12 April, 2016

SECOND EDITION

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

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Chaitra 29, 1422, Rajab 4, 1437

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 357

High Court stays 72 cases against Mahfuz Anam

PHOTO: COURTESY

n Ashif Islam Shaon The High Court yesterday stayed for three months the proceedings of 72 cases filed on charges of defamation and sedition against The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam.

The court also issued a ruling upon the government authorities concerned to explain why the initiation and continuation of the cases should not be declared illegal. The law secretary and inspector general of police have been asked to respond to the ruling.

The stay will continue until the disposal of the ruling.

The High Court bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice AKM Shahidul Huq came up with the order and ruling following a writ petition filed by Mahfuz Anam on March 27, challenging the legality of the case proceedings.

The editor’s counsel, Md Abbas Uddin, told the Dhaka Tribune that they have argued that such number of cases, which were filed on the same grounds across the country, cannot be lodged for similar allegations.

Saying it was a violation of the petitioner’s fundamental rights, Abbas said the cases were  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

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

Govt allocates Tk1,000 crore for jute mills n Shohel Mamun In the wake of the strike by Khulna jute mill employees, the government has allocated Tk1,000 crore for 27 state-owned jute mills in the country. Jute mill workers will also receive their due wages from the past eight weeks just before Pohela Boishakh, the Bangla New Year.

At the regular cabinet meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave directives to allocate the fund for Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC).

“People of the country will celebrate Pohela Boishakh with the bonus they got but my jute mill workers will not get their dues and spend days in the streets with empty plates, I cannot accept it,” Hasina was quoted State Minister for Jute and Textile Mirza Azam as saying at the meeting.

After the meeting, the Jute and Textile Ministry announced the prime minister’s directives.

The mill workers will get their due payments before Pohela

Global tiger population rises for 1st time in 100yrs n Tribune International Desk The world’s count of wild tigers roaming forests from Russia to Vietnam has gone up for the first time in more than a century, with 3,890 counted by conservation groups and national governments in the latest global census, reports Associated Press yesterday, quoting a latest census by wildlife conservation groups said.

The tally marks a turnaround from the last worldwide estimate in 2010, when the number of tigers in the wild hit an all-time low of about 3,200, according to the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Tiger Forum.

India alone holds more than half of the world’s tigers, with 2,226 tigers roaming reserves across the country, from the southern tip of Kerala state to the eastern swamps

Russia

China

Nepal

Bangladesh India Myanmar

CURRENT NUMBER OF TIGERS ACROSS THE GLOBE

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

INSIDE

Bhutan

Laos Vietnam Thailand Cambodia

Malaysia

Source: WWF, IUCN, Global Tiger Forum

Indonesia

Bangladesh 106 Bhutan 103 Cambodia 0 China More than 7 2,226 India Indonesia 371 Laos 2 250 Malaysia 198 Nepal Russia 433 189 Thailand Vietnam fewer than 5 Myanmar no data available (Myanmar’s count of 85 tigers in 2010 not included as the data was considered out of date)

‘Hides will be smuggled to India’

First animal blood bank opens

DSCC’s plans for hygienic street food

Tanners fear raw hide might be smuggled out of the country if embargo stays on Hazaribagh’s tannery zone.  PAGE 3

The SA Kaderi Teaching Veterinary Hospital in Chittagong opens the first animal blood bank to make blood readily available for sick pets.  PAGE 7

Aiming to make hygienic food available on Dhaka streets, DSCC handed over 80 food vans to trained mobile food vendors yesterday.  PAGE 32

Boishakh, Mirza Azam told reporters.

“The ministry will provide Tk48 crore. The due salaries of the jute mill workers will be paid from this Tk48 crore from tomorrow. Other dues will be paid later, as it will take nearly seven days to get the allocated Tk1,000 crore,” said the minister.

The allocated amount is also meant for modernising jute mills and purchasing raw materials for the mills, Azam added.

In reply to a query, the state minister said: “The dues are from 2008; but they rose in the last three years. Among the dues, Tk200 crore are for gratuity and Tk300 crore for provident fund.

“Not only workers in the Khulna region, but workers of all regions will receive their dues.”

The CBA and non-CBA Oikya Parishad of the seven jute mills – Crescent Jute Mills, Platinum Jute Mills, Khalishpur Jute Mills, Star Jute Mills, Eastern Jute Mills,  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

Jute mill workers block road-rail in Khulna n Hedait Hossain, Khulna Jute mill workers in Khulna and Jessore have started to stage an indefinite dawn-to-dusk roads-railways blockade after authorities failed to meet their demands within a three-day deadline.

Workers from seven stateowned jute mills in the districts started the blockade – called by the Collective Bargaining Agent (CBA) and non-CBA Oikya Parishad – from 6am yesterday. Earlier, the workers suspended a similar blockade following promises from authorities concerned.

All traffic movement at three points of the Khulna-Jessore Highway was stopped when workers took position at Notun Rasta  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

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Govt decreases number of Hajj pilgrims for 2016

n Shohel Mamun

The government has amended the Hajj Package for 2016, decreasing the number of pilgrims to 101,758, among whom, 10,000 will be permitted to avail government package.

The decision came from the weekly cabinet meeting at the Secretariat in the capital yesterday, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in chair.

“The number of Hajj pilgrims have decreased due to the request from the Saudi Arabian government,” said the Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam, while briefing reporters. l

‘Militant outfit possibly targeted Nazimuddin’ n Arifur Rahman Rabbi Slain Jagannath University law student Nazimuddin Samad might have been targeted by a militant group which followed him for some of his controversial write-ups on Facebook, an official involved in the investigation said.

One of Nazimuddin’s close friends told investigators that Nazimuddin would write on Facebook but he had no idea if those were controversial writings. “He did not tell his friends or relatives if he had been threatened.”

The official said some of Nazimuddin’s close friends and relatives in Dhaka and Sylhet had been grilled.

Nazimuddin, also a Gonojagoron Moncho activist, was hacked to death by suspected Islamist militants in Old Dhaka’s Sutrapur area on April 6. Police are yet to identify the killers.

Monirul Islam, additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police and head of the Counter-terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit, said a shadow investigation into the murder was underway.

“We suspect that it was a premeditated murder committed by members of banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team. We have found some information in this regard and are working on it.

“We made a list of people who write

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Global tiger population rises for 1st time in 100yrs in West Bengal, according to its last count in 2014.

But while experts said the news was cause for celebration, they stopped short of saying the number of tigers itself was actually rising. In other words, it may just be that experts are aware of more tigers, thanks to better survey methods and more areas being surveyed.

Still, this is the first time tiger counts are increasing since 1900, when there were more than 100,000 tigers in the wild.

“More important than the absolute numbers is the trend, and we’re seeing the trend going in the right direction,” said Ginette Hemley, senior vice president of wildlife conservation at WWF. The global census, compiled from national tiger surveys as well as the International Union for Conservation of Nature, was released a day before ministers from 13 countries meet for three days in New

Delhi.

The countries teamed up with conservation groups after the disappointing count in 2010, and pledged to double wild tiger numbers by 2022. Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio joined the effort.

“Tigers are some of the most vital and beloved animals on Earth,” DiCaprio said in a statement. “I am so proud that our collective efforts have begun to make progress toward our goal, but there is still so much to be done.”

Not all nations are yet seeing progress. While Russia, India, Bhutan and Nepal all counted more tigers in their latest surveys, Southeast Asian countries have struggled. They are also behind the others in conservation measures, and do not yet conduct a tiger census on their own.

“When you have high-level political commitments, it can make all the difference,” Hemley said.

“When you have well protected habitat and you control the poaching, tigers will recover. That’s a pretty simple formula. We know it works.”

Cambodia is looking at reintroducing tigers after recently declaring them functionally extinct within its borders, meaning there are no longer any breeding tigers in the wild. Indonesia has also seen a rapid decline, thanks to having the world’s highest rate of forest destruction to meet growing demand for producing palm oil as well as pulp and paper.

Tigers are considered endangered species, under constant threat from habitat loss and poachers seeking their body parts for sale on the black market. They are also seeing their habitats rapidly shrinking as countries develop.

The experts said the Myanmar government count of 85 tigers in 2010 was not included because the data was considered out of date. l

Jute mill workers block road intersection, Alim Jute Mill gate, and JJIR gate at Nawapara.

Khulna Railway Station Master Kazi Amirul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that rail link between Khulna and the rest of the country has been cut off since 6am yesterday as workers have been blockading rail tracks near Notun Rasta intersection, Atra and Rajghat areas.

On April 7, as part of negotiations with labour leaders, the Khulna deputy commissioner sought three days time to solve the workers’ demands; but those three days ended yesterday without any substantial steps from authorities concerned.

The jute mill workers, meanwhile, have been staging work ab-

stention at the mills for the past week.

The demands of the workers include the formation of a pay commission board for jute workers, payment of the promised 20% dearness allowance, nationalisation of Khalishpur and Daulatpur jute mills, and payment of all outstanding wages.

Md Sohrab Hossain, convener of the Oikya Parishad, said the workers now have their backs to the wall after authorities failed to solve the problems. The workers movement would now continue until all the demands were met, he added.

Joint convener of the workers’ platform, Abdus Salam Jamaddar, said an April 7 meeting chaired by Khulna Deputy Commissioner Md

Nazmul Hasan promised the jute mill workers that their outstanding wages would be paid within April 10.

Based on the promise, the blockade programme was suspended at the time; but as the deadline expired yesterday, the workers had no choice but to resume the roads-railways blockade, Jamaddar said.

The non-stop work abstention programme was launched on April 4 by around 35,000 workers from Star, Platinum Jubilee, Crescent, Daulatpur, Alim, Eastern, Carpeting and Jessore jute mills. They also called a three-day eight-hourlong roads-railways blockade from April 5, which was suspended two days later. l

blogs against religious fundamentalism and about religious issues and provided security for them, but Nazimuddin was not on the list. He moved to Dhaka from Sylhet around two months ago and did not say if he had been threatened. We suspect that he was targeted from Sylhet,” he added.

Police have quizzed Sohel Ahmed, who went out with Nazimuddin for a walk during the April 6 attack.

Sohel told police two youths intercepted them at Ekrampur intersection of Sutrapur and hacked Nazimuddin with machetes. He tried to convince the attackers, saying that they might have mistaken Nazimuddin for somebody else.

Failing to stop the assailants, Sohel went to the other side of the road and saw three more people joining the attackers. He then ran for safety after hearing gunshots.

Nazimuddin’s friend Jubel, who lives in Beanibazar of Sylhet, said Nazimuddin was an active member of Gonojagonon Moncho’s Sylhet unit.

“He spoke out against war criminals but I had no idea that he would be killed. He never sought security from police.”

Investigating Officer Inspector Samir Chandra Sutradhar told the Dhaka Tribune that police were probing the case taking into account all possible aspects. l

Mahfuz Anam actually filed to harass the editor.

They also told the court that according to the law, defamation cases have to be filed only by the aggrieved persons. None of the plaintiffs across the country was personally aggrieved, he said.

The court considered that travelling across the country to physically appear before the courts in Mahfuz Anam’s age was not possible and thereafter issued the ruling, Abbas said.

“Now there will be hearing on the ruling. The court did not fix a deadline for the government side to come up with an explanation.

The court may fix the hearing date after three months,” he said.

A total of 83 lawsuits, including 17 for sedition, have been filed so far against the newspaper editor in 53 districts.

Of these, one was rejected by a Sylhet court. Mahfuz Anam challenged legality of 72 from the rest of the 82 lawsuits.

After the writ petition was filed, the court held hearing on March 28 and kept the petition stand over.

The matter came to the cause-list of the court yesterday.

Earlier, the High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Amir Hossain granted Mahfuz Anam a four-week anticipatory bail in 66 cases. He also got bail in 10 cases from different trial courts.

The case spree against the editor began days after he made an introspective comment at a TV talk show on February 3 about a lapse in his editorial judgement in publishing some reports, based on information given by the Taskforce Interrogation Cell during the 200708 caretaker government rule, without being able to verify those independently.

The cases against the editor have drawn condemnation from local and foreign journalists and their unions as well as human rights bodies.

The Editors’ Council too had

condemned the countrywide filing of cases against Mahfuz Anam, also the council’s General Secretary.

A resolution adopted at an Editors’ Council meeting on February 17 reads: “The meeting feels that such incidents go against freedom of the press. We expect that all cases against Mahfuz Anam will be withdrawn. The Editors’ Council expects that good sense would prevail among all quarters in this regard.”

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) also expressed their concerns over the issue, saying the attempts to pursue coordinated legal proceedings against the editor was a clear attempt to intimidate the media and muzzle press freedom in Bangladesh.

“The high number of cases and the filing of these across the country indicates an aggressive politically-motivated effort to harass a senior editor and a key newspaper in the Bangladesh,” read an IFJ statement released in mid-February.

“The use of sedition and defamation laws in this case is extremely concerning. Sedition laws are regarded as a relic of the past but are too often being revived as a means to silence political opposition and criticism in the region. This is a worrying development in an already extremely challenged media environment of Bangladesh.” l

Govt allocates Jessore Jute Mills, and Carpeting Jute Mills – have been observing a strike since April 4 to press home their five-point demand.

The demands of the workers include adequate allocation for the jute industry, payment of their arrears, formation of a wage board, and stopping the move to privatise the state-owned jute mills.

The BJMC has 27 jute mills under it, with 70,000 employees.

Among them, 32,000 are permanent and the remaining employees work on a contractual basis. l

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‘Hides will be smuggled to India’ n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Tanners fear that raw hide suppliers might smuggle their ware out of the country if the government does not lift its embargo on the goods entering Hazaribagh’s tannery zone.

Since April 1, police have put up a blockade around Hazaribagh to compel tannery owners to relocate factories to Savar Leather Industrial Park after the owners failed to relocate within the stipulated deadline.

This development has led raw hide to pile up in the hands of merchants.

“Hide and skin merchants have already exhausted their storage capacity and if the restriction on hide supply continues, they will have to

Jamalpur economic zone proposal to be tabled at Ecnec Showkat Kallol and n Asif Samiul Bashar Anik The proposal for Jamalpur economic zone project is set to be placed before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) today.

This project is the first of its kind that is being tabled, in a project format, at the Ecnec, the highest economic policy-making body in the country. Before, proposals for economic zones were placed at the Ministry of Finance.

Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza), under the supervision of the Prime Minister’s Office, will implement the project, to be established on 488 acres of land in Jamalpur Sadar, with an estimated cost of Tk302.58 crore, sources said.

The project is expected to be completed by December 2017, according to the proposal.

Beza took up the project to produce diversified industrial products and to attract both local and Indian industries to establish industrial units at the site. It has already completed feasibility study for the economic zone in Jamalpur.

The project may create a pressure on revenue budget as it will be fully funded by the government, sources said.

In March this year, Beza sought an interest-free fund of over Tk302 crore from the Ministry of Finance for Jamalpur economic zone, Beza officials said.

The government plans to establish 100 economic zones across the country over the next 15 years, which are expected to increase export earnings by US$40 billion and generate about 10 million additional jobs. l

put the hides under the open sky,” Bangladesh Hide and Skin Merchants Association (BHSMA) president Ali Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune.

“To avoid losses traders will choose the alternative and smuggle their goods to India.”

“Due to economic slowdown in the export destinations, we are counting losses,” he said.

Local hide prices have dropped and to get better prices retailers will try to sell to India, he added.

Asked about the relocation, Ali said, “There are 45-50 factories who will be able to start operating within one month over there but I think the government should allow us to process hides here till Eid-ul-Azha.”

According to hide traders, after adding salt to raw hide it can be

preserved for a month at best but due to the summer heat it could be as low as 15-20 days.

Bangladesh Hide and Skin Merchants Association says about 3.75 lakh cows are slaughtered month in the country, along with 75 lakh goats and lambs.

Although Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) gave tanneries a seven day extension for relocation, the police nevertheless continued to block hide merchants as there were no instructions from the government.

“Since, there is no instruction from the government to allow supply of hides, we are not permitting entry of any hides to the tanneries at Hazaribagh,” Mir Alimuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Hazaribagh

police, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. He said the blockade would continue until further notice.

BSCIC Chairman Md Hazrat told the Dhaka Tribune the restriction on the supply chain of raw hides will remain in place as the extension is over.

“If this continues till Eid-ulAzha, it will have a long term effect on the supply of processed leather,” said Abdul Momen Bhuiyan, senior vice president of Leathergoods and Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Bangladesh.

“The government should take proper measures, otherwise there is a possibility that the hides will be smuggled ouit,” Momen said.

“If the hides go bad, manufacturers will have to import leather,

and the quality of hides will deteriorate in case of long term preservation,” he added.

The government will sit with tanners tomorrow to discuss the next course of action.

“I will not comment on the issue right now. We will sit with the tanners on Wednesday and will let you know about the development,” Industry Secretary Md. Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune.

The government decided to move tanneries from Hazaribagh amid pressure from environmental activists and buyers because of hazardous effects on the environment.

It has allocated plots to 155 tannery owners through BSCIC at the industrial park established on a 200-acre land in Savar. l

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Minar’s bail cancelled, doctors summoned n Ashif Islam Shaon

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday cancelled the High Court bail granted to BNP leader Mahtab Uddin Chowdhuty Minar in the Fulgazi Upazila Chairman Ekramul Haque Ekram murder case.

The court also summoned three doctors of the central jail who recommended Minar be admitted to Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital, a private institution, from the jail for treatment. The order came after the authority of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) confirmed to the court that Minar was physically okay.

A four-member bench headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha passed the order disposing a leave-to-appeal plea filed by the government.

The court also issued a show cause notice to explain why punitive action should not be taken against the jail doctors for favour-

ing the BNP leader illegally.

They will have to be present before the court with their explanations by May 15.

On March 20, the SC chamber judge stayed the HC’s bail order following a petition and forwarded it to the regular bench for hearing. The High Court had granted him six-month bail on March 16.

Later on March 24, the regular SC bench extended the stay order on Minar’s bail for two weeks and directed authorities at BSMMU to form a board to examine his health and report in two weeks as the accused was referred to the hospital from Birdem.

Yesterday after hearing over the matter, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the accused several times managed to get the jail doctors to prepare papers to recommend him to be admitted to the hospital. He actually wanted to not stay in the jail.

As per the court order,

an eight-member medical board member formed

by BSMMU examined his health and submitted a report saying his physical condition has been okay.

“Earlier he was recommended by three jail doctors to Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital.

But according to the law, no jail doctor can recommend any prisoner to a private hospital,” he said.

The court also asked jail authorities to shift him to Feni jail. Yesterday he was shifted to the Dhaka Central jail from the hospital so the authorities could take the next step.

Ekram, who was also president of Fulgazi upazila Awami League, was shot and burned alive in his car in broad daylight in Feni town on May 20.

