April 7, 2016

SECOND EDITION

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016

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Chaitra 24, 1422, Jamadius Sani 28, 1437

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 352

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

Subway plan in chaos SIGN BOARD

SUBWAY ROUTE 1 SUBWAY ROUTE 2

n Shohel Mamun

other hand, said: “We are working towards a good plan to build subways across the city under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s directives.”

Bridge Authority sources said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sat down with both the divisions and the Railways Division on March 13 and instructed the Bridges Division to plan for a subway system.

RTHD Secretary MAN Siddique, however, claimed that no such directive was handed out in that meeting.

The Bridges Division's proposal to build a four-route city-wide subway system was presented at a seminar at the Shetu Bhaban on April 3. Representatives of Road Transport and Highways Division and Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) were present at the event.

At that seminar, Bangladesh Bridge Authority laid out a plan to build four subways across the capital and argued that they could replace the proposed elevated railway Mass Rapid Transit and the Bus Rapid Transit project.

The presentation was titled “Subway is safer than Elevated Structures during Earthquake,” and a large portion of it was dedicated to reviewing how earthquakes affected elevated transport systems in other cities such as Kobe in Japan.

“Underground Train is more efficient and effective mode of transport in terms of environment, social and economic reasons,” the presentation said.

It outlined the problems of an elevated train, such as displacement, land acquisition, demolition, reconstruction, tree cutting and environmental impact.

The Bridges Division compared the costs of the Metro Rail line 6 which will begin constructing very soon, connecting Uttara and Motijheel to the first two subway routes. It showed that the MRT 6 will cost $169 million per kilometre

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SAYDABAD

SUBWAY ROUTE 3

RAMPURA TV SHAPLA CHOTTOR

SUBWAY ROUTE 4 AIRPORT

SADARGHAT

KAKOLI

TONGI

PANTHAPATH MOHAKHALI RUSSEL SQUARE

PROPOSED

SUBWAY

ROUTES

n Shohel Mamun The Bridges Division and the Road Transport and Highways Division are at loggerheads over the plan to build an underground railway system in Dhaka.

The Bangladesh Bridge Authority, a wing of Bridges Division, brought forth a proposal to build a four-route city-wide subway system, at a seminar at the Shetu Bhaban on April 3.

However, the RTHD, coordinators for the Revised Strategic Transport Plan (RSTP), the long term um-

RAYER BAZAR

GABTOLI AMIN BAZAR Source: Bridges Division

brella transport plan for Dhaka, says the subways are not included in the plan and the division has received no directives to do so.

RTHD Secretary MAN Siddique told the Dhaka Tribune that the RSTP, which spans the next 20 years, has already been finalised following a large number of surveys and feasibility studies.

The RSTP includes the plans for the elevated metro rail system Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

“We will send the RSTP to the

Investigators await 2nd autopsy report TONU MURDER CASE

n Kamrul Hasan Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officials probing Comilla Victoria Government College Sohagi Jahan Tonu murder case yesterday

said they were waiting for the second autopsy report as the first one could not reveal the cause of her death.

Dr Nazmul Karim Khan, special superintendent of police of Dhaka CID for Comilla and Noakhali zone, said the first post-mortem report had missed several issues. “We hope to get those from the second one.”

He said Tonu had been murdered  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

cabinet in June for approval,” he said.

The secretary said changes to Dhaka’s transport infrastructure cannot happen outside the purview of the RSTP. “No one will have the authority to violate the RSTP. The government will authorise the construction of the proposed metro rail, some parts of which is underground. Outside of the RSTP, no one can make something new,” he said.

Bridges Division Secretary Khandakar Anwarul Islam, on the

Metro vs subway: Planners at odds

HRW: Arsenic kills 1 every 12 minutes Azad and n Abid Nure Alam Durjoy A damning report begins with a farmer in his mid-30s sweating from exertion after working the fields.

