09 March, 2016

SECOND EDITION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

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Falgun 26, 1422, Jamadiul Awal 28, 1437

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 323

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

Mir Quasem's death penalty upheld n Ashif Islam Shaon The apex court yesterday upheld the death sentence of Chittagong al-Badr kingpin Mir Quasem Ali, who had earned titles like Bangali Khan and Sarder for leading the militia group to collaborate with the Pakistani occupation forces against the pro-liberation people in 1971.

The order paves the way for Quasem's walk to gallows for the crimes against humanity he had

committed during the Liberation War including abduction, torture and murder of freedom fighters at torture cells in the port city.

A five-member full bench of the Appellate Division, headed

by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, delivered the short verdict before a packed courtroom at 9:42am yesterday.

The convict will get 15 days after the top court publishes its full verdict to file a review petition. If

the petition is rejected or the convict does not file a petition, he will get a chance to seek the president's mercy. In case of its rejection or if he does not seek clemency, the government will carry out the sentence of the International Crimes Tribunal given in 2014.

The judgement was applauded by all quarters including those who had expressed doubts over Quasem's capital punishment in the backdrop of a rumour of the

chief justice's favouring the defence in the case.

The defence said that they would file a review petition while Quasem's party Jamaat-e-Islami, like the previous instances, called a daylong countrywide shutdown for today terming the verdict a “judicial killing.”

The apex court upheld the Jamaat leader's sentences on seven charges, including one which had brought him death in the war

crimes case. He was acquitted from three other proven charges including the one that earned him death.

Quasem's death was upheld for the abduction, torture and murder of 15-year-old freedom fighter Jasim of Sandwip in confinement at al-Badr torture cell in Daleem Hotel in Andarkilla area of Chittagong.

According to the charge, any time after the Eid-ul-Fitr day of  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Rights activists demand gender equality

Mustafizur still out as Tigers face Dutch in World T20

n Tribune Report

Uddin Khan from n Minhaz Dharamsala

A platform of women rights organisations has put forth a proposal to ensure gender equality in Bangladesh by 2030.

The “Samajik Protirodh Committee”, formed in 2002 to protect women rights, yesterday placed the proposals while observing the International Women's Day in Dhaka. It currently has 70 members.

Steps Development Programme Co-coordinator Chandan Kumar Lahiri read out the declaration that included issues like implementation of CEDAW law removing reservation on its articles, scrapping discriminatory laws against  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

A RMG worker carries a festoon with the slogan ‘Stand together against violence against women’ in a procession brought out in the capital yesterday by Sammilito Garment Sramik Federation to mark International Women’s Day MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

BB conducts internal probe into fund hacking n Tribune Report

$100m in foreign reserve had been stolen by hackers.

Despite the massive scale of the hacking, law enforcers are yet to be brought into the investigation, said a senior police official.

Asking not to be named, the law enforcer added that the police have been carrying out their own independent investigation and would

join the probe if they receive a formal request.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said the government would file a case against the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to recover the funds that had been hacked.

Talking to reporters at his secretariat office yesterday, he said

Daleem Hotel survivors still haunted by torture

Hasina to open Moghbazar flyover in March

Sharapova confirms failed drug test, sanction uncertain

Survivors of Daleem Hotel, used by Mir Quasem Ali as a torture cell during 1971 Liberation War, yesterday hailed the Supreme Court verdict of upholding death sentence for

Though construction work on the Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover project remains incomplete, a part of the project, from the Satrasta intersection to Ramna Thana will open this March.  PAGE 5

Five-time Grand Slam tennis champion Maria Sharapova said Monday she failed a dope test at the Australian Open, and isn’t sure what punishment she’ll face for her “huge mistake.”  PAGE 27

INSIDE

Bangladesh Bank is carrying out an internal investigation to find out whether any loophole in its own system had allowed the hacking of money from its foreign exchange reserve in the US. The central bank also suspects that the money transfer order had

originated from Bangladesh, a senior Bangladesh Bank official yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune on condition of anonymity.

Those who had access to the bank's swift codes – used for transferring money overseas – are now being considered as suspects, the official added.

The official also said around

the war criminal, saying it cleansed Chittagong of a stigma.  PAGE 3

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Bangladesh could not have possibly been in a better shape heading into the 2016 ICC World Twenty20. The shortest format of the game was a worry even weeks ago but the Tigers' level of confidence seemed to have increased in significant proportions following a brilliant campaign in the just-concluded Asia Cup T20.

And they will be expecting to continue their recent improvements in the shortest format when they face the Netherlands today in their first-round opener in Dharamsala.

The match begins at 3:30pm and BTV, GTV, Maasranga TV and Star Sports 1 will telecast it live.

In the back of their minds, Bangladesh can always wonder as to why they are contesting the qualifiers despite being the runners-up in the Asia Cup. But one can hardly  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

1st Round

Sport Page 28

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Rights activists demand gender equality women, government coordination with media to take tangible and concrete steps to change prejudice, protecting migrant women workers’ rights, dignity and security, among others.

It also included safe transportation for working women and baby care centres at workplaces.

Bangladesh Mahila Parishad President Ayesha Khanam said the government would have to chalk out plans to ensure 50-50 ratio in all walks of life in the country within 2030. She said the plans, Gender Budget Initiative, implementing CEDAW, education policy should

be coordinated.

Prime minister’s International Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi emphasised qualitative participation of women and urged all to work together to establish a gender equal society.

UN Women Country Representative Christine Hunter and UNFPA’s Country Representative Arajentina P Matabhel were also present at the programme.

Meanwhile, the International Women’s Day was marked in Chittagong with colourful rallies, gatherings and discussions demanding equal rights for women.

People from across the social

divide joined programmes organised by various organisations, Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) and Bangladesh Nari Progoti Sangha (BNPS) to honour women. CMP Commissioner Abdul Jalil Mandal urged everyone to ensure women rights and dignity.

The BNPS’ Chittagong chapter demanded ending discrimination and exploitation of women to build a new Bangladesh by 2030. Speakers at the BNPS discussion pitched for ensuring workplace safety, removing wage discrimination, and stopping exploitation of women to make the society stronger. l

BB conducts internal probe into fund hacking those who handled the funds at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York only notified about the transfer of funds after the accounts had been hacked on February 5.

The New York bank should be held responsible as they were the custodian of Bangladesh Bank’s money, Muhith said.

“I know that the [US] Federal Reserve, which manages our account, has denied that its systems were breached; but they did not say whether funds had been drained from the account. We have already obtained

evidence against the Federal Reserve.

“Bangladesh Bank will explain about the hacking of funds from its foreign exchange reserve, but the central bank has no fault regarding the hacking on February 5,” the minister added.

On Monday, Bangladesh Bank said some of the hacked money had already been brought back, adding that the central bank’s “Financial Intelligence Unit is in active touch with the Philippines Anti-Money Laundering Authority to recover the rest portion.” l

are hoping for their two stalwarts Shakib and Mushfiq to do the same today.

With the leather, the Tigers pacemen are likely to do the majority of the work, bearing in mind the conditions. Bangladesh are likely to go in with four pace bowlers in the “City of the Gods”. Al Amin Hossain and Taskin Ahmed were sharp as a blade in the Asia Cup and will be expected to bring their form into the global showpiece event.

The Tigers however, will badly miss the services of their cutter specialist Mustafizur Rahman. The

left-arm paceman was benched in the latter part of the Asia Cup and is still recovering from a sidestrain injury. While all the bowlers were busy chancing their arm in the nets yesterday, Mustafizur was seen working closely with the team physiotherapist. The type of workout he is undergoing is part of his rehabilitation process. It was learnt that he is expected to take seven-10 days to recover full match-fitness.

Till date, Bangladesh have faced the Dutch twice with the sides winning one game each. l

“His position of authority and domination over the al-Badr camp which was indeed a ‘death factory’ justifiably be taken onto account as an aggravating factor.”

He fled the country after the independence and resumed politics as the president of Islami Chhatra Shibir in 1977. He later became a business tycoon and established many enterprises under the supervision of top Jamaat leaders.

Quasem is the member secretary of the Islami Bank Foundation, an organisation that oversees all projects of Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd and profits generated by it; chairman of Keari Ltd, a real estate and tourism company; founding trustee and also a member responsible for the administration of the Ibn Sina Trust and director (marketing) of Ibn Sina Pharmaceutical Industries. The Jamaat leader is also the member secretary of the Fouad AlKhateeb Charity Foundation. He is the chairman of the daily Naya Diganta and Diganta television.

According to the government, Quasem had appointed a US lobbyist firm to make the war crimes trials controversial. The chief justice during the appeal hearing asked the government to sue Quasem for the move.

can be executed,” Law Minister Anisul Huq told reporters yesterday.

Quasem’s lawyer Khandker Mahbub Hossain, also an adviser to the BNP chief, told reporters that they would wait for the copy of the detailed judgement to file a review against the verdict.

Wife of the convict Khondokar Ayesha Khatun in a statement said that the verdict had “no legal basis.”

“Evidences and witnesses presented by the prosecution were not sufficient enough to prove him guilty, which is clear from the chief justice’s comments during the hearing,” the statement reads.

Country’s chief law officer, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, expressed satisfaction over the verdict.

“It is not still clear why he got acquittal on one charge – for killing Ranjit Das alias Lathu and Tuntu Sen alias Raju of Chittagong town for which he was sentenced to death by the tribunal. There will be explanations in the full verdict.”

“Justice has been served and we are satisfied,” he, however, said.

Quasem, now staying in a condemned cell of the Kashimpur Jail, was informed of the Appellate Division verdict several hours after the judgement was pronounced, jail authorities said.

Superintendent Prashanta Kumar Banik said that the convict looked normal when he had been formally informed of the verdict at noon. l

Mustafizur still out as Tigers face Dutch in World T20 argue, given that the format was drawn up two years ago when the International Cricket Council’s cutoff time for playing directly in the main round had expired.

The top eight teams in the ICC T20 rankings qualified automatically for the main round while the ninth- and 10th-placed teams will take on six Associate sides for the remaining two Super 10 berths.

Considering the blazing form of the Tigers, the three matches in the first round will be no more than practice matches. However, Bangladesh would do well not

to take the Netherlands, Ireland and Oman lightly. If the Tigers do progress to the Super 10, they will go on to face the top-ranked and hosts India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand.

The conditions in Dharamsala will be a challenge, not only for Bangladesh but also for their today’s opposition. With the venue located 4000 feet above sea level, the Tigers are finding it difficult to cope with the cold and harsh conditions. But on the eve of the clash, Mashrafe bin Mortaza sounded out a warning, saying the weather and

conditions should not be used as excuses in the event of a defeat.

Batting should not be a worry for the Tigers. All the batsmen are in prime form, including the likes of Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah and Mohammad Mithun. There is a slight concern though regarding senior batsmen Shakib al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, who have both experienced a barren run with the willow recently.

The format of the game however, allows anyone and everyone to bounce back so Bangladesh

Mir Quasem’s death penalty upheld 1971, Quasem made a plan and at his instigating, the members of alBadr force abducted Jasim from an unknown place of the Chittagong City and took him to Daleem Hotel.

Thereafter, on November 28, under Quasem’s directive and hint, al-Badr members having confined Jasim therein tortured to death and then his body along with five other dead bodies of unknown persons, who had also been tortured to death by al-Badr men, were thrown into the Karnaphuli River.

Quasem, now 63, a member of Jamaat central executive council and considered by many as a top financier of the anti-liberation party, was handed down death by the tribunal on November 2, 2014 on two charges. He was also awarded a total of 72-year imprisonment on the eight other proven charges of abduction, conspiracy and planning. The tribunal acquitted him from four charges as the prosecution did not bring any witness against two charges and failed to prove the two others.

The tribunal ordered that “he be hanged by the neck till he is dead.”

The apex court acquitted Quasem from the charge of abduction and murder of Ranjit Das alias Lathu and Tuntu Sen alias Raju from Hazari Lane; and looting shops, torching 250-300 houses and forcing more than 100 families to go to India. The tribunal had given him death penalty on this charge by majority opinion.

The Appellate Division started the hearing on his appeal on February 9. The court completed hearing arguments in the case on February 24 and fixed yesterday for delivering the verdict.

It is the seventh appeals case heard by the top court.

Quasem was the al Badr’s third most important functionary after Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid.

Nizami’s death sentence was upheld by the apex court on January 6 while Mujahid was hanged on November 21 last year.

Two other death row convict top al-Badr leaders – Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan – have remained fugitive.

The government is working to bring them back and execute the sentences.

Quasem joined Islami Chhatra Sangha, then student wing of Jamaat, in 1967 while studying at Chittagong Collegiate School. He later became its Chittagong city unit general secretary. During the war, he played an important role in forming al-Badr Bahini in Chittagong and led the criminal enterprise.

The Pakistani Army members were known as “Khan Shena” during the Liberation War. Quasem earned infamous titles for his atrocious acts in 1971 such as “Khan Shaheb,” “Bangali Khan,” “Sarder” (commander) as he and his force

were actively collaborating with their killing mission against the Bangalis.

In the verdict, the tribunal said that Quasem had established himself as the “ring leader” of the criminal enterprise (al-Badr camp at Daleem Hotel). His conscious and active presence at the al-Badr camp, his inducing sayings, acts and conducts cumulatively suggest

Quasem was the al Badr’s third most important functionary after Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid his “commanding position.”

The tribunal said that Quasem was found liable also under the doctrine of Joint Criminal Enterprise, which means he was liable for systematic form of killing and torture. Quasem was a “part of an ‘organised system’ of ill-treatment and cruelties … Quasem has incurred criminal liability also under the ‘theory of civilian superior responsibility’ in respect of offences proved.”

Next step

“We will wait for 15 days after the full verdict is released. If they do not pray for a review, the sentence

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Daleem Hotel survivors still haunted by torture n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong Survivors of Daleem Hotel, used

by Mir Quasem Ali as a torture cell during 1971 Liberation War, yesterday hailed the Supreme Court verdict of upholding death sentence for the war criminal, saying it cleansed Chittagong of a stigma.

During the war, the local alBadr forces grabbed the Mohamaya Bhaban from a Hindu family in the city’s Andarkilla, renamed it Daleem Hotel and set up a torture cell.

Describing Daleem Hotel as a death factory, the International Crimes Tribunal said pro-liberation people were tortured and killed there under the leadership of the notorious Mir Quasem.

Syed Md Emran, a prosecution witness and a group commander of Liberation Force freedom fighters, narrated how he endured 16 days of torture at Daleem Hotel.

“I was a first-year graduate student when I joined the Liberation War. In the early hours of November 30, Mir Quasem and his men besieged my house and detained me along with my elder brother.

Ten to twelve more freedom fighters were picked up from different parts of the city.

“We were taken to Daleem Hotel where we were tortured brutally.

During confinement, I was mostly kept blindfolded and my arms and legs were tied. I was hit with sticks and electric wire for information about freedom fighters. Quasem, who controlled the torture camp, interrogated me himself,” said Emran, who along with some 150 other detainees were rescued by freedom

established a reign of terror in Chittagong by committing crimes such as killing, looting, abduction, persecution, genocide, rape, extortion and arson attacks in collaboration with the Pakistani occupation forces.

According to the prosecution documents, Quasem was the general secretary of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami.

‘Make Daleem Hotel a memorial’

A recent picture of Chittagong's Mohamaya Daleem Bhaban which was used as a torture cell in 1971 fighters from the torture cell.

Another survivor, freedom fighter Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, said: “I was caught from Andarkilla area on November 30 and was taken to Daleem Hotel. The captives in the makeshift torture cell were tortured brutally for information about the whereabouts of freedom fighters.

“We were given electric shocks, hung upside down and beaten with iron rods. They also pressed burning cigarette butts against our bodies to extract information.”

Jahangir Chowdhury, who was the deputy chief of Joy Bangla Bahini, said: “Mir Quasem’s son tried to convince me so that I do not testify against the war criminal. However,

I told him that I will testify against Quasem despite all odds. Now I am over the moon with the verdict.

“I was held captive and tortured for 26 days. Cruel forms of tortures were inflicted on us. We were kept in crammed rooms and there was no toilet for us. If the captives asked for drinking water, they were given urine instead.”

Another survivor, Chittagong Independent University’s acting vice-chancellor Prof Dr Irshad Kamal Khan said: “The captives were blindfolded and their arms and legs were tied. We were served meal once a day. I cannot say for sure how many days I was held captive in the camp. We used to hear

DHAKA TRIBUNE

groans and screams coming from different rooms of the torture cell at different times of the day.”

Apart from Daleem Hotel, the port city had other makeshift torture cells in Nandan Kanon’s Islamia Hotel, Panchlaish’s Salma Manjil, Chamrar Gudam’s Dost Mohammad Building, and Dewanhat’s Dewan Hotel, according to Liberation War researcher Dr Mahfizur Rahman.

“I have interviewed the victims tortured at Daleem Hotel. They said when Mir Quasem came to the camp, the al-Badr members who guarded the cell would address Quasem as their commander,” Mahfizur said.

Researcher Ahsanul Kabir Riton said the notorious war criminal had

Activists of Gonojagoron Moncho yesterday demanded that Daleem Hotel be acquired for preservation as a Liberation War memorial. They made the demand at a rally in the port city yesterday to welcome the Supreme Court verdict.

“We demand the hotel be preserved as a symbol of torture. The government should acquire the hotel and preserve it as a memorial without delay,” said Sharif Chowhan, Chittagong coordinator of Gonojagoron Moncho.

Celebrations in Manikganj

In Manikganj, the native home of Mir Quasem, people rejoiced at the upholding of his death sentence, reports our correspondent in the district. A jubilation procession was brought out yesterday afternoon under the banner of Ekattorer Ghatok Dalal Nirmul Committee and Gonojagoron Moncho. It passed through the town’s streets before staging a rally in front of the Manikganj Press Club.

Freedom fighters in Harirampur, the upazila where the war criminal’s ancestral home is located, distributed sweets after news of the court decision reached there. l

Sultana Kamal: Attitudes still the biggest problem n Shadma Malik Human rights activist Sultana Kamal has said the society’s prevailing attitudes towards women have been holding back gender equality despite the significant progress.

“Bangladesh has set an example in the area of women’s emancipation. Women have become conscious about their rights, they are constantly fighting to protect these rights, they have become prominent in different sectors – in business, service industry, in education,” she said.

“However, we still have a long way to go. The biggest challenge is to change the attitudes towards women,” the executive director of Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) said in a conversation with the Dhaka Tribune.

“Today’s women are becoming economically solvent. On the other hand, they are facing exploitation in many ways. This is a contradiction,” she said.

Sultana Kamal has been working on gender and civil rights issues in Bangladesh for over three decades. She said she

would define women’s empowerment as a woman’s opportunity to live an independent life, making her own decisions and having control over her life.

She believes economic solvency alone will not help liberate women.

“The sociocultural atmosphere needs to change. Women should not be subjected to negative reactions for their attire.

