20 May, 2016

SECOND EDITION

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016 | Jyoishtha 6, 1423, Shaban 12, 1437 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 28 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages plus 24-page Weekend supplement | Price: Tk10

Shyamal wants Salim’s arrest Hossain, n Tanveer Narayanganj Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, headteacher of Piyar Sattar Latif High School in Narayanganj whose public humiliation triggered countrywide protests and condemnation, demanded dismissal and arrest of local lawmaker Salim Osman yesterday.

This came within half an hour after Salim claimed at a news conference that he is on good terms with Shyamal.

Shyamal told reporters at the hospital in Khanpur, where he is undergoing treatment, that Salim slapped him on both his cheeks without first listening to him on the day of the incident.

“He [Salim] made me do sit-ups holding my ears. I have never made any derogatory remark on Islam in my life but Salim is a politician and he can say many things to save himself,” Shyamal asserted.

But Salim, while addressing the press conference at Narayanganj Club around 11:30am, said he had saved Shyamal from public wrath on May 13 after the teacher admit-

Now female head teacher assaulted n Md Nadim Hossain, Savar

came in, I gave him salaam and just uttered the word ‘sir’. With both his hands, he then slapped me four times on both cheeks.

The headmistress of a primary school in Savar’s Dhamrai has been assaulted and humiliated, amid countrywide outrage over the public shaming of the head teacher of a school in Narayanganj.

Fouzia Yasmin, headmistress of Egaro Number Paschim Sutrapur Government Primary School, mentioned in the general diary filed with Dhamrai police that the vice-president of the school’s management committee, Abdul Malek, had verbally abused her and beat her up on Sunday, causing her to pass out.

Teachers of the school said assistant teachers Kaniz Nasima and Akhter Hossain got into an argument with Yasmin after the headmistress moved some furniture from the office room to a classroom on Saturday.

The two teachers called in Malek and President of the management committee Kazi Mohammad Fazlul Haque on Sunday to settle

 PAGE 4 COLUMN 1

 PAGE 4 COLUMN 4

SHYAMAL REINSTATED IN JOB  Page 2 Piyar Sattar Latif High School Headmaster Shyamal Kanti Bhakta is still under treatment at the Narayanganj 300-bed Hospital.

The photo taken was on Wednesday DHAKA TRIBUNE ted hurting religious sentiments.

“Shyamal willingly did sit-ups and sought mercy to save himself.

He even later wrote to me, thanking me for saving his life.”

In response to Salim’s statement, Shyamal said: “The lawmaker came to my room in the afternoon on the day of the incident.

I was standing at the time. As he

EgyptAir flight crashes Cyclone Roanu to hit coasts in sea with 66 on board PROJECTED PATH FOR CYCLONE ROANU n

Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

n AFP, Cairo

INSIDE

An EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo carrying 66 people crashed in the Mediterranean yesterday with possible wreckage spotted off a Greek island, as investigators probed whether it was downed by a bomb.

Egypt's aviation minister said that while it was too soon to say why the Airbus A320 had vanished, "a terrorist" attack would be a more likely scenario than a technical failure.

Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said the plane had fallen 22,000ft and swerved sharply twice in Egyptian airspace before

it disappeared from radar screens.

The incident raised fears of a repeat of the bombing of a Russian passenger plane by the Islamic State jihadist group over Egypt last October that killed all 224 people on board.

A Greek military spokesman said an Egypt C-130 plane had spotted floating objects that could be debris from the crash, and ships were en route to investigate.

The jet had been flying from Paris to Cairo overnight when it disappeared off radar screens, without sending a distress signal.

French President Francois Hollande confirmed that the plane had

Current position Source: Bangladesh Meteorological Department

 PAGE 4 COLUMN 1

Bounty announced for six militants

‘Two more Chinese men involved in ATM scam’

Govt offices owe PDB Tk2 crore

Mamata, Jayalalithaa retain power

DMP has released photographs and identities of six members of outlawed militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team seeking public support to nab them.

Officials of Rapid Action Battalion yesterday claimed that at least two more Chinese nationals were involved in the recent Prime Bank ATM forgery. But their names were not disclosed for the sake of investigation.  PAGE 5

Different government offices in Habiganj owe the Power Development Board Tk2 crore. Sources at the PDB said despite issuing several notices to those offices, no positive response was received from them.  PAGE 7

India’s BJP yesterday stormed to power in Assam bagging its first government in the northeast and toppling the Congress, while Mamata Banerjee and Jayalalithaa retained power in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.  PAGE 32

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The deep depression over the west central Bay and the adjoining southwest Bay has intensified into a cyclonic storm “Roanu.”

According to weather forecasts, the cyclone is likely to make a landfall between Barisal and Cox's Bazar any time tomorrow.

The name was suggested by the Maldives.

The Met Office last evening advised the maritime ports in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra to hoist local warning signal No 4 instead of 2 as the cyclonic moved slightly north-northeastwards over the same area.

Yesterday noon, it was centred about 1,365km southwest of  PAGE 4 COLUMN 4

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FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

‘Couldn’t bring myself to watch it’ n Tribune Desk

Students at Dhaka University in front of the Raju Memorial yesterday hold their ears to mimic the embarrassing pose headmaster Shyamal Kanti Bhakta of Narayanganj was forced to take DHAKA TRIBUNE

Shyamal restored in job n Tribune Desk Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid yesterday announced that the suspended head teacher of Piyar Sattar Latif High School in Narayanganj, Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, had been reinstated in his position.

He also said the management committee of the school had been

dissolved.

“The committee is dissolved and Shyamal can now resume work as the headmaster,” he said while addressing a programme at International Mother Language Institute in Dhaka’s Segun Bagicha.

Shyamal, in his reaction to his reinstatement, said: “My heartiest thanks to the prime minister, education minister, deputy minister

and administrative officials for allowing me to resume my work as the school’s headmaster.”

The management committee sent Shyamal a suspension letter on Tuesday.

His suspension came in the wake of protests against his public humiliation on May 13 on allegations of hurting religious sentiments.

A mob beat Shyamal up and local lawmaker Salim Osman made him do sit-ups holding his ears, saying that this was necessary to save him from the fury of people.

A video of the incident spread online, triggering outrage across the country. Many empathised with Shyamal on social media by uploading pictures of themselves holding their ears. l

Osman for his role in the incident.

Justice seekers also demand that the people who used loudspeakers of several local mosques to gather the devotees at the school, besiege the teacher and torture him must be identified and arrested.

The school authorities also suspended Shyamal on May 16 with effect from May 13 on four charges including defaming Islam.

The government, however, reinstated him in the job yesterday saying that the allegation of his making derogatory comments about Islam was false.

On Wednesday, a High Court bench issued a ruling on its own volition asking the government as to why legal action should not be taken against the perpetrators including the MP for the incident.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar association (SCBA) President Muhammad Yusuf Hussain Humayun said the SCBA is ready to provide legal assistance to Shyamal Kanti Bhakta if he wants.

He made the statement yesterday while addressing a press conference at the bar’s auditorium.

Asked, he said they would also decide whether lawyers would refrain from providing legal assistance to the accused. l

Hossain, n Tanveer Narayanganj

the headmaster to publicly apologise for his “crimes” and made him do squats while holding his ears, as shown in a video clip.

Salim said he did what he had to do to save Shyamal from an angry mob.

“Locals entered the school and gave the headmaster a beating on Friday morning hearing that he had insulted Allah and Islam. Police rescued him and locked him inside a room while the angry mob kept protesting outside. As the situation deteriorated, locals called me around 12:30pm,” he said.

“When I arrived at the school around 4pm, the protesters asked me to let them teach the headmaster a lesson.’

“I asked the headmaster what had happened and he said he didn’t know what he was thinking. ‘I may have made some offending comments.

I have three daughters, please save me. Then I asked what he wanted to do to repent, and he volunteered to do squats while holding his ears. So I brought him out and in front of the protesting people and, to calm them down, told Shyamal to do the squats.”

“At that time, I had no other choice but to do what I did. He had already been beaten severely before I arrived. I had no other way to save him,” Salim said. l

Court orders probe Salim Osman: I will into Shyamal’s assault not apologise Hossain, n Tanveer Narayanganj

The police have secured the court’s permission to investigate the assault of headmaster Shyamal Kanti Bhakta by a ruling party lawmaker based on a rumour of hurting religious sentiment.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashok Kumar Datta gave the order yesterday afternoon after Bandar police Sub-Inspector Mokhlesur Rahman sought the court’s order to launch an investigation into the May 13 incident terming it “defamatory offence.”

If proven guilty, the accused, Jatiya Party MP Salim Osman, will have to face maximum two years’ jail terms or fine or both.

The district police superintendent, Khandaker Mohiuddin, earlier claimed that what the lawmaker had done was not a criminal offence. “The police have nothing to do about it. It is solely the school’s decision,” he added.

The assault of the elderly and respectable headmaster of Piyar Sattar Latif High School has created massive outrage at home and abroad. Several ministers and lawmakers of the incumbent government have also condemned Salim

Narayanganj lawmaker Salim Osman has said he will never apologise for the public humiliation of Shyamal Kanti Bhakta.

“I did not punish a teacher; I punished a man who insulted Islam. I will never apologise for that.

Who am I going to apologise to? The man who insulted my Allah?” he exclaimed while addressing a press conference at Narayanganj Club Ltd auditorium yesterday afternoon.

“However, I am sorry that people watched a video which gave them a wrong impression about me. I heard that a court has issued a ruling against me. If the court finds me guilty and hangs me, I will accept it because I have saved myself from hell’s fire,” Salim told reporters.

Asked about the education minister’s statement that there was no proof of Shyamal insulting Islam, Salim said: “I’m not mad, I have the proof that he made the derogatory comments. I will disclose it in due time.” Salim further said if the court found him guilty, he would resign from his post as a lawmaker as well as all other responsibilities.

On Friday, Salim went to the school around 4pm and instructed

Protests were held all around the country yesterday in support of Headmaster Shyamal Kanti Bhakta and against Salim Osman, the Narayanganj MP who forced the 62-year-old teacher to do squats in front of a mob.

Teachers of Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University in Savar and Shahjalal University in Sylhet stood in protest at their campuses.

Protests were held at public universities across the country as per the decision of Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association.

FBUTA President Farid Uddin Ahmed said: “This incident is unacceptable. We will declare tougher programmes if the culprits are not brought to justice soon.”

Farid Uddin, the dean of social science at Dhaka University, stood with other teachers at Oporajeyo Bangla at the center of the campus, holding a protest rally.

“We stand here with immense sadness, anger and shame,” Dhaka University Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Nasrin Ahmed told journalists.

“A lawmaker is supposed to enact laws and guide and direct the nation. We don’t need an MP who assaults teachers,” she said.

Around 50 teachers of Jahangirnagar gathered at the campus Shahid Minar with banners with many students also present to support the cause. The teachers also wore black badges throughout the day.

The protesting teachers announced that they had submitted a memorandum to the education minister demanding justice for Shyamal.

They also called for Salim Osman’s arrest.

At Shahjalal University, popular science author and physics Professor Zafar Iqbal stood among his colleagues in front of the central library and formed a human chain.

“This is a shameful event in the history of our nation,” he said.

“If a person commits a crime, they should face justice, not public humiliation – and this man was humiliated under false accusations,” the professor said.

“I have heard that a video of the incident has been going around the Internet, but I couldn’t bring myself to watch it.”

Almost 300 teachers gathered in Chowrangi intersection at the heart of Nilphamari town yesterday morning. Local political leaders were also present at the rally, expressing solidarity. Nilphamari municipal mayor Dewan Kamal Ahmed also participated in the rally.

In Rangamati, people from all walks of life came together at a rally in front of Rani Doyamoyi High School to protest the humiliation of Shyamal Kanti Bhakta. l

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Bounty announced for 6 militants n Arifur Rahman Rabbi The Dhaka Metropolitan Police authorities have released photographs and identities of six members of outlawed militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team seeking public support to nab them.

Different amounts of prize money have also been announced for the informants, according to

SHARIF

Ansarullah’s military and IT trainer Shariful alias Shakib alias Saleh alias Arif alias Hadi 1 hails from Khulna. He was directly involved in murders of Avijit, Niladri Chatterjee, Shanto Mariam University student Riyadh Morshed Babu, and attempted murder of publisher Ahmed Rashid Tutul. The DMP has declared bounty for his arrest.

the DMP website. These militants were involved in the recent organised murders of secularist bloggers, writers and publishers, police say.

According to the DMP, CCTV footage shows that Ansarullah’s military and IT trainer Sharif was present at the crime scene where US citizen Avijit and his wife were hacked.

SALIM

Another Ansarullah trainer Salim alias Iqbal alias Mamun alias Hadi 2 was also directly involved in the attacks on Nazimuddin, Xulhaz-Tonoy, Dipan, Oyasiqur, Niloy and a school teacher at Mirpur. A person will be given for information on him.

Tk5 lakh

Tk5 lakh

Police say that he also masterminded the attacks on publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan; secular activists Oyasiqur Rahman Babu and Nazimuddin Samad; and LGBT rights activists Xulhaz Mannan and Tonoy.

The DMP also gave several phone numbers to contact with them on the matter: 01713373194, 01713373198, 01713373206. 02-

SIFAT

An important member of Ansarullah’s military wing is Sifat alias Shamir alias Imran.

He coordinated the murder of Dipan and trained the attackers.

He also took part in several other attacks including on Riyadh. If anyone can provide information about him, the DMP would give him/her .

Tk2 lakh

9362640.

The Detective Branch of police learnt about them after conducting raids at four dens of Ansarullah in Badda Satarkul, Mohammadpur, Dakkhinkhan and Ashkona areas of Dhaka. These houses were used as training centre and to store bomb-making materials.

The DMP earlier announced a bounty of Tk5 lakh for top

RAJU

Another member of the group’s military wing is Abdus Samad alias Sujon alias Raju alias Salman alias Saad. He took part in the attack on publisher Ahmed Rashid Tutul. The police have declared for information about his whereabouts.

Tk2 lakh

SHIHAB

Ansarullah leader Redwanul Azad Rana following the murder of Mukto-Mona blog founder Avijit Roy in February last year. Rana, also a former leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir, was given death penalty for masterminding the murder of Ahmed Rajeeb Haider in February 2013. The DB police earlier said that Rana had fled the country. l

Shihab alias Sumon alias Saiful alias Shams is one of the important members of the military wing of Ansarullah. He is wanted by the police for his direct involvement in the attack on Tutul. The informant would be given .

Tk2 lakh

SAZZAD

Sazzad alias Sajib alias Siam alias Shams is another member of the military wing. He was found involved in the attacks on Avijit, Niloy and Riyadh. The DMP has declared for information about him.

Tk2 lakh

Hefajat’s demo today in support of Salim Osman

1,000MW furnace oil Youth allegedly beaten to death by DB as family power on the cards

n Tanveer Hossen, Narayanganj

The country’s Power Development Board (PDB) will build 10 more furnace oil based power plants under the private sector power generation policy on basis of build-own-operate (BOO) method.

The new oil based power plants will have a combined electricity generation capacity of 1,000MW, 100MW each. The power plants will be owned by the state but they will be maintained by the private sector, and the PDB will buy electricity from them.

“The decision to build ten more furnace oil based power plants under the open tender method in 10 separate areas was taken at the 386th special board meeting of PDB today [yesterday],” Power Development Board (PDB) Chairman Engineer Md Shamsul Hasan Miah said.

The 10 areas selected are Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Meghnaghat, Bagerhat,Takurgaon, Rangpur, Bagura, Santahar and Jamalpur.

The government so far operates 45 oil-fired power plants which have the capacity to gen-

Hefajat-e-Islam, a fundamentalist Islamic group in Bangladesh, will stage a demonstration in the city today in favour of MP Salim Osman who has come in the lime light over the humiliation of school teacher Shyamal Kanti Bhakta recently.

According to local sources, the organisation will stage the function under the banner of ‘Touhidi Janata, Narayanganj’.

Hefajat-e-Islam Ameer Moulana Ferdousur Rahamn told the Dhaka Tribune that they would organise the programme in the afternoon protesting the derogatory remarks of school teacher Shyamal Kanti about Islam.

Yesterday afternoon Salim Osman held a press conference at Narayanganj Club amid uproar over his role in humiliating the teacher publicly in a false allegation of making derogatory comments about religion.

He said: “I have not punished any teacher, but one who made derogatory remarks about Islam.” l

n Aminur Rahman Rasel

erate 3,400MW of electricity. The country produces 30.18% of its total electricity generation from fuel-fired plants.

The latest move to build the plants will take the ratio to 32%.

The country currently produces 7,000MW of electricity but the demand is around 8,500MW. “We have to build oil-based power plants because of gas crisis in places where regional electricity generation capacity is poor against the demand,” the PDB chairman said.

He said the PDB is hopeful to select competitive independent power producers under the open tender.

The bidders will procure land to set up plants and mobilise funds on their own with a capacity to manage fuel oil for operating the plants, he said.

