24 April, 2016

SECOND EDITION

SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

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Boishakh 11, 1423, Rajab 16, 1437

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 3

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

RU teacher Rezaul Karim killed Jamil Khan in n Mohammad Dhaka and Dulal Abdullah from Rajshahi Suspected Islamic extremists yesterday morning hacked to death Rajshahi University’s English department teacher Prof AFM Rezaul Karim Siddique, the fourth teacher of the institution to be killed in a decade.

Well-known for his enthusiasm for music and literary works, Prof Rezaul was hacked with machetes by two assailants on motorcycle in an alley near his house in Shalbagan area of the town around 7:30am.

He was attacked while walking to the main road to catch a bus for the university at that time when presence of people was very thin in the alley.

Following the murder, officials of several law enforcement agencies visited the spot and observing the crime scene suggested that it could be an act of the militants who recently killed a number of secular writers and activists, and preachers belonging to Shia, Ahmadiyya, Hindu and Christian communities.

Later in the day, international

A team of Police Bureau of Investigation investigates the crime scene in an alleyway at Shalbagan Bazar in Rajshahi, where miscreants hacked Rajshahi University professor Dr AFM Rezaul Karim Siddique early yesterday AZAHAR UDDIN militant organisation Dae’sh or Islamic State claimed responsibility for the murder of Prof Rezaul for “calling to atheism,” said US-based

jihadi monitor website SITE Intelligence Group quoting Dae’sh’s Amaq news agency.

The government, however, re-

fuses to accept Dae’sh’s presence in Bangladesh claiming that these attacks were conducted by local militants.

After the murder, Progressive Students’ Alliance, an umbrella platform of several student organisations, and the students of English Department, brought out a protest procession on the campus.

RU Teachers’ Association also announced a number of programmes protesting the murder including a boycott of classes as a token protest today.

The agitating students also blocked Rajshahi-Dhaka Highway for around 30 minutes from 10:30am demanding quick arrest of the killers.

Proctor Mujibul Haque Azad Khan termed the murder utterly shocking, and said that it was another of the heinous murders.

Besides teaching, Prof Rezaul was the editor of literary magazine “Komolgandhar” and adviser to a cultural organisation named “Shundorom.” He was working to set up a music school in Shalbagan area.

Friends, colleagues and locals said that Prof Rezaul was a pious Muslim. He used to donate money to mosques and madrasas too.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Fourth teacher He was generous, cultural minded All who knew murdered in RU n Mohammad Jamil Khan and him in disbelief Dulal Abdullah Mohammad Jamil Khan Tribune Desk n

Attacks on teachers of Rajshahi University, believed to be a den of radical Islamist groups, is nothing new.

The latest killing took place yesterday when two assailants coming on motorcycles hacked to death English department teacher Prof AFM Rezaul Karim Siddique in the city’s Shalbagan area. The Bangladesh wing of international militant organisation Dae’sh or Islamic State claimed responsibility for the murder.

Earlier, sociology department teacher Prof AKM Shafiul Haque was killed near his house in Chouddopai area of the city on November 15, 2014. Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent claimed that their

INSIDE

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

‘BNP, civil society trying to save Shafik’ The prime minister’s ICT Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy said the BNP and some civil society members are trying to save Shafik Rehman.  PAGE 6

A professor of the English department at Rajshahi University, Rezaul Karim Siddique was a kind man, who loved to play numerous musical instruments.

Prof Rezaul was an expert in playing the sitar. He also established a music school at his residence in Dorgamaria of Baghmara area of Rajshahi.

He used to manage the school activities himself, and was never involved with any kind of political activity, according to his family and friends.

After a visit to his residence yesterday, we found the late professor’s sitar lying on his bed, with its box on the floor. It seems he even played just moments before heading out in the morning.

His bed was well-made; the bedsheet kept under the pillow properly. The telephone set kept beside the bed was covered by a clean cloth, while his other musical instruments - the ektara, the harmonium and the tabla - were kept under the bed. There were two bookshelves in the room, and a framed picture of a bird hung on the wall.

Hosne Ara, wife of Rezaul, said in a pained voice: “I am completely confused about the incident and what happened as he neither had any political connection nor any conflict with anyone.”

Rezaul’s brother-in-law, Mostafizur Rahman, said that Rezaul was the quiet type of person, who used to be busy with academics while at the university, and with musical instruments while at home. He did not even write any

blog, Mostafizur added.

About the music school, Mostafizur said that he often used to visit his native village had engaged in playing games and practicing music with children.

Beside cultural activities, Prof Rezaul also attended different religious programmes that were held in his village. His cousin Jebunnesa, also a member of Awami League of Rajshahi district, said Prof Rezaul had also donated to many mosques and madrashahs.

Rezaul was also involved with a cultural organisation named “Komolgandhar.” He used to contribute to the editorial in a small newspaper of the same name from the organisation.

Abdullah Al Mamun, associate professor of the English department, said: “Sir was a very good  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

GOP nomination rules

Where are the survivors?

That’s one rules oddity that became clear last week as the 168 members of the Republican National Committee and top party functionaries met in beachside splendor to discuss the GOP’s messy search for a consensus presidential candidate.  PAGE 24

Today is the third anniversary of Rana Plaza collapse, one of the worst industrial accidents in the world that killed at least 1,140 people and injured more than 2,500 – most of whom were RMG workers.  PAGE 32

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People who knew slain Rajshahi University teacher Prof AFM Rezaul Karim Siddique cannot believe that someone can kill such a calm and acquiescent person.

Condemnation and mourning came across from his colleagues, students, well wishers and those who even did not have intimacy with him but knew his name as a learned academician and music enthusiast.

Take Abdullah Al-Mamun, once a student of Prof Rezaul and now an associate professor of the same English department, who thinks that the killing did not take place for personal enmity.

“We never though this can happen. An introvert person like him who was not involved in politics  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

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‘BNP, civil society members trying to save Shafik Rehman’ n Abu Hayat Mahmud The prime minister’s ICT Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy said the BNP and some civil society members are trying to save Shafik Rehman, who was recently arrested for his alleged involvement in a plot to abduct and kill him.

Joy, son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, made the disclosure on his Facebook page yesterday.

“The BNP and some of our ‘civil society’ have been very busy on the defensive regarding Shafik Rehman. So let me provide a few concrete facts here,” he said.

Joy claimed that, according to US court records, the convicted FBI agent Robert Lustyk had written in text messages that Rizve Ahmed Caesar wanted to “off ” him.

“This is slang in the US for kill-

ing someone. Thus, Ahmed had told his co-conspirator that he wanted to kill me, well before he was arrested,” he added.

Joy said Shafik Rehman had direct contact with Lustyk. If a journalist is involved in a criminal activity to obtain documents, then that is a crime, and this was a crime in the US. So, Shafik Rehman can be tried by the US as well.

“Shafik Rehman, as a non-US citizen, had obtained secret FBI files through bribery. In the US this is espionage, and the sentence for that is life in a maximum security US prison,” he added in the Facebook status.

Noted journalist Shafik Rehman was arrested by plainclothesmen from his house in Dhaka’s Eskaton and put on five-day remand on April 16. l

BNP: Joy's Facebook status behind arrest of Shafik Rehman n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Terming Sajeeb Wazed Joy's claims “imaginary,” the BNP yesterday alleged that noted journalist Shafik Rehman was arrested only because of a Facebook status posted by the prime minister's son.

“The US court did not accept the allegation of a plot to abduct and physically assault Joy. Journalist Shafik Rehman was arrested and remanded only because of Joy's Facebook status,” BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said.

From a press conference at the party chief's Gulshan office, Fakhrul said that Shafik's second round remand was “inhuman.” The BNP leader also demanded his immediate release claiming that he had been falsely implicated in the case.

During the trial, Joy claimed himself a victim claiming that US citizen Rizve Ahmed Caesar had been planning to kidnap and kill him. But the court in its verdict said that it did not find any proof or supporting documents in this regard, Fakhrul said.

JaSaS vice-president's son Rizve, former FBI special agent Robert Lustyik and Lustyik's friend Johannes Thaler are currently serving jail sentences in the US. Police in Dhaka claim that sometime in 2012, Shafik met twice with the trio and

learnt about the plot to abduct and murder Joy. Rizve reportedly sent emails containing documents that described Joy’s day-to-day movement to Milton Bhuiyan, a business person living in New York’s Brooklyn. Milton then mailed the documents to Mahmudur Rahman, detained acting chief of the Daily Amar Desh newspaper. Milton also maintained regular communication with Shafik, police said.

After his remand, the DB police raided the house of Shafik Rehman and found some documents he had received from Lustyik.

Fakhrul mentioned that neither Shafik nor Mahmudur Rahman was named in the US case or the FIR lodged with Paltan police. “But Shafik Rehman has been harassed and Mahmudur shown arrested in the case.”

Moreover, the BNP leader demanded a neutral investigation into the connection of $300 million with Joy as mentioned in the documents placed before the US court during the trial.

“The government is not saying anything about the $300m whereas there is no trial in the plundering of thousands of crore from the share market and the Bangladesh Bank. People want to know about the source of the $300m,” Fakhrul said. l

RU teacher Rezaul Karim killed After the murder, the body was sent to Rajshahi Medical College morgue for post-mortem examination. The body was handed over to the family of the victim around 12:45pm.

He was buried at his ancestral home at Darmagaria village in Bagmara around 9:30pm after the third janaza.

Riasat Imtiaz Sourav, son of the victim, filed a case with Boalia police around 4pm against unnamed persons. RMP formed a six-member committee, led by Additional Commissioner Tamizuddin Ahmed Sarder, to monitor the case.

Dae’sh claimed its operations in Bangladesh, according to the latest

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

issue of Dabiq published on April 13, and revealed its plan of attacking Myanmar and India from its base in Bangladesh. “Our soldiers are sharpening their knives to slit the throats of atheists and Murtads who defame the Prophet,” it said.

Following this, the home minister said that a certain quarter from abroad was trying to convince the Bangladesh government that Dae’sh is actively operating in Bangladesh. “But I say there is no such operations. They are trying to create divisions among the Muslims through propagating such imaginary and baseless issue,” he had told the Dhaka Tribune.

Earlier, three teachers of the

same university were brutally killed by militants and members of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student body of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Sociology department teacher Prof AKM Shafiul Islam was hacked to death by assailants near his house in Chouddopai area of Rajshahi city on November 15, 2014.

On February 1, 2006, geography department’s Prof S Taher Ahmed went missing from the university’s residential area and his body found in a septic tank two days later.

Earlier, economics department teacher Prof Dr Yunus was hacked to death by assailants in Binodpur area near the university on December 28, 2004. l

Fourth teacher murdered in RU men had carried out the murder. It is believed that banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team is working as an affiliate of AQIS in Bangladesh.

Rajshahi police submitted charge sheet against 11 people mostly members of Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal on November 30 last year claiming that Prof Shafiul had been killed for personal conflict with an accounts officer of the university.

However, a Dhaka Tribune investigation found that the officer had never met the teacher and that members of Shibir could be behind the murder.

Geology and mining department teacher Prof S Taher Ahmed went

missing on February 1, 2006 and found dead in a septic tank of his house two days later. His colleague and Jamaat-backed teacher Mohiuddin, caretaker of the house Jahangir Alam, and Shibir leaders Abdus Salam, also brother of Jahangir, and Md Nazmul were sentenced to death on May 22, 2008 for the murder.

Two other charge-sheeted accused were acquitted.

On April 21, 2013, the High Court upheld the death sentence of Mohiuddin and Jahangir, and commuted the sentence of Salam and Nazmul.

The appeals filed against the verdict are pending with the Appellate Division for hearing.

Economics department teacher Prof Mohammad Yunus was hacked to death allegedly by Shibir members while he was going to offer Fajr prayers at a mosque in the city’s Binodpur area on December 24, 2004. Prof Yunus came under attack by Shibir men previously in 1988 and 1998.

Police charged eight members of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) for the murder. Two of them were given death penalty and six others acquitted on January 28, 2010. Following appeal hearing, the duo were given life-term imprisonment and fined Tk5,000 each on February 24 this year. l

All who knew him in disbelief and had no rival in his department, and had a happy family life cannot be killed like this,” he told the Dhaka Tribune over the phone yesterday.

“He used to come to the department quietly every morning, took classes and went home. He was an academician – had many research works,” he said.

“We used to call him RKS Sir. He was such a popular teacher that the first procession we organised here [on RU campus] protesting the murder drew more than 600 students and teachers,” said Abdullah, who was accompanying the body in an ambulance to his village home in the evening, demanding justice.

The slain professor’s family members and relatives were in the ambulance, followed by four buses full of mourning teachers and students to attend his rituals.

Some unidentified assailants hacked him to death in the city’s Shalbagan area yesterday morning

while he was heading to his workplace. Later international militant organisation Dae’sh or Islamic State claimed responsibility for the murder for “calling atheism.”

The brutal killing too left an impact in other educational institutions in Rajshahi.

Aminul Islam, a teacher of journalism department of Varendra University, said a tense situation prevailed on their campus since the death of Prof Rezaul.

“The people I met and talked since the news spread, everyone wanted to know why such a gentle man was killed in that brutal way. Is something worse going to happen?”

Aminul, a former student of RU, said.

Protests were also seen on social networking site Facebook and blogs soon after the news broke. A good number of his relatives, students and colleagues joined the vehement criticism.

Besides teaching, Prof Rezaul

was the editor of literary magazine “Komolgandhar” and adviser to a cultural organisation named “Shundorom.” He was working to set up a music school in Shalbagan area.

Friends, colleagues and locals said that Prof Rezaul was a pious Muslim. He used to donate money to mosques and madrasas too.

President of RU Teachers’ Association Ananda Kumar Saha demanded proper investigation into the murder. He said Prof Rezaul had not been involved in politics, but he had a profound love for music.

A person like him, who used to maintain reticence and avoid crowds, was known to have no enemy in the locality, claim several of his colleagues, neighbours and family members.

Wife of the slain professor Hosne Ara said her husband used to share everything with her, but he never discussed problems with other people. l

He was generous, cultural minded person, and was not involved in any kind of politics. He loved to spend time at room 227 of the Shahidullah Arts faculty where he used to be busy with Komolgandhar activities and play the tanpura and the flute.

Hasan Raza, director of RU debate organisation “Sundaram” and

a section officer of the university, said: “Prof Rezaul was very good with the sitar and he used to organise cultural programmes occasionally. He never hurt any religious sentiment and was very alert about it.”

Hamidur Rahman, assistant professor at Northern University

and cultural editor of local daily Sonar Desh, said that during his student life he saw Prof Rezaul as a generous man. Prof Rezaul never hurt anyone with his language or attitude, he said.

Such kind of death is really worrying for us, added Hamidur. l

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‘Justice yet to be ensured’ n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Policy think tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) has said five issues from the aftermath of the Rana Plaza disaster missing workers, treatment of the injured, reemployment, compensation and legal framework to ensure justice to victims – are yet to be addressed.

It also said that while Bangladesh’s RMG sector was slowly heading towards developing a decent working environment since the tragedy, a better coordinated and institutionalised approach was needed to expedite and sustain the process.

CPD organised a dialogue yesterday titled “Re-emerging from the Rana Plaza Tragedy: An Account on the Third Anniversary” ahead of the anniversary of the disaster.

“Rana Plaza victims are still worried about some issues - missing people, treatment of injured workers, reemployment, financial support and compensation,” CPD Additional Research Director Khondaker Golam Moazzem said in his keynote presentation, Post-Rana plaza Developments in Bangladesh.

There are fewer missing workers, but some still remain and their families are not getting any support because of this. According to the study, 55 workers are still missing, while the government statistic says it is 10.

While the health condition of injured workers has improved, a large section are still facing health related risks, said Moazzem.

Legal recourse made the least progress as four writs on victims’ compensation are awaiting hearing, while 11 cases violation of laws are pending, he said.

The registration of new trade unions has been slow compared to remediation, decreasing by 72% in 2015.

Inspection under the National Initiative has also been slow, with only five caps out of 300 approved by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments.

“Post-Rana Plaza period has experienced significant number of initiatives and activities, the key weaknesses and challenges have been identified,” he said.

The experiences from the tragedy can be applied to develop a responsible value chain

in the RMG sector as well as in other industries, he added.

“A better coordinated and institutionalised approach is needed to expedite this development process and make it sustainable so that Bangladesh can avoid incidents like Rana Plaza in the future,” CPD Distinguished Fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya said.

“It’s a matter of great concern that not a single case in connection with the Rana Plaza tragedy has been resolved even after three years of the disaster,” he said.

Authorities have inspected 3,632 RMG factories, but there are about 900 that have not been included in the process, he added.

CPD Chairman Rehman Sobhan said three issues should be addressed to avoid recurrence of a tragedy like Rana Plaza in the country.

These are removing weaknesses in the governance process, giving institutional recognition to RMG workers and addressing the global market dynamics that want to keep costs down by creating pressure on exporters, said Rahman.

Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar said challenges in the remediation process were improving the environment in shared and rented factory buildings, ensuring sufficient technical assistance, financing the remediation process and monitoring the process continuously.

“Remediation is good for business as well as for reputation and it helps to increase productivity,” said US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat, adding that even one incident could tarnish the image of the RMG sector.

“The RMG factories can only be considered safe once each and every one has carried out the process of remediation to fix faults identified by the inspections,” said ILO Country Director Srinivas B Reddy.