If they fear being harassed at home and outside, in their mind they will never be independent,” she said.

“The rate of child marriage is not yet under control. The perception about early marriage is that married status ensures

women a safe and secured life,” she said.

“Violence against women has in fact gone up. The manifestations of these incidents are unprecedented,” she added.

On gender equality, Sultana Kamal said: “We are in a paradoxical situation.

Safety policies have been taken to protect women but sufficient measures have not been taken to implement those policies.”

She said the society had placed a glass ceiling above which no women could go.

“No political party talks about women’s rights in a straightforward manner. It is as if they fear inciting the anger of men and losing votes,” she said.

Education should be given top priority among the steps required to achieve women’s independence, she said, adding that higher enrolment rate of girls in primary education was an encouraging situation.

“At the same time, the dropout rate for girls is also quite significant, which is disturbing in many ways,” she pointed out.

Girls from rural areas are still struggling to come forward as they have to bow down to the pressure of poverty,

insecurity, lack of access to information and facilities – which weakens them.

“Otherwise, they would

have had the chance to stand up as independent women in the society,” Sultana Kamal observed. l

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RAB arrests 3 for killing hotelier n Kamrul Hasan Rapid Action Battalion early yesterday arrested three men from the capital's Gabtoli area in connection with the murder of hotelier Junayed in Mirpur last month.

The arrestees are Sheikh Mridul alias Babu alias Mirza, 34, Foisal Ahmed Mithu, 28, and Nurul Islam Jewel, 27.

RAB said they have confessed to the murder and identified themselves as members of the notorious Mirpur-based criminal gang Shahadat Bahini.

The criminals said they worked for the gang under one of its leaders named Aiyub Bacchu who is currently abroad.

RAB arrested the three from BIWTA water bus terminal at Gabtoli area around 4am. They also seized a 7.65mm pistol, two magazines and two rounds of bullets from the arrestees possession.

Last year, when RAB arrested five persons in connection with the killing of a pharmacy trader in Pallabi, they found that several small groups were active in Mirpur area and worked under Shahadat.

According to media reports, Shahadat has been living in India for long. But, he is still operating criminal activities by his accomplices in Mirpur. There was also a rumour that Shaha-

dat was arrested in Kolkata in 2012 with two AK-47 assault rifles, but neither the Bangladesh police nor Indian law enforcers confirmed it then.

In a press briefing, RAB 4 Commanding Officer Lutfor Kabir said the three criminals, during interrogation, admitted that they had killed the hotelier Rafiqul Islam Junayed on the orders of Aiyub Bacchu.

According to RAB, Aiyub Bacchu had called several businessmen using names like Mirza and Shishir and demanded extortion money from abroad.

Describing Junayed's murder, the RAB 4 CO said the criminals, on February 2, tactfully took Junayed to Gudaraghat around 12:15am and killed him.

Later, they dropped the body in front of Tolarbagh mosque near Paikpara Government Staff Quarter in Darus Salam around 3:30am to 4am, he added.

He said that some ten others were also involved in the murder and they were trying to arrest them.

Lutfor Kabir said the arrestees confessed to firing at Junayed's house three years back as he refused to pay extortion.

Junayed, 40, was the owner of Shahjalal Hotel and worked as a cashier at Mirpur Properties.

He also held stakes in a real estate company apart from owning a number of stores in Mirpur. l

Ecnec okays Tk7,000 crore power project n Tribune Report The government has approved a mega project to bring 1.5 million rural homes under electricity coverage.

Chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, yesterday's Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) meeting nodded the project costing Tk6,915 crore.

The fund will come from government exchequer.

Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) will implement it by December 2018.

A BREB feasibility study said 4,42,000km power lines were needed to bring rural areas under power coverage. But hostile terrain prevents covering 12% area. “Considering this, we need some 3,90,000km power lines whereas about 2,95,000km lines have so far been set up,�

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told reporters, adding

that the remaining power lines would be set up within the next two years.

The project will see setting up of around 44,000km 33KV or lower voltage lines, construction of about 83 33/11KV-capacity new power sub stations, augmentation of 35 existing power sub-stations, 1.5m new power connections and acquisition of 35.7 acre land, he added.

Ecnec approved 16 projects in total costing Tk16,887.81 crore, of which Tk14,041.27 crore will come from state exchequer, Tk596.27 crore from concerned public agencies and Tk2,250.27 crore from foreign development partners.

One of the projects will provide stipend to some 13 million pre-primary to grade-VIII students at primary schools located in 486 upazilas, excluding those in city corporations and municipalities. l

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‘PM’s comment lacks political etiquette’ n Tribune Report

Police: JMB leader killed in city gunfight n Arifur Rahman Rabbi

The BNP has reacted sharply to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s comment on electing Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman to its top posts.

Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir condemned the comment, saying it violated political norms.

At a March 7 rally, Hasina quipped at the BNP election, dubbing it a drama. “The party has re-elected two accused in the top posts,” she said.

Fakhrul said: “Awami League leaders’ comments lack political etiquette.” He defended the election, saying, “Cases have been filed against all the democratic movement leaders.”

He was speaking at a Mohila Dal procession marking the International Women’s Day in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan headquarters. l

Police’s Detective Branch says it has killed a suspected militant in a gunfight in Dhaka.

Pias, a member Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), became a leader of its Dhaka unit military wing in January, DB (south) Deputy Commissioner Mashrukur Rahman Khaled said, claiming that Pias had planned major attacks in the capital.

He said they were informed that Pias was in Khilgaon and raided the area in the early hours of yesterday.

Pias and his associates fired at DB and was injured in retaliatory fire.

He was rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead, Mashrukur told the Dhaka Tribune.

Police recovered a pistol, ammunition and three improvised bombs from the scene, he added.

On January 13, JMB’s Dhaka north military wing commander Abdullah Al Noman alias Abdullah, 31, and its central military wing’s second-in-command Kamal alias Hiron, 25, were killed in an alleged gunfight with DB at Hazaribagh.

DB Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam claimed the two were involved in the bombing on Shias and killing of two policemen in Dhaka.

Replying to a question, Mashrukur said Pias became JMB’s Dhaka unit military wing leader after the death of Noman and Hiron.

He claimed Pias was also involved in a bank robbery in Chittagong. “He was an expert bomb maker. He had been living in Dhaka’s Kamrangirchor for a while and learning driving, presumably to carry out major attacks in Dhaka,” the DB officer added. l

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visits a stall at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre yesterday after inaugurating a programme organised on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2016 PID

PM to open Moghbazar flyover in March n Shohel Mamun Though construction work on the Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover project remains incomplete, a part of the project, from the Satrasta intersection to Ramna Thana will open this March.

Local Government Division (LGD) has decided to send a project summary to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to inaugurate the aforementioned part, which is nearly complete, by this week.

“We are preparing to open part of the Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover by

flyover was expected to end by July 2014 as per the project plan, the construction schedule has gone on to December 2016. So far, the cost has been raised three times for the extended duration.

The Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover was approved by ECNEC in 2011 and the PM laid the inauguration stone on February 16, 2013.

The project’s estimated cost was Tk343.70 crore when ECNEC gave its approval. The second time the cost was raised to Tk772.77 crore, and lastly, it was fixed at Tk1,218.89 crore. l

residents have suffered much since 2013, a situation that will be rectified if we open a part of the flyover soon.”

The under construction flyover is being built in three parts. One part is 2.11 kilometers long from Satrasta to Ramna Thana, and expected to be completed by March 20.

The second part, from Eskaton to Mouchak, is 86% complete.

The third part from Rampura to Santinagar, via the Malibagh and Rajarbagh police lines, is only 47% complete.

Though the construction of the

the end of this month, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attending the ceremony as a chief guest,” said LGD secretary Abdul Malek.

He said: “As per our preparations, we have chosen Officers Club to hold an inauguration ceremony with the concern of the PM.” Project Director Najmul Alam told the Dhaka Tribune: “Though the total length of the Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover is about 10km, the distance from Satrasta to Ramna is only 2.11km, which will be completed by March 20.”

In reply to a query, he said: “City

2 injured as police open fire on Jamaat rally

HC verdict on tenants’ info Sunday

n Tribune report

The High Court will pass its order on Sunday on the petition filed challenging legality of the police move to collect personal information about tenants and landlords in Dhaka.

The bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Iqbal Kabir fixed the date after hearing the petition yesterday, petitioner Jyotirmoy Barua told the Dhaka Tribune.

He filed the petition on March 3, two days after he had sent a legal notice requesting the government to refrain from seeking the information.

He also sought the court’s direc-

Two Jamaat-Shibir supporters were injured when police opened fire on a procession at Moghbazar in the capital.

The Jamaat-Shibir men brought out the procession around 11am yesterday, in protest of the apex court verdict that upheld Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem’s death penalty for war crimes.

Ramna police station OC Mushfiqur Rahman said: “The Jamaat-Shibir men hurled bricks and

n Ashif Islam Shaon

tried to vandalise some vehicles as law enforcers barred their procession.

Then police fired four rounds of shotgun bullets in self-defence.

“At that moment, someone received a bullet wound and was rushed to the hospital. Afterwards, police detained two gunshot injury victims – Sumon, 23, and Al-Amin, 22 – from Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Islami Bank Central Hospital, respectively. They were being treated at the hospitals then.” l

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tion to stop the use of any information already collected from the landlords and tenants.

The petitioner sought directives on the secretaries of the ministry of Law and Home Affairs, and the inspector general of police and the commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police to store the collected personal information in “safe custody,” so that no party can use it until a specific law is enacted to protect the information.

According to the constitution, a citizen has every right to maintain secrecy of his/her personal life.

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from the ordinary people, Jyotirmoy told the Dhaka Tribune.

According to section 42 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, every citizen must help the police for the government or investigation work.

If necessary, the police can also take action under this section.

Dhaka Metropolitan sources said that the tenants’ information would be collected and maintained by the city’s respective police stations and shared through a central Dhaka Metropolitan database.

The information would be stored categorised under respective neighbourhoods. l Sylhet

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Fajr: 4:55am | Zohr: 12:09am Asr: 3:32pm | Magrib: 6:08pm Esha: 7:35pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

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News

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

WOMAN KILLED FOR GIVING BIRTH TO FIVE DAUGHTERS

Murder trial resurrected after being on hold for 9 years n Our Correspondent, Khulna

Proceedings to resume the trial of the brutal murder of Jahanara Begum, who was killed by her husband for giving birth to five daughters, has started after the trial was put on hold for nine long years.

The barbaric murder happened nearly 11 years ago, on June 30, 2005 in Shaymnagar upazila of Satkhira.

Shortly after Jahanara, 47, gave birth to her youngest daughter, her husband Mujibur Rahman slaughtered her with the help of his family members in the couple’s bathroom.

The trial was stayed by the High Court after the victim’s father-in-law and one of the suspects, Hazi Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, filed a writ with

the High Court to stay the trial proceedings.

It could not be found on what grounds Gaffar had filed the writ, or why it was not resolved and the trial remained on hold for nine years.

However, since Gaffar recently passed away, the writ has become void and the trial can start again, said sources in the tribunal.

According to the case documents, the murder case was filed by Jahanara’s uncle Golam Mahbub accusing 10 people, including Mujibur and his father, with Shyampur police station.

The case was later listed as sensitive and was transferred to the speedy trial tribunal by the monitoring cell of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

But the trial came to a halt when Gaffar filed the writ on February 28, 2007 with the High Court, and the court stayed the trial proceedings until the writ was dismissed.

In the meantime, besides Gaffar, Jahanara’s husband Mujibur Rahman passed away around three years ago, said MM Mujibur Rahman, defence counsel.

The High Court has sent the case back to the speedy trial tribunal, which ordered the OC of Shyampur police station to submit a report on the deaths of Mujibur and Gaffar on March 14, he added.

Jahanara’s five daughters are now being raised by her relatives and are not on good terms with their father’s family, Mujibur further said.

Many sensitive trials on hold for years

Jahanara’s murder is not the only case that has been wasting away for years.

There are eight other sensitive cases – as tagged by the ministry monitoring cell – the trials of which has been on hold for more than a decade. These cases include rape, murder after rape, drug haul, robbery and many others.

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, the tribunal’s Public Prosecutor Enamul Haque said prolonging the trial of a sensitive case harms the proceedings.

“Usually the proceeding of a trial at a speedy trial tribunal has to be finished within 135 workdays, according to the rules,” said advocate

Md Mominul Islam, a human rights activist. “If for some reason it cannot be finished within that deadline, the trial then is transferred to its previous court.”

But no such thing has happened in the case of these nine trials.

“The longer a trial stays on hold, the greater becomes the chances of its evidences getting unusable or destroyed,” said Aloka Nanda Das, public prosecutor of Khulna Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal. “Over time, the witnesses may relocate or go missing. The suspects may go into hiding or may die. The plaintiffs may lose faith in the legal system because of the long delay. This jeopardises fair justice.” l

Lighter vessel capsizes, 2 still missing n Tribune Report

Activists of Sammilito Garments Sramik Federation chant slogans during a procession brought out on occasion of International Women’s Day, demanding a stop to harassment and discrimination of women. The photo was taken yesterday in front of National Press Club MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Two persons went missing when a lighter vessel with 12 people onboard capsized during a collision between two mother vessels at the Chittagong Port’s outer anchorage on Monday night.

Master Saiful and Greaser Md Saiful of the ship were missing after it capsized, and their detailed identification could not be known immediately, said Water Transport Cell Joint Secretary Ataul Kabir Ranju. He added that coast guard personnel were conducting a

search operation to rescue them.

Raju told Dhaka Tribune: “The incident took place at the Alpha Anchorage point of the outer anchorage in Chittagong Port, where the ship Saint Valliant collided with another mother vessel “Great Scenery,” causing the lighter vessel to capsize due to a high wave.”

“The lighter vessel was unloading goods from Saint Valliant when it capsized around 10:30pm and sent 12 crew members over board,” said Ataul Kabir Ranju. On information, Tug Boat of

Chittagong Port and a Bangladesh Coast Guard ship rushed to the spot and saved 10 of the 12 members,” he added.

Water Vessel Workers’ Federation Joint Secretary Khorshed Alam said the master and greaser of the lighter vessel have not yet been found as coast guard personnel conducted the rescue operation at the outer anchorage.

Chittagong Port Deputy Conservator Captain Nazmul Alam said vessel movement, however, remained uninterrupted at Chittagong Port after the incident. l

Army officer accused of torturing two boys suspended Correspondent, n Our Rajshahi Sergeant Nasir Hossen, an accused of torturing two boys in Paba upazila was reportedly suspended from his job yesterday.

Shariful Islam, officer-incharge of Paba police station, said he had been informed about the incident.

Sources said two minors were allegedly tortured brutally tied up by ropes for at least seven hours in suspicion of theft in district`s Paba upazila on February 12.

The victims were Jahid Hassan, 15,Class 10 student of neighbouring Bagsara High School and son of Emran of Choubaria under Paba upazila and Emon Ali, 13, son of Masud Rana, but his parents are not alive. He lives with his grandfather.

The incident took place

around 3pm to 1pm on the day.

Of the victims, Jahid was admitted to Paba Upazila Health Complex while Emon fled their homes in panic.

Meanwhile, Imran Ali, father of Zahid, filed a case with the police station accusing 13 people including the army man.

Locals said a mobile phone set of Rakib, son of Fazlur Rahman of Choubaria, was lost in the morning. People of Fazlu picked up Emon in suspicion in the theft.

They also caught Jahid from airport area around 3pm on the day while he was going to his grandmother`s house, they added.

Locals added that the minors were tied up by ropes after confining in a room and beaten with sticks brutally by Nasir, Palash, Jamal, Razzak, Anik, and Tuhin among 10 to 12 others. l

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News

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

Over 200 roadside tress cut down at Gobindaganj n Our correspondent, Gaibandha Showing thumbs to district administration, two chairmen of upzila parishad have been cutting hundreds of roadside trees at Katabari and Sapmara union parishads, Gobindaganj upazila, Gaibandha over last couple of weeks.

According to Katabari and Sapmara union parishad offices, about 500 eucalyptus tress has been planted along Hausipara-Kotalpur road from Hausipara to Sapmara union 10 years back.

“Till Sunday over 200 tress have been fallen and worth of these tress is about Tk7 lakh. These tress being sent to different parts of the country everyday.”

During a visit to Hausipara-Kotalpur road this correspondent found that hundreds of logs have been keep on the ground of a rice mill. Some people were weighing logs and some were loading those on trucks, however, the two chairmen were not present there. Leaves and branches were remain scat-

Workers are seen loading a truck with wooden logs yesterday after cutting roadside trees at Katabari, Gobindaganj upzila, Gaibandha DHAKA TRIBUNE tered on a good portion of the road.

Mohabbat Ali, a resident of Hausipara, told the Dhaka Tribune that apart from maintaining ecological balance, these tress had also added the beauty of the road. Although

the tress had been cut over the last few days, nobody from the district administration came stop cutting down of tress.

“We have been observing for the last couple of week men Katabari

Panchhari rubber dam brings hope among hill farmers Majumder, n Jasim Khagrachhari Panchhari Rubber dam, constructed on the Chengi River in Shantipur area under Panchhari upazila in Khagrachhari district has brought hope among the hill farmers.

According to local sources, at least 1500 acre uncultivated land has become under cultivation during dry season due to the rubber dam constructed with Tk10 core in 2012-2013.

Thousand of farmers became benefited and got more than three times higher production then they had got in the past.

Department Agriculture Ex-

tension (DAE) sources said at least 1,500 acre land, located adjacent to the bank of Chengi River, had remained uncultivated due to shortage of water.

That times no winter crops or vegetable grew on those land resulting farmers to depend on other upazila or district’s farmer to full fill their regular demands. But almost all the uncultivated lands are now under cultivation that creates new hope for the farmers.

Nirmol Chakma said most of the land in the area remained uncultivated due to shortage of water. But all the fellow and uncultivated land came under cultivation and takes magnificent output us-

ing these stacked water.

Birendra Chakma said rubber dam not only raised new hope but also made farmers confident in coming production.

They are now able to cultivate boro paddy, wheat, dal and numerous vegetables on these land using water that stacked by rubber dam.

Deputy Director of DAE Tarun Kumar Battacharji said people became self dependent through cultivation different crops and vegetables during dry season.

Now around 800 acre land became for Boro cultivation, 170 acre for vegetable and 500 acre for orchards scheme during winter season, he said. l

17 Chhatra League men sued over Sylhet MC College clash n Our Correspondent, Sylhet At least 17 activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) including a general secretary of Sylhet district BCL, were sued by one of their fellow activists in connection with a clash that broke out at in Sylhet MC college on Monday.

Rubel, himself a BCL leader, filed the case with the Shah Paran police station, said Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, of-

ficer-in-charge of the station.

According to sources, at least 10 activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student organisation of ruling Awami League, were injured in a factional clash over establishing dominance at Sylhet MC College.