After deal signing with bidders, the plants would come into generation within 18 months, he added.

The PDB under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, has already invited international tenders for the project, with the deadline being June 29. l

fails to pay bribe Ripon, n Asaduzzaman Narsingdi The Detective Branch of police allegedly beat a youth to death as his family could not pay the money demanded by the law enforcers.

Police, however, claimed that Din Islam, 25, a resident of Bhelanagar of the district town, was

They threatened us that they would kill him if we do not give them Tk5 lakh beaten to death by a mob while he was fleeing from police custody on Thursday afternoon.

Family members of the victim told the Dhaka Tribune that police picked up Din Islam in the morning and later demanded Tk5 lakh in exchange of his release.

Sabia Begum, mother of Din

Islam, said: “In the early hours of Thursday, some police personnel picked up my son from our residence without showing any reason. Then, they threatened us that they would kill him if we do not give them Tk5 lakh.

“We also went to DB officer, but they [DB personnel] did not allow us to enter the office. We tried to meet with him throughout the day, but could not make it possible.”

Additional Police Super of Narsingdi (crime) Hasibul Alam told the Dhaka Tribune that they found Din Islam’s involvement with a robbery.

When DB personnel had gone to his residence to arrest him, he tried to flee, but local people caught him and gave him a good beating.

He was taken to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital where on duty doctor declared him dead.

Hasibul Alam also said he was accused in several cases field with Sadar police station. l

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

EgyptAir flight crashes in sea with 66 on board “crashed” and Paris said its accident department had opened an investigation.

Cairo’s state prosecutor also ordered a probe into the incident, a statement said, signalling suspicion that foul play could have caused the crash.

Egypt’s Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy said he could not rule out either terrorism or a technical problem.

“I don’t deny the hypothesis of a terrorist attack or something technical. It is too early,” he told a news conference, adding that no wreckage had been found.

“The possibility of having a different action onboard, of having a terror attack, it is higher than the possibility of having a technical”

failure, he added.

Egypt and Greece both said they had dispatched aircraft and naval vessels on a search mission and they were expected to be joined by French teams.

Fifteen French citizens were among the 26 foreign passengers on the EgyptAir flight, who also included a Briton and a Canadian.

Both France and Egypt have come under attack by jihadists of the Islamic State group in the past year and Hollande promised a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the crash as suspicions swiftly focused on a bomb.

“Whether it was an accident or another hypothesis that everyone has on their mind -- a terrorist hypothesis... at this stage we must fo-

cus on our solidarity with the families and the search for the causes of the catastrophe,” he said in a televised address.

No distress call IS has been waging a deadly insurgency against Egyptian security forces and last October claimed the bombing of the Russian airliner flying home holidaymakers from the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.

France earlier called a crisis meeting of top ministers as Prime Minister Manuel Valls said “no theory can be ruled out” to explain the plane’s disappearance.

EgyptAir said contact was lost with the flight about 280 kilometres (175 miles) north of the Egyptian coast.

A Greek aviation source said the

“He took me out of the room and told me to do 10 sit-ups holding my ears. But I fell on the ground after doing several sit-ups. He then held my hand, made me stand up and demanded that I offer apology.

I complied and was taken inside.

Later, I was taken away on a prison van.”

Shyamal also told reporters that he had never admitted hurting religious sentiments. “He [Salim] lied.

If he has any proof, I want him to show it.”

Asked why he did not disclose it earlier that Salim had slapped him, he said: “I did not say anything about this out of fear. He [Salim]

told me that he would save me if I saved him.

“Not only that, he also made several offers. One of his acolytes repeatedly tried to persuade me into leaving the country, saying that I would be provided with any facility I would ask for. He said he would arrange a foreign trip for me for medical purposes.”

Shyamal received a suspension letter signed by President of the school’s management committee Faruqul Islam on Tuesday, but based on the report on the investigation into the incident, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid yesterday announced the teacher’s rein-

statement.

Reacting to the news, Shyamal said he would like to thank all, including the prime minister and education minister, from the core of his heart, except Salim.

“A sense of panic is still inside me as I am feeling completely insecure. I may receive threats now because the lawmaker [Salim] controls the local administration as well as the police. I will only feel secure if he is dismissed. I am praying for his dismissal,” he said.

He also said he could not rely on the local probe committee. “But as for the committee formed by the government, I can rely on it.” l

Shyamal wants Salim’s arrest

flight had disappeared from Greek radar at around 0029 GMT. “It crashed around 130 nautical miles off the island of Karpathos,” the source said, referring to an island northeast of Crete.

Greek civil aviation chief Constantinos Litzerakos said the pilot had mentioned no problem in the last communication before the plane disappeared, and it had not deviated from its course.

“The flight controllers contacted the pilot (with the plane) at a height of 37,000 feet (near Athens)... he did not mention a problem,” Litzerakos told Greece’s Antenna TV. Neither the Greek coastguard nor the navy could confirm reports that a passing ship had seen “a ball of fire in the sky”.

The civil aviation chief said if there had been an explosion, any debris would have scattered across a wide distance.

EgyptAir Holding Company vice president Ahmed Adel also said there had been “no distress call” before the plane vanished.

Two babies among passengers The passengers also included two Iraqis and one citizen from each of Algeria, Belgium, Chad, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, as well as 30 Egyptians, the airline said. They included a boy and two babies.

Seven crew members and three security men were also on board.

EgyptAir said the plane had been manufactured in 2003. Airbus said it had clocked up 48,000 flight hours. l

Chittagong port; 1,335km southwest of Cox’s Bazar port; 1,185km southwest of Mongla Port; and 1,215km southwest of Payra port, said a Met Office bulletin.

It is likely to intensify further and move in a north-northeasterly direction, the bulletin said.

The maximum sustained wind speed within 54km of the storm centre is about 62kph rising to 88kph in gusts/squalls. The sea will remain very rough near the cyclone centre.

All fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay and deep sea were advised to remain close to the coast so that they can take shelter within a short notice. They have

also been advised not to venture into the deep sea.

Ruhul Quddus, meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department, yesterday said: “The rainfall is likely to occur at the places over Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong, Sylhet and Dhaka divisions during the next 48 hours.”

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) too said that the Roanu is likely to make landfall within the next 48 hours.

Authorities in the coastal areas were on high alert after the deep depression transformed into a cyclonic storm causing rains and mild-velocity winds in the coast areas. l

Cyclone Roanu to hit coasts

Now female head the issue, but Malek argued with Yasmin and hurled abuse at her.

Yasmin, out of fear, ran inside the school toilet but Malek dragged her out and beat her up with the connivance of Nasima and Akhter.

At one point, Yasmin became unconscious and locals gave her first aid.

In the general diary, the head teacher asked to be provided security and police detained Malek yesterday morning in this connection.

Yasmin said she was scared when Malek attempted to hit her after calling her names.

“I was dragged out of the toilet and they attacked me,” she said. But Nasima and Akhter denied the allegation that they had assaulted her.

They said they just had an argument with Yasmin for her arbitrary acts but did not assault her.

Malek denied the allegation too, and said Yasmin attempted to hit him with shoes.

“When we made her come

out of the toilet, she might have been hurt a little in her hand,” he said, adding that Yasmin never comes to the school on time.

Daulatar Rahman, Dhamrai upazila primary education officer, said he visited the school after a complaint had been lodged over the incident.

“I went there and got evidence that the complaint is true. A report on the incident has already been sent to the district education office and action will be taken soon in this regard,” he said.

Rezaul Haque Tipu, officer-in-charge of Dhamrai police station, said Malek was detained and brought to the police station after Yasmin had filed the general diary.

The humiliation of Headmaster Shyamal Kanti Bhakta of Piyar Sattar Latif High School in Narayanganj stirred up strong protests across the country, and Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid yesterday dissolved the institution’s management committee. l

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‘2 more Chinese men involved in ATM scam’ n Kamrul Hasan Officials of police’s Rapid Action Battalion yesterday claimed that at least two more Chinese nationals were involved in the recent Prime Bank ATM forgery.

But the duo managed to leave the country within hours after the arrest of Chinese national Zou Jian Hui, 38, at Elephant Road in Dhaka early Wednesday, RAB said.

RAB spokesperson Commander Mufti Mahmud, director (legal and media wing), told reporters that the trio had withdrawn Tk5,75,000 from three ATM booths. Of the amount, some Tk66,000 were re-

RAB learnt about Hui’s associates after interrogating him at the RAB 2 Headquarters at Sher-eBangla Nagar. But the duo left the country at 10:30am before the elite force informed the immigration department about them.

Before coming to Dhaka, Hui had visited Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and cloned the ATM cards of one of the clients of Riyadh Bank, Mahmud said.

Hui’s relatives were also questioned by the RAB members, but released later.

RAB 2 Company Commander Ataur Rahman said Hui had withdrawn the money with three

covered from Hui. Mahmud did not disclose the names of the absconding duo for the sake of investigation.

RAB says that the trio came to the country on May 15 and made their first attempt early Wednesday. They were supposed to check in to Hotel Ornate at Bijoy Nagar.

But they stayed at the house of Hui’s relative at Uttara.

Hui was caught by a security guard of a booth of Prime Bank at Bata Signal and later arrested by RAB members around 8:30am after he withdrew Tk66,000 using three cards in five attempts. The cards had no name or number.

cloned ATM cards of Riyadh Bank.

“His associates withdrew money from different booths at Farmgate and Panthapath. We have got their photographs,” he added.

Asked how the forgery had taken place, Rezaul Haque, vice-president of Prime Bank’s Alternate Delivery Channel Division, said that the gang members had cloned the cards earlier. “I have no idea why they chose our bank. We have strengthened security measures at the booths to avert recurrence of such incident,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dhaka’s Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Alamgir Kabir Raj placed Hui on

a one-day police remand after Inspector (investigation) Mahbubur Rahman of New Market police produced him before it yesterday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, RAB 2 Senior Warrant Officer Md Jamal Uddin filed a case against Hui and two of his unnamed associates under the ICT Act. In February, the law enforcers busted an international ATM forgery gang in Dhaka who had withdrawn several crores of taka from dozens of clients of several private banks in connivance with some bank officials and police officers. l

First Bangladeshi in PBC board n Tribune Desk Eminent ecologist and secretary general of Environment and Social Development Organisation (ESDO), Dr Shahriar Hossain, has been elected as a member of the prestigious platform “Pacific Basin Consortium (PBC).” Shahriar is the first Bangladeshi to be elected as board member for a two-year term – 20162017, said a press release yesterday.

Being a renowned environmental journalist, ecologist and also a social justice advocate, he has been working as a researcher and a successful environmental health expert since the last twenty years.

The Pacific Basin Consortium for Environment and Health provides a forum for individuals and organisations with diverse professional expertise and geographic backgrounds to come together and discuss the most pressing environment and health issues, engage in cooperative research, and develop and disseminate innovative strategies for addressing these issues and creating sustainable, affordable alternatives. l

National farmers’ association leaders march from the National Press Club towards the Food Ministry yesterday demanding the government buy rice directly from farmers at a fixed price to prevent their losses MEHEDI HASAN

Government seeks proposals for two new LNG terminals n Aminur Rahman Rasel

State-owned Petrobangla will seek request for proposals (RFP) from seven prospective bidders to establish two more land-based liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals at Moheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar and Payra Maritime Port area.

Earlier in January, Petrobangla had sent out invitations to interna-

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN FRIDAY, MAY 20

zzaman, director (PSC) of Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation, widely known as Petrobangla, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The seven selected companies are Denmark based Ramboll Group’s Business units Ramboll Oil & Gas, Belgian Tractebel Engineering, Germany based ILF Beratende Ingenieure GmbH, USA based Galway Group, Singapore based Surbana Ju-

tional firms to submit expression of interest (EoI) for LNG terminals under the Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (special provision) Act 2015.

“Around 20 international firms showed interest and submitted EoIs. From there, Petrobangla selected seven companies and asked them to submit RFPs. “Now, we will seek relevant papers from the bidders,” Md QuamruDhaka

27

24

Chittagong

28

26

Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:37PM

33

25

Rangpur

30

23

rong Infrastructure Private Limited, Japan based Tokyo Gas Engineering Solutions Corporation and Poten & Partners (Australia) Pty Ltd. The purpose of setting up the terminals is to import LNG so that the country does not face any abrupt energy crisis because of a shortfall in supply in the near future.

The government is planning to establish the two new LNG terKhulna

28

25

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:13AM

34.5ºC Chuadanga

19.2ºC Rangpur

Source: Accuweather/UNB

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PRAYER TIMES

minals despite the fact that it has failed to set up a floating storage and re-gasification unit (FSRU) – a type of LNG terminal and the first of its kind – in the five years that have passed since it was proposed amid much fanfare.

Petrobangla, which is under the Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD), will implement the projects. l Sylhet

30

23

Cox’s Bazar

27

Fajr: 4:45am | Jumma: 1:15pm Asr: 5:15pm | Magrib: 6:40pm Esha: 8:30pm Source: Islamic Foundation

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FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

Rape victim fighting for justice n Zahirul Islam Khan, Madaripur A teenage female student of Govt Barhamganj College in Shibchar upazila of Madaripur is going to be mother of an unwanted child after she was raped by the son of an influential person in Guatala area.

According to local sources, Arif Bepari, 23, son of Nannu Bepari of Manikpur village developed love affairs with the teenage girl alluring to marry her.

On November 7, 2015, he took the girl to an abandoned building while she was returning home from the college. There she raped her forcefully.

After the incident, Arif made force to the girl not to expose the incident. Showing knife, he threatened her to kill if she told anybody about the incident.

When the girl sensed, she was going to be mother, she disclosed the incident to her father.

On March 27, Arif took the girl to his family ensuring her to marry.

Bur Arif and her family members dosed her some tablets to abort.

But after the incident, she became seriously ill and sent to a local clinic where the on duty doctors declared that the girl was going to be mother and her abortion was not possible.

Later, she was forced for going to her father’s house where she had been confined by the family members of Arif.

On April 13, an arbitration was arranged in the house of upazila chairman Rezaul Talukder where Arif admitted to marry her. But, later he withdrew the proposal.

On April 17, she filed a case un-

der woman and child repression prevention act.

The court ordered Zakir Hossain Molla, officer-in-charge of Shibchar police station, to investigate into the matter.

Zakir Hossain ordered the local influential to arrange an arbitration to meet up the problem.

On April 24, an arbitration was held at the hall room of ‘Etattor Utshob’ in the town where local influential including Mayor Awalad Hossain, upazila chairman and Awami League leader GM Delwar Bepari, Kadirpur UP chairman Zahangir Bepari were present. All they are relatives of Arif. They opposed the allegation brought against the youth. The arbitration also agreed to abort the girl. But, when the mayor opposed the proposal of abortion saying he could

not take risk if the girl died after the incident.

Later, a false allegation of drug peddling was brought against the father of the victim and he was arrested.

When contacted, the girl said she and her father were the victim of the local influential persons.

She alleged that the administration did not help them. The police did not want to file the case. They helped Arif to flee the country.

“This year I was supposed to take sit for exams. But I could not do it as I cannot go out,” the girl alleged.

OC Zakir said:“I have heard local elites have solved the problem. I was also on leave.”

“As we have got order from the court, we will take steps after investigation into the incident,” he said. l

‘Incidents of occupying polling centre comes down’ n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed said the untoward incidents like occupying polling centres have remarkably decreased.

The CEC made the remark while addressing as the chief guest at a view-exchange meeting held at Chittagong Circuit House yesterday.

Chittagong district administration organised the meeting among

the election related officials and law enforcing agencies as part of holding the 5th phase of Union Parishad elections.

Referring to the recent UP election violence, the CEC said: “We have witnessed many election related clashes in the past. You cannot always ascertain the degree of violence through following statistics. An atmosphere of intolerance has gripped the whole country.”

Responding to a query of the

reporters, the CEC said, Of course, some polling centres did witness some undisciplined and unlawful incidents which were isolated ones.

The CEC expressed his optimism that they would be able to check the isolated incidents in the upcoming UP elections.

“Election related violence has become a culture of the sub-continent. The election related violence is not seen abroad. Unlike ours, armed forces are not deployed dur-

ing elections in other countries.

Now it seems to me that I have to deploy army tanks for holding elections,” added the CEC. Kazi Rakibuddin also urged all the contenders of the elections to exercise restraint.

The meeting was also attended by the EC secretary Md Sirajul Islam, Chittagong divisional commissioner Md Ruhul Amin, and Chittagong deputy commissioner Mesbah Uddin. l

Worker burnt to death Mizanur Rahaman, n FM Chittagong

A construction worker was burnt to death in a fire that broke out at house in Chittagong city’s Khulshi area early yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Md Mazharul Islam, 20, son of Nurul Islam, hailing from Companiganj of Noakhali, said fire service and civil defence sources.

“The victim Mazhar was sleeping inside the house locking the door from inside while he was roasted alive at the house in the fire that broke out around 2am,” said Officer-in-Charge of Khulshi police station Nizam Uddin. l

Five put on remand in mob beating case Mizanur Rahaman, n FM Chittagong

A court in Chittagong yesterday granted a three-day remand prayer of five accused, who were arrested in connection with murder of a youth by beating in Sitakunda upazila early Wednesday.

