extras (lb 2) 2

Thitiphun wins second Bangladesh Open Thitiphun Chuayprakong lifted his first ever Asian Tour title when the Thai golfer emerged as the champion of the second edition of the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open with a two-shot victory at Kurmitola Golf Club yesterday. Another Thai golfer Sutijet Kooratanapisan marked his best finish clinching second spot. PAGE 26

Total (all out; 48.5 overs)

B 31 45 14 99 32 21 36 1 3 11 0

214

Fall of wickets 1-60, 2-63, 3-70, 4-109, 5-131, 6-186, 7-186, 8-187, 9-214,10-214

Bowling Rana 7-1-33-1, Saifuddin 8-0-48-2, Miraz 102-28-3, Halim 5.5-0-26-2, Shawon 8-0-23-1, Mosabbek 6-0-38-0, Shanto 4-0-16-0

BANGLADESH UNDER-19S R Joyraz Sheik c Pereira b Silva 26 Zakir Hasan b AM Fernando 0 Jaker Ali not out 31 Nazmul Hossain run out 40 Mehedi Hasan run out (Silva/de Silva) 53 Shafiul Hayet c Pereira b Ashan 21 Saifuddin run out (Kumara/ Fernando) 19 Mosabbek Hossain c Mendis b Ashan 11 Mehedi Hasan Rana not out 1 Extras (b 2, lb 2, w 11, nb 1) 16

De Gea own goal dents United’s top four bid David de Gea’s cruel 82nd-minute own goal condemned Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United to a 2-1 defeat at struggling Sunderland yesterday that compromised their hopes of Champions League. Bidding to close the six-point gap separating them from Man City, United fell behind in the third minute. PAGE 27

Total (7 wickets; 49.3 overs)

An unbeaten India side will take on a highly-charged West Indies outfit today in what is expected to be a blockbuster Under-19 World Cup final at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. And it is the Indian youngsters who will enter the grand finale as the hot favourites. PAGE 28

‘Sir Voges’ takes Test average over 100 Adam Voges was dubbed the new “Don” as the impeccable Australian batsman scored another century against New Zealand yesterday to lift his average to more than 100. Voges ended the second day of the first Test in Wellington unbeaten on 176 as Australia reached 463-6. PAGE 29

218

Fall of wickets 1-1, 2-59, 3-147, 4-155, 5-182, 6-200, 7-211

Bowling

Bangladesh Under-19 all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin (front) celebrates a wicket with his captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz (L) and wicketkeeper Jaker Ali during their ICC U-19 World Cup 3rd-place playoff against Sri Lanka in Fatullah yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Stage set for Under-19 World Cup grand finale

B 54 1 45 57 66 37 28 9 1

Fernando 9-0-49-1, Kumara 7.3-0-33-0, de Silva 10-2-25-0, Asalanka 6-0-23-0, Silva 6-1-30-1, Ashan 8-1-39-2, Mendis 3-0-15-0 Bangladesh Under-19s won by 3 wickets MoM - Mehedi Hasan Miraz (Ban)

Tiger cubs finish third Mehedi thanks fans for relentless support n Mazhar Uddin Bangladesh sealed third position in the ongoing Under-19 World Cup when they defeated sub-continent rival Sri Lanka by three wickets in the third-place playoff at Fatullah’s Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium yesterday.

Bangladesh captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz continued his brilliant run with both and ball while top-order batsman Jaker Ali remained unbeaten on 31 as the junior Tigers chased down their target of 215 with three deliveries to spare.

The hosts however, made the worst possible start in pursuit of a moderate total, losing opener Zakir Hasan for nought in the first over while his partner Joyraj Sheik departed soon after for 26 as the Lankan bowlers kept things tight.

Miraz and Nazmul Hossain Shanto though rescued their side with a 88-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Miraz was eventually caught short of the crease after scoring a 66-ball 53 while Shanto was

dismissed for 40, paving the way for panic to creep in the junior Tigers’ dressing room.

Shafiul Hayet (21), Mohammad Saifuddin (19) and Jaker however, guided the home side to their destination, and, in the process, a third-place finish.

Earlier, the Lankan youngsters, batting first, started things off with a brisk 60-run stand for the opening wicket but Miraz ensured the opposition would not run away with the game as he accounted for both the openers – Salindu Ushan (34) and Kamindu Mendis (26).

Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka then took up the responsibility and top-scored with a 99-ball 76 but there were no major contributions from the rest of the batsmen as they were skittled out for 214 with seven balls remaining.

Player of the match Miraz picked up 3/28 from his quota of 10 overs while Saifuddin and Abdul Halim bagged two wickets each.

Following the end of the playoff, Miraz informed that the players were morally down after the semi-final loss against the

West Indies but said yesterday’s win will help to salvage some lost pride.