CPD suggested developing an institutional structure to deal with the transitional phase after 2018, a mechanism for long term treatment of injured workers, modalities for training for reemployment of injured workers, institutionalisation of inspection and monitoring process, developing responsible supply chain in the RMG sector, mechanism to ensure full compliance standard at the firm level and institutionalising the financial support system for injured industrial workers. l

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Only 31 RMG factories upgraded in 3 years RANA PLAZA DISASTER

n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Three years after the Rana Plaza disaster, only 31 RMG factories have fully completed the remediation process of improving safety and compliance as per international standards.

According to the latest information, a total of 3,768 RMG units have been inspected by the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, and National Initiative.

The remaining inspected factories are at different stages of repair works and improvements in safety – encompassing fire, electrical and structural safety – and compliance.

Some have made significant progress and others are at the final stage, awaiting approval from the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE).

Of the 31 factories that completed remediation works, 24 manufacture products for Alliance signatory brands and 7 for Accords signatory brands.

Of the inspected factories, 49.5% of RMG units that produce clothing for signatory brands of Alliance and approximately 60% of Accords have completed all required repairs.

However, remediation works in factories under the National Initiative is very slow. As of yesterday, only 50 RMG units placed Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) before the DIFE. BGMEA vice president Mahmud Hassan Khan Babu has said: “Remarkable progress has been made in safety standards as the initiatives taken by the government and other stakeholders are going on in

come,” he added.

“Fire, electrical and structural safety in the RMG factories, producing for the Accord signatory companies, in general, have improved significantly. Approximately 60% of the findings from our initial inspections have been reported as corrected,” said executive director of Accord Rob Wayss.

“The biggest issue right now is to simply achieve the will and commitment to complete the remediation at inspected factories. Almost all of the technical and capacity challenges faced earlier in the execution of the Accord with the inspected factories have now been overcome,” he added.

“The process of remediation should be a part of culture, and the issue of safety is now a matter of adoption,” Sultan said.

“If safety improvements are made only to please people, then the safety works will not be sustainable. The stakeholders and the government

RMG FACTORY INSPECTION STATUS

3,768 Inspected by Accord 1,552 Inspected by Alliance 677 Inspected by National Initiative 1,549 Fully repaired RMG units 31 Closed factories 39 Partially closed factories 42 Required repairs done +50% Total inspected factories

full swing.”

“The government is serious about taking reform initiatives to make the RMG sector safe and secure. But we remain concerned about the government’s current capacity that is crucial to complete the process and maintain the sector in the years to

Trials yet to start

Orphans of Rana Plaza

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

n Syed Samiul Basher Anik Some kids have either lost their father, or mother, or both in the same tragedy.

However, unlike in the case of general orphans, these kids hope to lead a better life.

These kids are none other than the children of the Rana Plaza collapse, the worst industrial disaster in the history of Bangladesh, that killed at least 1,135 people and injured several thousands on April 24, 2013.

Girls aged between 6 and 13 years have now found shelter in Anjuman Ajijul Islam Balika Home at Pathulia in Savar and eventually, the place has turned into their own home – their own family.

With the assistance and supervision of humanitarian organisation Anjuman Mofidul Islam, all these kids are studying in local Nobin Green View Model High School for a better future.

“I am happy with my school. After coming home, I play different games with my friends here,” said Mina Akhter, who lost her parents in the tragic incident.

These kids not only leading a normal life but also learning to have a dream, a life of their own, due to the laudable initiative of the welfare organisation.

Shahana Akhter, 8, and Sumona Akhter, 10, of the Anjuman Mofidul Islam orphanage, said they want to be doctors to help people, particularly the poor ones, so that no one has to die without any treatment.

Morsheda Akhter, one of the older

ones among the girls, considers every single girl in the orphanage like her own sister.

“When they are upset, I always treat them with affection like their own sister would. Pray for me so that I can get a job in the future and can take care of all of my siblings here,” she added.

The girl’s home initially began its journey with six girls on February 5, 2014. Gradually, it accommodated 20 girls in its structures in a 10-katha land (0.835 acres) donated by one AHM Azizul Islam of Savar.

Initially, the plan was to build an old home but after the collapse of Rana Plaza, the management decided to make a children’s home on the land and accommodate the collapse affected girls, said MI Chowdhury, convener of sub committee of the girls’ home Anjuman Mofidul Islam will do any-

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Trial is yet to begin in the two cases filed over the Rana plaza tragedy that took over 1,100 lives, due to slow trial process and alleged negligence of the concerned officials.

Most of the people accused in the cases have taken bail from the courts and are going about their lives, while 12 are still on the run as law enforcers have failed to arrest them in the three years since the incident.

Because of delay in investigation, the affected workers and leaders of labour rights organisations expressed doubt whether the workers would at all get justice or not.

On June 1, 2015, CID’s Bijoy Krishna Kar, the investigating officer on the cases, pressed charges against 59 people. In one case he named 594 prosecution witnesses and in the other 130.

One of the two charge sheets named 41 people including Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana, his parents Abdul Khaled and Morjina Begum and the five factory owners from the building for causing the deaths of 1,135 people.

The other case was against 18 people charged with the violation of the building code.

Sohel Rana and 16 others are charged in both the cases.

IO Bijoy Krishna said at that time that murder charges had been brought against 41 people includ-

thing and everything for the welfare of these kids in future, he assured.

Another 38 kids get ORCA shelter Another 38 boys of the victims of the tragic Rana Plaza incident have got their shelters in two separate homes of Old Rajshahi Cadets Association (ORCA).

Among them, nine are residing in ORCA Homes in Chittagong, and another 29 in ORCA Homes in Gaibandha.

These children are not leading lives like in a traditional orphanage, rather living a daily routine of students of a cadet college. Healthy diet and modern education are elementary in the homes, while games and sports have also been made part of their daily activities, said Captain Zahanayar of ORCA. “Another 20 kids of Rana Plaza will soon join the others in the Gaibandha homes,” said the ORCA member. l

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should continue to make the issues of progress and safety a sustainable one. The inclusion of workers and all stakeholders in safety awareness and raising their voices in concern is a must for safety,” he added.

Labour and Employment Senior Secretary Mikail Shipar cited five challenges, including shared factory buildings, rented factory buildings, insufficient technical assistance, continuous monitoring of the remediation process, and remediation financing. He also said the government is working earnestly to face the challenges and end the remediation process in time.

The issue of safety in the country’s apparel sector came under the spotlight after the Rana Plaza building collapsed, killing more than 1,135 workers three years ago.

In the aftermath of the incident, the tripartite initiatives were taken to improve safety standards in the country’s RMG sector. l

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ing Sohel Rana, the factory owners and elected local representatives as they had deliberately thrown workers into a death trap.

Five months after the submission on December 21, 2015, the court accepted the charge sheet against the 41 accused in the murder case. In the other case, filed under the Building Construction Act, the court accepted the charges on July 8.

The murder case is now at the court of Dhaka District and Sessions Judge SM Kuddus Zaman and the second case is pending with the court of Judicial Magistrate Jesmin Ara begum.

Both the courts have asked the accused to appear before them on April 28 before the formal trial process begins.

Additional Public Prosecutor Anwarul Kabir Babul said, “We are working hard to start the trials in the cases. Charges will be framed against the accused very soon.”

“The courts have ordered the accused to appear before them on April 28. On that day the courts will fix the dates for the hearing of charge framing,” he added.

According to the charge sheets, 45 pages in themselves and accompanied by 3,362 case related documents, the CID brought charges against the accused under penal code sections 302, 325, 326, 337, 338, 427, 465, 471, 112, 109, 34 and section 12 of the Building Construction Act. l Sylhet

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Fajr: 4:07am | Zohr: 11:57pm Asr: 3:24pm | Magrib: 6:27pm Esha: 7:54pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

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US seeks voice for workers to refuse to work in vulnerable buildings n UNB US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat yesterday said workers should be given a strong and powerful voice so that they can say ‘no’ to work in a factory having a cracked wall as it is a matter of workplace safety.

“It’s critically important for workers to have a strong and powerful voice to be able to say ‘we won’t work in that building with a cracked wall’ and be heard and respected,” she said addressing a function in the city.

Three years ago the Rana Plaza building collapsed, crushing

workers underneath and drawing the world’s attention to the safety concerns in Bangladesh. In just one day, Bangladesh lost more than 1,100 lives with hundreds of others being injured and scarred for life.

Recalling the human cost of that day, Bernicat said she had a chance

to meet some of the survivors of the tragedy and heard from them about the challenges they still face on a day-to-day basis. “We can never make those who survived such a tragedy whole again. But we can do our best to avoid such a tragedy happen again.”

The US diplomat said the United

States has done everything it can to ensure Bangladesh workers are protected by strong occupational safety and health standards. “We’ve provided $1.5 million to the International Labor Organisation to improve fire and building safety in Bangladesh,” she added. l

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UP polls end amid violence n Tribune Desk Violence, staffing and intimidation marred the third phase voting in the Union Parishad elections across the country yesterday.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad however claimed that the elections were comparatively peaceful.

He further said the extent of irregularities and violence was less than that of the two other phases of voting conducted earlier to the lowest tire of the local government.

The CEC informed that the election officials suspected voting in 24 centres. He also said that a large number of voters were seen on the queue to exercise their right to franchise.

“We hope the next phases of elections will be completed without any trouble,” he added.

The voting completed around 4pm amid tight security in most of the local constituencies.

Our Comilla correspondent said two groups of Awami League and BNP supporters clashed in four polling centres in Comilla leaving three people injured.

In Durgapur, at least three batches of ballot papers were snatched away by the supporters of a member candidate from a centre while at two centres in Burichang upazila.

Police fired guns to disperse the troublemakers and detain three persons on the scene.

Our Brahmanbaria correspondent said three television journalists were injured clashes between two rival groups.

The supporter of Awami League backed chairman candidate Shahjahan Mia stormed Chunta AC Academy polling centre and snatched ballots from the centre.

At one stage they allegedly attacked three on duty TV journalists when they were trying to cover the ballot snatching at the scene.

Judicial and executive magistrates, BGB personnel and police had been deployed in the respective areas to maintain law and order.

Meanwhile, two people 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 Friday 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.

In Mithapukur of Rangpur, candidate Shakhawat filed a murder

Female voters wait for hours in queue during the UP elections for their turn to exercise their franchise yesterday. The picture was taken from Bonkeshor Government Primary School centre, Tanore in Rajshahi AZAHAR UDDIN case accusing 14 people including Fakrul. No one had been arrested so far, reported our correspondent.

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 reported 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 had been carried out at Madarpur Sadar Hospital morgue. Additional police have been deployed in the area to prevent further untoward incidents.

In Lakshmipur, voting in two polling centres of Sonapur union in Raipur upazila were suspended following the allegations of capturing the centres, reported our correspondent.

Raipur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sharmin ordered the suspension of balloting at Sonapur Government Primary School around 10:45 am as miscreants tried to take control of the centre.

Besides, Mainuddin, presiding officer of Rakhali High School in Sonapur union, suspended election at the centre as miscreants attempted to capture it in the morning.

Pro-BNP candidates alleged that their agents were driven out from a number of polling centres by Awami League-backed candidates, an allegation turned down by the ruling party leaders.

Meanwhile, mobile courts arrested a member of candidates at Sonapur Government Primary School polling centre on charges of creating chaos during the polling.

Our Chandpur correspondent said voting in four polling centres in Faridganj upazila was suspended on allegation of capturing the centres and stamping ballot papers forcibly during the elections.

Nurul Amin, a presiding officer of Sreekalia polling centre, said miscreants broke into three polling stations under no 5 Gupti union and started stamping ballots forcibly, creating chaos.

Later, the authorities suspended voting in the centres, including Sreekalia, Nawab Ali High School and Asta Mahamaya High School centres.

Meanwhile, polling in Saisanga Government Primary School polling centre under no 6 Gupti union was also suspended as a group of miscreants stamped ballot papers forcibly after storming it, said presiding officer Bedar Uddin Khan.

At least 70 people were critically injured in clashes during the poll.

According to reports of our Gaibandha correspondent, Mofazzel Hossain and Shahjahan Munshi of Gaibandha union locked in an altercation over taking control of the Porarchar Government Primary School polling centre around 10am.

At one stage, both the groups swooped on each other leaving 10 people injured. Police fired six to seven rounds of bullet to disperse them.

In Jamalpur, 10 people were injured in a clash between the supporters of two union parishad member candidates over taking control of a polling centre in Islampur upazila, reported our correspondent.

According to sources, Of the 25 single chairman candidates, five each are in Kushtia and Munshiganj, four in Narayanganj, two each in Shariatpur, Comilla and Lakshmipur, and one each in Jamalpur, Jhenaidah, Rajbari, Noakhali and Khagrachari.

As per the latest statistics provided by the Election Commission, some 1,450 candidates from 13 political parties while around 1,150 independent contenders are contesting the polls.

Though AL has contestants in all the UPs, its archrival Bangladesh Nationalist Party has no chairman candidates in 81 UPs in this phase.

Besides, 156 chairman candidates of HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party are in the election race.

Meanwhile, 20,943 contestants for member posts and 6,298 candidates for reserved seats (exclusively

for women) contesting the election.

Of the contestants, 174 member candidates and 79 candidates for reserved seats have already been elected unopposed finding no rivals against their posts.

Five magistrates four executive ones and a judicial one remained deployed to punish polling irregularities in each of 87 upazilas.

Alongside the magistrates, additional number of police, RAB, BGB, APBn, Ansar and coast guard remain posted in the election areas to maintain electoral environment.

Over three dozens of people have so far been killed in election-related violence since February 11 last, the day the commission announced the schedule for the first phase of the staggered UP elections.

Ruling AL on Thursday last conveyed its party’s chief prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s views to the EC that she does not want to see any anomaly, fault and deviation in the elections.

On March 15, the EC announced the election schedule for the third phase.

In the first two phases of elections held in March last, a total of 87 AL chairman contestants went unopposed, while BNP had no chairman candidates in some 200 UPs out of 1,370.

As part of the EC’s plan to arrange polls to 4,275 UPs out of the country’s total 4,546 in six phases by June next, the commission has so far announced the election schedules for the first five phases. l

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8

News

SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

Waterways transport strike continues Hussain, n Anwar Chittagong Operational activities in 16 jetties of Karnaphuli River and the outer anchorage of Chittagong Port remained suspended for the third consecutive day yesterday as water transport workers press home for their 15-point demand.

Transportation of goods from jetties of Karnaphuli River to different parts of the country also remained suspended.

Tinku Pal, assistant secretary of Water Transport Cell,

told the Dhaka Tribune that around 100 lighter and 30 mother vessels laden with goods such as food grains, cement clinkers, urea fertiliser, wheat and pulse were sitting idle in 16 private and Chittagong Port Authority jetties.

“We are very concerned as we have to incur a huge loss which may amount to $10,000-$15,000 if any vessel overstays at the outer anchorage of the port,” said Ahsanul Haque Chowdhury, vice chairman of Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association.

“The government should

sit with the agitating vessel workers without any delay for reaching an amicable solution,” added the leader of the shipping agents.

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. l

Harvesting of Boro paddy has begun in Kishoreganj in full swing. The picture taken from a field at Katiadi of the district yesterday shows farmers heading home carrying paddy DHAKA TRIBUNE

Tortured madrasa student to get treatment Tauhid-Uz-Zaman, n Md Jessore Abuzar, a ten-year-old madrasa student, rescued by police from Magura’s Vaina Mor busstand area in Jessore on Monday tied up in a shackle and a big block of wood is going to get treatment.

According to local sources, Dr Humayun Kabir, deputy commissioner of Jessore, has taken the responsibility of the treatment to the boy.

UNO Md Ashek Hasan said a check was sent to family members of the boy on Friday.

The sources saod Abuzar, son of Abdul Alim, hailing

from Indra village in Bagharpara upazila of the district, was bound by shackles by his madrasah teacher, Jahangir Hossain, so that he could not escape.

He was admitted at Bagharpara’s Sadullyapur madrasah three years ago. He was physically assaulted by Jahangir ever since.

This motivated him to flee the madrasaha on several occasions, but was convinced by his father every time to return.

Jahangir therefore devised a method of tying him in shackles and wood so that he could not escape four months ago, also forcing him to soli-

tary confinement.

Allegations have been brought up against the boy’s family as they had reportedly given their consent to Jahangir’s tactics.

Abuzar later successfully was able to escape on Monday evening and board a Magura-bound bus, where after getting off at Vayna, locals spotted his questionable shackles and informed the police.

Ajmal Huda, officer-inCharge of Magura Sadar police station, said a local journalist had brought the shackle-bound boy to their station, after which they informed his father.

9

SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

3

Let’s get started!

In general, there are types of external investment: 1. Lenders Loans which must be paid back to the source with, or without, interest.

2. Equity Investors Equity capital, which are provided in return for a share of the business.

Muhammad Saimum Hossain, Co-Founder and Lead Analyst of GEEKY Consulting, is also a finance lecturer at Dhaka University and a successful Bangladeshi Entrepreneur.

Part 1 of 2

3. Grants Prizes and gifts which are not required to be reimbursed.

When it comes to financial advice for your startup, he’s the perfect fit.

Here are the sources of funds he suggested to keep in mind when launching off your business, along with a few other tips.

@ Idea Stage But what about internal sources of finance?

Family and Friends You borrow money from the closest people you have.

Hint: Make a legal contract regardless, outlining what they may be expecting or what you shall offer.

This is vital in the long-run.

