April 23, 2016

SECOND EDITION

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

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Boishakh 10, 1423, Rajab 15, 1437

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 2

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

No get-out-of-jail card for traffic offenders n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Car owners, think again before driving errantly. In the past you – or your chauffeur – might have been able to get away with a simple on-the-spot fine for breaking a rule of the road; but if a proposed bill is passed into law, any traffic law violation will land you straight in jail.

Be it speeding or driving on the wrong side, jail would be the only destination for traffic rule violators as the draft of the proposed Bangladesh Road Transport Act 2016 has no provision for spot fining.

Currently, if anyone violates any traffic rules or any provision of the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, there are provisions of spot fining for some offences and even arresting for some offences.

According to Article 159 of the ordinance, no police official below the rank of sub-inspector or sergeant can fine an offender, while a uniformed police officer may arrest one without a warrant for committing a punishable offence.

Article 170 of the same ordinance reads that any first- or second-class magistrate or any especially authorised police officer of or  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

This file photo from last year shows two VIP cars with flag stands cruising through the nearly-empty wrong side of the road while hundreds of cars wait in long tailbacks on the right side of the road. As Bangladesh Road Transport Authority has recently proposed allowing traffic police to arrest anyone who violates any of the traffic rules, one wonders what will happen to these VIP car users if the proposal is approved and becomes the law. The photo was taken at Minto Road in Dhaka on August 30, 2015 SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

UN appoints Hasina to 20,000 Bangladeshi expats high-level water panel under threat in Libya n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been appointed a member of a United Nations High-Level Panel on Water.

UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim on Thursday announced the appointment of 10 heads of state and government, as well as two special advisers, to the panel.

The panel, which was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos last January, aims to mobilise effective action to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable

Around 20,000 to 25,000 Bangladeshis living in Libya are facing huge security threat.

The Bangladesh embassy in Libya gets reports of three to four abduction incidents almost every week, and in most cases, they negotiate with the abductors to free the victims.

They even had to pay ransom several times to free the embassy staff.

The governments in Tripoli and Benghazi, where most of the Bangladeshis are located, are very fragile. In most of the cases, the

INSIDE

n Tribune Desk

Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which focuses on ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, at a  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

administration and the law enforcers do not function properly.

The only embassy

First Secretary of Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli Mozammel Haque gave a bleak picture of Libya while talking to the Dhaka Tribune.

At present four or five governments operate in Libya, said Mozammel, who has been working in the war-ravaged country for the last two years.

Tripoli is under the control of militia forces while the elected government takes shelter far away from the capital. Another government rules Benghazi while the

Village police: Most neglected agency?

Police: Nazim killers were professionals

The death of cinemas in Bangladesh

Armed only with sticks, they do the primary policing job risking their lives in a village. In return, they have always been deceived and discriminated.  PAGE 3

Police believe the men who took part in the killing of Jagannath University (JnU) student Nazimuddin Samad were professionals and they used automated pistols to carry out the killing.  PAGE 5

Cinemas, once a popular place for entertainment, have been gradually losing their appeal. Owners say they are pulling down shutters as running cinemas are no more financially viable.  PAGE 32

UN-supported Libyan government operates from Tunisia.

Mozammel said that Bangladesh is the only country to have its mission fully operational in Libya.

“We have an ambassador, four officials and 14 other staff. Other than our embassy, one Indian official is operating from his Tripoli house while one Pakistani official visits the capital occasionally. All countries from the Middle East and Europe, and the UN and other global bodies have closed down their missions in Libya,” he said.

The ambassador said that the all the employees of the Bangladesh  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

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Fresh 5-day remand for Shafik Rehman n

Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court has granted a fresh five-day remand for journalist Shafik Rehman in a case filed for his alleged involvement in a plot to abduct and kill Sajeeb Wazed Joy. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mahmudul Hasan yesterday issued the order in reply to a seven-day remand plea by law enforcers. The case's Investigation Officer ASP Hasan Arafat filed the petition.

The court also rejected the bail plea submitted by Shafik's lawyer.

The veteran journalist was arrested and put on five-day remand on April 16. He was picked up by plainclothesmen from his house in Dhaka’s Eskaton the same day.

Shafik was arrested on the charge of plotting to abduct and murder Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the prime ministerial adviser on ICT affairs.

A US court sentenced JaSaS leader Mamun's son Rizve Ahmed Caesar on March 4, 2015 for bribing a former FBI special agent in New York for confidential information on Joy. Police say Shafik Rehman was physically present at a meeting on January 29, 2012 with Rizve and the FBI man, Robert Lustyik and there they allegedly conspired to abduct and kill Joy. On April 19, Detective Branch of Dhaka police claimed they had found documents from the FBI that contained information on Joy during a raid of Shafik's home. l

UN appoints Hasina to high-level water panel time of unprecedented challenges.

The panel will also provide the leadership required to tackle these challenges and champion a comprehensive, inclusive and collaborative way of developing and managing water resources, and providing improved access to clean water and sanitation.

In a statement issued by the spokesperson of Ban, he stated: “Ensuring water and sanitation for all is crucial for reducing poverty and achieving other Sustainable Development Goals.”

The UN secretary-general has also urged all partners to mobilise behind SDG 6 with political, financial and technological support.

More than 2.4 billion people lack access to improved sanitation and at least 663 million do not have access to safe drinking water, read the statement, adding that poor sanitation, water, and hygiene lead to about 675,000 premature deaths annually, and estimated annual economic losses of up to 7% of gross domestic product (GDP) in some countries.

“Floods and droughts already impose huge social and economic costs globally, and climate variability will make water extremes worse. If the world continues on its current path, projections suggest that the world may face a 40% shortfall in water availability by 2030.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“The consequences of such stress are local, transboundary and global in today’s interconnected world.”

“Growing cities and populations, as well as a changing climate, are placing unprecedented pressures on our water resources,” said Jim Yong Kim. “Addressing this challenge, and ensuring that we can provide clean water and sanitation for all, requires the kind of global action, strong leadership and commitment shown by the members of the High Level Panel on Water.”

The other panel members are: l Ameenah Gurib, president of Mauritius (co-chair)

l Enrique Peña Nieto, president of Mexico (co-chair)

l Malcolm Turnbull, prime minister of Australia

l János Áder, president of Hungary l Abdullah Ensour, prime minister of Jordan

l Mark Rutte, prime minister of the Netherlands

l Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa

l Macky Sall, president of Senegal l Emomali Rahmon, president of Tajikistan

l Han Seung-soo, Former prime

minister of the Republic of Korea (special adviser) l Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, minister of State for the Environment of Peru (special adviser) l

20,000 Bangladeshi expats under threat in Libya Embassy were instructed not to go anywhere except for the office and their houses.

“We are at risk all the time. Our translator was abducted twice and we had to pay ransom to free him,” Mozammel said.

In 2012, the government brought back around 40,000 Bangladeshis from Libya. But later around 20,000 workers were sent to Libya in phases.

Condition of workers

In Libya, Bangladesh has the maximum number of migrant workers.

But the economic condition of the country is very poor as most of the business organisations were shut down.

Mozammel said that even two years ago, one could get $1,000 by spending 1,200 dinar but now one has to spend 3,800 dinar to get same amount of dollars.

On an average, a Bangladeshi worker earns 550 to 600 dinar but there is no formal channel to remit the money, he said. “Not only the workers, even the embassy officials cannot send money to their families in Bangladesh.”

He said that the embassy receives three or four abduction news every week and tries to help the victims in the best way possible.

The regular police force does not work in Libya and that is why it is very difficult to get assistance from the Libyan administration.

A large number of Bangladeshis are leaving Benghazi as the situation is very fluid there, he said.

Three Bangladeshis were gunned down in Benghazi last month.

“In the last two years, I did not get permission from the Benghazi administration to visit the place,” Mozammel said.

Many Bangladeshis have been try-

ing to cross the Mediterranean Sea, located between Libya and Italy, to enter Europe for better life.

“This is a very risky journey and we got information from sources that many Bangladeshis were killed while trying to cross the sea,” the ambassador said.

The Italian government has informed the embassy that in 12 months during 2014-15, they had registered 9,997 Bangladeshis reaching the European country through the sea.

“I know a Bangladeshi organisation is trying to send workers to Libya. But given the poor situation here, we tend to believe that they are not coming here for work.

“If they want to come here to go to Europe, then it will be a suicidal decision as it is yet to be known how many Bangladeshis have drowned on the way to Europe,” Mozammel added. l

one kills any people, should it be negotiable or should the case be bailable? So, there are many ambiguities in the proposed act; those should be made clear. Punishment and negotiation should be determined considering the level of offence,” the actor-turned-activist said.

Osman Ali, general secretary of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation, said the entire transport sector would be closed if the provision of arresting without warrant remains in the new act.

Terming arrest without any warrant “barbaric,” Osman said: “We have given our opinions saying that the provision should be scrapped as it is discriminatory and unrealistic, but spot fining system could be strengthened.”

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority drafted the Road Transport Act 2016 and has sought recommendations from various stakeholders.

On April 10, the BRTA and World Health Organisation jointly organ-

ised a multi-stakeholder workshop on the draft of the act. Police submitted a written observation and recommendation to the authority concerned.

The police, in its written recommendation, said currently they prosecute around one million road rule offenders every year. In such a context, if around one million case reports – charge sheets or nonFIR reports – are submitted to the court, then the judiciary system would be severely hampered and at the same time it would require extra manpower and working hours, the law enforcers observed.

The spot fining system by traffic police is available in many countries in the world, the recommendation reads.

Bijoy Bhushan Paul, director (enforcement) of the BRTA, said: “We are collecting recommendations from various stakeholders.

Police have given their recommendations already. We will hold an inter-ministerial meeting and then the draft will be finalised.” l

They don’t want to return

Although the Bangladeshis in Libya are living in great misery, they are reluctant to return to Bangladesh.

Mozammel said that he met a Bangladeshi who lost one of his hands. “I told him to go back home, but in reply he said he had spent Tk5 lakh to come here. He will not be able to repay the money if he goes back now.”

In another incident, one worker lost a leg as he jumped off a three-storey building after it caught fire.

“One of our officials met him and told him that the embassy would bear the expenses of his return. But he turned down our request.” He said that he had spent Tk4 lakh to come to Libya.

Crossing the Mediterranean Sea

No get-out-of-jail card for traffic offenders above the rank of deputy superintendent of police, may dispose the matter through negotiation in case of some punishable offences.

However, if the proposed road transport act prepared by Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is passed, no arrest warrant would be needed for a police official to arrest anyone violating the new law.

The proposed act reads: “All the offences under the act are eligible for arrest without warrant.” At the same time, the act also dictates that all offences under this act would be bailable and negotiable.

Police officials and transport workers-owners said exclusion of the provision of spot fining will add to the number of pending cases with the court and will be time consuming, expensive, and create public sufferings.

As of April 9, around 122,746 cases were pending with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

Traffic police officials said nearly 70,000 cases are lodged on var-

ious grounds of traffic rules violation every month, meaning that 2,233 cases are filed on an average every day.

“If we do not have the spot fining authority, then every year around one million people will be sent to jail. Is it realistic?” Imtiaz Ahmed, DC traffic (west), told the Dhaka Tribune.

He also said formulating a new act was not an easy task; that is why their suggestion was to keep the existing act and upgrade the punishments provisions.

“For example, in the existing system, we can fine Tk100 or Tk200 for various offences. The act was formulated in 1983, but time has changed. The amount of fine should be increased. The existing act would be better if punishments were upgraded and some new provisions were included,” Imtiaz said.

Reactions

“Suppose you are driving your bike on the wrong side of the road, what would a traffic official do? As the

traffic police official does not have any spot fining authority [if the law is passed], the official will send you to the police station. It will not be a pro-people move,” the DC traffic said.

Road safety campaigner Ilias Kanchan said developed countries have a common practice of sending a fine slip to offenders whenever they violate any rule on the street.

“We are talking about digitisation of Bangladesh, so why should we not we go for such a system?”

Kanchan, the chairman of Nirapad Sarak Chai, said: “I think arrest for every single violation of the act is not a good move; rather it should be elaborated and defined well. This provision could be misused. For what reason the offender will be arrested and for what reason the offender will be fined … these things should be made clear.”

He also pointed out that the proposed law also defines all such cases as negotiable and bailable.

“That is not acceptable. If any-

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Village police: The most neglected agency? n Kamrul Hasan Armed only with sticks, they do the primary policing job risking their lives, and take care of the newborns and the deceased among other tasks in a village. In return, they have always been deceived and discriminated.

Their salaries are not paid regularly, and there is no issue of festival allowance at all.

Until their first national council held in Dhaka on April 9, the village policemen working in the Chittagong Hill Tracts had no idea that they are being paid much less than those in the plains.

The incumbent government is apparently reluctant to implement the recommendation mentioned in the Union Parishad Rules 2011 that suggested the Finance Ministry to upgrade their job status to fourth grade.

Moreover, no government felt it necessary to give them festival bonus even though the village policemen have to do extra work at that time. The then prime minister, Khaleda Zia, in 1995 promised that the government would give them Eid bonuses equal to their salaries.

It was 2009 when their salaries were increased last time. And when the government announced the new pay scale for public servants recently – almost doubling the salaries, the village policemen were kept out of the list of beneficiaries.

The force is operated under the Local Government Division. Generally, one village police member is deployed for one village while

The photo shows a village police member attending the first-ever national council in Dhaka on April 9 to press home their seven-point demands that include upgrading their job status to grade four RAJIB DHAR the dafadars lead all the members under a union. Currently, there are 38,232 village policemen and 6,652 dafadars deployed in 4,448 union parishads.

A member gets Tk2,000 per month while a dafadar is given Tk2,100. Half of the salary is paid by the UNO through bank accounts while the rest by the union parishads. There is a provision of giving them 1% of land registration cost which is around Tk1,000.

Since land registration is not in place in the CHT, the village police members and the dafadar do not get the 1%. Moreover, the union parishads do not pay them the 50% of the salaries citing fund shortage.

Therefore, their salaries stand at Tk1,100 and Tk1,300 per month.

The members of the country's most neglected government agency shared their grieving experiences at the national conference held at the Central Shaheed Minar on Saturday,

attended by some 20,000 members.

“The remuneration that the government is paying is very low considering the service we provide every day,” said Alamgir, a village police member from Lakshmipur.

“We have to do all the tasks of a police member. We have to guard the villages, assist the police in arresting criminals and accused, alerting them about any possible crimes, and updating the list of newborns and deceased people.

“Sometimes villagers get angry with us as we help the police arrest criminals and suspects. We have to work under constant threats of the criminals. But we have no security of ourselves.”

Alamgir said that even though they have to perform extra duty during festivals and political instability they are not given any bonus for the festivals. “How can I demand festival bonus while we are paid every three month?”

Asked about low pay and differences of salaries in the hills and the plains, Bangladesh Village Police Workers' Union Secretary General MA Alim told the Dhaka Tribune that they had raised the issues during the conference attended by three ministers.

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan told the rally that he would inform the prime minister about their demands. Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu and State Minister for Finance and Planning AM Mannan also expressed solidarity with the seven-point demands.

About upgrading the status of the village police, Joint Secretary (union parishad section) of the LGRD Ministry Enamul Quader Khan said that the Finance Ministry were yet to give any response over the matter.

When contacted, Finance Ministry sources said that the current officials were unaware of the proposal. They suggested that the Local Government Division submit a fresh proposal regarding job status of the village police members. l

Police extort money from Bangladeshi expatriate n Adil Sakhawat

Policemen in Bogra have allegedly extorted Tk43,000 from an expatriate who is visiting Bangladesh on a vacation.

Ismail Hossain, who works for an IT firm in Malaysia, said several policemen forced him and his friend out of a bus and scared them into giving the money.

Local police neither confirmed nor denied the incident, but said they would look into the allegations and take appropriate action.

The alleged incident happened on the night of April 21 as Ismail and one of his friends were coming to Dhaka on a Dipjol Paribahan bus.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday, Ismail said their bus was stopped by police at Mokamtola police checkpost in Bogra around 1am.

“A civil-dressed man and a uniformed police member without a nameplate started searching the passengers after boarding the bus.

When they started checking my laptop bag, they found a money

bundle of Tk43,000 and my passport and asked me which country I was living in.

“When I replied that I work in Malaysia, they asked me to descend from the bus along with my friend,” Ismail said.

When Ismail refused to comply out of suspicion, both of them threatened to frame him in a false non-bailable case.

them that amount.”

After interrogating Ismail for a few minutes and snatching away the money, the law enforcers put them in another bus and told them not to complain or inform anyone about the incident.

Ismail told the Dhaka Tribune that he saw two policemen wearing nameplates that read Noman and Awal, three other uni-

Ismail saw two policemen wearing nameplates that read Noman and Awal, three other uniformed men without any nameplate, and another in plainclothes After being forced to step out of the bus, the policemen ordered the bus driver to go away without the two passengers.

Ismail and his friend were then taken to Mokamtola Highway police box and threatened that the expatriate would be arrested as a yaba trader unless he paid Tk1 lakh.

“When I told them that I had no money other than the Tk43,000, six policemen there told me to give

formed policemen without any nameplate, and another man in plainclothes.

Requesting anonymity, a police official of the Shibganj police station confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune that two police personnels named Noman and Awal were on duty that night.

Meanwhile, Shibganj police Officer-in-Charge SM Ahsan Habib said that he was on election duty,

but would take action if the allegations were found to be true.

Bogra's superintendent of police, Mohammad Asaduzzaman, also told the Dhaka Tribune that immediate action would be taken against any personnel found involved in the incident.

However, bus operators on the route said such extortion by police was a common occurrence at that checkpost.

Awal Hossain, a supervisor of Dipjol Paribahan, said: “When we come back from Rangpur on that route we have to face the police checking.

"The checking is not a problem, but we regularly hear from passengers that they were harassed by police members and had to pay money to get out of trouble even though the police did not find anything illegal on them.” l

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SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Rajshahi University teacher forced to retire n Dulal Abdullah, Rajshahi Prof Kamrul Hasan Majumdar of the department of geology and mining at Rajshahi University (RU) has been forced to retire from the university for sexually harassing a female student.

The decision was made at the meeting of the university syndicate on Thursday night, sources told the Dhaka Tribune.

However, claiming that the probe committee formed to investigate the allegation against Kamrul did not operate following regulations, RU Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan placed a note of dissent against the syndicate’s decision.

Campus sources said the victim, a first-year student at the department, filed a written complaint against Kamrul on October 21, 2014 at the

university’s Sexual Harassament and Assault Prevention Committee.

Finding the allegation true, the committee requested the university authorities to terminate Kamrul’s tenure on April 27 last year.

But the pro-VC claimed the investigation was flawed and demanded re-investigation of the complaint.