Following the incident, police arrested 24 people, including Jihad Chowdhury, an alleged mastermind and joint secretary of Fulgazi upazila AL unit, and BNP leader Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury Minar, the alleged financier. l

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SWAT to guard Mongol Shobhajatra n Kamrul Hasan Dhaka Metropolitan Police has announced that its SWAT unit will be deployed to provide security for Mongol Shobhajatra, the traditional rally on the morning of Bangla New Year.

Speaking at a press conference at the DMP Media Centre yesterday, Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah said police would be focusing on mass celebrations where there were higher risks of terrorist attacks or crimes taking place.

“That’s why we’ve banned on all sorts of open concerts and mass gatherings in open spaces after 5pm but indoor programmes will be allowed,” he said.

Police said the security meas-

ures this year will be focused on three venues in the city: Dhaka University, Rabindra Sorobor in Dhanmondi and Hatirjheel in Ramna zone.

Protection will also be provided to small gatherings in the city.

Commissioner Miah announced that no one would be allowed to wear the traditional masks at the Mongol Shobhajatra but participants could carry them in their hands.

People wearing similar looking T-shirts, especially those promoting any product or brand, will also not be allowed to attend the rally.

DMP also advised people accompanied by young children to put a note in their pockets containing their name and address so that

be three CCTV monitoring cells in Shahbagh, Ramna and Suhrawardy Udyan areas.

Gates of Ramna park and Suhrawardy Udyan will be separated into entries and exits, he said.

“But all entry will be closed after 4:30pm. Then you can use all the gates for coming out.”

Vehicle movement will be blocked from Shahbagh, Nilkhet and Shaheed Minar and people will have to enter the area on foot.

No hawkers will be allowed on the streets but some will be allowed inside the Suhrawardy Udyan for the visitors.

No open space mass events will be allowed after 5pm in Dhaka.

DMP has also banned vuvuzelas on Pohela Boishakh.

if lost, they can be found easily.

Central announcement systems will be set up at the venues to help keep order and find people.

Visitors were advised not to carry equipment that could be deemed harmful, such as nail cutters and matchboxes. Walkthrough archways will be placed at the entrances, police said.

Commissioner Miah expressed his sorrow over the last year’s incidents at Dhaka University.

“We designed our security measures this year by analysing the faults of last year,” he said.

He said police would set up nine watch towers in the Dhaka University area to ensure security during Pohela Boishakh celebrations. At the same time, there will

Rescued boy handed over to Chhotomoni Nibas n Kamrul Hasan

Al-Mamun, the three-month-old baby who was rescued in the capital’s Paribagh area last month, was handed over to state-run children’s shelter Chhotomoni Nibas yesterday.

Brig Gen Mizanur Rahman, director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where the baby had been under treatment for nearly a month, handed him over to the shelter’s caretaker Bilkis begum around 2pm.

“When he was brought in to the hospital, he was underweight, had a haemoglobin deficiency, respiratory problems and low body temperature. We thought he may not survive,” said Prof Dr Abid Hossain Mollah, head of the DMCH’s paediatric unit, at a media briefing yesterday. “But he has pulled through.”

“The baby currently has hydrocele, which can be cured with a surgery later,” he said.

It was a bittersweet moment for the hospital staff as well as the teachers of Hashimukh – a school of street children in Paribagh – when the baby was finally given to the children’s shelter.

Hashimukh teachers have been involved with the baby’s treatment and care at the hospital since he was rescued by a vagrant woman named Taslima.

“When I first saw the baby, he was about two months old. He wasn’t able to eat even when he was hungry, due to some unknown reasons. Today, as the hospital authorities handed him over to the

TEMPERATURE FOREC AST FOR TODAY

DRY WEATHER TUESDAY, APRIL 12

The three-month-old Al-Mamun, rescued from the capital’s Paribagh area last month, looks on with a gleeful smile. The photo was taken when he was being handed over to state-run children’s shelter Chhotomoni Nibas yesterday MEHEDI HASAN shelter authorities, I saw him open his mouth to cry, and only stop when he was fed,” said Mehnaz Zakir Promi, one of the teachers.

“It is difficult to see him go. But we are happy that he is getting a better life,” she said.

She said doctors at the DMCH had been very kind to the baby, providing free medicines and food. The doctors, in turn, praised the teachers’ efforts to help him through the treatment.

Bilkis Begum, the caretaker from Chhotomoni Nibas, said the Dhaka

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DMCH Director Mizan said: “The baby should have a guardian to ensure proper upbringing. Taslima may have Mamun’s best interests at heart, but she can’t take care of him.”

teachers would always be welcome to visit Mamun at the shelter.

However, not everyone was happy with the relocation. Taslima, the vagrant who had rescued the baby, had begun referring to him as her child and stayed with him at the hospital during his treatment.

She was not happy with the hospital authorities’ decision to give Mamun to the shelter instead of her.

“How can I be happy when they are taking my baby away? Why aren’t you doing anything to stop it?” she asked this correspondent.

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Rangpur 40

’Faiza is doing well’

Another abandoned baby, Faiza, who found her home in Chhotomoni Nibas last year, is doing well now, Bilkis told the Dhaka Tribune.

Faiza was rescued by an 11-yearold boy, Sabbir, in Kafrul last September. She had several wounds and was also treated at the DMCH. l 24

Khulna

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Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:39AM

40.6ºC Chuadanga

22.5ºC Dinajpur

Source: Accuweather/UNB

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PRAYER TIMES

DMP said they would provide security after 5pm people who might be out on the streets but no mass gathering will be allowed.

The commissioner said only the vehicles having Dhaka University stickers will be allowed to enter the campus from 6am, April 13 to 9pm, April 14.

Police have not made any headway into the investigation of sexual harassment of women at Dhaka University campus during last year’s Pohela Boishakh.

Asked if DMP could ensure hundred percent security for the city dwellers and guarantee that no incident would take place this year, the DMP chief said, “Only Allah could guarantee that. We have done our possible best.” l

Fakhrul not frustrated n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The BNP yesterday said the party is not frustrated and hoped that the misrules would come to an end one day.

Party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged the party leaders, activists and people of the country to get united against the Awami League’s misrule.

“Awami League never accepts anyone’s opinion and does not do politics of tolerance. Awami League is suffering from ego,” he said while addressing a discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh.

The BNP leader said: “We have mistakes. We have to correct those mistakes and move forward. What is badly needed today is unity within the party and the same way national unity to restore democracy.”

Amar Desh Paribar organised a discussion to mark the three years of arrest of Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman.

Fakhrul said: “Today all of us are chained. We are prevented from speaking. Wherever I want to go to hold meeting ban is imposed upon it.”

He said: “We are not frustrated.

I believe one day the misrule and autocratic rule will come to an end.

Bangladeshi people never tolerate such misrules in the past.”

Fakhrul urged the government to withdraw all the “false cases” filed against the party leaders and activists. l Sylhet

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Fajr: 4:20am | Zohr: 12:00pm Asr: 3:27pm | Magrib: 6:22pm Esha: 7:49pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

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Navy chief leaves Dhaka for Indonesia n Tribune Desk Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed left for Indonesia yesterday to attend the 15th Western Pacific Naval Symposium, the Second Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo, and International Fleet Review 2016, to be held in Pedang city.

He was seen off at Dhaka airport

by Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Operations) Rear Admiral M Makbul Hossain

and Commodore Faruk Hasan, said a press statement by the Inter-Service Public Relations Directorate.

The naval chief will attend the symposium and maritime exhibition, to be held tomorrow, along with the naval chiefs of other countries, observers and military experts.

Twenty-one nations including

Bangladesh, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and the US are attending the multilateral naval exercise and international fleet review, to be held from April 11-16, to showcase their warships, warplanes and helicopters. Six other nations are attending the events as observers as well.

The events are expected to strengthen the friendship among the Southeast Asian and Western Pacific countries.

A total of 203 officials of Bangladesh Navy are currently in Indonesia to attend the events.

The naval chief will return home on Thursday, the statement said. l

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

First animal blood bank opens n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong The country’s first animal blood bank has been opened in Chittagong.

The SA Kaderi Teaching Veterinary Hospital opened the first animal blood bank in an attempt to make blood more readily available for injured and sick pets.

Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU) organised a workshop titled “Establishment of Animal Blood Bank” on its campus on April 7.

The blood bank was inaugurated during the workshop.

Speaking at the inauguration, Prof Dr Goutam Buddha Das, vice-chancellor of the CVASU, said: “Animals will donate blood as people do.

“Getting blood for animals becomes difficult as there is no such blood bank for them in the country.

Sometimes the life of an animal is at risk. Life can be saved if there is a blood bank for the animals.”

Prof Dr Bhajan Chandra Das of medicine and surgery department of the CVASU played the lead role in setting up of the blood bank.

“The number of people rearing dogs and cats has increased in recent time. The demand for blood for ailing or injured pet animals has increased at the same time. We request pet lovers to donate blood at the bank as a bag of blood could save lives of four animals. A dog can easily donate blood four times a year,” said Prof Bhajan Das. “We are providing free cross-matching service for dogs and cats at our hospital. Besides, we are awarding certificates and identity cards to the donor cats and dogs,” he also said.

Two dogs – one receiving blood while the other taking saline – at the country’s first-ever animal blood blank at the SA Kaderi Teaching Veterinary Hospital The veterinarians at the function said the pet animals needed blood transfusions in cases of bleeding, trauma, surgery, infectious disease or certain other medical situations.

“The donor pets will get blood on priority basis during any emergency situation,” said VC Prof Goutam Buddha Das.

Blood donation does not cause any harm to the normal activities of an animal. A cat and a dog should weigh at least 4kg and 20kg respectively to be a blood donor. The pet animal should also have sound health between one and six years of their age. A donor pet should also be worm-free and not on any medication. The four-legged do-

Bamboo sticks used to construct school’s toilet in Gaibandha n Tajul Islam Reja, Gaibandha

Bamboo sticks, rusty iron materials have been allegedly used instead of fresh iron pipes in construction works in at least nine Gaibandha primary schools.

The incident came under the light on April 8, while locals of Meghdumur village of Gaibandha Sadar upazila sensing the suspicious activity by construction workers as they were working on a roof at Meghdumur Government Primary school avoiding people’s surveillance.

Locals trace them and found that the workers were using bamboo sticks and thin iron pipes of abandoned benches of the school after breaking a window and door.

Later, they informed local UP

chairman and board members.

Meghadumura primary school headmaster Md Tariqul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that the contractor of the work urged to use to classrooms for worker’s temporary residence. They worked at night and in the weekends. They took advantage of the rooms for collecting irons from rusty irons from abandoned school benches.

A seven-member committee has been formed to investigate incident.

Ramchandrapur Union Board Chairman Rafiqul Islam also the convener of the seven member committee said: “We visited the school and found bamboo sticks in the wall of school’s toilet and on the upper part of doors.

The committee suggested breaking down roof of the toilet to figure out what actually happened.”

Arif Billah, Deputy Assistant Engineer of Public Health Engineering Department of the district said, Abdul Khalek got the construction work of the school’s toilet after a tender issued last year. He started the work on September last year. The budget of the work was Tk 8.5 lakh.

The executive engineer Public Health Engineering Department Aminul Islam Chowdhury said the contractor got construction works of Meghadumura and eight other schools. However, due to the allegation of using of bamboo and thin materials in school works. The works have been instructed to stop immediately. l

nors should be well-behaved and docile, the veterinarians said.

The donor cats and dogs must be vaccinated before donating blood. Screening is necessary to avert the risk of transmitting blood-borne parasites and diseases during blood transfusion from one animal to another.

“We do not sedate the dogs. A

DHAKA TRIBUNE

typical blood draw from a dog takes about seven to 10 minutes. Cats are different from dogs. Cats are sedated since they are a little more reclusive and sometimes have a little higher stress level in the hospital,” said Ireen Sultana, a post-graduate student of the university who is now working with the veterinary hospital. l

7 witnesses testify in seven-murder cases Hossain, n Tanveer Narayanganj

A Narayanganj court yesterday recorded deposition from seven witnesses, including a magistrate, in two cases filed in connection with the sensational seven murders.

Narayanganj District and Sessions Judge Syed Enayet Hossain later fixed April 18 for the next hearing.

Public Prosecutor Wazed Ali Khokon said Senior Judicial Magistrate KM Mohiuddin was cross-examined by defence councils yesterday. The court also recorded witness depositions from Sub-Inspector Belayet Hossain, Abul Kalam Azad, Mohammad Hossain, Jahangir Hossain, Fakhrul Islam and

Ramzan Hossain.

Earlier in the day, 23 accused in the cases including prime suspect Nur Hossain and three former RAB officials were brought to the Narayanganj court from Kashimpur Prison under tight security.

On April 27, 2014, Narayanganj City Corporation panel mayor Nazrul Islam, his three associates and driver were abducted from Fatullah area in the city. At the same time, senior lawyer of the Narayanganj District Judge’s Court Chandan Kumar Sarker and his driver were abducted on their way to Dhaka. Their bodies were later recovered from the Shitalakkhya and Dhaleshwari rivers.

On February 8 this year, a Narayanganj court framed charges against 35 people. l

DT

8

News

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

A shocking tale of modern-day slavery 13 including a child living as slaves at brick kiln in Banaripara rescued by RAB As soon as they started working Tazem Ali Hawladar. However, The rescued labourers are Khaln Anisur Rahman Swapan, at the brick field, the owner as well Tazem Ali and his son, Forkan ilur Rahman Kha, Kamrul Islam, Barisal

To maintain their family’s livelihood, 13 marginalised people lived like slaves for the past six months in a tiny room of a brick kiln.

In this time, they were beaten and left without food when trying to raise their voices against the oppression.

Yesterday, these 13 people came out of the hellish situation when Rapid Action Battalion officers rescued them in a drive at Tazim Brick Kiln in Baishari area at Banaripara upazila of Barisal.

Abdul Majid Gazi, Sohel Kha, Afzal Hossain, Nupur Sardar, Gofur Sardar, Rafikul Biswas, Kalam Morol, Hamid Kha, Mahbubur Rahman, Siraj Gazi, and Mutha Sardar.

Members of the elite force also arrested site manager Milon Ahmed and the broker of the brick field Kabir Hossain in this connection, said Major Adnan, deputy commander of RAB 8.

Abdul Halim, uncle of the 13-year-old victim Khalilur Rahman, filed a case against four people, including brick kiln owner

Hawladar, are still at large.

Tazem Ali is the president of the Baishari union parishad unit Awami League. He was defeated in the recent union parishad election contesting as an opposition candidate for the chairman post.

RAB sources said all of the rescued were residents of Hazrakathi village at Tala upazila in Satkhira.

Six months back, they went to Barisal to work as labourers at the brick kiln, with hopes for a better life, but their hopes were shattered within a few days.

as his cohorts began behaving with them as they were slaves.

Quoting Khalilur Rahman, his uncle Abdul Halim said: “When they wanted their salaries, the owner and his accomplices tortured them inhumanly.”

“They confined them in a small room at night so they could not go outside and tell people about the torture they were facing then,” he said.

Halim said they only received food once a day after working through the entire day.

Recently the culprits broke Khalilur’s hands when he protested the abuse and wanted the workers’ due salaries. At one point, the culprits stopped giving him food and would not allow him to go to the toilet.

On being informed, family members of the victims contacted RAB personnel, and members of the elite force managed to rescue them from the clutches of the culprits.

The brick kiln was sealed off as it was operating without a license from any authorities concerned, RAB sources added. l

Prime accused in Lakshmipur gang-rape case held n Tribune Desk

Locals with containers are seen waiting to collect water from Hatirjheel water pumping station yesterday. People of some areas in the city have been facing acute crisis of water for the last couple of weeks MEHEDI HASAN

Boisabi Utsab begins amid festivity Majumdar and Ziaul Haque n Jasim from Khagrachhari, Rangamati Indigenous people will begin celebrating from today Boishabi Utsab, the largest traditional festival for indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).

Every year, the people of three hill districts – Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban – celebrate the festival from April 12 to 14 simultaneously, and the CHT takes on a festive look on the occasion of Boisabi.

The word “Boisabi” is comprised of “Boi” from Boisuk of the Tripura, “sa” from Sangrai of the Marma, and “bi” from Bizu of the Chakma community.

The first day of the festival is called “Phulbiju,” the second day is “Mulbiju” and the third day, or first day of the Bangla New Year, is called “Gojya Pojya Din.” Eight indigenous communities – Chakma, Marma, Tangchangya, Tripura, Mro, Khumi, Khiyang and Chak – celebrate the festival.

Marmas celebrate Bangla New Year by holding the “Sangrai water festival” where young boys and girls sprinkle water on each other.

As part of the celebration, Khagrachhari Hill District Council (KHDC) brought out a colourful rally yesterday around 10am from its premises. The rally was inaugurated by Chairman of KHDC Konjori Chowdhury.

Hundreds in colourful attire, including women and children, took part in the rally that paraded through the main roads of the hilly town. Participants were seen dancing and singing songs with great enthusiasm.

Later, a discussion was held at the Town Hall auditorium. The day’s events ended with the awarding of crests to 19 renowned citizens for their contributions to society.

Superintendent of Police Md Majid Ali, Assistant Superintendent of Police Md Roichh Uddin, Additional Deputy Commissioner ATM Kousar Hossain, Sadar Upazila Chairman Chunchhumoni Chakma, KHDC Member Nigar Sultana, Advocate Ashutosh Chakma, Mongshipure Chowdhury Apu and a number of government officials took part in the programme.

In Rangamati, a discussion was also held at Mari Stadium, with a call to protect the culture of indigenous people.

With Prokriti Ranjan Chakma, convenor of Boisabi celebration committee, in the chair, the programme was also attended by lawmaker Ushaton Talukdar. Ushaton Talukdar said they would not tolerate any discrimination in the name of democracy.

He also said a section of the vested quarter was hatching a conspiracy to grab the lands of indigenous people to establish medical and engineering colleges. A cultural function was later held on the occasion. l

Police arrested the prime accused in connection with the gang rape of two teenage sisters from Torabganj Islamganj area of Kamalnagar upazila on Sunday night.

The arrestee was identified as Khokon, son of late Israfil of the area.

Md Kabir Ahmed, officer-incharge of Kamalnagar Police Station, said on secret information, they conducted drive in the area around 10:30pm and arrested Khokon.

Police is trying to arrest four

more accused in the incident, added the OC. On April 01, two cases were filed with the police station in connection with the incident.

Mother of the victims filed the case against five men-Khokon, Sirajuddin, Abdul Karim, Yousuf, and an unidentified person-under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000.

The girls, aged 13 and 15, were called out of their home on March 29 by the accused and were raped by them all night long. l

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DT

Tech

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

Samsung Galaxy J3:

First impression

n Tahsin Momin Samsung has never been this keen to keep its mid-range handsets in the game, but with brands like Symphony, Walton and Xiaomi gunning to take the lead in the budget-range market, the company had to do something to make its presence felt. With a price tag of Tk14,990 the Samsung Galaxy J3 is the solution to the company’s problem in this segment.

brilliant idea.