“After losing to the West Indies in the semi-final, we were very upset but our coach (Mizanur Rahman Babul) motivated us and said if we could seal third position, it will be a great achievement for us. And being a Test-playing nation, we have established our position ahead of England, Pakistan and South Africa. It is a big thing for us,” Miraz told the media.

Miraz added that there were many positives for the junior Tigers in the tournament, what with the emergence of the likes of Shanto, Saifuddin and left-arm spinner Shawon Gazi. The youngster also thanked the people of Bangladesh for their support right throughout the tournament.

“We have cricket-mad people in Bangladesh and they have supported us all the way. I am grateful to everyone. The way everyone encouraged us after losing the semi-final was incredible and we can never forget that,” he said.l

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Sport

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

WHAT THEY SAID THITIPHUN CHUAYPRAKONG (THA) Final Round 67 (-4), Total 263 (-21)

Before I started the final round, I knew Sutijet and Chikkarangappa are very good players. I practised with Sutijet a lot back home and we are very good friends. I knew he will play good [yesterday] and he did play well. I guess I got lucky [yesterday].

SHAKHAWAT SOHEL (BAN)

Final Round 68 (-3), Total 273 (-11) I tried to keep my momentum out there and lift the pressure off myself. I did not think too much about the result. I just enjoyed myself out there. This is the second time I finished as the top Bangladeshi in this event. I am very happy. I want to thank all my friends and family who came to support me out there [yesterday]. They were a great motivation for me.

SUTIJET KOORATANAPISAN (THA) Final Round 66 (-5), Total 265 (-19)

I think I put up a good fight [yesterday]. I did my best but Thitiphun was just so good with his short game. This is my best finish on the Asian Tour. I guess it’s not too bad a start for my first tournament of the season!

SHUBHANKAR SHARMA (IND)

Final Round 65 (-6), Total 270 (-14) I started very well. I birdied the first two holes. That made a lot of difference. I was able to ride on my momentum from there. That got my round going. I made crucial par saves on third and fourth as well. I holed some good putts from eight and 10 feet.

Thailand’s Thitiphun Chuayprakong celebrates winning his maiden Asian Tour title in the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open in Kurmitola yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Thitiphun wins 2nd Bashundhara Bangladesh Open n Tribune Report Thitiphun Chuayprakong lifted his first ever Asian Tour title when the Thai golfer emerged as the champion of the second edition of the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open with a two-shot victory at Kurmitola Golf Club yesterday.

Another Thai golfer Sutijet Kooratanapisan marked his best finish clinching second spot by carding five-under-par 66 while Shubhankar Sharma of India jumped to third with six-under-par 65 yesterday, which was the day’s best display.

Shakhawat Sohel continued his consistent run to finish sixth, best among the Bangla-

deshis for the second consecutive year as he carded three-under-par 68 in the fourth round. Sohel scored a total of 11-under-par 273 and earned $9,990. Sohel enjoyed a bogey-free day with three birdies to achieve his best finish in any Asian Tour event.

With an aggregate of 274, Zamal Hossain Molla remained at seventh along with Korean golfer Soomin Lee with two-under-par 69 yesterday and earned $7,950 in the $300,000 event. Mohammad Abdul Matin slipped to 14th place along with three others and carded one-under-par 70.

The man from whom Bangladesh had expected more, Siddikur Rahman, ended his campaign with an average one-under-par 70 to

finish at 35th place. He scored a total two-under-par 282, 19 shots behind the leader. Siddikur played three birdies and two bogeys yesterday.

The top two finishers Thitiphun and Sutijet are friends and they practise together back home in Thailand. The former carded four-under-par 67 in the fourth and final round with a winning total of 21-under-par 263. Thitiphun showed he is the man for the big occasion when he hit his pinpoint approach shot from about 150 yards in the rough to six-feet from the pin before taking two putts to par the par-four 18 for his breakthrough victory.

Thitiphun pocketed $54,000 courtesy his title win. l

LEADERBOARD Name (Nat.)

To Par H/(AGG)

1

Thitiphun Chuayprakong (THA) -21

(263)

2

Sutijet Kooratanapisan (THA)

-19

(265)

3

Shubhankar Sharma (IND)

-14

(270)

4

Phachara Khongwatmai (THA)

-12

(272)

4

Chikkarangappa (IND)

-12

(272)

6

Shakhawat Sohel (BAN)

-11

(273)

7

Soomin Lee (KOR)

-10

(274)

7

Zamal Hossain (BAN)

-10

(274)

19 Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA)

-6

(278)

29 Mithun Perera (SRI)

-4

(280)

35 Siddikur Rahman (BAN)

-2

(282)

Football gold eludes men n Tribune Report

Bangladesh’s Topu Barman (C) is tackled by the Indian defence during their semi-final in the South Asian Games in Guwahati, India yesterday. India won the match 3-0 AP

Bangladesh’s hopes of retaining the gold medal in the men’s football event of the 12th South Asian Games have ended with a 3-0 loss to hosts India in the first semi-final at the Indira Gandhi Athletic stadium in Guwahati yesterday.

