April 17, 2016 by DhakaTribune

SECOND EDITION

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Boishakh 4, 1423, Rajab 9, 1437

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 361

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

Journalist Shafik Rehman arrested

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Detective Branch of police escorting journalist Shafik Rehman to the court after his arrest from his Eskaton house. The picture was taken near the CMM Court in the capital yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

What happened in the court n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

Arrest made at second attempt

Sporting an aquamarine shirt, glasses rimmed with the same colour and a pair of black trousers, broadly-smiling Shafik Rehman appeared before the court yesterday. He entered the courtroom packed with around a hundred of his well-wishers around 3pm. Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Mazharul Islam stepped in at 3:07pm. At the beginning of the court proceedings, Shafik Rehman's lawyer Sanaullah Miah sought the court's permission to allow his

Two plainclothes police allegedly attempted to arrest noted journalist Shafik Rehman quietly from his Eskaton Garden residence on April 13, but they failed as people panicked by an earthquake gathered in front of the house at that time. Sajib Onasis, assistant editor of Mouchakay Dheel magazine, told the Dhaka Tribune that two people claiming themselves as journalists of Boishakhi TV came to the house around 7:30pm on April 13 and wanted to take interview of Shafik Rehman. “Hearing this, Shafik Rehman

INSIDE

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n Kamrul Hasan

MORE STORIES ON PAGE 3  

Who is Shafik Rehman?

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Why was he arrested?

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BNB, Jamaat condemn the arrest

asked me to talk to the visitors. I went to the gate and found two persons wearing T-shirts waiting outside. But seeing me, they said they will come another day as they had an emergency assignment at some other place.” Security guard of the house Abdur Rahim said that when the duo

identified themselves as media persons and said that they would take an interview of Shafik Rehman, “I wanted to see their visiting cards. “They said that they did not have the cards with them. One of them said, ‘Our sir is at Holy Family Hospital. He will give you the card once he arrives.’ “But within a few minutes after making a short phone call they told me that they will come another day as their sir has gone for another assignment.” Sajib thinks that the duo went back as there was an earthquake at  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

2 people knocked on the gate of Shafik Rehman's house

Breakfast and tea served

Shafik Rehman taken into microbus

Taleya went to DB office and handed over the medicines but could not meet Shafik Rehman produced before the court

Hearing starts

03.45 03.00 02.30 02.00 11.00

Noted journalist and former editor of the daily Jaijaidin Shafik Rehman was arrested and put on a five-day remand yesterday to be interrogated over his involvement in the plot to abduct and kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mazharul Islam gave the order after Hasan Arafat, assistant superintendent of police, produced Shafik before the court in the afternoon. Police in the remand prayer said many local and international conspirators are involved in the plot and Shafik needs to be grilled for information about the financier and other accomplices. Earlier in the day, detectives arrested Shafik from his residence in the capital's Eskaton and produced him before the court. Head of Dhaka Detective Branch (south) Deputy Commissioner Masrukur Rahman Khalid told the Dhaka Tribune Shafik was arrested for conspiring to kidnap and murder Joy, who is also the ICT adviser to the prime minister. DB Inspector Fazlur Rahman filed a case in this connection with Paltan police station in August last year. BNP's cultural wing

10.30 08.25 08.00 07.15 07.00 06.00

n Arifur Rahman Rabbi

They entered the house

Shafik Rehman came downstairs

DB office phoned Taleya Rahman asking for medicine Rehman taken to court

Taken to DB office from court

Rana Plaza survivors still in trauma

Irregularities found in Rooppur power plant

Mayor MA Mannan arrested again

Banshkhali UNO, OC’s removal demanded

Over 58% survivors of the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster have still been suffering from long-term psychosocial difficulties.  PAGE 4

Evidence of irregularities have been found against JSC Atomstroyexport, the main contractor for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project.  PAGE 5

Police have once again arrested Gazipur City Corporation Mayor and BNP Chairperson’s Adviser MA Mannan along with seven of his political followers.  PAGE 6

Villagers in Chittagong’s Gondamara yesterday demanded the removal of the Banshkhali UNO and the OC over the police firing that left four dead.  PAGE 32

News

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Editors Guild of India Arrest made at second attempt condemns harassment of Mahfuz Anam n Tribune Desk Indian editors have expressed deep concern at the criminal defamation and the number of sedition cases filed against Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam. Expressing deep concern, The Editors Guild of India said in a statement: “The flurry of cases against Anam by supporters of the ruling Awami League is clearly meant to intimidate and harass him and constitute an attack on the freedom of the press in Bangladesh.”

Anam faces a prison sentence of up to 175 years. The harassment began during the recent 25-year celebrations of The Daily Star, when Anam was asked by a TV channel anchor which reports he regretted publishing as an editor. He candidly admitted that it was some reports he published in 2007 of uncorroborated allegations of corruption made by military intelligence against the current prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, when she was out of power.

Of the cases against Anam, 62 are for defamation and 17 for sedition. Anam secured anticipatory bail in 66 cases on April 3 while a High Court bench stayed the proceedings of the 72 cases on April 11 The statement, signed by guild president, general secretary and treasurer, strongly condemned the “pressure tactics against a distinguished colleague.” The guild extended its support for Anam’s request to stop the campaign to harass and intimidate him. The statement says that the guild will register its concern with the Bangladesh High Commissioner in Delhi as well as the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka, and request them to use their good offices to bring the matter to an amicable end. Of the cases against Anam, 62 are for defamation and 17 for sedition. Anam secured anticipatory bail in 66 cases on April 3 while a High Court bench stayed the proceedings of the 72 cases on April 11. One of the cases has been filed by an assistant public prosecutor of the government. If convicted,

Soon after the interview, he faced a storm of criticism in social media including by the son of the premier who wrote on Facebook that he wanted Anam behind bars and on trial for treason. The prime minister said in a recent public discussion that she wants Anam to resign from the newspaper and is quoted to have said: "Editors will be tried just like we are trying war criminals." Anam has said he is "flabbergasted" at the cases filed against him, noting that the material published in 2007 was "national news, covered by everybody,” the statement says. He pointed out that even today in Bangladesh, journalists are under pressure to uncritically publish material provided by military officials, among them accounts of civilians killed in confrontations with police or military officials. l

Journalist Shafik Rehman arrested Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (JaSaS) Vice-president Mohammad Ullah Mamun and a number of unidentified BNP members were named in the case. On March 4 last year, a US court sentenced Mamun’s son Rizve Ahmed Caesar for his involvement in a bribery scheme to obtain confidential information from a former FBI special agent in New York. Addressing a press briefing at Dhaka Metropolitan Police media centre yesterday, Deputy Commissioner Maruf Hossain Sardar said: “Shafik was arrested as the investigator found his involvement in the plot to kill Joy.” Shafik’s wife Taleya Rehman

said three people, introducing themselves as journalists of Boishakhi Television, come to the house to interview her husband around 7:30am. She said her husband was asleep at the time but as he went downstairs to meet the three persons after waking up, they claimed to be detectives. “The plain-clothes men were rude with the household staff and also scolded them. We later heard that Shafik was arrested in a case filed with Paltan police station.” Shafik lost his editorship of the daily Jaijaidin back in 2008 for his stand against the military-backed caretaker government. l

that time and some people of the nearby buildings came out to the street. He also said that they did not verify the identities of the reporters with the TV channel.

His arrest

Former editor of the daily Jaijaidin Shafik Rehman, 82, resides at house number 15 on Eskaton Garden Road, near Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College Hospital. The compound has two buildings – one used as the office of Democracy Watch while the other is a residential one. He used to stay on the second floor of the residential building. Gatekeeper Abdul Matin Molla, cook Ali Azam, and housemaid Hanufa Begum described to the Dhaka Tribune how the law enforcers had entered the house yesterday morning. Matin and Rahim were on duty at the west gate of the complex when Matin noticed that a microbus stopped in front of the adjacent house around 5:30am. Later two persons wearing Fatua came to the east gate riding on a motorcycle. The east gate is usually kept shut. They approached Matin around 6am and said that they wanted

to interview Shafik Rehman for Boishakhi TV. But Matin informed them that Shafik Rehman was sleeping at that time. The visitors were waiting in front of the DW office until 7am. Matin then informed Hanufa about them. Hanufa said that she told Shafik Rehman’s wife Taleya Rehman about the two persons, but was asked not to wake him up. But as the persons again asked the gatekeepers around 7:15am about taking the interview, Taleya asked Hanufa to wake him up from sleep. Hearing the matter from the housemaid, Shafik Rehman refused to give any interview saying that he made no such appointment with anyone. Being informed about the decision, the visitors said that Shafik Rehman might have forgotten about the appointment. Hearing this, Shafik Rehman allowed them inside the building around 7:20am and asked Hanufa to give them some snacks. Another person joined the duo in the meantime. After some time, Hanufa was suspicious seeing a little camera with the persons. She immediately informed the matter

to Taleya who said that it was not a big deal. Around 7:45am, Hanufa asked cook Ali to stay with the guests. Ali said that he took sometime to go to the room where the visitors were staying, and found it empty. “Later I heard his [Shafik Rehman] voice from the stairs and saw him coming down escorted by the duo.” When they were on the first floor, Shafik Rehman gave Ali a visiting card which he got from the visitors, and asked him to hand it over to Taleya. The three visitors and Shafik Rehman came out of the building, but one of them came back and asked Ali to return him the visiting card. As Ali refused to give it back, the person punched him and snatched the card while saying that he was a member of the Detective Branch of police. Ali and Hanufa then rushed to Taleya and informed her about the detention around 8:25am. Taleya called Sajib and asked him come to the house. Sajib told the Dhaka Tribune that they were first confirmed about the detention around 10:30am when someone called Taleya Rahman’s phone and asked for medicine for Shafik Rehman. l

What happened in the court client to sit on a bench as he was octogenarian and was physically unwell. The judge allowed Shafik Rehman to sit down while his wife Taleya Rahman, executive director of Democracy Watch, an NGO, sat next to him. General Recording Officer SubInspector Jalal Uddin read out a remand prayer and concluded his prayer within two minutes. In the remand prayer, Investigation Officer ASP Hasan Arafat said that they had received primary information that Shafik Rehman had plotted the abduction and murder of Sajib Wazed Joy, the prime minister’s son and ICT affairs adviser. As more planners, financiers and inciters were involved in the conspiracy at home and abroad, police need to grill him to learn about the others’ identities, he added. The remand prayers said, in between anytime before September 2011 and to date, Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas) Vice-President Mohammad Ullah Mamun and some other top leaders of the BNP and its allies had been hatching plots to abduct and kill Joy in America. They met at different places – at Jasas office in the capital’s Paltan, New York City and different places inside the country, the prayer said.

They asked Mamun’s son Rizvi Ahmed to carry out the plan with the finance from the BNP and its alliance leaders. Rizvi was nabbed in America and was sentenced to 42-month imprisonment by a court. During the trial, Rizvi told the American court that he had obtained some information about Joy from an FBI agent by bribing him. He sold the information to a Bangladeshi journalist, a political ally and a private detective for $30,000. Shafik Rehman was that Bangladeshi Journalist, the remand prayer claimed. “Shafik Rahman is the ex-editor of the Bangla Daily Jai Jai Din. He is an influential person at home and abroad. The case is very sensitive and important. If he is freed on bail, he will destroy documents of the case and influence the witnesses at home and abroad hampering the investigation,” the remand prayer said urging the court to confine him to jail custody until the end of the investigation. Meanwhile, defense counsel Md Sanaullah Miah filed a bail petition before the court but the court rejected it after the hearing. Sanaullah in his argument said Shafik Rehman is not only a person aged 82 years, but his name was not also in the First Information Report (FIR) or the General Diary (GD).

Rehman is a respected journalist, one of the organisers of the Liberation War and played a crucial role during the anti-Ershad movement, Sanaullah said, adding that Shafik Rehman’s father Saidur Rahman was a teacher of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The defense lawyer said that his client could not be involved in the planning of kidnapping Sajeeb Wazed Joy. He said that Rehman is reputed inside and outside the country and will certainly obey the conditions of the bail. He also said that the incident took place in America in September 2011 and after that police filed the GD with Ramna police on May 31, 2015. After investigation, a regular case was filed with the Paltan police on August 3, 2015. Sanaullah then argued: “What is the place of the occurrence? According to the law, if the Investigation officer does not find any clue to that in 120 days the allegation turned out to be baseless.” After hearing both the pleas, Magistrate Mazharul Islam passed an order of the five-day remand in police custody. The magistrate, however, asked the police to interrogate the accused carefully considering his age and ailment. l

News

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Who is Shafik Rehman? n Syed Samiul Basher Anik Best known for introducing the weekly Jai Jai Din, a slim newsprint magazine, in the mid 1980s with his critical commentary of General Ershad’s regime, Shafik Rehman has been a household name since then. Trained as an accountant in the UK, Rehman had left Bangladesh with a degree in Economics from Dhaka University to return in 1968.

He has advocated the BNP’s causes in his columns, even calling upon his readers to vote for the party This film afficionado is also credited with popularising the romantic aspect of Valentine’s Day in Bangladesh. Shafik Rehman was born in Bogra on November 11, 1934, to Syeed Rahman, an eminent professor of his time. After having worked as an accountant in the UK, Japan, Middle East and Bangladesh, Rehman began his stint as an editor when he was 50 and went on to become the chief editor of the Daily Jaijaidin (a successor of the erstwhile weekly) but was forced to leave his post for opposing the military controlled regime of 2007-08. Rehman has long been an anchor of an old TV show on the state run BTV called ‘Lal Golap’ (Red Rose). Shafik Rehman had gone back to the UK to work under Justice Abu Sayeed Choudhury gathering support for Bangladeshi forces during the 1971 Liberation War. He founded, edited and published the weekly Jai Jai Din in

1984. This slim magazine, that spawned several more of the same kind, was eventually banned by the military dictator. Shafik Rehman left Bangladesh and lived abroad for several more years. The magazine, however, began publishing again in 1991 during the democratically elected regime of BNP. The weekly was turned into a daily newspaper in 2006. Rehman was made to leave in 2008, perceivably for his stance against the military-controlled regime of the time. He then founded and published another weekly, ‘Mouchakay Dheel’ (roughly translating to poking the beehive). Shafik Rehman is also credited with getting a street in Tejgaon Industrial Area, on which the Daily Jai Jai Din has its offices, named as ‘Love Road’. Shafik Rehman founded the Academy Film Society in Bangladesh which has a collection of nearly 10,000 movies (in dvds). He has also authored ‘Torture in Bangladesh’ based on research. The Daily Jai Jai Din offices had a café named after Ernesto Guevara de la Serna. It was called Ché Café. The offices also housed a small auditorium where he encouraged his crew to watch movies. It was called ‘Hitchcock Theatre’. Apparently apolitical up to a point, Shafik Rehman clearly showed sympathies for BNP, which happens to be the main political opposition at the moment. He has advocated the BNP’s causes in his columns, even calling upon his readers to vote for the party. Rehman is also known to have acted as a speechwriter and adviser for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. He is widely perceived to be part of BNP's intellectual powerhouse and a significant player in party politics although Rehman holds no formal position yet. l

This foot overbridge, next to Dhaka University's Curzon Hall, is almost never used by pedestrians. As such, it has become a shelter for the homeless SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Why was he arrested? n Arifur Rahman Rabbi Investigation into a case launched for a plot to kill Prime Minister's ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy has found the involvement of veteran journalist Shafik Rehman, says DMP. The journalist's arrest was made from his Eskatan residence on Saturday following the discovery. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Maruf Hossain Sardar at a press briefing in its media centre said: “Shafik Rehman was arrested as the case's investigator found his involvement in the plot to kill Joy.” However, earlier in the day, the DMP official informed the Dhaka Tribune that pro-BNP journalist was arrested in a sedition case. On August 3, last year, the case was registered with Paltan police

station against BNP's cultural wing JaSaS Vice-President Mohammad Ullah Mamun for a plot to kill Prime Minister's son Joy. DB Inspector Fazlur Rahman filed the case in which a number of unnamed BNP leaders were also made accused. The lawsuit was filed upon the permission from the home ministry after police found evidence of the allegation. On March 4, a US court sentenced JaSaS leader Mamun's son Rizve Ahmed Caesar for his involvement in a bribery scheme to obtain confidential information from a former FBI special agent in New York. According to a statement of US Justice Department, Rizve sought confidential information about a Bangladeshi political figure who was affiliated with a political party opposing Rizve’s views.

rule...Shafik Rehman is a brave pen warrior. He was arrested because he could not be controlled,” she said in the statement. “The government arrested Shafik Rehman to cover up its own attacks, killings, abductions and various other crimes. The aim of this arrest is to divert people's attention.” She urged the government to show respect to people's fundamental rights, including freedom of expression. Jamaat condemns arrest Condemning the arrest of jour-

nalist Shafik Rehman, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has alleged that the government arrested Rehman unlawfully just to harass him politically. Jamaat Acting Secretary General Shafiqur Rahman issued a press release yesterday afternoon saying, “The government has launched a repressive rule nationwide.” "The government has subdued the media and arrested one honest, uncompromising and efficient journalist after another." “Eminent journalist Shafik Rehman has become another victim

BNP, Jamaat condemn Shafik's arrest n Mohammad Al- Masum Molla

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has condemned the arrest of noted journalist Shafik Rehman and demanded his immediate release. The BNP chief issued a statement yesterday afternoon following Rehman's arrest in the morning. “The incumbent government, which was elected without any votes, has launched a war against the people of an independent state. After snatching away people's voting rights, freedom of expression

has also been snatched away," Khaleda said in the statement. Journalists are being suppressed to silence their voices, she said. “Using the state machinery, many eminent journalists and editors were arrested implicating them in false cases.” “The unelected government's prime minister is implementing a mega-plan to uproot outspoken educated people from the country,” she added. “He was arrested because he writes without fear against the incumbent rulers' failures and mis-

Later on August 4, the DMP claimed that they found Mamun's involvement in the conspiracy to kill Prime Minister's son in the investigation. "Mamun made the plan to abduct and kill Sajeeb Wazed Joy at the JaSaS office in Nayapaltan and other places in Dhaka," said then DMP spokesperson Monirul Islam in a press briefing. He said top BNP leaders financed Mamun's son Rizve to bribe the former FBI agent. "That is why several BNP leaders were also made accused in the case. However, their identities could not be found yet." In a Facebook post on March 9, prime minister's son Joy wrote: "When someone tries to kill me, I take it very personally. No matter how high up they may be in the BNP, I will bring them to justice." l

of government’s oppression. I am urging the authorities to stop this torture and suppression and release him immediately,” he said. Shafik Rehman was picked up by plainclothesmen from his house in Dhaka’s Eskaton yesterday morning. Head of Dhaka DB’s south zone Masrukur Rahman Khalid told the Dhaka Tribune Rehman was arrested for plotting to abduct and murder Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and prime minister's adviser on ICT affairs. l

News

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Survey: Most Rana Plaza survivors still traumatised n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

Over 58% survivors of the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster have still been suffering from long-term psychosocial difficulties, a new study report says. ActionAid Bangladesh conducted the survey to assess “Socio-Economic Reintegration of Rana Plaza Survivors and Kin of Deceased: Exploring Way-forward for Institutionalising Compensation and Safety Related Measures and Assessing Changes in Policy Architecture” on the three years of the country’s worst industrial disaster.