Serious injured Roton Gupto and Khairul Islam Shahin was admitted to the Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital while the rest were given treatment at different private

clinics and dispensaries, the organisation sources said.

Campus sources said a supporter of the BCL Sylhet District Former President Hiron Mahmud Nipu had an altercation with Present General Secretary Rayhan Chawdhury on the campus.

Later, activists of both groups, armed with iron rods and hockey sticks, were locked in a clash, leaving at least 10 activists injured. l

union parishad chairman Tofazzal Hossain and Katabari union parishad chairman have been cutting down government tress, but there is no one to stop the illegal activities.”

According to circular of Local Government Rural Development Ministry, approval from union parishad office is needed to cut any tress owned by union parishad.

Before that a proposal should have placed to upazila parishad committee to take approval. upzila nirbahi officer, assistant commissioner (land), upzila chairman, upzila agriculture officer, upazila project implementation officer and divisional forest officer are the members of the committee.

When Sapmara union parishad chairman Tofazzal Hossain denied cutting any tress.

Chairman of Katabari union parishad Jobayer Hasan told the Dhaka Tribune that they were cutting tree after taking permisson from upazila council committee.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abdul Hannan told the Dhaka Tribune that they had not given any approval to cut tress at Katabari and Sapmara union parishads.

He said they would look into the matter. l

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Tech

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

Takeaways from the CEO of bdjobs.com general understanding of business fundamentals in order to have a good grasp of their new business.

One may have to pick up or learn new skills like coding if it’s critical to their business, especially for early-stage founders. With limited resources the CEO will have to wear many hats in the early stages of running a startup and it will be unwise to delegate these key business responsibilities as key business learning’s’ are involved.

Every week five startups from the Grameenphone Accelerator attend sessions on crucial business topics. Relevant experts and mentors are invited to be the guest speakers for these learning sessions. Last week the startup teams had the chance to meet the CEO of BDJOBS Mr. Fahim Mashroor. During the session, he

talked about managing an early stage startup. Here are the few key takeaways from the session.

Execution vs ideas He stressed on the importance on the execution part of the business that founders often overlook while starting a startup. Mr. Fahim went on to say that BDJOBS was not the

first online job site in Bangladesh nor was it unique in the context of the world, but they executed it well compared to rest of the companies in the country. So he suggested teams to focus more on execution and think less about perfecting an idea.

All Rounder vs. Specialisation Any CEO should have to have a

Micro management vs.

Supervisory management It’s obvious that startups make the most mistakes and things can go into disarray at their early stages.

Being involved in the day-to-day operations allows the startup founders to identify problem far earlier as opposed to learning of a problem through an information chain. Startup founders need to be on top of things in order to make the right decisions.

Seed capital vs. Growth capital In an early stage, startups should put their own money and their time. The biggest sacrifice will be time, a necessary requirement from the founders. Startups should not wait for the investors money as the window of opportunity closes fairly quickly in this space.

While focusing on bootstrapping, founders may decide to reduce operating cost by hiring talent who are inexpensive and augment the skill gap by putting the additional time in their business. The idea it is to increase the chances of the business to last longer as the road to monetization or revenue can be difficult in the early stages.

Discipline vs. Flair Winning a competition or award does not guarantee a business success. It comes from improving the service or product every day, making it locally relevant and financially sustainable. It is always good to have conservative assumption about the potential of an idea while starting a business because the market is often difficult to capture and unpredictable in nature.

Marathon vs. 100 meter sprint In Bangladesh startups need to have a long-term approach because it is difficult to scale business in terms of revenue and valuation; so it is critical to build the business up for longterm success as the Bangladesh economy is still maturing. l Content provided by SD Asia

Shut the back door Apple’s got some pretty big friends in their fight against the FBI

n Features Desk This shouldn’t be too big of a surprise if you’ve already been in the international news loop. The FBI have requested (or demanded) that Apple open a backdoor to accounts that could jeopardize the security of many users. On one end, the Feds would like to have a more secure and efficient way of catching criminals or have any relations towards an ongoing case. On the other hand, it would be a huge breach of privacy if the Feds were actually allowed to have this access. In other words, anything and everything you do could possibly monitored or manipulated by the FBI. Well, Apple isn’t standing alone in this struggle for security.

They’ve got influential rivals turned allies in big tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, etc.

And this is what they all have to say about the current situation, taken from compiled briefs from

Apple. This is a collection of quotes from various tech giants.

Amazon, Box, Cisco, Dropbox, Evernote, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, Nest, Pinterest, Slack, Snapchat, WhatsApp and Yahoo: “The government seeks a dramatic extension of New York Telephone (a 1977 Supreme Court case) to cover ever-evolving technologies...It is dangerous to extend that limited endorsement of judicial power over third parties to situations the Supreme Court never could have envisioned.”

“The government’s motion reassures the court and the public that the request here is a onetime-only hack. But there are already strong indications that law enforcement will ask for broad authority under the All Writs Act on facts far different from the terrorism investigation at hand.”

“Cell phones are the way we organize and remember the things

PHOTO: BOGSTOCK

that are important to us; they are, in a very real way, an extension of our memories. And as a result, to access someone’s cell phone is to access their innermost thoughts and their most private affairs.”

Intel:

“Given the scope of Intel’s products and services and its focus on security, it is likely that a ruling

in the government’s favor on its demand against Apple would lead 13 to similar demands against Intel and other technology companies.”

Airbnb, Atlassian, Automatic, CloudFlare, eBay, GitHub, Kickstarter, LinkedIn, Mapbox, Medium, Meetup, Reddit, Square, Squarespace, Twitter, Twilio and Wickr:

“The government’s demand here, at its core, is unbound by any legal limits. It would set a dangerous precedent, in which the government could sidestep established legal procedures authorised by thorough, nuanced statutes to obtain users’ data in ways not contemplated by lawmakers.” l

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Feature

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

Everyday heroins: The InvisiBellas graffiti is basically all about that.”

Maleena Dhrity Gomez “My artwork is called ‘Aparajaya’ which means undefeated. It portrays an acid victim and how she feels after the incident. No matter what they do and how much they hurt her, she’ll take it and turn them into flowers.”

Kazi Istela “People want to pursue their dreams and hobbies. There are many girls in our society who are bound to suppress their wishes and live a life based on others’ decisions. My artwork is about the world inside one’s ribs that constraints all your wishes and dreams.”

n

Saudia Afrin

Peering through a narrow alley in Nayanagor-Fasertek, Bhatara, one will notice a curious gathering from a distance. Taking a few steps closer, a gigantic wall mural will come in sight.

A face of a Garo woman appears, followed by that of a woman with half of her face adorned with flowers; a few examples of many portrayed on the wall at “Invisibellas.”

“InvisiBellas” is a street art project initiated by the Dhaka Hub of Global Shapers, aiming to illustrate real-life situations faced by women in the society. This peaceful and artistic movement aims to break the existing mindset of the people in the society so that women can be praised for their work, and not be restrained to just dreaming.

Artists taking part in the event have chosen to work with burning topics such as neglect of household helpers, the unique role of female Garo beauticians in urban beauty parlours, the objectification and vulgar portrayal of women in the film industry, child marriage, the docile and the unappreciated image of mothers.

The spectators in the alley enjoyed the occasion, especially the children. The artists were asked directly on any issues arising from the spectators, for they were present themselves.

Moreover, the viewers were not shy to speak up either, and Nifar Ferdous, spectator, joyfully added her thought: “Although it’s not possible to understand each artwork to the depth the artists originally intended, I could relate to many themes depicted in the project.”

“It is a unique and great initiative, I must say. It’s not possible to change the notion all of a sudden, however, it will surely have some impact on human minds,” commented Twinkle, a spectator.

In order to attract public attention towards these existing issues concerning women, the “InvisaBellas” will be launched on March 19 at the Bengal Art Lounge.

According to the organisers, the subjects used in the artwork, or Invisibellas, are everyday heroins who are overlooked, unheard, uncounted, unspoken for and told how to think. We desire to applaud and praise these women, raise our voices against violators and perpetrators and break the wall of restrictive social norms.”

Participating artists are Liza Hasan, Kazi Istela, Manik N Ratan, Maleena Dhrity Gomez, Salzar Rahman, Amit Ashraf, Saiq’a S Chowdhury, Sayeef Mahmud, Wasi Ahmed, Dibarah Mahboob, Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy, Nuhash Humayun, Alia Kamal, Mahenaz Chowdhury, Nuzhat Tabassum and Tanzia Haq. Among them, a few shared their ideas:

usually end up working in the beauty parlours. These artists make someone look beautiful.

We always tend to compliment only those who are being made up, however, utterly forgetting about the women behind this. It’s unfortunate but true that their efforts become unseen.”

Nuhash Humayun “I grew up with women like my mother and three sisters. And lots of my close friends are girls. They

have shared their happiness and pain with me. Thus I feel what it’s like to be in their position. My illustration is that of a girl in a regular shalwar kameez, carrying a sword. That’s something men don’t need to carry but they need a certain amount of awareness.”

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy “What you allow is what will continue. It’s tough being a woman, it’s even worse in a country like ours, with shackles of fear, injustice and ‘what will people think.’ But the grass is never greener on any side. It all comes down to ‘you.’ Be the game changer, out-dream yourself. Only ‘you’ can make it, lady. Believe that you can and you will. My

Mahenaz Chowdhury “A girl who doesn’t have a pretty face may have substantial potential inside her. In our society, all that seems to matter is external beauty. If you’re not beautiful, you’re not good enough. When someone sees a lady, they seek to be impressed with their eyes. In every step of their lives, people rarely care about what a woman is good at. That’s the theme of my artwork.”

Dibarah Mahboob “My artwork focuses on dowry and child marriage simultaneously.

Whether it is a child bride or any other, they are valued by the dowry offered by her family.

My work revolves around this concept.”l

Liza Hasan “The Garo women in our country

PHOTOS: COURTESY

DT

Editorial 11

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

INSIDE

Tell me your secrets Until the people in charge value our secrets as much as we value them ourselves, we must strive to keep them where they are the safest: Inside our walls, and inside our heads. Who else can we trust? Who else deserves to be trusted?

PAGE 12

The truth is in the numbers A large percentage of victims or victims’ families do not file any complaint with legal authorities after incidences of violence. Lack of trust in law enforcement and in the existing legal system is a key reason PAGE 13

N

Achieving IT independence through open-source The proprietary systems have been replaced by free/open-source systems over which we have complete control, as we set them up ourselves PAGE 14

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

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

Invest in skills to nurture ICT manufacturing early 400,000 people visited last weekend’s Bangladesh ICT Expo at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

The high level of public interest shown in the three-day showcase bodes well for initiatives aiming to unlock the economic potential of the IT sector.

In his inaugural speech, the planning minister highlighted the government’s allocation of Tk8,000 crore to construct new ICT parks and new economic zones like the Hi-Tech park already being developed in Gazipur. He expressed hopes that Bangladesh can earn $5 billion through digital exports by 2021.

The expo organisers are right to set bold targets for new investment in manufacturing and development into the country. Bangladesh Computer Samity points to reports by the Japan External Trade Organisation, highlighting the competitiveness of Bangladesh’s low production costs.

With our own fast-expanding domestic market and Bangladeshi brands like Walton already investing strongly in manufacturing, there is a real prospect of Bangladesh becoming an attractive destination for investment in ICT manufacturing, instead of just being a user country and assembly location.

For such ambitions to be fulfilled, however, the government needs to recognise that competitive costs and incentives are not the only ingredients needed for success.

Investment in IT skills development and research is essential to realise plans to become a software hub and manufacturing base.

A skilled and able workforce is imperative to sustain the expertise needed for ICT software and manufacturing to flourish.

Investment in higher technology manufacturing should go hand in hand with building a stronger R&D sector across industry and universities.

By systematically improving skills and encouraging collaboration on training, centres of excellence can emerge to spur investment in technologyled businesses and create the jobs the economy needs.

A skilled workforce is key to attracting investment and allowing the sector to flourish

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DT

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

Tell me your secrets Can we trust our government with our private information?

Big Brother is always watching, whether you care or not

BIGSTOCK

Until the people in charge value our secrets as much as we value them ourselves, we must strive to keep them where they are the safest: Inside our walls, and inside our heads. Who else can we trust? Who else deserves to be trusted?

n SN Rasul

I

t is not often that I get worked up over privacy issues. When it comes to the government, I find myself being -- rather mysteriously to myself, and frustratingly for activists -- rather lenient when it comes to the issue of keeping my private information to myself.

After all, I am a law-abiding citizen with nary a thing to hide. I pay taxes (I think?), my rickshaw goes down the right side of the road (most of the time), I have not killed or murdered anyone (yet), and I do not steal (though the temptation is always there). What have I got to hide?

If the government needs to snoop around through my private computer files (they’ll find

pornography sure, but that won’t surprise them, and who of us is innocent of that “crime”?), ask my neighbours a few questions, take my biometric information, and snoop on my Internet history (same story, different website), what do I care?

They’ll see I’m a “normal,” heterosexual (otherwise would be a crime) man who works, has a column in the Dhaka Tribune (with maybe one or two semiblasphemous pieces), and is unmarried (all the single -- or otherwise -- ladies, take note).

They’ll have nothing against me and I’ll have nothing to fear.

So, when the Dhaka Metropolitan Police decrees that landlords and tenants must provide information “for the purported curbing of militant

activities,” I wasn’t too concerned.

Just another bureaucratic red tape to be imposed on the citizens?

Bring it on. It would make life just that tiny much harder, but nothing we the people as a collective weren’t that used to to begin with.

But let us pause for a moment.

Privacy is a constitutional right.

It is to be taken for granted that, and unless one has been complicit in nefarious acts, one’s personal information should remain just that: Personal.

There’s no need for the police or even the government to get involved in what an individual does in the comfort of his or her own home, or otherwise.

But to speak of rights as being somehow inherent in a government system, even one that is a so-called democracy such as

ours, would be silly.

Rights, in their very nature, are a concept invented by society to take care of the weaker segments of society, derived, one presumes, from a sense of empathy and the knowledge that allows for the possibility that even the most powerful may one day fall.

Even the most powerful “democracy” in the world forgets these presumed rights when it suits them, be it the continued existence of Guantanamo Bay or the treatment of its own Japanese citizens during the Second World War, among others. And Bangladesh is no different.

From extra-judicial killings to routine searches on the streets (a given if you’re on a motorcycle), our right to privacy has never been one that has been high up on the list of priorities, and nor has been our right to a fair trial. Why should anything be any different in this case?

Why is it that we are constantly surprised when the government, yet again, chooses to encroach on our rights as citizens? The police have always put their hands where they shouldn’t have, fumbling around in our private possessions.

My stance could perhaps remain the same. After all, the DMP’s need to put a stop to these “militant activities”

doesn’t concern me. I am neither a militant, nor am I involved in activities of such nature. I could let my landlord have all the information he or she wants, and be safe in the knowledge that the authorities won’t be able to find anything.

Not that I have any qualms with selfishness, but the bigger picture must be looked at.

Rights were, after all, created with the notion in mind that we, too, no matter how big we stand, may one day fall.

What of others, others who do wish to keep their information private, if not because they want to hide illegal activity, but merely because this is information that wasn’t, to them, meant for other eyes?

Information, like anything else we own, is a property that no one else other than the bearer has any right to disperse. What if, one day, I too have something I wish to keep to myself?

What if it is my wife’s or my daughter’s photos on my computer, their contact details they wish for, or my friend’s bank account information that he has entrusted me with?

What face am I left with when they get phone calls in the dead of night, subjected to lewd questions and statements regarding what their bodies will go through, or when this friend of mine has his account compromised, his money stolen, or simply, a case of harassment?

It would be one thing if the government hadn’t been so unreliable with regards to our personal information. Previously, sensitive information such as these had been leaked, had been sold off to companies for private gain.

If ours was a government that could be trusted, no matter how Big Brother-like it may be, we could at least rest safe in the knowledge that the only pairs of eyes going over the information will be that of a government employee’s whose honour was preserved, whose work ethic was sound.

But that is not, and will not be, the case. Until the people in charge value our secrets as much as we value them ourselves, we must strive to keep them where they are the safest: Inside our walls, and inside our heads. Who else can we trust? Who else deserves to be trusted? l SN Rasul is a journalist and academic.

Follow him @snrasul.

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DT

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

The truth is in the numbers In spite of all the progress that has been made in recent years, the rise in violence against women is a cause for alarm

n Salina Shahnaz Shilpi

T

wo out of three Bangladeshi women are forced to deal with some form of violence during their lifetime. This can be domestic violence, rape, acid attacks, trafficking or sexual harassment, these being the most prominent forms.

If you are a woman, chances are, you or someone you know, have already faced harassment or some other form of violence.

The alarming fact is that incidents of violence against women in Bangladesh have been rising sharply. It continues to be a serious problem in Bangladesh.

While significant efforts have been made in recent decades, much work remains to be done to prevent and respond to the violence that persists in both the public and private spheres of women’s lives.

BRAC’s field report shows that the total number of incidents of violence against women in 2014 was 2,873, which has risen to the alarming figure of 5,008 in 2015.

It is 74% higher than the previous year, and this is the highest incidence of violence against women in recent times. BRAC Community Empowerment Program (CEP) identifies and reports incidents of human rights violations from 55 districts of Bangladesh.

This is done through its network of 12,350 ward-level and women-led institutions called Polli Shomaj -- where the majority of the participants are women, and where violence against women takes the strongest precedence.

The victim or victims’ family, neighbours, and Polli Shomaj members send reports to BRAC head office within 24 hours of identification, and maintain a database.

This data is analysed and used for survivor support, and deciding on strategies and future directions to end violence against women.

Findings of the analysis are shared within BRAC as well as with external stakeholders, including the government.

The reports from 2014-2015 also show an increase in all forms of violence against women. The report shows there were the highest ever numbers of incidents for physical torture (2,037), murder (526), rape (1,203), acid attacks (49), and suicides (845) in 2015.

The number could be much higher than is being reported, as

A lot of victims don’t come forward to report abuse these forms of violence remain hidden and unreported due to the social stigma and the culture of shame associated with some form of violence cases. In a field survey conducted across 44 unions of Bangladesh, BRAC in collaboration with UNDP found that 68% of occurrences of violence against women go unreported.

The report figures are for violence “primarily” against women, but male victims are also included.

It shows women are more likely than men to be the victims of all types of violence, such as physical torture, rape, acid violence, suicide, and sexual harassment.

Around 78% of the incidents involve women or girls as victims, which means almost two out of three victims are women or girls.

What is most alarming about the reports is that 86% of victims are children under 18 years and youths aged 18 to 35.

On the other hand, poor women are subjected to violence relatively more (54%) because of their social discrimination. Overall, men were responsible for the majority of violence committed against women.

It reveals that 88% of perpetrators are men, which means nine out of 10 perpetrators of violence are men. Among them, 46% were family members of the victims, while 27% were their neighbours.