Bangladesh coach Gonzalo Sanchez Moreno fielded Masuk Miah Jony in place of Hemanta Vincent Biswas and they put up a good display until conceding two goals in the 41st minute. Bangladesh’s average performance and poor refereeing from Nepalese official Laba Khatri did not allow the visitors to stage a comeback in the second half.

Moreno was expelled from the ground during the match for yelling at the referee in the 62nd minute. Midfielder Jamal Bhuiyan also had to follow the Spanish coach with a red card for protesting against the referee’s decision after the game.

Midfielder Kumam Udanta Singh gave India the breakthrough in the 21st minute, capitalising on a blunder from defender Rezaul Karim Reza. Forward Mawihmingthanga doubled the lead in the 41st minute with a strike from outside the box. Midfielder Jayesh Dilip Rane sealed victory in the 64th minute.l

MEDAL TALLY, DAY 8 COUNTRY

TOTAL

INDIA

156

85

27

268

SRI LANKA

25

PAKISTAN

9

55

83

163

27

45

BANGLADESH

4

81

12

43

59

AFGHANISTAN

3

4

11

18

NEPAL

1

13

22

36

MALDIVES

0

2

1

3

BHUTAN

0

1

7

8

27

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Sport

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

QUICK BYTES I’d only return to Liverpool, says Suarez Barca striker Luis Suarez would only return to the English Premier League if it was to rejoin former club Liverpool, he revealed in a British newspaper interview published yesterday. “I’d prefer to stay here for many more years,” he told the Daily Mail. “I know it doesn’t always turn out that way. But if I had to return to the Premier League, I would only go to Liverpool.

–AFP

I’m 2-0 up in battle against cancer, says Cruyff Dutch soccer great Johan Cruyff says he is “2-0 up in the first half” of his fight against lung cancer and confident of winning the battle. A former smoker who had heart surgery in 1991, the 68-year-old former Barcelona coach was diagnosed with cancer in October.

–REUTERS

Kompany returns at last, but City suffer Delph blow Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is fit for today’s Premier League visit of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, but midfielder Fabian Delph has been ruled out for six to seven weeks, manager Manuel Pellegrini said on Friday. Kompany, who has made just nine league appearances after battling a troublesome calf injury for a large part of the campaign, could return to the side for the first time since Dec. 26 as City bid to reignite their faltering title charge.

–REUTERS

Messi named Liga player of month...for first time In a stellar 12-year career, Lionel Messi has won the world player of the year award five times and broken endless goalscoring records, but he had never been named player of the month in Spain, until now. The 28-year-old Argentine forward received the award for La Liga’s player of the month for January on Friday, the first time he has won a prize inaugurated in 2013.

–AFP

Perera hat-trick in vain as India level T20 series Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera claimed a hat-trick but could not deny India a series-levelling 69-run victory in the second Twenty20 in Ranchi on Friday. The 26-year-old paceman dismissed Hardik Pandya, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh from successive deliveries before Sri Lanka, chasing 197 to clinch the series with a match to spare, were restricted to 127 for nine.

–REUTERS

Porto win breathless classico, defy Benfica An inspired performance by goalkeeper Iker Casillas and a second-half goal from Vincent Aboubakar helped give Porto a 2-1 win at Benfica in a breathless, end-to-end ‘classico’ on Friday. Benfica went ahead through Kostas Mitroglou only for Hector Herrera and Aboubakar to hand the visitors their first victory at the Stadium of Light for four years.

–REUTERS

Sunderland’s US defender DeAndre Yedlin (L) jumps to block a cross from Manchester United’s Dutch midfielder Memphis Depay (R) during their English Premier League match at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, northeast England yesterday AFP

De Gea own goal dents United’s top-4 bid n AFP, Sunderland David de Gea’s cruel 82nd-minute own goal condemned Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United to a 2-1 defeat at struggling Sunderland yesterday that compromised their hopes of Champions League.

Bidding to close the six-point gap separating them from fourth-place Manchester City, United fell behind in the third minute when Wahbi Khazri’s free-kick from out on the left eluded everyone and crept in at the far post.

Anthony Martial equalised in the 39th minute, but Sunderland took the points when Martial’s attempt to clear Lamine Kone’s header off the line struck goalkeeper

De Gea’s arm and rolled into the net.

It was United’s seventh league defeat of the season and it will only serve to fuel speculation about the position of their manager Van Gaal, amid reports that the club have approached Jose Mourinho to succeed him.

United fell to a first league defeat on Wearside for 19 years and became the first top-half team that struggling Sunderland have beaten this season in 14 attempts.

In their first game since announcing the sacking of Adam Johnson after the England winger admitted to child sex charges, Sunderland took an early lead in fortunate circumstances.