14.6% who reported that their condition is deteriorating listed headache, difficulty in movement, pain in hand and leg and back pain The telephonic survey covered over 1,300 survivors and 500 kins of the deceased during March 15-31 this year. At least 1,134 people mostly female workers of the five garment factories housed on Rana Plaza were killed and over 2,500 people injured as the building collapsed April 24, 2013 due to negligence of the authorities concerned.

Shikha, 22, who worked for New Wave Bottoms was rescued on April 24, 2013. Her right hand was wounded beyond comprehension. She was operated at Suhrawardy Hospital in Dhaka but she still has a rod in her right hand. Doctors have asked Shikha not to lift heavy objects or take much stress MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU “In terms of psychosocial health, 58.4% of those surveyed are still suffering from long-term psychosocial difficulties, 37.3% are more or less stable and only 4.3% have recovered fully,” the survey found. Over 57% respondents acknowledged that they had received counselling to reduce the trauma, the figure of traumatised survivors is

still an issue of in-depth assessment and intervention. In terms of psychical health, 78.8% survivors reported that their condition is more or less stable. Moreover, 14.6% who reported that their condition is deteriorating listed headache, difficulty in movement, pain in hand and leg, back pain as some of the major problems.

so that it could be used in future,” Khondokar Golam Moazzem, CPD additional research director, said. To ensure long-term treatment for the victims, he suggested to introduce health cards for the survivors so that they can take treatment at free of cost to return to normal life. “We cannot term the financial help, provided to the victims of Rana Plaza, compensation and there are some legal issues pending in the court about the calculation of compensation,” Hameeda Hossain, chairperson of Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), said. Several quarters are working for the development of the workers but these are not coordinated, she said. “The situation of the RMG sector will not be changed if the we cannot institutionalise the steps taken to improve the condition,” said ActionAid Bangladesh Country Director Farah Kabir.

“We do not want just to observe the 24th April as an event, we want to see changes in the fields of workers rights, safety and improvement in safety standards,” she said, adding: “We do not want to see recurrence of such event.” At least 1,134 people mostly female workers of the garment factories housed on the building died and over 2,500 injured in the country’s deadliest industrial disaster in 2013, caused due to negligence of the authorities concerned. On compensation, Farah said that the victims have not been compensated yet,

On the current status of the survivors’ employment, the study found that 52% of them got engaged in various types of wage and self-employment, while 48% survivors are currently unemployed. In the previous survey, 55% survivors were found unemployed, while 44% others were engaged in various types of wage and self-em-

ployment. Those who are unemployed cited physical weakness (56.5%) and mental weakness (34.1%) as the main reasons for being unemployed. “Employment is improving steadily since last three years but temporary unemployment is challenge that could be addressed through scoping further opportunities,” the report stated. It is noteworthy that the survivors are changing their jobs and shifting from one factory to another frequently. Among the currently employed, 21.4% are found to have been working in garments factories, 23.2% involved in petty business, while 16.8% are working as tailors. Additionally, 3% are running grocery shop, 4.2% are engaged in wage labour and 4.9% in agriculture. Some 2.9% are engaged in irregular works. ActionAid Bangladesh has called for incorporating the compensation mechanism which reflects the prevailing socio-economic reality within the national legal framework and continuing the factory inspection and streamlining the process of providing permits for setting up factories. It also urged the government to ensure the true spirit of “freedom of association” by adequately empowering the trade unions to collectively bargain for their rights and cut loopholes in the labour law to make it employee-friendly. l

Workers’ issues must be institutionalised, say analysts n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

Initiatives taken to improve workers’ rights, safety standards and to compensate the victims of Rana Plaza disaster need to be institutionalised for permanent solution in the country’s RMG sector, analysts and rights groups said yesterday. They came up with the view at a panel discussion during the launching of a survey report on “Socio-Economic Reintegration of Rana Plaza Survivors and Kin of Deceased.” The telephonic survey was conducted with over 1,300 survivors and 500 kins of the deceased during March 15-31 this year. “Lots of initiatives have been taken after the Rana Plaza disaster to improve safety standards, ensure workers’ rights and to compensate the victims. But there is no coordinated steps, which is needed for effectiveness. It is the high time to institutionalise those initiatives

what the victims got is financial assistance. The compensation should be based on the types of injuries, losses of limbs and age of the workers in line with the international standards. “Freedom of association have

to be ensured so that the workers can raise their voice against discrimination,” she said urging the government and the stakeholders to incorporate mental and social issues in the compensation calculation method. l

News

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Irregularities found in Rooppur nuclear project work n Aminur Rahman Rasel Evidence of irregularities have been found against JSC Atomstroyexport, the main contractor for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project – the first of its kind in Bangladesh. After a field visit and talking with experts and stakeholders, the Dhaka Tribune recently unearthed these evidence. It was found that Atomstroyexport had not paid heed to Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission’s suggestions and recommendations, which has raised substantial concern about the future of the whole project. The BAEC, under the Science and Technology Ministry, will implement the Rooppur project. On December 25 last year, Bangladesh and Russia signed a general contract for the construction and commissioning of the project in Pabna at a cost of $12.65 billion. Of the two-unit power plant with 1,200MW capacity each, the first is expected to begin operation by 2023, with the second by 2024. An official with the project, who preferred anonymity, said that Atomstroyexport had appointed an inexpert and new company without any prior experience as the po-

previously gave the work of land filling to Goldenberg, another company which is accused for discrepancies in their work. Goldenberg had engaged some local companies in doing the land filling work on their behalf but never paid the due bills. As a result, the local companies halted operations and refrained from further work. It has come to light that Goldenberg is now going to be engaged with the project under the new name of LLC Graphit Engineering Bangladesh. A Bangladeshi official with the project told the Dhaka Tribune that if an incompetent company works on such a sophisticated project, it would be a matter of risk for the whole country. Meanwhile, Atomstroyexport had appointed another Russian company Inter RAO as a sub-contractor. They signed a contract with Inter RAO worth 5.878 billion Rubles. The tasks that Inter RAO will perform include soil stabilisation under main buildings, supply, installation and commissioning of the required equipment, excavation of foundation pits for power units 1 and 2, and installation of their relevant drainage system as well as development of the indus-

and Technology Ministry, was sent to Board of Investment (BoI). In the letter, the BoI had been asked to register LLC Graphit Engineering Bangladesh. The Dhaka Tribune obtained a copy of the letter.

tential sub-contractor. This company, LLC Graphit Engineering Bangladesh, had been registered as a “self-regulatory organisation” in Russia only on January 25 this year. The company also had used a fake address in Gulshan, Dhaka as their office in Bangladesh. However, the Intergovernmental Agreement that had been signed between Bangladesh and Russia for the power plant on November 2, 2011 said that an experienced company must be appointed as a sub-contractor. The potential sub-contractors usually perform tasks related to civil constructions. After a visit to the project site, it was found that the quality of civil construction work already completed is of sub-par quality. The wheeling of the fire extinguisher is left-oriented, a practice prevalent in European countries, even though in Bangladesh it is right-oriented. The BAEC had asked Atomstroyexport to correct the error but no changes have been made. After Atomstroyexport appointed LLC Graphit Engineering Bangladesh, a letter signed on December 14, 2015 by Mohammad Mainul Islam Titas, deputy secretary of the Science

‘If an incompetent company works on such a sophisticated project, it would be a matter of risk for the whole country’ Asked about it, Mainul told the Dhaka Tribune that as per the contract, the ministry will only approve of the company recommended by the main contractor. “If the company is not legit, the responsibility is on the shoulders of Atomstroyexport,” he said. Khandoker Azizul Islam, director of BoI, told the Dhaka Tribune that it is the responsibility of the ministry to see the company’s authenticity. “We however have started to investigate the company. If the allegations are found true, then we will take measures accordingly,” he said. Interestingly, Atomstroyexport

trial site and its temporary roads. According to the contract, the tasks have to be completed by the end of this year. However, Inter RAO started working before being granted necessary permission from the BoI. Mohammad Shawkat Akbar, project director of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project, said that they had inquired about the quality and experience of LLC Graphit and Inter RAO. “We will not accept any incompetent companies for the project,” said Shawkat. Science and Technology Minister Yafes Osman said that the BAEC is looking into the whole situation. “We will inform Rosatom [the regulatory body of the Russian nuclear complex] if we find any irregularities.” “JSC Atomstroyexport is performing preparatory work at the site in full compliance with the schedule, terms and conditions of existing contracts and the demands of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission,” Maksim V Elchischev, in-charge of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant from the Russian end and vice-president of Atomstroyexport, told the Dhaka Tribune. “Atomstroyexport always works in strict compliance with the legislation of Russia and partner countries,” he claimed. l

Khaleda to appear in court today n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will appear before a Dhaka court today to defend herself in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case. “The BNP chief will appear before the court on Sunday as her health condition has improved,” Khaleda’s counsel Md Sanaullah Miah told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. On April 7, Dhaka’s Third Special Judge’s Court Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar ordered her to appear before his court after allowing a time petition filed on behalf of Khaleda, the key accused in the case. Her counsel submitted time petitions before the court for her non-appearance saying she could not appear due to her physical illness.

TEMPERATURE FOREC AST FOR TODAY

PARTLY CLOUDY SUNDAY, APRIL 17

The same court on March 31 concluded witness depositions and asked Khaleda to appear before it on the day. Two others accused – Dr Ziaul Islam Munna and Monirul Islam Khan – gave their statements before the court claiming themselves innocent and sought justice. The court recorded depositions of 32 out of 36 prosecution witnesses including Harun-ur-Rashid, deputy director of the ACC who is the investigation officer and plaintiff of the case. Meanwhile, the court fixed April 21 for recording the cross-examination of Harun-ur-Rashid, the complainant of Zia Orphanage Trust graft case filed against Khaleda, her son Tarique Rahman and four others. l Dhaka

Chittagong

Shamajtantrik Mohila Forum holds a protest in front of the National Press Club demanding justice for the sexual harassment incident at Dhaka University last year and the murder of Tonu RAJIB DHAR 27

Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:21PM

Rangpur

Khulna

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:35AM

38.3ºC Rajshahi

19.5ºC Sylhet

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES

Sylhet

Cox’s Bazar

Fajr: 4:14am | Zohr: 11:58pm Asr: 3:26pm | Magrib: 6:24pm Esha: 7:51pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

News

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Gazipur mayor MA Mannan arrested again Islam Akand, n Raihanul Gazipur Police have once again arrested Gazipur City Corporation Mayor and BNP Chairperson’s Adviser MA Mannan along with seven of his political followers. Mannan was arrested around

10pm Friday from Vannara area in Kaliakair and taken to Joydevpur Police Station, the station’s Officerin-Charge Rezaul Hasan said. The OC said he was arrested in an old vandalism case. Police also suspect him of being involved in a bus arson in Chandna on Friday night, he said.

ICG: Free speech under assault in Bangladesh n Tribune Desk The International Crisis Group has observed that freedom of expression and civil liberties are under assault in Bangladesh, with restrictions on the media reaching proportions that are unprecedented and alarming, at least under a democratically elected government. Urging the government and the judiciary to respect the constitutional right to free speech and dissent, the Brussels-based organisation urged the government to withdraw all cases against journalists including Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam, human rights groups like Odhikar and other civil society actors that are filed based on “vague and dubious grounds.” In its report “Political Conflict, Extremism and Criminal Justice in Bangladesh,” the ICG said such cases are often filed for expressing views deemed “derogatory” of public officials or against the “public interest,” and end in press closures and raids on media offices. It demanded that the 2014 National Broadcast Policy be withdrawn as it prohibits contents contrary to the “public

interest,” undermining the reputation of the army and the law enforcement agencies or harming relations with “friendly countries.” The ICG also called for removing restrictions on online expression in the Information and Technology Act. Politicians and private citizens have been tried or charged for views expressed on Facebook or for posting or sharing “derogatory” images, though the law does not clearly define “derogatory,” the report said. It asked the higher judiciary to refrain from issuing contempt of court citations to media and civil society representatives for criticising court judgments, and overturn unjustified contempt convictions in other courts, including the International Crimes Tribunal. “Right to dissent was a major factor underlying Bangladesh’s independence struggle. Upholding it is as important now, if political stability is to be restored. “Such crises have strained state resources, while undermining the legitimacy of the government and standing of the law enforcement agencies and judiciary in the eyes of the public,” the report said. l

Underprivileged children celebrate Pohela Boishakh n Nure Alam Durjoy Underprivileged children celebrated Pohela Boishakh amid day long festivities at Uttara Ladies Club yesterday. Organised by Industrial Promotion and Development Company of Bangladesh Limited (IPDC), the programme which began at 11am and continued until 3pm was participated by at least 160 children from different schools. At the programme, children were received with traditional

gifts and different cultural activities were arranged for them along with an open floor to perform. Not only the children, but also the celebrities like famous singer Agun, and Bangladesh national women’s cricket team captain Jahanara Alam were also present at the programme to share the moment and exchange greetings with them. The IPDC Managing Director and CEO Mominul Islam, Ladies Club President Jahanara Islam also exchanged greetings with the children. l

“At 9pm Friday, a KP Paribahan bus was drenched with petrol and set on fire while it was waiting to pick up passengers at the Chandna intersection. Joydevpur Fire Station’s workers put the fire out after an hour long effort,” he added. Mannan’s family and local BNP members said he was arrested long

before the incident took place. They claimed Mannan and his companions were arrested around 7pm while on their way to Dhaka from Gazipur and taken at first to the Detective Branch office. They also claimed that the bus fire was an incident of cylinder explosion that the police were falsely identi-

fying as arson. Mannan, an adviser to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, was arrested from Dhaka’s Uttara on February 11 last year for his suspected involvement in an arson attack. He was released on bail on March 2 this year after a High Court order. l

News

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Residents frustrated with water supply, Dhaka Wasa responds n Abu Hayat Mahmud Residents of many middle income areas in the capital are suffering from acute water crisis as their water supply has either been stopped or it is so low that it barely fulfills basic everyday needs. Although Dhaka Wasa Managing Director Taksim A Khan vowed that there will be no water shortage during the summer, it has happened at two separate areas in one week. Wasa is unable to provide proper services all over the city, alleged the residents of Merul Badda,

Jamtala in Rampura, Banasree, Bepari Goli in Boro Mogbazar, and Mirpur among others. Several hundred people of Merul Badda had barricaded roads demanding water supply yesterday after noon. They have since then withdrawn the barricades, after the assurance of Dhaka Wasa. “Every year we face the same problem. Wasa has not taken proper steps for a sustainable water supply,” Helal Uddin of Merul Badda said. Samsul Alam of Jamtala claimed that residents of the area have also

been facing water shortages for a month. Residents of Bepari Goli threatened that they would sever electricity connection to the pumping station if the authorities did not take immediate measures to ensure uninterrupted water supply to the area. Residents of the area told the Dhaka Tribune that they had been facing this crisis for over a month. They also said employees of the pumping station were selling water at Tk5 a jar, taking advantage of the situation.

A terrible shortage of supply water at Dhaka’s Mirhajirbagh has created a crisis of drinking water. What little water comes through the pipelines once in a while is putrid and dirty MEHEDI HASAN

Quality SME products to face open market challenge stressed n BSS Speakers at a seminar yesterday stressed improving quality of SME products to face open market challenges. They were speaking at a seminar on ‘Financing Small and Medium Industries, Commodity Production and Marketing Policy’ marking the Regional SME Fair-2016, in the conference room of deputy commissioner of Khulna. Deputy Inspector General(DIG) of Khulna Range Police, S M Moniruzzaman addressed the seminar as the chief guest while deputy commissioner of Khulna Nazmul Hasan chaired. The chief guest stressed inclusion of more women in the SME initiatives adding that the SME Foundation can play a vital role in increasing the number of women entrepre-

neurs in this field. Khulna District Administration, SME Foundation, Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation(BSCIC), Khulna Chamber and Commerce Industry(KCCI) and Bangladesh Bank, Khulna regional office, jointly organised the seminar. Deputy General Manager(DGM) of Bangladesh Bank in Khulna Prakash Chandra Bairagi, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Khulna Deepankar Biswas and Director of Investment Board Niranjan kumar Mondal, among others, addressed the meeting. Dean of Management and Business Administration (MBA) School of Khulna University(KU) Professor Mehedi Hasan Hefzur Rahman presented the keynote paper. Deputy general manag-

er of BSCIC Sayed Morshed Ali also spoke. The speakers said SMEs will play vital role in reducing poverty creating more jobs for achieving 10 per cent growth in GDP and making Bangladesh a middle income country by 2017. Investment Board is working for flourishing Small and Medium Industries and Bangladesh Bank is extending financial support to the entreprenurse, they added. Attending entrepreneurs demanded reduction of hassles to get bank loans, establish sales center for marketing products, visiting grass root level by the officials of the concerned banks, arrange more lands for the entrepreneurs and to arrange training by the initiative of BSCIC and SME Foundation. l

When contacted, Taqsem A Khan told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that he had heard about the agitations of the residents of Merul Badda, and said they have provided water through water carrying vans. “These are pockets of crisis. I have directed the officials of 10 zones in Dhaka city, to find out if such problems occurred in any area, and how to solve them,” he said. The Dhaka Wasa boss, however, claimed that a number of landlords have no water reserve. “Such type

of people are claiming that they do not get water properly,” he added. According to Dhaka Wasa, it has the capacity to produce 2.25 billion litres of water a day. Dhaka city residents require 2.2 billion litres a day, officials said. 87% of Wasa’s supply comes from ground water, the rest coming from it’s treatment plants. Tapping water from surface water sources will help Dhaka Wasa source 70% of its supply from the surface water sources by 2021 and help mitigate the problem, Taksim said. l

News

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Shortage of teachers hampers education Md Abdur Rouf, n Khondaker Naogaon Students at a good number of government primary schools in the district are being deprived of education due to shortage of teachers. According to local sources, the teachers' recruitment is done every year is very poor compared to the posts vacant. Several schools are also continuing academic activities with only two or three teachers. Consequently, guardians are forced to enroll their children in English and Bangla medium kindergartens. According to primary education office sources, some 652 posts of

teacher including 119 of headmaster, have remained vacant for long in the government primary schools in 11 upazilas of the district. Of the head teacher posts, 10 are lying vacant in Atrai upazila, four in Dhamairhat upazila, 14 in Sadar upazila, 12 in Niyamatpur upazila, 11 in Patnitola upazila, five in Porsha upazila, nine in Badalgachhi upazila, 18 in Mohadebpur upazila, six in Manda upazila, 14 in Raninagar upazila, and six in Sapahar upazila. In some of the schools, assistant teachers are performing duties of the headmasters. Nineteen posts of assistant teacher are lying vacant in Atrai upazila, 24 in Dhamairhat upazila,

23 in Sadar upazila, 33 in Niyamatpur upazila, 26 in Patnitola upazila, 31 in Porsha upazila, 22 in Badalgachhi upazila, 24 in Mohadebpur upazila, 12 in Manda upazila, 22 in Raninagar upazila, and 17 in Sapahar upazila. In addition, the schools which have been recently nationalised are also facing the problem of teacher crisis. There are 25 posts of teacher lying vacant in the newly nationalised schools of Atrai upazila, 53 posts in those of Dhamairhat upazila, 33 in Naogaon upazila, 52 in Niyamatpur upazila, 62 in Patnitola upazila, 68 in Porsha upazila, 66 in Badalgachhi upazila, 62 in Mohadebpur upazila, 30 in Manda

upazila, 43 in Raninagar upazila, and 59 in Sapahar upazila. Despite willingness to provide standard education, the authorities of the schools are not being able to do so for the teacher crisis. Uzzal Hossen, a guardian of Hatnaogaon Govt Primary School, said: “The students of maximum schools suffer more as the syllabuses are not completed timely due to shortage of teachers.” Like him maximum guardians wished to take their children to private schools, he added. When contacted, Md Aminul Islam, district primary education officer, said they sent a letter to the Education Ministry seeking immediate appointment to the vacant posts. l

