Boishakh 27, 1421 Rajab 10, 1435 Regd. No.

DA 6238 Vol 2, No 40

SATURDAY, MAY 10, 2014

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Police finally bust Nur Hossains drug den

3,500 bottles phensidyl, 37 cans beer, 9 bottles liquor, 7 weapons recovered
Islam Shaon and n Ashif Ahmed Zayeef
It is not that the Narayanganj civil administration, police and RAB were unaware of the drug den and other illegal businesses of Nur Hossain, the prime accused in seven murders, and could not bust those. The shocking reality is that the local administration was fully aware of Nurs longstanding underworld crime activities but it had never dared touch him because of his political clout, money and muscle, many local residents say. Nur Hossain is a ruling Awami League leader in Narayanganj who enjoyed blessings of powerful Osman familys Awami League lawmaker Shamim Osman. He was Shiddhirganj Union Parisad Chairman for a long time and now a councillor of Narayanganj City Corporation. How can it be possible that the local administration and law enforcers did not have any knowledge of Nur Hossains underworld criminal activities? wondered many locals. Because of his political influence and administrative backing he had remained untouched and immune from arrest. Officials in the civil administration and law enforcing agencies used to get kickbacks from him, said a social activist in the port city preferring not to be named. But yesterday Narayanganj administration had a different look. It plucked up the courage to bust few of the dens of Nur Hossain and recovered some drug and sharp weapons. When the port citys police launched this crackdown all powerful Nur Hossain was not in Narayanganj. He has been on the run a couple of days after the abduction of his rival Nazrul and six others. Their body were found in Shitalakkhya River on April 30. Nazrul was also a councillor and a panel mayor of the same city corporation. His family filed a case accusing six people for the seven murders where Nur Hossain was mentioned as the key suspect. After the abduction Nur Hossain
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One of the two buses that collided on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway in Rajbari, killing 10 people, yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Family: Chandan Sarkar quested peace his whole life

Islam Shaon and n Ashif Ahmed Zayeef
My father was a handsome man. We were proud of his sophisticated look but we could not see his face for the last time as it was disfigured brutally. We were not allowed to see his face. We have only seen his legs which were not covered by cloth. Dr Susmita Sarkar, second child of slain Advocate Chandan Sarkar, was telling about the last memory she had about her father. Mother did not want us to look at his face as we might not be able to erase that from our memory for the rest of life, said Susmita as she started to sob. He was a man who tried to find peace in his whole life. We do not know why he has to leave us this way. Senior lawyer Chandan Sarkar and his driver Ibrahim were among the seven Narayanganj abductees who were killed later. Chandan did not have any political involvement or rival or criminal record, something believed to be the cause behind the murder of five others. Chandan and his chauffeur are believed to have been killed because they witnessed the abductions. It took time for his family member to believe that Chandan was abducted. They were certain that if any group had abducted him, they would free him because of his clean image. I was in Dhaka. After hearing the news of abduction, I called him. Nobody picked up till 10pm, said Bijoy Kumar Paul, son-in-law of Chandan. Bijoy later requested one of their family acquaintances working at an intelligence agency to trace the phone. He was told that the cell phone was in Tejgaon, somewhere near Anik Tower. Around 11:30pm, he rushed to Tejgaon police station and asked for help. Police dialled Chandans number but found it switched off. Police said they could not trace the phone as it was switched off. The officer was suspecting that the car had driven past Tejgaon and then went elsewhere, Bijoy said.

During the 1971 Liberation War, my father lost his fathers house. It saddened him and he expressed it in his literary work
Chandans family members, with the help of influential people, contacted RAB Director-General, State Minister for Home and also the ex-commanding officer of RAB. Everyone kept assuring us that the kidnappers will not do any harm to my father because he was a man with

a clean image. They said my father would come back somehow, he said. Among all we had contacted, Lt Col Tareque Sayeed Mohammads behaviour hurt us. As we asked him if they have picked up father, he lost his temper and asked us to leave RAB 11 office, said Bijoy. On Tuesday, they got the indication that Chandan and his driver had been killed. Asked why they took ten days to file a case and why they did not name any accused, Bijoy said: In the case filed by Nazruls wife, she did not mention names of my father-in-law and his driver name as assassinated. So we filed a separate case so that we can get justice. Chandan was born in april 23, 1952 at Ibrahimpur village in Nabinagar upazila of Brahmanbaria. In 1972, he got admitted in the mathematics department at Dhaka University. After completing both graduation and post-graduation

studies, he tried to get a job. But as he had a greater sense of freedom, he failed to be stable in any job. Chandan then began studying law at Dhaka University. Following completion of LLB, he started practicing in Narayanganj court. He was not only a lawyer but also a man who was thirsty for knowledge for his whole life. Father used study every day. I can hardly remember any day when I did not see him studying till the late hours of night. Often, he would study for the whole night, said Susmita. Science, history, literature, novel, drama, religion he was actually interested in every branch of knowledge. He would also inspire us to seek knowledge. Chandan Sarkar published two poetry books named Kar Hate Rajdondo Manobik Hobe and Shit Borshar Keu Now. A story book, a poetry book and two novels were also on their way to be published.
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10 killed in Rajbari road accident n Our Correspondent, Rajbari

At least ten people were killed and 30 others were injured in a road accident on the Dhaka-Khulna highway in front of the Nehaj Jute mill in the Boshontopur area under the Sadar upazila, Rajbari, early yesterday. Police sources said Safeen Hossain, 16, the son of Abul Baser of Ambula in the Agailjhara upazila of Barisal, Babu Fakir, 45, the son of Khaleque Fakir of Fotaputi in the Moksedpur upazila of Gopalganj, Roton Sarker, 52, the son of Subodh Sarker from the Agailjhara upazila of Barisal, Paresh Roy, 50, the son of Jagabandhu Roy of Fulsiri in the Agailjhara upazila of Barisal, Zannat Khatoon, the three month old daughter of Billal Hossain from the Mehendiganj upazila of Barisal, Nasima Khatoon, 28, Billal Hossains wife and Zannats mother, comprised the list of the deceased. The identity of another four people could not be known immediately, police added. Sub-Inspector Nazim Uddin Khan of Alhadipur highway police outpost told the Dhaka Tribune that a Dhaka bound bus, the Eagle Paribahan, coming from Khulna collided head on with a Khulna bound bus, the Global Paribhan in the Bashantapur area in front of the Nehaj Jute mill under the Sadar upazila of Rajbari. As a result of the collision, one bus fell into a road side ditch, leaving four people dead on the spot, including a mother and her child. Another died on the way to the Faridpur Medical College Hospital. The accident occurred at around 3:30am early yesterday, witnesses said. Officer-in-Charge of the Rajbari Sadar police station Abdul Khaleque said the movement of vehicles on the Dhaka Khulna high way was at a standstill due to the incident, but resumed after three hours. He said the identified bodies were handed over to their relatives after the
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Illegal immigrant issue may end up hurting Indias cause

n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman
Political leaders and analysts say no matter who comes next to power in India, the leadership in New Delhi will maintain good relationship with Dhaka for its own interests. If India feels that it will have an unpleasant relationship with Bangladesh, it will affect New Delhi more than Dhaka, prime ministers Economic Adviser Mashiur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune recently. Asked what New Delhis policy would be if Narendra Modi became the Indian premier or any non-Congress coalition selected another person, he said: I am not a soothsayer. We knew the BJP leadership when it formed the government last time, but we have less interaction with the current leadership. From previous experiences, I think India will not resist Bangladesh from doing all the work here no new crisis will be created and it will be a neutral relationship; but, it will be difficult to find new areas of opportunity or cooperation. About Modis recent remarks on getting rid of so-called illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India, Mashiur said: It will be a very risky policy for India. Pushing or sending back Bangalee Muslims in the name of getting rid of illegal immigrants would cause more harm to New Delhi than Dhaka, he said. Bangladesh has the ability to contain any crisis but India does not. Muslims in India will not come to Bangladesh and they will resist any such move. That will lead to a riot in the country [India], he expressed fear. If there is any repercussion of the Indian policy here, Hindus might leave Bangladesh for India and thus create a fresh problem for them, Mashiur said. In addition, neither of the Bangladesh and Indian governments certifies that there are illegal migrants from Bangladesh. So, how will you identify which group has come from Bangladesh and which has not? The BJP and Modi want to achieve economic prosperity and any such move will not help that cause. Their [Indias] international image as a secular country
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BNP alliance leaders: AL to lose Indias blessing if BJP assumes power

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla
Leaders of the BNP-led 19-party alliance believe that if the BJP returns to power in India, the Awami League might not enjoy the state blessing of the Indian government any longer. They think the Awami League enjoyed tremendous support from India after the January 5 election boycotted by the then main opposition BNP only because the Congress was in power and the ruling party had better understanding with it. Some leaders say if the BJP comes to power, the BNP alliance may not derive any significant benefit, but the Awami League government is likely to face some difficulties as its tie with the BJP is not as good as with the Congress. Rather the BNPs tie with the BJP was much better in the past. Abdul Moyeen Khan, a Standing Committee member of the BNP, told the Dhaka Tribune that the Congress in India and the Awami League in Bangladesh seemed to have set up a partnership of mutual convenience for historical or whatever reasons. He said: Unfortunately this relationship should really have been set up between the people of Bangladesh and that of India. Consequently, whenever
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INSIDE
News
4 There has been missappropriation of over Tk5 crore at the state-owned Petrobangla as it transferred money meant for the deficit oil head margin for Bapex sector to the price deficit fund sector instead, said the audit report from the Commercial Audit Directorate. The report also said Petrobangla had incurred a loss of over Tk16 lakh in the fiscal 2012 13 as it accepted the tender for lift maintenance placed by the second lowest bidder instead of the lowest bidder.

Nation

News

5 Illegal battery-run and non battery-run three-wheelers continue to operate on the city roads as police allegedly allow union leaders to issue permit tokens in exchange for bribes, which accumulates to around Tk20 lakh per month.

6 Almost half of a Tk2 crore 23 lakh boat passage has been built with poor quality sand and rocks in the absence of the authorities oversight of it over Shaila canal connecting Patharghat and Rakkhilabarhi village in Gopalganjs Tungipara. Seeking anonymity, a labourer told the Dhaka Tribune, Pakshi sand is of good quality and a bit pricey. Instead of using it, the contractor blended Madhumati and Sylhet sand together and then used it in the casting of the passage construction.

Op-Ed

11 All respectable and educated people belong to the Awami League was a mantra I heard all too often growing up. And why not?

Sport

13 Sheikh Russel KC all but confirmed a second round ticket from Group A in the AFC Presidents Cup with a convincing 5 0 win over Sri Lanka Air Force at the Sughatdasa Stadium, Colombo yesterday. 14 Strapping Sam Allardyce doesnt look the sentimental type, but the West Ham boss says hed like his team to deny Manchester City the Premier League title in the final match of the season on Sunday.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, May 10, 2014

17,000 policemen punished in 15 months, 2,000 RAB men in 10 years

No one receives punishment for extrajudicial killings
n Kailash Sarkar
Around 17,000 policemen were awarded punishments in last 15 months from January 2013 while 2,000 members of the Rapid Action Battalion in last 10 years from 2004 for their crimes and illicit acts, sources in police and RAB said. But no punitive action was taken against anyone of the law enforcers for the killings of over 2,200 people in the name of crossfire, line of fire or encounters since 2004. The maximum punishments given to the lawmen include suspension from their jobs and demotions while the minor punishments include rebukes or reprimands. Police, RAB and Home Ministry sources said punitive action was taken against the law enforcers for their involvement in robberies, extortions, abuse of power, harassment and some other offences. In most cases, allegations brought against policemen and RAB members are not proved for lack of witnesses as most of the complainants do not dare to give their depositions in fear of harassment, the sources added. According to the police headquarters sources, punitive action had been taken against 17,000 policemen after complaints were filed against 53,422 policemen with security cell at the Police Headquarters while punitive measures against many others were under process. Of the total, around 800 policemen ranking from constables to inspectors were awarded major punishments, including dismissal of 95, while around 1,600 given minor punishments. Besides, 10 officials ranking from assistant superintendent of police to above were awarded minor punishments and four others were dismissed from their services. Earlier, 13,745 policemen were punished in 2012 while 11,000 in 2011. Besides, punitive measures were taken against 1,949 RAB personnel since 2004. Of them, over 700 were awarded major punishments and the rest minor punishments. Over 4,000 allegations were brought against RAB men in last ten years while 78 RAB men were sent to jail by courts while 76 suspended from their jobs. Besides, over 2,000 cases were filed against RAB and police in connection with extortion. When asked whether any RAB men were punished for extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances, the RAB director said, There is no existence of extrajudicial killing and forced disappearance in the laws of police and RAB. But the RAB used to take punitive action against any RAB man if found guilty. None is spared by the RAB, he added. According to different human rights bodies, over 2,200 people were killed by the law enforcers, including RAB and police, since 2004. Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Executive Director of Ain O Salish Kendra Sultana Kamal said these incidents continue across the country as the persons responsible for such killings go unpunished. l

Seven Chhatra League activists arrested over abduction of trader

n DU Correspondent
Police yesterday arrested seven Dhaka University students for their alleged involvement in the abduction of a businessman from the capitals Fakirapul. The arrestees are Anupam Chandra, Himel, Tanvirul Islam, Mamun, Bappy, Srijann Ghosh and Arfan Patwary. All of them were taken to Ramna police station. All of them are involved with Bangladesh Chhatra League. Police also rescued businessman Farhad Islam, 26, from Dhaka Universitys Jagannath dorm a day after his abduction. Shahbagh police station Sub-Inspector Shimul Kumar Mohonto told the Dhaka Tribune that a case had been filed against the arrestees. Police sources said Chhatra Leagues Central Deputy Sports Secretary Sajib

Ghosh and his followers abducted the trader on Thursday night around 9pm, confined him in the dorm and then demanded Tk5 lakh from his family. Police later arrested Arfan when he was taking the ransom money from Farhads family members in Central Shaheed Minar area. Based on his information, police conducted a drive in the universitys Jagannath dorm and arrested the Chhatra League activists around 2:30pm. Jagannath Hall Provost Ashawim Kumar told the Dhaka Tribune he was not aware of any such incident. Dhaka University acting proctor Amzad Ali said punitive measures would be taken against the accused. Chhatra League DU unit President Mehedi Hasan Mollah said the arrested activists would be expelled from the organisation if they were found guilty. l

Accused to be arrested in a day or two

n Rabiul Islam

7 NARAYANGANJ MURDERS

Do not kill Nur in crossfire

n Ashif Islam Shaon
Shahidul Islam, father-in-law of slain Narayanganj city panel Mayor Nazrul Islam, fears that Nur Hossain, the prime accused in the recent abduction and murder of seven people in the city, might be killed in crossfire. He also urged the law enforcers not to do that. This will hide the facts. Nur knows everything. Many culprits will be saved if he is killed in crossfire, Nazrul told the Dhaka Tribune over phone. Asked if he had got any indication of Nur's arrest from the investigators, he said Narayanganj police had assured him that Nur would be arrested soon. But if he is killed in crossfire, we will be deprived of justice, he added. We want to know the real fact. We do not want anyone to stop the investigation midway by killing him, Shahid said. Nazrul, his four aides, senior lawyer Chandan Sarkar and his driver were abducted almost at the same time on April 27. Six bodies, including that of Nazrul and Chandan, were found floating in the Shitalakkhya river three days later, and the other was found the following day. l

State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said the persons accused in the abduction and killing of seven people in Narayanganj would be arrested in a day or two. You will see in a day or two that the accused are arrested, Asaduzzaman Khan told the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday. The state minister, however, could not say anything about the whereabouts of the five suspects, including Nur Hossain. We have already changed top level officials of the Rapid Action Battalion 11 and more changes will come in the lower tier of the force soon, he said. Twelve days after the abduction and subsequent killings of Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Hossain, senior lawyer Chandan Sarkar and their aides, law enforcers have not yet been able to arrest anyone accused in a case filed against five persons including Nur Hossain. l

Law enforcers recover a huge quantity of contraband phensidyl, foreign liquors and weapons from the office of Nur Hossain at Narayanganj yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Lt Col Anwar Latif Family: Chandan Sarkar quested made RAB 11 CO peace his whole life
n Tribune Online Report
Lt Col Anwar Latif Khan has been made the commanding officer (CO) of Rapid Action Battalion 11, several private television channels reported. Previously, he had served as the CO of RAB 5. On May 6, former commanding officer of RAB 11 Tareq Sayeed and two other officials were sent to forced retirement following allegations of their involvement in the abductions and killings of seven people in Narayanganj. The RAB was formed in 2004 with the forces from six government law enforcement agencies Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Forces, Border Guard Bangladesh and Ansar alongside civil forces for administration purposes. l
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AL to lose Indias blessing if BJP assumes power

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During the 1971 Liberation War, my father lost his fathers house. It saddened him and he expressed it in his literary work. He wanted to make a house in a quiet and calm area like the way he passed his childhood in Ibrahimpur village, Susmita said. Apart from these, he loved to play flute. During our childhood, when there was a power cut, we would stop our study and my father would take us in his room. He would then play flute. When I close my eyes, I can still listen to that melody, she added. Chandan has four daughters. Of them, Sejuti Sarkar, the elder one, and Susmita finished their study from Kumudidni Medical College. Showti Sarkar, the third one, is studying law at a private university and the youngest one Shoptorshi is student of A-level whose final exam will start this month.

Chandans wife Orchona Sarker has virtually become speechless since her husbands death. This correspondent found an eerie silence prevailing all over the house yesterday. A big portrait with a floral wreath was on Chandans reading table. A number of books remained scattered on the table. l

10 killed in Rajbari road accident

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incident. A case was filed with the Rajbari Sadar police station, he added. Police said a local Member of Parliament, the deputy commissioner, and the police super visited the spot and gave necessary directives to the officials concerned. l

a government falls either in India or in Bangladesh the relationship between the two countries also collapses. The major architect of this scenario, on the one hand, was over-dominated by the south block in Delhi and in Bangladesh perhaps the group within the Awami League who crossed over to India in 1971. The former minister said: Thus the perception of the common people is that there may be an overturn in the relationship between India and Bangladesh if the Congress is defeated in the next general election and the BJP comes to power. Andaleeve Rahman Partha, chairman of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party, said many people said the Indo-Bangladesh relations would not be affected by any change in the Indian government. But the working style would change and I think the new government would be more political and will work more politically. If the Congress government

does not assume office, the Awami League government will not enjoy the benefits it has been enjoying till date. The BNP-led alliance leaders think if the BJP or any non-Congress power assumes office in New Delhi, a new window of opportunity will open up for improving its relation with India. The party tried to mend its ties with India and to this end party chief Khaleda Zia visited India and held a series of meetings with top political figures. But Khaleda refused to meet Indian President Pranab Mukharjee when he came to Bangladesh which many BNP leaders considered a great mistake in terms of the diplomatic relations with India. Moyeen Khan said: Whether this will bring any benefit to the BNP is a question that only time will answer. In the past it had been observed that the equation between the BJP and the BNP did not work out too badly. In essence, a lasting relationship between these two sensitive peoples in these two neighbouring countries

will only be sustainable once the two governments understand that friendship must be left to people-to-people relationship instead of governments trying to interfere between them. On April 7, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran said Indias policy towards Bangladesh would not change even if there was a change of regime in New Delhi after the elections. He said every country had interests and those interest really did not change. Shafiul Alam Prodhan, leader of another component of the BNP-led alliance, said national interest of the Indian government was its first priority and there was no scope for thinking that any sort of change in the Indian state would bring any change in the fate of Bangladesh. There is a different level of understanding between the Congress and the Awami League. The Awami League does not have the same relation with the BJP. But I do not think it will bring any sea of change in the relation between the two countries, he said. l

Illegal immigrant issue may end up hurting Indias cause

PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

Police finally bust Nur's drug den

PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

will also be damaged, said the adviser. India has many outstanding issues with China and Pakistan and has strained relationships with other neighbouring countries including Bangladesh, he said. Mashiur, however, said under the central government system in India, it would never be a one-man show. Various stakeholders, including the voices of different states, must be taken into account before making any decision. Humayun Kabir, former ambassador to the US and director general of the South Asia Desk at the Foreign Ministry, told the Dhaka Tribune that the Modi administration might bring a couple of changes. Citing the electoral manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said it wanted to curb corruption and accelerate development in the backdrop of the poor economic performance over the last couple of years. They wanted internal stability regardless of the criticisms that Modi or the BJP would fuel communalism. I think that is unlikely. Social and political tensions will really sap the energy of the government and may also deter the possibility of higher econom-

ic growth, Humayun said. My feeling is that regardless of what we hear from the campaign trail, if Modi wants to ensure good governance and higher economic performance, then stable internal environment and improved regional environment is a must, he said. The former diplomat feels that bringing up the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants was just a strategy to attract votes. We cannot ignore the fact that the BJP is trying to consolidate Hindu votes and for that it needed to find a scapegoat, he said. The BJP was weak in West Bengal and other states along the border of Bangladesh, and it had been trying to make an inroad into the politics of these states, he added. Whatever India got over the last five years is definitely a net gain, especially in terms of security, economic cooperation and connectivity... Why should any government in India change this positive course? We [Bangladesh] must develop a bipartisan approach to deal with India. In India, bipartisanism exists in the relationship with neighbours. "It is extremely important that we

[also] develop a bipartisan approach with regards to our relationship with India and other major countries, Humayun said. Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed has warned that playing the infiltration card in election campaign will negatively impact Dhaka-Delhi relationships. Asked about Modis statement that all illegal Bangladeshi migrants in India should pack and leave on May 16 the result day of the Indian polls, Tofail recently told the Dhaka Tribune over phone: Any hasty step made by the new government [in India] will hit bilateral ties. Tofail also said there were no illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in India. In an interview with Indian TV channel Times Now last week, Tofail said: I do not believe that in the name of illegal immigrants, the settlers living in India will be pushed back or sent back...If [any such step] is taken, the relationship between the two countries will be jeopardised. Indian media reported last Tuesday that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had expressed concerns over the remarks made by Modi.