Following the pro-VC’s demand, a four-member review committee

was formed which investigated the issue again and found the allegations against the suspect to be true.

Two members of the RU syndicate, requesting anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that after discussing this issue elaborately, the syndicate agreed to force Kamrul to go into retirement, but the proVC again questioned the investigation’s validity and placed a note of dissent.

When contacted, Pro-VC Sarwar told the Dhaka Tribune: “The Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Committee did not operate following the committee regulations. Many members of this committee are still a part of it even though their membership has expired. That is why I placed the note of dissent and asked them to form a fresh committee to look into this matter.” l

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Police: Nazim killers were professionals n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Police believe the men who took part in the killing of Jagannath University (JnU) student Nazimuddin Samad were professionals and they used automated pistols to carry out the killing.

The forensic and autopsy reports from the crime have led them to this conclusion, investigators disclosed to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

They have also identified eight suspects possibly involved in the killing and are trying to track them down.

The killers studied Nazim’s

movement for a long time before the murder and were well versed about his daily activities, police said.

“We have already analysed the attacking style and the forensic report and reached the conclusion that the killers were professionals and the killing was preplanned,” Inspector Samir Chandra Sutradhar of Sutrapur police station, who is leading the investigation, told the Dhaka Tribune.

“A portion from the right side of the victim’s head was severed from the attack of killers. That can only have been done by professionals,” Inspector Samir said.

nessed the incident, they are trying to determine the route through which the killers fled, in a bid to find any close circuit camera that may have gotten a shot of the killers.

Sayed Nurul Islam, deputy commissioner of police, Wari division, said police were conducting the investigation by analysing the different aspects of the crime. However, it might take some time as the murder was carried out professionally and the perpetrators left the scene quickly.

“We collected bullet shells from the spot and analysing the shells we came to know that they were

On April 6, Nazimuddin, also a Sylhet Gonojagoron Moncho activist, was hacked to death by suspected Islamist militants in Sutrapur area of Old Dhaka.

Dr Shyamal Sen of Salimullah Medical College Hospital, who conducted Nazim’s autopsy, also said a part of the victim’s head had been totally separated.

“The killers also shot him to the head but as they had already split the head apart, the bullet went straight through,” he added.

Investigators are trying to trace the killers’ whereabouts by talking to eyewitnesses near the scene of crime. By talking to locals who wit-

fired from an automated pistol of .22 model,” DC Nurul said.

Besides Sutrapur police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch and the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit are also conducting shadow investigations into the murder.

Talking with the Dhaka Tribune, Monirul Islam, chief of the CTTC unit, said that they had made a list of eight suspects who may have been involved in the killing and another four or five people who might have been involved in the planning.

“Drive to arrest the killers is underway,” he added. l

Huda believes fair elections possible under Hasina n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Former BNP leader Nazmul Huda has said that he believes that free and fair elections will be held under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“We believe heart and soul that free and fair elections will be held in Bangladesh under the incumbent government, especially the honourable prime minister, who is the daughter of democracy and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” he said at a programme yesterday.

Addressing the new committee of his party “Trinomool BNP” at National Press Club, the former minister praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina saying she has been working to implement the dreams of her father.

“All the developments are visible. Whenever we go outside we see flyovers and works on mega projects. The Padma Bridge is underway. The country is moving forward in various ways,” he said.

Huda was the junior most standing committee member of the BNP when it was founded under the leadership of Ziaur Rahman in 1978. He was minister twice during BNP’s term in office.

Huda was expelled from the party in 2010 for violating the party charter and then readmitted in 2011. Then he was ousted again from the party in 2014.

On April 13 this year, the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division rejected a plea by Nazmul Huda in several graft cases, thereby upholding its ruling that his acquittal in those cases was wrong.

The Anti Corruption Commission filed a case against Huda and his wife Sigma Huda for taking Tk2.40 crore bribe on March 21, 2007.

On August 27, 2007, a Special Judge’s Court sentenced the former BNP Minister to seven years jail and a Tk2.5 crore fine and his wife to three years of jail.

On March 20, 2011, the High Court acquitted them from the charges. The Appellate Division scrapped the High Court verdict and sent the case to retrial on December 1, 2014.

Regarding his new alliance formed with 31 other parties, Huda said, “People of the country are the owners of the state. I believe people will get back their power and also believe that it is possible only under Sheikh Hasina.”

He said he wished to hold talks with the Awami League-led 14 party alliance to hold a fair elections.

“Honourable Minister Mohammad Nasim has said that the Jatiyo Jote will work with 14-party alliance. Let’s hold talks over the unresolved issues and find the solutions together. We are eager to give you our suggestions,” Huda said. l

TEMPERATURE FOREC AST FOR TODAY

DRY WEATHER LIKELY SATURDAY, APRIL 23

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A day labourer yesterday looks upon the memorial set up in front of the site where Rana Plaza collapsed on April 24, 2013 killing over 1,100 people. The victims are still awaiting justice as the third anniversary of the disaster approaches SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Bangladesh refuses Taiwanese donation n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Bangladesh has rejected a Taiwanese donation of 100 metric tonnes of rice for flood and natural disaster victims.

World Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce had donated the rice to non-government organisation Tranzsend Bangladesh, which made a failed attempt to secure the government’s approval.

When contacted, Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Md Shah Kamal said the NGO had moved the ministry for bringing the rice to Bangladesh.

“When we sought opinions from 29

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concerned ministries, the foreign ministry vehemently opposed and asked us to cease all related activities,” he said. “We informed the NGO about our decision.”

A senior government official, seeking anonymity, said the consignment was already on its way to Bangladesh before government permission was sought.

“We did not allow the ship to come here,” he said.

A Tranzsend official said they operated in Chandpur and wanted to distribute the rice among river erosion victims.

A foreign ministry official, who declined to be named, explained:

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Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:30AM

40.6ºC Chuadanga

20.9ºC Sylhet

Source: Accuweather/UNB

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PRAYER TIMES

“Bangladesh believes in One China policy and it will continue to do so.”

Bangladesh-China relationship is growing and a senior Chinese official is expected to visit Dhaka this year, he said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went to China on a bilateral visit in 2014, after assuming office.

Beijing is Dhaka’s biggest trade partner with the total trade worth about $12 billion. Bangladesh also procures a significant portion of its defence equipment from China, which is also helping it in major infrastructure projects like the Padma Bridge. l Sylhet

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Fajr: 4:08am | Zohr: 11:57pm Asr: 3:24pm | Magrib: 6:23pm Esha: 7:44pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

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Thousands suffer as vessel strike continues Jamil Khan n Mohammad with Anwar Hussain from Chittagong The distress faced by thousands of south-bound passengers continued yesterday, as launch owners carried on with a strike for a second day, to realise their 15-point demands.

The Bangladesh Water Transport Workers’ Federation (BWTWF) and the Bangladesh Shipping Workers' Federation (BSWF) went on the strike on Thursday.

The 15-point demands include revision of allowances and benefits, compensations for deaths or injuries in accidents, eight-hour worker shifts and over-time pay as well as measures to curb piracy.

On visiting Sadarghat terminal yesterday at noon, Dhaka Tribune found a mere three launches at the terminal, though on other days, the terminal is full. A number of passengers were standing there, waiting for their launch to reach its destination and head back to the terminal.

Humayun Ahmed, inspector (transport) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), told the Dhaka Tribune that 23 launches, of which three are set for Barisal and five others for Chandpur, had left the terminal so far, though on other days, at least 50 to 60 launches depart for their destinations by this time.

On not getting a launch at the terminal, many passengers decided to return from where they had set off, and those in a hurry looked for

Passengers are seen boarding a launch yesterday afternoon as a few number of vessels left Sadarghat terminal on the second day of the indefinite strike enforced by vessel workers to press home their 15-point demands MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU alternative routes.

Sumon Howladar, a private employee by profession, said he came to the terminal to collect a ticket for Barisal, for a route scheduled to leave at 9pm.

“However, as the launch staff informed me the vessel would not leave the terminal due to the strike, I am going back and will look for a different way to get to Barisal,” he said.

Another passenger, Abdul Aziz,

Mystery prevails over death of 2 university students n Dulal Abdullah, Rajshahi A mysterious situation is prevailing over the death of two university students in a room of a residential hotel located in Rajshahi city’s Shaheb Bazar area yesterday afternoon.

Police recovered the bodies of Mizanur Rahman, 23, a second year student of Rajshahi University’s Islamic history department, and Sumaiya Nasrin, 20, a first year student of Pabna Science and Technology University’s physics department, from room 303 of Hotel Nice International.

Police said Mizanur was son of Omed Ali of Sirajganj Ullahpara’s Dobirganj and Sumaiya was daughter of Abdul Karim who is currently station as Detective Branch of police sub-inspector in Gaibandha.

According to the hotel’s manager, Abul Kalam Azad, the two came to the hotel on April 20 and booked the room identifying themselves as husband and wide. Mizan and Su-

maiya said they came to Rajshahi for business purpose and cleared the room rent on April 21.

The manager said he informed the police after the two did not respond to repeated calls made to their room as the couple was supposed to check out yesterday at noon.

Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (Boalia zone) Assistant Commissioner Golam Saklain said police broke into the room and found Mizanur hanging from the ceiling fan using the girl’s scarf and Sumaiya was on the bed lying with a pillow on her face. She also had knife wounds on her face.

Law enforcement agencies including CID and PBI are investigating the crime scene as it is being suspected that the couple was murdered, he added.

Boalia police station Officer-inCharge Shahdat Hossain Khan said the family members of the dead have been informed. l

who was scheduled to go to Chandpur, said, on normal days, a launch leaves the Sadarghat terminal for Chandpur within an hour of its return to the terminal.

He said: “Only three launches have left the terminal since noon today, and as I have missed them, I now await the return of the fourth one. However, I don’t know when this one will leave the terminal on its return.”

Enayet Hossain, president of The Bangladesh Water Transport Workers’ Federation, told the Dhaka Tribune that they would not return to work till their demands are met.

When asked about some launches still in operation, Enayet claimed that some launch owners have forced their employees to operate the launches and leave the terminal, and only these employees are

still working, but others are still observing the strike.

However, Mahbub Uddin Ahmed, a leader of Bangladesh Inland Water Association (Passenger Carriage), told the Dhaka Tribune that none of the passenger carriage launch workers are involved in the strike.

“Essentially, only workers operating on goods transport ships are involved in the strike, and they are trying to sway the other launch workers, but we are trying to settle the matter, he added.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) has managed to engage an additional vessel to ease passengers’ woes during the time of the strike.

Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, while addressing a programme in Madaripur, told reporters that those holding the strike were not involved in government in any way.

“We are attempting to settle matters by holding talks with both workers and owners,” he said.

“The river route service is a voluntary sector where workers and owners give service to people”, said the minister.

“In such a position, it is not wise act to confine the public with such a course of action,” he said. The problem will be addressed shortly, the minister added.

In Chittagong, the operational activities at 16 jetties in Karnaphuli River and at the outer anchorage of Chittagong Port also remained suspended. l

Devotees vandalise Rangamati hotels for anti-social activities n Ziaul Haque, Rangamati A group of Muslim devotees vandalised four residential hotels located in Rangamati district town on charges of running anti-social activities. However, no causality was reported.

Local sources said hundreds of devotees after Jummah prayers vandalised Al Helal hotel. Later, they went to Hotel Probasi, Hotel Star, Hotel Hillcity and also vandalised those hotels.

Anti-social activities, including gambling and prostitution, have been running at the hotels for long During the vandalism, they also detained six women and later on handed them over to police.

Additional Police Super (crime)

Md Shahidullah said local people alleged that anti-social activities, including gambling and prostitution, had been running at the hotels for long.

Being informed, police went to the spot and brought the situation under control, he said.

“We are looking into the matter and questing the detained women,” he said, adding that owner and staffs of the hotels, however, managed to flee while the devotees attacking the hotels. l

Derailment halts Ctg-Nazirhat rail link n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong Rail communication on the Chittagong-Nazirhat route remained suspended for two hours as a wagon of an oil-tanker derailed at the Forest Gate area in Chittagong yesterday.

A university bound shuttle train could not leave Sholoshahar when the wagon derailed at around 2:30pm. No one was injured in the incident.

Md Shahabuddin, station master of Sholoshahar Railway Station said

that the wagon of the oil-tanker was returning after unloading furnace oil for the Hathazari power plant.

“Later, a relief train put the train back on track and the rail service resumed at 4:30pm,” the station master added. l

DT

8

News

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

One dies in N’ganj boat capsize Correspondent, n Our Narayanganj

Being exhausted by scorching heat, a farmer drinks water while working in a paddy field at Chhoyghati, Godagari upazila in Rajshahi yesterday. A heat wave is sweeping through Bangladesh over last several days. Yesterday’s highest temperature was 43 degrees celsius in Rajshahi AZAHAR UDDIN

Police yesterday recovered the body of a woman who had been missing for about 36 hours after a boat capsized in the Shitalakshya River at Narayanganj central Kheya Ghat.

The floating corpse of Setu Begum, 25, was recovered from Kumudini area of the river on Friday morning.

On the previous day, her son Sabbir Ahmed Shafin’s body was found in the river. He had been missing along with his mother after the capsize.

Narayanganj Navy police Incharge Abu Taher said: “Setu’s body has been recovered from the river around 7:30am and her husband Chan Miah identified the decomposed body.”

On Wednesday night, a boat with about 12 people on board capsized when it hit a sand-laden boat . l

Third phase of union parishad polls today n Tribune Desk The third phase of Union Parishad (UP) elections will be held today amid fear of violence and massive rigging.

The polls will be held simultaneously in 711 union parishad across the country from 8am to 4pm.

The Election Commission (EC) has already sent ballot boxes and papers for holding the polls.

Election Commissioner Mohammad Shahnewaz expressed hope that the election would be held

in free and fair manner as judicial and executive magistrates, BGB personnel and police had been deployed in the respective areas to maintain law and order.

Meanwhile, two people have died from injuries sustained during violence surrounding the union parishad elections.

Forty-year-old Abdul Hannan, who was critically injured during clashes in Rangpur’s Mithhapukur upazila on Wednesday, died in the early hours of yesterday at Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

Police said Hannan was injured when supporters of Kafrikhal union member candidates Fakrul Islam and Shakhawat Hossain engaged in a fight on Wednesday in the area’s Mohadebpur Bazar. A total 15 people were wounded in the clashes.

The union parishad election is scheduled for the Kafrikhal union today, reports our Rangpur correspondent.

Mithhapukur police said candidate Shakhawat has filed a murder case accusing 14 people including

A mosque where you are not allowed to offer prayers Ali Badal, n Liakat Rangpur Students and staffs at Begum Rokeya University offered Friday’s weekly prayers under the blazing sun outside the only mosque on the campus, which was constructed two years ago, but has not been opened.

Vice-Chancellor AKM Nurun Nabi announced dates to open it several times in the past, causing indignation among the students. Nearest mosques are quite far from the campus.

He had said he would inaugurate the place of worship after appointing an imam and

a muezzin.

Students staged human chain protests in front of University Grants Commission Chairman Abdul Mannan when he went there on March 6. When he asked the VC why the mosque was not opened, Nabi had announced to inaugurate it within March 31.

Agitated students laid siege to the VC’s residence the next month and pelted it with stones after he backed away from his promise. Additional police were deployed on the campus yesterday to avert such incident.

Several students said the VC was not allowing anyone to offer weekly prayers as he

does not practice Islam. This is why he is not opening the mosque, several students said.

Acting Proctor Shahinur Rahman claimed that the process of appointing an imam and muezzin was not complete. “That is why we cannot open the mosque,” he said.

“I hope the problem will be solved soon.”

Asked about additional police presence on the campus, he said he knew nothing about that. But the university police outpost’s in-charge Sub-Inspector Ershad Ali said additional police were deployed for security reasons.

The VC could not be reached for comments. l

Fakrul. No one has been arrested so far.

Meanwhile, a man named Jewel Mallik, who was injured in an incident of post-polls violence in Madaripur, died on Thursday night in Dhaka after fighting for his life for a week.

Our Madaripur correspondent reports that Jewel was among 15 men, including seven with gunshot wounds, who were injured on April 15 when supporters of rebel Awami League candidate Sohrab Khan allegedly attacked the house of the

new union chairman-elect Kuddus Mallik.

The following day, the two sides clashed again when rumours broke out that Jewel – the nephew of Kuddus – had died. At least seven people were injured in the renewed fights.

Madaripur Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Ziaul Morshed said Jewel’s autopsy has been carried out at Madarpur Sadar Hospital morgue. Additional police have been deployed in the area to prevent further untoward incidents. l

9

DT

Learn English

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

Pre-reading task 1. How many reality television shows can you name?

2. Which shows do you watch?

Now read this review of the reality television show Supernanny.

Who’s boss? n Margaret O’Keeffe I don’t usually like reality television shows but I’m completely hooked on the programme Supernanny. It’s an excellent show, which basically films a family who are having problems dealing with their naughty children.

At the start of the show, the supernanny arrives at the family home and observes the daily routine. The parents are usual worn out by their children’s bad behaviour and don’t know how to discipline them. The children throw tantrums, talk back to their parents, don’t do what they told and don’t show them any respect.

Then supernanny talks to the parents about the situation and suggests changes they should make to help them sort out the problems and bring up their children better. It must be hard to tell two adults that they aren’t doing things right but she is always completely honest with them.

She then spends time helping the parents to put her ideas into practice. She’s firm but friendly and doesn’t put up with any bad behaviour. She doesn’t believe in smacking children – instead she sends them to the “naughty step” or the “naughty corner” if they

behave badly and gets them to think about their behaviour.

Then the family continue without her help for a week while she watches the result from a television monitor. Things usually start off well but sometimes get chaotic again after a day or two. Finally, she goes back to visit the family, talks to them about the results and gives them some more advice.

The parents and children always hug her and thank her for helping them in the end.

It’s entertaining to see how badly behaved the children are at first and how a few simple rules help to transform the situation. I’d recommend the show to anyone with young children because I think there is

Word search

Want to find more learning activities?

Visit www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish

Exercise 1

Vocabulary: Matching.

Match the words in bold below in the first column (1 to 6) with their correct definitions in the second column (a to f): 1 He is a very naughty boy. He never does what I tell him.

2 I don’t think you should smack children. Physical punishment is not the solution.

3 She has a job as a nanny with a rich French family.

4 It was a long car journey but the children behaved very well.

5 She’s a very affectionate child and she loves to hug and kiss her baby brother.

6 My three-year-old sometimes gets angry and throws a tantrum.

PHOTO: BIGSTOCK some useful advice for parents about how to bring up their own children.

