28 May, 2016

SECOND EDITION

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

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Jyoishtha 14, 1423, Shaban 20, 1437

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 35

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

Nine killed as bus plunges into canal Islam Khan, n Zahirul Madaripur

holders. They were all employed in local construction and marine sectors, according to the Singapore Home Ministry.

Two of the six accused – Rubel and Jabath – were also being charged with possession of finances for terrorist purposes under the same Act. Except for Mamun, all the accused told the court that they had intended to plead guilty. They are

At least nine people were killed and 30 others injured when a bus fell into a canal in the Samaddar area of Madaripur yesterday afternoon.

Four of the deceased are Hirulal Baroi, 60, Ali Hossain, 50, Sufia Begum, 40, and helper Abdur Rashid.

The other victims, including the driver, had not been identified when this report was filed.

Doctors at Madaripur Sadar Hospital said the condition of many of the injured was critical. Fire service divers were still searching for bodies in the canal when this report was filed last night.

According to eyewitnesses, the front-left tyre of the Jhalakathibound bus blew out when it reached Samaddar Bridge on the Dhaka-Barisal Highway, causing the bus to crash through the bridge’s railing and plunging into the canal around 2:30pm.

Madaripur sadar police OC Ziaul Morshed confirmed the deaths to the Dhaka Tribune. He said that five passengers died on the spot.

Locals rescued the injured from the bus and sent them to hospital.

Fire service and police teams arrived at the site 45 minutes after the crash and pulled out the bus after one hour. Three more bodies were found in the bus at that time.

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 PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

Locals gather around the bus that crashed through the railing of a bridge in Madaripur and plunged into a canal, killing nine and injuring 30 others yesterday. Witnesses said a tyre blew out, causing the driver to lose control

Six Bangladeshis charged with terror financing in Singapore n Tribune Desk Police in Singapore yesterday pressed formal charges against six Bangladeshi workers detained there last month.

They were charged with providing or collecting money for terrorism under the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act, Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times reports.

The accused are Rahman Mi-

zanur, 31, Mamun Leakot Ali, 29, Miah Rubel, 26, Zaman Daulat, 34, Md Jabath Kysar Haje Norul Islam Sowdagar, 30, and Sohel Hawlader Ismail Hawlader, 29.

They were brought to the court just before 2pm in three separate armoured trucks, under heavy armed escort.

Mizanur was identified by the police as the group's ringleader.

They formed a group named Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB) and

Trump reaches delegate count. So, what does that mean? n Tribune Desk Donald Trump notched up his 1,238th committed Republican delegates on Thursday, carrying him across the threshold to clinch the party’s presidential nomination.

Trump needed a majority 1,237 delegates out of the 2,472 at stake to tie up the nomination in advance of the Republican national convention in Cleveland in July. The nomination will not officially be conferred until the convention.

Pundits and party elders have been calling Trump the presumptive nominee for

weeks. So what changed? And why does it matter? Here’s a quick explainer on the “magic number” and what happened on Thursday.

What is the magic number?

To be the nominee of the Republican Party, a candidate needs a majority of the delegates who show up at the Republican National Convention to vote for them. There are a total of 2,472 GOP delegates, so a majority is half of that number plus one, or 1,237 delegates. That’s the number that Trump surpassed Thursday, causing all the hoopla.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

were collecting members since January.

The ISB members planned to recruit other Bangladeshi nationals working in Singapore to grow the group. They also raised funds to purchase firearms to carry out their planned terror attacks in Bangladesh in hopes of toppling the incumbent government. The money was also seized.

Mizanur was an S-Pass holder while the others were Work Permit

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‘No alternative to movement’ n UNB BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan yesterday said there is no alternative to a vigorous democratic movement now in the country to restore democracy and get rid of repression, killings and misrule.

“Whenever we switched on TV channels we get bad news about killing, enforced disappearance, rape or other criminal activities and accidents. Under the circumstance, we’ve no other alternative to a stronger democratic movement to restore democracy and free the country’s people from oppression, injustice and misrule,” he said.

He came up with the remarks while addressing a discussion in the city arranged by JSD marking the 35th death anniversary of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman. l

Members of Socialist Women’s Forum form a human chain in front of National Press Club in Dhaka yesterday demanding proper evaluation of women’s hard work in doing household chores SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Trump reaches delegate count. So, what does that mean?

Each state has different rules for delegates. Most delegates are bound to vote for a specific candidate on the first ballot at the convention, but some are “unbound.”

(They’re kind of like a Republican version of superdelegates.) These folks can vote for whomever they want, but they can also pledge their support for a particular candidate before the convention. Enough unbound delegates from North Dakota, Colorado and Pennsylvania pledged their support to Trump to

get him over the 1,237 line.

Contested convention?

So is he now the ‘official’ nominee?

Nope, Trump remains the presumptive nominee of the party until he is formally nominated at the Republican National Convention in July in Cleveland. The main thing that’s changed is that he’s assured enough delegates to win on the first ballot, a feat he was on a glide path to accomplish anyway, but one he achieved before the end of the primary season.

Earlier in the campaign, it certainly looked like Cruz and Kasich might be able to get just enough delegates to keep Donald Trump from getting to 1,237. If his rival candidates had been able to limit Trump’s victories, we certainly could have ended up heading to a clash on the convention floor, with no candidate having a majority of delegates. But after the Indiana contest, it became pretty clear that Trump wasn’t able to be stopped, and both Cruz

and Kasich ran out of resources and justification to stay in the race, particularly since both of them were already mathematically eliminated from getting to 1,237 themselves.

Even without the unbound delegates who backed Trump today, the real estate mogul would have eventually crossed the 1,237 threshold by winning the remaining primaries in delegate-rich states like California and New Jersey on June 7.

Is the Republican Party coalescing around Trump?

Polling data nerds would tell you that the party has already begun the process of unifying. In April, NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll showed that 72% of Republicans said they’d support Trump over Hillary Clinton, compared to 13% who said they wouldn’t. But in the weeks after Trump secured “presumptive nominee” status, that jumped to 86% of Republicans supporting Trump. l

Six Bangladeshis charged with terror financing expected to do so on May 31 at a subsequent court hearing.

A pre-trial conference for Mamun has been set for June 9.

The six were the first to be prosecuted under the Act, said a police spokesman in a statement. The Act is one of several pieces of legislation passed in 2002, in the wake of the September 11 attacks in the US and the foiled Jemaah Islamiyah plot in Singapore.

The police spokesman added that the Commercial Affairs Department had started its investigations into the six on April 8.

The group reportedly intended to join international terrorist group Islamic State as foreign fighters.

However, finding it difficult to travel to Syria, they focused their plans instead on returning to Bangladesh and establish Shariah. The investigations found that the ISB had identified several possible attack targets in Bangladesh.

Since September last year, IS has claimed responsibility for 17 killings in Bangladesh, according to US-based monitoring website SITE Intelligence Group. In the April edition of Dabiq magazine pub-

Mamun Leakot Ali

Rahman Mizanur

Md Jabath Kysar Haje Norul Islam Sowdagar

Sohel Howlader Ismail Hawlader

lished by IS, the group claimed that they had operations in Bangladesh, from where they had plans to attack Myanmar and India to avenge the persecution on Muslims.

According to the DB police database, so far two dozens of Bangladeshis joined the IS in Syria and

Miah Rubel

Uzaman Daulat

a couple of them have been killed during the war. The latest Bangladeshi killed in Syria is Mohammad Niaz Morshed, who hails from Hathazari of Chittagong. He completed MBA from Australia and later joined the IS. Since 2014, detectives have

arrested over two dozens of IS recruiters and freshers in Dhaka and elsewhere.

The six were arrested along with seven others on May 4 by Singapore’s Internal Security Department for their involvement with militant activities and plotting terror attacks. Of them, five were sent back to Dhaka, but the rest were kept in custody.

The five men were arrested by the DMP’s Transnational and Counter-Terrorism Unit in Dhaka and are now being interrogated.

They were found to be in possession of some extremist books and leaflets. A case was also filed against them with Rampura police.

They are all supporters of banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team that has claimed the murder of several teachers and secular activists since 2013, DMP sources said.

Singapore police say these men who went to Singapore as unskilled workers between 2007 and 2014 had not been suspected of militancy before and may have been radicalised abroad.

The Singapore government earlier arrested 27 Bangladeshis, who reportedly supported IS and al-Qaeda, between November 16 and December 1 last year.

All but one were deported to Bangladesh.

The DB police arrested them and investigated the allegations.

Later they claimed that 14 of them had supported Ansarullah’s activities. So the 12 others were released. l

Nine killed as bus plunges into canal Another victim died on the way to hospital.

The OC said that they were carrying out search operations in the canal with the help of local residents.

One of the injured, Mehedi Hassan who is now undergoing treatment at the hospital, said there were over 60 passengers on the bus. He said that the accident happened all of a sudden. l

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Pragati directors stuffing their pockets n Jebun Nesa Alo

Several directors at Pragati Life Insurance Limited have diverted the company’s funds to another business owned by them in gross violation of the Insurance Act, a special audit has found.

Also, the maintenance cost for vehicles used by the company was found to be exaggerated and accounted for high management cost.

The Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA) audit found that Jamuna Resort Limited, owned by some Pragati directors, had received financial benefits from the company amounting to Tk1.17 crore between 2004 and 2011.

Of the total amount, Tk25 lakh was provided as short-term loan at 11% interest. The Insurance Act 2010 prohibits providing shortterm loans. The company is yet to recover the interest amount.

Jamuna also got Tk5 lakh for taking a plot on lease to build holiday homes. But Pragati failed to provide documents to the auditors in this regard. The audit report noted that the directors’ interest was more focused in this case instead of the policyholders.

Pragati was established on January 30, 2000 with the philosophy of “maintaining competitiveness, balanced with prudent management and fairness to all policyholders.”

It currently has a paid up capital of Tk8.4 crore, according to its website.

The audit report marked the insurance company’s investment of around Tk1 crore in 94,000 shares issued against Jamuna as nonprofitable but an insurance official claimed otherwise.

Pragati paid Tk11 lakh in advance to Jamuna Resort for holding its annual general meeting in February 2014. But the meeting was later called off following instructions of Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission. The advance payment, however, was not taken back.

Chandra Shekhar Das, deputy managing director of Pragati Life Insurance, said investment in Jamuna Resort – as well as the shortterm loan given to it – was made with the board’s approval and

claimed that the investment was profitable.

He also brushed off speculations that directors who had stakes in the resort could have influenced those decisions.

Apart from that, the company was found to have spent Tk137 crore more than the approved limit for management purposes between 2009 and 2014.

The audit discovered that all cars used by the company were supplied by the Maltimode Transport Consultant Limited where Pragati directors have common ownership.

All vehicles are bought, serviced and maintained by Maltimode and in this case, market prices were not verified as stipulated by the com-

pany’s rule book.

Maintenance of 169 cars cost the company Tk2.39 crore in 2012. The amount was around Tk2 crore for 147 cars the following year. In 2014, the cost shot up to Tk3.16 crore for the maintenance of 137 cars. The auditors said they found the figures unusual.

The report said the maintenance cost was much higher compared to the premium income. In 2012, the expenditure was 6.29% of the premium income. It was 15.29% in 2013 and 9.51% in 2014.

Shekhar Das said they were developing a new management system to reduce cost. He hoped that within this year they would be able to keep the management cost within the limit. l

PM meets global leaders at G7 Summit Hayat Mahmud, from n Abu Ise-Shima, Japan Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday met with world leaders at the outreach meeting of Japan G7 Summit, discussing with heads of states from G7 members and also from six other developing countries on how to ensure inclusive economic growth.

Officials said the talks focused on women’s empowerment, health and infrastructure and other issues related to global development.

During the outreach meeting on the second day of the two-day Summit at Japan’s Ise-Shima, G7 leaders met with their counterparts from Asia’s fast developing countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos and Papua New Guinea. The president of Chad, Idriss Deby, also represented the African Union.

The outreach meeting was also attended by heads of major development agencies like Asian Development Bank and World Bank.

When Sheikh Hasina arrived at the summit venue, Japanese Prime Minister Shinjo Abe received her at the banquet hall of Shima Kanko Hotel the Classic at Kashiko Island, venue of the outreach meeting.

Hasina took part in two discussion sessions aimed at exploring ways to sustain the well-being of Asia and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She also joined a photo session and a luncheon programme with the other world leaders.

According to Foreign Ministry officials, Tokyo’s invitation to Dhaka for the outreach meeting was a reflection of Bangladesh’s signifi-

cant role in various spectrum of socio-economic development among developing countries.

Beside, on the sidelines of the outreach meeting, Sheikh Hasina also held a bilateral meeting with UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

The annual summit brings together the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

Earlier in the morning, the G7 leaders discussed various agendas of the 42nd G7 Summit which were also mentioned in a 32-page declaration.

The leaders of the Group of Seven pledged to collectively tackle major risks to global growth, including direct political threats to the international order from terrorist attacks, violent extremism and refugee flows.

Wrapping up the summit, G7 leaders claimed a “special responsibility” for leading international efforts to cope with those challenges.

They also committed to a cooperative approach in beefing up policies to stimulate and sustain growth of their sluggish economies.

“Weak demand and unaddressed structural problems are the key factors weighing on actual and potential growth,” they said in the declaration.

“We have strengthened the resilience of our economies in order to avoid falling into another crisis and to this end commit to reinforce our efforts to address the current economic by taking all appropriate policy responses in a timely manner.”

G7 countries also denounced protectionism and trade barriers. They noted the negative impact from overcapacity in some industries and government subsidies and other incentives that tend to make such problems worse. l

Neither following rules nor caring for road safety, four members of a family is seen on a motorcycle yesterday in Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue. The current rule allows only two passengers, including the driver of the motorcycle, on a bike and each passenger has to wear a helmet RAJIB DHAR

Cameron praises Hasina’s leadership Hayat Mahmud, from n Abu Ise-Shima, Japan Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met with British Prime Minister David Cameron on the sidelines of the G7 Ise-Shima Summit outreach meeting in Japan yesterday afternoon.

The bilateral meeting between the two premiers took place at Shima Kanko Hotel, one of the venues of the Ise-Shima summit.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Hoque accompanied Hasina to the meeting.

After it ended, they told reporters the two prime ministers discussed several bilateral issues. Camer-

on praised Hasina’s leadership in Bangladesh's socioeconomic development and ensuring of gender inequality. He ensured continual support to Sheikh Hasina's government.

The British premier also expressed eagerness to visit Bangladesh and see the successes of the Hasina government.

Following the assurances, Hasina renewed her invitation, first granted when Cameron’s Conservative Party was re-elected last year.

Earlier, the Bangladeshi premier joined leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) at the outreach meeting of the G7 Summit.

Hasina had been invited by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, host of the G7 Summit. Leaders of six other developing countries also attended the outreach meeting.

Tomorrow, Sheikh Hasina will meet with Sri Lankan President Mirthipala Srisena and her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe. Later that day, Hasina will leave Nagoya for Tokyo, and inaugurate the new Bangladesh Chancery Complex there in the evening.

On Sunday, Sheikh Hasina will hold a breakfast meeting with leading Japanese businessmen and witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between FBCCI and Jetro, the apex trade bodies of the two countries.

In the afternoon, she will attend a reception to be hosted by the Bangladeshi community, and later leave Haneda International Airport for home on a Biman flight, which is scheduled to reach Dhaka at 11:45pm local time. l

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150,000 convicted by mobile courts in 2015 n Kamrul Hasan Mobile courts convicted some 150,000 people of different crimes in 2015 and deposited more then Tk33 crore in the state coffers collected from the convicts in fines in that year, said Home Ministry officials yesterday.

The figures were revealed at a conference held at BIAM auditorium in Dhaka. It was arranged by Dhaka Divisional Commissioner’s office.

Joint Secretary of the Cabinet Division Dr Shahida Akhter told the conference that mobile courts sentenced 147,754 people to different jail terms and received Tk37.37 crore in fines in 2015.

She said district magistrates led around 57,157 mobile court operations last year and settled some 136,927 cases during the drives.

“To make mobile courts more efficient, e-mobile courts have already been initiated in 15 districts as part of the A2I (Access to Information) project of the Prime Minister’s Office. This service will be expanded in all districts soon.”

Home Ministry Senior Secretary Dr Md Mozammel Haque Khan said laws passed under the Home Ministry had proved effective to fight food adulteration, stalking, drug abuse and land grabbing, to protect the environment, and in assisting in the maintenance of law and order in the society.

Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said: “After passing the mobile court act back in 2009, such courts have proved their necessity by holding instant trials on the scene and achieved respect from all.”

He said the cabinet committee monitors the activities of mobile courts.

Speakers drew examples from the Philippines, India, the United Arab Emirates and some other countries while talking about the importance of mobile courts, and said such courts in Bangladesh should be well-equipped while carrying out operations like those countries.