“Not every StartUp needs to reach out externally for monetary requirements. In the initial stages of your business’s life cycle, it’s better to Bootstrap and work for your own investment than to rely on others. Dig into your own pockets.”

@ Seed Stage

@ Idea Stage Crowdfunding Process of raising money from donors.

Incubators Groups which helps you business grow through mentorship, equipment and training.

It helps you polish your perspective and forces you to create a lucrative business model, for you are pitching to an external audience.

Hint:

There are 2 types...

Incubators expect to be able to influence your decisions for their benefit, which makes you lose independance over your objectives.

@ Seed Stage

“For a country like Bangladesh, crowdfunding still doesn’t look like a viable option.

Our property rights and minority investment rights are not well established.

The legal structure won’t hold up such forms of financing as of yet.

However, it’s always the first movers who gain the glory. That, could be YOU.” Content reprinted from www.startup-bd.com

Part one of two

DT

Career

Traditional Crowdfunding Process of raising money, but NOT giving up shares of your business.

Equity Crowdfunding Money in return of equity.

DT

10

Feature

SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

Shaping up your work life n Fariel Samiha Sadaf The first step in developing career goals is to assess your own personal characteristics - your skills and interests, likes and dislikes, and your strengths and weaknesses. You may then match your “profile” to a specific job or career goal.

People tend to fall into their careers and then gravitate towards the roles that fits them best. It is highly advisable to identify aspects of your present and past jobs that will help you determine your career goals, such as traits or skills that are required, aspects of the previous jobs you liked and disliked, skills you have developed through education, jobs, hobbies, volunteer work, clubs etc.

We believe a career should be looked at a bit like a project and by using the techniques explained below, you can propel your career to the highest levels within your field.

Carve out a chunk of time Career visioning cannot, and should not, be rushed. It’s also something that may take several attempts before things begin to clear and you start getting a grasp of your ideal future.

Conduct a self-assessment to determine current skills, interests, and values. In addition to an assessment of current job strengths and areas of improvement, ask questions such as: • What do I value?

• How satisfied am I in my current job?

• How well does my job meet my needs?

• If I wanted to make a change, what would it be?

• How do others see me?

• How do I want to be seen?

• What makes me happy?

Review core work values Core values are governing principles that help you make rational decisions consistently. If you compromise any of your core values, you will find it becomes easy to disregard your entire value system. Therefore, you should only deviate from your values if you have identified that a few of them are no longer applicable or needs alteration. It is beneficial to follow values that will help you make the right decisions along the journey. When we have solid core values that govern our decision making; we become more judicial.

As a result, we are able to align our decisions and actions in times

of crisis and change; giving us an edge over most other people.

Answer the following questions as you begin considering your personal core values: • What are my moral absolutes?

• How do I define right from wrong?

• How would I define ethics as it relates to work?

• What values will help me build strong relationships?

Suspending logic Remember that with a career vision anything should be possible to accomplish, so find a way to turn off any negative thinking that will block you from thinking big.

Don’t assume the future is limited to what is happening today.

Setting career development goals Goal-setting techniques are used by successful people in all fields. By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure your progress and continuously motivate yourself to progress towards the vision you have for your ideal work life.

You will be able to see forward movement in what might otherwise feel like a long, pointless grind. By setting your goals and and taking action towards them,

you will raise your self-confidence.

Express your goals positively, rather than framing them in terms of what you don’t want. Try to be precise in setting dates, times, and amounts so that you know when you have achieved your goals. Set priorities so that you know which of your goals to focus your attention towards and helps you avoid feeling overwhelmed by having too many goals. Write your goals down so that you can visually be reminded of them and so that you can craft them to be precise and clear. Break down your goals into small, achievable tasks so that you get frequent opportunities to accomplish them and feel motivated to take on other goals.

Finally, set realistic goals that you can achieve and that are in your own control.

Career exploration Once you have determined your skills, strengths, and interests, you can use various tools to explore and identify the career areas that “fit” your profile. Career ladders identify opportunities for possible career change or promotion from one job classification to another.

An excellent way to research a career field is to talk with

individuals who are working in that field. Most people are happy to talk about the kind of work they do, and people who are performing the job can often provide you a more realistic description of what the job is really like. Explain that you are exploring your career options and are considering their field as a possible career. Ask them for an honest assessment of their job, such as the pros and cons of the work, the most rewarding features, and the most frustrating aspects.

Developing a plan of action Develop a plan of activities to reach your goal. Think of this plan as a step-by-step statement of the specific activities needed to reach your goal. These activities or objectives should focus on enhancing your education, skills, knowledge, or experience and should be measurable and tailored to achieve your specific career goal. You must be able to recognise when you are working towards your goal and when your goal has been accomplished. Be specific and set dates. You may also consider scheduling a meeting with someone that you believe can provide you constructive feedback on your plan.

Pursuing your plan The personal development aspects of a career development plan can be successful only if you are committed to the plan. You should be prepared to commit a portion of your own time and effort to accomplish this plan. Completing your planned work experience and/or training activities is your responsibility. You’ll need to seek help when necessary, be flexible, and periodically reassess your career development plan.

It’s always helpful if you identify your own priorities and adopt a good attitude towards attaining your goals. One of the most crucial steps in becoming fully effective is to know your worth. People with a good attitude take the initiative whenever they can. l Reprinted from www.everjobs.com.bd

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Editorial 11

SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

INSIDE

The road from Rana Plaza Building a safer, more sustainable garment industry will be the best and most lasting memorial to those who suffered at Rana Plaza PAGE 12

System failure Trust in medical care has hit rock bottom.

But an atmosphere of hostility between the public and the health profession undoubtedly is detrimental to both.

This situation must, by all means, be circumvented through initiation of due process PAGE 13

NASHIRUL ISLAM

Lest we forget

The pope talks to Europe The pope was reaching out to Muslims.

He has done this before and he will do so again. His faith is inclusive; his concern for human suffering transcends the boundaries of faith. But he was also telling Europe that it could not remain indifferent, or become hostile to families like that of Nour Essa and her husband Hasan PAGE 14

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

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

A

pril 24, 2013 was a watershed moment for the RMG industry, not just in Bangladesh, but globally.

The needless deaths in the Rana Plaza disaster which killed 1,135 workers and injured over 2,500 people, showed once and for all that the garment industry has to reform.

For too long, the global garment supply chain has tolerated an unacceptable level of fatal incidents, whether in Bangladesh, as at Tazreen and Spectrum, or in other manufacturing nations.

It is no longer possible to look the other way and hope that inspections alone will be enough to ensure standards required by the law and codes of conduct will be sufficient to prevent abuses and orovide the decent conditions which workers deserve and consumers demand.

As we remember the victims and support efforts to help survivors, and hold to account those responsible, it is also important to look forward.

Building a safer, more sustainable garment industry in Bangladesh and worldwide is the best and most appropriate way to honour the memory of those who suffered at Rana Plaza.

It is commendable that collaborative efforts to improve safety via government and ILO efforts and the Accord and Alliance stakeholder safety initiatives have been making considerable progress in inspecting factories and identifying areas for improvement.

The attention drawn on the indsutry has also helped increse offficial attention paid to labour rights issues and to improving wages and conditions.

For the longer term, everything possible that can be done to prevent future disasters must be a high priority for brands, consumers, and governments the world over.

It is in the common interest of buyers, factory owners, and workers alike for Bangladesh’s garment industry to improve its standards, as consumers and buyers will also gain from higher standards through improvements in productivity.

Building a safer, sustainable garment industry is the best way to honour those who suffered at Rana Plaza

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DT

Opinion

SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

The road from Rana Plaza The three-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy should remind us of the urgency of improving factory safety in Bangladesh

n Niaz Alam

T

hree years on, the scale of the pain caused by the Rana Plaza tragedy remains as shocking as

ever.

Among the hundreds of RMG workers who survived the factory collapse that killed 1,135 people on April 24, 2013, three fifths still suffer serious physical and psychological after-effects.

Around half are unemployed and less than one in 20 wish to return to work in the garment industry.

The reminder provided by the anniversary will hopefully boost ongoing efforts to aid, rehabilitate, and provide solidarity to all survivors and the families of the bereaved.

The ILO chaired fund set up by the Rana Plaza Arrangement backed by the government and leading brands has made invaluable progress in enabling support to be provided for victims in line with the standards required

by ILO Convention 121, without getting delayed by legal disputes.

Those brands who led the way in supporting the Arrangement deserve recognition for acting transparently to speed the flow of compensation available to victims.

It was tacit acknowledgement on their part that the vast majority of bargaining power and finance within the garment sector lies in the hands of global buyers and they are the ones with the most ability to facilitate improvements to standards and wages in the industry.

As for the people most directly responsible on the day, the building owners and managers who forced workers back into a factory which had been officially declared unsafe, murder charges were filed last year against 42 different people and the city development authority RAJUK has filed a separate case against 13 people, for flouting the National Building Code.

Hope remains that the wheels of justice will keep turning and the survivors’ needs will not be forgotten.

For Bangladesh, the anniversary is a salutary reminder of the need to redouble efforts to build a better future for the millions of people who work in or are dependent on the RMG sector.

Building a safer, more sustainable garment industry will be the best and most lasting memorial to those who suffered

at Rana Plaza. To reach this goal, all stake-holders in the global garment chain need to stay focused on co-operative efforts to raise standards by remembering:

1. There is no substitute for vigilance

Official government efforts and the Accord and Alliance brand led stake-holder safety initiatives are making a real and meaningful difference.

Building a safer, more sustainable garment industry will be the best and most lasting memorial to those who suffered at Rana Plaza

Factory inspections are steadily and surely identifying and repudiating areas for improvement.

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.

Renewed attention has also been given to labour rights issues and the minimum wage was raised after a long hiatus.

2. Co-operation is key

Stake-holder collaboration is vital to help build the long-term partnerships needed to help grow Bangladesh’s garment manufacturing sector as a safe and sustainable industry.

The stake-holder safety initiatives and Rana Plaza Arrangement signal how industry wide co-operation can help bring about a sea-change in attitudes.

Amid an ever competitive global marketplace, brands and buyers need to keep playing their part in working to help factory owners secure the finance to fund

The garment industry still has a long way to go to ensure worker safety improvements.

It is in everybody’s interest to raise standards here and now in Bangladesh, where the industry is well-rooted than elsewhere where the same downward pressures on prices and standards create the same challenges.

Investing more in long-term orders and building closer relationships with well-performing producers, is key to improving the sector’s cash flow and securing new funds to keep upgrading standards.

It is a testament to the Bangladesh garment industry’s collective resilience that it has continued to grow and reach out to new markets despite all the pressures it is facing. There are encouraging signs that leading manufacturers and the BGMEA are now taking more of a lead in building better factories and investing more in research and development to raise productivity in the apparel industry.

Much more co-operation is needed to ensure the benefits of improved conditions and better safety standards reach across all the tiers of the supply chain.

The short lead times, low margins, and large amount of sub-contracting inherent in fast fashion, make it imperative that all stake-holders work closely to identify and close off loopholes which enable codes of conduct to be broken.

3. Government must play its part

The government has to do more to ensure it fully enforces safety standards and labour laws.

It is welcome then the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments now has 277 inspectors to ensure welfare, safety, and health of human resources working in industrial sectors, compared to just 42 three years ago.

The government also needs to keep up a national focus on enhancing labour rights and

developing better workplace insurance systems. This can help not only improve working conditions and increase the appeal of Bangladeshi goods, but also strengthen the industry’s case for securing a fairer deal from importing nations.

Lack of land and reliable energy supplies are the two biggest deterrents that impede investors from developing safer, modern factories. It is still vital then for the government to facilitate and attract greater investment in new factories by freeing up underused state owned land for the development of EPZs and industrial parks.

4. A better future needs a level playing field

Despite the WTO Bali package, it is telling that little has changed since the IMF’s famous 2002 report on the “The Truth about Industrial Country Tariffs.”

Developing countries that export primarily agricultural and labour-intensive goods such as textiles and clothing are still hard hit by large industrial countries’ tariff policies.

This remains particularly the case with Bangladesh RMG exports to the United States, where the IMF study showed in 2001, the US collected duties of $331 million in 2001 on total imports from Bangladesh then worth $2.5bn, which was slightly more than the $330m it collected on $30bn of imports from France.

With Bangladesh now an even bigger RMG supplier to the US market, the picture is somewhat worse with well over $800m now paid each year in tariffs to the US government on imported Bangladeshi garments.

The tariff rate charged on Bangladeshi RMG exports to the US (15.6%), the second highest in this category, is especially discriminatory, as it is higher than nearly all other developing countries and roughly five times

NASHIRUL ISLAM

that charged on RMG exports from China and India.

It compares unfavourably with the EU’s “everything but arms” duty and quota-free scheme.

As it is stated, US policy to officially encourage efforts to raise labour standards in Bangladesh, if the US does not wish to remove its tariff, it should adopt the proposal made by the former chief economist of the Bangladesh Bank and establish a “tariffs for standards” fund.

By putting a portion of the excess rate paid by Bangladesh, say $200m, into a fund administered by a third party to finance factory upgrades and improvements in working standards, the US could help level the playing field for Bangladeshi exporters by directly supporting increased investment in improving Bangladesh’s RMG sector.

5. Climbing the value chain beats a race to the bottom It is in the common interest of buyers and factory owners and workers alike for Bangladesh’s garment industry to improve its standards, as consumers and buyers will also gain from higher standards through improvements in productivity.

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

This is particularly crucial for the Bangladesh RMG sector, which needs to both adapt to new competition and invest in improving workforce skills so the industry can keep rising up the value chain. 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.

13

DT

Opinion

SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

System failure Let’s get to the heart of what causes medical negligence

Is he getting the care he needs?

BIGSTOCK

n Raqibul Mohammad Anwar

I

n the recent past, there has been a number of high profile unexplained and unexpected deaths in health care in Bangladesh, with parties involved blaming and counter-blaming.

This is not a unique phenomenon applicable only to Bangladesh, though the standard processes involved in resolving such issues are not in place.

In the UK, analysis of inquest files over a 10-year period from coroners’ offices has demonstrated a three-fold increase in complaints by relatives to coroners and the police about standards of medical treatment. It may not be very surprising as relatives of the deceased are likely to search for accountability in potential “avoidable patient death” cases.

In the UK, coroners and the police are now more likely to see it as their duty to consider whether a criminal act may have taken place, and invoke the necessary steps to allow further investigation.

This process can include laying charges of “gross negligence manslaughter” against any number of health care professionals involved in a patient’s death based on the guideline set by House of Lords, that states whether the conduct and breach of the care by the doctor was so bad in all the circumstance he or she was placed

Trust in medical care has hit rock bottom. But an atmosphere of hostility between the public and the health profession undoubtedly is detrimental to both. This situation must, by all means, be circumvented through initiation of due process

as to constitute a crime.

In an attempt to clarify matters, the concept of recklessness has been introduced to define what may be considered gross negligence.

Recklessness is having an awareness of the consequences of an action, inaction, or omission, but continuing regardless. While this concept may be helpful, it remains for a court to decide whether the events go beyond a matter of compensation for the victim and constitute a crime.

In Bangladesh, the allegation of death and serious disability due to medical negligence is rather common. According to Ain O Salish Kendro, at least 50 cases of death allegedly due to such negligence are reported in newspapers in the country every year.

A recent study by the University of Dhaka demonstrated that almost 95% of patients attending health care facilities researched allege of negligence, up to 75%

of the patients felt that the negligence had led to a worsening of their condition, and half of the patients felt that the doctors providing care were negligent of their responsibility.

Many of the victims of medical negligence, particularly resulting in death, may seek compensation under civil law, and gross negligence may be made criminally liable under certain penal codes in Bangladesh.

However, the process is long drawn, expensive, adversarial, unfriendly, and non-co-operative to both doctors and patients.

Though health professionals should not be exempt from the criminal process, and proper application of law is imperative to safeguard both patients and the medical profession to prevent serious untoward incidents and to save lives, criminal law can be a very blunt instrument when applied to such a complex field as health care.

In the UK, the number of cases of criminal prosecution against the medical profession is very small indeed, and the Crown Prosecution Service treats these cases very differently from most other criminal cases, and has specialist units set up to assist.

Most doctors accept the burden of civil litigation and are indemnified either by the National Health Service or by long-standing indemnity organisations such as the Medical Protection Society or the Medical Defence Union.

The possibility of criminalisation, however, is taken very seriously by the medical profession, which self-regulates in the UK and is extremely keen to provide the best health care possible with dignity, as a successful prosecution even in a single medical manslaughter can have significant ramifications for doctors and health care.

In recent weeks, I have tried to emphasise on the issue of

health care human resource development. The demand for health care services exceeds supply by many times over.

We know that the country lacks adequate and appropriate health care human resources and hardly have one-fiftieth to onehundredth of the required medical specialists.

Is it, then, unusual to find doctors working beyond their ability of physical, social, and psychological endurance, exposed to error, malpractice, and criminal negligence.

Trust in medical care has hit rock bottom. But an atmosphere of hostility between the public and the health profession undoubtedly is detrimental to both.

This situation must, by all means, be circumvented through initiation of due process, otherwise the mistrust of the public on the medical profession would continue to rise, making good doctors feel alienated, unvalued, and frustrated.

This unfriendly situation will only encourage and benefit those who wish not to respect the profession’s honour and continue to practice immorally and unethically.