The report shows incidents of violence have been increasing every year. There were increases in the number of cases of murder as well. In 2015, CEP reported a total of 526 women murdered -- 24% higher than the previous year, the most common cause being dowry disputes.

BIGSTOCK

A large percentage of victims or victims’ families do not file any complaint with legal authorities after incidences of violence. Lack of trust in law enforcement and in the existing legal system is a key reason.

Even if they take it to the court, the accused often exploits numerous loopholes in the legal system and goes unpunished

To get the money, the husband and in-laws abuse the wife mentally and physically, sometimes causing her death. Another common cause was found to be rapists murdering their victims to prevent identification afterwards. Counts of murder aside, many women deal with physical abuse in their daily lives. In 2015, 2,037 women experienced some form of physical violence.

This is 379% higher than the previous year.

It is common knowledge that husbands exert their authority and physically assault wives for even minor mistakes, such as an unsatisfactory meal, an untidy room, a conversation with another man, or any act of disagreement or disobedience. There are a rising number of gang rapes occurring in Bangladesh. These repeated assaults only reinforce the fear and insecurity that women live with on a daily basis.

About 1,203 cases concerning rape were recorded in 2015, a rise of 37% on the previous year. What is most alarming about the reports is that the number of child victims of rape and attempted rape is often

nearly twice the number of adults, which is one of the most hidden and unreported forms of violence in Bangladesh.

The report indicates that rape violence against women is often not filed. For example, in the case of 370 rape occurrences in 2015, no case was filed, an increase of 89% from the previous year.

The reports from 2014-2015 also show an increase (98%) in suicide.

Cyber-bullying has begun to play a huge role in this tragedy. Having sexually harassed the victims, the videos are sometimes circulated via mobile phones and the Internet with the intention to humiliate the victims and their families.

In Bangladesh, a large percentage of victims or victims’ families do not file any complaint with legal authorities after incidences of violence.

Lack of trust in law enforcement and in the existing legal system is a key reason. Even if they take it to the court, the accused often exploits numerous loopholes in the legal system and goes unpunished.

Hence, a large number of victims and their families do not

go to court at all, and of those who do, only a small percentage pursue the case to the final stages. Because of the lengthy legal procedures and the costs associated with it, victims’ families, particularly those that are poor, often settle the matter with the perpetrators outside of court.

It was found that in 2015, the number of perpetrators roaming the streets was 131% higher than the previous year, which proves the inefficiency of the law enforcing system.

Yesterday was International Women’s Day. Great progress has been made for women broadly.

Still, so much work remains to be done to ensure that women are empowered, educated, safe, healthy, and free to be fully participating members of equal societies.

The bold, brave acts of one head of state, one student leader, one young man, can lead to farreaching change -- a Planet 50-50 by 2030. l Salina Shahnaz Shilpi is working as manager, communications for BRAC’s community empowerment program.

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Opinion

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

Achieving IT independence through open-source Bangladeshi companies don’t have to be dependent on expensive, foreign-supplied technology

The building blocks of any IT system can be found as open-source software

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Deepto is no longer dependent on the expensive and proprietary foreign-supplied systems over which we had no control (products could be discontinued at any time, and we would have no option but to re-purchase them). The proprietary systems have been replaced by free/open-source systems over which we have complete control, as we set them up ourselves

n Zeeshan Hasan

A

ccording to TRP (Total Ratings Points, often abbreviated to “ratings”) which measures TV channel viewership, Deepto TV is now the most popular Bangladeshi channel.

The public is generally unaware of TV ratings, as these are mainly

used by advertisers, but has indeed shifted to watching Sultan Suleiman and local Deepto serials like Aparajita and Palki.

This is a huge change in local viewing habits, which were dominated by Indian serials only a few months ago.

While the success of Deepto’s programs is very gratifying to see, the untold story is the effort

which Deepto has made to be technologically independent through use of open-source software.

When Deepto was first being set up, we bargained with many TV technology suppliers and finally purchased all the required hardware (playout servers which ensure continuous video broadcast, news graphics servers to include news text effects, media asset management servers to store the video library and video editing software) from a TV equipment vendor named Grass Valley.

However, within a few months of the purchase, this vendor was bought out by a larger competitor, and most of the systems we purchased were discontinued.

The unwelcome possibility arose that we might have to purchase these expensive systems all over again in a few years, once support for the discontinued products ceased.

In fact, this kind of dependence on a few large foreign software vendors is a common hazard in many industries.

Fortunately, Kazi Farms group, the parent company of Deepto TV, also runs a software company called Sysnova which has helped our other businesses to run on free and open source software.

For example, everyone at Kazi Farms Group uses the free/opensource Ubuntu Linux operating system (www.ubuntu.com) rather than Microsoft Windows, free/ open-source LibreOffice (www. libreoffice.org) software instead of Microsoft Office, and a free/opensource ERP instead of expensive systems from SAP/Oracle/ Microsoft.

This is true for journalists and editors of Dhaka Tribune as well.

Tribune photographers also use the free/open-source Gimp image editor (www.gimp.org) instead of expensive Adobe Photoshop.

In a normal office setting, it is a simple matter to stop software piracy and save large amounts of money through use of free/opensource alternatives.

For the last several months, Sysnova has been replicating the work normally done by our expensive (but now discontinued and effectively valueless) TV broadcast systems with free/opensource software at Deepto.

Initially, the basic functions of playout server and news graphics server were replicated using

CasparCG, a free/open-source software developed by Swedish state television (www.casparcg. org).

Likewise, the basic functions of the media asset management software can be handled by Razuna, a free/open-source software developed in the UK (www.razuna.com).

Secondly, the Deepto graphics team was moved from proprietary 3D graphics software to free/opensource Blender (www.blender. org), and from Adobe Illustrator to free/open-source Inkscape vector graphics software (www.inkscape. org).

Finally, the video editors are being moved from proprietary video editing systems to KDEnlive, a free/open-source video editor (www.kdenlive.org).

As a result, Deepto is no longer dependent on the expensive and proprietary foreign-supplied systems over which we had no control (products could be discontinued at any time, and we would have no option but to repurchase them).

The proprietary systems have been replaced by free/open-source systems over which we have complete control, as we set them up ourselves.

Why is this important? The fact is that if Bangladesh is to move forward, it has to change from being a purchaser/consumer of technology into a producer and innovator.

This jump is not as difficult as it may seem; the building blocks of practically any IT system anyone might need are now generally available as open-source components.

There is no need to re-invent the wheel.

All that has to be done is to understand what the complex proprietary systems actually do, and to assemble the same functionality with free/open source components.

At Deepto and Sysnova, we believe we are doing our share in fostering an environment of innovation in technology through open-source software.

I hope that other Bangladeshi companies will also join the opensource movement and achieve technological independence from foreign proprietary vendors. l Zeeshan Hasan is a director of Kazi Media, the company behind Deepto TV.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

INSIDE NBR dialogue: Only 13,500 people pay tax in Savar

Only 13,500 people in Savar, a place known for industrial location near the capital Dhaka, pay income tax regularly, said a National Board of Revenue commissioner responsible for the area’s tax collection. PAGE 16

Frequent Flyers’ Opinion Poll launched

Frequent Flyers’ Opinion Poll has been launched in the capital to select the best Airlines for the year 2015 in various service categories. PAGE 17

China’s growth fixation will scupper other goals

China’s latest five-year plan shows central planners are still clearly in the driving seat of the world’s second-largest economy. The country’s leaders have reiterated their pledge to lift GDP by at least 6.5% a year until 2020. PAGE 18

Capital market snapshot: Tuesday DSE Broad Index

4,453.9

0.2% ▲

Index

1,080.4

0.2% ▲

30 Index

1,709.6

0.4% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

3,062.6

-1.5% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

89.1

4.8% ▲

All Share Index 13,710.8

0.3% ▲

30 Index

0.0% ▲

CSE

Selected Index

12,384.5 8,329.3

0.3% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

222.2

-3.1% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

7.6

8.1% ▲

Bangladesh, India to ink new $2bn LoC today n Kayes Sohel Dhaka and New Delhi will sign a final deal today on the new Indian $2 billion Line of Credit (LoC) offered to Bangladesh by India around nine months back.

The agreement delayed due to disagreements over some terms and conditions like procurement of goods and services from both the countries, consultant appointment, seller selection, tax, VAT and procurement guideline to execute 13 projects under the LoC. “But the unsettled issues were already settled down through long negotiations, paving the way for inking the deal,” said an Economic Relations Division (ERD) official.

On February 28, the prime minister approved the draft agreement, sources said in the ERD. Under the draft agreement, on the use of goods and services, the two countries reached consensus that 65% to 75% of goods and services will be procured from India like the previous LoC. Further reductions on the use of goods and services may be considered on a case-by-case basis, provided that they are not sourced from a third country, according to the draft.

In case of projects related to

the civil construction, construction materials will be sourced from India-based suppliers if they are made available at prices stipulated in the contract.

Earlier, Bangladesh insisted that India reduce procurement of its goods and services to 65% or below it for civil works-related projects and more reduction for other projects.

Under the LoC, India primarily said a minimum of 75% goods and services needs to be of Indian origin and must be procured from India.

In response to it in July, Bangladesh proposed that 60% goods and services would be procured from India while the rest 40% from Bangladesh, and 50% construction materials like brick, sand and cement from India and 50% from Bangladesh.

On payment of customs duty, VAT and tax, the meeting decided to discuss further and was told that Indian must pay all personal and corporate taxes as per the country’s rules.

Earlier, India had requested Bangladesh to re-think about not giving tax and VAT waiver for its individuals and companies.

Both sides agreed to handle the letter of credit issue, borrower’s liability, immunity for the

borrower, legal proceedings by court, specimen signature and amortisation schedule.

India had offered the new LoC at 1% interest and 0.5% commitment fee (on undisbursed amount) during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s twoday state visit to Bangladesh in the first week of June. The loan will have to be repaid in 20 years with a five-year grace period.

In August 2010, Bangladesh signed first $1billion credit deal with India to support Bangladesh’s development works. Of which, $800 million have so far been released.

The proposed 13 projects for fresh LoC included setting up of double railway tracks in Khulna- Darshana line, converting the Parbatipur-Kaunia metre gauge line to a dual-gauge track, upgrading the Syedpur railway workshop, installation of Barapukuria-Bogra-Kaliakor 400-kilovolt power-transmission line, procurement of 500 trucks and 500 buses for BRTC, procurement of modern equipment to upgrade the Roads and Highways Department, setting up of four medical colleges and hospitals, national burn and plastic surgery institute and construction of 49 polytechnic and teacher-training institutes. l

Teletalk rebranding begins n Tribune Report

The rebranding of the staterun mobile operator, Teletalk, with its new logo started in the capital yesterday.

Tarana Halim, state minister for Post and Telecommunications, formally unveiled the new logo of Teletalk at the International Convention City, Bashundhara.

Foyzur Rahman Chowdhury, secretary, Post and Telecommunications Division, Dr Shahjahan Mahmood, chairman, BTRC, and Gias Uddin Ahmed, managing director of Teletalk, were present on the occasion.

Teletalk will move forwared with its new slogan “Shopno Hashimukher” (Connect to happiness). The government has taken the initiative to turn the mobile operator into a profitable organisation.

Since its inception in 2005, Teletalk failed to make any profit as yet.

After assuming office as the State Minister for Telecommunications, Tarana Halim repeatedly announced that the government would take up rebranding plan for making the company vibrant.

She said: “our target is to provide service for our people as it is our phone. Today we began a new journey with Teletalk.”

“To emerge as a leading market player in the country’s mobile industry, we made this change to introducing an appropriate model to Teletalk.”

This change will help Teletalk operate the company perfectly, added Tarana.

Recently, the junior minister visited Singapore and Malaysia to gather experience and observe the two countries’ state-run telecom business.

She discussed the issue with their telecommunications ministers and sought advices from them.

Recently, the state minister expressed her dissatisfaction in the Parliament over the operator’s TK3.99 billion loss.

Earlier, Teletalk Managing Director Gias Uddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that they are planning to invest TK4,600 crore for expansion of its 3G network across the country and the roll-out of 4G next year. l

Feb inflation hits 41-month low n Tribune Report

The declining price of food items and imported goods pulled down inflation to nearly a three-and-ahalf-year low in February, according to an official data released yesterday.

This is the lowest level of inflation since September, 2012 when it was 4.97%.

As per the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), inflation significantly fell to 5.62% in February from 6.07% in January.

During the period, food inflation also moved down to 3.77% from 4.33% and non-food inflation declined to 8.46% from 8.78%.

“Drop in prices of locally produced food items and imported goods, like oil and sugar pushed the inflation down. Moreover, the stable exchange rate also contributed to the fall of inflation,” said Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal while releasing the monthly inflation data at a press briefing after the Ecnec meeting at the NEC conference room in the city.

He hoped that the government would be able to contain the inflation rate in this fiscal year within 5.5%.

In urban areas, food inflation was down 5.48% in February from 5.96% in January and non-food inflation saw a drop of 9.14% from 9.25% during the period.

In rural areas, during the period food inflation dropped to 3.04%, down from 3.63% and non-food inflation came down to 7.97% against 8.37%.

The national wage index rate witnessed a 5.96% growth in February against 6.04% in January.

The average year-on-year rate of inflation from January 2015 to January 2016 stood at 6.20%, which was 6.87% from January 2014 to January 2015.

TCB data shows that in last one month, coarse rice and sugar prices were stable, lentil price fell 2.38%, loose soybean oil 0.61%, onion (local) 36% and potato 12.5%.

However, salt price rose to 35% and broiler 7.14%. l

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Business

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

NBR dialogue: Only 13,500 NBR to include people from CHT, Haor in people pay tax in Savar pre-budget meeting

Municipality mayor believes the number of taxpayers in the industrial area should be at least 39,000 n Tribune Report Super Habibur Rahman, among port from the Customs, Excise and The National Board of Revenue n Tribune Report others, were also present.

VAT commissionerate, Dhaka (West).

(NBR) is going to include people Only 13,500 people in Savar, a place known for industrial location near the capital Dhaka, pay income tax regularly, said a National Board of Revenue commissioner responsible for the area’s tax collection.

Speaking at a revenue dialogue yesterday, Shahin Akhter of Dhaka Income Taxes Zone-12, said this was a total number under three circles of the tax zone paying income tax.

She, however, added that around 2,500 had recently been registered as taxpayers.

Savar Municipality Mayor Hazi Abdul Gani believed the number of taxpayers in the area should be at least 39,000. He said the tax payment system would have to be simplified to boost revenue collection.

The “Revenue Dialogue 2016-Savar” was held at Savar Upazila Parishad auditorium.

NBR’s Income Taxes Zone, Dhaka-12 organised the event with sup-

The dialogue is a part of efforts to expand tax-base in the country, and the plan is being implemented in the relatively solvent upazilas.

NBR Member Jahangir Hossain said the current revenue collection was 60% less tax than the possible collection.

He said: “The taxation system is being simplified as NBR will open call centres so the taxpayers can ask their queries directly to tax officials and get instant answers.”

NBR is now doing spot assessment in different areas of the country where tax officials will charge Tk3,000-5,000 as tax for having asset of Tk8-15 lakh.

Professionals having five years of experience can pay Tk3,000 as annual tax and 10 years experience can pay Tk5,000 as annual income tax.

Local lawmaker Enamur Rahman, NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman and Dhaka District Police

Taxpayers registered during the recent spot assessment received certificates at the function.

Nojibur Rahman said the manpower in NBR now increased to 20,000 from 10,000 in 2009.

“We want good people to be involved with the tax services,” NBR chief said. He praised the newcomers in the NBR. “They are not coming to make money here, but to serve the people and the country.”

Nojibur Rahman hoped that the dialogue would be helpful in further expanding the ongoing tax campaign across the country.

He said: “We want to transform the NBR into a digital organisation from the conventional one.”

Dhaka Divisional commissioner Md Zillar Rahman, NBR Member Ziauddin Mahmood and Customs, Excise and VAT commissionerate, Dhaka (West) commissioner Matiur Rahman, also spoke. l

from Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and haor areas, for the first time, to ensure a participatory budget for the fiscal year 2016-17.

The board will have special focus on the opinions and suggestions from the people of the country’s backward areas, so their suggestions will be reflected in the budget formulation.

In addition, the board will also have pre-budget discussion with the stakeholders from different districts through video conferencing, said a NBR statement released yesterday.

The revenue authorities are also putting emphasis on the use of digital tools and modernisation of NBR to ensure maximum participation from the stakeholders.

The NBR made the decision at a budget formulation meeting for fiscal year 2016-17 held at its headquarters with NBR Chairman Md

Stocks edge higher, volatility continues n Tribune Report Stocks edged higher amid volatility yesterday, driven by low cap issues.

The market, however, continued to move between red and green zones entire day but finally closed slightly higher with decline in volume of trade.

The benchmark index DSEX rose 10 points or 0.3% higher to close at 4,453. With this rise, it gained 18 points in the last two straight sessions.

The Shariah index DSES moved up over 2 points to 1,080. The blue chip comprising index DS30 was up 6 points or 0.4% to 1,709.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX settled at 8,329, soaring 23 points.

Dull trading activities continued as the DSE turnover stood at just over Tk300 crore. Engineering continued to dominate the turnover chart for the third consecutive sessions, accounting for 18% of the total trade value.

Ceramics remained favourite sector as it gained highest almost 3%, led by RAK Ceramic that surged 3.4%.

Non-banking financial institutions came second with a rally of 0.7%, pulled up by DBH that yielded 6.7% return.

Heavyweight telecommunications sector fell 0.6%, extending its losing streak for the second consecutive sessions.

All other sectors including bank, engineering and textile ended flat.

Gainers, persistently dominated by low cap firms, took a strong lead over the losers as out of 313 issues traded, 153 closed positive, 107 negative and 53 remained unchanged.

Lanka Bangla Securities stated that DSE poised for an uncertain start on the day.

Lanka Bangla Finance was the most traded stock on the day, removing BSRM Limited that dominated the turnover chart over the last two sessions. l

Nojibur Rahman in the chair.

Besides, opinions from country’s renowned economists, popular public figures and business stakeholders will be sought for consideration.

The pre-budget talks, which are usually attended by representatives from all the leading chambers, business organisations, and associations, are a regular phenomenon every year and intended to make an inclusive budget.

The NBR has already sought opinions and proposals from the stakeholders as part of its preparatory work to make the budget participatory, business-friendly, revenue maximising, and pro-people.

With an annual budget, the government brings amendments to the existing laws and rules related to customs, VAT and income tax to maximise revenue earnings, provides protection to local industries, facilitate international trade and solve procedural complexities in revenue collection. l

Brazil expresses frustration over raw jute export ban n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Brazil has expressed its dismay over export ban of raw jute from Bangladesh.

