22 May, 2016

SECOND EDITION

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

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Jyoishtha 8, 1423, Shaban 14, 1437

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 30

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

‘Contribution of all required’ Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Annisul Huq joined prominent citizens at a round table yesterday to answer questions, from panelists as well as citizens who sent in queries through social media, and remarked that the city’s development needed participation from all institutions and all citizens

n Abu Hayat Mahmud DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq has said the problems of Dhaka city are everyone’s to solve and needed all around cooperation.

“There are 65 institutions involved in providing service in the city. Everyone’s contribution is required, The city corporation cannot solve problems alone,” he said.

A round table discussion, with the DNCC mayor at the centre and a panel of professionals, was held yesterday morning, organised by the fastest growing Bangla online news portal Bangla Tribune, a sister  PAGE 4 COLUMN 1

IS claims it killed Kushtia homoeopath n Tribune Desk International terrorist group Islamic State has claimed that its members killed homoeopathic doctor Sanwar Hossain “for calling to Christianity.”

“Fighters from the Islamic State assassinated a doctor who called to Christianity in Kushtia, western Bangladesh,” IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said in a brief Arabic message yesterday, AFP reports quoting US-based jihadi activities monitoring website SITE Intelligence Group.

On Friday morning, Sanwar along with his friend Saifuzzaman, a teacher of Bangla department at Kushtia Islami University, were going to his bungalow outside the town on a motorcycle where he used to run a free Friday clinic.

They were intercepted by some unidentified people near Bot-toil  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

H O L I D AY N O T I C E As the Dhaka Tribune office remains closed today on the occasion of holy Shab-e-Barat, the newspaper will not be published tomorrow.

Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq speaks at a roundtable about his one year in office and his future plans. The discussion was organised at Bangla Tribune office in Dhaka’s Shukrabad yesterday RAJIB DHAR

22 killed as Roanu strikes n Tribune Desk Cyclonic storm Roanu left a total of 22 people dead, hundreds injured and damaged many dwellings as it struck coastal areas yesterday.

Of the 22, 11 were killed in Chittagong, three in Bhola, three in Noakhali, three in Cox’s Bazar, one in Patuakhali, and one in Lakshmipur.

Md Shamshuzzaman, upazila nirbahi officer of Banshkhali in Chittagong, told the Dhaka Tribune seven people were killed in Chhanua and Khankhanabad unions.

“They died of wall and tree collapse, and drowning.”

One of the seven victims was identified as Tahera Begum, 35, of Chhanua union.

Banshkhali locals said many areas of the upazila were inundated by tidal surges as high as six feet, many shrimp enclosures were washed away, and some 500  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

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Twenty-two killed as Roanu strikes thatched houses were wrecked.

In Sitakunda upazila’s Kalapania area, Kajla Begum, 50, wife of Mohammad Rafique, and her ten-year-old son Mohammad Belal were killed in a landslide in the morning.

Assistant Superintendent of Police of Sitakunda Model police station Saiful Islam said torrential rain caused by Roanu triggered the landslide around 5am, killing the woman and her son inside their tin-roofed house built on a hill slope.

In another incident, ten-yearold street boy Md Rakib died in Sholoshahar area as a brick fell on him from a tin-roofed house while Roanu was crossing Chittagong coast in the afternoon.

Some bricks were kept on the roof to protect the dwelling and one of those was displaced by wind during the cyclone, said Panchlaish police station Sub-Inspector Abul Bashar.

The 11th victim in Chittagong died in the city’s Halishahar area but the identity could not be confirmed.

In Noakhali, three people were killed - Minara Begum, 31, her daughter Romana Begum, 10, and Mahfuza Begum, 50, wife of Md Salah Uddin Bepari.

The death toll was three also in Bhola, and they were killed in Tazumuddin and Daulatkhan upazilas.

The dead are Rekha Begum, 35, Akram, 14, and Ranu Bibi, 50.

Roanu claimed three lives in Cox’s Bazar’s Kutubdia upazila, and they are Md Iqbal, 25, Fazlur Haque, 55, and Fakir Alam, 30.

In Patuakhali, Nayan Bibi, 52, was killed in storms at north Charlakshmi village in Dashmina upazila.

Anwarullah, 55, died in Lakshmipur Sadar upazila’s north Tewariganj after a tree fell on him during the storm.

Massive destruction

Formed in the Bay of Bengal on Thursday, cyclone Roanu wreaked

A man searches for undamaged belongings after his house near Patenga coast in Chittagong is razed to the ground in cyclone Roanu yesterday. The storm knocked down scores of houses and business establishments in several coastal districts SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN havoc in several coastal districts, destroying houses, croplands and trees.

At a news conference at Chittagong Circuit House, Deputy Commissioner Mesbah Uddin yesterday said 200,000 houses were destroyed in the whole district.

He said crops worth Tk50 crore had been damaged.

Under the influence of Roanu, gusty wind continued to blow over the coastal districts since yesterday morning, and there was torrential rain in many places.

Many low-lying areas in different coastal districts, including Chittagong, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Bhola, Barguna, Patuakhali, Barisal, Pirojpur,

Jhalakati, Bagerhat, Khulna and Satkhira, were inundated by the tidal surge.

Some areas, including the offshore islands and chars, experienced tidal surges 4 to 5 feet above the normal tide.

The Met Office yesterday said coastal districts could experience heavy rain and tidal surge for the next 24 hours as an aftermath of Roanu.

Shelters barely occupied

After the Met Office issued danger signal 7 for Chittagong port and its adjacent areas on Friday afternoon, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in conjunction with Bangladesh Red Crescent So-

ciety began evacuating residents of coastal districts and sending them to cyclone shelters.

But most of the shelters in Chittagong’s Sitakunda remained vacant as locals termed Roanu a usual natural phenomenon.

Three shelters in the upazila were completely vacant yesterday as people paid no heed to the repeated warnings of local Red Crescent volunteers.

Afsar, who owns a tea stall, said: “We are not really scared of this cyclone because we saw such disasters many times in the past. Besides, cyclone shelters can ensure accommodation only for us but not for our domestic animals.

“These animals are part of our

life and we just cannot leave them in a situation where they might die or get injured.”

killed on March 14.

The other alleged victims of IS attacks this year are Joggeshwar Roy, the priest at Sonto Gaurio Temple at Debiganj of Panchagarh killed on February 21; Prof AFM Rezaul Karim Siddique, an English department teacher of Rajshahi University murdered on April 23; and Nikhil Chandra Joarder, a tailor from Tangail killed on April 30.

At least 30 people including war crimes trial campaigners, secular activists, writers and publishers, teachers, LGBT rights activists, and non-Muslim and non-Sunni

preachers have been hacked to death since 2013.

IS and AQIS – both aim at establishing Shariah law in the country – claimed responsibilities for the murders.

The government, however, denies that the two groups are behind the murders, claiming that they have no operations in the country.

Instead, home-grown banned militant groups especially Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh and Ansarullah Bangla Team are blamed for carrying out the targeted attacks with the help of its political opponents. l

Ramshackle embankment

A chill of fear swept over around 20,000 people in Sitakunda’s Banshbari union as high tidal surges hit the dilapidated embankment in the area.

The barrage, which was built to protect the homes and crops of locals, has fallen into disrepair over the last six years as the local administration took no measures to renovate the 3km structure.

They said they had apprehensions that the embankment might collapse anytime after tidal surges lashed it. l

IS claims they killed Kushtia homoeopath Shishir Math and hacked with machetes.

Sanwar, 60, died on the spot while the other was first taken to Kushtia Sadar Hospital and later flown to Dhaka by a helicopter as he sustained critical injuries.

Local sources could not confirm whether Sanwar had been working to spread Christianity but said that the pair had been known as fans of mystical Baul songs and had liberal religious views. Sanwar used to arrange Lalon concerts at his home in the town’s East Mojompur area.

The bungalow, where Sanwar

used to see patients, is situated beside a church. He often visited the church along with Saifuzzaman, who assisted him in the clinic, reports our Kushtia correspondent.

It is the sixth murder claimed by IS since January and third since April when the militant organisation said that they had established a base in the country with a view to attacking India and Myanmar to avenge the persecution on Muslims in the region.

On December 10 last year, Baul festival organiser Zakaria Hossain Zakir was killed in a similar fashion in Chuadanga. No one claimed re-

sponsibility for the murder. Earlier, Lalon researcher Prof AKM Shafiul Islam, also a teacher of Rajshahi University, was hacked to death by Islamist militants in November 2014.

Earlier, IS claimed the murder of two more homoeopathic doctors in Jhenaidah since January.

The group said that their members had killed Chhamir Uddin Mandal on January 7 for converting to Christianity from Islam. But his family and the police said that he had switched back to Islam two years ago. The other, Abdur Razzaq – known as a Shia preacher, was

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Foreigner among 3 killed in Narsingdi factory fire Ripon, n Asaduzzaman Narsingdi A devastating fire erupted in a garment factory has killed three people including a Pakistani citizen at Shilmandi area under Narsingdi Sadar upazila.

Besides, eight people were injured in the excess smoke produced by the blaze that took place in the apparel manufacturing unit on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway on Saturday morning.

The eight got admitted to different hospitals in the district and the capital.

The corpses of Pakistani national Ashiq Ali, 45, chef Selim Miah, 33 and worker Rafique Miah, 32, were kept in the district hospital morgue for autopsy.

Local police said the fire erupted at the godown of Momtex, a sistern concern of Pakija Group, around 7am and soon spread to the whole factory.

Narsingdi Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Motakabber Hossain said 11 fire fighting units from Dhaka and Narsingdi managed to extinguish the fire following three hours of frantic efforts.

During the fire, most of the workers were asleep in the unit that housed Toxic Chemical stock as well and the three died of inhaling toxic smoke, police also said.

The damage caused by the fire could not be estimated immediately. l

Teacher thrashed for violating student n UNB A female student was reportedly raped by a teacher of Tajek Pradhan High School in the Sadar upazila yesterday morning.

Victim’s father has already filed a case against the teacher with Narayanganj Sadar Police Station in this connection, said Officer-incharge Abdul Malek.

According to the case statement, the student went to the school but saw a poor turnout due to the incessant rainfall in the morning.

After an hour, teacher Ibrahim Miah called the girl to his room and tried to violate her. As she yelled, a female teacher rushed to the room and rescued the girl.

Locals later gathered on the school premises and beat Ibrahim.

On information, police rushed in and arrested the teacher, the OC added. l

Toxic chemical wastes released by dyeing factories mix with stagnant water, turning unusally blue and posing health risk. The photo was taken at Nabab Katra area in Old Dhaka yesterday RAJIB DHAR

‘Militancy is global problem’ n Arifur Rahman Rabbi Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said that militancy is not only a problem in Bangladesh but all over the world.

“Militancy has not been able to spread in Bangladesh because of the present government’s zero tolerance policy,” he said after inaugurating a training programme for the police’s newly formed counter-terrorism unit yesterday.

The one-week training programme for the members of the newly formed Counter Terrorism

and Transnational Crime unit (CT) will be conducted by the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) from Singapore.

Home Minister Kamal claimed “various quarters” were instigating the militant outfits.

“Outfits that had become weak were reinforced to make them carry out subversive activities across the country to foil the war crimes trial,” he said.

“We are working to increase the capacity of the CT unit. Various kinds of training and workshops

will conducted to the strengthen this unit.”

Head of ICPVTR Prof Rohan Gunaratna said for the control of militancy three things were important.

“First of all it is not possible to suppress militancy by the efforts of only one agency. All law and order agencies need to work together.

“Second, realising the importance of police work against militancy. Media, society and other organisations should also work with the police.

“And the third thing is that militancy is a global problem, not a domestic problem. Mutual assistance

and international cooperation is needed to tackle it at the regional and international level.”

Benazir Ahmed, Director General of Rapid Action Battalion, said that militancy was a regional and world-wide problem that was arising not because of religious issues but for political reasons.

DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said the police had launched Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit as a separate unit of DMP with a total of 600 staff including efficient and IT expert police officials. l

BNP urges governmet to stand beside Roanu victims n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The BNP yesterday urged the government as well as its leaders and activists to extend support to the victims of cyclonic storm Roanu in the coastal areas of Bangladesh.

“Cyclone Roanu has already made its landfall in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Hundreds of thousands of people are suffering because of it. We want to request

the government to extend its allout support to protect the lives and properties of the victims in the coastal areas,” said Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, BNP standing committee member, at a discussion yesterday.

The discussion, organised by Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh (DAB), took place at National Press Club in Dhaka.

The BNP leader also urged par-

ty leaders and activists, including DAB members, to join the relief efforts on humanitarian grounds.

Remembering the contribution of late president Ziaur Rahman in Bangladesh, Mosharraf said: “Ziaur Rahman introduced multi-party democracy in the country. The government that assumed power after the Liberation War killed the spirit of the War and democracy and established one-party rule.”

He claimed that although the incumbent government claim to be elected, they were not elected through voting, so they do not represent people.

“In a nutshell, democracy is now in life support at an ICU,” he said.

Mosharraf further alleged that the government had destroyed the country’s economy, judicial system, administration and other state organs. l

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‘Contribution of all required’ concern of the Dhaka Tribune, at the Tribune conference room.

Annisul claimed he has been facing bureaucratic complications in his development efforts since he took charge of the northern city corporation one year ago.

He also urged citizens to give him some time to improve Dhaka’s conditions, saying: “In another three years you will get a green, clean and new Dhaka.”

The panel included architect and urban planner Khondaker M Ansar Hossain, former director general of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) Salahuddin Mahmud, Dhaka Tribune and Bangla Tribune publisher Dr K Anis Ahmed, Dhaka Tribune Editor Zafar Sobhan, Bangla Tribune Acting Editor Zulfiqer Russell, ATN News Associate Head of News Probash Amin, Aaquib Shams, director of Six Seasons Hotel, among others.

The discussion was moderated by private television channel Ekattor TV presenter Mithila Farzana.

Ekattor TV ran a live telecast of the event while Dhaka Tribune and Bangla Tribune did live webcasts.

The mayor answered questions based on a study carried out by the Bangla Tribune on the completion of the first year of both city corporations.

Questions were also taken from citizens through the Facebook pages of Dhaka Tribune and Bangla Tribune. The citizens mostly asked about the illegal occupation of footpaths, roads, traffic jam

and crisis of transportation, street flooding and random road digging.

“I am always facing bureaucratic complications in implementing my election manifesto,” the mayor told the round table.

Annisul said the Traffic Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police had asked the city corporation to build only one U-Loop as an experiment,

The mayor answered questions based on a study carried out by the Bangla Tribune on the completion of the first year of both city corporations when he had planned 22 of them along Dhaka’s arterial roads to solve congestions at U-Turns.

The mayor, however, assured citizens that he was not afraid of any obstacles in carrying out development work.

“The ruling Awami League’s local leaders, ward councillors and most of all the prime minister has been supporting me. So this mayor is not afraid of any threats,” he said.

‘Footpaths will be recovered soon’

Urban Planner Ansar Hossain said: “From the Bangladesh Institute of Planners we gave a list of recommendations to the mayors. A key point was to recover footpaths and making them public friendly.”

Mayor Annisul said the corporation was launching holiday markets from next month and he believed this would bring an end to the illegal occupation of footpaths by hawkers.

“No one has worked on this issue in 49 years. I don’t know why.

I’ve been in office one year. We need to take into account the realities of this city,” he said.

‘I can’t solve traffic’

Answering Salahuddin Mahmud’s query on traffic congestions, the DNCC mayor said the traffic situation did not fall under his responsibilities.

“There are other authorities tasked with tackling these problems, like the DTCA, the BRTA, traffic police and Rajuk.”

What his corporation could do was keep the streets clean, he said.

“And we’re doing that. People are already getting the benefits,” Annisul added.

‘We need compromise with businesses’

Businessman Aaquib Shams raised concerns about the DNCC’s eviction drives against businesses that operate in the city’s upscale areas such as Gulshan.

The mayor said many commercial establishments in the city have business permits but do not have trade licences provided by the city corporation.

“There are around 7,000 such enterprises in the two city corpo-

rations, around 6,000 in DNCC and the rest in DSCC,” he said.

But Annisul admitted that all businesses could not be moved out of residential areas, despite the laws requiring it.

“We can’t just evict them. These businesses are there because people need them. They also employ a lot of people,” he said.

“I feel that we can accomplish this through short-term and longterm negotiations. Maybe a compromise about parking, about specific roads being used for commercial purposes,” he added.

Anis Ahmed said the government should focus on the implementation of all the laws enacted for Dhaka, like the Detailed Area Plan (DAP), to prevent unplanned growth of establishments and business outlets.

“Already a huge number of business outlets have popped up in the Gulshan-Banani area. Residents and tourists are dependent on them. It has become difficult for the government to take any negative or positive decisions about this,” he said.

In response to Dhaka Tribune Editor Zafar Sobhan’s question, Annisul Huq said all development works in the city will be suspended before the monsoon and will start again after the rainy season is over.

Following Bangla Tribune chief Zulfikar Russel’s query about the eight newly added unions under the DNCC, the mayor said he was not expecting any negative impacts from this but it was an additional challenge for his city corporation. l

2 Bangaldeshi projects shortlisted for Aga Khan Award n Tribune Desk

Two projects from Bangladesh are among the 19 shortlisted for this year’s Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

The projects are – Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, Dhaka and Friendship Centre, Gaibandha.

In an announcement made yesterday, projects from 13 other countries, including China, Denmark, Qatar, were also shortlisted for the award, selected by the Master Jury from among 348 projects nominated for the 13th Award cycle.

The 19 projects, that will be compete for US $1 million in prize money, are now undergoing rigorous investigations by on-site reviewers – architects, conservation specialists or structural engineers – who visit and evaluate each project first-hand. Their reports are the basis for the Master Jury’s selection of the eventual winners.

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture’s mandate is different from that of many other architecture prizes. It selects projects – from slum upgrading to high rise “green” buildings – that not only exhibit architectural excellence but also improve the overall quality of life. l

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Spotlight

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

COURTESY

ROANU’S WRATH Clockwise from the top: (1) An Indonesian ship is washed ashore by cyclone Roanu in Patenga area in Chittagong. (2) Concrete blocks in the 3km coastal embankment at Banshbari union in Sitakunda, Chittagong are upturned by the cyclone. Saline water is entering through the cracks in the embankment. (3) A family evacuates in Cox’s Bazar as their area becomes inundated in the storm. (4) Patenga area in Chittagong as seen after being hit by the cyclonic storm. (5) An EPZ worker in Chittagong rushes home after getting an emergency leave from her factory due to the cyclone.