The greatest tragedy for patients, and equally for dedicated and devoted health care professionals, is the very absence of ways to distinguish between system failure, individual error, or frank negligence, and this is due to the absence of established processes of governance both clinical and corporate, accountability, and a regulatory framework that would help doctors to understand their strengths and weakness, ways to improve their care, and fulfil their very objective that led them choosing a medical career, the noblest of professions.

And hence, we must now engage in robust debate with politicians, law-makers, and health care management bodies such as the ministry and DG health on medical negligence to ensure patient safety, transparency, and best practice, and safeguard the competent, dedicated, and hardworking medical practitioners. l Professor Raqibul Mohammad Anwar is a Colorectal Surgeon at Bart’s and The Royal London Hospital, Ambassador and Convener of Examinations, The Royal College of Surgeons of England, Colonel, UK Armed Forces (RAMC), and President and CEO of RAHETID (RA Hospital, Education and Training Institute Dhaka).

14

DT

Opinion

SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

The pope talks to Europe The pontiff ’s visit to a refugee camp in Lesbos was a powerful gesture of love Five, or even three, years ago they would never have imagined such a churn in their existence.

They never wanted to leave Syria. They were driven out by that most destructive and desolate

The pope was reaching out to Muslims. He has done this before and he will do so again. His faith is inclusive; his concern for human suffering transcends the boundaries of faith. But he was also telling Europe that it could not remain indifferent, or become hostile to families like that of Nour Essa and her husband Hasan Pope Francis understands the meaning of humanity

n MJ Akbar

I

n Lesbos, Pope Francis offered support, comfort, and prayer, and then took a dozen Muslim refugees back to the Vatican.

Real stories so often get lost in the news; and news itself becomes a passing banner in the long parade of information that sets out after breakfast on a march into the night. Who has time or attention span to measure significance?

On April 16, something significant happened, which, largely if not completely, got lost in transition.

It was an encounter between the Holy Father of Roman Catholics, Pope Francis, and anxious, even desperate refugees from ravaged Muslim countries like Syria, on the once-obscure and now famous Greek island of Lesbos.

After two centuries of independent existence on the fringe, Greece has again become the gateway to Europe -- although Europeans want Greece to become a barricade rather than door.

Once, Ottoman-Turkish armies

made Greece their base for forward movement into the Balkans, from where they hovered over powerful European kingdoms.

Today, refugees from war-torn Muslim lands have turned Lesbos, next to Turkey, their landing point on the way to harbours as distant as Germany, Scandinavia, and Britain.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, European courts were legitimately worried about the expanding Ottoman power across Eurasia and Mediterranean Africa. Western dramatists, masters of the mass media in their time, turned the Turk into a monster waiting to ravish the civilisation, wealth, and beauty of Europe.

The liberal genius, Shakespeare, was an exception when he created a more nuanced hero like Othello the Moor, whose valiant exploits won Desdemona’s heart, and whose explosive jealousy lost love and life.

This time it is not fear of the scimitar that has risen across Europe, but that of a demographic invasion.

The hordes have arrived, on

REUTERS

decrepit boats rather than charging horses; but in this democratic age, the civilian is as alarming as the soldier, because the civilian can become a citizen.

Europe’s governments were initially overwhelmed by the refugee onslaught.

Trapped between humanitarian instinct and growing public angst, they seemed frozen. Some furious diplomacy with Turkey, and effective frontier policing, calmed nerves; but there is now a huge population of refugees left in noman’s land, dreading the thought of return to homelands they abandoned.

At such a fraught moment Pope Francis, a son of immigrants himself, visited a refugee camp in Lesbos. He has described the situation as the greatest human catastrophe since the Second World War. The Pope chooses his words with care, and acts after much thought.

According to a report by Christina Lamb in the Sunday Times, London, the Pope offered support, comfort, and prayer, and then took a dozen Muslim refugees

back to the Vatican (the 12, who happen to be from Damascus and Deir Ezzor, a town now controlled

by ISIS, were chosen by lottery).

You may dismiss this as symbolic, but it was a powerful gesture of love that will resonate in the hearts of ordinary people.

There is a beautiful photograph illustrating Lamb’s story, showing a young boy reaching out to kiss a smiling Pontiff ’s hand while his mother can barely restrain her tears.

Yes, there are tales of misery that need to be told; but hope is also a narrative.

True, the pope was reaching out to Muslims. He has done this before and he will do so again. His faith is inclusive; his concern for human suffering transcends the boundaries of faith.

But he was also telling Europe that it could not remain indifferent, or become hostile to families like that of Nour Essa and her husband Hasan, both engineers, along with their twoyear-old son, who will now spend their lives in the Vatican rather than Damascus.

human experience, remorseless war. They are lucky. Thousands have lost their lives in search for a different life.

It would be unfair, and wrong, to suggest that Europe has not understood. Many governments have done their best. History will remember Angela Merkel, even if she has to pay a price at the next elections. But the world cannot forget those floating in limbo.

The pope, as the world’s most famous faith-leader, has told us something that we do not really want to hear: If human beings do not understand the meaning of humanity, then they are no longer human.

It is fashionable -- and often, given the evidence, reasonable -- to be sceptical about our contemporary leaders. Religion is no insurance against scepticism.

So, when we see a man of God believe in God, we must admire his courage and applaud his vision. l MJ Akbar is an Indian journalist. He is the founder of The Sunday Guardian.

This article was previously published in The Sunday Guardian.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

INSIDE Annisul: Govt to earn Tk1,000cr revenue from cable TV sector in three years Jadoo Digital, a concern of Mohammadi Group, has launched a digital TV cable service featured with SD and HD set-top box. Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu formally inaugurated the product “Jadoo’r box” (magical box) yesterday. PAGE 16

Financial firms in Asia wake up to Brexit risks The Hong Kong exchange has begun a Brexit impact assessment, and some Asian asset managers are looking to set up new bases in mainland Europe amid growing concerns their operations could be disrupted if Britain votes to leave the European Union in a June referendum. PAGE 17

Palm oil industry fumes as Indonesia gets tough on forest fires

Palm oil firms have slammed Indonesia’s move to prohibit the use of new land to boost production, saying President Joko Widodo’s latest effort to tackle forest fires could slash jobs and cripple output in the world’s top producer of the commodity. PAGE18

Capital market snapshot: Past Week DSE Broad Index

4,340.3

-1.5% ▼

Index

1,057.9

-0.8% ▼

30 Index

1,666.2

-1.0% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk

19,330.2

10.6% ▲

Turnover in Mn Vol

491.9

16.3% ▲

All Share Index 13,382.0

-1.4% ▼

30 Index

-1.8% ▼

CSE 12,257.2

Selected Index

8,130.5

-1.4% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk

1,195.4

15.5% ▲

Turnover in Mn Vol

40.6

18.5% ▲

Bank recap fund in budget to be halved in FY17 n Asif Showkat Kallol The government is going to reduce the bank recapitalisation fund by 50% in next fiscal year’s budget while an amount of Tk3,000 crore has already been decided to be cut from the current allocation.

According to a Finance Division preliminary decision, recapitalisation funds will be reduced to Tk2,500 crore as an amount of Tk5,000 crore each was allocated in last and this fiscal years to meet the scam-hit state banks’ capital shortfall.

Besides, Tk3,000 crore will be cut from the revised budget of this fiscal year reducing the figure to Tk2,000 crore from initial allocation of Tk5,000 crore, as per decision taken by the last meeting of the Budget Management Committee.

Under the revised budget, state-run banks - Sonali, Janata, Agrani, Rupali and BASIC – will not get any further money to cover their capital shortfall.

Of the Tk2,000 crore allocation under the revised budget, around Tk1,200 crore has already been disbursed to BASIC Bank in last

December.

Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation will receive Tk200 crore from the allocation as Finance Minister AMA Muhith has already approved a summary of it.

The remaining Tk600 crore will be distributed among Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, Bangladesh Commerce Bank and Ansar-VDP Bank, according to the revised budget proposal.

Of the eight state-owned banks, six had capital shortfall of a total of Tk14,054 crore as of December, 2015. Only Agrani Bank and Bangladesh Development Bank were in the surplus.

Bangladesh Krishi Bank had the highest capital shortfall of Tk6,676 crore, followed by BASIC Bank’s Tk3,050 crore, Sonali Bank’s Tk2,934 crore, Janata Bank’s Tk663.24 crore, Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank’s Tk582.94 crore and Rupali Bank’s Tk145.50 crore.

A deficit of Tk31,536 crore in revenue earning last fiscal year and financial sector experts’ criticisms against such budget allocations to meet state banks’ cap-

ital shortfall as the misuse of the funds is highly likely in the corrupt banks prompted the government to cut the recapitalisation funds, officials said.

Senior Secretary at Finance Division Mahbub Ahmed said they were under pressure to disburse the funds among banks. He said some state banks, which don’t even need budget recapitalisation funds, also ask for the funds.

“We have faced huge pressures from the state bank authorities to disburse the money from the re-capitalisation funds in the current budget,” Mahbub Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune. “Even some, who are not in need of the fund, are also placing demand.”

There are arguments that the state banks will need funds to achieve the Basell III standards as Bangladesh Bank has taken initiative to improve banks’ financial health by increasing their capital adequacy ratio (CAR) in line with Basel III standards. l Recapitalisation fund is being termed as another “black hole” in Bangladesh financial sector after the largest loan scams at the stateowned Sonali and BASIC banks. l

Kamal: Bangladesh on right track to achieve economic goals by 2041 n Arifur Rahman Rabbi Bangladesh is moving ahead on a right track to achieve all the economic targets set in visions-2021, 2030 and 2041, says Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal.

“The technically sounds and skilled manpower growth have increased to 7% during the last six years although it was only 1% in 2009 and we will be able achieve the target of 20% within the stipulated time,” said the minister while inaugurating a two-day long conference titled “The Bangladesh Journey” held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city yesterday. Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) has organised the workshop.

The minister said: “Several sectors including agriculture, ICT, foot-ware and RMG are the keys, which can play an important role to achieve the economic targets.”

As Bangladeshi people have become self dependent on SMEs, it is also playing a vital role in

achieving the targets set in the three visions, he said.

The country’s average GDP growth was 6.3% in the last 5 years and the projected GDP growth is above 7% in the current fiscal year.

However, the development partners are still coming up with different figures on our GDP growth projection, he pointed out.

The opening ceremony of the conference was attended, among others, by Prime Minister’s Energy Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, former caretaker government adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman, Secretary of Ministry of Planning Tariqual Islam, Vice-chancellor of BRAC University Prof Syed Saad Andaleeb while Director General of BIDS KAS Murshid presided over the event.

DG of BIDS said: “The development of Bangladesh is now facing five kinds of challenges like corruption, terrorist threat and growing religious intolerance, climate change, rapid urbanisation and educated unemployment.”

Former caretaker government adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman said: “The country lacks quality education and services in health sector although the government has done well both in the health and education sectors.’’

“But if we look carefully, we will see that much of people’s income goes in health expenditure. This is a burdensome for some family as their pockets have become empty due to the heavy health expenditure,” he said. l

Bear tightens grip as DSEX falls for 3rd week

n Tribune Report

Stock markets continued to decline for the third consecutive week as investors went for selling spree mainly due to the bank’s approaching stock exposure adjustment deadline and lower-than-expected dividend payout by some companies.

During the past week that ended Thursday, the benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, lost 68 points or 1.6% to 4,340, adding losses of 120 points dropped in the previous two weeks.

The blue-chip comprising index DS30 fell 17 points or over 1% to 1,666. The DSE Shariah Index, DSES, was down about 8 points or 0.7% to 1,066.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, closed at 8,130 with a loss of 116 points or 1.4%.

Investors’ reluctance to participate in trading intensified further as the daily average turnover stood at Tk387 crore in the past week, down more than 15% over the previous week.

Fuel and power, pharma and engineering sectors were the week’s most-traded stocks, together accounting for 56% of the week’s total turnover.

Lanka Bangla Securities said the week passed on downward trend as selling spree was dominant among the investors. Majority issue prices eroded as out of 328 issues traded, 227 closed negative, 84 positive and 17 remained unchanged on the DSE in the week.

Telecommunication sector was the week’s best performer with a rally of 6.5%, led by Grameenphone that gave dividend payout last week. Food & allied and pharmaceuticals closed flat slightly. l On the other hands, IT sector continued to suffer most tumbling nearly 13% in the week, adding to 7.6% losses of the previous week.

Non-banking financial institutions posted the highest losses of nearly 3%, followed by banks 2.7%, engineering 1.6% and power 0.6%. l

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SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

Annisul: Govt to earn Tk1,000cr revenue from cable TV sector in three years n Ishtiaq Husain Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq said after three years the government would earn Tk1,000 crore from cable TV service sector.

He said this at the launch of a digital TV cable service featured with SD and HD set-top box by Jadoo Digital, a concern of Mohammadi Group, yesterday.

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu formally inaugurated the

product “Jadoo’r box” (magical box).

Annisul Huq, also chairman of Jadoo Digital, and Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for ICT, were also present.

Hasanul Haq Inu urged TV viewers not to use illegal cable TV box including Tata set-top boxes as it was hurting the country’s interest.

Annisul Huq said although cable TV service is a “neglected sector”, the industry is the biggest one considering number of television sets

Japanese battery giant YUASA opens its outlet in Dhaka n Tribune Business Desk Japanese battery giant YUASA has launched its first sales and service centre at Rahman Filling Station at Motijheel in the capital to meet growing consumer demand, the company said in a statement yesterday.

The sales and service centre will sell exclusively YUASA batteries and offer pre- and post-sales services as part of its continuous efforts to enhance customer satisfaction.

The largest motorcycle battery manufacturer and 2nd largest car battery manufacturer in the world has teamed up with Japan Solartech Bangladesh Limited to offer original equipment under a Technical Service Agreement (TSA) in Bangladesh.

Japan Solartech Bangla-

desh has invested $15 million to set up a state-of-the-art battery factory in Chittagong having production capacity of 30,000 units per month.

In Bangladesh, YUASA battery is marketed by Eastern Lubricants Blenders Limited, a subsidiary of the stateowned Padma Oil Company Ltd that has 145 years of heritage in distribution of petroleum products.

Mr Md Abul Khair, managing director of Padma Oil Company Ltd (POCL), said: “YUASA, Asia’s number one battery, offers world class quality and best services. Major global automobile brands such as Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Tata and Hino have certified, tested and recommended YUASA battery.” l

Global cross-border bank activity falls further in Q4 n Reuters Cross-border bank lending around the world was down sharply in the fourth quarter and was more widely spread than in previous quarters, the Bank for International Settlements said last week.

The quarter brought the third consecutive decline in cross-border bank credit, which saw its outstanding stock decline to $26.4tn as of the end of December.

Overall, cross-border lending fell by $650bn for the quar-

ter, of which $267bn of that was a decline in lending to banks in the euro area, the BIS said. Lending also declined to emerging market economies, which saw a $160bn fall, for a year-over-year contraction of 8%, according to the BIS. Cross-border lending can fall in a number of ways, ranging from a reduction in traditional loans to companies and banks paying back bond market debt.

Lending to residents of mainland China fell by $114bn, and is down 25% year-overyear. l

which is 20m.

He said: “The sector people don’t get bank loans as it’s still not a recognised industry in our economy.”

Annisul Huq said after 3 years the government would earn Tk1,000 crore from the sector.

Zunaid Ahmed said the government wants to build a talent-based country to achieve development goals.

Initially, Jadoo Digital will provide its subscribers SD and HD set-

top boxes with more than 230 digital channels.

The service provider said more channels will be added soon. There are four packages designed for customers - Jadoo saver, Jadoo value, Jadoo super HD and Jadoo premium HD. Along with crystal clear sound and vibrant picture quality 24×7, Jadoo subscribers can also avail internet-based services like video recording, video on-demand, electronic programme guide, high-

speed internet and UP telephony and 24 hours call centre support “which will elevate the experience of entertainment to a new level.”

Jadoo Digital, a consumer-facing brand of Digi Jadoo Broadband Limited, started its operation in 2007. Over the last few years, Digi Jadoo has evolved into one of the largest cable TV distribution houses in Bangladesh, exclusively distributing 20+ channels such as STAR TV networks, BBC, Ten sports, Neo sports, ANO, Times etc. l

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EU moves to lift 15-month ban on Sri Lanka fish exports n AFP, Brussels

A campaigner with a Britain Stronger In Europe flier in London. Brexit could have ripple effects in Asia AFP

Financial firms in Asia wake up to Brexit risks n Reuters, Hong Kong The Hong Kong exchange has begun a Brexit impact assessment, and some Asian asset managers are looking to set up new bases in mainland Europe amid growing concerns their operations could be disrupted if Britain votes to leave the European Union in a June referendum.

The central banks of Hong Kong and Singapore told Reuters they were also closely monitoring developments around the June 23 vote. A spokeswoman for the Hong Kong Monetary Authority warned of “significant uncertainties” in the event of an “Out” vote.

The contingency planning highlights concerns that Brexit, as Britain leaving the EU has been called, could have ripple effects in Asia-Pacific by cutting off the UK’s Asian finance investors from the EU financial market. Other regions are also making Brexit preparations.

Opinion polls have pointed to a close vote, though the most recent polls show rising support for Britain staying in the EU. “A potential Brexit is an issue no organisation can afford to ignore,” said a spokesman for Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEx), which took over the London Metal Exchange (LME) and its clearing house in 2012.

“We are carrying out an impact assessment for both the LME and LME Clear and are addressing the short-, medium- and long-term implica-

tions for both potential outcomes of the UK referendum.”