Indian daily The Economic Times published a report that said a person familiar with the matter from Dhaka informed the newspaper that in a private meeting on Monday morning Hasina told her close aides that Modis comments were unnecessary and unwarranted. The prime minister told her aides that such statements could spoil relations between the future Indian government and Bangladeshi citizens, the newspaper reported. Meanwhile, the BJP has endorsed Modis stance against alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators as justified and legitimate. An article, written by leader of the opposition Arun Jaitley and posted on the BJP website, said: It is not only the BJPs stand that infiltration must be stopped and the infiltrators must be sent back. The Supreme Court described it as a silent invasion of India. The BJP has been playing the infiltration card to lure voters in their favour from the beginning of its election campaign. Modi in his election campaign said several times that he would get rid of the Bangladeshi infiltrators if he came to power. l

was seen in Narayanganj till April 29 afternoon. Nazruls family filed the case against him on April 28. But the local administration and police did not detain or arrest Nur Hossain. The mystery of such inaction of law enforcers baffled the local people. When the media in last 10 days have exposed Nur Hossains crime world Nazruls family came forward with many convincing information and logic of suspecting Nur Hossain for killing Nazrul and others. But till yesterday police had failed to nab Nur Hossain and his accomplices though they have claimed to have made substantial progress in the investigation. They also failed to unearth his drug business before they recovered 3,500 bottles of phensidyl, 37 cans of beer, nine bottles of foreign liquor and seven sharp weapons yesterday from five shops of Nur Hossain. None was arrested during the drive as all the shops were locked. When the drive was going on at Siddhirganjs Shimrail Truck Stand Md Zakaria, additional superintendent of police in Narayanganj, who led the police team said: We have come to know today that Nur had piled drugs including phensidyl, foreign liquor, beer,

yaba tablets in five shops here. As Police Superintendent of the district Dr Khandakar Mahid Uddin was asked why police did not launch any drive in the past, he said: I was posted here only nine days back. If you ask anything about the previous activities of police, I cant answer it. I can assure you, from now on nobody will ever be able to run drug business or any illegal activities here. You see, we have recovered drug. We also searched Nur Hossains office, he said. About the progress made in the sensational seven-murder case, he said: Investigation is going on. We have made substantial progress. Following the abduction involvement of local RAB 11 officials were discussed strongly. Police had said that they would arrest anyone they deemed necessary for investigation. On May 6, the authorities concerned dismissed Commanding Officer of the RAB 11 Lt Col Tareque Sayeed Mohammad and its company commanders Maj Arif Hossain and Lt Commander SM Masud Rana for their alleged involvement in abducting and killing of seven people in exchange for money. Asked, if they would arrest the sacked ex-RAB men, he said: We are looking into everything. Let us see. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Brick kilns, transports key air polluters

Government initiatives start after WHO ranks Bangladesh fourth worst country to breathe

Maya: My family has no links with seven murders

n Emran Hossain Shaikh
Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya yesterday in a statement claimed that there was no link of his family members to the seven murders in Narayanganj. Former Lt Col Tarek Sayeed Mahmud, Mayas son-in-law, was removed from his job as head of the Narayanganj-based RAB 11 unit two days after the April 27 abductions were reported. In the statement the minister expressed profound shock at the murders of seven people including Narayanganj City Corporation Councillor Nazrul Islam and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members. Different reports are being presented in media involving my family members in the incident. It is shocking and insulting for me and my family members, he added. He urged all to know the fact before making any comments on the incident. Maya, also secretary of the Awami League Dhaka city unit, said he did not want to comment on a sub-judge matter. The investigation is going on. This is why I want to avoid any comment that may influence the investigation. I hope the truth must come out through investigation, the minister said. l

n Abu Bakar Siddique

The government has identified the brick making industry and transportation system as the key reasons behind the deteriorated quality of air in the country, especially in urban areas. The latest air pollution monitoring report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) ranked Bangladesh fourth among 91 countries having the worst urban air quality. A number of government officials told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that the government had taken a number of initiatives, including improving the brick kiln industry and introducing modern transportation systems with a view to improving the air quality. The newly formulated Brick Making and Brick Field Establishment (Control) Act 2013 will be enacted from July 1, prohibiting operations of the old-fashioned brick fields that are largely to blame for air pollution, said Md Raisul

Alam Mondal, Director-General of the Department of Environment, yesterday. According to the report, three Bangladeshi cities Narayanganj, Gazipur and Dhaka have been marked as having the 17th, 21st and 23rd worst quality air, respectively. The new law prohibits the establishment of brick kilns using conventional methods and promotes energy-efficient and relatively cleaner technologies like Zigzag, Hybrid Hoffman Kiln (HHK) and Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK). In September 2010, the government gave the brick makers two years to adopt these technologies. At present, there are more than 6,356 brickfields in the country. Till June 2013, only 1,101 of them have adopted Zigzag, HHK and VSBK technologies. The deadline was later extended by six months till March this year and again by another three months till June. The report was prepared on the basis of the monthly air quality monitoring

data of 2013 from the Department of Environment (DoE). The DoE has set up air quality monitoring stations in eleven cities, including Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Khulna and Sylhet. Apart from the new technologies, the new law prohibits the establishment of brickfields in residential, protected, commercial and agricultural areas, and also in forests, sanctuaries, wetlands and Ecologically Critical Areas (ECAs). Any establishment in the prohibited areas will be treated as a criminal offense, the law says, with varying degrees of punishment for the offenders to be determined based on the nature of the areas involved. The maximum punishment for setting up a brickfield in a residential, protected or commercial location will be a five-year jail term or Tk5m in fines or both. For forests private or public sanctuaries and wetlands, the punishment

will include a 1-year prison sentence or a fine of Tk100,000. Speaking on the improved and modern transportation systems, the DoE DG said that the government has taken a specific initiative to make the citys transportation systems more environment-friendly. The Prime Minister has called a meeting tomorrow which will be attended by the stakeholders, including the Ministry of Environment and Forests. There will be a discussion on this, he added. Of all the regions, Pakistan has been listed as the worst country in terms of air quality with Qatar and Afghanistan ranking second and third, respectively. Iran, Egypt, Mongolia, the United Arab Emirates, India and Bahrain take other positions among the worst ten. Outdoor air pollution has killed 3.7 million people in 2012 and the WHO says it is now the worlds single largest environmental health risk. l

This is the first time Maya has talked about the issue two days after his son-in-laws premature retirement from army
I would firmly say that none of my family members has ever been linked or involved in any business dealings with any of the accused in the murder case, Maya said in the statement sent by his Public Relation Officer Omar Faruque Dewan. This is the first time Maya has talked about the issue two days after his son-inlaws premature retirement from army.

Khaleda set to visit Narayanganj May 14 n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Even though her party has not got permission to hold a rally in Narayanganj, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will visit the district on May 14 to express sympathy for the family members of seven victims. Narayanganj district BNP president Taimur Alam Khandakar told the Dhaka Tribune over phone that Khaleda Zia will come to Narayanganj on May 14 to express her sympathy for the family members of the seven people who had been abducted and killed recently. City panel mayor Nazrul Islam, senior lawyer Chandan Sarkar and five others were abducted from the citys Link Road on April 27 and were found dead two days later. The party had sought permission to hold a meeting on Bangabandhu Lane in Narayanganj on May 14, which was turned down by city corporation authorities. Then it sought permission from the deputy commissioner for Alauddin Stadium, but that too was turned down. Though we have not got permission to hold the rally, the schedule for Khaleda Zias programme will be the same. She will go to the residences of Nazrul Chandan, Taimur said. l

SSC results early next week

n Mushque Wadud
Results of the Secondary School Certificate examinations will be published early next week, an education board official told the Dhaka Tribune. Taslima Begum, chairperson of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Sub-committee, said the results will be published on either May 17 or May 18, depending on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas approval. The education minister usually hands the results over to the prime minister and then formally announces them at the secretariat. After the announcement, students collect their results from their respected schools. Taslima told the Dhaka Tribune that the results of any public examination is supposed to be published within 60 days of the end of the exams. May 19 marks the end of the 60-day period, so the results will be published before that day, she said. A total of 14,32,727 students, 733,202 male and 699,525 female, appeared in the SSC examinations at 2,942 centres throughout the country this year 1,29,554 more than last years number of examinees. l

A city corporation worker uses a jet blower to clean dust from the road on the city protection embankment making way for repair work yesterday. The picture was taken from Rayerbazar area MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

7 arrested for killing Swechchhasebak League leader

n Mohammad Jamil Khan
Members of the Detective Branch of police have arrested seven people for their alleged involvement in the murder of Swechchhasebak League President of Dhanmondi Thana unit. The arrestees in primary interrogation confessed to have killed Swechchhasebak League President Sheikh Munim Foyez, 40, over conflicts of money transaction of multi-level marketing company Jubok. The DB has unearthed the mystery of the murders in a briefing yesterday at the Media and Community Centre of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. Munim went out of his Dhanmondi residence on April 5 and since then he has gone missing. Soon after the incident, the family members of victim filed a general diary with Kalabagan police station. On April 6, police recovered the body of Munim from near Borsha Cinema Hall of Gazipur intersection. Later, a murder case was filed with Kalabagan police station against some unidentified people. Addressing the briefing, Krishna Pada Roy, deputy commissioner of the DB (south) police, said they had arrested the accused from different parts of the capital. The arrestees are identified as Kazi Shirajul Alam alias Kazi Siraj, 62, Mohammad Sakil Khan, 25, Jahid Hassan alias Siraj, 22, Nabin Hossain, 23, private car driver Farid alias Rafiqul Islam, 35, ambulance driver Mostofa, 33, and ambulance helper Imran Hossain, 20. Krishna said deceased Munim was a director of the Jubok. Kazi Shiraj and a woman were the members of Jubok who deposited huge amount of money in the Jubok account. As part of their plan the woman told Munim over phone to visit her house at Rayerbazar. Their plan was to confine Munim and realise ransom from him. Soon after Munim reached that house Siraj along with some others psychically tortured him. Later the accused took the victim to Nabins house at Kamrangirchar. As he was put under anaesthetic Munim died there. The accused then tried to take the body out of the capital in a private car but reaching Mohammadpur area car driver Rafiqul refused to go further. After that an ambulance was hired with the help of Rafiqul. However, reaching Gazipur intersection, they hired a van saying that the deceased is one of their relatives and they were taking him home. Soon after the accused fled leaving the body on the van. In fear of arrest, the van driver too has left the spot. Sanowar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of the DB who is investigating the case, said recently Jubok has sold out one of their houses in Dhanmondi area and the accused thought that Munim would not give their money back. So they planned to collect the money as ransom by confining him. But their plan did not work as Munim died following psychical torture and under the impact of anaesthetic. Asked about the woman ADC Sanowar declined disclosing her name for the sake of investigation saying that the woman was on the run. Munims wife Nahid Farzana along with two children of her was also present at the briefing. She told the Dhaka Tribune that Munim was appointed as a director of Jubok in the year of 2009. I want nothing but exemplary punishment to the killers of my husband. l

Interest payment may eat up 12% of next budget

n Asif Showkat Kallol
The allocation of interest payment against government borrowings from local sources is expected to grow by more than 17.23% in the upcoming budget which will add pressure on the fiscal management and widen the budget deficit. The government will put aside Tk30,809 crore for the fiscal year 201415, up Tk4,806 crore from the outgoing fiscal year, to service domestic debts to be required during the period, a finance ministry official said. The countrys overall debts have reached around 50% of its gross domestic product (GDP). The official estimated that interest payment will eat up about 12.37% of the total budget for the new fiscal year which is likely to be Tk249,000 crore. The allocation of interest payment in the outgoing fiscal year was Tk26,003 crore against domestic borrowings. Officials concerned pointed out that they had difficulty in keeping the budget deficit of the new fiscal at five of GDP because of a huge pressure for subsidy and interest payment. According to a primary estimate of the last budget resources committee, the amount of total subsidy is likely to be Tk26,053 crore. Interest payment and subsidy covered 85.56% or Tk56,862 crore for next year with possible budget deficit of Tk66,458 crore. The total allocation of both interest payment and subsidy would account for almost one-fourth of the total budget outlay. Successive governments have been maintaining the deficit within the range for a long time. The official said several Padma Bridges are likely to be built from the yearly allocation of subsidy and interest payment outlay. The budget wing of Finance Division sought suggestions from the policymakers on how to complete the difficult arithmetic relating to the deficit. The budget management committee, headed by Finance Minister AMA Muhith, is likely to sit this week to resolve the problem. The higher budget deficit is contrary to prudent fiscal management for an economy like Bangladesh. It would have destabilising impacts on the macro-economy and currency management as the government is forced to expensive borrowings due to shortage of internal resources, said the ministry officials. A major part of increased deficit would come from bank borrowing for the next fiscal year which might be created from subsidy and interest payment for the past borrowing, Planning Commission member Shamsul Alam told the Dhaka Tribune. He, however, said it would be better to borrow from the banks as a little amount of money had so far been taken from the banking system. l

Detectives produce seven persons, detained in connection with the Swechchhasebak League President Sheikh Munim Foyez murder case, before the media in the capital yesterday NASHIRUL ISLAM

15 Hong Kong returnee migrants likely to get bank loan waiver

n Rabiul Islam
The government has urged Probashi Kallyan Bank to waive the bank loan of the 15 female migrant workers who returned home after losing jobs in Hong Kong several months back. The Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry requested the bank to look into the problems of those female migrants and waive the bank loan, a senior official of the ministry said seeking anonymity. We are investigating why the migrants returned home, and if we waive the loan, the bank will not survive, the banks Managing Director Koyes Sami told the Dhaka Tribune. We cannot waive the principal amount, but we can facilitate the repayment of loan by easy installment, Sami added. The ministry official, however, said the bank authority was reserved as the message of loan waiver might encourage other migrants to use the opportunity. After being terminated from jobs and facing various types of harassment in Hong Kong the 15 female returnees lodged complaints with the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training. They also demanded that their bank loan be waived and compensation paid. Each female migrant took a loan of Tk120,000-Tk140,000 from Probashi Kallyan Bank before they flew to Hong Kong. They were supposed to repay the loan by installments from their monthly wages. BMET sources said a total of 427 Bangladeshi women went to Hong Kong to work as housemaids. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Financial irregularities grip Petrobangla

n Aminur Rahman Rasel
There has been missappropriation of over Tk5 crore at the state-owned Petrobangla as it transferred money meant for the deficit oil head margin for Bapex sector to the price deficit fund sector instead, said the audit report from the Commercial Audit Directorate. The report also said Petrobangla had incurred a loss of over Tk16 lakh in the fiscal 2012-13 as it accepted the tender for lift maintenance placed by the second lowest bidder instead of the lowest bidder. A four-member team from the Commercial Audit Directorate took nearly two months, from February to March this year, to audit the companys 201213 statement. The team submitted the audit report to the Director-General of the directorate on April 10. As for the misappropriation, the report revealed that gas distribution companies under Petrobangla, including Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd, Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company Limited, Pashchimanchal Gas Company Ltd, Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution System Limited and Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited, pay Bapex Tk25 for each mcs of gas. In order to meet the deficit in the gas production cost by Bapex, these distribution companies send money to Petrobanglas account at a specified rate in the deficit oil head margin for the Bapex sector, which, according to the rule, should be sent to the Bapex account by Petrobangla. Petrobangla authorities, however, transferred a portion of the sum collected from the distribution firms to its own price deficit fund. In the fiscal 2012-13, Petrobangla transferred Tk51,828,838 to the fund which was supposed to go to the Bapex account. The price deficit fund sector was created to adjust the subsidy paid at the consumer level in the wake of a hike in the price of gas obtained from the International Oil Company. Thus, transferring the money paid by distribution firms for the deficit oil head margin for Bapex sector to the price deficit fund sector is a violation of the rules. The audit team has recommended informing it after transferring money from the deficit oil head margin for Bapex sector to the price deficit fund sector. Petrobangla Chairman Hossain Monsur told the Dhaka Tribune that it will be inappropriate to comment before seeing the audit report. In addition, the report revealed that, according to tender opening sheet, six bidders submitted bids for the contract to repair and maintain five Petrobangla lifts and Benfix Technology was given the work order dated 30th June, 2011, as the lowest bidder and the contract price was Tk4,358,908.80. The report further revealed that Kecco Limited bid Tk2,754,000 for the five lifts for 36 months, with Tk15,300 for each lift per month. The tender evaluation committee, however, declined Kecco Limiteds bid on the grounds that the firm did not have any prior experience in running and maintaining LG lifts, and that the bid placed by it was less than the estimated bid. The tender thus went to Benfix Technology. However, Kecco Limiteds bidding document showed it had experience in maintaining LG lifts, meaning its bid was wrongly cancelled which led to a loss of Tk1,604,909. Speaking on the issue, Hossain Monsur told the Dhaka Tribune everything was done according to the tender evaluation committees report. The committee is not supposed to give a report that could lead to a loss for Petrobangla, he added. l

A horde of buffaloes swim across a river to travel from one side of the forest to the another at Nijum Dwip in Noakhali yesterday

BANGLAR CHOKH

Drug administration starts punitive measures against faulty pharmaceuticals companies

n Moniruzzaman Uzzal
The Directorate General of Drug Administration has started taking punitive actions against the substandard pharmaceutical companies that have been flouting rules and manufacturing drugs. As part of its latest move, the administration cancelled the drug licence of Mystic Pharmaceuticals Ltd, as well as prohibiting it from the manufacture, sales and marketing of drugs. Brig Gen Md Zahangir Hossain Mollick, director general of the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA), said: We will show zero tolerance toward pharmaceutical companies manufacturing substandard drugs. Mystic Pharmaceuticals is one of the 62 companies which had been detected as substandard company by the parliamentary committee of Health Ministry. They have been found guilty of malpractice as they have been manufacturing drugs in violation of the World Health Organization and Good Manufacturing Practice guidelines for years. A high official of the DGDA told the Dhaka Tribune the authorities will cancel the drug licence of a couple of companies very soon. The DGDA issued show cause notices to 15 pharmaceutical companies which were previously identified as the manufacturers of substandard drugs, asking them to explain within 15 days why their licences should not be cancelled. The drug administration made the move following the directives from the Health Ministry on April 20. The DGDA served a show cause notice to Mystic Pharmaceuticals Ltd based in Narsingdi on February 18 after its inquiry into the drug company. The inquiry report mentioned that Mystic Pharmaceuticals Ltd was not following the GMP guidelines. The Dhaka Tribune obtained a copy of the suspension order in which the DGDA mentioned 12 valid reasons for cancelling the drug companys licence. The investigation team found a shortage of manpower and no microbiologists in the drug industry. A plant in-charge was the only official who looked after manufacture and quality control. There was even no quarantine area or finished product store for the manufactured drugs. The manufacture of substandard drugs came into the spotlight in 2010 following the deaths of 24 children who took a paracetamol syrup manufactured by Rid Pharmaceuticals Ltd. The parliamentary body of the Health Ministry formed a probe team that identified 62 companies as producers of fake medicine in 2010. Later it revised the number of companies and placed it at 73, following a second round of inspections in 2013. Of the 73, the team found 29 companies posing high risks to public health. The report mentioned that the 29 did not comply with the World Health Organisation guidelines in manufacturing drugs. l

MK Anwar: Arrest BNP men if involved with Narayanganj killing

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla
BNP standing committee member MK Anwar, who has remained silent for a long time after his release from jail, yesterday urged the government to arrest his party men if anyone of them was involved with the abduction and killing of seven people in Narayanganj. He came up with the statement as a cabinet minister alleged that BNP men were involved with the Narayanganj killing. former chief justice who ordered annulment of the caretaker government system, the BNP leader said the government along with a former chief justice was responsible for the countrys existing situation. He added: A former justice through a verdict scratched an amendment from the constitution and snatched the fundamental and voting rights of people. The more days the constitution will remain, the country will not see any development. So, the constitution should have to be thrown into the dustbin. The former bureaucrat said the administration had collapsed just because of a huge number of OSDs (Officers on Special Duty) and the anti-corruption commission was issuing certificates to only those, whom the government wants to see corruption-free. In the way the government has damaged all the basic organs of the state, he said and hoped that people of the country would raise their voice and then none could stop them. So, there is nothing to get frustrated rather people have to move forward. Urging the prime minister to step down from the office he said, Resign immediately, otherwise you have to pay the price. Former chief election commissioner Abdur Rauf also spoke at the discussion meeting. l

Language Movement activist Azharuddin laid to rest

n Our Correspondent, Barisal

Members from the associate bodies of Gonojagaran Moncho take part at the platforms joint meeting in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR

JaPa in crisis as GM Quader and Rawshan lock horns

n Manik Miazee
Jatiya Party has been facing a serious crisis as the party has divided into two fractions, one led by party Chairman Husain Muhammad Ershads wife and Opposition Leader Rawshan Ershad and the other by his brother and party senior presidium member GM Quader. For quite a long time, the two fractions had failed to agree on party decisions and subsequently this gave rise to internal feuds within the party ranks. The Rawshan-led fraction includes Anisul Islam Mahmud, party Secretary General Zia Uddin Ahmed Bablu, Kazi Firoz Rashid and other leaders who took part in the 10th Parliamentary Elections held on January 5 this year. The GM Quader fraction consists of former secretary general ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader, Sunil Shuvo Roy, Bobi Hajjaj, Shohel Rana, Ershads nephew Asif Shahriar and other leaders of the party who withdrew their nomination papers as per a directive of the party chairman. At the partys last presidium members meeting, Rawshan and her panel members criticised the party chairman for making unilateral decisions and frequently changing them. She also criticised pro-GM Quader leaders for carrying out activities against Rawshan and others. Pointing out Sunil Shuvo Roy and Bobi Hajjaj, Rawshan came down heavily on HM Ershad for appointing some of the partys paid employees as senior leaders. Such activities hamper the partys image, she said. She also questioned how an office employee can get the party ticket to participate in an election. Saying that Sohel Rana had failed to serve the party as its election coordinator, she further added: Rana has never participated in any election. He has no expertise in election coordination. Then why is he holding the post? Surprisingly, GM Quader was not present at the meeting. According to the party source, GM Quader had refrained from joining the meeting due to Rawshans presence. And for the same reasons, Ruhul Amin Howlader and Sunil Shuvo Roy were not present at the meeting, claiming illnesses. Ershad was reportedly furious at Rawshans comments and announced to his resignation from the post of party chairman, after the meeting. He also sent a letter to the partys secretary general in this regard. However, his decision was withdrawn within a short period of time. When asked, Ershad said: A presidium meeting has to be called if I am to resign. Why should I resign? I just announced my resignation in rage. Meanwhile, GM Kader has been losing his credibility with the ruling government. Ershad had asked for GM Kader to be made MP from the Rangpur-6 constituency, however, that did not happen. The government also paid no heed to Ershads requested to make Kader a technocrat minister. In this regard, GM Quader told the Dhaka Tribune: My name was not on the good list of the government, so it is not possible for them to make me a minister of the present government. Regarding the conflict, Rawshan told the Dhaka Tribune: Our party is the largest party in the country. It is normal to have some conflict with party leaders but it is nothing serious. l

The administration had collapsed just because of a huge number of OSDs and the anticorruption commission was issuing certificates to only those
I want to say that not the BNP men rather Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League were involved with the killing. If any BNP man was involved with the killing, arrest him, Anwar told a roundtable discussion. The country has now turned a death valley, he said while addressing the roundtable discussion organised by Swadhinata Forum at the National Press Club. Pointing his accusing finger at a

Schoolgirl gang raped

n Our Correspondent, Barguna
A grade V schoolgirl was gang raped at her own house in Barguna in early hours yesterday. Family sources said a group of miscreants led by Zakir, 30, son of late Anwar Hossain of village Chal Tatli under Embaliatali union of Sadar upazila and Nazmul, 32, son of late Faiz Uddin of the same village confined the victims mother and raped the child one by one at 2am yesterday. The father of the victim was not present during the incident. Her mother told the locals about the incident as she seriously fell sick in the morning. Afterwards the victim was sent to the Barguna Sadar police station and she was later rushed to the Barguna Sadar Hospital as her situation aggravated further. Officer-in-Charge of Barguna Sadar police station Pulok Chandra Roy said the child had been sent to the hospital as her condition became critical. Process was initiated to file a case in this connection as the accused were on run, he added. The Resident Doctor of Barguna Sadar Hospital Tapash Kumar Pal told the Dhaka Tribune that the victim was now out of danger and she has sustained injuries only on her face. The investigating officer of the incident Sub-Inspector Md Touhidur Rahman said he had already visited the crime scene and they were trying their level best to arrest the culprits. l

Bhasha Soinik and freedom fighter AKM Azharuddin was laid to rest with state honour at his family graveyard in Barisal city, yesterday afternoon. Azhar died at the age of 82 at Birdem Hospital in the capital on Thursday evening. He had been under treatment there since April 17 due to old-age complications, said his son Abu Bakar Sohel. His body was taken to Barisal early yesterday and his Namaz-e-Janaza was held on Begum Tofazzal Manik Mia Mahila College ground after Jumma prayers. He was then given the state salute. People from all walks of life, including distinguished personalities, administrative officials and leaders of different organisations, attended the Janaza and burial. They expressed deep condolences and remembered Azhars contribution in 1952 and 1971, as well as in society and the country in later years. Born in South Alekanda, Barisal city in 1932, Azharuddin was one of the active participants in the Language Movement activities in Barisal. A student of Class X at A K Institution in Barisal at the time of the movement, Azhar led a procession of school students on February 22, 1952 chanting the slogan Rashtra bhasha Bangla chai (We want Bangla to be state language) and protesting the killing of the movements activists in Dhaka on February 21. Later, he actively participated in the Liberation War in 1971. As an avid social worker, a trait that he held on to for his entire life, he founded a juvenile voluntary organisation Kishore Majlish in his area in 1953. A retired official of Bangladesh Water Development Board at the time of his passing, Azhar is survived by three daughters, five sons and a number of well-wishers. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, May 10, 2014

5
Two workers die in sock factory fire n CU Correspondent
Two workers were burnt alive in a fire at a sock factory in Chittagong citys Baizid area, earlyyesterday. Arafat Hossain Roni, 25, the son of late Tamanna Khan from the Paikdi area in Chandpur and Md Iftekhar, 32, the son of Jahirul Alam of the Raozan upazila of Chittagong, passed away in the fire, said police sources. Mohammed Yahiya, assistant director of the Fire Service and Civil Defense headquarters in Agrabad said a fire broke out at the Karnaphuli Knitting factory, in Shitaljarna of the Oxygen area, from an electrical short circuit at around 4am, yesterday. Fire fighters rushed to the spot on receiving this information and doused the fire after one and a half hours of frantic effort, added the official. The two workers sustained critical injuries since they were asleep inside the factory during the fire, said Sub-Inspector Panna Lal Barua of Baizid police station, adding that they were immediately taken to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital where the on-duty doctors declared them dead. An unnatural death case was filed, added the SI. Meanwhile, at least six thatched houses and a readymade garments factory were burnt in the citys Akbar Shah area and Chakbazar area, respectively. Sources said one ire originated from an electrical short circuit on the second floor of the furnishing section of Fashion Park International on the Lalchand road under the Chawkbazar police station at around 2:30am, yesterday. l

Illegal three-wheelers continue to operate

Police, other authorities allegedly taking bribes for non-harassment tokens in Barisal city n Our Correspondent, Barisal
Illegal battery-run and non battery-run three-wheelers continue to operate on the city roads as police allegedly allow union leaders to issue permit tokens in exchange for bribes, which accumulates to around Tk20 lakh per month. Most of these illegal vehicles have locally-made bodies and run on low quality engines, posing great risks to the lives of their passengers, pedestrians and other vehicles. Although leaders of these union bodies acknowledge the token system, they claim that the revenue generated from these tokens are used as donations for the welfare fund of the workers. Mobashwer Ali Khondokar, president of the Barisal district Auto-Rickshaw, Tempo, Baby Taxi, and Cab Owners Association, said only around 500 diesel-operated and 1,200 battery-run three wheelers have valid licenses. More than 2,000 diesel and battery-run three-wheelers are illegally operating on different roads and streets of the city without any number plates, legal or fitness documents, licenses or any kind of permit from the authorities concerned. These vehicles continue their operation by agreeing to pay a non- harassment token, the associations City Secretary Advocate S M Rafikul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune. An investigation found out that every month, drivers or owners of illegal battery-run or motorised three-wheelers are made to pay around Tk1,000,

Operators of battery-run rickshaws often without licence plates, left are given token, above, for running on the streets of Barisal city DHAKA TRIBUNE other authorities on their behalf. Sources also informed that at least 60% of the sum collected from these non-harassment tokens are distributed among police officials while the rest get divided among different officials of the BRTA, the BCC, the district administration and the leaders of the ruling party and different associations. When asked, the BRTA Barisal Office Deputy Director Uttam Kumar Barua said BRTA has jurisdiction only over fuel-run vehicles and the City Corporation has added the word auto with these battery-run three wheelers and is responsible for issuing the licenses for them. Meanwhile, an official of the transport section of the Barisal City Corporation has told this correspondent

which comes down to Tk 300-500 for legal ones, to receive a non-harass-

ment token signed by approved agents or staff who manage law enforcers and

that, till now, the city corporation has issued licences to some 1,209 battery-run three wheelers and is expected to award licences to another 1,000 rickshaws upgraded with battery-run engines. However, many illegal vehicles continue to operate without any number plate from the BRTA or the BCC by sticking On-Test labels or with forged documents. However, law enforcement agencies and other authorities concerned are apparently not taking any punitive measures against these ill practices although they have full jurisdiction to take action against any kind of unlicensed vehicle. When asked, Barisal Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner (traffic) Mahmud Hasan brushed off the allegations and said regular drives are being conducted to check the validity and fitness licenses of all three-wheelers in the city. l

Call to unite against foreign cultural aggression n Our Correspondent, Barisal n Abu Bakar Siddique
Barisal Sangskritik Sangathan Samannaya Parishad (BSSSP), the alliance of 26 cultural organisations in Barisal city, urged all to unite and raise their voice against injustice and to prevent foreign cultural aggression, yesterday. At the 31st annual general meeting of the organisation, the speakers made the call. The day long programme was inaugurated by Mamunor Rashid, distinguished drama writer, actor and director, at the Barisal Aswini Kumar Hall. A rally was brought out that marched through different city-roads as part of the inauguration ceremony. Later, a discussion meeting and the annual general council were held, which was presided over by Syed Dulal, outgoing president of the BSSSP. The speakers called for unity in order to spread the practice of Bengali cultural traditions in all aspects of life to prevent foreign cultural aggression. They also urged the people to build a secular, non-communal and democratic Bangladesh, abolishing all injustice and disparity as per the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War and the dreams of the freedom fighters. l

Ratify the UN convention Green activists demand removal of on common rivers structures from Dhanmondi ground
Speakers, at a discussion yesterday, urged the government to ratify the UN Convention on the International Trans Boundary Rivers 1997 to move towards international arena to get equitable shares of the 54 common rivers which lie between Bangladesh and India. They also expressed the need for building public opinion among the like-minded people who live in these two countries against the aggressive attitude of India, regarding the equitable sharing of water from the rivers. Bangladesh does not have any option other than going to the International court to get proper water shares during lean periods to save its agriculture, environment and ecology as India did not pay any heed to the issue, said Prof Anu Muhammad, member secretary of the National Committee for protecting oil, gas, minerals, power and ports. He said this while addressing a discussion titled The aggressive attitude of India regarding equitable water sharing of 54 common rivers: Bangladesh Perspective, held at the citys National Press Club auditorium and organised by the Gano Sanghati Andolon. Blaming the Joint river commission for not working properly, he said the platform did not bring any fruitful result. Blaming the Indian government, Prof Tanjim Uddin Khan of the International Relations of Dhaka University said the Indian government made an eye-wash drama in 2011 regarding the Treaty for water sharing of the Teesta River. Indian central government has the right to make any bilateral treaty with any country, he said, adding that it seems that the West Bengal government does not want that the Teesta treaty should be signed. Prof Anu Muhamamad said India created several dams and barrages upstream, resulting in a reduced amount of siltation in the Bay of Bengal.

n Abu Hayat Mahmud

Environmental activists, politicians, sports personalities and residents in Dhanmondi area yesterday termed the leaders of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club outsiders and illegal occupants of Dhanmondi playground. They urged the Dhaka South City Corporation to form a management committee comprised of only local people for the playground. The individuals also demanded demolition of all old and new structures, halt to all construction in the playground and withdrawal of false cases filed against the leaders of Dhanmondi Playground Protection Committee. They made the demand at a rally held inside the playground yesterday. The programme was moderated by Alamgir Kabir, coordinator of Green Voice, an environmental orgranisation. Architect Mubasshar Hussain, former president of the Institute of Architects Bangladesh, said: The city corporation clearly said the playground had not been allocated to any private club or person, but inside it, the club authority constructed structures, which are illegal. He claimed that Sheikh Jamal Club governing body chairman was the incumbent Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Benazir Ahmed. Mubasshar said recently the club authority put an advertisement in different national dailies for the publicity of the club which was illegal. How is it possible that a government high official is involved with such an illegal act? he posed a question. We are demanding an immediate resignation of the DMP commissioner from the illegal committee of the clubs governing body. He also noted that they went to the

The Indian government has set-up upstream dams to divert the water flow and use the water for its own irrigation without having any concern about Bangladesh
In the case of the Teesta River, the Indian government has set-up at least four dams upstream to divert the water flow and use the water for its own irrigation without having any concern for how this might harm the agriculture and ecology of the northern part of Bangladesh. As an example, he cited that around 2.5 billion tonnes of silt had deposited in the Bay in 1971 whereas it came down to only 1.2 billion tonnes in 1991 because of the reduction in water flow in the common rivers. If the situation continues, most of the rivers of the country will lose its navigability, he added. Prof Nasima Akhter Hossain of Jahangirnagar University, Jonayed Saki, coordinator of Gano Sanghati Andolon and Bangladesh Communist Party General Secretary Khalequzzman spoke on the occasion, among others. l

Green activists form a human chain inside the Dhanmondi playground yesterday, demanding eviction of all illegal establishments from the ground RAJIB DHAR court to settle the dispute. The High Court bench repeatedly felt embarrassed to hear a petition, seeking its directives to remove the structures built on the Dhanmondi playground, said Mubasshar. Our campaign would continue till making the playground free from the clutch of illegal occupants, he said. The architect alleged that the incumbent club authority was masterminding to split the playground into two parts. In one part, the club authority would like to establish its own rule like Ayub Khan. Mustafizur Rahman, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, said the playground was gradually falling into the hands of several land grabbers, thus forcing children in Dhanmondi to depend on computers only for their recreation. So we should protect the public playground from the occupation of the land grabbers. Expressing solidarity with the rally, veteran politician Pankaj Bhattacharya said: The playground should be open for all because it is a public playground. He claimed that the activities of Dhanmondi Club authority were anti-constitutional and against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas stand on the necessity of open space and childrens park. Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan Joint Secretary Iqbal Habib said: Our protest leader is Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In 2000, she directed all authorities concerned to free all public playgrounds, open space, childrens parks and wet land from the grabbers. Now we are just following the PMs directives. We hope the premier will issue further directives to the club authority for demolition of all illegal structures from the playground. l

WEATHER THUNDERSHOWER

SATURDAY, MAY 10
DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:32PM SUN RISES 5:19AM FORECAST FOR TODAY
Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Coxs Bazar 41 32 42 39 39 39 32 32 29 27 28 25 27 27 23 28

National Rabindra Sangeet festival ends

n Afrose Jahan Chaity
A five-day National Rabindra Sangeet festival organised by artists of Bangladesh Rabindra Sangeet Shilpi Sangstha (BRSSS) ended yesterday at the Public Library Auditorium to celebrate the 153rd birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Honourable Speaker of Bangladesh National Parliament Dr Shirin Sharmin Choudhury attended the program as chief guest and she handed over the honourary award to Singer Shujeo Shyam for his contribution in the Liberation War as a singer. He was a music director and singer at Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra during the Liberation War. The concluding program started with Ankhi Boidyos solo rendition of Tagores Shey Amar Gopon Kotha. Monjira Nisha, Nasrin Akter, Abdur Rashid, and many other artists performed mesmerising Rabindra songs at the closing ceremony. Solo performance on Rakho Rakhore by Ameena Ahmed captivated the audience while Rabiraag performed a group rendition of Ami Marer Sagor Pari Debo Go. Artists of BRSSS also sang National Anthem at the occasion. BRSSS also organised a Rabindra Sangeet competition on the 90th birth anniversary of Tagore exponent and artist Kalim Sharafi. The final round of competition was held yesterday and the best singers were awarded with Kalim Sharafi Memorial Award. With the slogan Dibe Ar Nibe, Milabe Milibe, Jabe Na Phire, BRSSS also celebrated the organisations silver jubilee this year. l

41.2C Rajshahi

YESTERDAYS HIGH AND LOW

Source: Accuweather/UNB

21.5C Sylhet and Rangamati

PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 3:56am 5:18am 11:55am 4:33pm 6:31pm 7:54pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org

Renowned Rabindra Sangeet artiste Ameena Ahmed congratulates Sujeo Sham yesterday for getting the honorary award for his contribution during the 1971 Liberation War as a singer SADIA MARIUM

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Saturday, May 10, 2014

A festival of corruption in Gopalganj

A boat passage over canal built with poor quality materials at Tungipara
n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj
Almost half of a Tk2 crore 23 lakh boat passage has been built with poor quality sand and rocks in the absence of the authorities' oversight of it over Shaila canal connecting Patharghat and Rakkhilabarhi village in Gopalganj's Tungipara. Seeking anonymity, a labourer told the Dhaka Tribune, "Pakshi sand is of good quality and a bit pricey. Instead of using it, the contractor blended Madhumati and Sylhet sand together and then used it in the casting of the passage construction." "Besides this, dust-mixed rocks were used in concrete blocking work," he said. As per work schedule, use of Pakshi sand is a must in the construction of the boat passage. "The contractor is not only using poor quality sand, rocks, but also rods and piling sheets while building the passage," said another labourer, seeking anonymity. A Water Development Board official, preferring not to be named said, "The project site falls under a quite inaccessible area and so officials cannot go and oversee the construction work regularly." "Taking advantage of it, the contractor used the substandard items in the construction work," he said. Our correspondent also visited the site and found piles of Madhumati sand, which is available on a throwaway price. The work of piling, wing walls and some others have already been completed. Messrs Meherul Alam, a contracting firm, is building the boat passage. The work of the boat passage began in the middle of 2012. Manager of the contracting firm Md Babul Mia, also admitted the use of low-quality sand, but denied any irregularity in the passage construction. "No irregularity has been done in the work of rod, piling and wing wall. We are only doing the casting work with local sand, instead of Pakshi sand. As for rocks, we are using the rocks of that quality, which are usually used across the country," he said. "The Water Development Board is also overseeing our work. Our work will pass the hurdle of BUET test easily because we are not compromising over the quality of the work," said Manager Babul. Nikhil Chandra Biswas, sub-divisional engineer at Gopalganj Water Development Board also admitted the use of substandard materials in the construction work.

Three held while abducting school teacher n Tribune Desk

Local people caught three youths while they were attempting to abduct a female school teacher of a government primary school in Sadar uapzila on Thursday. Magura thana officer-in-charge Jahangir Alam said a gang of local terrorists swooped on Labani Khatun, a teacher of Jagla Government Primary School, while she was going to school from her home. While they were trying to pick up the woman she raised a hue and cry. Hearing her scream, local people rushed in and rescued the woman. They caught three youths from the spot and handed over them to police. l

Newlywed woman found dead in Joypurhat n Tribune Desk

The photo taken yesterday shows the boat passage being built over Shaila canal connecting Patharghat to Rakkhilabarhi village in Gopalganjs Tungipara "We have put on hold the construction work for now after learning about the use of poor quality sands and rocks," he told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday, adding, "The contractor has been called to the site. "We will conduct a BUET test over it and see whether quality has been ensured so far." l The body of a newlywed woman was recovered from the septic tank of her husbands village home at Adarshapara under Joypurhat municipality on Friday, 100 days after she had reportedly gone missing. The victim was identified as Subarna, 22, wife of Palash and daughter of Hannan Sheikh of Mirpur-10 in the capital. Tania Begum, victims elder sister, said Subarna was married off to Palash, also their cousin, a few months ago, reports UNB.