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR

SUNDAY, MAY 22

Dhaka

35

26

Chittagong

32

27

Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:37PM

35

27

Rangpur

34

25

Khulna

35

27

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:13AM

33.4ºC Rajshahi

21.5ºC Rangpur

Source: Accuweather/UNB

34

28

PRAYER TIMES

Sylhet

32

23

Cox’s Bazar

32

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

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

News

Char-dwellers deprived of basic healthcare services in Sirajganj n Aminul Islam Rana, Sirajganj Around two lakh char-people of Chouhali are not getting minimum healthcare facilities due to alleged fault in the construction work of the Upazila Health Complex and lack of required physicians and hospital staffs.

According to local sources, though the health complex was inaugurated around six months ago, valuable machinery is getting damaged as rain water flows through the roof.

As a result, the people of the upazila have to run to adjacent Tangail district or capital Dhaka for getting standard treatment.

Due to constant erosion of the Jamuna River, the former 31-Bed Upazila Complex went into the river in August of 2014. Since then, occupying the veranda and two rooms of the Khaskaulia Siddiqia Fazil Madrasa, the healthcare activities had been running temporarily.

But, due to lack of required infrastructure and electricity facility, emergency patients could not be treated there.

Meanwhile, on October 28 of 2015, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim, MP, inaugurated the 7-bed health complex in a tin-shed building which was built spending Tk1.4 crore.

Expect this lone government health complex there is no private hospital or clinic in the upazila.

But, after the inauguration around six months ago, no patient has been admitted at the indoor section. Besides, haphazard treatment is being provided from the outdoor section of the hospital.

The hospital authority is facing setback in providing standard treatment to the patients

A recent picture shows machinery of Chouhali Upazila Health Complex in Sirajganj getting damaged in rain water DHAKA TRIBUNE

Though some patients can avail bedding facilities at the hospital, the rest do not get standard treatment due to the fault in its infrastructure.

Following any rainfall, the whole complex is inundated with water hampering healthcare activities and damaging the valuable machineries.

There are no accommodation facilities for physicians, nurses and other staffs of the hospital. Besides, there are no separate rooms for other sections. For this, the hospital authority is facing setback in providing standard treatment to the patients, the physicians and other staffs informed.

When contacted, Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr Masuda Khanam admitted that the healthcare facilities are facing setback due to manifold problems at the hospital.

Deputy Commissioner Md Billal Hossen said he had visited the health complex recently and submitted a reference paper to the concerned department depicting the current problems.

Civil Surgeon Dr Shahid Md Sadikul Islam said after the health complex went into the Jamuna River, the activities of the hospital were not running smoothly.

Assistant Engineer Firoz Ahmed of the district health department could not be reached as his mobile phone was switched off. l

3 killed in factory fire in Narsingdi Ripon, n Asaduzzaman Narsingdi Three people including a Pakistani citizen were killed and eight others injured as fire broke out at a textile mill in Narshingdi yesterday morning.

Station officer of Sadar Fire Service Shawkat Ali Joarder said the fire originated from chemical blast at the dyeing factory, ‘Montex-1’, around 7am and it soon roared through the entire factory.

The three people Selim Miah,33, a cook of the factory, Ramjan Ali, 26, a worker, and Pakistani citizen Ashik Ali, 40,

a colour master of the factory, were burnt alive and eight others injured, confirmed officer-in-charge of Sadar police station Golam Mostafa.

11 firefighting units from Sadar, Madhabdi, Polash and Dhaka fire service stations rushed to the spot and doused the fire around 11:15am.

The injured were admitted to different hospitals and clinics in the district.

DIG Nuruzzaman said the cause behind the incident could be known after investigation.

Superintendent of Police Amena Begum and UNO Motakabber Ahmed visited the spot. l

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Fall in maize price puts farmers in dire strait Khuda Sobuj, n Kudrote Kushtia Maize growers in six upazilas of the district are frustrated over its drastic fall of price in local markets.

Local sources said maize cultivation had been gaining popularity in recent years due to its low production cost compared to other crops, favourable weather, easy cultivation process, and fair price in the markets.

The farmers have achieved bumper production of the crop this year. But they saw unusual fall

in price of the crop. Per maund of maize is selling at Tk250 to 300 in local markets, but it was sold at Tk 550 to 600 at the same time last year.

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), a total of 26,755 hectares of land were brought under maize cultivation in the district this season.

While talking with the farmers at different villages, it was found that they are frustrated over the current price of maize in the local markets.

The farmers alleged that they

have been compelled to sell maize at low price since they had to repay the bank loans they took before the cultivation period.

Farmer Kazal Mia of Kamlapur under Khoksa upazila in the district said that he took 50 maunds of maize for selling at the local market but could not sell it as the buyers offered only Tk300 to 330 against per maund.

He also said: “I cultivated maize on two acres of land spending Tk 50,000 after taking loan from Krishi Bank.”

“I am drying up 520 maunds of

maize and will store the crop instead of selling it due to low rate.

I will sell these after two or three months when the price will be normal,” said another farmer Abul Hossain of the same village.

Farmer Monirul Islam of Jotmora village under Kumarkali upazila said: “Low price of maize worried us this year as we could not recoup the production cost after selling it.

Besides, most of the farmers had to sell their produce at low price since there is no proper storing facility.”

Maize trader Moiz Uddin in Kushtia town said: “The price of maize

11 held with huge drugs

4 cops among 15 injured in police-mob clash

n BSS

Police recovered 350 bottles of phensidyl, 600 grams of hemp, 28 litres of local wine and 23 yaba tablets in separate raids yesterday in the disrict.

Receiving secret information, a contingent of police from Chapainawabganj Sadar Thana conducted a raid in old market area of Chapainawabganj town and detained a mini-truck laden with vegetable.

After searching the mini truck police recovered 350 bottles of phensidyl from it.

Police arrested the driver of the truck Abdul Momin, 25, son of Shahadat Ali Mondal of Niskuli village under Naogaon district and owner of the phensidyl bottles Nazmul Hossain, 32, son of Shamsuddin of Narendrapur under Chapainawabganj Sadar Upazila in this connection.

In separate raids police recovered 600 grams of hemp, 28 litres of local wine and 23 yaba tablets and arrested nine persons. l

2 slaughtered in Nilphamari n UNB

A young man and his niece were slaughtered by some unidentified assailants at Kalitala in Sadar upazila early yesterday.

The deceased were Nayan 22 of Chandipara village and his niece Liza,18, hailed from Radhaballav village of the upazila. Both of them worked in a EPZ. Superintendent of police Zakir Hossain Khan said miscreants swooped on Nayan and Liza in the area when they were returning home from their workplace at about 4:00am.

They slaughtered the duo and fled the scene, leaving them dead on the spot. Informed, police recovered the bodies and sent those to Nilphamari Sadar Hospital morgue on Saturday morning. l

in the wholesale market has fallen due to bumper production and increased supply.”

He hoped that the price of maize would increase after three or four months.

When contacted, DAE officer Kinkon Chakraboti said bumper production of the crop was the reason behind the fall in price of the produce this year.

But, many farmers alleged that due to lack of proper marketing policy, the middlemen or wholesalers are making extra profits depriving them of the fair price. l

Mizanur Rahaman, n FM Chittagong

Members of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front form a human chain in Gaibanda town yesterday protesting the attack on Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, headmaster of Piyar Sattar Latif High School in Naraynganj DHAKA TRIBUNE

Pro-AL supporters demand punishment of Shyamal Kanti n Tanvir Hossain, Narayanganj Leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League yesterday demanded punishment of Piyar Sattar Latif High School Headmaster Shyamal Kanti Bhakta and threatened to bar his supporters from entering the town in the future.

They formed a human chain and held a rally in the area under the banner of concerned youths of Narayanganj. At the same time, the same group of people blocked the road from 4:20pm to 5pm demanding punishment of a teacher of a Gognagar school alleging that

he had sexually assaulted a ninth grader.

Metropolitan Awami League Joint Secretary Shah Nizam, however, claimed that the two programmes were separate demonstrations and that the blockade was conducted by some local agitated people.

“Later the police drove them away. On the other hand, we protested the derogatory comments made about Allah [by Shyamal Kanti],” he added.

The government, however, found the allegation against the headmaster false and reinstated him in his position. Earlier, Jatiya

Party lawmaker Salim Osman punished Shyamal Kanti on May 13 on the school premises after radicals claimed that he had made derogatory remarks about Allah and Islam.

Speakers from the human chain said that they would not allow any civil society members to enter the town in the future and make false statements about the historic Osman family. Some leftists and civil society members are trying to divert the issue, they claimed.

The speakers include district-level leaders of Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League. l

At least 15 persons including the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bandar police station and three other policemen were injured in a clash between police and locals yesterday in city’s port area.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP)’s Deputy Commissioner (DC) (Port) Harun –ur-Rashid told the Dhaka Tribune that the incident took place in front of Bandar Republic Club in Custom area around 3pm when the inhabitants of Ward No 37 and its adjacent areas affected by water-logging tried to cut the temporary embankment triggering the clash.

He said the local people had been suffering from water-logging as rain water submerged the areas under knee-deep water following the heavy shower caused by tropical storm Roanu since morning. They gathered in front of the embankment and tried to cut open it.

Being informed police rushed to the spot but the angry locals started to hurled brickbats on police triggering the clash.

At one stage, police fired around 34 blank shots from shotguns to bring the situation under control.

15 people including four police men were injured during the incident.

The situation was under control while extra police personnel were deployed in the embankment area.

Financed by Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan on September 2 in last year inaugurated the construction work of the temporary embankment on the canal in a bid to build a sluice gate in the mouth of canal with an aim to protect city dwellers from waterlogging permanently. l

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8 World

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

TOP STORIES

US rejects Russian proposal for joint air strikes on Syria The Syrian war

6 Lessons from the 2016 Indian Assembly election results The results in elections held in five states have confounded pundits and exit polls – barring one, no one gave a chance to AIADMK, for example. Mamata Bannerjee has steamrolled her opponents, Assam has chosen the BJP for the first time and the Congress continues with its contraction.

2011

2012

Revolt and repression

All-out war, foreign intervention

DAMASCUS

Regime backed by:

Nationwide protests against regime.

Crackdown

2014

Al-Nusra

TURKEY GULF STATES

QATAR WESTERN POWERS

2015

UK FRANCE

Moderates lose ground to jihadists

IS

Jihadist rebels

Islamic State group enters war, fighting:

Regime

2016

Conflict becomes international

PAGE 9

1,400+ die

Regime uses chemical weapons

S. ARABIA

Emergence of Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra

Rise of Islamic State group (IS)

US-led coalition attacks IS

Rival rebel groups backed by:

RUSSIA IRAN

Scores of rebel groups battle regime for control of towns

IS siezes 30% of country, most gas/oil production

2013 Chemical weapons, radicalisation

Where we are now

Attacks: RUSSIA TURKEY

Rebels Kurds

Deaths:

at least 270,000*

Refugees abroad:

4.8 million (21% ofpopulation)

Internally displaced:

6.6 million (29% of pop.)

Sources: UNHCR, IDMC, SCPR

n AFP, Moscow Trump rallies gun owners with fiery antiClinton speech Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump assured gun owners on Friday he would protect their constitutional right to bear arms and eliminate gun-free zones if elected, accusing Democrat Hillary Clinton of wanting to weaken gun rights.

PAGE 9

Floating voters may hold key to Britain’s EU future Many people remain unsure which way to turn in the looming vote on whether Britain should stay in the European Union or not. What might sway them?

PAGE 10

Moscow on Friday proposed that Russia and United States, which have been flying separate bombing campaigns in Syria, launch joint air strikes against jihadists from next week, a proposal the Pentagon swiftly rejected.

“We are proposing to the US, as the head of the International Syria Support Group, to take part as of May 25 in joint operations between the Russian air force and the air force of the coalition,” Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said in televised comments.

Shoigu said that the proposal included strikes against Jabhat al-Nusra and other illegal armed groups that do not support a frail truce brokered by Moscow and Washington in February.

He also proposed that joint strikes target “convoys containing weapons and ammunition (and) armed units that illegally cross the Syrian-Turkish border.”

“We believe that adopting these measures will ensure the transition to a peace settlement process over all of Syria’s territory,” Shoigu said. “Of course, the leadership of the Syrian Arab Republic has agreed to these measures.”

Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis rejected Moscow’s proposal, saying the US military does “not collaborate or coordinate with the Russians on any operations in Syria.” US State Department spokesman John Kir-

by said nothing had been agreed.

“What we are discussing with our Russian counterparts... are proposals for a sustainable mechanism to better monitor and enforce the cessation of hostilities,” Kirby said.

He added that the “vast majority” of the violations of the truce had been carried out by the regime, which is backed by Moscow.

Russia enabling Assad

“Russian operations are supporting and enabling the Assad regime and our focus is solely on degrading and defeating IS,” Davis said, referring to the Islamic State jihadist group.

Davis added that the Pentagon had received “nothing formal” from its Russian counterpart regarding the proposal.

Russia and the United States pledged earlier this month to redouble efforts to find a solution to the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions since 2011, and extend a truce across the wartorn country.

Despite diplomatic efforts to resolve the five-year conflict, Moscow and Washington have been critical of each other’s bombing campaigns in Syria.

The West has accused Moscow - a staunch supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - of propping up the regime by targeting rebels fighting Assad in strikes Moscow said were aimed against “terrorist” organisations.

Moscow has in turn repeatedly

slammed the US coalition, saying its strikes in Syria have been ineffective. Shoigu said Friday that Russia would reserve its right to unilaterally strike “international terrorist and illegal armed groups that have not adhered to the cessation of hostilities” starting from May 25.

Russian withdrawal?

President Vladimir Putin surprised the West in March by announcing the partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria, saying Moscow’s task in the war-torn country had been “on the whole” completed.

The Pentagon said Wednesday that Russia’s military strength in Syria had barely changed since the partial withdrawal was announced.

Baghdad-based US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said that Russia had established some sort of forward operating base outside Palmyra, the ancient

Russia vs USA

city Syrian forces recaptured in March from Islamic State jihadists with the help of Russian air strikes and special forces.

The Russian defence ministry denied that it was building a base in Palmyra, saying its military installations in the area are a “temporary camp” used for demining operations.

Meanwhile Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday said his Lebanese Shiite movement would boost its support for Syria’s regime after one of its top commanders was killed there last week.

According to Hezbollah expert Waddah Charara, the Shiite militant group has sent between 5,000 and 6,000 combatants to Syria since 2013.

Hezbollah has accused Islamist extremists of killing its commander Mustafa Badreddine in an artillery attack near Damascus, last week. l

BIGSTOCK

9

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

6 Lessons from the 2016 Indian Assembly election results n Tribune International Desk Once again, the results in elections held in five states have confounded pundits and exit polls – barring one, no one gave a chance to AIADMK, for example.

Mamata Bannerjee has steamrolled her opponents, Assam has chosen the BJP for the first time and the Congress continues with its contraction. The minutiae of the results – vote shares, percentages, swings and constituency-wise analysis will follow, but till then, here are six major lessons to draw from the results: 1 Mamata Banerjee now emerges as the strongest regional politician in the country. In a field that includes Jayalalitha, Mulayam Singh Yadav and even Nitish Kumar, Didi is leagues ahead because of the scale of her victory combined with the fact that she doesn’t need anyone’s support – they need her. Though it is already clear that she has moved away from the Congress, the BJP cannot take her support on everything for granted. In most cases she will lean towards the BJP, simply to keep the party in the Centre happy, but she will demand more than her pound of flesh each time. She will also ensure that the BJP does not grow too big in her state. Unlike Nitish Kumar, she is not yet showing any national ambitions, which allows her more flexibility and leverage with the BJP. 2 Regional parties continue to be strong. Neither the BJP nor the

Voters line up to cast their votes at a polling station during the fifth phase of West Bengal assembly elections in the outskirts of Kolkata REUTERS Congress, despite having run governments at the Centre, have the following that the regional parties have in their respective states. In crucial states like West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Telegana, Tamil Nadu and Bihar, the national parties do not enjoy the kind of support the local parties have-a look at the stupendous vote percentages that the latter get as compared to the former will prove that.

3 The electorate now likes to give full majorities. After the BJP’s victory in May 2014, all elections – barring two – have seen a decisive vote. Delhi voted in AAP and Bihar supported the Mahagathbandhan. In all the five states this time, the verdict has been clear – no room for post-results horse trading or shaky coalitions. The message from the voter

is – we will give you a majority, you have to provide governance. If you cannot, we will look for alternatives.

4 Voters can see through sham coalitions. The Congress and the Left were partners in West Bengal and opponents in Kerala. The Left has been anti-Congress for decades and their new found love in West Bengal didn’t sound right. Adjustments can be made, but full fledged electoral partnerships among long-standing rivals will not wash.

5 The BJP now has an all India presence. The coalition government in Karanataka in 2005 was its first foray in the south and now it has established a government in the north-east. It has also opened its account in Kerala and has shown it can win in West Bengal. All this should be of great help in 2019,

besides the fact that it will enthuse the cadre, which was demoralised after Delhi and Bihar rejected the party. With two crucial state elections – Punjab and UP – coming up in the next few months, this is good news for the BJP. It also allows the government at the centre now to concentrate on pending economic and other issues.

6 The Congress is now in the throes of an existentialist crisis. It may point to the occasional good performance here and there – and its aggregate total is higher than the BJP – and can also claim it has still got a presence in almost every state, but nowhere is it number one. For it to be happy as the number two party in many states is a cop out. It retains a small support base, but that will keep eroding as more and more voters turn to other alternatives, because the Congress has little now to offer.

Fingers can be pointed at the Gandhi family (as much as successes are credited to them too) but the problem is structural and, shockingly, ideological. No one is quite sure what the party’s core values are. The party itself seems confused what it fundamentally stands for. At this rate, the familiar pattern of pre-election defections and a subsequent poor performance will continue even in Punjab and UP and finally in Karnataka. l

Source: THE WIRE

Trump rallies gun owners with fiery anti-Clinton speech n Reuters, Louisville, Kentucky Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump assured gun owners on Friday he would protect their constitutional right to bear arms and eliminate gun-free zones if elected, accusing Democrat Hillary Clinton of wanting to weaken gun rights.

Trump, who will almost certainly be the Republican presidential nominee, picked up the endorsement of the National Rifle Association, a politically powerful lobbying group which claims more than 4 million members.

Trump’s remarks at the NRA’s national convention in Louisville, Kentucky, were not a surprise, but they could solidify his status among conservatives who see protecting the US Constitution’s Second Amendment as a top priority.