They requested ministries concerned to equip mobile courts with information technology-based devices in order to make their operations more efficient.

They also recommended changing some clauses of the mobile court act so that offenders can be punished properly.

The conference was presided over by Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Helal Uddin Ahmed.

Among others, Additional District Magistrate of Narsingdi Muhammad Rehan Uddin, Parliamentary Affairs Division Secretary M Shahidul Haque and Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre Director AHM Anowar Pasha were present at the programme. l

Zainul Abedin’s death anniversary today n UNB The 40th death anniversary of legendary artist Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin will be observed today.

Various socio-cultural organisations, including the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University, Dhaka Art Centre and Gallery Chitrak, have chalked out elaborate programmes on the occasion.

The programmes include placing wreaths at the grave of Zainul Abedin on Dhaka University campus and dis-

cussions.

Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages marking the death anniversary of the great artist.

“Famine Sketches”, a series of paintings of Zainul Abedin made in 1943, earned him international acclaim.

The series is a compilation of haunting images of intolerable cruelty and the utter helplessness of the masses dying of hunger. The great artist died on May 28, 1976 in Dhaka. l

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Four pictures, one story. The pictures portrayed here capture the struggle of commuters who take the MouchakMalibagh route daily, overcoming the dangerous road which has massive holes dug for the construction of Moghbazar-Mouchak-Malibagh flyover. Sudden monsoon rains add to commuters’ woes as stagnant water makes the going even tougher than usual and hides hidden potholes and obstacles beneath muddy water that is knee-deep in some places PHOTOS: SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Garment workers paid a fifth of living wage in BD n Tribune Desk The minimum wage in garment factories In Bangladesh and Sri Lanka is a fifth of the living wage estimated by Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA), a campaigner for higher wages.

The estimation was done based on purchasing power parity.

Global clothing brands must take responsibility for the millions of workers in Asia who are poorly paid by suppliers and ignored by governments, said AFWA ahead of an International Labour Organization (ILO) conference.

Asia accounts for more than 60% of the world’s garment production, with the industry employing more than 15 million people directly, most of them women, reports Reuters.

Workers deserve a living wage because the minimum wage set by most Asian countries is inadequate to keep them out of poverty, said

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN SATURDAY, MAY 28

workers being forced to live apart from their families, according to the Clean Clothes Campaign, which is a member of AFWA. Activists are calling for a living wage, which an employee earns in a standard working week and is enough to provide for a family’s basic needs, including housing, education and healthcare, with some income left for emergencies.

Anannya Bhattacharjee, a coordinator with the Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA), a supply chain lobby group.

“The complexity of the supply chains is often used as an excuse for brands having no control over paying a living wage,” Bhattacharjee told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“But brands have so much leverage with governments and suppliers, and they have the power to set prices,” she said.

Higher wages in China, the world’s largest clothing exporter, are driving brands worldwide to seek cheaper alternatives in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Suppliers in these countries are under enormous pressure to reduce costs and produce garments as quickly as possible.

Wages in the garment industry are “structurally failing” to meet workers’ basic needs, leading to excessive overtime, ill health and Dhaka

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Basic human right

April 2013 in Bangladesh, in which more than 1,100 workers died.

“If you corner workers and you increase the pressure on them, they are going to erupt like a pressure cooker some day,” Bhattacharjee said.

“That’s not good for the country or for business. So it’s in everyone’s interest to prevent that situation and it’s easy, given how little it will take to fix it,” she said. l

The ILO defines a living wage as a “basic human right”. Yet minimum wages across Asia are well below a level that a person could live on, and are revised by governments too rarely to reflect escalating living costs, campaigners say.

“Companies are responsible for the human rights impacts throughout their supply chain, and cannot outsource these to the state or to the suppliers,” said Bhattacharjee.

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wage to an acceptable level. They must pay the difference between the minimum wage and the living wage, as most of their profits comes from production in Asia,” she said.

Garment exports from Asia are worth more than $200bn annually.

Working conditions and wages in South Asia’s garment industry have come under greater scrutiny since the Rana Plaza disaster in

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YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:11AM

34.6ºC Rajshahi

21.0ºC Dimla

Source: Accuweather/UNB

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

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Move to fell 2,500 trees worries Faridganj locals n Md Ibrahim, Chandpur The social deforestation department of Comilla zone under the Roads and Highways Department is set to chop down some 2,500 trees on both sides of Faridganj regional highway, something locals say will have a devastating effect on the environment.

The trees have already been numbered and they will be cut down after an auction, said locals.

Jahirul Islam, an official of the tree farming department of greater Comilla zone, said both sides of the 22km highway from Chandpur to Lakshmipur were leased out to a man named Manju Patwary for 35 years in 1995.

“Manju is the beneficiary of the trees and 2,396 trees have been

marked to be put up for auction at his request. After the trees are sold, he will get half of the money while the rest will go to the state coffers.”

Locals said hot weather that prevails in the area makes people’s life largely uncomfortable, and felling such a large number of roadside trees would aggravate the situation.

They demanded interventions from the government to save the trees.

Faridganj Forest Officer Shafiqul Amin Apple said the tree farming department marked the trees without informing them and he had already talked to the higher authorities about the matter.

4 policemen closed over Bhola clash Ahad Chowdhury n MA Tuhin, Bhola Four police officials who arrested a Chhatra Dal leader in Bhola’s Rajapur union on Thursday night have been closed.

Saifuddin Shahin, additional superintendent of police in Bhola, said the four constables – Aminul, Asaduzzaman, Rajib and Md Alal – had been closed.

Constable Aminul was a member of Janata Bazar police camp in the union who led Rajapur Chhatra Dal unit President Nizam Uddin’s arrest operation.

A clash, which broke out between police and locals after Nizam was arrested in Janata Bazar, left a young man killed and another 20 people injured.

The dead victim is Rumman, 25.

Locals said police beat Nizam up with logs from a nearby tea stall after arresting him and the clash erupted when traders at Janata Bazar protested the arrest.

Police also told Nizam that he would be freed if he paid

money.

Local criminal Nasir Sarder grabbed the weapon of one of the four constables and fired shots that injured Rumman and several others during the clash.

Rumman, son of Belal Jamadar of the area, died on the scene.

Nizam’s mother Amirun Nesa and Jasim were among the injured, and were admitted to Bhola Sadar Hospital. Doctors described their condition as critical.

Tension rose in the area after the incident and many traders at Janata Bazar kept their shops closed yesterday.

Saifuddin Shahin said all members of Janata Bazar police camp were also withdrawn as Nizam’s arrest did not comply with the appropriate legal process.

Md Akram Hossain, additional deputy inspector general of police of Barisal range, visited the scene of the clash yesterday noon and talked to locals. l

Illegal RMG products seized in Chittagong Mizanur Rahaman, n FM Chittagong The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Department (CIID) in a drive seized two covered vans laden with banned polypropylene and readymade garment products from Chit-

tagong city’s City Gate area early yesterday on charges with dodging taxes.

A team of CIID intercepted two covered vans carrying polypropylene and RMG cloths in City Gate area in the city under Akbarshah police station at dead of night”. l

Faridganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Joynal Abedin said the upazila authorities are not officially bound to protect trees beside the highway.

“But we do not support any act that is likely to adversely affect the environment. If the trees are still young, they should not be chopped down. I will talk to the deputy commissioner about this,” he added.

Professor Ratan Majumder, who is the general secretary of Poribesh Andolon’s Chandpur district unit,

said felling roadside trees without robust planning leads to soil erosion which ultimately damages roads.

“It also affects the environment.

This is why the rules set by the Ministry of Environment and Forests concerning such acts should be followed.

“There are certain rules to be followed when it comes to selling trees and officials should ensure that they have been properly fol-

lowed. Also, it has to be ensured how many trees will be planted after cutting down the existing ones,” he added.

Executive Engineer at the Roads and Highways Department’s Chandpur office Shubhrata Dutta said the social deforestation department is in charge of handling such matters.

“We are not directly related to handle this and I do not even know about it at all,” he added. l

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Fifth phase of UP polls today Violence continues, one dies; scores injured and rushed him to Kushtia General es of the election that started in n Tribune Desk Hospital. He died minutes later.

March last.

The fifth phase of union parishad polls will be held at over 700 Union Parishads (UPs) of 44 districts across the country today.

The Election Commission (EC) has already taken all necessary preparations to arrange the election that will be held from 8am to 4pm without any break, Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz said.

Some 3,200 chairman contestants – 1,700 from 15 political parties and 1,500 independent ones – are there in the 5th phase election race.

Besides, some 34,000 candidates are contesting the polls for member posts and reserved seats of the UPs. As per the EC statistics, Awami Leugue has got its chairman candidates in almost all the UPs, while its arch rival BNP has no contestant in some 100 UPs. Besides, Jatiya Party (Ershad) has candidates in over 150 UPs. Like the previous four phases, no balloting is required against 42 chairman posts where ruling Awami League candidates have already been elected uncontested in the 5th phase.

Earlier, some 152 Awami League chairman contenders were elected unopposed in the first four phas-

More than 1.10 crore people are expected to exercise their rights in the 5th phase election.

As per media reports, over 80 people have so far been killed in polls violence after the UP election schedule was first announced in February last.

Five magistrates – four executive magistrates and a judiciary magistrate – remain deployed to take action against election irregularities for four days from Thursday in each upazilas.

Alongside the magistrates, additional number of Police, Rab, BGB, APBn, Ansar and Coastguard members will remain deployed during the four days in the election areas to maintain electoral environment.

Meanwhile, one man was killed and 15 were injured in election related violence.

In Kushtia, a hotel owner was hacked to death in Joardarpara area under sadar upazila in Kushtia. The deceased is Shahin Ali, 35.

Locals said a group of assailants, armed with machetes and meat cleavers, attacked the hotelier at Joardarpara in Ailchara union in the early hours of yesterday.

Locals went to the scene responding to Shahin’s cry for help

Shahin’s family members said he was the victim of post-poll violence, but police said it was too early to make such claims.

The victim’s brother Shamim Reza said Shahin had campaigned for ruling Awami League chairman candidate Motaleb Hossain in the fourth phase of the union parishad polls.

This, he said, irked supporters of independent candidate Siddiqur Rahman, who emerged victorious.

“That grudge might have been behind my brother’s murder,” he said.

As the news of Shahin’s death spread, residences of Siddiqur’s supporters were attacked, vandalised and looted.

Police have been deployed in the village to avert further violence.

In Narail, at least 10 people sustained bullet injuries when supporters of rival union parishad candidates clashed at Narail’s Kalia upazila.

The clash left altogether 15 persons injured. They have been admitted to Narail Sadar Hospital and Khulna Medical College Hospital.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Md Kamruzzaman said additional police and border guard troopers had been deployed in the area. l

Woman suffers miscarriage in preelectoral clash in Ctg n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong A woman suffered miscarriage and gave birth to a dead child after she was allegedly kicked in the abdomen during a pre-poll electoral violence in Chittagong yesterday.

At least 10 people were injured during the pre-poll electoral violence between two rival candidates.

The injured were whisked off to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

The ill-fated mother identified as Fatema Khatun, 25, a resident of Shah Mirpur area under Karnaphuli police station in the district.

The incident took place when followers of two chairman aspirants locked in a clash after Juma prayer.

The police and the locals said a chase and counter-chase took place between the supporters of Shahjahan Ali and Didarul Alam.

Didarul Alam is contesting as the chairman candidate under the ruling party AL ticket.

The followers of Shahjahan Ali, a

rival candidate of the AL launched an attack on Amir Hossain, husband of the ill-fated victim.

In a bid to save her husband, six-month pregnant Fatema rushed to the spot. However, the followers of Shahjahan Ali beat him mercilessly and kicked in the abdomen which induced the miscarriage.

Critically injured, Fatema was rushed to nearby hospital where she gave birth to a dead child.

Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-Charge of Karnaphuli police station, said they came to know that a pregnant woman received critical injuries when followers of two rival chairman aspirants engaged in a clash.

“The woman later gave birth to a dead child and it was sent to the CMCH for autopsy,” said the OC. “A pregnant woman who suffered miscarriage was admitted to the hospital. A total of 10 people were injured to the hospital in connection with the electoral clash,” said Nayek Hamidur Rahman of the CMCH police outpost. l

Propagation of 4 species stopped in absence of mates n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong Some mammals of Chittagong Zoo are passing their days in extreme loneliness as they have no mates in their cages.

Most of the lonely captive animals have already crossed half of their lifespan at the zoo which is now supervised by Chittagong district administration.

The lonely animals have been deprived from the company of their mates for a long time and consequently the reproduction of four species of animals, including two lionesses, two male bears, two female Sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) and a male Gayal (Bos frontalis) is now at stake.

The lifespan of an Asiatic Lion is 15-18 years in captivity. The Two lionesses of the zoo ‘Nova’ and ‘Borsha’ who were born in June 16, 2005 have reached their adulthood.

Laxmi, mother of the duo died soon after giving birth while her spouse ‘Raj’ died in February 13, 2008.

Two male bears which were brought in from Khagrachhari and Gazipur have already become 13

The picture shows the lioness sitting in the Chittagong Zoo. The picture was taken on Thursday morning RABIN CHOWDHURY years and 6 years old respectively.

The average lifespan of an ‘Asiatic Black Bear’ species is 20 years.

On the other hand, the two female Sambar deer of the zoo are also pairlless. The average lifespan of a Samba deer is 20 years.

Besides, a large semi-domesticated bovine called Gayal has been passing its days without a spouse.

The zoologists warned that extreme loneliness and depression may shorten the lifespan of pair-

less zoo animals.

“The zoo animals living without a spouse for a long time will naturally turn restless and quick-tempered. The natural agility is not seen in case of a spouse less captive animal. Eventually the lonely animals stop eating food,” Prof Dr Md Farid Ahsan of Chittagong University’s Zoology Department.

“We cannot discuss the problems of the zoo as the Zoo Executive Committee meeting is not held

on a regular basis,” alleged Prof Dr Farid who is also a member of the zoo executive committee.

Venting anger over the poor animal collection of the zoo, the visitors said that the zoo would not be able to woo the visitors unless they collect animals like giraffe, elephant, rhinoceros and hippopotamus.

“My son has been insisting me on visiting zoo. My son was nagging me to show him Royal Bengal Tiger. To my surprise, Chittagong Zoo does not have any tiger. A zoo without a tiger has no lustre,” said Rounaque Jahan, a housewife has come to the zoo with his five-year old boy.

“Visitors particularly the children feel disappointed when they do not see any tiger after visiting the zoo. Although the zoo authorities erected two huge sculptures of elephant and giraffe to welcome the visitors at the main entrance, the giant mammals are not found inside the zoo,” said Rounaque.

“I feel utterly disappointed after visiting the zoo. Although the ticket price has been increased from Tk10 to Tk20, the zoo has no ostrich, elephant, tiger, elephant and

hippopotamus,” said a visitor.

Dr Md Mongur Morshed Chowdhury, deputy curator of Chittagong Zoo informed that the last tigress of the zoo ‘Purnima’ died of intestine cancer in 2012 while her spouse ‘Chandra’ died a natural death in 2006.

“We have been making several attempts to increase diversity of the zoo. We have written letters to different zoos and safari parks of the country seeking tiger, lion and female deer,” said the deputy curator.

“At present there is no lioness in Rangpur Zoo. An exchange can easily take place between the two zoos for a lion and a lioness,” added the deputy curator.

Ruhul Amin, member secretary of Chittagong Zoo Executive Committee told the Dhaka Tribune that the procedures were going on for collecting spouses for the lonely mammals at the zoo.

“The zoo set up over a six-acre area of land does not have enough space to accommodate big animals like giraffe, elephant, rhinoceros and hippopotamus,” said Amin, adding that they undertaken a mammoth project for bringing about a radical change to the zoo. l

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TOP STORIES

Middle East refugees help Europe prosecute war crimes European authorities are seeking testimony from some of the hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing Middle East violence as they try to build war crimes cases linked to the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

PAGE 9

From left, European Council President Donald Tusk, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US President Barack Obama, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, French President Francois Hollande, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker pose for the family photo during the first day of the Group of Seven (G7) summit meetings in Ise Shima, Japan, May 26, 2016 REUTERS

G7 leaders pledge collective action on sagging global growth First case of bacteria resistant to all antibiotics US health officials on Thursday reported the first case in the country of a patient with an infection resistant to all known antibiotics, and expressed grave concern that the superbug could pose serious danger for routine infections if it spreads.

PAGE 9

Trump-Sanders debate would be Clinton’s worst nightmare Just when you thought the 2016 election was starting to get a little predictable, a big wrench has been thrown into the works.

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n Tribune International Desk The leaders of the Group of Seven rich economies pledged Friday to “collectively tackle” major risks to global growth, including direct political threats to the international order from terrorist attacks, violent extremism and refugee flows, reports Associated Press.