Earlier, bringing an allegation of mobile theft, a group of worker of local water pump factory allegedly beat a 28-year old Abdul Malek to death and left the body in roadside area in Sitakuda upazila’s Shitalpur area on Wednesday. l

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FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

Halda wears festive look as brood fishes spawn Hundreds of people waiting to collect eggs n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong The egg collectors are eagerly waiting with their boats and nets as brood fishes (mother fishes) of some indigenous sweet water fish species released eggs in Halda River for the second time on a test basis early yesterday.

The egg collectors hope that the brood fishes could spawn any time amid heavy downpour accompanied by thunderstorms.

Several hundreds of egg collectors and local fishermen have already anchored their boats in different points of the Halda River soon after the brood fishes released eggs.

Egg collectors with as many as 300 boats were seen waiting eagerly from Wednesday night to collect eggs from different points of the river, including Kagtia, Kashemnagar, Mobarakkhal, Ajimer Ghat, Onkurighona, Dakkhin and Paschim Gahira, Abur Khil, Khalifarghona, Paschim Binajuri, Urkir Char and Napiter Ghat of Raozan upazila and Garduara, Amota and Madarsa area of Hathazari upazila.

Earlier, the brood fishes released eggs for the first time in the current season on April 7, albeit on a trial basis, to test the congenial aquatic environment.

The egg collectors, Halda River experts and fisheries officials said different natural factors like temperature of the water, strong current and thunderstorm create a congenial atmosphere for the mother fishes to lay eggs in the river.

Prabhati Dey, district fisheries officer, told the Dhaka Tribune that the brood fishes released eggs for the second time in the current season.

“Usually the brood fishes first re-

Fishermen collect eggs from the Halda River at Azim ghat point, Chittagong as brood fishes of some indigenous sweet water fish species released eggs in the river yesterday RABIN CHOWDHURY lease eggs on a trial basis. The mother fishes spawn finally if they find the aquatic environment congenial for laying eggs,” said Prabhati Dey. “The mother fishes had laid eggs on June 12 last year. At the beginning of April, indigenous fish species migrate from different rivers to the Halda to spawn. The river wears a festive look when the egg collectors start collecting eggs,” added the fisheries officer.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Md Manzoorul Kibria, a teacher of Zoology at Chittagong University, said: “The egg collectors are waiting with their boats and fishing nets for the mother fish to lay eggs. The brood fishes might spawn within a short time if everything remains favourable,” said Kibria.

During the Bangla months of Baishakh and Jaishtha (April and May) every year, different species of

Govt offices owe PDB Tk2 crore n Md Noor Uddin, Habiganj

Different government offices in Habiganj owe the Power Development Board (PDB), the state-run organisation which works for generation and supply of electricity, Tk2 crore.

Sources at the PDB said despite issuing several notices to those offices, no positive response was received from them.

Sources at government offices, however, made fund crunch and “ghost bills” for not paying the arrears.

An official at the PDB who preferred to be unnamed told the Dhaka Tribune that many government offices had not been paying electricity bills since March.

“We have issued notices and talked with officials of those organ-

isations, but they did not pay heed to our concern,” said the official.

Habiganj municipality owes PDB Tk63 lakh, Brindaban Government College Tk14.86 lakh, Sadar upazila office Tk6.40 lakh, Habiganj Roads and Highway Department Tk2.74 lakh, District Shilpakola Academy Tk7 lakh, Habiganj Children and Family Planning department Tk1.60 lakh, Habiganj Court Mosque Market Tk5.56 lakh, Public Works Department Tk1.62 lakh and Nurse Institute Tk3.50 lakh.

Acting mayor Habiganj municipalty Dilip Das told the Dhaka Tribune that he would sit in a meeting with officials of the Power Development Board soon to find out a solution over the matter.

Principal of Brindaban Government College Professor Badruz-

zaman told the Dhaka Tribune that as they could not pay arrears for long. They were now trying to pay the bill in terms.

An official of Habiganj Children and Family Planning department said they could not pay the bill due to fund crisis.

He said: “When we get the allocation, we will definitely pay the bill.”

Habiganj Primary Education Officer AKM Saiful Islam echoed the same words.

Executive Engineer of Habiganj Power Development Board Rustom Ali Hawladar told the Dhaka Tribune that they had already informed the higher authorities about the matter.

“I hope the higher authorities will take immediate action against bill defaulters,” he said. l

mother fish, like Catla (Catla catla), Ruhi (Labeo rohita), Mrigal (Cirrhinus marigala) and Kalbaoush (Labeo calbasu) start migrating to the spawning ground of the Halda from rivers like Karnaphuli, Matamuhuri and Sangu.

The Halda which flows through Hathazari and Raozan upazilas of Chittagong, considered as the only natural breeding ground in the world where these species of fish release their eggs at a certain

period of the monsoon and fry-collectors catch those eggs through a unique method to sell it to the fish farmers across the country.

After collecting the eggs, the fishermen nurture the eggs in mud pots and also in cisterns of different hatcheries set up by the fisheries department. After 96 hours, the eggs usually transform into fries which are then sold out to the fry collectors or hatchery owners. l

Rizvi: Govt acting like militant groups n Abdullah Al Dulal, Rajshahi

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi yesterday slammed the government, saying that it acts exactly like militant groups.

“Militants do not accept ideologies that differ from their own.

They kill people who disagree with them. Likewise, the government has established a one-party governance system in defiance of the principles of democracy. It cannot tolerate criticism or dissenting voices,” he said.

Rizvi said the government has law enforcement agencies but they are not being able to find criminals responsible for the killings that are

taking place in different parts of the country.

He was talking to reporters at the house of slain Rajshahi University English Professor AFM Rezaul Karim Siddique in Rajshahi city’s Salbagan area. He went there to offer condolences to the teacher’s family.

“The killing of Prof Rezaul is a heinous one. It is never expected that a professor has to lose his life this way. In the context of the situation we are facing now, the country has descended into anarchy and darkness,” Rizvi said.

The BNP leader said killing and bloodshed have become the political culture in the country, and no one is safe in such situations. l

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FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

TOP STORIES POINTS TAKEN

Five reasons why BJP won and Congress lost in Assam Hopes fade for people feared buried in Sri Lanka landslides Hopes faded on Thursday for the survival of about 130 people trapped under the mud and rubble of two landslides in Sri Lanka, as heavy rain hampered rescue operations and the death toll from the disaster rose to 58.

PAGE 9

India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to form government in Assam, dislodging Congress’ Tarun Gogoi from power who ruled for 15 years.

While many point out towards the massive anti-incumbency factor working in favour of the BJP, it has certainly got its game plan to work perfectly in the northeastern state.

So, what factors contributed to BJP’s splendid show in Assam after the humiliating shows in Delhi and Bihar?

Campaign not micromanaged by central leadership

Democrats chide Bernie Sanders after Nevada mutiny Infighting dogged the Democrats on Wednesday as Bernie Sanders’ campaign accused party leaders of bias against him and many Democrats urged Sanders to keep his supporters in check.

PAGE 10

Unlike Bihar and Delhi, where BJP fought the Assembly elections on PM Narendra’s Modi ‘face value’, the saffron party think tank gave more importance to the local leadership.

PM Modi addressed over 40 rallies in Bihar during the Assembly election campaign in November 2015.

The BJP made the massive mistake of transforming Bihar elections into a Modi vs Nitish war. Learning its lessons from Bihar, Delhi, the party tweaked its strategy limiting the number of Modi rallies in Assam.

Projecting a strong CM candidate

Months before dates for Assam Assembly poll were announced, the BJP named Sarbananda Sonowal as its chief ministerial candidate.

Sonowal, who represents Assam’s Lakhimpur constituency in the Lok Sabha, was asked to focus on resurrecting the party in his home state.

As far as politics in Delhi is con-

cerned, a win in Assam won’t matter much for the BJP as it was more of a prestige thing for the Amit Shah-led party. The BJP’s decision to pick Sonowal, who also handles the Sports and Youth Affairs ministry in the Modi cabinet, now appears to be the perfect gamble.

ASSAM ASSEMBLY ELECTION RESULTS ( TOTAL SEATS- 126) Assam Assembly Election Results 2016 Others (3) NCP (0) CPM (0) CPI (0) AIUDF (12) INC (25) NDA (86)

No vitriol and name calling

“If by any chance the BJP is defeated in these elections, crackers will go off in celebration in Pakistan.

Would you like that to happen?”

Amit Shah said during a rally in Motihari while campaigning for Bihar polls. Modi’s remarks like ‘Darbhanga module’ and ‘tantrik’ jibe at Nitish’s ally Lalu didn’t go down well within the voters. Nitish utilised Modi’s taunts to set off a “Bihari v Bahari” debate, which played a big part in his win. However, in Assam, the BJP refused to give any such opportunity to Congress.

A personal attack on Tarun Gogoi was all Congress wanted, but BJP played it safe choosing not to target Gogoi or the Congress leadership.

‘Kingmaker’ Himanta Biswa Sarma

Gogoi’s once most trusted lieutenant, Himanta Biswa Sarma, walked away from Congress in August, 2015. Sarma was in Congress for nearly 23 years but he fell away with Gogoi after the Assam CM introduced his son Gaurav to politics.

BJP played a masterstroke by promising the “respect” Sarma expected from the Congress for being a loyal worker of the party over two dec-

2011 Assam Assembly Election Results Others (3) BPF (12) AGP (10) BJP (5) AIUDF (18) INC (78)

Source: www.elections.in

Dhaka Tribune

Assam Results 2016 - Party-wise Seats PARTY

WON

LEADING

TRAILING

NDA

78

8

0

CONGRESS

23

2

0

AIUDF

12

0

0

CPI

0

0

0

CPM

0

0

0

NCP

0

0

0

OTHERS

1

2

0

Source: INDIAN ELECTIONS COMMISSION ades. Sarma also disapproved of Rahul Gandhi’s handling of party matters. “Till Congress replaces the ‘blue blood culture’, the party has no future,” Sarma, who political analysts describe as Assam’s kingmaker, said before the election.

Issues of illegal immigrants and porous border

The BJP released its vision document for Assam assembly elections in March, a month before polls in the northeastern state. Naming the document ‘BJP Assam Vision Doc-

ument 2016-2025’, the party promised to deliver on sensitive issues like foreign nationals and porous border with Bangladesh. BJP made its local leaders focus on the issue of construction of fence along the 4,000km-long border with Bangladesh during campaigning. It also assured the people that a law would be enacted to “deal sternly” with industries, businesses, small and medium enterprises or any other agencies employing infiltrators. l

Source: INDIA TODAY

PORTRAYAL

10 things about Assam’s would-be CM Sonowal UK court rejects Big Tobacco’s appeal against plain packaging Britain got the go-ahead on Thursday to make plain packaging compulsory on cigarettes when a court rejected a legal challenge brought by the world’s top four tobacco companies.

PAGE 10

1. Quite contrary to what Sonowal is pitching himself as, which is ‘Sakalore Ananda Sarbananda’ - which means, ‘Everyone’s Happiness is Sarbananda’ the 53-year-old single man is known to be quite a firebrand.

2 . Sonowal is currently the the minister of state for Youth Affairs and Sports in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet.

3. Since his student days, Sonowal has been vocal on the illegal migrants issue.

4. Sonowal began his political career with the All Assam Students Union (AASU), which eventually became the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).

Sarbananda Sonowal 5. Sonowal joined the AGP in 2001. That year, he won the Assembly seat from Moran.

WIKIMEDIA

6. In 2004, he became the AGP’s Parliamentarian from the Dibrugarh constituency.

7. Sonowal severed ties with the AGP in 2011 after he became disillusioned with the various factions within the party.

8. The Orissa-born Sonowal joined the BJP in 2011.

9. In January 2016, BJP parliamentary board announced Sarbananda Sonowal as party’s CM candidate for Assam.

10.“The people of Assam have accepted our winning combination. This is going to be a great victory,” the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal said after election results. l

Source: ECONOMIC TIMES

9

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

Hopes fade for people feared buried in Sri Lanka landslides n Reuters, Aranayaka Hopes faded on Thursday for the survival of about 130 people trapped under the mud and rubble of two landslides in Sri Lanka, as heavy rain hampered rescue operations and the death toll from the disaster rose to 58.

Days of torrential rains have forced around 300,000 people from their homes across the island nation, official data showed.

Thirty bodies have been retrieved at the landslide sites.

That figure is likely to rise sharply as authorities battling muddy conditions begin to give up hope of reaching 132 people believed to be trapped beneath the landslides.

“I don’t think there will be any survivors,” Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe, the officer in charge of the rescue operation, said.

“There are places where the mud level is up to 30ft. We will keep going until we can recover the maximum.”

Rescue efforts have focused on the town of Aranayaka, 100km

Members of Sri Lankan military rescue team work at the site of a landslide at Elangipitiya village in Aranayaka on Thursday REUTERS northeast of the capital, Colombo, where three villages with at least 66 houses were buried late on Tuesday in the central district of Kegalle.

Military officials used hoes and shovels to shift mud as they scrambled to find survivors amid heavy rain that made walking in the hilly terrain difficult.

Material from destroyed homes littered the area, including mud-

swathed dog cages and water tanks, while a three-wheeler was seen partially buried.

The military pulled three bodies and parts of another two from rubble at the site of the second landslide that buried 16 people, Ranasinghe said.

“We can’t take any chance.

We will dig and see,” Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa told reporters

in Colombo after briefing diplomats and international bodies.

Sri Lanka is seeking assistance to deal with the worst landslides in its history.

Health officials said they are monitoring for water-borne disease outbreaks while Yapa said the government has sought foreign aid in the form of motors, boats and purifying tablets.

Aid agencies in Colombo canvassed for boats to rescue hundreds of people trapped by rising river waters. Disaster management authorities said around 300,000 people displaced across the country by the disaster had been sent to 610 safe locations.

Troops also used boats and helicopters in rescue operations. The torrential rains since Sunday have caused floods and landslides in nineteen of the country’s 25 districts.

Flooding and drought are cyclical in Sri Lanka, which is battered by a southern monsoon between May and September, while a northeastern monsoon runs from December to February. l

CHRONICLE

Major plane crashes over the past decade Searches were under way in the eastern Mediterranean on Thursday after an EgyptAir flight vanished from radar screens, with a Greek aviation source saying it had crashed south of Karpathos island. The flight, which had 66 people on board, was headed to Cairo after taking off from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.

Here is a recap of civilian plane disasters that have killed 200 people or more in the past 10 years--

Airbus A320

March 8, 2014; Indian Ocean

GREECE

PARIS

FRANCE

TUNIS

Alexandria

TUNISIA CAIRO 400 km

May 18 0602 GMT

Arrives in Cairo from Asmara (Eritrea)

Limit of Egyptian airspace

Mediterranean Sea

TURKEY

ATHENS

LIBYA 08151650 GMT

Flies to Tunis and back.

Then departs for Paris

EGYPT

100 km

EGYPT

CAIRO

1955 GMT

2109 GMT

May 19 0005 GMT

Arrives in Paris

Leaves Paris terminal.

Takes off at 2119 GMT

Last radio contact (Kea Is., Greece)

sia Airlines flight MH17, also a Boeing 777, is shot down while flying over rebel-held east Ukraine en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, killing all 298 people aboard.

July 17, 2014; Ukraine

June 1, 2009; Atlantic Ocean

0029 GMT

Disappears from radar screens

An Air France Airbus A-330 crash-

July 17, 2007; Brazil

An Airbus A-320 belonging to Brazil’s Tam Airlines careers off the runway upon landing

Pakistan plans to issue biometric passports from next year to halt the thousands of people who are being trafficked to European and Gulf nations. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan approved the move last week Pakistani authorities on tackling human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

-REUTERS

INDIA

India backtracks from sending MPs to inaugural of new Taiwan president India has reportedly backtracked on sending representatives to the swearing-in ceremony of Taiwanese president-elect Tsai Ing-wen on Friday, days after naming two parliamentarians to attend the event. This comes at a time when the Tsai-led Democratic Progress Party, taking over for the next four years, is readying a fresh policy initiative to focus on strengthening relations with India.

-HT

CHINA

China rejects US claim of spy plane intercept Beijing on Thursday rejected Pentagon accusations that a Chinese aircraft made an “unsafe” intercept of a spy plane in international air space, as tensions rise in the strategically vital South China Sea. The US Department of Defence told reporters Wednesday that two Chinese tactical aircraft intercepted an American reconnaissance plane in an unsafe manner, without giving details. -AFP

The EU on Thursday beefed up sanctions against North Korea over nuclear and ballistic missile tests carried out in defiance of United Nations resolutions. The 28-nation bloc said it was adding 18 persons and one entity to its asset freeze and travel ban blacklist, complementing measures adopted by the UN against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

-AP

MIDDLE EAST

0105 GMT

Scheduled arrival in Cairo

Sources: Flightradar24, EgyptAir

es after taking off from Rio de Janeiro on a flight to Paris, killing all 228 on board.