The rural farmer, father to three children, and son to dead arsenic victims, could well become another damning statistic. He is already showing signs of lesions on his chest just like ones his parents had on their hands and feet.

According to a Human Rights Watch report, arsenic-related dis-

eases claim one person every 12 minutes throughout the year.

Titled “Nepotism and Neglect”, the New York-based activist organisation stated in its report that Bangladesh had done precious little in the 20 years that arsenic was detected as a problem.

As a result, the report focusing on the failure to respond to the arsenic problem said it had not affected 20 million people.

The HRW report cites reports that say, of the 90 million children born between 2000 and 2030, up to five million are set to die from arse-

nic poisoning. Of course, the numbers could decrease depending on government initiative to mitigate the problem.

The head of the health services directorate, Prof Dr Deen Muhammad Nurul Haque, said the government has strong campaigns in place to counter the effects of arsenic. “The government also provides treatment for those who have been affected.”

But HRW researcher Richard Pearshouse said: “Arsenic contamination has been found from at least  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

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Metro vs subway: Planners at odds and the subways will cost $195 million per kilometre.

The alignment of the proposed Subway 1 is almost the same as the MRT line 1, which is in the RSTP. Besides, the proposed BRT 3 and MRT 4 which is under RSTP, has a similar route with the Subway 2.

DTCA Executive Director Kaikobad Hossain at that seminar opposed the plan to build subways outside the Revised Strategic Transport Plan (RSTP) in strong terms.

“The government has a strategic

transport plan for 20 years which is currently under revision and the revision process is almost complete,” he said.

DTCA is in charge of the RSTP and has carried out a large number of surveys and feasibility studies to revise the plan.

“If any authority has been planning on the transport sector it should follow the revised STP. Otherwise not a single plan will be allowed,” Kaikobad said.

The director proposed ways in

which the subways could be incorporated into the RSTP. “The proposed subways are not included in the RSTP. However it would be possible to build subways following the RSTP’s direction. The RSTP has already proposed four metro rails, parts of which will be underground. I think that might be completely underground in the existing alignment.

“But there is no opportunity to plan a new alignment for any Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) such as metro

rail or subways,” he said.

Jamilur Reza Choudhury, who presided over the meeting, said, “The metro rail which will connect Uttara to Motijheel is now under construction. So we have to thinking properly before fixing the new subway route.”

“Besides, most of the city’s roads are constructed in a north to south alignment. We need to give importance to making new routes connecting the east and the west part of Dhaka,” he added. l

HRW: Arsenic kills 1 every 12 minutes 5,000 government deep tube wells of the 125,000 deep tube wells.

However, the contamination rate was also noted to be higher than the national standard.”

He said the team found in many places that some people had taken control of deep tube wells set up by the government for public use.

Pearshouse explained that those tube wells being used for personal benefit, in turn deprived hundreds of safe and arsenic-free water.

The report touches upon three research findings that jointly point towards the high number of deaths due to arsenic poisoning.

One found among a sample of 115,000 people, arsenic exposure above 10 micrograms per litre in drinking water accounted for considerable excess mortality among adults in rural Bangladesh.

Another study analysed mortality over a decade among 11,000 people and found 21% of all deaths were due to arsenic exposure above 10 micrograms per litre.

Other researchers applied the risk of deaths from arsenic exposure identified in these two studies, as

Human Rights Watch Senior Researcher Richard Pearshouse speaks during a press conference on arsenic poisoning at the National Press Club yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

well as exposure findings from 2009, to estimate the annual death toll of 43,000 people from arsenic-related illnesses in Bangladesh each year, as published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

HRW’s Pearshouse interviewed 134 people in five villages across the country. “Of which, 50 were people suffering from arsenic-related health problems. None of those 50 have died, as far as I know, but many of them had family mem-

bers who had died”, he told the Dhaka Tribune.

The government identifies people with arsenic-related illnesses primarily via skin lesions, although the vast majority of those with arsenic-related illnesses do not develop them, the report reads; adding that those exposed are at significant risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and lung disease as a result, but many receive no health care at all.