Meeting at a seaside resort with expansive views of a scenic bay and emerald-green islands, G-7 leaders wrapped up their annual summit Friday in central Japan claiming a “special responsibility” for leading international efforts to cope with those challenges. They also committed to a cooperative approach in beefing up policies to stimulate and sustain growth of their sluggish economies.

“Weak demand and unaddressed structural problems are the key factors weighing on actual and potential growth,” they said in a declaration. “We have strengthened the resilience of our economies in order to avoid falling into another crisis and to this end commit to reinforce our efforts to address the current economic by taking all appropriate policy responses in a timely manner.”

“We remain committed to ensuring that growth is inclusive and job-rich, benefiting all segments of our societies,” it said.

The wording of the leaders’ declaration glosses over differences on

the issue of fiscal stimulus by saying each will take into account “country-specific circumstances” in committing to stronger policies to support their economies. Germany, in particular, has balked at committing to expansionary fiscal policy.

In a nod to such concerns, the communique includes a reference to the need to ensure debt is “on a sustainable path.”

While Japan is moving toward more public spending, and the likely postponement of a sales tax increase next year, to revive faltering growth, its own gross public debt is more than twice the size of its economy.

The G-7 host, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appealed to his fellow leaders to act to avert another global crisis, comparing the current global economic situation to conditions just before the 2008 financial crisis.

Vigilance is crucial for averting a relapse, he said: “We learned a lesson that we failed to respond properly because we did not have a firm recognition of the risks.”

President Barack Obama backed Abe’s call, saying it was crucial not just to put people back to work but also raise wages and maintain the momentum of the recovery.

“We’ve all got a lot of work to do and we agreed to continue to focus on making sure that each country, based on its particular needs and capacities, is taking steps to accel-

erate growth,” Obama said.

G-7 countries denounced protectionism and trade barriers.

They also noted the negative impact from overcapacity in some industries and government subsidies and other incentives that tend to make such problems worse.

The annual summit brings together the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. It is taking place amid extraordinarily tight security around the remote summit venue, with uniformed police standing guard at close intervals on both sides of roads and randomly in forests, rice fields, soccer fields and other locations.

During talks on the sideline of the summit, the US, EU and Japan reiterated their determination to reach agreement on various trade agreements meant to expand mutual market access.

In their declaration, the summit leaders cited a possible departure of Britain from the European Union, depending on the outcome of a June 23 vote, as one of many potential shocks for the global economy.

The leaders also expressed concern over territorial tensions in the East and South China seas.

The declaration does not mention China and its expansion into disputed areas specifically, but calls for respecting freedom of navigation and of overflight and for resolving conflicts peacefully

through law.

The summit declaration also highlighted joint efforts on corruption, cybercrimes, terrorism, global health and migration which has become a huge headache especially for European nations - as other top priorities.

It said a global response was needed to cope with the surge in refugees, migrants and other displaced people to its highest level since World War II and committed to increasing assistance to meet their immediate and long-term needs.

But there were no specific, concrete offers of extra help.

Expanding their discussions to issues of “inclusive” growth, the group met Friday with leaders of seven developing countries. The “outreach” session invited leaders from some of Asia’s poorest countries, such as Laos and Papua New Guinea, and also some of its most dynamic emerging economies, like Vietnam and Indonesia. The president of Chad, Idriss Deby, was representing the African union, and top international leaders such as Christine Lagarde of the IMF also attended.

On Friday afternoon, Obama plans to visit the peace park in Hiroshima, becoming the first sitting US president to visit the city on which the US dropped an atomic bomb in 1945 in the closing days of World War II. l

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SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

Middle East refugees help Europe prosecute war crimes n Reuters, The Hague European authorities are seeking testimony from some of the hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing Middle East violence as they try to build war crimes cases linked to the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

As witnesses to atrocities, they are invaluable to prosecutors preparing trials in European courts that will offer a way round the United Nations impasse that has prevented the setting up of an international court for Syria.

The search for evidence takes a variety of forms. Dutch and German immigration services hand out leaflets to arriving migrants, inviting them to testify. In Norway, police screen arrivals’ mobile phones for evidence of possible involvement in war crimes.

Some alleged perpetrators may be European citizens who have joined Islamic State; others may be militants who have traveled to Europe from Syria or Iraq, blending in with the more than 1 million migrants and refugees who streamed into the continent last year.

Most European countries have legislation allowing them to prosecute international crimes like genocide regardless of where in the world they happen. About 15 have units dedicated to investigating and prosecuting them.

Over the past decade, authorities in Europe have launched 1,607 international war crimes cases in domestic jurisdictions, while another 1,339 are ongoing, according to EU judicial cooperation agency Eurojust.

SOUTH ASIA

Pakistan religious body: Lightly beating wife permissible The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) is deliberating on its proposed model women’s protection bill, which allows a husband to lightly beat his wife if needed. The CII’s proposed bill claims women will have all the rights given to them under Shariah, prohibits interaction between na-mehrams at recreational spots and offices, and bans dance, music.

-DAWN

INDIA

6 rebels, 1 soldier die in Indian Kashmir

Syrian refugees stroll at a refugee camp in Osmaniye, Turkey on May 17

Stressed witnesses

German police have compiled testimony from hundreds of potential witnesses to the Syria conflict, and war crimes prosecutors in Karlsruhe have questioned a few dozen of them in greater depth.

But gathering evidence is a painstaking process. Traumatized witnesses, fresh from harrowing journeys on foot and by sea, need time before they are ready to testify, and can often face only short periods of questioning each day.

Investigators have interviewed Yazidi Kurd refugees in Germany for evidence of alleged genocide against the ethnic and religious minority. A German citizen thought to be in Syria is the subject of a sealed arrest warrant on separate war crimes charges.

They are preparing further cas-

es against two other suspects, one accused of torture and another of kidnapping a US legal adviser near Damascus. In France, genocide and war crimes prosecutors have a handful of investigations open into Syrian nationals, including a former Syrian colonel, once a doctor in a military hospital, who has sought asylum.

With both witnesses and perpetrators on their territory, European prosecutors have already brought some cases. A German citizen is on trial for war crimes after Facebook posts showed him posing alongside decapitated heads.

Security council split

With more than 400,000 people killed in Syria since 2011, there have been calls for perpetrators of massacres to face trials in a UN court, like those that followed the

REUTERS

Yugoslav wars of the 1990s.

But division among the five veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council - who include Syria’s ally, Russia - has stymied attempts to refer such cases to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, or set up a special tribunal.

So rights campaigners are pinning their hopes on national prosecutions, and Syria and Iraq have come to dominate the agenda of the Genocide Network, which has been operating since 2004.

“If there’s going to be justice in Syria, it’s going to be in the courts of third states,” said Stephen Rapp, a US diplomat who led the prosecution of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, at a meeting of law enforcement officials in The Hague this week. l

First case of bacteria resistant to all antibiotics n Reuters US health officials on Thursday reported the first case in the country of a patient with an infection resistant to all known antibiotics, and expressed grave concern that the superbug could pose serious danger for routine infections if it spreads.

“We risk being in a post-antibiotic world,” said Thomas Frieden, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, referring to the urinary tract infection of a 49-year-old Pennsylvania woman who had not travelled within the prior five months.

Frieden, speaking at a National Press Club luncheon in Washington, D C, said the infection was not controlled even by colistin, an antibiotic that is reserved for use against “nightmare bacteria.”

The infection was reported

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World

US health officials on May 26 reported the first case in the country of a patient with E coli bacteria carrying the mcr-1 gene REUTERS Thursday in a study appearing in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, a publication of the American Society for Microbiology. It said the superbug itself had first

been infected with a tiny piece of DNA called a plasmid, which passed along a gene called mcr-1 that confers resistance to colistin.

The patient visited a clinic on

April 26 with symptoms of a urinary tract infection, according to the study, which did not describe her current condition. Authors of the study could not immediately be reached for comment.

The study said continued surveillance to determine the true frequency of the gene in the United States is critical.

“It is dangerous and we would assume it can be spread quickly, even in a hospital environment if it is not well contained,” said Dr Gail Cassell, a microbiologist and senior lecturer at Harvard Medical School.

But she said the potential speed of its spread will not be known until more is learned about how the Pennsylvania patient was infected, and how present the colistin-resistant superbug is in the United States and globally. l

6 suspected rebels and a soldier have died in two separate gun battles in Indian Kashmir as violence flared in the restive region this week, police and the army said Friday. Soldiers on Thursday morning intercepted a group of militants trying to cross the heavily militarised border that divides the region between India and Pakistan known as the Line of Control. -AFP

CHINA

China pledges defence ties with Indonesia China wants deeper military ties with Indonesia and will strengthen cooperation on bilateral and multilateral issues, China’s defence minister told his Indonesian counterpart, after a recent diplomatic spat in the South China Sea. Indonesia is not embroiled in the rival claims with China over the South China Sea and has instead seen itself as an “honest broker” in disputes between China and the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

-REUTERS

ASIA PACIFIC

Philippines: China breaks deal on S China Sea outcrop Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Thursday accused China of breaking a US-brokered deal between the two nations on the Scarborough Shoal, an uninhabited rocky outcrop in the South China Sea. Beijing seized control of Scarborough Shoal, near the main Philippine island of Luzon, in June 2012.

-REUTERS

MIDDLE EAST

100,000 Syrians trapped as IS advances near Turkish border At least 100,000 people were trapped Friday along Syria’s border with Turkey after the IS group swept through rebel territory in Aleppo province. The shock IS advance on two rebel-held towns came as the jihadist group is facing an offensive further east in its own heartland of Raqa province. IS fighters cut a key road between the rebel towns of Azaz, close to the Turkish border.

-AFP

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World

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

USA

Trump to approves Keystone pipeline Donald Trump said Thursday that if he is elected US president, he would support the Canadian Keystone oil pipeline project that was blocked by President Barack Obama on environmental grounds.

Speaking just after he won enough primary delegates to seize the Republican nomination for the White House, Trump told reporters that the project for a new pipeline to carry Canadian crude to the Gulf of Mexico should be approved. -AFP

THE AMERICAS

Chile’s students clash with police as protests intensify Police clashed with student demonstrators in the streets of Chile’s capital Santiago on Thursday, in the latest protest by students who say the government is moving too slowly on planned reforms.

During the march, which authorities had not authorised, students attempted to walk along the Alameda, Santiago’s main artery, and demonstrate in front of La Moneda presidential palace.

-REUTERS

UK

UK launches review into Sharia courts The UK government on Thursday said it had launched an independent review into possible discriminatory practices against women in informal courts using Sharia law. British media reported there are an estimated 30 Sharia councils in Britain, giving Islamic divorce certificates and advice on other aspects of religious law. The review is part of the government’s Counter-Extremism Strategy launched last year.

-AFP

EUROPE

Austria launches action to seize Hitler’s house Austria’s government submitted Friday a law to seize the house where Hitler was born, in a bid to stop the building becoming a neo-Nazi shrine.

The large corner house in the quaint northern town of Braunau am Inn near the German border where the Nazi dictator was born in 1889 has been owned by the family of a local woman for more than a century. -AFP

AFRICA

Militants attack Nigerian state oil, gas pipeline Militants have attacked Nigerian state oil and gas pipelines in the Niger delta, the second sabotage in two days following an assault on Chevron infrastructure, a state official said Friday. The attack on a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation pipeline took place late Thursday near Warri, a city in Nigeria’s increasingly volatile oil-producing south.

-AFP

Donald Trump (left), Hillary Clinton (centre), Bernie Sanders (right)

REUTERS

INSIGHT

Trump-Sanders debate would be Clinton’s worst nightmare n Tribune International Desk Just when you thought the 2016 election was starting to get a little predictable, a big wrench has been thrown into the works.

A Donald Trump v Bernie Sanders debate in the coming days before the June 7th California primary is getting closer to becoming a reality. If this happens, it will likely be a huge boost for Sanders, a mild aid to Trump, and - to borrow the key buzz word of this election so far – a YUGE pain in the neck for Hillary Clinton.

For Sanders, this entire election has been a “nothing to lose” proposition. He was given no chance to even make a dent in Clinton’s inevitable coronation, er presidential nomination, by the Democrats. And as a lifetime Senate backbencher, he was not in danger of losing a chairmanship or leadership position. While it’s basically impossible for Sanders to overtake Clinton in the delegate battle, the latest PPIC poll shows Sanders trails her by just two percentage points among likely California primary voters.

Needless to say, if Sanders wins this primary it will wound Clinton greatly. And Sanders chances to do just that would rise if this debate comes off. The contest would no doubt be the most-watched event in Sanders’ political life and Clinton wouldn’t even be there to defend herself. For a campaign that’s been suffering a number of failures lately, its refusal to debate Sanders and setting off this alternative contest v Trump is perhaps the biggest failure yet. She can’t even benefit from a sympathy fac-

tor if Trump and Sanders get too nasty in attacking her in absentia, because her absence is entirely her own fault.

It’s also not wise for Clinton to allow any major campaign event to occur without her participation. With many right wing and progressive voters still hoping she may be disqualified from the race if she is indicted over her State Department email scandal, this kind of “Clinton-less” event gives them a taste of what they’ve been praying for all year.

The only potential negative for Sanders is he’s wading into waters v Trump that he’s not quite used to. His battle with the Clinton campaign has become nastier of late, but it’s nothing compared to what Donald Trump’s opponents have had to face over the past 10 months. Sanders can get pretty nasty himself, as many of his Senate colleagues can tell you, but even though he can fight fire with

fire against Trump it doesn’t mean that’s the kind of image he wants to present to undecided voters in California and nationwide.

If the debate gets so nasty that it becomes an embarrassment on the level of some of the GOP debates earlier this year, the Clinton campaign could possibly get some traction by claiming it was staying above an unnecessary nasty fray all along. Sanders, by contrast, could come off looking like the Democratic Party home wrecker the Clinton forces have been portraying him to be for last month. But Clinton and establishment Democrats and Republicans have been acutely tone deaf about the new and rising tolerance the voters have had for nastiness in this new social media dominated world. It goes with the territory.

So what’s in this for Trump? He already has the California primary sewn up, and he seems to be getting into a groove attacking Clin-

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper shows off his socks—one with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and the other with Republican candidate Donald Trump—before entering his former brewpub for a book-signing event to mark the release of his autobiography Thursday in Denver AP

ton. At the same time, he’s been sending almost daily encouragement to Sanders’ camp with comments about how the Democratic Party primary process is rigged against him. So why would Trump seemingly take his eye off the Clinton ball and simultaneously risk angering even the few Sanders voters who could potentially switch over to him or just stay home in the general election?

The answer is the exposure will be worth it, even for the overexposed Trump. Right now, Trump’s #1 best goal is to prove to as many people as possible that he’s not crazy. And a relatively cordial, yet lively, debate v fellow firebrand Sanders would go a long way toward accomplishing that goal. And each and every moment Trump and Sanders seem to be on the same page about Hillary Clinton’s record or choreographed path to the Democratic nomination will be extremely helpful to the Trump camp. Trump’s winning image as an outsider can only be enhanced by a sustained national TV appearance with fellow outsider Sanders.

The only unanswered question is how the Clinton camp will be able to stay out of this debate as the publicity and excitement over it grows. “The best thing Clinton campaign Chairman John Podesta could do is call everyone’s bluff and get Hillary to show up to the debate after all, eliminating Trump from the podium. But the Clinton campaign has been about predictability for years now and no matter how disastrous the outcome, it’s desperately sticking to the script.

[This is an excerpt from a CNBC article which can be found at http://cnb. cx/1scQT1w]

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Arts & Letters

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SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

EDITOR’S NOTE

L

iterary festivals have become the most anticipated events in the yearly calendar of many South Asian countries. Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) in India and Dhaka Literature Festival in Bangladesh are two of many such events that have given a boost to the already expanding literary horizon of SA. The JLF, meanwhile, is travelling across the continents.

What makes these festivals so special is the way it brings together creative writers and thinkers from fields as varied

INSIDE 13

The case against boycotting the Jaipur Literature Festival

as literature, mathematics, music and physics. Writers from all over the world sit together in panels and exchange ideas about topics from fiction to science to politics to imperialism etc.

When the floor is opened to questions from the audience, general readers or aspiring writers, too, become part of the dialogue.

But the recent debate on the JLF has given rise to some fundamental questions that have seen writers and thinkers divided along ideological lines. Heated

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It’s a question of conscience

exchanges between writers from opposing poles made their ways onto social networking sites as well.