Man injured in Madaripur post-UP polls clash dies at DMCH n UNB A man, who suffered injuries in a clash between the supporters of two chairman candidates of the recently held union parishad (UP) elections in Sadar upazila, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) yesterday. The victim was Jewel Mollik, 30, son of Sohag Mollik of Khagsara village in the upazila, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital in the afternoon, said officer-in-charge of Sadar police station Ziaul Morshed. At least 30 people were injured in a clash between the supporters Awami League (AL)-nominated and AL-rebel chairman candidates of Mostafapur union parishad on Friday noon. Some 30 houses were also damaged in the clash. Among the injured, five were rushed to Faridpur Medical College Hospital with bullet injuries from where Jewel was shifted to Dhaka Mecial College Hospital (DMCH). Jewel succumbed to his injuries at DMCH around 3:40pm. l

Three sisters - Rashida Begum (from right), Osnai Begum and Hanufa Begum - are participating in Jamalpur’s Chargoalini union parishad elections scheduled for April 23 DHAKA TRIBUNE

Three sisters vie for same post n

Biswajit Deb, Jamalpur

Three sisters are contesting elections at Chargoalini union in Jamalpur’s Islampur upazila for the same post, which has become the talk of the town. Rashida Begum, Osnai Begum and Hanufa Begum are running for the post of member (reserved seat). The third phase of the elections in the union will be held on April 23. Locals said the financial condition of the eldest sister, Rashida, is better than that of the two others. Osnai also contested the last union parishad polls and even sold her land properties to Rashida in order to collect money for meeting elec-

tion-related expenses, but failed. Osnai and Hanufa said Rashida is so boastful of her wealth that she cares less about the relationship with them. They said Rashida wants to use her riches to win the elections, but the eldest sister denied the allegation, saying: “Anyone can announce his or her candidacy in elections. I am a candidate because I want to work for the residents of my area.” The three siblings are conducting door-to-door campaigns to woo voters. Rashida, wife of Moksed Ali Sheikh who is an influential figure and mans village arbitration, said she was hopeful that voters would

vote for her as she is the eldest among the three sisters. “As the eldest sister, people respect me and they will vote for me. I am fully optimistic about claiming victory in the polls,” she said. Osnai, who has been trying hard to garner the support of voters in the run-up to the polls, said local Awami League members and supporters would vote for her as she herself is a member of the party. “I am hopeful that I will win.” The youngest sister, Hanufa, said none of her elder sisters told her earlier that they would contest the polls. “This is sad but there is no time to look back. I am meeting voters at their houses to win their support.” l

Sylhet Nursing College hostel being evacuated n Serajul Islam, Sylhet Female students of Sylhet Nursing College started leaving their college hostel yesterday after walls of the building developed cracks in the recent earthquake. Principal Shilpi Chakrabarty said they had asked the students to vacate the building as they were in panic after the cracks developed. Around 225 inmates, out of 350 were shifted to the classrooms of the college following the order. 150 were ordered to leave the hostel. President of Students Welfare Association Hasna Alam Omi said a team from Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital visited the building earlier on Wednesday night to inspect the cracks, but they suggested the students not to leave it mentioning that there is no risk. Earlier, on April 13, over 120 people were injured while scurrying for safety in various parts of Bangladesh, while a number of buildings were reported to have tilted in Chittagong, Feni and Sylhet after a powerful earthquake jolted the country. l

Housewife commits suicide for Boishakhi saree

n Nadim Hossain, Savar

A housewife reportedly committed suicide on Friday night for Boishakhi saree at Norsighpur in Savar. The deceased was Bithi Akter, 26, wife of Md Shaheen. Locals said the couple lived in the area in a rented house. On Thursday, Bithi demanded a saree to her husband on the occasion of Pohela Boishakh, the first day of Bangla new year. But Shaheen denied the proposal. They locked in an altercation over the issue and at one stage Bithi went to her room and shut down the door. Later, she was found dead. Police recovered the body and sent it to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, said SI Ahad Hossen of Ashulia police station. Shaheen was arrested. l

Village police grab government land in Gafargaon Uddin Seizel from n Asruf Mymensingh

A member of the village police is among those grabbing government land at the district’s Shibganj Bazar in Gafargaon upazila. The encroachers have built a cattle shade, set up shops and constructed a toilet on the land belonging to the Union Post Office. Local policemen allegedly aided and

abetted grabbing of the land which has an estimated value of Tk2 crore. Postmaster Atikul Islam wrote to the deputy general postmaster about the development and sought intervention. He says he has since been receiving threats from local thugs. According to the compliant, there was no boundary wall on the post office’s land. After construction of a new building for the post

office, six local influential persons occupied nearly 82% of the land and started threatening the postmaster. Village police member Chandan Kahar has occupied the most land and constructed the cattle shade and toilet. Other encroachers include Shibganj Bidas High School staff Bolai, locals Manik, Ruhul, Rashid and Shihab. On April 1, a police team from

Gafargaon police station came to the village and openly sided with Chandan, helping him to grab the government land, locals claimed. Higher officials of the post office have reportedly taken no steps to recover the land. Postmaster Atik said the situation had left him dejected. “The encroachers threaten me whenever I protest,” he added. Gafargaon upazila Post Inspector Ripon Mia could not be reached for

comments. The land grabbers claimed they had been filling up the low-lying land with their own money for a long time. About erecting permanent structures on government land, they said the upazila’s Awami League leaders were aware of the matter. However, they declined to name the ruling party leaders who have been supporting them. l

Career

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Taking the first step towards entrepreneurship A conversation with Ayman Sadiq of 10 Minute School

n Tarek Musanna With the growing startup culture and its scraping success rate, it’s not a mystery to understand what is needed to be a successful entrepreneur. There are thousands of articles available online and many entrepreneurs are still failing to understand the important elements, and thus, failing altogether. To get some answers, we talked to one of the most popular personalities in the business undergrad scene as well as the founder of one of the fastest growing startups in Bangladesh: Ayman Sadiq, of 10 Minute School. Ayman Sadiq is the founder of 10 Minute School, a web based educational platform based in Bangladesh where students can learn, practice and track their progress for free. We spoke about the nature of 10 Minute School, the mindset of Ayman while launching the startup as well as the issues related to it. The conception It’s not like Ayman didn’t want to work for others and had the mindset of being an entrepreneur from the very beginning. He worked for organisations including Mentors, 7Teen Events and even completed a summer internship at Grameenphone during his second year of Bachelors at IBA. He had multiple projects under his wing even after starting 10 Minute School. But after graduation, he had to choose between working

Ayman started working on 10 Minute School back in his second year of undergrad. He has known since what his plan was and what he wanted to do in future. 10 Minute School now has online lessons and quizzes on JSC, SSC, HSC, admission exams, university courses, GRE, GMAT courses etc. It’s free of cost for all users. The motivating factor “The motivating factor for me wasn’t the prospect of starting a company or being an entrepreneur. Rather, it was pursuing my passion of teaching, which comes first.” The other factor was the issue with students coming from outside of Dhaka into it. Ayman understands that when these students come to Dhaka, they face geographical, economic, informational and financial barriers. Moreover getting a place to stay can be very difficult for them. “If I could remove these barriers, it would be amazing. If I could make a website which is free, then the economic barrier would be gone. People could access it from all parts of the world. That would remove the geographic barrier. And from the beginning, we focused on information.” Ayman describes 10 Minute School as a free platform where “you can learn, practice and track your progress.” The startup has been registered as an educationbased technology company.

The reason that people of our country are so fearful of getting judged, so fearful of failing, is actually because they can’t go beyond their comfort zone, get out of the box and do something amazing. I think it’s because we don’t celebrate the failures like we celebrate the success full time somewhere or working solely on 10 Minute School. “My passion was 10 Minute School; it was my dream project, and I didn’t want to lose my passion.” Finding passion in life can take a lot of time for someone, but that wasn’t the case with Ayman. “I found my passion back in my early semesters - that I love teaching and speaking to people. That’s what I have been doing for the past two years.”

How did it feel when you first thought of your startup idea? Starting from Khan Academy, 10 Minute School was inspired by a lot of bright concepts, many of which had problems if you’re implementing it here. Ayman thought of solving those problems individually and imagined a perfect platform to suit the needs. However, he didn’t have all the necessary skills. There were plenty

of failures in the beginning and setbacks arising from external factors. That’s what Ayman felt when starting his project. There were sponsorship pitches, many of which were failures. Finally, Robi agreed to bear most of their operational cost. The starting was not easy, physically or emotionally. Ayman expected that his project would take off with the help of his close friends, but the expertise was missing. Asking random people for help was not what Ayman planned on, but that’s what he had to settle for. “You won’t get what you plan at first, and this was a learning experience. And it turned out to be a good one as well.” The obstacles Research issues, funding unavailability and learning the actual work from scratch were the primary obstacles. Fortunately

for him, Ayman’s family was supportive of his project. It was funded by himself and that helped things move along much smoother. Ayman likes to stay positive, and doesn’t regret any of the decisions he made. He doesn’t even regret the setbacks, as he learnt a lot from them. Celebrating failure stories For Ayman, failure stories are important. He has a little hobby of reading up on failure stories so he doesn’t follow the same path. “The reason that people of our country are so fearful of getting judged, so fearful of failing, is actually because they can’t go beyond their comfort zone, get out of the box and do something amazing. I think it’s because we don’t celebrate the failures like we celebrate the success.” He says we shouldn’t be ashamed of our failures; it destroys the potential of amazing

PHOTO: COURTESY ideas. Talking to Ayman Sadiq revealed a lot about the first few steps of entrepreneurship. He emphasised mostly on pursuing what you love and to follow your passion. He talked about not getting phased by setbacks and how important it is for someone to be positive all the time. Initial plans will hardly work, so improvise; be inspired by failure stories and one day, you can turn your passion into your profession. Tarek Musanna is a core content creator for Bit Makers Limited

Content was printed with the permission of www.startupbd.com

Feature

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

4 things not to do during an earthquake Silly mistakes that could cost you your life

PHOTOS: BIGSTOCK

n Sabrina Fatma Ahmad he 6.9 earthquake that originated in Myanmar on the eve of Pohela Boishakh, was felt by people sitting in Dhaka, complaining about the heat. Word on the street is, there are bigger quakes yet to come, maybe even this year. Enough material has been published on things to do during an earthquake, and some of these things, we’ve actually adopted on an individual level. But there’s something about mob mentality

that kicks in during an actual disaster, which leads to some dangerous behaviours that make a bad situation worse. Here are four of them. Window treatment The first thing that one does in the event of a brewing storm or the distant sound of an explosion, ie, heading to the window to find out more, is the last thing one should be doing in the event of an earthquake. Standing anywhere near glass, or sharp edges could result in some pretty horrific injuries. So save the curiosity

for later, and back away slowly. Ditto for chandeliers and other breakable fixtures. Power hour Footage of the earthquake in Dhaka showed a lot of people congregating on the streets, staring up at the buildings they had just exited, trying to determine if it was still moving. What was also clearly visible in the video, were the power-lines swaying directly overhead. Had this been a stronger earthquake, this could have resulted in some serious injuries. While heading

outside is a sensible choice, it’s just as important to remember to get out of the way of power lines if one wants to minimise the risk of electrocution. Rush hour As terrifying as it is when the ground beneath your feet starts to shudder, it’s worse being crushed underfoot while trying to get out of the building. If it’s shaking inside the building, it’s shaking outside as well, and if the tremors aren’t violent, it’s better to wait them out instead of starting a stampede.

Descent into chaos Anyone who happened to be at Bashundhara City on Wednesday would be able to testify to the mad rush to the elevators that ensued at the first sight of a tremor. We cannot stress enough just how dangerous this is. Setting aside the whole stampede factor we just mentioned, a big quake could snap the cables holding the elevator, causing a pretty nasty plummet and crash. And should there be a power outage, you could stand the risk of being trapped there for a very long time. It’s better to take the stairs, slowly. l

Editorial 11

SUNDAY, APRIL 17., 2016

INSIDE

The spirit of Boishakh It’s almost meditative watching how unified everyone is during the early hours of the morning sitting under the Ramna Botomul, singing with so much devotion as they forget all obstacles and worries to come together in celebration of this day PAGE 12

Gandhi, Chakrayya, and Ambedkar Interestingly, neither Gandhi nor those Congress leaders preparing to enter office thought that Babasaheb Ambedkar might be worth consideration as the first rashtrapati. Ambedkar certainly had the qualifications and repute PAGE 13

Today, solar energy is standing where the American auto industry was in the 20s. Within a decade, the spread of solar energy may follow the same track, but on a much bigger, global scale PAGE 14

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.

UK’s trade envoy appointment shows the way

Is solar power a game changer?

Be heard

BIGSTOCK

he appointment of Bangladesh-born British MP Rushanara Ali as a UK trade envoy for Bangladesh is a welcome fillip for relations between our two countries. Bangladesh has been highlighted by the UK as an emerging market with substantial trade and investment opportunities. The role is part of the UK’s cross-party Trade Envoy program to help grow relations with countries identified as key markets for the UK. It is an encouraging sign that the strong growth of Bangladesh’s economy is attracting more interest from investors around the world. With the UK accounting for nearly 10% of Bangladesh’s export earnings, it is important to build on our nations’ strengthening ties, which have seen bilateral trade in goods and services more than double since 2007. By making the announcement on Pohela Boishakh, British Prime Minister David Cameron acknowledges the close ties between the UK and Bangladesh, exemplified by the increasingly prominent role played in British life by people with ancestral roots in Bangladesh. He also sends a signal of growing confidence in the potential of Bangladesh’s economy. Bangladesh should reciprocate by encouraging our own businesses and exporters to do more to boost their profile in the UK. Growing trade is the best way for Bangladesh to attract new FDI and to create and secure new jobs to advance further on the path of development as a middleincome nation. The government should emulate the UK’s example by making better use of the opportunities afforded by our nation’s growing business, and people to people links around the world. Bangladesh needs to let the world know its potential by opening new trade offices and simplifying procedures to attract investors. Appointing trade representatives of our own to as many markets as possible would be a useful step in this direction.

Emulate the UK’s example by opening new trade offices to attract investors and grow jobs

Opinion

SUNDAY, APRIL 17., 2016

The spirit of Boishakh The Bengali New Year calls for celebration and unity

Ushering in Boishakh together

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

n Sanjana Sadique

like the smell of beli phool. I like dressing up in white and red colours, and wearing matching bangles. The simplicity and taste of panta bhat and cooked shutki on a hot day is something that I also look forward to every year. With each morsel of the panta and shutki, I feel the insides of my mouth burning a little, but I don’t gulp it all down in haste. Instead, I taste the hot flavours of the shutki bhorta. The taste is unique, and I love it. I don’t eat panta bhat or dress up in red and white colours every day and, even if I did, it would just not be the same. Last Thursday was a special day and unlike every other day, it was the first day of the Bengali New Year, Pohela Boishakh. When I think of the month of Boishakh, I am reminded of the beautiful lyrics of the song “Esho, he Boishakh, Esho Esho” written by the famous Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. If you grew up in Bangladesh, chances are you’ve heard the song countless times. There is something overpowering about celebrating this day in Dhaka. Watching crowds of people gather all around the city, especially in Ramna Park, to sing Rabindra Sangeet, makes one feel unconsciously peaceful, yet powerful. It’s almost meditative watching how unified everyone is during the early hours of the morning sitting under the Ramna Botomul, singing with so much devotion as they forget all obstacles and worries to come together in celebration of this day. As Bengalis, we have been celebrating the spirit of Pohela Boishakh in its present incarnation for decades. But the history goes

It’s almost meditative watching how unified everyone is during the early hours of the morning sitting under the Ramna Botomul, singing with so much devotion as they forget all obstacles and worries to come together in celebration of this day

back centuries. It began during Akbar’s reign, when he introduced a revised Bengali calendar as a means for tax collection. The Bengali calendar revolved around six seasons, and it made more sense for both the landlords and the farmer-tenants to depend on the seasonal cycle as a means of sorting out their taxes. Usually, the celebration and feast took place right after tax collection and the custom of Bengali New Year celebrations began ever since -- even though the landlords probably had more reason for celebration. As a child, I did not fully understand the significance of the day. Then it was just another holiday. But reminiscing about my childhood, I am reminded of fond memories with my family. My mother would wake me up around dawn on the first day of Boishakh, and we would head out to Ramna Park in our new dresses. We would gather at Ramna Botomul along with our friends and relatives, and sit amongst the crowds listening to the Chhayanaut artists perform. It feels like this day is celebrated on a much grander scale now -- the Facebook newsfeed or your SMS inbox would tell you what I mean. One cannot but help notice the series of Boishakhi-lunch deals in hotels and numerous functions taking

place in different locations of the city. Even the markets and shops advertise the numerous red and white saris, dresses, and baby clothes made specifically for this day. Giving into this joyous hype, I thought of visiting Aarong to get something for my mother a few days back. I was surprised to discover the whole store packed to the brim. As I stood in the long winding queue, I waited for the man in front of me to pay for the things he had just bought. I couldn’t help notice the bright, multi-coloured dress that he had purchased, most likely for his four or five-year-old daughter, and the red and light green sari for his wife. I turned around to peek at the others in the queue. A girl was standing with her mother behind me gleefully holding her new clothes. I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of men standing in line too holding saris for their loved ones. The scene instantly warmed my heart. I realised that the celebration was not only about wearing red and white colours and eating panta bhat, but it meant more than that. It made me think of the celebration as an occasion for giving. This day gives us a chance to express our love with a small token, such as a gift for our loved ones. I looked around the packed

store and realised everyone there, no matter the circumstances, had braved through the horrendous Dhaka traffic only to find time to think about buying a gift for someone else. The joy of giving was all around. What better day to feel good about giving than on the first day of the Bengali New Year? From my own personal experiences, the joy that I feel every time I buy something for someone else is tremendous; I feel good when I am not thinking just about myself. As a teenager I had missed celebrating this day, and did not get to enjoy it for many years since I lived abroad then. After I got married and moved back to Bangladesh, I remember going back to the Dhaka University area on a rickshaw to see the celebrations as an adult. I went to see the Mongol Shobhajatra, which is a procession brought out by the students of Charukola, the Fine Arts Institute, to display beautifully crafted masks and mascots. Plastering the bamboo frames with colourful papers, the artists brought the mascots to life. The art students raised funds for the colourful procession by selling their art work. They work tirelessly for days and nights on end to prepare for the grand rally. The students of Charukola made it look effortless, but I was in awe of the crowd, the

colourful masks, and all the effort that went into making it happen. When I witnessed the Mongol Shobhajatra for the first time as an adult, it made me nostalgic. My husband and I try to go to Charukola religiously on every Pohela Boishakh. We go to see all the artwork the night before, immerse ourselves in the world of art, and sometimes even buy some artwork. On Pohela Boishakh, we dress up and go to see the display of masks and join the Mongol Shobhajatra, braving the heat and crowd. The whole parade is immersed in bright colours. Every mascot has a meaning. This year the three that caught my attention were the white birds as symbols of peace, a mother and child symbolising the need for protection of women and children in our society, and the red bull signifying opposition to corruption and greed. Pohela Boishakh for me is a time for giving, counting my blessings, and looking forward to a brand new year. As much as I enjoy wearing a red and white sari, sticking strands of beli in my hair, I also look forward to spending quality time and having a meal with my loved ones. As I am reminded of my culture, I recall Rabindranath Tagore’s words: Come, come, come O Boishakh come upon us. With your ascetic breath, dust away that which is dying Be gone the refuses and remnants of the year Let go old memories, let go forgotten melodies Let teardrops vaporise and fade into the distant skies. l Sanjana Sadique is a children’s book author.