Trump also planned to meet on

Monday with US Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, a source close to the Trump campaign said. The two are expected to consult on foreign policy. The source said Corker remains on Trump’s list of potential vice presidential running mates.

Clinton, who is close to clinching the Democratic Party’s nomination for the November 8 election, has vowed to take on the gun lobby and expand gun control measures to include comprehensive background checks for gun buyers, including at open-air gun shows and online.

Trump, who is trying to unite the Republican Party behind him after a brutal primary battle, accused Clinton, a former secretary of state to President Barack Obama, of wanting to end the 2nd Amendment, which says in part that the people’s right to keep and bear arms “shall not be infringed.”

“Hillary Clinton wants to abolish the Second Amendment, not change it; she wants to abolish it,” Trump said.

DT

World SOUTH ASIA

Pakistan applies to join Nuclear Suppliers Group Pakistan has made a formal application to join a club of nuclear trading nations, the foreign ministry said on Friday, a move likely to lead to a showdown in the group which has also been facing calls to induct India as a member.

The Nuclear Suppliers Group is a 48-nation club dedicated to curbing nuclear arms proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials. -REUTERS

INDIA

30 die in road accidents in Himachal Pradesh 2 deadly road accidents in India’s northern Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh killed at least 30 people and injured 24 others. An overcrowded jeep fell into a gorge early Saturday, killing 13 people in Kinnaur district. It followed a separate tragedy late Friday when a passenger minibus bus swerved off a hilly road into a gorge, killing 17 and injuring 23 in the state’s Chamba district.

-AFP

CHINA

Beijing warns to cut contacts if Taiwan doesn’t toe line Beijing warned Taiwan it would cut off critical contacts with the island if its new president Tsai Ing-wen does not state her support for the concept that there is only “one China”. The comments came a day after Beijing-sceptic Tsai’s inauguration speech, where she called for positive dialogue with the Chinese mainland, but stopped short of any compromise on Beijing’s demands.

-AFP

ASIA PACIFIC

Australian firm names Russia, Putin in MH17 compensation claim An Australian law firm has filed a compensation claim against Russia and President Vladimir Putin in the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of families of victims of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17, shot down in 2014. The aircraft was shot down by a Russian-made surface-to-air missile, the Dutch Safety Board concluded in its final report late last year.

-REUTERS

Donald Trump addresses members of the National Rifle Association's during their NRA-ILA Leadership Forum in Louisville, Kentucky on Friday REUTERS Clinton campaign senior policy adviser Maya Harris said Trump is peddling falsehoods and denounced “Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories.” She said Clinton believes there are “common-sense steps we can take at the federal level to keep guns out of the hands of criminals” while protecting the Second Amendment.

Trump told the NRA he would

eliminate gun-free zones imposed in some areas, noting that the 2015 shooting deaths of four US Marines at an armed forces recruiting centre in Chattanooga, Tennessee, took place in a gun-free zone.

“The Second Amendment is on the ballot in November,” he said.

“The only way to save our Second Amendment is to vote for a person you know: Donald Trump.” l

MIDDLE EAST

Iraq forces killed at least 2 protesters Iraqi forces killed at least 2 protesters while defending Baghdad’s Green Zone, officials said on Saturday, as the troubled country’s leaders warned against further escalation.

The two supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr were the first casualties of the months-old protest movement started by the young cleric to push for political change.

-AFP

DT

10

World

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

USA

Secret Service shoots gun-wielding man near White House A US Secret Service agent shot a man who brandished a gun near the White House on Friday while President Barack Obama was out golfing, and the man was taken to a hospital in critical condition, officials said. The shooting took place just off 17th and E streets, near what is known as the South Lawn outside the home and offices of the president.

-REUTERS

THE AMERICAS

Mexico agrees to extradite drug lord Chapo to US Mexico approved the extradition of drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman to the United States on Friday after receiving guarantees he would not face the death penalty, and the kinkgpin’s lawyers vowed to block the move. The announcement follows a series of dramatic escapades

by El Chapo, considered the world’s most wanted drug boss as leader of the Sinaloa cartel.

-REUTERS

UK

G7 united against Brexit but can only hope for an ‘In’ vote Finance leaders of the Group of 7 industrial powers united over the weekend in wishing that Britain stays in the EU, but acknowledged they could do little more than hope. The G7 did not talk about a Plan B to respond to what would happen if UK left the EU,” French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said on Saturday.

-REUTERS

EUROPE

Turkish parliament strips MPs of immunity Turkey’s parliament on Friday approved stripping its members of immunity from prosecution, a move likely to see the pro-Kurdish opposition sidelined, ease President Tayyip Erdogan’s path to stronger powers, and raise concern among Western allies. Erdogan has accused the pro-Kurdish HDP of being the political wing of militants who have waged a three-decade insurgency in Turkey’s largely Kurdish southeast.

-REUTERS

AFRICA

EgyptAir jet sent smokealarm warnings before crash The EgyptAir jet which crashed in the Mediterranean on Thursday sent a series of warnings indicating that smoke had been detected on board, shortly before it disappeared off radar screens, French investigators said on Saturday. A spokesman for France’s BEA air accident investigation agency said the signals did not indicate what caused the smoke or fire on board the plane.

-REUTERS

INSIGHT

Floating voters may hold key to Britain’s EU future n Reuters, Hastings, England Many people remain unsure which way to turn in the looming vote on whether Britain should stay in the European Union or not. What might sway them?

How voters answer the referendum question will help shape the future of the UK and the EU. A British exit – Brexit – could rock financial markets, sink EU hopes of closer integration and roil relations between the United States and Britain. Yet a vote to remain is no guarantee of calm: It could trigger a new phase for Europe, with some countries pressing for more integration and others seeking the flexibility sought by Britain.

Polls show the referendum battle is volatile but close, with most finding voters fairly evenly split.

One YouGov poll this month had 44% in favour of remaining and 40% in favour of leaving, while an ICM poll had 43% for remaining and 47% for leaving. The Undecideds will likely determine the outcome.

What matters to the undecideds?

A town of 90,000 overlooking the English Channel, Hastings illustrates Britain’s confusion over Europe in several ways. It encapsulates national sovereignty: This is the place that gave its name to the battle where William the Conqueror of Normandy defeated England’s King Harold 950 years ago. Yet it’s closer to France than London, and has benefited from EU funds.

Since the late 1970s, Hastings has been a political bellwether.

At general elections, whichever party won in Hastings went on to form the national government, and now the town broadly reflects the EU debate. A study by the polling company YouGov rated opinions on the EU in East Sussex, the county where Hastings lies, as “mixed, leaning eurosceptic.”

Even the intervention of US President Barack Obama, who last month urged Britain to stay in the EU, seemed to have little effect.

While Martin, the small businessman, said Obama’s words inclined him towards the “Remain” camp, McCarthy was sceptical.

In the days after Obama spoke in favour of Britain remaining in the EU, opinion polls showed support for Brexit held relatively steady. According to an ICM poll on April 26, Brexiteers led with 46% support against 44% of vot-

ers wanting to stay in the EU. Some later polls, however, showed the “Remain” camp ahead, and Betfair, a betting company, put the odds of Britain remaining in the EU at higher than 70%.

An analysis written by John Curtice, a professor of politics and Senior Research Fellow at NatCen Social Research, found that the majority of Britons (65%) are sceptical of the EU and want it to have less power; yet only 30% want to leave.

What explains this dichotomy?

Curtice highlighted two factors: cultural and economic concerns.

Many Britons dislike the EU on cultural grounds, according to the study. Nearly 47% thought being a member of the EU undermined Britain’s identity and nearly 65% said they would like Britain’s relationship with the EU to be “looser.”

At the same time, however, 40% of Britons also believed that leaving the EU would harm the country’s economy and only 24% thought leaving would make Britain better off economically.

The negative side

The referendum campaigns kicked off after Prime Minister David Cameron struck a deal on February 19 with other EU nations that he said gave Britain “special status” in the union. Britain would be permanently exempt from the EU’s central aim of “ever closer union,” he said, and “never part of a European superstate.”

Armed with that and other concessions, Cameron, whose party has long had a strong eurosceptic streak, set about arguing for Britain to stay in the EU. His team in Downing Street coordinates with

A woman hands out leaflets campaigning to stay in Europe for the Brexit vote in London on Friday REUTERS the leading “Remain” group, Britain Stronger In Europe.

While the campaign has extolled positive aspects of EU membership, it has also focused on what it says would be the hefty economic cost of leaving. At the same time, the “Leave” campaign has found it easier to point to the drawbacks of EU membership than define the advantages of quitting.

The critical tone has not gone down well in Hastings. Williams, the deeply undecided voter who is also chairman of the local Hastings Conservative association, said simply: “It’s always the negative side of things.”

Such disillusion makes sentiment volatile and may affect the number of voters who turn out on June 23 - which could be crucial to the outcome. The sceptics tend to be older people, who are more likely to vote. Europhiles include many young people wary of Cam-

PredictWise: UK Politics

Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?

YES

No

77%

23%

60 50 40

Remain

30

Leave

20

Don't know

10 0

October November December 2016 February March

Sources: What UK Thinks: EU; PredictWise

April

May

Graphics: Mohammad Razon / Dhaka Tribune

eron and the Conservative government, and less likely to vote.

According to an Opinium poll for The Observer newspaper in March, just 12% of those aged 25 to 34 thought EU membership an important issue, compared with 53% of those aged over 65.

Such factors make the role of the opposition Labour party important because many young voters may follow its lead. Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, has declared his support for Britain remaining in Europe, but is seen by critics as half-hearted. Corbyn has long harboured doubts about the EU and voted against EU membership when Britain last had a referendum on the subject in 1975.

Big swing

The closeness of the polls suggests the race will go to the wire.

Anand Menon, professor of European politics and foreign affairs at King’s College, London, believes many voters will change their minds as the referendum nears.

He argues that, unlike general elections, the usual stabilising factors of loyalty to a particular party or social group are absent.

Anand, who is also director of UK In A Changing Europe, an initiative promoting independent research on UK-EU relations, pointed out that the last time Britain voted on its relationship with the EU, public opinion went through a large and unexpected swing.

When the campaigns started, he said, two-thirds were against Britain staying in the EU; but by the time of the vote that had swung to the opposite and two-thirds voted to stay in.

Among the undecided voters of Hastings, there were hints that in the end a fear of leaving the EU for the unknown will sway people. l

11

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

DT

12 Business

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

TOP STORIES 25% LPGL share to be off-loaded in December Another state-owned firm Liquefied Petroleum Gas Corporation Limited (LPGL) has finally decided to offload its share in December, this year. PAGE 13

G7 warns over global economy as currency row flares G7 finance ministers yesterday voiced concern about the sputtering global economy as they looked for a plan to stoke growth, while a currency policy clash overshadowed their meetings. PAGE 14

Some foreign investors target India’s top bourse in rare shareholder backlash Some foreign investors are accusing India’s National Stock Exchange of dragging its feet on an initial public offering, saying management is ignoring them and purging their views from minutes of meetings, letters and emails seen by Reuters show. PAGE 15

Capital market snapshot: Past Week DSE Broad Index

4,392.9

2.2% ▲

Index

1,077.5

2.0% ▲

30 Index

1,719.2

3.1% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk Turnover in Mn Vol

16,347.4 -16.4% ▼ 473.0

2.4% ▲

All Share Index 13,551.4

2.4% ▲

30 Index

12,480.1

1.5% ▲

8,240.3

2.4% ▲

CSE

Selected Index Turnover in Mn Tk Turnover in Mn Vol

962.8 -10.7% ▼ 36.6

-3.1% ▼

Government urged to ensure level playing field for aviation industry n Ishtiaq Husain Regent Airways has urged the government to ensure fair play in the aviation industry as the national flag carrier Bangladesh Biman Airlines allegedly breached aviation agreements by recruiting experienced pilots instead of trainees.

The private carrier has recently brought the allegation against the Biman in a letter sent to the Aviation Minister, Rashed Khan Menon.

Regent Airways Managing Director Mashruf Habib, in the letter, said: “We recruit fresh cadet pilots, and later train them to fly aircraft.”

But Biman is recruiting pilots with multi-engine commercial flying experience, a clear violation of the aviation agreements, the letter said, demanding that Biman’s advertisement for recruitment of pilots be immediately withdrawn for fair competition in the industry.

“As a national flag carrier, Bi-

man enjoys multiple facilities from the government, but private airlines are deprived of those opportunities. So, it is very tough to survive the competition as we have to operate like other foreign airlines.”

According to the aviation agreements, whenever any airlines in Bangladesh seek pilots,

they ask for cadet pilots who have obtained commercial pilot licence from various government approved institutions with certain hours of commercial flying experience, according to the Regent letter.

In sharp contrast, Biman announced the vacancy notice for First Officers having valid com-

mercial pilot licence and 1,000 hours of multi-engine commercial flying experience.

Regent is operating locally as well as internationally under 100% Bangladeshi ownership. At present, its fleet consists of five aircraft. Of them, three are Boeing 737 and two Dash - 8 Q400 aircraft. It has 34 cockpit crew, 52 cabin crew and 417 other logistic employees for smooth functioning of the airline.

Air Marshal (retd) Enamul Bari, chairman of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said: “Anybody can send letter to the aviation minister, but we are right in our process for advertising to recruit pilots as we have shortage of them.”

“In near future, we will recruit some cadet pilots to operate Dash 8 Q400 aircraft.”

Asked about the allegation that Biman is breaching the aviation agreement, he said: “I have to know about it and only then I can comment on that.” l

Six services for Rooppur nuclear project exempted from VAT n Syed Samiul Basher Anik The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has exempted six services of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant from paying Value Added Tax. The VAT wing of NBR on May 10 issued an order signed by its Chairman Md Nojibur Rahman to effect the decision.

Russia will provide 90% of the funds on credit at an interest rate of Libor plus 1.75% The VAT on the use of port will be exempted while freight forwarding, clearing and forwarding companies and insurance companies will also enjoy Vat exemption.

Supplier services will also come under VAT exemption but only on local procurement of products and services by the project nominated contractor and subcontractor.

The banking service provider will also be exempt from VAT during making letter of credit through Sonali Bank under the credit fi-

nancing scheme as mentioned in the agreement between Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and Russian Federation to establish the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, according to the gazette.

In order to meet the electricity requirement for Vision 2021, establishment of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is one of the fast track important projects of the government, the gazette reads.

The NBR has made the VAT exemption as per the article 5 of the interstate memorandum of agreement on establishment of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant where Bangladesh government was made accountable to provide such exemption on products or services procured locally, according to the gazette.

Bangladesh and Russia on December 25 last year signed a general contract for the construction and commissioning of the nuclear power plant in Pabna at a cost of $12.65 billion.

According to the deal, Russia will provide 90% of the funds on credit at an interest rate of Libor plus 1.75%.

Bangladesh will have to pay the loan in 28 years with a 10-year

grace period.

Currently, work is going on in full swing to complete the 2,400MW Plant (first unit) and make it operational by 2023 while

the second unit by 2024.

Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission under the Science and Technology Ministry will implement the project. l

City Foundation awards micro entrepreneurs n Jebun Nesa Alo City Foundation, a concern of Citigroup and managed by Citibank, N.A in Bangladesh, has awarded micro entrepreneurs under five categories.

Micro entrepreneurs from different districts were awarded at a function titled “11th Citi Micro entrepreneurship Awards’’ held in the city yesterday.

Funded by Citi Foundation, the award category of ‘’Best Agricultural Micro-entrepreneur of the Year’’ went to Sohel Miaji from Chandpur with worth Tk3.50 lakh while runner up in the same category was Tk1 lakh.

Afina Begum from Thakurgaon won the ‘’Best Woman Micro-entrepreneur of the Year’’ award with Tk3.50 lakh while Rina Begum from Faridpur got Tk1 lakh as runner up in this category.

As chief guest, Wahiduddin Mahmud, former advisor to the caretaker government, handed over the awards to the winners.

Israt Jahan from Meherpur was awarded as best micro entrepreneur of the year with the value of Tk4.50 lakh and the runner up of this category was Hasina Islam from Khilgaon, Dhaka with the award of Tk1 lakh.

Integrated Development Forum (IDF) was awarded as best microfinance Institution of the Year with money of Tk3 lakh while Most Innovative Micro-finance Institutions of Year with value of Tk4 lakh went to Community Development Centre.

“Micro entrepreneurs enable Bangladesh to retain GDP growth rate even amid global recession,” said Wahiduddin.

Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) President Rokia Afzal Rahman presided over the award ceremony while Bangladesh Bank Former Governor Salehuddin Ahmed was present. l

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

25% LPGL share to be offloaded in December n Asif Showkat Kallol Another state-owned firm Liquefied Petroleum Gas Corporation Limited (LPGL) has finally decided to offload its share in December this year.

The decision to offload 25% LPGL share was made at an inter-ministerial meeting held last week at the finance division auditorium in the city, according to officials.

The interministerial meeting was presided over by the Bank and Financial Institutions Division Secretary Md Yunusur Rahman.

An official of the division said: “Despite repeated calls made by

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, the state-run companies were reluctant to offload their shares into the capital market.”

Most of the chairmen of the state-owned enterprises opined that the state-run companies would not be financially benefited from offloading their shares into the stock market.

Muhith had earlier also warned the companies of tougher action if they failed to offload their shares withtin the stipulated timeframe.

According to the Bank Division sources, of the 13 companies under the energy division, only three had offloaded their shares earlier in the stock market.

It is noted here that the government was able to offload only the shares of Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Ltd during the last six year Besides, the additional shares of the Meghna Petroleum, Titas Gas and Jamuna Oil Company were also offloaded into the stock market.

The shares of the Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd (Desco) and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Ltd could not be offloaded due to “various reasons.”

In 2010, the government asked the authorities of the 26 stateowned companies to offload their shares into the stock market.

Two international trade shows to begin from Thursday n Tribune Business Desk A three-day two international trade shows on building, construction and woodworking industries will start from May 26 in Dhaka.

Leveraging success from its first edition, more than 100 international companies from 10 countries under one roof will showcase their innovative products, latest technology, construction & building materials and woodworking machinery.

The construction industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in Bangladesh and woodworking industry is also getting pace in the country along with its economy, which is expected to grow at over 7% annually.

ASK Trade & Exhibitions Pvt Ltd in collaboration with Futurex Trade Fair & Events is organising the 2nd edition of the trades hows titled – Bangladesh BUILDCON

2016 and JAT Presents Bangladesh WOOD 2016 – which will conclude on May 28, 2016 at the International Convention City, Bashundhara in the capital.