Gecko rescued in Barisal

n Our Correspondent, Pirojpur
Gecko, a kind of small lizard commonly known as Tokkhok in Bangla, is on the verge of extinction because the species is being constantly smuggled out of the country. Several groups of unscrupulous people are active in catching the vulnerable species and smuggling them out in order to earn a handsome profit. The number of such people is very alarming as there are several rumours regarding the price of geckos. Some of the illegal businessmen have already been penalised by different mobile courts after they were detained by the law enforcement agencies, recently. In the latest incident which occurred yesterday, police recovered a 10 inch long gecko from Barisals Swarupkathi area. Sub-Inspector Md Enamul Haque of the Swarupkathi police station said

Transport strike continues in Dinajpur

n Our Correspondent, Dinajpur
Workers continue the transport strike to press home their demands in Dinajpur while students of the Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU) have called off their highway blockade program on the third day. On last Wednesday, a private coach collided with a HSTU transport pool bus, resulting in a scuffle between the students and the coach workers. Following the incident, students imposed a blockade at around 5pm in the evening on the highway in front of the university. Several buses were vandalised during the blockade, sources said. Later, bus-truck owners and workers jointly started a transport strike demanding the safety of workers and vehicles, including long distance passenger-buses, on all the routes of the district. Passengers are suffering tremendously due to this continued strike. Sources said Iqbalur Rahim, a ruling party lawmaker from Dinajpur, talked to the demonstrating students on his way back from Dhaka. He assured them that no students will be arrested till proper investigation has been done and the students called off their program and returned to their campus. Meanwhile, transport men told the Dhaka Tribune that their demands have not been met yet, so they will not be calling off their strike until the matter is mutually settled. l

STUDENTS WORKERS DISPUTE

Subarna was married off to Palash, also their cousin, a few months ago
She went missing since her husband and mother-in-law Rahima Begum took her to Joypurhat from Mirpur on January 30, Tania said. Later, Subarnas family lodged an abduction case with Mirpur police station against nine people, including Palash and his mother. Following the case filing, police arrested four of the accused -- Rahima, Arman Ali, Bakul and Sheuly. Palash, however, went into hiding. On the basis of information gleaned from the arrested, a team of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) recovered the body of Subarna from septic tank of her husbands house at Adarshapara at noon today (Friday), said DMP senior assistant commissioner Mukta Dhar. l

Forest officials free the gecko at Pirojpur forest after rescued it from Swarupkathi upazila in Barisal DHAKA TRIBUNE the Tokkhok was recovered from the house of Swapan Majumder in the Kourikhara area. Swapan, Hridoy Mandal and Milton were detained in this regard and they were fined Tk10,000 each, the SI added. Swarupkathi Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mizanur Rahman later handed over the Tokkhok to the Forest Department. Assistant Conservator of Forest, Pirojpur Forest Department, Harunor-Rashid said the Tokkhok was set free in the forest. l

Five killed in separate road accidents

n Tribune Report
At least three people, including a law enforcer, were killed in three separate road accidents in Sherpur, Comilla, Sirajganj and Faridpur. A nine-year-old boy was killed after a truck ran him over in Sherpurs Kalibari area under the Jhinaigati upazila, yesterday. Witnesses said a speeding truck ran over Jony Sheel while he was riding his bicycle over to meet his father at around 10am, leaving him dead on the spot. He was a class three student of the Chenguriya Government Primary School. Following the incident, agitated locals detained the driver and barricaded the road, in protest. Later, police recovered the driver from the agitated locals. SubInspector Fazle Elahi of the Jhinaigati police station confirmed the incident. In Comilla, a micro-bus ran over a police constable on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway on Thursday night. Md Delwar Hossain, 52, succumbed to his injuries on the way to Dhaka for treatment. Officer-in-Charge Abu Salam Mia of the Daudkandi model police station said Delwar was first taken to the Gouripur Hospital from where the doctors referred him to the capital. The micro-bus was detained but the driver managed to flee, the OC said, adding that a case had been filed with the police station. A school student, Mohammad Ali, 13, was killed when a bus ran him over in Sirajganjs Belkuchi area on the Sirajganj-Belkichi-Enayetpur road at around 8am, yesterday. Police said Ali died on the way to hospital, adding that a case had been filed. In Faridpur, two officials of Medi Plus Toothpaste, Faridpur Branch, were killed in a road accident on the DhakaBarisal highway, early yesterday. Highway police said a microbus coveying Mahbubur Rahman, 32, and KG Mostafa, 45, lost control and fell into a roadside ditch. The duo died on the spot and two others, including the driver, were injured, they added.l

The photo taken yesterday shows a field with a good number of watermelons in Panchagarh Sugermill area under Sadar upazila

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Fortune smiles on watermelon farmers in Panchagarh

n Our Correspondent, Panchagarh
Farmers in Panchagarh are very happy nowadays since they have not only witnessed a bumper yield of watermelons but are also getting fair prices for their produce. Just few years back, most of the people in this area were facing abject poverty and now they are leading happy lives with three meals a day and their children get to go to school regularly. Farmers said a marginal farmer also earned Tk30,000-50,000 as each of their produce sold at Tk10 to Tk30 according to size. Panchagarh is considered the producer of the best quality watermelon in the country for its favourable climate, suitable soil, easy availability of labour and other facilities. The fruits are mostly cultivated at the Harivasha, Chala, Magura, Amarkhana, Satkhamer, Hafizabad, Banglabandha, Tirnai, Jagdal and Bhajanpur villages. Not only has the juicy summer fruit flooded the local markets, it also makes its way to Dhaka and other parts of the country on 10 to 20 trucks, daily. Each truck carries 2,000 to 2,400 watermelons, said Md Abdul Malek, who is a wholesaler. The price of 100 watermelons is between Tk1,500 and Tk4,000 in the local markets, he said, adding that watermelons have boosted the local economy as the strategic business hubs are humming with fruit traders and middlemen who are coming in from different parts of the country. Local residential hotels and transport owners are also doing good business. While growers have little or no margin in hand after marketing paddy and jute, melon growers have pocketed three to four times of their production cost. Sarwar Hossain, a watermelon farmer from the Panchagarh Sadar upazila, said he had cultivated the fruit on 20 acres of land and had spent around Tk8 lakh. I have already sold watermelon worth Tk12 lakh and I hope to earn about Tk25 lakh this season, he said. Nurul Islam, a farmer from the Najirganj area, said he had harvested about 2,000 watermelons from three bighas of land and earned Tk50,000 while his production cost was less than Tk15,000. He said more farmers will begin to grow melons if they are provided with credit facilities by the bank. Cultivation of watermelon is more profitable than paddy here and I think this can change the lot of the poor people here, said Nuruzzaman of the Bammatol village in the Sadar upazila. Saiful Islam, another farmer from the Mirzapur union under the Atowari upazila, also cultivated watermelon on five acres of land. I hope to earn around Tk7 lakh this year if there are no natural disasters, he said. While visiting different areas of the district a few days ago, this correspondent saw wholesalers from Noakhali, Comilla and other places crowding the fields to buy watermelon. Successful campaign for crop diversification, backed by improved seeds, techniques and pesticides, resulted in this years miracle, said Md Abdul Matin, sadar upazila agriculture officer. Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) are motivating farmers to cultivate the fruit on their land on a large scale to meet the demands of the people and benefit the growers economically, he added. Md Nazrul Islam, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension, said at least 2,000 hectares of land were brought under watermelon cultivation this year in all five upazilas of the district with a production target of 80,000 tonnes of watermelon. l

Rabindra festival ends

n Our Correspondent, Barisal
A Rabindra festival organised at the Aswini Kumar Hall in Barisal on the occasion of the 153rd birthanniversaryof Bishwa Kobi Rabindranath Tagore, ended on Thursday night. Jatiyo Rabindra Sangeet Sammilan Parishad Barisal unit organised the festival with the theme, Bakto Hok Toma Majhey Osheemer Chiro Bishmoy [All wonders of the eternity be manifested through you]. The program was inaugurated with the lighting of the Mangol Prodip (a lighted candle for good-will). Shahidul Alam, deputy commissioner of Barisal, was the chief guest of the festival. It included discussions on the life and achievements of the great Nobel laureate of Bangla language and literature, recitations of his poems. The speakers said Tagoredreamt of a world without conflict. Individualism and humanity are recurring subjects in his writings. Nazrul Islam Chunnu, president of the Jatiyo Rabindra Sangeet Sammilan Parishad Barisal presided over the festival, which was also addressed by Professor Md Hanif, an educationist, Shamima Masud Munni, Dev Dulal Guha and others. Prantik Sangeet Bidyaloy, Shilpakala Academy, Uttaron Sangskritik Sangathan organised separate programmes. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Thai protesters launch final fight as govt clings on

n AFP, Bangkok
Thai police fired teargas yesterday at protesters who called for the nations Senate to aid their bid to topple the embattled government, two days after the prime minister was stripped of office. Scenting blood after Wednesdays court decision to remove Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban handed a petition to the upper house urging it to decapitate a government they say has lost all legitimacy, and appoint a new premier. We want the president of the upper house and the members of the upper house to think about the way out for the country, said Suthep. With the government weakened but still standing, the call for an appointed administration appears to lack legal grounds. Earlier Suthep led thousands of protesters, who had fanned out from their main encampment in a park in the citys commercial district and brought traffic to a standstill in a day of choreographed actions. Authorities said they briefly used water cannon and tear gas to hold off a hardcore group of anti-government protesters led by a Buddhist monk, who were attempting to enter a fortified police club. The citys Erawan Emergency Centre said six people were taken to hospital after the incident at the police club. With protesters back on the streets after a relatively quiet few months, fears are again simmering of street clashes between rival political groups. The ruling Puea Thai party has replaced Yingluck with Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan and is targeting July 20 elections to end the six-month political crisis, which has left the kingdom without a fully functioning government and chiselled away at the Thai economy. l

Thai anti-government protesters rally outside a television station in Bangkok on May 9. Protesters vowed yesterday to besiege television stations and police positions as they launched a final fight to topple a government that is on the ropes after its leader was dismissed AFP

Modi camp confident of winning as India election nears finale

n AFP, New Delhi
Indias right-wing opposition voiced growing confidence yesterday of a decisive victory in a marathon election as potential partners distanced themselves from the favourite to become prime minister, Narendra Modi. Theres no need to wait until the 16th as the people have already decided, a bullish Modi told supporters a week ahead of the announcement of results from the worlds biggest general election. It will be a Modi government this time. Good days are ahead of you, he added in a rally in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, which will host part of the final round of voting on Monday. Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is widely expected to win the most seats, but is unlikely to gain a majority on its own in the 543-seat parliament. Some analysts are predicting the party will have to find new allies in order to form a government. Several potential allies have been distancing themselves from Modi during the final days of the election contest. But Modis top aide Amit Shah quashed any suggestion yesterday that his boss might step aside after the elections for a compromise candidate that would be acceptable to other parties who have cool relations with Modi. The NDA will get more than 300 seats in these elections, Shah said in reference to an existing BJP-led opposition grouping in parliament known as the National Democratic Alliance. We will get a clear majority and our prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will be the prime minister, Shah added in comments carried by the CNN IBN network. Although the ruling Congress party is expected to be ousted after a decade in power, Modis hopes of becoming premier could still be thwarted if leaders of powerful regional parties refuse to do business with him. One potential partner, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati, told reporters yesterday that she would not countenance any deal with Modi. I want to make it clear that BSP will not extend any kind of support to NDA at any cost, said Mayawati, a champion of Indias lower caste dalits, whose party currently has 21 MPs and has its power base in Uttar Pradesh. The West Bengal-based Trinamool Congress, another party that has been talked about as a BJP partner, also kept up its recent cold war against Modi by saying the doors are shut towards a government led by him. l

Modi: 437 rallies, 5827 events, 3 lakh kilometres n Agencies

Narendra Modis chief aide Amit Shah fronted a BJP wrap-up of the partys long and aggressive campaign for the general elections yesterday, and reeled off some impressive numbers, the NDTV reported. From September last year, Shah said, Modi, BJPs prime ministerial candidate, addressed 437 big rallies, participated in a total 5827 public interfacing events and traveled over three lakh kilometres across 25 states in his attempt to connect himself to the people everywhere. The BJP leader claimed this was the most comprehensive outreach programme undertaken by a single leader in any election in Indias history. He also asserted that his party is open to have an alliance with any party. Mr Shah was addressing the media in Varanasi, the constituency from where Mr Modi is contesting his first parliamentary election. Varanasiwill vote on Monday in the the last of nine phases in the mammoth general election of India. Votes will be counted on May 16, Friday next, and Shah asserted that the national alliance his party leads is poised to win over 300 seats and will form government with Modi as PM. On Thursday, Modi, denied permission to hold a rally in the heart of Varanasi, turned a drive to his party office into a spectacular show of strength. His four-km journey from the Banaras Hindu University to the BJPs office took three hours to cover, as massive crowds surged to catch a glimpse of him. A year ago, Shah was given charge of the BJPs electioneering in Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. In the final phase of polling on Monday, 18 of those constituencies will vote. The BJP leader said he was confident that his party would get a historic win in UP. Modi had begun campaigning soon after the BJP named him its prime ministerial candidate in September last year. l

Putin visits annexed Crimea amid separatist moves in Ukraine

n AFP, Moscow
President Vladimir Putin visited Crimea yesterday for the first time since Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula, just days ahead of a separatist vote by pro-Moscow militants in eastern Ukraine. Russian news agencies said Putin arrived in the historic port city of Sevastopol where he is expected to oversee a massive military parade commemorating victory over Nazi forces in World War II. As Ukraines crisis rumbled on with reports of fresh fighting in the city of Mariupol and pro-Moscow rebels pushing ahead with independence votes, Putin earlier praised Russian patriotism and loyalty to the state at a military parade in Moscow. As dozens of helicopters and planes soared in the bright blue sky over Moscow, more than 11,000 troops marched alongside tanks, mobile missile systems and armoured vehicles to the sound of a brass band. The Soviet Unions victory over Nazi Germany 69 years ago has long been a source of great pride throughout the ex-USSR, which lost some 30m citizens during World War II. Russian news agencies reported Putins first visit to Crimea since the Black Sea peninsula was annexed by Moscow in March. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday warned Putin against making the visit, saying it would be a pity if he went to the region. In contrast to the display of military hardware on Red Square, Ukraine held muted Victory Day celebrations in a bid to avoid violence. The head of Kievs city council banned large-scale public gatherings or parades in the capital, fearing that the veterans could be attacked by Russian provocateurs. A short ceremony was held in the presence of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, several former presidents and a few dozen veterans in the citys main park. Their chests bulging with medals, the veterans marched with flowers in their hands but the atmosphere was subdued. Todays celebration has been ruined. We cannot celebrate the victory as usual because of the political situation, said one of the veterans, Vasyl Kupshenko. On Wednesday, Putin stunned the world with an abrupt U-turn on Ukraine, calling on pro-Russian separatists in the east to delay independence referendums planned for this weekend and welcoming a May 25 presidential election. But the rebels holed up in more than a dozen towns and cities in eastern Ukraine defied his plea and vowed to press ahead with referendums this Sunday. l

Celebration ruined in Ukraine

Picasso painting fetches $31m in auction

n AFP, New York
Pablo Picassos 1932 oil painting Le Sauvetage sold at auction for more than $31m after a bidding war at Sothebys in New York which saw it surge past its estimated pre-sale price. The surrealist masters enigmatic work which was last sold a decade ago went under the hammer for $31.525m following frenzied bidding over several minutes. The painting had been expected to fetch between $14m and $18m. The painting was part of 14 Picasso works offered by Sothebys as part of its auction of Impressionist and Modern Art. In total, eight lots were sold for an aggregate $62.088m. However one of the lots expected to generate most activity Picassos Tete de Marie-Therese (Head of Marie-Therese), valued between $15m and $20m, failed to find a buyer. Another important work La Seance du Matin by French master Henri Matisse, sold for $19.205m, just below its lower estimate of $20m. A canvas by French impressionist Claude Monet, Le Pont Japonais (The Japanese Bridge) meanwhile fetched $15.845m, in line with its estimated range of between $12m and $18m. Sothebys reported total sales of just under $219m. l

Fears of war on Europes doorstep have been fired by fighting pitting Ukrainian troops against pro-Moscow gunmen in the east of the country
This is a holiday when all-conquering patriotic force triumphs, when we all feel especially strongly what it means to be true to the Motherland and how important it is to be able to stand up for its interests, Putin told massed troops to shouts of Hurrah! Hurrah! Russias annual parade celebrating victory over the Nazis held special resonance this year after the crisis in Ukraine led to Russias annexation of Crimea and fighting in eastern regions where separatists threaten to break away. Similar Victory Day celebrations were planned for later yesterday in Sevastopol where the news agencies said Putin had landed after having made no mention of Ukraine in his Moscow speech.

Le Sauvetage by Pablo Picasso on display during a preview of Sothebys Impressionist and Modern Art auction in New York AFP

I wont kill number 3, says Turkish double wife killer n AFP, Istanbul
A Turkish man who was kicked out of a TV dating show after revealing he had killed his two previous partners made a stirring romantic pitch by vowing not to kill a third wife. The audience of the Luck of the Draw game show was gobsmacked Thursday when Sefer Calinak, a bald 62-year-old contestant sporting a heart-framed name tag, calmly explained he was a convicted double murderer. In an interview he gave after being asked to leave by the show host, the burly moustachioed man explained he killed his first wife also his cousin out of jealousy and his subsequent lover accidentally, when I swung an axe. Women would leave me after I told them that I murdered my previous wives. But I spent 14 years in jail. I have changed, he told the Haberturk newspaper published yesterday. Calinak described himself as an honest person looking for a new wife. l

Berlusconi begins community service

n AFP, Cesano Boscone
Italys Silvio Berlusconi began his community service for tax fraud yesterday in a spectacular fall from grace for the flamboyant ex-premier, who will likely seek political gain from the symbolic punishment. The billionaire tycoon, who was convicted last year and has been expelled from parliament, has been ordered to work four hours once a week for up to a year helping out in a hospice for Alzheimers patients near Milan. To prison! a trade unionist protester in a clown hat shouted as Berlusconi arrived at the clinic with his security detail in a chauffeur-driven car. The three-time former prime minister wore a navy blue suit with a badge from his Forza Italia party. The Catholic Church-run hospice in Cesano Boscone has said it will not allow Berlusconi to use his stint for political grandstanding in front of the worlds media and will treat him like any other volunteer. But Berlusconis presence was anything but normal. Volunteers working at the hospice said relatives of patients have been requesting visits for Friday to see Berlusconi and even staff from other departments have been asking for transfers to the Alzheimers section. Italian media reported that medical workers had been asked not to take photos or videos inside the hospice. The disgraced politico has dominated Italian politics for two decades and is leading a campaign for European Parliament elections despite being barred from running. His party is expected to come third with 20% of the vote. Massimo Restelli, head of the hospices care services, told the La Repubblica daily that Berlusconis introduction would be gradual so that he and the elderly patients can get used to each other. l

Sisi warns Egypt press over freedom of speech and other rights
n Agencies
Egyptian presidential candidate Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has warned newspaper editors not to press for freedom of speech and other rights, Aljazeera reported. Sisi, the likely winner of the election later this month, made the statement during a meeting with editors of the countrys major newspapers on Thursday, saying demands for greater freedom jeopardised national security. The former military chief, whostepped down from his positionin March so that he could run for president, urged editors not to scare people or breed scepticism. He said the press should help rally people behind the strategic goal of preserving the Egyptian state, adding that there should be a balance between the practice and the freedoms and national security. Sisi also told the editors not to press for dramatic reforms in state institutions by exposing corruption or other problems and to give officials time to do their jobs. Give officials a chance for, say, four months, he said. If you have information or a subject you need to whisper in theear [of officials], it is possible to do that without exposing it. He told the editors that, after years of instability that have gutted the economy, Egypt cannot bear more uneasiness. Our problem is that we call up images of Western democracies that have been stable for hundreds of years and drop them into our reality, Sisi said, adding that it could take 20 or 25 years to reach a stage of complete democracy. journalists and others who have been accused of supporting the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt now considers to be a terrorist organisation. In April, an Egyptian judge sentenced 683 alleged Brotherhood members to deathand confirmed the death sentences of 37 of 529 alleged supporters who were previously condemned. Three Al Jazeera English journalists, Peter Greste, Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy have also been incarcerated in Egypts Tora prison for 131 days. Abdullah Elshamy, a correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic, has been held without trial for 267 days. Greste, Mohamed and Fahmy face charges of spreading false news and supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. Their trial has been adjourned until May 15. Al Jazeera rejects all charges and accusations against its staff. l

Media muzzled

Sisis comments, which aired on a private network on Thursday, came after months of government crackdowns on

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Prescription

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Explore the herbal myths

Herbs are not always as effective as they are claimed; it is not always safe for all. Sometimes herbal products cause adverse reactions. Though herbs have been used since long before recorded history, researchers dont get any amazing result. Most of them are supportive of modern medicine. Here are a few myths and truths about herbal medicines and products North American markets. More research n Dr Sajol Ashfaq is needed for natural therapies in generHerbal medicine also called botanical medicine or phytomedicine refers to using a plants seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark, or flowers for medicinal purposes. In the early 19th century, when chemical analysis first became available, scientists began to extract and modify the active ingredients from plants. Later, chemists began making their own version of plant compounds and, over time, the use of herbal medicines declined in favour of drugs. Myth: Herbs are natural, safe and effective. Truth: Theres a common assumption that natural means safe. Just think of hemlock or poisonous mushrooms. There are many poisonous (and often lethal) plants found in nature, so this assumption is clearly incorrect. Most herbal remedies are believed to be benign, at least in the short run, there are numerous exceptions. Probably all herbs have the potential to cause allergic reactions, and many herbs can produce side effects, such as stomach upset or diarrhoea. Some herbal products may be contaminated with pesticides or toxic chemicals, such as arsenic, mercury and lead. Other herbal products, usually pills or extracts, may be illegally spiked with potentially harmful prescription drugs, including steroids and diazepam. Myth: You dont need to inform a doctor about herbs. Truth: People who take herbal supplements usually dont tell their doctors. Thats unwise. Doctors and patients dont need to discuss the use of natural therapies.

QUICK TIPS

Superstar tomato

al to determine safety, effectiveness and proper dosing. Myth: Natural products have no place in conventional medicine. Truth: Natural products are often regarded as alternative therapies that arent supported by science. However, it is important to note that many of the drugs that are currently available in fact, even the most commonly used drugs are derived from nature. In the last decade alone, more than 20 newly approved drugs were derived from natural sources, including plants and microorganisms. Notable examples include the opiate painkillers, such as morphine and oxycodone, which are derived from the latex sap of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). Another example is aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), described as the most popular painkiller in the world, is derived from salicylic acid, which is found in willow (Salixspp) and meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria, formerly Spirea ulmaria).