In a letter to foreign ministry yesterday, the country said its businessmen was seeking alternatives of jute.

Bangladesh imposed ban on export of raw jute in December and jute importing countries including Germany, India and Pakistan requested the government to review the decision.

The total production of jute in the country is over 7.5m bales while the estimated demand is about 6.5 million bales.

Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque wrote to the jute secretary: “The decision is likely to have negative impact in future.”

Several buyers opened letters of credit before the ban, but many of those are not yet honoured, he added.

Brazil imports 100% of their jute demand from Bangladesh.

Jute Department Director Mohammad Kefayet Ullah said after assessing the total demand, the government would review the export decision at the end of March. l

Speakers at the launching ceremony of Frequent Flyers’ Opinion Poll

Frequent Flyers’ Opinion Poll launched n Tribune Report Frequent Flyers’ Opinion Poll has been launched in the capital to select the best Airlines for the year 2015 in various service categories.

Kazi Wahidul Alam, editor of the fortnightly The Bangladesh Monitor, formally launched the opinion poll at a press conference held yesterday at a city hotel yesterday. E J McEwan, general manager of Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel, also addressed the press conference.

The Bangladesh Monitor had introduced the Airline of the Year Awards in 2007.

Airlines operating in Bangladesh will be recognised for their service excellence based on the opinion poll of the frequent flyers. Leading travel and tourism fortnightly- The Bangladesh Monitor will conduct the poll that will be supported by Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel and Eastern Bank Ltd as the hospitality and banking partner respectively.

“Our prime object is to create a healthy competition among the airliners, carrying

outgoing and incoming Bangladeshi passengers. Inspired by the positive feedback from all concerned, we have decided to hold the 7th edition of the poll this year,” said Alam.

Airlines will be recognised for their services in 13 categories including Airline of the Year, Domestic Airline of the Year and Cargo Airline of the Year.

Besides, awards will be given in other categories like- the most popular destination among the Bangladeshi travellers and Best Air Express Company.

Frequent flyers may give their opinion in favour of their preferred Airlines either by filling out a prescribed polling form or voting online (www.bangladeshmonitor.net/ poll2015).

The last date for submission of opinion poll is fixed on April 15, 2016. A jury committee comprising representatives from various professional groups will select the winning airlines based on the opinion poll. Names of winners will be announced at the Gala Award ceremony to be held sometime in May of the current year. l

Commodity traders in barter deals with Iran post-sanction n Reuters, Beijing Global oil traders have entered into rare barter deals with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), supplying Iran with much-needed gasoline in exchange for high-quality fuel oil, after most economic sanctions against Tehran were lifted in January.

Commodity traders Swissbased Vitol and Glencore, for example, have won the right to lift a combined to-

tal of at least 200,000 tonnes per month of Iranian fuel oil from March through May, according to four trading sources with knowledge of the deals.

“The big traders resumed moving gasoline to Iran shortly after sanctions were removed. Instead of a cash settlement, Iran pays back in fuel oil,” said one senior Iranian trading official, who declined to be named as the deals were private. l

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Business

China’s growth fixation will scupper other goals n Rachel Morarjee China’s latest five-year plan shows central planners are still clearly in the driving seat of the world’s second-largest economy. The country’s leaders have reiterated their pledge to lift GDP by at least 6.5% a year until 2020. Though that’s a lower growth rate than in the past, it is still too high. Unrealistic targets distort the economy by delaying rebalancing and boosting debt.

Chinese GDP data have long been viewed with suspicion. Even Premier Li Keqiang, who confirmed the targets at the start of China’s annual parliament on March 5, told a US diplomat in 2007 that he paid more attention to indicators such as rail cargo and power consumption, according to cables released by Wikileaks.

However, the targets remain important because local leaders’ promotion prospects depend on achieving them, regardless of whether their fiefdoms are home to smokestack industries or tech companies.

Take Heilongjiang, the northeastern industrial province that borders Russia. Official growth in the region Chinese Premier Li Keqiang speaks with US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew during their meeting in Zhongnanhai Leadership Compound in Beijing REUTERS

was about 5.6% in 2015, though some cities reported dramatically lower numbers. Economic output in Daqing, China’s biggest oil-producing city, contracted by about a quarter.

Nevertheless, leaders in the province are aiming for growth of at least 6% growth this year, while keeping urban unemployment below 4.5%.

Indeed, Li said that if China’s overall growth rate dipped below the target of 6.5 to 7% in 2016 then GDP would have to expand more quickly in future so that the country could realise its ambition of doubling economic output in the decade to 2020. Those goals seem incompatible with sacking millions of workers in the coal or steel industries and clearing smog.

Long-term targets also ignore the risk of external shocks. Global growth is slowing, the European Union is grappling with a migration crisis and the United States could elect a protectionist President. But China only nodded to these threats by not giving an explicit target for foreign trade.

Faced with a choice of accepting the possibility of lower growth or boosting debt, bureaucrats have opted for the latter. That means delaying the pain of meaningful restructuring for another five years. l Rachel Morarjee is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The article was initially published at Reuters.

‘Carry trades at heart of China capital outflows’ n Reuters, London

Heavy outflows of capital from China have mainly been a result of the unwinding of carry trades aimed at benefiting from rising interest rates and an appreciating yuan, the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) said.

The study in the regular quarterly report by the central banks’ central bank also said that capital flight from the yuan, also known as renminbi, had tended to be about the repayment of dollar-denominated debt

by Chinese companies rather than widespread sales of mainland assets.

That might point to a reduction of the pressure that has forced China to use hundreds of billions its huge foreign currency reserves to fend off deeper devaluation of the currency.

The BIS data, taking in the third quarter of 2015 and a partial reading of the fourth quarter, showed that companies and rich Chinese individuals exchanged yuan held in offshore locations such as Hong Kong and Singapore for dollars as they lost faith in the currency.

Of $175bn in cross-border capital flows out of China in the third quarter, $40bn was because of such reductions in offshore deposits. Banks in those jurisdictions responded by drawing down deposits with mainland banks, leading to a total capital outflow of $80bn. l

Asian markets in CORPORATE NEWS retreat as China exports slump n AFP, Hong Kong Asian markets mostly fell yesterday, with investors cashing in after enjoying their best rally so far this year, as China released data showing another hefty slump in exports.

Profit-takers made the most of the latest surge in prices that has come on the back of upbeat US data and hopes that China will take further steps to kickstart the world’s number-two economy. China’s exports dived more than a quarter on-year in February, new data showed Tuesday, while imports were almost 14% off far worse than analysts forecast.

The numbers are the latest to highlight weakness in the economy, although officials pointed out that they were skewed by the Chinese New Year holiday that saw factories shut down for a week.

However, Frederic Neumann, co-head of Asian economic research at HSBC Holdings in Hong Kong, said: “Exports got pummelled again in February, highlighting the downturn in global demand. l

Berger Paints Bangladesh Ltd has recently signed Microsoft Enterprise Agreement with Tech One Global (Pvt) Ltd. Managing director of Berger Paints Bangladesh Ltd, Rupali Chowdhury, managing director of Microsoft Bangladesh Limited, Sonia Bashir Kabir and Lahiru Munindradasa, managing director of Tech One Global (Pvt) Ltd were present at the signing ceremony, said a press release

Board directors of NRB Commercial Bank Limited has recently held its 41st meeting, where the management recommended 9% dividend for the year ended on December 31 last year, said a press release. The bank’s chairperson, Engr Farasath Ali was present at the meeting

Training institute of NCC Bank has recently conducted an executive development programme on strengthening and updating risk management in banks, said a press release. Managing director and CEO of NCC Bank, Golam Hafiz Ahmed was present at the opening ceremony as chief guest

Managing director of Dhaka WASA, Engr Taqsem A Khan has recently spoken at a workshop on smart water management in DWASA, said a press release

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

| gala |

| seminar |

19 professional women receive honours

‘Remembering Commune-ism’ Ania Loomba at BRAC University

A dazzling award ceremony to celebrate the contribution of women in leadership roles took place for the second time on March 8 in Dhaka.

Titled “Yellow presents Inspiring Women Award,” the gala ceremony honoured professional women of the country across various sectors.

Around 500 invited guests from the local and multinational corporate sector, development agencies, government bodies and dignitaries from the embassies graced the ceremony held at Le Meridien Dhaka Hotel.

With the vision to empower and equip women to reach leadership positions in the various fields of professionalism, the award was first introduced in 2015

by Bangladesh Brand Forum as the second phase in the “Inspiring

Women in Leadership” project.

The Award has been designed to identify and recognise the professional women who can be presented as inspirational role models for the society.

A total of 19 awards were handed over across 16 broad categories, namely: Yellow Inspiring Woman for Lifetime Achievement, Yellow Inspiring Female Entrepreneur, Inspiring Woman in Army, Inspiring Female Performer - Dance, Inspiring Male, Inspiring Woman in Sports, Yellow Inspiring Female Diplomat, Inspiring Female Journalist, Inspiring Woman Against the Odds, Inspiring Female in Cinema, Yellow Inspiring Woman of the Nation, Yellow Most Dynamic Women of the Year, Inspiring Female Startup,

Leaders of Tomorrow, Most Female-Friendly Organisation, and Inspiring Female Professional.

The winners in the corporate and business sector were chosen after a month-long nomination, and selection process conducted

by HR experts of the country.

A bi-monthly publication was launched at the event, sharing the various interest and concerns of the professional women of the country. Audio-visuals on the winners were also played to inspire the participants. In addition to this, the audiences were entertained with captivating cultural performances by Warda Rihab, Shaian, and Shumi from Chirkut music band. “It’s a She Thing,” adaptation of a world renowned play, was also performed in the event. The ceremony was followed by dinner and gift hampers.

Presented by Yellow, the award was organised this year in association with Le Meridien Dhaka. Parachute and RFL are the event partners. The event was also supported by FICCI, MCCI, Dhaka Tribune and the Daily Ittefaq as media partners, Masthead PR as PR partner, Gtv as TV partner, Webable as social media partner, and ColorsFM 101.6 as radio partner. l

On March 3, a public lecture “Remembering Communeism” under the Distinguished Scholar Series was held at BRAC Centre Inn. The highly respected speaker, Professor Ania Loomba, is Catherine Bryson Chair in the English Department at the University of Pennsylvania, and currently fellow at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Advanced Study, New Delhi and is the author of several books including, Gender, Race, Renaissance Drama; Shakespare, Race and Colonialism and Colonialism/Postcolonialism.

She is currently working on a full length study of left-wing women in India.

| debate |

| workshop |

UNIC Dhaka organises debate

International conference at NSU

United Nations Information Centre Dhaka organised the International Women’s Day debate to mark the International Women’s Day this year. Dhaka University Model United Nations Association (DUMUNA) won the competition.

The program was inaugurated

by United Nations Residential Coordinator for Bangladesh, Robert D Watkins, in the United Nations Bangladesh office at IDB Bhaban. In his speech, Watkins urged both male and female parties to work together to achieve the gender equality by 2030.

The final round of the debate was held between the debaters of DUMUNA and UNYSAB on the topic “Planet 50-50: Gender equality can be achieved by 2030.” The UNYSAB delegation spoke in favor of the topic and DUMUNA took their stand against it. Members of the winning side are Dishika Zaman, Labiba Faiyaz Bari and Mariam Laila Onnahar.

The debate was carried out in order to raise awareness about the fifth goal of the 17 sustainable development goals, namely to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls by 2030. The session was moderated by UNIC Dhaka officer-in-charge Md Moniruzzaman.

Head of UNIDO operations in Bangladesh, Zaki Uz Zaman; Head of UNODC operations in Bangladesh, Kamrul Islam; communication officer of UNFPA Bangladesh Asma Akhter; communication officer of UNESCO Bangladesh, Nyma Nargis and communication officer of WFP Bangladesh, Mahreen Ahmed, were in the judge panel of the debate.

The final round was followed by a slogan contest, where the youth from different universities of the country suggested slogans on women rights. l

PHOTO: TASNIA AFRIN

Department of English and Modern Languages of North South University (NSU) organized a twoday long international conference on “The River: Flows of Innovation and Exchange in the Global(i)sed English World” on March 3 and 4.

Scholars from India, Sri Lanka, UK, USA and Bangladesh were invited at the conference. There were two keynote speakers, one workshop, and a discussion on translation by some of the most distinguished scholars in Bangladesh. A total of 95 papers had been presented at

the six-session conference.

The first day of the international conference began with a panel discussion on translation studies with Dr Selim Sarwar, Dr Khaliquzzaman Elias, Dr Fakrul Alam and Dr Niaz Zaman, with Abdus Selim, recipient of the 2016 Bangla Academy Award for translation, as the moderator.

On the first day, sessions were hosted with a total of eight panel discussions on language and society, language

The room full of audience of this event consisted of faculty members and students from various institutes and guest attendants.

The event began with a welcome address by Professor Syed Saad Andaleeb, vice chancellor of BRAC University.

Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam, from the Department of English and Humanities, introduced Ania Loomba and stated that this seminar complements BRAC University’s aim in “inspiring excellence” as it will give the audience the chance to view multiple perspectives and engage in thought. l

and assessment, language of transience, new perspectives in European literature, approaches to language learning, writing and the community, post-colonial narratives, and re/interpretation of the self.

The second day’s sessions had fifteen panel discussions, which included linguistic confluences, ELT in Bangladesh, literature in the language classroom, deconstructing the text, ELT in higher education, identity and social constructions, narratives of dislocation, women and war narratives, creativity in language learning, soul searching and reconstructing identity, culture and film, bricolage and change, pedagogies in language, neocolonialism and the text, and narratives of the world.

The final day also had a workshop on ELT facilitated by Chaz Pugliese, presenter, author, trainer and co-founder of The Creativity Group. l

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Male sheep (3) 3 Gratis (4) 6 Narcotic (4) 7 Fabled monstrous bird (3) 9 Climbing plant (4) 10 Meadow (3) 11 Egg-shaped (4) 13 Has fondness for (5) 16 Camping equipment (5) 18 Swathe (4) 19 Lubricant (3) 20 Smart and fashionable (4) 21 Offspring (3) 23 Conceited (4) 24 Small bouquet (4) 25 Corn spike (3)

DOWN 1 Bucolic (5) 2 Past (3) 4 Scoff (4) 5 Female sheep (3) 6 Retard (5) 8 Gathering of witches (5) 9 Enormous (4) 12 Sells (5) 14 Of the ear (4) 15 Hooked claw (5) 17 Echo sounder (5) 18 Prejudice (4) 20 Drinking vessel (3) 22 Eggs (3)

Downtime CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 1 represents R so fill R every time the figure 1 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

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

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

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World 21

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

INSIDE ANALYSIS

How EU may shut Turkish door on migrants seeking asylum Unesco: Sexism widespread in Asia, Africa textbooks Sexist attitudes are “rife” in school textbooks used in developing countries, according to a recent report published by Unesco on Tuesday marking international women’s day.

PAGE 22

Israel, US in new row hours ahead of Joe Biden visit The rocky relationship between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a fresh hit Tuesday over a declined White House invitation hours before Vice President Joe Biden’s arrival.

PAGE 23

n Reuters, Brussels A European Union draft deal with Turkey to stop migrants reaching Greece introduces a harder edge of coercion to what critics have derided as a hitherto feeble EU response to a crisis tearing it apart.

Just last week, some saw European Council President Donald Tusk running short on ideas when he urged would-be migrants: “Do not come to Europe.” UKIP, a party campaigning to take Britain out of the EU at a June referendum, said his “weak plea” was “too little too late to stop the vast migrant flow into Europe”.

Yet what Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called a “game-changing” plan for Turkey to forcibly take back not only economic migrants who make it to Greek islands off its coast but even refugees from Syria, who will then suffer disadvantages, is the strongest move yet to change the calculus of migration.

If the plan is agreed, and if it works, taking to a boat from a Turkish beach at the cost of life savings to a smuggler - and possibly of life itself - would no longer be a ticket to a better life in Germany but a rapid round trip to Turkey. There, those returned would be, in the words of EU officials, “at

With Donald Trump continuing to outpace all rivals at the primaries, some Republican leaders and party insiders are considering a desperate, rear-guard effort to keep the polarising candidate from winning the party’s nomination-- a brokered convention.

PAGE 24

Dirty deal?

Refugees and migrants arrive aboard the passenger ferry from the island of Lesbos, near Athens last year REUTERS the back of the line” for legal asylum and resettlement in Europe.

Many are concerned about a quickfire process of deporting everyone back to Turkey with little regard for individuals.

But 1.2m people reached the EU last year to claim asylum amid chaotic scenes on beaches and on the long trek north from Greece through the Balkans. It has set EU states at odds, shut long-uncontrolled borders and fuelled nationalist sentiment among voters across the bloc. Leaders’ patience is thin.

Deterrence

An earlier EU plan foresaw deportation back to Turkey reserved for those, such as Pakistanis or North

Africans, with little likelihood of winning refugee status in the EU though in practice making such distinctions has proven problematic.

The new plan would see even Syrians and others with stronger asylum claims being shipped with little ceremony back across straits, now being demonstratively patrolled by Nato warships.

To force back crowds that last year numbered up to 20,000 a day seems impracticable. But EU officials said the key was to dissuade people from travelling in the first place.

For every Syrian sent back from a Greek island in future, another Syrian would be entitled to a legal, safe trip to Europe. That could be

Turkey is seeking in return some €6bn to help improve the lives of refugees over the next three years - twice as much as a two-year deal with the EU struck in November, as well as the opening of new “chapters” in its long-stalled negotiation to join the European Union.

Several European governments have strong reservations about the Turkish proposals. Cyprus is wary about lifting its veto on parts of the accession process as long as Ankara does not end a refusal to recognise or trade with Cyprus, diplomats said. France, sceptical of Turkey ever joining the EU, is resistant to a rapid easing of visa requirements for Turkey. . Britain, too, where Prime Minister David Cameron is campaigning to persuade voters to back continued EU membership on June 23, is wary of newspaper headlines suggesting 75m Turks may soon be travelling more easily around Europe. l

INSIGHT

New migrant routes may open up after Balkans closure n AFP, Sofia

GOP’s last option to stop Trump: A brokered convention

a rather small number if deterrence works, so EU leaders agreed to consider also resettling larger numbers.

For Europeans, the deal could help end a crisis that has jeopardised their cherished Schengen passport-free zone.

As helicopters buzzed overhead, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borisov was in defiant form at weekend exercises on the border with Greece -- meant as a show of force to any would-be migrant considering an alternative way into the EU. “More than 400 personnel from the army, police and gendarmerie will be permanently based here,” Borisov declared. “Five hundred more can be mobilised within hours.”

The muscle-flexing was another sign that with the route through the Balkans now effectively closed off, other countries are nervous that they might become the new migrant trail -- aided by human traffickers.

The main bottleneck on the route north at the moment is at

the Greek border with Bulgaria’s neighbour Macedonia, where thousands of migrants have been stranded for weeks.