“The exhibition will provide a good opportunity for both exhibitors and visitors to explore and develop innovative ways of taking the construction and woodworking industries to a new height,” said Mr Tipu Sultan Bhuyiyan, director of the ASK Trade & Exhibitions at a press conference in a city hotel yesterday.

At the Bangladesh BUILDCON 2016, which is solely dedicated to the fast growing building and construction industry, architecture, construction, building materials, engineering, innovation, interiors and design from leading suppliers and Bangladesh, will be showcased, according to Tipu.

“At the JAT Presents Bangladesh Wood 2016, which is the only ex-

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clusive international trade show for the woodworking and furniture sector, machinery, material, tools and products related to the woodworking and furniture industry of the country will be displayed,” said Mr Namit Gupta, director of the Futurex Trade & Events.

Namit said the country’s furniture sector is expanding both locally and globally. In the 90s, the sector moved to mechanise production-oriented industries, he said, adding that “Since then, furniture business began to grow with modern machinery, innovative designs and use of diverse materials.”

JAT Presents Bangladesh Wood 2016 aims to bring the global technology and know-how to the door steps of the local industry and is targeted at the members of Bangladesh Furniture Export Association and Bangladesh Furniture Industries Owners Association. l

Stocks rally but volume remains thin in past week n Tribune Business Desk Stocks witnessed rally backed by large cap issues but the volume of trade still remained thin in the past week.

During the past week that ended Thursday, the benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, rose 94 points or 2.2% to 4,392.

The blue-chip comprising index DS30 gained 52 points or over 3% to 1,719. The DSE Shariah Index, DSES, was up 21 points or 2% to 1,077.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, closed at 8,240, soaring 196 points or 2.5%.

But the bottom line is that trading activities still stayed low during the week as the DSE total turnover stood at Tk1,635 crore, which was Tk1,955 crore in the week before.

The daily turnover averaged Tk327 crore, registering a decline of 16.4% over the previous week’s average of Tk391 crore.

Fuel and power, engineering and pharmaceuticals sectors dominated the trading activities as they together accounted for more than 50% of the week’s total turnover.

All the large cap issues remained favourite during the week.

The large cap Lafarge Surma Cement posted the highest gain of 21.21%, significantly contributing to the gain of cement sector that surged 8.4% Among other large cap issues, Doreen Power Generations and Systems gained 13.7%, Berger Paints 2%, Grameenphone 1% and Square Pharma 1%.

Among the major sectors, bank was up 2.7% after the news that three banks have already got the policy support from the central bank to streamline their capital market exposure without selling shares.

IDLC Investments said the market started the week in negative tone, closing the maiden session of the week 23 points lower. l

Bitcoin exchange Coinbase to add ether currency to trading platform n Reuters, New York Bitcoin exchange Coinbase said last week it will add digital currency ether on its trading platform next Tuesday.

The addition of ether comes given the surge in interest in the digital asset among major financial institutions such as Barclays and UBS as well as other enterprises worldwide like IBM, which are trying to explore the Ethereum network.

Ether is the digital currency for the Ethereum platform, a blockchain, or public ledger that can create decentralized applications.

Ethereum, which uses ether to execute peer-to-peer contracts automatically without the need for intermediaries, was co-founded and invented by 22-year old Russian Canadian programmer Vitalik Buterin.

“We’re very excited about Ethereum. There has been a tonne of progress made in the last six to nine months,” said Adam White, vice president of business development at Coinbase in an interview with Reuters. “We have seen hundreds of emerging decentralized apps (applications) launched on Ethereum.”

He added that bitcoin cannot

mirror Ethereum’s “scripting language,” so both bitcoin and ether can co-exist and will not necessarily compete with each other.

Coinbase also plans to change the name of its platform to GDAX (Global Digital Asset Exchange), said White. The name Coinbase, however, will be retained for its retail service such as exchanging dollars for bitcoin or ether, he added.

Coinbase, widely believed to be the largest bitcoin-focused company in terms of investment, will offer ether/dollar and ether/bitcoin currency pairs on GDAX. The name change was made because

the company will add more digital assets for trading on its exchange, White said.

According to coinmarketcap. com, ether is trading at $14.28 late on Thursday, with a market capitalisation of about $1.1bn, the second largest behind bitcoin. Bitcoin currently has a market cap of $6.9bn.

Daily volume for ether is around $48m, while average daily volume for bitcoin is $87.2m.

At the beginning of the year, ether traded at just $1 per token and it is the fastest-rising digital currency.

White said ether will be availa-

ble on GDAX in most states except New York because Coinbase is still in the process of applying for a licence in the state.

Coinbase’s move to add ether trading to its currency exchange platform came after New York approved the application of Gemini Trust Company, founded by investors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, to trade ether on its exchange.

“What’s powerful about ethereum is that I can write self-executing contracts and I can run them on Ethereum and it’s not on any central server or computer,” said White. l

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

G7 warns over global economy as currency row flares n AFP, Sendai G7 finance ministers yesterday voiced concern about the sputtering global economy as they looked for a plan to stoke growth, while a currency policy clash overshadowed their meetings.

The club of rich nations also pledged to tackle tax avoidance in the wake of the Panama Papers investigation and beef up efforts to disrupt the murky world of terrorism financing.

Two days of talks at a hot spring resort in northern Japan focused on how to stoke global growth which they said was under threat from myriad challenges, including terrorism, refugee flows and the threat of Britain’s exit from the European Union.

The ministers were unanimous in opposing the prospect of a “Brexit”, saying it would inflict a “shock” on the global economy that would only worsen the outlook at a time

Participants of the G7 finance ministers and central bankers meeting pose for a family picture, ahead of the kickoff of the meeting at Aoba Castle in Sendai REUTERS of geopolitical instability.

Host Japan was keen to get its G7 counterparts on board with the view that fiscal stimulus is the best way to kickstart global growth, but Germany and Britain were cool on the idea.

Yesterday, the group suggested a go-your-own-way approach. “(We) discussed how to employ a balanced policy mix - monetary, fiscal, and structural - taking into account country-specific circumstances,” they said in concluding remarks.

Banks identify possible replacements for US Libor n Reuters, New York A group of global banks and clearing houses, working with US regulators, said on Friday it has identified two possible replacements for Libor, the benchmark interest rate for $160tn worth of credit for everything from home mortgages to corporate loans.

The Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC) said that together with the Federal Reserve it has identified the Fed’s Overnight Bank Funding Rate (OBFR) and the overnight rate on US Treasury securities pledged as collateral in repurchase, or repo, transactions as alternatives.

The London Interbank Offered Rate has been in regulators’ cross hairs since its credibility was tarnished by a rate-rigging scandal emerging from the 2008 financial crisis. About a dozen global banks collectively have paid tens of billions of dollars in fines to settle the matter.

“The case for moving ahead to a new benchmark is very strong. The new benchmark is going be robust with a lot of transactions and will be resistant to manipulation,” Fed Governor Jerome Powell told Reuters.

ARRC said the two rates it identified as replacements represent “robust” markets, each with $300 billion worth of daily trades. Bankers and regulators have raised alarms about diminishing daily liquidity in the markets for unsecured loans like Libor, calling into question their reliability as a gauge for US borrowing costs.

The stakes are large: Libor’s

benchmark 3-month rate stands as a reference rate for pricing $160tn of loans in the United States and, together with companion rates in Europe and Asia, has some $350tn of global credit tied to it.

“Having a viable rate alternative is important to financial stability especially if Libor activity were to cease at some point,” Sandie O’Connor, the committee’s chair and chief regulatory affairs officer at JPMorgan Chase said on a call with reporters.

The group proposed a framework to phase in the new reference rates to minimize disruptions to financial markets. The plan would allow Libor-linked transactions to exist while the new benchmarks gain acceptance by dealers and investors.

“The ARRC envisions a paced transition focusing on new transactions rather than a ‘big bang’ that would seek to change existing trades,” it said in a reported released on Friday.

ARRC comprises 15 large global banks, which are also interest rate derivatives dealers along with the Fed, the US Treasury Department, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the New York Fed. Clearing houses such as Bank of New York Mellon, CME and Clearnet are also part of the group.

ARRC’s effort began in November 2014 and parallels those by authorities in Britain, Japan, Switzerland and the euro zone.

The committee said it picked OBFR and secured general collateral lending rates over four others:

monetary policy rates like the fed funds rate; Treasury bill or bond rates; term overnight index swap (OIS) rates and term-unsecured lending rates. These others suffer from smaller market sizes, as well as likely fluctuations in monetary policy framework and issuance.

OBFR, developed by the New York Fed, launched in March and reflects $300bn of daily trades. The interest rate on secured general collateral repurchases, in which banks and dealers use Treasuries as collateral to borrow from investors, is of a comparable size.

The Fed and Office of Financial Research are currently considering producing an index on the Treasury repo rate.

“The plan is for the committee to pick a rate later this year with the expectation that trading in the new rate could begin as early as next year,” Fed’s Powell said.

The New York Fed’s overnight bank funding rate stood at 0.37% on Thursday, unchanged since May 2.

In the repo market, the general collateral rate was last quoted at 0.37-0.38%, unchanged from Thursday, according to ICAP. It is unclear how quickly investors would accept a replacement to the 30-year old rate benchmark with its entrenched status around the world.

“It’s got an uphill battle. I can’t see a massive move to the new rate from Libor right now,” said David Keeble, global head of interest rate strategy at Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank in New York. l

Japan’s determination to tame the resurgent yen was another sensitive topic, after its repeated threats to intervene in forex markets put it on a collision course with its G7 counterparts.

The yen has seen several steep jumps since the start of the year, soaring more than 10% against the greenback at one stage, in a blow to Japan’s exporters just as the economy slowed.

US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew kept up the pressure yesterday with a fresh warning, reminding Japan that previous commitments to “refrain from competitive devaluation and communicate closely have helped to contribute to confidence in the global economy”.

The finance chiefs, whose leaders will hold a summit in Japan next week, also vowed to cooperate in countering the financing of global terror.

“Countering violent extremism and bringing perpetrators to justice

remain top priorities for the whole international community,” said the group which takes in the US, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Britain.

They identified “targeted financial sanctions” as critical to hindering the networks that support terrorist organisations and emphasised the need to freeze terrorist assets including those of individuals.

“The G7 commits to working together to strengthen the global fight against terrorist financing,” they said.

In or out?

As the vote on Britain’s future in the EU draws closer, finance minister George Osborne said his meetings with G7 counterparts underscored the gravity of the in-out decision. l If voters opt to quit the bloc in a June 23 referendum, Britain would find it “extremely difficult” to conclude trade deals with European Union countries, he told the BBC l

CORPORATE NEWS

First Security Islami Bank Limited has recently signed an agreement with Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) on collection of electricity bills through the bank’s online and mobile banking services, said a press release. The bank’s head of marketing and development division, Azam Khan exchanged the agreement with Engineer Md Monir Chowdhury, secretary of DPDC

Sonali Bank Limited has recently held its 466th board meeting, said a press release.

The bank’s chairperson, Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury was present at the meeting

Standard Chartered Bank and Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh, Chittagong Regional Committee (ICAB, CRC) have jointly organised a seminar on global economy and financial risk management in Chittagong, said a press release.

The bank’s head of financial markets, Alamgir Morshed presented the key-note paper

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

Some foreign investors target India’s top bourse in rare shareholder backlash n Reuters, Mumbai Some foreign investors are accusing India’s National Stock Exchange of dragging its feet on an initial public offering, saying management is ignoring them and purging their views from minutes of meetings, letters and emails seen by Reuters show.

Five investors, who together own 10.1% of India’s biggest exchange by trading volumes, said “shareholder interest and corporate governance norms have been blatantly disregarded” as a result, according to a March 7 letter sent to the bourse and seen by Reuters, which has previously not been reported.

“The NSE is a model of poor corporate governance,” said Sohil Chand, a managing director at US firm Norwest Venture Partners, one of the foreign funds that signed the letter, in an interview. “There is zero transparency and there’s zero accountability.”

An NSE spokesman rejected the accusations but declined to discuss individual letters.

“We do not want to respond to those misplaced concerns and mo-

A broker reacts while trading at his computer terminal at a stock brokerage firm in Mumbai REUTERS tivated campaigns,” the spokesman said in an email.

The investor letters and emails mark an escalation in a monthslong battle between the exchange and these investors over a potential listing of the NSE. The funds, some of which have invested in the NSE for almost a decade, want the exchange to list as soon as possible so that they can exit and pay back investors in their funds.

But the company has been reluctant because Indian law requires it to list on another exchange rather than on itself, which would expose it to being regulated by a rival bourse.

The NSE has said it is lobbying regulators for permission to selflist or be regulated by the country’s securities regulator.

The fight is the latest sign that shareholder activism, though still rare, is beginning to gain traction

in India, where companies face few challenges from investors and governance problems are common.

Most recently, Children’s Investment Fund waged a two-year battle against Coal India and the government over accusations of mismanagement, which ended after the British-based hedge fund exited from its investment in 2014.

That increased activism is visible more broadly across Asia, as investors seek better returns amid ultra-low interest rates and sluggish global growth.

Recent examples include an unsuccessful public campaign

by BlackRock Inc against a deal planned by a Hong Kong firm G-Resources Group Ltd, and high-profile battles waged against South Korea’s Samsung Group and Japanese videogame maker Nintendo Co Ltd.

‘Not dragging feet’

In the case of NSE, the funds leading the campaign are all foreign institutional investors who invested in the market by buying stakes from earlier domestic institutional investors.

Other funds that signed the March 7 letter consist of a group of private equity and venture capital firms, most of which have funds based in Mauritius: Beacon India, GTI Capital, DVI and SAIF Partners.

An NSE board member who stepped down this year denied the investors’ accusations and said the company had genuine concerns about listing on a separate exchange.

He said there had been a lot of misinformation regarding the NSE’s stance.

“Some shareholders are getting very impatient. They think we are dragging our feet, which is not correct,” he told Reuters, declining to be identified as he has not been authorized to speak by the exchange.

In equities, still the main part of the business, the NSE had average daily volumes of 171.9bn rupees ($2.56bn) in April, and it monitors governance across its more than 1,600 listed securities.

The older BSE Ltd, formerly known as Bombay Stock Exchange, had 27.3bn rupees in average daily volumes last month. l

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

5 profitable business ideas under Tk5,000 n Rad Sharar Bin Kamal

I

f you had to go to any country in the world to launch your self-funded startup, you wouldn’t have to look afar. In terms of monthly burn rate (a set amount of money shall be spent monthly on overheads), access to fast Internet, visa policy and hassle-free travel, your number one option would be Bangalore, India, which is considered to be the cheapest city of the top 20 startup ecosystems worldwide. In fact, it’s roughly 77% cheaper to just survive in India than in San Francisco. Next comes Malaysia, closely followed by Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The purpose of stating this is to simply illustrate a common trait between the three countries – they are all in Asia, and if you’re a hopeful entrepreneur in Bangladesh, you should feel blessed. Money-wise, it’s just as easy to launch off here as well, and

you won’t believe how much. For the purpose of keeping this simple, only monetary aspects shall be considered for starting a business in Bangladesh, along with certain per-requisites assumed to be at your disposal; namely, a computer and consistent Internet access.

To gain an insight on the matter, Drabir Alam, the head of business of one of the most renowned digital marketing agencies in the country, Cookie Jar, elaborated on a few superb niche markets any hopeful (yet dedicated, of course) entrepreneur can tap into, and earn 10x times the original investment.

A graduate from Institute of Business Administration (IBA) from Dhaka University, ex-territory Officer of British American Tobacco Bangladesh and associate director of Asiatic Events Marketing Limited and Cookie Jar, Drabir Alam is a man of many avatars. An avid cyclist and a natural entrepreneur, his love

That initial investment is a humble $64 dollars or Tk5,000 in Bangladesh, the same price of a badminton racket set in the United States

for business knows no bounds, such as his passion for creative ideas; an impeccable candidate for the matter at hand, especially considering the limitation of a small budget to launch a business.

That initial investment is a humble $64 dollars or Tk5,000 in Bangladesh, the same price of a badminton racket set in the United States. Don’t be surprised though, it comes with the box of corks and free shipping.

Without further ado, here are five profitable business ideas you can launch with only Tk5,000.

Graphic design specialist Termed as a package, this sector can be dissected into numerous fields; demand for all of which shall sustain in Bangladesh for the foreseeable future. These fields include editorial design specialist (includes diagramming, Photoshop and InDesign expertise), web/mobile design specialist (demands proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator along with HTML/CSS knowledge), colour design specialist (includes a keen eye for hue differences, Illustrator and Photoshop knowledge), illustration specialist (requires creative and unique designs to be made from scratch) and corporate design (requires logo designs, promotional material designs, social media artwork etc.).

PHOTO: BIGSTOCK

Of course, all of the sectors stated above require you to, at the very least, have comprehensive knowledge regarding specific software: InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator to be precise.

Hence, your investment fund would not be used for any physical requirements (considering you have a decent computer), but to gain comprehensive knowledge about these platforms.

Content provider Giving the demand for great graphics a run for its money, the need for great content has suddenly emerged in the digital market in the past year. What content refers to here is proper written content, whether it is copy-writing or sources of original feature articles for blogs or publications. The two broad areas to concentrate here are creative writing and research writing, with the latter being the more difficult skill to acquire and subsequently more lucrative.

Businesses require consistent content on a daily basis, and are reluctant to hire writers due to the loss of diversity over a certain period of time. Hence, outsourcing is seen as the best option to freelancers and content specialist firms. Well, that’s your cue. All you need is a laptop and a crash course on the field you wish to tap into (either on the research tier or the creative tier).

Personal fitness coach With new eateries sprouting on every corner, the need for a health conscious lifestyle has been bubbling within the upper and middle-class population of the cities. While gyms are effective, people seek for personal trainers and are even willing to pay premium for the extra attention and personalised treatment.

However, for you to pull this off, two requirements must be fulfilled:

Firstly, you must understand that physical appearance plays a big role in this sector, and your capabilities shall be judged upon it. Before you begin training others, you must train yourself into an expert.

Secondly, your rock-hard abs can only do so much to attract and retain potential clients. You must make a name for yourself.

Contributing to English dailies and opening up a blog will work wonders here to gain traction in demand.

Delivery service With the food department taken care of with the likes of Food Panda and HungryNaki, it is time for the rest of the market to be conquered.

With simply a Facebook page, you shall be able to a tap into a niche market for small-scale product delivery. Typically outsourced, this service shall sustain its demanding position considering the difficulties of transit. All you need in addition, is a bicycle, which comes pretty cheap nowadays.