Tomato is a superstar in the fruit and veggie pantheon. Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful cancer fighter. Theyre also rich in vitamin C. The good news is that cooked tomatoes are also nutritious, so use them in pasta, soups and casseroles, as well as in salads. The British Thoracic Society says that tomatoes and apples can reduce your risk of asthma and chronic lung diseases. Both contain the antioxidant quercetin. To enjoy the benefits, eat five apples a week or a tomato every other day.

A for Away

If your doctor doesnt know what youre taking, then it would be difficult to treat certain chronic diseases. There are so many herbs which can aggravate hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, gastric ulcer, diabetes. Furthermore, some herbs may interact harmfully with the drugs your doctor prescribes. Garlic, ginger and ginkgo biloba may inhibit clotting, which could cause excessive bleeding if youre taking other, more powerful blood thinners such as aspirin or warfarin. Any blood-thinning drug may potentially interact with any herb or supplement with anticoagulant properties, such as vitamin

E, fish oil or omega-3 fatty acids. Ginseng may lower blood sugar excessively in people taking conventional diabetic drugs to control sugar levels. These all are important issues when a patient is prepared for surgery. So, you need to inform a doctor about herbs. Myth: Natural therapies dont need scientific evidence. Truth:The label for one saw palmetto supplement says, it is effective in treatment of benign hyperplasia of prostate. Another, for goldenseal, says, it helps reduce inflammation of mucous membranes. Most makers of herbal products

now make such claims - and they almost never have to provide any proof. Scientific evidence supports many natural products for several health conditions. For example, there is strong clinical evidence that peppermint (Mentha piperita) may improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Ginko biloba is being used for tinnitus due to otosclerosis. Another example, kava (Piper methysticum) is also supported by clinical evidence for reducing anxiety; however, due to widespread concern regarding potential liver toxicity, kava has been withdrawn in several European and

To use herbs safely and effectively

Tell your doctor about any herbal remedies. Avoid herbal remedies if youre pregnant, may become pregnant or are breast-feeding. Consult a reliable source of information about dosages and precautions. As herbal products continue to grow in popularity, patients and healthcare providers need to be aware of potential herb-drug interactions and other safety issues. More research is needed to determine the effectiveness, potential benefits and risks of many complimentary alternative medicine therapies. l

This vitamin and beta carotene helps to boost immunity against disease. It also assists in the healing process of diseases such as measles and is recommended by the WHO. Good natural sources of vitamin A are kidneys, liver, dairy products, green and yellow vegetables, pawpaw, mangoes, chilli pepper, red sorrel and red palm oil.

FOOD THERAPY

Cranberries reduce prostate problems

Though cranberries are not easy available in our country. But you may already know that cranberry juice and its freeze-dried extracts can help to treat and prevent recurrent cystitis. Researchers have also found cranberries can help prevent benign prostatic hyperplasia in men. A research material published in theBritish Journal of Nutritionhave found that cranberrys protective effects can also help men who are suffering from the symptoms of benign prostate hyperplasia, such as increased frequency of urination and reduced flow.

One hour slow jogging a week adds healthy five years to life
n Prescription Desk
Slow jogging for as little as an hour a week increases life expectancy by five years in women and six years in men, a new study DID YOU has found. The large KNOW? scale study observed 20,000 people aged 20 to 93 over nearly 40 years and found that gentle jogging increased longevity more than running or other more vigorous forms of exercise. The study group included 1,116 male joggers and 762 female joggers, who were asked to rate the speed and frequency of their exercise. Researchers then tracked their health over the next four decades and found that people who jogged at a slow or average pace for between 60 minutes and 2.5 hours a week were less likely to die than those who exercised more or not at all. Study also found that male joggers lived an average of 6.2 years longer and female joggers lived an extra 5.6 years. In this study the researchers again concluded that regular jogging increases longevity. The good news is that you dont actually need to do that much to reap the benefits. You dont need to go for extreme levels of exercise, moderate jogging can increase life expectancy. But non-joggers will never get benefits. So during exercise you should aim to feel a little out of breath, but not too much so. l

Pure water

Walnuts are good for heart disease and diabetes

Walnuts restore the health of blood vessels and thus prevent heart disease, especially the coronary artery disease. The researchers suggest that walnuts have higher levels of alpha-linolenic acid, which slows arterial plaque formation and may also be involved in the toning effect of the arterial wall. Fortunately, no part of the study reported any weight gain as a result of eating the walnuts. Another study published inDiabetes Care, a Yale University team of researchers asked men and women with type 2 diabetes to eat approximately 60g of walnuts daily for two months. At the end of the test period, the subjects endothelial function (blood vessel tone) was measured and was found to have improved signifi-

You dont need to go for extreme levels of exercise, moderate jogging can increase life expectancy. But non-joggers will never get benefits

Dont have soft drinks or energy drinks while youre exercising. Stay properly hydrated by drinking enough waterduring your workout (just dont overdo things, as drinking too much water can also be dangerous). While you might need energy drinks for longdistance running, in shorter exercise sessions in the gym, your body will burn the glucose from the soft drink first, before starting to burn body fat. The same goes for eating sweets.

Beat the sneezes

Cure your laryngitis quickly and naturally

cantly. This is a particularly important finding for diabetics because endothelial cells, which form the lining of the inside of blood vessels, are one of the most vulnerable parts of the body for developing vascular disease.

There are more than 240 allergens, some rare and others very common. If youre a sneezer due to pollen: close your cars windows while driving, rather switch on the internal fan (drawing in air from the outside), and avoid being outdoors between 5am and 10am when pollen counts are at their highest; stick to holidays in areas with low pollen counts, such as the seaside and stay away from freshly cut grass.

Selenium works against cancer

We all know the anticancer properties of antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E. Recently researchers found selenium, a less well known mineral, is strongly associated with a reduced risk of bladder cancer. Now a very large study from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre of over 20,000 people, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, suggests that a less well-known mineral, selenium, is also strongly capable of reducing the risk of bladder cancer. This effect was most pronounced in women overall, people with a high dietary intake of selenium were about one-third less likely to develop bladder cancer; but in women, that rate of protection climbed to 45 percent, therefore nearly halving their risk. The researchers concluded that seleniums beneficial effect is due to selenoproteins, enzymes which prevent cellular damage. Make sure your selenium levels stay optimal by regularly eating the following foods: Brazil nuts, wheat germ, brewers yeast, kidneys, liver, tuna and other oily fish, shellfish, sunflower seeds, lentils, and cashew nuts.

Deep heat

Question: I am a school teacher and keep getting laryngitis. What do you suggest?
Q&A

Kajol Akhter (43), NY, USA.

Answer: Unfortunately, it is probably an occupational hazard with your job. The best way to get your voice back is to just be quiet dont even whisper because, funnily enough, that can be just as much of a strain on your vocal cords as a shout can. You can speed recovery by drinking at least eight glasses of lukewarm

water a day; fluid keeps your larynx moist, which is essential for curing laryngitis. Inhaling steam is also helpful. Fill a bowl or sink with boiling water and add four to six drops of an antiinflammatory essential oil, such as chamomile or lavender. Tent your head with a towel and lean over the steam, inhaling deeply. You could also try a tea made from the herb horehound, which is a member of the mint family, and has been traditionally used to soothe coughs. Remind yourself to always breathe through your nose, not your mouth, which exposes your larynx

to dry air. Dont smoke and avoid smoky environments, as even side-stream or second-hand smoke from another persons cigarette can cause enough dehydration and pollution to affect your vocal cords. If you are taking any medication, it is worth checking with your doctor to see whether they might be the cause common drugs for blood pressure and hay fever can both cause hoarseness and a dry, sore throat and nasal passages. l This answer is provided by Dr Hasanur Rahman, Associate Professor, ENT Department, BSMMU.

Sun rays can burn even through thick glass, and under water. Up to 35 percent of UVB rays and 85 percent of UVA rays penetrate thick glass, while 50 percent of UVB rays and 77 percent of UVA rays penetrate a metre of water and wet cotton clothing. Which means youll need sunscreen while driving your car on holiday, and water resistant block if youre swimming.

| Dr Kazi Mahbuba Akhtar

| Compiled by: Shirsho Saaeadat

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Heritage

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Red Crab island

PHOTOS: SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

n Tim Steel

ome talk of St Martins Island, and some of Inani Beach, but of all the great attractions of the Worlds Longest, natural continuous sea beach, there are none, in my opinion, to compare with the nine square kilometre beauty of Sonadia Island. Lying south of the historic Moheshkhali Island, the smaller Sonadia Island, with its seasonally shifting sandbanks that protect and filter much of the alluvial murk from the waters of the Bay of Bengal, is largely uninhabited. Although the winter season brings fish driers, in numbers, to its shores. Turtle tracks mark its beaches, although the shells of dead turtles are also common, bearing testimony to the ravages of this endangered species wrought by the nets of the large fishing fleet based in nearby Coxs Bazar. My wife and I have sat upon the west facing the shoreline and enjoyed dolphins cavorting in the emerald waters, and endlessly watched the flights of pristine white seabirds that seem never to tire of pecking for food on those sandbanks. Lying close to one of the regions deep water channels, the island is under consideration for transformation to the site of a deep water port to

service trade to China. An interesting reprise of ancient history of the area as a transit point for early trade with China, from across the world. Its largely pristine beauty, as an island of endless silver sand that lends a somewhat Caribbean appearance of an idealised tropical island, may, therefore, not survive a remorseless march of modern commercial history. And since the island guards a part of the estuary of the Bakkhali River that flows down from the historic Ramu that from the 2nd century Ptolemaic map of the Ganges delta, is clearly marked on all subsequent

island we now know as Sonadia. It is on the map, surveyed by Major James Rennel on behalf of the East India Company, and published in 1776, for the Company, by A Drury, of London. A large, fascinating map of the entire area of the subcontinent over which the Company had been granted Diwani rights in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa by the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765, following the 1764 defeat of the Mughal armies at Buxar by Robert Clive. The map is full of naming idiosyncracies, presumably akin to the way the English transformed, in Wales, Scotland and Ireland into Anglicised versions of names in the local language. But perhaps the most charming of all is the name given, in the map, to Sonadia, where it is marked by the wonderfully colourful name of Red Crab Island. This name is entirely understandable, and seems to confirm Major Rennels actual travels as the basis for his map, since, even today, yet another of the appeals of the island is the swarms of red coloured Fiddler Crabs. Of the genus Uca, and of the family Ocypodidae, these single-clawed and colourful species are very shy, but also highly photogenic. Rennel himself is probably one of the first of the developing school of East India Company employees more dedicated to the task of securing a sustainable Empire, than building personal wealth, although on his retirement he managed, together with his 600 pension granted by the Company, a West End of London residence that became a focus for travellers and adventurers. Born in Devon county in England, at the age of 14, the usual kind of age at the time for such career commencement, in 1756 he entered the Royal Navy as a midshipman. In 1763, as the British navy reduced its manning lev-

surveyor, at the age of 21, he was given command of a 200 ton Company vessel; one, however, that sank with all hands except its youthful Captain, in a hurricane in Madras Roads. Rennel was ashore when his vessel foundered. However, immediately given another small command, he continued his surveying work, arriving, in 1764, in Calcutta, where Governor Vansittart was eager to commence a full survey of the lands over which Diwani Rights had been granted. The next thirteen years of his life occupied Rennel in this endeavour. In 1772, he married Jane Thackeray , sister of the William Makepeace Thackeray who had been Collector of Sylhet, and had sued the Company for unpaid dues. She was also the great aunt of the famous novelist, also named William Makepeace Thackeray, the author of Vanity Fair, one of the great early nineteenth century novels. Unfortunately, in 1776, his surveying party came under attack close to the border with Bhutan, and he, himself, was severely wounded. The man who gave to the island we

Turtle tracks mark its beaches, although the shells of dead turtles are also common, wrought by the nets of the large fishing fleet
now know as Sonadia, the wonderful name of Red Crab Island never recovered from his wounds, and in 1777, he retired. Living in London until 1830, he left behind a significant cannon of work, both land and maritime; in many cases, work that stands scrutiny today. But, for Bangladesh, as well as being the first to thoroughly survey and map its lands even if the lands between todays Coxs Bazar and the Naf River border with Myanmar remained unsurveyed because, at the time, the Company paid no real heed to the true extent of the lands ceded to it south of Chittagong, and beyond Ramu this remains the man who was evidently so attracted by the wonderful red crabs which continue to abound on its shores, that he named an island for them! l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.

Perhaps the most charming of all is the name given, in the map, to Sonadia, where it is marked by the wonderfully colourful name of Red Crab Island

maps, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, French and British it has, presumably, played its own part in the millennia old trading tradition of this coast. But easily the most colourful reference in all the historic cartography of the area is the name given to the

els at the end of the Seven Years war, during which he had already developed some recognition as a navigator, he entered the service of the East India Company. Already battle experienced, and rapidly becoming a well recognised

WIKIMEDIA

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Saturday, May 10, 2014

CODE CRACKER

Declining media freedom a bad omen for democracy

Be heard
Write to Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email [email protected] Send us your Op-Ed articles: [email protected] www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

How to solve: Each number in our CODE CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 10 represents A so fill in A every time the figure 10 appears. You 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 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.

recent report by Freedom House ranks the media in Bangladesh to be only partly free. This is a worrying sign for the state of our democracy. Bangladesh was ranked 115 out of 197 countries around the world. Its ranking and score has declined slightly since 2013 when its ranking was 112. This demonstrates not only how much work still needs to be done to achieve full media freedom in Bangladesh, but also a disturbing trend of a shrinking of the space for journalists to operate. Over the last year, journalists and bloggers in Bangladesh have faced threats from myriad sources in the course of doing their work from religious fundamentalists, the police, and politicians. Incidents such as the murder of blogger Rajib Haider, the attack on Ekushey Televisions Nadia Sharmeen, and the arrest of the editor of Amar Desh, a high profile critic of the government, give many reasons for concern. Speeding up the snails pace of investigations for assaults on journalists would be one way to reverse the chilling effect such occurrences can have on the media. A free media is not only a good in itself, it is also a fundamental right under a democracy. Media plays the crucial role of informing the electorate and ensuring that accountability systems work to protect the citizens from misdeeds of public officials, politicians, and corporations. For the sake of our democracy, we urge the government to ensure that media has the freedom to operate without any undue constraints.

A free media is not only a good in itself, but a fundamental right

A sector that deserves continued tax relief

ompanies in the poultry industry have been asking the government to continue tax relief for a further ten years till 2025. There is a strong case for continuing reliefs and the tax exemption granted to industry, which is scheduled to expire next month, in the light of the devastating losses faced by the industry recently. Transport disruptions and violence in the political turmoil in the run-up to the January 5 election caused huge losses to poultry and other food businesses. It is estimated that losses of up to Tk4,000 crore were incurred when the country was assaulted by hartals and blockades late last year. Many farms have had to be shut down and many of the ones surviving are heavily indebted. It is in the national interest to help farmers get back on their feet and secure a reliable supply chain for food products. Extending the tax exemption period can help this by allowing the industry more to recover from the massive losses caused by political turmoil. Furthermore, the government could also consider giving tax exemption to other related industries as they may also need more time to fully recover. A helping hand towards certain businesses would be a step towards recouping losses and strengthening our economy.

May 6 Rajeeb where half of the population lives with the effects Thank you DT for such a timely and important of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, like article. Muslim majority country can no longer the majority of Southern African countries, or you be used as a reason to deny the reality, that we are would rather our population grows at an exponenone of the most densely populated countries in tial rate. Like we need it at this point of time. the world, that our young generation is engaging in Just for the record, a countrys socioeconomic pre-marital sex, and that sexual violence is on the standing should not have any bearing on educating rise here. There should not be any debate whether the population of a country, and those who have the sex-ed should be introduced; the debate should courage to raise the issue should not be dismissed only be on how we can do it. Referring to Western as elitists. I cant believe I am having to say this to a examples does not mean we need to follow them. seemingly-educated person, plus one with a good We need to contextualise the content, keeping in command over English. The mind boggles sometimes. mind the sensitivity of the issue. Sam bbb bbb: Your point about being ready is worth Lets be honest, Bangladesh is not ready for sex-ed considering. The bashing of the Tribune is bizarre: in schools. It is not a matter of how effective sex-ed If you dont like it, dont read it, problem solved. can be in preventing the transfer of STDs (the jury is The editors of this paper have repeatedly shown still out on this); it is a matter of how receptive para courageous desire to bring up issues that other ents, and even teachers are going to be about this. mainstream or partisan papers dont. Frankly, if Making sex-ed is not feasible in Bangladesh. we didnt have a Dhaka Tribune, we would need Making it an option course/seminar will result in to invent one because nobody else is doing the a majority of parents keeping their children away straight talk that the DT staff do. from it. And the worst bit, those that do attend these seminars may end up with an instructor who HM Elius has no sexual experience, has a negative perception bbb: It is not a matter of how effective sex-ed can of sex, or is a deviant. Can anyone argue that such a be in preventing the transfer of STDs (the jury is still mistake cannot happen in this country? out on this). Tribune and their bleeding-heart causes are No, its not. There has been much research done starting to annoy me. The country should learn to on this. feed its people first before it even bothers with And the worst bit, those that do attend these gay rights and sex-eds. Either the editors have seminars may end up with an instructor who has no no knowledge of the socio-economic situation of sexual experience, has a negative perception of sex, Bangladesh, or they are living in their ivory-towers, or is a deviant. producing an elite newspaper for the richers, with Or they may not. Curriculum and teachers will scant regards for those at the bottom. be screened, just like in any other subject. The country should learn to feed its people first before it even bothers with gay rights and sex-eds. Rodders bbb: I am sorry, sex-ed is not important? What world Why not both? They are not mutually exclusive. We can carry on doing both at the same time. do you live in? Maybe you would prefer a world

Are we ready for sex-ed?

CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1 Parcel out (5) 4 Festive occasion (4) 7 Sea-robber (6) 8 Command (5) 10 Tranquil (4) 11 Unsuitable (5) 12 Make a mistake (3) 14 Slender support (4) 17 Rice drink (4) 19 Choler (3) 20 Ancient tongue (5) 23 Gentle (4) 25 Notions (5) 26 Heckle (6) 27 Prophet (4) 28 Composition (5) DOWN 1 Worships (6) 2 Not closed (4) 3 Weary (4) 4 Truths (5) 5 Greek letter (3) 6 Bank employee (6) 9 Highland dagger (4) 13 Deep, narrow valley (6) 15 Fork spike (4) 16 Wretchedly poor (6) 18 Tree (5) 21 Roofing item (4) 22 Ancient Roman days (4) 24 Sheltered side (3)

Saudi man hacks govt website to greet wife

May 5 Shakir Mahmud Sumon They had that type of hacker?? Hahaha :-p

Simplicity is the promise of happiness

May 7 Those who are simple are able to see through the complications of situations and people. They have the ability to only pick out what is useful and worthy from all that is available. A simple persons words and actions give happiness to those around him/her. This attitude also helps to create an environment in which others can then experience happiness. Those with self-respect never think or feel they must abide. Rather, they have the strength and the ability to tolerate difficult situations and criticism with ease. Another important thing is attitude. It is influenced by memories, past experiences, and beliefs. Its our attitude that reflects us in our relationships, and can rub off onto others. As Swami Vivekananda says, The greatest truths are the simplest things in the world, simple as your own existence. So, it makes obvious sense to hold a positive attitude at all times in all situations. Today, what will your attitude be? Bipul K Debnath Dhaka College

It is in the national interest to help farmers get back on their feet

Kaniz Fatema Definitely an interesting story!

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 numberrepeating.

Sheikh Jinat Mahmid What a gift for the wife!

Bangladeshi shot dead by BSF in Joypurhat

May 6 Shakir Mahmud Sumon How very inhuman! :-( How can they be so cavalier about this?

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Some useful Google tools

May 5 Shakir Mahmud Sumon Gtalk was useful, but now it has been upgraded into a hangout, and some services are not available for Bangladesh.

YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS CODE CRACKER

PM warns perpetrators of Narayanganj killing

May 5 Akhtar Shah These warnings are as heavy as helium filled balloons, unless of course they are backed up by prompt, solid, transparent actions.

CROSSWORD

PEANUTS

Evolution in action, researchers claim

May 5

SUDOKU

Barry Any person that is not yet ready to evolve into some kind of mutant should think long and hard about doing radiation detox with the mineral called Zeolite, that has been proven to safely remove both radiation and heavy metals from the body!

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Saturday, May 10, 2014

11

New York, New York

n FS Aijazuddin

What happened to their promise of a social democratic future?

WIKIMEDIA

The party of Suhrawardy?