Pakistan to issue biometric passports to curb trafficking

EU increases sanctions on North Korea CYPRUS

1st rescue boats

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, a Boeing 777-200, mysteriously disappears on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard. Some debris has been recovered, and an international search for the plane itself continues in the southern Indian Ocean.

Less than four months later, Malay-

Karpathos

Crete

SOUTH ASIA

ASIA PACIFIC

TURKEY

Kea

66 people on board

October 31, 2015; Egypt

An Airbus A-321 operated by the Russian airline Metrojet breaks up over the Sinai desert after taking off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, heading for Saint Petersburg. All 224 people on board were killed in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

EgyptAir Flight MS804

EgyptAir Flight MS804

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World

at the Sao Paulo airport in heavy rain, shoots across a crowded avenue then slams into a warehouse before bursting into flames. A total of 199 people are killed. l

Source: AFP

Israel’s Netanyahu seeks hard-line rival to join coalition Israel’s prime minister on Wednesday invited a hard-line rival to join his government as defence minister, taking a bold but risky move that could shore up his shaky parliamentary coalition but deepen his international isolation. Benjamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu party, had agreed to appoint negotiating teams to hammer out the details of their alliance.

-AP

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FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

USA

Trump: EgyptAir disappearance likely a terrorist attack Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Thursday the disappearance of an EgyptAir plane over the Mediterranean looked like an act of terrorism, making the link before authorities involved in the investigation did so. In a morning Twitter post, Trump said: “Looks like yet another terrorist attack. Airplane departed from Paris. When will we get tough, smart and vigilant?

Great hate and sickness!” REUTERS

THE AMERICAS

Concerns raised over Brazil’s new all-male govt Brazil’s week-old interim government is regressive and unequal, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said in a statement Wednesday. The body charged with protecting human rights in the Americas said interim Brazilian president’s Michel Terner all-white male cabinet appointments fails to represent the country’s population.

-AFP

UK

Betting odds indicate much higher chance of UK voting to stay in EU Betting odds on Thursday indicated the highest chance to date of UK voting to stay in the EU, with the implied probability of a vote for membership rising to as high as 83%. William Hill cut its odds an “In” vote to 1/5, the lowest level to date and indicating an implied probability of 83%.

-REUTERS

EUROPE

Nato invites Montenegro as 29th member NATO invited the Balkan nation of Montenegro to become its 29th member, agreeing Thursday to expand for only the 7th time in its history despite Russia’s angry objections. The decision is still subject to formal approval by the US Senate and the alliance’s other national parliaments. Russia has accused Nato of trying to encircle it and vowed to do what’s necessary to defend its national security and interests. -AP

AFRICA

5 UN peacekeepers killed in Mali ambush 5 United Nations peacekeepers from Chad were killed and three were wounded in northern Mali on Wednesday when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device and unknown gunmen opened fire.

Known by the acronym MINUSMA, the Mali mission is the most dangerous active deployment for UN peacekeepers and it has been hit by sharp internal tensions since its launch in July 2013.

-REUTERS

INSIGHT

Democrats chide Bernie Sanders after Nevada mutiny n Reuters, Washington, DC Infighting dogged the Democrats on Wednesday as Bernie Sanders’ campaign accused party leaders of bias against him and many Democrats urged Sanders to keep his supporters in check.

The tensions after a chaotic weekend convention in Nevada emerged as Republicans begin to rally around their own outsider presidential candidate, billionaire businessman Donald Trump, in the general election.

Trump, who has all but secured his party’s nomination, has turned his focus to November, outlining on Tuesday proposals including scrapping financial regulation and the Paris climate accords. On Wednesday, he released a list of potential Supreme Court nominees.

More Democrats urged Sanders on Wednesday to take a stronger stand against his supporters’ uprising in Nevada over the delegate selection process. They said he did not go far enough in condemning the unrest, which included a thrown chair, yelling and threats to convention leaders.

Sanders’ campaign manager, Jeff Weaver, in a series of television interviews, accused Debbie

Wasserman Schultz, the Democratic National Committee chairwoman, of bias against Sanders from the beginning and “throwing shade” on his campaign.

Senior US Senator Harry Reid of Nevada and Wasserman Schultz on Tuesdsay both also called on Sanders to do more to rein in his supporters.

Sanders had said he condemned violence and harassment against individuals but framed Nevada’s incident as a warning to Democratic leaders to treat his supporters with fairness.

The US senator from Vermont is determined to fight on against front-runner Clinton in what has become a longer-than-expected and sometimes acrimonious battle. In contests on Tuesday, Clinton narrowly edged out Sanders in Kentucky, a state where she had not been expected to win. Sanders won Oregon, a state that played to his strengths.

Democrats are faced with a delicate balancing act as long as Sanders remains in the race, needing to pivot toward Trump without taking Clinton’s nomination for granted and alienating passionate backers of Sanders.

Sparring between the Sanders camp and the Democratic Party leaders over the Nevada events threatened party unity before the Democrats’ national convention in

Democratic US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks on stage during a campaign event in California on Wednesday REUTERS July in Philadelphia.

Despite having an almost unassailable lead in the number of delegates needed to clinch the Democratic nomination, and with the primary battle heading toward the final contests next month, Clinton will need Sanders supporters on her side in the general election.

According to a recent Reuters/ Ipsos survey, what played out in Nevada is just a glimpse into the uphill battle Clinton faces in courting them.

If Clinton wins the nomination,

for every six Democrats who support Sanders, one will switch their allegiance to Trump in the general election and two say they would not support either candidate. Only three of every six say they would support Clinton as the party’s nominee.

Sanders’ campaign has long accused party leaders of favouring Clinton, a former US senator and secretary of state, for the presidential nomination in the face of his unexpectedly strong primary challenge. l

UK court rejects Big Tobacco’s appeal against plain packaging n Reuters, London Britain got the go-ahead on Thursday to make plain packaging compulsory on cigarettes when a court rejected a legal challenge brought by the world’s top four tobacco companies.

British American Tobacco (BAT), Philip Morris International, Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Brands had argued the law, due to take effect on Friday, unlawfully took away their intellectual property.

In its ruling, the High Court highlighted the moral dimension to the new regulations.

“It is wrong to view this issue purely in monetised terms alone,” it said. “There is a significant moral angle which is embedded in the regulations which is about saving children from a lifetime of addic-

tion, and children and adults from premature death and related suffering and disease.”

Smoking kills about 6m people every year.

BAT said the judgment contained a number of fundamental errors of law and the company was applying for leave to appeal the ruling, a spokesperson said.

Japan Tobacco also said it intended to appeal but Philip Morris said it would not.

Philip Morris said it would keep trying instead to “focus on efforts to develop and commercialize scientifically substantiated reduced-risk products”.

Plain packaging means a ban on all marketing on tobacco packages - including colours, logos and distinctive fonts - to try to make smoking less attractive, especially to young people.

BIGSTOCK

UK public health minister Jane Ellison said the government would not allow the tobacco industry to dictate government policies and hailed the ruling as “a victory for a generation that will grow up smoke-free”.

Governments around the world are cracking down on

smoking and this month, the EU’s highest court upheld a new law requiring tobacco companies to use larger health warnings and bans small packs and menthol cigarettes from 2020.

Also this month, the US banned sales of e-cigarettes and cigars to minors.

Britain’s plain packaging rule will take effect on Friday, the same day as new packaging rules for the broader European Union, although companies have a grace period to run down existing stocks.

Australia was the first country to make plain packaging compulsory but France and Ireland have also agreed to do so.

In addition to the aim of curbing smoking, data from Australia suggests it could lead consumers to buy cheaper brands, posing a threat to companies’ profits. l

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FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

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12 Business

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

TOP STORIES ADB honours best performing project teams Asian Development Bank has awarded three of its best performing project teams for the year 2015 in Bangladesh to promote efficient project implementation. PAGE 13

IMF backs Saudi economic plan for ‘appropriately bold’ transformation The International Monetary Fund backed Saudi Arabia’s sweeping economic reform plan yesterday and said the kingdom was cutting spending at the right speed to cope with a huge state budget deficit caused by low oil prices. PAGE 14

Anti-trade rhetoric not denting US hopes for TPP The top US trade official is not losing hope for congressional approval of a sweeping pan-Pacific free trade agreement this year despite strong anti-trade rhetoric in the US presidential campaign that may be influencing reluctant lawmakers. PAGE 15

Capital market snapshot: Thursday DSE Broad Index

4,392.9

0.7% ▲

Index

1,077.5

0.5% ▲

30 Index

1,719.2

0.6% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

4,247.7

17.6% ▲

Turnover in Mn Vol

124.9

23.1% ▲

All Share Index 13,551.4

0.8% ▲

30 Index

0.4% ▲

CSE

Selected Index

12,480.1 8,240.3

0.8% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

265.4

19.9% ▲

Turnover in Mn Vol

9.5

1.3% ▲

Bangladesh-Canada bilateral trade to reach $5bn by 2021 n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Canada is likely to reach $5 billion by 2021 in which RMG sector will play a key role, business people said yesterday.

According to the trade data, Canada-Bangladesh Bilateral Trade crossed $2 billion mark for the first time in the fiscal year 2014-15.

In last fiscal year, Bangladesh exported products worth $1.48 billion, of which $929 million alone came from apparel products.

The business individuals came up with the remarks at a luncheon meeting titled – Achievement of $2 billion in Bilateral Trade between Bangladesh and Canada in 2015.

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and CanCham Bangladesh jointly hosted the meeting in the city yesterday.

“CanCham Bangladesh believes that the trade between the two countries could reach $5 billion by 2021. This requires some 40% growth per annum. For this, Bangladesh should drastically look for export diversification and destinations,” said Masud Rahman, president of Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CanCham Bangladesh).

He added that duty-free access to Canadian markets has played an important role in increasing the percentage of bilateral trade

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and CanCham Bangladesh jointly host a luncheon meeting on bilateral trade in the city yesterday COURTESY which is more than 100% from 2009-2015.

Bangladesh enjoys duty- and tariff-free market access to Canada markets. Like RMG, woven and knit also contributed 95% of the export trade of Bangladesh.

BGMEA has set a target of $50 billion export target by 2021, which would contribute a lot to reaching the $5 billion trade, suggested Masud.

“It has been clear for sometime that nothing could stop our trade relationship progress. Canada’s commercial relationship with Bangladesh has grown dramatically over the last decade,” Canadian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Benoit Pierre Laramme said.

“Since 2000, our trade has grown seven fold. It is now over 2.4 Canadian Dollars. Bangladesh is the second largest source of

Canadian merchandisers’ import from South Asia after India.”

Laramme termed RMG one of the key players of business relationship.

Many Canadian garment retailers source their products from Bangladesh and recognise the importance of Bangladesh-Canada relationship, the high commissioner said, adding that Canada is also actively supporting the efforts to ensure workers’ rights and safety in RMG sector.

Stressing the need for compliance and safety, Laramme said: “I want to be crystal clear.

Canada wants Bangladesh Garment sector to continue to grow and to strive. This will be only possible if the consumers of Canada trust that products from Bangladesh are made in a factory that are safe and the rights of

workers are respected.”

He also underscored the need for enhancing business-to-business linkage between small and medium enterprises in Canada and Bangladesh to make a breakthrough in trade relations.

Canada contributes CAD 8 million to the International Labour Organization (ILO) to help build the government of Bangladesh’s capacity to ensure workplace safety, and earlier this year Canada joined the Sustainability Compact.

In his address, DCCI president Hossain Khaled said Canada is the seventh largest single export destination for Bangladeshi products which has become possible only because of continuous GSP facility extended to enhance Bangladesh’s access to Canadian market over the last decade.

He said though Bangladesh and Canada enjoy a healthy trade growth, Canadian investment in Bangladesh is still very insignificant.

To beep up investment, Khaled urged Canadian investors to invest in agriculture, jute, pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding, ICT and automotive sectors of Bangladesh.

Canada’s exports to Bangladesh were CAD 905 million, of which 80% were agriculture items.

Its main exports to Bangladesh in 2015 include cereals, vegetables, iron and steel. Bangladesh is Canada’s third largest export market for pulses. l

All transgenders under social safety net n Asif Showkat Kallol

All of the marginalised transgender people living across Bangladesh will be brought under the government’s social safety net programme.

A recent inter-ministerial meeting also decided to increase the community’s monthly allowance to Tk600 from Tk500 now in fiscal year 2016-17.

Officials present at the meeting told Dhaka Tribune that Finance Minister AMA Muhith, who chaired the meeting, gave his consent to the decisions to be included in the upcoming national budget.

As per the decision, the cover-

age of the transgender social safety net programme will be expanded to all the country’s 64 districts from the current 21.

Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroz Chumki and Social Welfare Secretary Chowdhury Mohammad Babul Hassan also attended the meeting. In the current fiscal year, the government allocated Tk4.5 crore for transgender community in 21 districts.

The meeting discussed various “positive initiatives” taken over the years to address discrimination being faced by the community.

The initiatives include recognition of “hijras” as third gender. In 2013 the cabinet decided that the transgender people or hijras could identify

themselves as “third gender.”

The inter-ministerial meeting discussed the reasons why the decision taken last year to recruit from transgender community in the police force could not be implemented. The meeting also decided to increase the number of beneficiaries and amount of allowances

for some others under the social safety net in the next fiscal year.

The outlay for the sector will be increased by 25%.

The number of old age people will be increased to 3.15m from the current 3m, and the allowance will be increased to Tk500 from Tk400. l

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FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

ADB honours best performing project teams n Tribune Business Desk Asian Development Bank has awarded three of its best performing project teams for the year 2015 in Bangladesh to promote efficient project implementation.

Oleg Tonkonojenkov, deputy country director of the Bank’s Bangladesh Resident Mission, presented the awards to the winning teams at a ceremony in Dhaka on Wednesday, said an ADB statement.

The winning project teams are

Secondary Education Sector Investment Program (SESIP) (Tranches 1 and 2), executed by Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education; Second and Third Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement Projects, executed by the Local Government Engineering Department; and Power System Expansion and Efficiency Improvement Investment Program (Tranche 1), executed by the North West Power Generation Company Ltd. The Second Crop Diversification Project, executed by the Depart-

ment of Agricultural Extension; and City Region Development Project, and Sustainable Rural Infrastructure Improvement Project executed by the Local Government Engineering Department won special recognition for continued excellence in performance.

“The project/programme teams were selected for results delivery, effective project implementation, efficiency, efforts to empower women, transparency, and other criteria,” said Tonkonojenkov.

The best project team recogni-

Palak calls for foreign investment in online marketplace

ICT Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak and business dignitaries pose for a photograph at a roundtable in the city yesterday

n Tribune Business Desk Investment by large foreign companies like Carmudi, Foodpanda and Kaymu will help Bangladesh achieve the goal of Digital Bangladesh, said ICT Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak.

“Foodpanda is bringing food home to people while companies like Kaymu are delivering everything from mobiles and shoes to people’s doorsteps,” Palak said at a roundtable in Dhaka yesterday.

“Being able to use these services online is making people’s lives much simpler and easier and also creating jobs for young people,” he added.

The event, organised by Rocket Internet, brought together key practitioners from the country’s e-commerce space to discuss the role foreign companies could play in accelerating the growth of “this nascent but key sector.”

“Carmudi, Foodpanda and Kaymu are portfolio companies of Europe’s largest technology firm, Rocket Internet,” said Ambareen Reza, Rocket Country Lead who launched the company in Bangladesh in 2013.

She said: “Currently we

have a total of seven ventures already operating in Bangladesh.”

German Ambassador in Bangladesh Dr Thomas Prinz said: “It is encouraging to see a company from Germany seeing so much value in exploring an untapped market like Bangladesh.”

“With a growing middle class and an increasing amount of people connecting to the internet, Bangladesh can be a technology hotspot in the years ahead,” he added.

Operating since 2013, Foodpanda, an online food delivery marketplace, has already reached 500,000 orders.

Currently operating in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet, the company is showing a 100% year on year growth, said Co-founder and Managing Director Zubair Siddiky.

Kaymu, an online B2C/ C2C marketplace, also operating since 2013, offers consumers more than 100,000 products from 6,000+ sellers, said Country Manager, Quazi Zulquarnain.

The open platform which allows anyone to sell is also helping build entrepreneurs many of whom are selling upward of Tk25 lakh through

the platform with zero capital expenditure. They serviced more than 200,000 orders in 2015.

Carmudi, a listings platform specialised in vehicles, boasts a dealer network of more than 300 and generated more than 100,000 leads in 2015 alone with a goal to bringing transparency in the Bangladesh automobile market, according to Country Manager João Pedro Príncipe.

In a lively roundtable event, the minister further added that technology transfer from foreign companies would also help local companies grow quicker and foster healthy competition.

The discussion also highlighted the key challenges facing the e-commerce sector with a lack of proper logistic solutions for last mile deliveries and payment options being highlighted as the biggest hindrance to growth.