In terms of design, nothing has changed. The ports and button placements are quite similar to almost any other Samsung handset. On the right edge you’ll see the power button and left edge houses the volume rocker keys, while the bottom edge has a microUSB port. On the rear side, you’ll see the camera module placed on top centre with a LED Flash on the left and a loudspeaker grill on the right.

The looks Samsung, as a brand has never failed to amaze us with its consistent design skills. Yes, some would take this the wrong way but think about it, keeping the same design language with a hint of a tweak here and there, they did manage to deliver a handset that feels good in our hands. Offering a compact design with a pretty tight grip to operate one-handedly is quite a good thing. Even though the device doesn’t feature a full metal construction, the aluminium frame does make it quite a sturdy device. Most importantly, it is refreshing to see a removable back panel and the battery pack, as many smartphone manufacturers are opting for the unibody design.

Call us old school, but it’s quite a

The works The real treat on this handset is the five-inch packing 720p resolution, which counts to the pixel density of 294 PPI (Pixel Per Inch). While it isn’t the best display among the mid-range, it is on par with many handsets. Although, Samsung did use their Super AMOLED display technology here. For a mid-range display, it seems quite bright and takes on sunlight legibility quite easily, meaning you can see the content even while viewing under direct sunlight.

Like all other flagship Samsung handsets, the J3 runs on Android Lollipop 5.1.1 and bares the same TouchWiz UI. Nevertheless the 1.2GHz quad-core cortex A7 does a brilliant job at seamlessly running the phone.

However, the J3 only has 1.5GB of RAM but you will never feel the shift in performance unless you are using multiple, heavy apps at the same time. With its 2,600mAh battery, there’s plenty of room and time for work and play with this

device.

J3 comes packed with an 8MP auto-focus camera on the rear and a 5MP fixed focus camera on the front. The outcome of each shot isn’t spectacular but you can make do with it. What’s bothersome to

the user is the autofocus function; it simply lags. Even though both the cameras can shoot 720p videos, you can’t help notice that it does lack the fancy video aid features like the ones you find in high-end phones. l

DT

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

Tech

4 free apps to help you survive summer nAmreen Rahman Summer has hit us all in full swing, with traffic and the heat making it difficult to survive these heated sunny days. We’ve listed out the top four apps to help you keep up-to-date with the weather, to keep you hydrated and to find out the best way to allow you to enjoy, thrive and navigate your summer fun. We’ve also tracked down one of the best free hydration apps to make sure you’re meeting your daily water intake. Read on to find out our top four picks to cover all your summer bases.

Yahoo! Weather (Android, iOS) With Kal Boishakhi jhor threatening to take over at any time, it’s of vital importance to have an app that can keep you up to date with the weather. Yahoo! Weather is a fantastic app that has both a stunning interface as well as is packed with information that is as accurate as it gets. The ad-free app provides ample attention to detail, using images in the notification tray to help liven up the weather data. Not only does the app show images of your location, but it also matches it with the time of day and weather conditions. Features include the option to view five day forecasts, as well as heat and satellite maps. Albeit not the very best app if you’re looking for more features, it is easily the most clean and userfriendly weather app that works flawlessly on both iOS and Android.

GO! Traffic (Android, iOS) GO! Traffic is a Bangladeshi app that provides real-time traffic information for getting around the capital. With traffic taking up a greater part of our heated summer days, this app makes it easy to figure out the best route to make it around the city. According to user reviews, the app is almost accurate and quite easy to use.

The app consists of a side widget that shows you a list of locations categorised according to the traffic situation. The three categories include “smooth,” "slow but moving” and “jammed,” with each of the listings in green, yellow and red, respectively. You can go through the list of locations or you can navigate their map where the routes are marked in the same colours.

Pocket (Android, iOS) Coming in close third to our favourite traffic update app is Pocket, an app that allows you to save online content for times when you don’t have mobile internet or WiFi. The app's sleek design and flawless compatibility across platforms makes it one of the best free apps for offline content viewing. The bookmarking app helps you mark and queue videos and articles that you can read and watch later, regardless of whether you have internet connectivity or not. Ideal for long commutes, the app is incredibly convenient as it helps you cache complete webpages or strippeddown versions of from articles.

iDrated (Android, iOS) As one of the top rater water drinking apps, iDrated makes you plug in a few details about yourself (gender, age, weight and excerise routine) and then helps you meet your daily water intake target.

What’s more is the app acts as a multipurpose hydration tracker - it tells you how hydrated your body is at any given time, it shows you when was the last time you drank water and also gives you updates on when you should have your next drink. l

DT

Editorial 11

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

INSIDE

Spring cleaning How much longer before the government realises this, and protects its citizens on the hit list? Isn’t it a matter of criminal negligence for the Bangladeshi government to be aware of when a citizen is in danger and to do nothing about it?

PAGE 12

The only option If the youth of the 60s and 70s had to watch their dreams perish in post-war disorganisation and anarchy, if those of the 80s and 90s have grown accustomed to their disappointment for a democratic future, the youth of the 2000s are left delusional with a plethora of pledges and platitudes about their problems PAGE 13

Why did dialogue not take place before Banshkhali shootings?

Blended and catalytic finance needed As Bangladesh moves towards LDC graduation, it can position itself as a leader on development financing 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.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

I

t is scant comfort to the families of the people killed at Banshkhali during Monday’s protest against a planned coal plant that the government has stepped in to ensure an environmental impact assessment is undertaken within 15 days.

The police shooting which resulted in the deaths of at least four people was a preventable tragedy.

Reports make clear that most of the protesters had not been made aware that a ban had been placed on their rally and that a counter demonstration had been arranged.

The lack of dialogue between the police and local community shows negligence on the part of the police.

Had the police been more aware of and receptive to local concerns, which seem to have become exacerbated due to a lack of communication and engagement by the developers of the land involved, they would have been better able to keep matters under control.

Not only was this not the case, but the police quickly ended up firing openly as a means of crowd control.

Nobody wants a trigger-happy police force. Gunfire should only ever be considered as a last resort.

The police’s primary duty is to protect the public and keep the peace. Dialogue with the community and communication with the rival groups of protesters should have been sufficient to ensure that only safe and non-lethal force was necessary to stop clashes.

While it is encouraging that local politicians and the government are now actively listening and responding to local people’s concerns about the coal plant, authorities still need to answer for how people were killed during a peaceful protest.

The police and government need to thoroughly investigate this incident and learn lessons so police personnel can be better trained to manage crowds without resorting to gunfire.

Had police been more engaged with locals, they would not have lost control and resorted to gunfire

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Opinion

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

Spring cleaning In a free society, nobody should get to feel special and be beyond any sort of criticism

n SN Rasul

I

n Bangladesh, the temperatures are on the rise.

The climate we find ourselves in is getting hotter by the day, with spring now a long-forgotten thing of the past, jumping straight into the unbearable summer. And, like the metaphorical frog in a slowly boiling beaker of water, we are sweating, not quite realising the long-term effects of the suffocating heat that surrounds us.

Much like the subtlety of global warming, which many deny and many more, still, refuse to acknowledge the gravity of, the religious climate of Bangladesh is changing ever so slightly towards one of steady acceptance. Every time the slow encroachment of Islam into the socio-political spectrum is mentioned, hands go up in protest.

When, last year, it started (though it started farther back) with the murder of Avijit Roy at the more than 40-year-old Ekushey Book Fair, it wasn’t seen as the warning sign it would soon become. With six more of his “kind” and a publisher being killed last year alone, the majority and the government fail, still, to see a pattern.

The fallen and injured included, in no particular order, Rafida Ahmed Bonya, Oyasiqur Rahman Babu, Ananta Bijoy Das, Niladri Chatterjee, Faisal Arefin Dipan, and Ahmedur Rashid Tutul.

What did these people have in common? They wrote about how secularism needed to prevail, and that religious fundamentalism and extremism should not be tolerated.

As each of these people fell, the authorities fumbled for words; excuses were made, blame was passed. The silent majority, apologists for this not-yet-fullyrealised nation of Islam, criticised the killers, but, in the same vein, spoke tales of how freedom of speech isn’t absolute, and that, in a country where the majority of the population was Muslim, saying and writing things which offended them should not be allowed to stand.

They denied it too when the Bangladeshi High Court ruled, upholding the state religion. In a Muslim majority country, they said, where 90% of the population follows one religion, it is only natural for the state to have a religious identity. This does not mean that the country is following Sharia law.

And then, after another

secularist activist, Nazimuddin Samad, is executed last week in similar fashion, initially with machetes, and then (and this is new) with gunfire, screaming Allahu Akbar, will the same excuses be made, will the same apologistic narrative be spewed to make sense of a country that we’re losing out of our grasps?

How much longer before the government realises this, and protects its citizens on the hit list? Isn’t it a matter of criminal negligence for the Bangladeshi government to be aware of when a citizen is in danger and to do nothing about it?

When did writing become the most dangerous activity?

According to the police, the attack reeks of Ansarullah Bangla Team, a front group for al-Qaeda in the Indian sub-continent. They are one group among many who do want Bangladesh to become the Islamic nation that it is, as of yet, still trying to resist the label of.

But, for how long? Again and again, these attackers have run scot-free into the sunset, riding high on their mighty God’s trails, with an extremist righteousness blowing on their coattails. The level of impunity afforded by the government to these people have continued to baffle those on the side of reason.

Soon after Nazim was murdered, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan refused to blame religious extremists, despite evidence to the contrary. One wonders why. And, as has been common within the government’s rhetoric, the victim was blamed again.

He wondered if “objectionable” things had been posted by Nazim, and went on to say that how “attacking people’s religion and

beliefs … is not acceptable in any part of the world.”

This is nothing new. In 2013, Asif Mohiuddin, an atheist blogger, was stabbed by similar extremists.

Later, after all was said and done, it was Asif himself who was arrested for criticising Islam and taken to jail. His blog was banned.

Forgive me if I’m wrong, but how many times must we say this before it becomes etched with the blood of those whose worst crime was to write words on a page?

The martyrs of this generation aren’t those who fight with guns in their hands, but with words, for we must evolve to understand that violence cannot be the answer in civilised society.

Rest assured, though, that when the extremists triumph, it is these attackers that will go up on the walls and as statues, hailed as heroes of a bygone era, to have brought about the Islamic state that so few were once willing to fight for.

And those fallen, and those who are yet to fall, understand that, despite how volatile their

words may be, how “offensive” their blogs are, the future cannot lie in the hands of those who wish them to be bloodied.

The non-religious have not taken to streets with sharpened swords to slaughter those who wish to bow their heads down to their personal god. It is the very much the other way round, and is it not time that Bangladesh as a nation comes together to scream a resounding “no, no, no” to the excuses and apologies and say that this will not stand?

Ansarullah Bangla Team has a list of individuals that it wishes to slay. Their work here is simple.

Kill those that defy them. In a democracy, this is not how it works. It is the free exchange of ideas that needs to be executed, not the people who have the audacity to speak them and write them.

How much longer before the government realises this, and protects its citizens on the hit list? Isn’t it a matter of criminal negligence for the Bangladeshi government to be aware of when

BIGSTOCK

a citizen is in danger and to do nothing about it?

Yes, the climate in Bangladesh is changing, whether most of us are willing to accept it or not. More and more dissenting voices are trampled, as more and more voices remain silent because it is merely safer to do so.

It needs to be understood that yes, we could very well choose not to offend. But that is not a real option. In a free society, one subject does not get to be special, to be free from critique.

These terrorists must be rooted out and erased from the national commonality. The scary thing is, terrorists work for a “higher” cause, and have a more “spiritual” need, one that cannot be quenched with earthly materials.

How do you reason with someone who has their mind made up? How do you battle an enemy for whom death is not to be scared of, but is, in fact, very much welcome? l SN Rasul is a Sub-Editor at the Dhaka Tribune. Follow him @snrasul.

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Opinion

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

The only option We cannot take injustices lying down -- we must go out and protest

Get out there and demand justice

n Qamrul Huda

O

nly a year ago, around April last year, we protested against sexual assaults on women and girls on Bengali New Year’s day, when a group of men was caught on CCTV molesting girls in the crowd. Social media, blogs, editorials, talk shows, and street protests demanded justice and rapid trials.

Authorities made a few arrests and a number of public statements, some of which were not helpful or respectful of the victims. Things gradually fizzled out as new issues grabbed our attention. This year, already, in the months of February and March alone, we have had many controversies. It would be almost impossible for ordinary citizens to maintain their enthusiasm and energy to cope with these issues, let alone to join each demonstration.

We just finished a blockbuster season of cricket. Investigations and details are still appearing from the sensational money laundering of our central bank’s foreign reserve account.

The High Court has issued a verdict in the matter of our state religion. Sedition cases around the country are being pursued against an eminent newspaper editor.

With cast-iron certainty, laws have been drafted to protect the nation’s Liberation War history, to uphold the sanctity of the International War Crimes Tribunal, and to supervise and monitor our behaviour in social, print, and electronic media.

And then there is ongoing agitation against the proposed Rampal coal power plant in the Sundarbans and the abominable assault and killing of a girl

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

in Comilla that has unfolded episodes of administrative and judicial fracas.

This week, another blogger has been killed on a Dhaka street, and four innocent protesters in a village in Chittagong were killed while protesting against the proposed construction of coalbased electricity power plants in a densely populated area.

At any rate, the bad blood running between the poles of our politics is not going to go away soon; even if it does (the present often looks indomitable), there will be a battle between the next generations or between other future political powers, and the common citizens and issues affecting them will be left unattended. Strong historical

they are inspirational, a driving force for our population. In fact, it is a testament to our tenacity, our ability to survive in the face of suffering. We have received glowing commendations for our achievements -- for eradicating endemic diseases, providing immunisation, improving general health and well-being of the poor, and reducing poverty.

If the youth of the 60s and 70s had to watch their dreams perish in post-war disorganisation and anarchy, if those of the 80s and 90s have grown accustomed to their disappointment for a democratic future, the youth of the 2000s are left delusional with a plethora of pledges and platitudes about their problems

While the severity of the events shakes us and should create massive public outcry, in the current environment, protests are more special for a number of reasons: First, a general disinterest has crept in against uprisings and political activism in recent years.

What or who would inspire such activism, anyway?

Since the mood is that, after 20 years in a parliamentary system (albeit a quasi and nominal one in practice), and earlier dictatorships, alternatives -- whether they are centre-right, nationalist, religious, or idealist left -- would hardly be any better for us. As with politicians and political organisations around the world, they would deliver a lot of oratory, but very few real outcomes. In reality, they may not even have such aims.

lessons support such pessimism.

If the youth of the 60s and 70s had to watch their dreams perish in post-war disorganisation and anarchy, if those of the 80s and 90s have grown accustomed to their disappointment for a democratic future, the youth of the 2000s are left delusional with a plethora of pledges and platitudes about their problems.

And the youth of this decade, who only recently gathered en masse in 2013 in Shahbagh, have harrowing tales to tell. So, with the background of repeated betrayal, the fact that the young and old still come out demanding justice means that people hope for the better. They choose not to take it lying down.

Second, in our region, the benefits of improving economic growth are not only noticeable,

Our education system may be in shambles, but individual talent still shines through in numbers.

Employment conditions, while not ideal or great, are somehow ticking along and are “better than before” -- and this is a vital point, one needs to earn to live with dignity.

In fact, a strong consensus amongst all strata of society suggests that a positive economic outlook is the key. We do not want to remain a poor developing nation, we want to be a developed one with good amenities as rapidly as possible.

Understanding this mantra early and implementing it apparently prolonged the current administration’s tenure.

Rightly or wrongly, it seems to have convinced businesses and investors that they are most able to govern the country.

And there is no shortage of intellectual progressives to continue to feed and back this “positive line.” In that context, it takes a lot of courage to stand up against wrong-doing by the authorities or to criticise the government’s actions and plans.

Third, and perhaps most important, in recent years, opposing voices have not been heard. Space for free expression has significantly shrunk. There are real risks. Activists, journalists, commentators, civil society members, and bloggers have been reprimanded by the authorities, by the courts, and, of course, by assailants who have killed and are still killing and injuring writers and publishers.

Then there have been decrees, laws, legislation, and guidelines from the Ministry of Information about what can and what cannot be expressed without risking arrest. In other words, freedom of expression is being sternly controlled. The government has even challenged and threatened legal action against reputed international outlets.

As a number of high-profile disappearances, murders, and atrocities find no credible explanation, hearsay takes over.

People use their only fall-back options -- imagination and past experience -- to connect the dots.

However, in most cases, this just creates paranoia.

That is why, at present -- when the press, intellectuals, and administration are muzzled, when the general public is flummoxed -protests are the sole light. Though inevitably they abate, and perhaps they are not as strong as they used to be, they register our objection to cover-ups. l Qamrul Huda is a freelance contributor.

14

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Opinion

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

Blended and catalytic finance needed to meet the multi-trillion dollar SDG agenda Our ability to implement the ambitious 7FYP will depend on our ability to mobilise and leverage sources of financing

Blending public, private, domestic, and external investments is key

As Bangladesh moves towards LDC graduation, it can position itself as a leader on development financing

n Pauline Tamesis

B

angladesh, like several countries, in the most economically dynamic region in the world -- Asia Pacific -- continues to make rapid economic progress.

But as the country transitions to middle-income country status -- a measurement of gross national income per capita -- it still faces some tough development challenges: Income and gender inequality, rapid urbanisation, increasing demand for quality services and social safety nets, and risks from climate change.

Adopting a broader matrix

of socio-economic human development, Bangladesh remains in the circle of least developed countries. So there is a real need to find innovative and strategic approaches to fill the gaps in meeting the needs of the people.

One such avenue is through the exploration of new models of development finance, which call for new partnerships.

The Government of Bangladesh has integrated much of the new Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development in its core national development plan, the Seventh Five Year Plan (7FYP). It has been estimated that implementation of the 7FYP will require just over

BIGSTOCK

$400 billion; implementing the SDGs globally will require $1.4tn per year.

While many factors will influence the ability to implement these ambitious global targets, the most critical will be the ability of the country to mobilise and leverage all sources of financing, including private, public, domestic, and external investments.

All financing sources will need to capitalise on each other and be used catalytically to address the development challenges.

The 7FYP proposes an ambitious expansion of private investment to meet almost 78% of the country’s total financing needs.

Although the realm of private investment is not entirely in the hands of governments, smart public policy is still needed to promote incentives, stimulate public private partnerships, and improve the overall business sector climate.

Channeling private investment to sectors, where the social gains

outweigh monetary ones, needs to be a key area of focus.