At the same time, I must admit that the format is a bit repetitive. I’ve never seen a family where her plan didn’t work but then these are all

families with young children and none of the problems are very serious. The other thing is that supernanny doesn’t have any children. I sometimes wonder if she’ll find it easy to apply her rules if, one day, she has a family of her own.l

a do things or act in a particular way b when children act badly and are not obedient c hit someone with the flat inside part of your hand d woman who lives with a family and looks after the children e put your arms around someone to show you love them f short, sudden period when a child acts angrily and unreasonably

Exercise 2

Vocabulary: Matching.

Match each of the phrasal verbs below (1 to 7) with its meaning (a to g): 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

put up with wear out bring up deal with sort out turn up talk back

a arrive somewhere b make you feel extremely tired c take necessary action in order to solve a problem d answer someone in authority such as a teacher or parent in an impolite way e tolerate an unpleasant situation or person without complaining f successfully deal with a problem or difficult situation g care for and influence a child until she is grown up

© British Council 2016

DT

10

Feature

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

It’s all about DONSPIRATION

PHOTO: COURTESY

n Tasnia Khandaker What inspired the man who inspires people as a living?

What motivated him to leave the security and comfort of an amazing job, to be an entrepreneur? What made him disregard the risks involved and leap into a battle fought by a few?

A battle of entrepreneurship; where nothing is certain, yet he wrestled on to reach heights unfathomable to many, to be the man he is today; to be G Sumdany Don. In an interview with Sumdany, when asked what he did for living, he said that he is currently

| happening today |

working as a professional corporate trainer and motivational speaker. To further elaborate the scope of his work, he talked about how most of the skill gaps of many corporate employees are behavioural. As far as performance is concerned, the employees might have an excellent record, but could be simultaneously suffering from various frustrations, which could possibly result in an unhealthy work environment. Sumdany also mentions that a lot of individuals lack a sense of accountability and earnestness in the corporate industry. In situations as such, he steps in to reawaken the values that seem to be lost among them,

to rekindle their spirit and make them understand what they are worth.

Surprisingly, he did not always want to be an entrepreneur.

Among the factors that conspired into making him who he is today, what pushed him the hardest was an unforgettable tragedy that seemed to have completely devoured his life three years back.

There were two men, but at the time, Sumdany did not know that they were armed, and how he found out and what happened afterwards, became the single most catastrophic occurrance in his life. The goons shot Sumdany in his leg, and took his car away,

leaving him distraught with a question asked so frequently by many who get played a bad hand by fate: “Why me?”

He had been a hard-working person all his life. He started teaching right after his O levels.

He taught seven days a week, and even after landing a job at a big-shot MNC, his routine was somewhat still the same, with the same level of dedication.

After all the effort he had put in to get where he was at that point of his life, the incident made him question the purpose of his existence. Sumdany said that he could see a master plan unfold even for material things, such as a chair’s purpose of existence is to let someone sit on it, or a pen fulfils its objective of being by letting someone write, but he could not pan out the blueprint of his own life, or how it even mattered. Such thoughts led him into severe depression which lasted almost a year after the incident.

Amidst a constant battle with depression, he found his unshakeable passion for teaching reawaken, which had always been a somewhat important part of his life. He quit his job and built his firm in a short while. Such a decision which would obviously change his life drastically was not welcomed with open arms by his family, which was more or less expected by Sumdany. The path that he had become so determined to walk upon was immensely risky, and his family members were afraid that no one would take someone like him seriously, someone so young.

Ridding himself of all obstacles, both physical and emotional, he began the journey which led to numerous sleepless nights. His work would never seem to end, and still doesn’t. He has told his family members that if he were to work from morning to late at night, there would always be pending work, or something to fix; such is the life of an entrepreneur.

Like any other entrepreneur, Sumdany, to this date, does not have the luxury to do a limited amount of work and be done with it; there is always a scope for improvement, he believes.

Sumdany also shared that he has always tried to maintain the best possible social relationship with family and friends, in spite of having such a busy schedule. But that had gotten inexplicably hard to do when he started his radio show called “DONSPIRATION.” The radio show, which started at 11pm, required him to be in the studio on time, compelling him to cut his other commitments short.

But Sumdany went on to say that he does not regret his decision because he chose to make these sacrifices. He believes that small detriments were unavoidable in order to realise the vision he had for his firm and make it the best brand in Dhaka.

While he is successfully reaching thousands of people in our country only through his Facebook initiatives, it does not end there. Sumdany’s purpose in life entails leaving his legacy behind by training a number of people to be who he is today, to be able to inspire and spread positivity as Sumdany is managing to do, almost every day. However, before achieving his final goal, he understands that he needs to establish himself as an exceptional brand in the field of training, which requires heavy media penetration.

Apart from writing columns for famous magazines, taking advantage of the strategic location of Colors FM and GTV studios, Sumdany plans to take his radio show and simulcast it with his very own TV show. The TV show is going to start airing live for half an hour on GTV while the rest of the show will continue on Colors FM. Obviously being a first of its kind, this endeavour is set out to be a success starting from May, this year.

Stay tuned! l

Career Camp - 2016 DonSumdany Facilitation and Consultancy, in association with EMK center and Bombay Sweets & Co Ltd, presents “Career Camp 2016.” It is a day-long workshop specially designed to facilitate the youth about building their career in a constructive way.

The workshop covers various essentials required for a 360

degree job preparation. Overview sessions of the current job market, corporate grooming classes, mock interviews to polish interview and communication skills as well as guidance on resume creation are all inclusive in the exclusive module.

As guest speakers, Solaimen Shukon, head of marketing at

Aamra Networks Limited, GM Kamrul Hassan, CEO of Igloo Ice-Cream Limited and Savina Shah, life coach at Inspirit, will be present.

Dhaka Tribune and Colors FM are media partners for the event.

To know more, please visit: www. donsumdany.com l

DT

Editorial 11

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

INSIDE

Coat linings PAGE 12

Holocaust denial, Holocaust history PAGE 13

BIGSTOCK

Climate change PAGE 14

Partnerships improve safety

I The peasants rise up PAGE 19

Be heard Write to Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email letters.dt@ dhakatribune.com

Send us your Op-Ed articles:

opinion.dt@dhakatribune. com www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook. com/DhakaTribune

n its latest update, the Accord on Fire and Building Safety reports nearly 60,000 RMG factory safety issues have been reported or verified as fixed.

While more still needs to be done, it is welcome to see it hail what it calls the “real and meaningful progress,” which is taking place within the Bangladesh garment industry.

Since the Rana Plaza disaster, efforts by the government, ILO, and the brandled multi-stakeholder initiatives, Accord and Alliance, have been making valuable strides in improving the inspection of factories and identifying areas for improvement.

The awareness created and partnerships forged are making a genuine difference in raising standards.

Last year, for instance, there were only five incidents of fires in the whole industry which passed without loss of life. This compares with some 250 officially recorded garment factory fires taking place during 2012, which took the lives of 115 people. The large decline in fires and improved safety rate is a sign of how increased monitoring and growing awareness among workers and factory owners are helping to prevent accidents.

By increasing attention to labour rights issues, the increased focus on safety has also helped ensure the minimum wage was raised after a long hiatus and given a boost to workers organising unions.

Co-operation is key to building the long-term collaboration needed to secure the goal of growing Bangladesh’s garment manufacturing sector as into a safe and sustainable industry.

It is important for all stake-holders to build on the progress made to ensure it can keep investing in upgrading standards. Increasing investment to ensure better conditions and factories will benefit workers, buyers, factory-owners, and consumers alike by helping to enhance productivity and quality, as well as improving safety standards.

Co-operation is key to growing RMG as a safe and sustainable industry

12

DT

Opinion

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

Coat linings In Pakistan, the corrupt are never held accountable

n FS Aijazuddin

I

s nothing sacred anymore?

Has privacy lost its sanctity?

Why can Pakistan’s prime minister not go to London for an urgent medical check-up, drop in on his tailors Scabal in Savile Row for a fitting, and then treat himself and his acolyte ministers to a lunch at Churchill Hotel, without also being photographed by amateur paparazzis on their ubiquitous mobiles?

Now that Swiss bank counters and Panamanian desktops have been converted into unscreened confessionals -- is nothing secret or sacrosanct?

One’s sympathies reach out to Pakistan’s nouveau riche rulers. They thought they had buried their money long enough for it to acquire the patina of “old money.” (“Old money” is what a ruler makes in his/her first administration.) As aspiring arrivistas, they felt that they had finally “arrived.”

However, Pakistan’s elected Noriegas have found themselves sharing the predicament of the wife of the General-industrialist whose automotive companies were nationalised by Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in January 1972. “Life is so unfair,” she moaned. “Just when we thought we had made it into the 22 families, Bhutto goes and does this to us.”

She had a point. In the game of politics of the time, Bhutto’s nationalisation constituted foul play. Perversely, it was not the assailant but the victim who was sent off the field. In today’s matches, the spoilsport is accountability. It is the asp coiled in a basket of figs.

Our leaders amass wealth not as a precautionary nest-egg, as an insurance against a predictably insecure future. They do it to provide their future generations with a financial security they themselves never enjoyed.

It is a fact that no president or prime minister of Pakistan has ever left office poorer than when he or she entered it, with the possible exception of our 15th prime minister Shaukat Aziz who did not become rich. He came rich.

He was heard to boast that he did not need to be corrupt: As a former Citibanker, he had enough money to last three generations.

Should the public be surprised therefore that leaders when elected and their scavenger minions when unleashed should see governance not as a responsibility but as an

No Pakistani politician leaves office without getting rich first

REUTERS

Today, it would seem that the media in Pakistan is the last spokesman of the public’s conscience. Television channels scour tirelessly for information of illicit transactions. TV anchors itch for an opportunity to catch and expose wrongdoers. News-hounds sniff like inquisitive foxes, ferreting out stories that cower, hidden in warrens, afraid of discovery.

Today’s media is the hunter, the corrupt its prime quarry

opportunity? Greed whets an appetite; the fear of accountability should kill it. But it doesn’t.

Pakistan’s law libraries in Pakistan have no shelves left to accommodate the tomes of legislation passed to hold the corrupt accountable. Courts are clogged with corruption cases that suppurate and decompose but never die, and are left unburied.

NAB has become a watchdog turned leech sucking diseased blood, bloated beyond original purpose.

Files containing crucial evidence of pursuable cases have vanished. The nation’s sovereign parliament has misplaced its dentures. Is corruption, as

the historian Edward Gibbon would have us believe, “the most infallible symptom of constitutional liberty?”

In Pakistan’s case, yes. Democracy in Pakistan is not so much a vote-for-all as a free-for-all. Today, it would seem that the media in Pakistan is the last spokesman of the public’s conscience.

Television channels scour tirelessly for information of illicit transactions. TV anchors itch for an opportunity to catch and expose wrongdoers. Newshounds sniff like inquisitive foxes, ferreting out stories that cower, hidden in warrens, afraid of discovery. Today’s media is the hunter, the corrupt its prime

quarry.

“The press is a sort of wild animal in our midst -- restless, gigantic, always seeking new ways to use its strength,” Zechariah Chafee, a commentator, once wrote. What he said 70 years ago is as valid today -- even to the applicability of the telling next sentence: “The sovereign press for the most part acknowledges accountability to no one except its owners and publishers.”

At a LitFest recently, during a discussion on the social responsibility of the media, a view was expressed that nowhere in the world is the press anything other than an aggregation of powerful commercial interests. Stories sell

newspapers and air-time, their aftermath does not. Media moguls prefer surgery to post-op care.

Traditionally, the media has always had three discrete roles: It can hold a mirror to society, it can be its voice, and it can (and should) act as its conscience. And it is in this latter capacity that the Pakistani media has attained -- what some might argue -- a belated maturity.

The voice of Pakistan’s media has shifted from a shrill alto to a deeper bass. Having added timbre to its voice, has it also developed muscles to match? Disgruntled Pakistanis would like to believe it has.

The targets of the Panama leaks know that it has not, perhaps never will. Hell will freeze over before Pakistan becomes another Iceland where a tainted prime minister resigns rather than continue in office.

Their politicians are made of sterner stuff. They will not be besmirched by such inky allegations. Their Savile Row suits are lined with Teflon. l FS Aijazuddin lives in Lahore and is a columnist for Dawn, Pakistan’s main English-language newspaper. This article first appeared in Dawn.

13

DT

Long Form

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

Holocaust denial, Holocaust history The best way to protect history is to carefully document the evidence. This is the concluding part of yesterday’s long form

Facts are facts

n Shafiqur Rahman

M

ore than 40 years after WWII, countries in Europe, led by Germany, began to enact laws targeting denial of the Holocaust. Today, 14 European countries and Israel have such types of provision in their legal codes. How have these laws impacted denialism, research, and public discussion on the Holocaust?

For obvious reasons, denial law in Germany, section 130 of the German Legal Code, first passed in 1985 and revised several times afterwards, has been focus of much attention and analysis. The key provision says: “Whoever publicly or in a meeting approves of, denies, or belittles an act committed under the rule of National Socialism of the type indicated in section 6, subsection 1 of the Code of Crimes against International Law (this subsection explicitly deals with genocide as defined by international law), in a manner capable of disturbing the public peace shall be punished with imprisonment for not more than five years or a fine.”

Those who expect thoroughness and specificity in German laws would notice that “approves of, denies, or belittles” leave lot of vagueness in interpretation and application.

This is actually the common theme across denial laws in all countries.

All democratic countries have to balance freedom of speech, deliberate denialism, and the sheer practicality of application of laws. Legal scholars agree that more than being practical tools to eliminate denialism from public discourse, these laws largely play an important symbolic role; they strongly give a signal of what can be acceptable or not in the public sphere.

Among all other countries, Germany and Austria have been the most serious and vigilant against denialism and Nazism, despite which they have not been able to suppress the growth of farright political parties and Neo-Nazi

BIGSTOCK

There are contentious debates going on within the continental European countries about the effectiveness of denial laws and whether they are compatible with liberal and democratic ethos. The debates have gained more importance because many European Muslims have pointed out the inherent hypocrisy in protecting Holocaust and Jewish history from lies, exaggeration, and ridicule while it being open season on Islam and other faiths under the guise of freedom of expression organisations.

German lower courts have been often reluctant to convict people without stark evidence of denialism although higher courts are more consistent in convictions.

Experts say that this difference reflects a divergence between a national policy that is more attuned to international opinion and general functioning of law in a mass society.

In spite of laws against denialism and de-Nazification laws, intellectual debate in Germany regarding the Nazi regime and Holocaust has been very vigorous and contentious.

One reason is that German basic law regarding freedom of expression, arts, and sciences (Article 5) provide strong support for intellectual freedom. We can see an example of the contentious debate within Germany from the works of famous German intellectual Ernst Nolte and from the reactions to his works.

Some of Nolte’s controversial claims of history include that the Nazi regime was not uniquely evil or aggressive when put in the unsecure context of interwar Europe, that Holocaust should be open for debate and revisionism, that, apart from use of gas chambers, there are almost no other characteristics to distinguish the Holocaust from other 20th century genocides like Stalin’s purges of class enemies and the Khmer Rouge-led genocide in Cambodia.

Nolte’s views attracted furious criticism from famous intellectuals like Jürgen Habermas, and British historian Richard Evans. Nolte had his worldwide defenders too,

for example, German intellectual Joachim Fest, whose critical biographies of Adolph Hitler and Albert Speer are widely acclaimed.

We can also note that Ernst Nolte, despite attracting all the controversies, was awarded the Konrad Adenauer prize in 2000, a prize of high honor given by CDU, the currently ruling party of Germany.

There is great unevenness in applying the denial laws in the 14 countries of continental Europe.

While Germany and Austria are praised for their adherence to the spirit and letter of the law, most other countries have very spotty records. Particularly notorious are the East European countries where the law is applied according to the whim and political ideology of the ruling government.

For example, although Lithuania has denial laws, it also included crimes of the Soviet regimes within the law. Nowadays, the government seems more zealous about prosecuting denial of Soviet crimes than denial of Nazi crimes. Many Lithuanians collaborated with the Nazis against Soviets and, after the break up of the Soviet Union, the collaborators became heroes while the anti-Nazi resistance in Lithuania during WWII, many of whom were Jewish, are now treated as villains.

These selective applications of denial laws show that laws are no substitute for institutional strength of a country and its public culture.

In contrast with the legal codes of continental European countries, the common laws of Anglo-Saxon countries like UK, Canada, and US do not have explicit Holocaust

denial laws, one reason being that the common law tradition puts strong emphasis on personal liberty. The First Amendment of the US constitution strongly defends freedom of expressing, even very ugly views, including Nazi ideology and Holocaust denialism.

People who espouse such views do not get any space in academic circles and experience social ostracism but they are not legally prosecuted. Not ironically, intellectually freer US and UK have a more vigorous, diverse, and engaged community of history researchers, writers, and avid readers. The rich tradition of history study in these countries provide enough defense against all kinds of denialists and conspiracy theorists without recourse of prohibitive laws.

There are contentious debates going on within the continental European countries about the effectiveness of denial laws and whether they are compatible with liberal and democratic ethos. The debates have gained more importance because many European Muslims have pointed out the inherent hypocrisy in protecting Holocaust and Jewish history from lies, exaggeration, and ridicule while it being open season on Islam and other faiths under the guise of freedom of expression.

Some defenders of denial laws argue that questioning religious beliefs is qualitatively different from denying historical fact. Liberal intellectuals have countered that by arguing that historical facts become established only after they are openly debated, disputed, and tested against the evidence.

Protecting history in a greenhouse of laws will only make it more vulnerable and in today’s open world community; no country can stamp out revisionist and rejectionist arguments. Moreover, if governments are allowed to protect a genocide from denialism then governments can also protect denial of genocide by laws.

For example, Turkey has made it a criminal offense to argue that the Armenian Genocide during WWI took place at all. The newlyelected, conservative government of Poland is currently prosecuting Polish-American historian and Princeton Professor Jan Tomasz Gross for pointing out in a recent article that the Polish people were also guilty of murdering large numbers of Jews in during WWII. In today’s open world, the best way to protect historical facts of a genocide is to meticulously document every evidence that can be found and open the records for public scrutiny. Israel’s Yad Vashem Centre for Holocaust remembrance has developed a database over the years that methodically list names and biographical details of every Holocaust victim it can verify. The list already includes nearly 4.5 million names and is growing.

In 2013, Sarajevo-based Research and Documentation Center (RDC) published a final database of 97,207 names of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s citizens killed and missing during the 19921995 war in former Yugoslavia.

According to the centre, more than 240,000 pieces of data were collected, processed, checked, compared, and evaluated by an international team of experts to tabulate the names of the victims.

There will always be battles over history. As Orwell said so aptly in 1984: “Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.” Protection of the past by present laws may give an illusion of control but it only makes the present defenders weakly armed for the future. l Shafiqur Rahman is a political scientist.