The HRW report said the gov-

ernment identifies arsenic patients by a particular set of dermatological symptoms. The Bangladesh government does not attempt to measure these deaths or serious illnesses caused by arsenic.

But DGHS chief Dr Deen told reporters at the Health Ministry yesterday that the HRW data was incorrect.

The government had no idea about the HRW’s work or what process they had used to reach the findings.

“There are no such data regarding the death caused by arsenic in the observation of the health department,” he said.

“We have healthcare programmes across the country. In the arsenic contaminated areas, there have been campaigns to motivate people for using surface water.

“The government also provides treatment to those affected by arsenic,” Dr Deen added.

Interestingly, the HRW said in its report that it had written to the government asking the reason for its approach, but no reply had been received at time of publication. l

Investigators await 2nd autopsy report and investigators were working hard to find the perpetrators.

Sources said investigators were focusing on the call list of Tonu’s mobile phone, especially the last few days before her death. They were checking who Tonu had called and also callers whose calls the girl had not received.

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PIB) is also working on the case and has already quizzed Tonu’s family several times.

Tonu’s father Yaar Hossain got angry when he was asked about the PIB interrogation and told the Dhaka Tribune that somebody was trying to manipulate the probe and defame his daughter by extensively focusing on the call list of her phone.

“I want my son back”

Meanwhile, ten days have passed but Mizanur Rahman Sohag, friend of Tonu’s younger brother Anwar Hossain, could not be found till

yesterday.

Sohag was allegedly picked up by some plain-clothes men identifying themselves as law enforcement officials from his house at Narayansar village of Comilla’s Burichang upazila on March 28.

Her mother Shahida Akhter claimed that Sohag had been picked up by some eight to ten plain-clothes men.

“One of the men said they needed Sohag for some reasons and he would return home the next day. But when he did not come back, we went to RAB and police. We also filed a general diary with Burichang police station but my son is still missing,” she said.

“Now all I want is the return of my son.”

But police and RAB said they had not picked up Sohag.

Tonu’s younger brother Anwar said Sohag is his friend from school.

“After we completed school, we

maintained regular contacts. I have no idea where he is but I feel sorry for him.”

Story of the ubiquitous Facebook profile photo

One of Tonu’s photos has been widely used by people as profile pictures on Facebook to protest against her death.

The picture, which shows Tonu in a tea garden, was taken by Al Amin, former president of Comilla Victoria Government College Theatre.

“I captured the photo last month as per Tonu’s request, which she made when I was walking down the tea garden to have a chat with one of the theatre members. She said she would use the photo as her profile picture on Facebook,” said Al Amin.

“Now thousands of Facebook users have used that picture as their profile pictures but the one who wanted to do so could not do it.”

Tonu joined the college theatre

in April last year and had been a key member of the group since then.

“She was basically a dancer and a background musician for plays,” said Rashedul Islam Jibon, president of the group.

Tonu’s father told the Dhaka Tribune that his daughter had attended several cultural programmes inside the cantonment and her photo also appeared in several souvenirs of a cantonment-based publication.

“She did not take money for participating in the cultural programmes. She just enjoyed performing.

“If I did not let her go out on the day she was killed and could keep her in the house, she would have been alive today,” said Yaar.

“The body was found inside the cantonment and it is quite impossible that nobody saw how she died.

The place where her body was found is patrolled by military police at regular intervals,” added the father. l

Subway plan in chaos The government first announced a plan to build an underground railway in Dhaka in October last year.

Planning Minister Mustafa Kamal told reporters then that the prime minister had asked the Planning Commission to ready a project and that the World Bank was interested in financing it.

Infrastructure expert Mehedi Ahmed Ansary said: “Dhaka City is so congested that it hinders infrastructure development. But that does not mean that we cannot develop the city. I would say that we definitely need to build subways.