The bourse declined to elaborate on its impact assessment, though risk management experts said it would likely cover the legal, regulatory and operational implications of Brexit, as well as volatility scenarios and potential market disruptions.

Asian investors using Britain as their European base said they may establish operational bases in Frankfurt or Luxembourg, fearing an “Out” vote would disrupt their ability to offer services and products across the 28-nation EU. “There’s lots of uncertainty. If the vote is “Out” would London be a platform for accessing Europe?” asked Sammi Shen, executive director at Shanghai Nord Engine Asset Management Group, a $3bn Chinese investment management company which set up a London office only last year.

“We would find a European partner or set up an office in Europe: that’s our back-up plan,” she said, listing Frankfurt and Luxembourg as the preferred locations.

Hedging bets

Britain’s financial services industry has attracted 100bn pounds ($143bn) in foreign direct investment since 2007, or nearly a third of the total, according to financial services lobby group CityUK. London has also sold itself to Chinese banks as the biggest yuan currency clearing hub outside Asia.

Leaving the EU could risk unravelling financial services agreements that have helped turn Britain into Europe’s financial powerhouse, accounting for a quarter of all EU financial services income, according to the Bank of England.

For now, a financial services company with a licence or ‘passport’ to operate in Britain can automatically offer its products and services throughout the EU, reducing compliance and operational costs. An “Out” vote could see Britain lose that critical access - a major concern for Chinese and Hong Kong firms, many of which have recently set up in London.

Asia-Pacific companies spent more than $1.7bn on greenfield UK wholesale financial services investments in 2011-15, with China the largest average investor, according to FT data source fDi Markets, excluding M&A activity.

A senior executive of a major Chinese asset manager which uses Britain as its EU base said he was worried his firm may no longer be able to distribute funds across Europe.

“We’ll ensure we don’t have all our eggs in one basket and will establish a fund management entity and fund platforms outside the UK to hedge our bets,” said the executive, who didn’t want to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The executive and Nord Engine’s Shen said they would not abandon London as it would remain a major market and offers a deep talent pool. l

The European Union has proposed lifting a 15-month ban on fish exports from Sri Lanka after it said the country has cracked down on illegal fishing.

The 28-nation bloc has meanwhile warned the Pacific island nation of Kiribati as well as Sierre Leone and Trinidad and Tobago that they risked bans if they failed to do more to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, proposed Thursday Sri Lanka be removed from the blacklist it had imposed in February last year after it amended its legal framework, strengthened sanctions and improved its fleet control.

“The Commission proposes to lift the ban on fish exports from Sri Lanka,” a commission spokesperson told AFP. It will now be up to EU member states to endorse Colombo’s removal from the blacklist that imposes the ban, which the spokesperson said could happen within two months.

Besides Sri Lanka, Ghana, Papua New

Guinea, Korea, the Philippines, Fiji, Belize, Panama, Togo and Vanuatu have also cracked down on illegal fishing following warnings from Brussels.

But the commission said it still had “serious concerns” about Thailand’s efforts to fight illegal fishing and could not rule out further action following its warning last year.

“A meeting with the Thai authorities in May will be a new opportunity for them to show their good will and commitment,” the commission said.

The EU meanwhile issued warnings to the tiny Pacific island republic of Kiribati, the west African country of Sierre Leone and the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago to do more to fight illegal fishing.

It said the island nations, for example, were failing to do enough to monitor foreign fleets operating in their waters and trace they fish they catch.

“If identified issues are not resolved within six months, the EU can consider taking further steps, including trade sanctions on fisheries imports,” the commission warned. l

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SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

Palm oil industry fumes as Indonesia gets tough on forest fires n Reuters, Jakarta Palm oil firms have slammed Indonesia’s move to prohibit the use of new land to boost production, saying President Joko Widodo’s latest effort to tackle forest fires could slash jobs and cripple output in the world’s top producer of the commodity.

Palm oil is a major growth driver for Indonesia, but the industry is facing criticism for deforestation and its slash-and-burn forest-clearing techniques that send vast plumes of smoke across Southeast Asia every year, described by climate officials as a “crime against humanity”.

Widodo has pledged to tackle these fires and last week said palm oil firms must raise yields of existing plantations instead of clearing forests to increase acreage and output. The land already given to growers could be more than twice as productive “provided they use the right seeds”, he said.

While green groups welcomed the moratorium, palm firms have questioned its effectiveness and cautioned it could hurt Indonesia’s top-producer position.

“The president’s suggestion of doubling Indonesian palm growers’ productivity is easier said than done,” said Togar Sitanggang, corporate affairs manager at Musim Mas, one of Indonesia’s biggest palm oil producers.

“The problem with productivity has been there for years,” he said, adding it was also unclear who would pay for the right seeds.

“There is no budget for this.”

A worker unloads palm fruit at a palm oil plantation in Peat Jaya, Jambi province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra REUTERS Big players, such as PT Sinar Mas Agro Resources, Astra Agro Lestari, Wilmar International, may be able to raise output on their current holdings, but it will be tough for smallholders to do so, industry sources said.

That could lead to layoffs as the harder-hit smallholders, which account for 40% of Indonesia’s output, are forced to sell land to bigger firms looking to expand, they said.

“Our reputation as the biggest palm oil producer will be history,” said Eddy Martono, an official at the

Oil prices cast shadow over eurozone inflation outlook n AFP, Frankfurt Falling oil prices are weighing on the outlook for inflation in the euro area this year, but the European Central Bank’s stimulus measures and the gradual economic recovery will start to drive inflation higher again next year, an ECB survey showed on Friday.

According to the ECB’s regular quarterly survey of professional forecasters, eurozone inflation is expected to average 0.3% this year, but then pick up to 1.3% in 2017 and 1.6% in 2018, moving closer to the central bank’s target of just under two percent.

In a previous survey in January, forecasters had been pencilling in an inflation rate of 0.7% for 2016

and 1.4% for 2017.

“Respondents to the survey ... have revised down their inflation expectations for this year by 0.4 percentage point. They reported that the downward revisions mainly reflected oil price developments since the previous quarterly survey, conducted in January,” the ECB wrote.

“However, respondents continue to expect a strong pick-up in inflation in the course of 2016 and in 2017 once the impact of the oil price decline subsides,” it continued.

The projected increase in inflation would be “shaped by the ongoing expansion of economic activity ... and supported by the monetary policy stance,” the survey said. l

Indonesian Palm Oil Association.

The country churned out 32.5 million tonnes of the edible oil in 2015, two-thirds more than No 2 producer Malaysia. Indonesia’s overseas palm oil sales raked in $19bn over the period, or 13% of its overall exports.

Indonesia’s palm oil industry and plantations are big enough already and “all that’s left is how to increase production and (improve) efficiency in terms of land used for oil palm,” presidential spokesman Johan Budi said.

A regulation on the moratorium is expected “this year, (but) when exactly I don’t know”, he told Reuters via a text message.

Still hazy?

The moratorium is seen as a step in the right direction for Indonesia’s reputation among consumers seeking sustainable farming practices. Palm oil is used extensively in food, cosmetics and biofuels.

Earlier this year, consumer goods giant Unilever dropped its deal with Malaysian palm firm IOI

Group due to deforestation in the latter’s plantations in Indonesia.

Widodo, however, has stepped up the fight to strengthen environmental protection and has earned praise for steps taken after last year’s forest fires, which were particularly bad due to a dryness linked to an El Nino weather event and which pushed the country’s average daily greenhouse gas emissions above those of the United States.

Several palm oil companies have faced penalties for letting their concessions burn and the government has set up a new anti-fire agency to irrigate dry peatlands, where nearly half the blazes occurred last year. Widodo also cut short a trip to the United States in 2015 to deal with the fires.

But huge challenges remain for Widodo, including corruption in granting concessions and coordinating policy within a decentralized government.

Palm oil areas rose 9% from 2013 to around 11.44 million hectares (28 million acres) last year, despite an existing moratorium on clearing primary forest and peatland.

“We have learned from weak enforcement of the moratorium on clearing primary forests and peatland that (such a ban) lacks teeth ... and must take the form of a binding presidential regulation,” said Kiki Taufik of Greenpeace Indonesia.

Taufik said other government ministries need to be included in the drafting of the latest moratorium for it to be effective.

“We need to push the government to release a real regulationnot just a commitment.” l

CORPORATE NEWS

Md Jahangir Kabir has recently been made director general of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), said a press release. Kabir was previously serving BWDB as its additional director general (west region)

Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation, Annisul Huq has recently inaugurated a two daylong employment fair for physically challenged people, said a press release. The fair was organised by Bangladesh Protibondhi Kallayan Samity (BPKS) and JOBSBD.com

19

SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

| event |

| seminar |

United Group Research Award Ceremony 2016

International conference on teaching and learning at IUB

United Group Research Award Ceremony 2016 was held on April 22 at the United International University (UIU) Auditorium.

Nurul Islam Nahid MP, minister of the Ministry of Education, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh was present in the occasion as the chief guest. The welcome speech was addressed by Hasan Mahmood Raja, chairman of United Group, amongst others including Professor M Muhibur Rahman, chairman of Paper Award Evaluation Committee and Professor Dr M Rezwan Khan, vice chancellor of UIU delivered a speech on the program.

Nurul Islam Nahid pointed out that research is the main part of higher education. Research helps create new knowledge

and technology that contributes to building a development and knowledge-based society. He congratulated the concerned parties for taking up the noble initiative in promoting research and development activities in Bangladesh by recognising the researchers in the fields of science and technology. He also added that this initiative will certainly encourage the researchers as well as all other scientists of the country, while promoting research itself in the country.

Hasan Mahmood Raja said that United Group wants to create a research friendly platform where potential researchers will be provided all kinds of support in pursuance to their research works. He emphasised on applied research which would directly

contribute to the society, economy or any productive sector of the country. United Group is ready to commit considerable amount of funds to patronise the research sector of the country.

This year, 21 papers, published in 2013, have been selected for the award in the field of science and engineering, medical and life science, and agriculture. United Group is committed to continue this award to 40 researchers every year. An amount of Tk100,000 and a certificate have been allocated for each paper.

United Group directors, high officials, vice chancellor and pro-vice chancellor of United International University, lead researchers, and the invited guests were present in the program. l

A two-day international conference on teaching and learning was inaugurated at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) on April 22 at the IUB campus in Bashundhara, Dhaka. The Center for Pedagogy (CP) at IUB organised the conference. The theme of the conference was “Education in the current world: Pedagogy, Research and Social Change.”

In the inaugural ceremony, Dr Robert Matthew, director of Center for Academic Research and Development (CARD), Durham University, UK, presented the key-note paper on “Reflections on Educating University Students in the 21st Century” through video conferencing.

He mentioned, “technology can help, but learning is still fundamentally a social process requiring human interaction.

We need to focus on interaction

| apps |

Eco-tech

Apps that open your eyes to the environment

nSabrina Fatma Ahmad Earth Day may be behind us, but if the blazing weather outside is any proof, it’s never too late to adopt a more environment-conscious lifestyle. Easier said than done?

Sure.

Earth Now If you need a reminder of how precious this lonely planet of ours is, amidst the cold vastness of the

allows you to access a whole range of data, like images and temperature readouts, from NASA satellites.

Aside from making you feel like a character out of The Martian, it will give you a visual guide to climate change. #climate Whether it’s CFC emissions from the increased A/C users in this heat, or Tiblu Chacha’s habit of taking hour long showers, we hurt the

environment in countless little ways every day. But if you want to be the change you want to see in this world, you can now spread the word about environmental campaigns

DT

Biz Info

you care about with #climate.

Choose what issues interest you, and it’ll find matching campaigns that you can share on Facebook and Twitter. l

If you really want to take a practical step towards saving the environment, an act as simple as turning off the lights when you leave the room, or turning off your PC when you’re done, or not leaving your phone charger plugged into the socket, can make a HUGE difference in the long run

between teachers and students on high quality engagements.” He also said, “I think we need to focus on academic skills to help students deal with uncertainty and evermore information in the increasingly globalised world as well.”

Professor Mesbahuddin Ahmed, head of Quality Assurance Unit of University Grants Commission of Bangladesh attended the ceremony as the chief guest. Prof M Omar Rahman, vice chancellor of IUB, chaired the inaugural ceremony. Dr Mahbub Alam, sub-project manager of Pedagogical Development at Undergraduate and Master’s Level and Dean, School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, IUB, delivered the welcome speech.

More than 100 papers was be presented in the conference from different countries including United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Malaysia and India.l

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SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Embraces (4) 3 Christmas song (5) 8 Donate (4) 9 Self-satisfied (4) 11 Uttered wildly (5) 12 Domesticated (4) 14 Work unit (3) 15 Restrict (5) 18 Plant secretion (5) 19 Fuss (3) 21 Eat into (4) 24 Waterway (5) 26 Stringed instrument (4) 27 Region (4) 28 Irritable (5) 29 Stupefy (4)

DOWN 1 Sibilate (4) 2 Painful affliction (4) 4 Turkish commander (3) 5 Fastener (5) 6 Cricket term (4) 7 Rock shelf (5) 10 String wind (4) 11 Send money (5) 13 Niggard (5) 16 Measure of length (4) 17 Gem weight (5) 18 Wanders (5) 20 Dreadful (4) 22 Stop (4) 23 Frank (4) 25 Consume (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 15 represents S so fill S every time the figure 15 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

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

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

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SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

INSIDE

Five facts explain the strange politics of earthquake disasters n Tribune International Desk

Thousands rally in Germany against TTP deal on Obama visit eve Thousands of opponents of a proposed transatlantic trade deal poured onto German streets Saturday on the eve of a visit by US President Barack Obama.

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The damage and death toll from a natural disaster isn’t just a matter of the magnitude—it also matters how rich and organized the country is?

Earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador have made news in recent days, and with it, the importance of governments being able to respond effectively to natural disasters. We can’t stop these disasters; we can only absorb the damage they do and learn from mistakes.

Some countries do a better job of that than others:

1. Japan (March 2011)

Media figures demand release of Himal Editor Kanak Dixit Media personalities, intellectuals and scholars from the South Asian countries as well as across the world have called for the immediate release of prominent Nepali journalist Kanak Mani Dixit, who was arrested on Friday over an allegation of corruption.

PAGE 23

GOP nomination rules: A loophole here, a loophole there That’s one rules oddity that became clear last week as the 168 members of the Republican National Committee and top party functionaries met in beachside splendor to discuss the GOP’s messy search for a consensus presidential candidate.

PAGE 24

A worker inspects a caved-in section of the Joban Motorway near Mito, Ibaraki on March 11, 2011 AP In March 2011, Japan was struck by the largest earthquake in its history; it was the world’s seventh-largest recorded seismic activity at the time. The earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that in turn struck the Fukushima power plant, turning one disaster into three.

More than 18,000 people lost their lives in the quake and tsunami, and 500,000 were forced to evacuate their homes. Some 300,000 buildings were destroyed and another 1 million damaged.

The world was fortunate that the largest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl hit such a prosperous, open and well-organized country.

It also helps that Japan’s communitarian culture encourages volunteers to help, citizens to donate aid and take in those who need shelter, and responders to risk their lives to help others. And government quickly responded.

In the aftermath of Fukushima, Tokyo spent more than $15bn to contain and minimize atmospheric radiation levels. Within days, Japan had shut down its other 48 working nuclear reactors for security checks. All told, Japanese authorities estimate that reconstruction and recovery from Japan’s “3/11” will cost more than $260bn. It’s a good thing that, unlike the Soviet Union in 1986, this is a country where citizens have access to reliable information on

what’s happening. It’s also a positive that Japan’s economy is the world’s third-largest at $4.6tn, giving it the cushion it needs to respond to one of the worst natural disasters of modern times.

2. Haiti (January 2010)

Haiti is at the other end of the spectrum. The tiny Caribbean nation was hit by a 7.0 earthquake in January 2010. Though Japan’s 2011 quake was far stronger, the poorer country suffered 10 times the number of casualties. At least 220,000 people were killed, another 300,000 people were injured, and 1.5 million were forced from their homes in a country of just 10 million people. Haiti had more than its share of troubles before the quake hit—the country had a total GDP of $6.6bn in 2009 and per capita GDP of just $668. Recovery costs were quickly estimated at $8bn.

Outsiders stepped up with $3.5bn in humanitarian aid, but the country’s seemingly endless political turmoil persuaded most donors to avoid giving directly to what they perceived as a corrupt and/or incompetent government.

Instead, they chose to control and allocate the funds themselves.

That meant that a good portion of aid went to transporting people to Haiti and setting up their own infrastructure, leaving less money for direct relief efforts. Things got worse when a cholera outbreak, allegedly triggered accidentally by a United Nations peacekeeping force, triggered an epidemic.

Destroyed buildings in Port-auPrince, Haiti on January 13, 2010 AFP A disease that Haiti hadn’t faced in more than a century afflicted more than 770,000 Haitians and claimed 9,000 lives. Years later, Haiti is still struggling to recover.

3. Indonesia (December 2004)

Haiti shows how political instability can exacerbate the impact of natural disasters; Indonesia shows how natural disasters can help stabilize a nation. In December 2004, a massive earthquake erupted 150 miles off the coast of the Indonesian island of Aceh. At 9.1 on the Richter scale, it was 23,000 times

Indonesia's earthquake-devastated Nias island on March 28, 2005 REUTERS

more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki. Waves as high as 100 feet crashed ashore.

Roughly a quarter million people were killed across 14 countries; 170,000 were killed in and around Aceh, a province in Indonesia.