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Climate Change

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

Achieving inclusive, community-led climate change adaptation in cities organised communities can take some of their own adaptation measures, they can achieve much more when facilitated by supportive local governments.

In turn, local governments cannot be absolved of their responsibilities. Certain climate adaptation measures, such as large-scale infrastructure and enabling policy frameworks, remain the responsibility

Partnerships between organised urban community groups and supportive local governments can help urban communities adapt to climate change

Communities need to be involved in finding solutions to the challenges of climate change in urban areas

n Diane Archer

O

ne billion people around the world live in informal settlements, lacking access to clean water, sanitation, secure housing and other basic services. These are the urban dwellers who will suffer the most from the impacts of climate change, such as floods, storms, heat waves or droughts. Already, although low and lower-middle income countries face only 33% of the world’s disasters, they see 81% of disaster-related deaths according to an UNDP report.

The residents of these settlements are struggling to adapt to climate change, not least because of their informal status. Many local governments regard informal settlements as illegal and therefore provide residents insufficient with basic risk-reducing infrastructure, such as drainage, piped water, and sanitation.

In other cases, local governments would like to support informal settlements, but lack the capacity to do so. Many municipalities around the world have less than $20 per person per year to spend, compared to $6,000

per capita in some high-income nations1. Where municipalities already face a backlog in provision of infrastructure, meeting the needs of informal settlements, and preparing for the potential impacts of climate change is an additional challenge.

However, partnerships between organised urban community groups and supportive local governments can help to overcome these barriers to climate change adaptation. Examples of success will be highlighted at the 10th International Conference on Community Based Adaptation from Monday, April 25, which this year is focusing on “Enhancing urban community resilience.”

The starting point for climate change adaptation is to understand the risks -- and involving local communities makes risk mapping much more effective. In Cuttack and other cities in India, settlement and hazard mapping by local communities using simple GPS technologies is used to plan upgrading activities. These maps can then be the basis for opening dialogue between the community groups and local authorities to highlight the particular risks that

need to be addressed as a priority by the city government.

In Iloilo city in the Philippines, a strong partnership between the local government and local communities meant that, after Typhoon Frank hit, the local government could use the community’s risk maps to target assistance to those needing it most. Community representatives now sit in technical working groups with the municipality to address housing and infrastructure needs. This kind of partnership allows a much more far-reaching result than if either had worked on their own.

Beyond this, there are many cases of community-led innovations in addressing their development challenges. Many of these offer approaches that can now help them adapt to climate change -- for example, the establishment of city-level revolving loan funds run by community groups. These can be used to finance small-scale infrastructure projects that reduce people’s vulnerability to risk, or as an insurance scheme that allows them to recover more quickly after disasters. However, while individual households and

of governments. However, local authorities should use participatory processes to ensure that they are responding to the concerns and priorities of urban communities and avoid any unintended negative impacts.

Thus, achieving inclusive urban climate resilience requires approaches for addressing infrastructure deficits and service gaps to reduce exposure to climate impacts for all urban residents, and participatory approaches to planning and local governance. l Diane Archer is a researcher in the Human Settlements Group at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) in London, UK. This page has been developed in collaboration with the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and its partners, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). This page represents the views and experiences of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Dhaka Tribune or ICCCAD or its partners.

EDITOR'S NOTE

INSIDE

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R

abindranath Tagore remained the only widely translated author of Bangla literature and it was so for a century. Although big names such as Gayatri Chakravarty Spivak, Ketaki Kushari Dyson and Kalpana Bardhan translated a few works of some other major writers, their translations could not, or perhaps were not intended to, touch the readership beyond the academia.

That trend, however, has started to change thanks to a new breed of translators who have injected new vigour and life into the translation of both classic and contemporary Bangali authors. This issue of Arts & Letters features one such translator and some excerpts from the introduction to one of his recent

My love affair with Bengali short stories

17

translations of Bangla short stories.

There is also a review of April, a non-fiction book, written by two emerging writers.

Literary organisations and English departments at universities across the country will celebrate Shakespeare’s 400th death anniversary through programmes and conferences. This issue covers an interesting event that paid homage to the great poet and playwright through a cultural programme and a conference.

Non-fiction has been one of the main areas of our interest. On the occasion of English Language Day, it seems quite fitting that a young Bangladeshi writer explores his difficulties with English as well as his mother tongue.

Not fractional anymore

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Arts & Letters

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That trend, however, has started to change thanks to a new breed of translators who have injected new vigour and life into the translation of both classic and contemporary Bangali authors

Shakespeare celebration & book review

Send your submissions to: anl@dhakatribune.com

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

NON-FICTION

My love affair with Bengali short stories

A new anthology makes the reckless claim of representing the ‘greatest stories’ in the language

n Arunava Sinha

O I am no scholar of Bengali literature, but I have had a passionate relationship with it for some forty years now. That passion has given me the courage, after all these years, to put together a selection of Bengali stories that I consider among the greatest ever published

ne winter evening in Calcutta, when I was ten, we ran out of food in our third floor flat. It was a freak concatenation of circumstances, not poverty, that led to our predicament, but the fact remained that we had nothing to eat and no money to buy food. And so, to stave off my hunger pangs by distracting me, my mother decided to perform a heroic task. She read me a short story, one of her favourites.

My mother loved reading, but not aloud. She did not care for the drama that it involved. A short story, to her, was almost like a guilty secret, something she hugged to herself. She would consume these delicacies at a single sitting, unlike novels that stretched out interminably. Naturally, these were Bengali short stories. It was the 1970s, Bengali literature was in its heyday – as it had been for some forty years – and who needed fiction in another tongue?

She began reading out loud a story of an ox and its miserable owner. As she read, her voice broke, though to my young ears the pathos seemed entirely unnecessary, for I was much more interested in the fate of the animal than of its human owner. But as she continued with the tale something extraordinary began to take place

– I wasn’t so much listening to the words as I was seeing and hearing all that was going on. I was right there in the very scene that was being described, not as an invisible observer, but as someone who was part of the story.

To this day, I cannot make a story my own unless it places me right in the middle of the action. And no novel can do this, for there is too much reflection, thought, shift of perspective, and other “distractions”. But a short story, ah, now that’s one breathless ride. And so it was that night, when I even forgot to be hungry.

But when the fate of the beast was known, I felt the urge to repay my mother for her act of sacrifice.

So I plundered the cache of coins I had saved up. All of them were foreign, except for two commemorative Indian coins, one for a rupee and the other for ten rupees. Those denominations were only available as paper currency at the time, which made the coins collectors’ items. But no matter, it was money well spent. I wanted my mother to get her favourite Chinese meal from the restaurant next door – chicken asparagus soup and prawn chowmein.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– From that night onwards, the Bengali short story has been my companion in grief and in joy. Take, for example, that glorious English summer day when I sat by a stream run-

ning through leaf and fern, almost certainly about to make a sudden sally. On that day, on a university campus in Norwich, in weather as magnificent as a human being can expect, I was in great humour and it was in that mood that I read one of the stories that feature in this collection: a story about a man who was quaking in fear at the prospect of an encounter with his son-in-law.

Or, to mention another time that a Bengali short story loomed large in my life, one evening, I was crouched beneath a desk to shut myself off from the world, loaded down with a despair whose origin I simply could not trace. In my hand was a copy of a tattered “little magazine” from Calcutta in which there was a story about a mother who refused to acknowledge that her Naxal son had died. My own sorrow was forgotten as I plunged into hers.

Only at the end of the story did I recollect an episode from my teenage years when I had gone to inspect a row of bodies gunned down by the police to check whether a relative was among them. (He wasn’t.) So it is that I have my personal story to go with every story in this collection.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– I am no scholar of Bengali literature, but I have had a passionate relationship with it for some forty years now. That passion has given me the courage, after all these

years, to put together a selection of Bengali stories that I consider among the greatest ever published.

I must make clear though that this is not a selection based on literary eras, canons, trends, or any other form of critical sieving. Nor is it meant to be a representative cross section of the Bengali short story. These are, simply, stories I have loved and that have made a deep impression on me.

Somewhat fortuitously – I wish I could claim that it is by design, but, frankly, it’s not – the stories here collectively show the rich variety to be found in Bengali literature, in terms of form, voice, setting, and subject. In all of them, though, I find one particular quality that haunts the characters, and me.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For all the stories in my mother tongue I’ve read ever since that day in my childhood when I was disabused of the notion that Buddhadeva Bose and the Buddha were the same person, I had only a fleeting notion of how the form came to be. It was not even emotionally wrenching when my uncle, something of an unsung poet, informed me that Rabindranath Tagore was not in fact the inventor of the short story.

He did, however, assure me that the Bengali short story did not evolve slowly from a primordial swamp, but sprang up, more or less fully formed, around the same

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Arts & Letters

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAY time as its counterparts in other languages around the globe. The first short stories in the language – which were probably the first in India as well – were not gritty slice of life accounts, nor did they reflect the reality of Bengal or the world in any meaningful way.

It was, in fact, only with the arrival of Tagore – he wrote almost till his death in 1941 – that the Bengali short story became a representation of real life. Redolent with the lyricism of his poetry, the Versatile One looked as much at the inner lives and psychology of his characters as at their circumstances, relationships, and positions within the complex matrix of class, caste, religion and gender.

With Tagore’s shadow always looming large over his contemporaries, it needed Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s rare combination of sharp societal observation and high emotional quotient to give the short story a new form. He brought his readers much closer to the people and situations he wrote about than Tagore did, even as he attacked orthodoxy and hypocrisy.

Two strands joined the Bengali short story after this. From the Bandhyopadhyays – Bibhutibhushan and Tarashankar – came studies of ordinary people, from both villages and cities, though each of them wrote in his own distinctive style. And other Bengali writers, living and writing as they did in an environment of relatively enlightened education and ideas, responded not just to their home but also to the world. The anxieties of the World Wars, the freedom movement, and oppression of the downtrodden turned Bengali short stories into bundles of discontent, disillusion, anger and irony.

Gradually, short story writers turned their lens inward. They focused a merciless gaze on the flaws, inconsistencies and desires of individuals. As urban lives shrank into smaller physical, mental and emotional spaces, the short story became a powerful means of capturing the innate opposition between a degradation of circumstances and the potential for human greatness. From Satyajit Ray to Nabarun Bhattacharya, from Sunil Gangopadhyay to Sandipan Chattopadhyay, they narrowed the width of the canvas and dived deeper into the darkness of the mind and heart.

But even as this was taking place, other writers continued to create on a larger canvas, constructing narratives laced with heightened political, social and gender consciousness and ideology. They adopted techniques like unreliable perspectives, authorial intervention, breathless monologues, narrators-as-characters, and other evolving forms of storytelling. In the hands of powerful writers and craftspersons like

Buddhadeva Bose, Premendra Mitra, Ramapada Chowdhury, Mahasweta Devi, Ritwik Ghatak, and, always, Ashapurna Debi, the Bengali short story became something of a panoramic marvel, spanning worlds without number.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– And so, welcome to an anthology of my personal love affairs. Like the one, for instance, from the day of my university convocation, when I was meant to be collecting my graduation degree. But I wasn’t present at the ceremony. Instead, I was knocking – my heart hammering louder than the sound of knuckles on wood – on the door of the master moviemaker who also wrote the most unusual short stories. I had translated one of them, and this was the day he was going to pronounce judgement on the translation. What graduation degree could have been worth the thirteen minutes he spent with me, making three suggestions, offering his illustrations, and then showing me out?

Or, I could go back much further, to the day when I was perched in the crook of the friendly branches of the guava tree in my grand-uncle’s yard, stealthily reading the short stories of the robed and bearded great-uncle of Bengali literature, not willing to give my officious elders the joy of knowing that I was enjoying them immensely.

As I eavesdropped on a little girl and her peddler friend from Afghanistan, there was the crack of a gunshot and the palpably hot whoosh of what turned out to be a bullet from an air rifle whizzing past my earlobe. My slightly shortsighted grand-uncle had mistaken me for a local urchin out to steal fruit, and let go with his weapon.

This particular collection of short stories might not have come into being had his eyesight been better.

I was born and brought up in Bengal. My cultural, intellectual and emotional compasses were all set to their true north in Bengal.

This collection is my personal statement of gratitude to the land which has given me a literature (of which the short story is the most important part) that has given me my life as a translator. Dhonnyobaad. l [From the Introduction to The Greatest Bengali Stories Ever Told, selected and translated by Arunava Sinha, Aleph Book Company] This is a truncated version of excerpts that first appeared in Scroll. in. See Dhaka Tribune online for the fuller version.

Arunava Sinha translates classic, modern, and contemporary Bengali fiction, non-fiction, and poetry from India and Bangladesh into English.

More than thirty of his translations have been published so far in India, the UK, and the United States.

Not fractional anymore The world today observes English Language Day. To mark the occasion, we carry a non-fiction that offers an interesting take on English language in Bangladesh

n Azfarul Islam

A

fractious thing, the English language is. To some it is utterly splendid, a barely– contained cornucopia of possibilities, mutable through the ages, waiting in jitters for the next evolution with man and machine alike, vying for the pen. To others, it is merely fractional, cobbled together with the mother language of choice in colourful, continuous cadence. And as for the remaining camps, menopausal minds flitter between anathema and ambivalence. And yet, you slyly wonder, could it merely be factional? Aren’t you, I, he, she, they and all the other pronouns -aren’t they all there somewhere in that amorphous spectrum?

Imagine establishing the dendritic foundations of a language and losing the environment to develop your parlance, especially that of the concrete variety. Instead, you find yourself out of place (and in a way, out of time) balancing an excess of one with another that just happens to be your mother tongue. For me, the English language was a cuckoo left behind in a comfortable nest, viciously eyeing the

feeble tweets of my fledgling Bengali and wondering. Just, wondering. And perhaps even plotting.

Moving from the UK to Bangladesh was an abject lesson in identity, with the brunt of that battle being fought on the planes of language. At first, it was a necessity. In an “English medium” school – a phrase that bemuses me to this day – there was a need to not only learn Bengali, but to achieve a form of academic acceptance. Suffice to say, my achievements were best hidden in a web of tall tales and perpetually deferred confrontations. Up to a point.

Once the game was up, teachers were involved and parents were invoked, and I was at the epicentre of a churning storm. Hands were wrung and threats were made. I was shipped off, not to boarding school as initially threatened but, to the ubiquitous mainstay of Asian education home and abroad.

Going to a tutor was an utter embarrassment. A quiet rebellion took shape in the form of my cousin’s library of (English) novels and comics which I voraciously consumed. For every newspaper article I fumed through, I simply devoured a handful of children’s fiction.

Despite my best efforts, competence

was achieved slowly, and when it came to moving schools (to a “proper English medium school” this time – the impropriety of the previous school being tied up in things that only Adults with Their Problems understood and a tale for another day), I passed muster. The results were as such: English language, “excellent”; Mathematics, serviceable but strange (yes, British schools still suffer from this aspect); and Bengali: the dreaded “needs improvement” but acceptable. Finally, a tiny coup for academic acceptance!

The next few years passed with certain teething pains. For starters, remedial Bengali was the order of the day for a few fellow interlopers. It provided one with less training wheel than the tutor, and was sufficient to see me through to the next stage of school. However, this time, there was no hand-holding. Not being versed in teenage Bengali, I should ideally have remained a silent observer. Unfortunately, that has never been a strong point of mine. Painful as the utterance of each inanity was, it ended up compounded in a form of acceptance (notice the thinly-veiled repetition) and more likely, pity. A friend in particular helped me immensely and with great patience. Ultimately, there was one last hurdle: my Bengali O-level examination. By then I had had cards flashed, vocabulary listed, difficult topics essayed and even a few good books delicately thumbed to the end. When confronted with the final villain taken shape as a free-form essay, I wanted to end things with a sense of irony (a trait in my writing that caused ceaseless consternation to my, yes, you guessed it, English language teacher). I decided to replicate, wholesale, the very same essay I had written during my school entrance exams almost a decade ago.

The question is: had I really improved in those intervening years?

But goodness gracious me, look at the time as you are thrust – somewhat unceremoniously – into the future-ofthen, the present-of-now. Confused, you must wonder if this story comes approximately two months late. Not so. Through my struggles, I discovered a romanticism and richness, a verve and vision, that I would never be able to realise in Bengali.

With the greatest respect to my mother tongue, I had stopped the childish rebellion and simply decided to embrace the cuckoo: this particular cuckoo which perceived that its neighbour helped define it in a way it had never expected.

And it still does to this day. l Azfarul Islam is a writer.

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

SHAKESPEARE CELEBRATION

2nd inter-university cultural competition at ULAB

A student performing in a Shakespeare play

n Arts & Letters Desk Jahangirnagar University won the best student paper award while East West University and North South University

jointly bagged the best cultural performance award in the 2nd Inter-University Students’ Conference and Cultural Competition on Thursday.

The department of English at

PHOTO COURTESY: ULAB

University Of Liberal Arts Bangladesh organised the daylong programme to mark the 400th death anniversary of the British playwright and poet William Shakespeare. This year’s theme was

“Shakespeare: Then and Now.” Ten public and private universities -- Dhaka University, EWU, Independent University Bangladesh, BRAC University, NSU, JU, Stamford University, Daffodil University, Southeast University and ULAB participated in the paper presentation session. Professor Nurul Islam and Professor Shaheen Kabir, distinguished academics, were the judges in this session.

Nusrat Tajkia, a student of JU, won the competition for her paper “Re-invention of Shakespeare: The Doctor, the Witches and Words.” Sabah Tasnia Rowshon and Upoma Sanyal of East West University won the first runner-up prize while Tani Deepavali Newaz of ULAB won the second runner-up prize.

Six universities took part in the cultural competition. Renowned actress Sara Zaker and writer-columnist Rubana Huq were the judges in this session which was held in the evening.

East West University and North South University jointly received the award

for the best cultural performance.

George Mesthos, cultural affairs officer at The American Center, Dhaka, attended the opening ceremony as special guest. In his address, he said research “constitutes the foundation of human activities.”

Barbara Wickham, country director of British Council Bangladesh was present as chief guest. She attended the closing ceremony and handed over the awards. She said she was amazed to see Bangladesh join 140 other countries that are simultaneously celebrating William Shakespeare’s legacy. She deeply appreciated ULAB for organising the programme, bringing together a cluster of public and private universities.

Imran Rahman, the ULAB vice chancellor; Kaiser Haq, departmental head of English at ULAB, also an eminent Bangladeshi poet; Shamsad Mortuza, adjunct professor and advisor of English at ULAB, among others, were present at the programme. l

BOOK REVIEW

The month that bridges minds

BLB’s (Bengal Lights Books) first non-fiction title has hit the English writing scene. The voices in it are fresh, the perspective it brings is new As an Australian who has choIt seemed natural then for the emy Seabrook in Freedom Unfinn Niaz Alam sen Bangladesh as his home, Anpair to pool their thoughts online ished (2001) and Betsy Hartmann “April is the cruelest month” So begins The Waste Land, TS Eliot’s famous early 20th century poem, as it draws the reader into a long philosophical meditation on spring and renewal, before it ends with the sublime Sanskrit proclamation “Shantih, shantih, shantih.”