“Besides, we have the RSTP for a long-term plan while the government has already surveyed to build elevated metro rail. In this situation if we want to build subways, we will need more surveys. Then we should make plans for the subways, otherwise it will not be effective.”

The subway will be able to carry 216 million passengers in 300 days with an approximate average fare collection of $1 According to the Bridge Authority’s proposal, a 32km long subway will connect Sayedabad with Tongi, via Airport, Kakoli, Mohakhali, Moghbazar, Paltan and Motijheel, at a cost of $5.26 billion. It will be expanded to Narayanganj in the future.

The approximate travel time will be 52 minutes, with an interval frequency of four minutes. The subway will have 18 stations and 28 trains will run in both directions.

The subway will run for 12 hours carrying 60,000 passengers moving both ways per hour, meaning a total of 720,000 passengers each day.

The subway will be able to carry 216 million passengers in 300 days with an approximate average fare collection of $1.

The second subway route will connect Aminbazar with Sayedabad, a distance of 16 kilometres, passing through Gabtoli to Kallyanpur, Shyamoli, Asad Gate, Russel Square, Science Lab, New Market, TSC, Nagar Bhaban and Motijheel Ittefaq crossing. It will cost $2.87 billion to build.

The approximate travel time will be 32 minutes and 20 trains will run in both directions.

The return for the subway 2 is almost the same as subway 1. The Bridge Authority has initially planned to build the first two subways.

The third and fourth routes are in primary stage of planning and they will connect Gabtoli, Rampura and Sadarghat. The proposed third subway will also be expanded to Keraniganj Jhilmil. l

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JnU student killed in suspected militant attack

Killers were chanting 'Allahu Akbar' while hacking the Gonojagoron Moncho activist were aware of his way back home. lice said quoting locals. research secretary of Sylhet disn Mohammad Jamil Khan “We are investigating the case sinVisiting the spot, the Dhaka Tribtrict unit Bangabandhu Jatiya Jubo A masters student of Jagannath University was killed by suspected Islamist militants in Old Dhaka’s Sutrapur area last night.

Nazimuddin Samad, 28, was a student of the law department’s evening batch.

He was attacked at Ekrampur intersection around 8:30pm by three assailants while walking to his home in Gendaria with another youth after completing classes at the university near Bahadur Shah Park.

The youth accompanying the victim has remained traceless since the incident, police said.

Nazim is the son of Shamshul Haque from Bianibazar area of Sylhet. He was the information and

Parishad. He was also an activist of Gonojagoron Moncho’s Sylhet wing.

His friends said that Nazim used to campaign for secularism on Facebook and was critical of radical Islamists. A day before the murder, he expressed concerns over the country’s law and order in a Facebook post.

Before Nazim, militants killed at least five secular writers and activists, and a publisher since February last year. Banned militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team claimed responsibilities for those murders.

Police said that the killers who came on a motorcycle first intercepted them and then attacked Nazim with machetes. At one point,

he fell on the street and then the attackers shot him to confirm death before leaving the place. His brain spilled over the road in the attack.

Businessmen of the area closed the shops immediately after hearing the gunshots.

During the murder, the killers were chanting “Allahu Akbar,” po-

une reporter found the crime scene cordoned by the law enforcers and all the shops closed. Police recovered a bullet shell from the spot.

Nurul Amin, assistant commissioner of Sutrapur division, told the Dhaka Tribune that police went to the spot on information and found the body in a pool of blood. They were confirmed about his identity by the ID found in his pocket.

Later, the police informed the university authorities and sent the body to hospital. Doctors at Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital declared him dead at 9pm.

AC Nurul further said that it is clear that the assailants kept an eye on Nazim’s activities for long and

cerely to know the motive of the murder,” he added.

JnU Proctor Nur Mohammad said that Nazim got admitted to the university two months ago. “We have informed his family about the murder and are taking detail information about him,” he said.

Shamir Chandra Sutradhar, inspector (investigation) of Sutrapur police station, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Even though the spot was crowded at the time of the murder, they are not sharing any information with the police.