Traditional flows of development financing to Bangladesh continue to decline: In 2010, 50% of the country’s Annual Development Program was funded through Overseas Development Assistance (ODA); in just four years this fell to 32%. Borrowing sits at its lowest ever, at 18% of GDP. New forms of international public finance are being explored and pursued by the government, including climate finance and through south-south co-operation.

As Bangladesh moves towards graduation from LDC status, accessing international public finance will become tougher, with the need to demonstrate the bankability of projects, effective and accountable use of resources, management of financial risks, and transformational impact on people’s lives.

In this vein, mobilisation and investment of domestic resources is key to achieving robust and priority development results.

While international development

finance will continue playing a role for some years to come, increasing government co-financing of its own development agenda, and moving away from the traditional donor-recipient relationship will reflect the growing economic confidence of Bangladesh. In other countries in the region, such as China and India, this has already long been the case.

A more mature model of development financing will look to blend private, public, domestic, and external investments.

The new Development Finance Assessment, launched by the honourable state minister of finance last week, elaborates on how Bangladesh can make this blended finance model effective in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.

This assessment, undertaken by the Economic Relations Division and UNDP, is the first comprehensive report exploring all possible financing flows, linked to national development priorities.

The report underlines the need for government departments to work together in implementing a blended finance model.

Particularly, it points to the need to generate data and analysis in catalysing development finance and ensuring that every dollar is maximised to make an impact in addressing social, environmental, and economic challenges in Bangladesh.

Alternative and innovative financing vehicles can be pursued by the government, such as venture philanthropy, social impact bonds, growth funds, and crowd-funding from diaspora groups who likely hold billions of dollars in resources that can be mobilised towards social sectors.

As Bangladesh moves towards LDC graduation, it can position itself as a leader on development financing.

With its decades of experience and expertise and its innovative approach to meet the challenges of a changing development landscape, UNDP is wellpositioned, and stands ready to support the government in implementing its Seventh Five Year Plan. l Pauline Tamesis is Country Director, UNDP Bangladesh.

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Business 15

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

INSIDE Muhith: We’re not interested in Chinese investments The government is not interested in the Chinese investment proposals as “they are usually supplier’s credit tagged with harsh terms and conditions,” said Finance Minister AMA Muhith. PAGE 16

World Bank: China to drag down growth in developing Asia China’s economic slowdown will hit growth in developing East Asia and the Pacific from this year until at least 2018, the World Bank said yesterday, warning of volatile global markets and urging caution. PAGE 17

Capital market snapshot: Monday DSE Broad Index

4,401.8

-0.7% ▼

Index

1,064.6

-0.5% ▼

30 Index

1,673.9

-0.4% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk

4,185.3

-9.7% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

112.1

-5.8% ▼

All Share Index 13,548.3

-0.6% ▼

CSE 30 Index Selected Index Turnover in Mn Tk Turnover in Mn Vol

12,360.2

0.0% ▲

8,231.9

-0.6% ▼

248.9 -16.6% ▼ 8.9

-3.3% ▼

Boutique, fashion warehouse business booms ahead of Pohela Boishakh n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi The country’s boutique and fashion warehouses expect 20% more sales than the previous years on the occasion of the upcoming Bangla New Year, thanks to the introduction of a new festival allowance for the government employees amid political stable situation.

The government has announced a festival allowance for the Bangla New Year for all its employees to be calculated at 20% of the basic pay. According to the Eight Pay Scale, the government has to pay Tk317 crore as bonus to its employees.

While visiting several shopping spots in different areas of the capital, it was found that all the shops and boutique houses were over crowded just few days ahead of Bangla New Year scheduled to be observed on April 14 amid huge festivity.

Fashion houses and shops displayed a wide range of new collection of cloths with various colors and designs to attract the buyers, who bear the essence of Bengali culture in their minds.

“We are hoping over 20% sales this year compared to the years before as the overall condition is different now and the government has declared the first-ever festival bonus for Bangla New Year amidst quiet political situation,” said Fashion Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh (FEAB) President Azharul Haque Azad .

He said: “We have set a target

A woman chooses dresses to wear on Pohela Boishakh at the capital’s Aziz Super Market yesterday of Tk1,500 crore earnings from Boishakhi sales.”

The local fashion houses and manufacturers are ready to achieve the target as they have already brought a lot of new colorful designs to attract the buyers, said Azad.

“Since the flavor of the consumers is being changed all the time, we have also brought a lot of new products including Sarees, Panjabi, Salware and Kamiz designed by our designers,” said Taib Hasan Sharif, assistant manager of Bangla Mela at Mirpur branch.

Considering the scorching summer, all the items have also been made of pure cotton to give

a comfortable feeling to the consumers, he added.

“Experiencing the previous year’s sluggish business, we have set a 30% growth target for this year and we are very hopeful to attain it,” said Md Salauddin Ahmed, branch in-charge of Anjan’s.

Ahmed also said: “We have designed some unique products like 100% cotton, half-silk, screen print and block print in the red and white and there are some special package for a family in a color, which includes dress for mother, father and babies.”

“Though the amount of festival bonus is not a big one, it, however,

RAJIB DHAR

gives me a cushion to Bangla New year expense,” said Mustafizur Rahman Nabil while shoping at Bashundhara City.

However, private sector employees have expressed their utter dissatisfaction as the government did not give any sort of indication to the private sector employees in this regard.

“We are already under tremendous pressure due to the implementation of eight pay scale to bear the everyday burnt while extra benefits offered only to the government official pushed up the prices of products,” said Mohammad Alimuzzaman, a private service holder. l

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

BB top officials are in race for DG post n Jebun Nesa Alo

Race is on for the lucrative post of the central bank’s deputy governor as around 30 applicants, including former and incumbent executive directors of Bangladesh Bank, have dropped their Curriculum Vitae (CV) to the Finance Ministry as of yesterday.

Of the eight applicant EDs, three are former while five are incumbents. BB Economic Advisor Akhtaruzzaman is also contesting in the race.

The recent removal of two DGs—Abul Qusem and Nazneen Sultana—over the digital heist of US$81 million from the Bangladesh Bank’s forex account with Federal Reserve Bank of New York has brought the DG posts to the forefront of people’s attention.

Of the applicants, Mohammad Naushad Ali Chowdhury, SM Moniruzzaman, Nirmal Chandra Bhakta, Abdur Rahim, Mijanur Rahman Joddar are currently serving as executive director of the central bank.

Rumor is rife in the central bank that Mohammad Naushad Ali Chowdhury backed by an influential Chittagong-based business group is most likely to be the next BB DG. However, authorities concerned are not learned to be positive about Naushad Ali as an existing DG who is also said to be the most favoured by the same business group of Chittagong, according to BB sources.

Among the former executive directors, Mahfuzur Rahman, Abdul Haque and Ahsan Ullah have also applied for the post. Of them, chance for Mahfuzur Rahman is said to be brighter as he has long working experience with foreign exchange-related departments and money laundering, which is one of the prime requirements of the central bank.

From the commercial banks, Khalilur Rahman Chowdhury, deputy managing director of Rupali Bank and Omar Faruk, managing director of House Building Finance Corporation, were also among the applicants.

The authorities assumed that a total of 40 applications might be dropped by the April 13 deadline, said a senior executive of Finance Ministry. So far, no woman applicant was found.

On March 15, the government has formed a five-member search committee to select candidates for the two vacant deputy governor posts headed by Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation chairman Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad.

The committee published an advertisement for the post on March 30 requiring 25 years experience in central banking, commercial banking, financial institutions or regulatory authority at home or abroad. l

Muhith: We’re not interested in Chinese investments n Asif Showkat Kallol

The government is not interested in the Chinese investment proposals as “they are usually supplier’s credit tagged with harsh terms and conditions,” said Finance Minister AMA Muhith.

“Most of the Chinese investments are supplier’s credit with tough conditions. The cost of the credit will be too high for the countries like ours” he told a pre-budget meeting yesterday, as quoted by an official who was present. Chairmen of different parliamentary standing

committees attended the meeting.

Finance minister made the observation when Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Civil Aviation Ministry Faruk Khan talked about a $25bn investment proposal from Chinese firm.

“We do not want to take the Chinese supplier’s credit. This will not be good for our economy,” Muhith said. He also said the government would look into simplifying the Public-Private Partnership investment law.

Finance minister’s initiative to set criteria for educational institu-

tions to obtain Monthly Pay Order (MPO) facility was appreciated at the meeting.

Muhith admitted that the budget implementation in the current fiscal year was poor compared to previous years, leading to lack of utilisation of funds.

Faruk Khan, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on civil aviation ministry, said although agreements were signed with foreign investors, the government didn’t follow the terms of the agreements. He cited the example of Korean company Youngone

BARVIDA wants special duty benefit for hybrid car import n Syed Samiul Basher Anik Reconditioned vehicles importers and dealers have urged the government to provide special duty benefits for hybrid car import to help the buyers avail more eco-friendly vehicles, by fixing a separate HS code for the imported cars.

More specifically, Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BARVIDA) has recently requested the National Board of Revenue (NBR) for 25% deduction on prices of reconditioned hybrid cars, shown in yellow book, at the time of valuation at the ports.

The business platform raised its demands in its pre-budget proposal which has recently been sent to the NBR for consideration during the formulation of the budget for fiscal year 2016-17.

Currently, there is no special duty treatment for used, reconditioned, or old hybrid car imports

although these cars are more environment-friendly.

Despite the hybrid cars are eco-friendly and fuel efficient, importers are not importing these cars due to high price, said BARVIDA leaders.

Presently, consumers are to pay about 21% to 25% higher price for availing a hybrid car if compared with the same model reconditioned vehicles, said BARVIDA President Abdul Hamid Sharif.

As an alternative proposal, the association has called upon the government to fix separate duty slab for hybrid cars by fixing a separate HS code and put such cars in the lowest slab of supplementary duty.

The association also stressed the need for re-fixing a year-wise depreciation rate for reconditioned cars import from the next fiscal year as there is no depreciation facility now for the reconditioned cars which are less than six months old.

Barvida has suggested the NBR to fix depreciation facilities at 25% for a-year old reconditioned cars, 35% for two-year old, 45% for three-year old, 50% for five-year old and 55% for more than five-year old cars.

The platform also requested the tax authorities to restructure the duty slabs based on the engine capacities of the imported used cars for imposition of the supplementary duty.

Currently, the duty for vehicles below 1500cc is 45%, duty for 1,501cc and 2,000cc is 100%, 2,001-2,750cc is 200%, 2,751-4,000cc is 350% and it is 500% for cars over 4000 cc.

BARVIDA in its proposal has demanded for a restructure of a slab to bring the cars with 1501cc to 2500cc under the duty structure.

Once it is allowed, it will reduce pressures on the import of 1500 cc cars and thus, the supply will increase as per demand and price of the car will also go down. l

Dell brings new data centre solutions n Ishtiaq Husain Dell, a multinational computer technology company, has announced the addition of new data center solutions for creating future enterprises and new generation workforce in the country.

The company introduced the new addition to its portfolio of commercial products in the country as part of its “Dell Bangladesh Future-Ready 2016” programme in Bangladesh.

Harjeet Singh Rekhi, general manager, Dell South Asia Developing Market Group, came up with the disclosure at a press conference

held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the city yesterday.

“Dell’s solutions are the result of the company’s commitment to a customer-centric strategy. These solutions were designed with the future in mind, while making sure that enterprises remain cost-efficient now and in the future,” said Rekhi.

He continued: “Based on open standards, our solutions are openly scalable to bring the flexibility and agility required by enterprises, in turn allowing them to capitalize on emerging innovations.”

Mohammad Atiqur Rahman, country manager, Dell Bangladesh,

stated that the IT leaders in Bangladesh were seeking integrated solutions to support traditional enterprise applications and the latest technology trends to drive their competitive advantage.

He said: “Dell’s future-ready solutions help local businesses run more efficiently by providing a fast, flexible path to converged, software-defined, and application-optimised IT.” “As more organisations look into modernising and transforming their IT infrastructures, we will continue to deliver a best-in-class customer experience and our top priority is to ensure that customer needs are met,” said Rahman. l

Corp, according to the meeting sources.

Ramesh Chandra Sen, chairman of standing committee on water resources ministry, emphaised that more funds are needed for water resources ministry. He said more funds should be used for creating job opportunities for millions of youth coming to the job market.

RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, chairman of standing committee on ministry of hill tracts, said the government has developed the Akhaura land port as Indian part has been fully developed. l

Furniture, plastic goods exporters to get subsidies n Jebun Nesa Alo Two promising industries—furniture and plastic goods—will be eligible for getting subsidies to promote country’s export business.

Furniture will get a 15% incentive and plastic goods a 10% subsidy. The furniture sector raked in US$ 38.64 million in 2014-15 financial year.

“Only cargo products will be entitled to get the subsidies,” said Bangladesh Bank in two separate circular issued yesterday with immediate effect from the issuing date.

According to the circular, exporters will get 10% subsidies of net Freight On Board (FOB) value of the exported plastic goods produced from their own factories. However, duty-draw back facilities will not be allowed during the production of goods. The export organisations located in the EPZ areas won’t be allowed to get the privilege.

Furniture exporter will get 15% subsidy of net FOB value over exported products on the condition of not taking any duty draw back facility, said the circular.

In all cases, exporters will have to apply for subsidies to the respective Authorised Dealer banks within 180 days of export value repatriation.

The circular warned that banks would be punished if any violation was found in case of paying the subsidies.

The money will be deducted from the account of paying bank with the Bangladesh Bank if any violation was found in case of subsidy payment.

Bank officials and members of exporter association will also be punished if they are found involvement with irregularities in this regard, cautioned the BB circular. l

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

World Bank: China to drag down growth in developing Asia n AFP, Singapore China’s economic slowdown will hit growth in developing East Asia and the Pacific from this year until at least 2018, the World Bank said yesterday, warning of volatile global markets and urging caution.

Regional growth is forecast to slow from 6.5% in 2015 to 6.3% this year and 6.2% in 2017 and 2018, the bank said in its latest outlook.

However, Southeast Asian economies led by Vietnam and the Philippines are still expected to see healthy expansion, with both forecast to see growth rates of more than 6%, it said.

The bank said the regional outlook reflected China’s gradual shift to slower, more sustainable growth, expected at 6.7% this year and 6.5% in 2017 and 2018, from 6.9% in 2015.

China is in the midst of reforms as it moves to make domestic consumption a key economic growth driver instead of exports and as manufacturing gives way to services taking on a bigger role in the economy.

“Continued implementation of reforms should support the continued rebalancing of domestic demand,” the report said on the Chinese economy.

“In particular, growth in investment and industrial output will moderate, reflecting measures to contain local government debt, reduce excess industrial capacity and reorient fiscal stimulus toward social sectors.”

Victoria Kwakwa, incoming World Bank East Asia and Pacific vice president, said in a statement

Labourers work at a construction site in Suzhou that the region’s developing countries accounted for “almost twofifths of global growth” last year.

“The region has benefited from careful macroeconomic policies, including efforts to boost domestic revenue in some commodity-exporting countries. But sustaining growth amid challenging global conditions will require continued progress on structural reforms,” she said.

Major drag

The forecasts were made against a backdrop of slowing world growth, weak global trade, low commodity

‘In particular, growth in investment and industrial output will moderate, reflecting measures to contain local government debt, reduce excess industrial capacity and reorient fiscal stimulus toward social sectors’ prices and volatile financial markets, with China’s economic slowdown a major drag.

Excluding China, regional growth is projected to pick up from 4.7% last year to 4.8% this year and 4.9% in 2017 and 2018, powered by

Stocks lose ground for 2nd day n Kayes Sohel Stocks lost their ground for the second straight session yesterday with financial and large-cap stocks continuing to face selling spree.

The benchmark index DSEX dropped 29 points or 0.7% to close at 4,401.

The Shariah index DSES was over 5 points down to 1,064. The blue chip comprising index DS30 decreased over 7 points to 1,673.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX settled at 8,231, falling 58 points.

Almost all the sectors declined marginally with banks leading the way shedding almost 1%, led by Al-Arafah Islami Bank that was the worst loser of the day due to adjust-

ment of dividend decelerations.

In previous session, banks moved up slightly on the news that the banks’ operating profit rose only 1.96% due to sluggish business, which subdued on the day.

The power sector lost 0.7% on profit booking, breaking robust three-day rally.

Most other sectors including telecommunication, engineering, non-banking financial institutions and pharmaceuticals continued to end flat in red.

Food & allied and tannery were the only two sectors, which survived the sell-off, as they closed up marginally. Volume of trade declined at DSE, as the turnover stood at Tk418 crore, down 9.7% over the previous session’s value.

REUTERS

Lanka Bangla Securities said market sentiment may have been hamstrung by the over profit taking attitude of investors.

It added that stocks largely shrugged off the positive economic outlook perception by the Bangladesh Bank in its quarterly report and solid growth in monthly macro data.

The central bank sees country’s macroeconomic outlook for this fiscal year ‘impressive’ for increased domestic demand, prospective food production and a stable political situation.

Lanka Bangla Finance was the most traded share with a turnover worth Tk20.6 crore.

It was followed by Keya Cosmetics, Doreen Power, Aman Feed, BSRM Limited and Power Grid. l

Southeast Asia’s robust economies, the bank said.

“Among the large developing Southeast Asian economies, the Philippines and Vietnam have the strongest growth prospects, both expected to grow by more than 6%

in 2016,” it said.

“In Indonesia, growth is forecast at 5.1% in 2016 and 5.3% in 2017, contingent on the success of recent reforms and implementation of an ambitious public investment programme.”

Vietnam is forecast to grow 6.5% this year, 6.4% in 2017 and 6.3% in 2018, down from 6.7% last year.

Expansion for the Philippines is seen at 6.4% this year and 6.2% in 2017 and 2018 from 5.8% in 2015.

The region, however, faces “elevated risks” from a weaker-than-expected recovery in advanced economies and from the possibility of China’s slowdown being steeper than anticipated, said World Bank chief regional economist Sudhir Shetty.

“This is a very volatile time for the global economy. This is a time for all countries to be cautious,” he told reporters in Asia during a video conference call from Washington.

“There is not a lot of room to manoeuvre on the macroeconomic side,” he warned.

Countries should “rebuild fiscal buffers because ... there’s going to be bad shocks down the road, which will require the use of fiscal policy,” he said.

Shetty also called on countries to continue with flexible exchange rates “to adjust to whatever shocks there are” and to push through with needed structural reforms.

East Asia and the Pacific under the World Bank covers China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Mongolia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and East Timor. l

IMF supports move to negative rates by some central banks n Reuters, Washington

The International Monetary Fund said yesterday that a move to negative rates by some of the world’s central banks would help deliver extra monetary stimulus and ease lending conditions.

Six of the world’s central banks have introduced negative rates, most notably the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank, and around a quarter of the world economy by output is now experiencing official rates that are less than zero.

They have achieved this by cutting deposit rates into negative territory, ranging from minus five basis points in Hungary to minus 125 basis points in Sweden - essentially

a “tax” on deposits.