But the devastation in the region helped spur reconciliation between the Indonesian government and rebel groups in Ache - ending a conflict that had run for nearly three decades and claimed 15,000 lives by forcing the war zone open to relief workers. Peace talks, broken off just before the quake, were quickly resumed when help was desperately needed. Aceh, once an isolated region with little prospect of development, is now an economic success story, the result of nearly $7 billion dollars funneled to the territory by the Indonesian government and foreign donors for reconstruction projects. Only peace could have enabled this development, and the earthquake gave both sides good reason to end their fight.

4. Nepal (April 2015)

A man cries as he walks on the street while passing through a damaged statue of Lord Buddha a day after an earthquake in Bhaktapur, Nepal on April 26, 2015 REUTERS Not all natural disasters generate “earthquake diplomacy.” The tiny Himalayan nation of Nepal was hit by a devastating 7.8 earthquake in April 25, 2015, followed by 120 aftershocks, including one that registered 7.3. More than 8,000 Nepalese were killed and nearly 20,000 injured. The country’s rocky terrain made relief efforts difficult.

Many parts of the country were left inaccessible by landslides.

Political paralysis has made

matters worse. Nearly a decade ago, the Nepalese monarchy was overthrown following a long struggle with Maoist rebels. When the smoke cleared, the country’s main political groups were divided over the issue of constitutional reform, provoking protests and violence. The Madhesi community, an ethnic minority within the country, has agitated for proportional representation in the new constitution, and its protests blocked large sections of the country’s border with India for more than three months, leading to shortages of fuel and medicine.

The disaster has not ended the political dispute, and the standoff has hampered relief efforts.

5. Chile (February 2010, April 2014, September 2015)

Ships are seen on the street after an earthquake hit areas of central Chile, in Coquimbo city, north of Santiago, Chile on September 17, 2015 REUTERS

Fortunately, we can end on a positive note. Chile is not an economic powerhouse like Japan, and bad geographic luck places it atop multiple fault lines. Since 2010, it has been hit with three earthquakes that register above 8.0 on the Richter scale.

The 2010 earthquake inflicted more than 500 deaths, most as a result of the government’s failure to issue timely warnings of an approaching tsunami. But Chile learned from that mistake. When the 2014 quake struck, the government was quick to evacuate coastal areas, keeping casualties at a minimum. When 2015’s 8.3 quake hit, only 11 people lost their lives. This is a testament to Chile’s disaster preparedness— following the 2010 quake, the country practiced multiple earthquake drills while clearly marking evacuation routes. Perhaps even more importantly, Chile has relatively low levels of corruption, which means it does a good job enforcing its strict building codes so that its structures can absorb most earthquakes with minimal damage. l

[This is an excerpt of a Time article, which can be found at http:// ti.me/1MOU48Z]

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Protesters demonstrate against Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTP) agreements ahead of US President Barack Obama’s visit in Hanover, Germany on April 23 REUTERS

Thousands rally in Germany against TTP deal on Obama visit eve n AFP, Hanover, Germany Thousands of opponents of a proposed transatlantic trade deal poured onto German streets Saturday on the eve of a visit by US President Barack Obama.

Obama’s trip - to open an industrial technology fair in the northern city of Hanover and hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders - was intended to lend momentum to flagging efforts to see the world’s biggest trade pact finalised this year.

In an interview with German newspaper Bild ahead of the visit, Obama underscored his belief that the deal will strengthen trade and create jobs.

But the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTP) has run into major opposition, not least in Europe’s top economy Germany, where its foes have raised the spectre of eroding ecological and labour market standards and condemned secrecy shrouding the talks.

A loose coalition of trade unions, environmentalists and consumer protection groups gathered a crowd of about 16,000 in front of Hanover’s opera house ahead of a march through the city centre expected to draw around 50,000.

A similar protest in October in Berlin drew up to 250,000 people, according to organisers, signalling an uphill battle for the deal’s passage.

In a video podcast, Merkel insisted Saturday that TTP would not ride roughshod over citizens’ rights or interests.

In what she called a “win-win situation”, Europe and the US had the opportunity to agree on environmental and consumer protection principles that, due to the massive size of the market, “could set global standards”.

However, US Trade Representative Michael Froman told the German business daily Handelsblatt on Friday that if the negotiators fall short, “there will be real doubts about whether we will ever get this agreement through”.

Support in free fall

The Hanover meeting comes just before a 13th round of TTP negotiations starts Monday in New York.

But scepticism in the face of those arguments is growing in Germany, and Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel admitted this week: “It is possible that TTP will fail.”

Just 17 percent of Germans say they support TTP, according to a Bertelsmann Foundation poll of more than 3,000 people published Thursday, in free fall from the 55 percent registered two years ago. During the same period, firm opposition to the pact rose to 33% from 25%.

The picture in the United States is hardly more promising.

The “Yes” camp has shrunk to 15% from 53%, while nearly half – 46% - say they feel too ill-informed to have an opinion.

US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the longest serving member of Obama’s cabinet, said on a visit to Germany this month that the time had come to rally around the accord, also in the interest of global food security.

With a protectionist streak running through the presidential race from both major parties, Obama’s successor at the White House would likely be a less ardent backer of free trade. l

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INSIGHT

SOUTH ASIA

South Sudan’s faltering peace deal hangs by a thread n AFP, Juba, South Sudan In a country awash with guns, a faltering peace deal aimed at ending over two years of intense civil war in South Sudan came down to a dispute over just two dozen weapons.

The issue, while apparently minor, reflects the huge mistrust between the rival leaders, and is a sign of the massive challenges faced when -- or if -- rebel chief Riek Machar finally returns to the city and forges a unity government.

“Both sides are very deeply suspicious,” said veteran South Sudanese journalist Alfred Taban, editor of the independent Juba Monitor newspaper.

“But people are just sick of war.

People are looking for some sanity.”

Machar was due to return to the capital on Monday to take up the post of first vice president alongside arch-rival President Salva Kiir, and his failure to arrive has put an August 2015 peace agreement in jeopardy.

The latest stumbling block to his return concerned the number of machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades that rebel troops protecting Machar would be allowed to carry.

Diplomats said it was “almost unbelievable” that a deal to end a war in which tens of thousands have died could rest on such a difference.

Rebels finally accepted proposals by international mediators that they could hold 20 of each

weapon, but when talks broke late Thursday the government insisted on only seven. The government accepted the deal on Friday, after threats of being reported to the UN Security Council.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged Machar to return to Juba “without delay”, while the US, UK and Norway in a joint statement demanded he return by Saturday.

However, Minister of Information Michael Makuei said Monday was more likely, as ceasefire teams must verify the weapons first.

But diplomats also noted gloomily that while Machar’s return is the “best chance yet”, it only sees the country go back to the status quo that existed before his July 2013 sacking that precipitated the war.

“Now the economy is also broken and there’s two years’ worth of division on top,” one diplomat said.

J Peter Pham from the Washington-based Atlantic Council think tank, called the deal a “forced marriage that the international community is dragging both men kicking and screaming towards” amid fear of possible sanctions.

South Sudan’s civil war began in December 2013 when Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup.

The conflict has torn open ethnic divisions and been characterised by human rights violations.

Warlike peace

It has included the abduction and

South Sudanese far from home 646,771 South Sudanese refugees 198,707

226,053

in Sudan

in Ethiopia

1,660,141 Internally displaced people in South Sudan

49,514

172,497

in Kenya

in Uganda

Conflict

Displacement

Source: UNHCR

rape of thousands of women and girls, massacres of civilians, recruitment of child soldiers, murder, mutilation and even cannibalism.

The government on Monday appeared ready to receive Machar, but after he failed to appear, the red carpet laid out at Juba airport was rolled up and a box of white doves representing peace taken away.

“Soon he will come, we pray,” said the woman carrying the birds.

She wore a specially printed cap with a smiling picture of Machar alongside the slogan “With peace we all win”.

Machar is a former rebel leader turned deputy president who was fired, became a rebel leader again

Exacerbates existing food shortages

Further displacement

and has now fought his way back to the vice presidency.

“It’s only hypocritical to think that his return and creation of a government he is part of will be the panacea for the country’s current troubles,” said Jok Madut Jok, a former top government official who heads the Sudd Institute think tank.

The threat of violence at a local level remains enormous, with multiple militia forces unleashed and out of control.

Machar and Kiir are decades-old rivals and even if they can work together both must also rein in powerful hardline field commanders. l

Media figures demand release of Himal Editor Kanak Dixit n Tribune International Desk Media personalities, intellectuals and scholars from the South Asian countries as well as across the world have called for the immediate release of prominent Nepali journalist Kanak Mani Dixit, who was arrested on Friday over an allegation of corruption.

Scores of media persons and public figures across South Asia expressed deep concerns and condemned the arrest of Kanak Dixit, the widely respected founder-editor of Himal Media and a courageous voice for transparency, freedom of expression and democratic rights in Nepal and across South Asia.

“The charges are related to alleged corruption, but Kanak Dixit says it is part of a vendetta pursued against him by people in government,” said a statement.

Terming Kanak Dixit a true

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Kanak Mani Dixit

WIKIMEDIA

professional, human rights defender and energetic journalist, they said that he has written extensively for international media including leading newspapers in India and “is chairman of Sajha Yatayat, a state-run transportation company, which he has been turning around from a loss-making entity.”

Noting that Kanak Dixit’s detention comes at a time of increased pressure on free media across South Asia, the noted personalities also called upon all na-

tional and international media organisations to seek Kanak Dixit’s immediate release and a fair and transparent trial, free of bias.

“We call upon the government of Nepal to issue a transparent and unequivocal statement on his detention for we are deeply concerned about his safety and rights,” the statement said.

“We condemn all forms of pressure tactics on editors like him and other courageous media figures such as Mahfuz Anam of The Daily Star in Dhaka, who is facing over 80 cases of sedition and libel in Bangladeshi courts, and other media persons who are committed to the rule of law and justice.”

Those who signed the statement include prominent television personalities Karan Thapar, Barkha Dutt and Rajdeep Sardesai, former BBC journalist Sir Mark Tully, James Astill, Political Editor of The Economist, as well as

award winning documentary film maker Sharmain Obaid from Pakistan, Mahfuz Anam of The Daily Star and Imtiaz Ahmed, executive director of Regional Centre for Strategic Studies in Colombo.

The 60-year-old journalist is accused of selling the organisation’s property as his own inheritance and investing the income in other corporations. He has also been alleged to have procured a house and land in his name in the US. The civil society leader, however, told local media after the arrest that the move followed an undemocratic decision by CIAA chief Lokman Singh Karki. He has been kept in custody at the CIAA central office in Tangal of Kathmandu.

Earlier in December, the commission summoned Kanak Dixit to its office to inquire about sources of his income. He challenged the move at the Supreme Court. l

Prominent Sikh figure killed in Pakistan Armed men opened fire and killed a prominent Sikh figure and opposition party worker in Pakistan’s northwest on Friday, authorities said, the latest attack on a religious minority in the majority-Muslim nation. Soran Singh was a leading figure in Pakistan’s tiny Sikh community and an adviser to a provincial chief minister, representing Imran Khan’s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party.

-REUTER

INDIA

More than 100 feared dead in India heat wave More than 100 people are feared dead in India in an early-summer heat wave which forced schools to close and halted outdoor work like construction, government officials said. In the southern Indian state of Telangana, 45 people have died from heat exposure, and another 17 in Andhra Pradesh. Some 43 were believed to have died in neighbouring Odisha, although an official there said each of the deaths was being investigated.

-REUTERS

CHINA

China, US pledge to ratify Paris climate deal this year China and the US, the world’s top producers of greenhouse gas emissions, pledged on Friday to formally adopt by the end of the year a Paris deal to slow global warming, raising the prospects of it being enforced much faster than anticipated. China and the US together account for 38% of global emissions.

-REUTERS

ASIA PACIFIC

N Korea fires submarinelaunched missile North Korea on Saturday fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile from a submarine off its northeast coast, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said. The ministry could not immediately confirm how far the projectile flew or where it landed. The launch took place near the North Korean coastal town of Sinpo, where analysts have previously detected efforts by the North to develop submarine-launched ballistic missile systems.

-AP

MIDDLE EAST

Kurdish, Syrian government declare truce in Qamishli Regional Kurdish security forces and pro-Syrian government forces have declared a ceasefire in northeastern Syria, the Kurdish side said, calming a three-day outbreak of violence which killed more than 26 people.

Qamishli, near the Turkish border, is mostly controlled by Kurdish security forces, though pro-Assad forces still hold a few areas in the city centre, and its airport. -REUTERS

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USA

Separate US shootings in two states leave 14 dead Eight members of one family, including a teenager, were shot dead in rural Ohio on Friday, just before gunmen killed 6 people in Georgia.

In Ohio, 7 bodies were found at 3 houses close to each other and an 8 was later found at a separate site, Sheriff Charles Reader told reporters.

-AFP

THE AMERICAS

Death toll rises to 28 in Mexico petrochemical plant blast Searchers recovered 4 more bodies from a petrochemical plant wrecked by a huge explosion this week on Mexico’s southeastern Gulf coast, raising the death toll to 28, the state oil company said Friday night. Petroleos Mexicanos said in a statement that some workers were still missing, but did not specify a number.

-AP

UK

Obama hits back at London mayor in Churchill statue row Barack Obama hit back at Boris Johnson Friday after London’s mayor suggested the US president had removed a bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office because of anti-British sentiment. At a press conference with Prime Minister David Cameron, Obama insisted he actually saw a bust of Churchill located outside his private office in the White House every day.

-AFP

EUROPE

Tensions over migrant deal as Merkel head to Turkey German Chancellor Angela Merkel travels to Turkey on Saturday for a high-stakes visit which will require her to walk a diplomatic tightrope between keeping Ankara in migrant deal and taking a stand on European values. Merkel, who will be accompanied by European Council head Donald Tusk and European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans, hope to boost a month-old, $6.7bn deal to return migrants arriving on Greek shores to Turkey.

-AFP

AFRICA

Egypt court postpones Morsi espionage verdict An Egyptian court postponed on Saturday its verdict and sentence in the trial of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, who is charged with spying for Qatar. The head judge of the criminal court said the verdict was postponed to May 7 to continue consultations, in brief remarks aired on television. If he is convicted it would be Morsi’s fourth sentence.

-AFP

GOP nomination rules: A loophole here, a loophole there n Tribune International Desk That’s one rules oddity that became clear last week as the 168 members of the Republican National Committee and top party functionaries met in beachside splendor to discuss the GOP’s messy search for a consensus presidential candidate. Three months from now, the 2,472 delegates to the party’s nominating convention in Cleveland will have to decide whether to recast that or other bylaws that will help decide who becomes GOP standard-bearer in the November elections, Associated Press report.

Some impressions from last week’s RNC meetings:

I hereby nominate ...

In a background briefing for reporters, GOP officials shed light on a curious anomaly.

Under current rules, the party conducts an initial roll call to formally place in nomination those vying to become the GOP presidential candidate. But you don’t have to be among the competitors nominated to receive delegates’ votes when the convention holds its next ballot - or ballots - to choose the party’s actual nominee.

Of the GOP’s existing 42 rules, the most discussed is 40(b). It says that to be among those nominated, candidates must submit certificates showing support by a majority of delegates from at least eight states.

Yet the aides also noted that there’s another rule - 16(a)(2). It says that during voting to select a final nominee, the votes of delegates required by their states to support a specific candidate must

changes that would expose them to charges that they favor somebody. But at the same time, they admit changes are coming.

What changes do the candidates want?

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, left, and co-chair Sharon Day listen to a video at the RNC meeting in Florida on Friday REUTERS be tallied for that person. GOP officials said that is true even if that candidate failed to be formally nominated in the initial roll call.

“Unbound” delegates - 150 to 200 in the first ballot, many more in later ballots - can also vote for whoever they want.

Why does the GOP have rule 40(b) at all?

It was approved at the 2012 convention, controlled by that year’s candidate, Mitt Romney. The rule was aimed at preventing supporters of rival Ron Paul from sapping up valuable television time with a raucous nominating speech, a potential embarrassment to the front-runner.

Will the rules change in Cleveland?

Yes, and reshaping those conflicting nominating rules is one likely example.

The RNC will recommend rules changes just before the summer convention begins, but those are only suggestions. The rules in

Cleveland will be whatever the delegates vote to approve.

Since most delegates will be committed to Trump and Cruz, those men will also have a major say in shaping the convention bylaws as their campaigns and others jockey for advantage.

Trump has repeatedly accused RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and other party leaders of running a nominating process with “rigged” rules. Since many party leaders consider Trump and Cruz likely losers in November, many grassroots Republicans - as well as backers of Trump and Cruz - suspect that leaders hope to allow a “white knight” candidate to ride away with the nomination.

For that scenario, a chief object of suspicion remains House Speaker Paul Ryan, a longtime friend of fellow Wisconsinite Priebus, despite Ryan’s assertion that he won’t accept the nomination.

Sensitive to that skepticism, party officials have repeatedly said they won’t recommend any

If you were Trump or Cruz, you might love new rules that prevent the “white knight” scenario by making fresh nominations impossible. You might also want to free up delegates for former candidates like Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ben Carson to support you, instead of sticking with the candidate that state laws or party rules “bind” them to support.

Republicans say operatives for Trump, Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, another hopeful, are working at state conventions to win allies on the national convention’s rules committee. That committee has 112 members, two delegates from each state and territory chosen by each state’s delegation.

“They just want friendly voices” on that committee, said Steve Duprey, an RNC member from New Hampshire.