Small scale sourcing This refers to locating creative people who have certain artistic abilities and help them sell their products to a broader market at a skimmed price. Launching off with personal DIY (do-it-yourself) and home-made products for sale on a Facebook page, you may slowly gain traction and attention from others who are looking for a creative outlet for their hobbies and interests. You may look out for personal paintings, home décor items, paper decorations, office beautifications and much more.

The key to this idea is simple: if you’re good at something, no matter how small it is, never do it for free. l Content was reprinted from www. startup-bd.com

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Feature

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

So, when are you getting married?

The question that plagues the life of a single woman

nMunzereen Shahid

I

f you are a Bangladeshi girl and just so happen to be somewhat over 22 years old, you know you have faced this popular question. Remember that relatives wedding you went to last summer? Yup, that’s the one. You are there at the wedding, hoping for some good food and a few good selfies now that you’re finally dressed like you have a closet that has clothes (besides the three you keep repeatedly shuffling and wearing to class every day). Little did you know there are aunties GENUINELY concerned about what you’re doing with your life, if you’re not thinking marriage.

An aunty comes up to your mother, asks you what you’re studying (great, she’s actually interested in what I do, how bad can this be?). God forbid if your mother so much as mentions university (doesn’t matter what year), CONGRATULATIONS, you are now eligible for men some 6-10 years older than yourself currently looking for a “fair, beautiful wife.” And no, at this point in the question, it does not matter what goals you have for yourself, it is taken for a fact that the ultimate purpose for you to exist in this planet is to be someone’s wife. “Porashuna kortese? Oita to biyer por o korte parbe!”

Let me get this straight.

So this invisible checklist that society has created for us somehow dictates that everything can wait, but marriage cannot? I’m not sorry that I have not spent my entire life daydreaming about being married or how my wedding stage is going to look, or how my husband is going to buy me that expensive jewellery from Tiffany’s. You know what I did dream of though? I’ve dreamt of getting a Masters in Linguistics and somehow manage to follow that on with a PhD so that I can become a Professor. I’ve dreamt of making sure that if I like something, I have enough money in my own purse to be able to afford it. So, all the Bengali aunties of the world who somehow find it to be their crucial responsibility to get me married to a guy who was probably in fifth grade when I was born: I’m sorry, I’m not sorry. Marriage can wait.

As girls, right from birth, we face countless limitations anyway.

It is scary to think of going beyond what you have always been taught is “normal” for a girl. “You’re almost getting done with university? So when are you getting married?”. “Oh so you’re married? When are you having kids?” Please aunty, I refuse to believe that these two goals are the sole purposes of my finite

PHOTO:s

“You’re almost getting done with university? So when are you getting married?”. “Oh so you’re married? When are you having kids?”

life. Being a wife, being a mother are beautiful, incredible roles to have, and someday, I might be ready for these, but no, these two roles will not be the ONLY roles I get to play.

To all of you, who have faced this situation too many times, don’t succumb to this society that still has not managed to

think of girls having individual goals. Accomplish the goals you have that involve growth, self-improvement and honing your skills. Daydream about getting your dream job. And get it. Daydream about being able to travel the world with your own money. And go for it. Daydream about making a difference no matter how big or small. And do

it. And if after all this, you finally seem to think you’re ready to share the awesomeness that you are as a person with someone else, then maybe call that aunty.

Or not. l Munzereen Shahid is a writer and editor for 10 Minute School who is still waiting for her Hogwarts letter

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

Internship

Kill your boss with love Not literally, but here’s a guide on how to rock your internship

n Baizid Haque Joarder

A

n enriched resume has become a must for students, without which, it’s getting tougher and tougher to impress a potential employer. For which, you can thank your fellow mates at the university who will eventually graduate magna cum laude with enough work experience to make your life seem like a living hell.

In order to avoid that, you might want to start studying harder and look out for internships which would enrich your resume.

Internships aren’t that hard to come by, because anyone would love to make you work in return for an “allowance,” (if you are lucky to get a paid one) which hardly covers your bills at your favourite tong. Well, it's not THAT bad, but one shouldn’t be aiming to build their empire on internships! Provided that you think, you too can land one, which gives you first-hand experience in the field you like, with a lump sum amount to make your life easier.

Follow these simple steps (but would require effort), and you too can rock your internship and make the most out of it.

PHOTOS: BIGSTOCK Know what you’re signing up for It is normal that as an intern, you probably won’t be doing anything glamorous, but make your superior’s life easier. However, if you do show promise, your boss

might hand you something that is interesting. In the end, the more time you spend, the more exposure you’ll get in that field.

Earn your boss’ trust When you walk in, you have to prove your worth. Well, unless your dad is the chairman or you have an uncle who is a member of the Board of trustees. In that case, you can probably even order your senior colleagues to make you coffee, but don’t! There is nothing more peaceful than knowing that you are a self-made man or lady.

Pay attention to minor details, carry out instructions properly, prioritise quality even if its a meagre task, provide ideas and always be open for ideas from your peers, and your boss will have no choice but to write you the best reference letter you can imagine.

Participate in the office culture Observe how your co-workers act or behave at work and try to mirror them. Stay away from politics, back-biting, being judgemental and show interest in what your colleagues have to share, try to build a good relationship with them and learn from them. Be loveable and help them out if needed, after you’re done with yours.

Pay attention to minor details, carry out instructions properly, prioritise quality even if its a meagre task, provide ideas and always be open for more from your peers, and your boss will have no choice but to write you the best reference letter you can imagine

Take your work seriously Avoid social media (unless your work requires you to be online) and focus more on your work.

Previously, when you messed up your paper, the grades only affected you. But its a different ball game now, a mistake on work would most likely affect your boss or the organisation. And whatever you do, do NOT try to cover it up.

Man up, take responsibility, fix it and assure your boss that it won’t happen again and make sure it doesn’t.

Ask for feedback It is always a good idea to ask your boss about how you are doing, ask for suggestions to get better and always be enthusiastic while you

follow the advice.

Show gratitude A small “thank you” can go a long way. We all love it when we are appreciated, so why not offer some to your boss. After all, s/he did give you the opportunity over other applicants. The more downto-earth you appear in front of your colleagues, the more are the chances of you lasting there.

These are just few of the many tips that can make your internship a fruitful one. Even though most of them sound trivial, they are absolutely vital when it comes to making you stand out among other interns. Follow them and you too, can make the best out of your internship. l

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Biz Info

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

| seminar |

| debate |

Investment Seminar in Comilla EPZ

VDC National Debate Festival 2016 Supported by ULAB

A promotional seminar was held on May 16, 2016 at the Comilla Export Processing Zone to attract more investment in the Uttara, Ishwardi and Mongla EPZs located in northern and southern region of the country.

This seminar was organised to enhance local and foreign investment in these three EPZs. Mr Md Mehbub Ali, General Manager of Comilla EPZ began activities of the seminar with the briefing of the overall scenarios of BEPZA. He described the investment friendly atmosphere existing in the Ishwardi, Uttara and Mongla EPZ through power point and video documentary presentation. General manager of Comilla EPZ focused special incentives in these three EPZs sought the more investment.

He mentioned a seven-year tax holiday, reduced rate for land and factory building, including other logistic facilities, essential

connectivity that is contributing an important role in promoting of Mongla, Ishwardi and Uttara EPZ. Investment and export of these three EPZs will be easier through Padma Bridge, Mongla airport and Asian highway, he later added.

Investors of foreign and local enterprises of Comilla EPZ, Director of Comilla Chamber of Commerce and President of Brahmanbaria Chamber of Commerce were present at the seminar. They praised the organisers for arranging such a seminar, which gave them an opportunity to know in details about BEPZA, particularly Uttara, Mongla and Ishwardi EPZ. Foreign and local investors expressed satisfaction over the working environment in EPZs, and potentiality of the easily trainable Bangladeshi workforce.

Chinese and Japanese investors assured that their owner

would think about enhancing business in Bangladesh, particularly on these three EPZs. Representatives of Chambers said that the seminar will be more effective if they are jointly organised with local and federation chambers.

In the context of promotional campaign for EPZs, Mrs Nazma Binte Alamgir, general manager (public relations), BEPZA said, “Publications and video documentary of BEPZA usually send to various seminars, symposium through the embassy abroad.” In addition, she said different promotional materials are being sent to seminars, chambers, multinational companies and donor agencies in regular basis.

Among others Major Sajjad Hossain Khan, Deputy General Manager (Intelligence) and other officers of the concern zone were present in the seminar. l

| youth |

Minister for Public Administration, Syed Ashraful Islam, MP, delivering his speech at the opening ceremony of “Shera Shatarur Khoje Bangladesh,” a hunt that aims to search for talented young swimmers at Syed Nazrul Islam National Swimming Complex, Mirpur.

University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) supports Viqarunnisa Noon Debating Club (VDC) National Debate Festival 2016.

Viqarunnisa Noon Debating Club 9th Children, 19th Inter-School, 9th Inter-College, 17th InterClub Debate Festival 2016 was inaugurated on May 18, 2016 at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College auditorium.

Ali Zaker, actor and CEO of Asiatic Marketing Communications was

present as chief guest, where Professor Imran Rahman, vice chancellor of ULAB was present as a special guest. Ms Sufia Khatun, chief petron and principal and Wahida Jafor, asst head master of the Viqarunnisa Noon School and College were also present.

A total of 104 debate teams of different schools, colleges and universities are participating in the debate competition. This festival will be end on June 2, 2016. l

| theatre |

An Inspector Calls In fire, blood and anguish, An Inspector Calls is proudly produced by Jatrik as one of a series of plays.

Jatrik is well-known for producing cultural events, including the Dhaka Literary Festival, which brings together some of the world’s greatest literary minds. This year, Jatrik will be producing Bengali and English plays, and a number of other cultural events.

An adaptation of the play by J B Priestley, this production takes place in South Asia, during an evening in 2012. It begins as an ordinary evening of banter and celebration for the Borhania family, which is interrupted by the visit of a mysterious inspector.

Through the course of the evening,

as we come to know the characters, we are in turn forced to look at ourselves, the society we choose to live in and how we are all connected.

The play questions how you present yourself to others. Are we who we think we are? Or are we putting up an act and if so, at what cost?

The play is directed by Naila Azad.

Dates: May 26 – May 28, 2016 Times: All shows 9:30pm Gulshan Club, House NWJ 2/A Road 50, Gulshan 2 Tickets available on www. imdhaka.com Contact number: +88 02 9858141 Keep an eye on the website and facebook for more details www.jatrik.com https://www.facebook.com/ events/1156165894403586 l

DT

20 Editorial

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

TODAY

Whataboutery of deaths In supporting dismemberment of democracy and denial of political space to others, in promoting an exclusive vision of nationalism, the Bangladeshi secular class has lost all claims of being liberals and stooped to a tribal morality and identity PAGE 21

Dollars and sense One could ask: Why do people then succumb so easily to temptation? Their answer, of course, would be the same as that proffered by tired harlots who swear they would quit their profession, if only young bucks would stop importuning them

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PAGE 22

In pursuit of excellence

T

Extremism spells danger Bangladesh was initially created as a democratic and secular state. It has gone through the vicissitudes of military rule, witnessed a shrinking of its democratic space and now sees a frontal assault on its secular ethos 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.

wo Bangladeshi scientists, Dipankar Talukdar and Selim Shariar, are among a team of scientists and engineers in the United States who are due to share a $3 million Special Breakthrough Prize for their contribution to the detection of gravitational waves hypothesised by Albert Einstein a century ago.

It is inspiring to see Bangladeshi-origin scientists involved in this type of cutting edge project. Like the mountaineer Wasfia Nazreen, whose accomplishments have earned her a place among National Geographic Society’s Emerging Explorers of 2016, they deserve recognition both for their achievements and for the inspiration they provide.

They show the potential of the talent Bangladesh has and provide a great example for others to emulate.

Ours is a nation full of young, vibrant individuals who deserve more support and help to fulfill their potential. We must do more to open up such opportunities for all Bangladeshis.

Unfortunately, many of our schools, colleges, and universities, especially in the public sector, are held back by inadequate resources and training facilities.

Bangladesh only spends around 2.2% of GDP on education. This is below the target of 4% which experts advise we should reach, and far behind the target set by Brazil to double education spending to 10% of GDP by 2020.

The government must increase funding for education to help ensure that every child receives a good education. Giving every child a chance is the best way to maximise the potential of our population and improve economic prospects.

Improving access to good quality education is the best investment Bangladesh can make. There is enormous talent latent in our people. We need to invest far more in education to further development and maximise opportunities so all our young people can pursue their ambitions and achieve excellence in their chosen fields.

Increase investment in education to make the most of the talent of young Bangladeshis

DT

21

Opinion

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

Whataboutery of deaths We need to maintain our moral high ground and fight for the rights of all individuals

n Shafiqur Rahman

M

ass interaction in the web world generates scores of new words every year that reflect new modes of human thoughts and actions. Whataboutery is one of these new words.

All of you might be familiar with the meme associated with it.

Every time someone passionately writes about issue x, someone inevitably comments: “What about y? Why do you only care about x?”

Whataboutery is a form of trolling whereby any opinion can be disparaged through introduction of another issue.

Actually, not all whataboutery can be dismissed as trolling, there are gradations.

Some are plainly ridiculous because of total lack of relevance.

For example, some noted academic may express a strong opinion about harassment faced by working women every day in the roads and workplace.

A ludicrous whataboutery would be bringing up that person’s nonexistent support for democracy in the country.

Everything is interrelated, but occurrence or non-occurrence of a fair election has very little to do with social practices that emanate from longstanding culture.

An example of a more serious whataboutery that cannot be dismissed so easily is mocking those who ostentatiously exhibit solidarity with terrorism victims in Paris or Brussels but have muted or nonexistent response to attacks in Istanbul or Beirut. Later, I will argue that, even in these cases, whataboutery is not a serious response to a critical issue.

Lastly, an example of a whataboutery that is very unsettling because it raises deep questions about our belief systems, is asking, why do you make such a brouhaha when a blogger or a LGBT activist is hacked to death by assassins, but do not make a peep when scores of youths are regularly abducted by “unnamed” forces and then found tortured, disfigured, and very much dead in roadside rubbish heaps?

Is it just because you do not like their politics that you think their deaths do not matter even when they have not done anything deserving to be incarcerated, let alone murdered?

Let us first dispense the illogic of soft whataboutery. We can see that thousands of morally

outrageous things are happening all around us and thanks to immersion in information world, we are aware of these incidents 24/7.

If somebody wants to be impeccably non-discriminating, he will have to remain morally outraged continuously without break. Any psychologist will tell you that the human mind can remain outraged only in finite doses and remaining outraged 24/7 will surely lead to total nervous breakdown within days.

We therefore try to be selectively outraged to preserve our sanity while continue consoling ourselves as being conscientious citizens. What are the criteria we use to select our outrages?

Outrage is an emotion, and the most influential criterion of selecting outrage has always been emotional attachment; we get outraged by things that we feel emotional closeness with. We feel outrage when bad things happen to people who are very similar to us. Every year, there are news

Undoubtedly, rarity influences salience of events. In the 1970s, when political struggle over the future of Northern Ireland was at its bloodiest, and high-casualty bombings and terrorist attacks were happening every month in the UK and Ireland, news of a new bombing was hardly sending ripples all over world. People just shrugged and went on their lives.

But excuses of familiarity or frequency do not cut it in some issues that are intimately tied with the ideology behind the outrage.

As I said earlier, one of these questionable selective outrage is discriminating between blogger killings and killing of political activists.

The ideals behind the outrages are very similar -- indignation that a conscious life can be taken away arbitrarily just because of personal beliefs and expressions of that consciousness. Killings for beliefs shock us but it seems they shock us selectively.

The secular urban class cannot deny accusation of hypocritical selectivity because

Let us never compromise our moral compass for political gain

In supporting dismemberment of democracy and denial of political space to others, in promoting an exclusive vision of nationalism, the Bangladeshi secular class has lost all claims of being liberals and stooped to a tribal morality and identity

about some drug-crazed youth killing parents in village or smalltowns when they refused to give money to their son; news that are hidden with small prints in local news pages and never commented upon by the commentariat. But when meth-addled Oishee killed her parents, the urban middleclass could talk about little else for days on end.

Next to familiarity, frequency is a very important benchmark of selecting outrages. We get used to outrageous things if they happen regularly, our mind simply incorporates them in to the new normal.

There is no doubt that our worldview is heavily influenced

by West-centric narratives, and that’s why a terror attack in Paris becomes more salient to us than a bombing in Istanbul. But bombings have been going on regularly in Turkey for quite some time now, and large attacks in Western cities are still rare.

they are directly involved in the overall ideological struggle.

Discriminating among deaths fuel the narrative that there is nothing about liberal ideals behind the expressive outrages, but only a very partisan urge to protect one’s own kind while condoning elimination of the other.

The secular class may ask that when most religious people are avowedly against coexistence with secular and liberal ideals, and the more extreme of them openly cheer killing of “deviants,” why shouldn’t seculars pay back in kind?

Why should seculars accommodate people who, by principle, will not accommodate them at all? This is because liberalism has a more expansive view of human morality than religions or any other ideologies.

Apart from respect for individual freedom and dignity, liberalism also strongly emphasises universalism, which

entails that rights and principles apply to all individuals. A specific principle which modern liberalism has gradually settled into is that conscious human life is sacrosanct. An individual life cannot be taken away for any reasons other than if that life directly poses threat against other lives.

Liberal view of right to life transcends both past crimes against humanity and present crimes against god. It is the more expansive view of morality that has enabled progressive liberalism to become the dominant ideology of modernity, triumphing over other more parochial beliefs.

In tacitly condoning deaths of ideological opponents, in demanding no other recourse than the death penalty, in standing against freedom of thought and expression, in supporting dismemberment of democracy and denial of political space to others, in promoting an

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exclusive vision of nationalism, the Bangladeshi secular class has lost all claims of being liberals and stooped to a tribal morality and identity. They have denuded themselves of moral superiority.

Many questions of whataboutery are not groundless trolling of seculars at all.

This diminished moral authority plays no small part in discrediting the urban seculars before the general mass of fellow countrymen. Though international society may laud the heroics and sacrifice of victims and activists, their stock is not very high among the people of the country.

Politicians, who have an acute sense of relative moral and physical power of factions within the country, have shown their preferences very clearly.

They have overwhelmingly abandoned secular activists and embraced their ideological opponents. Bereft of all moral authority and physical security, the plight of seculars in Bangladesh will not evoke envy, even among the most vulnerable people of the world.