I was reminded of Eliot’s famed lines while reading April, a new non-fiction book written by Tulip Chowdhury and Andrew Eagle, and published by Bengal Lights Books. Their writing takes as its form a shared diary chronicling their lives at different ends of the earth during the month of April in 2015.

While Eliot’s work took years to complete and appears heavily influenced by his experience of depression, Chowdhury and Eagle’s book was born out of a fortuitous Facebook connection, and a shared desire to reach out to others and live life to the fullest.

Like all the best ideas, the beauty of their collaboration lies in its simplicity. Andrew is an Australian-born writer based in Dhaka; he has been “adopted” as family by the people of Hatiya island in Noakhali. Tulip is a Bangladeshi writer whom circumstance and children have taken to live a new life in Massachusetts, US.

over their chosen month.

The way chapters and entries are organised chooses itself. Each writer pens one entry every other day and the pair then share thoughts via Facebook catch-ups, extracts from which intersperse the book’s daily entries.

What emerges out of this swiftly formed online partnership is a work that transcends the time and place in which they write. April has a timeless quality that appeals far beyond its locus and contains more universal truths than its simple format might at first glance suggest.

Hence on April 14, it falls on Tulip residing in Amhurst to reminisce about Pohela Boishakh celebrations. At one point, she wonders how Andrew is enjoying the celebrations in Dhaka. What thus started as a “write it and see” experiment pays enjoyable dividends as the writers comment on each other’s previous entries and take care to answer the mutual questions that arise as the month progresses.

Like ripples combining from two stones thrown in a pond, the sum ends up pleasingly being greater than its parts. It will not be an exaggeration to say, however, the book’s best feature lies less in the undoubted quality and flow of their writing and more in the considerable life experience and

April Bengal Lights Books Published April 2016 Page: 230 Price: BDT 800 insight the authors bring to their diary entries.

Both authors, while very different in background, are well-traveled and share common experience of living and teaching in Bangladesh.

Tulip’s childhood with vivid memories of life in Yugoslavia and of being a schoolgirl in the erstwhile West Pakistan secretly fleeing to newly liberated Bangladesh, adds depth to her recollections of Bangladeshi culture and life as she adjusts to the cold winters of New England.

drew naturally feels the need to explain how and why he shares Tulip’s deep longing for Bangladesh.

“If I wanted to meet Australians I would have stayed in Sydney,” he says succinctly. His is the more unusual migration and he doesn’t shy away from talking about it.

Long before he remarks on “fresh off the plane” conversations overheard in Gulshan and reflects on his sojourns in Ukraine and Nicaragua, the reader knows he has immersed himself in the life of ordinary people in Bangladesh far more fully than most people who read his newspaper columns.

His Bangladesh is a land of encounters on long countryside bus journeys, at mosquito ridden hostels, with apartment gatekeepers, or during grocery shopping in Dhaka.

With his connections to Hatiya bringing regular gossip and visitors, his diary entries are replete with descriptions of local dialects and accents.

It makes for a valuable addition to the canon of non-fiction English language writings by Westerners about Bangladesh. Take away those largely about 1971, short travel stays or NGOs, and it is a tiny selection overly dominated by politics and the lives of elites.

Like the English journalist Jer-

and James Boyce’s seminal descriptions of village poverty in A Quiet violence (1983), he writes with genuine appreciation of life as it is lived by ordinary Bangladeshis.

His deeper roots in the Bangladeshi society make his descriptions more compelling not least because they are so contemporary.

For her part, though hers is a not so uncommon migration, Tulip complements Andrews thoughts well. She clearly shares Andrew’s enthusiasm for the ‘’small things’’ in life, as we learn of her investigations into New England dance classes and how she helped out people in Mexican restaurants.

April is a rewarding read. It is short enough to inspire readers to stay up late and start their own diaries, profound enough for writers to linger over their thoughts on everyday life and reverberate them in the mind.

In an age of globalisation, there must be a lot more opportunities for books like April, which publishers would do well to seek out. April is certainly an idea whose time has come. l Niaz Alam has worked on ethical business issues since 1992 and is a former vice-chair of War on Want. He is Chief Editorial Writer at the Dhaka Tribune.

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Heritage

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

The peasants rise up When the rights of the peasants are abused, they rise up

n Tim Steel

A

cross the world and throughout history, the people who actually “work the land,” peasants, in most vocabularies, have regularly found cause to resist their “masters” and take up arms to communicate their resistance.

Like such uprisings in the history of Bangladesh the grievances are often more against their immediate “masters,” such as landlords, than against a national government. More often than not, they are motivated by local issues, although it is usually incumbent

often than not, such resistance was not directed against the rulers.

From Mughal times, to most recent, resentment and resistance has revealed itself locally, against the “middle men,” land holders (zamindars), and merchants.

From early times, the wealth of these lands of Bangladesh certainly depended more on agricultural output than on the trade that passed through it, and the manufactured goods produced within it.

However, even traders and manufacturing workers need to eat. And the lands have, historically, always, in its verdant soils and its helpful climate,

Across the world and throughout history, the people who actually “work the land,” peasants, in most vocabularies have regularly found cause to resist their “masters” and take arms to communicate their resistance

upon that national government, and its instruments of authority, police, and army, to take sides -usually of their local authorities.

Even in 2015, farmers in the UK, resenting actions of land-owners and government, have blockaded supermarkets, turned cattle loose in them, and dumped farmyard manure -- to protest the perceived inequity in power over the price of what they produce. Their problem may be national, their reaction is local.

In a country like Bangladesh, traditionally peopled by highly individualistic inhabitants, most of whom have worked the foundations of national wealth in the fields -- there is no reason to suppose it would be any different.

Those who work the land, either as small land holders or simple labourers have been the backbone of many a developing economy, and as many rulers and land-owners have learnt, to their cost, should never be abused or ignored.

Such local land workers, farmers, and labourers, have been known, at least since early Mughal times, until the abolition of the 150 year old Act of Permanent Settlement in 1950, as “raiyat,” from the Arabic. Recorded history includes, within lands that are now the nation of Bangladesh, numerous acts of resistance by these vital citizens. But, more

overproduced agricultural goods for export, as well as consumption.

The “peasants,” therefore, have always been at the foundation of the wealth. In times of conflict, they also accounted for a considerable proportion of warriors, too. During the Sepoy’s Rebellion, a considerable proportion of the forces against the British were, in fact, such land workers.

Indeed, we may well suppose that when Virgil, the great, last century BCE Roman poet wrote of a Roman victory in Asia Minor, “on the doors will I represent in gold and ivory the battle of the Gangaridae and the arms of our victorious Qirinius,” -- he was, no doubt, referring to men from the Ganges delta, now the heartland of Bangladesh, serving as mercenaries in the Roman army.

People to be reckoned with, even two millennia ago!

This record of resistance to overlords in these lands is both considerable in number, and fascinating in activity. Although we have, sadly, no record of patterns of resistance to the earliest occupying from Magadha times, through Macedonian, Mauryan, Gupta, Pala, Sena, and Sultanate periods of history, we do have some glimpses of such rugged resistance.

A number of Greek and Roman historians have written of the

resistance of the people, east of Ganges to the advance of the Macedonians of Alexander; resistance that saw that “all conquering” army turned into retreat in the late 4th century BCE. In any society there are always those ready to resist the laws of the rulers, even when enacted by democratically elected governments, or the practices of the government’s appointed representatives.

We should, perhaps, assume that such resistance was a phenomenon from the most ancient times that have been settled in communities interacting with others, locally, and much further afield, for millennia.

Such acts of resistance we can only assume, since written histories of the early ages are virtually non-existent.

However, resistance, and uprisings of peasants, as well as land holders, to the arrival and establishment of Mughal rule, is plentifully recorded, as are many and various revolts in the time of both the British East India Company rule, and that of the subsequent Raj. Finally, the most recent, successful uprising to resist and overthrow the oppressive rulers, those of Pakistan, lies at the very heart of the history of today’s Bangladesh itself.

The documentary record of uprisings suggests that such resistance became far more substantial in the latter part of the 19th century. Whether the 1857 rebellion empowered more resistance, or whether, as some suggest, that the rising level of educational opportunities under the British led to the emergence of leaders, is not clear. What we can be clear about is that there is little, religious significance in such revolts, since many developed

amongst peasants sharing the same basic religious beliefs as their zamindars.

The Pabna Riots League uprising of 1873, illustrates the murkiness of such activities.

This was an uprising of a peasant population that was substantially Hindu against, especially a zamindari, who was also Hindu.

And in the event, their protest against rising land taxes at a time of deprivation, was recognised by the lieutenant governor of Bengal, Sir George Campbell, as being oppressive, and he sided with the League; the revolt rapidly subsided.

Even the so called “Indigo Revolt” of 1859, described today as a “non-violent” uprising by today’s Indian historians whilst involving some significant violence on the part of zamindari and Indigo Merchants (perhaps, an overreaction following the carnage of the Sepoy’s revolt), attracted sympathy -- not only of the Bengal middle classes, but also of the British establishment. The report of the Indigo Commission, set up in 1860, included the finding that “not a case of Indigo reached England without being stained with human blood.”

Further reinforcement of the view that contrary to over simplified and popular opinion, such revolts of the workers of the land against the British were rare enough -- is the Wahhabi Rebellion of 1831, under the leadership of the charismatic Titu Meer.

We may wonder whether such uprisings with factional religious motivation were, in fact, so rare.

After all, much of today’s unrest in Bangladesh appears to have factional religious origin.

What began in 1831, as a movement for religious reform within the Muslim community rapidly became an armed revolt

against “orthodox” mullahs, as well as, inevitably, the landlords, and British soldiers who attempted to suppress it in the interests of social harmony.

Spilling across a large area of Bengal, it was quickly defeated, despite managing, at first, to overcome the British army in a number of Parganas, where an alternative authority had been created, collecting taxes, even from local zaminders.

Following the disastrous famine disturbances of 1770, caused by inexperienced and avaricious East India Company employees who mismanaged the lands so disastrously -- it became quickly evident to the British government that reforms were needed, urgently. From the time of the Act of Permanent Settlement, it appears that British authority was, in fact, seldom revolted against until 1857.

As rulers, they could not avoid involvement of suppression of local or regional social disturbances, but the record of their involvement would appear to be as often directed at those who provoked such uprisings, landholders and traders, as against the ordinary peasant folk of the countryside.

From the late 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the resistance against the British became more nationally, and internationally, focused; the product of the rising levels of wealth and education, especially, of a rising middle class. The conflict, from that point, became serious, and ultimately successful.

All of which serves to illustrate that history is, always, a complex study, and that simple explanations are seldom useful. l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.

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CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Timorous (5) 4 Stately display (4) 7 Mature (3) 8 Passing craze (3) 9 Entrance (5) 12 Fasting period (4) 13 Following the letter (7) 15 Cover (3) 16 Shy (3) 18 Marsh (3) 19 Toddler (3) 21 Mocks (7) 24 Drug-yielding plant (4) 26 Whinny (5) 27 Fly trap (3) 28 Fish eggs (3) 29 Pay attention (4) 30 Correct (5)

DOWN 1 Appendage (4) 2 Light (6) 3 Dissolve (4) 4 Become insipid (4) 5 Lyric poem (3) 6 Insignificant (5) 10 Slippery fish (3) 11 Hackneyed (5) 14 Embellish (5) 17 American state (6) 18 Instant (5) 20 Neckwear (3) 21 Exploit (4) 22 Dreadful (4) 23 Cast off (4) 25 Be indebted (3)

Downtime CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 11 represents L so fill L every time the figure 11 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

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

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

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World 21

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

INSIDE

Q&A

What’s the big deal about signing the Paris climate agreement Brexit and Britain: What would it mean for UK trade?

The stakes will be high for Britain’s historic role as a free-trading nation when it holds a referendum on whether to stay in the European Union on June 23.

PAGE 22

Unpopularity of Clinton, Trump puts spotlight on potential running mates Rarely have two US presidential front-runners needed more from running mates than Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

PAGE 23

EU’s Tower of Babel may fall while leaders distracted It’s little wonder the European Union can’t find common solutions to Europe’s urgent problems when its main members are having such different national conversations.

PAGE 24

Leaders from more than 170 countries gathered at the United Nations on Friday to sign the Paris climate deal, a record turn-out that boosted hopes of quick action on combatting global warming.

French President Francois Hollande and Canada’s Justin Trudeau joined US Secretary of State John Kerry for the largest ever one-day signing of an international agreement.

“This is a moment in history,” UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon said after announcing that 171 countries were set to sign the accord.

“Today you are signing a new covenant with the future,” he said.

Held on Earth Day, the ceremony comes four months after the hard-won deal was clinched in Paris and marks the first step toward binding countries to the promises they made to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The Paris agreement will come into force as soon as 55 countries responsible for 55% of the world’s greenhouse gases have ratified the accord.

The target date for the agreement to begin is 2020, but momentum is building to ensure the accord enters into force much earlier.

Warming global temperatures since the Paris conference may be helping spur the momentum. The year 2015 broke 2014’s record for the hottest year ever, and the first three months of 2016 have already eclipsed the prior record highs for those months.

That data adds to doubts that meeting the national targets for the Paris Agreement will be enough to achieve its goal of limiting the warming of global temperatures to well below 2°C, and ideally below 1.5°C degrees, from pre-industrial levels.

Global temperatures are already one degree above pre-industrial levels and rising.

Over 160 national governments are expected to sign the agreement on Friday. The others have a year to add their signatures. About three-quarters will be represented at the signing ceremony by their heads of state, Selwin Hart, director of the UN Secretary General’s Climate Change Support Team, told a media briefing on Tuesday.

Signing the agreement is just symbolic, though. What really matters is ratification. Hart ex-

The Paris climate accord: Key points

Leaders ands envoys from more than 160 countries signed climate change pact on Friday

Temperatures

Finance

2100

Keep warming “well below 2°C”.

Continue all efforts to limit the rise in temperatures to 1.5°C”

Emissions objectives

Differenciation

2020-2025

2050

Rich countries must provide 100 billion dollars from 2020, as a “floor”

Developed countries must continue to “take the lead” in the reduction of greenhouse gases

Amount to be updated by 2025

Developing nations are encouraged to “enhance their efforts” and move over time to cuts

Burden-sharing

Review mechanism

Aim for greenhouse gases emissions to peak “as soon as possible” From 2050: Rapid reductions to achieve a balance between emissions from human activity and the amount that can be captured by “sinks”

Climate damage

2023

Developed countries must provide financial resources to help developing countries Other countries are invited to provide support on a voluntary basis pects about 10 countries to also deposit their “instruments of ratification” at the signing ceremony.

When does the agreement enter into effect?

Thirty days after at least 55 countries, which together produce at least 55% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, confirm their ratification or agreement to the UN secretary general, the Paris Agreement goes into effect. The two biggest emitters, China and the US, issued a joint statement on March 31, indicating they would ratify the agreement this year, “with a view to bringing the Paris Agreement into force as early as possible.” They account for about 38% of global greenhouse gases, followed by Russia, India, Germany and Japan. Together, those six countries account for over 55%, according to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

A review every five years First world review: 2023 Each review will inform countries in “updating and enhancing” their pledges

Vulnerable countries have won recognition of the need for “averting, minimising and addressing” losses suffered due to climate change

What happens after the Paris Agreement takes effect?

No one should have come away from the Paris talks expecting that the national commitments would be enough to keep global warming below two degrees, not to mention 1.5°C. However, the agreement commits countries to become more ambitious in their targets and sets out a process to achieve that. Every five years, countries will take stock of their progress toward limiting the temperature increase to less than 2°C, starting in 2018.

While temperature records get broken, what progress has there been since the Paris conference?

The Washington-based World Resources Institute lists these “signs of progress”: Ü $286bn invested in renewable energy worldwide, a record high and more than twice the

Ü

Ü

Ü

Ü

amount committed to fossil fuel power plants.

Energy-related carbon emissions have stalled while the world economy continues to expand, according to the International Energy Agency. So far this century, 21 countries have recorded a reduction in their annual greenhouse gas emissions while growing their economies.

Clean energy investment soared in China last year, while coal consumption fell.

The US and Canada agreed to significantly cut methane emissions from existing oil and gas operations.

Following the Paris talks, more than 500 new commitments have been recorded in a database that tracks climate commitments by non-state actors.

Source: CBC, REUTERS

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

POINTS TAKEN

Brexit and Britain: What would it mean for UK trade?

The stakes will be high for Britain’s historic role as a free-trading nation when it holds a referendum on whether to stay in the European Union on June 23. Below are some of the main issues around the potential risks or benefits for British trade of a so-called Brexit--

Trade with EU - how much risk?

Britain’s most important trade partnership is with the EU’s single market, the world’s biggest trade area. Campaigners seeking to keep Britain in the EU say it would be in a weak negotiating position if it left and then sought to hammer out a trade agreement with its former partners, something many “out” campaigners say they want. Government figures show 12.6% of Britain’s economic output is linked to exports to the EU’s 27 other members, for whom only 3.1% of output is linked to exports to Britain. Pascal Lamy, a former head of the World Trade Organisation, said a post-Brexit Britain would probably have to resort to raising its import tariffs on EU and other countries’ goods or restricting access to its market in services in order to gain some muscle for trade talks that could last as long as a decade. In return for a trade deal, the EU would want Britain to make contributions into its budget and to keep on allowing EU citizens to work on its soil -- two big concerns for the Brexit camp. It could also face a long battle to ensure its banking industry did not face hurdles doing business in Europe. “Out” campaigners say the EU would probably be reluctant to reward a breakaway Britain with a trade deal but would not want to impede its firms from selling into the world’s fifth-biggest economy by raising tariffs or imposing tough new regulations. They say the boot would even be on Britain’s foot because, in value terms, EU exports of goods and services to Britain were worth £289bn in 2014, substantially more than Britain’s £230bn of exports the other way. If a deal could not be reached and WTO-compliant tariffs were imposed on trade between Britain and the EU, they would be low enough not to impede business. Tariffs agreed by the EU with the WTO for imports from countries outside the bloc stand at below 5% on over a third of factory goods but have been abolished on about 30% more; the EU has a nearly 10% tariff on cars, a big British export.