Opinion

SUNDAY, APRIL 17., 2016

Gandhi, Chakrayya, and Ambedkar India will only rise when Dalit emancipation has been achieved

Nothing will change until Dalit’s are economically empowered

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Interestingly, neither Gandhi nor those Congress leaders preparing to enter office thought that Babasaheb Ambedkar might be worth consideration as the first rashtrapati. Ambedkar certainly had the qualifications and repute

n MJ Akbar

n May 1947, Mahatma Gandhi suffered a grievous personal loss. Chakrayya, a young Dalit disciple who had served at Sevagram Ashram since its inception in 1935, died of a brain tumour. He was like family; the Mahatma’s grief was palpable and public. On June 2, Gandhi startled his prayer meeting with a radical suggestion. He first explained his decision to name Jawaharlal Nehru as the “uncrowned king of India”: Having studied at Harrow and Cambridge before becoming barrister, Nehru was needed to negotiate with Englishmen.

It was not the most persuasive of arguments, but Gandhi wanted to convey that Nehru’s role as free India’s first prime minister was not in question. But there was a second post, technically higher in than a prime minister’s in the new Indian polity, that was vacant. I quote: “But the time is fast approaching when India will have to elect the first president of the republic. I would have proposed the name of Chakrayya, had he been alive. I would wish with all my heart to have a brave, selfless, and purehearted Dalit (the term Gandhi used, now obsolete, has been changed here and elsewhere) girl to be our first president. It is no

vain dream. Our future president will have no need to know English. Of course, he will be assisted by men who are proficient in political matters and who also know foreign languages. These dreams, however, can be realised only if we devote all our attention to our villages instead of killing each other” (Collected Works, Volume 95). On June 6, Gandhi pursued this idea in a conversation with Rajendra Prasad, who would, of course, become India’s first president. Gandhi framed his proposal thus: “If all the leaders join the cabinet, it will be very difficult to maintain contact with the people at large … that

is why I suggested even in my prayer speech that a Dalit like Chakrayya or a Dalit girl should be made the nation’s first president and Jawaharlal should become the prime minister ...” Since Chakrayya had died, a young Dalit woman could be given the honour. Congress leaders were unimpressed. It is interesting that Chakrayya is never mentioned by any of them in their memoirs or records of their conversations, at least to my knowledge. Perhaps they dismissed the thought as the radicalism of a saint, increasingly removed from practical requirements of office. But Gandhi continued to campaign for such empowerment, saying things like “we want the rule of the Dalits. The Dalits are the highest of all because their service is the greatest.” Interestingly, neither Gandhi nor those Congress leaders preparing to enter office thought that Babasaheb Ambedkar might be worth consideration as the first rashtrapati. Ambedkar certainly had the qualifications and repute. It is likely that Babasaheb’s decision to play an independent role during

the independence movement rankled deeply with contemporary Congress leaders. Babasaheb was not one of them. They refused to trust him beyond a point. The challenge of Dalit empowerment was of highest concern to both Gandhi and Ambedkar, with this difference that Gandhi gave first priority to freedom and Ambedkar to Dalit emancipation. By the mid-1940s the difference became irrelevant, as freedom became visible. The thrust of Ambedkar’s intellectual contribution shifted to careful proposals that could fashion a polity acceptable to both Hindus and Muslims. He also pondered deeply on the meaning of partition. As early as in December 1940, he published what is surely the first book with a title that includes “Pakistan.” His thoughts on Pakistan was startling and prescient. No one else had foreseen what is today’s biggest threat -- an Islamic Jihad with a geo-political agenda rising from the North-West Frontier and Afghanistan. Ambedkar’s thesis, that “a safe army is better than a safe border,” is remarkable. Once Pakistan became a fact, the focus shifted to internal challenges. The curse of an abominable caste system could be abolished in law, but its elimination in real life was a different story. Ambedkar laid down his famous dictum: There are no rights without remedies -- which became the operating principle of the constitution. Gandhi did not live long enough to see the constitution, but he understood the power of political symbolism. Nothing would erode the psychological foundations of caste hierarchies faster than a Dalit in the palace of Viceroys. It took us decades to fulfill Gandhi’s dream. To be fair, we have come a very long way since 1947, but there are, as famously noted by a poet, miles to go. Leaders are human; they all must go to the big sleep one day. But a nation lives on. India will rise only when Dalit emancipation and economic empowerment has been fully achieved. l MJ Akbar is an Indian journalist. He is the founder of The Sunday Guardian. This article was previously published in The Sunday Guardian.

Opinion

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Is solar power a game changer? It’s only a matter of time before the whole world turns to solar power

n Tarik Hasan

enewable energy, particularly solar energy, has been touted as a viable means to cut into the market share of the conventional fossil fuel-based energy for almost three decades now. Governments and international organisations have been increasingly upping the ante in terms of formulating green energyfriendly policies, as well as the required finance to integrate the technology into the mainstream. As a result, significant progress has been made to grow the renewable energy sector. But even the harshest critics of conventional fossil fuel-based energy generation have not been convinced that renewable energy is a viable alternative … until now. So what has changed over the years? Solar power. Solar power was declared a champion in the early 90s, when consequences of fossil fuel emission and the resulting climatic impacts sank into the mainstream of the developed world. But the potential was not reflected either in implementations, due to lack of supporting technology and knowhow, nor in the balance sheets as the cost-benefit ratio did not secure an impeccable position for the solar power. Yes, the source is abundant and free of cost, but harnessing it is a different ball game. Therefore, it could not readily establish its position as a mainstay in the energy jigsaw puzzle, whereas coal, natural gas, petroleum, and nuclear sources remained the big players in the energy market. In terms of the renewable sector, large-scale hydro projects have shown potential, albeit in a limited manner, due to the constraints posed by landscape, finance, environmental consequences, and the issue of human displacement. Thus, the solar energy sector was regarded as, not competition,but something to be carefully nurtured through extensive research and development and friendly government policies. Once considered expensive, idealistic, and useful only in niche applications, solar energy has now entered the global mainstream, and in the past few years, an average growth of 50% that accounted for solar energy

has made it the fastest expanding energy source vis-à-vis other conventional and renewable sources. From an estimated number of installations being a couple of hundred megawatts in the 90s per year, annual installations grew to 40-50 gigawatts in 2014, and the development progression has been almost geometric. With booming economies like India and China joining the solar energy bandwagon, the message is very clear: Solar power is ready to be a big player. However, let us put into perspective the factors that restricted solar power to becoming truly revolutionary in the first place. The biggest hurdle is the uncertainty, which is not necessarily due to the period of sun exposure, rather the lack of confidence that generated mostly from a lack of less efficient and space-saving storage devices. The supply of sustainable electricity to residences, in particular, would be fluctuating if the converted energy is not stored for a longer period. Grid management is also a big issue when tackling and integrating an uncertain energy source with the main grid. Therefore, solar power usage has been limited to small load factors and often confined to the cut-off territories or broken terrain where conventional grid is difficult to reach. The efficiency level of the photo-voltaic (PV) panels (in most cases 20-23%), although improving every day, has not been satisfactorily high, vis-àvis efficiency of other power plant generation, particularly considering the capital and maintenance costs. To date, solar energy has been dubbed as the “government’s baby” as affirmative regulatory support has been raised in favour of the burgeoning solar energy industry. The generation cost has been heavily subsidised, and the subscribers of solar energy often receive preferential treatment, including tax benefits, bank loans for covering installation costs, partial payment method, and free servicing. Therefore, the general confidence is still shaky as to whether solar energy can compete on its own terms in an open market. However, all of this is changing fast. Some recent breakthroughs

have been made in solar cell manufacturing. While the materials for PV panels are constantly being researched to find a miracle cure, so to speak, the resulting price reduction has been significant. Also, companies such as US’s Tesla have come up with new solutions which have offered to significantly extend the battery life for solar energy, while Sweden’s Ripasso Energy has published results of augmenting an 11% rise to the currently typical efficiency level of 23%, as a Guardian report said. Companies in the US, Germany, and the UK have already installed and operationalised micro-grid models, while China, India, and some Gulf countries have been setting up large solar parks taking advantage of their terrain. The US’s Yeloha has been offering a solution called

Today, solar energy is standing where the American auto industry was in the 20s. Within a decade, the spread of solar energy may follow the same track, but on a much bigger, global scale

When it comes to creating energy, you can’t beat the sun solar sharing -- the company allows customers to “go solar” without owning a single panel by essentially feeding off their neighbours who do (and at a price that’s less than what they’d normally pay to their utility). These are only a few examples of the total drive. In Bangladesh, solar energy has been seeing an unprecedented growth through the public-private collaboration. In an article published in the Atlantic a few years ago, this sector, being a top global hot spot for the renewable energy jobs, is credited to creating a green workforce as large as Spain’s in 2013. In the last 10 years, the number of solar systems in Bangladesh has

jumped from 25,000 to 2.8 million, according to IRENA. That, in turn, has created some 114,000 jobs, from assembling solar panels to selling, installing, and maintaining them. In fact, the number of solar-related jobs nearly doubled between 2011 and 2013. The numbers are set to increase further (by comparison some 4 million people work in Bangladesh’s garment industry),and this is still scratching the surface. Solar technologies such as energy converting glass materials can directly be utilised in the growing urban centres and solar desalinisation (a project of MIT and Jain Irrigation Systems devised a method of turning brackish water into drinking water with a solar-powered

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machine that can pull minerals out of water) and purification can be used throughout the country. Also, the successful operation of the micro-grid running on solar and main grid in tandem can be incorporated. There is no denying that solar power in the present global energy supply accounts for only 1%. But the market for solar energy is gradually accelerating and the market itself is taking charge of it. Today, solar energy is standing where the American auto industry was in the 20s. Within a decade, the spread of solar energy may follow the same track, but on a much bigger, global scale. l Tarik Hasan is Assistant Secretary, Bangladesh Foreign Office.

Business 15

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

INSIDE

‘Lending rate to remain stable in next six months’

Lending rates in the banking sector is set to remain stable in the next six months as credit demand is increasing amid expansion of business activities. PAGE 16

G20 worried by ‘modest’ global growth, commodities weakness

Chinese economy shows signs of debtfueled recovery

China posted its slowest economic growth since 2009 but a surge of new debt appears to be fueling a recovery in factory activity, investment and household spending in the world’s second largest economy. PAGE18

Capital market snapshot: Past Week DSE Broad Index

4,408.6

-0.8% ▼

Index

1,066.0

-0.9% ▼

30 Index

1,683.4

-0.2% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk

17,472.8 -14.5% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

423.0 -30.6% ▼

CSE All Share Index 13,571.2 30 Index

-0.8% ▼

12,478.1

0.8% ▲

Selected Index

8,246.6

-0.7% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk

1,035.0 -36.8% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

34.3 -38.5% ▼

Air-conditioner sales boom amid scorching summer n Syed Samiul Basher Anik Days of unrelenting heat across the country has caused a sharp rise in air-conditioners, air-coolers and fans as people being burnt under scorching sun rush to buy the cooling appliances. Bangabandhu National Stadium Market, the biggest marketplace of electronic appliances in Dhaka, is now buzzing with buyers of air-conditioners and other cooling appliances. “The summer heat has become unbearable. We cannot even sleep at night,” Sajanur Rahman, a shopper at the Bangabandhu Statidum Market in Gulistan, was describing their suffering due to rising temperature that has already exceeded 37 degrees Celcius. He came all the way from the city’s Muhammadpur area to buy a 1.5-tonne air-conditioner for home. The mad rush for cooling appliances started since mid-March and it is expected to continue until the end of May, according to the traders. Amid this bonanza of sales, manufacturers of the products are making different lucrative offers like gifts, cash discounts and instalment facility to customers to grab as bigger their share as possible. “Sales of air-conditioners have increased sharply. Now we are selling 10,000-12,000 units a month during this summer season,” said Emdadul Haque Sarker, executive director (marketing) of

Customers throng the city’s electronics markets abuzz with air-conditioners. The sale of colling appliances rises in the wake of recent heat wave across the country DHAKA TRIBUNE Walton. Local Walton brand and Singer products are on top of the sale usually dominated by Sony-Rangs, LG-Butterfly, General and Gree. Majority of the customers are choosing air-conditioners of local brands because of their relaxed prices in limited budget. Buyers are mostly looking for 1.5-tonne and 2-tonne air conditioners, he said. Currently, Walton is selling air conditioners at prices between Tk31,500 and Tk57,600. “The brand is on top of customers’ choice here in the country due to its affordable price range and

zero-interest instalment facility,” Emdadul added. Singer Bangladesh is also offering zero-interest six-month instalment scheme, along with cashback offer up to Tk6,700 against the purchase of air conditioners. The prices of Singer air conditioners range between Tk42,000 and Tk74,900. For air-coolers, this is between Tk7,500 and Tk9,999 and the price of fans varies from Tk2,000 to Tk3,300. “Sale of our air conditioners has shot up since the past week. People, mostly from middle-income group, are buying mainly

1.5-tonne air conditioners,” said Fazlul Haque, manager of Singer brand’s Sewrapara branch. Outlets of many renowned air conditioner brands are selling at least 15 air conditioners each day, according to the market sources. “Given the current trend, we are expecting record sale of air conditioners,” said Saiful Ahmed, a sales executive of Esquire Electronics Ltd. Esquire electronics is offering special cash discount plus zero-interest 12-equated monthly instalment for General brand air-conditioners. l

Novoair to launch flight to Guwahati by October n Ishtiaq Husain The private airliner of the country – Novoair – is going to launch its international flight to the Northeastern Indian city of Guwahati by October this year to tap the growing air market. Sohail Majid, head of marketing and sales, NOVOAIR, said Druk airlines, lone foreign carrier, operates flight on this route. Considering business travellers and tourists, the city is the gateway to Northeast India, he added. “For the first time in Bangladesh, NOVOAIR is going to launch a new flight which will connect Guwahati with four cities including Dhaka, Chittagong and Kolkata. It will open a new era for the businessmen, specially for those from Assam and

Chittagong,” said Sohail. “Historically, Assam and Meghalaya have a lot of tea gardens. Most tea traders in Assam come to Chittagong for auctioning their tea. Moreover, Shilong, Guwahati and Cherapunji are the attractive spots for Bangladeshi tourists.” As a new destination, it seems risky for NOVOAIR, but those ingredients are inspirational for the airline to launch flight on this route, he said. “There is only one challenge in Guwahati. The challenge is there is not any visa-issuing authority of Bangladesh High Commission. We hope the government will take the matter into consideration in the best interest of businesses and tourists.” The private airliner is also

planning to launch DhakaKathmandu-Dhaka flight by July this year while Dhaka-KolkataDhaka flight will be launched by

this time. On December 1 last year, NOVOAIR launched its maiden international flight on DhakaYangon-Dhaka route. l

Business

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

‘Lending rate to remain stable in next six months’ n Jebun Nesa Alo Lending rates in the banking sector is set to remain stable in the next six months as credit demand is increasing amid expansion of business activities. Ahmed Kamal Khan Chowdhury, managing director of Prime Bank, hinted that interest rate on advance, which remained downturn in last two years, might not fall further as credit growth already surpassed the credit ceiling set in the monetary policy. He was addressing a press conference on the occasion of 21st founding anniversary of the bank at a city hotel yesterday. “Though the private sector credit growth exceeded the ceiling of 14.80% set in the monetary policy for the month of June, it will have no immediate effect in the market as banking sector is still over burdened with idle money of around Tk30,000 crore,” said Chowdhury. According to the central bank statistics, private sector credit growth continued to rise in February, reaching 15.11% on a yearon-year basis, far above the central bank’s credit ceiling that was set at 14.80% for June in the January-June monetary policy. “The total credit to private sector stood at Tk6,27,960 crore in February from Tk5,45,534 crore in the same

Prime Bank organises a press conference yesterday on the occasion of its 21st founding anniversary period last year,” said Bangladesh Bank in its recently released data. Earlier, the highest credit growth was 16.6% in December 2012, and the growth rate remained below 15% since then amid sluggish investment climate. The credit growth took an upward trend from October last year, reaching over 13% and continued to rise, recording around a three-year-high growth of 14.19% in last December. The private sector credit growth reached 14.80% in January which was set for June at the monetary policy and the growth rate crossed the ceiling in February.

Prime Bank MD explained that banks won’t be crowded amid rising demand as credit inflow from foreign sources remained higher which will meet the local credit pressure. Moreover, fall in interest rate of government treasury bills will push the bank to invest money in the market, he said. He said, the government will increase the interest rate of government bills which also indicate that lending rates will not fall again. The lending rate came down to 10.91% in February compared to 12.23% in the same period last year, according to the central bank data.

The default loan rate of Prime Bank was upward as most of good borrowers were in crisis during last year. High provision requirement against default loan led the profit to lower, explained Chowdhury. “We are trying to manage the default loan rate at the expected level of 5% which is now above 7%, following Bangladesh Bank’s instruction”. He also claimed that the bank stressed the need for maintaining asset quality which reflected in CAR (Capital Adequacy Ratio) that was maintained above 12% against the Basel-2 requirement of 10% by Bangladesh Bank. l

Stocks stay flat in past week n Tribune Report

Stock markets stayed flat in the past week as risk-averse investors opted for quick profit due to volatile market for a long time. The government claim of crossing 7% economic growth in first nine months of the current fiscal year and lower prices of scrips have subdued in the past week, brokers say. During the past week that ended Thursday, the benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, was down over 34 points or 0.8% to 4,408, after a loss of 85 points in the last week. The blue-chip comprising index DS30 inched about 3 points or over 0.2% down to 1,076. The DSE Shariah Index, DSES, shed about 16 points or 1% to 1,066. The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, closed at 8,246 with a loss of 58 points or 0.7%. The daily average turnover stood at Tk440 crore during the week, up nearly 7% over the previous week, despite one shortened trading session at DSE due to public holiday on account of the first day of Bengali New Year. Among the large cap sectors, power sector was the highest gainer with a rise of 2.6% followed by food & allied 1.4%, non-banking financial institutions 0.6% and telecommunications 0.3%. On the other hand, IT sector suffered most in the week declining 7.6%, followed by textile 3%, banks 1.6%, pharmaceuticals 1.3% and engineering 0.8%. l

Indian steel policy draws Merchant bankers for allowing untaxed criticism at WTO money to prop up stock market n Reuters India’s decision to put minimum prices on imported iron and steel and to impose emergency “safeguard” tariffs on some steel imports drew wide criticism at a meeting of the World Trade Organization’s Goods Council on Friday, a WTO official said. Japan led the criticism of India, and its concerns were echoed by Taiwan, Canada, Australia, the European Union and South Korea. China, the world’s biggest steel producer, commented on India’s restrictions on trade in apples but did not join the criticism on steel, the official said. Japan’s representative told the closed-door meeting that the minimum import prices announced by India on Feb 5 on more than 170 products had significant adverse impact on Japan’s exports, and were clearly inconsistent with WTO rules, the official said. Japan also criticised the “safe-

guard” tariff that India imposed on hot-rolled flat products to protect its own industry from a damaging surge in imports of those products. The world steel market has been hit by massive oversupply from China, by far the world’s dominant producer, coupled by falling demand around the world. Chinese crude steel output hit a record 70.65 million tonnes in March, while exports were up 30% from a year ago. Meanwhile Indian steel imports jumped 18.2%, adding to pressure on the government from firms such as JSW Steel, Tata Steel and Kalyani Steels to step up protection against competing supplies from China, as well as Russia, Japan and South Korea. The US representative at the WTO meeting also raised concerns about India’s import tariff increases on 96 budget lines, including manufacturing inputs and across the information technology sector, the WTO official said. l

n Kayes Sohel Merchant bankers have proposed the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to allow untaxed money investment in shares for the upcoming fiscal year to prop up the stock market. “The market suffers fund crunch right now. Fund injection is important for bringing dynamism in the market,” said Md Sayedur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Merchant Bankers Association (BMBA). He said: “Undeclared money should be allowed in stocks without any questions about the source of income as this will bolster the government’s revenue earnings and bring liveliness in the dried-up market.’’ “Look at the volume of trade in recent time in the market, which is very poor compared to the market’s depth. Given the ailing situation in the market, incentives from the government are needed,” he

observed. The benchmark DGEN index has lost 4% of its value and the volume of trade in value is hovering around Tk400 crore as of yesterday since January this year.