But they can take solace from a very religious view, possibility of redemption. If they can become self-aware and self-correcting, they may yet gain the moral high ground and redeem themselves before the people. l Shafiqur Rahman is a political scientist.

22

DT

Opinion

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

Dollars and sense Large-scale corruption has always been there. The Panama Leaks just made it a global talking point

Hiding money is big business

n FS Aijazuddin

T

here is only one way of dealing with corruption.

Make it legal. Better still, make it mandatory.

Why should the poor be denied opportunities the corrupt enjoy with such insouciant impunity?

Corruption is the pestilence that leaves pock-marks of a Clive, a Capone, a Noriega, a Suharto, a Marcos, a Duvalier, an Abramovich. Our society is no less disfigured.

In its brief history, there has never been a time when corruption has not been “unearthed,” when disapproving tongues did not click, fingers wag in censure, and then, our public made to watch helplessly as incriminating evidence was swept under an increasingly threadbare carpet, and pursuable cases pickled.

Socialists once regarded corruption as the inseparable twin of capitalism. hey held their credo to be the antidote to both. They thought they could create a society free of personal avarice.

Tombstones to socialism testify otherwise. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, within a generation, Russia has reverted to a tainted Tsardom, oily oligarchs replacing greedy Grand Dukes.

Its Marxist-Leninist neighbour, the People’s Republic of China, through strenuously enforced discipline, achieved a level of social equality for its citizens. It

REUTERS

copied the best in the West, and then imitated its worst. Espousing entrepreneurship, it has also wedded corruption.

A generation ago, no one in China -- men and women alike -would have worn anything other than a uniform Mao suit.

hosted in a country that produced Clive and the East India Company, and encouraged wealthy Arabs and Croesus Russians to hyper-inflate the UK property market.

What should be expected from such a conference? Teary admissions of guilt by offenders?

the recipient. The go-between pockets his fee for his silence. One does not need an international conference to understand the mechanics of corruption.

Is there a way of eliminating such pecuniary inducements? A solution was applied once in a

One could ask: Why do people then succumb so easily to temptation?

Their answer, of course, would be the same as that proffered by tired harlots who swear they would quit their profession, if only young bucks would stop importuning them Today, an agreement between China and Pakistan on Lahore’s Orange Line is cloaked with secrecy, too sensitive, the Lahore High Court has been told, to be disclosed except in camera. Yet soon, in China’s courts, Ling Jihua (aide to retired president Hu Jintao) will stand trial for corruption.

Corruption was not unheard of before Panama sprang a leak.

Everyone has been aware of it.

Like global warming, though, it has begun to be discussed at a global level because it has assumed gargantuan proportions with international ramifications -corruption sans frontieres.

Ironically, the recent Anticorruption Conference 2016 (the latest of too many of its kind) was

Lachrymose remonstrance of innocence by suspects?

Conscience-stricken repatriation of stolen assets? The conference’s outcome -- a lengthy 34 paragraph communiqué -- emphasised the need to “minimise” (not eliminate) corruption, and of course expressed the iron, inflexible determination to hold more such conferences.

Bribery is, in effect, a social contract, in that it requires both parties to give their consent, voluntarily. When bribes are demanded or given, each party becomes equally responsible, equally guilty. Both become accomplices. The person giving the bribe knows why, to whom, and for what reason the payment is being made. So does

public sector corporation during Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s time in the 1970s. The corporation was responsible for awarding contracts worth millions of dollars for the procurement of equipment for three large fertiliser plants.

The corporation alerted its vendors that no invoices would be processed without an accompanying undertaking, executed by the supplier, that no commission, kick-back, or gratification in cash or in kind had been given in connection with the transaction.

It worked. That particular corporation was the only one out of eleven under the Ministry of Production not to be subjected to an official enquiry by Zia’s subsequent government.

Can such an undertaking be demanded nowadays? Why not?

Even though such an undertaking is no more than a slip of paper, it underscores a serious commitment by all parties to observe standards of integrity and probity.

One could ask: Why do people, then, succumb so easily to temptation? Their answer, of course, would be the same as that proffered by tired harlots who swear they would quit their profession, if only young bucks would stop importuning them.

Daily, the list provided by Panama Leaks is lengthening.

Daily, innocent intent is being misconstrued as evil evasion.

Daily, many more people are wishing that they had not taken the advice of inventive lawyers to park their undisclosed wealth in off-shore havens.

These embarrassed souls have a soulmate in the scientist who made Pakistan a nuclear power.

He denies owning a Bahamian company, accusing his late brother (a banker) of fiscal wizardry. He claims: “You know, bankers are always up to their tricks and hanky-panky.”

Too true! Only a devious banker would have advised his naïve brother to invest in a hotel in Timbuktu, rather than Park Lane. l FS Aijazuddin lives in Lahore and is a columnist for Dawn, Pakistan’s main English-language newspaper. This article first appeared in Dawn.

DT

23

Opinion

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

Extremism spells danger With a series of attacks and no crackdown, Bangladesh retreats from its democratic beginnings

We are slowly bowing down to religious extremism

n Sumit Ganguly

A

spectre is haunting Bangladesh -- the spectre of unbridled, violent religious extremism with attacks on intellectuals, journalists, bloggers, and religious minorities.

The IS and other forms of fundamentalism are on the rise in the country of 156 million.

Unfortunately, neither of the two major political parties, the professedly secular AL, and the more religiously inclined, rightof-centre BNP, has demonstrated any interest in containing these developments.

This mostly poverty-stricken nation has, thanks to massive infusions of foreign assistance as well as the dramatic growth of NGOs, made significant dents on child mortality and maternal health. Despite these laudable achievements, its record in guaranteeing the rights of religious, ethnic, and other minorities is abysmal.

Worse still, the present regime, in denial about religious extremism, finds this trend to be politically expedient. The ostensible need for sweeping powers to curb such religious violence enables the regime to further aggrandise its political power. If extremist movements are not curbed, Bangladesh could well become an epicentre for Islamic radicalism.

Given its proximity to other substantial Muslim populations in both South and Southeast Asia, the emergence of such religious extremism could have profound destabilising consequences well beyond the reaches of the country.

Both Southeast and South Asia have had brushes with religious zealotry, and growth of bigotry and violence in Bangladesh could have major spillover effects.

In the region, especially in the adjoining states of West Bengal

NASHIRUL ISLAM

Bangladesh was initially created as a democratic and secular state. It has gone through the vicissitudes of military rule, witnessed a shrinking of its democratic space and now sees a frontal assault on its secular ethos and Assam in India, the tides of religious extremism could encourage Muslim and Hindu radicals alike. Muslim zealots may feel encouraged to press their parochial agendas.

In turn, their Hindu counterparts could highlight their rise and promote their own violent programs. Unfortunately, it appears that, despite professedly secular and democratic credentials, the current Bangladeshi regime of Sheikh Hasina is at least tacitly allowing such zealotry to flourish.

In considerable part, willingness to dally with these extremists stems from an attempt to marginalise the organised religious party, the Jamaat-eIslami, which is politically tainted owing to the association of several of members with the 1971 genocide. Indeed, in early May, the government sent a Jamaat leader, Motiur Rahman Nizami, to the gallows for alleged involvement in the killing of fellow Bengalis during the civil war.

The attacks on free thinkers are well-documented and number in the dozens, one of the most recent examples involving the murder of Rajshahi University professor Rezaul Karim Siddique. The IS claimed responsibility for his killing on the grounds that he was an atheist.

Locals claimed that he was not killed owing to his lack of religious convictions and instead argued that he was a victim because of his support for various cultural activities, especially musical soirees, an anathema in the austere version of Islam that IS

seeks to promote.

In April, a prominent gay rights activist and a member of the editorial board of the magazine Roopbaan, Xulhaz Mannan, was hacked to death in his Dhaka apartment. Once again, IS extremists took responsibility for his killing while local police authorities attributed the murder to local militants.

Religious minorities are also under siege. In February of this year, after a series of attacks on Hindu temples, a priest, Jogeshwar Roy, was killed while organising prayers at a local temple in Deviganj. Once again, IS claimed responsibility. The government, yet again, attributed his death to local militants.

In May, a 75-year-old Buddhist monk was hacked to death in his temple in Cox’s Bazaar. Though no evidence is readily available, this incident could have been spurred because of a spate of attacks that Buddhist monks have launched against virtually stateless Rohingya Muslims in neighbouring Myanmar.

Hasina has publicly decried these tragic incidents with various qualifications. At least on one occasion, in the aftermath of the killing of two self-declared atheist professors, she stated: “If anybody thinks they have no religion, OK, it’s their personal view … but they have no right to write or speak against any religion. When you are living in a society, you have to honour social values, you have to honour others’ feelings.”

Her reluctance to unequivocally condemn these horrific attacks and the perpetrators is fraught

with political significance. The country’s current political context helps explain such ambivalence.

Despite the trappings of democracy, the country is steadily lurching towards authoritarianism in many ways. In 2014, AL won an overwhelming parliamentary majority as the principal opposition, BNP, had chosen to boycott the elections.

Since then the party has relentlessly harassed the opposition and its supporters. This includes lodging cases of sedition against the party’s leader, Begum Khaleda Zia. Violent clashes between followers of the two parties have become all but routine.

The opposition has, for all practical purposes, been decimated, the freedom of the press is under wide-spread attack, the judiciary mostly pliant, with police forces largely politicised.

Against this distressing political backdrop, Hasina has attempted to consolidate her power, evincing an unwillingness for a swift crackdown on the fanatics. Some astute political observers argue that her reticence is actually part and parcel of a strategy to undermine an already anaemic opposition.

A more insidious development, however, has been the administration’s attempt to muzzle Bangladesh’s normally feisty press. The most well-known case involves Mahfuz Anam, highly regarded editor of the Dhakabased paper, The Daily Star. Anam now faces 79 cases in various courts owing to his admission that he published a possibly erroneous allegation about corruption in

Hasina’s government.

The government has also lodged charges against Shafik Rehman, the editor of a noted Bengali monthly, because of his putative involvement in an unlikely plot to abduct and kill Hasina’s son in the US. The attacks on the press, in no small measure, are possible because of a sweeping piece of legislation -- the Information, Communication, and Technology Act -- first passed in 2006 and amended in 2013 with more draconian provisions, some so vague that the government now assumes extraordinary powers of prosecution.

Indeed, the scope is such that it was used to incarcerate an electronic shop owner, Tonmoy Malick for selling a recording of a song that parodied both Sheikh Hasina and her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The regime may well assume that the risks inherent in its tacit toleration of religious extremism, whether local or international, are manageable and useful. Hasina may have concluded that she can co-opt fundamentalists to further marginalise the already weakened BNP and its allies.

However, the experiences of other leaders, for example, Indira Gandhi and Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in India, or various Sri Lankan politicians and the Buddhist clergy in Sri Lanka, who have sought to harness religious bigots to pursue political ends suggest the contrary. Religious dogmatists, especially those that embrace violence, have their own agendas. Given free rein, they work to expand the ambit of their activities and often return to haunt those who gave them leeway in the first place.

Bangladesh was initially created as a democratic and secular state. It has gone through the vicissitudes of military rule, witnessed a shrinking of its democratic space, and now sees a frontal assault on its secular ethos.

If the regime continues to flirt with Islamists, it may not only ring the death knell of the country’s fragile democracy and secular traditions, but also spread the virus of extremism into India and as far as Thailand and Malaysia. l Sumit Ganguly holds the Rabindranath Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilisations at Indiana University, Bloomington, and is a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Philadelphia. This article first appeared in Yale Global.

DT

24 Sport

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

Sussex set June 10 for Fizz’s debut

TOP STORIES

n Tribune Report Salahuddin, Kruif to rejuvenate nat’l team The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin and coach Lodewijk de Kruif want to rejuvenate the national team and prepare the players well ahead of AFC Asian Cup Qualifier play-offs. PAGE 25

Tevez misses cut in Copa America squad Argentina have left Boca Juniors striker Carlos Tevez out of their squad for the Copa America Centenario to be held in the US next month. Tevez was not on the 23-man list coach Gerardo Martino announced on Friday. PAGE 26

IPL rocks to Fizz’s tune

n Mazhar Uddin

Iniesta: Sevilla will make Barca suffer Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta believes his team will be made to suffer by Sevilla in the King’s Cup final on Sunday, but that they will emerge victorious. Both teams wil try to secure doubles at the Vicente Calderon. PAGE 27

Djokovic eyes Nole Slam at Roland Garros Once again, Novak Djokovic heads to the French Open knowing full well that a title at Roland Garros will complete a career Grand Slam.

He’s already come quite close to win the tournament, finishing as the runner-up in three of the past four years. PAGE 28

Sunrisers Hyderabad are now the only IPL team which is all but confirmed a place in the playoffs, despite starting the tournament hardly considered to reach reach such heights. They have come this far courtesy of Bangladesh fast bowling sensation Mustafizur Rahman, who has been a crucial part of their eight wins so far.

But given that there are no 100% guarantees on a place in the playoffs yet, Mustafiz is unlikely to get a break when the Sunrisers take on Shakib Al Hasan’s Kolkata Knight Riders today. One more magical spell from him, and some help from his teammates will take them through comfortably.

That’s how it has been for the Sunrisers in this season which they started with two losses. But their captain David Warner understood that Mustafiz was going to be his trump card, and once he had given the left-arm quick the freedom to set his fields and bowl like he does, the wins just followed for the Sunrisers.

They won the next three games, lost one and then won four on the bounce. They have however won one out of their last three games. In the games that they won, Mustafiz has taken 11

wickets at an average of 16.81 with a miserly economy rate of 5.96 and strike-rate of 16.9. When they lose, he has taken just four wickets in five games, with bowling average of 34.75, economy 7.72 and strike-rate of 27.

His cutters and slower have fooled even the world’s most dangerous batsman, the New Zealand hard-hitter Brendan McCullum.

The best moment was undoubtedly when he floored West Indian Andre Russell with a majestic yorker to uproot his middle stump.

Warner have used his best bowler in a particular pattern. The

HIS SPELLS SO FAR Opposition

O

M

R

W

Royal Challengers

4.0

0

26

2

Knight Riders

4.0

0

29

1

Indians

4.0

0

32

1

Lions

4.0

0

19

1

Kings XI

4.0

1

9

2

Supergiants

2.0

0

21

0

Royal Challengers

4.0

0

34

1

Lions

4.0

0

17

2

Indians

3.0

0

16

3

Supergiants

4.0

0

26

0

Daredevils

4.0

0

39

0

Kings XI

4.0

0

32

1

Daredevils

4.0

0

24

1

left armer bowled in two different spells: first with the new ball around the third or fourth over, to give some early break-through and in the latter stages where he has been successfully able to restrict the opponent with his tight line and length despite everyone trying to go after him.

The Shatkhira lad is among the IPL’s top five wicket-takers and is easily the leading contender for the IPL’s best emerging player of this season. He has so far dismissed 11 right-handers and 4 left-handers where eleven of them are caught behind three bowled and a leg before.

The significance of Mustafiz’s performance has been how he has emerged as Bangladesh’s best-ever performer in an IPL season. Abdur Razzak, Mohammad Ashraful and Mashrafe Mortaza have hardly had an impacy while Shakib, who even won the IPL with the Kolkata Knight Riders, have been consistent but not quite how Mustafiz has rocked the IPL. Mustafiz has also won praise by the legends of the game. In just a year since his international debut, on April 24, 2015, he has certainly established himself as the next big thing. He has certainly arrived, now it will be important for him to maintain the flow.l

Sussex captain Luke Wright has said that they are ready to give Mustafizur Rahman some time off before his stint with the county next month. Reports suggest that they expect him to make his debut on June 10 in the NatWest T20 Blast game against Kent in Hove.

Given the progress of the Hyderabad Sunrisers in the ongoing IPL, it is likely that he will be busy till May 29, after which he is supposed to join Sussex for the NatWest T20 Blast and the Royal London OneDay Cup. But he has recently informed people close to him in Dhaka that he is eager for a break after the IPL. But the general view in the BCB is that they want Mustafizur to play in the UK, which they feel will set him up strongly in his career.

Wright was confident that Mustafizur, who has already missed their first NatWest T20 Blast match against Gloucestershire on Friday, would play a number of games for Sussex whenever he arrives in Hove.

“Fizz is definitely coming but we are just clarifying the number of games he is going to play,” Wright was quoted as telling a Hove-based newspaper. “We have to understand he is a young lad who has been away from home for a long time in an environment where he doesn’t speak the language. He’s also played a lot of games so we want to give him enough time to rest so that when he does come over we get the best out of him.

“We always knew he was likely to miss the first two games so it is a case of whether he misses an extra game or not. Obviously we’d like him for as many games as possible as he is in such great form but either way he’ll still be available for a large chunk of the matches.”

Wright said that they would wait for Mustafizur to arrive, given the reputation he carries off-late. He has so far taken 15 wickets in the IPL, after performing exceedingly well for Bangladesh against India, South Africa and Zimbabwe last year, and in the World T20 this year.

“When we did our research on him people told us what a big player he was going to be. When someone like Kumar Sangakkara says he is a special talent then you sit up and take notice.

“He’s proving how good he is out in India at the moment so we’ve done very well to get him on the deal we have as I don’t think he’ll be quite so cheap in the future,” he said.l

25

DT

Sport

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

'WT20 loss against India still hurts' n Cricbuzz Shakib al Hasan is Bangladesh’s biggest cricketing star alongside Mashrafe Mortaza. While The Bangladesh captain’s leadership abilities stood out in tough times in the ICC World Twenty20 in India earlier this year, Shakib’s all-round show (129 runs and 10 wickets) helped the team come up with a much-improved performance.

However, their efforts were overshadowed by the one-run loss against India that proved to be the decisive knockout blow.

It’s hard to tell if Shakib was expecting a question on the loss when he sat down for a chat with Cricbuzz at the team hotel in Kolkata, but when the question did arrive, he wasnt surprised. “Yes, it still hurts,” he says trying not to make eye contact.

His reaction, though very subdued, reveals it was a bitter pill to swallow. Shakib takes a moment to think about what he wants to speak and then says: “I don’t think we, as a team or as a nation, can forget that game ever. I hope that some day, we play a match like that against India and win it so that we can forget that game. But, it still keeps coming back.”

Shakib isn’t one to shy away

from talking about the loss or dismiss the questions. As the conversation flows, fully in Bengali, we get to a point where we start talking about the mindset during that chase. Not to forget, that after a brisk start from Tamim Iqbal, it was Shakib who kept them in the game with his quick-fire 15-ball 22.