Along with Bulgaria, others concerned include Italy, worried not only about a possible new influx of migrants from lawless Libya but also about people arriving by boat across the Adriatic from Albania, which borders Greece.

This is despite the mooted deal -discussed at an EU summit in Brussels on Monday and meant to be finalised on March 17-18 -- between the EU and Ankara under which Turkey will take back all illegal migrants arriving on Greece’s islands.

As well as its 470km border with Greece, two-thirds of it in tough mountainous terrain, Bulgaria also shares a 260km frontier with Turkey that experts say could come under pressure in the coming months.

Bulgaria has close to 2,000 police on patrol with dogs on its Turkish border and is extending a 30km razor-wire fence by another 130km.

In February parliament adopted legislation giving the military greater powers to act on the frontiers.

Italy, meanwhile, is also taking steps to prepare for and prevent any new influx of migrants across the sea directly from Greece or from non-EU Albania, which has a 280km largely mountainous and forested border with Greece.

The stretch of water between Albania and Puglia, the heel of the boot at the bottom of Italy with numerous beaches perfect for landing boats, is already plied by drug smugglers.

Tens of thousands of Albanian immigrants made the journey in the 1990s and 2000s.

Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni told the daily Il Sole 24

Ore that the risk of a new migrant route opening up between Albania and Italy “cannot be ignored” but that cooperation with Tirana would succeed in dealing with the problem.

According to Gerald Tatzgern, in charge of Austria’s efforts against human trafficking, since border controls in the Balkans were tightened last month, “increased activity” by criminal gangs has already been noticed.

Even if migrants do make it into EU member Bulgaria, as around 30,000 did last year -- plus an unknown number smuggled in -- a warm welcome is far from guaranteed, with Amnesty International complaining about harsh treatment of refugees.

In October, an Afghan migrant was shot dead by border guards -- hit by a ricochet from a warning shot, authorities said. l

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World

Unesco: Sexism widespread in Asia, Africa textbooks n Tribune Desk Sexist attitudes are “rife” in school textbooks used in developing countries, according to a recent report published by Unesco on Tuesday marking international women’s day.

The UN agency says negative stereotyping undermines the education of girls.

It says too often female figures are represented in textbooks as “nurturing drudges” in domestic roles.

This is a “hidden obstacle” to gender equality, BBC reports quoting Unesco’s senior policy analyst Manos Antoninis.

The report highlights how female characters frequently appear in a secondary role in the books they use at school - and warns that it limits girls’ career expectations.

Unesco has campaigned to provide education for tens of millions of children without access to school - and in many poorer countries girls are the most likely to miss out.

“What they are being taught is equally, if not more, important. Persistent gender bias in textbooks is sapping girls’ motivation, self-esteem and participation in school,” said Antoninis.

Unesco is inviting people to send in their own examples from text books, using the Twitter hashtag #BetweentheLines.

With examples from countries in Asia and Africa, the report says that men in textbooks are more likely to be depicted as business leaders, shopkeepers, engineers, scientists and politicians, while women remain likely to be seen in roles such as cooking or childcare.

Apart from gender stereotyping, the study says that text books are much more likely to depict men than women - and that is even more pronounced in science or maths text books.

The report claims there has been a lack of political will to pursue this and in some cases resistance from those responsible for school curricula or for producing textbooks.

Another report on the same issue from the development campaign group, One, says gender inequality and poverty are interlinked, with women in poor countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, likely to be worse off than their male counterparts.

The campaign has drawn up a list of countries where it is “toughest to be born a girl”, based on criteria such as access to health and education, economic opportunities, access to a bank account and political representation.

The top 10 in this ranking are: Niger, Somalia, Mali, Central African Republic, Yemen, DR Congo, Afghanistan, Cote d’Ivoire, Chad and Comoros. l

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

INSIGHT

SOUTH ASIA

Pakistan breaches obligations on nuclear arms, UN court told

Israel, US in new row hours ahead of Joe Biden visit n AFP, Jerusalem The rocky relationship between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a fresh hit Tuesday over a declined White House invitation hours before Vice President Joe Biden’s arrival.

Netanyahu’s decision not to accept an invitation for talks with Obama in Washington later this month “surprised” the White House, which first learned of it through news reports.

The Israeli premier’s office defended the decision by saying Netanyahu did not want to interfere in US presidential primary elections currently taking place.

Obama and Netanyahu have had a rocky personal relationship, worsened by the Israeli premier’s forceful opposition to the Iran nu-

clear deal, including in a speech to the US Congress.

But the two have sought to set aside their disagreements in recent months and work out a new 10-year defence aid package for Israel as well as demonstrate that the ties between the two traditional allies remain strong.

Biden is due to arrive in Tel Aviv later on Tuesday and hold talks with Netanyahu on Wednesday. He is also scheduled to meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

A previous visit by Biden in 2010 was marred by the announcement of a major Israeli settlement project in annexed east Jerusalem.

The announcement drew a public scolding from Biden and it soured relations with Washington for months.

His visit this time comes with

Obama having acknowledged that there will be no comprehensive agreement between Israelis and Palestinians before he leaves office in January 2017.

The White House has said that Biden will not be pursuing any major new peace initiatives during his visit, even though a wave of violence since October has killed more than 200 people.

Worry among Israelis?

Talks are expected to include discussions on a new, 10-year defence aid package for Israel, currently worth some $3.1bn annually in addition to spending on projects such as missile defence, illustrating the importance of Israel’s relationship with the US. Biden and Netanyahu also plan to talk about the fight against Dae’sh group.

But while Obama has resigned himself to not achieving any major breakthrough in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there have been suggestions he may seek to somehow kickstart peace efforts at a complete standstill for two years.

That has included speculation that the US could break with traditional practice and support a UN resolution related to resolving the conflict, which Israel strongly opposes.

The Wall Street Journal quoted senior US officials on Monday saying the White House is working on plans for reviving peace talks and for a possible resolution, which could be outlined at Obama’s final appearance at the UN General Assembly in the autumn.

The United States has traditionally vetoed resolutions at the UN Security Council opposed by Israel. l

Kidnapped son of slain Punjab governor rescued

Pakistan is violating its obligations to the international community by failing to reduce its nuclear arsenal, the Marshall Islands told the UN’s highest court on Tuesday.

The small Pacific Island nation has this week launched three unusual cases against India, Pakistan and Britain before the International Court of Justice.

-DAWN

INDIA

Rajiv Gandhi assassin Nalini granted 1-day parole The Madras high court on Tuesday granted one-day parole to Nalini Sriharan, convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. Nalini had applied for three-day parole to attend the 16th day obsequies of her father Sankaranarayanan, who died last month. Nalini was sentenced to death by the trial court in the case. However, her sentence was commuted to life term by the Tamil Nadu governor .

-TOI

CHINA

China hints more bases on way after Djibouti China hinted on Tuesday that it was planning more global bases following the setting up of its logistics centre in Djibouti, what the Horn of African country’s government calls a military facility that will be China’s first overseas.

China plans to use it to support is anti-piracy operations in the waters off the strife-torn nations of Somalia and Yemen.

-REUTERS

n Reuters, Islamabad The kidnapped son of a Pakistani governor who was murdered for criticising blasphemy laws was freed on Tuesday, a week after his father’s killer was executed, authorities said.

Shahbaz Taseer, in his 30s, had been missing for more than four years since he was abducted from his car in Lahore, just months after his father, Punjab governor Salman Taseer, was killed in 2011.

The Pakistani army said Shahbaz Taseer had been rescued by intelligence agents in Baluchistan.

Last week, Salman Taseer’s former bodyguard, Mumtaz Qadri, was hanged for the murder. The killer’s funeral attracted tens of thousands of supporters who proclaimed him a hero for defending Islam.

Salman Taseer had spoken in support of a Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy and had called for the laws that mandate the death penalty for insulting Islam to be revised.

After his death, Taseer’s family received multiple threats from religious hard-liners. Shahbaz Taseer was believed to have been originally kidnapped by the radical Islamist group Lashkar-e-Janghvi and later handed to al-Qaeda and then to the Pakistani Taliban, intelligence sources said.

It was not immediately clear who his captors were when he was freed, nor whether they were arrested or killed in the operation. l

DT

World

ASIA PACIFIC

Japanese submarine and warships to visit Philippines A file picture taken in November last year shows Afghan Taliban fighters attended a rally in Afghanistan

AFP

Pakistan hints at progress on Taliban talks within days n Reuters, Islamabad Pakistan has played down the Taliban’s rejection of proposed peace talks with the Afghan government, saying on Tuesday that it hoped for progress “in coming days”.

Sartaj Aziz, foreign policy adviser to Pakistan’s prime minister, said his country, the US and China would use their influence to persuade the Taliban to come to the table to try to end a nearly 15-year-old war.

“I hope in the coming days some progress (can be made) ... at some level, and once we start, we hope they will gather momentum,” he told a press briefing in Islamabad alongside British Foreign

Secretary Phillip Hammond.

Officials had said they expected direct peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban to begin in early March following a meeting of the socalled Quadrilateral Coordination Group, made up of representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the US, in February.

But the Taliban, which calls itself the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said last week it would not participate.

The group said it would only join talks once all remaining foreign troops left Afghanistan, its leaders were removed from a UN terrorist blacklist and its prisoners freed from Afghan jails.

Pakistan’s Aziz said he felt the Taliban could be persuaded.

“Many of the preconditions that they are looking for can come as a result of negotiations and not in advance of them,” he said, adding that the Afghan government had in the past expressed willingness to exchange prisoners.

Violence has increased in Afghanistan since the withdrawal of most foreign combat troops in 2014, leaving the newly trained Afghan police and army to fight the Taliban.

Last year, the Taliban captured a provincial capital for the first time since their hard-line Islamist government was toppled by a USled invasion in 2001. l

A Japanese submarine will visit the Philippines for the first time in 15 years, along with two warships that will then sail on to Vietnam, in a show of support for nations opposed to Beijing’s ambitions in the South China Sea. Asked about the visits, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Japan occupied the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea during World War II so China was on high alert for Japan’s military moves there. -REUTERS

MIDDLE EAST

Survey: About half of Israeli Jews want to expel Arabs Nearly half of Israeli Jews believe Arabs should be expelled or transferred from Israel, according to a survey on the political views of Jewish religious and secular communities. The poll released on Tuesday by the Washington-based Pew Research Centre also found that many Israelis - Jews and Arabs - appeared to have lost hope for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. -REUTERS

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

USA

Trump, Clinton favoured in latest US primary contests US voters cast ballots in White House primaries in Michigan and Mississippi Tuesday, with Republican frontrunner Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton favored to win their parties’ latest tests of strength. Republican voters also will have their say later in the day in a primary in Idaho and a caucus in Hawaii.

-AFP

THE AMERICAS

Canada PM poised for first official US visit Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will bring panache and progressivism on his first official visit to Washington, where he and his wife will be guests of honor at a White House state dinner Thursday. Trudeau will be the first Canadian leader to be feted in Washington in almost two decades. Trudeau and Obama are expected to firm up new bilateral agreements on trade and the environment, which are to be announced during the visit.

-AFP

UK

Survey: Two-thirds of British women sexually harassed in public places Two-thirds of British women have been sexually harassed in public places and more than one-third have experienced unwanted sexual touching, according to an online survey released on Tuesday, International Women’s Day. For women aged 18 to 25 the abuse is even more common, 85% reporting unwanted sexual attention and almost half undergoing unwanted sexual touching, the survey by the End Violence Against Women Coalition said.

-REUTERS

EUROPE

UNHCR: EU-Turkey deal could break int’l law Vincent Cochetel, the UN high commissioner for refugees’ regional director for Europe, says a European Union deal to send back refugees to Turkey would contravene international law on refugees’ right to protection. Cochetel says the EU commitment to resettle 20,000 refugees over two years, on a voluntary basis, was not balanced enough.

-THE GUARDIAN

AFRICA

Al Shabaab: US strike casualties exaggerated Somali Islamist group al Shabaab confirmed on Tuesday that the United States had bombed an area it controlled, but said the US figure of more than 150 casualties was an exaggeration. The Pentagon had said it launched air strikes on a training facility on Saturday that had killed 150 fighters of al Shabaab. -REUTERS

Q&A

GOP’s last option to stop Trump: A brokered convention With Donald Trump continuing to outpace all rivals at the primaries, some Republican leaders and party insiders are considering a desperate, rear-guard effort to keep the polarising candidate from winning the party’s nomination-- a brokered convention.

But to get there, they need to keep Trump from amassing an outright majority of delegates. Only then will they be able to pick a new nominee.

It’s a long shot, but it could work — provided the party is willing to accept the substantial short- and long-term risks.

For instance, if Trump feels spurned by the party, he could mount a large independent campaign to steer support from the Republican nominee. Meanwhile his supporters, having had their millions of votes effectively nullified by a few thousand insiders, could be lost to the Republicans for years to come.

What is it?

A brokered convention, alternately called contested convention, is a situation in which no single candidate has secured a majority of delegates (whether those selected by primary elections and caucuses, or superdelegates) prior to the first vote for a political party’s presidential candidate at its nominat-

ing convention. Once the first ballot, or vote, has occurred, and no candidate has a majority of the delegates’ votes, the convention is then considered brokered; thereafter, the nomination is decided through a process of alternating political horse trading, and additional re-votes. In this circumstance, all pledged delegates from different states are released and are able to switch their allegiance to a different candidate before the next round of balloting. It is hoped that this extra privilege extended to the delegates will result in a re-vote yielding a clear majority of delegates for one candidate.

Could this happen this year?

This year is something different. Republican voters are flocking to a candidate who is anathema to many party insiders. More to the point, it looks like Trump may struggle to get an outright majority of delegates, which is what makes a brokered convention possible. The math is far from certain, but if Marco Rubio can beat Trump in Florida, John Kasich can beat him in Ohio, and Ted Cruz can pick up some more Plains states, then Trump might come up short of a majority of delegates, despite being well ahead of all his rivals. And when no candidate can claim a majority, convention delegates

An illustrations of how party conventions take place get a lot more latitude to follow their own personal preferences rather than the voters’ choice. This is what a brokered convention is all about.

How does a brokered convention actually work?

Keep your eyes on the delegates; that’s the secret to understanding a brokered convention. It’s vital to remember that these delegates are real people with real ties to the Republican party machinery. Members of the GOP state chapters will choose their own 50 people and send them off with orders to vote for any candidate the chapter prefers at the start of the Convention — but only at the

RNC WEBSITE

start. Most state delegates have this same responsibility. They are told how to vote on the first ballot, and are left free after that. So if there’s no winner on the first ballot — no candidate with a majority of the votes — predictability quickly evaporates. Suddenly, many delegates are free to vote for whomever they like, even people who are not even contesting. After that, the dealing begins. It may take some time but after a failed first ballot the delegates have no choice but to talk and vote and negotiate until some person captures a decisive, majority share. l

Source: BOSTON GLOBE, RNC WEBSITE, PBS

INSIGHT

Why Bloomberg opts out of White House bid? n Tribune Desk US media mogul Michael Bloomberg, who for months quietly laid the groundwork to run for president as an independent, will not enter the 2016 campaign, he wrote in a column on Monday, citing his fear that a three-way race could lead to the election of a candidate who would imperil the security and stability of the US: Real estate tycoon Donald Trump or Tea Party-backed US Senator from Texas, Ted Cruz.

The decision by Bloomberg, the former New York mayor who served three terms, ends months of intensive preparation for a candidacy. Convinced that a restive electorate was crying out for nonpartisan, technocratic government, he instructed his closest aides to set up the machinery for a longshot billion-dollar campaign that would have subjected his image to a scorching political test.

Plainly torn between his aspiration to serve as president and a mountain of data showing that the

Michael Bloomberg

REUTERS

path for an independent campaign aimed at the political centre was slim and narrowing, Bloomberg ultimately abandoned what would probably have been his last chance to run for the White House.

Had both Trump and Democratic White House aspirant Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont appeared headed toward victory in the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries, Bloomberg was determined to run, according to his advisers, several of whom insisted on anonymity to speak candidly about confidential discussions.

But Bloomberg balked at the prospect of a race against Trump and Hillary Clinton, who has established a dominant lead over Sanders

on the Democratic side.

Bloomberg’s decision brings a new measure of clarity to a presidential race that has come sharply into focus in recent weeks, and reflects both Hillary Clinton’s tightening grip on the Democratic contest and the growing alarm among mainstream political and business leaders about Trump’s populist insurgency.

Trump is widely seen as a weak general election candidate, and sources said surveys conducted for Bloomberg bolstered that perception. Bloomberg’s veteran pollster, Douglas E Schoen, gauged his prospects in polls in February and March, found at the outset, about two-fifths of the country had no familiarity with Bloomberg, who may be best known nationally for his support of expanded gun control legislation. But Schoen’s February polling found that after voters heard mostly favourable descriptions of the ex-NYC mayor, Trump and Sanders, Bloomberg collected 35% of the vote and a solid lead in the Electoral College. In a race against Trump and Clinton, however, polls

found Bloomberg faced far tougher odds. The most favourable result for Bloomberg would probably have been a stalemate in the Electoral College, with no candidate capable of taking the 270 votes required.

Under those conditions, the House of Representatives, where Republicans currently hold a majority, would choose the president.

One of the richest people in the US, estimated to be worth $38bn, Bloomberg has previously toyed with presidential runs, but concluded ahead of the 2008 and 2012 campaigns he could not win. He is largely a social liberal — he fought for same-sex marriage in New York and is pro-abortion rights — and implemented a number of health reforms in New York City, banning smoking in public places and instituting calorie counts on menus.

He has also become one of the nation’s most vocal proponents of gun control, using his fortune to bankroll candidates across the country who clash with the National Rifle Association. But liberals have found fault with his cozy ties to Wall Street. l

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INSIDE

PLAYERS TO WATCH MAHMUDULLAH

Bangladesh Batsman-Allrounder The right-handed batsman has been in blistering form in the last few matches. Mahmudullah, who was considered slow for the T20 format not so long ago, surprised everyone with his aggressive batting recently, especially in the just-concluded Asia Cup final where he hammered a brisk unbeaten 13-ball 33. In the Asia Cup, he played four undefeated knocks to elevate his tournament average to a whopping 121. Coming in at No 6 or 7, he is more than a dependable option with the willow.