‘Undeclared money should be allowed in stocks without any questions about source of income’ Tax evasion is widespread in Bangladesh, with assuming that undeclared income could account for lion share of Gross Domestic Product. There is a large amount of untaxed money in our economy. As it is undisclosed, owners are not being able to invest it in any productive sectors, rather this money is being used in unproductive or

illegal activities. If the government allows this money to be invested in the capital market without question from any regulator, this money will come to the mainstream and will be utilised in the productive sectors, said the BMBA. For consideration in the new fiscal year, it also put some proposals, including keeping same tax rate for brokerages, merchant banks and asset management companies, providing discount on value added tax rate for listed companies and reducing capital gains tax to 5% from 10% if shares are held for more than a year. Currently, the listed companies get only 10% tax benefit for listing. The VAT rate is same for both listed and non-listed companies. But the listed companies should be allowed a discount of 40% on existing rates for being listed because the listed companies’ accounts are more transparent and they pay more tax and VAT, said the proposal. l

Business

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

G20 worried by ‘modest’ global growth, commodities weakness n Reuters, Washington

New BRICSsupported bank approves first set of loans n AFP, Shanghai

Financial leaders from the Group of 20 nations said on Friday they were heartened by a recent recovery in financial markets, but warned that global growth was “modest and uneven” and threatened by weakness in commodities-based economies. In a communique issued after their meeting in Washington, G20 finance ministers and central bank governors repeated their pledge to refrain from competitive currency devaluations, but offered no new initiatives to keep growth from stalling. The G20 officials took a slightly more positive view on financial markets, which they said had mostly recovered from sharp selloffs earlier this year and were in better shape since they last met in Shanghai in February. “However, growth remains modest and uneven, and downside risks and uncertainties to the global outlook persist against the backdrop of continued financial volatility, challenges faced by commodity exporters and low inflation,” they said. The communique also pointed to Britain’s possible exit from the European Union, geopolitical conflicts, terrorism and refugee flows as complications for the global economic landscape. The statement repeated G20 pledges to “use fiscal policy flexibly” to strengthen growth, job creation and confidence. It kept language that member countries “will continue to explore policy options,” adding that they would be “tailored to country circumstances.” “There’s not a one-size-fits-all answer” to boost growth, US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told a news conference, adding that each country needed to decide for itself how best to apply structural reforms, monetary policy and fiscal spending. But he emphasized that it was important for Japan and China to pursue structural reforms - China

A new multilateral lender set up by the BRICS nations has approved its first set of loans valued at $811mn for renewable energy projects in four of its member countries, according to the bank. The New Development Bank (NDB), which formally launched full operations in February, is backed by the BRICS countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The bank has been viewed as a challenge to other international institutions such as the World Bank. The first group of projects approved by the bank’s board are in the area of “green” and renewable energy, according to a statement dated Friday. A bank official told AFP on Saturday that the first batch includes four projects, one each in Brazil, India, China and South Africa. “There are many more new projects in the pipeline including projects from Russia. They are at various stages of consideration or appraisal,” the NDB spokesperson said in an email, but gave no further details. China pushed for the establishment of the NDB, which is headquartered in its commercial hub of Shanghai, in what analysts say is part of government efforts to re-engineer the world’s financial institutions. The NDB has authorised capital of $100bn, with initial subscriptions set at $50bn, according to its website. It is led by president K.V. Kamath, a former private banker from India. Another new multilateral lender backed by China, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), started business from its Beijing headquarters in January. The AIIB includes several European countries among its members, including Britain, but the United States and Japan declined to join. l

US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew look up during the G20 Finance Ministers and Bank Governors family photo at the IMF and World Bank spring meetings in Washington April 15 REUTERS to reduce excess industrial capacity and Japan to reform agriculture and other key sectors. Both of these would require some social spending to support displaced workers, Lew added. The G20 gathering, the highlight of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings in Washington, came amid growing pressure on richer nations to boost infrastructure spending, deregulate industries and spur employment. Earlier this week the IMF cut its 2016 growth forecast for the world economy, the fourth such move in less than a year. The meetings this week also coincided with weakness in a number of key commodity-based economies, particularly Brazil, which is enduring its worst recession in decades. After release of the so-called

“Panama Papers” earlier this month stirred up controversy over global elites’ widespread use of off-shore tax havens to shield their wealth, the G20 officials strengthened their pledge to implement measures to combat exploitation of tax law mismatches and improve tax information sharing. They said “defensive measures will be considered by G20 members against non-cooperative jurisdictions” if progress towards these goals is not made.

Currency unease

Despite the repeat of currency pledges, differences over exchange rates, particularly a weaker dollar, and negative interest rates at some central banks were readily apparent at the Washington meetings. Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said the G20 agreements on

currencies did not preclude appropriate action in the currency market to prevent excessive and disorderly exchange rate movements. The yen earlier this week hit a 17-month high against the dollar. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble this week has warned of the fallout from the European Central Bank’s negative rate policies, saying it would hurt bank profitability and German savers. And ECB sources told Reuters that European Central Bank is unhappy with the US dollar’s recent fall but accepts it as a natural consequence of the Federal Reserve’s cautious economic outlook and sees no reason to act to weaken the euro. “With the Fed’s lowered rate path comes a weaker dollar and we need to avoid even the impression that we’re targeting the exchange rate,” one of the three sources said. l

Offshore shell companies, the black hole of global finance n AFP, Washington Anonymously owned shell companies, against which the G20 economic powers pledged action Friday, amount to a global black hole that legally puts trillions of dollars out of tax authorities’ reach. The “Panama Papers,” leaked two weeks ago from the Mossack Fonseca law firm, which helps set up such companies, opened a window into that world. The documents show how thou-

sands and thousands of the mailbox business fronts exist worldwide, most often in tax havens like Panama, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, enabling untraceable owners to stash assets, legal or illegal, offshore. Often encased by other shell entities like Russian nesting dolls, their existence represents a gaping hole in the international effort to combat tax evasion launched in 2009, which forced banks around the world to share account holders’

data with their home tax agencies. The business of providing secrecy through shell companies isn’t confined to sunny Caribbean or Pacific islands. In the United States, a number of individual states such as Delaware and Wyoming are hubs for shell company registration. Their promise of secrecy has made the United States an increasingly popular destination for foreigners wanting to hide assets, legal or illicit. Russia’s notorious arms trader

Viktor Bout deployed shell companies around the world to hide his activities, including in the United States. Britain’s Jersey and Guernsey islands are also popular tax havens. In a recent case, anonymous companies set up in Jersey enabled a bank affiliated with the Iranian government and restricted by US sanctions to control a Manhattan skyscraper. “They are designed for concealment and so are as useful for get-

ting around sanctions as they are for tax avoidance or money laundering,” said Pascal Saint-Amans, head of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s unit fighting tax havens. The G20’s new commitment to opening up that black hole came out of a push this week by France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, which said they would take the lead in establishing a registry of shell company owners’ identities, with aims to expand it worldwide. l

Business

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Chinese economy shows signs of debt-fueled recovery n Reuters, Beijing China posted its slowest economic growth since 2009 but a surge of new debt appears to be fueling a recovery in factory activity, investment and household spending in the world’s second largest economy. That’s good news in the nearterm, economists say, but many worry it marks a return to the old playbook used during the financial crisis, when Beijing hand-cranked its economy out of a slowdown through massive stimulus, rather than structural reform. Official data on Friday showed China’s gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 6.7% in the first quarter of the year, easing slightly from 6.8% in the fourth quarter as expected. However, other indicators released showed new loans, retail sales, industrial output and fixed asset investment were all better than forecast. While analysts say the data is evidence of a bottoming out in the economy’s slowdown, some warn that the first quarter of 2015 got off to a similarly glowing start before a stock market crash later that year. “What this shows is a stabilisation of the old economy,” said Raymond Yeung of ANZ, pointing to recovery in industrial production and fixed asset investment. “I would still be a bit cautious about headline growth... last year’s 6.9% figure was underpinned by a massive contribution from financial services, and the strong loan and credit growth recently and the recent resumption of IPO activity suggests this could still be a big contribution.” The National Bureau of Statis-

that many laid-off workers from old-economy sectors have been shifted into lower-paying government jobs, cleaning up offices good for political stability but bad for wage growth and consumer spending. At the same time official retail spending figures capture a lot of government purchases; elsewhere in the economy there are signs that ordinary consumption remains weak.

‘Today’s released data ought not to distract from the fact that the structural issues facing China’s economy remain unresolved’ Labourers work on the scaffolding of a construction site at an industrial zone in Beijing, China tics said in a press conference in Beijing on Friday that while main economic indicators showed positive changes, “downward pressure cannot be underestimated.” It did not distribute quarterly GDP figures as it has in the past, saying it needed more time to calculate the figure. Global financial markets took the data in stride, but domestic stocks fell slightly, as analysts said the strong data implied the likelihood of a slower pace of monetary easing. The CSI300 index of the largest listed firms in Shanghai and Shenzhen closed 0.1 percent lower. [.SS] Forex markets were largely flat

with the offshore rate CNH and the onshore rate CNY trading around 6.5 per dollar.

Recovering demand

Beijing hopes a recovery - even a credit-fueled one - can be sustained to avoid the need for more aggressive stimulus that could reinflate asset bubbles and make it more difficult to retrain Chinese firms to move up the value chain. Chinese banks extended 1.37tn yuan ($211.23bn) in net new yuan loans in March, nearly double the previous month’s lending of 726.6bn yuan, suggesting renewed appetite for investment among

REUTERS

wary Chinese corporates. China’s retail sales growth quickened to 10.5% in March from 10.2%, slightly above forecasts, while fixed-asset investment growth rose to 10.7% year-on-year in the first quarter from 10.2%, beating market expectations of 10.3%. Industrial output growth leapt up to 6.8% from 5.4%, surprising analysts who expected a rise of 5.9% on an annual basis. The NBS also noted that official unemployment remained low in March, around 5.2%, despite moves to cut capacity in bloated industries like coal and steel. Critics, however, point out

March export figures released earlier this week also staged an unexpected recovery, although some economists caution that seasonal effects from last year’s late Lunar New Year holiday could be a factor. “Today’s released data ought not to distract from the fact that the structural issues facing China’s economy remain unresolved,” wrote Economist Intelligence Unit economist Tom Rafferty in a research note. “It has taken considerable monetary and fiscal policy loosening to stabilise economic growth at this level and this effort has distracted from the reform agenda that is fundamental to long-term economic sustainability.” l

CORPORATE NEWS

Kohinoor Chemical Co (BD) Ltd on Thursday organised a rally named Ice Cool Baishkhi Shobhajatra on the occasion of Bengali New Year 1423, said a press release

British American Tobaco Bangladesh Company Limited organises its 43rd Annual General Meeting on April 12 in the city. From left, BAT Directors KH Masud Siddiqui, Jalal Ahmed, Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, ndc, William Pegel, Managing Director Shehzad Munim, Chairman Golam Mainuddin, Company Secretary Azizur Rahman and three other Directors Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah, Mikail Shipar and Md Iftikhar-uz-Zaman are seen

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

| app |

| launch |

Flower app stands out

Huawei Y6 Pro launched

During the Bangladesh Flower Fest 2016, one amongst many revelations was “Florista. delivery,” the winner of the Best Designed Floral Décor Award at the exhibition. Their mission is to inspire, assist and delight their customers to express life’s most important sentiments with flowers. Co-founder and CEO Syed Shadman Rahim introduced Florista.delivery as a premium flower delivery service and the first floral app in Bangladesh. “I have studied and worked successfully here as well as abroad in investment banking. But I wanted to do something different and as a son growing up to a mother who was a constant gardener, flowers attracted me.” Co-founder Emaad Ispahani and Rahim decided to take on the challenge and gradually started developing the company. They launched their first digital presence on Valentines Day 2016 through their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ florista.delivery/). “We see a growing middle

class that is increasingly looking to spend on finer things in life, including flowers. Dhaka has always boasted a heritage of flowers, gardens and parks. Flowerlovers have existed in Dhaka since the city’s emergence as a Mughal urban center. The middle class appeared to have rediscovered its beauty, giving flowers a distinctive place in their lives,” said Rahim. Florista.delivery is the premium floral delivery and gifting service in Bangladesh. They believe sending flowers are a delightful way to express your love, affection, gratitude and so many other sentiments for that matter. Their experienced florists offer exclusive floral designs. Florista.delivery guarantees delivery with care to ensure your purchase arrives fresh and ready to put a smile on someone’s face. “You will be impressed with our service and quality at prices that simply can’t be beat. We are ever committed to delighting their customers,” added Rahim. For more information log on to www.florista.delivery.com. l

Huawei Consumer Business Group has launched the Huawei Y6Pro, one of the only phones in the market that can last through days of heavy usage, making it an ideal device for highly active smartphone users. The handset’s flagship features include the most powerful battery in its category. At 4000 mAh, the battery can handle a staggering two days of heavy usage, thanks to Huawei’s Power Saving 3.0 technology which allows users to keep listening, watching, and texting for long hours. The two-amp charger charges up the Y6Pro for three hours of chatting in just 10 minutes. Moreover, Huawei,

for the first time, has introduced the reverse charging technology in the Y series, which allows the phone to act as a portable charger to power up other smartphones or gadgets. The Huawei Y6Pro was put through 50 different vigorous performance and safety tests to ensure that it matches the demands of a smartphone fanatic. Tests revealed that the battery can retain over 80% of capacity after three years of usage. The Y6Pro also offers a fully featured camera experience. Its 13MP seven-piece lens rear camera has F2.0 aperture for high definition shots, while its 5 MP

| offer |

Sunsilk’s celebrations

Orchid Business Hotel cuts down on prices

Summer specials at Red Shift

with or without coffee. Moreover, they are also introducing an exclusive cashew nuts salad with the new menu, which will also suit the health conscious. l

front camera offers F2.2 aperture, a wide angle range, and a high density sensor. Its backlight mode removes backlight to improve the quality of the image by letting the actual subject of the photo shine through. Furthermore, the camera packs a high speed capture mode, an ultra-fast snapshot feature, as well as auto face enhancement through photo editing software. The Huawei Y6Pro is equipped with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of ROM, and runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop OS complimented by Huawei EMUI 3.1 Lite. The smartphone is not only technologically advanced, but is visually attractive as well. At just 8.5mm thin, it’s a phone that allows single hand control. Its mid-frame has a distinct thin metallic coating technique which gives the device a superior finish, while the addition of anti-false touch design means users won’t accidently activate their phone. With a one year warranty, the Huawei Y6Pro retails at Tk15,990 and will be available in stores across Bangladesh from the third week of this month at Huawei Experience Stores in Bashundhara City and Jamuna Park, and other brand shops across Bangladesh. l

| celebration |

| offer |

As the summer heat starts to kick in, Red Shift is pleased to offer a range of flavored crusher drinks. These crushers are rich and creamy but also deliciously cool and energising, and are available

Biz Info

Sunsilk and Channel i organised an event at the Dhaka Bangabundhu International Conference Center (BICC) on Pohela Boishakh. For the third time, Sunsilk and Channel i have come together to celebrate the beauty and confidence of the youth through an event for the New Year. In the ceremony, managing director of Channel

i Faridur Reza Sagar, Shykh Seraj and Rezwana Choudhury Bannya were present, while the chairman and managing director of Unilever Bangladesh Limited Kamran Bakr and brand building director Zaved Akter took part as well. You can watch the highlights at facebook.com/ sunsilkhairexpertsbd. l

A 55% discount on room rent is being offered at the Orchid Business Hotel in SK Mujib Road, Agrabad, Chittagong. The business boutique hotel boasts international standard luxury for business travelers and tourists. They first inaugerated in February, 2011. l

Downtime

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Freight boat (5) 6 Period of time (3) 7 Acquire knowledge (5) 10 Fully sufficient (5) 12 Slender support (4) 13 Court attendants (5) 15 Dutch cheese (4) 16 Liable (3) 18 Indicate tiredness (3) 20 Nidus (4) 22 Walk with pompous bearing (5) 23 Facts given (4) 25 Vestment (5) 27 Lawful (5) 28 Decay (3) 29 Garment (5)

DOWN 1 Guiding signal (6) 2 Limb (3) 3 Knocked sharply (6) 4 Tastefully fine (7) 5 Craft (3) 8 Donkey (3) 9 Today attaining least height (4) 11 Young male (3) 14 Gem (7) 16 Garb (6) 17 Held principles (6) 19 Egg-shaped (4) 21 Result of addition (3) 22 Droop (3) 24 Beverage (3) 26 Long-leaved lettuce (3)

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

World 21

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

INSIDE #PANAMAPAPERS LEAK

Pakistan PM leaves country, Spanish minister resigns As Dae’sh is pushed back in Iraq, worries about what’s next As US-led offensives drive back Dae’sh in Iraq, concern is growing among US and UN officials that efforts to stabilize liberated areas are lagging, creating conditions that could help the militants endure as an underground network. PAGE 22

n Tribune International Desk Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif faces growing pressure and calls for his resignation, a Spanish minister has stepped aside, and more governments are pledging reform as fallout from the Panama Papers revelations continues. The timing of the visit of Nawaz Sharif immediately prompted rumors that Sharif might not return to Pakistan until investigations were completed. Also facing pressures because of his offshore holdings, Spain’s minister of industry, José Manuel Soria resigned on Friday.

Nawaz Sharif may not return soon

Rescue work continues as Japan’s second deadly quake kills 26 Japanese rescuers dug through the rubble of collapsed buildings and mud on Saturday to reach dozens believed trapped after a powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck a southern island, killing at least 26 people and injuring about a thousand. PAGE 23

How Trump can lock up GOP nomination before the convention It’s still possible for Donald Trump to clinch the nomination by the end of the primaries on June 7. His path is narrow and perilous, Associated Press reports. But it’s plausible and starts with a big victory Tuesday in his home state New York primary. PAGE 24

Facing calls for his resignation as a result of his family’s holdings in offshore companies, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif checked himself into a London hospital this week, setting off speculation that he might not return to Pakistan until the furore dies down. The outcry against the prime minister was touched off by revelations in the Panama Papers that his daughter and two of his sons controlled shell companies through which they had acquired expensive London real estate. Opposition politicians have pressed Sharif to resign after Panama Papers document leak revealed that three of his children controlled shell companies through which they owned expensive residential properties in London. Demands have picked up for a judicial commission under the country’s chief justice to investigate any potential wrongdoing by the prime minister and his family. Sharif has rejected any allegations of money laundering, claiming that his children have legitimate business abroad, and he has signaled his willingness to establish an inquiry commission. But as the political turmoil increased, Sharif flew to London on Wednesday for cardiac medical treatment that he described as a checkup. Sharif is visiting London at a time two other major Pakistani political leaders – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan – are there for different reasons. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Khan took the same flight as Imran Khan.