M
n Esam Sohail

y last column contained observations about the main opposition, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, in regards to its place in the political spectrum. This time, I turn to the other side of the equation. All respectable and educated people belong to the Awami League was a mantra I heard all too often growing up. And why not? Those of my grandparents generation did indeed see in the creation of the AL in 1949 a coming together of the progressive, urbane, educated opinion of the new country where, heretofore, politics had been the preserve of an unwieldy, feudal-bureaucratic one-party contraption known as the Muslim League. In its first national leader the late Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy the debutant party epitomised the promise of a social democratic future led by men whose political life had been defined by the tempestuous but refined tradition of sharp arguments traded across parliamentary aisles and consensus driven by dissenting dialogue. A centre-left party, the AL was hardly radical, and the preference for incremental, steady, mature reform showed in the policies of the two governments formed by the party during the Pakistan era (the United Front ministry in Dhaka and, later, the Suhrawardy Ministry at the centre). Fast forward to the tumultuous days preceding and proceeding the

independence of Bangladesh, few would have accused the AL of being unforgiving or tyrannical. The famous Six Points, looked at objectively, were a manifesto for commonsensical federalism that is working well in places as diverse as India and the United States. The companion economic plan, crafted by the redoubtable Cambridge-educated Rehman Sobhan and his associates was reformist in its outlook and growth-oriented in its vision, even as it paid its due paeans to the tenets of a robust public sector.

more than a piece of paper that provides a fig-leaf of legitimacy to tyrants who could use the bullet or manipulate the ballot. And then it all changed. Without going into well-known history, it is no surprise that statesmen like Rehman Sobhan and Kamal Hossain are despised by the AL of today. These men represent but the thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, who would be well justified to feel that the party left them, rather than the other way around.

This AL of 2014 is a lot of things, but Mr Suhrawardys party it is definitely not

Almost all the civil servants and petty functionaries who had shown accommodation to the Pakistani regime were forgiven instantaneously by the incoming Mujib administration. The 1972 constitution, largely put together by Dr Kamal Hossain, continues to be the envy of many a new country by dint of its speediness, liberality, and fealty to the principles of robust parliamentary democracy. It is a matter of shame that successive governments, starting with the very government that adopted it, have butchered that document into little

For those principled original supporters of the AL who continue to hold on to the ideals of secular social democracy, genuine parliamentary governance, and the rule of law, it is indeed a sad spectacle to see a party they do not recognise, except for the name. Truth be told, since its injudicious foray into the short-lived Baksal mode, the AL has sadly followed the path of most so-called national liberation parties in Africa: An amalgamation of crony capitalist interests held together by the cult of family, intolerance of dissent, distrust of independent institutions,

and a reflexive penchant of tarring all political opponents as traitors. When in government, this predilection has been expressed through the wholesale use of the national security edifice and the judicial apparatus to essentially eradicate any space for alternate views, let alone dissenting ones. By any other definition than that of the apologists of the ruling party, it is fair to say that liberal, pluralist, democracy does not exist in Bangladesh any more than the rule of law does. If the rudderless behavior of the main opposition BNP is a cause for grief for those who espouse a vibrant centre-right platform in Bangladeshi politics, the moral atrophy of the AL gives the same sense of disillusionment to those who hankered for a true social democratic party. The pain is perhaps even greater for the admirers of the original AL, only the second party in the subcontinent (after the Indian National Congress) that was built from the ground up with the goal of pluralist, social democracy as a key element in its set of principles. The greater tragedy is, of course, that of Bangladesh herself: The lead vehicle of its independence and democratic hopes has now become stuck in the reverse gear, rattling the machinery of the state with the ugliest sounds possible. This AL of 2014 is a lot of things, but Mr Suhrawardys party it is definitely not. l Esam Sohail is an educational research analyst and college lecturer of social sciences. He writes from Kansas, USA.

he United Nations, located on the southern tip of Manhattan Island, is a pastiche. The real UN is crowded in the rest of New York. Step into the street and the crisp air is punctuated by different smells kebabs being grilled by vendors, flavours of coffee originating from a number of continents, the genteel aroma of noodles overwhelmed by stronger curries. New York is as much about sounds as it is about smells. Sit in the various committee rooms of the UN and one is reminded how the diversity of languages is not reduced but intensified by translation. Walk among the crowds outside, and one is instantly aware of the multiplicity of human expression. More languages are mouthed in New Yorks streets than within the United Nations building. The UN does nothing but preach globalism, incessantly; New York practises it, ceaselessly, 24/7/365. To enter its Metropolitan Museum of Art is to see humanity searching for its past. There is no known civilisation that is not represented in its majestic galleries, no object that does not make one proud to belong to a species that can produce works of such ineffable beauty. The poet Wordsworth may have been moved to tears by the meanest flower that ever grew. Had he visited the Metropolitan Museum, he would have been in a state of unmanageable emotional collapse. Every item on display from the minutest gold earring worn by some ancient beauty, to the largest stone obelisks honouring mighty pharaohs commands individual attention and respect. Certain galleries have remained undisturbed over the years. You can still find a favourite frieze or fragment where you last noticed it. Other galleries have been modernised recently. Of these, perhaps the most spectacular is the Islamic Gallery an irresistible display of objects that remind one how much mankind owes to the patronage of princes and to the possessiveness of commoners. Only an emperor like Jahangir would have commissioned a nephrite ink jar for his use, painstakingly carved in the round out of a stone notorious for its intractability. Only a self-absorbed princess would have ordered the backing of her hand mirror to be a perforated filigree of green jade, its delicate workmanship displayed to maximum advantage by thoughtful backlighting. Only missionaries would have peddled as instruments of faith something as mundane as a sheeps gallstones (known as Goa stones). These objects were polished, gilded, and encased in a golden globe for sale to gullible believers. It was as if the Russian jeweller Carl Faberg had included within one of his lavish

Easter eggs the hair-ball of one of the czars pets as its surprise. Close to the Metropolitan Museum, on 79th and Lexington, live Ved Mehta and his lovely wife Linn. Born in Lahore and educated initially at a small school inside Sheranwala Gate in Lahore, Ved broke away from its constrictions to study at Oxford, Harvard, and Pomona.

Whoever succeeds Obama should not waste time in Washington or on the UN. New York is where the world walks the talk

He joined The New Yorker as a feature writer and has written a number of books on subjects as varied as memoirs (Face to Face), family biographies (Daddy-ji and Chacha-ji), an expansive Portrait of India, on Christianity (The New Theologian), and one that subtly unfrocked an icon (Mahatma Gandhi and his Apostles). Today, at the age of 80, Ved Mehta understandably reads more than he writes, but to spend time with him is to be aware of how omnivorous a human intellect can be. His inquisitiveness knows no bounds. He hears and absorbs everything. But that traffic is not simply one way. His insight into the subcontinents politics is not diminished by time or distance. He met Nehru and held his own; he could meet Modi and be as interrogative. He and Linn took the trouble of attending a lecture I had given at the Sikh Art and Film Foundation in New York onMay 4. This was the 10th anniversary of the festival, a testament to the resilient commitment of its sponsor Teji Bhindra and his US Sikh colleagues. While an early US president Theodore Roosevelt may have abjured the expression hyphenated American,todays American straddles both sides of the hyphen. The US Sikh community, like every other ethnic group in the US, searches for such occasions to remind itself of its identity. Very soon, certainly within our lifetime, Mayflower immigrants will be overtaken by those who came by less romantic transport. It has taken centuries for the Americans to have an Afro-American president. It may take a decade more or less to have a female or a Hispanic one. Whoever succeeds Obama should not waste time in Washington or on the United Nations. New York is where the world walks the talk. l FS Aijazuddin is an author and art historian.

Restoring trust in law enforcement

O
n Ekram Kabir
ur elite law enforcement force Rapid Action Battalions alleged involvement in the recent murders in Narayanganj has certainly come as a blow to peoples trust in law enforcement personnel. Our understanding is that our lives will be much more difficult from now on, as there are thousands of anti-citizen elements spread across the country, sneakily looking for an opportunity to harm us. If RAB involvement turns out to be true, the people will lose the last shred trust on the law enforcers. have helped recover a huge number of unauthorised arms, ammunitions, explosives, and similar weapons. They have stopped and apprehended many armed gangs of criminals. They have assisted the police force and other agencies to maintain law and order. They have quite a big intelligence gathering operation which is used in crime prevention. They have also carried out special duties that the government has assigned them wherever there was a need. On the other hand, as a force, RAB has also been criticised at home and abroad, time and again, for their alleged they have left the silent ring leaders. Apart from this disappointment, RAB, unlike the police, has always enjoyed public trust on them. Now, if we look at the police force, they are a ubiquitous bunch, but it would be really difficult to single out one Bangladeshi who really has any trust on them. As citizens, we have seen the members of the police, apart from a very few, getting involved in crimes themselves. They have proven to be a team known as extortionists. Its anybodys knowledge that when theres a political crisis, they would engage in an extortion business. Its very difficult to get service from the police force without making them happy. If you look at the traffic police, it seems that their main purpose is to earn money from the CNG-wallahs, motorcyclists, bus drivers, street vendors, and to a great extent rickshaw-wallahs. Despite many instructions from the ministry to remove unfit vehicles from the streets, they can still ply on simply because the police personnel want to earn illegal money. But surprisingly, the Bangladesh Police website says about its mission: To provide quality service by competent, efficient, and dedicated professionals enjoying trust and respect of citizens to make Bangladesh a better and safer place to live. What a waste of some valuable words!

The law enforcers should be the enemies of the criminals, not of the common people

As we know, RABs mission is to prevent crime, terrorism, and apprehend criminals. Since its initiation on April 14, 2004, it has been successful in running thousands of anti-crime operations. To our mind, RAB works much in the manner of American Homeland Security, as the members of RAB have successfully played various roles in Bangladeshs internal security. They

involvement in extra-judicial killings. Yes, they have been successful in weeding out hundreds of vicious criminals who have been harming the people in various ways. However, its also true that those fallen criminals were a tip of the iceberg they were mere pawns who were created by bigger criminals who usually dont come to fore. RAB has quelled the pawns, but

The aspect of unfriendly attitude of the police force has been discussed, perhaps hundreds of times, in several both at the government as well as non-government levels. However, very little has changed. I believe the entire police force is run with a basic strategic flaw. During the monarchy and British-India days, the kings and colonisers had used the police force against the citizens. The nature of policing in British-India and in Britain, during the British Raj, was quite different. The police force in British-India was very different from that of England. The police was used as a

repressive tool for the repressors. Unfortunately, we, in an independent country, have miserably failed to realise that we are really independent. The administration in Bangladesh, for that matter in the entire South Asia, is still using its law enforcers against the people. The law enforcers should be the enemies of the criminals, not of the common people who actually most of the times need help from them. We, however, shouldnt put all the blame on the law enforcers. History says they havent been used as service providers of the people by the state. As commoners we believe, the

lawmakers would formulate the laws, and the law enforcers would uphold those laws. There have been allegations against the lawmakers for using law enforcers as political tools for their own partisan gains. This attitude has, in fact, not allowed the law enforcing agencies to grow and become protectors of the citizens. But time has come to change this. It would be a disaster if we lose faith on our law upholders. We want to depend on them. l Ekram Kabir is Executive Editor of Natunbarta.com.

BIGSTOCK

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment
n Entertainment Desk

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Chhayanaut celebrates Tagores 153rd birth anniversary

Bhalobasha Express hits the cinemas

Shakib Khan and Apu Biswas film Bhalobasha Express released in more than seventy cinemas around the country yesterday. Previously, the movie was suppose to be released with the title Red The Color of Love on Valentines Day, but due to unavoidable circumstances in the post production phase, the release was delayed. After a break, the dynamic duo paired up for the silver-screen and the audience are in for a treat as previous record states that their onscreen chemistry is well received by the fans. The special aspect of their pairing this time is that, both the actors have worked out for an image makeover and they will be appearing looking slimmer and better looking than before. In an interview with the Dhaka Tribune, Dhallywood megastar Shakib Khan said: There is quite a hype created by Bollywood actors with their polished look and six-pack abs. Therefore, our audience are also demanding the same from the actors of this country. I respect their wishes and therefore, I am concentrating on making my body more slim and maintained. The 135-minutes film is a love story that is bound to hold the interest of the audience with its striking star-cast and unique script. The director of the movie Safi Uddin Safi told the Dhaka Tribune: I have tried to portray an interesting love story and I really hope that it will be well received and appreciated. Mim Chowdhury, first-runner up of reality show Mangolee Nacho Bangladesh Nacho will be seen in an important role in the movie. The films music is directed by Ahmed Humayun and features Tausif, Pulok, and Munni as playback singers. l

n Afrose Jahan Chaity

Teachers and students of Chhayanaut celebrated the 153rd birth anniversary of the legendary littrateur Rabindranath Tagore through a two-day festival Rabindra Utsob 1421, starting from May 8 at the Chhayanaut Sanskriti Bhaban Auditorium. The soulful presentation of Tagores devotional and love songs performed by promising and prominent singers mesmerised the audience. The artistes started the programme with the rendition of the song Bajao Tumi Kobi. A group dance performance Tomar Anondo Oi Elo Dare followed the inaugural performance. Noted singer and secretary general of Chhayanaut, Khairul Anam Shakil spoke on

the legacy of Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore and the impact of his work on the our daily life. Shutopa Sahas soulful rendition of the number Se Amar Gopon Kotha and Farzana Akter Popis Probhu Amar Priyo Amar followed suit. Syed Hasan Imam, well known for his recitation skills presented Tagores poems. He also emphasised on narrating the poets compositions with appropriate tune and words. Naima Islam Naz, Asim Datta and Kanchan Mostafa performed Hridoye Ekul Okul, Jar Kachhe Ache, and Shondhya Holo Go. Mahmuda Akters poetry recitation created an ambience of tranquility among the audience and was one of the best segment of the evening. Sattyam Devnath, Tania Mannan, Rima Saha and Iffat Ara Dewan rendered solos Jabar Be-

lay Shesh Kothati, Dhay Jeno Mor, Aj Taray Taray Dipto and Likhon Tomar Dhulay respectively. A group dance performance Bipul Torongo Re followed the musical presentations. Faria Khans rendition of Ami Jene Shune Bish Korechhi Paan and Shemonty Monjuris Tumi Robe Nirobe captivated the houseful audience. The lively performances of two choral numbers Momo Angone and Uriye Dhobja Abhrobhedi also received loud round of applause from the audience. Seasoned artiste Mita Haque, Sajid Akber, Shipra Talukder, Mita Sharma, Jhuma Khandaker, Rokaiya Hasina, Sraboni Mazumder, Manosh, Avik Dev, Monsura Begum, and ATM Jahangir performed solos at the event. Last performance of the first day was Ekoda Tumi Priye by Khayruzzaman. l

Nandita Yasmin performs at IGCC today n Entertainment Desk

Rabindra Sangeet artiste Nandita Yasmin will perform in a musical programme at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, Gulshan, today at 6:30pm. The event is organised by IGCC in association with Asian Paints, IRCON and Marico Bangladesh. Nandita Yasmin was initiated to the realm of Rabindra Sangeet by Late Moshad Ali at the age of 5. She commenced her formal training in 1983 at the music school Shangeet Bhaban under legendary Rabindra Sangeet exponent of Bangladesh, Kalim Sharafi. During her tenure there, she had the opportunity to train under Bangladeshi musical luminaries including Sadi Mohammad, Rezwana Choudhury Bannya, Late Aminur Rahman Nijhu, and Mridul Kanti Chakrabarti. Yasmin has been an enlisted artist with Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar since 1991. She is also a member of the musical organisation Rabiraag, led by her mentor Sadi Mohammad. She is a member of Bangladesh Rabindra Sangeet Shilpi Shongstha and Bangladesh Rabindra Sangeet Shommelan Parishad. She has performed in several stage shows in Bangladesh and abroad. She was one of the artistes representing Bangladesh at the prestigious joint celebrations of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore between India and Bangladesh in New Delhi and Kolkata. Yasmins debut album Bajabo Shornobeena was released in March 2008 to rave reviews. Subsequently, she has released two albums entitled Abar Jodi Bhashai Bhela and Sukher Badhon in 2010 and 2012 respectively. Her latest music album entitled Chanda Bondhane released on May 9 by the Bengal Foundation. She is a regular performer on Tara Music channel of Kolkata and local TV channels in Dhaka. l

Munier Choudhury Theatre Festival begins

n Entertainment Desk
A three-day long theatre festival is launched in the memory of Munier Choudhury, the pioneer of modern Bangla theatre. The event titled Munier Choudhury Theatre Festival is organised by the Theatre and Film Affairs Department of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on May 9 at the Experimental Theatre Hall of National Natyashala at 7pm. Five new and exclusive productions from the theatre departments of renowned universities including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University, Chittagong University and Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University will be showcased during the festival. On the opening day, Theatre and Performance Studies Department of Dhaka University staged Maanush, written by Munier Choudhury. The play is a prime example of communal unity as it bears the view of non-communal consciousness. Munier wrote the drama centering on the 1947 communal riot in the region. In recent times, incidents including the communal attack on the Buddhists in Ramu, the Muslims in Mayanmar/India and the Hindus in Bangladesh give the play a timeless aspect. The play is directed by Mahbubur Rahman. Today, the Drama and Dramatics Department of Jahangirnagar University will stage Ek Tala Dotala while the Theatre and Performance

A new drama series titled The Little Master will start airing from today on ATN Bangla at 11:30pm. The series is written by Sirajul Karim and directed by Abeer Khan while Abul Hayat, Saberi Alam, Mita Noor, Tazin Ahmed and Abeer Khan forms the cast of the drama. Mita Noor, the deceased actor will be seen in the first five episode of the drama while Tazin Ahmed took her place in the later episodes. The drama will air on Saturdays and Sundays every week

Studies Department of Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University will stage Mukhora Ramoni Boshikaran. On the concluding day, the Dramatics Department of Chittagong University will stage Janak and the Theatre & Music Department of Rajshahi will stage Maharaj. l

Kareena bonds with Saifs Happy Ending co-star Ileana DCruz

n Entertainment Desk
Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan, who has admitted that she does not have many friends from the industry was seen bonding with her husband Saif Ali Khans co-star Ileana DCruz on the sets of Happy Ending. Ileana DCruz, who will be seen opposite Saif Ali Khan in the film, posted a picture on Instagram saying Cuteness overload; courtesy Kareena. Ileana also tweeted, Had an amazing day at work yest! Difficult working conditions with weather going for a toss and time restraints but it worked out so well! Kareena Kapoor Khan, who will be seen in a cameo role in the film, was spotted on the sets presumably for her role. Kareena however has no reservations about Saif getting intimate with his leading ladies. Happy Ending is produced by Saif Ali Khans Iluminati films and directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK. The film also features Govinda, Ranvir Shorey and Kalki Koechlin in lead roles. l

TODAY IN DHAKA
Film
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (3D & 2D) I, Frankenstein Divergent Time: 10am 10pm Star Cineplex Bashundhara City

Pitt and Jolie to star in new movie

n Entertainment Desk
Hollywoods most powerful couple will share the big-screen once again. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will act opposite to each other in the same film since starring in Mr and Mrs Smith nine years ago, Deadline reports. Little information is known as of yet, but the pairs upcoming movie project was reportedly penned by Jolie. Whenever it happens, the end result will most likely be special to the superstars as their last on-screen encounter was famously known as the beginning of their high-profile romance. Virtually no detail has been released on the project but The Hollywood Reporter said that several insiders believe it will be a relationship drama which Jolie wrote a few years ago. Mr and Mrs Smith was both a critical and commercial success as it earned $478m at the box office worldwide. l

Cultural Programme

Dibey Ar Nibey Milabey Milibey Jabey Na Phirey By Rabindrasangeet Shilpi Sangstha Time: 6pm 9pm Shawkat Osman Auditorium Public Library, Shahbag Rabindra Utsab By Chayanaut Time: 6:30pm 9pm Chayanaut, Satmasjid Road Dhanmondi

Theatre

Munir Chowdhury Theatre Fest 2014 Time: 7pm 9pm Experimental Theatre Shilpakala Academy, Shegun Bagicha

Did you know?