This issue of Arts & Letters, therefore, features two distinguished writers’ response to the debate which is very relevant to our readers as well. It also includes an article on the formation of a new, Dhaka-based literary performance group which is bilingual and which provides its members with a space where they gather “to laugh, sing, share, argue and exchange ideas” with their mentors. l

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International lit conference at ULAB

Send your submissions to: anl@dhakatribune.com

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SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

Arts & Letters L I T E R A R Y D E B AT E

The case against boycotting the Jaipur The campaigners against Vedanta at the literature festival in Southbank, London, trying to shrink space for conversation and debate n Salil Tripathi

O

n Saturday, 21 May, the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) came to London, in its third year at the Southbank Centre. More than 40 writers were to speak in 20 sessions and there was music.

But a shadow hung over the festival—among the sponsors this year was Vedanta, the controversial London-listed company that had its environmental clearance withdrawn in 2011 by the ministry of environment and forests in India, and which has been the target of human rights and environmental groups over its record (The Foil Vedanta campaign has outlined those on its website and Amnesty International published a report, Don’t Mine Us Out of Existence , in 2010).

Prominent investors have divested its stock.

The gram sabhas of Niyamgiri had withheld permission for mining in the area as per the law, but stateowned Odisha Mining Corporation recently sought Supreme Court permission to reconvene the gram sabhas, presumably hoping for a different outcome. Vedanta, too, would like to resume operations. Earlier this month the Supreme Court rejected the petition, saying reconvening sabhas would “tantamount to infringement of the religious, community and individual rights of local forest-dwellers.” The Dongria Kondh don’t want their sacred sites disturbed, and so it should be, if the principle of free, prior informed consent has any meaning.

Campaigners wrote to the participating authors, appealing that they withdraw from the festival. In the end, one writer withdrew; another said he was sad about the sponsorship but was in any case unable to travel due to health reasons; one writer-activist missed her flight.

The rest came; some of us spoke about the issue in our sessions.

Soon after the opening speeches were made at the ballroom at Southbank Centre, I left for the author’s lounge to prepare what I wanted to say about festivals, boycotts, the role of companies and the rights of communities in a session I was to moderate that afternoon. As I left, several activists marched silently towards the stage, and once they reached the front, they faced the audience, raised their placards critical of the company, and raised slogans loudly, disrupting the programme that was to follow, a ses-

IMAGE : FOIL VEDANTA

I had to balance the call for boycott of the festival, made by people who represented those that were directly affected by the activities of one sponsor, with my belief in making use of the platform to say what I intended to say sion on poetry.

Ruth Padel was one of the poets reading from her work at that session. She has a long record of supporting environmental and human rights causes. She said that when she accepted the invitation for the festival, she did not know that Vedanta was a sponsor. (Many of us didn’t). She decided to read a poem on environmental degradation, Apocalypse: “… Planet Wildfire, degrading forests, a global population which depends on energy we are shriveling the earth to make, and the difference between ruin, which we can rebuild, and rubble which we can’t.”

Leading up to her poem, she had spoken about lakes of toxic red mud left in Odisha by Vedanta, and said Vedanta is “contributing to the end of the world”, as well as to the villagers’ suffering in a major way. But it was difficult for many to hear her poem or her remarks, as the protestors were shouting slogans. Padel asked the protestors,wouldn’t they

stay and hear what she had to say?

But they said they wouldn’t; later she asked them if they had heard what she had actually said, and they hadn’t. She nonetheless tried to explain to the audience what the protests were about since she thought many in the audience would not know. “They were right to protest,” Padel told me. But they weren’t there to listen.

Barkha Dutt, the television journalist and author, whose session was also interrupted, asked the protestors if they were willing to talk, but they kept shouting and screaming, she said.

Later, in a session on reporting from India, Dean Nelson, British journalist and South Asia specialist, spoke about his visit to Niyamgiri in 2006 when he interviewed three widows of anti-Vedanta campaigners who believed their husbands had been killed because of their opposition. “The sudden impact of wage labour was terrible— men developed drink problems, some said young women had been lured into prostitution,” Nelson told me. “Before, they had lived an idyllic life in the forest.”

When he went back to report

the gram sabha vote which rejected mining, he was detained for several hours by the local police intelligence who wanted to know the names of everyone he had spoken to; they only backed down after a call to the ministry of external affairs. “The state government made its deal with Vedanta without considering the local people and then tried to bully them into submission to facilitate Vedanta. It took a lot of protest and international support for the Dongria Kondh to be allowed a voice,” he said. “I don’t think JLF should have accepted their sponsorship; it was the beneficiary of marginalized people being denied the free expression Jaipur exists to celebrate,” Nelson told me.

In the week before the festival, many of us received letters from a campaigner which argued why boycotting the festival was necessary. While the initial letter signed by activists and authors calling for a boycott focused on Vedanta’s record, this letter went on to criticize festivals in general, suggesting that festivals like the one at Jaipur peddle Indian exotica abroad for an elite audience. I disagree with that assertion. I have been to the festival

in Jaipur twice, and I don’t see it to be particularly elite—it is free; last year, more than 300,000 people attended the festival, and only a few of them were foreigners or elite; hundreds, perhaps thousands, of school children attend each year; true, there are tickets for lunches and dinners and for attending music sessions in the evening, and presumably only those who are able to afford the tickets can participate in such activities. But it is possible for a poor student to attend the festival for all five days and listen to the world’s leading authors as well as India’s leading writers, including from many Indian languages, without paying a paisa for the events themselves. My most memorable encounters have been with young students, keen to write, brimming with ideas, who want to stay in touch, sending their essays and stories for me to read and react.

I had to balance the call for boycott of the festival, made by people who represented those that were directly affected by the activities of one sponsor, with my belief in making use of the platform to say what I intended to say. Is my use of that space more important than the space denied to people in India fighting such projects, I’m asked.

My response is—would my non-participation, and not speaking about it to an audience that did not know about the issues, advance the cause of those denied their voice?

I do not believe in cultural boycotts. They often penalize the very

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Arts & Letters

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

CONTROVERSY

Literature Festival this weekend undermined their cause by

The campaigners have a legitimate role, in exposing corporate, societal, or government wrongdoing.

But they do not have the monopoly of answers

constituency that needs allies in their struggle for change, and often it can be a liberal community in an authoritarian society. Targeted economic sanctions and divestment campaigns chosen strategically are a different matter. I recall that a few years ago, British writers were debating whether to boycott the Galle Literary Festival in Sri Lanka because of the horrendous human rights record of the Rajapaksa government. I was on the board of English PEN then, and some authors asked us what they should do; our suggestion was that they should go if they wished to, but to use the platform to raise cases of missing Sri Lankan journalists and call for investigation and prosecution of cases where journalists and writers were being murdered.

You are complicit if you go along with the master narrative as a cheer-leader; you aren’t if you speak out. But some protestors at Southbank began to see the narrative in “us-vs-them” terms. If they had attended the session I moderated with the courageous Israeli writer, Gideon Levy (in which Barkha Dutt and Shatrughan Sinha also participated), they would have seen how powerful the voice of dissent is, and why it must be allowed to speak. Levy spoke powerfully about the need to speak truth to power—his career is a living example of that. He has been threatened, he has been shot at, and he is deeply unpopular among conservative Israelis because he humanizes the Palestinian tragedy and continues to embarrass the militarized Israeli state. I had asked him and other panelists if Israel and India pass Natan Sharansky’s Town Square Test—the test of a free society is if you can go to the town square and criticize the government without fear, and nothing happens to you later. It is about freedom of speech, but also about freedom after speech.

Levy said Israel fails that test, citing the example of a Palestinian poet who is in jail because of her words, which the state says glorify violence.

When I asked Dutt the same question, she said India passed the test, though I disagreed. I pointed out how voices critical of the current development model are treated in India—either by being prevented from flying abroad, as in the cases of Priya Pillai and Gladson Dungdung, or being hounded out of Chhatisgarh, as had happened to Malini Subramaniam of Scroll.in. Other journalists have been threatened with violence; a few have been killed.

As for the festival and boycotts, here’s what I said: No corporation should begin any economic activity without the informed consent of the

affected parties, and no force should be used at any stage. I speak with some experience—over the years, I have reported on, and observed, similar situations in Nigeria, Colombia, Indonesia, South Africa, and elsewhere, where companies have come into conflict with communities, and the state has sided with the company. Companies aren’t “good” or “bad”; their actions are.

But I stressed that boycotts prevent voices from being heard. If the movement to boycott Israel on cultural and academic grounds succeeds, we wouldn’t have writers like Levy or scholars like David Shulman speaking at international fora.

I’m of course aware that my remarks won’t change anything. Ruth Padel reminded me late Saturday evening what Seamus Heaney has written—no poem ever stopped a tank, but poems do make people think. Stopping conversations at festivals is an attack on thought.

Festival organisers, of course, need to be far more conscious of whose support they seek. There is no exact science about it, and there is no objective list of companies which are “good” to raise funds from; festival organisers will have to assess the risks. The Jaipur Literature Festival is not alone in this context—other festivals, too, face these agonizing choices. The risk they must assess is not only to their reputation, but to the ideals that the festival supports—participation, inclusiveness, diversity, democratization, and free speech. I appreciate it isn’t cheap to run a festival; it costs money.

But a festival that wants to uphold certain values has to be acutely conscious of who its supporters are. It isn’t an easy task, and the alternative—of relying on governments—poses its own dangers.

The campaigners have a legitimate role, in exposing corporate, societal, or government wrongdoing. But they do not have the monopoly of answers. If they are so convinced that the solution they believe in as the ideal one is indeed the best, then they leave no room for disagreement. Such certainty can be dangerous. It can lead one to believe that you are right and the others are wrong.

And if the others aren’t for them or with them, then they can only be against them—and in effect, for the corporation—casting it in Manichaean terms. I would have thought they wouldn’t see the world in such clean binaries; this is the language of the land of Chup , not Gup, in Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories. The activists were right to protest, right to call for a boycott, and right to picket. They would also be right to protest at a corporate annual general meeting. But they undermine their cause by trying to shrink space for conversation and debate.

We live in a fragile time for free speech—governments, corporations, religious groups, vigilantes and cultural conservatives all want to deny platforms to writers. Shrinking spaces where debates and discussions are possible is wrong.

Activists who struggle for causes they consider important should know that they aren’t alone in their struggle, even though others in that struggle may pursue different means to get there.

Salil Tripathi is a writer based in London. He is the chair of the writers-in-prison committee of PEN International.

This article first appeared in livemint.com

It’s a question of conscience: Thoughts on Vedanta-sponsored London lit fest n Mahesh Rao Last weekend, a group of academics, activists and writers issued an open letter to their peers who had agreed to participate in the Jaipur Literary Festival’s London event, urging them to boycott the event on May 21 because it had been sponsored by the mining company Vedanta.

The letter highlighted accidents at the mining company’s facilities and alleged that there had been irregularities in the manner in which environmental clearances had been obtained. The signatories claimed that “Vedanta’s activities are destroying the lives of thousands of people in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Punjab and also in Zambia, South Africa and Australia”.

Vedanta has strenuously denied these accusations.

On Sunday, writer Mahesh Rao, author of the acclaimed short story collection One Point Two Billion and the award-winning novel The Smoke Is Rising, wrote a Facebook post putting the boycott call into perspective.

I sometimes wonder about the efficacy of boycotts. I do essentially think this is a matter of conscience for each festival participant to consider.

We all have to ask ourselves frequently a question that in its bluntest form could be expressed as: “How disgusting am I prepared to be?”

Will I court an influential person I detest because he or she might be useful to my career? Will I blurb a book that I’m not keen on as a favour to an agent or publisher? Will I speak at an event sponsored by a financial company that invests in blood diamonds? Will I accept a commission from a firm that is known to treat its employees appallingly? Will I write book reviews for and accept remuneration from a magazine that produces editorials that I consider toxic and divisive? Will I publish with a publish-

Will I court an influential person I detest because he or she might be useful to my career? Will I blurb a book that I’m not keen on as a favour to an agent or publisher? ing house whose parent company is an international media conglomerate with a sinister agenda?

Some version of these questions are sometimes asked by all of us, in our position as consumers, producers, employees, citizens.

I think there are two specific things to note in this case: 1. Vedanta, and other similar entities, are directly responsible for a whole raft of exploitative and egregious violations which have been widely publicised.

2 In this case, we have numerous adivasi writers and activists appealing to participants to rethink their participation.

They seem to me to be saying very legitimately: “Those of you who claim solidarity with us, show us an example of that solidarity by withdrawing from the festival.” I read their appeal as an expression of this question: “Are you saying that a ‘safe space’ for debate on London’s Southbank is more important to you than a safe space for adivasi communites in the areas in which they live?”

So, in light of these circumstances, the question for each participant is quite straightforward in my view.

“Does my conscience allow me to enjoy Vedanta’s hospitality and participate in an event that it is using to soften its image and to attempt to whitewash the nature of its activities?”

The answer need only be a simple yes or no. l This article first appeared in scroll.in on May 22.

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L I T E R A R Y A S S O C I AT I O N

The story of Golpokotha n Golpokotha Team “Why would you use the head of a cockroach as an image in the first place?”

“What is shuddho bangla?”

“What inspires you to write?”

“How can a sea be breathless?”

“What is the rule of engagement in English performance?”

“How much freedom do we have when we are writing in English?”

Consider the questions and you would wonder at their source. But questions like these often generate a flow of argument in the room at the EMK center where Golpokotha members meet. The vitality of the engagement is powered by the fact that the director of EMK center has provided the adda-fiers with a key ingredient: the space. All one needs to do next is to allow a circle to emerge, with mentors like Dr Syed Manzoorul Islam, Dr Kaiser Haq and Dr FakrulAlam, and make sure the circle comprises of emerging writers writing in both English and Bengali – an undeniable cocktail of literary engagement. This would be the simplest way to introduce our Golpokotha, a literary adda for emerging writers with our mentors. The brainchild of Sabreen Rahman of the American Center, the gathering now has become a regular meeting place for old Brine Pickles members and new writers. One might, however, ask the question: is this old wine in a new bottle? The answer is: why look for the bottle? There is no group, there is no membership; there is only a space and three sages. Be skeptical, if you want, but no need to deny

If one asks why bother with writers’ groups, then our humble answer would be: because it gives a young writer a sense of direction

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the fact that this dissolves the walls that are often limiting.

If one asks why bother with writers’ groups, then our humble answer would be: because it gives a young writer a sense of direction.

We started with Brine Pickles, the first ever English performance literature group in the country in 2004, with the support of the British Council. A handful of us picked a crazy name and moved forward

with it. Over the years members came and left but the work that we produced kept us intact. The feeling of camaraderie is so powerful that even today when a pickle is in a pickle, we all reach out like one body. That is the magic of creative spirit when one is young. The illusions we created on stage remain with us till today and made us believe in the phrase “ever young”.

Now at the Golpokotha addas, some

of us act the role of being very old and look at the young faces with nostalgia. But the important truth is: we are still here and with us we bring the memory of our friends who are stuck inside the jar of pickles we decided to keep intact as long as one needs a pickle. The story of Brine Pickles thus comes to the table of Golpokotha, though the former does not in any way intend to overrule the latter.

The heart of Golpokotha is a bilingual literary space where we get to laugh, sing, share, argue and exchange ideas with our mentors.

The “us” means writers and poets from public and private universities, whether one is a student or a teacher. In between these addas, we share our writing and receive valuable feedback from each other.

How do we go about our work?

Well, Golpokotha is about to publish its first bilingual anthology.

As part of its endeavour, a writing competition will be held in both English and Bengali. A poet or a fiction writer can send us their piece (not more than three poems or one story within 1200-1500 words) either in English or Bengali. The submission details will be made available in our Facebook page: https:// www.facebook.com/MíK_v-Golpokatha from 30th May along with posters for private and public universities. Our mentors are about to act as editors for the anthology. l

EVENT

International lit conference at ULAB n Arts & Letters Desk The two-day international conference on “Magic and Literature” ends today at the University of Liberal Arts in the city’s Dhanmondi.

The university’s Department of English organised the programme that started on Friday.

On the opening day, the keynote speech was delivered by Professor Subir Kumar Dhar and the plenary speech by Dr Azfar Hussain. The keynote speaker noted how magic has existed as a staple in world literature since the dawn of the civilization and how traditional literary criticism and theory disregards its role. He also explains why belief in magic is not a matter of the past and why it is very much relevant to the contemporary world.

In a panel discussion on magic in Bangla literature, poets Mohammad Rafiq, Shamim Reza and Sajjad Sharif spoke on many aspects of magic in Bangla literature.

Yesterday’s programme also included an address by the ULAB Vice Chancellor Professor Imran Rahman, and a welcome address by Prof Mortuza, the convener and the advisor of the university’s English Department.