The hosts earned a free-kick near to their

Leicester and Arsenal play pass the pressure n AFP, London Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has scoffed at suggestions that the Premier League leaders are under increased pressure ahead of their trip to title rivals Arsenal today.

Long considered plucky overachievers, Leicester went five points clear after winning 3-1 at Manchester City last weekend and were subsequently installed as title favourites by some British bookmakers.

They can put eight points between themselves and third-place Arsenal if they win at the Emirates Stadium and Ranieri says that their new status as front-runners is something to be savoured.

“The pressure is for the other teams, not us,” the Italian, whose club have never finished higher than second in the English top

EPL FIXTURES

Arsenal Aston Villa Manchester City

v v v

Leicester City Liverpool Tottenham Hotspur

flight, told his pre-match press conference.

“The money and the big gap? We have pressure for our little gap, Arsenal have more pressure because they have spent more money.

“Tell me why I must feel pressure? We are close to continuing to dream with our fans.

Nobody wake us up please.”

With City and second-place Tottenham Hotspur guaranteed to take points from each other today, Ranieri’s side have an extra incentive to claim a first win at Arsenal since September 1973. l

left touchline following a foul on Patrick van Aanholt by Matteo Darmian.

Khazri swung in the set-piece, which travelled between the legs of Jermain Defoe, and beyond United’s defensive line to find the net off the bottom of De Gea’s left-hand post.

Chris Smalling stood firm to prevent Defoe doubling the lead shortly afterwards, shepherding the Sunderland forward’s effort to safety after Van Aanholt and Lee Cattermole created a half-chance.

Sunderland’s pressure mounted and they had penalty appeals turned down by referee Andre Marriner, who was well placed to wave play on when Khazri’s shot struck Morgan Schneiderlin on the arm inside the area. l

Costa joins Chelsea’s ‘Zorro’ team n AFP, London Diego Costa will wear a mask to play Newcastle United this weekend after breaking his nose in training.

The Spain striker, who clashed heads with Fikayo Tomori, a Chelsea under-21 player who had been invited to train with the first team, will be the second masked player in the side if he passes a fitness test.

“We are a team with a lot of masks,” said coach Guus Hiddink. “A Zorro team.”

Cesar Azpilicueta is also wearing a protective mask while Nemanja Matic has only recently stopped using one.

“Diego got in a duel and had his nose broken,” said Hiddink. “It was one of the youngsters of the academy who we like to join in with us. It was not a tough duel, but he put his nose on the back of the kid’s head. He was very unlucky and his nose was broken.

He will return today.” l

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Sport

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Stage set for grand finale Today’s Match Final, 9:00AM

India v West Indies, Mirpur LIVE* *On Star Sports 1

n Minhaz Uddin Khan An unbeaten India side will take on a highly-charged West Indies outfit today in what is expected to be a blockbuster Under-19 World Cup final at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

And it is the Indian youngsters who will enter the grand finale as the hot favourites.

The three-time champions, coached by Indian legend Rahul Dravid, have been on fire throughout the 11th edition of the tournament and are on a 15-match winning streak.

Their journey in the tournament has been sensational and praiseworthy. The side captained by Ishan Kishan finished top of Group D with an all-win record against New Zealand, Nepal and Ireland. In the quarter-final, the sub-continent giant registered a crushing victory over surprise package Namibia before getting the better of Asian rival Sri Lanka in the last four.

Batting has been India’s strongest forte in the World Cup and it must fire one last time if they are to lift the title for a record fourth time. Led by Sarfaraz Khan who has shored up the middle order with four half-centuries in five matches, India can also count on explosive left-handed opening batsman Rishabh Pant, who has been in brilliant form so far.

Kishan’s form however, has been a concern so the India team management will be desperate to see its captain come good in the final.

The West Indies, on the other hand, might be slight underdogs but the side’s skipper Shimron Hetmyer has said repeatedly that they are not here simply to make up the numbers.

The Windies youngsters reached Bangladesh a few weeks ahead of the tournament only to suffer a 3-0 whitewash in a youth ODI series against the home side. They fared little better in their World Cup opener against England, falling to a 61-run loss, and were finding it difficult to negotiate the threat of spin.

But with the progression of the tournament, the Windies transformed themselves

ISHAN KISHAN

SHIMRON HETMYER

India U19 captain

West Indies U19 captain

We are set for [today]. There is obviously tension before every match and this is the World Cup final.

We have reached our goal, now we need to achieve that goal. The West Indies too have been playing well. It will be a good game. We just need to follow our plans. We can’t think too far ahead.

We are not worried about facing any bowler. The plan is to keep wickets in hand. If we do that we can get a big score on the board. 280 should be a good score, we will try for 300.

In the semi-finals we played Bangladesh, which had also not lost a match, and we won that game. So I don’t think it matters what happened in the past.