Amit Mishra needs one wicket to become the second player after Lasith Malinga to take 100 IPL wickets

Sport
of Shakil in the 15th minute. Haitian midfielder Pascal Millien provided the through pass to Shakil who fired in a neat grounder from the top of the box. Russel piled up considerable pressure and earned four corners in a span of 10 minutes before Mithun Chowdhury finally doubled the lead in the 35th minute assisted by Pascal. The combination increased the goal cushion again after the breather when

Saturday, May 10, 2014

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

14 Allardyce wants to

deny City title for Gerrards sake

14 10 questions for

Premier Leagues final day

15 Ashraf, Disha

conquer 100m track

5-star Russel rout SL Air Force

All but through to second round
Sheikh Russel KC all but confirmed a second round ticket from Group A in the AFC Presidents Cup with a convincing 5-0 win over Sri Lanka Air Force at the Sughatdasa Stadium, Colombo yesterday. The win and the five goal cushion saw Russel to top of the table with four points from two matches. Russell drew goalless with KRL Club of Pakistan in their opening game. KRL also beat Ugyen Academy of Bhutan by 4-0 goals to stay behind Russel on goal difference. SL Air Force have three points while Ugyen are yet to open their account. In the last round Russel faces Ugyen while KRL meets Sri Lanka Air Force. A win can see Russel finish as group champions on goal difference while a draw means they will need KRL to beat Sri Lanka to see them go through as runners-up. The unchanged XI from last match attained the rhythm in the match gradually with passing football. Russels dominance started with the first strike

RESULT
Sk Russel (Ban)

Shakil 14, Mithun 35, 55, Pascal 60, Sobuj 87

5 0

SL Air Force (SL)

Pascals pass was once again met by Mithun in the 55th minute. After two assists, the Haitian Pascal further exhibited his brilliance with a superbly curled free-kick to score Russells fourth in the hour mark. Captain and goalkeeper Biplob made a couple of decent saves as he had not much to do with his back line, led by Hasan al Mamun and Rezaul Karim, remaining strong throughout the stipulated time. The final nail on the coffin was put by Sobuj Kumar Biswas, who replaced Mithun, in the 87th minute. l

Sheikh Russel forward Shakil Ahmed (L) celebrates scoring with teammate Mithun Chowdhury during their AFC Presidents Cup match against Sri Lanka Air Force at the Sughatdasa Stadium, Colombo yesterday COURTESY

National Bridge gets underway

The 33rd Khondkar Fazle Sobhan Trophy National Pairs Bridge Championship organised by the Bangladesh Bridge Federation got underway at the Engineers Recreation Centre yesterday. The two-day meet is sponsored by Grameenphone. Former foreign secretary and Bangladesh Enterprise Institute president Farooq Sobhan inaugurated the meet as the chief guest. A total of 72 pairs participated in the first round with 24 pairs qualifying for the second round at the end of the inaugural day. Pairs form India, Korea and Russia are also participating in the meet. A total of 14 pairs will enter the final round which will be played today. In the 14-pair barometer final session in the last edition, AK Firoze Ahmed and Moazzem Hussain became champions scoring 269.78 points. AHM Kamruzzaman Sohag and Asifur Rahman Chowdhury were runners up with 253.87 points. l

North Zone in driving Bangladesh A await acid test seat after day one
BCB North Zone ended day one on a strong footing as Taijul Islams nibble left-arm spin rattled Prime Bank South Zone in the five-day final of the Bangladesh Cricket League at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. Taijuls career-best bowling figures of 8 for 86 helped North Zone bundle out South Zone for 271 in the first innings. In reply, North Zone batted out the remaining eight overs of the day and scored 15 runs without any loss. North Zone, who also reached the final in the last edition before conceding the title to Walton Central Zone, trail South Zone by 256 runs. Asked to bat first in the title-decider, South Zone lost the crucial wicket of national opener Anamul Haque for nine as Taijul grabbed his first scalp with the scoreboard reading 44. Four overs later Taijul picked up his second wicket, that of other opener Imrul Kayes for 38. South Zone were soon reeling as they lost their third wicket on 91 as Taijul took the wicket of Mithun Ali (25). Shuvagata Hom and Soumya Sarker though somehow amended South Zones faltering fortunes by adding 122 runs for the fourth wicket. Just when Shuvagata was looking good for a hundred, he departed off Taijuls bowling Chief selector Faruk Ahmed believes the Bangladesh A teams upcoming month-long tour of the West Indies will be an acid test before the national squad is named for the bilateral series in the Caribbean in August. The Bangladesh A team is scheduled to leave Dhaka on May 22 and the second-string squad is likely to feature several national players along with a few performers from the domestic circuit and the Under-19 side. The national selection panel has already approved the Bangladesh A team squad and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is expected to announce the line-up in a day or two. The A teams tour is a vital one for us as this will be a full tour before the national team visits them [West Indies] in August-September. There will be few new faces in the [A] team as it will be easier for us to assess them in the longer version, said Faruk to the media yesterday. Faruk informed that the scheduling of the three-match ODI series at home against India was perfect as it will allow the cricketers of the Bangladesh A side to get some much needed match-practice under their belts. The Bangladesh A side will play two four-day matches against their West Indian counterparts before the India series gets underway. The second four-dayer is set to conclude on June 5 or 6 and afterwards we will be able to bring back the national cricketers home for the India series. By that time we will get to know who has

BRIEF SCORE
South Zone: 271 all out Soumya Sarkar 70, Shuvagata Hom 60 Taibur Rahman 39, Taijul Islam 8/86 North Zone: 15/0 (8.0 over)

North Zone trail by 256 runs with 10 first innings wickets remaining
after making 60 and South Zone lost their last seven wickets for 58 runs. Taiabur Parvez (39) was Taijuls fifth victim and when Soumya was dismissed for a responsible 167-ball 70, South Zone lost their way and were all out for 271. Sanjamul Islam supported Taijul well by taking two wickets for North Zone conceding 46 runs. l

The Bangladesh A teams tour is a vital one for us as this will be a full tour before the national team visits West Indies
performed in the two four-day games in the West Indies. And we have the final of the BCL [Bangladesh Cricket League] going on now so all the games before the India series will be taken into consideration, he said. The under-performance of the Bangladesh cricket team since January this year has raised quite a few eyebrows

and the subsequent inclusions of some off-form players in the team only worsened the criticisms that were levelled at the national side. When queried if there will be wholesale changes in the national side for the India series, Faruk said, I didnt try to make that many changes when I took charge as the chief selector three months ago. Yes, we didnt have a good time on the field in the Sri Lanka series, the Asia Cup and the World Twenty20 but that doesnt mean that drastic changes in the team is the way to go. The resignation of head coach Shane Jurgensen left the national side without a coach before the India series in June. Crickets governing body plans to rope in a renowned coach but there are lingering doubts at this moment due to the time available. Faruk said the team is in desperate need of a good coach but that is for the board to decide. Our team is a prepared one so all the coach needs to do is keep the team motivated. The coach wont make a big difference in the three-match series to be honest so the job can even be done with an interim coach at the helm, Faruk added. l

Taijul swirling his way to limelight

BCB North Zones left-arm spinner Taijul Islam is currently enjoying being at the peak of his form. His career-best bowling figures 8 for 86 - in the ongoing final of the first-class franchise-based Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) has guided his side to the driving seat against Prime Bank South Zone at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS) yesterday. Taijul was the wrecker-in-chief as South Zone were dismissed for 271 in their first innings. In reply, North Zone were batting on 15 without any loss at stumps on day one of the fiveday final. I always think of performing well when I enter the field and I dream of playing in the national team, said Taijul to the media yesterday at the SBNS. Taijul, who bowled 28 overs on the opening day, termed the job he was doing as tough. I was feeling really tired at one point but wickets at short intervals kept me going, he said. The 22-year-old from Natore has so far scalped eight five-wicket hauls in 17 first-class games. He has also grabbed

ICC defends anti-corruption unit despite review

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has defended the work of its anti-corruption and security unit, despite announcing a review into how the sport cracks down on fixing. A report in Britains Daily Telegraph on Tuesday said the ACSU, which does not have the powers of a law-enforcement agency, would be the first victim of the restructuring of the ICC following a shake-up of the global governing body led by the big three nations of India, Australia and England. During its 14 years in existence, the ACSU -- reported to cost $5.5 million dollars (3.25 million) per year to run -- has not been directly responsible for uncovering a major case of corruption at a time when cricket has been trying to combat the threat to its integrity posed by match and spot-fixing. Now there are suggestions the unit, which is headed by former senior British police officer Ronnie Flanagan and employs seven regional around the world, as well as staff in the United Arab Emirates, will be replaced by investigation boards in individual countries as these are better able to liaise with national police forces. However, ICC chief executive David Richards said Friday: The suggestion that the ACSU might be failing in its duty to protect the game is entirely misplaced and inaccurate. It is important to emphasis that the review is only commencing, and, therefore, to draw any conclusions on the outcome of the review will be premature and detrimental to the working of such an important unit. The ICC ACSU remains a world leader in the fight against corruption in sport, and has done some outstanding work since its inception in 2000, the former South Africa wicketkeeper added. Nevertheless, Richardson said a review was timely given the risk of corruption changing rapidly in recent years due to the increasing number of domestic Twenty20 cricket tournaments such as the Indian Premier League. Last month, Indias Supreme Court rejected N. Srinivasans plea to reinstate him as Indias cricket chief, saying he had effectively turned a blind eye to allegations of wrongdoing in the IPL. l

BCB North Zone players congratulate Taijul Islam (C) as he gets a wicket against North Zone during their Bangladesh Cricket League final at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday COURTESY 10 wickets in a game thrice this season and credited his will for the heroics. I never try anything different rather I think of playing well. I try to concentrate on my zones when I attack. All I do is make the right effort, concentrate and play well, Taijul informed. Taijul, who has also gone on to bag five-fors five times in six BCL innings this season, happily admitted that he was enjoying his time in the limelight. A bowler always feels good when he gets wickets so it is the same for me. The team members and the seniors are backing me up well, said Taijul. l

14
Costa suffers hamstring injury
Atletico Madrids top scorer Diego Costa looks set to miss his sides crucial La Liga match against Malaga on Sunday due to a hamstring injury. Depending on the extent of the injury, the 25-year-old could also be a doubt for Atleticos trip to Barcelona on the final day of the La Liga season and the Champions League final against Real Madrid on May 24. Diego Costa has undergone some scans to determine the extent of a grade one injury in his right hamstring, the club said in a statement on their website on Friday. The striker did not train with his teammates in a session on Friday morning. AFP

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Saturday, May 10, 2014

First blood to Derby in playoff semi

Derby County came from behind to win 2 1 at Brighton and Hove Albion thanks to an own goal by unlucky home keeper Tomasz Kuszczak in their English Championship (second tier) playoff semi-final first leg on Thursday. Chris Martins shot just before halftime struck the crossbar and rebounded into the net off the Polish stoppers back after Martin had brought the scores level with a penalty following Jesse Lingards early opener for the hosts. The two teams, who are chasing a spot in the Premier League, will meet again on Sunday with the aggregate winners reaching the May 24 playoff final against either Wigan Athletic or Queens Park Rangers. Reuters

World Cup claims eighth victim

A worker died Thursday at a World Cup stadium in Brazil after he was electrocuted, an official source told AFP, the eighth fatality during chaotic preparations for the footballing showpiece. The 32-year-old father-of-two was installing lighting in a corridor at the new Pantanal Arena in Cuiaba when he suffered the electric shock. He died despite attempts by emergency services at the scene. A spokesman for the regional World Cup secretariat told AFP work to finish the 43,000-capacity venue in central-western Brazil would continue, with the World Cup five weeks away. AFP

Allardyce wants to deny City title for Gerrards sake

Strapping Sam Allardyce doesnt look the sentimental type, but the West Ham boss says hed like his team to deny Manchester City the Premier League title in the final match of the season on Sunday because Liverpools Steven Gerrard deserves to win it. City, who have already beaten West Ham three times this season, are favourites to become champions. Two points ahead of Liverpool, they also have a much better goal difference and effectively need only a draw on Sunday. From a neutral point of view, everybody would like to see Liverpool win it. From a personal point of view Id like to see Steven Gerrard win it, Allardyce told the West Ham website. Its the last thing for him which he hasnt quite achieved at Liverpool. Hes been a one club man all his life. Obviously theyve let it slip out of their hands. They had it to take, but theyve now left it in the hands of Manchester City. On form and the position theyre in, youd have to say Manchester City are the favourites. We all know that Manchester City in full flow are very difficult to play against, he added. Weve got to go out there and give a fantastic performance to stop them trying to grasp the title. It will be hugely difficult because theyre the best team at home in the league, theyve only lost once against Chelsea. Their goal record is fantastic and they have great players. Every player on top of his form, but lets try and spoil Manchester Citys party. l

Lille look to clinch UCL place

Lille will hope to extend Paris Saint-Germains recent run of poor form and beat the newly-crowned champions to clinch a potentially lucrative prize of their own this weekend. The northern side have been in the top three in Ligue 1 since the start of October but need a win at home to the capital club to make sure of a podium finish and seal qualification for next seasons Champions League. The gap down to Saint-Etienne in fourth is five points. l

FIXTURES
AC Ajaccio Bordeaux Evian Guingamp Lille Lyon Montpellier Nantes Rennes Valenciennes v v v v v v v v v v Reims Marseille Nice Toulouse PSG Lorient SC Bastia Saint-Etienne Sochaux Monaco

Real Madrids Cristiano Ronaldo (2L) and his son Cristiano Ronaldo Jr attend the Nadal-Nieminen match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament on Thursday REUTERS

Hamburg in do-or-die battle

Thirty-one years after they were crowned champions of Europe, Hamburg could suffer the embarrassment of a first relegation from the Bundesliga on Saturday. The 127-year-old club head into the final weekend and a trip to Mainz in third from bottom place on 27 points, one ahead of Nuremberg and two in front of basement club Eintracht Braunschweig. The bottom two sides will be relegated automatically with the third-bottom side facing a relegation play-off against the third-placed side in the second division. Its all a far cry from Hamburgs glory days when Felix Magath, now the manager of relegated English Premier League side Fulham, grabbed the only goal in the German sides 1-0 final win over Juventus to lift the European Cup in 1983. That was a side coached by legendary Austrian Ernst Happel, the man who led the Dutch to the 1978 World

Fifa boss Blatter wants new term

FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Friday strengthened expectations that he will soon announce his bid for a fifth term as the head of global football. I want to do this, because things arent over yet. My mandate is running out, but my mission is not finished, the 78-year-old was quoted as saying by the Swiss tabloid Blick. Blatter is widely expected to announce his formal candidacy at the FIFA Congress, before the World Cup, in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo. The election will be held in 2015. Blick said Blatters comments came in response to questions about his future during a debate it organised in Zurich. Blatter has been FIFAs president since 1998. He joined footballs governing body in 1975 and was its secretary general before succeeding Brazilian Joao Havelange as president. l

FIXTURES
Leverkusen Bayern Munich Augsburg Hanover 96 Hertha Berlin Hoffenheim Mainz Schalke Wolfsburg v v v v v v v v v Werder Bremen Stuttgart Frankfurt SC Freiburg Dortmund Braunschweig Hamburg Nuremberg Mgladbach

Cup final in Argentina and who won league titles in four different countries. The best he can hope for Saturday is the relegation play-off after their hopes of climbing out of the bottom three

were dashed in a 4-1 defeat by champions Bayern Munich last weekend. If Hamburg lose, then they will need third-placed Schalke and mid-table Hoffenheim to do them favours against Nuremberg and Braunschweig respectively. At the other end of the table, Bayern will be presented with the championship trophy in their home game against Stuttgart. Second-placed Borussia Dortmund go to Hertha having also made sure of Champions League football next year. Schalke, in third spot, host Nuremberg with a three-point lead over Bayer Leverkuson in fourth, so the Royal Blues need a point to seal an automatic spot in the Champions League. Leverkusen welcome Werder Bremen knowing victory will guarantee a play-off spot in Europes elite club competition, but a slip-up would open to the door to either Wolfsburg or Borussia Moenchengladbach, who meet each other. l

Wenger wants Champions League ban for FFP breaches

Clubs who violate UEFAs new Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules should be thrown out of the Champions League, according to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Paris St Germain and Manchester City face fines of 60 million euros ($83.3 million) and caps on the size of their Champions League squads for breaches of the rules. UEFA has the power to ban teams from European competition if their losses exceed the limits allowed, but is expected to shy away from imposing that ultimate punishment when it hands out the sanctions. Wenger, a known advocate of balanced accounting, prefers the more straightforward punishment. You would think you accept the rules and youre in the competition or you dont accept the rules and youre not in the competition - then everybody would understand it, the Frenchman told the British media. There are rules. You respect them or you dont respect them. If you dont respect them you have to be punished. When Uefa doesnt want to kick the clubs out of the Champions League they have to find a more subtle punishment. To me, and from all of us on the outside, it looks a complicated punishment. Nine unnamed clubs faced punishment under new rules, which are designed to force teams to limit their financial losses and make soccer more economically stable. PSG have spent more than 200 million euros ($278.5 million) on players since Qatari investors QTI completed their takeover of the club in 2012 and won the French title on Wednesday. l

QU E STI ONS FOR PR E MI ER LEAGUES FI N AL DAY 0 1

Can Manchester City hold their nerve?

After overwhelming Aston Villa 4 0 on Wednesday, Manchester City effectively require only a point at home to West Ham United to claim a second title in three years. If City draw, Liverpool would need to win at home to Newcastle United by at least 13 goals to take the title. But if City lose, Liverpool will be crowned champions for the first time since 1990 if they beat Newcastle.

Will City or Liverpool break the scoring record?

Citys win over Villa took their goal tally for the season to 100 and Liverpool are only a goal further back on 99. Both teams are therefore within sight of Chelseas EPL (post-1992) goal-scoring record of 103 goals in the 2009 10 season. If Liverpool score, it will be the first time since 1960 61 that more than one team finishes the season with 100 league goals or more.

Can Luis Suarez break new ground?

With 31 goals to his name this season, Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has already tied the record for the number of goals scored in a 38-game Premier League campaign, which was jointly held by Alan Shearer and Cristiano Ronaldo. He can break the record by scoring once, while a hat-trick would seem him equal the record for goals in a 42-game Premier League season (34), currently shared by Shearer and Andy Cole.

Will Tottenham pip Manchester United to a Europa League place?

Tottenham need to avoid defeat at home to Aston Villa to claim the last remaining Europa League place. If they lose and Manchester United win at Southampton, United will move above them on goal difference.

Can Ryan Giggs sign off with a victory?

After a disastrous season in which they meekly conceded the title and failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1995, United will look to end the campaign on a positive note by winning at Southampton. With Louis van Gaal expected to be appointed as the successor to the sacked David Moyes shortly, it will be veteran player-coach Ryan Giggss last game as interim manager.

Will anyone succumb to World Cup heartbreak?

Manchester United defender Phil Jones was the latest player to suffer a World Cup injury scare after damaging his shoulder in his sides 3 1 win over Hull City on Tuesday. His England team-mates Phil Jagielka (Everton) and Jack Wilshere (Arsenal) are among the players who will be hoping to prove their fitness in time for Brazil on the final day.

Can Norwich City go out with a bang?

Sunderlands 2 0 victory at home to West Bromwich Albion in mid-week means that Norwich City have been all but mathematically relegated, as they now trail fourth-bottom West Brom by three points with a vastly inferior goal difference (-32 to -15). The final game of their three-year stay in the top flight will be at home to Arsenal.

Where will Stoke and Palace finish?

Stoke City are already assured of their highest top-flight finish since the 1974 75 campaign, when they came fifth. Barring a mathematical improbability, they are on course to finish 10th and could leapfrog Newcastle to ninth if they win at West Brom and Alan Pardews side do not beat Liverpool. Crystal Palace, 11th, are already certain to record their highest top-flight finish since they came 10th in 1991 92.

Who will be saying goodbye?

United captain Vidic is in line to make his final appearance before leaving for Inter Milan, while Giggs, Evra and Rio Ferdinand will shortly be out of contract. Chelseas trip to Cardiff could see club stalwarts Terry, Lampard and Cole play their final games for the club. Also uncertainty surrounds the futures of Spurs head coach Tim Sherwood and his Villa counterpart Paul Lambert.

10

Can Cardiff City avoid the wooden spoon?