Trade with rest of world The Brexit camp says the EU moves too slowly on trade and Britain on its own would strike deals more quickly. The big prizes would be agreements with heavyweights such as the US, India and China, none of which have full trade pact with the EU to date. But others warn that Britain, with a population of 60m people, would go into talks in a weaker position on its own than as part of the 500m strong EU. A 2013 trade deal between Switzerland and China, which some Brexit supporters say shows what Britain might achieve on its own, got rid of tariffs on 99.8% of Chinese exports to Switzerland immediately compared with 77.3% of Swiss exports to China, rising to nearly 90% by 2028. Fredrik Erixon, at think tank ECIPE in Brussels, said a UK-China deal could provide big gains for British exporters and investors but might come at the cost of Britain providing China with privileged status as an investor or more political support. Simon Evenett, a trade professor at St Gallen University in Switzerland, said Britain might be able to do a deal quickly with Brazil because it does not share the concerns of other EU countries about Brazil’s ambitions to export more farm goods. But he said India could repeat a demand it made in trade talks with the EU -- namely that more of its skilled workers be given work visas, touching on a sensitive issue for many Brexit supporters for whom high levels of immigration are a concern. As for the US, its top trade official said last year Washington’s focus was on deals with regional groups not individual nations. And as well as seeking to open up new markets, a post-Brexit Britain would face the challenge of regaining the preferential trade access it currently has with over 50 countries under EU deals, ranging from Mexico to Egypt and Ukraine.

Who will negotiate for Britain?

The European Commission has exclusive competence to forge trade deals on behalf of the bloc. If Britain left, it would have to create its own negotiating team able to handle the wide range of complex issues immediately on the agenda. Only a few of the 55 British officials in the European Commission’s trade department actually work on trade deals.

Source: Reuters

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

INSIGHT

SOUTH ASIA

Unpopularity of Clinton, Trump puts spotlight on potential running mates n Reuters, Washington, DC Rarely have two US presidential front-runners needed more from running mates than Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

The Democratic and Republican leaders in the 2016 White House race are unusually unpopular nationally, several polls show, despite their success with voters in their respective parties. Clinton has struggled to generate excitement about her candidacy and assuage voter concerns about her trustworthiness, while Trump fares badly among women and minorities in polls.

Their weaknesses only increase the importance of their vice presidential pick, who could potentially help them rally support in key demographics ahead of the November 8 vote - if each gets their party’s nomination.

Hispanic advocacy groups are lobbying Clinton to choose a Hispanic running mate. The person most often mentioned - Julian Castro, the housing and urban development secretary who is one of the party’s rising stars - is opposed by liberal activists who accuse him of favouring Wall Street firms in the sale of distressed mortgages.

Democratic strategist Joe Velasquez, a Clinton supporter, said

File photos of Hillary Clinton, left, and Donald Trump a Hispanic running mate could make a difference in swing states like Florida, Colorado, Nevada and Virginia, which have large Hispanic populations. Polls show Hispanic voters overwhelmingly dislike Trump, in part because of his comments likening illegal immigrants to criminals.

US Labour Secretary Tom Perez has also been mentioned as a possible Latino pick.

But Clinton’s decision isn’t clear-cut.

Given Trump’s unpopularity with some moderate Republicans, she may want a vice-president who can wrest away some of those voters. Someone like Tim Kaine, a senator from Virginia who personally opposes abortion, or New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, who has

AFP

close ties to the financial sector.

Clinton though could give a higher priority to winning over liberal democrats, who see her as too pro-Wall Street and have flocked to her rival, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Sherrod Brown, a senator from Ohio who is a fierce opponent of global trade deals, and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a fierce critic of the banking industry, have both been named as possible vice president picks.

Brown and Warren did not respond to requests for comment.

Slim pickings?

Typically, vice-presidential selections are vetted for weeks after a candidate has emerged as the party’s nominee and are announced

shortly before the party conventions in the summer.

Trump’s polarising candidacy could make his job of finding a running mate more difficult. For much of the campaign season, many in the Republican establishment, along with well-funded political committees, have been looking for ways to keep Trump from winning the Republican nomination.

Trump has stated his preference for an established office-holder rather than a political neophyte like himself, specifically listing Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and Kasich.

Walker, who has endorsed Cruz, laughed when he was asked about the prospect, but has been noncommittal. Rubio has repeatedly rejected the idea. Kasich last week said there was “zero chance” of his playing second fiddle to Trump.

That might include New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has been one or the few establishment politicians to campaign for Trump, or Florida Governor Rick Scott, who has endorsed Trump. Both are in their final terms in office.

Other names linked to Trump include former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, a Trump adviser, and Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon and former presidential candidate. l

AI accuses Nigerian army of mass killings of Shias n Reuters, Lagos Amnesty International said on Friday that Nigeria’s army killed hundreds of Shia men, women and children last December, but the military dismissed the rights group’s report as hasty, one-sided and biased.

Amnesty’s report relates to events in the northern city of Zaria where the army has said the Islamic Movement group in Nigeria tried to assassinate its chief of staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, when members of the sect blocked his convoy.

The following day the army said it had raided several buildings connected to the sect.

Amnesty said more than 350 people were believed to have been unlawfully killed by the military between December 12 and 14. Its report contains satellite images that it said appeared to show the location of a mass grave.

One witness, Yusuf, said sol-

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World

director. “Our research, based on witness testimonies and analysis of satellite images, has located one possible mass grave,” he said.

‘Hasty, one-sided report’

Soldiers in a Nigerian army unit stand in formation diers set fire to a makeshift medical facility in the sect’s compound.

“Those who were badly injured and could not escape were burned alive,” he said, adding that he believed tens of people died in this way.

Amnesty said it carried out research in February 2016 during which 92 people were inter-

WIKIMEDIA

viewed, including alleged victims and their relatives, eyewitnesses, lawyers and medical staff.

“It is clear that the military not only used unlawful and excessive force against men, women and children, unlawfully killing hundreds, but then made considerable efforts to try to cover-up these crimes,” said Netsanet Belay, an Amnesty

Last week Amnesty called for an investigation after a Kaduna state official told an inquiry into the clashes that the military secretly buried 347 people in mass graves. The inquiry has the power to impose fines and payment of compensation.

In January, the army chief of staff told the inquiry that his soldiers had acted appropriately in the raid. Nigerian army spokesman Sani Usman said the Amnesty report lacked credibility.

“It is a hasty, one-sided and biased report aimed at arriving at a predetermined objective,” he said.

“They must allow the inquiry and all other relevant agencies to complete and submit their reports before jumping to conclusions,” he added. l

Suu Kyi: Myanmar or Burma? Take your pick Myanmar’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has made clear to foreign diplomats: It doesn’t matter if they call her country Myanmar, or its old name, Burma. In 1989, the then ruling junta renamed the country Myanmar. But activists and their supporters abroad — including many Western governments insisted on sticking with the old name. Suu Kyi told the diplomats it was up to them what name to use because the constitution doesn’t mandate either name.

-AP

INDIA

Landslide in Arunachal Pradesh kills 16 A huge landslide hit a camp for construction workers in a remote part of Arunachal Pradesh on Friday, killing at least 16, police said.

Heavy rains triggered the disaster in the Himalayan state, killing the workers, who were building a hotel, were asleep. India’s National Disaster Management Authority said police and soldiers had rushed to the scene.

-AFP

CHINA

China may build nuke plants for S China Sea China is getting closer to building maritime nuclear power platforms that could one day be used to support projects in the disputed South China Sea, a state-run newspaper said on Friday. The Global Times, an influential tabloid, said the nuclear power platforms could “sail” to remote areas and provide a stable power supply.

-REUTERS

ASIA PACIFIC

US to propose Obama visit Hiroshima in late May The US will propose that President Barack Obama visits Hiroshima, Japan’s Nikkei newspaper said on Friday, in what would be the first visit by an incumbent US president to the city devastated by a US nuclear attack 71 years ago. Citing an unidentified US official, the daily said Washington planned to propose to Tokyo a visit by the president on May 27, at the end of a Group of Seven (G7) summit.

-REUTERS

MIDDLE EAST

Yemen peace talks resume in Kuwait Delayed peace talks aimed at ending 13 months of conflict in Yemen resumed on Friday, a day after UN mediators finally managed to get warring sides to the table. Two delegations, each of seven members, representing the government, and the rebels and their allies, joined UN envoy Ould Cheikh Ahmed at the meeting, a delegate said.

-AFP

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

USA

Trump: Don’t put abolitionist Tubman on $20 bill Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said Thursday he opposes the move of replacing 17th US president Andrew Jackson by an image of abolition champion Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.

Trump said it would be nothing but “pure political correctness” to displace him from the widely used note. US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew on Wednesday announced a sweeping redesign of the US bills to be unveiled in four years.

-AFP

THE AMERICAS

Brazil’s Rousseff warns of grave moment country is facing at UN Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff, who is facing impeachment, said on Friday her country was going through a “grave” political moment but that she was confident Brazilians would “prevent any setbacks.”

Rousseff could be removed from office within weeks by Brazil’s Senate in an impeachment process that has paralysed her government. She has called the attempt to oust her an illegal “coup” against a democratic government.

-REUTERS

UK

Obama to Britons: Don’t turn your back on the EU

US President Barack Obama appealed directly to British voters on Friday to remain in the EU, saying membership had magnified Britain’s place in the world and made the bloc stronger and more outward looking. “The European Union doesn’t moderate British influence - it magnifies it,” Obama wrote in The Daily Telegraph. -REUTERS

EUROPE

Euro zone raises pressure for Greek reform deal Eurozone finance ministers raised the pressure on Greece to deliver a fresh set of reforms on Friday, handing Athens a final hurdle to unlock cash from its massive bailout and secure debt relief. Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem said a deal to offer dearly needed bailout loans to Greece could happen as early as Thursday as long as Athens delivered on an extra set of reforms. -AFP

ANALYSIS

EU’s Tower of Babel may fall while leaders distracted n Reuters, Paris It’s little wonder the European Union can’t find common solutions to Europe’s urgent problems when its main members are having such different national conversations.

Like the biblical Tower of Babel, Europe’s ambitious construction is in danger of toppling because its peoples are not speaking the same political language.

Tune in to Germany and the fierce debate is all about how to cope with an influx of a million migrants, whether to limit the numbers and, in some quarters, how to stop them coming.

Switch to France and you’re listening to a nation that thinks it is at war, still living under a state of emergency and in shock after last November’s attacks by Islamist militants that killed 130 people in Paris.

Flip to Britain and the talk is all of national sovereignty and a possible Brexit in the build-up to a June referendum that might end the country’s schizophrenic membership of the EU. Look east to Poland and people are arguing over the new government’s moves to curb the media and the constitutional court, over who may have been a Communist informer 40 years ago, and over the perceived Russian threat to eastern Europe today.

Around central Europe the discussion is about how to resist German pressure to take in a share of refugees.

Turn south and the Italians and

Portuguese are engrossed in domestically focused debates about how to revive economic growth despite the EU’s budgetary corset while cleaning up legacy bank problems. Spain meanwhile is preoccupied by Catalan separatism, political paralysis and the risk of a breakup of the country.

When those countries’ leaders come to Brussels, they often cannot even agree what they should be discussing.

For the last two EU summits, Britain wanted the focus to be on its demands for a renegotiation of its membership terms to give Prime Minister David Cameron a “new settlement” he can sell in a June 23 referendum on whether to stay in the bloc.

He secured a deal on February 19, but many fellow leaders were frustrated at having to spend time on what they see as side issues and rhetorical formulations when their house is on fire.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, fighting for her political life against domestic critics of her open door for refugees, wanted the EU to concentrate on urgent measures to secure Europe’s external borders, register migrants, send home rejected asylum seekers and share out refugees among EU states.

French President Francois Hollande, for his part, goes to Brussels seeking more cooperation against terrorism and support for military action against Dae’sh in Syria and Libya.

Waning authority

Unlike many past European crises, where disagreements could be postponed or salami-sliced into gradual steps that turned a political dispute into a technocratic process, there is no obvious way to delay or defuse the migration issue.

Events on the ground are moving faster than the EU’s ability to manage them. Governments along the main Western Balkans migration route, under pressure from populist forces, are resorting to beggar-thy-neighbour solutions.

Austria, a key transit country, unilaterally imposed daily caps on migrant entries and asylum applications in mid-February.

AFRICA

Suspected mastermind of Mali Radisson attack arrested A Mauritanian man suspected of planning and carrying out several recent deadly attacks on popular tourist venues in Mali has been arrested on Thursday in the Malian capital Bamako. The suspect is believed to have been involved in several recent attacks, including two in March and November last year that were claimed by jihadists and left more than 20 people dead. -AFP

A Syrian refuge-seeking mom, carrying her baby, in Belgrade

BIGSTOCK

As boatloads of migrants defy winter seas daily to cross from Turkey, that lockdown is rapidly turning Greece, the EU’s most economically enfeebled state, into a giant refugee camp.

EU countries have largely ignored the quotas of refugees they agreed last year to take in, and Hungary is now planning a referendum on whether it should have to accept any.

Britain and France are keeping their heads down rather than helping Merkel, Europe’s most experienced and respected leader.

Cameron won’t take any refugees already in Europe for fear that public hostility to migration could cost him the referendum. Hollande too fears fuelling support for far-right populist Marine Le Pen if he offers Berlin more assistance.

Barring an improbable halt to arrivals from Turkey in the coming weeks, the most likely next step is that Europe’s 26-nation Schengen zone of passport-free travel will be officially suspended for two years to pre-empt a disorderly collapse.

A major achievement of EU cooperation on a continent scarred for centuries by wars will be put into an induced coma to prevent it dying immediately. The result will likely be long lines at borders that had all but disappeared two decades ago.

At that point, Germany, with or without Merkel, will probably have to impose its own curbs on new migrants.

While Europe’s weak and divided leaders remain distracted by internal debates, the union that provided the framework for postWorld War II prosperity will start to unravel. l

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

INSIDE

DHAKA PREMIER LEAGUE 2015-16

Three-way title race in Barca’s hands

TOP OF THE DAY

MAHEDI HASAN Gazi Group Cricketers

Having scored four and provided three assists as Barcelona roared back into form with an 8-0 thrashing of Deportivo la Coruna in midweek, Luis Suarez has refused to contemplate any other outcome than Barca retaining their La Liga title. PAGE 26

Yuvraj sets 2019 World Cup goal Once a limited-over giant, Yuvraj Singh has been in and out of the Indian team in recent years but the all-rounder believes he still has enough cricket in him to look forward to the 2019 WC. The 34-year-old left-handed batsman has seen it all. PAGE 27

Leicester, Tottenham dominate PFA Team Players from Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur dominated the Professional Football Association’s team of the year announced on Thursday. Four players from each club were voted in the XI. PAGE 28

Sturridge must now convince Klopp Only three post-war players have reached 50 Liverpool goals faster than Daniel Sturridge, but, prolific as he is, the England striker has yet to convince his manager that he is the man for the big occasion.

Sturridge reached his half century with a derby goal. PAGE 29

Abahani Limited leg-spinner Jubair Hossain in action during their Dhaka Premier League opener against Kalabagan Krira Chakra in Fatullah yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Jubair stars in Abahani win n Mazhar Uddin Leg-spinner Jubair Hossain spun the Kalabagan Krira Chakra batsmen into a tangled web as local giant Abahani Limited began their Dhaka Premier League mission with a comprehensive seven-wicket win yesterday.

In the other matches of the opening day, Mahedi Hasan hammered a scintillating century to propel Gazi Group Cricketers to a thumping 106-run win over reigning champions Prime Bank Cricket Club while Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club also registered a straightforward eight-wicket victory Cricket Coaching School.

A career as Kalabagan were skittled out for just 140 in 33.1 overs.

Left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib provided valuable support, taking two wickets.

In reply, Abahani lost two early wickets – Tamim (seven) and Liton Kumar Das (12) – but opening batsman Avishek Mitra (32), Indian recruit Uday Kaul (44 not out) and youngster Nazmul Hossain Shanto (35 not out) ensured a comfortable ride to their target thereafter.

Following the game, Jubair sounded out his ambitions for the remainder of the Dhaka League.

“My first goal is to become a regular in the playing XI for my

Abahani v Kalabagan KC, Fatullah

BRIEF SCORES

At the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali stadium, Kalabagan were in all sorts of trouble after being asked to bat first.

And it was Jubair who was the wrecker in chief, picking up six wickets conceding 34 runs. The 20-year old leggie was so impressive that Abahani captain Tamim Iqbal decided to bowl his 10 overs out in a single spell.

Jubair’s most impressive wicket was that of Kalabagan’s Zimbabwean batsman Hamilton Masakadza (41), who was totally deceived by a brilliant googly.

The youngster went to bag his maiden five-wicket haul of his List

GAZI GROUP CRICKETERS 303/4 (Mahedi 103, Anamul 67, Shamsur 56) beat PRIME BANK CRICKET CLUB 197 (Yasir 56, Saeed 3/31, Sharif 2/22) by 106 runs KALABAGAN KRIRA CHAKRA 140 (Masakadza 41, Jubair 6/34, Saqlain 2/25) lost to ABAHANI LIMITED 142/3 (Kaul 44*, Shanto 35*, Mitra 32) by seven wickets CRICKET COACHING SCHOOL 177 (Pinak 35, Rejaul 3/22, Al Amin 3/36) lost to PRIME DOLESHWAR SPORTING CLUB 181/2 (Imtiaz 100, Rony 47, Saif 1/18) by eight wickets

side. It’s important for me to play well in the league. Start was good and I hope I can play the next match. I want to continue the performance in the upcoming games and my aim is to be among the top five bowlers of the tournament,” said Jubair.

Gazi GC v Prime Bank, Mirpur

Mahedi was the star of the show at the home of cricket, striking an impressive 89-ball 103, as Gazi, asked to take first guard, posted a huge 303/4 in 50 overs.

Openers Anamul Haque (67) and Shamsur Rahman (56) struck contrasting fifties to give their side a flying start to their campaign and Mahedi later put the finishing touch with his quickfire ton.

In pursuit of 304, Prime Bank lost wickets in clusters with Yasir Ali’s half-century the only consolation in a disappointing total of 197.

Prime Doleshwar v CCS, BKSP

Rejaul Karim and Al Amin Hossain’s three-wicket hauls enabled Prime Doleshwar to bundle out Cricket Coaching School for a paltry 177.

A target of 178 was never enough as Prime Doleshwar strolled to their destination with 28 balls remaining, opener Imtiaz Hossain leading the way with his 140-ball 100, featuring a dozen boundaries. l

Youngster Mahedi Hasan was the biggest surprise on the opening day of the new DPL season. In what was his List A debut in the premier league, the 21-year old smashed a brilliant 89-ball 103 – the first hundred of this edition – against Prime Bank yesterday. Coming in at onedrop, the right-handed batsman blasted eight fours and five sixes and put together some important partnerships with Anamul Haque and Saeed Anwar Jr. Thanks to his heroics, Gazi Group posted a morethan-challenging 303/4 on the board, and in the process, became the first side to cross 300 in the 2015-16 season.