E-Cab President Razib Ahmed also congratulated the foreign companies for bringing about a mindset change among the people of the country and encouraged local companies to use this opportunity to capture this burgeoning sector.

“We hope the government continues to support this sector with incentives like VAT/ Tax reductions and easing of foreign currency regulations,” he added.

Moderated by Naveed Mahbub, the roundtable event also brought together representatives from Grameenphone, Portonics and SSL Commerz.

Fahim Mashroor, CEO of BD Jobs, and Syed Mohammad Kamal, country head of Master Card, also attended the event as panel speakers. l

tion programme was initiated in 2001, and has been a regular annual exercise by ADB to promote development effectiveness of ADB-assisted projects in Bangladesh.

SESIP (first and second tranches with $90m and $185m ADB loans respectively) is supporting the government’s reform of secondary education (grades 6-12) into a system that builds the foundation for a skilled labour force and prepares youths to meet the requirements of a rapidly developing economy.

Infrastructure, teaching materi-

als, teacher training, and stipend, among others, are being provided to promote education quality, equity and efficiency.

The Second and Third Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement Projects (with $87m and $125m ADB loans respectively) have been helping selected municipalities to improve infrastructure, other services, governance and inclusive participation making them more livable and attractive, and helping to ease population pressures in major cities. l

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Yeakin Polymer gets IPO nod n Tribune Business Desk The capital markets regulator, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC), yesterday gave clearance to Yeakin Polymer Limited to raise almost Tk20 crore through initial public offering.

The regulator in a statement said the company will issue over 2 crore ordinary shares. The offer value of each share is Tk10.

The proceeds of the issue will be utilised for purchasing machinery, factory, construction and meeting other expenses.

The Earning Per Share of the company is Tk1.41 and Net Asset Value Tk14.61, according to its audited report as of June, 2015. l

Can virtual reality translate into real profits? n Reuters, New York A growing number of US companies are counting on virtual reality for real profits.

With growth hard to come by amid the lethargic economy, companies ranging from snowmobile manufacturers to furniture sellers are incorporating virtual reality that so far has mostly been found in video games. Their bet: that the trendy headset-based technology can help them build sales and cut costs.

Theme park operator Six Flags Entertainment Corp is outfitting riders on some of its aging roller coasters with Samsung VR headsets, allowing the company to brand the rides as brand-new without having to build costly new attractions.

Snowmobile manufacturer Arctic Cat Inc has developed virtual reality rides that customers can use to try out new models at dealerships, while eBay Inc’s StubHub is testing technology that allows fans to check out the view from different seats before buying tickets.

In the most recent round of corporate earnings reports, some 38 companies - including the New York Times Co, GoPro Inc, and furniture-seller Wayfair Inc - highlighted virtual reality as a part of their business plans.

That was a 375% jump from the 8 that did so at this time last year, according to a Reuters analysis of earnings calls transcripts. Nearly all were either consumer or technology companies.

The increasing focus on virtual reality comes at a time when first-quarter earnings for the S&P 500 are expected to fall 5.4 percent from the same time last year, while second-quarter earnings are expected to fall 3.4 percent from the year before, according to Thomson Reuters estimates. l

Budget allocation for young entrepreneurs sought

Stocks gain for 4th day

n Jebun Nesa Alo

Stocks closed higher for the fourth session in a row yesterday with a significant rise in the volume of trade.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange benchmark DSEX index rose over 28 points or 0.7% to end at 4,392.

The Shariah index DSES was up 5 points or 0.6% to 1,077.

The blue chip comprising index DS30 rallied 10 points to 1,719.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX ended at 8,240, rising over 67 points.

Participation in trading got pace as the DSE turnover stood at more than Tk424 crore, up around 18% over the previous session.

Power sector shone on the day as it accounted for 23.5% of the day’s total trade value and surged almost 2%, led by mainly Shahzibazar Power Company Limited (SPCL), which increased by 6.8%.

SPCL was also the most traded stock, making up 4.6% of the total turnover.

Engineering, Pharmaceuticals and Textile sectors also remained the most favoured stocks as they accounted for 14.6%, 14.5% and 8.2% of the total trade.

Share prices of non-life insurance, bank, cement and textile also witnessed an upward move while food and allied closed negative. l

A separate budget allocation for youngsters aged between 18 and 40 has been sought.

Junior Chamber International yesterday sought the allocation at a seminar titled – Budget Thinking of Young Entrepreneurs.

FBCCI Standing Committee on Youth Entrepreneurship Development hosted the seminar in the capital. ‘’Youngsters want to be entrepreneurs, but they face different obstacles,’’ said Shakawat Hossain Mamun, president of the chamber.

Getting finance from banks is the major obstacle, he said, adding that the government should allo-

cate budget for the young entrepreneurs.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam predicted that an expected economic development will

‘Youngsters want to be entrepreneurs, but they face different obstacles’ not be possible by 2021 if the current business situation does not improve.

“Lack of infrastructure, power shortage and gas licencing procedure make us confused about achieving the target.”

The junior minister termed project implementation a big chal-

lenge. In their addresses, business leaders said they are interested to pay tax, but don’t want to be harassed.

They alleged that businessmen are being harassed in different manners in the name of vat collection.

The young generation expects budgetary support for e-commerce and ICT sector, said Towfiqul Islam Khan, research fellow of Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) while delivering his keynote address at the seminar.

He said young entrepreneurs are very much interested about technology and so the government should offer incentives and financial assistance for the development of the sector. l

Tourism fair begins in Dhaka n Ishtiaq Husain

The sixth Bangladesh International Tourism Fair has got under way in Dhaka.

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu inaugurated the threeday long event at Bangabandhu International Conference Center yesterday. Bangladesh Foundation for Tourism Development (BFTD) has organised the fair.

A total of 60 tour operators, hotels and resorts including Bangladesh Tourism Board and Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation are participating in the fair. China and Bhutan are among seven overseas participants.

Amir Hossain Amu said: “The government is giving priority to tourism industry considering its potential so that this sector can flourish.”

He said: “Bangladesh will soon

be connected with Myanmar, China and Thailand through roads.

And the tourism sector will play a vital role in strengthening regional connectivity and economic development of the region.”

BFTD President ASM Abdul Motin and Executive Director Rezaul Ekram also spoke at the function.

Rezaul Ekram said this is the first time China is taking part in any tourism fair in Bangladesh. l

n Tribune Business Desk

CORPORATE NEWS

Social Islami Bank Limited has recently held its 21st annual general meeting, said a press release. The bank’s chairperson, Major Dr Md Rezaul Haque (retired) presided over the meeting Rangs Motors Limited has recently organised an event named Eicher Customer Night for customers of the company’s Eicher brand, said a press release. Head of international business at Volvo Eicher, Sanjeev Mahajan and Sohana Rouf Chowdhury, managing director of Rangs Motors Limited were present at the event

Apex Footwear Limited has recently held its 26th annual general meeting, said a press release. The company’s chairperson, Syed Manzur Elahi presided over the meeting

NRBC Bank has recently received an appreciation letter from Bangladesh Bank for achieving agricultural and rural credit disbursement target in 2015, said a press release. Deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank, SK Sur handed over the letter to Md Shafiet Wahed, deputy managing director of NRBC Bank

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FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

Anti-trade rhetoric not denting US hopes for TPP n Reuters, Lima The top US trade official is not losing hope for congressional approval of a sweeping pan-Pacific free trade agreement this year despite strong anti-trade rhetoric in the US presidential campaign that may be influencing reluctant lawmakers.

US Trade Representative Michael Froman told Reuters in an interview in Lima, Peru, that he continues to have “good meetings” with members of Congress about the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.

As more industry groups voice support for the deal, US lawmakers are likely to come out in favor of it, he said.

“The more they learn about the agreement, the more comfortable and positive they are about the substance,” Froman said. “I think at the end of the day we’ll have produced the necessary support.”

While he would like to see a vote as early as possible, he said he is discussing with congressional leadership and key committee chairs “about what the appropriate window is for bringing it forward.”

Some key Republicans, such as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have voiced opposition to a vote before the November presidential election, while others, including Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, have said that a vote this year would be “difficult,” especially for a “lameduck” Congress.

The Obama administration is

gearing up for another major TPP sales pitch as a new analysis of the deal by the US International Trade Commission is released on Wednesday.

Froman said he did not know the results of the independent body’s cost-benefit analysis of the TPP. But he noted that another study of TPP, by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, which uses a similar long-term estimating model, found that the trade deal would boost US national income by $131bn annually by 2030.

Campaign headwinds

Even so, the trade deal has come under withering attacks on the US presidential campaign trail.

Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the Nov 8 election, has attacked the TPP as bad for American jobs and said he prefers bilateral trade deals. Hilary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee, ditched her one-time support for TPP, at least in its present form, as challenger Bernie Sanders has railed against it.

Froman said the backlash against TPP largely stemmed from misplaced frustration with jobs lost to automation and anxiety over rising income

equality after years of stagnant wages.

“I think trade agreements have become the proxy for a number of other concerns that people have, it’s the vessel into which they pour a lot of their very understandable, very legitimate concerns,” Froman said.

“And politicians pick up on that.”

TPP critics say the agreement does not do enough for workers, the environment or consumers. On Monday, U.S. and Colombian labor unions said Colombia had failed to enforce worker protections in its free trade agreement with the United States, raising questions about similar provisions in the TPP.

Froman said the TPP would help improve labor and environmental standards in a rapidly-globalizing world. After a visit to a remote Amazonian region in Peru, he pointed to joint US-Peru efforts to fight illegal logging that started after implementation of their free trade agreement in 2009. l

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FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

Kids

| diy |

| review |

SANDPAPER TEES

Chotto Ekta Maa

WEAR YOUR OWN ART! Looking for new clothes to wear?

Why not make some of your own!

YOU NEED Sandpaper Crayons Plain coloured T-shirts Iron INSTRUCTIONS Grab some crayons and draw different designs on a piece of sandpaper. Turn the sand paper upside down and iron onto the t-shirt. Your sandpaper tees are now ready to wear. Show them off !.l

n Ashique Mustafa The story goes - a boy grew up in a hostel, and his childhood was confined within its four walls. When he went home for the holidays, he always asked his mother for stories about her childhood, and she would tell him these stories while she put him to sleep. But once he becomes an adult, he becomes the one who retells the stories of

| art |

her childhood back to his aged other.

This excellent little story will evoke a sense of nostalgia in every reader. The book is going to be released in the upcoming ‘Omor Ekoshe Boi Mela’ and will be published from Bangla Prokash, one of the famous publishers of Bangladesh. The cover and illustration has been done by Sabyasachi Hazra. Chotto Ekta Ma costs Tk 140 only. l

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Young Learners

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

The legend of Nian n Features Desk Our world is full of stories about mythical creatures, legendary beasts, and supernatural and god-like beings. For over decades, humans everywhere, are inspired by living animals or even fossils which has brought mythical creatures to life in stories, songs, and works of art back then and now. The origins of these fabulous creatures are varied and often disputed. They have played significant roles in society, and have served to stimulate the imagination and desire that is ingrained in human nature to experience more than this physical world. Whether they truly exist in physical form is indeed secondary to their existence in the minds of so many people throughout the world and in history.

According to tales and legends, the beginning of the Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called Nian, who had the body of a bull and the head of a lion. It was said to be

a ferocious animal that lived in the mountains and hunted for a living. Towards the end of winter when there was nothing to eat, Nian would come on the first day of the new year to the villages to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people.

The villagers would live in terror over the winter, but over time they learned that the ferocious Nian was afraid of three things: the colour red, fire and noise. So when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. They also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again.

According to legend, the Nian was eventually captured by an ancient Taoist monk. After Nian was captured, everyone had a big

celebration and the ritual involved in banishing him was repeated the following year, and so the ritual

was passed down from generation to generation, and the custom of celebrating New Year with

firecrackers, noise and the colour red has persisted to this day.

Interesting huh? l

| history |

The Garden of Babylon was built in about 600 BC. History says, King Nebuchadnezzar built the garden for his sick wife who was used to green fields. According to the Greeks, the roots of the plants in the hanging garden were lifted up, rather than being under the earth. What amazes us the most is the water system.

The water from the Euphrates River was raised into the air, which made it easy for the water to flow down the terrace to water the plants.

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18

Writing

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

Setting the scene 3 tips for descriptive writing

n Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

O

ne of the biggest challenges in writing, particularly for fiction, but also increasingly in narrative journalism and other forms of non-fiction, is to create a world or scenario that is immersive and draws the reader in.

Of course the storyline or content of the piece plays an important role, but if you want your audience really involved in your work, it’s the descriptive writing that you have to get right, and this is a pretty tricky balancing act to perform. Here are five pointers to help make it a little easier.

Say no to purple As the Aishwarya Rai lipstick debacle proved, purple is a colour that can gain attention for all the wrong reasons. The same applies to “purple” prose, i.e., wordy, unnecessary flourishes. While a light smattering of the five-dollar word can add flavour to your prose, if you find yourself reaching for the Thesaurus with every sentence, you probably need to rein yourself in. A good example of purple prose is just about anything out of the Twilight series.

Here’s a cringe-worthy paragraph that seems to be quite popular in forums that discuss crimes against writing.

His skin, white despite the faint flush from yesterday’s

“Description is what makes the reader a sensory participant in the story. Good description is a learned skill,one of the prime reasons you cannot succeed unless you read a lot and write a lot. It’s not just a question of how-to, you see; it’s a question of how much to. Reading will help you answer how much, and only reams of writing will help you with the how. You can learn only by doing.”

- Stephen King

PHOTOs: BIGSTOCK hunting trip, literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface.

He lay perfectly still in the grass, his shirt open over his sculpted, incandescent chest, his scintillating arms bare. His glistening, pale lavender lids were shut, though of course he didn’t sleep. A perfect statue, carved in some unknown stone, smooth like marble, glittering like crystal.

Be specific Here’s a rule that’s particularly important to remember if you’re writing reviews. The more specific you are in your description, the more “alive” your description is.

Consider this section from a first draft of a restaurant review: “The eye-catching décor and warm vibes of the restaurant make it an awesome and trendy place to hang out” What exactly does it mean to be “eye-catching”? The reviewer is using a lot of adjectives without really describing anything.

Consider this revision: “The bold, striped curtains, salmon coloured walls and framed portraits of musical legends recreate the look and

3 ways description helps your writing In journalism – Starting the story with a description is a great way of drawing your readers in. Putting a face to the statistics, making it relevant to the readers, will ensure that the point you’re trying to make with the story hits home.

In commercial writing – Whether you’re reviewing a product or writing up a travel brochure, a lively description can win you more clients.

In fiction – create a world that your readers want to inhabit. Little details can help them take ownership of the story and relate to it in a way that a dry narrative will not.

feel of a New Orleans jazz bar.

That, coupled with the intimate lighting, soft instrumental music, and comfortable seating make this restaurant a good place to hang out.”

Now we can actually picture the scenario.

Keep moving Readers today don’t have time to read reams and reams of descriptions, so writers have the challenge of creating pictures using as little text as possible. In this case, a strong verb may work better than a flowery adjective.

Strong verbs are descriptive verbs that move the story along.

Instead of writing “they ran as fast as they could, clumsily climbing over the fence”, you could just say “they scrambled over the fence”. Fewer words, and the verb itself conveys the idea of the kind of movement that happened.

In conclusion, one piece of advice you’ll hear over and over again, no matter what genre of writing you produce, is “show, don’t tell.” Paint a moving picture with your words, and they’ll dive right in. l

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Biz Info

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

| food |

| tech |

| agreement |

Crowd-pleasing dish at Absolute Thai

HP Inc reinvents large-format printing with MFP

MoU signed between ULAB and Chiang Mai University, Thailand

HP Inc recently unveiled the new HP designjet technical printer, including the flagship HP DesignJet T830 Multifunction Printer (MFP), reinventing how architect, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals print, scan and copy.

Engineered to withstand tough environments, these new device make large-format printing faster and easier from the office to construction sites.

“Even as AEC and design professionals become increasingly mobile, they prefer making edits and reviewing plans on the printed page,” said Sashika Vishan Silva, SG/ AEC/CLM/PK Designjet country

Professor Imran Rahman, vice chancellor, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), and Clinical Professor Niwes Nantachit, MD president, Chiang Mai University, Thailand (CMU), together signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between their respective institutes on May 16 at the CMU office in Thailand.

Exotic flavors blend together to create Absolute Thai’s pineapple fried rice with prawns, a crowdpleasing favorite. The dish is unique and colourful, and born from an infusion of Thai and Hawaiian cuisines.

In Thai language, pineapple fried rice is called “khao phad sapprarot,” it is a very popular dish in Thailand and considered a quick and highly healthy meal.

The combination of caramelised pineapple and succulent prawns with Thai spices works really well together to create a sweet, tangy and spicy kick to your palate. Not only does it look enticing, it also tastes absolutely mouthwatering.