“However, we are trying to identify the assailants by talking to the shopkeepers and residents of the area.” l

Fear still grips Banshkhali residents n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong

An uneasy calm prevailed in Gondamara union under Chittagong's Banshkhali upazila yesterday, two days after a violent clash left at least four people dead and another 30, including 11 police officials, injured.

Educational institutions, markets and businesses remained almost deserted as villagers stayed in their houses fearing arrest and further attacks.

Meanwhile, the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports has called nationwide protests for tomorrow to express solidarity with Banshkhali residents.

Anu Muhammad, member secretary of the committee, in a press statement demanded exemplary punishment of those responsible for Monday's killing of innocent people.

“We also call for scraping projects that involve irregularities, corruption and threat to human livelihoods and environment, including coalfired power plants in Banshkhali and Rampal,” read the statement.

The committee held protests in Dhaka and Chittagong on April 5.

Also, a 15-member delegation of the committee visited the area yesterday.

“We visited the area and talked to locals, witnesses, and relatives and family members of the dead and the injured. They told us that police had opened fire on a peaceful protest.

They also said they were not aware that Section 144 had been imposed by the local administration,” said Hasan Maruf Rumi, Chittagong chapter coordinator of the committee.

Jatiya Mukti Council held a protest in front of Chittagong Press Club yesterday and Banshkhali Stu-

dents Unity Forum also observed a daylong general strike in the upazila in protest at Monday's deaths and the move to set up the plant.

The Homestead and Graveyard Protection Committee issued an ultimatum yesterday, asking the government to cancel the power plant project.

Liakat Ali, convener of the committee, told the Dhaka Tribune people were ready to shed more blood if necessary but would never allow the construction of the plant.

“We urge the government to scrap the project within Friday.

Otherwise, we will be forced to hold tougher protests,” said Liakat, also a local BNP leader.

“The government should back off from installing the plant since it will deal a severe blow to the environment. Locals will lose their main sources of livelihood, ancestral homes and salt processing fields.

“We will wear black badges to protest the brutal killing of innocent people. Special prayers will be offered at all mosques in remembrance of the clash victims. We will not allow any development project at the cost of our lives and the environment,” added Liakat.

Two groups of villagers were at loggerheads over favouring and opposing the 1320MW coal-based plant to be set up on 600 acres of land by November 2019 in collaboration with a Chinese firm.

Local Awami League leader Shamshul Alam is heading one group and the other group is led by Liakat.

A total of three cases were filed against 6,200 named and 63 unnamed accused over Monday's incident. Police have so far arrested three persons. l

Dhaka University students stage a demonstration yesterday near the Shahbagh intersection in the capital, demanding justice for murdered DU student Sujon Mridha MEHEDI HASAN

Child workers in state of virtual slavery n Mohammad Jamil Khan Child domestic workers in Bangladesh work for an average of 17 hours a day without weekly holidays, and even so over half of them face psychical torture under their employers.

A nationwide study of 1,230 child domestic workers revealed that 53.7 percent of them have faced physical punishment and 17.6 percent of them have suffered sexual harassment in the hands of their employers.

Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF) published the report, ‘Hidden Slavery: Child Domestic Workers’ at a programme at the National Press club yesterday. The study was conducted on 1,230 child domestic workers in all seven divisions of the country over the last seven months starting from October 2015.

Nine out of ten children working as domestic helps told researchers

they had to start working from 7am and continue till 11-12pm while for the rest, work started at 5am.

The government’s National Child Labour Survey in 2013 found that there were 3.45 million working children in Bangladesh aged between 5-17 years and of them almost 14% were domestic workers.

The BSAF study said among child domestic workers, 87.7 percent were girls whose average age was 13.5 years.

Although nine out of ten children said they were paid a salary but their average monthly pay was Tk1,267. The rest of the children said they got nothing for their work.