On the closing day, today, Dr Joshua Yu Burnett, Prof Mortuza, translators Razu Alauddin and Rafique-um-Munir Chowdhury, among others, will present their papers in a panel discussion on Caribbean, Latin American and Mexican literature while Dr Azfar Hussain will give a talk on the interrelationship between money and magic. l

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Feature

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

Health care in emergency contexts Students at BMC discuss with MSF doctors how “MSF is a life choice more than a career choice” Bangladesh Medical College (BMC) hosted a small talk on May 24, with members from the international humanitarian medical organisation, Médecins Sans Frontiéres (MSF)/Doctors Without Borders on delivering high quality health care in emergency contexts and medical ethics. The guests included Dr Sabrina Sharmin, a BMC alum and currently MSF project coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Philippe Latour, head of mission, MSF-OCA Bangladesh, and facilitated by Dr Mushfique Mahmud, assistant professor at BMC department of psychiatry with a few MSF missions under his belt. The participants of the talk included final year students and interns at Bangladesh Medical College, where they also discussed possibilities of being doctors in non-traditional contexts.

Who is MSF? Mr Latour began by explaining what MSF actually is. It is a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate medical organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from health care. MSF offers assistance to people based on certain needs. Doctors and health professionals from all over the world provide assistance to

people irrespective of their race, religion, creed, gender or political convictions. “MSF and Bangladesh were born just a few months apart in 1971,” said Philippe, as it drew cheers among the students.

A student then inquired what sets the MSF apart from other organisations delivering humanitarian medical aid.

“Two things. One, the physical proximity to the patient no matter what race, religion, creed, gender or political convictions,” described Latour. The other factor is MSF’s famed adherence to the principles of independence, neutrality and impartiality.

“MSF is able to remain neutral because the organisation operates independently and because more than 90 percent of our funding is from private sources, not governments or other institutions.”

“What sets MSF apart is how, as doctors, we can see the impact of taking risks to save lives,” furthered Dr Sharmin to eager students, “and then you make lasting, meaningful friendships with people all over the world.”

Currently, there are over 30,000 MSF staff, majority being locals, in over 70 countries are in the field on any given day.

When asked by a student about

the mortal peril of working as an MSF medic, Dr Sharmin explains, “Inevitably there are risks of working in situations like natural disasters, conflict and epidemics, but as an employer, MSF never forces locations of missions upon anyone who expresses any discomfort.” Moreover, MSF has one of the most rigorous and proactive security protocols among organisations working in crisis situations, and therefore, has one of the best records on staff

Our natural tendency when we reach our last year of medical school is to think about private practices, chambers, large hospitals, when there is a world of meaningful possibilities out there

safety.

“MSF is not just a career choice, it’s a life choice,” said Dr Mahmud.

Students relished over pictures shared by Dr Sharmin on her experiences delivering health care under fire in refugee camps, and her diverse adventures in various African nations. Dr Sharmin had joined MSF following her MBBS with the intention of trying it for one mission. “As a woman, and as a fresh doctor borne from our society, it was hard to convince my family that this was a good idea. But I never looked back.

It was my life’s calling,” she expressed to her audience.

“Keep your options open. I cannot emphasise that enough,” added Dr Sharmin. “Our natural tendency when we reach our last year of medical school is to think about private practices, chambers, large hospitals, when there is a world of meaningful possibilities out there.”

Dr Sharmin is currently in her seventh MSF mission, and heads the Emergency Response unit in Nigeria, where they regularly launch medical projects spanning over 200,000 beneficiaries over six to eight weeks. Mr Latour has

been an international journalist for over 20 years and has led the MSF Missions in a number of countries in South East Asia and Africa.

Background

MSF has been working in Bangladesh since 1992 and currently runs two projects.

MSF’s clinics in the slum areas of Kamrangirchar provide a range of services focusing on sexual and gender-based violence, adolescent reproductive health and occupational health for factory workers. MSF also runs a clinic in Kutupalong, Cox’s Bazaar, providing health and maternal care to Rohingya refugees and the local Bangladeshi population.

In 2015, MSF’s work included responding to Ebola in West Africa, where the organisation admitted more than 10,000 patients to its Ebola management centres; operating three searchand-rescue boats for refugees crossing the Mediterranean, rescuing over 20,000 people, and supporting 80 health structures in Syria that treated over 150,000 people. l

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Asian businesses lagging behind in digital strategy n Nahid Farzana According to Microsoft Corp’s Asia Data Culture Study 2016 conducted by Asia Insight, 43% of Asian companies do not have a digital strategy. The study covered over 900 business leaders from medium to large companies across 13 markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. As a result, there is no plan to action on driving digital transformation in meaningful ways to address customer value.

Asian organisations are lagging behind because of a number of barriers. The survey cited five common barriers to driving a data culture within an organisation: perceived high costs (49%); data security concerns (43%); lack of

digital skills in the workplace (36%); fear of change (33%) and securing budgets (31%). High power distance, risk aversion of Asian culture is the driving reason behind the lack of digital strategy.

87% of the business leaders feel that data culture should be driven from top-down and led by only the CEO or CIO. The top five data capabilities Asian companies are looking to harness, in the next 12 to 18 months, are real-time analytics; cloud data storage; the Internet of Things (IoT); data visualisation and predictive data analytics. All these will add speed advantage and let the business grow faster than ever.

But the overall organisation needs to be on board for accepting these changes.l

‘Digital’ marketing is the new traditional marketing! n Nahid Farzana There was a time when marketing was only considered as selling and buying. Long gone are those days. So many new concepts and branches of marketing have emerged, such as digital, content, social, endorsement, guerrilla marketing, etc. It has changed the overall way organisations do their business. Because of the spread of technology, the marketing ideology is shifting towards digital marketing.

Digital technologies are everywhere in organisations. From how employees communicate with another, to how companies connect with their buyers and customers, an online marketing strategy is crucial to every industry. Truth be told, without digital marketing campaigns, businesses will become obsolete.

Ever noticed how the department and rank titles have changed? Social media manager, content strategist and community manager are the titles seen now,

instead of print manager or media buyer. The lines between print and digital marketing mediums are being blurred by omnichannel marketing. Print campaigns are still part of the overall omnichannel strategy, but they leverage QR codes, hashtags, websites, and social media icons to drive people back to an online experience.

Digital marketing enables marketers to know a customer’s liking and disliking, tracks where they are and what

they do most. Customers are given advertisements for items they searched during the day, or simply profiled based on their geographic location, job title and more. One won’t be bothered with non-related advertisement, and marketers can target consumers more effectively. The influence of online channels is clear from a recent survey that showed 82% of purchasers researching online against 4% using offline only.

The spread of digital marketing

is creating so many new scopes for marketers and organisations. What we used to think of as ‘traditional marketing’ has now become ‘old school marketing.’ And what we’ve coined ‘digital marketing’ has become the new ‘traditional marketing.’ l

Both articles have been reprinted with permission from SD Asia.

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Writing

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

The secret within n Nadia Afrin Sylvia took a long puff and held the fumes within her for a few extra seconds. She closed her eyes and imagined the smoke making its way to her lungs and being absorbed in the bloodstream. This was her morning ritual; her guilty pleasure. She lit another cigarette to prolong this moment of private bliss. Halfway through the second cigarette, she snapped out of her trance. From muscle memory, she sprayed the air with green tea air freshener, flushed the toilet and watched the cigarette butts swirl and disappear down the tube.

She was going to keep the baby.

A familiar stranger stared back at her from the bathroom mirror with inquiring eyes. Sylvia felt choked up but for the first time that week she did not cry.

Instead, she wrestled her tangled black hair into a tight bun. With expert strokes, she put on her make-up and padded down her right cheekbone till the bruise

disappeared.

Morning paper in hand, Sylvia went downstairs in search of a good cup of tea. She needed to clear her mind. The discordant sounds coming from the kitchen told her that preparations were already in full swing for the dinner party. The dining room had been dusted and the plates and silverware laid out with military precision. The household

ran like clockwork without her intervention.

Sylvia poured piping hot water in her favorite mug, dunked a tea bag and let it steep. The rust-coloured floral pattern had disappeared in places and it saddened her to see a fine crack surfacing near the handle. She had owned and loved this mug for over two decades but now she only used it when he was not around.

PHOTOS: BIGSTOCK

They worked on a lot of the same projects and at some point during those long hours, an office romance was ignited

Sylvia met him at the multinational company - some time before his meteoric rise. She was fresh out of business school and just starting her career. He had been with the firm for a little while longer. They worked on a lot of the same projects and at some point during those long hours, an office romance was ignited.

She remembered how they held hands back in those days and laughed at the sheer joy of being young. When they got married, she had seen the blissful years stretching out in front of them filled with endless possibilities.

But somewhere down the line, her life had split into before and after.

Before, there were adoring looks and tender hearts brimming with love. After, there were averted eyes, heartache and scars seen and unseen.

The tea was starting to taste thick and stale. Sylvia glanced at the newspaper but did not open it.

The world is littered with violence and pain and she did not want to be assaulted by bad news today.

The house stood silent around

her now, except for the hurried ticking of the clock. With each passing second, she felt the embryo, synthesised from the union of a sperm and ovum, firmly take root within her. She wanted to be the kind of mother who did not go down without a fight; the kind of mother who braved the world for her baby. She had no one to turn to. The few friends she had evaporated long ago, chasing their own hopes and dreams.

Sylvia ran the kitchen faucet, washed the old porcelain mug with great care and patted it dry with a towel. She tore up the front page of the newspaper with untold stories of human cruelty and wrapped her mug into a secure bundle.

The doorbell rang. Two rings in quick succession and a third following a brief pause. Sylvia felt nauseous. It’s him! The doorbell rang again, this time with increasing urgency. She hurriedly slipped the wrapped mug into her purse and zipped it shut. It was not the first time she had plotted to escape but something always came up. She will have to wait another day.

For now, she will be an obedient wife and make him tea in a perfect china cup with no chips and cracks. In the evening, she will play the gracious host and partake in the banal banter of liberated women with little freedom. The long day stretched out in front of her like dreadful eternity. l

Life, light & chaos Joy K Roy Chowdhury’s first solo photography exhibition titled, Life, Light & Chaos displays a series that combines interesting faces, people, their expressions, their actions and reactions, each of which tells a different story.

The exhibition is taking place in Alliance Française Dhaka. Joy K Roy believes in capturing the true simplicity, emotion, pain and pleasure of life through his lenses, which he feels will inspire the next generation to explore the positive sides of life a bit more intrinsically.

Throughout the compilation of the 30 images that are being exhibited in the event, Joy tries to deliver a unique way of picturing an average incident and make it seem like an epic phenomena.

The inauguration ceremony was held yesterday, on May 27, 2016 at the La Gallerie of Alliance Française Dhaka.

Eminent cultural personality, Aly Zaker was the chief guest of this event. J E Mamun, renowned journalist and TV personality, Abir Abdullah,

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Biz Info

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

noted photographer and Moshiur Rahman, director, marketing of Hatil Complex Ltd were also among the distinguished guests at the opening ceremony. Promising young musician Ahmed Hasan Sunny and talented composer Arafat Mohsin mesmerised the

guests with their performance at an unplugged session. The exhibition will continue up to June 6, 2016.

Joy tried to incorporate other attractions to make the exhibition more interesting and fascinating for the visiting art lovers. As a part of that, a mobile phone art exhibition is also for display. It’s notable that all the mobile illustrations are developed by Joy with his Samsung Galaxy Note5.

Hatil, Rong, Jadoo Digital, Tripmaker, and Samsung are sponsoring the event. l Event Details: Exhibition: May 27 – Jun 6, 2016 Venue: La Gallerie, Alliance Française De Decca Exhibition: Fri, 27 May – Mon, 6 June, 2016 Monday – Thursday: 3pm – 9pm Friday and Saturday: 9am – 12pm and 5pm – 8pm Closed on Sunday.

Huawei sues Samsung for infringing its patents On May 25, 2016, Huawei filed lawsuits for patent infringement against Samsung in the United States and China, one in the District Court for the Northern District of California and the other, in Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court. In these lawsuits, Huawei seeks compensation for Samsung’s infringement of Huawei’s intellectual property, including valuable patents relating to cellular communications technology and software used by Samsung’s mobile phones.

As a major holder of standard essential patents relating to cellular networks, Huawei is committed to licensing these patents on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms, but it believes that it is entitled to reasonable compensation from firms that use its technology without such a license. Ding Jianxing, president of Huawei’s Intellectual Property Rights Department remarked, “Huawei believes that industry players should work together to push the industry forward through

open, joint innovation.

While respecting others’ patents, we will also protect our own.

We have seen a large number of patent crosslicensing agreements signed in the industry to ensure legitimate use of technologies, as this is the basis for the healthy development of the smartphone industry. With such a belief, we have actively negotiated with other patent holders in the industry for crosslicensing over the years. Thus far, we have signed cross-licensing agreements with dozens of our competitors.”

Ding added, “We hope Samsung will respect Huawei’s R&D investments and patents, stop infringing our patents and get the necessary license from Huawei, and work

together with Huawei to jointly drive the industry forward.”

As a leading ICT solutions and smart device provider and patent owner, Huawei invests heavily in research and development.

In 2015 alone, Huawei invested CNY59.6 billion ($9.2 billion), or 15% of its annual revenue, in the research and development of new technologies, new products and wireless communications standards. Huawei’s substantial investment in R&D over the years has resulted in a large number of high-value patents. According to the statistics published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in 2015, Huawei topped the list of international patent filers for the second consecutive year with 3,898 published PCT applications, or an additional 456 applications over the previous year. As of December 31, 2015, Huawei has been granted 50,377 patents around the world. These patents relate to LTE, operating systems, and user interface, which are highly valuable for smartphones. l

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20 Editorial

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

INSIDE

The crutch of colonialism You and I are all descendants of colonists, some nearer in time than others, but otherwise quite the progeny, literal or institutional, of those who were perpetrators -- and victims -- of wave after wave of conquest and colonisation PAGE 21

Why we marvel at Mahasthangarh The present day level of religious intolerance was largely absent from the lands of Bangladesh throughout most its history; Sultanate and Mughal Muslim rulers appear to have continued the practice of earlier Hindu and Buddhist rulers PAGE 22

Climate change We are certain that we are doing science that is driven primarily by the stories that we heard from the local people in Sylhet. If we want to do climate science that makes an impact at the local level then we have to try and understand what the issues are at the local level 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.

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G7 outreach an important platform for Bangladesh

P

rime Minister Sheikh Hasina met with leaders of the G7 nations at the outreach meeting held on the second day of the Ise-Shima G7 summit in Japan.

It is highly welcome Bangladesh was represented at this special meeting between leaders of the seven key industrialised nations and seven developing nations for talks on how to ensure inclusive economic growth.

At a time when G7 talks are expected to be dominated by global tensions in the Middle East and elsewhere, it is vital that a platform be given to represent the concerns of developing nations.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s invitation to Sheikh Hasina to attend the G7 ahead of her attendance at Sunday’s meeting to sign an MOU between FBCCI and Jetro is a positive indication of the close and friendly ties between Bangladesh and Japan.

Bangladesh attended the outreach meeting along with Chad representing the African Union and five other Asian states: Indonesia, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.

It is important that Bangladesh, as a nation receiving growing recognition for success in advancing women’s empowerment and social welfare goals, should have its global profile raised by being represented on this significant G7 platform.

Face-to-face talks are an insoluble dimension of global summits. Sheikh Hasina’s presence will have helped remind G7 leaders of the importance of not neglecting global goals and initiatives to deal with climate change and advance development.

The most important way in which the world’s leading economies can help developing nations like Bangladesh is to build and improve trade links.

Ensuring a level playing field for access to trade is key to enabling developing countries to build economic growth and compete fairly for investment.

Removing barriers to trade is vital to build the inclusive economic growth the world needs to lift more people out of poverty and encourage stability.

The best way the G7 can help developing nations is ensure a level playing field for access to trade

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Opinion

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

The crutch of colonialism We can’t keep blaming our colonisers for every problem

n Esam Sohail

I

t was said by a wise man that every pauper today has a king in his ancestry, and every king a pauper in his.

The same logic applies to the concept of colonialism: Unless you are one of the original bushmen in the hinterlands of the Zambezi river in Africa, you too are descendants of those who colonised and those who were colonised during the course of human history in any part of the globe.

The fact is that colonialism is a phenomenon as old as the first group of cavemen who took over the caves of the neighbouring group in search for food in winter … and it is a phenomenon in which every race and ethnicity participated; in fact, many a nation and ethnicity was created solely by the dynamics of this historical force.

Why do I bring up these anthropological minutiae out of the blue? Because very few serious policy conversations amongst Bengalis conclude without making a bee-line for the crutch of “colonialism,” a crutch which conveniently serves as backgrounder to explain a selective version of history and, more importantly, as an excuse to avoid undertaking arduous tasks that can lead to real solutions to real problems.