To reserve your table, dial 01610-500022. l

business manager, Large Format Design, HP. “HP’s innovative T830 MFP simplify collaboration with next-level features and mobile printing capabilities to meet this blended reality and print whatever AEC professionals need, wherever.” l

| talk |

| fashion |

Eid fashion exhibition by Panache Events Panache Events has organised a double day Eid fashion exhibition at the Six Seasons Hotel on May 20 and 21.

Renowned boutiques and fashion houses from Dhaka and Chittagong will showcase their colourful and comfortable cloth lines, jewelleries and accessories in front of the city dwellers.

The exhibition started at 10am, today and will continue up till 9pm each day ending tomorrow.

Visitors will experience 26 shops and online boutiques under one roof. The participating fashion brands are Sabera Anwar, J&J by Simily, The Dressing Room, Cape Town by Esha Rushdi, Kinara, Cotton Lace and Beyond, Designer & Stylist Mir Marium, Nasreen Emporium, Asheka, Golden Threads, Begum, Safrina’s Closet, U Style, Parisa, Afsana’s Couture, Nazia’s Collection, A2Z by Shafinaz, T3 Exclusive, Marzana,s Closet, Pretty Lady, Shabnam Saree Ghar, Diva by Nazia, Lyna’s Closet and Atif Walia.

The academic agreement aims to promote collaboration in language studies, faculty development and student exchange. l

Panache Events arrange yearlong exhibitions and fashion shows to promote and foster the newcomer and women entrepreneurs in the fashion industry of Bangladesh.

The next Eid exhibition will be held on June 17 and 18 at the same venue with 26 new stores, keeping in mind one of the biggest festivals of Bangladesh Eid-ul-Fitr. l

THE WAY Dhaka hosts a panel discussion evening

Dhaka’s latest entry into the hospitality scene, THE WAY Dhaka, recently hosted a program for TOAB members entitled “Contribution of hospitality industry in tourism development.”

Attended by over 200 TOAB members, the event had live music entertainment and a raffle draw followed by dinner, courtesy of THE WAY Dhaka.

To enrich the discussion, TOAB’s current president Prof Dr Akbar Uddin Ahmed, shared his valuable thoughts and suggestions toward the TOAB members and wished good luck

to THE WAY Dhaka on its new journey.

He also mentioned that THE WAY Dhaka is a new addition to the hospitality industry in Bangladesh with five star boutique hotel’s facilities.

The quality of the products and service shall create a new benchmark for upcoming hotels as well as the existing ones.

THE WAY Dhaka is a new international brand in Dhaka, ideally located in the central business area of Gulshan 2. The property houses 38 beautifully appointed guest rooms plus 2 upscale premier suites. l

DT

20 Editorial

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

TODAY

Lashing out at Bangladesh won’t change history As a Pakistani, I am ashamed of my country’s response to the matter. The Foreign Office denounced the hanging saying that Nizami’s only crime was that he was loyal to the Pakistani constitution. What constitution was in force in Pakistan in 1971?

PAGE 21

The Windies doyen Amidst this cacophony that is modernday cricket commentary, a true master of words and wisdom of the game passes on. Tony Cozier was the golden voice of West Indies cricket PAGE 22

The Donald Show This year, however, has made every other election-year seem like a highschool drama PAGE 23

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

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

BIGSTOCK

Pay as you go to simplify tax system

T

he National Board of Revenue has been urged by FBCCI to support reforms that will help increase tax collection by simplifying the system.

Official figures indicate less than 2% of the population pays income tax. While in part this is explained by the low level of typical incomes, it is clear the country still suffers from large amounts of tax avoidance and evasion.

As the economy moves towards middle income status, it is important the government take steps to root out evasion and widen the tax base.

The government should make tax collection simpler by rooting out complicated rules and unwarranted levies which facilitate or encourage avoidance.

Removing anomalies and encouraging more income tax to be collected on a pay-as-you-go basis would also go a long way towards simplifying the process for the vast majority of people. For instance, there is no justification in principle for imposing income tax only on the basic salaries of public servants, when private sector employees with equivalent incomes are also taxed on bonuses, housing, and transport allowances.

Broadening tax collection is vital to make the government more accountable for the delivery of services.

The large scale of tax evasion on incomes has made indirect taxes on sales such as VAT more attractive as a source of revenue, because the transactions on which these taxes are levied are harder to hide and easier to collect.

While they form a necessary and important part of government income, indirect sales taxes such as VAT inevitably impact more deeply on citizens with lower incomes. It remains an important goal, then, to bring more people under the income tax net to make the tax system more progressive and fair.

The government must speed up initiatives to reform the system so that the country’s tax base can become more inclusive and self-reliant.

Broadening tax collection is vital to make the government more accountable for the delivery of services

DT

21

Opinion

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

Lashing out at Bangladesh for Nizami’s hanging won’t change history Turkey and Pakistan must accept the fact that they failed their own citizens

Erdogan cannot live in denial of the past

REUTERS

n Yasser Latif Hamdani

O

n May 11, Bangladesh hanged Motiur Rahman Nizami, the 73-year-old leader of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. He was the leader of the militant group Al-Badr.

The searing irony of this saga is that Pakistan’s ruling elite in 1971 outsourced the safeguarding of Pakistani nationalism to unsavoury characters from the Jamaat-e-Islami’s student wing when Jamaat-e-Islami itself had opposed tooth and nail the creation of Pakistan just 24 years earlier in 1947.

The brigands of Al-Badr were launched by the Pakistani military against a Bengali population which had, in 1947, stood unwaveringly with Mr Jinnah and the Muslim League in the Pakistan Movement.

In 1965, the same Bengali population had voted en masse for Fatima Jinnah against Ayub Khan.

On both occasions -- in 1947 and 1965 -- Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the future father of Bangladesh, was at the forefront of the movement.

In the 40s, he had famously cycled from one town to another to attend a Muslim League rally.

It was young men like Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who had taken the message of the Muslim League to the nook and cranny of Bengal.

As a Pakistani, I am ashamed of my country’s response to the matter.

The Foreign Office denounced the hanging saying that Nizami’s only crime was that he was loyal to the Pakistani constitution. What constitution was in force in Pakistan in 1971?

Without Bengalis, Pakistan would never have been possible.

In 1971, the same Bengali population was being treated as traitors to Pakistan by a military regime that was incapable of telling friend from foe.

We must recognise as Pakistanis that the demands Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had laid before West Pakistani rulers were in complete consonance with the Lahore Resolution of 1940.

We must also accept that Sheikh Mujib had won the election and instead of imposing a centralised majoritarian rule on Pakistan, the Bengali leader was offering Pakistan a vision that was not too different from the one Mr Jinnah had asked for in United India.

Truth be told, a stronger, fairer, and more democratic Pakistan would have emerged had we had the foresight to accept Mujib’s six points, just as a fairer, more democratic, and truly federal India would have emerged if Congress

had accepted Mr Jinnah’s vision for a United India. Instead, both Mujib and Mr Jinnah have been cast as separatist founding fathers of the states that they fathered only reluctantly.

Every Pakistani should read Mujib’s unfinished memoirs to at least learn the other side of the story. Mujib was a patriot who wanted equal rights for his people in the Pakistan that he had fought for as a young activist.

Instead of learning from history, the myopic centralising objectives of the Pakistan’s ruling junta put us squarely on the wrong side of history. We let loose gangs of brigands, including people like Motiur Rahman Nizami, on a hapless population whose only crime was that they had voted for the Awami League.

In the last days of the unfortunate war, which saw the dismemberment of Pakistan, AlBadr along with Al Shams and the Razakars, went on a killing spree

against Bengali intellectuals. It was for these crimes that Motiur Rahman Nizami was tried and hanged by Bangladesh.

One is not enamoured with the death penalty but one cannot help but think that if there was any occasion for the award of the maximum punishment, it was this.

As a Pakistani, I am ashamed of my country’s response to the matter.

The Foreign Office denounced the hanging saying that Nizami’s only crime was that he was loyal to the Pakistani constitution.

What constitution was in force in Pakistan in 1971?

The constitution of 1962 had been abandoned. The interim constitution of 1972 or the present constitution of 1973 was yet to be enacted. There was no constitution to be loyal to.

What we had was an illegal usurper regime in power in Pakistan which was denying the elected majority party of Pakistan, the Awami League, the right

to form its government, and to fashion Pakistan according to its will.

When history is written impartially this is the only version that will survive. The great tragedy of Pakistan was that usurpers were in power by virtue of their bayonets and not by the will of the people. Bangladesh has attempted to right the wrongs of the past through making war criminals accountable. One can disagree with their approach, but one cannot deny that it is their internal matter now.

Pakistan’s reaction on the issue will only widen the gulf between the two states. More importantly, it is a message that we still have not learnt from the mistakes of the past. Indeed, we continue to repeat the same mistakes, be it while dealing with Baloch separatists or through our continuing relationship with the “good” Taliban in Afghanistan. The situation calls for a clean break from the past but it seems that the think-tanks of Pakistan’s deep state are only busy regurgitating questionable wisdom of the past.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s decision to recall its ambassador from Bangladesh in wake of this hanging is also instructive. That country, too, has unfortunately been unable to come to terms with actions of the Ottoman Army against its Armenian population at the end of the First World War. It sees, therefore, a parallel between Bangladesh and Armenia.

Both Pakistan and Turkey are living in denial about the past.

Modern nations, secure in their identity, do not need to sweep past atrocities under the carpet. Both Pakistan and Turkey must accept that atrocities were committed against sections of populations that were their own citizens at the time.

It does not mean accepting extravagant claims of genocide necessarily and, truth be told, on all sides there has been a lot of exaggeration. Still, both Turkey and Pakistan must accept that they failed their own citizens. Lashing out at Bangladesh will not change the facts of history. l Yasser Latif Hamdani is a lawyer based in Lahore and the author of the book Mr Jinnah: Myth and Reality. He tweets as @theRealYLH. This article was first published in The Express Tribune.

22

DT

Opinion

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

The Windies doyen Veteran commentator Tony Cozier was the voice of cricket for many

Clive Lloyd said Cozier gave words to their exploits on the field

Amidst this cacophony that is modern-day cricket commentary, a true master of words and wisdom of the game passes on. Tony Cozier was the golden voice of West Indies cricket

n SM Shahrukh

I

n the humdrum world of T-20 cricket where people wait for fours and sixes to be hit as they munch on potato chips and suck on the straws of soft drinks, they hear the screams of ex-cricketers, the ones who are mostly in charge of the commentary boxes these days.

And amidst this cacophony that is modern-day cricket commentary, a true master of words and wisdom of the game passes on. Tony Cozier was the golden voice of West Indies cricket.

The ease with which he seamlessly transferred to and from radio and TV commentary was unparalleled in my opinion: The commentary styles were vastly different, as they should be.

I first heard Cozier’s beautiful Caribbean English on Radio Australia during the famous 1975-76 series between WI and Australia; even though the Windies were pummeled 1-5 by the Aussies, Clive Lloyd made the epoch-creating choice of playing four fast bowlers from then on.

England in 1976 faced the wrath of Holding, Roberts, Daniel, Julien, Holder and the world sat up and took note. I was in class six in 1976 and cricket got me for life.

Tony Cozier was part of the panel of BBC’s Test Match Special team during that series and stood out from the old school of John Arlott, Brian Johnston, Freddie Trueman and Trevor Bailey.

He was the spice of the commentary team with his Bajan English.

Only Henry Blofeld was as

exuberant as the almost-poetic Barbadian. I went on to listen to his commentary till very recently.

Tony Cozier was a brilliant cricket-writer too and his articles on sports and cricket magazines were witty, incisive and highly analytical and showed a depth of knowledge of the game which he had never played at any higher level than club cricket.

During a trip to India during 1979 or 1980, when I was about to finish my high school, I found the book The West Indies: 50 Years of Test Cricket by Cozier in a Kolkata magazine-kiosk.

I learned the history of how cricket developed in the Caribbean islands, otherwise languishing within the British Empire.

I learned how the coloured people had a chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with the White man on a cricket field. The islanders took to the game like fish to water.

That book also told me how the West Indies only had white people captaining the team till an aging George Headley was given the honor in the late 40s, almost 20 years after the Windies were admitted to the annals of Test

teams.

It also told me how the selection of the team depended on which island a Test was being played, which meant the West Indies were never playing their best eleven during the formative years.

The West Indies emerged as a major power when under the captaincy of Goddard and banking on the famous three Ws (Worrell, Walcott and Weekes) and the famous spin duo of Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valantine, they defeated England in England in 1950.

Tony Cozier started writing just about the time the greatest of the West Indies cricketers, Sir Garry Sobers, was coming to the fore in the late fifties.

Michael Holding, in his obituary, called Cozier “the doyen of West Indies cricket.”

In the pantheon of West Indian cricket “gods”, he will have a place beside Sobers, Richards, Lloyd, Roberts, Holding, Marshall, Gibbs, Worrell, Walcott, Weekes, Hall, Ambrose, Lara et al.

Tony Cozier, dead at 75 -- bon voyage! l SM Shahrukh is a freelance contributor.

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23

Opinion

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

The Donald Show Trump brought racism to the surface, but in Bangladesh, discrimination is an undetected disease

n Saif Alam

W

ith the election year in full throttle in the US, the red and blueblooded Americans are in full bloom and ripe with patriotism, ready to offer their fruit to the beloved motherland.

The rest of the world always seems to have a keen interest in the campaign trails of the American presidential candidates because to us, the twists, turns, and drama will often be far superior than anything else TV has to offer in the next four years.

This year, however, has made every other election-year seem like a high-school drama because this year, the viewers have been presented with HBO’s production of Game of Thrones or more appropriately, the “Game of Capitol Hill.” The path to the hill shocked us with a blunt forcetrauma with every single episode.

Every other year, the drama has consisted of an underlying tone such as foreign policy, defense or the economy, but the star of the show -- The Donald -- decided to tear up the generic scripts and plot written by veteran writers and pundits. He decided that the plot of the show will take place on the North of the Wall, where the White Walkers and the Wildlings are forced to live together and

It took The Donald to bring the foul-smelling tumour to surface in America

This year, however, has made every other election-year seem like a high-school drama the script will be unsuitable for children.

After watching every Game of Thrones episode and returning to real life, I reflect back on the show and subconsciously compare the events or the characters to my own surroundings. I have been doing the same thing every week since the American presidential candidates started their campaign trail.

One might be thinking that there is no possible way to compare the events taking place in a different time and in a land far far away, and in this case, I was certainly hoping that was the case.

Although the plot of the show takes place in a very different place with a significantly broader variety of people, the essence of it is present in our streets, houses, offices, shops, and restaurants.

The essence of the White Walkers and the Wildlings in our

beloved country is certainly not as prominent as it is in America due to the demographical differences, but the faint odour of a rancid tumor that lingers in the background is a persistent one.

We often tend to disregard the term “racism” because when we think of racism, the immediate picture that pops up in our mind is black, white, brown, yellow, and several others, which are not considered to be solid colors. What we tend to overlook is the fact that the quintessential meaning of the word revolves around discrimination.

It took The Donald to bring the foul-smelling and extremely malignant tumour to the surface in America, but in Bangladesh, it is hidden beneath layers of fat and meat, undetected by imaging equipment. Therefore, it is considered to be benign, but like

any undetected disease, it poses a threat because we ignore all the signs and symptoms or accept it as a normal, daily phenomenon.

Having a bigger house, a nicer car, or a more expensive cellphone allows people to forget the symptoms and provides the authority to judge and constantly look down on the people who cannot afford them because of the “lack of effort.” This somehow makes one superior than the latter group of people and therein lays the tumour.

The membership in this superior “Brown Walkers” club comes with the perks of providing self assurance to oneself by undermining others who have been placed there “due to the lack of a better opportunity.” The other perks include lack of tolerance and comprehension of the situation another person is placed in. It is

REUTERS

important here not to confuse comprehension with compassion.

The diagnosis is simple.

The disease is being caused by voluntary actions and it is completely treatable by something which is freely available –equality.

It is available in our homes, it is available in our workplaces and it is available everywhere else. In a “dog eat dog world,” it would be foolish not to fight to make a place for oneself in society, but what is pushing the benign tumour towards growing increasingly malignant is the fact that the members of the Brown Walkers’ club made some amendments to the list of their perks.

The addition includes the right to climb higher up the ladder by attacking the constitutional right to dignity and self-worth, as well as blatant disregarding of ability since the abilities of the nonmembers are clearly laughable.

This way the club remains more exclusive and only permits members who would be approved

by The Donald, if he were brown. l Saif Alam is a freelance contributor.

DT

24 Sport

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

TOP STORIES

Rubel patiently biding his time Rubel Mia’s goal with the bicycle kick in the Independence Cup final sealed the win for Chittagong Abahani against Abahani Limited earlier this month. The strike is arguably one of the best goals in recent years. PAGE 25

Coke breaks Liverpool hearts Sevilla right-back Coke broke Liverpool hearts with a secondhalf brace in a controversial 3-1 victory that secured a record third Europa League title in a row. The Andalusian side enters next season’s Champions League. PAGE 26

Warriors even with Thunder in rout The Oklahoma City Thunder kept standing up to the oncoming storm, weathering each wave the Golden State Warriors were throwing, until they finally broke.