Nawaz Sharif In his absence, the finance minister, Ishaq Dar, is leading important cabinet meetings this week. However, government officials said that Sharif will return on Sunday, and will face the crisis. Mr. Sharif, 66, an affluent businessman whose family has made its money through businesses primarily dealing in steel, returned to power in 2013 after his party won a majority in the general elections. He had been prime minister in the 1990s and was ousted in a military coup in 1999. Sharif has tried to assert civilian control over the government but has run into difficulties with the powerful military, which has again become ascendant in both foreign and domestic affairs in recent months and commands a deep well of public support. On Thursday, Imran Khan, the most trenchant political opponent of Nawaz Sharif, also arrived in London. Khan said he was looking to hire financial investigation agencies that could look into the Sharif family’s dealings. Khan has threatened to lead street protests if an investigation is not initiated by the government. Some political analysts here say that the major opposition political parties do not want the crisis to reach the point at which the military might step in. But the Panama Papers leak has lent momentum to Khan at a time when he had seemed politically weakened. He led thousands of his supporters and staged a sit-in outside the Parliament in 2014, accusing Sharif of rigging the last general elections. That effort to bring down Sharif fizzled, but Khan is taking this as a second chance.

REUTERS

“This is a godsend opportunity for us,” Khan said last week, urging Pakistanis to rise against Sharif. Another mainstream political power, the Pakistan Peoples Party, has so far seemed to be weighing its options, and there has been no major joining of forces with Khan. Analysts say the party may be looking to cut a deal with Mr. Sharif. “They are trying to find some kind of political agreement to deal with the current crisis,” said Hasan Askari Rizvi, a prominent political analyst based in Lahore. “He is not threatened to that extent,” Rizvi added. “However, if all political parties join hands, then Nawaz is in real trouble.”

Spanish minister resigns

José Manuel Soria

REUTERS

Spain’s industry minister became the latest casualty of the widening scandal triggered by the Panama Papers data leak when he resigned all his political offices after incorrectly denying any links to tax havens. José Manuel Soria resigned both his parliamentary seat and his post as minister of industry, energy and tourism in the coun-

try’s caretaker government on Friday. He also gave up his role as regional president of the ruling centre-right Popular party in the Canary Islands, which he represented in parliament. José Manuel Soria had previously vehemently denied any ties to an offshore company cited in the Panama Papers and reported by online newspaper El Confidencial and television station La Sexta. “I totally deny that I have anything to do with any company based in Panama, or any other tax haven,” he said earlier in the week. However Spanish media caught the minister in a series of lies about his involvement in offshore companies, which culminated with newspaper El Mundo proving the minister was director of a Jersey-based company up to 2002, when he was already into politics. Soria, whose ministry also included energy and tourism, hasn’t been accused of wrong-doing. Announcing his resignation on Friday, he said he was stepping down because of “the succession of mistakes committed along the past few days, relating to my explanations over my business activities… and considering the obvious harm that this situation is doing to the Spanish government.” In other reaction to the Panama Papers investigation, five European nations agreed to share tax and law enforcement data. The agreement included the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, but critics said it would take the cooperation of the United States and other nations to make it work. Panama also reversed itself and said it would adopt international tax reporting standards, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Secretary General José Ángel Gurría. But Gurría also sounded a note of caution: “If that is the case, and if they do it in whole, that is very good news indeed,” he said. But he added that it was a question of follow-up. It’s not the first time Panama has made the pledge: the country had previously assured the OECD it would adopt the reporting standards, but then reversed course in February, 2016. l

Sources: ICIJ, NYT, IBNLIVE, FT

World

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

As Dae’sh is pushed back in Iraq, worries about what’s next n Reuters, Washington DC As US-led offensives drive back Dae’sh in Iraq, concern is growing among US and UN officials that efforts to stabilize liberated areas are lagging, creating conditions that could help the militants endure as an underground network. One major worry: not enough money is being committed to rebuild the devastated provincial capital of Ramadi and other towns, let alone Dae’she-held Mosul, the ultimate target in Iraq of the US-led campaign. Lise Grande, the No 2 UN official in Iraq, said that the UN is urgently seeking $400m from Washington and its allies for a new fund to bolster reconstruction in cities like Ramadi, which suffered vast damage when US-backed Iraqi forces recaptured it in December. Adding to the difficulty of stabilizing freed areas are Iraq’s unrelenting political infighting, corruption, a growing fiscal crisis and the Shia Muslim-led government’s fitful efforts to reconcile with aggrieved minority Sunnis, the bedrock of Dae’sh support. Some senior US military officers share the concern that post-conflict reconstruction plans are lagging behind their battlefield efforts, officials said. Dae’sh is far from defeated. The group still controls much of its border-spanning “caliphate,” inspires eight global affiliates and is able to orchestrate deadly external attacks like those that killed 32 people in Brussels on March 22. But at its core in Iraq and Syria, Dae’sh appears to be in slow retreat. Defense analysis firm IHS Janes estimates the group lost 22% of its territory over the last 15 months. Washington has spent vastly more on the war than on reconstruction. The military campaign cost $6.5bn from 2014 through February 29, according to the Pentagon. The US has contributed $15mto stabilization efforts, donated $5m to help clear explosives in Ramadi and provided “substantial direct budget support” to Iraq’s government, said Emily Horne, a National Security Council spokeswoman. Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged the need for more reconstruction aid while in Baghdad last week. “As more territory is liberated from Daesh, the international community has to step up its support for the safe and voluntary return of civilians to their homes,” Kerry said. Kerry, who announced $155m in additional US aid for displaced Iraqis, said US President Barack Obama planned to raise the issue

at a summit of Gulf Arab leaders on April 21.

Pile of rubble

Ramadi’s main hospital, train station, nearly 2,000 homes, 64 bridges and much of the electricity grid were destroyed in fighting, a preliminary UN survey found last month. Thousands of other buildings were damaged. Some 3,000 families recently returned to parts of the city cleared of mines, according to the governor, Hameed Dulaymi, but conditions are tough. Power comes from generators. Water is pumped from the Euphrates River. A few shops are open, but only for a couple of hours a day. Ahmed Saleh, a 56-year-old father of three children, said he returned to find his home a “pile of rubble,” which cannot be rebuilt until the government provides the money. With no indication of when that might happen, authorities have resettled his family in another house whose owner is believed unlikely to return before this summer. Saleh earns less than $15 a day cleaning and repairing other people’s homes. There are no schools open for his children, and he lacks funds to return to a camp for internally displaced outside Baghdad where he says life was better. Obama administration officials

say they have been working to help stabilize Iraq politically and economically since the military campaign against Dae’sh began in 2014. “The success of the campaign against Dae’sh in Iraq does depend upon political and economic progress as well,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday. “Economically it’s important that the destruction that’s occurred be repaired and we’re looking to help the Iraqis with that.” Asked about the upcoming $400m UN request, Horne said the US welcomed the new fund’s establishment and “will continue to lead international efforts to fund stabilization operations.” The US hasn’t yet announced what it will contribute. US officials said Washington is also pushing for an International Monetary Fund arrangement that the head of the fund’s Iraq mission has said could unlock up to $15bn in international financing. Baghdad has a $20bn budget deficit caused by depressed oil prices. Washington has helped train 15,000 Sunni fighters who are now part of the Iraqi government’s security forces. But there has been little movement on political reforms to reconcile minority Sunnis, whose repression under former prime minister

Nuri al-Maliki’s Shia-led government led thousands to join Dae’sh. Unless that happens, and Sunnis see that Baghdad is trying to help them return home to rebuild, support for the militants will persist, experts said. “If you don’t get reconciliation, the Sunnis will turn back to Dae’sh,” said former CIA and White House official Kenneth Pollack, who is now at the Brookings Institution think tank and conducted a fact-finding mission in Iraq last month. “It’s just inevitable.” The United States has prevailed militarily in Iraq before, only to see the fruits of the effort evaporate. President George W Bush invaded Iraq in 2003, deposed dictator Saddam Hussein and disbanded his army without a comprehensive plan for post-war stability. Civil war ensued.

Rebuilding gets harder

International funding to rebuild towns and cities ravaged by Dae’sh has always been tight, said Grande, deputy special representative of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq. “This meant we had to come up with a model that could be implemented quickly and at extremely low cost,” she said. International donors contributed $100m to an initial fund to

jump-start local economies, restoring power and water and reopening shops and schools. The model worked in Tikrit, the first major city reclaimed from Dae’sh in March 2015, Grande said. After initial delays, most residents returned, utilities are on and the university is open. Total spending was $8.3m. But Ramadi, a city of some 500,000 people before the recent fighting, poses a much greater challenge. “Much of the destruction that’s happening in areas that are being liberated ... far outstrips our original assumptions,” Grande said. Restoring normality to Mosul, home to about 2 million people before it fell to Dae’sh, could prove even more difficult. It remains to be seen whether Dae’sh digs in, forcing a ruinous battle, or faces an internal uprising that forces the militants to flee, sparing the city massive devastation. If Dae’sh is defeated militarily, it likely will revert to the guerrilla tactics of its predecessor, al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), current and former officials said. AQI and its leaders, including Dae’sh chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, “survived inside Iraq underground for years and there’s no reason they couldn’t do it again,” a US defense official said. l

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Rescue work continues as Japan’s second deadly quake kills 26 n Reuters, Tokyo Japanese rescuers dug through the rubble of collapsed buildings and mud on Saturday to reach dozens believed trapped after a powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck a southern island, killing at least 26 people and injuring about a thousand. The shallow earthquake hit in the early hours, sending people fleeing from their beds and on to dark streets, and follows a 6.4 magnitude quake on Thursday which killed nine people in the area. Television footage showed fires, power outages, collapsed bridges and gaping holes in the earth. Residents near a dam were told to leave because of fears it might crumble, broadcaster NHK said There were also concerns for those trapped under rubble overnight with heavy rain forecast and the temperature expected to drop to 13 degrees Celsius. About 190 of those injured were in serious condition, the government said. Many frightened people wrapped in blankets sat outside their homes while others camped out in rice fields in rural areas surrounding the main towns. About 422,000 households were without water, and about 100,000 without electricity, the government said. Troops were setting up tents for

evacuees and water trucks were being sent to the area. The speed of rescue efforts was critical given that rain could further damage weakened buildings and cause landslides. Self Defense Forces personnel in the town of Mashiki, close to the epicentre, were providing food and water. Japan is on the seismically active “ring of fire” around the Pacific Ocean and has building codes aimed at helping structures withstand earthquakes. A magnitude 9 quake in March 2011 north of Tokyo touched off a massive tsunami and nuclear meltdowns at Fukushima, contaminating water, food and air for miles around. Nearly 20,000 people were killed in the tsunami. The epicentre of Saturday’s quake was near the city of Kumamoto and measured at a shallow depth of 10km, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

400-year old Kumamoto Castle damaged

The deadly earthquakes that struck the southern Japanese island of Kyushu on Thursday and Saturday breached the walls of Kumamoto Castle which had previously withstood bombardment and fire in its four centuries of existence.

One by one, Brazilian lawmakers rise on national television, faces red with indignation, voices shaking, to demand impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff. The problem with this righteous scene playing out in Brazil throughout this weekend? An astonishing number of those deputies are themselves accused of crimes. Rousseff faces impeachment on charges that she illegally used creative accounting to mask government shortfalls during her 2014 re-election. She does not deny this and defends herself saying that previous governments used the same tricks. Now consider Eduardo Cunha, the speaker of the lower house of Congress and architect of the impeachment process plunging Brazil into political war. He has been charged with taking millions of dollars in bribes linked to a massive embezzlement cartel centered on state oil company Petrobras. Far from being damaged, Cunha denies the charges and con-

tinues to wield huge power, fending off a congressional ethics committee where he is accused of lying about the Swiss accounts. On Sunday, he will oversee the lower house vote on whether to send Rousseff ’s impeachment case to the Senate. Meanwhile, Michel Temer -the vice president who turned on Rousseff and would become interim president if the Senate opens a trial -- is alleged to have been involved in illegal ethanol dealings.

‘My God’!

Temer and Cunha are the two most senior politicians in the country after the president. The next in line, Senate president Renan Calheiros, also faces corruption allegations, including tax dodging and having a lobbyist pay maintenance to his former lover with whom he’d fathered a child. The NGO Transparencia Brasil says that 58.1% of the 513 deputies in the lower house headed by Cunha face or have faced criminal charges, which include corruption but also murder and rape. In the run-up to Sunday’s vote

SOUTH ASIA

Pak religious group demands execution of blasphemers A Pakistani religious group on Friday demanded the immediate execution of a Christian woman on death row and all others convicted under the country’s harsh blasphemy law. Small groups from the Sunni Tehrik party held demonstrations in several Pakistani cities warning the government against any attempt to amend the blasphemy law. -AP

INDIA

India looks to corner China on Masood Azhar

A damaged stone wall caused by an earthquake is seen at the Kumamoto Castle in Kumamoto, southern Japan REUTERS The fortification in the city of Kumamoto has stood as one of Kyushu’s icons ever since it was built in 1607 by Kiyomasa Kato. He was a veteran military campaigner and feudal lord who took part in the reunification of Japan, which had been ravaged by a century of war. While the castle keep, which has so far withstood the series of quakes, is a concrete reconstruction built in 1960, many of the stone walls are originals from the 17th century. Sections of the outer stone walls had already been dam-

aged by Thursday’s earthquake. Long after advancements in firearms made such fortifications obsolete, the castle withstood artillery fire when it came under siege from a rebel samurai army during the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877. Much of the castle structure later burnt down during the conflict, although the walls managed to stand firm. Now a popular tourist attraction, the castle’s administrative office has closed the structure to the public. l

Brazil’s impeachment: Accusers are also accused n AFP, Rio de Janeiro

World

Key figures in Brazil’s crisis Dilma Rousseff

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

Michel Temer

Eduardo Cunha

President Age: 68 Faces possible impeachment over allegations she sought to mask severe budget woes

Former president 70 Suspected of corruption and money laundering in the Petrobras scandal

Vice-president 75 His party, the PMDB, abandoned Rousseff’s governing coalition

Speaker of the lower house 57 Backed the start of impeachment process. Accused of taking bribes

a lower house committee first had to analyze Rousseff ’s case, coming down heavily on the side of impeachment. Of those 65 deputies, 36 face criminal charges or have already been condemned, Transparencia Brasil reported. And in the Senate, where Rousseff could end up making a final stand, the numbers are even more damning: no less than 60% of the 81 senators face or faced charges.

The unedifying spectacle of scandal-tainted politicians working to oust Rousseff recently left one Supreme Court judge gasping. Describing seeing Cunha, Temer and others from the heavyweight PMDB party after announcing they would turn on their former ally Rousseff and seek her impeachment, Justice Luis Roberto Barroso said: “My God in heaven! This our alternative government?” l

India has mounted a diplomatic offensive to corner Beijing for its decision to again block a UN ban on Pathankot attack accused and Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar. Official sources said the issue of Azhar will dominate the agenda of meetings which foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and NSA Ajit Doval will have with Chinese leaders next week. -TOI

CHINA

Taiwan to send delegation to China to discuss deportations Taiwan plans to dispatch officials to Beijing as early as Monday to discuss the deportation of Taiwanese fraud suspects from Kenya to China. The Cabinet’s Mainland Affairs Council said Saturday that officials will discuss the ongoing case as well as ways of combating crimes involving residents of the two sides detained in other countries. -AP

ASIA PACIFIC

Indonesia moves radical Islamist to high-security prison Indonesian authorities moved inmate Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, the radical cleric and alleged mastermind of the Bali bombings, to a high security prison near Jakarta on Saturday, a government official said, amid security concerns. The transfer is an indication the govt is taking more seriously the management of prisons after January’s Jakarta attackers were found to have been influenced by prominent inmates. -REUTERS

MIDDLE EAST

Iran will not attend Doha oil freeze talks on Sunday Iran will not attend a meeting between OPEC and non-OPEC member countries about freezing oil output levels in Qatar on Sunday, two sources familiar with the situation said. Iran’s oil minister had not been scheduled to attend, but Tehran was due to send Iran OPEC Governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebilli. Iran had been informed that only those countries willing to agree to freeze their output level should attend. -REUTERS

World

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

USA

Pentagon chief in Gulf to seek support for Iraq US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday for a 6-day Gulf tour aimed at galvanising support for Iraq as it battles the Dae’sh. Washington is eager to see the Gulf Arab monarchies do more to help Baghdad at a crucial moment in its fight against the jihadists. Carter will hold talks with regional leaders and join US President Barack Obama at a Gulf summit in Riyadh on Thursday. -AFP

THE AMERICAS

Canada top court strikes down mandatory minimum sentences Canada’s Supreme Court struck down key policies of the former Conservative government that aimed to deter crimes by effectively jailing convicts for longer, in a pair of rulings Friday. Historically Canadian courts had broad discretion in sentencing, but the Tories led by Stephen Harper changed that in 2010 by imposing mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes. -AFP

Brexit would weaken EU’s front against Russia A vote to leave the EU in the British referendum would weaken the bloc’s efforts to maintain a determined front against Russian aggression, Britain’s Europe minister said on Saturday. Nato remained the main player in European security, David Lidington told the Globsec security conference in Bratislava, but the EU could play a strong role in responding to Russian challenges in the field of energy. -REUTERS

EUROPE

EU parliament drivers had Dae’sh propaganda Two drivers for a private company serving the European parliament have been found carrying compact discs containing propaganda for Dae’sh, Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine reported on Saturday. Citing several unnamed sources, Der Spiegel said both drivers - one in Brussels, one in Strasbourg had been dismissed and Belgian police were investigating. -REUTERS

AFRICA

French, German FM in Libya to back unity government The French and German foreign ministers arrived in Libya on Saturday for unannounced talks with the head of the unity government Fayaz Seraj to offer support as he seeks to stabilise the North African state. The visit by Jean-Marc Ayrault and Frank-Walter Steinmeier is part of efforts by the EU to take the lead on the Libya crisis. -REUTERS

ANALYSIS

How Trump can lock up GOP nomination before the convention n Tribune International Desk It’s still possible for Donald Trump to clinch the nomination by the end of the primaries on June 7. His path is narrow and perilous, Associated Press reports. But it’s plausible and starts with a big victory Tuesday in his home state New York primary. Trump is the only candidate with a realistic chance of reaching the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination before the July convention in Cleveland. His rivals, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich, can only hope to stop him. If Cruz and Kasich are successful, politicos across the country will have the summer of their dreams - a convention with an uncertain outcome. But Trump can put an end to those dreams, and he can do it without any of the 150 or so delegates who will go to the convention free to support the candidate of their choice.

New York

There are 95 delegates at stake in the Empire State, and it’s important for Trump to win a big majority of them. It won’t be easy. There are 14 statewide delegates and three delegates in each congressional district. If a candidate gets more than 50% of the statewide vote, he gets all 14 delegates. Otherwise, he has to share them with other candidates. If a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote in a congressional district, he gets all three delegates. Otherwise, again, he has to share. Let’s say Trump does make it to 50%, but Kasich or Cruz wins five congressional districts; Trump will take 77 delegates on the night. Trump’s running total: 821 delegates.