India are obviously a good team and we are excited about playing the final. It is a good feeling to have reached the final. We have come a long way in the last few months. We have turned into a very good unit. We have a very good bunch of cricketers with us. The journey has been good. We just need to keep it simple and play our best cricket in the final.

and adapted to the conditions to reach the final, beating an in-form Bangladesh side in the last four. This is the second time the West Indies have reached the final and only time will tell if they lift their maiden World Cup come today evening.

Hetmyer, Shamar Springer and the hard-hitting Gidron Pope have been key components of the West Indies side and they

will once again be expected to deliver the goods today if they are to harbour any hopes of clinching the crown.

Much like the batsmen, the Windies’ bowling attack has barely let the side down.

Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph has been a delight to the eye with some fiery spells and at times, his bowling speed was clocked in the region of 145km/h. The right-arm paceman will be

hoping to lead his team to glory and banish the dark days that have engulfed Windies cricket right now.

The senior side are currently locked in a dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board over the remuneration package and if things turn worse, the WICB might be forced to send a second-string team to the upcoming World Twenty20 in India.l

29

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

DAY’S WATCH

SCORECARD, DAY 2 NEW ZEALAND 1ST INNINGS

FOOTBALL

183 allout

STAR SPORTS 4 English Premier League 5:45PM Arsenal v Leicester City 7:55PM Aston Villa v Liverpool 10:00PM Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur

SONY SIX

AC Milan v Genoa

5:30PM 8:00PM

Innings Runs HS

Palermo v Torino

SONY ESPN Spanish La Liga Adam Voges of Australia celebrates reaching his hundred during day two of their first Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington yesterday AFP

DON 2

Getafe v Atletico Madrid 1:30AM Barcelona v Celta Vigo

TEN ACTION

WS Wanderers v Wellington Phoenix French Ligue 1 2015/16 6:50PM Olympic Lyon v SM Caen 10:00PM Saint- Etienne v Monaco 1:50AM Nice Cote Azur v Olympic Marseille

CRICKET STAR SPORTS 1 8:30AM ICC U19 World Cup 2016 Final: India v West Indies 7:50PM Sri Lanka Tour of India 2016 3rd T20I

GAZI TV Pakistan Super League 5:30PM Islamabad United v Karachi Kings 10:00PM Quetta Gladiators v Peshawar Zalmi

STAR SPORTS 2 9:50AM Ranji Trophy 2015/16 SF Day 2: Saurashtra v Assam

TEN CRICKET 2:00PM England Tour of South Africa 5th ODI

TENNIS TEN SPORTS 7:00PM St Petersburg Ladies Trophy Final

463

BRADMAN v VOGES

AC Milan v Genoa

A-League 2015/16

Total (6 wickets; 130 overs)

Southee 28-5-76-2 (w1), Boult 27-6-80-2, Bracewell 25-4-97-0 (nb2), Anderson 14-0-68-1 (w1), Craig 32-2-128-1, Williamson 4-0-8-0

Palermo v Torino

11:30AM

140 176 0 32 29 10

Bowling

8:00PM

11:30PM

B

1-0 (Burns), 2-5 (Warner), 3-131 (Smith), 4-299 (Khawaja), 5-299 (Marsh), 6-395 (Nevill)

5:30PM

5:00PM

R

Fall of wickets

Italian Serie A

Real Sociedad v Granada

AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS (overnight 147-3) U. Khawaja lbw Boult A. Voges not out M. Marsh c&b Boult P. Nevill c Watling b Anderson P. Siddle not out Extras (b4, lb2, w2, nb2)

Ave 100s 50s

Don Bradman

19

1846 334 102.6

8

2

Adam Voges

19

1204 269* 100.3

5

3

Australia hail ‘Sir Voges’ after the batsman takes Test average over 100 106 against the West Indies in December. n AFP, Wellington With his current innings of 176 he has now Adam Voges was dubbed the new “Don” as the impeccable Australian batsman scored another century against New Zealand yesterday to lift his average to more than 100.

Voges ended the second day of the first Test in Wellington unbeaten on 176 as Australia reached 463-6 to stretch their first innings lead to 280.

The legendary Don Bradman, widely considered the greatest cricketer of all time, retired in 1948 with a Test average of 99.94 from an 80-innings career - a mark that has now been overtaken by Voges in his 19th Test innings.

The 36-year-old Voges will resume his innings today building on a 100.33 average

and the Australians were quick to dub him the new “Don”.

“I already have,” said Usman Khawaja, Australia’s other batting hero who scored 140 and featured in a 168-run stand with Voges for the fourth wicket.

“He’s got an average higher than Don at the moment so I might just have to call him ‘Sir Voges’.”

Voges has scored centuries in his last three innings, posting 269 not out and an unbeaten

Morris magic helps South Africa level series n Reuters, Johannesburg A swashbuckling half-century by Chris Morris hauled South Africa back from the brink of defeat as they scraped past England by one wicket on Friday to level the one-day series at 2-2 with one match left.