The Warriors pulled away 118-91 to even the series 1-1. PAGE 27

Boxing star Pacquiao wins seat in Senate Philippine boxing star Manny Pacquiao, WBO world welterweight champion, scored a big political victory yesterday when the elections commission declared he was among 12 new members of the upper house of Congress. PAGE 28

Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club’s Muktar Ali celebrates one of his four wickets against Gazi Group Cricketers in the Dhaka Premier League at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Mahmudullah’s halftracker saves Sk Jamal n Tribune Report Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club captain Mahmudullah bowled his side to a dramatic four-run win over Gazi Group Cricketers on the reserve day of their Dhaka Premier League match in Mirpur yesterday.

Mahmudullah had 10 runs to defend but saw Farhad Hossain and No 11 Mustafizur Rahman run five runs off the first four balls. Off the fifth ball, Farhad spooned an easy catch to Sohag Gazi at short midwicket to hand Sheikh Jamal the victory. Gazi Group were bowled out for 191 runs, a total they were set through the Duckworth-Lewis method following interruptions on Wednesday that forced the game into the second day.

The rain came when Gazi Group were on 83 for 3 in the 17th over. Play began late by two hours and 15 minutes on the reserve day, after which Alok Kapali fell in the 19th over.

Anamul was next to go, brilliantly caught by wicket-keeper Zabid Hossain for 53 off 69 balls with three fours and a six. They quickly slipped to 173 for 9, meaning Farhad and Mustafizur needed 23 runs off the last 14 balls. They made a game of it, but ultimately Farhad’s 53 was of no use.

For Sheikh Jamal, Muktar Ali took four wickets while Arafat Sunny and Wahidul Alam took two each.

Earlier on Wednesday, the veteran paceman Mohammad Sharif took the season’s first hat-trick as Sheikh Jamal were restricted to 168 for 9 in 38 overs.

BRIEF SCORE SK JAMAL 168/9 (Al Mamun 69, Sharif 4/43, Anwar Jr 2/27) beat GAZI GC 191 (Farhad 53, Anamul 53, Muktar 4/37) by four runs (D/L) He got the hat-trick in the 34th over by removing Mahmudullah caught at deep midwicket, Zabid bowled and Nazmus Sadat trapped leg-before. He even had Muktar run out off the next ball to make it four wickets off consecutive deliveries, thus completely derailing Sheikh Jamal’s innings.

The win ensured Sheikh Jamal was on eight points, equal with Gazi Group, Prime Bank Cricket Club and Brothers Union.

This game was a fine way to cap off the first seven rounds of the domestic oneday competition, which now goes into a four-day break. The next round begins this Tuesday. l

BCB in the dark over Streak’s NCA interest n Tribune Report The Bangladesh Cricket Board is unaware of the fact that Tigers’ pace bowling coach Heath Streak has recently expressed his interest to work at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s National Cricket Academy.

The former Zimbabwe captain, who is currently in India for a stint with Indian Premier League franchise Gujarat Lions, is contracted with the BCB for 450 days over two years. The two-year deal expires next month.

“We are yet to be informed of any such happenings on behalf of Streak. He is contracted until June this year and according to the deal, he is supposed to be available for 225 days a year. However, it’s his decision. But so far, he did not inform anything regarding this issue,” said Jalal Younus, chairman of the BCB’s media committee, yesterday.

According to Indian daily newspaper The Hindu, the 42-year old offered his services to the BCCI through his agent Tom Harwood. His CV application was received by NCA chairman Niranjan Shah and was later forwarded to BCCI joint secretary Amitabh Chowdhury.

“During the IPL matches, I met Heath Streak and he has shown interest to work at the NCA as a fast bowling coach,” Niranjan was quoted as saying in The Hindu.

“He is a high-profile (former) cricketer and can be very useful to the NCA as a fast bowling coach,” he added.

Streak was appointed as the Bangladesh pace bowling coach in May 2014 and since then, the Tigers’ pace-bowling attack has improved significantly. l

25

DT

Sport

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

Rubel patiently biding his time n Shishir Hoque Rubel Mia’s goal with the bicycle kick in the Independence Cup final sealed the win for Chittagong Abahani against Abahani Limited earlier this month. The strike is arguably one of the best goals in recent years.

This was Rubel’s first goal with such athleticism. Three seasons ago, Wayne Rooney had scored a similar goal in the Manchester derby. He watched that goal over and over again and tried to practice it in the training sessions.

But the fast winger Rubel, who is now part of Bangladesh’s 36-man preliminary squad for their AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Tajikistan, isn’t even guaranteed a place in the starting XI when Chittagong Abahani begin their Bangladesh Premier League campaign. Following in the footsteps of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, they are now a big-budgeted club with bigger names and are likely to have a bench with plenty of talent.

Rubel was mostly in the Sheikh Jamal bench last season, after moving from Brothers Union where he made his mark. He now regrets the move but remains hopeful about his chances in Chittagong Abahani.

Bangladesh winger Rubel Mia (in green bib) evades the attention of his team mates during a national training session in the capital's Kamalapur Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK “It was a mistake,” Rubel told Dhaka Tribune with a sad tone.

“I didn’t take the right decision.

I didn’t understand it all. At that time Brothers Union also didn’t talk to me as I expected and Sheikh Jamal’s offer was hard to reject. I never thought I would get such little playing time.”

“When Chittagong Abahani wanted to sign me it didn’t seem that they will be another big-budgeted club like Sheikh Jamal. They didn’t sign any big player at the time and told me they would form a normal squad, not a big one.

But I’m confident that if I get the chance I will try to perform well

enough to keep my place.”

It is quite natural for a performing footballer from a smaller club to be picked up by a club with more money. The allure is hard to ignore when there’s much competition. Rubel can’t be faulted for moving to Sheikh Jamal but it has hampered the progress he had made for Brothers Union.

Brothers Union has worked like a bridge for such players to lift them to top-flight teams from lower division clubs. Brothers Union coach Miraz spotted Rubel during a second-tier game when the winger played for Wari Club and then he was brought to the club and his debut season in 201314 the 19-year-old scored against top clubs like Sheikh Jamal, Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra and Mohammedan Sporting Club to get into the limelight. Rubel had earlier represented Bangladesh in different international age-level tournaments and was a familiar face for Badda Jagoroni Club, Wari Club and Brothers Union.

He is the youngest member among three brothers and a sister, who are all supportive. Rubel is now popular in his native Gobindaganj upazila in Gaibandha district, situated 230km north of Dhaka. Many people there don’t miss out when Rubel is playing in a live televised match.

“They always call me and want to know what’s going on. I have many friends and well wishers there. They love me. They watch my game on TV and when I go there they gossip about it and encourage me,” he said.

They may have to wait a bit longer to catch him in action but Rubel is itching for action. l

Hales, Bairstow keep SL at bay n AFP, Leeds

Siddikur gets back into Olympic reckoning

Alex Hales and Jonathan Bairstow frustrated Sri Lanka after debutant all-rounder Dasun Shanaka sparked a top-order collapse on the first day of the first Test against England at Headingley yesterday.

England had moved on to 171 for five when rain prevented any play after tea and forced an early close to an intriguing opening day in the 75th Test staged at Headingley.

Hales, under pressure for his place as an opener after a modest return in England’s series win in South Africa, was a Test-best 71 not out, with Bairstow unbeaten on 54 on his Yorkshire home ground.

The pair’s so far unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 88 was the cornerstone of an England recovery after Shanaka’s treble strike helped justify Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews’s decision to field first.

“There was consistent swing all day a bit of nibble, I almost had to rein myself in a bit. I am pleased I managed to get through it,” Hales told reporters after stumps. l

n Agencies

DAY ONE, AT STUMPS England 171/5 (53 ov) Hales 71*, Bairstow 54*, Shanaka 3/30 v Sri Lanka (Toss)

England opening batsman Alex Hales glides one towards the leg-side during the opening day’s play of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Leeds yesterday INTERNET

Gujarat swat away Kolkata challenge n Agencies Captain Suresh Raina hit an unbeaten 53 after Dwayne Smith’s four-wicket haul as Gujarat Lions beat Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets in the first ever Indian Premier League match at Green Park in Kanpur yesterday.

Gujarat chased down the 125run target with 39 balls to spare and jumped to the second spot in the points table by emerging victo-

rious in the first ever match under floodlights at the venue.

Earlier, Kolkata posted a modest 124/8 with Yusuf Pathan top-scoring with 36 while opening batsman Robin Uthappa chipped in with 25. l

BRIEF SCORE KKR 124/8 (20 ov) Y Pathan 36, Uthappa 25, D Smith 4/8 v GL 125/4 (13.3 ov) Raina 53*, Finch 26, Narine 1/30 Gujarat won by six wickets

A total of 14 Asian Tour members are currently on track to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, with less than two months remaining in the qualifying race.

Bangladeshi Siddikur Rahman, who finished second in the tri-sanctioned AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Sunday, returned into the top-60 bracket in 54th position following a welcome return to form.

Malaysia’s Gavin Green also moved back into the final and 60th position on the qualifying list to play in Rio in August following his joint runner-up finish on the Asian Development Tour on home soil last week. Players will have until July 11 to jostle for tickets to Rio to celebrate golf’s return into the Olympic Games after a lapse of over 100 years.

Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat heads the list of Asian Tour members in the reckoning for Rio where he is ranked 19th on the men’s list, followed by Korea’s KT Kim in 20th position.

One man who breathed a sigh of relief was Siddikur. Despite losing to Jeunghun Wang in Mauritius

where he led by three shots with three holes remaining, the Bangladeshi trailblazer was happy that his Olympic dream was reignited with a strong showing.

“This is a good boost for me on my world ranking. Hopefully I can get back in the running for the Olympics. I will take the positives from here. I am looking forward to the rest of the season and hopefully I can cap a good year,” he said.

The top-15 world-ranked players will be eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Beyond the top-15, players will be eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top-15. l

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Sport

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

RESULT 1-3

Liverpool Sturridge 35

Sevilla Gameiro 46, Coke 64, 70

ROLL OF HONOUR 2016: 2015: 2014: 2013: 2012: 2011: 2010: 2009: 2008: 2007: 2006: 2005: 2004: 2003: 2002: 2001: 2000:

Sevilla (ESP) Sevilla (ESP) Sevilla (ESP) Chelsea (ENG) Atletico Madrid (ESP) FC Porto (POR) Atletico Madrid (ESP) Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) Zénit Saint-Pétersburg (RUS) Sevilla (ESP) Sevilla (ESP) CSKA Moscow (RUS) Valencia (ESP) FC Porto (POR) Feyernood (NED) Liverpool (ENG) Galatasaray (TUR)

Sevilla players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Uefa Europa League final against Liverpool at St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland on Wednesday REUTERS

Coke breaks Liverpool hearts n AFP, Basel Sevilla right-back Coke broke Liverpool hearts with a second-half brace in a controversy-filled 3-1 victory that secured a record third consecutive Europa League title on Wednesday.

Liverpool travelled to St JakobPark with an army of fans and confident in their chances of a first Europa League trophy since 2001 after an impressive campaign in Europe’s second tier competition.

But Jurgen Klopp’s men failed to build on Daniel Sturridge’s superb 35th minute opener, and when

Kevin Gameiro found Liverpool asleep to level seconds after the restart, it opened the floodgates.

Liverpool’s heads went down and, as they began to sit back, Coke struck in six second-half minutes to give Unai Emery’s men a 3-1 lead by the 70th minute.

Coke looked offside, but after angry scenes that saw Klopp sprint down the touchline to confront the linesman, Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson pointed to the centre circle after consulting with his official.

“We didn’t do ourselves justice,” said Liverpool captain James Milner.

Emery had demanded a last

push from some of the experienced players who had helped the Spaniards to four Europa League crowns since 2006, and they came good in a stunning second half.

Yet Klopp looked to have made the correct choice when he left Jordan Henderson and Divock Origi on the bench as both recently recovered from respective injuries.

Sturridge stepped in for Origi to play in front of Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana and spurned two half-chances before beating David Soria with a delightful shot with the outside of his left boot on 35 minutes.

It sent St. Jakob-Park into raptures, although the massive army of Reds supporters - some of whom got into scuffles with Sevilla fans inside the stadium prior to kickoff - were conspicuously quiet after the interval.

Sevilla got off lightly when Liverpool twice saw penalty appeals waved away, while Dejan Lovren saw his header from Sturridge’s corner ruled offside.

Eriksson waved away the first, in the early stages, after the ball came off the hand of Daniel Carrico when Firmino turned inside the central defender.l

Rooney: Rashford deserves England recognition n Reuters

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney (L) and Memphis Depay during training at the club's training ground yesterday REUTERS

Marcus Rashford’s impressive form at Manchester United earned him a spot in England’s provisional Euro 2016 squad and according to team mate Wayne Rooney the teenaged striker deserves all the recognition.

The 18-year-old was named in Roy Hodgson’s squad recently.

“It’s been great to see his attitude for a young lad,” Rooney, England’s all-time leading scorer, told the club’s website.

“He’s come in and listened to the manager and the players, and he’s worked hard.

“He’s got a very good attitude and he fully deserves his chance for Man United and now England.”

Rashford faces stiff competition from Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, Tottenham Hotspur’s golden boot winner Harry Kane and Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge for making the cut for the final 23-man squad, which will be announced by May 31. England captain Rooney said Hodgson will have a tough decision to make.

“He’s in the England squad and I’m sure he’ll give Roy a difficult decision to make in terms of trying to get into the (final) 23,” added Rooney. l

Klopp: We lost faith and were too nervous n Reuters, Basel Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp admitted his team became nervous after they lost the Europa league final 3-1 to Sevilla on Wednesday.

“We had our chance, 1-0 at halftime is usually good,” Klopp said.

“Their first goal was not really a problem but we lost faith in our style of play. Didn’t defend well.

Nervous.”

Defeat meant Liverpool will not play in European competition next season after finishing eighth in the Premier League.

“We have to use this experience in the right way. But for tonight it is disappointing and frustrating,” Klopp said.

“My players have to have belief.

Still we are surprised by our good things. The goals were too easy. We lost faith in the second half and it is not enough in a final.”

German Klopp, who took over as manager last year, accepted his share of the responsibility for the defeat. “Tonight we couldn’t reach our level - my job is to help the boys to see our opportunity and not feel the pressure so much,” he said.l

LIVERPOOL’S SECOND HALF JINX February 6: Liverpool 2-2 Sunderland March 20: Southampton 3-2 Liverpool April 23: Liverpool 2-2 Newcastle May 18: Liverpool 1-3 Sevilla

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FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

Warriors even with Thunder in rout

QUICK BYTES Barcelona blast Catalan flag cup final ban Barcelona blasted a Madrid-imposed ban on Catalan flags being flown at Sunday’s Copa del Rey final as an attack on freedom of expression on Wednesday. The final against Sevilla is being played at the Vicente Calderon, the home of Atletico Madrid, in the Spanish capital. But the Community of Madrid authorities have told Barcelona that the Estelada independence flags cannot be flown. “FC Barcelona expresses, in the most absolute terms, its total and complete disagreement with the announcement,” said a statement released by the Spanish champions.

–AFP

Cech, Rosicky to lead Czech Republic at Euro Czech Republic coach Pavel Vrba yesterday announced a 28-man provisional squad for the Euro 2016 finals, led by Arsenal duo Petr Cech and Tomas Rosicky. The 35-year-old Rosicky, the team captain, played only 19 minutes for Arsenal last season because of injuries but he has recently managed three games for the reserve team. “I went to London three weeks ago to make sure he’s OK and I came back happy,” the 52-year-old Vrba told reporters in Prague.

–AFP

Spain can see Spain on TV at Euros Spanish football fans breathed a sigh of relief Wednesday when Mediaset Espana announced they had reached agreement to broadcast matches at Euro 2016 which gets underway in France on June 10. “Mediaset Espana concluded an agreement with CAA Eleven Marketing for the acquisition of rights to broadcast Euro 2016,” said the group in a statement. They added that the financial arrangements were agreed after “numerous stages of negotiation”.

–AFP

Verstappen tops testing in Spain Dutch teenager Max Verstappen, fresh from becoming the youngest ever winner of a Formula One race, backed up that performance with the fastest time in testing in Barcelona on Wednesday. Verstappen, who triumphed at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, was powered by a new engine in his Red Bull which could be used for the first time next time out in Monaco or in Canada. McLaren reserve Stoffel Vandoorne was second fastest with Germany’s Pascal Wehrlein taking his Mercedes to third place.

–AFP

Alvarez dumps WBC title to help Golovkin talks Mexico’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez dumped his World Boxing Council middleweight title on Wednesday, easing deadline pressure that had surrounded his talks for a showdown against now-undisputed champion Gennady Golovkin. The WBC had ordered a purse bid for the fight if the two sides could not strike a deal by Tuesday, but Alvarez vacating the crown removes that time factor from the negotiations between promoters.