Our culture has been shaped by waves of conquests

You and I are all descendants of colonists, some nearer in time than others, but otherwise quite the progeny, literal or institutional, of those who were perpetrators -- and victims -- of wave after wave of conquest and colonisation

Blaming the British or the Pakistanis is a very useful deflective mechanism when we cannot explain any number of shortcomings in our social, political, or economic order. And the blame may not be entirely unjustifiable. But it is really pointless.

What do you think we Bengalis are? Since humanity started somewhere in Africa, we certainly aren’t the original homo sapiens on the land of Bengal.

The recorded history of this part of the sub-continent instructs us amply about wave after wave of civilisations, conquests, and

colonists that came, conquered, intermarried, settled, lived, and were joined by the next set of civilisers, conquerors, colonists … and on, and on.

Surely you were not under the impression that we are some pure ethnicity without any admixture from dozens of different waves of colonists, were you? And before they settled down to live quieter lives and build institutions, what do you think each wave of colonists did to those they found? Yep … murder, pillage, rape, mayhem, looting, plunder.

And where and who are those colonists?

Here is a hint: Look in the mirror. Yes, dear reader, you and I are all descendants of colonists, some nearer in time than others, but otherwise quite the progeny, literal or institutional, of those who were perpetrators -- and victims -- of wave after wave of conquest and colonisation.

Try as we may, we can only live in the here and the now. When ministers blame “colonial laws” for their inability to provide basic safety of life and property, they are using that worn-out crutch because these same ministers, unencumbered by the necessity of popular mandates, usually amend

BIGSTOCK

laws within minutes when it suits them.

When vice chancellors bemoan the “colonial education system,” they too use that crutch since none of them ever quite articulated what a “non-colonial” system would look like. Civil society mavens are no better with rarely an opportunity missed at eclectic seminars at the Westin or Sonargaon to blame most of the failures of leadership on that nebulous enemy of “colonialism.”

In fairness, I don’t think most of these luminaries believe the “colonialism is responsible” mantra themselves, given that almost to the last man and woman, their own children and grandchildren are packed off to the West to receive a good “colonial” education and settle down amidst the “bad colonialists.” But as Mirza Ghalib so poignantly said: Dil ke behlane ko, Ghalib/Yeh khayal achcha hai (such illusions are useful, Ghalib/To make the heart rest at ease).

That the illusions are primarily for the consumption of the audience, be it in the literal and

narrow sense or the figurative and broader sense, is not a testament to the ignorance of the masses.

On the contrary, the more literate amongst the people sense it by dint of their education and the more humble by knack of common sense, that having the crutch of colonialism is a safety valve for our collective emotions which bubble with frustration at the decided lack of the quality of life that was promised at every dawn of independence and every sunrise of revolution.

Colonialism is a soothing word that helps us play hide and seek blissfully with each other while saving face from the reality around us.

It is a powerful rhetorical opioid to shield us from the stark reality that, in 2016, the destiny of Bangladesh can be made or unmade largely by those we see in the mirror, not by the ghosts and imagined ills of those who are long dead and buried. l Esam Sohail is an educational research analyst and college lecturer of social sciences. He writes from Kansas, USA.

Heritage

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22

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

Why we marvel at Mahasthangarh Bogra has a far more ancient history in its land that we realise

n Tim Steel

T

he origins of this very ancient site that we know today as Mahasthangarh, but which has been known through history as Pundranagara, is somewhat veiled from us by the usual mists of history.

Lying just north of Bogra, in the Rajshahi division of North Bengal, it has been subject to exploration and investigation for over two centuries; the most recent period of such work, by a joint French and Bangladesh team, has lifted a large part of that veil from the fifth century.

First identified as a site with major historic significance early in the 19th century, both the international excavations carried out there over recent years, and studies, such as that of the etymology of its ancient identity, is in some ways seen to raise more questions than answers.

The general consensus appears to identify it with a non IndoEuropean, non-Aryan people known as the Pundra. That mention should be made in the Mahabharatra of these people, probably about 9th century BCE, suggests that they may, indeed, have indigenous connections from beyond the Ganges basin.

Whilst there continue to be attempts to “Islamise” the site -- a somewhat bizarre habit at such sites, predating Islam by as much as a thousand years in Bangladesh, we may well, however, wonder at origins even earlier than the retreat of the sea waters.

Perhaps the origins lie millennia before the apparent foundation, predating even the suggested third or fourth millennium BCE arrival of the Aryans.

Excavations of sites of the Harappa civilisation of north west India appear to suggest social settlements that may even predate those of Egypt and Mesopotamia.

The present day level of religious intolerance was largely absent from the lands of Bangladesh throughout most its history; Sultanate and Mughal Muslim rulers appear to have continued the practice of earlier Hindu and Buddhist rulers

Is it possible, one may well wonder, that in this site we have suggestions of a far more ancient history for the lands that are now Bangladesh than hitherto suggested?

We already have considerable evidence of pre-Common Era history of these lands as a group of independent “kingdoms,” reaching back, probably, even to the earliest times of urban development.

There seems little doubt that the wealth generated by international trade, including that with lands of Central Asia, along with what we now identify as the Southern Silk Road, linking Central Asian lands with what is now the Middle East and Europe, financed such communities.

The road to Bogra, today, to visit this extraordinary site, is itself littered with the heritage of over 5,000 years of history; and within 20km of the main site can be found, traces of over 100 Buddhist sites, together with those of both Hindu and Jain history, together with Islam of more recent centuries.

Indeed, there can be little doubt that it was the wealth of trade, and probably also social intercourse, that meant that these lands made their own significant contribution to the evolution of the three great, early, faith groups: Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism.

Of these, the greatest tangible inheritance is that of Buddhism, dating from the time of Prince Gautama himself; a presence considerably amplified by the Pala

Dynasty Empire of 8th to 12th centuries CE, which had its roots in North Bengal.

Crossing the bridge over the Jamuna, which, when it opened a couple of decades ago, was the World Bank’s biggest project and ninth longest bridge in the world, is still a memorable experience, whatever the season. But it is not long before any traveller knows they are entering a world so rich in history and heritage.

Just beyond the bifurcation of the road, where one heads toward such heritage treasures as Pabna, Puthia, Natore, and Rajshahi, the road heading northward, towards Bogra, passes, on the right hand side, an archaeology department sign to a little gem of Mughal period, Hindu temples -- with two parts elegantly restored.

Further towards Bogra, a left hand road heads to Bhabanipur, with some more fine, early 17th century temples, and the ruins of an interesting, Mughal period palace, the home of the famous Rani Bhabani, known as the Queen of North Bengal, whose husband built the temple complex at Sirajganj.

Bogra itself is in the thick of Buddhist heritage, with its proliferation of Vihara sites.

Mahasthangarh, itself, is surrounded by such Buddhist remains, although the walled citadel itself, occupied until the 18th century, contains little that is visible within the walls and ramparts. Believed, originally, to have been founded by Hindus,

to judge from the proliferation of treasures of Hindu origin during excavations early in the 20th century, there are many Buddhist sites in the immediate vicinity.

Indeed, the apparent coexistence of contemporary Hindu and Buddhist remains of both the Hindu Gupta Empire of the 4th to 6th century CE and that of the Buddhist Pala Dynasty of the 8th to 12th centuries CE, have reinforced the general belief that, despite the faith of the rulers, religious tolerance was well established in those periods.

In fact, the present day level of religious intolerance was largely absent from the lands of Bangladesh throughout most its history; Sultanate and Mughal Muslim rulers appear to have continued the practice of earlier Hindu and Buddhist rulers.

An object lesson, perhaps, for today’s Buddhist and Hindu rulers in neighbouring Myanmar and India?

North and south of the site, in immediate proximity, are fine remnants of Buddhist constructions. The site museum contains a few pieces of architectural and sculptural interest, but the National Museum in Dhaka, and the Varendra Museum in Rajshahi both hold more and better pieces, mostly of sculptural interest.

A limestone slab, found on the site in 1931, is believed to be inscribed by a royal order of the Magadha period, the vast kingdom that sprawled across much of

the northern sub-continent for, perhaps, a thousand years before the Mauryan period from 4th century BCE. One of the last of the Magadha Kings is believed to have been the first significant convert, by Prince Gautama, to his Buddhist creed.

Within a circle of about 20km around the main city site, further sites, of Hindu and Buddhist origin, are plentiful, together with a few of early Muslim periods.

In immediate proximity lie such as Govinda, Mangalkot, Khulnar, and Godaibari Temples, all of which have been fully excavated, as has the beautiful, well kept site of the Bhasu Vihara.

In fact, driving on the narrow roads, especially to the north and west of the main citadel, many of the hillocks to be seen disguise unexcavated Vihara. A walk upon them will often reveal fragments of terracotta and pottery. And there are not a few visible remains of ancient mosques and temples, also, to be found.

In fact, over 30 sites, at least, remain unexcavated within that 20km circle, and archaeologists believe that there are around 100 yet to be recognised.

It continues to be a pity that accommodation to internationally acceptable standards is hard to find, for those visiting foreigners, who bring with them, not only cash, but also their cultural and social sensitivity, as well as their experience, and, sometimes, even expertise, to explore the wealth of archaeology, history, heritage, and cultural and social traditions that abound around this magnificent and, unquestionably, unforgettable gem of Bangladesh inheritance.

By any standards, for the seeker of cultural and heritage treasures, Mahasthangarh offers, simply put, a magnificent feast. l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.

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DT

Climate Change

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

The people guide climate research

MATHEW STILLER-REEVE

n Mathew Stiller-Reeve

“O

ne night I learned that a hailstorm was forecast on TV to hit a nearby area that night, and it came to happen. But early the next morning, we found that it had also hit our area, which was totally unexpected. The paddy, which was about to ripen and was just four days from harvest, was destroyed…”

This is part of a story from a Sylhet rice farmer. His Boro rice crop was destroyed by a hailstorm that happened during the summer months (March-May), before the monsoon. The hail that destroyed his crop was the result of moist air rising in the atmosphere, otherwise known as convection.

This convection also causes heavy rainfall and flash floods during the same period. These summer weather events obviously impact the life of the farmer we spoke to, but is this true for many other people in the Sylhet region?

As part of the ongoing TRACKS climate research project, we spoke to more than 230 people in the Sylhet region and many agreed; the rain during the summer months is very important. Many farmers told us that the flash floods could potentially destroy their crops and damage their property. On the positive side, the floods can fill in the haors, so that fishing can begin. Whether the impacts are positive or negative,

the summer rainfall has significant impacts on the livelihoods of the people in northeast Bangladesh.

This is an important message for climate researchers, and in particular, the researchers in the TRACKS project.

humidity; the air over Bangladesh is moist during this period, whereas, over India, the air is very dry. All the theories published in the scientific literature seem robust. The interesting thing is that they all might be correct. It is

the weather and rain over Sylhet for April several years in a row.

The model we use is called WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting model) and is also used by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department to make forecasts.

We are certain that we are doing science that is driven primarily by the stories that we heard from the local people in Sylhet. If we want to do climate science that makes an impact at the local level then we have to try and understand what the issues are at the local level In the TRACKS project, we directed our research to investigating rainfall and convection during the period of March-May. This period is an interesting one for the climate scientists. It is interesting because the answers to many weather-related questions remain elusive.

We still don’t completely know what causes the rainfall in northeast Bangladesh at this time of year. A number of researchers in Bangladesh and abroad have published theories about what causes this rainfall. Several of these theories connect the rainfall with the air rising over the Meghalaya’s.

Other theories discuss the impact of differences in air

very likely that all these different mechanisms interact and influence each other.

To see if this is correct, we need weather observations and measurements. There are rainfall observations from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department and Bangladesh Water Development Board that we can use. These datasets provide an excellent picture over time to help us understand local climate and how it varies. However, to understand what actually causes the rainfall in the summer months, we need high-resolution information, which also extends upwards in the atmosphere.

To get this type of information, we use weather models to simulate

At the moment, we are in the process of analyzing this information and running more simulations. We hope that we will be able to shed light on some of the causes of the summer rainfall in Sylhet Division and that these findings might help forecasting efforts in the region. All of our simulations will be made available to the research community in Bangladesh and, in particular, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.

Who knows, we may add another theory to the list of causes for the summer rainfall in the Sylhet region. Whatever happens, we are certain that we are doing science that is driven primarily by the stories that we heard from the

local people in Sylhet.

If we want to do climate science that makes an impact at the local level then we have to try and understand what the issues are at the local level. We can gain this understanding by listening to the stories of people like the rice farmer who lost his crop to the hailstorm. l Mathew Stiller-Reeve is a climate researcher from Uni Research in Bergen, Norway and one of the leaders of the TRACKS project. TRACKS is an international 3-year research project funded by the Norwegian Research Council and led by the University of Bergen. International partners include Uni Research and the University of Hawaii. Bangladesh research partners include the Bangladesh Center for Advanced Studies, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, and the Bangladesh Agricultural University. To hear these stories, please visit - http:// projecttracks.net/videos-and-podcasts/ This page has been developed in collaboration with the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and its partners, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). This page represents the views and experiences of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Dhaka Tribune or ICCCAD or its partners.

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24 Sport

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

TOP STORIES

Atleti plot revenge, Real 11th title From a local derby to a highpowered managerial duel, a clash of styles to a revenge-packed rematch, today’s Champions League final between Real and Atletico Madrid offers a bit of everything. PAGE 25

Jose, United in search of Midas touch In accepting the challenge of attempting to drag Manchester United out of the doldrums, Jose Mourinho will also seek to restore gloss to his own tainted reputation. The 53-year-old is a serial winner. PAGE 26

Champions League trophy would complete Simeone revolution n Reuters, Barcelona Diego Simeone has turned Atletico Madrid from a team teetering on the brink of relegation into European heavyweights.

Avenging their 2014 Champions League defeat by Real Madrid today would complete the transformation.

The former Atletico midfielder inherited a team that had just suffered early elimination from the King’s Cup when he succeeded Gregorio Manzano in December 2011.

Five months later, Simeone led them to a fifth-place finish in La Liga and lifted the Europa League, the first of five trophies the team would win. Only the Champions League remains.

In 2014, a header by Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos during injury time snatched that prize from Atletico. It is testament to Simeone’s management that he has led them to another final two years later.

Simeone may still be a long way off Alex Ferguson’s 27 seasons at Old Traf-

Secret to Zidane’s success is charm, not tactics n Reuters, Barcelona

Kvitova joins exodus in French Open Great Britain’s Andy Murray cut down Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic to reach the French Open last-16 yesterday as two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova became the fourth top 10 women’s seed to be knocked out. PAGE 27

Shakib to play for Abahani today Shakib al Hasan will make his first appearance for the struggling Abahani Ltd today when they take on Prime Doleshwar SC in a crucial Dhaka Premier League encounter at the BKSP 3 ground. The Bangladesh all-rounder returned home yesterday. PAGE 28

ford, but he has already carved out his own legacy with Atletico.

With 173 league games under his belt, Simeone is the club’s second-longest-serving coach behind the late Luis Aragones.

Halting Real Madrid and Barcelona’s decade of dominance in La Liga by leading Atletico to the title in 2014 is his greatest achievement so far.

Masterminding the club’s first-ever success in European football’s premier competition would surmount that.

Victory in Milan would give Simeone a sixth trophy and equal Aragones’ record as the club’s most successful manager.

Simeone is the longest-serving of all current coaches in La Liga and looks set to continue his stay. He has signed a contract until 2020 and, barring any surprises, will lead the club into La Peineta stadium at the start of the 201718 season.

But perhaps Simeone’s most impressive achievement has been converting the team to his brand of high-intensity football.l

In little more than four months in charge, Zinedine Zidane has pulled Real Madrid back from the brink to where they feel they belong: the European Champions League final.

Guiding Real to victory over Madrid rivals Atletico from the dugout today would earn Zidane another place in the club’s record books to go with his history on the pitch.

Zidane’s success may owe more to his manner and aura than his abilities as a coach. He succeeded Rafael Benitez in January after just 18 months in charge of the club’s reserve team - with unconvincing results - and a season as assistant to Real’s previous coach, Carlo Ancelotti.

He stood out only for his legacy as a player, above all his winning volley against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 Champions League final. But it did not take Zidane long to get results.

Not only is he taking Real to their 14th European Cup final - he has also picked up more points over the first 20 league games than any other coach in the club’s history - winning 17, drawing two and losing one.

That gave Real more points over the period than eventual La Liga champi-

ons Barcelona. Real fans were left wondering what might have been had Zidane and not Benitez succeeded Carlo Ancelotti last summer.

Zidane’s era began with an impressive 5-0 thrashing of Deportivo La Coruna and big wins over Sporting Gijon and Espanyol. But he was forced to rethink his approach after a derby defeat to Atletico.

Since that day, Real have won their final 12 league games, although they rarely matched those early performances.

Their path to the final gave them little to brag about - they survived a potential elimination to Wolfsburg and only got past Manchester City in the semi-finals thanks to an own goal.