The all-rounder, batting at number eight, bludgeoned his way to 62 off 38 balls to help South Africa reach their target of 263 with 16 deliveries to spare after Joe Root had made his second successive century for the tourists.

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid clean-bowled Morris with a googly with the scores level but number 11 Imran Tahir struck the next ball for four to the relief of a capacity crowd of 22,000.

However, it could have been a different story for South Africa had Morris not been dropped by Rashid when he was on 14.

Earlier, Root made 109 as England were bowled out for 262 in 47.5 overs. The Yorkshireman, who struck an ODI-best 125 in a losing cause in Pretoria on Tuesday, saved Eoin Morgan’s side after they had slumped to 108/6. l

BRIEF SCORE England 262 (Root 109, Hales 50, Rabada 4-45)

South Africa 266 for 9 (Morris 62, Rashid 2-38) South Africa won by one wicket

scored 551 since he was last dismissed, overtaking the previous record of 497 runs between dismissals held by India great Sachin Tendulkar.

Voges had an unexpected life in the last over of the first day on Friday when, on seven, he was bowled by Doug Bracewell. The umpire called it a no ball but television replays showed it was a legitimate delivery.

Usman described Voges’ performance since then as “almost faultless” in 397 minutes at the crease.

“He’s batted very sensibly, patiently at the start, was hitting a lot of good shots straight to fielders, didn’t get frustrated with it,” he said. l

Narine, Pollard out of World Twenty20 n Reuters, Kingston West Indies’ hopes of winning the World Twenty20 for the second time in four years suffered a setback on Friday when off-spinner Sunil Narine and all-rounder Kieron Pollard pulled out of their squad.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) also announced that all the players would be given until today to settle a dispute by signing their tournament contracts.

Narine, picked last month despite being banned from the international arena due to an illegal bowling action, told the WICB that he was withdrawing because he had made “insufficient progress” with his rehabilitative work. He also pulled out of the squad for last year’s 50-over World Cup to work on his bowling action, which was first reported in 2014. l

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Showtime

Finding love again

Moushumi Nag, sister-in-law of leading film actress Aruna Bishwas, also found love years after her first marriage, tying the knot with actor Shoeb Ahmed as a single mom. The couple recently welcomed a new addition to the family with their first child.

Bijori Barkatullah, too, gave marriage a second chance with actor Intekhab Dinar after ending a long marriage with musician Shawkat Ali Emon.

n Showtime Desk Here’s a list of some of the most anticipated Hollywood marriages of 2016.

n Rumpa Farzana Zaman Every Valentine we focus on celebrity couples that have been in the limelight for a while. We look at the love stories behind their relationships, following the ups and downs of their marriage. Some ride the waves, while others don’t. Today we look at some leading female stars who have proved that love can, truly, conquer all.

Be it rumours, a scandal or an unfortunate incident that “tainted” their name, these women have followed their hearts and found love.

When actress and model Sadia Jahan Prova was swept in the media frenzy that followed her leaked video with her exboyfriend, she took it in her stride and handled the media with much grace. Not only did she resume working in the media line, she silenced many naysayers with her marriage to a leading man in the corporate sector.

Another leading favourite Shuborna Mustafa tied the knot with young director Badrul Anam Soud after several years of conjugal life with Humayun Faridi. Although rumours about an unstable relationship were rife, she stood by her heart, fighting against all odds.

Hollywood wedding bells?

Interestingly, Lutfunnahar Lata from Bahubrihi fame tied the knot with a groom of her son’s choice - a foreign national, Mark Wayneberg. Acclaimed musician Shakila Zafar, followed suit with her second marriage to Indian poet Ravi Sharma, in a private ceremony held in the company of close friends and family.

Dancer cum model Ria also chose to give marriage a second chance, as did actress Nadia who stepped into conjugal life with Nayeem, actor and model.

What’s interesting to see is that the generic stereotypes and status quo has been broken, with actresses finding and giving love a second chance.

While gossip mills will always be abuzz with rumours of broken marriages and unstable relationships, what’s commendable to see is that our leading ladies have set an example for themselves, proving that they can choose to find love and happiness, regardless of what others may have to say.

They’ve shattered stereotypes and have proved that they, too, can carve their paths in life - be it by embracing their freedom as single women, or finding love again. l

Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington Jason and 28 year-old Rosie fell in love and are going to get married soon. The couple, unlike most other couples, kept their relationship low-key with speculations being made that they just might skip the engagement and jump to the wedding itself. Jason has been seen wearing a ring in public and is happy with his relationship with Rosie.

“We’re best mates. He makes me laugh every day. I almost feel like I never had a proper boyfriend before!’, she told the publication, Mailonline.

Dave Franco and Alison Brie Congratulations are in order as the happy, super-secretive couple is now engaged. Even though the couple have been dating since the beginning of 2012, they have successfully kept their affair a secret for a long time.