Jamal suffer second defeat in AFC Cup Ten-man Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club conceded their second straight defeat in the AFC Cup when they lost 2-0 to Philippines top-flight champions Ceres la Salle at the Bangabandhu national stadium yesterday. PAGE 26

TOM COOPER

Netherlands Batsman-Allrounder

Sharapova confirms failed drug test Five-time Grand Slam tennis champion Maria Sharapova said Monday she failed a dope test at the Australian Open, and isn’t sure what punishment she’ll face for her “huge mistake.” She said she will be “provisionally suspended” by the ITF. PAGE 27

Bangladesh pace sensation Mustafizur Rahman does stretching exercises at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium in Dharamsala, India yesterday AP

Opener Vusi Sibanda struck a fluent half-century to help Zimbabwe defeat a Hong Kong by 14 runs in the opening group encounter of the World T20 in Nagpur yesterday. Hong Kong had their moments in the game but failed to capitalise. PAGE 28

'Chelsea underdogs against PSG' It is hard to imagine former boss Jose Mourinho ever calling Chelsea underdogs, but that’s how successor Guus Hiddink has described them before their Champions League Last 16 second leg clash against Paris St Germain today. PAGE 29

–MINHAZ UDDIN KHAN

‘Asia Cup won’t distract us’ Uddin Khan n Minhaz from Dharamsala

Sibanda powers Zim to opening win

The 29-year old is back in the Dutch squad after two years. The Australia-born cricketer left the Netherlands following the 2014 World T20 to try out his luck with the Aussies. Cooper, who has played 92 T20s, brings a lot of experience to the Dutch side, having recently featured for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash T20. The right-hander turned in impressive performances in the 2014 World T20, scoring 231 runs in seven matches.

The recent triumphs in the Asia Cup Twenty20 will not shift away the Tigers from their focus, said the side’s captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza, ahead of their 2016 World T20 first-round opener against the Netherlands today.

Mashrafe informed that rather than basking in the glory of their Asia Cup performance, the Tigers will be looking to continue their recent improvements in the shortest format which is usually considered to be their weakest among all three.

“We are trying to put up a (T20) team right now. The team has done well recently. Asia Cup is the example. But we need to keep on improving if we want to compete in the World T20. I hope we come out as a good team, playing this kind of cricket for, let’s say, the next three years,” Mashrafe told the press conference previewing the Bangladesh-Netherlands tie yesterday.

The “Narail Express” stated that Bangladesh are well prepared for the challenges ahead, let it be on the field or tackling the alien conditions. What can perhaps

though dent the Tigers’ prospects is the heavy rainfall in Dharamsala. For the last two days, persistent rain has engulfed the hilly city and the forecast predicts more rain, right till March 17.

Mashrafe hoped that the rain won’t affect their matches but even if it does, it will muddle the team strategy of all the sides and

TODAY'S MATCHES Group A 3:30PM, 3rd Match

Bangladesh v Netherlands 8:00PM, 4th Match

Ireland v Oman

Maasranga TV, Gazi TV, Star Sports 1

V Bangladesh

55 18 36 1 1

Netherlands Played Won Lost No result

Head-to-head

39 22 16 1 1

not only Bangladesh.

“T20 game depends a lot on momentum. For example, in the final (against India in the Asia Cup) we went to the field with one focus. But two hours of rain disturbed our plans. Only thing we can do here (in Dharamsala) is pray to the Almighty so that it doesn’t rain and we can stick to one mindset. A lot of calculations come in effect once it rains and the field also becomes a factor. We don’t want shower during the game,” the experienced campaigner explained.

Bangladesh are in terrific form of late but there a few worries too.

The side will miss the services of pace sensation Mustafizur Rahman, who is still recuperating from injury. There are also slight worries regarding the form of senior batsmen Shakib al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim.

“It is clear that Mustafizur has an injury. There will always be such issues in the team like Shakib had in the last game. But we are not worried with that,” he said before adding, “I am also not worried as to whether Shakib and Mushfiqur is performing or not.

They are trying. Cricket is a game of uncertainty, T20 more so.” l

PETER BORREN Netherlands Captain

They (Bangladesh) were fantastic in the Asia Cup. And obviously, well-deserved finalists. Played well in the final as well. They’ve got some extremely talented cricketers and have been in good form. Not just now, for a while. The last couple of years their results have been fantastic. We have got to respect that at the same time.

Hopefully the Asia Cup has taken a bit out of them, it has been a rather quick turnaround for them and hopefully we can get them in a bit of there. It’s pretty exciting to play a team at the top of their game at the moment.

I feel for the likes of Bangladesh.

They are playing Test cricket. They have to come back here to play and qualify. I personally don’t see why this tournament has to be. The main draw has to be 10 teams but that’s what it is. It’s probably a conversation for another day. [Today] we are playing a big game. Whether or not it is fair or whether or not it is the right way for the tournament to be played is a concern. l

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

QUALIFYING ROUND

FIXTURES

MARCH 08 Group B

Hong Kong v Zimbabwe, 1st Match, 3:30PM

Afghanistan v Scotland, 2nd Match, 8:00PM Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

MARCH 09 Group A

Bangladesh v Netherlands, 3rd Match, 3:30PM

Ireland vs Oman, 4th Match, 8:00PM Himachal Pradesh CA Stadium, Dharamsala

MARCH 10 Group B

Scotland v Zimbabwe, 5th Match, 3:30PM

Afghanistan v Hong Kong, 6th Match, 8:00PM Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

MARCH 11 Group A

Oman v Netherlands, 7th Match, 3:30PM

Bangladesh v Ireland, 8th Match, 8:00PM Himachal Pradesh CA Stadium, Dharamsala

MARCH 12 Group B

Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, 9th Match, 3:30PM

Hong Kong vs Scotland, 10th Match, 8:00PM Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

MARCH 13 Group A School children carry national flags of Bangladesh and the Netherlands, as they prepare for the first match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium in Dharamsala, India yesterday AP

Ireland vs Netherlands, 11th Match, 3:30PM

Bangladesh v Oman, 12th Match, 8:00PM Himachal Pradesh CA Stadium, Dharamsala

Qualification, away tests await Tigers Uddin Khan n Minhaz from Dharamsala Qualifying for the main round of the 2016 World Twenty20 is in itself a challenge for Bangladesh. Despite being one of the in-form teams in the tournament, the Tigers have to go through a process which was determined two years ago.

Besides the obvious challenge of qualifying for the main round, the Tigers also have another hurdle awaiting them in that they will have to display their potential away from home.

In the last 15 months or so,

Bangladesh have tasted regular success, winning against the cricketing giants both in ODIs and T20Is. However, with the exception of the three victories against Afghanistan, Scotland and England down under in the World Cup last year, the majority of the Tigers’ wins have come at their backyard, including the recently-concluded Asia Cup T20.

There is no doubt that Bangladesh have improved, at least in the limited-over formats, but their performance away from home is yet to reach a consistent level.

The World T20 in India will be the

first instance of the Tigers embarking on an away tour since last year’s World Cup. Added to that, they are visiting India for the first time since the 2006 Champions Trophy.

The conditions in India hardly differ from what it is in Bangladesh but the venue where the Tigers will play their first-round opener, Dharamsala, is totally the opposite.

The Tigers will have to acclimatise themselves with the freezing cold temperature, complemented by heavy showers. That the picturesque venue is 4000 feet above sea level will also have to be perfected by the Bangladesh cricketers.

Since their arrival, the Tigers have only been able to undergo one practice session at the Dharamsala international cricket stadium, also known as Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association. They familiarised themselves with the venue yesterday, having reached India only a day after the Asia Cup final.

“It is true that we have not been able to play a lot in India. But that cannot be an excuse, to be honest. A few of us have played in this country. We are looking forward and will try to give our best in the field,” said Bangladesh captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza.

“The condition of most of the venues in India is similar to what we have in our country. But this (Dharamsala) is different. We are feeling the difference. Breathing here is a problem and I think we need some time to cope with it. It is cold at night and we have to play two night games. I hope we will be able to adjust and start on a high [today],” the veteran paceman added.

The Tigers begin their campaign against the Netherlands today in Dharamsala before facing Ireland and Oman in their remaining firstround ties this Friday and Sunday respectively. l

Sk Jamal DC suffer second defeat n Shishir Hoque

Ten-man Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club conceded their second straight defeat in the AFC Cup when they lost 2-0 to Philippines top-flight champions Ceres la Salle at the Bangabandhu national stadium yesterday.

Spanish striker Adrian Gallardo stole the show with a brace, earning his side their first ever victory in the tournament which is generally considered Asia’s equivalent of the Europa League.

Sheikh Jamal goalkeeper Shahidul Alam Sohel could have done

better with his effort when Gallardo put Ceres ahead in the 25th minute. Following Gallardo’s shot, the ball slipped under the gloves of Sohel before bouncing into the net.

Ceres doubled the lead just two minutes later and this time too, Gallardo pounced on some sloppy defending.

After the game, Sheikh Jamal’s newly-appointed head coach Shafiqul Islam Manik blamed the defenders for their second consecutive defeat in the competition.

“It’s really disappointing that we conceded two straight defeats, including [yesterday’s] one at home.

They (Ceres) are better prepared, have better players and overall, are a better side. We got chances to come back to the game but failed. The problem is regarding the mentality of the players. They have limitations and can’t seem to overcome those. They (defenders) could have saved those goals. We should have earned at least a draw as we played at home,” said Manik.

Ceres head coach Franklin Muescan, on the other hand, said, “It was really a tough game for us.

They (Sheikh Jamal) gave their all but it’s so lucky that we converted two goals in the first half.” l

The Ceres la Salle goalkeeper thwarts a Sheikh Jamal DC attack during their AFC Cup match at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016 Meldonium is used to treat ischaemia: a lack of blood flow to parts of the body, particularly in cases of angina or heart failure.

QUICK BYTES Independence Cup Hockey begins today

It is manufactured in Latvia and only distributed in Baltic countries and Russia. It is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States and is not authorised in the rest of Europe.

The Anjan’s Independence Cup Hockey involving six teams will get underway in the capital’s Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium today. Bangladesh Navy, comprising several star national players, take on Bangladesh Police in the tournament opener at 1:45pm. Bangladesh Army, BKSP and Ajax SC have been pitted together in Group A while Group B contains Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Police and Bangladesh Air Force. Bangladesh Army won the last edition three years ago.

The details of the tournament were announced in a press conference at the hockey federation yesterday where joint secretaries Anvir Adil Khan and Yusuf Ali were present along with Mahin Ahmed Mozammel, head or marketing of fashion house Anjan’s.

It increases blood flow, which improves exercise capacity in athletes.

Wada found “evidence of its use by athletes with the intention of enhancing performance” by virtue of carrying more oxygen to muscle tissue.

The decision to add meldonium to the banned list was approved on 16 September 2015, and it came into effect on 1 January 2016. Wada had spent the previous year monitoring the drug before adding it to the banned list.

The drug was name-checked in the latest investigative documentary on Russian doping reforms by the German Hajo Seppelt on Sunday.

The documentary referred to a 2015 study in which 17% of Russian athletes (724 of 4,316) tested were found to have meldonium in their system. A global study found 2.2% of athletes had it in their system.

TRIBUNE REPORT

BJMC, Mymensingh set up final date BJMC and Mymensingh reached the final of the KFC National Women’s Football Championship after winning their respective semifinals at the Kamalapur stadium yesterday. Star national striker Sabina Khatun netted a brace in BJMC’s convincing 4-0 win over Tangail district in the day’s first semi-final while Lipi Akter and Ratna Khatun added one apiece.

Sanjida Akter also scored two in Mymensingh’s 3-0 victory against Ansar VDP in the second semi-final.

Shiuly Akter bagged the other goal.

TRIBUNE REPORT

Kyrgios hits back at Tomic in Davis Cup row Nick Kyrgios has hit back at Bernard Tomic after his compatriot accused him of feigning illness to skip Australia’s Davis Cup match against the United States at the weekend. In comments to team captain Lleyton Hewitt, picked up by courtside microphones on Sunday, Tomic said Kyrgios had “faked” injuries twice to avoid Davis Cup ties.

–REUTERS

Sterling relishing Kun’s finishing school Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling is learning a lot from his team mate Sergio Aguero as he bids to improve his killer instinct in front of goal. Argentine striker Aguero has scored 94 Premier League goals since his debut in 2011 while Sterling has bagged 11 this season, equalling his best return in a single campaign.

–REUTERS

It is classed as an S4 substance under the Wada code, which addresses hormone and metabolic modulators.

The standard ban under the World Anti-Doping Code is four years.

Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova speaks in a press conference in downtown Los Angeles, California yesterday

AFP

Sharapova confirms failed drug test, sanction uncertain n AFP, Los Angeles Five-time Grand Slam tennis champion Maria Sharapova said Monday she failed a dope test at the Australian Open, and isn’t sure what punishment she’ll face for her “huge mistake.”

The former world number one from Russia said a change in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list for 2016 led to an inadvertent violation, for which she will be “provisionally suspended” by the International Tennis Federation.

In a sign of what the affair could mean to Sharapova’s mass of money-spinning endorsements, US sportswear maker Nike said it was “saddened and surprised” by the news.

“We have decided to suspend our relationship with Maria while the investigation continues.”

Sharapova tested positive for Meldonium, a drug she said she had been taking since 2006 but was only added to the banned list this year.

“I did fail the test and I take full responsibility for it,” Sharapova said at a press conference at a downtown Los Angeles hotel.

“I made a huge mistake. I let my fans down. I let my sport down that I’ve been playing since the age of four that I love so deeply,” added Sharapova, her voice wavering.

“I know that with this, I face consequences and I don’t want to end my career this way - and I really hope I will be given another chance to play this game.”

The ITF confirmed in a statement that Sharapova had tested positive on January 26 and had accepted the finding when she was notified on March 2.

“Ms Sharapova will be provisionally suspended with effect from 12 March, pending determination of the case,” the ITF said.

Sharapova said she was cooperating with the ITF and did not yet know the extent of the sanctions she would face.

Her attorney, John Haggerty, said the positive test could carry a ban of up to four years, but that mitigating circumstances could see a lesser penalty.

Shamil Tarpishchev, head of the Russian tennis federation, told the TASS news agency he believed Sharapova would still have a

chance to play at the Rio Olympics in August.

‘Very saddened’

Sharapova, 28, burst onto the international scene as she giggled and grunted her way to the Wimbledon crown in 2004.

She won the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and the French Open in 2012 and 2014.

Her ferocity on the court, business acumen and glamorous looks have all combined to make her a marketing juggernaut and the overseer of such successful ventures as her Sugarpova line of candy.

She has 35 WTA singles titles, more than $36 million in career earnings and is currently ranked seventh in the world.

“I am very saddened to hear this news about Maria,” WTA chief executive Steve Simon said in a statement.

“Maria is a leader and I have always known her to be a woman of great integrity. Nevertheless, as Maria acknowledged, it is every player’s responsibility to know what they put in their body and to know if it is permissible.” l

Nike, Porsche, Tag Heuer back off

n BBC

Sponsors have moved quickly to distance themselves from Maria Sharapova after the five-time Grand Slam tennis champion admitted failing a drug test.

Nike has suspended its relationship, while Tag Heuer has cut its ties.

Sharapova said she had been taking meldonium since 2006, on the advice of her family doctor.

She is one of the highest paid female athletes with earnings of over $30m last year from winnings and endorsements. In addition to the moves from Nike and Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer, German carmaker Porsche said it was “postponing planned activities” with Sharapova until the situation became clearer. l

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Sibanda powers Zim to opening win n AFP, Nagpur Opener Vusi Sibanda struck a fluent half-century to help Zimbabwe defeat a scandal-hit Hong Kong by 14 runs in the opening group encounter of the World T20 in Nagpur yesterday.

Stung by a corruption charge prior to the start of the sixth edition of the tournament, Hong Kong had their moments in the game but failed to capitalise.

Electing to field, Hong Kong’s bowlers made early inroads but Sibanda held fort with a 46-ball 59 to guide his side to 158 for eight.

Sibanda’s 61-run fifth wicket partnership with Malcolm Waller and a late blitz by Elton Chigumbura ensured the total remained beyond the grasp of Hong Kong who in turn could only manage 144 for six in their 20 overs.

The Tanwir Afzal-led side lost a couple of early wickets, but opener Jamie Atkinson put up some fight with a gutsy 53 off 44 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes.

A late flourish by Afzal (31 not out) gave the team some hope but the ever-increasing run rate proved

WT20 BYTES Dhoni plays down T20 favourites tag Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni sought to downplay expectations yesterday about his side’s prospects at the World Twenty20 despite starting as roaring favourites to win the title on home turf. Dhoni’s men have been on a roll since the start of the year, winning 10 out of 11 Twenty20 internationals, with the latest being a comprehensive title-winning triumph at the weekend over Bangladesh in the Asia Cup. –AFP

too much for a side participating in just its second World T20.

Hong Kong’s preparations were badly hit by the suspension of their all-rounder Irfan Ahmed in January as part of an ongoing corruption investigation and the opening day loss has only added salt to their wounds.

BRIEF SCORE ZIMBABWE 158/8 (20 OV) Sibanda 59, Chigumbura 30, Afzal 2/19

HONG KONG 144/6 (20 OV)

New Zealand planning WT20 Crowe tribute

Atkinson 53, Afzal 31, Tiripano 2/27, Chatara 2/28 Zimbabwe won by 14 runs MoM: Sibanda (Zimbabwe) Among from the positives that Hong Kong could gather from the outing was their near-perfect fielding that forced three run-outs and yielded some good catches in the Zimbabwe innings. Other Group B members Afghanistan and Scotland are up next in the second game of the day.

The top sides from Group A and B will move in to the Super 10 stage involving the eight established teams of world cricket. l

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson yesterday said his side would pay tribute at the World T20 to legendary batsman Martin Crowe who died last week aged just 53. Crowe, who enjoyed a 13-year international career from 1982-95, including four years as captain, passed away in Auckland after a battle with a rare form of blood cancer called double-hit lymphoma.

–AFP Zimbabwe's Vusi Sibanda plays a shot during the opening match of the T20 Cricket World Cup against Hong Kong in Nagpur yesterday AFP

Sammy hails Gayle as T20’s ulimate destroyer n AFP, Kolkata Skipper Darren Sammy hailed controversial star batsman Chris Gayle as T20 cricket’s most destructive player yesterday as he insisted the West Indies’ troubled build-up to the World Cup would not undermine their prospects.

Gayle was branded a sexist after trying to flirt with an Australian TV presenter live on air in January during the Big Bash League and some Caribbean fans are unhappy he is often unavailable for national duty

but then plays in big money Twenty20 tournaments. But in a press conference after his team’s arrival in India for the World T20, Sammy said the 36-year-old Jamaican was admired by his teammates for his behaviour on and off the field.

“Chris is a massive figure for us, not only on the cricket field but off the field as well,” Sammy said in Kolkata. “To me he is the best T20 batsman, the most destructive one in this game so he knows his game inside out.”

Like several other West Indies

players, Gayle has become accustomed to playing T20 cricket in Indian conditions after appearing regularly in the IPL over the last decade.