“Although the experience with negative nominal interest rates is limited, we tentatively conclude that overall, they help deliver additional monetary stimulus and easier financial conditions, which support demand and price stability,” the IMF’s financial counselor and director of monetary and capital markets, Jose Vinals, wrote in a research paper.

The report was published ahead of next week’s International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington.

Negative interest rates were first adopted in Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland in a bid to halt currency appreciation against the euro and Hungary’s central bank has also joined the move. l

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18

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

OECD indicator flags easing growth in key economies n Reuters

UBS employees demonstrate how their eye movements are being tracked to provide feedback on the interface design of a banking application on a tablet computer at their innovation center Evolve in Singapore REUTERS

Tech start-ups snap at the heels of Asian private bankers n Reuters, Singapore Scanning a bank statement into a computer may not sound particularly high-tech, but it’s unsettling some of Asia’s private bankers.

By aggregating all the monthly statements mailed to high net worth individuals on the multiple accounts they hold at different institutions, Singapore start-up Mesitis offers clients a single window on their holdings.

“There’s a need for this,” says Pooja Gurbani, a Singaporean in her 30s who handles tens of millions of dollars of family money.

“It makes us see more, it makes us more intelligent investors.”

With 4.7 million high net worth individuals - typically those with $1mn in liquid financial assets Asia-Pacific is the largest and fastest growing wealth region, according to Cap Gemini and RBC. But its private banking industry is only slowly waking up to the demands of a new, tech-savvy generation of wealthy clients and family offices, creating opportunities for financial technology, or fintech, start-ups.

Gurbani said she was so impressed with the Mesitis service that she ditched her private banker

and even invested in the firm, one of a handful of start-ups across Asia looking to disrupt the traditional wealth management business.

For sure, sending statements to a third party and viewing holdings online won’t appeal to everyone, especially ultra high net worth individuals - those with at least $30 million of investable assets - and Mesitis says it is not regulated.

Digital integration

Feeding paper statements into a scanner may seem low-tech, but it gets around the lack of application programming interfaces (APIs) that many banks and financial institutions in the United States offer to allow third-party access to data.

That level of digital integration hasn’t taken off in Asia, prompting regulators such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to prod banks to do more.

“You don’t really have a choice because we’re already here,” Mesitis’ co-founder and CEO Tanmai Sharma told a recent banking event hosted by the MAS. “This is do-able and absurdly easy.”

Sharma’s company is now running trials at three private banks to integrate its software into their systems, but he says most of his firm’s busi-

ness is directly with banks’ clients.

Private banks are cautiously taking note. Clients in Asia are digitally tuned-in and the region’s billionaire wealth will overtake that of the US within a decade, a UBS study predicts. UBS, the world’s biggest wealth manager, is evaluating Mesitis’ Canopy service, Ketan Samani, chief digital officer at UBS Wealth Management APAC, told Reuters.

Indeed, UBS and others such as Standard Chartered are building their own fintech teams. Inside a colonial-era building that once served as the British military headquarters in Singapore, UBS is lab-testing new technologies to serve its wealthy clients in Asia. Credit Suisse has a mobile app tailored for its Asia-Pacific private banking clients.

Samani sees the main threat from so-called fintech disrupters in payments, lending and credit cards. “All those are under attack now. Non-traditional players have come in and the barriers have lowered to some degree,” he said.

But UBS and other private banks hope their core advisory business built around face-to-face meetings - will escape the onslaught.

“We are moving towards being paid for advice, with new products coming in regardless of the num-

ber of transactions the clients are making and so on,” said Geoffroy De Ridder, operating head for UBS Wealth Management in Asia Pacific.

Chipping away

Offering advice may not, however, be as safe as it looks.

So-called ‘robo-advisers’ automate wealth advisory roles, calling into question the value of traditional banker/client meetings, and potentially threatening an important source of bank income.

Some Asian bankers are dismissive. “They’re kind of just algorithms in the sky, they’re pretty dumb,” said Neal Cross, chief innovation officer for DBS, a Singapore bank which spends close to $700 million a year on technology. He was speaking in December.

Mesitis’ Sharma, a former managing director at Deutsche Bank, believes the opposite. He says start-ups will chip away at both businesses by aggregating customers’ data and offering smarter insights on their investments.

“Robo is a logical offshoot of the aggregation business we do,” said Sharma. “We have the data anyway, so using that data to make efficient investment portfolios is a logical next step.” l

Growth is seen easing off in major advanced economies, the OECD said yesterday, with the outlook continuing to deteriorate in the United States and Britain while the German economy is losing steam.

The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said its monthly leading economic indicator, a measure designed to flag turning points in the world economy, showed signs of stabilization in China, India and France.

“The CLIs (composite leading indicators) continue to point to easing growth in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan, with a similar outlook now expected in Germany and Italy,” it said in a statement.

“In India and France, growth momentum is stabilizing. Signs of growth stabilization are also emerging in China and Canada,” it said.

On an index where 100 represents the long-term average, the OECD said the reading for OECD countries as a whole edged down to 99.6 in February from 99.7 the month before.

The euro zone economy remained at 100.5 in its latest review of conditions, with the indicator for France stable at 100.9 while it dipped for Italy from 100.8 to 100.7.

The US reading edged lower, to 98.9 from 99, while the UK reading dipped to 99.1 from 99.2. Germany’s indicator dropped to 99.7 from 99.8.

China stood at 98.4, unchanged from the previous month. Brazil’s reading remained at 97.7 while Russia stabilized at 98.2. l

Global head of financial institutions of Standard Chartered Bank, Jeremy Amias has recently arrived in Dhaka for a short visit, said a press release.

He will be meeting with key clients and senior staff of the bank during his stay in Dhaka. Jeremy joined Standard Chartered Bank in March 2013 as its global head of investor client coverage

| exposure visit |

Exposure visit of BUFT NICHE project researchers to Sri Lanka

A project researchers team of 16 members from BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT) made an exposure visit to Sri Lanka from March 27 to April 3, 2016 as a part of the Netherlands Initiative for Capacity Development in Higher Education (NICHE) project.

The visit was organised by MDF Training & Consultancy which is implementing the project NICHE/BGD/199 with NUFFIC financing under titled “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Sexual & Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) and Innovative Leadership in the

Ready Made Garments (RMG) sector of Bangladesh.” The visit was planned to see how the Sri Lankan garment factories are implementing CSR policies successfully. The purpose of their visit was to provide an opportunity to observe and analyse the state-of- the-art practices in CSR/SRHR in a South Asian context and then to implement it in the RMG sector of Bangladesh.

The NICHE team members were Dr Swapan Kumar Saha, S M Akterujjaman, Faisal Bin Alam, Md Arafat Hossain, Farhana Jannat, Mallick Rakibul Hasan,

Md Ariful Islam, Summiya Sultana, Marjana Jahir, Md Maruf Sarker, Mohammad Mahbubul Haque, Sarmily Sarker, Anindya Chakraborty, Sumaiya Benta Nasir, and Syeda Helmi Afrah, Kamrun Nahar (project coordinator).

Other participants were Ineke Anne Pitts, branch director of MDF South Asia & Coordinator of the Project; Ahmad Sajid, project implementation specialist of Mott MacDonald and AKM Ahsanul Haque, director of research and training, CSR Bangladesh.l

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

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Workshop on teacher training at BOU

A three day long workshop on Bachelor of Education (B.ed) program for the coordinator and tutor’s of Bangladesh Open University commenced on April 11 at the seminar hall of the university.

Vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Open University Prof Dr M A Mannan inaugurated the

workshop as chief guest. “This workshop will enhance the quality of teachers in imparting knowledge. He also said that, “We should co-operate and help our learners in acquiring knowledge as they are the drop out learners of society.”

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Distance Learning & E-learning, Open and Distance Learning and Perspective, Quality assurance in B.Ed program, Teaching practice B.ed program:status, Problems of development strategies, Responsibilities of co-ordinator and tutor, Visiting e-learning centre and media centre and ODL quality assurance in BOU. Dean, School of Education Prof Sufia Begum presided over the opening ceremony. Prof Dr Khondoker Mokaddem Hossain, pro-vice chancellor, Prof Dr Md Abu Taher, treasurer and Dr Mohsinuddin, president BOUTA spoke as the special guests.

A total of 34 teachers who work as co-ordinators and tutors of B.ed program of the university under school of education took part in the workshop. l

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Package 1 at Tk4,500 (all inclusive) One night stay at deluxe double room, buffet lunch or dinner for two, breakfast, national newspaper and WiFi Package 2 at Tk2,700 (all inclusive) One night stay at deluxe single room, buffet lunch or dinner for one, breakfast, national newspaper and WiFi Regular lunch buffet Tk700 (all inclusive) Regular dinner buffet Tk800 (all inclusive) For more information, call 31-2527044, 031-2523598, 01676131123 and 01820-141995 or contact 3072, Sk Mujib road, Agrabad, Chittagong.l

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Downtime

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Curve (3) 3 Much ornamented (6) 8 Wicked giant (4) 9 Fresh (3) 10 Climax (6) 11 Disconcert (6) 14 Vegetables (5) 17 Allude (5) 20 Take as one’s own (6) 24 Dragnet (6) 26 Optic (3) 27 Desire with rivalry (4) 28 Oppose (6) 29 Amount (3)

DOWN 1 Partly open (4) 2 Young horse (4) 3 Spoken (4) 4 Drive back (5) 5 Projecting corner (5) 6 Golf mound (3) 7 Water pitchers (5) 12 Respectful fear (3) 13 Neckwear (3) 15 Self (3) 16 Outfit (3) 17 Added clause (5) 18 Runs away (5) 19 Storms (5) 21 Impression left by blow (4) 22 Discharges a debt (4) 23 Pretended (4) 25 Cereal (3)

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

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

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

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

INSIDE #PANAMAPAPERS LEAK

Revelation of secret offshore assets leave Nawaz Sharif in a jam All hail the almighty mouse!

Welcome to the gospel of Dinkan, the almighty mouse. The ultimate fighter. The saviour. The omnipotent supreme being.

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Boko Haram violence drives hunger in northern Cameroon Armed conflict between Boko Haram militants and Cameroon’s armed forces in the region has made it difficult for some farmers to access their fields, deepening food security.

n Tribune International Desk The scale of tax avoidance and money laundering revealed in the Panama Paper leaks run into the several hundreds of billions of dollars and contains the details and names of hundreds of powerful and influential people from across the world. The impact of these revelations is already visible: mass protests in Iceland have forced the country’s prime minister into resignation after disclosures about his offshore dealings became public through these leaks.

The names of over 200 Pakistanis, including the incumbent prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, have also figured in these leaks.

Allegations of tax evasion, fraud, and money laundering have marred Sharif’s political career since the beginning. The Independent in 1998 published a piece which stated, “The investigation into Mr Sharif and his family was originally commissioned in 1993 by an interim government, after Mr Sharif’s dismissal as prime minister, which asked the agency to investigate 13 separate allegations of corruption and money laundering through overseas bank accounts.”

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Nawaz Sharif

Fiery battle between Mamata, Anandabazar Group as West Bengal polls heat up In West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has decided to bring in the Ananda Bazar Patrika group, the state’s most influential media house, into the fray.

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AFP

According to these leaks, Sharif’s close family has made millions of dollars of investments in a number of offshore companies.

Just hours after these revelations, Sharif addressed the nation and promised appropriate review while denying that any of his family members were involved in any kind of corruption.

Even after coming to power with a heavy mandate, Sharif has not been able to rule successfully. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Isnaaf (PTI) party’s four-month long protests in Islamabad in 2014, which ended only after the military’s intervention as a mediator, took away any semblance of civilian

Supporters of Pakistani cricketer-turned-opposition leader Imran Khan chant slogans against Prime Minister Nawaz Shairf during a protest in Lahore on April 6, after his family were implicated in the Panama Papers revelations. Sharif has announced the formation of a commission to investigate allegations AFP supremacy over the army. A few weeks ago, the former military chief, Pervez Musharraf, who was put on an historic trial for treason

by Sharif, silently left the country.

For the prime minister, the timing of these allegations could not have been worse. The PTI again has promised to launch another wave of protests against the federal government if it fails to form an independent commission to prosecute the allegations made in Panama Papers leak. Meanwhile, the army has unilaterally launched a military operation in Punjab without even asking for consent from the provincial government, which is run by the prime minister’s younger brother, Shahbaz Sharif.

According to observers, the prime minister has proved to be an ordinary politician-- one who has has neither courage nor the political will to provide leadership to the country.

“Nawaz Sharif has frittered away his opportunities. He has proved to be a hopelessly incompetent leader, neither strong enough to initiate badly needed reforms nor sophisticated enough to deal with the country’s welloiled military machine,” said Ahmad Rashid, a Lahore-based political analyst.

For the most part, Sharif’s third

The reach of the Panama Papers

Some countries have been hit harder than others Ukraine Iceland

Russia

China

Degree of implications Argentina

tenure as prime minister has been marred by allegations of mass corruption. Moreover, Sharif has been soft on extremists. Consequently, the leadership space left by the prime minister has been filled by the chief of army staff, General Raheel Sharif, who has been tough on extremism. While the military chief ordered the execution of Mumtaz Qadri, who in 2011 murdered Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, the federal government a week ago could not clear the capital of a handful of protesters celebrating Qadri. Instead, the government gave in to many of their demands related to Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws. One of

Low

High Source: stratfor.com

the demands which the government agreed to was the execution of Asia Bibi, whose case is pending in the courts in a blasphemy-related offence.

These revelations, regardless of their merit, will further limit the prime minister’s say in matters related to national security and foreign policy. For the remaining two years of his tenure, Nawaz Sharif is likely to serve as a ceremonial head of government, with actual power residing in the hands of the military and opposition parties. l

[This is an excerpt of a The Diplomat article, which can be found at http:// bit.ly/1XqNjKT]

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All hail the almighty mouse! n Tribune International Desk In the beginning was the Rodent, and the world was with him, and the world was him!

Welcome to the gospel of Dinkan, the almighty mouse. The ultimate fighter. The saviour. The omnipotent supreme being.

Dinkoism, the religion that worships Dinkan the Mouse, is now making waves across the Indian social media sphere, inspiring awe, amusement and agitation — though not necessarily in that order. This is not a run-of-the-mill organised religion.

As a follower, aka Dinkoist, says, it is perhaps the only religion in the country that elicits fun in the faithful and fear among the rest.

It is a spoof religion. There are already a dozen dedicated Facebook pages and several Twitter handles. One of the pages boasts nearly 50,000 followers spread across the globe. And the number is soaring, thanks to ‘devotees’, including atheists, agnostics and liberal believers who see Dinkoism as a critique of traditional religions. Clearly, the spectre of the red cape-clad rodent is haunting many for the right reasons.

Who is Dinkan?

To the uninitiated, Dinkan, before being anointed the Supreme Being, was a comic superhero immensely popular among children in Kerala during the 1980s and 1990s. The Dinkan stories — similar to those featuring the Mighty Mouse in the US from the 1940s to the 1960s — were serialised in the children’s magazine Balamangalam (now Holy Balamangalam to Dinkoists), owned by the Kottayam-based Mangalam Publications. “It was a sensational hit during those times,” recalls N Somasekharan, who created the cute gnawer in 1983. The comic was drawn by artist Baby.

Somasekharan and Baby set Dinkan’s story in the fictional Pankila forest — the holy land for Dinkoists — where animals in distress get instant help from their saviour mouse with magical powers.

A boy shows his ‘Dinkoist’ T-shirt during a gathering of the movement followers at Kerala’s Mananchira COURTESY-- NEWSINDIANEXPRESS.COM “I was an atheist in those days,” says Somasekharan, whose creation ended up becoming an atheist mascot. “But I soon got influenced by the writings of Swami Vivekananda.” He now divides his time between spiritual activities and charity work. Balamangalam shut shop in October 2012, leaving Dinkan — which had already been picked up by social media and bloggers — as a counter-god to lampoon established deities.

“The fun is that there is no process. Everyone is welcome to Dinkoism. There is no authority. No certificate is issued,” says 23-year-old Jithin Mohandas, a blogger and atheist based in Chengannur, south Kerala, who actively campaigns for Dinkoism. Perhaps it is the world’s first crowdsourced religion in the real sense of the word.

There is no question of conversion. And by being a counter-religion rooted in agnostic traditions, Dinkoism goes a step above atheism as well,” quips a Dinkoist who teaches journalism at a north Kerala college.

To the ‘devotees’, Dinkan is farcically serious business — humour, said Groucho Marx, is reason gone mad. “Dinkan is the ultimate answer, and we will never let anyone pooh-pooh our lord,” says a Dinkoist who works with an IT consultancy firm in Bengaluru. “The public at large should understand that, like the faithful of other religions that spread terror and chaos across the globe, we too get offended if our Lord is belittled

dred parody religions across the world. These facilitate a lighter, more creative atmosphere while raising serious social and philosophical questions on religion and debunk the absurdities of religious faith. “It is a welcome strategy,” feels Edamaruku.

A new wave

The almighty Dinkan

COURTESY-QZ.COM

or denigrated,” he mocks. “But violence is not our way. Lord Dinkan does not endorse violent ways to defend Dinkoism.”

Mocking in style

Dinkoists have made hilarious copies of practices from most religions. Apart from the holy book Balamangalam, they reverently call tapioca (kappa), the favourite food of the Rodent God, the holy root, and try to propagate the religion whenever they get a chance. In fact, their (mock) protests against Professor Dinkan, a Malayalam film starring popular hero Dileep, helped the religion hog the headlines in January this year.

Claiming their ‘sentiments’ were hurt as the film was named after their Lord, a group called Mooshika Sena (the Rat’s Army) marched to Dhe Puttu, a restaurant in Kochi which serves the classical Kerala breakfast of steam cake, owned by Dileep. “At the end of their protest, the agitators marked their concerns by eating lavishly from the restaurant,” guffaws Mohandas.

On February 28, Dinkoists held a faith healing camp in Kochi at which several ‘devotees’ who ‘complained’ of myriad ailments were “healed” by Dinkoist ‘evangelists’, sparking off protests from several religious groups, especially Christians.

They took on the Dinkoists on social media earnestly, only to be countered by fans of the spoof religion, who said the event acted as a mirror to their beliefs and practices.

In March, the parody religion made headlines again when Dinkoists held a ‘Grand Gathering of Dinkoists’ at the Mananchira Square at Kozhikode in north Kerala. The event was attended by a decent crowd of academics, writers, bloggers, professionals and journalists. The gathering was criticised by hardline Muslims and Hindus alike. While Muslim groups raised objections to the ‘Stoning the Jackfruit’ ceremony at the event (an obvious parody of the Stoning of the Devil during Hajj), several Hindu believers took offence to the depiction of a mouse as god, which they felt was a mockery of the likes of Hanuman and Lord Ganesha.