Robert Pattinson and FKA twigs Twilight fans were heart broken when they heard the rumours to be true. Robert and Twigs are in fact, engaged and will tie the knot soon. The broken heart-ed lover, Robert, after being cheated on by Christine Stewart moved on pretty quick and is now as happy as he could ever be. The news was first leaked and confirmed by rapper T-Pain who said, “She’s engaged now... to ol’ Patty. I don’t know if she wanted anybody to know that …”

Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill US hip-hop artist and Nicki Minaj has kept their relationship secret for a long time now, but the couple is now engaged. Their relationship didn’t come under the limelight till February 2015, with marriage plans looming in the horizon. l

Ritwik Ghatak retrospective underway n Showtime Desk Marking Ritwik Ghatak’s 90th birth anniversary and 40th death anniversary, a retrospective film festival dedicated to the legendary Indian-Bengali director commenced yesterday at the Bangladesh National Museum.

Organised by Chalachitram Film Society in association with Bangladesh National Museum, the six-day event featured screenings of all eight full-length feature films of the director as well as his short and

documentary films.

Besides, Ritwik’s daughter Sanghita Ghatak’s documentary Naba Nagarik (2006), Anup Singh’s documentary Ekti Nadir Naam (2001) and Kamaleswar Mukherjee’s feature Meghe Dhaka Tara (2013) were also screened.

Sanghita Ghatak and Sanjay Mukhapaddhya, a film professor of Jadavpur University, both joined in the festival. Mukhapaddhya conducted an appreciation course on Ritwik’s films as well. l

Robiraag’s celebration of Pohela Falgun n Showtime Desk Bhalobasar Basonto, a musical programme featuring Rabindranath Tagore songs will take place today. Heralding the arrival of spring, the king of all seasons, the programme was aired on the first day of Falgun, at the Shawkat Osman Memorial Auditorium of Central Public Library, Shahbag in the capital at 7pm.

Organised by Rabiraag, the entire event grasps the essence of the season through the songs of Tagore.

Ameenah Ahmed, the president of Robiraag, said, “The programme has been organised in the hope of soaking in vivid endearment of this time; thus it’s called Bhalobashar Basonto.”

Sadi Muhammad, singer and the director of Robiraag, informed that this time the programme has been arranged in a different way. Apart from performances of solo, duet and chorus songs, a special Bandish raag will be performed by singer Taposh Dutta while Sadi Muhammad will duet in two

songs performed by Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury.

Besides, renowned dancers Shibli Mohammad and Shamim Ara Nipa’s dance troupe Nrityanchal will also perform. l

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Kache Ashar Shahoshi Golpo Today is Valentine’s day, a special day for those who have overcome many obstacles to come together. On this occasion, Close up, one of Unilever Bangladesh Limited’s prominent brands has released the fourth season of TV series Kache Ashar Shahoshi Golpo.

Welcoming submissions from

different sources, the most riveting and difficult love stories were then made into three plays. The first serial was Penciley Aaka Bhalobasha, second Shoto Danar Projapoti and third Hathta bariye dau.

All three will be broadcast from 8:45pm in Banglavision. l

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016

BANGLADESH BANK TO PROBE EBL ATM FORGERY PAGE 15

AMAR EKUSHEY

TIGER CUBS FINISH THIRD PAGE 25

BOOK FAIR 2016

Saraswati Puja, Pohela Falgun add festive colours to Boi Mela n Nure Alam Durjoy Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, and Saraswati puja were the highlights of the 13th day of Amar Ekushey Boi Mela 2016.

Thousands of Dhakaites donning traditional attire in spring colours – especially yellow – who visited the Dhaka University campus to celebrate the two occasions also stopped by the book fair, adding more flavour to the already festive air.

Spring is the season of rejuvenation, and it was evident at the fair grounds yesterday – young people were seen swarming the venue, happy expression on their face, exchanging greetings with each other.

Among them were young couples, too, browsing the stalls and looking through the collections of romantic poems and novels.

These special occasions, coupled with the fact that it was a Saturday and the Children’s Hour was from 11am to 1pm, brought in a huge crowd at the fair yesterday and a huge smile on all the publishers’ and stall owners’ faces, who reported huge sales.

“The sales are excellent today [yesterday]; we have a tremendous number of visitors here,” said Masud Rana, publisher at Oboshor Prakashan.

Another attraction at the fair yesterday was the launch of 18 science fiction books, published at a programme held by a group of science fiction writers and publishers under the banner of Bangladesh Science Fiction Society.

Earlier in the day, the launching ceremony of the second episode of the graphic novel based on the life of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took place around 11am at Bangla Academy, which was attended by Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor.