April 26

Five states have primaries on April 26, with 172 delegates at stake: Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and Rhode Island. Pennsylvania could be trouble for Trump. The state has a unique system in which 54 delegates three from each congressional district - are listed by name on the ballot, with no information for voters to know which candidate they support. That means even if Trump wins Pennsylvania, he’s only guaranteed to claim 17 of the state’s 71 delegates. Connecticut awards 13 delegates to the statewide winner and three to the winner of each congressional district, for a total of 28. The New York real estate mogul needs to win his neighboring state. If he does well, he could get 22 delegates. Delaware’s 16 delegates are winner-take-all, increasing the importance of this small state. If Trump loses Delaware, he has to make it up elsewhere. Maryland awards 14 delegates to the statewide winner and three to the winner of each congressional district, for a total of 38. Recent polls show Trump with a significant lead. If he does well, he could get 32 delegates. Trump can afford to lose Rhode Island, which awards its 19 delegates proportionally. In all, it’s a day on which we’ll say Trump claims 93 delegates. Trump’s running total: 914.

May

Five states hold contests in May, with a total of 199 delegates at stake: Indiana, Nebraska, West Virginia, Oregon and Washington State. Indiana’s May 3 primary is important for Trump. The state awards 30 delegates to the statewide winner and three delegates to the winner of each congres-

Donald Trump

REUTERS

sional district, for a total of 57. If Trump can win the state and a majority of the congressional districts, he could collect 45 delegates. West Virginia is another unique state in which voters elect 31 delegates in the May 10 primary. In West Virginia, however, the delegates will be listed on the ballot along with the presidential candidate they support. If Trump does well here, he could pick up 20 or more delegates. Nebraska’s 36 delegates are winner-take-all. But if Nebraska is like its neighbors Kansas and Iowa, two states Cruz won earlier in the race, Trump can’t count on these delegates. Oregon and Washington state award delegates proportionally, so even the losers get some. We’ll give Trump 70 delegates for the month. Trump’s running total: 984.

June 7

This could be Trump’s D-Day. Or his Waterloo. Five states vote on June 7, with 303 delegates up for grabs. The biggest prize is California, along with New Jersey, South Dakota, Montana and New Mexico. The only state Trump can af-

ford to lose is New Mexico, which awards 24 delegates proportionally. New Jersey, South Dakota and Montana are winner-take-all, with a total of 107 delegates. California is more complicated, with 172 delegates at stake. The statewide winner gets only 13. The other 159 are awarded according to the results in individual congressional districts. Each of the state’s 53 congressional districts has three delegates. You win the district, you get all three. For Trump to clinch the nomination on June 7 - the last day of the primary season - he has to win a big majority of California’s congressional districts. If he wins 39 districts, he gets 130 delegates. On the last voting day of the primary campaign, we’ll say Trump wins 242 delegates. Trump’s running total: 1,226 or 11 delegates short of the magic number.

Oh, wait!

Missouri has certified the results of its March 15 primary, with Trump beating Cruz by 1,965 votes. If the results survive a potential recount, Trump wins Missouri and another 12 delegates. Trump’s total: 1,238. l

Syria opposition rejects UN proposal for Assad to stay n AFP, Geneva Syria’s opposition has rejected a proposal from the UN envoy that would have kept Bashar al-Assad as president during a political transition, with three deputies of his opponents’ choosing. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura told Syria’s opposition attending peace talks in Geneva that the proposal could end the “vicious cycle” of debate over a transitional period to end the war.

On the ground, tens of thousands of Syrians are at risk of being displaced as clashes between rebels and jihadists intensified in the country’s north. The escalating fighting across swathes of Aleppo province has threatened to collapse a fragile ceasefire and derail the latest round of indirect negotiations in Switzerland between the regime and opposition. The fate of Assad remains the key sticking point in the discus-

Bashar al-Assad

REUTERS

sions involving the opposition High Negotiations Committee and a government delegation. The

HNC insists Assad must leave, but Damascus objects to that demand. A HNC source said on Saturday that the committee had rejected a proposal by de Mistura that would have seen Assad remain as president through a transitional period. In exchange, the HNC would have been allowed to hand-pick three vice presidents, the source said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press. l

Sport 25

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

INSIDE

Shakib's KKR coast to victory over Mustafizur's Sunrisers n Agencies

BRIEF SCORE Sunrisers 142/7 (20) Morgan 51, Ojha 37, Yadav 3/28 Kolkata 146/2 (18.2) Gambhir 90, Uthappa 38, Mustafizur 1/29 KKR won by 8 wickets

Sunderland grab survival lifeline Sunderland grabbed a priceless lifeline in the fight for EPL survival as goals from Fabio Borini and Jermain Defoe inspired a 3-0 win over Norwich. Borini’s first half penalty and strikes from Defoe and Duncan Watmore improved their hopes of staying up. PAGE 26

BSPA honours female athletes Bangladesh Sports Press Association honoured the nation’s 20 leading female athletes who brought success for the country, winning gold medals in different int'l events since independence. BSPA accorded an hour-long reception, under the title “Krirangoner Adamya Nari”. PAGE 27

Kolkata Knight Riders’ West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell is clean bowled by Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Bangladesh paceman Mustafizur Rahman during their IPL clash yesterday in Hyderabad. Kolkata registered a comprehensive eightwicket victory, chasing down their target of 143 with 10 balls to spare

Kolkata Knight Riders cruised to an eight-wicket IPL victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad with Gautam Gambhir hitting an unbeaten 90 from 60 balls. Having restricted Hyderabad to just 142-7 from their 20 overs, the Kolkata captain timed his innings to perfection as he hit the winning runs with 10 balls to spare. Mustafizur Rahman yet again turned out to be the most impressive Sunrisers bowler, taking 1/29 from his quota of four overs. Kolkata’s Bangladesh allrounder Shakib al Hasan missed out on the chance to bat while with the ball earlier, the left-armer conceded 18 runs from three overs without success.l

Barisal Bulls co-owner slapped with life-ban, Shahadat still in dark Match referee Raqibul’s suspension lifted n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Resurgent Nadal reaches final Rafael Nadal returned to the final of the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time in three years as the eight-time champion struggled to close out a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Andy Murray yesterday. PAGE 28

Bangladesh Premier League franchise Barisal Bulls’ co-owner Rezwan bin Faruk has been served a lifetime ban by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. The BCB’s disciplinary committee meeting yesterday also decided to lift the suspension of former Bangladesh captain-cum-match referee Raqibul Hasan. There was however, no change of heart regarding the suspension of cricketer Shahadat Hossain Rajib.

Lifetime ban for Rezwan

Real tie not personal for Pellegrini Manuel Pellegrini has slammed suggestions he will be motivated by revenge when Manchester City face his former club Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals. Pellegrini’s side were handed a daunting showdown with Real in Friday’s draw. PAGE 29

Rezwan, also the owner of Axiom Technologies which manages stadia and ticketing rights of the BCB, got himself involved in a brawl with Total Sports Marketing head Moinul Haque Chowdhury during the presentation ceremony of the Asia Cup Twenty20 final in Dhaka on March 6. Total Sports was the TV rights holder of the event. According to reports, Rezwan was involved in a verbal clash with Moinul just before the ceremony. Apparently, things turned ugly after Rezwan raised his hands on Moinul.

The incident was observed by the BCB officials present at the spot and an investigation was later conducted on the issue after Total Sports filed an official complaint to cricket’s governing body in the country. The BCB’s disciplinary committee, after going through the findings found Rezwan guilty and decided to ban him from the Bangladesh cricket arena. “Such behaviour by Rezwan bin Faruk during a big event has tarnished the board’s image. We had no option but to take a harsh decision. He has been banned from all kinds of cricket activities in the country for a lifetime. He cannot be affiliated with the game from now on, not even with a club or a BPL franchise,” AZM Nazir Uddin, chief of the BCB’s disciplinary committee, told the media. Nasir, also a BCB vice president, failed to give the reason behind the clash between Rezwan and Moinul and said it is not the board’s concern. “It is not the board’s concern. Such incident is never expected during the final of an international event, that too in front of the pres-

entation podium,” added Nasir. It was understood that the other owner of the Bulls, MA Awal Chowdhury Bulu, also a BCB director, will take charge of the BPL franchise in the absence of Rezwan. The board will however, look into the legal side of continuing business with Rezwan-owned Axiom Technologies.

porter, who covered the story, with some poor choice of words. In its prompt reaction, the BCB suspended Raqibul. After around four months, the suspension was lifted yesterday and it is highly likely that the former Bangladesh cricketer would be back in the field through the upcoming Dhaka Premier League season 2015-16.

Raqibul suspension lifted

Shahadat’s suspension upheld

Last December, Raqibul found himself in hot water following his controversial and degrading comments towards the BCB dignitaries and the BPL franchise owners. In the previous season of the BPL, Raqibul had sparked controversy during the toss of the Eliminator between the Bulls and the Dhaka Dynamites on December 12 in Mirpur. Raqibul, the match referee of the game in question, alleged to have flipped the coin after it had landed on the ground, and declared the Dynamites as the winner of the toss. After the incident, he got reported by a local news channel following which he criticised the channel and threatened the re-

The stance on national discard Shahadat remained unchanged. The BCB’s disciplinary committee head informed that Shahadat will remain suspended from cricket until the court comes to a decision over the cricketer’s charge of torturing his 11-year old maid. On December 29 last year, the police had charged Shahadat and his wife, Nitto Shahadat, with torturing their domestic help. If found guilty, the couple may face lengthy jail terms. They are currently on bail and have already denied charges of employing and assaulting a minor. Many believe this is the reason why Shahadat was kept out of the upcoming DPL. l

Sport

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Madrid ease to victory at Getafe, close gap on leaders Barca

Aguero sinks Chelsea, Villa put out of misery n AFP, London A brilliant hat-trick from Sergio Aguero secured an impressive win for Manchester City, who go third with Arsenal to play Crystal Palace today. Aguero fired City ahead after 33 minutes, and finished a rapid counter-attack to make it two after halftime. Fernandinho was then fouled by Thibaut Courtois in the penalty area, with the Chelsea goalkeeper sent off, allowing Aguero to send Begovic the wrong way for his treble. Earlier, Sunderland gave themselves hope of yet another escape from relegation, with a 3-0 win away to fellow strugglers Norwich City. l Chelsea

n Reuters Real Madrid moved to within a point of La Liga leaders Barcelona after Karim Benzema, Isco, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo all scored in a 5-1 thrashing at struggling Getafe yesterday. Benzema opened the scoring after 29 minutes by tapping home from close range and then laid on the pass for Isco to double the lead in the 40th. Bale got the third five minutes after the restart, taking his league tally to 16 goals this season, his best since moving to Madrid in 2013. Pablo Sarabia pulled one back for Getafe in the 84th, but Rodriguez added another for Madrid, before Ronaldo tapped in with the final kick of the game. l

EPL RESULTS 0-3

Manchester City Southampton

Everton

1-1

Man United

1-0

Aston Villa

Newcastle

3-0

Swansea City

Norwich City

0-3

Sunderland

West Brom

0-1

Watford

Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero is about to shoot and score their second goal against Chelsea in the English Premier League at Stamford Bridge yesterday REUTERS

DHAKA PREMIER LEAGUE 2015-16 PREVIEW KALABAGAN KRIRA CHAKRA The side has not been regarded highly in the last few seasons and it is no different this time as well. With a mediocre team, Kalabagan’s first aim will be to improve on their 10th place finish last season. However, the club believes they have all the components in place to achieve a good result, with Bangladesh captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza leading the side. With that said, it will be the team management’s job to extract 10 overs from the injury-prone Mashrafe on a regular basis. This year, Kalabagan have drafted their side with a mixture of youth and experience. While the spin attack will have veteran cricketer Abdur Razzak as its leader, the batting will mostly depend on young cricketers like Shadman Islam, Tasamul Haque and Mohammad Jasimuddin. To add to that, the club has also confirmed the services of Zimbabwe batsman Hamilton Masakadza.

RESULTS (Last Three Seasons)

2014-15 (10th), 2013-14 (10th), 2011-12 (eighth)

PLAYERS TO WATCH Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Shadman Islam, Tanvir Haider

SQUAD (so far) Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Mohammad Sharifullah, Shadman Islam, Tanvir Haider, Mehrab Hossain Jr, Nihad Uz Zaman, Mohammad Jasimuddin, Dewan Sabbir Ahmed, Mohammad Hasanuzzaman, Robiul Islam, Shariful Islam, Abdur Razzak, Tasamul Haque

VICTORIA SPORTING CLUB Team spirit will be the key to success, believes the Victoria SC faithful. The last time the Motijheelbased side finished in the top three was in the 2011-12 season when they ended up as the runners-up. And in the last season, they finished seventh in the table and despite being without a foreigner, the side had won five of their last seven matches. This time around, the Players by Choice system was an obstacle in that the team management was unable to put together the expected team. But then again, even without the absence of an Icon cricketer, the side is content with whatever they have come up with. Tigers’ Test mainstay Mominul Haque, Nadir Chowdhury and Dhiman Ghosh will look after the batting duties while the pace attack will rely on Kamrul Islam Rabbi and Dollar Mahmud. Experienced campaigner Sohrawardi Shuvo will spearhead the spin department. The final addition that will inject some muchneeded strength to the side is that of the foreign cricketer. In that regard, Victoria are already on the lookout for a quality foreigner.

RESULTS (Last Three Seasons)

2014-15 (seventh), 2013-14 (eighth), 2011-12 (second)

PLAYERS TO WATCH Mominul Haque, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Nadif Chowdhury, Sohrawardi Shuvo

SQUAD (so far) Mominul Haque, Dhiman Ghosh, Mohammad Al Amin, Abdul Majid, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Fazle Rabbi Mahmud, Anamul Haque, Jubair Ahmed, Dollar Mahmud, Mahmudul Haque Setu, Humayan Kabir Shahin, Nadif Chowdhury, Sohrawardi Shuvo –MINHAZ UDDIN KHAN

Sport

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

QUICK BYTES Chinese consortium set to buy AC Milan A Chinese consortium with big ambitious for AC Milan should complete a takeover of the seven-time European champions within six to eight weeks, a broker acting for both parties said in reports yesterday. If confirmed, it would prove a dramatic about-turn for Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi, who only weeks ago said he would not sell a majority share in the Serie A giants. –AFP

De Jong banned for MLS horror tackle Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Nigel de Jong was hit with a three-game suspension Friday for a tackle which left an opponent needing to be taken off the pitch in a wheelchair. Major League Soccer’s disciplinary committee said de Jong had also been fined an undisclosed amount for the tackle on Portland Timbers player Darlington Nagbe in last weekend’s 1-1 draw. –AFP

Liverpool's Can out for four to six weeks Germany midfielder Emre Can looks set to miss the next four to six weeks of Liverpool’s season after rupturing ankle ligaments. A statement on their website (www. liverpoolfc.com) confirmed the injury, adding “a return before the end of the season has not been ruled out”. The 22-year-old was hurt during the epic 4-3 Europa League quarter-final victory over Borussia Dortmund. Can went off 10 minutes before the end, soon after Sakho had levelled the score at 3-3 and before Lovren headed Liverpool’s stoppage-time winner. –REUTERS

Bilic missed out on Leicester star Kante

Minister for Cultural Affairs, Asaduzzaman Noor (C), poses with the Bangladeshi gold-medal winners during the Bangladesh Sports Press Association’s reception ceremony yesterday at the National Sports Council auditorium COURTESY

BSPA honours female athletes n Tribune Report

Bangladesh Sports Press Association yesterday honoured the nation’s 20 leading female athletes who brought success for the country, winning gold medals in different international events since independence. The BSPA accorded an hourlong reception, under the title “Krirangoner Adamya Nari”. The ceremony, sponsored by Unilever

–AFP

events. I hope the number of women will increase in future and this honour will definitely boost the interest of the young girls,’ said Rani Hamid, 71, who has been involved with Bangladesh chess for almost four decades. Recent gold winners in the South Asian Games, swimmer Mahfuza Khatun Shila and weightlifter Mabia Akter Simanta, were also in the awardees’ list, along with taekwondo players

Sharmin Farzana Rumi and Shammi Akter, karateka Jo Woo Proo, Usainu Marma and Moriam Khatun, shooters Sharmin Akter Ratna, Sayeeda Sadia Sultana, Tripti Datta, Sharmin Akter, Sabrina Sultana and Kazi Shahana Pervin, wushu player Eti Islam and athlete Rahima Khanam Juthi. Minister for Cultural Affairs, Asaduzzaman Noor distributed the awards among the women athletes as the chief guest. l

Fight for BFF president’s post intensifies as Poton, Nuru up against Salahuddin n Tribune Report

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has revealed he missed out on the chance to sign Leicester star N’Golo Kante last year. Bilic was close to signing the midfielder from French side Caen in the summer, but instead brought in Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, Michail Antonio and Pedro Obiang. “Yes, we were quite close (to signing Kante),” admitted the Hammers boss. “I watched him in France. He was a good player, the same player he is now with Leicester,” said Bilic. “He’s not very tall, but he’s one of those players that you think after 20 minutes that there are twins, that there are two of them, because the energy, the cleverness he plays with, he’s always there."

Bangladesh Limited, was held at the National Sports Council auditorium. Women’s International Master and iconic sports personality Rani Hamid was honoured with the lifetime achievement award for her contribution to the game of chess. “I feel extremely honoured. It is really great to see a group of women together who brought gold medals for the country from different

Member of Parliament of Narsingdi Constituency-2, Kamrul Ashraf Khan Poton became the first name to appear in the fight against incumbent Kazi Salahuddin for the president’s post in the upcoming Bangladesh Football Federation election, scheduled to be held on April 30. Poton was an independent candidate when he won the Narsingdi Constituency-2 in the last general election. He is also a representative of the Narsingdi Football Association. Poton called a press conference yesterday at the Gulshan office of the Sheikh Jamal DC president Manjur Kader after collecting his nomination form from the BFF House. “I’m taking part in the elec-

Salahuddin has been at the helm of the BFF for eight years now. He barely faced any competition before the start of his second tenure as BFF president in 2012 tion for the love of football. I have an aspiration to take Bangladesh football to a new height if elected as president. I want to work with everyone and hope to get support,” said Poton, adding that he will reveal the finer details of his candidacy today. Another nomination form for the president’s post was also

bought for Tk one lac by a relatively unfamiliar figure in the football arena named Nurul Islam Nuru, who happens to be the president of Tongi Krira Chakra. The nomination forms for the president’s post will be distributed today as well while the forms must be submitted by tomorrow. A total of six nomination forms were sold till yesterday afternoon. Current vice president Tabith Awal bought nomination form for the same post while former national footballer Saifur Rahman Moni, organiser Sabbir Hossain and Brothers Union coach Mahidur Rahman Meraj bought forms for the members post. Salahuddin has been at the helm of the BFF for eight years now. He barely faced any competition before the start of his second tenure as BFF president in 2012.l

Cook helmet stance gives ECB headache n Cricinfo England are wary of being dragged into an unwanted power struggle with Alastair Cook ahead of the summer Test series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan after he ignored new regulations by wearing an oldstyle helmet that fails to conform to new safety standards. Nevertheless, Cook’s insistence that he must be the ultimate judge of his own safety puts the ECB in a delicate position as it seeks to enforce the adoption of a modern helmet design across the whole of the first-class game. l

Sport

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Leicester welcome West Ham in very different place n Reuters, London The last time Leicester City hosted West Ham United in the Premier League just over a year ago, they beat them 2-1 through a late goal to spark a revival that has shown no sign of slowing down ever since.` Leicester, who won six of their next eight games to avoid what had seemed inevitable relegation, welcome the Hammers back to the King Power Stadium today needing three more victories to seal their first English topflight title.