FLOP OF THE DAY

DILSHAN MUNAWEERA Prime Bank Cricket Club

The DPL clubs can only play one foreign cricketer in the starting XI so a lot were expected from Sri Lankan recruit Dilshan Munaweera. However, Munaweera disappointed big time as Prime Bank began their title defence with a comprehensive 106-run defeat.

The 26-year old leaked 49 runs from his six overs without success and was later dismissed for just four runs while opening the innings. Following his departure, Prime Bank’s innings never really took off, eventually grinding to a halt at 197. l

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Ctg Abahani into semi-finals n Tribune Report Rising powerhouse Chittagong Abahani swept into the semi-finals of the KFC Independence Cup following their 1-1 draw against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Nigerian striker Emeka Darlington’s first-half opener from the penalty spot was cancelled out by a lovely header from another Nigerian, defender Alison Udoka, in the second half as the port city outfit salvaged a point.

Premier League champions Sheikh Jamal concluded their Group A campaign at the summit with 13 points from five matches while Chittagong Abahani finished theirs at second with three points less from the same number of games.

After confirming their last-four berth in the last match, Sheikh Jamal rested their key Gambian midfielder Landing Darboe, whose absence saw a lack of creativity in the attacking third yesterday.

Chittagong Abahani’s Haitian forward Leonel Saint Preux had the first meaningful chance of the game in the 13th minute but he shot over the crosspiece from a promising position.

Emeka then gave Sheikh Jamal the lead six minutes later, sending the opposition goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot after the Nigerian forward was brought down by custodian Ashraful Islam Rana.

Eight minutes from the first half whistle, Preux unleashed a curved effort from the left corner of the box, only to see Sheikh Jamal netminder Maksudur Rahman coming to the rescue of his side with a brilliant diving save.

Udoka then stunned the top-flight holders in the 74th minute with a glancing header, following a fine free kick from Moroccan midfielder Tarik el Janaby.

Sheikh Russel and Abahani Limited will bring an end to the group stages today when they face each other at the big bowl.l

Umpire Nadir Shah looks on as Kalabagan Krira Chakra skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza bowls during their Dhaka Premier League game against Abahani Limited in Fatullah yesterday. The 52-year old was banned for 10 years by the Bangladesh Cricket Board for corruption charges back in March 2013. The board lifted the ban in February this year, after Nadir asked for mercy to the board three months after the suspension. Nadir returned to umpiring action through yesterday's DPL tie between Kalabagan and Abahani MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Three-way title race Salahuddin's panel releases manifesto firmly in Barca’s hands BANGLADESH FOOTBALL FEDERATION ELECTION

n Tribune Report

Kazi Salahuddin-led combined panel pledged to spread the game of football outside the capital city and promised to build football academies throughout the country.

The combined panel also announced its intentions of developing the sport when they released the manifesto yesterday afternoon, a week before the much awaited Bangladesh Football Federation

election.

BFF president Salahuddin though was not present on the occasion.

Tarafdar Ruhul Amin, who is the chief co-coordinator of the combined panel, signed the manifesto and said, “We will try to keep our word and make possible all the 25 points in the manifesto. It will be done within four years.”

On the other hand, BFF senior vice president Abdus Salam Murshedy, who has already acquired

the second most prestigious post without contest, said, “Every point of the manifesto is important.

Our main target is to build football academies and schools and make district and pioneer football stronger. We also want to spread the game across the country.”

Salam Murshedy believes money will not derail them from their ambitions as the sponsors and government will provide them financial assistance, much like recent times. l

KEY POINTS FROM THE MANIFESTO Every club to be provided financial support and coaches will oversee Under-14, U-16 and U-18 age-level teams in a bid to increase the success rate of the national side.

In order to produce adequate players for the pipe-line, the Bangladesh Football Federation Academy in Sylhet will be developed as a longterm international standard football academy. Work will start at the academy this June.

A state-of-the-art fitness centre to be built at BFF House in Motijheel

which will be kept open for the national players.

Necessary steps will be taken to install football turfs in every division, with assistance from world football’s regulatory body Fifa.

Every District Football Associations will be provided necessary financial support to run their activities, train the footballers and build football coaching centre.

Football academies to be constructed in every divisional city

first, then in district and upazilas.

BFF-licenced coaches will be appointed in every division.

International standard coach, goalkeeping coach, fitness instructor and nutrition expert will be appointed to the national team.

District and divisional representatives to be included in the BFF standing committee and tournament committee.

National Championship (Sher-eBangla Cup) and Club Cup to resume.

n AFP, Madrid Having scored four and provided three assists as Barcelona roared back into form with an 8-0 thrashing of Deportivo la Coruna in midweek, Luis Suarez has refused to contemplate any other outcome than Barca retaining their La Liga title.

The Catalan giants lead Atletico Madrid solely thanks to their superior head-to-head record with Real Madrid just one point back in third with four games to go.

However, having taken just one point from their previous four league matches, Suarez believes Barca are fully back on course for a 24th La Liga title.

“We needed that victory. We came off the back of many games suffering and, as we are human, the defeats hurt,” he said.

“It is in our hands and if we win all our games what the others do doesn’t bother us. The normal thing would be that none of us slip up.

“We are the leaders and we are convinced we are going to win it.

We aren’t contemplating anything

other than winning.”

Lionel Messi and Neymar were also on target against Deportivo as Barca’s star front three responded in style to their critics as fatigue appeared to catch up with the South American trio in the past month after a hugely demanding season as Barca competed in six competitions.

LA LIGA Rayo Vallecano Atletico Madrid Barcelona Eibar

v v v v

Real Madrid Malaga Sporting Gijon Deportivo

And Suarez reserved special words of support for Neymar, whose performances and off-field attitude had been the target for particular criticism during Barca’s slump.

“It hurts that people put the responsiblity on him for the defeats.

He is a boy with feelings and he’s my friend,” added the Uruguayan.

“We all try to support one another. He is showing by his attitude that he won’t give up.”l

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

Bayern hope to make history in Berlin

QUICK BYTES Badree out of IPL with World T20 injury

n AFP, Berlin

West Indian leg-spinner Samuel Badree has been ruled out of the rest of the Indian Premier League with an injury that he picked in the recent World Twenty20 final.

Badree, who played a major role in the Windies’ triumph over England on April 3 by taking two wickets, was unable to play a single match for his IPL franchise, the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Badree, 35, appeared to have hurt his shoulder and wrist while trying to take a diving catch at short third man in the 19th over of the England innings.

Thomas Mueller has decribed each of Bayern Munich’s remaining games as a ‘little final’ as they could wrap up a historic fourth consecutive Bundesliga title at Hertha Berlin today.

No club has ever won four straight titles, but Pep Guardiola’s Bayern have a seven-point lead with four games remaining.

They need to beat Hertha, and hope second-placed Borussia Dortmund lose at Stuttgart, to have their title victory confirmed.

It would be a welcome boost ahead of next Wednesday’s trip to Spain to face Atletico Madrid in the semi-final, first leg of the Champions League.

Berlin’s Olympic Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for Bayern in recent seasons, having won their 2010 and 2014 Bundesliga titles there.

They will return to the capital on May 21 to face Dortmund in the German Cup final.l

–AFP

Injured Ronaldo in race to get fit for Manchester City clash Cristiano Ronaldo faces a race against time to get fit for Real Madrid’s Champions League semifinal first leg at Manchester City on Tuesday after he picked up a thigh muscle injury. “Ronaldo has been diagnosed with a muscle strain in his right thigh. His recovery will continue to be assessed,” Real said in a statement yesterday. Spanish newspaper Marca reported that the prolific striker has been ruled out of Madrid’s La Liga game at Rayo Vallecano today.

BUNDESLIGA

–REUTERS

Leicester’s Vardy accepts FA charge

Spain's Rafael Nadal returns the ball to compatriot Marcel Granollers during their ATP Barcelona Open 'Conde de Godo' tournament in Barcelona. Nadal won 6-3, 6-2 AFP

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has accepted a Football Association improper conduct charge following his red card in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with West Ham United. Premier League title favourites Leicester, who are five points clear of Tottenham Hotspur with four games remaining, will be without 22-goal Vardy for this weekend’s home clash with Swansea City after he was dismissed for diving. The fact that Vardy is not contesting the charge, relating to his angry reaction to the match officials, means he could receive a further one-match suspension that would rule him out of the away trip to Man United.

–REUTERS

Liverpool fans irked by Owen ambassador role Liverpool’s supporters were less than impressed by the announcement on Thursday that former striker Michael Owen has been appointed as the club’s first “international ambassador”. Owen came through Liverpool’s youth system and scored 158 goals in 297 appearances for the club, but later spent three years with their hated rivals Manchester United.

–AFP

Wolfsburg Stuttgart Cologne Hertha Berlin Ingolstadt Schalke

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Augsburg Dortmund Darmstadt Bayern Munich Hannover 96 Leverkusen

Determined Yuvraj sets 2019 World Cup goal n Reuters, Mumbai Once a limited-overs giant, Yuvraj Singh has been in and out of the Indian team in recent years but the all-rounder believes he still has enough cricket in him to look forward to the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.

The 34-year-old left-handed batsman has seen it all in an international career that started as an 18-year-old in the 50-over ICC KnockOut Trophy in 2000.

He was crucial for India during their 2007 World Twenty20 victory in South Africa and was also player-of-the-tournament in the team’s 50-over World Cup win on home soil in 2011. But later in 2011 he was told he had a golf ballsized non-malignant tumour in his lungs. It was later re-diagnosed as a cancerous condition called “mediastinal seminoma”.

That started a phase of comebacks for the hard-hitting middle-order batsman, once considered a certainty in the international limited-overs formats.

“I think it’s the passion for the

game,” Yuvraj told Reuters when asked what kept him going. “I don’t want to sit one day and think ‘Oh, I should have played a few more years’.

“I want to end where I feel this is it and this is how much I would have played. Given the opportunity, I still feel I have a few more years to excel.”

One of the cleanest strikers of the ball, as England fast bowler Stuart Broad found out when he was bludgeoned for six sixes in an over during the 2007 World T20, Yuvraj cut a sorry figure at the crease during his 21-ball 11 against Sri Lanka in the 2014 World T20 final.

Many blamed that knock for sapping India’s momentum and wrote off Yuvraj’s international ambitions in the wake of the defeat. But he again went back to the domestic circuit and scored enough to earn a spot in the squad for the recent World T20. He injured his ankle in India’s final Super 10 match against Australia and was ruled out of the semi-final against West Indies, which India lost.

“It was pretty disappointing,”

Yuvraj said on the sidelines of sportwear brand Puma’s launch of a new collection of shoes.

“You have an injury before the World Cup semi-final and I was preparing to play the World Cup for a while. “(The 50-over World Cup in) 2019 would be a goal for me to achieve,” added Yuvraj, who plays for the David Warner-led Hyderabad franchise in the T20 Indian Premier League.

“But for that I need to work very hard and I would have to perform very outstandingly. I will try and look forward to do that. If I can reach 2019 it will be huge for me.”

For the early part of his career it was virtually impossible for Yuvraj to break into a Test-playing 11 boasting the likes of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman in their batting order.

But Yuvraj, who played the last of his 40 Tests in 2012, is not ruling out another run in the format with India slated to play about 12 matches in the next 12 months at home.

“Definitely, I am a big under-

achiever in Test cricket,” Yuvraj said. “But I can’t really take out anything because I didn’t have many opportunities.

“We had lot of greats playing in the team. For seven years of my career I was mostly the 12th man for Test matches.

“When I actually had a spot, I got diagnosed with cancer. So it’s been unfortunate but I’ve been lucky that I’ve been able to play again.” l

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SANCHEZ 2-0 WEST BROM

Leicester and Tottenham dominate PFA selection n Reuters, London

Players from Premier League title-chasers Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur dominated the Professional Football Association’s (PFA) team of the year announced on Thursday.

Four players from each club were voted in with Arsenal, Manchester United and West Ham United the only other clubs represented in the eleven.

Not surprisingly Tottenham striker Harry Kane, who leads the scoring charts with 24, was joined

by Leicester’s Jamie Vardy, whose

Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil was the only nominee for the PFA player of the year award not to make it into the side 22 goals have fuelled leader Leicester’s title quest.

Leicester midfielders N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez and defender Wes Morgan were also included.

Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose, part of Tottenham’s defence

which has conceded a league low 25 goals in 34 matches, made the list, as did 20-year-old midfielder Dele Alli.

Manchester United goalkkeeper David De Gea, Arsenal full back Hector Bellerin and West Ham’s French playmaker Dimitri Payet make up the team.

The PFA announce the Player of the Year on Sunday when Vardy, Kane, Mahrez, Kane, Mesut Ozil and Payet are on the shortlist.

Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil was the only nominee for the PFA player of the year award not to make it into the side. l

PFA TEAM OF THE SEASON Player

Arsenal’s resurgent Alexis Sanchez scored twice to help ease their top-four jitters in a 2-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League at a less than full Emirates Stadium on Thursday REUTERS

Minutes Played

Clean Sheet

Yellow Card

Red Card

Assist

Goals

David de Gea (Manchester United) Goalkeeper

Position

2700

14

0

0

0

0

Hector Bellerin (Arsenal)

2880

15

2

0

5

1

Defender

Wes Morgan (Leicester)

Defender

3060

14

3

0

0

1

Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham)

Defender

3060

13

3

0

3

4

Danny Rose (Tottenham)

Defender

1868

8

6

0

7

1

Riyad Mahrez (Leicester)

Midfielder

2690

14

1

0

11

16

Dele Alli (Tottenham)

Midfielder

2382

10

7

0

12

10

N’Golo Kante (Leicester)

Midfielder

2662

14

3

0

4

1

Dimitri Payet (West Ham)

Midfielder

2310

6

3

0

10

9

Jamie Vardy (Leicester)

Forward

2953

14

5

1

8

22

Harry Kane (Tottenham)

Forward

3003

14

4

0

3

24

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR IN EPL WEEKEND 35 CAN CITY STEAL A MARCH ON UNITED?

WILL SAINTS MAKE LATE PUSH FOR EUROPE?

With Manchester United playing Everton in an FA Cup semi-final this weekend, Manchester City know a win will take them a huge step closer to securing a top-four place.

A win for City over Mark Hughes’ Stoke City would take them five points ahead of United, who do not play again in the league until the following weekend - against Leicester City. City will fancy their chances against a Stoke side who have conceded eight goals in their last two games. That porous defence bodes well for Sergio Aguero, who has hit 22 goals this season.

Ronald Koeman knows Southampton must win all four of their remaining games if they are to stand any chance of securing European football this season. A trip to Aston Villa, who are already relegated after nine consecutive defeats, should provide the ideal springboard for the Dutchman, whose side drew 1-1 with Everton last time out. Three points would be the ideal boost ahead of matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Man City.

FIXTURES SATURDAY Aston Villa v Southampton Bournemouth v Chelsea Liverpool v Newcastle Manchester City v Stoke SUNDAY Leicester v Swansea Sunderland v Arsenal MONDAY Tottenham v West Brom

CAN RAFA INSPIRE TOON ON ANFIELD RETURN? With Norwich City not playing this weekend, and Sunderland hosting Arsenal, a win for Newcastle United at Anfield could take them out of the bottom three with three games of their season remaining. That looks a mountainous task against a Liverpool side who are flying under Jurgen Klopp and have scored 14 goals in their last four games. It is, however, the sort of occasion Rafael Benitez thrives on. It is almost six years since Benitez departed Liverpool and his first return as an opposition manager could hardly be bigger as he tries to save New-

castle from relegation.

WILL BOURNEMOUTH DO THE DOUBLE? Bournemouth’s 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge in December was just one step on what has been a remarkable debut season for Eddie Howe’s side in the Premier League. Howe’s side have been magnificent, playing without fear and ruling themselves out of the relegation battle long before they reached the 40-point mark. Now they can do the double over Chelsea, whose campaign is fizzling out following elimination from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain and the FA Cup by Everton.

HOW WILL FOXES COPE WITHOUT VARDY? Leicester’s lead at the Premier League summit was cut to five points after they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by West Ham United last weekend. Tottenham’s 4-0 win over Stoke was a real statement of intent and put the pressure right back on to Leicester. Plus, now they will have to cope without their top-scorer. Jamie Vardy has played every single one of Leicester’s 34 league matches this season - scoring 22 goals - but his red card against the Hammers means he will miss the clash against Francesco Guidolin’s Swansea City.

ARE SUNDERLAND SET FOR GREAT ESCAPE?

CAN POCHETTINO’S MEN TURN THE SCREW?

Sunderland fans believe again.

After last weekend’s 3-0 win over relegation rivals Norwich breathed new life into their season, the Black Cats can sense another unlikely escape under the guidance of Sam Allardyce. Jermain Defoe will be key to their survival hopes. The veteran striker has scored 16 goals this season but Arsenal will be buoyed by their fine recent record at the Stadium of Light, having won on their last four league visits.

Tottenham’s 4-0 demolition of Stoke was a ruthless display - they looked every inch Premier League champions. Mauricio Pochettino’s men have been building a head of steam and they have lost just once in the league since January.

Fuelled by the goals of Harry Kane, the likes of Dele Alli, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen have the bit between the teeth. They show no signs of slowing down. West Bromwich Albion beware! l

United eye FA Cup solace against Everton n AFP, London Chasing a gilded finale to a difficult season, Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United face an Everton team reeling from Merseyside derby humiliation in today’s first FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

Van Gaal found himself back in the media’s crosshairs following a 3-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, but not for the first time this season, his side responded with a timely burst of wins.

Victory at West Ham United in their FA Cup quarter-final replay provided the spur for back-to-back league wins over Aston Villa and Crystal Palace that have bolstered United’s quest for Champions League qualification and they will travel to London with renewed confidence.

“We are further than last year,” Van Gaal said of his side’s FA Cup progress. “Then it was the quarter-final, now it is the semi-final. It means we are better than last year.