Cardiff go into the final day on the bottom of the table, but they can avoid the ignominy of the wooden spoon by bettering Fulhams result at home to Palace.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Saturday, May 10, 2014

15
Mohsin slams Waqars appointment as Pak coach
Former interim coach Mohsin Khan hit out at the Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday after he was overlooked for the national sides top job. Khan, 59, had applied for the position of head coach but the PCB on Tuesday handed a two-year contract to fast bowling legend Waqar Younis for a second stint in the role. The 42-year-old Waqar played 87 Tests and 262 one-day internationals for Pakistan and held the job of national team coach from February 2010 to September 2011. But he was one of six players fined following a judicial inquiry into match-fixing launched in 1998 that led to lifetime bans for Salim Malik and Ataur Rehman two years later. Khan, who as temporary coach guided Pakistan to a 3-0 rout of then world number one side England in 2012, accused the Pakistan cricket body of hiring tainted players. I was one of the deserving candidates but the PCB threw dust in everyones eyes, Khan told a press conference, brandishing a newspaper article about judge Malik Mohammad Qayyums inquiry. Batsman Malik remains banned from the game while Rehmans ban was subsequently lifted. Waqar, Wasim Akram, Inzamam-ul Haq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saeed Anwar and Akram Raza were all fined. Khan on Thursday referenced another of Pakistans cricketing scandals - the 2010 spot-fixing affair while the team were touring England with Waqar as coach. Khan said the PCB, which is trying to have Aamers ban reduced before it expires in August 2015, was not moving on from past scandals. We are not setting examples by patronising tainted players and after such things who will come and play against us, he said. If the need arises I will go to the court and will also inform the prime minister (Nawaz Sharif) about the matter. Waqar takes over the role vacated by Australian coach Dav Whatmore, whose contract expired in March. l

QUICK BYTES

Ramdin named West Indies Test captain

Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin was named on Friday as captain of the West Indies test team, the West Indies Cricket Board said on its Twitter feed. The 29-year-old Ramdin will take over from all-rounder Darren Sammy who will remain as the Twenty20 skipper. Sammy was appointed test captain in 2010 and led them to series victories over Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and New Zealand but his overall record was eight wins and 12 defeats, including five in the last six matches. Ramdins will lead West Indies in the three-test home series against New Zealand starting in Kingston, Jamaica on June 8. The Trinidadian right-hander has played 56 tests, scoring 2,235 runs at an average of 27.25, including four centuries, and taking 156 catches. Reuters

Injured Pepe doubt for Lisbon final

Real Madrid defender Pepe has been diagnosed with a calf injury that could rule him out of the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid in Lisbon on May 24. The Portuguese international suffered the injury as Reals La Liga title hopes were all but ended in a 1 1 draw away to Valladolid on Wednesday. Madrid said on Friday that tests have confirmed the 31-year-old has a grade one injury in his left calf without estimating how long he may be out of action. However, Spanish media reported that the centre-back will be out for at least two weeks meaning he will miss Reals final two league games against Celta Vigo and Espanyol and putting his participation in the Champions League final at risk. AFP

BKSP athletes Disha Sultana (L) and Ashrafuzzaman Rochi celebrate after clinching their respective 100m sprint events in the Walton 30th National Junior Athletics Championship at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Ashraf, Disha conquer 100m track

BKSP athlete Ashrafuzzaman Rochi set a new national record in the boys 100m sprint (Under-17) to become the fastest boy in the opening day of the Walton 30th National Junior (Age-Group) Athletics Championship 2014 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. The day belonged to the BKSP athletes as Disha Sultana clinched the gold medal in the girls 100m sprint (U-17) event in her maiden appearance in the national junior championship. Ashrafuzzaman clocked 10.70s to break the previous record which was clocked at 11.06s. Irfan, also hailing from BKSP, finished second with a timing of 11.30s while Sultan Sanjid of Noakhali clinched third spot with a timing of 11.40s. Ashrafuzzaman, the 5 8.5 lad from Bagerhat, broke into tears after he crossed the finishing line and through his shaded eyes the young BKSP pupil was looking for his mentors. I have suffered injuries in my hamstring five times in the last two months. I never thought I would finish first. All credit goes to BKSP and my instructors there, said Ashrafuzzaman, who reserved special mention for coach Abdullah Hel Kafi. Ashrafuzzaman went on to express his desire of winning the gold medal in the South Asian Games. Meanwhile in the girls 100m sprint, Disha Sultana clocked 13.20s to beat Ayesha Akter from Gaibandha and BKSPs Tanjila Akter. This is the first time I have participated in the national junior athletics. I want to thank BKSP for all the support and encouragement which makes me what Im today, said Disha, who is currently studying in class nine and joined BKSP in March last year. Disha is aiming to win four gold medals in the two-day long tournament as she will also take part in three more events - 200m sprint, long jump and 4*100m relay. The girl from Manikganj was convinced she will at least clinch gold in the first two events. Meanwhile in the days other events, Tamanna Akter of BKSP, who happens to be the granddaughter of former athlete and current referee Ketab Ali, bagged gold in the 200m sprint in the girls 18-19 age-group taking 26.80s to complete her run. Sabiha Al Sohra and Bonna Khatun became second and third respectively. In the boys (U-17) high jump, Ashraful Haque won the gold medal while Ibad Ali and Habibur Rahman claimed silver and bronze respectively. BKSPs Tahmina Akter, Laboni Akter and Jobayda were placed first, second and third respectively in the girls (U-17) shotput event. Sultana Razia of Khulna bagged gold in the javelin throw in the girls 18-19 age-group. Md Ibrahim of Noakhali won gold in the boys (18-19) age-group shotput while Smrity Khatun came first in the girls high jump. l

30TH NATIONAL JUNIOR ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIP 2014

Ferdinand plans to play on next season

Rio Ferdinand insists he has no intention of retiring even if the former England defender is forced to leave Manchester United in the close-season. Ferdinands current contract with United expires at the end of the campaign and there has been no suggestion as yet that he will be offered a new deal after spending much of the season out of favour with boss David Moyes, who was sacked last month. The 35-year-old did not make the match-day squad for Uniteds final home game against Hull under interim manager Ryan Giggs, who is set to be replaced by Holland coach Louis van Gaal after the World Cup. But Ferdinand, who joined United from Leeds in July 2002 for 30 million ($50 million, 36 million euros), feels he still has plenty to offer, regardless of whether his future lies at Old Trafford. AFP

Federer will play French Open

Roger Federer will take part in the French Open despite earlier suggesting he may take time out to be with wife Mirka, who gave birth to the couples second set of twins this week. Federers agent, Tony Godsick, told www.ATPworldtour.com that the Swiss intends to feature at the French Open, which starts at Roland Garros in Paris on May 25, where he would stretch his consecutive run of Grand Slam events to 58. Roger plans on playing Roland Garros and he will make a decision at the last minute if he will play Rome (next week) depending on how everything is going with his family, said Godsick. Mirka Federer gave birth to sons Leo and Lenny on Tuesday. The couple already have twin girls, Myla Rose and Charlene Ri, who will be five in July. Federer, 32, has played in a record 57 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, this past January eclipsing the mark previously set by Wayne Ferreira in 2003. He will be making his 16th straight appearance at the French Open, where he won the title in 2009 to complete a career Slam. l

Nadal, Sharapova into semis as Serena withdraws in Madrid

World number one Rafael Nadal stormed into the semi-finals of the Madrid Masters on Friday with his 17th consecutive win over Tomas Berdych, 6-4, 6-2. Maria Sharapova also booked her place in the last four of the Madrid Open with a three-set win over Li Na, but top seed and reigning champion Serena Williams was forced to pull out of the tournament due to a thigh injury. Despite coming into the tournament with doubts following surprise defeats to David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro in recent weeks, Nadal has looked in fine form in the Spanish capital as he has cruised into the last four without the loss of a set. The 13-time Grand Slam champion will meet compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut or Colombias Santiago Giraldo on Saturday for a place in the final. Williams was due to face Petra Kvitova in the quarter-finals but pulled out due to a thigh injury she had been carrying since sweeping aside Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic in the first round on Sunday. However, the American insisted that she will try to defend her title at the Italian Open in Rome next week. Sharapova has been beaten by Williams in Madrid in the last two years, including in the 2013 final, and the Russian is now the favourite to clinch her first title in the Spanish capital as she edged a thrilling match against second seed Li 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3. Li looked on course for the semi-finals when she broke to lead 4-3 in the second set. However, Sharapova broke back immediately and, despite needing four set points, finally forced the match into a deciding set when Li netted at 5-6 down in the tie-break. There were three breaks of serve to open the third set, but Sharapova took control when she finally consolidated the break at 3-1 and was gifted the final game when Li double faulted on match point. The four-time Grand Slam champion will face third seed Agnieszka Radwanska or French qualifier Caroline Garcia in the semi-finals. Also into Saturdays semis is fourth seed Simona Halep as she set up a meeting with Kvitova thanks to a 6-2, 6-2 thrashing of Serbias Ana Ivanovic. l

Rostov win first ever title with Russian Cup

Rostov won the first title in their 84year history when they beat FC Krasnodar 6 5 on penalties in the Russian Cup final at the Anzhi Arena in Dagestan on Thursday. The game went to spotkicks after a dour 90 minutes and extra time, with both teams reduced to 10 men, failed to produce a goal. Ivorian defender Igor Lolo was left with the responsibility of scoring the vital spot-kick for Rostov after captain Stipe Pletikosa saved Yury Gazinskys penalty for Krasnodar who were only formed in 2008. Rostov also reached the Russian Cup final in 2003 but were beaten by Spartak Moscow 1 0. Miodrag Bozovics Rostov side will now play in next seasons Europa League. Reuters

Lipi scores six against Munshiganj

Lipi Akter of Narsingdi scored six goals steering her team to a 8-0 win over Munshiganj in the opening day of the KFC Womens Football Championship Dhaka Zone at the Kamalapur stadium yesterday. Lipi scored in the 2nd, 15th, 24th, 75th, 77th and 79th minute while the other two goals were netted by Joysri and Rima. In the other match of the day, Borguna beat Satkhira 3-0 at the Bagerhat stadium. Fatema scored the opener in the 17th minute, Halima scored the second in the 40th minute while Sharmin added the third in the 51st minute.l

DAYS WATCH
Sony Six Indian Premier League 4:30PM Delhi v Hyderabad 8:30PM Mumbai v Chennai NBA Play-Off 2013 14: CONF SF 6:00AM Indiana v Washington 8:30AM Oklahoma v La Clippers Star Sports 4 3:00PM & 6:00PM F1: Spanish GP Practice Session 3 & Qualifying Italian Serie A 10:00PM Hellas Verona v Udinese 12:45AM Inter Milan v Lazio Star Sports 2 La Liga 12:00AM Villarreal v Rayo Vallecano 2:00AM Levante v Valencia

Nadal celebrates after winning a point against Berdych during their match at the Madrid Open yesterday REUTERS

Mourinho picks home loss as highlight Top for Hamilton, stop

Jose Mourinho believes that Chelsea have made progress this season, but his abiding memory will be of the moment he lost his unbeaten home record in the Premier League. Manchester Citys mid-week victory over Aston Villa confirmed that Chelsea will go into their final match of the campaign at Cardiff City on Sunday knowing that their title challenge is over. It means that Mourinho will finish his first season back at Stamford Bridge empty-handed after his side exited the Champions League at the semi-final stage and fell short in the domestic cups. The manager, though, believes the club has moved forward, despite the lack of silverware, although he admitted that this was not a season to celebrate given Chelseas record of success in recent years. Asked to select his stand-out moment, Mourinho picked Sunderlands 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge last month, which brought his 78-game unbeaten home league run with Chelsea to an end. There was an evolution in every competitive aspect, Mourinho told a press conference on Friday. From a competitive aspect, it was an evolution. Some of the players had that experience of fighting for the title for the first time, and fighting for the Champions League, playing knockout phase, quarter-final and semi-final. Its not the kind of season that Chelsea celebrates, because thats Chelseas nature and my nature. Were not jumping for finishing third in such a difficult Premier League, and qualifying for the Champions League group phase. Were not jumping and celebrating, but we knew when the season started that was very, very possible this was going to happen. For some teams, the third position is something that people live with in a happy way. We dont. I dont. Thats why, in this moment, we are thinking about next season. Despite several high points, it was Fabio Borinis winning penalty for Sunderland on April 19 that stood out for Mourinho. This season I lost for the first time a match at Stamford Bridge, losing with a goal- the second goal - and for me thats the highlight, Mourinho said. Thats my overriding memory of the season, yes. Chelsea have yet to decide on the futures of club stalwarts Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and John Terry, who are all out of contract at the end of the season. Mourinho hinted that he does not expect Lampard to leave in the close season, but said that the England man will deserve to be honoured when his Chelsea career finally comes to a close. l

for Vettel in Spain

Red Bulls decision to change Sebastian Vettels car for the Spanish Grand Prix backfired on Friday when an electrical problem sidelined the quadruple Formula One world champion for most of practice. With race favourite Lewis Hamilton fastest in the morning session for dominant Mercedes, Vettel was forced to park up by the side of the track early on and with just four laps completed. Circuit de Catalunya marshals handed him a fire extinguisher as he inspected the car before hitching a ride back to the paddock on a scooter. Due to an electrical problem that has damaged the wiring loom of Car No. 1, Sebastian will not be able to take part

in FP2 (second practice), Red Bull said before the afternoon session started. The Team will use the time to fix it to be ready for FP3 (the final session before qualifying) tomorrow. Vettel, winner of the last nine races of 2013 and four championships in a row, has had a difficult start to the new V6 turbo era with Red Bulls engine partner Renault playing catch-up with Mercedes. The last time the German was in action at a Spanish circuit, testing at Jerez in January, he spent most of his time in the garage watching mechanics work on the car. Hamilton, winner of the last three races and closing in on championship-leading team mate Nico Rosberg, went from strength to strength with a fastest lap of one minute 27.023 seconds set six minutes from the end. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Political threats make health sector risky workplace

Performance of health officials on the decline due to sense of insecurity backed leaders and activists were is- they were unable to arrest Aslam as he threatened DGHS Director (primary n Moniruzzaman Uzzal suing death threats and carrying out went into hiding; although the leader health care) Dr Abu Jafar Md Musa, afRampant interferences and muscle-flexing by politically influential leaders have made the countrys health sector an extremely risky place to be working in at the moment. Constant threats and intimidations from leaders belonging to political parties or doctors organisations have caused panic to spread among health officials, whose work performances have also been on the decline as a result. Seeking anonymity, several directors and programme managers of different operational plans under the health sector told the Dhaka Tribune that they had not felt such levels of insecurity over the past decade, adding that their bosses were failing to ensure proper security. They claimed that Awami Leaguephysical assaults if health officials refused to illegally approve work order for tenders or provide other facilities. On Sunday, the director of Institute of Public Health and Nutrition (IPHN), Dr Hedayetul Islam, was assaulted and his office vandalised by some thugs allegedly led by Aslam Hossain, general secretary of Awami Leagues ward number 20 unit, who initiated the violence after failing to secure a work order. Health directorate DG Dr Din Mohammed Nurul Hoque personally requested the DMP commissioner to take immediate actions against the culprits, to which the commissioner gave assurances for making arrests soon. However, a senior DGHS official quoted the police as later claiming that was reportedly seen on the DGHS premises after law enforcers made the claim. Dr Md Shah Newaz, director (administration) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), said Dr Hedayet had requested to be transferred following the attack as he was feeling a lack of security. Top officials were being demoralised by incidents such as this, he added. Following allegations that ruling party-backed goons were regularly hanging out at the DGHS office in the capitals Mohakhali, Dr Shah Newaz recently issued a circular directing everyone to leave the DGHS building after office hours. A former president of Bangladesh Chhatra League had also allegedly ter the formers requests were not entertained recently. DGHS Director (medical education) Dr ABM Abdul Hannan, who was also threatened by a top leader of the incumbent BCL committee a couple of months ago, however told the Dhaka Tribune that the dispute had been resolved. Preferring to stay unnamed, a DGHS director said he had not experienced such a fearful situation in many years. Many people were coming to the DGHS office everyday and demanding that work orders be given in their favour as they were leaders of different ruling party wings, the director said, adding that those leaders said they needed to gather as much money as they could, as they would later end up in jail during the tenure of the opposition. The state of panic had intensified following recent attacks allegedly by BCL activists in different medical college hospitals. In the latest violence, the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital was vandalised yesterday by students of Dhaka University. DMCH Director Brig Gen Mustafizur Rahman recently told the Dhaka Tribune that most of the violence was being triggered by trivial issues, adding that Dhaka University authority had failed to respond to a letter requesting them to address the matter. Another DMCH official said a lot of the troubles were instigated by the intern doctors who were involved with the ruling partys politics. Sheltered by doctor leaders, those interns behave like goons, the official added. l

Mozena narrowly escapes accident

n Our Correspondent, Gazipur
US Ambassador Dan Mozena narrowly escaped a road accident in Kapasia upazila in Gazipur yesterday. The SUV he was travelling in veered off the road and got stuck on the roadside beside Lohadi High School of the upazila at 10am as its driver lost control of the steering. There was a 10-foot deep pond beside the road, said witnesses. Mozena and the others travelling with him got down from the car. None of them were injured in the incident. They are all fine now, said Ahsan Ullah, officer-in-charge at Kapasia police station. The US envoy was going to visit the power generation of Solar Nano Grid K1 of SOLARIC, a power generation company, in Lohadi village, he said. A wrecker was sent to recover the vehicle, he said, adding that Mozena and his entourage visited the project via an alternative mode of transport. l

First Bangladeshi-assembled smartphones likely in July

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam
For the first time in the country, a government company is working with a private entrepreneur to assemble smart mobile handsets along with ordinary feature phones. The idea is expected to be implemented by July and is said to have a good potential in the Bangladeshi market. Indigo Group, a local firm, is working with Telephone Shilpa Sangstha Ltd (TSS), a government firm under the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology in Tongi of Gazipur, on the project while a couple of experts from China are also working to make the project successful, a senior executive of Indigo Group said. We will be in the market before Eid and we are preparing ourselves for that, Md Jasimul Haque, the entrepreneur behind the project, told the Dhaka Tribune. He said the products would be launched under the brand name OK mobile which is a very well-known brand in the US. Jasimul also said the project was a joint venture with OK mobile, Indigo Group and TSS. Telecommunications Ministry sources said the TSS awarded Indigo Group with the project following submission of tender for the fourth time. In 2010, an Indian firm proposed to TSS that it would assemble and market the renowned ZEN & TSS brand mobile phones at competitive price but the deal could not be reached in the end. When the latest tenders were submitted, TSS found three offers and the one by Indigo was the most attractive, TSS Managing Director Md Husnul Mahmud Khan said. We are allowing them to use our 14,923 square feet office space and other infrastructures to implement the project. They will pay Tk6 for each square foot of the space, he told the Dhaka Tribune. Sources said the contract was signed between TSS and Indigo Group on 27 February this year. According to the contract, Indigo Group will get six months to begin assembling handsets. Jasimul said they were going to bring at least five types of handsets to the market, with the price range starting from Tk1,200. He said they also had plan for producing cheap 3G handsets to be sold only for Tk3,800. Apart from that, quality handsets priced between Tk25,000 and Tk30,000 will be offered. But there will be handsets of other categories ranging from Tk7,000-8,000, Tk14,000-16,000 and Tk22,000-24,000, he said. All the handsets will have dual SIM facility and some will come with 2 megapixel to 12 megapixel cameras, he added. Jasimul said they were planning to go for global marketing within two years and initially the aim would be to sell 1 lakh handsets every month. We are not thinking about profit before two years and by then, our plan is to have 10% to 12% market share in Bangladesh. We have targets to export handsets in some countries in Africa and Latin American countries as well, he said. TSS earlier launched DOEL, a laptop brand, in collaboration with TFT, a Malaysian firm, but the project did not enjoy much success. Jasimul, however, sounded optimistic and said: Our project is going to be the first of its kind in the country which can have impact on the users shortly. Jasimul said they had brought the key technology from China but was unwilling to mention the name, saying it was business secret. l

Most boats remained anchored at Kaliganj in the Buriganga as boatmen are reluctant to work in the scorching heat. The photo was taken recently

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

13-year-old sexually abused by employer in Dhaka

n Mohammad Jamil Khan
A 13-year-old girl is undergoing treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital after allegedly being beaten and raped by her employer, in the capital. The victim was brought in to the hospital in a critical condition, sources at the DMCH said. A native of Hatia, Noakhali, the girl was employed as a domestic help at the residence of Mansur Alam Chowdhury in the capitals North Kamalapur area under Shahjahanpur police station. Sohel Rana, sub-inspector of the Shahjahanpur police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that police arrested Mansur, 35, an official of the Hamid Group, for interrogation and a case would be filed after getting reports of medical test on the victim. We are trying to collect information about the victims relatives from her employers and will contact them when we have the details, he said. The girl could not give us any information as she is suffering from mental disorder due to the abuse, he added. Mansurs wife Nasima has been admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University for treatment of pregnancy-related complications for the last 10 days, according to police. Yesterday, Mansur brought the girl to the hospital to help Nasima, when all of a sudden, he started scolding and beating her. Alarmed by the noise, Ansar officials stationed at the hospital went to investigate and took Mansur and the girl into custody, said the SI. The girl claimed that Mansur had sexually abused her every night since Nasima had been admitted to hospital. Some female Ansar officials then ran preliminary tests and found the claim to be true, and informed us, Rana said. Police then took custody of the girl and admitted her to the DMCHs Labour Ward around 5:30pm. A doctor at the DMCH told the Dhaka Tribune that the girl had bite marks and other injuries on her genital. We will send her to a One-Stop Crisis Centre for more tests and further treatment, the doctors said. l

Parthenium: A new threat to food security

n Kamran Reza Chowdhury
The plant protection wing of the government is deeply concerned about rapid spread of highly invasive parthenium in north-western and south-western regions as this new alien weed will be the cause of 40% loss of agricultural produce. Rice, wheat, maize, potato, tomato, groundnut, pea, sugarcane, cotton and other crops are the major victims of Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorous) detected in the bordering areas of the greater Rajshahi, Kushtia and Jessore districts. the plant protection wing, said. He said Bangladesh was immune from parthenium, the newest alien species that sneaked into here, possibly through the consignments of imported wheat and food items. Manjurul Haque, the entomologist posted at the Sonamasjid Land Port in Chapainawabganj, said: We have spotted huge presence of parthenium in the bordering areas in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Natore, Jessore, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Jhenaidah districts and other adjoining areas. Jashim Uddin, another entomologist posted at the Bhomra Land Port, said he also saw parthenium in Satkhira terming the weed alarming. Available literature says the apparently invisible parthenium came to Indias Pune in 1955 through wheat consignments, strongly believed from the USA, ultimately spread into other parts. This is also seen in Australia that exports wheat to Bangladesh. Bangladesh imports huge food grains from India through land ports where the plant protection wing has quarantine centres for checking invasive species. But informal trade was another likely cause of partheniums intrusion. Ahsan Ullah said the farmers in the US and other developed countries harvest crops by machines causing the mix of parthenium seed with the lot and ultimately affecting the importing nations. A single plant produces 10,000 flower heads and spread into the eco-system. It spreads fast and eats up the food and nutrients of the crops. Besides, the invasive plant can adapt to almost all adverse climatic conditions, he said. Ahsan said the quarantine department lacked adequate human resources, logistics and resources to check parthenium. l

New invasive weed parthenium spreads to north-western, south-western regions Parthenium can cut crop output by 40% Toxic parthenin responsible for skin diseases and respiratory problems Cattles and animals are exposed to threat too
In addition to causing skin diseases and respiratory malfunctions Partheniums toxic Parthenin harms cattle and domestic animals. Parthenin is also the cause of pollen allergy. At an internal meeting in Dhaka on May 8 the quarantine entomologists from across the country warned about the danger of parthenium suggesting its immediate check. This is the second detection of an alien organism in Bangladesh after the Giant Mealy Bug that
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has spread different parts of Dhaka since its first spotting in a naval base in the capital. Unless stopped immediately, this highly invasive species will hugely harm our crop cultivation. It can cause up to 40% loss of agricultural yield, including rice, potato, sugarcane and others, Ahsan Ullah, a quarantine entomologist at

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