Gayle racked up the highest ever score in T20s while playing for the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier League three years ago, hitting an unbeaten 175 off 66 balls. He lit up the first World T20 in 2007 by notching the format’s first international century and a recent 12-ball half-century in the Big Bash illustrated how his powers remain undimmed. l

Terms & Conditions:

Prizes: (First Round)

The lucky winners among all the participants who have answered correctly will be selected in an official lottery and will have their picture published in the newspaper. v Answers must be sent in only the coupon (photocopy will not be accepted). v Quiz coupon should be submitted in the Dhaka Tribune newspaper address. v No one affiliated with Dhaka Tribune and Walton will be able to participate. v Coupon submission deadline March 13, 2016. v A person can send as many coupons as he/she wants. v Walton-Dhaka Tribune T20 World Cup should be written on top of the envelope.

1st prize 2nd prize 3rd prize 4th prize 5th prize

v

Q1: Who won the last T20 World Cup in 2014?

Ans: Sri Lanka India Australia Q2: Which venue will host the 2016 T20 World Cup final?

Ans: Kolkata Mumbai Dharamsala Q3: Which edition is the 2016 T20 World Cup? Ans: 4th 5th 6th

Name...................................................................................................

Father's Name.....................................................................................

Address...............................................................................................

Phone/Cell...........................................................Age.........................

Dhaka Tribune, F.R.Tower, 8/C, Panthapath, Sukrabad, Dhaka – 1207.

Mathews replaces Malinga as SL captain Defending champions Sri Lanka said Lasith Malinga was stepping down as captain of their World Twenty20 side yesterday after the team’s disastrous Asia Cup showing, with Angelo Mathews to skipper the team in India.

The announcement comes only hours after Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera sacked the panel of selectors and appointed a new line-up headed by former player Aravinda de Silva.

Jayasekera confirmed that injuryplagued Malinga was also being replaced, but he insisted it was the veteran fast bowler’s own decision.

–AFP

: Walton Refrigerator (11.5 CFT) 01pcs : Walton LED Television 24” 01pcs : Walton Microwave Oven 01pcs : Walton Blender 03pcs : Walton Rice Cooker 05pcs

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'Chelsea are underdogs against PSG' n Reuters, London It is hard to imagine former boss Jose Mourinho ever calling Chelsea underdogs, but that’s how successor Guus Hiddink has described them before their Champions League Last 16 second leg clash against Paris St Germain today.

The French champions head to Stamford Bridge for the third successive season, having knocked Chelsea out at the same stage a year ago. They are again favourites according to Hiddink, following their 2-1 victory in the first leg in Paris on Feb.16.

The wily 69-year-old Dutchman may well be playing mind games, but, he says, “We are not the favourites. We have regained confidence and have quality, but let’s be very tough underdogs. We need to be angry in a controlled way [today], the players must be fully concentrated.”

Chelsea’s results have improved since Mourinho left in December, losing only once - at PSG - in 18 matches in all competitions. A 1-0 win now will be enough to see them through on away goals. That is how they beat PSG in the quarter-finals two seasons ago and how PSG eliminated them last season. With the tie finely balanced that could well be the outcome again.

Chelsea will almost certainly be without injured skipper John Terry but striker Diego Costa should be fit after missing Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Stoke City with a minor tendon injury.

Former Chelsea defender David Luiz, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012 and scored for PSG at Stamford Bridge last season, told uefa.com on Monday he will always have an affection for Chelsea after spending three seasons there. l

Carneiro demands public apology from Mourinho n Reuters Former Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro has called for a public apology from Jose Mourinho as part of her constructive dismissal and sex discrimination claim against the Premier League champions and the club’s former manager.

Carneiro’s barrister also said the club and the Gibraltar-born doctor were nowhere near agreeing compensation over her departure ahead of a hearing at an employment tribunal on Monday.

“We’re not expecting a resolution today. The two sides are so far apart financially. And we want Mr. Mourinho to make a public apology,” Mary O’Rourke, representing Carneiro, told ITV News.l

DAY’S WATCH CRICKET GAZI TV, STAR SPORTS 1 ICC World T20 2016 3:30PM Bangladesh v Netherlands 7:30PM Ireland v Oman

TEN CRICKET 10:00PM

FOOTBALL TEN ACTION UEFA Youth League 2015/16 9:00PM Paris Saint-Germain v AS Roma UEFA Champions League 11:00PM Zenit v Benfica

Australia Tour of South Africa

1:45AM

3rd T20I

Chelsea v PSG

FIXTURES Chelsea v PSG Zenit v Benfica Chelsea's Radamel Falcao (C) and Cesc Fabregas (R) during a training session in London yesterday REUTERS

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

Priyanka Chopra shares the love

WHAT TO WATCH

Rumble in the Bronx WB 3:30pm Keung from Hong Kong visits New York for his uncle’s wedding. While the married uncle is away on his honeymoon, it falls upon Keung to run his market in the Bronx.

Keung befriends a kid in the neighbourhood. When some local goons create trouble, Keung beats them up. This leads to more thugs coming into the open to fight the new man in the Bronx. Watch Keung take over the protection of the Bronx when the lazy cops fail to do so.

Cast: Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, Françoise Yip, Marc Akerstream

n Showtime Desk Karan Johar once said on a reality show that heroines cannot be friends, not even well wishers.

Almost all Bollywood heroines tend to pick a beef or two with others alike! However, some Bollywood actresses have proved him wrong. One of them is Priyanka Chopra, lovingly called PC by her fans. She is stirring up the Bollywood industry at the moment with her influential works. Her popular American show Quantico has stepped into its second season and she’s all

set to blow the viewers with her appearance in not just Quantico but also Hollywood’s starstudded show Baywatch. She happens to be one of the most stylish and followed actresses present at the Oscars 2016.

Despite earning a superstar status and global fame, PC continues to be as rooted and down to earth as she was when she started her career. She praised Kareena Kapoor after watching the trailer of Ki & Ka, she called Alia Bhatt a “hottie” and asked her for bikini body tips, and the list of appreciation

goes on. PC used the sweetest words to describe Katrina Kaif!

She called Katrina a gorgeaoushardworking superstar in one of her tweets.

Of course, her bold and outspoken demeanour has remained intact through the struggles and challenges she faced to get fame. And as a record she never spoke ill about her peers which sets her apart in the film industry. l Source: Bollywood Life

Sohana Saba, Niloy, Habib Masud, and Saberi Alam from the new drama series named Khela Ghor, on Desh TV.

Transporter 2 HBO 9:30pm Frank is an ex-Special Forces operative. He is hired as a transporter who helps move people or goods. Frank relocates to Miami, Florida and becomes a chauffer for the Billings family as a favour to a friend. Frank bonds with six-year-old Jack Billings whom he ferries to and from school. When Jack is kidnapped, it is up to Frank to use his combat skills to rescue the boy. But will he be able to stop the kidnappers from unleashing a virus that will kill on contact?

Cast: Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valletta, Kate Nauta, Matthew Modine

Shark Tale HBO 5:34pm The son of shark boss is killed by a dropped anchor. Oscar is a small fish and happens to be at the crime scene. He hopes to gain the admiration of the shark boss’ enemies and claims to have killed the son. See the danger Oscar has landed himself in order to do so.

Cast: Will Smith, Jack Black, Renee Zellweger, Angelina Jolie, Martin Scorsese Wolf Creek 2 Zee studio 7:30pm A tourist gets targeted by a serial pig- hunter killer Mick Taylor. Mick Taylor finds a couble named Rutger and Katrina and tries to offer them a lift, When Rutger declines, he kills him and tries to rape his wife, but she escapes from Mick and gets help from a driver named Paul. Mick is a powerful man hence he kills Katrina and takes Paul to his place and tortures him.

Cast: John Jarratt, Ryan Corr, Shannon Ashlyn, Philippe Klaus, Shane Connor

Rango HBO 11:40pm Rango is a pet chameleon always on the lookout for action and adventure, except the fake kind, where he directs it and acts in it. After a car accident, he winds up in an old western town called Dirt. What this town needs the most is water, but they also need a hero and a sheriff. The thirsty Rango instantly takes on the role of both and selfishly agrees to take on the case of missing water.

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Bangabandhu’s monumental speech screened in colour

n Promiti Prova Chowdhury The majestic words of Bangabandhu walked 30,000

people down memory lane 45 years back, with the coloured version of the historic speech delivered by Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman on March 7, screened at the Joy Bangla concert on Monday, March 7, 2016.

The colour version of the speech, that is listed among world’s best public addresses till date, was presented before the audience for the first time in the country.

Thousands of people, particularly the youth, enjoyed the speech alongside patriotic songs at the concert organised by the Centre for Research and Information (CRI) and its associate Young Bangla at the capital’s Army Stadium.

“The practice of upholding historically significant documents is done worldwide. We wanted to present this important document in a new form to the current

generation so they can genuinely feel its significance,” said Nahim Razzaq, convenor of Young Bangla.

ICT division of the Bangladesh government has produced the coloured version of the footage.

Bangabandhu’s grandsons, Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy and Radwan Siddiq Bobby, were present in the audience.

Prior to the screening, artistes of theatre group Prachyanat recreated various historic events from 1947 to 1971 highlighting postpartition exploitation, oppression and persecution by the Pakistani rulers. As their dramatic narration continued, Bangabandhu’s electrifying voice appeared alive on screen: My brothers, today I appear before you with a heavy heart...

The 19-minute speech was given by the father of the nation

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on March 7, 1971 at the Ramna Race Course Maidan in Dhaka to a gathering of over two million people during the political tension between East Pakistan and West Pakistan. The Bengali people, then, were inspired and strengthened by the speech to prepare for a potential war of independence.

During the speech, Sheikh Mujib proclaimed: “Our struggle is for our freedom. Our struggle is for our independence.” (Bengali: Ebarere shongram amader muktir shongram, ebarer shongram shwadhinotar shongram) He also announced the civil disobedience movement in the province, calling for “every house to be turned into a fortress.”

As the speech concluded with the immortal slogan, the army stadium resonated with the cry “Joy Bangla.” l

A musical memory of powerful words n Hasan Mansoor Chatak Marking the anniversary of the historic speech by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 7, a celebratory rock concert titled “Joy Bangla Concert” was held at the Army Stadium on Monday.

Organised by the Centre for Research and Information (CRI) and its associate Young Bangla, the concert was hosted for second year in a row, staging performances by seven heavy-weight rock bands of the country including Warfaze, Shironamhin, Lalon, Cryptic Fate, Shunno, Nemesis and Arbovirus.

The show began at 5pm as the masters of ceremony Iresh Zaker and Nabila jogged the memory of how the speech given by the Father of the nation on March 7, 1971 motivated the nation towards achieving independence. A group of singers and musicians from Chayanaut opened the show by rendering our National Anthem.

From then on, the bands took the stage and performed their own renditions of patriotic anthems and songs of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, which inspired millions of Bangladeshis during the Liberation War. Arbovirus was the first band to take the stage. Starting with a rock rendition of “Amra Tomader Bhulbo Na,” the band shifted to a slow and soulful version of “Amra Korbo Joy.” Although a barrier kept the audience distanced from the

stage, band members attempting to crowd-surf invigorated fresh vibes amongst the listeners.

Nemesis walked in next, and their entry inspired the entire crowd to cheer them on. “Dhana Dhanya Pushpe Bhara,” a classic

by DL Ray, was their first act followed by a vibrant rendition of “Rokto Diye Naam Likhechi.”

Nemesis’s performance of popular track “Kobe” came in as an easy addition to the list of what may be considered the night’s most audience-engaging act.

Shunno’s following performance kept the crowd well entertained. Starting with their most popular song “Shoto aasha,” the band made the crowd shiver in enthusiasm with their intense rendition of “Joy Bangla Bangla-r joy” afterwards.

Theatre troupe Prachyanaut systematically depicted a handful of key national events which took place between 1947 to March 7, 1971. Moments later, a coloured version of the speech was presented for the first time before the 30,000 that gathered at the stadium. Grandsons of the historic speaker, Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Radwan Siddiq Bobby, were amongst the audience witnessing the event.

Cryptic Fate’s consistent enthusiasm and charisma ensured the absence of torpor in the crowd from the serious material that followed, namely Nazrulgeeti

“Karar Oi Louho Kopat” and “Teer Hara Ei Dheuer Sagor.”

Shironamhin took the stage by storm but kept a peaceful tone with their sublime executive of the Tagore song “O Amar Desher Mati.” The indie band, who received immense fame with their variant music in the past decade, kept the people charged up till the end of their performance; in this case, they kept their promise with songs like “Bondho Janala” and “Abar Hashimukh.”

Another attraction of the night was the fusion-rock band Lalon, who performed “Purbo Digonte Surjo Utheche” followed by their hit numbers including “Pagol Chara Dunia Chole Na” and “Shomoy Gele Sadhon Hobe Na.” The night’s biggest treat, hardrock Warfaze was reserved till the end of the show. The band may have entered the stage last, but create enough hype to keep the crowd distracted from the lateness of the night.

Throughout the show, laser shows and documentaries highlighted the speech, which after all, was the main concern for us all. l

PHOTOS: DHAKA TRIBUNE

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BANGLADESH, INDIA TO INK NEW $2BN LOC TODAY PAGE 15

‘ASIA CUP WON’T DISTRACT US’ PAGE 25

BANGABANDHU’S SPEECH SCREENED IN COLOUR PAGE 31

Mithu’s death: Urban beautification to blame? n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Is an obsession with superficial beauty and a culture of passing the buck to blame for award-winning director Khalid Mahmood Mithu’s death on Monday afternoon?

Killed by a falling tree as he returned home from office, Mithu’s death is widely regarded to have been avoidable.

Urban planners are blasting ill-conceived urban beautification schemes that end up making large trees unstable – large trees like the one that killed Mithu.

Experts said the policy of building enclosures around trees on the pavements of the city’s residential areas cause them to be prone to collapsing and therefore dangerous.

Ethno-botanist Pavel Partha explains: “Under normal circumstances, tree roots spread both vertically and horizontally – this requires space.

“Nurseries trim the roots of saplings for packaging and transport.

When these trees are later replanted, they remain relatively weak.

“During cyclones Ayla and Sidr, it was found that all rain-trees were uprooted because they were from nurseries.”

The situation is even worse in the major cities, where nursery-bred trees are planted on road dividers and walkways and are then hobbled further by brick and mortar enclosures.

“In such conditions, the roots

This is the spot on in Dhanmondi Road 4 footpath where the krishnachura tree was standing before it fell and killed renowned artist and filmmaker Khalid Mahmood Mithu on Monday. The remains of the tree’s roots are visible in the concrete. The photo was taken yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU cannot spread horizontally and vertically and the tree stem cannot grow proportionately in its length and width, leaving them at serious risk of becoming uprooted,” Pavel says.

Urban planner Khondker Neaz Rahman says man-made enclosures around trees hamper the nat-

ural growth of tree roots. “In such cases, the tree will almost certainly topple over.”

He called such efforts at beautification “wrong.”

“In a city without a proper drainage system, waste management system or garbage management system, why this obsession

with beautification?

“Public hygiene should come first. If there is no filth or garbage littering the streets, the city will automatically look beautiful. What a strange system we have!” Neaz adds.

Urban planner Iqbal Habib points out that last year one person

was killed and another injured near Dhanmondi Lake in similar circumstances, but nobody was ever held responsible.

“Who is responsible for trees in the capital? Unless someone takes responsibility for their care and upkeep, more accidents will take place,” he says.

Iqbal says there is no record of how many people have been killed by falling trees or billboards in city.

Describing such deaths as murder due to negligence, he says there is no difference between a child falling into a sewer line and Mithu’s death.

This correspondent visited the tree-lined Dhanmondi residential area and found cement enclosures around practically every tree there – even around very large trees.

“Anyone walking on the footpaths of Dhanmondi cannot help but wonder what is happening in the name of development. These brick and mortar enclosures are a bad idea,” Iqbal says.

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon says: “The police are investigating the tragic incident. I cannot say anything more right at this moment. After the investigation is concluded, I can speak further on this issue.”

Khalid Mahmood Mithu was critically injured by a falling tree around 2pm on Monday on Road 4 in the capital’s Dhanmondi neighbourhood. He succumbed to his injuries shortly afterwards. l

Housemaid’s suspicious death raises several questions n Kamrul Hasan

The suspicious death of Jonia, 15, a housemaid who died after falling from the roof of an 11-storey residential building in Kafrul, Dhaka on Sunday morning, has raised several questions as the statements given by the victim’s family and the accused family contradict each other.

Jonia’s father Usman Goni filed a supplementary complaint with Kafrul police station on Monday accusing her employer Ahsan Habib, his wife Naznin Akhter and their elder son Rummon Bin Ahsan, claiming that Rummon, 26, had raped and then killed her.

Julekha Begum, Jonia’s aunt, said when they were washing her body before the burial, they found bite marks on her chest and several scratch marks on her body.

Phul Banu, Jonia’s mother, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that Jonia had gone to Ahsan Habib’s flat to work as her replacement and had worked there until Saturday.

On Sunday morning, Jonia took her neighbour, Lolita Begum, 35, to get her the job of a part-time housemaid at the flat because Jonia did not want to continue working there.

Asked if her daughter had ever been teased by Rummon, Phul Banu said Jonia never told her anything about that.

Lolita told the Dhaka Tribune that she went to the flat with Jonia around 7am and spoke with Naznin, who told them to go back to the flat after 9am, so Lolita and Jonia left and went back to their slum around 7:30am.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune on Monday, Ahsan said Jonia had

indeed come to his flat after 7am on Sunday, while Rummon said the time was around 7:20am.

He said when he left for work around 7:50am, he heard about a girl falling from the roof of his building, who later turned out to be Jonia.

No one could tell when and why Jonia went back to the building.

Meanwhile, Mojibor and Monir, who were on duty at building’s gate on Sunday morning, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that they never noticed when Jonia and Lolita entered and left the building, or when Jonia came back. They also said they did not hear any sound of someone falling.

The security system of the building, one of many in NAM Garden government officers’ quarters, also seemed poor. There are no CCTV cameras installed in the building or

at the gates.

Ahsan said he had told the building’s management committee about installing CCTV surveillance several times, but in vain.

There is also a register to enlist the names of the visitors, but the entries for Sunday did not have Jonia’s or Lolita’s names.

Ahsan also claimed that Jonia had worked at his flat until Thursday, and did not go to work on Friday and Saturday. He also claimed that he was the one who talked with the housemaids, although Lolita claimed they had talked with Naznin.

When the Dhaka Tribune tried to contact Ahsan today, he could not be reached despite several attempts.

The Dhaka Tribune also attempted to reach Saifullah, the

security in-charge of the housing complex, but he allegedly forbade everyone to give his contact details to anyone, said another security guard Ali Hasan who contacted Saifullah over phone.

Shikdar Md Shamim Hossain, OC of Kafrul police station said: “The three liftmen and one caretaker who had been arrested on Sunday night had been placed in remand. We are interrogating them. We will inform the media if we find anything significant.”

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia at a city event yesterday said all necessary measures are being taken to properly investigate Jonia’s death.

He said whoever is found guilty of killing her would be punished accordingly, regardless of his or her identity and position. l

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