“We must look at Dinkoism from a global perspective,” says Dr C Viswanathan, a Kozhikode-based orthopaedic surgeon and atheist scholar. Globally, new atheism has given rationalist movements a fillip thanks to the works and activities of the likes of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and Daniel Donnet. Now science-based living, reasoning and rational thoughts enjoy unprecedented acceptance globally, he notes. Dinkoism has its roots in the new discourse on religion that came up after 9/11, says Viswanathan, adding that the attacks did to religion what the atomic attack on Japan did to nuclear weapons. It changed the discourse dramatically.

“Religious extremism became part of the popular discourse.

Critique of religious extremism is seen as critiquing religion itself. Most thinking people have realised how dangerous the idea of religion can be.”

That’s where Dinkoism becomes relevant, in exposing the fallacies of religion, explains Shiju Joseph, psychologist and social commentator in Thiruvananthapuram. When a Dinkoist quotes his holy book, even “citing” the line and paragraph, it puts a believer in a quandary, forcing him to re-examine his fascination towards holy literature, he notes.

According to him, Dinkan delivers a double whammy to believers of established religions. First off, it makes them squirm at the thought of Dinkoists imitating (mockingly) practices they have revered. Second, Joseph explains, they realise that Dinkan is a better God as he calls for eternal pacifism and compassion (Dinkoism “says” the herd should never make conversions a mission and never discourage those who leave the clan, instead love them even more so that they will regret and return.)

Spoof, according to Joseph, is a simple, light-weight yet powerful mode of communication. “To put it simply, the human brain always looks for simpler efforts to explain and understand things to save its energy.” Also, the fact that Dinkan is a very childish hero makes his selection even more important. “Sigmund Freud said religion is comparable to a childhood neurosis,” says Joseph. “So Dinkan, the kid-comic hero helps express the very idea that religion is an expression of illogical childhood fantasies.”

Hitting the bullseye

Dinkoism turns the ‘burden of proof’ concept on its head, says 23-year-old Mohandas. He and an army of dedicated non-believers and liberals defend Dinkoism on social media forums such as the Free Thinkers Group, where intense verbal battles are fought around religious beliefs. “Usually when someone says he believes in God, it is his responsibility to prove the existence of God,” he says. “But in our society the burden of proof lies with the others to prove that God doesn’t exist.” The theory of Dinkan dramatically reverses this idea to expose the fallacy in such arguments. So, what is the difference between Ganesha and Dinkan? asks Mohandas. “Both are Gods.

Dinkan, of course, arrived on the scene late, even though he ‘existed’ several million years before Ganesha did,” he beams.

It seems the strategy is working. “Dinkoism shows me how hollow and ridiculous some of my religious practices are,” says a 34-year-old executive from Thrissur who works with an multi-national organisation in Abu Dhabi. A practising Hindu, she says: “For instance, I had never seen Lord Ganesha as an impossibility. But Dinkoism makes you see how ridiculous the concept of a God with an elephant’s head and a human body is.” She says a spoof religion is, perhaps, “the need of the hour.”

Says Sanal Edamaruku, editor of the internet publication Rationalist International, who now lives in exile in Finland, “To expose the absurdities of religion, polemic and humour are effective weapons.” He points out that there are more than a hun-

Supporters of Dinkan are on a war footing to promote it as the icon of a new satirical religion. The idea is to get the better of fanatics, communal elements. A graffiti that appeared in Kerala heralds a convention of the group COURTESY- THEHINDUBUSINESSLINE.COM Getting serious?

But some fear that at least a few followers of Dinkoism take it too seriously, ignoring its progressively parodic character.

There are chances that this could become just another religion, given the way some people are promoting it, cautions an IT executive from Bangalore who calls himself a Dinkan sceptic.

Edamaruku says one should be careful lest the gullible section of the society takes the humour seriously and starts believing it. In the US, some parody religions have serious followers who believe that these jokes are spiritually significant. l

[This is an excerpt of a Business Live article, which can be found at http://bit.ly/1qmuoWT]

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INSIGHT

SOUTH ASIA

Boko Haram violence drives hunger in northern Cameroon Reuters n Thomson Foundation, Yaounde Harvesting a crop in Cameroon’s far north region is becoming an increasingly uncertain proposition.

Armed conflict between Boko Haram militants and Cameroon’s armed forces in the region has made it difficult for some farmers to access their fields, deepening food security, said Felix Gomez, the World Food Programme’s country director.

At the same time, the region is hosting 75,000 Nigerians who have fled that country’s Boko Haram insurgency and 82,000 internally displaced people affected by the spillover of the conflict to Cameroon since 2013, officials say.

That has helped feed a food deficit in the region of 132,000 tonnes, according to a government assessment issued last June.

A member of a civilian vigilante group carries a bow and arrow while running on patrol with the Cameroonian military, tackling Boko Haram insurgency in Kerawa, Cameroon on March 16 REUTERS “Gomez, of the WFP, said at least 200,000 people in Cameroon’s far north face acute food insecurity in 2016. Altogether 1.4m people in the region - about

a third of the population - are estimated to face some level of food insecurity, he said.

To help combat hunger, WFP is providing food and monthly cash

to some people, and distributing agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilisers in collaboration with the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation to help farmers prepare for the coming planting season.

But some farmers fear they may not have access to their farmlands due to insecurity emanating from the Boko Haram insurgency in the region.

Denise Brown, WFP’s regional director for West and Central Africa said in February that more than 5.6m people in areas affected

by Boko Haram violence in Nigeria Cameroon, Chad and Niger are facing hunger this year.

Gomez said WFP has been helping Boko Haram refugees and their host communities in Cameroon’s Far North since June 2013, and intends to scale up its assistance this year due to increasing demand. l

INSIGHT

Fiery battle between Mamata, Anandabazar Group as West Bengal polls heat up n Tribune International Desk There is no better outlet for the Indian penchant for conflict voyeurism than elections. The sight of the most powerful people in the land descending to catfights and petty squables is a widely-watched spectacle. In most parts of the country, the people slugging it out are politicians, but in West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has decided to bring in the Ananda Bazar Patrika group, the state’s most influential media house, into the fray as well.

Last week, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tore into the ABP at a rally in Durgapur calling it the “most destructive element in Bengal”. While the Trinamool has been attacking the ABP group in public for the past year, the intensity of the attack from a person no less than the CM is notable.

During her speech, Mamata made a bewildering array of allegations: she accused ABP and its editor-in-chief Aveek Sarkar of leading to the CPI(M)’s downfall, supporting the ruling BJP, propping up the current CPI(M)-Congress alliance and generally “spreading slander against Bengal”.

“Go tell ABP that they are the

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World

most destructive element in Bengal. They are conspiring against us because they asked me to forcefully acquire land from farmers.

They wanted me to remove urban land ceiling. I cannot do that.

Aveek Sarkar tells me that whatever I serve the people, they will be forced to eat that.”

“This is on record. They wanted to control the government.

Jyoti Babu [former CPI(M) CM of Bengal] never cared about them, so he never failed; but Buddhadeb Babu [previous CM from CPI (M)], under their influence, gave them Singur which led to his fall.”

Battle of the titans

No state in India is as dominated by a single media house as West Bengal is by the ABP group.

ABP runs the state’s largest Bengali newspaper (Anandabazar Patrika), largest English newspaper (The Telegraph) and mostwatched Bengali news channel (ABP Ananda). Not only does this domination extend to numbers but it also encompasses prestige.

The TMC and ABP have been sparring with each other since 2012. Banerjee has publicly spoken against ABP Ananda in particular, even advising her voters not to watch it. Even before this

Pakistan bans protests in Islamabad Pakistan has announced a ban on demonstrations in the capital after recent rallies by Islamist extremists turned violent and led to the destruction of property. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced the ban at a news conference Monday, saying it will not extend to other parts of the country.

-REUTERS

INDIA

9 electrocuted after falling wire in India 9 people were killed and 16 seriously injured Monday after an electricity wire snapped and fell on a mob protesting outside Tinsukia district police station in northeast India’s Assam state to get hold of and punish 5 men arrested on murder charges earlier this month.

Police fired in the air to disperse the crowd and local media reported that the overhead electricity wire snapped after it was hit by a stray police bullet.

-AFP

CHINA

Taiwan accuses China of kidnapping 8 of its nationals Taiwan accused China Monday of kidnapping 8 Taiwanese who had been cleared of criminal charges by a court in Kenya. The alleged abduction - described by Taiwan’s foreign ministry as illegal and uncivilised. Kenyan authorities in November 2014 arrested 28 Taiwanese along with 49 other ethnic Chinese on charges of illegally entering the African state.

-AFP

ASIA PACIFIC

Cambodian opposition MP arrested over fake map on Facebook

The West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee files her nomination for the ongoing state legislative assembly elections in Kolkata on Friday AFP open war of words, in 2012 the Mamata Banerjee government had banned the Anandabazar Patrika from all pubic libraries in the state.

Ups and downs

Things weren’t always this bad.

In the 2011, the ABP group was widely seen to have supported the Trinamool’s bid to end the Left’s 34-year rule. In 2011, Banerjee was even proclaimed to be the Serar Sera Bangali (the greatest amongst the great Bengalis) by the ABP. But there was more award politics to come: in 2014, Mira Pande was awarded a Sera Bangali, Great Bengali award for services in public life by the ABP Group. Pande

was the state election commissioner for West Bengal when she had a bitter confrontation with the TMC over the 2013 panchayat election dates, with the TMC at the time accusing her of favouring the Communists. There seemed to be a thaw as late as August, 2015, when Banerjee attended the ABP Sera Bangali awards for the first time after 2011. But whatever warmth there was, between West Bengal’s government and its largest media house, has clearly evaporated as the 2016 Assembly elections approach. l

[This is an excerpt of a Scroll.in article, which can be found at http://bit. ly/1qJRJlZ]

A Cambodian opposition member of parliament has been arrested for posting a map on Facebook professing to show that the government had ceded territory to Vietnam to whip up opposition, a government spokesman said on Monday. Um Sam An, a member of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party was arrested on Sunday after arriving from overseas.

-REUTERS

MIDDLE EAST

Precarious truce starts in Yemen A UN-brokered ceasefire was taking hold in Yemen on Monday despite sporadic clashes, raising hopes that peace talks due next week may finally resolve the country’s devastating conflict. Forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, the Shia Huthi rebels who drove his government out of the capital, and the Saudi-led coalition all pledged to honour the truce after it took effect at midnight on Sunday.

-REUTERS

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USA

Obama calls Libya his worst mistake Barack Obama says the biggest mistake of his presidency was the lack of planning for the aftermath of the fall of late Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, with the country spiraling into chaos and grappling with violent extremists. Last month, Obama made a searing critique of British Prime Minister David Cameron and former French leader Nicolas Sarkozy for their roles in the bombing campaign they led in Libya. -AFP

THE AMERICAS

Ex-dictator’s daughter leads Peru 1st-round vote Keiko Fujimori, daughter of an ex-president jailed for massacres, topped the vote Sunday in elections that will make her Peru’s first female leader if she wins a runoff, partial results showed. Fujimori was on top with 38% of votes in line with earlier exit polls, with one fifth of votes counted. In second place came her centrist rival Pedro Pablo Kuczynski on 24.5%.

-AFP

UK

Tata Steel sells UK Scunthorpe plant India’s Tata Steel agreed to sell part of its British business to investment firm Greybull Capital on Monday, preventing thousands of job losses, and freeing it up to focus on the sale of its other big plant, in Wales.

Greybull said it was arranging a £400m investment and financing package for the Scunthorpe business, as part of a deal which included agreement with suppliers and trade unions on resetting the business’s cost base.

-REUTERS

EUROPE

Germany suggests plan to combat tax havens German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble gave details of a plan on Sunday to combat tax havens including creating an international network of registers that list the actual owners of companies. Schaeuble said if company registers listing the owners of firms were networked internationally, it would be possible to find all the people hiding behind offshore companies.

-REUTERS

AFRICA

Somalia executes former al-Shabaab spokesman A former media officer for the alShabaab was publicly executed by a government firing squad on Monday for ordering the death of six journalists, court officials said. Hassan Hanafi, who arranged news conferences for the al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group when the militants controlled the capital Mogadishu, admitted during his trial to personally killing one journalist in Somalia.

-REUTERS

EXPLAINER

Delegates could change GOP rules to oust Donald Trump n Tribune International Desk Forty-two rules govern the Republican Party and how it picks a presidential candidate. Yet with the nomination potentially being decided at July’s party convention, one reality prevails: Delegates can change their procedures to help or hurt any candidate. Front-runner Donald Trump has 743 of the 1,237 delegates needed to leave the Republican gathering as the nominee. That’s less than 200 better than his closest competitor, Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Yet many top Republicans view Trump as a certain loser in the November general election who could cost them congressional seats, and some have similar concerns about the conservative Cruz.

A look at the rules governing the contest, and how they could be rewritten to affect the nomination--

As it stands

The Republican rules describe how delegates are divided among the 56 states and territories, who gets into the convention hall, who can be nominated, how votes are cast and how disputes are resolved. These bylaws are temporary. This year’s convention will be governed by whichever rules the delegates approve by majority vote when their four-day gathering begins July 18. The Republi-

Canada province declares emergency over rapid increase in suicide attempts International n Tribune Desk

Authorities of a Canadian indigenous community have declared a state of emergency after 11 people attempted to commit suicide in a single day. The attempts were made on Saturday night, the Attawapiskat First Nation community’s chief Bruce Shisheesh confirmed. The community in Ontario saw 28 suicide attempts in March and a total of 101 since last September, Canadian media said, with one person reported to have died. The youngest was 11, the oldest 71. l

can National Committee is already working on rules to present to the convention. But the convention delegates — initially a 112-member rules committee, then all 2,472 of them — will have final say. Usually, each convention renews the rules with minor changes. They generally reflect the interests of the presumptive presidential nominee.

elected to represent, they don’t have to back that contender’s preferred rules package. The candidates personally select only about a quarter of the delegates, leaving many who might secretly prefer a different contender. Campaigns are aggressively recruiting supporters to become delegates.

No clear nominee?

Currently, candidates are nominated by submitting petitions showing support by most delegates from eight states and territories. That rule could be weakened to allow more competition. For now, Trump and Cruz appear likely to be the only candidates capable of collecting majority support from eight states. If no one gets a majority of delegates on the first ballot, things could quickly sour for Trump. While various state laws and rules “bind” around 9 in 10 delegates to vote for their candidate in the first round, about 7 in 10 are allowed to support whoever they want on the second ballot, with even more freed up later.

This year, there may not be a presumptive nominee as the convention begins. It’s possible that this gathering will be the Republicans’ first since 1976 that will be competitive, with no candidate coming in with a majority of delegates.

Candidates’ campaigns would compete for support for rules advantageous to them. Trump and Cruz could have enough delegates combined to form an alliance for rules that would make it all but impossible for a third rival to emerge. On the other hand, Republicans looking to block the two could seek support for rules making it easier for someone like House Speaker Paul Ryan, who has expressed disinterest, to become the nominee.

The current delegate count stands at Trump 743, Cruz 545, and Ohio Governor John Kasich 143. Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who suspended his campaign, has 171 delegates.

Hidden hazard

While most delegates must initially vote for the nominee they’re

To be nominated

Other potential changes

There could be efforts toÜ Let former contenders like Rubio assign their delegates to a remaining candidate, a practice that now varies by state. Ü Allow delegates bound to specified candidates to sign nominating petitions for others. Ü Permit new presidential nominations if no one wins on the

DELEGATE TALLY Where the major GOP presidential candidates stand in the race for their party’s nomination: 1,237 to win Donald Trump 743 Ted Cruz 545 John Kasich 143 Data as of April 10.

first ballot. Currently, voting continues until a winner emerges.

Nightmare scenario

Television viewers could end up watching battles on the convention floor over contested delegates, rules and the party platform before they even get to nominations. Or they could see bored delegates killing time as deals are cut backstage, instead of speeches and choreographed displays of unity aimed at motivating voters.

“The single worst thing that can happen for Republicans is they reach Thursday and don’t have a nominee,” said Randy Evans, a Republican National Committee member and convention delegate from Georgia. That might mean delegates leaving and the convention having to halt and reconvene later. That would be a damaging and time-consuming process. l

Source: AP

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INSIDE

Top 5 uncapped players in DPL After a long wait, finally the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) 2015-16 season is going to start from April 22 in different venues across the country. Dhaka Tribune eyes on the top five uncapped Bangladeshi cricketers who can surprise many. PAGE 26

History beckons for City against PSG Manchester City look to take an important step in their transformation into one of the world’s leading clubs on today by reaching the UCL semi-finals for the first time. To do so City need a win or a 0-0 or 1-1 draw at home to PSG after holding the Ligue 1 champions 2-2 last week. PAGE 27

Real Madrid's Gareth Bale (CL) and Mateo Kovacic fight for the ball during training at Valdebebas football grounds, Madrid, Spain on the eve of their Uefa Champions League match against VfL Wolfsburg REUTERS

Real prepare for war with Wolfsburg n Reuters, Barcelona

United still ahead of Spurs, says Van Gaal Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal said that he had no regrets about not taking the Tottenham Hotspur job after the London club damaged his side’s Champions League qualification hopes. PAGE 28

Messi remains top paid footballer Argentina and Barcelona star Lionel Messi remains the world’s highest paid footballer with an annual income of 74 million euros ($84.3 million, £59.3 million), according to a report set to appear in Tuesday’s edition of France Football magazine. PAGE 29

Real Madrid are determined to create an intimidating atmosphere for visitors VfL Wolfsburg as they try to overturn a two-goal deficit in Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

“Tuesday will be like a war, with 80,000 spectators; we are going to try and walk all over Wolfsburg,” said defender Carvajal.

“We’re going to play to the death and with 80,000 souls behind us we will do it,” added winger Lucas Vazquez.

Forward Cristiano Ronaldo told the club website “We need to have cold hearts and play with patience and know how to suffer. Getting through is our big objective, it’s the only thing that will let the players and fans leave the stadium happy.”

Madrid are third in La Liga and enjoyed a 4-0 win over Eibar on Saturday to close the gap with leaders Barcelona to four points, lifting their confidence after the shock 2-0 defeat at Wolfsburg last Wednesday. The German side are eighth in the Bundesliga and were held 1-1 by Mainz on Saturday.

Coach Dieter Hecking made four changes from the team that beat Madrid and was without Julian

Draxler, the outstanding player last week, through suspension.

Real, 10-times European champions, have a history littered with great comebacks at the Bernabeu, beginning with a 5-1 win over Derby

is a very long time”.