–AFP

Nadal not obsessed by 10th French crown Rafael Nadal insisted Wednesday that capturing a 10th French Open was not a personal obsession but the tournament where he has only lost twice since 2005 remains a personal favourite. The 29-year-old Nadal is a nine-time champion at Roland Garros where he has a 70-2 record but his grip on the title was loosened in 2015 in the quarterfinals by world number one Novak Djokovic in the midst of his worst season in a decade.

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH

FOOTBALL TEN 1 12:45AM

Sky Bet Championship: Play-off Millwall v Bradford City

CRICKET SONY SIX 8:00PM Indian Premier League 2016 Delhi v Hyderabad

STAR SPORTS 1 03:28PM Sri Lanka Tour of England 1st Test, Day 2 12:15AM Natwest T20 Blast 2016 Essex v Surrey

TENNIS TEN 3 4:00PM ATP: Geneva Open Semifinals

n Agencies The Oklahoma City Thunder kept standing up to the oncoming storm, weathering each wave the Golden State Warriors were throwing, until they finally broke.

A 31-19 third quarter that featured the MVP doing MVP things turned Game 2 into a blowout in a hurry, and the Warriors pulled away 118-91 to even the series 1-1.

The Thunder played an exceptional first half.....until the final minute. On a Dion Waiters corner three-pointer, they took the lead 47-46, but it lasted only 12 seconds. After that, the Warriors unleashed an 11-2 run featuring an absurd and-1 by Andre Iguodala that

started the onslaught. The Thunder held the Warriors’ ability to go on runs in check in Game 1 and most of the first half of Game 2, but blink, and Golden State can erupt.

What has made the Thunder so special this postseason is their ability to withstand. They’ve held their composure, they’ve stayed in games, and they’ve done just enough to make sure they have a chance to put the game in the hands of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

Most of that has been because of a righteous defense, but not even the 1985 Bears could hold up to a Curry flurry. Curry, who finished with 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting, can liquify defenses all on his own, and the moment he started heating, the Thunder were helpless.l

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Sport

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

Palace and parade for Leicester n AFP, Bangkok

Leicester City team pose for photographs during their visit to the Emerald Buddha temple in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday

Strauss says Super Series can develop international game n AFP, Leeds England and Wales Cricket Board director Andrew Strauss said the sport could not afford to have its “head stuck in the sand” as he confirmed a new multi-format ‘Super Series’ will be in place for England’s home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan this season.

Thursday’s first Test between England and Sri Lanka at Headingley will break fresh ground by being the first in men’s cricket where a new points system, modelled on

the one used by England and Australia for the women’s Ashes, will be employed.

Four points will be allocated to a Test win and two for a draw, with two points for a win in "white-ball" cricket and one for a tie in any of the limited overs matches, with the ECB backing their own plan by putting up an additional prize of £25,000 ($36,495) to the overall Super Series winner.

“The rationale is that the game of cricket is evolving unbelievably quickly, and I think we feel respon-

sibility to ensure the international game develops,” said Strauss.

“Central to that is context and relevance for every game of cricket you play,” the former England captain added.

“We believe the Super Series will provide that by connecting the formats and ensuring every game counts for something more than just itself.”

“We feel this is a good way of ensuring the game remains relevant in both fans’ and players’ minds,” the former opening batsman explained.l

REUTERS

Newly crowned English Premier League champions Leicester City received a royal seal of approval yesterday at Bangkok’s Grand Palace, with the Thai-owned team presenting its trophy to a portrait of the king before a bus parade through the capital.

The East Midlands team is currently visiting the football-mad Southeast Asian nation as part of a publicity blitz after its fairytale title triumph.

Day two of the tour focused on Thailand’s top institution with a visit to the sprawling Bangkok palace complex of the revered but ailing 88-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has been hospitalised for most of the last two years.

Local television showed billionaire club-owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, alongside his son Aiyawatt and manager Claudio Ranieri, presenting the trophy to a portrait of the king as they and the team then took a deep bow. l

Boxing star Pacquiao wins seat in Senate n Reuters, Manila Philippine boxing star Manny Pacquiao, WBO world welterweight champion, scored a big political victory yesterday when the elections commission declared he was among 12 new members of the upper house of Congress.

Last week, about 80 percent of 55 million eligible voters cast their ballots to choose a president, vice president, 12 senators, 200 members of the lower house of Congress and 18,000 local officials in general elections held every six years.

“I can focus and discipline my-

self, the way I did in boxing to help the nation,” Pacquiao told reporters, saying, as a new senator, he would push for free education at all levels.

The 37 year-old two-term congressman also said he favours restoring the death penalty for drug-related and other serious crimes.

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has said he will ask Congress to re-introduce a death penalty that was repealed in 2006.

“In the eyes of God, it is not unlawful,” Pacquiao said of capital punishment.l

Gayle, Sammy, Bravo miss WI tri-nation series n AFP Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo were all left out of the West Indies squad for the first four tri-nation one-day international series while T20 matchwinner Carlos Brathwaite has been included.

Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard, who have not played international cricket since November 2015, were included in the 14-man squad for the series against Australia and South Africa starting from June 3.

Brathwaite and Marlon Samuels have also been included but the squad does not include allrounder Andre Russell, Sammy, Bravo and Gayle, all involved in Indian Premier League cricket.

Squad: Jason Holder (C), Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Shannon Gabriel, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor. l

Philippine boxing star and Senator Manny Pacquiao (C) raises arms with the other newly-elected Senators in Manila, Philippines yesterday REUTERS

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Close up (4) 4 Stringed instruments (5) 8 Very small (6) 9 Percussion instrument (4) 11 Mannequin (5) 12 Dash (4) 14 Neckwear (3) 15 Lace hole (6) 19 Meal course (6) 21 Printers measures (3) 22 Siamese (4) 24 Long detailed stories (5) 27 Specialised skills (4) 29 To the rear of a ship (6) 30 Corroded (5) 31 Catch sight of (4)

DOWN 1 Sorrowful (3) 2 Talisman (6) 3 Capital of Peru (4) 4 Bees’ sound (3) 5 Make amends (5) 6 Colour (3) 7 Acrobatic feat (6) 10 Check (4) 13 Born (3) 14 Tantalising problem (6) 16 Still (3) 17 Acquires knowledge (6) 18 Send out (4) 20 Bake (5) 23 Swift rodent (4) 25 Fuel (3) 26 Pigs enclosure (3) 28 Secret agent (3)

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Downtime

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 16 represents M so fill M every time the figure 16 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

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

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

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30

Showtime

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

Here goes Prince’s kingdom n Showtime Desk More heirs to Prince’s estate are turning up more than three weeks after the singer’s untimely demise.

Courts have now been informed of two more of Prince’s heirs.

According to the papers filed by attorney Michael Padden, Prince’s half-brother, Duane Nelson Sr had a daughter named Briana and a grand-daughter, Victoria.

As things stand, this adds two more names to the already long list of heirs. This is just getting messier for Prince’s $300 million estate that he left without a will.

His sister said in court that documents listed on his six siblings (or half-siblings) as heirs to a legacy estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.

The sister, Tyka Nelson, asked that a special administrator be appointed to handle Prince’s affairs and that she be appointed to probate his estate.

In documents filed in a

state court in Carver County, Minnesota, Nelson listed herself and five other siblings or halfsiblings as Prince’s heirs but gave no value of his assets or debts.

Prince, born Prince Rogers Nelson, was married and divorced twice. Under Minnesota law, Prince’s assets are likely to be split evenly between the siblings, according to attorney Stephen Hopkins.

The value of his music catalogue alone has been estimated at over $500 million, according to Prince’s first manager, Owen Husney. l

Salman Khan:

Karma Chameleon n Rupkotha Chowdhury Salman Khan, the charming man of Bollywood has some thing with zodiac signs or luck or destiny, whatever you say! It is because his ex girlfriends have to face crises after breaking up with Sallu the man! So it has become a legend

that in Bollywood, if a girl gets involved with any one else after Salman, she might have to face some disaster as a consequence.

Those who think that Ranbir Kapoor is the only one who got the karmic slapback, need to take a closer look. Let’s check out three of these related cases.

Sangeeta Bijlani and Azhar Uddin

Salman Khan and Sangeeta Bijlani’s love story started in 1988, it was the time when Sangeeta just started her Bollywood career. Sangeeta was five years older than Salman,

who was 23 at the time. It is said that they both met at a Bollywood party, and started dating soon after their first meeting.

After Salman Khan, Sangeeta Bijlani fell in love with cricketer, Muhammad Azharuddin, who was married at that time. The skipper left his wife for Bijlani, but the union didn’t last and ended in divorce.

As if that wasn’t enough, Azharuddin was slapped with a lifetime ban after the betting scandal, which ended a promising career. His family is said to blame Bijlani for the series of disasters.

Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi Actor Vivek Oberoi is known less for his films and philanthropic acts, and more for being the third wheel in Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai’s love story.

Vivek saw a very promising start to his career in Bollywood. His debut movie Company (2002) earned him a Filmfare Award, and Saathiya, which released the same year, confirmed that he was a superstar in the making.

But soon he became a nobody when Ash came to his life just after a controversial break up with Salman khan. Salman and

Aishwarya’s break-up had kept gossip columns in newspapers spilling over with information for a long time. After all, it’s not every day that a leading actor accuses her superstar exboyfriend, of harassing her after their break-up. When Aishwarya began dating Vivek, Salman’s ire found a new direction. Oberoi even called a press conference to tell the media how Salman was threatening him for being in a relationship with Aishwarya.

Following the incident, Vivek saw a boycott from the industry

Katrina Kaif aand Ranbir Kapoor Hit-Hot to the ‘Not’- yes that is Ranbir Kapoor now a days. Just after pairing himself with Katrina Kaif, Salman’s long-time former girlfriend. The Kapoor family is

also blaming Katrina for Ranbir’s bad luck, but she was apple of everyone’s eye when she was with Salman Khan. Her career reached to the top before she entered Ranbir’s

and was regarded as the biggest fool to say something against Salman. People refrained from signing him for their movies and what could have been a shining career saw curtains. life. Ever since, Katrina Kaif set foot in India and befriended Salman Khan, rumours of their love story started making headlines. Though both Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan, have kept their personal life private, they have always been in the news. After sometime, their break-up made headlines, as Katrina Kaif was linked with her co-star Ranbir Kapoor. Later, this was confirmed when Salman Khan announced to the world that he was single. When she entered Ranbir’s life he was at the peak of Bollywood. Soon he has started to set examples in flop-world.

Even some big budget movies like Bombay Velvet, Tamasha failed to attract audience and Ranbir was to be blamed, as the heroines of these films went on to hit films. So it was pretty much clear that it was Ranbir who’s luck is not favouring him any more! l

Ujan celebrate folk musical evening Monchora

Folk music organisation Ujan, observed their third anniversary yesterday by staging a folk festival, Monchora, at the Music and Dance Center of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

Eminent artists and different folk music based bands performed folk music in the program. Baul Bashir Uddin Sarker of Sylhet, famous disciple of folk somrat Shah Abdul Karim, along with lalon singer Manban Anowar Shah, performed at the program.

Moreover, local folk band Shrishoj Shilpi Ghosthi, BohniShikha and Shwabhumi also appeared.

Several Ujaan artists also performed regional folk songs, baul songs, lokoj songit, Mymensingh gitika and much more.

Earlier in the program, a discussion session was held where chief guest of the music festival, state minister of the Ministry of Labour and Employment Mohammad Mujibul Haq Chunnu,

inaugurated the website of Ujan (www.ujanbd.org) and said he hoped the website would be an important platform in order to preserve local folk music in the future.

Special guest of the discussion program as well as prominent folk singers and folk music researcher, Professor Indramohan Rajbangshi, said its so inspiring to see how more young people were coming forwards practicing, preserving and keeping the soul of Bangla folk culture alive. He hoped that the youth who performed folk music yesterday would lead the culture to shine again.

Saiful Islam, founder president of the organiation, said the folk musical society started its voyage in 2014 with the aim to preserve local folk music and make them accessible to all. He also urged other organisations to help enrich the website and provide their assistance. l

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Showtime

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

Jatra Biroti Live Performances

Special musical event Songs of Freedom featuring The Soul Brothers May 20, 7:00pm Selected English songs will be performed by some well known Bangladeshi musicians. Chotu and Mishu of Stone Free, Pilu of Renaissance and Pandu, of unknown origin. They will perform revolutionary songs, inspirational songs, and songs to make you feel inspired in a confusing world.

Space Slam May 21, 6:30pm Space Slam, hosted by

ampersand, is an open spoken word slam contest, and an attempt to get people to share their work. This spoken word can come in the form of poems, prose monologues, rap, standup, and so on.

So, if interested individual is a poet, rapper, lyricist, or writer of the creatively inclined category – and one has the gift of words, and is ready to share it with a live audience, he/she is requested to sign up for the slam. The sign up will occur between 18:30 to 19:30, on the day of the performance. This event is open to all. l

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Back Page

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

BD-CANADA BILATERAL TRADE TO REACH $5BN BY 2021 PAGE 12

RUBEL PATIENTLY BIDING HIS TIME PAGE 24

HERE GOES PRINCE’S KINGDOM PAGE 30

BJP scripts history in Assam, Mamata, Jayalalithaa retain power n Tribune Desk India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday stormed to power in Assam bagging its first government in the northeast and toppling the Congress, which also lost Kerala, while Mamata Banerjee and Jayalalithaa retained power West Bengal and Tamil Nadu respectively with spectacular victories, reports Press Trust of India.

The Congress had to be content with Puducherry, a union territory, where it managed to get a simple majority along with 91-year-old M Karunanidhi-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to wrest power in the seat assembly.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promptly congratulated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Tamil Nadu counterpart Jayalalithaa.

“Across India, people are placing their faith in (the) BJP and see it as the party that can usher in allround and inclusive development,” he tweeted.

BJP, with Sarbananda Sonowal, who is also a minister of the central government, as its chief ministerial face in Assam, scored a landslide victory with its allies, the Asom Gana Parishad and Bodo People’s Front.

In the 126-member Assembly, BJP won 45 seats and was leading in 38 (total 62), AGP won 6 and was leading in eight (total 14) and BPF won 7 and was leading in 4 seats (total 11). The BJP last time had just 5 seats while the AGP had 10 and BPF had 12.

In West Bengal, Trinamul Congress headed by Mamata Banerjee was expected to bag even more seats than in 2011,when it ousted the Left Front in a historic victory in an alliance with the Congress.

Riding on the development plank, Banerjee led the Trinamool to a landslide win, leading in 214 or more than two-thirds of the seats in the 294-member Bengal assembly.

The Congress-Left alliance, which had hoped to unseat Banerjee, was left gasping. The Congress was poised to win 44 seats while the Left, headed by the CPI-M, just 30 seats, a far cry from the times it had vice-like grip over West Bengal.

As Trinamool supporters celebrated wildly, Banerjee said a campaign of slander and lies led to

Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of eastern Indian state of West Bengal and head of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), greets party activists near her residence as TMC took a massive lead in the recently concluded six-phase West Bengal state assembly elections in Kolkata yesterday AFP

}

In the 126-member Assembly, BJP won 45 seats and was leading in 38 (total 62), AGP won 6 and was leading in eight (total 14) and BPF won 7 and was leading in 4 seats (total 11)

her party’s sweeping win. “People do not like such campaigns. There were all sorts of alliances against us. But people have ultimately made their choice.

“This is for the first time in 49 years that such a massive mandate has been given to a single party,” The Statesman reports quoting Ba-

nerjee, whose party hopes to win a whopping 212 seats Tamil Nadu defied its 32-yearold tradition and belied several exit poll predictions by handing a handsome victory to the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) led by the charismatic Jayalalithaa.

Facing a tough opponent in DMK-Congress alliance, the AIADMK slipped on its past performance as it won 94 seats and was ahead in 38 seats (total 133 seats), 17 less than last time. However, it is for the first time since 1984 that a ruling party has been voted back to power in the state.

The DMK put up a strong fight and was set to win 88 seats, which itself will be a first of sorts in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly where the opposition will be in big numbers. The party has been declared winner in 63 seats and was leading in 26.

Its ally Congress has won 7 and was leading in 1. Another ally IUML has won one seat.

The Pattali Makkal Katchi, which contested all the seats, was leading only in one constituency

while the third front headed by actor Vijaykanth drew a blank.

In Puducherry, Congress-DMK alliance got a consolation win of sorts as it secured a simple majority with 17 seats in the 30-member assembly of the tiny union territory.

Congress avenged its defeat in the 2011 elections at the hands of All India NR Congress founder (AINRC) N Rangasamy, who broke away from the national party to form his outfit and rode it to power, as the ruling party lost by bagging just eight seats.

The Congress won 15 of the 21 seats it contested there. The DMK emerged successful in two seats, giving the combine a clear majority as it bucked initial trends of a close fight with the AINRC. AIADMK, which contested the elections on its own, won four seats. l

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