In addition, 135 new titles were released at the fair yesterday, so the total number of new arrivals now stands at 1,528. l

FINDING LOVE AGAIN PAGE 30 150,000 penguins die after giant iceberg renders colony landlocked n The Guardian An estimated 150,000 Adelie penguins living in Antarctica have died after an iceberg the size of Rome became grounded near their colony, forcing them to trek 60km to the sea for food.

The penguins of Cape Denison in Commonwealth Bay used to live close to a large body of open water. However, in 2010 a colossal iceberg measuring 2900sq km became trapped in the bay, rendering the colony effectively landlocked.

Penguins suffering from climate change, scientists say

Radwan Mujib Siddiq, grandson of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, unveils the second episode of graphic novel ‘Mujib,’ based on Bangabandhu’s incomplete autobiography, at Amar Ekushey Boi Mela 2016 yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Book Names Amar Baba Rabindranath Shahid Minar General o Narira Rajniti, Sangskriti o Pororastroniti Prem o Ovuthan (part-1) Kabbonatto Somogro Probondo Somogro-7 Rusiar Shipo-Shahitya: Pakhir Chokhe Dekha Prithibr Chokhe Khub Jol Obhaser Ondhokar: Prem Biye Poribar o Somporko-Jiggasha Bhasa Andoloner Dalil Sankolon

Author Rathindranath Tagore Rafiqul Islam Anisul Hoque Akmal Hossain Bahar Lenin Syed Shamsul Haque Sirajul Islam Chowdhury Boren Chakrawarty

Genre Biography Essay Novel Essay Novel Drama Essay Essay

Publishers Adorn Publications Agamee Prakashani Prothoma Prakashon Sraban Prokashani Sraban Prokashani Charulipi Bidya Prokash Abosar Prokashon

Mahadev Saha Edited by Salim Reza Newton Communist Party of Bangladesh

Poetry Essay

Uttoron Agamee Prakashani

Language Movement

Jatio Shahitto Prokashani

Penguins seeking food must now waddle 60km to the coast to fish. Over the years, the arduous journey has had a devastating effect on the size of the colony.

Since 2011 the colony of 160,000 penguins has shrunk to just 10,000, according to research carried out by the Climate Change Research Centre at Australia’s University of New South Wales. Scientists predict the colony will be gone in 20 years unless the sea ice breaks up or the giant iceberg, dubbed B09B, is dislodged.

Penguins have been recorded in the area for more than 100 years. But the outlook for the penguins remaining at Cape Denison is dire.

“The arrival of iceberg B09B in Commonwealth Bay, East Antarctica, and subsequent fast ice expansion has dramatically increased the distance Adélie penguins breeding at Cape Denison must travel in search of food,” said the researchers in an article in Antarctic Science.

“The Cape Denison population could be extirpated within 20 years unless B09B relocates or the now perennial fast ice within the bay breaks out” “This has provided a natural experiment to investigate the impact of iceberg stranding events and sea ice expansion along the East Antarctic coast.”

In contrast, a colony located just 8km from the coast of Commonwealth Bay is thriving, the researchers said. The iceberg had apparently been floating close to the coast for 20 years before crashing into a glacier and becoming stuck. l

5 UN peackeepers killed by truck bomb, mortar fire in Mali n Reuters, Bamako/Dakar

Five UN peacekeepers were killed when their base in northern Mali was hit by mortars, gunfire and a truck bomb on Friday, an attack that a local separatist group blamed on Islamist militants.

At least 30 people were wounded in the attack in Kidal, a town in an unstable desert region that is home to Islamist groups including al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb which have staged increasingly bold raids in recent months and have targeted the UN base several times.

“At about 7 a.m. (0700 GMT) the MINUSMA base in Kidal was the target of a complex attack,” said Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Mali representative of the U.N. secretary general, referring to the peacekeeping mission.

Eight mortar shells were fired at the base and there was also gunfire, said MINUSMA spokesman Olivier Salgado. Guinea said three of its peacekeepers were among the dead. The nationality of the other dead and wounded was not immediately known.

The Kidal base is part of an attempt by the United Nations to end violence in Mali fol-

lowing a takeover of the north by Islamists in 2012, which was thwarted by a French-led intervention force that pushed the militants out of key towns a year later.

Islamist militants have expanded their attacks in recent months into other parts of Mali and beyond. These have included an attack on a hotel in Mali’s capital in November in which 20 people died, and one on Burkina Faso’s capital in January in which 30 were killed.

There is also a decades-long separatist struggle in northern Mali by ethnic Tuaregs.

Radouane Ag Mohamed Aly, spokesman for

the separatist Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), told Reuters that the Kidal attack had been conducted by Islamists.

During a visit to Mali’s capital Bamako on Friday, German President Joachim Gauck said more of the country’s soldiers were due to arrive as peacekeepers to boost a contingent of 650 the government approved in January.

In a separate incident on Friday, three Malian soldiers were killed and three wounded when their military convoy was ambushed on a road between Timbuktu and Goundam in northern Mali, a military source said. l

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