Just as Benitez did, Zidane looked to Brazilian midfielder Casemiro to provide greater balance in midfield, curbing the influence of flair players James Rodriguez and Isco. But he has managed to avoid the criticism that dogged Benitez for the same moves, which says a lot about his enduring appeal.

“He’s a legend of the club and that makes you more motivated when you train with him,” said Sergio Ramos, Real’s captain.

Zidane has also won over the player that matters the most at Real - Cristiano Ronaldo.l

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Uefa Champions League

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

TOURNAMENT STATS

MATCH FACTS

REAL

ATLÉTICO

27 54 247 86 93 68 6 81 31 18 0 124 136 7548 6801

Atlético’s seven-game winning run in all competitions and run of six successive clean sheets were both ended by the semi-final second leg defeat at Bayern Munich. Their Liga title hopes were ended by a 2-0 defeat at Levante in their next game, their penultimate fixture of the domestic campaign.

Atlético conceded just 18 league goals this season, the best goals against per game ratio in Europe’ s top five leagues.

Jan Oblak kept 24 clean sheets in the Liga this term, more than any other goalkeeper in Atlético’s history, overtaking Thibaut Courtois’s 20 in 2012/13 and 2013/14. Oblak conceded only 18 goals, equalling the Spanish league record of RC Deportivo La Coruña goalkeeper Paco Liaño set in 1993/94 for a goalkeeper playing every game.

Antoine Griezmann has scored 32 goals in all competitions this season and ended with 22 in the Liga – matching his 2014/15 tally.

Griezmann was the only Atlético outfield player to play every Liga game (36 starts, two substitute appearances), and to start every UCL game.

Tiago (out since 28 November, leg) returned for the 2-0 home win against Celta on 14 May. Fernando Torres, previously at Liverpool and Chelsea, scored seven goals in his final 10 starts of the season and finished the Liga campaign with 11 goals.

ATLÉTICO Goals Scored Possession (%) Total Attempts On Target Off Target Blocked Against Woodwork Corners Offsides Yellow Cards Red Cards Fouls Committed Fouls Suffered Passes Completed

16 46 178 72 62 44 4 76 21 21 1 141 151 5459 4583

Atleti plot revenge, Real 11th title n Agencies

From a local derby to a high-powered managerial duel, a clash of styles to a revenge-packed rematch, today’s Champions League final between Real and Atletico Madrid offers a bit of everything.

Glamorous and glitzy Real are aiming for their 11th European crown, while down and dirty neighbours Atletico are gunning for their very first.

One team boasts a galaxy of superstars who sometimes struggle for collective cohesion; the other relies on a lesser-known cast of workers who sacrifice personal glory for the good of the group.

Whichever way you look at it, this climax to the European domestic season contains plenty of intriguing storylines.

Guiding your team into the Champions League final less than five months into your first managerial job at senior level is no mean achievement.

And when you consider Zinedi-

ne Zidane also reignited Real Madrid’s previously faltering La Liga challenge by finishing the season with 12 straight victories you might think the French coach had already earned himself job security.

The soap opera life at the Bernabeu, however, has seen Zidane face questions over his future in virtually every news conference he has held in recent weeks.

At probably any other club, Zidane’s future would be assured, because he has done an excellent job since taking over from much-maligned predecessor Rafa Benitez in January.

Interestingly, the key turning point came at the end of February when Zidane suffered his first defeat as Real manager, a dispiriting 1-0 home loss against none other than Atletico.

Real’s tame performance in that encounter sparked a significant reaction from the recently-appointed coach, who immediately installed defensive midfielder Casemiro into his starting line-up, injecting much-needed strength and solidity

into the centre of the pitch.

Standing in the way of Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and co are a fiercely-committed Atletico team who are utterly determined to uphold the theory that this weekend is their turn to taste glory.

Atletico have, of course, an additional motivation for revenge after being denied their first European crown two years ago, when Sergio Ramos’ injury-time header allowed Real to force extra time.

They eventually won at a canter against an exhausted Atletico.

That’s not all. Atletico also lost their only other European Cup final in similar circumstances in 1974, when Bayern Munich’s HansGeorg Schwarzenbeck cancelled out a goal from the legendary Luis Aragones in the last minute of extra time. In the days before penalty shootouts, Bayern won the replay 4-0.

The Champions League is the only trophy Atletico have failed to win under their remarkable manager Diego Simeone. l

MATCH FACTS REAL MADRID

Real won their last 12 league games, matching their best run since December 2014 under Carlo Ancelotti, but finished a point behind champions FC Barcelona.

Ronaldo has 16 goals in this season’s competition – one short of his own record for a single European Cup campaign, set in 2013/14.

Having scored four goals in his last two games, Ronaldo finished as the second highest scorer in the Liga this term behind Barcelona’s Luis Suárez (40) on 35 goals, and is the first player in the league’s history to have found the net 30 times in six consecutive seasons.

Ronaldo also became the first player to score 50 or more club goals for the sixth season in a row.

Gareth Bale (19 goals in 21 starts) and Karim Benzema (24 in 26 starts) each reached their best goal tallies in the Liga since joining Real in 2013 and 2009 respectively.

Raphaël Varane will miss both the final and Uefa Euro 2016 with a thigh injury, while Álvaro Arbeloa has had a knee problem.

Real are the only side to have scored more than 100 goals in seven consecutive Liga seasons. They managed 110 in 2015/16, their third most prolific season following 2011/12 (121) and 2014/15 (118).

Real scored 13 goals from outside the box in this season’s Liga, more than any other side.

FIVE KEY CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL CLASHES

Cristiano Ronaldo v Juanfran

Three-time World Player of the Year Ronaldo is looking to match his own record of 17 goals in a single Champions League season.

Atletico right-back Juanfran’s understated nature couldn’t be more different. However, his consistently solid defensive displays have seen the former Real player seal his place in Spain’s Euro 2016 squad and keep Ronaldo quiet in recent Madrid derbies. Real have won just one of the last 10 matches between the sides.

S Ramos v Antoine Griezmann

Sergio Ramos broke Atletico hearts two years ago as it was his stoppage time header that sent the game into extra-time, with Los Rojiblancos just seconds away from victory.

Griezmann is Atletico’s major goal threat. The Frenchman has scored 32 times this season, including a double to knock out holders Barcelona in the quarter-finals and the all-important away goal that sealed Atletico’s place in the final against Bayern Munich in the semis.

Luka Modric v Koke

The stars at both ends of the field will be dependant on midfield maestros Modric and Koke to provide them with the service necessary to make the difference.

Modric’s ability to control the game with his range of passing has made him arguably Real’s most consistent performer this season.

Koke’s phenomenal work rate has seen him run more per match than any other player in the Champions League this season at well over 12km (7.5 miles) per game.

Karim Benzema v Diego Godin

The secret to Atletico’s success in Diego Simeone’s five seasons in charge has been a rock-solid defence led by Uruguayan warrior Godin. Thanks to Godin’s discipline and organisation, Atletico have already kept 35 clean sheets this season, including eight in their 12 Champions League games and five in their last nine outings against Real. Benzema had his best ever goalscoring season in La Liga with 24 in 27 games, but is still to register for Real in a final.

Gareth Bale v Filipe Luis

Bale is in the best form of his Real career three years after joining for a world record fee and has been the man for the big occasion since moving to the Spanish capital, scoring against Atletico in the final two years ago and in the 2014 Copa del Rey and Club World Cup finals. However, that is Bale’s only goal against Atletico. The Brazilian rejoin Atletico at the start of this season and has kept Bale in check whenever he has been faced by the Welshman.

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26

Sport

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS GAME 5, OKC LEAD 3-2

THUNDER 111-120 WARRIORS 55-27, 23-18 Away

OKC GS

73-9, 39-2 Home 1 21 25

2 29 33

3 27 23

Golden State Warriors' Andre Iguodala (C) drives to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant defends during the first half in Game 5 of their NBA basketball Western Conference finals in Oakland, Calif on Thursday

4 T 34 111 39 120

THUNDER STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST PTS S. IbakaPF 40 5-10 3-5 0-0 8 3 13 K. DurantSF 45 12-31 3-11 13-13 7 4 40 S. AdamsC 31 4-6 0-0 0-1 10 1 8 R. WestbrookPG 41 11-28 3-8 6-9 7 8 31 A. RobersonSG 34 2-5 2-3 0-0 6 3 6

WARRIORS STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST PTS D. GreenPF 39 4-10 0-2 3-3 13 4 11 H. BarnesSF 25 2-7 2-2 0-0 1 1 6 A. BogutC 30 7-9 0-0 1-2 14 2 15 S. CurryPG 37 9-20 3-8 10-10 7 6 31 K. ThompsonSG 37 8-21 2-9 9-10 5 2 27

AP

Warriors shoot past Thunder, extend West finals n The Sports Xchange Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes bombed in 3-pointers on consecutive possessions during an eight-point flurry that opened a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter, and the Golden State Warriors held on from there to stay alive in the Western Conference finals with a 120-111 victory over the Oklahoma Thunder on Thursday night.

The victory trimmed Golden State’s deficit in the best-of-seven to 3-2, with the series returning to Oklahoma City for another possible close-out game for the Thunder

MOURINHO AFTER BECOMING MAN UTD BOSS I feel great. It comes in the right moment in my career because Manchester United is one of these clubs where you need really to be prepared for it because it is what I used to call a giant club. Giant clubs must be for the best managers and I think I’m ready for it. We can look at our club now into two perspectives: one perspective is the past three years and another perspective is the club history. I think I prefer to forget the past three years. I think I prefer to focus on the giant club I have in my hands now.

What the players need to listen is: I want to win. I need the supporters and the players to feel I say that, but I think we can - really. I think I know what they can give me. I think also they know what I can give them. I’m happy, I’m proud, I’m honoured, I’m everything: Mourinho said in an interview filmed in London on Thursday and aired yesterday on the club’s television channel.

tonight.

Game 7, if necessary, would be Monday in Oakland.

Stephen Curry poured in 31 points, going 10-for-10 from the free-throw line, as the Warriors overcame a 40-point explosion by Thunder star Kevin Durant to keep their hopes of a title repeat alive.

The Warriors led just 81-77 before backup guard Shaun Livingston opened the fourth period with a short jumper.

Iguodala and Barnes then nailed their 3-pointers, opening an 89-77 advantage, Golden State’s biggest lead of the game to that point.

The advantage reached 13,

but power forward Serge Ibaka wouldn’t let the Thunder go quietly. He swished a pair of 3-pointers, and when Durant added a third, all of a sudden Golden State’s lead was just 103-98 with still 4:34 to go.

Curry then responded with his biggest hoop of the night, a driving left-handed floater on which he was fouled. He converted the three-point play, pushing the lead to eight.

The Golden State defense took it from there, holding the Thunder without a field goal until a Durant dunk with 56.9 seconds left, by which point the Warriors had pulled away into a commanding

112-101 advantage.

Klay Thompson overcame 2-for9 shooting on 3-pointers to back Curry with 27 points for the Warriors, who are now 4-1 after losses in the playoffs.

The Warriors won despite making just nine of their 24 3-point attempts.

Andrew Bogut had 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, and Draymond Green had an 11-point, 13-rebound double-double for the Warriors.

The Warriors shot 47.1 percent for the game to 42.9 percent for Oklahoma City. Golden State battled the Thunder even on the

boards, 45-45.

Durant’s 40 points came on 12for-31 shooting. Like Curry, he did serious damage at the free-throw line, going 13-for-13.

Russell Westbrook backed Durant with 31 points to go with seven rebounds and a team-high eight assists.

Ibaka had 13 points and Steven Adams a team-high 10 rebounds for the Thunder, who were able to eliminated Dallas and San Antonio in earlier series at first opportunity.

The Thunder made 13 of their 30 3-point attempts, outscoring the Warriors 39-27 from beyond the arc.l

Mourinho and Utd go in search of Midas touch n AFP, Manchester In accepting the challenge of attempting to drag Manchester United out of the doldrums, Jose Mourinho will also seek to restore gloss to his own tainted reputation.

The brash 53-year-old Portuguese is a serial winner, having notably won eight league titles and two Champions Leagues, but Chelsea’s spectacular collapse over the first half of this season resurrected old doubts about his ability to deliver long-term success.

The season also provided recurring reminders of Mourinho’s propensity for controversy and the appointment of the self-styled “Special One” is thought to have been approved despite misgivings about the potential for bad publicity at boardroom level at Old Trafford.

Discussing Mourinho’s notorious eye-poke on the late Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova during his time at Real Madrid, Bobby Charl-

ton, a United great and club director, once said: “A United manager wouldn’t do that.”

Louis van Gaal, Mourinho’s sacked predecessor, ultimately paid the price for failing to secure Champions League qualification, but it was the pedestrian nature of the team’s football that provided a lightning rod for criticism during his two-year tenure.

The European game’s arch pragmatist, Mourinho is not renowned for dashing football and his poor record of promoting young players - one area where Van Gaal enjoyed some success - has been held against him throughout his career.

United’s two greatest managers, Matt Busby and Alex Ferguson, built their success on youth and the club’s fans are unlikely to react kindly if players like 18-year-old striking sensation Marcus Rashford or teenage full-backs Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson abruptly disappear from view.

The controversy stoked by Mourinho at Stamford Bridge, meanwhile, has not yet abated, with United’s new manager potentially in line to appear before an employment tribunal next month over his contentious sidelining of Chelsea medic Eva Carneiro.

Of even greater concern to the United hierarchy will be the knowledge that Mourinho’s second stint at Chelsea generated unsustainable levels of friction in the changing room, with technical director Michael Emenalo citing “palpable discord” between manager and players as the chief reason for his December dismissal.

“Jose is quite simply the best manager in the game today,” said United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward yesterday.

And former United defender Phil Neville believes that United’s fans will quickly forgive Mourinho’s caustic tendencies if he brings success back to the club.l

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SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

Kvitova joins seeds exodus in French Open n

AFP, Paris

Andy Murray cut down Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic to reach the French Open last-16 yesterday as two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova became the fourth top 10 women’s seed to be knocked out.

Murray, a three-time semi-finalist, had needed two five-set matches and three days of play to get to the last 32.

But yesterday the 29-year-

old needed just a shade under two hours to beat 6ft 11in (2.11m) Karlovic 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).

Czech 10th seed Kvitova became the fourth top 10 seed to exit by the third round after she lost 6-0, 6-7 (3/7), 6-0 to American world number 108 Shelby Rogers.

Kvitova, a semi-finalist in 2012, committed 36 unforced errors as 23-year-old Rogers reached the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time. l

England captain Alastair Cook is out for 15 during day one of their second Test against Sri Lanka in Durham yesterday REUTERS

Cook falls short as SL strike in second Test n AFP, Chester-le-Street

DAY ONE, AT TEA

England captain Alastair Cook was still waiting for his 10,000th Test run after falling five short of the landmark figure on the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Riverside yesterday.

At lunch, England were 83 for two, with Cook out for 15 after winning the toss in over-

England 200/3 (Hales 83, Root 69*, Vince 22*) v Sri Lanka cast conditions.

Alex Hales was 45 not out, following his Test-best 86 in England’s innings and 88run victory in the first of this three-match series at Headingley last week. l

DAY’S WATCH FOOTBALL TEN 1 HD

BASKETBALL SONY SIX

11:00PM

7:00AM

UEFA Champions League

NBA season 2015/16

Final: Real Madrid v Atletico

Toronto v Cleveland

CRICKET

TENNIS

STAR SPORTS 1

TEN SPORTS

4:00PM

3:00PM

Sri Lanka Tour of England

Roland Garros 2016

2nd Test, Day 2

Singles Day 7

Mustafizur injury blow for Sunrisers n Tribune Report

In what came as a shock to Bangladeshi fans, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner informed at the toss of their do-or-die qualifier against Gujarat Lions yesterday that Mustafizur Rahman, their ace in the pack, will be missing the game due to injury.

Mustafizur has been replaced by Trent Boult, informed Warner.

Boult played seven matches for Sunrisers last season, picking up nine wickets at 26.22 and conceding 8.42 an over.

“It is a pressure game but looks like a good wicket and won’t change much.

This is a fresh game for both teams.

We have to nullify their batters in the middle period. Mustafizur has a slight hamstring niggle. Boult comes in, he swings the ball. The guys on the bench are always eager,” said Warner.

Mustafizur has so far taken 16 wickets at a bowling average of 24, in the 15 matches so far for the Sunrisers. l

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Sport

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

NZC announces Bangladesh dates n Mazhar Uddin

BKSP’s Hasan exults en route to winning the 100-metre sprint in the National Athletics Championship at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Shakib to play for struggling Abahani today n Mazhar Uddin Shakib al Hasan will make his first appearance for the struggling Abahani Limited today when they take on Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club in a crucial Dhaka Premier League encounter at the BKSP 3 ground.