But there’s a danger in pushing too hard and alienating GOP voters.

“You’ve got to play by the rules or it’s going to be all-out war,” said Dave Agema, the RNC committeeman from Michigan. “If they try anything, the perception will be, ‘You’re trying to change something for someone.’”

With conservatives like Agema up in arms over potential rules changes by the GOP establishment, that puts the presidential campaigns in an awkward position when it comes to speaking openly about any rules changes they might want. l

FACTBOX

Reaction to Obama’s intervention on Brexit debate US President Barack Obama made an extraordinary intervention into the politics of Washington’s closest ally on Friday, warning Britons they would go to “the back of the queue” for a trade deal if they left the European Union.

Following is some British reaction to Obama’s comments:

Prime minister David Cameron, who supports EU membership “I’ve always found Barack someone who gives sage advice. He’s a man with a very good heart. He’s a very good friend and always will be a good friend, I know, to the United Kingdom.

“Britain’s membership of the EU gives us a powerful tool to deliver on

the prosperity and security that our people need, and to stand up for the values that our countries share.

“And now I think is a time to stay true to those values, and to stick together with our friends and allies in Europe and around the world.”

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London and “OUT” campaigner “We don’t have a trade deal with the US at the moment and we have been in the EU for 43 years and indeed we have had a great deal of difficulty in exporting some UK products such as beef to the US. Don’t forget of the nonEU trade that we do, 73% of it doesn’t involve any kind of trade deal at all.

“We would do very well trading globally as we always used to do. The WTO is now helping to bring down tariffs worldwide.

“We have got a fantastic opportunity to take back control of very considerable sums of money - £350m per week - and our borders and to stop the erosion of our democracy.”

Nigel Farage, UK Independence party leader and “OUT” campaigner “President Obama won’t be in office by the time we’re out of the EU post-referendum. Trade deal of course in both countries interests.

“President Obama does not seem

to understand that the EU is a political union, completely different to NATO or the G7.

“How is the UK leading the EU? President Obama must never have heard of Mrs. Merkel.”

Open Europe Think Tank “So far, the foreign interventions have been copious and homogenous meaning it’s hard for voters to discern those that might matter from those that don’t. Whether President Obama can buck this trend remains to be seen, but with nine weeks to go, it could be too much too soon.” l

Source: REUTERS

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Soumya eyeing turnaround

INSIDE

n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Supersub Rana take Abahani to semis Abahani progressed to the semi-finals of the Independence Cup as the fourth team after edging past Sheikh Russel 1-0 in the last match of the group stages at BNS yesterday. National winger Jewel Rana came off the bench to score the all-important goal. PAGE 26

James Taylor leaves hospital Former England batsman James Taylor has been released from hospital after completing the initial phase of treatment for the heart condition which cut short his career.

The 26-year old announced his retirement from cricket after being diagnosed with ARVC. PAGE 27

Soumya Sarkar bats in the nets during training recently

FILE PHOTO

DHAKA PREMIER LEAGUE

City rout Stoke before Real showdown Manchester City enjoyed the perfect preparation for their Champions League semi-final showdown against Real Madrid with a 4-0 thrashing of Stoke City at Eastlands yesterday. PAGE 28

Nishikori cruises into Barcelona final Defending champion Kei Nishikori eased into his third consecutive Barcelona Open final with a 6-3, 6-2 win over French sixth seed Benoit Paire yesterday. The Japanese world number six has yet to drop a set in the Catalan capital this week. PAGE 29

Mustafizur, Moinul, Amit, Rejaul reported n Minhaz Uddin Khan Gazi Group Cricketers’ Mustafizur Rahman and Moinul Islam, Rejaul Karim of Prime Doleshwar Spoting Club and Amit Kumar of Abahani Limited were reported of suspected bowling action by the on-field umpires on the opening day of the Dhaka Premier League last Friday.

The spinners can however, continue playing for their respective sides as according to the conditions set by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, a bowler with suspected bowling action can be reported but the next course of action can only come once the season ends. In international cricket, a bowler with suspected bowling action can be sent for a test with immediate effect and if found illegal can get suspended in

between an event.

Gazi Group Cricketers coach Mohammad Salahuddin confirmed that the umpires reported two of his spinners following the side’s season opener against Prime Bank Cricket Club at Shere-Bangla National Stadium.

“We will keep playing them until the board makes any suggestion. Only these two bowlers got suspected so there is no issue with them to continue playing in the upcoming matches.

I have got some time in hand before the next game (on April 28 against Legends of Rupganj).

I will have a look at their (Mustafizur and Moinul) actions during the practice sessions. At this point if you ask me, I believe they have tolerable bowling action but I will still have a look,” said Salahuddin to the Dhaka

Tribune yesterday.

It is understood that both Abahani and Prime Doleshwar will also do the same with their suspected bowlers.

The BCB however, is yet to form the proposed bowling action review committee. According to the BCB cricket operations committee chairman Akram Khan, the board is taking note of the reported bowlers and the names will be submitted to the committee once formed.

“There will not be any action taken against a bowler during the season. The team management and the coach will be informed so that they can work on the bowlers as the season progresses. Once the season ends the suspected bowlers will be called up for test and the next course of action will then be decided,” said Akram. l

Soumya Sarkar’s last memory of the Dhaka Premier League was to see Prime Bank Cricket Club to their maiden title with 97 against Abahani on the last day of the 201415 tournament, and then an hour or so later he was named in Bangladesh’s World Cup squad.

He had scored 615 runs in 15 matches at an average of 41 with one century and four half-centuries. But in the space of 15 months, he has done the full circle. Soumya is now looking for some form with the bat in this season’s competition playing for Legends of Rupganj.

They take on Victoria Sporting Club in their first match today.

The left-handed batsman had a flying start to international cricket in 2015 displaying fearless batting approach and match winning innings. However, in the last 10 Twenty20 internationals for Bangladesh, Soumya has struggled to live up to the expectation.

Only his 48 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup T20 2016 stood out as he has been having a silent time off late.

The bad patch has made Soumya upset, he informed to the media yesterday. The Satkhira lad said he is making all efforts to get back in runs – which includes practising even during the vacation while all his colleagues relaxed at home.

“I have been practising hard in the last few weeks and tried to sort out the mistakes. Will get to know the outcome through the game the game [today]. A winning start is always good for the tournament.

We have a strong side I believe and we have our eyes on the championship,” he said.

In the other games of the day, Brothers Union will take on Mohammedan Sporting Club at Shere-Bangla National Stadium while Kalabagan Cricket Academy face Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah. l

TODAY’S MATCHES Kalabagan CA v Sheikh Jamal DC in Fatullah, 9:00am

Mohammedan v Brothers Union in Mirpur, 9:00am

Legends of Rupganj v Victoria SC in BKSP 3, 9:00am

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Nuru doesn’t want the votes n Tribune Report

Nurul Islam Nuru has pulled out as candidate for the president’s post in the Bangladesh Football Federation election yesterday. He has now announced support to the other candidate Kamrul Ashraf Khan Poton.

With the withdrawal of Nuru, the election for president post has now become a three-horse race among current BFF president Kazi Salahuddin, Golam Rabbani Helal and Poton. The election will take place at a local hotel in Dhaka on April 30.

Nuru, the Tongi Krira Chakra president, came into attention when he bought the nomination form for BFF’s most prestigious post on the first day of form distribution, and submitted his papers as an independent candidate. There is however, no option to withdraw the nomination form officially as the

two-day withdrawal period ended.

His name will be included in the ballot papers, and he has informed his decision to the congress that he would quit before the election.

Nuru will also ask the delegates not to vote for him.

The election for president post has now become a threehorse race among Kazi Salahuddin, Golam Rabbani Helal and Poton Nuru announced his decision at a press conference at the Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club president Manjur Kader’s office in Gulshan.l

A Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra footballer (C) tries to evade the attention of the Abahani Limited footballers during their KFC Independence Cup clash at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Supersub Rana takes Abahani to semis n Tribune Report Abahani Limited progressed to the semi-finals of the Independence Cup as the fourth team after edging past Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra 1-0 in the last match of the group stages at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

National winger Jewel Rana came off the bench to score the all-important goal in the second

half and provided Abahani a sigh of relief to confirm the last-four spot as Group A runners-up.

Rana, who replaced Shahedul Alam in the second half, was in the end of a lovely back-heel by Camara Sarba which found him at the right of the box. The midfielder slotted home past the goalkeeper Russel Mahmud Liton at the near post.

A draw would have been enough for the Sky Blues but the victory

BRIEF SCORES KXIP: 143-6 in 20 overs (Marsh 40; Mustafizur 2/9).

Sunrisers: 146-5 in 17.5 overs (Warner 59; Mohit 1/20).

SRH beat KXIP by 5 wickets.

MoM: Mustafizur Rahman (Sunrisers)

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Mustafizur Rahman dives full length to take a catch of Glenn Maxwell during their IPL match against Kings XI Punjab in Hyderabad yesterday BCCI

helped Abahani finish the group stages with nine points from five matches, a point less than leaders Sheikh Russel.

Finishing second means Abahani have to face Group A champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondni Club in the first semi-final on May 3 while Sheikh Russell will take on Chittagong Abahani in the second semi-final on May 4.

The first half was a dull affair

and no notable chance was created till the first 37 minutes. Senegalese forward Sarba squandered an opportunity during a goal-mouth scramble but his shot from the middle of the box was blocked by Abahani’s defence.

Sarba had another great chance three minutes later and this time his soft header following a cross from Faisal Mahmud was fisted away by Sheikh Russell custodian

Liton, who made a decent save to deny English forward Lee Andrew Tuck’s free-kick from 30 yards out in the 68th minute. Tuck returned to the squad after serving a onematch suspension.

Sunday Chizoba could have taken the lead for the Sky Blues in the 71st minute when the Nigerian striker fired the ball over the bar.

The goal however, came just a minute later. l

Mustafizur steals spotlight again n Agencies

The way Mustafizur Rahman has operated in the Indian Premier League 2016 so far, his left-arm seam bowling can be easily compared with that of a puppeteer in complete control of his strings at a puppet show. The batsmen know that Rahman will mix up his cutters with fast deliveries and will invariably be full in length. Mustafizur bowled just one short ball and 17 dots to return figures of 4-1-9-2 – the most economical spell in this edition – to set up Sunrisers Hyderabad’s five-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Mustafizur’s dot-ball percentage was impressive enough; but that the batsmen failed to connect eight of those deliveries made him look even more special. His spectacular show, and twin strikes by Moises Henriques to remove David Miller and Glenn Maxwell in the tenth over, kept Punjab to 143 for 6 after

David Warner won the toss for the third time in a row.

Hyderabad’s chase got a big boost when Warner hit Sandeep Sharma, Kyle Abbott and Maxwell for three sixes and four fours inside the Power Play.

Hyderabad were more switched on of the two sides, and it was evident in the first ball of the third over when M Vijay, expecting an inswinger, was outsmarted by Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s outswinger to be caught behind. Hooda conceded just two runs with his first over of offspin and Mustafizur capped off the Power Play phase with a maiden over, as Punjab were left behind very early in the race.

Mustafizur’s first over, a maiden, was a classic case of staying a step ahead of the batsman. Edgy after four dot balls, Vohra, who had hit a glorious six over the cover fence off Barinder Sran, tapped one and ran for a non-existent single.

Sent back by Shaun Marsh, Vohra failed to ground his bat before Dha-

wan’s direct hit from cover broke the stumps.

With Marsh setting himself to play the anchor role, Miller and Maxwell had to support him, but the duo fell in the same over for the third time in five matches this season. Miller was done in by a bit of extra bounce from Henriques to give Naman Ojha his second catch behind the stumps, and a diving Mustafizur caught Maxwell’s flickpull off a short delivery at fine-leg.

Mustafizur returned for his second spell in the 14th over, and trapped Marsh in front of the wicket with an off-cutter for 40. Even though Nikhil Naik, who replaced the out of form Wriddhiman Saha, and Axar Patel, who hit three straight sixes during his unbeaten 36, put on 50 runs in 5.5 overs, Punjab had lost more ground than they would have wanted in the first half of the innings, thanks to Mustafizur.

Eventually it was more than enough to secure victory for Hyderabad. l

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Pistorius family decry claim he beat victim with cricket bat n AFP, Johannesburg

QUICK BYTES Stags arrive in capital today Singapore club Tampines Rovers FC are scheduled to land in Dhaka this afternoon ahead of the AFC Cup group match against Bangladesh Premier League champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club this Tuesday. Nicknamed the Stags, Tampines are the runners-up of Singapore League and they defeated Sheikh Jamal 4-0 in the first leg at home on February 23.

Tampines, five-time Singapore League champions, are currently at the second in the Group E points table with seven points from four matches while Sheikh Jamal are yet to earn a single point from the same number of outings.

–TRIBUNE REPORT

Rach to return as Mariners coach German hockey coach Peter Gerhard Rach will return today to the country as head coach of Mariners Young’s Club ahead of the Club Cup hockey tournament which begins tomorrow. The former Bangladesh coach is expected to be officially introduced at the club premises later on. It was also learnt that the 67-year old coach would bring a couple of German players to bolster the Mariners squad which is already strong on paper. Gerhard first came to Dhaka in 2009 when he took the responsibility of the national hockey team and guided Bangladesh to the bronze medal in the 2010 South Asian Games. The former Indian hockey coach was also the coach of Mohammedan Sporting Club.

–TRIBUNE REPORT

Lasogga fires Hamburg past Werder Bremen Pierre-Michel Lasogga struck twice as Hamburg eased their Bundesliga relegation fears last Friday with a 2-1 victory at home to Werder Bremen that left the visitors stuck in the bottom three. Lasogga tapped home the opening goal just five minutes in at the Volksparkstadion after Nicolai Mueller escaped down the right before crossing for the burly striker to apply the simplest of finishes. Lasogga added a second on 32 minutes.

–AFP

Stoke's Afellay suffers serious knee injury Stoke City midfielder Ibrahim Afellay could be sidelined for up to eight months after suffering cruciate knee ligament damage.

Afellay sustained what his Premier League club called a “serious knee injury” in a training session.

–AFP

Winners of the Brac Chicken 2nd National Surfing Tournament pose with the champion’s trophy in the coastal town of Cox’s Bazar yesterday COURTESY

Guardiola hoping to sign off in style n AFP, Berlin Pep Guardiola is relishing the prospect of signing off his three years as Bayern Munich coach by steering the Bavarian giants to a historic fourth straight Bundesliga title next weekend.

The Bavarians’ 2-0 win at Hertha Berlin on Saturday in the capital left Guardiola’s side seven points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund with three games left.

If Bayern beat Borussia Mo-

enchengladbach at Munich’s Allianz Arena next Saturday they will become the first German club to win four straight league titles.

Gladbach, who are fifth in the table, shocked Bayern 3-1 at home when the sides last met in December and are fighting for a Champions League place next season.

Bayern have dominated Germany’s top flight each season since Guardiola’s predecessor Jupp Heynckes steered them to the 2013 treble of Champions League, Bun-

Former England batsman Taylor leaves hospital n AFP, London Former England batsman James Taylor has been released from hospital after completing the initial phase of treatment for the heart condition which cut short his career.

The 26-year-old Nottinghamshire middle-order shotmaker announced his retirement from cricket last week after being diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a condition that stops the right side of the heart pumping blood properly and may lead to sudden death.

Taylor spent two weeks in hospital but tweeted a photograph of

himself outside the hospital building on Thursday saying: “Well, that has been one hell of an experience!

What a beautiful day.”

Meanwhile a statement on Nottinghamshire’s website last Friday said: “James Taylor, the Nottinghamshire and England batsman who was recently forced to retire from cricket through illness, is now continuing his recovery at home.

“The 26-year-old has undergone a preliminary procedure in hospital and will continue to be tested and monitored to determine future treatment.

“Very best wishes to James from everybody at Trent Bridge as he continues his recovery.” l

desliga and German Cup titles.

Goals by Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal and Brazil winger Douglas Costa in Berlin sealed Bayern’s win.

“We have everything in our own hands and that was a big step towards the title. We just need one more win,” beamed Guardiola.

The Spaniard, who will win the 20th title of his career as a manager if Bayern lift the Bundesliga trophy, pointed out that Dortmund’s 3-0 win at Stuttgart gave Bayern a chance to clinch the title at home. l

Oscar Pistorius’s family last Friday condemned a new book alleging that the amputee Olympic sprinter beat his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp with a cricket bat before he killed her three years ago.

The book claimed to reveal fresh evidence of an argument between the couple - in contrast to Pistorius saying that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he shot her through the door of his bedroom toilet.

Pistorius told his trial that he used the bat to smash open the door after he realised he had shot Steenkamp by mistake at his house in the South African capital Pretoria.

“It is totally absurd to suggest that the State Prosecutor... would have overlooked any evidence that could prove that Oscar used his cricket bat for anything other than bashing open the door,” the family said in a statement. l

BUNDESLIGA Wolfsburg

0-2

Augsburg

Finnbogason 1, Altintop 57

Stuttgart

0-3

Dortmund

Kagawa 21, Pulisic 45, Mkhitaryan 56

Cologne

4-1

Modeste 4, 35, Risse 52, 75

Hertha Berlin

Darmstadt Gondorf 12

0-2

Bayern Munich Vidal 48, Costa 79

Ingolstadt Morales 10, Hartmann 25

2-2

Hannover 96 Sakai 58, Kiyotake 82

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Ice-cool Martial sends United to FA Cup final n AFP, London

French forward Anthony Martial scored a nerveless stoppage-time winner as Manchester United edged Everton 2-1 at Wembley on Saturday to reach their first FA Cup final since 2007.