“We are in the semi-final and still in the race for fourth. That was our aim.”l

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

DAY’S WATCH CRICKET SONY SIX 4:30 PM Indian Premier League 2016 Delhi v Mumbai 8:30 PM Hyderabad v Punjab

FOOTBALL STAR SPORTS 1 5:35 PM Barclays Premier League Manchester City v Stoke City 7:50 PM Liverpool v Newcastle United

STAR SPORTS 2 7:50 PM AFC Bournemouth v Chelsea

STAR SPORTS 4 7:16 PM Bundesliga 2015/16 Hertha Berlin v FC Bayern Munich 10:16 PM FC Schalke v Leverkusen

STAR SPORTS HD 2 Bundesliga 2015/16 VfB Stuttgart v Borussia Dortmund

TEN 1 HD 8:50 PM French Ligue 1 2015/16 Toulouse v Olympique Lyonnais

SONY ESPN 12:30 AM FC Barcelona v Sporting Gijon

SONY SIX 12:40 AM Inter Milan v Udinese

MOTO GP TEN 1 HD 4:30 PM Moto GP 2016 Qualifying: Gran Premio De Espana

TENNIS SONY ESPN 9:30 AM ATP World Tour 500 2016 Barcelona Open: Quarter Finals

TEN 2 4:00 PM ATP World Tour 250 2016 BRD Nastase Tirac Trophy: SF 1

TEN 3 10:00 PM WTA Tour 2016 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: SF2

BASKETBALL SONY SIX 5:00 AM NBA season 2015/16 Detroit v Cleveland 7:30 AM Memphis v San Antonio

AC Milan forward Mario Balotelli controls the ball during their Italian Serie A match against Carpi at the San Siro stadium in Milan on Thursday

AFP

Backlash as Milan perform pre-match ‘Haka’ n AFP, Milan Struggling Serie A giants AC Milan were left red-faced amid a social media backlash that mocked the club for a bizarre pre-match ‘Haka’ ritual dance prior to a Serie A game on Thursday.

Seven-time European champions Milan hosted relegation-haunted Carpi at the legendary San Siro stadium looking for a win to boost their bid to qualify for next season’s Europa League.

But fans were left baffled in the lead-up to kick-off when two

"teams" of players - dressed to look like AC Milan and Carpi - appeared on the pitch.

After both teams ran down the end of the pitch, the Milan team proceeded to perform a "Haka" - the ritual war dance usually performed by New Zealand’s All Blacks prior to their rugby games.

With electronic advertisement hoardings blazing the message: "Men, this is your ritual", it quickly became apparent the "players" were actors and the dance all part of a publicity campaign for a wellknown men’s face cream.

Several of Milan’s players currently appear in television adverts for Nivea cream, although Thursday’s display did little to smoothe the concerns of fans amid yet another disastrous season for the club.

Indeed, Milan fans around the world voiced their digust at the depths to which Milan, and football, has plummeted. Owner Silvio Berlusconi is actively seeking a buyer for either a majority or minority share in the club.

In a series of posts on the micro-blogging site Twitter fans unleashed their fury.

Sturridge must now convince Klopp n Reuters, London Only three post-war players have reached 50 Liverpool goals faster than Daniel Sturridge, but, prolific as he is, the England striker has yet to convince his manager that he is the man for the big occasion.

With typical aplomb, Sturridge reached his half century with a derby goal in a 4-0 thrashing of Everton on Wednesday.

It was his 87th game for the club and put him in illustrious company with only Albert Stubbins (77 games), Roger Hunt (79) and Fernando Torres (84) reaching the milestone in fewer appearances.

The occasion was tinged slightly with frustration for the striker, however, as his sharp second-half finish came after he started the game on the bench.

Yet having fought his way back from a series of injuries that blighted his career over the last two years, a rejuvenated Sturridge is

QUICKEST TO 50 GOALS Liverpool Players Albert Stubbins

Appearances 77

Roger Hunt

79

Fernando Torres

84

Daniel Sturridge

87

facing a different sort of battle.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp seems to prefer the physicality and energy of Origi to Sturridge’s more languid style, even if the numbers are in the Englishman’s favour.

With a goal every 101 minutes in the 11 league games he has played this season, Sturridge has a comfortably better strike rate than Origi, who has bagged a goal every 133 minutes on average.

Since returning from injury, however, Sturridge’s work rate has been questioned and compared unfavourably with Origi’s more combative approach. l

“I’ll stop following Milan right now if they used the f****** Haka to promote Nivea products. Genuinely f****** digusted,” said one Twitter user, @Jamorushton.

Another, @88NTaylor said: “AC Milan doing the Haka last night man. Jesus wept ???? I am cringing now can’t imagine how bad it must have been in the stadium.”

Milan’s failure to beat a team currently struggling to stay in Italy’s top flight was the bottom of the barrel for disgruntled fans of a team that will miss the Champions League for the third year in succession.l

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016

Chyna might have had a possible overdose n Mahmood Hossain These are the kinds of weekends we dread, as another iconic figure in pop culture dies. The WWE legend Chyna was found dead at her home in California this past Wednesday at the age of 45.

Death being caused with a terrible habit of substance abuse is quite common in the wrestling entertainment industry, unfortunately. Joan Laurer (Chyna’s real name) was found dead at her apartment in Redondo Beach by a friend after she had been unreachable for a few days.

The police later confirmed there were no signs of foul play and showed that she had died before being found by her friend.

The police department had this to say, “From the preliminary investigation, it appears that the deceased passed away prior to being discovered by the friend.” She was surrounded by unopened prescription drugs and there were no sings of a suicide either, nor were there

Counting nine n Rad Sharar Bin Kamal Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan celebrated nine years together recently and surprisingly, Amitabh Bachchan stood out this time around with the biggest gift of all. He decided to use his official blog to express his thoughts.

Big B wrote: ‘’As tomorrow dawns, the wedding bells ring of nine years of togetherness, for Aishwarya and Abhishek . A day filled with the joy and happiness that not just conforms to the two that bind themselves in matrimony but for us elders too.

A coming together of families, of affection and oneness!”

“This bond remains with us throughout; it then flourishes into the next generation that comes along and the next and the next and the next. Life is perpetual, it is on going and infinite, as must life be...’’

This year, the couple planned to stay in the shade as Abhishek is still recuperating from a slip disc and has been suggested to take bed rest. Hence, they intend to spend some family time together.

Aaradhya, Ash and Abhi was at home too and enjoyed a day in.

The couple have worked together in films like Dhai Akshar Prem Ke, Kuch Naa Kaho, Dhoom 2 and Guru. l

any illicit drugs laying around.

We won’t really know the real reason behind the death until the toxicology reports come back in the coming weeks.

Chyna made her WWE debut back in 1997 and remains the only female wrestler to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship – a belt she won twice during her stint with WWE from 1997 to 2001.

Alongside holding that record, she went on to hold the Women’s Championship for 231 days in 2001. With her substance abuse issue and other ill-advised career moves, she embarked on a career in pornography from 2004. And because of her work in the adult film industry she was never chosen to be in the WWE Hall of Fame.

But to those who were close to her or ever met her in person, made it clear that Joan Laurer was a wonderful person with a big heart. She was an idol for many young women who looked up to her as she broke barriers in a male dominated sport. l

Bond director Guy Hamilton passes away at 93

n Mahmood Hossain A hospital in the Spanish island of Majorca, where Hamilton lived, confirmed to the Associated Press that the film-maker died there on Wednesday. He directed Sir Sean Connery in Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever and Sir Roger Moore in Live And Let Die and The Man With The Golden Gun. The 007 producers EON made the following statement: “We mourn the loss of our dear friend Guy Hamilton who firmly distilled the Bond formula in his much celebrated direction of Goldfinger

and continued to entertain the audiences with Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die and The Man With The Golden Gun. We celebrate his enormous contribution to the Bond films.”

Hamilton went to school in England, while his family lived in France as he started his career in French cinema in the 1930s. Hamilton said he wanted to be a director before the age of 30 as he tried his hand on The Colditz Story, The Devil’s Disciple and Funeral In Berlin. He also said many people thought there was a certain formula for making Bond films but he would always disagree. He said that the key to Bond’s survival was, “that anyone to do with Bond is not lazy.” He even went onto say, “In the making of Bond films, we were some of the meanest, toughest filmmakers. If we spend a million dollars, it had better be up there on the screen.” l

WHAT TO WATCH

Monsters University Zee Studio 5:30pm Mike Wazowski has dreams of becoming a scarer and he knows better than anyone that the best scarers come from Monsters University.

But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P Sullivan Sulley, a naturalborn scarer. The pair’s out of control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the university’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realise they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.

Cast: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, Peter Sohn Horrible Bosses HBO 5:35pm Nick, Dale and Kurt are workers who would like nothing better than to grind their oppressive employers into the dirt. Quitting their jobs is not an option and so, fueled by alcohol and dubious advice from a criminal, the men devise a complex and seemingly foolproof plan to permanently rid themselves of their terrible bosses. The problem is, any plan is only as clever as the brains behind it.

Cast: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Steve Wiebe, Kevin Spacey Street Fighter WB 9:30pm General Bison has plans of taking over the world. He has captured many people to this end and these include three soldiers. Colonel William Guile leads his army into the country of Shadaloo to find Bison.

A few other people who are also against Bison join Guile in his quest. Will they find the General in time, before he slaughters the hostages?

Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raul Julia, Ming-Na, Damian Chapa, Kylie Minogue, Simon Callow

Long live the prince n Mahmood Hossain One of the most influential and iconic musicians in the world, Prince Rogers Nelson has passed away at the age of 57. The breaking news was first reported by TMZ, stating that Prince died in his Minnesota recording studio.

Sources say that the legendary musician had a medical emergency on April 15th that forced his private jet to make an emergency landing in the state of Illinois in the US. He appeared to be fine at a concert the next day, assuring his fans everything was alright. At the time, his representatives told TMZ he was battling the flu.

According to the TMZ reports, doctors gave Prince a “safe shot” after

he was rushed to the hospital.

The shot was reportedly given to him to counteract the effects of opiates. Doctors advised him to stay in the hospital for 24 hours.

However, he left the hospital after only three hours.

The Associated Press has confirmed Prince’s death, but Carver County authorities in Minnesota have yet to make a statement on the cause of the incident. Jason Kamerud, the chief sheriff ’s deputy for Carver Country told The StarTribune, “We’re withholding information on the identification of the deceased until after we’ve connected with the next of kin. Once that has been done we will issue a press release.”

More details will be released after the autopsy has been performed.

Prince was a pioneer in the music scene coming out of Minnesota, contributing to the Minneapolis sound which was a mixture of funk, rock, pop, synth and new wave. After an amazing run of 39 studio albums, Prince was nominated for several Grammys and won two of them.

He’s also won an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song Score in 1985 for Purple Rain. In addition to that, Prince won the Golden Globe from Best Original Song in Motion Picture for Happy Feet. l

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Unsung hero n Farzana Zaman The rock, funk and R&B icon has inspired many of today’s award-winning artists and has crafted numerous albums that ended up reshaping our current musical landscape greatly. The man of the moment is Prince, widely called a king. Some of Prince’s most successful pieces may surprise you, especially since he doesn’t sing a word on the tracks, he writes. Read on for 11 songs you probably know of but never knew were written

by Prince.

“Manic Monday” by The Bangles Prince wrote this weekday lament in 1984 as a duet for the band Apollonia 6, but the song was never recorded. Two years after crafting the catchy tunes, Prince offered the song to The Bangles under the pseudonym Christopher, since he liked the song “Heroes Take the Fall” and was reportedly attracted to the group’s rhythm guitarist Susanna Hoffs.

“Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O’Connor Perhaps The Purple One’s best known external effort, a 1990 single, complete with bald, teary video, gave Sinead O’Connor a worldwide hit. Prince originally wrote and composed “Nothing Compares 2 U” for his funk band’s side project, The Family, but the song was never released as a single.

“How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?” by Alicia Keys Prince wrote and recorded this ballad in 1982 as a b-side to his single “1999” but the track didn’t become a commercial success until Alicia Keys covered the song in 2002, retitling it “How Come You Don’t Call Me.” Keys’ version appeared on several charts across the world.

“Stand Back” by Stevie Nicks Prince paired up with Nicks to help her write a top five hit.

The Fleetwood Mac singer has often shared the interesting birth story behind this single from her solo career. According to Nicks, she was inspired to create the song after listening to Prince’s “Little Red Corvette.”

When she went to record “Stand Back,” she called Prince regarding the song, and he showed up at the studio that night to help finish up the track.

“Jungle Love” by The Time

The rival band in Purple Rain is actually playing plenty of Prince songs. The Kid wrote many songs for the Minneapolis-based band, who were also close friends and collaborators with the artist in real life. Prince helped pen “Jungle Love,” one of the group’s most popular songs in 1983 and also played multiple instruments on the track.

“The Glamorous Life” by Sheila E Like “Manic Monday,” Prince first wrote “The Glamorous Life” for Apollonia 6. The creation was eventually given to the singer and percussionist Sheila E, who transformed the song into a top dance hit.

“I Feel For You” by Chaka Khan While Khan was not the first one to sing this song, she came up with the most memorable version of it. Prince originally wrote the song for Patrice Rushen but ended up recording the song himself and putting it on his 1979 self-titled album. “I Feel For You” was also covered

by The Pointer Sisters and Mary Wells, but it was Khan’s 1984 version that became the hit to withstand the test of time.

“With This Tear” by Celine Dion Prince wrote the 1992 song as a gift to Dion, who put the present, backed by her stunning voice, on her self-titled album.

“Sugar Walls” by Sheena Easton Ditching his previous pseudonym Christopher for the new name Alexander Nevermind, the disguised Prince wrote this US dance hit for Easton in 1984.

“Love... Thy Will Be Done” by Martika Prince co-wrote this single with Maritka for her 1991 debut album Maritka’s Kitchen. The track went topped the pop charts in numerous countries.

“Love Song” by Madonna Prince helped Madonna cowrite this song for the 1989 album Like a Prayer. Madonna travelled to The Studio at Paisley Park in Minnesota, where Prince was declared deceased, to come up with the piece. Along with helping to write the track, Prince also sang and played guitar in “Love Song.” l Source: CNN

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HOLOCAUST DENIAL, HOLOCAUST HISTORY

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THE PEASANTS RISE UP PAGE 19

LONG LIVE THE PRINCE PAGE 31

The death of cinemas in Bangladesh Cinemas, once a popular place for entertainment, have gradually lost appeal. Dhaka Tribune’s Promiti Prova Chowdhury explores the sector’s decline in the first story of a two-part series Since 2000, as many as 914 cinemas have been closed down, according to Bangladesh Motion Pictures Exhibitors Association.

Only 321 cinema halls remain open across Bangladesh.

Reasons for the sharp decline in numbers are manifold. Many blame piracy, poor film quality, obscenity, and run-down condition of theatres.

“Piracy is one of the main issues,” said BMPEA Vice-President Sudipta Kumar Das. “For example, a hall owner may spend Tk1 lakh to screen a film. Imagine what he feels when he finds out that people at nearby tea stalls are watching that film on the very day it is released.

“Also, people in rural areas prefer watching films in tea stalls rather than coming to cinema halls.”

He said people working for distributors are involved in piracy in most cases. They make copies of films before screening.

Sohanur Rahman Sohan,

The recent photo shows the empty entrance of Dhaka’s Ananda Cinema Hall. The falling number of moviegoers has forced many cinema halls to shut their doors for good over the past decade MEHEDI HASAN vice-president of Bangladesh Film Directors Association (BFDA), said: “Piracy is biting off profits and discouraging producers. Low budgets mean poor-quality films.”

He suggested films be released digitally across halls through a serv-

er, as done in India, to prevent piracy.

Sudipta said people can now enjoy movies on hand-held devices.

Several decades ago, people went to cinemas as it was the only place where films were screened.

The target group, too, has

changed; before 1971, it was mainly the middle-class but now it is the low-income group.

Sudipta explained: “The change occurred in mid-1990s with the advent of satellite channels when local directors started producing low-quality remakes of Hindi films.”

Commercial film-maker Sohan claimed some cinema owners deliberately inserted nudity. Also, most cinemas are dirty and have poor or no sanitation facility. These factors discourage people from going to movies with friends and families.

“We have to rent projectors for screening films at some halls.

Projector owners charge Tk3 from every ticket sold,” Sohan said.

Director Morshedul Islam said he believed hall conditions need to be improved first to encourage producers but Sudipta claimed that after incurring losses for years, “it was impossible to digitalise the halls.”

SM Delwar Sentu was forced to

close down Sangeeta Cinema Hall in Narsingdi in 2004. “It was established in 1975. I took over from my father in 1994. Forty-six of my employees became jobless when it was shut down,” he said, blaming the government and directors for mostly focusing on the television sector.

Safar Ali Bhuiyan once owned 13 cinemas around the country but has only two of them – Obhishar and Neptune – running at present.

“I had been incurring losses since 2001. Only 15-16 people came for shows,” he said. “I shut down Agomoni and Otithi cinema halls as their electricity bills were higher than the income they generated. The monthly utility bill was Tk1.5 lakh whereas I earned around Tk50,000 and had to pay the staff as well.”

Safar believes opening the market for foreign films is the way to save Bangladesh’s dying cinema halls – an idea highly opposed by local film-makers. l

12-year-old raped in Dhaka, 3 arrested n Mohammad Jamil Khan

A 12-year-old girl was raped several times for two days in Dhaka before a team of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) rescued her and arrested three people.

The victim is nowat the OneStop Crisis Centre of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, sources said.

The arrested criminals are Shahriar Hasan Riyan, 30, Fatema Akhter Shimla, 19, and Dulia Akhter, 35. Three other rapists are still absconding, said RAB sources.

According to RAB, Shimla, who is an acquaintance of a friend of the victim’s, convinced her parents that she could be a model if she took part in a grooming programme at Rampura.

Shimla took her to Rampura at the house of Dulia, her associate, on Monday. But the next day, Riyan, supposedly a model, came to the house and raped the victim with Shimla’s help.

Meanwhile, three local goons named Nasir, Jewel and Emon visited the house and demanded to

know why Riyan and the victim was living in the same house.

When Riyan could not give a convincing answer, they confined Riyan in a room and took the victim to another room where they gang-raped her.

Later, the latter trio demanded a ransom of Tk50,000 to the victim’s father. Following the ransom call, the victim’s family contacted RAB 1 around 1am yesterday.

RAB promptly started looking for the girl and found her in Rampura after a few hours, arresting Riyan, Shimla and Dulia in the process. However, sensing RAB’s presence, Nasir, Jewel and Emon fled the house, said RAB 1 Director Lt Col Tuhin Mohammad Masud.

The victim’s father filed a case with Rampura police station accusing the six for abducting and raping his daughter.

Sub-Inspector Shahed Hasan of Rampura police station said the victim’s forensic test could not be conducted yesterday as it was Friday.

“We are working to find the other three culprits.” l

A school student and his mother carefully step over a fat bundle of cables that runs across a foot overbridge near Monipur High School in Shewrapara, Dhaka. Internet and cable TV service providers have taken the liberty of running their cables across the overbridge – whether they have the permission to do so or not is anyone’s guess. This blatant disregard for public convenience causes a number of accidents during the after-school rush every day, as students and their guardians often trip over the cables. The Dhaka North City Corporation, which is supposed to be in charge of this overbridge’s maintenance, has yet to take any action in this regard. The photo was taken on Wednesday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com