EPL FIXTURES Arsenal v Crystal Palace Bournemouth v Liverpool Leicester v West Ham Claudio Ranieri’s team have only lost three times in 33 league matches this season and will move 10 points clear of their only serious remaining challengers Tottenham Hotspur with a sixth successive win. Tottenham will face Stoke City tomorrow. Spurs almost certainly need to win to keep the title race alive and although his team are within touching distance of the finish, manager Ranieri is not looking forward to the run-in.l

Spain's Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Britain's Andy Murray during their Monte Carlo ATP Masters semi-final in Monaco yesterday

AFP

Resurgent Nadal beats Murray to reach final n AFP, Monte Carlo

Rafael Nadal returned to the final of the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time in three years as the eight-time champion struggled to close out a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Andy Murray yesterday. Nadal, who lifted the title in the Principality uninterrupted from 2005-2012, last lost the 2013 final to Novak Djokovic.

But Spain’s fifth-seeded king of clay showed hints of the form which took him to multiple seasons of total dominance on the surface as he overcame second seed Murray in a battle lasting for more than two and a half hours. It was not all one-way traffic for Nadal, who spent 10 minutes in the final game between his first match points and his fifth in fighting off a late Murray charge.

The 28-year-old Murray saved four Nadal match points and had two break chances of his own before Nadal finally drilled over a winner which the Scot could not quite handle. Nadal, 29, will bid for a ninth title in the Principality today against either France’s Gael Monfils or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Murray had been working to repeat his upset of the Spaniard from

the Madrid Masters final last May as he played in his third Monte Carlo semi-final after going this far in 2009 and 2011 - losing both matches to Nadal. The 14-time Grand Slam champion, Nadal has not won a title of any kind since last summer in Hamburg. Nadal improved to 17-6 over Murray, defeating him seven of the eight times they have met on clay.l

Sport

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Enrique: Barca haven’t gone into hiding

DAY’S WATCH FOOTBALL SONY SIX 12:40AM Serie A TIM 2015/16

n Reuters, Barcelona

Sampdoria v AC Milan

SONY ESPN 12:30AM Spanish La Liga Barcelona v Valencia

STAR SPORTS 1 English Premier League 5:50PM Leicester City v West Ham United 9:00PM Arsenal v Crystal Palace

STAR SPORTS 2 English Premier League 6:30PM AFC Bournemouth v Liverpool

STAR SPORTS 4 German Bundesliga 7:30PM Borussia Dortmund v Hamburger 9:15PM FSV Mainz 05 v FC Koln

TEN 2 6:30PM I-League 2016 Bengaluru v Salgaocar 12:50AM French Ligue 1 Monaco v Olympic Marseille

TEN 3 12:30PM A-League 2015/16 Eliminator: Melbourne v Perth 9:00PM French Ligue 1 Stade Rennais v De Guingamp

NEO PRIME 4:30PM Dutch League 2016 AFC Ajax v FC Utrecht

CRICKET SONY SIX Indian Premier League 4:30PM Punjab v Pune 8:30PM Bangalore v Delhi

FORMULA 1 STAR SPORTS 4 12:00PM F1: Main Race Shanghai Grand Prix

TENNIS NEO SPORTS 4:00PM Fed Cup 2016 Doubles and Singles Semi-finals Switzerland v Czech Republic

Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo takes part in a training session at the FC Barcelona Joan Gamper Sports Centre in Sant Joan Despi yesterday on the eve of their La Liga match against Valencia CF today AFP

Barcelona are still the best side in La Liga despite their poor recent form, coach Luis Enrique said yesterday. The leaders have not won any of their last three La Liga games and on Wednesday were eliminated from the Champions League by Atletico Madrid, ending hopes of an unprecedented two successive trebles. “There is no team that has been better than Barca. I wouldn’t swap with any other team in the league,” Luis Enrique told a news conference ahead of today’s home match with Valencia. “We haven’t gone into hiding. We said we were the favourites to win every competition, another thing is whether we deserve to win them.” Barca have lost three of their last four matches since returning from the international break, before which they had gone 39 games undefeated in all competitions, but Luis Enrique did not offer an expla-

nation for his team’s sudden slump. “Everyone wants to talk about the negatives but, I’m sorry, for me it’s in the past,” he said. “It’s not down to one thing, there’s an infinite number of factors that determine whether a team wins or loses. “We have dealt with the defeat with the utmost dig-

LA LIGA FIXTURES Malaga Sevilla Rayo Vallecano Atletico Madrid Barcelona

v v v v v

Athletic Bilbao Deportivo Villarreal Granada Valencia

nity. It’s risky to make conclusions with six games and a cup final to play (against Sevilla next month).” Enrique declined to say whether the club were planning to punish Dani Alves for posting an Instagram video after the defeat by Atletico where the defender imitated his girlfriend, wore a wig and said, “It’s only a football match, it doesn’t matter”.l

Defiant Blatter regrets he did not reform FIFA n Reuters, Basel Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter acknowledged on Friday that he failed to reform the scandal-ridden world soccer organisation but asserted he was not responsible for corruption in its regional organisations. Blatter spoke to more than 400 people at the University of Basel, where a student group has been preparing proposals on how FIFA should address the scandal. The disgraced FIFA head appeared at the event with Luis Moreno Ocampo, a former International Criminal Court prosecutor who accused the 80-year-old Swiss citizen

of turning a blind eye to corruption within regional soccer organisations. Dozens of officials, including former members of FIFA’s executive committee, have been indicted in the United States and Blatter has been banned for six years by its ethics committee. “I regret I have not done enough to bring back FIFA on the right track,” Blatter told the meeting. But he insisted that while he led FIFA, the actions of leaders of regional soccer organisations did not fall under his purview. “Those things they did within their confederations,” he said. “I don’t have any power to intervene

in their confederations.” Blatter was banned from soccer activities for ethics violations in December along with Michel Platini, a former French national player who rose to become head of the European football association UEFA. The pair were suspended in October pending an investigation into a 2 million Swiss franc ($2.07 million) payment to Platini that FIFA made to European boss Platini in 2011. Platini has said the payment was for work he did as a FIFA advisor between 1999 and 2002 and the nine-year delay in payment was due to FIFA’s financial situation.

Real tie not personal for Pellegrini n AFP, London Manuel Pellegrini has slammed suggestions he will be motivated by revenge when Manchester City face his former club Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals. Pellegrini’s side were handed a daunting showdown with Real in Friday’s draw after defeating Paris Saint Germain on Tuesday to reach the last four of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time. City will host the 10-time European champions in the first leg on April 26 before heading to the Bernabeu for the return a week later. Pellegrini was sacked by Real in 2010 after just one season and re-

placed by Jose Mourinho following early elimination from the Champions League and the disappointment of losing out on the La Liga title to Barcelona. However, on Friday the 62-yearold insisted there will be no desire for retribution against his former employers, who are looking to win the tournament for the second time in the last three years. “No, it is not an extra motivation. Always the motivation is to play the semi-final of the Champions League,” said Pellegrini, who will be replaced as City boss by Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola at the end of the season. “It is a difficult draw. It didn’t

matter which of the three teams we had to play, the three were difficult. “I think the options to continue are the same for the teams and we will expect to do a very good game against a big team.” “I think always for a big team it is important to arrive to the last stage of the Champions League and try to win it, but also not to leave out their domestic games,” he said. “Real Madrid know every year they must win titles and be involved in all the competitions. “In this moment I think they are playing the semi-final of the Champions League and they still have options in the Spanish league, so as always it is a team that is involved in all.”l

Blatter was unapologetic about the payment, saying it was an unwritten “gentleman’s agreement,” though he conceded the transaction should have been documented earlier. “This is a debt, and we paid the debt,” he said. “Perhaps it should have been indicated at the very beginning that we had something due to him. But this is an administrative and financial procedure and this had nothing to do with ethics.” Blatter appealed his six-year ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne in March, seeking to have the penalty revoked. Platini has also appealed to this court.l

Showtime

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

News with a punchline n Rayan Quddus Humour has always been an effective tool in getting a point across since the beginning of mankind. Comedy talk shows have played a huge role in making people more politically aware in America than politicians themselves. Entertainment of such kind has been received well by the public, however, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart has influenced viewers like no other and is in existence even after his retirement. Almost all current hosts of comedy news shows from Stephen Colbert to Samantha Bee, follow him religiously. These American shows have played a major role in creating awareness among their citizens, and in some cases influencing politicians regarding certain decisions. Recently, John Oliver became a sensation on both television and the Internet; all episodes of his show, Last Week Tonight, go viral. Trevor Noah has also been doing a job next to impossible, filling in for Jon

Stewart on The Daily Show. Last week Noah’s segment on Dennis Hastert, bought Illinois’ state law on sexual abuse, to spotlight. Since these shows have the power to successfully deliver social and political messages to the lot, Bangladesh is one country among many others, which could use a comedy talk show. Many may think it’s impossible. But the audience mindset and preferences are evolving, so there is still hope that the mass might be able to take jokes about serious matters. Recently, Yamin Khan has made an effort with his weekly show on the internet, News Recap with Yamin Khan, which is posted every Wednesday; every episode is around four minutes long. The show is currently in its early stage, and is yet to incorporate any sensitive issue. However, he has the potential to be the next Jon Stewart of Bangladesh. As more and more people get educated, demand for such shows ought to grow. And people will gradually cave in to the essence of a satire. l

Dilip Kumar hospitalised in Bandra

n Raisa Rahim Screen legend Dilip Kumar, respectfully called Dilip Saab, was recently hospitalised. The doctors said that the next 72 hours would be “crucial.” The renowned actor was admitted to Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital on April 16 after complaining of respiratory problems. Fortunately, the actor’s wife, Saira Banu, confirmed that he is recovering well. Sairaji’s statement read: “Dilip Saab was admitted to Lilavati Hospital for treatment of high

fever and chest infection on the night of April 15. He was advised intravenous administration of antibiotics for speedy recovery. Oral drugs would not act as fast as the IV injections, the doctors advised. Hence it became necessary to shift him to the hospital. He is recovering well and is stable by the grace of god and the care of doctors treating him. He is in a room in the hospital and not in the ICU as spread by rumours.” “He is under observation. We are keeping a close watch. He might have to be shifted to the

ICU. It takes time for a patient to respond to the treatment in the same way as it takes three hours for the food to digest,” Dr Jalil Parkar told news agencies. Dr Parkar said that Dilip Saab had fever and nausea. “He was suffering from pneumonia as well. His white blood cells had shot up. We thought it would be better to admit him in a hospital,” he elaborated. Dilip Saab’s six-decade career includes acclaimed classics like Madhumati, Devdas, Mughal-eAzam, Ganga Jamuna, Ram Aur Shyam and Naya Daur. He married actress Saira Banu in 1966, and is well-known for playing the role of tragic heroes in films like Andaz, Baabul, Mela, Deedar and Jogan. His last film was Qila in 1998. The man even won awards that include the Padma Vibhushan in 2015. He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1991 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994. He was the first winner of the Filmfare Best Actor award for 1956’s Azaad. The veteran actor also received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement award in 1993. l Source: www.movies.ndtv.com

Rajnikanth in chocolate

n Promiti Prova Chowdhury In a rare and slightly bizzare twist, the South Indian superstar Rajinikanth has been honoured by a cafe in Chennai. They have constructed a five feet and 11 inches tall statute of Rajinikanth out of chocolate! Zuka, a cafe in Mylapore in Chennai, came forward with this surprise for the fans of the superstar to pay tribute to the actor for receiving the Padma Vibhushan award from President Pranab Mukherjee on April 12. The statue has been put on display in the cafe. The cafe had recently conducted a survey among the fans of the star asking whether they want to see a statue of Rajini made of chocolate, and received a tremendous response which led to

the creation of the statue. “It took us 168 hours and 600kg of chocolate to make it,” said Srinath Balachandran, the managing director of Zuka. The statue was modeled based on a still from Rajinikanth’s upcoming movie Kabali. Rajinikanth was in legal trouble in March when an injunction suit was filed in a local court in Bengaluru seeking an order to prevent his fans from wasting thousands of litres of milk in devotion to him during the release of his films. l Source: The Hindu, The American Bazaar

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Leela Samson coming to Dhaka n Promiti Prova Chowdhury India’s Bharatanatyam exponent Leela Samson is coming to Dhaka on April 20 with her dance troupe Spanda. During her visit, the 64-yearold artist will direct three dance shows and a single workshop. In association with Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Shadhona and Srishti have arranged the program. Shadhona art director, Lubna Marium, said, “Leela Samson first visited Dhaka in 1992 following an invitation. The teacher and choreographer had visited Dhaka in 1996 and 1997 as well.” Leela Samson became involved with other activities alongside dance later on. She was the director of Kalakshetra Foundation and Sangeet Natok Academy, and chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification.

WHAT TO WATCH Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Art Malik

Recently, she even performed in a Tamil film directed by Mani Ratnam. Shadhona and Srishti have also arranged the Rup Bahullo Bharatnatyam Nrittya Utsav with Leela Samson from April 21 to 23. On April 21, Leela Samson and her team will perform Bharatanatyam at the Jatiya Natyashala auditorium of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA). On April 22 and 23, they will hold a programme at the National Museum auditorium in the evening. From April 24 to 28, Samson will conduct a workshop on Bharatanatyam at the rehearsal room of BSA. Lubna Mariam said, “Unique programs will be held on each of the three days. Entry pass has to be collected with a fee. This time we are supplying entry passes online, and are available at www. jetechao.com.” l

Birthdays this week

Showtime

San Andreas HBO 9:30pm After the infamous San Andreas Fault triggering a massive magnitude 9 earthquake in California, a search and rescue helicopter pilot and his estranged wife make their way together from Los Angeles to San Francisco to save their only daughter. Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Ioan Gruffudd, Archie Panjabi True Lies Star Movies 9:29pm Harry’s mission is to track down nuclear warheads stolen from Kazakhstan. Harry and his team follow Helen to Simon’s house, which they raid using SWAT tactics. Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger,

April 17 – April 23

Elementary AXN 10:30pm Elementary is a modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD’s most impossible cases. Cast: Lucy Liu, Jonny Lee Miller, Aidan Quinn, Jon Michael Hill, Natalie Dormer

Now Boarding TLC 9:30pm Now Boarding is an extraordinary journey dedicated to travel and food from around different parts of the world. From Mexico to Malaysia, each weekend, the series will feature episodes centered in different countries. Genre: Travel

‘Avatar’ sequel in progress

April 23: Dev Patel (Actor)

April 17: Ananta Jalil (Actor/Producer/Director) April 18: Poonam Dhillon (Actress)

April 19: Mehjabin Chowdhury (Model/Actress)

n Raisa Rahim

April 19: Arshad Warsi (Actor)

April 23: Yana Gupta (Actress)

61-year-old director James Cameron scored a box office hit in 2009 with the release of the original fantasy blockbuster Avatar. The film starred Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana. Now, Cameron will be adding a fourth sequel to his franchise; seemingly the highest-grossing movie in history. Filmmaker James Cameron is extending the world of Avatar with Avatar 2, which is scheduled to hit cinemas by late 2016. He also reveals that the writing process took Cameron longer than expected, which is why the second installment was delayed. Cameron made a surprise

appearance at CinemaCon in Las Vegas and offered the bittersweet news to fans: “We’re making four epic films that stand-alone, but together form a saga. These movies were designed to be seen in theaters first. I’ve been working with the top four screenwriters and designers in the world to create the world of Avatar. The environments, new cultures; from what I’m seeing, the art on the wall, in pure imagination is just beyond the first film. I’m speechless,” he said. Avatar 3 is pegged for release in 2020, with the fourth and fifth installments following in 2022 and 2023. l Source: www.movies.ndtv.com

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SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

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Mujibnagar Day today n UNB The historic Mujibnagar Day will be observed today marking the formation of Bangladesh’s first government that led the War of Liberation in 1971. Senior leaders of Awami League assembled at Baidyanathtala, a mango orchard, which was later named as Mujibnagar in Meherpur district, on April 17, 1971 to form

the provisional government of independent Bangladesh in the absence of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who was arrested and flown to Pakistan after Pakistan military had cracked down on the Bangalis on the night of March 25, 1971. Bangabandhu was declared the first president of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, while vice-president Syed Nazrul Islam became the acting president in the

absence of Bangabandhu. Tajuddin Ahmad was appointed the first prime minister, while Khandoker Moshtaque Ahmed, M Mansur Ali and AHM Quamaruzzaman were named cabinet members. To mark the day, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages. In his message, Abdul Hamid said: “Independence is the greatest

achievement of the Bangali nation. It’s our moral duty to present the proper history of our struggle for independence to the young generation.” In her message, Sheikh Hasina urged the people of the country to engage themselves in building Bangladesh to be free from hunger, poverty and illiteracy as dreamt by Bangabandhu. Awami League and different so-

cio-economic organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes on the occasion. The ruling Awami League’s programmes include hoisting the national flag and party flags at Bangabandhu Bhaban, party central office and its all district unit offices at 6am. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will place a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Bangabandhu Bhaban in the city at 7am. l

Banshkhali residents demand removal of UNO, OC Hussain, n Anwar Chittagong Villagers in Chittagong’s Gondamara union yesterday demanded the removal of the Banshkhali upazila nirbahi officer and the officer-in-charge of Banshkhali police station over the police firing that left four people dead and many injured. They raised the demand yesterday at a view-exchange meeting at Chittagong Circuit House held by the district administration with locals and leaders of “Save Gondamara Union Movement”, a newly-floated platform. The shooting took place on April 4 when locals protested against the move to set up a Chinese-funded coalbased power plant by Chittagong-based business conglomerate S Alam Group. Responding to the demand of villagers at the meeting, Mesbah Uddin, Chittagong deputy commissioner, assured that appropriate action would be taken against Mohammad Shamshuzzaman, upazila nirbahi officer of Banshkhali, and Swapan Kumar Majumdar, officer-in-charge of Banshkhali police station. The villagers complained to Mesbah that the UNO and the Banshkhali Upazila Land Officer had proposed to lease 1,050 acres of khas land for the proposed plant at a cost of only Tk1. The villagers, however, were kept in the dark about the proposal. They also said the local administration slapped a ban on the rally without any prior no-

tice, and the Banshkhali police station OC harassed the family members of dead victims by accusing them in the cases. The OC also compelled the family members to lodge cases against the injured victims by keeping the bodies in the police station, they alleged. Describing the incident as unexpected, the Chittagong deputy commissioner said: “We had no idea that the situation worsened to such a level. The UNO and the OC tried to keep the matter contained. We have talked to higher authorities about taking necessary action against them.” “Now we understand very well that the land owners of Gondamara did not get the right price because of some middlemen. So they were fuming with indignation. “The coal-fired power plant will be installed with the consent of locals. We know that there is a scarcity of drinking water in the area and no deep tube-well therefore will be used for the proposed plant. The plant will use sea water after purification,” Mesbah said. The deputy commissioner also assured villagers that the plant would not be provided with any redundant khas land. “The administration should launch an investigation if a situation did arise that demanded the imposition of Section 144 in the locality,” said Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury, former Chittagong city mayor and adviser to Save Gondamara Union Movement. l

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