Madrid also staged successful second-leg comebacks against Celtic, Anderlecht, Red Star Belgrade and Borussia Moenchengladbach but their reputation as

WHAT MANAGERS SAY Zinedine Zidane: “We’ll have to increase our level – we are fully aware that we are two goals behind, and we know we’ll play a complicated game. But I’d like to say that we are able to achieve anything. During the season we were not always at our best, but we are also able to achieve great things. What we need to do first is get some rest – we’ll prepare on Monday, and we do not have much time to do so. We are not going to work much but will choose the team and the strategy that is best against Wolfsburg. There is not too much to consider – we just need to be focused.”

Dieter Hecking: “We wanted to get on Real’s nerves; we fought, worked hard, and had the luck and the support to achieve a deserved win. We are in a good position now but we also know what will happen in Madrid. Now we need a brave performance in Madrid to achieve what nobody thought we could do. I want to go to the semi-finals.”

County in the 1975 European Cup after they had lost 4-1 in England.

Madrid beat Inter Milan 3-0 to reach the final of the 1985 UEFA Cup after losing the semi-final first leg 2-0, when midfielder Juanito famously warned Inter: “Ninety minutes in the Bernabeu

miracle workers is waning and they last overturned a deficit in 2002 when they beat Bayern Munich 2-0 at the Bernabeu in a quarter-final second leg on their way to winning the trophy.

Since then, Madrid have lost eight first-leg games in the Cham-

pions League knockout stages and failed to progress every time, exiting last season’s tournament to Juventus 3-2 on aggregate and managing only a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 semi-finals after losing the first leg 4-1. Yet Madrid’s self belief remains strong.

“We’re going to turn it around because everyone who comes to the stadium and follows us deserves it, our badge deserves it and we work all year for those big nights,” said defender Nacho.

“Real Madrid’s history was written on nights like these and I hope we can do it again on Tuesday,” added director and former striker Butragueno, who played in the famous comebacks against Inter, Anderlecht and Gladbach.

Wolfsburg, though, are equally determined. “On Tuesday we’ll be at 100 million percent, we’re going to run as if our lives depended on it,” forward Andre Schurrle told German news agency DPA. “Since we beat Real Madrid the entire city has been talking about that game and the second leg. It won’t be easy.”

Madrid striker Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane were injured against Eibar but trained on Sunday and are expected to return to face Wolfsburg. l

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DHAKA PREMIER LEAGUE 2015-16

TOP 5 UNCAPPED PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR

n Mazhar Uddin After a long wait, finally the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) 2015-16 season is going to start from April 22 in different venues across the country. The lone fifty over domestic competition of Bangladesh has been the biggest platform for the local cricketers to showcase their talent. And the upcoming DPL will once again see many young and aspiring cricketers who are going to play important roles for their respective clubs. Dhaka Tribune eyes on the top five uncapped Bangladeshi cricketers who can surprise many with their exceptional performance in this season.

MEHEDI MARUF (PRIME BANK)

Chittagong Abahani captain Zahid Hossain (R) runs with a ball during their Independence Cup match against Uttar Baridhara at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Ctg Abahani, Russel keep winning n

Tribune Report

The new powerhouse Chittagong Abahani registered their second victory in the KFC Independence Cup beating 10-man Uttar Baridhara 2-1 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Pacy winger Zahid Hossain scored one and assisted the other for Haitian forward Fabrice Noel to put the Chittagong outfits second in the Group A points table with six points from two matches. Uttar Baridhara are yet to earn a point playing four matches.

Uttar Baridhara reduced to ten men with only 12 minutes into the clock when their Nigerian midfielder Kosoko Olasukanmi was shown straight red card for using abusive language toward referee Jalaluddin.

Receiving a pass from Haitian forward Fabrice Noel in the 35th minute, Zahid broke inside the

Sunrisers Hyderabad speedsters Mustafizur Rahman and Trent Boult arrive in Bangalore yesterday prior to their IPL match again Royal Challengers

penalty area to take a weak shot that made a little trouble for Uttar Baridhara keeper Razib. Razib made another decent save at the stroke of the first half to deny a brilliant effort of Fabrice Noel’s bicycle kick following a precise cross of Tarik El Janaby from the right flank.

Zahid Hossain gave the port city club the deserved lead four minutes into the second half. Zahid collected Sylla Mohamed’s header clearance at the right of the box and sneaked the ball into far post from a difficult angle a yard away from end line.

Fabrice Noel doubled the lead in the 67th minute slotting home past Razib after Zahid slid the ball onto the path of the Haitian in the middle of the box.

Zahid created another great opportunity for Janaby minutes later when his pin-pointed cross ended up Janaby heading inches wide.

Khalekuzzaman Sabuj pulled

one back one minute before the stipulated time when he collected a pass from Rasel, then drifted past two defenders before smashing home past Chittagong keeper Ashraful Rana.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Russel moved five-point clear at the top of Group B after beating Rahmatganj MFS 2-1 to earn their third straight victory at the same venue yesterday.

Ethiopian striker Teferra carried on his fine form by putting Russel ahead in the 5th minute with a glancing header following a lovely cross by Atiqur Rahman Meshu.

Paul Emile doubled the lead at the quarter hour mark. Following a cross of Jahid Hasan Ameli from right flank the Cameroonian forward received the ball, turned around and placed home.

Syed Rashed Turzo came off the bench to reduce the margin for Rahmatganj in the 85th minute tapping home in a cross of Sohel.l

A hard hitting top order batsman who also opens the innings in occession has been instrumental in the previous season for Prime Bank Cricket Club to clinch the title of the Dhaka Premier League. The right-hander scored 577 runs in sixteen games at an average of 38.46 where he smashed back to back centuries and no doubt that Prime Bank retained their most successful performer for this season as well. A regular feature in all the age-level national side, Mehedi is also one of the brightest prospects for the national side.

SUBASHIS ROY (MOHAMMEDAN)

Genuine right arm fast bowler Subashis Roy has all the qualities to test a batsman with his sheer pace and bounce.

The 27-year-old was amongst the top-ten wickets-takers in the previous season with 21 scalps in 14 matches for Abahani Limited. And the Rajshahi lad is roped in by the arch-rivals Mohammedan Sporting club in the players draft this season and will surely play a vital role with the new ball.

SUNZAMUL ISLAM (PRIME DOLESHWAR)

A consistent performer in the domestic circuit for some-time now, left arm spinner Sunzamul Islam will once again expected to play a key role in the spin bowling department for Prime Doleshwar after he was retained by the club in the players draft. The 26 year old bagged 21 wickets in sixteen games for Doleshwar in the previous season so far picked up 62 wickets in 44 list A matches has the ability to give crucial breakthrough with the ball.

MEHEDI HASAN MIRAZ (KALABAGAN CA)

After a magnificent display with both bat and ball, man of the series of the recently concluded ICC Under-19 World Cup Bangladesh captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz will be looking to continue his brilliance in the prestigious domestic fifty over competition for his club Kalabagan Cricket Academy this season. All eyes will be on Miraz as the 18-year-old has been rated as one of the biggest prospects of Bangladesh cricket and the all-rounder proved his worth after he scored 251 runs and picked up 17 wickets for Kalabagan CA last season.

TASAMUL HAQUE (KALABAGAN KC)

Stylish right-hand middle-order batsman Tasamul Haque has the ability to play well under pressure also knows how to pace his innings in different situations.

The 24-year-old has been part of all the national age groups, also proved his quality in the domestic circuit. Tasamul scored 297 runs in thirteen games including a fifty for Kalabagan Krira Chakra will once again play an important role for his club in the 2015-16 season.

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QUICK BYTES Dipu, Prity win Runner Open Tennis titles Dipu Lal and Afrana Islam Prity became the champions in the men’s and women’s event in the Independence Day Runner Open Tennis Tournament winning their respective final at the National Tennis Complex in Ramna yesterday. Dipu of Nordic Club defeated top-seed Amal Roy of Engineers Recreation Centre by 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to clinch men’s title while Prity of BKSP outplayed her compatriot Popy Akter 6-3, 6-4 to wear women’s crown. Dipu Lal also won men’s doubles title as he and Anowar Hossain pair beat Mahmudul Haq and Hasibul Haque duo by 7-6, 3-6, 10-8 in the final. Ishita and Joya won women’s doubles title beating Prity and Luxmi pair 6-4, 6-4 set.

TRIBUNE REPORT

Willett captures Masters after stunning Spieth collapse England’s Danny Willett was the shock winner of the 80th Masters on Sunday thanks to a bogey-free final round and an epic back-nine collapse by defending champion Jordan Spieth. Willett fired a five-under par 67 for a three-shot victory that brought the 28-yearold Englishman the green jacket symbolic of victory at Augusta National as well as a $1.8 million top prize from the $10 million purse.

History beckons for City against PSG n Reuters, London Manchester City look to take an important step in their transformation into one of the world’s leading clubs on Tuesday by reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time.

To do so England’s last survivors need a win or a 0-0 or 1-1 draw at home to Paris St Germain after holding the Ligue 1 champions 2-2 at the Stade de France last week.

For three successive seasons since first qualifying for Europe’s premier club competition, City were frustrated in their attempts to make significant progress.

They failed to come out of the group stage in 2012-13 and then lost in the last 16 in the following two years.

This time City won Group D ahead of Juventus before knocking out Dinamo Kiev 3-1 on aggregate.

Goals by Kevin de Bruyne and Fernandinho in Paris mean that Manuel Pellegrini’s men have an excellent chance of qualifying for the last four.

Their hopes were boosted when

n Reuters, Milan

Stephens beats Vesnina in final American seventh seed Sloane Stephens captured her third title of 2016 by defeating Russian qualifier Elena Vesnina 7-6(4) 6-2 in the final of the Volvo Car Open clay court event in South Carolina on Sunday. The 23-year-old American raced out to a 5-2 lead before Vesnina used a slew of winners to win four consecutive games before moving within one point of winning the opening set.

Stephens, however, held her nerve producing some of her best tennis in the tiebreak before cruising through the second set.

REUTERS

Mick Schumacher, the 17-year-old son of stricken Formula One legend Michael Schumacher, won two races on his Italian Formula 4 debut at Misano on Saturday. Racing for the Prema Powerteam, the teenager won the first event from second on the grid and then swept to victory in the second round despite torrential rain.

AFP

coach Pellegrini said leading scorer Sergio Aguero would be fit despite limping off in the 2-1 Premier League win over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

“He had just a kick, it’s not a problem,” the Chilean told reporters.

Pellegrini must decide whether to gamble on the fitness of captain and centre half Vincent Kompany after

Napoli brush aside Verona, chaos as Palermo lose

AFP

Schumacher’s son wins twice on Italy bow

Manchester City players jog during training at Manchester City training ground ahead of their Champions League match against PSG today REUTERS

Napoli forward Lorenzo Insigne celebrates after scoring against Verona during their Serie A match at San Paolo Stadium on Sunday REUTERS

SERIE A Empoli

2-0

Fiorentina

Pucciarelli 41, Zielinski 88

Napoli

3-0

Verona

Gabbiadini 33, Insigne 45+2-pen, Callejon 70

Sampdoria

2-0

Udinese

Armero 58-og, Fernando 85

Torino Peres 35, Lopez 46

2-1

Atalanta Cigarini 82

Napoli overcame the absence of suspended top scorer Gonzalo Higuain to brush aside rock bottom Verona 3-0 in Serie A on Sunday while Palermo’s poor season continued with a shambolic 3-0 home defeat by Lazio.

The Sicilians stayed in the relegation zone after a game that was twice interrupted as Palermo fans, furious at their team’s performance, threw firecrackers on to the pitch and tore up plastic seats.

Fiorentina’s recent dismal run continued when they lost to smaller Tuscan neighbours Empoli for the first time since 1997, leaving them fifth.

Second-placed Napoli stayed six points behind leaders Juventus, who won 2-1 at AC Milan on Saturday to keep up their unstoppable run, with six matches to play and remain outsiders to land their first title since 1990.

Higuain, who has led Napoli’s challenge with 30 league goals, will also miss the next three games as he completes a four-match ban for his sending-off and furious reaction in last week’s 3-1 defeat at Udinese.

Juventus have 76 points from 32 games with Napoli on 70, AS Roma on 63, Inter Milan on 58 and Fiorentina on 56.

Palermo have endured a chaotic season featuring six different

coaches, one of them twice, and there was no let-up on Sunday.

Lazio, who have endured a mini-crisis during which Stefano Pioli was sacked as coach last week and replaced by Simone Inzaghi, raced into a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes with both goals scored by 37-year-old former Germany forward Miroslav Klose.

Palermo fans reacted with predictable fury and the match was stopped for one minute midway through the first half and again early in the second period as firecrackers were thrown, one landing near Lazio’s Antonio Candreva.

Another goal by Felipe Anderson piled on the agony for the hosts and fuelled suggestions their latest coach Walter Novellino could also be fired.

Palermo remained in the bottom three, behind Carpi on goal difference as the two sides have an identical head-to-head record.

Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri and his players refused to speak to reporters, maintaining the media blackout the club say will continue until their appeal against Higuain’s ban has been heard.

Sarri’s team hit the post twice and had a goal disallowed before Manolo Gabbiadini headed them in front in the 33rd minute, his fifth goal in seven starts this season, after Verona goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini parried Jose Callejon’s shot. l

the defence looked shaky in Paris.

France midfielder Samir Nasri returned for the West Brom game but is not in the Champions League squad because of the lengthy thigh injury he suffered in October.

PSG coach Laurent Blanc was dismayed at conceding a scrappy second goal in the first leg and at losing defender David Luiz and midfielder Blaise Matuidi through suspension.

One bonus could be the return of Marco Verratti who is recovering faster than expected from a groin injury.

Blanc made nine changes, resting a number of players including striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, for their 2-0 victory over Guingamp in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Defender Marquinhos was included and then said he was fit to act as a possible replacement for Luiz on Tuesday.

The French club won 2-1 in England in the last round to knock out Chelsea and reach their fourth successive quarter-final.

PSG need a similar result to go one step further this time. l

Late Negredo strike lifts Valencia n Reuters, Barcelona Alvaro Negredo struck in stoppage-time as stuttering Valencia won 2-1 against his former club Sevilla on Sunday to earn coach Pako Ayesteran victory in his first home game in charge since succeeding Gary Neville.

Villarreal improved their chances of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in five years by beating relegation-threatened Getafe 2-0, while Athletic Bilbao won 1-0 against Rayo Vallecano and Celta Vigo beat Sporting Gijon 1-0.

Daniel Parejo’s deflected free kick in the 41st minute opened the scoring for Valencia, who had not won in La Liga since March 2, but Kevin Gameiro levelled with four minutes remaining. Negredo, however, restored the home side’s advantage a minute into stoppage time, denying former Valencia coach Unai Emery a happy return to the Mestalla. l

LA LIGA Sporting Gijon

0-1

Celta Vigo Nolito 64

Valencia

2-1

Parejo 41, Negredo 90+1

Villarreal

2-0

Sevilla Gameiro 86

Getafe

Suarez 15, Bakambu 85

Athletic Bilbao Williams 61

1-0

Rayo Vallecano

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Tears, no fears as Foxes close on EPL POINTS TABLE P

W

D

L

GD Pts

Leicester

33

21

9

3

26

72

Tottenham

33

18

11

4

35

65

Arsenal

32

17

8

7

22

59

Man City

32

17

6

9

25

57

Man Utd

32

15

8

9

9

53

West Ham

32

13

13

6

12

52

Southampton

33

14

8

11

10

50

Liverpool

31

13

9

9

12

48

Stoke

33

13

8

12

-6

47

Chelsea

32

11

11 10

7

44

Bournemouth

33

11

8

14

-15

41

Swansea

33 10 10 13

-8

40

West Brom

32

-8

40

10 10 12

Everton

31

9

12 10

9

39

Watford

32

10

8

14

-6

38

Crystal Palace

32

10

7

15

-7

37

Norwich

33

8

7

18

-22

31

Sunderland

32

6

9

17

-21

27

Newcastle

32

6

7

19 -29

25

Aston Villa

33

3

7 23

-41

TAKING POINTS

EPL GAMEWEEK 33 Arsenal’s title dream hammered A late strike from Koscielny cancelled out a 9-minute hattrick from Andy Carroll in Arsenal’s last trip to the Upton Park this week. Ozil and Sanchez also found the back of the net but a tie meant that the Gunners are now in third place, 13 points away from Leicester City with a game in hand and far away from a shot at the Premier League title.

Villa practically relegated The Villa Park franchise could not get the better of the Cherries who managed to take the game away with a 2-1 lead at the final whistle. This loss leaves Villa with almost no chance of getting back to a safe position away from the relegation zone.

Puncheon saves Palace blushes

16

n AFP, Sunderland Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri played down his emotional response after the Foxes took their latest big step towards the English Premier League title.

Ranieri left the pitch in tears after Jamie Vardy’s second-half double sealed a hard-fought 2-0 win at relegation-threatened Sunderland on Sunday.

Leicester ended the day seven points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, with the 5,000/1 pre-season outsiders’ fairytale journey towards the title showing no sign of ending any time soon.

Now, if City win three of their five remaining league games they will be

crowned champions of England for the first time in the Midlands club’s 132-year-history, regardless of what Spurs, or any of the chasing pack, do in the closing stages of the campaign.

“It’s difficult to express what I feel inside,” said Ranieri who, after his initially teary response, dedicated the Foxes’ fifth consecutive victory to Leicester’s 2,500 travelling fans at the Stadium of Light.

“I really want to thank our fans. Today, when we arrived at the stadium, it was like we’d moved Leicester to Sunderland,” the Italian added.

“For me I don’t think I showed any more or any less emotion today, but I’m just so happy with this victory against a very tough Sunderland side who made it hard for us.”

Leicester next play top-four hopefuls West Ham at home on April 17, where they will look to extend a clean sheet record that stretches for more than eight hours.

“People can say we’re going to win the title, that’s fine for them to say it but it’s important for us to now focus on the next

match,” Ranieri explained.

“For now we’re happy, but from tomorrow (Monday) again we focus on the next match because we know what a good team West Ham are. When I speak with the players, my message is the same every time. It has been all season and to be fair to them they have listened to what I’ve said.

We focus on the next match, regardless of whether we’ve won or lost the last one.

“We have Champions League qualification on the table, but at this stage, nothing more.”

Third-bottom Sunderland are four points adrift of safety after they were twice caught on the counter-attack by England striker Vardy, who scored in open play in the Premier League for the first time in two months to take his tally for the season to 21 goals.

“I’m very happy for Jamie because he’s not scored for us in the past few weeks, though he’s made some great assists,” said Ranieri. “At half-time I told him ‘I need you’ and he came out and scored two goals for us.” l

United still ahead of Spurs, says Van Gaal n AFP, London Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal said that he had no regrets about not taking the Tottenham Hotspur job after the London club damaged his side’s Champions League qualification hopes.