“It’s difficult to explain what happened. Chasing is always difficult and tension played a big role,” he starts. “Those who are good at chasing, they always plan well.

We can’t just keep focusing on the scoreboard because it builds additional pressure.

“We should have approached

it the same way we would have while batting first. I feel that’s the better plan. Yes, the target and the overs reaming are always there at the back of the mind. Once you get into a good position, then you can adjust and time the chase well. We didn’t do that.”

Well, the game, is now a part of the record books. Most of the Bangladesh players have moved on and so has Shakib. He’s now keen on focusing on the Indian Premier League. The game against Sunrisers Hyderabad first.

“It has been great, he gushes talking about the journey with the Knight Riders. “It has been six years - I missed a few games due to international duty. I’ve enjoyed being part of this franchise. This opportunity came to me at a crucial time. This was needed. IPL, and playing for Kolkata, has helped me improve as a cricketer.

“The support staff has always been very helpful. Not just for me, but for everyone in the side.

Whenever we need anything, they try to provide us with it. If you look at the support staff we have, there is Wasim Akram, Jacques Kallis, Simon Katich, Mark Boucher.

They are all legends of the game.

So obviously, you expect the best from them.” l

Usha thrash Mariners n Tribune Report Usha Krira Chakra handed Mariner Young’s Club a shocking 4-1 defeat in the first high-voltage match of the Green Delta Insurcance Premier Division Hockey League at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium yesterday.

Mariners began the season forming a strong squad with bringing in Bangladesh’s former German national coach, Gerhard Peter Rach and this is their first defeat in three matches in the league while it was third successive victory for holders Usha.

The main difference between the two favourite sides was the absence foreign players in Mariner’s side who fielded only one foreign recruit while Usha started with five Pakistani players.

Mariners earned two penalty corners in the first quarter-hour mark but failed to convert any and Usha went ahead from their first PC in the 21st minute when Pakistan defender Aleem Belal found the back of the net. Puskar Khiso Mimo doubled the lead in the 32nd minute.

Meanwhile in the day’s other match, Azad Sporting Club came from behind to defeat Railway SC 4-1 at the same venue. l

Salahuddin, Kruif keen to rejuvenate national team n Shishir Hoque The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin and head coach Lodewijk de Kruif want to rejuvenate a disorganised situation of the national team and prepare the players well ahead of AFC Asian Cup Qualifier play-offs against Tajikistan next month.

The BFF chief and the Dutchman sat in a meeting at the federation house yesterday to discuss about the current situation of the national team and the ongoing training camp. The duo met officially for the first time since Kruif returned last week. “[The meeting] Very positive.

We both are happy to have met each other again. We talked about

the current situation of the team like what we are doing, how is training and preparation going and what’s our target,” said Kruif after the meeting yesterday.

Since Kruif leaving the Bangladesh job in September last year, Bangladesh went through three different coaches – Fabio Lopez, Maruful Haque and Gonzalo Moreno – but none of them failed to bring any change rather than those random changes damage the harmony of the previous team that played more than two years together under Kruif.

Kruif was also given a number of opportunities during his tenure but he failed to bring the results and was subsequently terminated.

The situation and the results worsened after his departure especially

in the Saff Championship in India last year.

“The team condition and fitness level is good. They are training hard. Let’s see how they can adapt,” he added, “At the end of the day the results against Tajikistan is important and our target is on it.

We want to bring back the previous picture in football and get back respect of the nation.”

Kazi Salahuddin said, “The only instruction is to win. But I know it’s a tough task. We can only try. The team situation has worsened and we talked about how to revive it.”

Kruif told Salahuddin that he wants to play a friendly before the first away match on June 2.

BFF is trying to hold a practice match in Dubai. l

BFF president Kazi Salahuddin and national team coach Lodewijk de Kruif sit for a meeting at the federation house yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

Jesse Lingard (3R) celebrates after scoring the second goal for Manchester United in the extra time against Crystal Palace during their FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium yesterady. The game had been locked at 1-1 after 90 minutes with Jason Puncheon coming off the bench to put London side Palace ahead in the 78th before Juan Mata equalised three minutes later REUTERS

Gayle boasts of ‘very big bat’ n AFP, London Chris Gayle, the big-hitting batsman who sparked a sexism scandal after flirting with a female broadcaster on live television, fanned the flames again Saturday in an interview touching on sex, women and equality.

Gayle, one of the biggest stars in world cricket, boasted about his “very, very big bat” and asked journalist Charlotte Edwardes from British newspaper The Times if she had ever had a threesome.

The interview is likely to provoke reaction from cricketing circles and beyond.

The West Indies batsman said women threw themselves at him in their thousands, explaining he was “damn good-looking”.

The self-confessed joker boasted about having “a very, very big bat, the biggest in the wooooorld”, adding, “You think you could lift it?

You’d need two hands.”

Edwardes wrote: “He asks how many black men I’ve ‘had’, goading me when I deflect the question, and whether I’ve ever had a ‘t’eesome’ -- ‘I bet you have. Tell me’.”

On the subject of women, Gayle said women should have and did have equality.

“They have more than equality.

Women can do what they want.

Jamaican women are very vocal.

They will let you know what time is it, for sure,” he said. l

Tevez misses cut in Argentina’s Copa squad n Reuters, Buenos Aires Argentina have left Boca Juniors striker Carlos Tevez out of their squad for the Copa America Centenario to be held in the United States next month.

Tevez, who helped Boca reach the Copa Libertadores semi-finals on Thursday, was not on the 23man list coach Gerardo Martino announced on Friday for the June 3-26 tournament.

With Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero named as the central strikers, Tevez, 32, was deemed surplus to requirements despite

having been part of last year’s Copa squad in Chile.

Rosario Central centre back Javier Pinola missed out after breaking his leg in a Copa Libertadores match last week, and veteran right back Pablo Zabaleta of Manchester City also became unavailable after deciding to have surgery for an ankle problem.

Independiente’s Victor Cuesta earned his first Argentina call-up in place of Pinola, boosting to four the number of home-based players in the squad.

Argentina, captained by Lionel Messi, are targeting victory in the

tournament after failing to succeed at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they lost to eventual winners Germany, and the 2015 Copa America as hosts Chile beat them on penalties. Argentina meet Chile, Bolivia and Panama in Group D.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Nahuel Guzman (UANL Tigres), Mariano Andujar (Estudiantes) Defenders: Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City), Victor Cuesta (Independiente), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Facundo

Raina seals top-two spot for Lions n Cricinfo

Gujarat Lions guaranteed themselves a top-two finish on the IPL league table, and earned themselves two shots at a place in the final, after a 96-run partnership between Brendon McCullum and skipper Suresh Raina set them up for an six-wicket win over Mumbai Indians. Lions ended the league stage on 18 points while Mumbai finished on 14.

To make the playoffs, Mumbai will need to hope Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils - who also have 14 points each - lose their matches today, and lose by big enough margins for their net

run rates to dip below Mumbai Indian’s -0.146.

Rohit Sharma noted, after Raina chose to bowl, that the Green Park pitch wasn’t as green as it had been on Thursday when Lions had restricted Knight Riders to 124. It wasn’t just less green.

It was even-paced, with the ball coming nicely on to the bat, and Mumbai’s total of 172 proved well short of challenging as Lions, given a strong platform by Suresh Raina and Brendon McCullum, and a sure finish by Dwayne Smith who swapped places in the batting order with the Australian Aaron Finch - cruised home with 13 balls remaining. l

IPL POINTS TABLE Teams Mat W L Pts Net RR Gujarat 14 9 5 18 -0.374 Hyderabad 13 8 5 16 +0.355 Bangalore 13 7 6 14 +0.930 Kolkata 13 7 6 14 +0.022 Delhi 13 7 6 14 -0.102 Mumbai 14 7 7 14 -0.146 Pune 14 5 9 10 +0.015 Punjab 14 4 10 8 -0.646

BRIEF SCORES Mumbai Indians 172 for 8 (Rana 70, Buttler 33, Bravo 2-22, Praveen 2-24) Gujarat Lions 173 for 4 (Raina 58, McCullum 48, Smith 37*, Vinay 2-17) Gujarat Lions win by six wickets

Roncaglia (Fiorentina), Ramiro Funes Mori (Everton), Gabriel Mercado, Jonathan Maidana (both River Plate), Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Matias Kranevitter, Augusto Fernandez (both Atletico Madrid), Ever Banega (Sevilla), Angel Di Maria, Javier Pastore (both Paris St Germain), Erik Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur) Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Hebei Fortune), Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica). l

Rodgers named manager of Celtic n Reuters Celtic have named former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers as their new manager on a 12-month rolling contract, the Scottish Premiership champions said on Friday.

Northern Irishman Rodgers, who has also managed at Swansea City, Reading and Watford, was sacked by Liverpool in October and replaces Ronny Deila at the Scottish club.

“I am absolutely delighted to be named Celtic manager,” Irishman Brendan Rodgers, 43, said in a statement on Celtic’s website (www.celticfc.net).l

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

QUICK BYTES CSKA Moscow win Russian Premier League title for sixth time CSKA Moscow beat Rubin Kazan 1-0 on Saturday to win the Russian Premier League title for the sixth time. Alan Dzagoev scored the only goal of the game after 19 minutes and CSKA finished two points clear of Rostov, who defeated Terek Grozny 2-0. CSKA will play in the Champions League group stages while Rostov will start their campaign in the third qualifying round. It was CSKA’s third league title under head coach Leonid Slutskiy who also led the team to victory in 2013 and 2014. “This brings so much happiness. I am proud that I work at a club with such footballers and fans,” Slutskiy said. Zenit St. Petersburg finish third after a 3-0 win over Dynamo Moscow and qualify for the Europa League.

–REUTERS

I could not take things any further with Murray, says former coach Mauresmo Amelie Mauresmo ended her coaching relationship with Andy Murray because she felt she could not improve the world number two any further, the former world number one said on Saturday. The Frenchwoman and Murray announced the end of an almost two-year partnership this month, but Mauresmo said the decision had been made some time ago. “Andy is complex. On court, he can be opposite of what he is in life. It can be confusing. I was here to help. I had the feeling I could not take things further anymore,” Mauresmo told L’Equipe Magazine. “I had the feeling that we were at the end of what we could do professionally. We came to the conclusion that it would be complicated to continue.” With Mauresmo, Briton Murray won seven ATP titles, claiming his first two trophies on clay in Madrid and Munich. “It was a beautiful adventure. A woman coaching a man, it breaks a few barriers in the world of men’s tennis,” she said.

–REUTERS

Watford confirm Mazzarri as new manager Italian Walter Mazzarri will manage Watford in the English Premier League next season after the club confirmed the former Inter Milan coach as the replacement for Quique Sanchez Flores on Saturday. The 54-year-old, who has also coached Napoli and Sampdoria, signed a three-year deal as head coach starting on July 1, Watford said on their website (www.watfordfc.com). Spaniard Flores was sacked despite leading Watford to a 13th-place finish in the Premier League and the semi-finals of the FA Cup in his only season in charge. Mazzarri is the eighth head coach to work under the club’s Italian owner Gino Pozzo, whose family took over the club in 2012. Watford have had five managers in the past two years.

“Walter has been the target of a number of approaches for his services, so we’re delighted to secure him as head coach here at Watford,” said CEO Scott Duxbury.

Barcelona players attend a training session at Joan Gamper training camp, Barcelona, Spain yesterday prior to Spanish Kings Cup final against Sevilla REUTERS

Iniesta: Sevilla will make Barca suffer n Reuters, Madrid Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta believes his team will be made to suffer by Sevilla in the King’s Cup final on Sunday, but that they will emerge victorious.

Iniesta is wary of the Andalusian side, who won the Europa League final against Liverpool on Wednesday, as both teams try to secure doubles at the Vicente Calderon stadium.

“We have to play a complete game against an opponent that will make us suffer in key moments of the match. Both teams are obliged to win,” Iniesta told reporters on Saturday.

“This team always has that obligation in a final. We fight for all the titles each season, sometimes we win and other times we’re further away, but the obligation to win is permanent. It is like that in each game, so imagine what it’s like in a final.”

Cavaliers take 2-0 lead

–REUTERS

Benfica clinch double with League Cup win

n Agencies

Benfica beat Maritimo 6-2 in the Portuguese League Cup final in Coimbra on Friday, less than a week after also sealing a third straight league title. It was also the Lisbon outfit’s third consecutive League Cup win, and the match itself was a repeat of last year’s final. The season culminates Sunday with the Portuguese Cup final between Porto and Sporting Braga.

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH BASKETBALL SONY SIX 06:00AM NBA 2015/16 : Semifinals Toronto Raptors v Cleveland

SONY ESPN Indian Premier League 4:30PM Kolkata v Hyderabad 8:30PM

Cavaliers

Delhi v Bangalore

CRICKET

FOOTBALL SONY ESPN

STAR SPORTS 1

1:30AM

4:00PM Sri Lanka Tour of England

Copa del Rey 2015/16

1st Test, Day 4

Final: Barcelona v Sevilla

TOMORROW

BASKETBALL SONY SIX 6:30AM

NBA season 2015/16 Oklahoma City v Golden State

CRICKET STAR SPORTS 1 4:00PM Sri Lanka Tour of England 1st Test Day 5

The biggest issue before the game was whether Barcelona fans could bring “estelada” flags to the stadium. The flags, which symbolise the desire for Catalan independence, were originally banned by the police, but the club successfully appealed against the decision and they will be now allowed.

Barca coach Luis Enrique thinks the La Liga champions Barcelona will find a way to end their campaign on a triumphant note. l

Toronto Raptors' Bismack Biyombo (R) shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James during their first half of Game 2 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals in Clevelandon Thursday AP

The rivalry between the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers — currently battling for the right to represent the east in the NBA Championship Series — has spilled over into the suds business.

Two beer-makers that share a name, Great Lakes Brewery of Toronto and Great Lakes Brewing Company of Cleveland, have lived in peace for decades.

On Thursday night, It has to be spirit-crushing and demoralizing, the kind of short stretch in a long game that wipes out momentum, lessens energy, causes shoulders to droop and games to be lost.

Those mental lapses, that loss of concentration that had mainly disappeared for most of this season once again bit the Toronto Raptors in the collective butt in one of the most important games of the season.

A 4 ½ minute stretch of the second quarter was the ruination of the Raptors here Thursday night,

THE SERIES

(Cavaliers lead, 2-0) BD Time GAME 1 Cleveland 115, Toronto 84 GAME 2 Cleveland 108, Toronto 89 GAME 3 At Toronto, (6AM), May 22 GAME 4 At Toronto, (6AM), May 24 GAME 5, if necessary At Cleveland, (6AM), May 25 GAME 6, if necessary At Toronto, (6AM), May 28 GAME 7, if necessary At Cleveland, (6AM), May 30 a period that allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to lock up and eventually put away Game 2 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference final. l

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

Djokovic eyes Nole Slam; Serena bids for No. 22 n AP Once again, Novak Djokovic heads to the French Open knowing full well that a title at Roland Garros will complete a career Grand Slam, something only seven other men have done.

He’s already come quite close to adding the Coupe des Mousquetaires to his trophy collection, finishing as the runner-up in three of the past four years.

“I know he’s looking for that title,” Stan Wawrinka said after beating Djokovic in the 2015 final.

“I hope he will get one, one day, because he deserves one.”

This time, even more is at stake for Djokovic: Owner of a 21-match winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments, the guy nicknamed

“Nole” — it’s pronounced NO-leh — arrives in Paris with a chance to become the first man in nearly half a century to claim four consecutive major championships.

Roger Federer never did it. Neither did Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras or Bjorn Borg.

The last man to hold the four most prestigious tennis titles simultaneously was Rod Laver, all the way back in 1969, when he pulled off a true Grand Slam, winning all in the same year.

By winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last season and the Australian Open this January, Djokovic is on the verge of what could be called a “Nole Slam,” a four-in-arow feat a la the self-styled “Serena Slam” that Serena Williams has managed to do twice. Lately, the No. 1-ranked Djokovic has been nearly unbeatable on any surface and in any setting, not just at the Grand Slam events, going 119-9

overall since the start of 2015, a .930 winning percentage, while earning 16 titles.

In 2016, he is 37-3 with a tourhigh five titles.

“My confidence level is high because of the matches — many matches — that I have won this year,” Djokovic said, “on (red clay) and all the other surfaces.”

Still, adding a bit of intrigue, he is coming off a rare loss — and on red clay, no less — when the French Open begins Sunday. That’s because Djokovic was beaten by Andy Murray in the Italian Open final, the last tuneup for both before the year’s second Grand Slam tournament.

Not that Djokovic sounded too worried by that result. He knew that he was sapped by a couple of lengthy, difficult victories against Nadal and Kei Nishikori.

“I don’t feel that I’m doubtful or I’m shaken up by this loss.

Of course, you don’t like to lose,” Djokovic said. “I move on to Paris knowing that I’m going to approach it, hopefully, healthy and refreshed.”

A year ago, he beat Nadal in the French Open quarterfinals, only the second loss in 72 career matches at the tournament for the ninetime champion. That was part of a rough stretch for Nadal, who appears to be inching closer to finding his old “King of Clay” form.

It would surprise no one if he were around in the latter stages at Roland Garros. The same can be said of Murray, suddenly the owner of three titles on the slowest surface after winning his two majors on hard and grass courts.

“I never expected to be having the results I have been having on clay,” the second-ranked Murray said after defeating Djokovic in Rome.

Williams joined Murray as a

champion in Italy, picking up her first title anywhere in nine months.

And she joins Djokovic in hoping to make some history in France.

The 34-year-old American is seeking her 22nd singles title at a Grand Slam tournament to equal Steffi Graf’s record for the Open era, which began in 1968. The alltime mark of 24 belongs to Margaret Smith Court.

The French Open is the only major Williams never has won back-to-back: Her titles came in 2002, 2013 and 2015 (the champion in 2012 and 2014, Maria Sharapova, is not eligible to enter this year because her doping case is pending).