The Bangladesh all-rounder returned home yesterday following his stint with the Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders and is expected to take the field immediately.

Abahani, who are seventh in the points table, have won four matches out of eight,

and face a must-win situation against the second-placed Doleshwar in order to qualify for the Super League.

I should have performed better personally but that’s how life goes Shakib’s inclusion therefore, will add some muchneeded boost to the Abahani line-up.

The 29-year old will no doubt be eyeing a return to form with both bat and ball

Faruk ready to quit? n Mazhar Uddin Chief selector Faruk Ahmed is considering leaving his post if the Bangladesh Cricket Board approves the new selection policy in its board meeting next week.

Last evening, the sudden development prompted the BCB’s working committee, which recommended the new policy on Thursday, to call upon the current selection panel for a meeting.

According to the proposal which has come from the working committee, the new selection panel will consist of four selectors alongside the national team head coach and the manager and the chairman of the cricket operations committee, who is likely to lead the panel.

“I think if this recommendation is passed, it will bring to an end a good system of selection that we have been following for a long time. If this new system is adapted by the board, I won’t stay,” said Faruk.

He also said the new policy will hamper the independence of the selection panel and it was learned that the three member selection panel had a meeting with the working committee regarding the issue yesterday.

In the current system, the three selectors led by Faruk alongside Habibul Bashar and Minhajul Abedin pick a squad, which they submit to the cricket operations committee chairman who then gives it to the BCB president for final approval. l

after a below-par campaign for KKR. Shakib made 114 runs and took five wickets in 10 matches and was overlooked for the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.

“I should have performed better personally but that’s how life goes. But overall, our target was to reach the top four which we did. Obviously it was disappointing for us not to reach the final. I think I did not perform as I should have so obviously I am not satisfied with my performance,” Shakib told the media upon arrival at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. l

Bangladesh will play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is against New Zealand later this year, announced New Zealand Cricket yesterday.

They will start with the threematch ODI series in Christchurch on December 26. The next two matches will be held on December 29 and 31 in Nelson, where Bangladesh beat Scotland in the 2015 World Cup. The T20I series will be played from January 3 in Napier and the remaining two games will be held in Mt Maunganui where Bangladesh have never played an international match.

The first Test will be held from January 12 in Wellington and the tour ends with the second Test in Christchurch from January 20 although NZC didn’t specify whether any of these Tests would be a daynight affair as they had proposed last year.

Bangladesh tour of New Zealand, 2016-17 Dec 26 1st ODI, Christchurch Dec 29 2nd ODI, Nelson Dec 31 3rd ODI, Nelson Jan 3 1st T20, Napier Jan 6 2nd T20, Mt Maunganui Jan 8 3rd T20, Mt Maunganui Jan 12-16 1st Test, Wellington Jan 20-24 2nd Test, Christchurch l

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Former Iranian leader (4) 5 Agitate (4) 10 Spoken (4) 11 Flightless bird (3) 12 Calls as an owl (5) 13 Liable (3) 14 Concise (5) 16 Teacher (6) 18 Talk much about little (6) 21 School group (5) 23 Regret (3) 24 Combine (5) 26 Employ (3) 27 Legal document (4) 28 Table-shaped hill (4) 29 Duelling sword (4)

DOWN 2 Head and neck coverings (5) 3 Craft (3) 4 Hurries (7) 6 Beverages (4) 7 Obstruct (6) 8 Groove (3) 9 Spurious imitation (4) 15 Effacement (7) 17 Charge with wrongdoing (6) 19 Hackneyed (5) 20 Stagger (4) 22 Liquor dregs (4) 23 Spirit (3) 25 Pinch (3)

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Downtime

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 19 represents T so fill T every time the figure 19 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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SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

Showtime

Sorry, Singer. Close but no cigar unlike the third act of the film.

Pacing was nearly off the rails, running 20 minutes too long.

But to counterbalance that, was the solid performances by established actors like Michael Fassbender (Eric aka Magneto) and James McAvoy (Professor Charles Xavier). Not to make things worse, another wrong turn was made by the unequal and insignificant share of screen space for each character. Captain America: Civil War had allocated the space and time on screen masterfully between each character. Everyone had a significant role to play, apart from the villain. Unfortunately for this film, it was left to be desperately desired.

As you can already tell, plot points were simply puzzling. Throughout the film, if you care enough to ask, you’ll be questioning

n Mahmood Hossain No spoilers, we promise. However, you may not like everything that you read. X-Men: Apocalypse isn’t the greatest film of the X-Men series. Even though Bryan Singer has returned to the helm, and for most that was a positive sign, the film left us somewhat indifferent.

There would have been plenty of smiles and non-stop conversations, if the movie wasn’t too much of a mixed bag. Although it wasn’t the worst of the lot, it’s very difficult to follow X-Men: First

Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past. While the next X-Men film takes place in the 90s, it seems First Class and Days of Future Past will hold the top spots for quite some time.

The biggest issue with this film was the title, derived from the character himself. Apocalypse is supposed to be the end-all. The character is supposed to be such an apocalyptic force, hence the name, that he would seem almost impossible to stop. Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse wasn’t the problem, neither was how he looked. It’s

the motives and actions of many of the characters and its situations. X-Men: Apocalypse wasn’t a complete failure, nor would it rank in the top three. You might see it right on the outskirts of the top-crop X-Men movies. To paint a clearer picture, the top three would consist of: X-Men: First Class (2011), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and X2: X-Men United (2003). If you are willing to walk in with low expectations, you’ll actually enjoy yourself. Is it worth the admission? It’s safe to say so. It wouldn’t hurt anyone to see all these characters (old and new), with a few wonderful spoiler-worthy surprises all, in one place. This popcorn flick just passes the grade just. l

what he was actually doing, and why he was doing it.

This main villain, like Thanos, takes its inspiration (or rippedoff, for you DC comics fans) from the DC Universe and Jack Kirby’s creation, Darksied. Figures such as these are supposed to be menacing, they’re supposed to place the fear of God in you. Unfortunately, none of this was felt.

What this film did get right is the introduction to the new mutants and the origin story of Apocalypse. The beginnings were something to be intrigued about,

WHAT TO WATCH

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles HBO 6:00pm When a kingpin threatens New York City, a group of mutated turtle warriors must emerge from the shadows to protect their home.

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

Life of Pi Star Movies 6:50pm A young man, who survives a disaster at sea, is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.

Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Ayush Tandon, Gautam Belur, Adil Hussain

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Zee Studio 9:30pm When New York is put under siege

by Oscorp, it is up to Spider-Man to save the city he swore to protect as well as his loved ones.

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz

Machete WB 11:30pm After being set-up and betrayed by the man who hired him to assassinate a Texas Senator, an ex-Federale launches a brutal rampage of revenge against his former boss.

Cast: Danny Trejo, Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Cheech Marin, Lindsay Lohan

San Andreas HBO 11:55pm In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey with his exwife across the state in order to rescue his daughter.

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Ioan Gruffudd, Archie Panjabi, Paul Giamatti l

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Showtime

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

Disgruntled over the cancellation of Eluveitie’s concert

n Showtime Desk Rage took over the numerous broken hearted fans in front of Bashundhara Convention City in the capital, as the much hyped concert of Switzerland’s popular folk metal band Eluveitie was cancelled on Thursday evening.

The concert that was scheduled to take place at the Noboratri hall of the convention centre was called off at 6:30pm stating security issues.

Around 7pm, musical

instruments like drums and others were seen being taken out of the auditorium, while the audience was barred from entering, who had previously purchased tickets at a high rate to enjoy the concert.

Many rushed to the office of Green Events, the organisers of the concert, for a refund while others kept standing amid the drizzle.

Green Events chief executive Tanvir Ahmed said the concert will be rescheduled and held on June 1.

According to Eluvietie’s website, the band will perform in

Taiwan on May 28, in Switzerland on June 3, in Romania on June 4 and in Netherlands on June 5.

In recent years, Eluvietie has made a name for itself among young music lovers across the world by combining folk with rock and metal. Use of traditional music instruments like the flute, mandolin, hardy hardy, and bag pipe has made the band unique.

Before leaving the country, the members of the band left a message for their fans in Bangladesh, where they regretted

for not being able to perform in the country. Band’s vocal Chrigel Glanzmann said: “Dhonnobad Bangladesh! [Thank you Bangladesh]. Hey Bangladesh, this is Eluvietie checking in from a hotel in Dhaka. We had been absolutely overwhelmed by the warm welcome given by your beautiful country. Even sadder that we will not be able to play our show for reason’s beyond the promoter’s control.”

“We are going to do everything that is in our power to reschedule these shows with this current lineup and so we really, really hope to see you soon,” said Anna Murphy, who plays hardy hardy for the band.

After June 5, a new line-up of the band is reported to come with Anna Murphy, Ivo Henzi, and Merlin Sutter leaving Eluvietie.

They had been playing with the

band for quite some time now, so it would have been a great opportunity for Bangladeshis to witness their performance.

However, Anna said the current line-up would perform in Bangladesh on the rescheduled date.

On their Facebook page, Green Events posted: “With great regret we inform you, that due to complexity related to security, we have to call off today’s concert.

We are trying to fix a new date.

The new date for the concert and those who want refund of the money they paid for ticket will be informed soon. We sincerely regret this uncalled for incident.”

Tanvir Ahmed said, “The objection was raised by DMP [Dhaka Metropolitan Police]. So the concert was cancelled. We have informed the matter with regret on our Facebook page.” l

Johnny Depp’s family ‘hates’ Amber Heard

n SK Farhan Rahman Actor Johnny Depp tragically lost his mother Betty Sue last week.

Just three days after her death, Amber Heard filed for divorce from the Pirates of the Caribbean star.

According to multiple reports, the relationship turned extremely sour due to an all-out feud between Depp’s family and Heard.

Anonymous sources connected to the ex-couple confessed that Depp’s kids, his sisters, and his

mom “hated” Heard and even discussed it openly.

They ranted on how Heard apparently “treated him like c*ap.”

Depp’s elderly mother fell sick earlier in the year, prompting Depp to move her into the Los Angeles compound where he and Heard lived. The move created a lot of friction between the two and the tension was palpable.

Betty Sue reportedly told her friends that Heard was just using her son for his money and fame,

and to boost her own career.

Sources have also claimed that Depp’s mother only saw him once since he married Heard and that, both she and her son blamed her for keeping them apart in order to have full control.

A source close to the family said that Heard had two sit downs with Depps’s mom behind closed doors after she moved in. After both meetings, Betty Sue ranted on her daughter-in-law, and called her a “terrible person.”

Surprisingly, there was no prenuptial agreement, and Heard wants spousal support. This could have major financial implications for Depp who reportedly has a fortune of approximately $400 million dollars, mostly due to his paycheck from the Pirates of the Caribbean series.

This could arguably lead to a big payday for Heard, who really doesn’t need the money considering her own success and her role as Aquaman’s queen in the upcoming Justice League and Aquaman films. l Source: TMZ, E!News

Kareena excited to act in her new film

n Showtime Desk

Kareena Kapoor Khan has agreed to play the lead role in Shashanka Ghosh’s Veera Di Shaadi, which will also be Rhea Kapoor’s directorial debut. The film is an adaptation of the Hollywood flick The Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants.

Basically a chick-flick, the film is about a crazy trip between four best friends and all of them finding love at some point in their journey, which will come to an end with Veera’s shaadi. The film is expected to go on floors this July. l

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SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2016

THE STORY OF GOLPOKOTHA PAGE 13

THE PEOPLE GUIDE CLIMATE RESEARCH PAGE 23

SORRY, SINGER. CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR PAGE 30

Child rapes see alarming rise in Bangladesh n Mohammad Jamil Khan

121

2015 (Jan-Apr) 2016 (Jan-Apr)

66 33

7

Rape

Gang rape

planning to get the child checked at the One-Stop Crisis Centre.

“But before we could do it, she succumbed to her head injury. Our primary observation is that she had been sexually assaulted,” he added.

Mohammadpur police station’s SI Probir Chandra said police had found Sharif’s address and other details from the cell phone he left behind. A case was

7

10

5

Murder after rape

Source: Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum

2014 (average in 4 months)

No data

Ten-year-old Hasina Akther left her parents in Mymensingh and came to Dhaka to work as a domestic help some months back.

On May 19 around 3:45am, a man named Shariful Islam admitted her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) with injuries on her body and head.

Police officials on duty there became suspicious but Shariful had already fled the scene leaving his cell phone behind. He had also given a false address to the hospital.

The girl fought for her life at the hospital for a week but lost in the end. She died at 11:30am yesterday.

Dr Mostofa Al-Mamun, assistant registrar of DMCH casualty unit, told the Dhaka Tribune that doctors had noticed vaginal injury and were

138

filed at Mohammadpur police station, but Sharif is on the run, he added.

Hasina will be yet another victim after the 128 children who have been raped so far this year. Their numbers have been growing at an alarming rate.

Data compiled by child rights body Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF) showed assaults on chil-

dren rose by 225% in 2015 from 2014.

A total of 727 children were sexually assaulted and raped in 2015.

In 2014 the number was 227.

AS Mahmood, director of BSAF, believes child rapes have been on the rise because justice has not been ensured for most victims.

“Investigations often only continue as long as there is media attention on the case,” he added.

The DMCH One-Stop Crisis Centre database said at least four to five people come to hospital every day who are victims of rape, at least one third of whom are children.

Advocate Alena Khan, chief executive of Bangladesh Human Rights Foundation, believes that the reported numbers are just the tip of the iceberg.

“Often the victim’s family believes they will not got proper

support from law enforcement, and that is one of the reasons the predators become more aggressive, because no complaints are made against them,” she said.

Prof Zia Rahman, chairman of the criminology department of Dhaka University, told the Dhaka Tribune that the criminal justice system needed short term changes such as ensuring punishment and complete reform in the long term to overcome these problems.

Md Humayun Kabir, deputy inspector general (crime) at Police HQ, said police had increased vigilance across the country. A child friendly desk had also been opened at each police station.

“If a police official is found to have been negligent in investigating, we take action against them as well,” he added. l

Muezzin held for raping 5-year-old Rahman Swapan, n Anisur Barisal Police arrested a muezzin of a mosque in Gournadi upazila, Barisal, in the early hours of yesterday for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl.

The suspect, Mawlana Abdur Rab, 56, from Kalkini upazila in Madaripur is a muezzin at Torkir Char Baitul Aman Jame Mosque, Gournadi police station OC Alauddin Milon said.

Local and police sources said the victim was playing in a field near her house in Torkir Char on Thursday afternoon when the suspect, who lives next door, noticed her and called her into his house.

Since she is familiar with Rab, she went to him.

He then raped the girl, locals said.

The girl’s family found out about the rape later in the evening.

The victim’s father Shahidul Islam went to Gournadi police station late Thursday night and filed a case against Rab. Rab has been arrested, the OC said.

The victim was sent to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital for medical tests and treatment yesterday morning, police said. l

Relatives of Kanika Gosh, left, break down in tears after doctors at Chapainawabganj Sadar Hospital confirmed her death. The accused Abdul Malek, above DHAKA TRIBUNE

Man hacks schoolgirl to death Hossain, n Anwar Chapainawabganj

A schoolgirl was killed while three others were heavily injured as a local delinquent hacked at them in Mohipur village at Gobratola union in Chapainawabganj Sadar upazila yesterday morning.

The deceased was Konika Ghosh, 15, resident of Mohipur village and a student of Class X at Gobratola Dwimukhi High School.

Her injured friends are also from the same class.

Police arrested the attacker, Abdul Malek, 27, on the same day. He

is from Diar Dhainagar village in the same union and is notorious for his drug addiction, several local sources said.

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Chapainawabganj Sadar police station OC Mazharul Islam said the girls were returning home from a private tuition class in Mohipur around 9:30am when Malek attacked them from behind with a sharp weapon, hacking at them indiscriminately.

Locals intervened and detained Malek, and rushed the severely injured girls to Sadar Hospital.

According to witnesses, Mal-

ek was high on drugs when he attacked the girls, the OC said.

Konika died on the way to the hospital due to excessive bleeding, said Dr Shamsul Islam, the on-duty doctor at Sadar Hospital. Her body was sent to the morgue for a post-mortem examination.

“The other three girls have lacerations on their heads, arms, shoulders and waists,” said.

Two of them were later transferred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital as their condition became critical.

Later in the afternoon, Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police

Waresh Ali Miah visited the spot where the girls were attacked.

“We have recovered the weapon, locally known as hashua, as evidence.

We do not yet know why Malek attacked the girls, but we are investigating this incident. Filing of a case in this regard is being processed,” he told reporters around 3pm.

About the attacker, he said: “Malek is a known substance abuser. He was sentenced to three months in prison by a mobile court around one and a half years ago. He served his term and started using drugs again as soon as he came out of prison.” l

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