Three goals in six second-half minutes from Dele Alli, Toby Alderweireld and Erik Lamela gave Spurs a clinical 3-0 win on Sunday that took them back to within seven points of Premier League leaders Leicester City and left them 12 points clear of fifthplace United. Van Gaal turned down the chance to take over at Spurs before joining United in 2014, subsequently describing the White Hart Lane post as “the easier job”, and when reminded of his comments in the post-match press conference he branded the question “pathetic”.

“I think that in the balance we are still ahead,” said Van Gaal, whose team return to London on Wednesday for an FA Cup quarter-final replay against West Ham United.

“And you take one match as something that (means) I have to say the challenge is bigger (at Spurs)? The challenge is always bigger in a bigger club.

“But I liked also to sign in Tottenham Hotspur and (Tottenham chairman) Daniel Levy knows that. But the challenge was bigger, for me, in Manchester United and shall always be bigger. I’m sorry for Tottenham, but Manchester United is a bigger club.”

United fans on social media were baffled

by Van Gaal’s decision to put winger Ashley Young up front after sending him on for Marcus Rashford at half-time, rather than move striker Anthony Martial infield from the left flank, but the Dutchman stood by the call.

“I want more running in behind. I think we have chances to do that,” he said.

“Ashley Young has done that very good in the second team. Anthony Martial is more a player who wants the ball in his feet.”

On Rashford, he added: “Marcus, (it) was not his best match today. That’s why I changed him.” l

The recent form of the Eagles has seen them move closer to the relegation zone than to a top half finish after a good start to the campaign. They have fallen down to the 16th place but this victory over Norwich City has seen them move 10 points away from the drop zone and has left the Canaries fighting for a top-flight status right till the end of the season.

Samir Nasri keeps City in top-4 Manchester City needed a late strike from returning forward Samir Nasri to take all three points from a gritty Baggies side.

An early goal from the visitors was cancelled out by Aguero’s penalty in the first half before Nasri settled the tie with a tap-in from 4 yards. This victory leaves City 4 point ahead of Manchester United in 5th place.

Benitez not doing enough The Magpies were once against thrashed away from home this time at the St Marys by an in-form Southampton side this weekend. Goals from Long, Pelle and Wanyama gave the Saints a 3-1 victory leaving the Magpies closer to relegation.

Benitez, the current Newcastle manager still has a lot of work to do if he is to save them from relegation this season.

Sigurdsson ends Hiddink’s run Ever since taking over the Stamford Bridge outfit, Guss Hiddink has not lost a game in the Premier League but all of it changed on Saturday when Swansea City handed the Blues a 1-0 defeat at the Libert stadium. This result will not affect the points table but will affect Chelsea’s chances of finishing the season on a strong note.

Everton fans want Martinez gone After a 3-game winless streak, the Toffees supporters unfurled a banner asking the club to sack current coach Roberto Martinez during the game at Vicarage road that ended in a 1-1 draw. Everton started the season strongly but have fallen out of favor and have nothing to play for this season. It will, however, be interesting to see if Martinez is sacked this summer.

Perfect warm-up or Liverpool With the second leg against Borussia Dortmund on the horizon, Liverpool played out a relatively comfortable game against Stoke City as they took away all three points with a 4-1 victory. Though a number of changes were made, Milner, Allen, and Origi, three of the players who might start on Thursday were superb on the night and the squad will be full of confidence going into that crunch game.

The Foxes continue their dominance Leicester City were once again clinical on the night at the Britannia stadium as they dumped the Black Cats to a 2-0 victory. This win takes Leicester City to 72 points, 7 away from Tottenham Hotspur in second place. This leaves Sunderland in the relegation zone 4 points away from safety with a game in hand.

Spurs keep title hopes alive Just as the game between Untied and Spurs at the White Hart Lane looked like ending in a 0-0 draw, Alli, Alderweireld and Lamela all found the back of the net in the space of 7 minutes to give the Spurs three important points. This win takes them to 65 points in a second place just 7 away from Leicester at the top of the table.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

Dortmund’s draw at Schalke puts Bayern on verge of title n AFP, Berlin

Shinji Kagawa’s superb chip was not enough to prevent Borussia Dortmund drawing 2-2 at Schalke on Sunday, edging Bayern Munich towards a historic fourth straight Bundesliga title.

The draw in Gelsenkirchen leaves Pep Guardiola’s Bayern seven points clear of second-placed Dortmund with five games left.

The Bavarians are hoping to become the first club to win the Bundesliga title four years in a row.

“It is very likely that Bayern will be champions,” conceded Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel.

The Borussia boss gambled by resting star forwards Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Marco Reus and Henrikh Mkhitaryan from his starting line-up, but was pleased with the point.

Borussia play Liverpool away on Thursday in the Europa League quarter-final return leg at Anfield, after the first match ended in a 1-1 draw.

The game at Schalke’s Veltins-Arena burst into life after a goalless first half when Japan midfielder Kagawa put Dortmund ahead with a perfectly-timed chip over Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann on 49 minutes. l

Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Buerki saves a header against FC Schalke 04 during their Bundesliga match in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday. The match ended 2-2, Dortmund is now 7 points behind league leader Bayern Munich AP

Federer: Totti and I should be protected, like pandas n AFP, Milan Roger Federer has offered his backing to embattled Roma icon Francesco Totti, claiming both sportsmen belong to a special breed of athlete and should be protected, like pandas.

Uncertainty over the future of 39-year-old Roma legend Totti, who steered the Giallorossi to their third and last title in 2001, has overshadowed the club’s Serie A campaign all season.

Now in his 23rd season at Roma, one-club man Totti is being pushed towards the exit door after an injury-hit season that has seen him

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make only a handful of appearances for Luciano Spalletti’s side.

Roma are stalling on offering Totti a 24th and final year’s contract, reportedly in the hope he hangs up his boots to take a director’s role at the club.

But Federer believes Totti should be allowed to decide when to quit the game. The 17-time Grand Slam winner is a long-time admirer of Totti, who regularly meets with the Swiss star when he comes to watch him play at the Rome Masters event every June.

Asked jokingly if he and Totti should be given protection from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Feder-

er told Corriere della Sera: “It’s a good joke, but there’s some truth in it because, in a certain sense, we belong to another species.

“Francesco and I incarnate our respective sports. What he has done for football is unrivalled. He’s an example, a contemporary icon.”

Speaking ahead of the start of the Monte Carlo Masters, Federer added: “No one should tell you when to stop, it’s such an intimate and personal decision.

“If he wants to keep on going, I’m right behind him. With me, he’s always been super nice. This year, if I see him, I’ll be asking him for some restaurant tips.”

Roma sit in third place in Serie A, 13 points adrift of leaders and champions Juventus and seven points behind Napoli.

But whether Totti plays or not remains to be seen.

The iconic captain fell foul of Spalletti six weeks ago after claiming he deserved more playing time and should be shown more respect.

With 244 goals in Serie A, Totti is only second to retired, all-time record-holder Silvio Piola (274).

A World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, Totti has won two Italian Cups with Roma but has suffered finishing runner-up in the league an incredible eight times. l

Messi remains top paid footballer

Marseille’s Benny Hill Show as owner suffers housewife taunt n AFP, Marseille Marseille owner Margarita Louis-Dreyfus was targetted by angry fans of the slumping French giants on Sunday when she was blasted as a “housewife” and “incompetent rich heiress”.

And to hammer home their frustrations, fans even summoned the spirit of saucy British comedian Benny Hill after the former European champions were held to a 0-0 draw by Bordeaux.

LIGUE 1 Lille

4-1

n AFP, Paris

Amalfitano 37, Eder 68, Obbadi 79, Sidibe 89

Argentina and Barcelona star Lionel Messi remains the world’s highest paid footballer with an annual income of 74 million euros ($84.3 million, £59.3 million), according to a report set to appear in Tuesday’s edition of France Football magazine.

Messi’s earnings in 2015 rose by nine million euros compared to the previous figures, keeping the fivetime Ballon d’Or winner ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (67.4m euros) and Neymar (43.5m euros) as the top three stayed unchanged for the third year running.

France Football’s estimates were based on players’ pre-tax salaries, sponsorship revenues and various bonuses, it added.

Angel Di Maria was the top-earning player in France with 24 million euros following his off-season move from Manchester United, with the Argentine narrowly ahead of Paris

Nice

3-0

Monaco Bahlouli 90

Rennes

Ben Arfa 33-pen, 41, 56

Marseille

Saint-Germain team-mates Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

However, figures in France only accounted for player wages and contract bonuses, according to the report.

Despite his sacking from Chelsea in December, Jose Mourinho was the highest earning coach on 24 million euros, with Pep Guardiola and Fabio Capello rounding out the top three. l

0-0

Bordeaux

The result left them just six points off the relegation zone. Ultra fans in the notorious Yankee Nord terrace vented their rage at Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, the widow of former owner Robert Louis-Dreyfus.

“Go back to your real job, housewife,” said one banner while another fumed “incompetent rich heiress”.

Throughout the highly-charged evening, club president Vincent Labrune was also targetted.

Fans even used the theme tune from classic British slapstick comedy, the Benny Hill Show, to voice their fury to accompany a banner featuring grazing sheep, watched over by a caricatured Margarita Louis-Dreyfus.

“Save us the humiliation of relegation,” demanded the Virage Sud. l

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Showtime

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

Games of Thrones Season 6 premiers in Los Angeles n Showtime Desk The premiere of Games of Thrones’ much awaited season 6 was held in Los Angeles on April 10. The cast looked glamorous in modern attire (unlike the medieval costumes which they usually don on the show) and excited at the same time. However, they were on guard about not giving away any spoilers!

HBO’s hit fantasy drama series will return with its new season sans popular character Jon Snow, according to the official description of the first episode of the sixth season, titled “The Red Woman.” “Jon Snow is dead. Daenerys meets a strong man. Cersei sees her daughter again,” reads the description. Few argue against the notion that Kit Harington’s Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch is actually dead, but instead hold on to the idea that he will come back to life. l

Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) at the season six premiere of Game Of Thrones. In addition to the hit TV series, Turner is all set to appear in ‘X-men Apocalypse’

Peter Dinklage attends the season six premiere of Game Of Thrones

Emilia Clarke, who is famous for her portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, for which she received two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013 and 2015

Maisie Williams who plays Arya on the hit show, at the premiere. She was as fierce on the red carpet as she is on the screen

Artist talk by Johannes Theurer

n Showtime Desk On Sunday evening, April 10, Goehte-Institut Bangladesh organised an Artist Talk by Johannes Theurer, radio journalist and expert in the digital representation of traditional music in modern

archives, who gave a talk about the insights into the international world music scene, its organisation, institutions and the best ways to get connected to it. Theurer narrated in details about how to bring projects to the market and explained application processes.

“Since this scene has hardly any influence by Bangladeshi music so far, everyone who makes the step to be noticed, will be one of the firsts,” Theurer said.

The event caught interest among producers and talented young musicians, who are interested to be recognised by the world music scene.

Johannes Theurer began as a print and broadcast journalist in 1978. In the 1990s, he organised international tradeshows and music conferences and was cofounder and head of music for the inter-cultural Berlin radio channel Radio Multikulti. He now works as a project manager, editor and broadcaster in Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB). He is chair of the world music group of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU/ Geneva), publishes the “World Music Charts Europe” and is the president of the Association for Traditional Music (Berlin). In addition, he is the RBB manager for the international audioarchiving project Europeana Sounds. l

Lena Headey attends the season six premiere of ‘Game Of Thrones.’ Headey has been playing the role of Queen Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones since 2011. This has earned her two consecutive Emmy award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Since 2011, Peter Dinklage has played the role of Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones. He won an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award for Supporting Actor in 2011, as well as consecutive Emmy nominations for the role from 2012 to 2014, going on to win a second Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2015. l

Producer Leone! n Nazia Lopa Bollywood beauty Sunny Leone is all set to make her mark as a producer with her forthcoming film.

The Mastizaade actress will also star in the untitled project,

which is speculated to be a dramathriller. They plan to shoot it later in July-August sometime this year.

“It is a drama-thriller and we will test the waters that way.

Hopefully it will turn out nice,” Leone told. “I’ll be starring in it, because that will be the best idea.

Rest of the details are still being worked out,” she said.

Leone added, “I believe, we as a production house need to release something which is more -I don’t know want to say ‘normal’but with a different story, then we can get a good idea if we can accomplish a superhero movie.

Because that will take a good oneand-a-half years of planning.”

Leone will be seen next to The King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan in the reprise version of the 1980 chartbuster “Laila O Laila” in the crime-thriller, Raees.l

Louis C.K: The man with a funny bone

n Rayan Quddus He is vulgar, crude, controversial, straightforward, and most importantly, funny. When you look back at his earlier works, you’ll find it hard to believe that he would go on to make it big as a stand-up comedian.

Louis has evolved into one of the most significant figures in the scene. And before going any further talking about his works; it should be noted that he might not have been able to do what he is doing, if George Carlin and Lenny Bruce never performed their controversial and thought provoking comedy, decades ago.

Comedians have become the philosophers of the present world.

Louis is also a moral investigator; he makes his audience think about his jokes and whether it is okay to laugh at it. He appeared as a guest on last season’s finale of popular television show, Saturday Night Live. His monologue about child molesters went viral on the internet, and “politically correct police forces” criticised it, but gained praise from his contemporaries. He is no stranger to such reactions; rather, he has proven himself to be a thoughtprovoking commentator. He showed that morality is abstract, just like justice. After all as a

society, we are open to the idea of crime-detectives getting leeway for their purpose regardless of the outcome, for example, Sherlock.

Comedians deserve similar leeway.

Louis has turned into a “comedian’s comedian.” On several interviews, he mentioned that he writes his material every year and discards the jokes after using them on his special standup shows. He is considered to be an innovator for the way he sells tickets to his stand up tours. Most recently, he surprised the world with his ten episode web-series, Horace and Pete, unannounced, which starred heavyweight talents like Steve Buscemi and Alan Alda.

The show was critically acclaimed especially for its hybridisation of film, theatre and television. The show did not have to worry about advertisement breaks or formats to fit in, therefore the length of the episodes vary between thirtythree to sixty-seven minutes.

So far Louise has been nominated for thirty-seven Emmy Awards for his editing, writing, acting, and directing skills and won six of them. His whole body of work shows an evolution of an artist. Last year he starred in Trumbo, alongside Bryan Cranston. He will star in the upcoming animated 3D comedy, The Secret Life of Pets, which is scheduled to be released this summer. l

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Showtime

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

WHAT TO WATCH Constantine HBO, 9:30pm John Constantine is approached by Det. Angela Dodson who needs his help to prove that her twin sister Isabel’s death was not a suicide. She asks Constantine for help because he has a reputation for dealing with the mystical. In fact, he is a demon hunter whose sole purpose on Earth is to send demons back to the nether regions. John himself has been to Hell - as a young man he too committed suicide and now knows that he is destined to return there on his death but hopes his good deeds may somehow find him a place in Heaven. Cast: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Djimon Hounsou, Max Baker

story. Pi tells the story of his childhood in Pondicherry, India, and the origin of his nickname. One day, his father, a zoo owner, explains that the municipality is no longer supporting the zoo and he has hence decided to move to Canada, where the animals the family owns would also be sold. They board on a Japanese cargo ship with the animals and out of the blue, there is a storm. After the tragic sinking of a ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the Pacific ocean, with Pi Patel, a hyena, a zebra, a female orangutan and a Bengal tiger, the only survivors of the wreck.

Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Ayush Tandon, Gautam Belur, Adil Hussain

Life of Pi Star Movies, 9:30pm A Canadian writer visits the Indian storyteller Pi Patel and asks him to tell his life

Up Zee Studio, 7:35pm A young Carl Fredrickson meets a young adventure spirited girl named Ellie.

They both dream of going to a Lost Land in South America. 70 years later, Ellie has died. Carl remembers the promise he made to her. He is accompanied by an 8 year old boy named Russell, who is trying to get an assisting the elderly badge. Together, they embark on an adventure, where they encounter talking dogs, an evil villain and a rare bird named Kevin.

Voice: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson l

The ‘lonely angel’ takes the internet by storm n Promiti Prova Chowdhury Even though his twitter bio suggests that he is a “sensational singer,” we are not too sure about Taher Shah’s singing abilities.

What we do know for sure is his ability to break the internet. Yes, “Mr Eye-to-eye” has done it again.

The businessman man from Karachi, Pakistan is best known for his songs with lyrics that don’t really make any sense but became viral on social media. His latest track “Angel” is no exception.

The song comes three years after Shah achieved phenomenal success (read: made it to the world of internet memes) with his first song “Eye to Eye.” This time the song created such a social media frenzy that the hashtag #TaherShah was trending on Twitter in Pakistan, India and the UK. Over 30,000 tweets have been posted since the song was released.

In his latest video, he is seen in a flowy velvet gown that tails behind him. Shah is seen bursting with “positive energy” which, he admits that he is fond of. He is also wearing a crown, ridiculously fake looking pair of wings (yes, wings!) on his back and wielding what seems to be a kitchen whisk, but is probably a sceptre.

The song’s lyrics, “I am like an angel, mankind’s angel, lonely for you” has captured the attention of social media users, generating a number of memes that both mock Taher’s talent, and praise his confidence, simultaneously.

With over 45,000 followers on Twitter, there is no doubt that Shah has gained a sizeable cult following.

Perhaps the combination of Taher’s eccentricity and the song’s simple message is the reason why Bollywood film actress Twinkle Khanna tweets: “When you see eye to eye with an Angel and discover you have contracted conjunctivitis #TaherShah

#LastOneForTheDay” A lot of the comments also expressed how refreshing it was to see Pakistan in the news for something other than terrorism.

Some of the hilarious reactions

on Twitter included; “Admit it. You WISH you had #TaherShah ‘s confidence.”

“Pakistan doesn’t need nuclear weapons, they can just drop this purple bomb on us #TaherShah”

“After watching Taher shah’s image of a ‘hoor,’ large amounts of suicide bombers have stopped blowing themselves up for the 72 hoors#Success” l Sources: BBC, Indian Express

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TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

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DSCC cooks up plan for hygienic street food n Abu Hayat Mahmud With an aim to make hygienic food available on Dhaka streets, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) handed over 80 food vans to trained mobile food vendors yesterday.

DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon handed over the vans to vendors who will sell food to locals in different neighbourhoods of the capital.

With funding from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the DSCC and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh trained the 80 food vendors, Khokon said while handing over the vans.

“When it comes to adulteration of food, the DSCC handles the matter with utmost strictness.

Handing over food vans is part of the initiative to confirm availability of hygienic food on Dhaka streets,” he said.

The mayor hoped that other food vendors would follow the food van model, which makes it easy to carry food.

“By purchasing food from these vans, city people can avoid contracting diarrhoea and other diseases.” l

An array of food carts can be seen queued from in front of Fine Arts Institute to Shahbagh intersection yesterday as Dhaka South City Corporation handed over 80 food vans to trained mobile food vendors, with an aim to make hygienic food available on Dhaka streets MEHEDI HASAN

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