“I have tried to defend there once, twice. ... Didn’t quite work so well,” the No. 1-ranked Williams said. “But this year is different. I’m going to definitely go in there and feel more calm. And I don’t feel stress to, like, have to win.” l

MEN TO WATCH AT THE FRENCH OPEN, WHERE PLAY BEGINS TODAY

NOVAK DJOKOVIC Ranked: 1 Age: 28 (Turns 29 on Sunday) Country: Serbia 2016 Match Record: 37-3 2016 Singles Titles: 5 Career Singles Titles: 64 Major Titles: 11 — Australian Open (‘08, ‘11, ‘12, ‘13, ‘15, ‘16), Wimbledon (‘11, ‘14, ‘15), U.S. Open (‘11, ‘15) Last 5 French Opens: ‘15-Lost in Final, ‘14-F, ‘13-SF, ‘12-F, ‘11-SF

ANDY MURRAY Ranked: 2 Age: 29 Country: Britain 2016 Match Record: 22-5 2016 Singles Titles: 1 Career Singles Titles: 36 Major Titles: 2 — Wimbledon (‘13), U.S. Open (‘12) Last 5 French Opens: ‘15-SF, ‘14-SF, ‘13-Did Not Play, ‘12-QF, ‘11-SF

STAN WAWRINKA Ranked: 4 Age: 31 Country: Switzerland 2016 Match Record: 18-7 (Playing at Geneva this week) 2016 Singles Titles: 2 Career Singles Titles: 13 Major Titles: 2 — French Open (‘15), Australian Open (‘14) Last 5 French Opens: ‘15-Won Championship, ‘14-1st, 13-QF, ‘12-4th, ‘11-4th

RAFAEL NADAL Ranked: 5 Age: 29 (turns 30 on June 3) Country: Spain 2016 Match Record: 27-8 2016 Singles Titles: 2 Career Singles Titles: 69 Major Titles: 14 — French Open (‘05, ‘06, ‘07, ‘08, ‘10, ‘11, ‘12, ‘13, ‘14), Wimbledon (‘08, ‘10), U.S. Open (‘10, ‘13), Australian Open (‘09) Last 5 French Opens: ‘15-QF, ‘14-W, ‘13-W, ‘12-W, ‘11-W

KEI NISHIKORI Ranked: 6 Age: 26 Country: Japan 2016 Match Record: 29-9 2016 Singles Titles: 1 Career Singles Titles: 11 Major Titles: 0 — Best: F, U.S. Open (‘14) Last 5 French Opens: ‘15-QF, ‘14-1st, ‘13-4th, ‘12-DNP, ‘11-2nd

WOMEN TO WATCH AT THE FRENCH OPEN, WHERE PLAY BEGINS TODAY

SERENA WILLIAMS Ranked: 1 Age: 34 Country: United States Career Singles Titles: 70 Major Titles: 21 — French Open (‘02, ‘13, ‘15), Wimbledon (‘02, ‘03, ‘09, ‘10, ‘12, ‘15), U.S. Open (‘99, ‘02, ‘08, ‘12, ‘13, ‘14), Aus Open (‘03, ‘05, ‘07, ‘09, ‘10, ‘15) Last 5 French Opens: ‘15-Won, ‘14-Lost in 2nd Rd, ‘13-W, ‘12-1st, ‘11-Did Not Play

ANGELIQUE KERBER Ranked: 3 Age: 28 Country: Germany 2016 Match Record: 26-8 2016 Singles Titles: 2 Career Singles Titles: 9 Major Titles: 1 — Australian Open (‘16) Last 5 French Opens: ‘15-3rd, ‘14-4th, ‘13-4th, ‘12-QF, ‘11-1st

GARBINE MUGURUZA Ranked: 4 Age: 22 Country: Spain 2016 Match Record: 15-9 2016 Singles Titles: 0 Career Singles Titles: 2 Major Titles: 0 — Best: F, Wimbledon (‘15) Last 5 French Opens: ‘15-QF, ‘14-QF, ‘13-2nd, ‘12-DNP, ‘11-DNP

VICTORIA AZARENKA Ranked: 5 Age: 26 Country: Belarus 2016 Match Record: 26-2 2016 Singles Titles: 3 Career Singles Titles: 20 Major Titles: 2 — Australian Open (‘12, ‘13) Last 5 French Opens: ‘15-3rd, ‘14-DNP, ‘13-SF, ‘12-4th, ‘11-QF

SIMONA HALEP Ranked: 6 Age: 24 Country: Romania 2016 Match Record: 16-10 2016 Singles Titles: 1 Career Singles Titles: 12 Major Titles: 0 — Best: F, at French Open (‘14) Last 5 French Opens: ‘15-2nd, ‘14-F, ‘13-1st, ‘12-1st, ‘11-2nd

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Quickly (mus) (6) 5 Liable (3) 7 By way of (3) 8 Hexes (6) 11 Female swan(3) 12 Select group (5) 14 Daybreak (4) 16 Norwegian (5) 18 Make into a statute (5) 20 At hand (4) 21 Is afraid of (5) 23 Filled pastry (3) 24 Uses again (6) 27 Land measure (3) 28 Apple Isle (abb) (3) 29 Standards of perfection (6)

DOWN 1 Step (3) 2 First woman (3) 3 Muteness (7) 4 Lofty (4) 5 Electrical unit (6) 6 Dry inflammable matter (6) 9 Scheme (4) 10 Wrongdoing (3) 13 Shaving of the head (7) 14 Autocrat (6) 15 Thin biscuits (6) 17 Rescue (4) 19 Sailor (3) 22 Peruse print (4) 25 Briny (3) 26 Distress call (3)

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29

Downtime

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 14 represents B so fill B every time the figure 14 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

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

AvoidRafa’s debut album released

n Rayan Quddus AvoidRafa finally released Bhaar, their debut album. Radio ABC sponsored the CD launching event at the Russian Culture Center on Friday. According to band members, the album took seven years to make.

Some known faces in the music industry were there to greet the band, and among them were Xefer Rahman, Jamshed Chowdhury and Jon Kabir. This is the first time that ABC pushed an artist to such an extent. They really seemed to believe in Rafa, the band’s front man, who was the center of

attention that day.

At the event, there were AvoidRafa merchandise along with Rafa’s autograph and a concert where several bands performed. Apekkhik, Bivishika, Doctor-Doctor, Powersurge, and AvoidRafa performed on stage.

Fans were familiar with the album as it has already been released online for free. Even though it was Rafa’s day, Jamshed from Powersurge made the audience rock harder than anyone else with his showmanship. And despite gaining critical praise from his peers, Rafa polarised his fans with his onstage performance,

Not one person recognises Sonu Nigam n Showtime Desk Sonu Nigam, the musical superstar of India, went completely unrecognised as he disguised as an old street singer, and spent hours singing on the street in Juhu, Mumbai.

Sonu made the attempt a few weeks ago to, “experience the small moments in life again.” The whole experience was videotaped and released on YouTibe recently.

With the title Roadside Ustad, Sonu is seen sitting on a mattress by the street and singing with a harmonium.

People are seen passing by the musical prodigy without recognising him; although, some did stop by, but not for long. Sonu used prosthetics and makeup so

that he could look like any another street musician.

He explained that he did this experiment because he wanted to experience the small moments in life again. He said the video shows how people perceive a vagabond singer on the street.

“While some passed by, some stood and listened for a while. The makeup was so good that people could not identify me,” said Sonu.

Karl Katgara, the creative director at Culture Machine, a digital media company behind the very successful YouTube channel Being Indian, said Sonu wanted to inspire the busy people on the street to appreciate music.

Source: buzzfeed

which goes to show his true talent as an artist.

This album has two parts. It is not necessarily his best work, however, it does show how much he likes to experiment.

His sound is highly influenced by the late David Bowie and Pink Floyd, which might explain the elements of pop rock and psychedelic music. This might be the beginning of another era of Bangladeshi music.

“He is a genius! He is a wizard!

What a talent! Had great pleasure working with him in the past,” said Jon Kabir. l

Nancy’s child dies

n Showtime Desk Popular singer Nancy’s third child died yesterday, 17 days after birth.

Nancy gave birth to a daughter named Alina Zafrin on May 4.

Yesterday (May 21) she breathed her last at 9:30am (rest in peace) at Ayesha Memorial Hospital in Mohakhali, Dhaka.

Nancy said Alina had become sick a few days after her birth. On May 9, ailing Alina was brought to the hospital from Mymensingh where she underwent surgery. She was kept at the intensive care unit in the hospital.

Grieved, Nancy said it was god’s will. Nancy and her family members are off to Mymensingh for the burial. l

Craig lets ‘James Bond’ go

Multiple sources have claimed that Daniel Craig is done playing 007, and has already notified studio bosses. The news broke just days after bookies called of all bets on Tom Hiddleston to become the next James Bond.

Craig has reportedly garnered a total of £38million for the four Bond film he’s done, the highest paid actor ever to play the role. Since 2007, Craig has been playing bond and helped the studio generate more than £2billion in box office revenue, which greatly eased MGM’s

bankruptcy issues.

Insiders now claim that Craig has turned down a lucrative £68million offer from MGM studio to reprise his role for two more Bond films following last year’s box office hit, Spectre, which wasn’t received well by critics. The offer reportedly included endorsements, a share of the profits and a role for him working as a co-producer.

One source iterated that the studio agreed to let him go, finally growing tired of Craig’s criticism of the Bond franchise.

In an interview last year, Craig had boldly said that he would

rather ‘slash his wrists’ than agree to play Bond again. Later on, he confirmed that he was contracted for a fifth film and would agree it ‘for the money.’

The source concluded by saying that, “With knee problems and general exhaustion, he felt it was a journey with an ending.”

It’s anyone’s guess who the next Bond might be, but growing speculations of Tom Hiddleston being the next 007 grows stronger. l Source: Daily Mail

WHAT TO WATCH Mission: Impossible – Ghost protocol Zee Studio 3:00pm The IMF is shut down when it’s implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organisation’s name.

Cast: Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Michael Nyqvist

300 WB 4:00pm King Leonidas of Sparta and a force of 300 men fight the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 BC. Cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro

their home.

Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Whoopi Goldberg, Minae Noji

Six Days Seven Nights Zee Studio 7:30pm Robin Monroe, a New York magazine editor, and the gruff pilot Quinn Harris must put aside their mutual dislike if they are to survive after crash landing on a deserted South Seas island.

Cast: Harrison Ford, Anne Heche, David Schwimmer, Jacqueline Obradors, Temuera Morrison Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles HBO 7:30pm When a kingpin threatens New York City, a group of mutated turtle warriors must emerge from the shadows to protect

Thor Star Movies 11:59pm The powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth), where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard l

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

Billboard Music Awards 2016 kicks off

n Farhan Shahriar n SK Farhan Rahman

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Showtime

The long awaited Billboard Music Awards of this year is about to start. The show promises countless performances along with the lineup including Kesha, who was recently brought back into the fold, Madonna, Rihanna, Britney Spears and many others – a bevy of awards, and some tributes as well.

Billboard Music Awards finalists are selected based on album and digital song sales, radio airplay, streaming, touring and social interactions. The awards are based on the reporting period of March 23 through March 17, and are tracked

by Billboard and its data partners.

Here’s some of the things you need to know about this year’s BMA What time are the Billboard Music Awards?

The 24th annual edition of the BMA will be air on ABC, and for the first time it will be broadcast live across US time zones from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, beginning at 8pm ET. Who’s hosting?

Ludacris returns for the third time in a row hosting the event. Ciara will cohost the telecast.

Who’s presenting?

Jessica Alba, Kristen Bell, 2016 Miss America winner Betty Cantrell, Lauren Cohan, Kathryn Hahn, Wiz Khalifa, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Idina Menzel, Keke Palmer, Rebecca Romijn, Serayah, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Lindsey Vonn and Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz.

Who’s performing?

Justin Bieber, DNCE, Shawn Mendes, Fifth Harmony with Ty Dolla $ign, The Go-Go’s, Ariana Grande, Troye Sivan, Meghan Trainer, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, Nick Jonas featuring Tove Lo, Rihanna and Demi Lovato are all set to perform.

There will be some special rigids

planned as well. Britney Spears will be the recipient of the Billboard Millennium Award. Madonna will pay a tribute to Prince, though the details have not been exposed yet.

Celine Dion, who will be receiving the Icon Award, will perform on TV for the first time since she lost her husband René Angélil and her brother Daniel Dion both to cancer in January. Dion is listed to sing Queen’s “The Show Must Go On.” Adele will also make a debut of the music video for “Send My Love (to Your New Lover)” during the telecast.

Who’s nominated?

Top Artist Adele, Justin Bieber, Drake, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd Top New Artist Fetty Wap, OMI, Charlie Puth Silentó, Bryson Tiller Top Male Artist Justin Bieber, Drake, Fetty Wap Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd Top Female Artist Adele, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Taylor Swift Top Duo/Group Maroon 5, One Direction Twenty One Pilots, The Rolling Stones, U2 Top Song Sales Artist Adele, Justin Bieber, Drake Fetty Wap, The Weeknd Top Radio Songs Artist Justin Bieber, Ellie Goulding Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift The Weeknd Top Streaming Songs Artist Justin Bieber, Drake, Fetty Wap Silentó, The Weeknd Top Social Media Artist Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato Taylor Swift l

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016

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IS threatens attacks in India

Muezzin held over minor girl’s death n REUTERS n Tanveer Hossain, Narayanganj In a rare appeal to India’s Muslim Police in Narayanganj’s Rupganj upazila recovered the body of an eight-year-old girl yesterday, two days after she went missing.

Sumaiya Akhter, daughter of Wazid Miah of Sutalara area, was found dead in a pond adjacent to Sutalara Jam-e mosque in the upazila’s Tarab municipality.

Police detained the muezzin of the mosque, Jahirul Islam, in this connection and he confessed to killing Sumaiya during primary interrogation.

Ismail Hossain, officer-in-charge of Rupganj police station, said Sumaiya and several other children went to the mosque to take Arabic lessons from Jahirul on Thursday morning.

“After the lesson ended, Jahirul allowed to leave all students, except Sumaiya. He also made a loudspeaker announcement from the mosque that Sumaiya had gone missing,” he said.

The body of the minor girl bore several wounds and was sent to Narayanganj General Hospital for autopsy.

Police said Jahirul had confessed to killing Sumaiya by pushing her into the pond but more details would be revealed when he would be extensively grilled.

Sumaiya’s father filed a case with Rupganj police station after her body was recovered.

In the case statement, Wazid said attempts were made to disappear his daughter’s body after killing her. l

minority, Islamic State says it is planning to avenge the deaths of Muslims killed in riots in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat and elsewhere.

India, a Hindu-majority country, is home to more than 160 million Muslims, but only a handful of them have joined the Middle Eastern group. Indian leaders and members of the community say this testifies to the strength of the country’s secular democracy.

In a video monitored by the U.S. intelligence group SITE, Islamic State mocked Muslims living in harmony with Hindus who worship cows, trees and the sun, and urged them to travel to IS-held territories in the “Caliphate”.

“In this land you get to have hatred for the kuffar [disbelievers]. In this land you get to perform jihad,” said an Indian fighter who is identified as Abu Salman al-Hindi operating in the Syrian province of Homs.

“In this land your religion is safe. In this land Allah’s Law is the highest. In this land you have noth-

ing that stops you from doing good deeds, from doing da’wah [preaching], from preaching Islam. In this land your life, your honor, your property is protected.”

Another fighter then says Islamic State will come to India to liberate Muslims and avenge the violence perpetrated against them in 2002 in the western state of Gujarat as well Kashmir and the destruction of a mosque by Hindu zealots in 1992.

“We will come back, with the sword, to free you, to avenge Babri mosque, Gujarat, Kashmir,” the fighter says. More than 1,000 peo-

Shyamal Kanti receives death threat n Arifur Rahman Rabbi

Devotees perform prayers at Dhaka’s Dharmarajika Bouddhabihar on the occasion of Buddha Purnima yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Buddha Purnima celebrated across country n BSS

Buddha Purnima, the biggest religious festival of the Buddhist community, was celebrated yesterday in the capital and elsewhere across the country.

To mark the day in a befitting manner, country’s Buddhist community chalked out various programmes including colorful processions and discussions.

According to Buddhism, the emergence of Lord Buddha took place on this day 2,559 years ago.

Lord Buddha was born on the full moon day of the month of Baishakh in 563 BC (Before Christ),

ple were killed in Gujarat. Most of them were Muslims, attacked by Hindu mobs in retaliation for the burning of Hindus in a train.

Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat at the time and faced allegations that he did not do enough to stop the bloodshed. But a Supreme Court-ordered investigation has said there was no case against him.

India has suffered from Islamist attacks. In 2008 a militant group based in Pakistan launched a rampage through the city of Mumbai that killed 166 people and traumatized the country. l

attained supreme enlightenment and passed away on the same day.

Buddha means “enlightened one” - someone who is completely free from all faults and mental obstructions.

Reverentially, the most important day for the followers of Buddhism, commemorates three important events - Lord Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and also his attainment of the highest spiritual goals, ‘Nirvana’ respectively in Bodh Gaya and ‘Parinirvana’ (final cessation) in Kushinagara of India .

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in separate messages on the eve of

the day, greeted members of the Buddhist community as well as the countrymen.

Abdul Hamid also exchanged views with the representatives of Buddhist community at the Bangabhaban here this afternoon. Rashida Khanam, wife of the President, and Religious Affairs Minister Principal Matiur Rahman were also present.

Besides, leaders of different political and socio-cultural organizations also greeted the people of the Buddhist community on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.

Decorating the temple and area around with colorful Buddhist flags, the morning prayer, colorful

procession of the monks, worship with large offerings, and blood donation took place on the occasion.

As part of marking the day in befitting manner, prayers, sermons and non-stop recitations of Buddhist scriptures resonated in all monasteries, religious halls and homes.

On this day, the Buddhists bathed and wore only white clothes. People offered incense, flowers, candles and fruits to the statue of Lord Buddha. They spent their entire day listening to discourses on the life and teachings of the Buddha.

The day was a public holiday. l

Religious extremists have threatened to kill Narayanganj Piyar Sattar Latif High School Headmaster Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, whose public humiliation over a false allegation triggered countrywide protests and condemnation.

The threat comes within hours after radical Islamist platform Hefazat-e-Islam demanded his punishment within 76 hours for hurting the religious sentiment of the Muslims.

A Facebook page named “Salauddiner Ghora” issued the threat in a photo post on Friday while giving tips to their followers about how to carry out the killing mission inside Dhaka Medical College Hospital where he has been undergoing treatment since Friday.

The same Facebook group earlier this month urged its followers to kill a Dhaka University teacher who was falsely accused of defaming Islam. The post came following campaigns against the teacher by Islami Chhatra Shibir, the radical student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, Hefazat and other extremist organisations.

DMP Deputy Commissioner (media) Media Maruf Hossain Sardar told the Dhaka Tribune that they were investigating the Facebook post. “We have taken adequate security measures for Shyamal Kanti,” he said.

Abu Bakar Siddique, OC of Shahbagh police, said that no unknown persons had been allowed to meet the teacher at the ward since yesterday. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com