Martial set up Marouane Fellaini to score against his former club in the 34th minute, but after United goalkeeper David de Gea had superbly saved a penalty from Romelu Lukaku, Chris Smalling’s 75th-minute own goal looked to have sent the semi-final to extra time.

Martial, however, had other ideas, the £36 million ($51.9 million, 46.2 million euros) close-season signing from Monaco charging into the box and finishing coolly to preserve manager Louis van Gaal’s hopes of ending a difficult season by orchestrating United’s first FA Cup success since 2004.

United will be favourites in the May 21 final, when they will encounter either Crystal Palace or Watford, and Van Gaal will also hope that Martial’s late strike serves to give his side a lift in their quest for Champions League qualification. l

Manchester United’s Anthony Martial (L) scores the winning goal during the English FA Cup semifinal against Everton at Wembley stadium in London yesterday

City go third, Newcastle rally boosts survival hopes n Reuters, London Manchester City moved up to third in the Premier League on Saturday while Newcastle United boosted their hopes of survival by coming back from two goals down at Liverpool to draw 2-2 and secure a precious point.

On an afternoon that reaped 19 goals from four matches, last season’s Player of the Year Eden Hazard finally opened his league account for the season with two in Chelsea’s 4-1 win at Bournemouth.

Manchester City’s bid for a topthree finish picked up extra momentum, a 4-0 demolition of Stoke City at the Etihad Stadium lifting them a point clear of fourth-placed

PREMIER LEAGUE Aston Villa

2-4

Westwood 45+1, 85

Bournemouth Elphick 36

Liverpool

Southampton

Long 15, Tadic 39, 71, Mane 90+4

1-4

Chelsea

Pedro 5, Hazard 34, 90+1, Willian 71

2-2

Sturridge 2, Lallana 30

Manchester City 4-0

Newcastle Cisse 48, Colback 66

Stoke

Fernando 35, Aguero 43-pen, Iheanacho 64, 74

Arsenal with 64 points from 35 matches.

Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho, 19, scored in the 64th

and 74th minutes and was brought down for the penalty in the 43rd from which Sergio Aguero netted his 16th goal in as many games in all competitions this year.

Fernando headed City’s opener from Jesus Navas’ 35th-minute corner.

Leaders Leicester City, who have 73 points from 34 games, host Swansea City on Sunday while Arsenal travel to third from bottom Sunderland. Second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, on 68, entertain West Bromwich Albion on Monday.

Liverpool stayed seventh in the table after their 2-2 draw at Anfield which marked the return of former manager Rafa Benitez with a combative Newcastle side.l

AP

Bale rescues CR7-less Real n AFP, Madrid

Gareth Bale struck twice to inspire a Real Madrid fightback from two goals down to win 3-2 at Rayo Vallecano and move top of La Liga yesterday.

Without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, Real’s title hopes looked in tatters when early goals from Adrian Embarba and Miku put Rayo 2-0 in front.

However, Bale’s powerful header halved the deficit before halftime and he fired home the winner nine minutes from time after Lucas Vazquez had equalised early in the second period.

Real now lead Barcelona and Atletico Madrid by two points, but they can move back in front at the top of the table when they host Sporting Gijon and Malaga respectively later on Saturday.

“He is very happy to make the

difference,” Zinedine Zidane said.

“When we needed him he was phenomenal. He scored two, but even without speaking about the goals, he played very well.”

SPANISH LA LIGA Rayo Vallecano

2-3

Real Madrid

Embarba 7, Miku 14 Bale 35, 81, Vazquez 51

Atletico Madrid

1-0

Malaga Correa 62

Ronaldo was missing for the first time in La Liga this season due to a thigh injury, while Zidane also left Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric on the bench with one eye on their Champions League semi-final, first leg at Manchester City on Tuesday.

However, the visitors got off to a terrible start as they struggled to deal with the difficult conditions caused by a torrential downpour in the Spanish capital. l

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Nishikori cruises into Barcelona final n AFP, Barcelona Defending champion Kei Nishikori eased into his third consecutive Barcelona Open final with a 6-3, 6-2 win over French sixth seed Benoit Paire yesterday.

The Japanese world number six has yet to drop a set in the Catalan capital this week and could face a mouthwatering clash with Rafael Nadal in today’s final if the 14-time Grand Slam champion can overcome Philipp Kohlschreiber in yesterday’s other semi-final.

“I love Barcelona, I’m very comfortable playing this tournament.

It’s been great this three years and I hope I can play a very good match [today],” Nishikori told Spanish TV station Teledeporte.

“I’ll try to watch a little bit (of the other semi-final) maybe not the whole thing, but I hope to take something from today’s match and prepare for [today].”

Paire had beaten Nishikori in their two most recent meetings in Nishikori’s homeland in Tokyo and in a five-set thriller at the US Open last year.

However, Nishikori rarely looked troubled after breaking to lead 3-2 before a second break sealed the first set 6-3.l

DAY’S WATCH CRICKET SONY SIX Indian Premier League 2016 4:30 PM Gujarat v Bangalore 8:30 PM Pune v Kolkata

FOOTBALL STAR SPORTS 1 Barclays Premier League 7:00 PM Sunderland v Arsenal 9:00 PM Leicester v Swansea

STAR SPORTS 2 Bundesliga 7:15 PM Gladbach v Hoffenheim

Japanese tennis player Kei Nishikori returns the ball to French tennis player Benoit Paire during the ATP Barcelona Open 'Conde de Godo' tennis tournament in Barcelona yesterday AFP

Kerber reaches Stuttgart final n AFP, Stuttgart Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber reached the final of Stuttgart’s WTA indoor clay-court tournament with a gritty 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 semi-final win over Petra Kvitova yesterday.

Kerber, the defending champion in Stuttgart, needed just over two hours to seal her win after Kvitova recovered from losing the first set to win the tight second.

Kerber, the second seed here, dug deep in the third by making the majority of her first serves count to seal the win.

In a duel of left-handers, Kerber raced out to a 4-1 lead with two early breaks and although Kvitova, the 2014 Wimbledon champion, pulled things back to 5-4, the German won the first set.

Kvitova used her only break of the second to level before Kerber established control early in the third to build up a commanding 5-2 lead to then win the match. In today’s final, Kerber will play either top seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland or qualifier Laura Siegemund. l

9:15 PM Frankfurt v Mainz

TEN 1 HD Ligue 1 9:00 PM Ajaccio v Bastia

TENNIS SONY ESPN Barcelona Open Semi-finals 12:30 PM

Angelique Kerber of Germany reacts against Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Stuttgart yesterday AFP

Wayne Rooney heads Rich List for young sportsmen n Agencies England and Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney tops the 2016 Sunday Times Rich List for young sportsmen in Britain.

Rooney has amassed an £82m fortune which makes him the richest sportsman aged 30 or under, a rise of £10m from last year.

The 30-year-old’s wealth comes from a reported £300,000-a-week contract at United, which makes him the highest-paid player in the Premier League, as well as endorsements with global brands Nike and Samsung.

Tennis brothers Andy and Jamie Murray are in second place with a joint worth of £58m, though £57m of it is contributed by world No 2 Andy.

Rory McIlroy has enjoyed the biggest increase in wealth, earning an extra £18m to take him up to £56m in total and to third place in the list.

The Northern Irishman earned almost £7m in prize money, but it is off the course where he has made his real cash. l

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Leela Samson’s Spanda in Dhaka The master and her crew take on BSA live Carnatic musicians. The n Showtime Desk event started off with Samson It all began this past Thursday, as the National Theatre Hall Auditorium of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Acadaemy was graced by the doyenne of Bharatanatyam, Leela Samson. Roop Bahulya, the three-day long festival of Bharatantyam, was headlined

by Samson and her dance troupe Spanda.

There was a variety of entrancing choreographed Bharatantyam dances by Spanda, accompanied by an equally impressive performance by

performing a riveting dance called Kalabhairava. The initial performance made way for more solos, duets and group presentations on Varnam, Ososi, Ananda Natmidum. The overall show was conlcluded with an aweinspiring medley Tillana, which was performaned by the entire team including Samson. To simply be captivated by the performances would be an understatement.

Samson and her team of perfection presented the audience with an alluring trance into the world

of Bharatantyam, which was executed flawlessly.

After three days of performances, Leela Samson is scheduled to lead a Bharatanatyam workshop for five consecutive days, starting today, at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

The show and workshop is presented by Shadhona and Srishti Cultural Center in association with the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, and supported by Charuta and Kazi & Kazi Tea. l

Priyanka stops at nothing n Raisa Rahim She made her acting debut in 2002 in a Tamil film, Thamizhan. With little exposure and big dreams, she entered Bollywood in 2003 to work in Anil Sharma’s drama The Hero.

The very year won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for her supporting role in the romantic musical drama Andaaz.

Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra has since done wonders in the film industry with her versatility, hard work and of course, with the right measure of confidence.

The international sensation has expressed gratitude for being mentioned in Time Magazine’s prestigious list of 100 most influential people.

As wild a cat she may appear on screen, the 33-year-old Bajirao Mastani star is known as one of the most soft-spoken, sophisticated and diplomatic co-star in the industry. With such

persistent nature and great career choices, Priyanka has embarked on exotic ventures like Quantico and Hollywood film Baywatch, which has made her an iconic actress worldwide. Actor-producer Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who shares screen space with Priyanka in Baywatch, described the actress

as a “star rising higher,” praised her “drive, ambition, selfrespect, and she knows there’s no substitute for hard work.”

Johnson added: “We always quote the saying, ‘Wear your success like a T-shirt, not like a tuxedo,’ and she really does - as big a star as she is, as global as she is, as beautiful as she is, there’s this interesting quality of relatability.”

Priyanka Chopra has also featured on the cover of one of the six special editions of the magazine alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicki Minaj, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, Christine Lagarde and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

On hearing the big news, unstoppable Priyanka tweeted: “What a way to start the day! #Time100’s list of achievers!

Humbled, overwhelmed and feeling so blessed!” l Source: www.indianexpress.com

Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter becomes a dad n Promiti Prova Chowdhury Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter and his wife Lauren Kitt have welcomed their firstborn child on April 19.

The boy named Odin Reign arrived on Tuesday, after 30 hours of labour via a water-birth at the couple’s Hidden Hills, California home. The little one was originally scheduled to arrive on April 12, instead making his appearance seven days later. As for their choice of the name Odin – a Norse god – Carter said, “It’s a very strong name.”

On April 2, the couple held a baby shower at their LA home.

Lauren, 32, revealed the reason behind their joint celebration.

“He [Nick] just got off a tour, so I really wanted him to enjoy this next thing, which is to become a dad, and make it about him too and shower him with love and surprises,” she said.

In October 2015, Us Weekly exclusively broke the news that Carter, 36, and the fitness pro were expecting. Carter, who competed on season 21 of Dancing With the Stars, went public with the pregnancy on the show’s

November 2, 2015 episode.

The couple recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary on April 14, in the theme of Game of Thrones, a show that both of them are fond of.

Carter proposed to Kitt with a seven-carat diamond in February 2013. They exchanged vows in a ceremony in Santa Barbara, California in 2015, surrounded by loved ones including bandmates AJ McLean, Howie Dorough and Brian Littrell. l Sources: US Magazine, Dailymail

Zahid Hassan becomes Vision brand ambassador

n Showtime Desk Popular television actor Zahid Hassan has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Vision Electronics. The agreement was

Kalki Koechlin and Naseeruddin Shah in one frame

signed between Zahid Hassan and Mahbubul Wahid, general manager (sales and marketing) of Vision electronics, in Dhaka on Saturday.

As the brand ambassador of Vision, he will take part in numerous promotional activities for the next five years.

Mahbubul Wahid said Zahid Hassan is well known for his acting in TV dramas, movies and commercials. “We selected him for his positive image. The versatile actor can play a vital role to popularise our brand,” he hoped.

Zahid Hassan said, “I am very happy to be the brand ambassador of Vision.” He believes Vision produces modern and quality products and has credibility.

Vision’s portfolio includes televisions, refrigerators, air-

The trailer for Waiting is a timely treat to those who were pondering over the dearth of good films in Bollywood. The trailer published on April 21, projects Bollywood’s stellar performers Kalki Koechlin and Naseeruddin Shah in one frame.

This trailer of the film will charm you and it features Kalki and Naseeruddin Shah in de-glam roles, teaching us about some unforgotten lessons of life – to live freely, to laugh with hope and most importantly, live with courage. l

Rakib Ahmed and Mohit Chakraborty, brand manager of Vision electronics, along with Shujan Mahmud, head of media at PRAN-RFL Group, were present at the program.

Vision is a brand of RFL electronics. l

Jason Bourne is back n Showtime Desk Matt Damon’s homecoming as former CIA assassin, Jason Bourne’s full trailer came out this past Wednesday.

The trailer for the fifth Bourne installment, which also marks the return of Paul Greengrass, the filmmaker behind the two most acclaimed Bourne installments, is back to deliver more of the Bourne essence: fistfights, car chases, and shots of Matt Damon peeking out from behind cross-hairs.

It also branches out the film’s

n Showtime Desk

conditioners, washing machines, irons, electric kettles, blenders, rice cookers, fans etc.

Mahbubul Wahid said Vision’s aim is to provide quality products at an affordable cost. “We want to be self-dependent in electronics sector,” he said.

plot, which is a familiar one for the Bourne universe: The super soldier is on the run from the CIA, this time after a hack that “could be worse than Snowden.”

Julia Stiles reprises her role as Nicky Parsons, while Tommy Lee Jones joins the cast once again to make use of his beloved, Oscar-winning skills for playing a frustrated bureaucrat chasing after a canny fugitive.

Damon had promised not to return to the Bourne franchise unless director Greengrass, with whom he had worked on The Bourne Supremacy and

Ultimatum, was at the helm and even told Collider in 2007 that there is no way to bring back the character after Bourne has solved his identity crisis.

Since the Jason Bourne trailer opens with Damon insisting, “I remember everything” over flashbacks to the first three films in the franchise, it seems that Jason Bourne will not involve another bout of amnesia after Bourne has been bonked on the head.

The Universal franchise returns in theaters on July 29. l

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WHAT TO WATCH

Beowulf HBO 9:30pm The film is set in 507 AD in Denmark. Grendel is a demon who attacks the subjects of King Hrothgar.

The king offers a reward for anyone who manages to kill Grendel. Beowulf slays the demon and receives a golden relic for his efforts.

Cast: Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, Crispin Glover, Robin Wright Penn Supernatural AXN 6:30pm Dean’s deal to bring Sam back from the dead means he faces hell. What’s worse is that the Demon says maybe he’s not the Sam Dean perceives him to be.

Can Dean trust his brother?

And can Sam save Dean from his bargain?

Cast: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Jim Beaver, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan Dracula Untold Star Movies 9:30pm When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it’s up to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans.

Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson Now Boarding TLC 11:00pm Now Boarding is an extraordinary journey dedicated to travel and food from around different parts of the world. From Mexico to Malaysia, each weekend, the series will feature episodes on different countries. Featuring some of the best shows and your favourite hosts on the channel, this special programme is a celebration of the spirit of travel and exploration.

Genre: Travel l

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SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

BANK RECAP FUND IN FY17 BUDGET TO BE HALVED PAGE 15 RANA PLAZA DISASTER

SOUMYA EYEING TURNAROUND PAGE 25

LEELA SAMSON’S SPANDA IN DHAKA PAGE 30

Where are the survivors?

Today is the third anniversary of Rana Plaza collapse, one of the worst industrial accidents in the world that killed at least 1,140 people and injured more than 2,500 – most of whom were RMG workers. How are the survivors coping with the terrible memories, with life after that horrible incident? The Dhaka Tribune’s Syed Samiul Basher Anik talks to a few of the survivors to find out Helena Parveen

Former sewing operator at Phantom Apparels, Helena doesn’t remember when she was rescued. She sustained severely injuries in her left hand and head. She is currently working as a sewing operator at Aparajeyo.

“My husband has left me. I took up another job to feed my two daughters. I bought a land with my compensation at my village in Naogaon.”

Jewel Sheikh

Former finishing iron man at Phantom Apparels, Jewel was rescued two days after the collapse. His one was leg amputated, the other severely injured. He now owns a grocery shop.

“I opened up my shop with the help of the CRP. But I don’t earn enough from my shop to support my family. The authorities should make sure that every single family affected by this tragedy gets due compensation.”

Rehana Akhter

Formerly a quality controller, Rehana was rescued one day after the collapse. One of her legs was amputated. She now earns her living by sewing at home and depends on the saving certificates worth Tk10 lakh, which she received as compensation.

“My husband wants to leave me because I refuse to give him my money. I want to establish a business of my own at my village in Jessore.”

Ria Akhter

Nilufar

A former worker of Phantom Apparels, Nilufer does not remember her rescue. Her right leg was severely injured. She runs a grocery store set up with CRP’s help.

“I spent all my compensation money on my treatment, but my leg never got better. Sometimes I want to amputate my leg due to the pain. My family supports me a lot, which helps me through it.”

Former operator at New Wave Style, Ria was rescued seven hours after the collapse. She now works as a sewing machine operator at Amtranet Ltd, and studies at Little Star School in Savar.

“I still have nightmares about the accident. I want to complete my studies, but I have to work to support my family.”

PHOTOS: SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

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