About 40% of the children do not even have a suitable place to sleep. Nearly two out of ten said they had to sleep on the kitchen floor while the others slept in the living room.

BSAF also combed through reports in the media from 2013 to

present time and found that a total of 16 children were murdered, 16 raped, 56 tortured and 21 committed suicide at their workplace.

BSAF Chairperson Emranul Huq Chowdhury said it was high time the government focus on this issue and take immediate action towards poverty eradication and prohibit abusive practices towards child domestic workers through comprehensive law.

“Although, a huge number of children are working in this sector but the government not include the job as a part of hazardous one even after repeated request,” says Sabira Sultana, National Advocacy Coordinator for World Vision.

Prof Dr Md Rezaul Karim of Jagannath University presented the summary of the report. AAMS Arefin Siddique, vice chancellor of Dhaka University was present as the chief guest while BSAF chairperson Emranul Huq Chowdhury chaired the event. l

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Tarique’s appeal hearing May 4 JMB man Masum's n Ashif Islam Shaon The High Court has set May 4 for holding the hearing on an appeal against the acquittal of BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman of money laundering charges.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Amir Hossain fixed the date yesterday to hear the appeal filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

ACC counsel Khurshid Alam Khan said that the High Court on January 12 had ordered to send summons to Tarique's London residence asking him to appear before a trial court. Tarique went to London on parole in September 2008 for treatment and has not come back.

The Bangladesh High Commission in London forwarded the summons to Tarique's address in London, where he has been living since 2008, but he did not respond to the notice. “The court will now start the hearing as he is a fugitive in the eyes of law,” the lawyer said.

On that day, the court also ordered the authorities concerned to publish advertisements in at least two widely-circulated English and Bangla dailies.

The case was filed against Tarique, and his friend and business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun in October 2009 for laundering Tk204.1 million to Singapore between 2003 and 2007.

On November 17, 2013, a Dhaka court sentenced Mamun to seven

WHO: Diabetes now affects one in 11 adults n Shohel Mamun The number of people living with diabetes has almost quadrupled since 1980 to 422 million adults, with most living in developing countries and the factors driving this dramatic rise include overweight and obesity.

Diabetes now affects nearly one in 11 adults, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said ahead of the World Health Day, to be observed today.

In 2012, the disease was the direct cause of some 1.5 mil-

lion deaths, with more than 80% of those occurring in low and middle-income countries.

The WHO projects that diabetes will be the seventh leading cause of death by 2030.

The government is set to organise several programmes including special seminars and exhibitions to observe the day, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Zahid Malik told reporters. He said that there are around 8 million diabetes patients across the country and it was 7.1 million the last year. l

Defence arguments end in Shazneen case n Ashif Islam Shaon The defence has finished placing arguments in the appeals case related to the rape and murder of Shazneen Tasnim Rahman in 1998.

A five-member Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice SK Sinha, heard submissions from the lawyers of five death-row convicts yesterday.

It fixed May 10 for hearing arguments from the state counsels.

Khandker Mahbub Hossain and SM Shahjahan stood for the accused.

The defence read out statements from the paper-book.

They raised questions about some witnesses and evidences considered by the High Court for delivering the sentences.

On March 29, a three-member bench started the hearing,

while two more judges were added to the bench yesterday.

Shazneen, a 15-yearold Scholastica student and youngest daughter of Transcom Limited Chairman Latifur Rahman, was raped and killed on April 23, 1998.

On September 2, 2003, the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal sentenced all the six accused to death. They are Shahidul Islam alias Shahid, a domestic help; Syed Sajjad Mainuddin Hasan, a contractor who was appointed to repair the house; Sajjad’s assistant Badal; carpenter Shaniram Mandal; and two maids – Estema Khatun Minu and Parvin.

After hearing their appeals, the High Court acquitted Shaniram but upheld the death sentences for the other convicts. l

years’ imprisonment and fined him Tk40 crore. The court acquitted Tarique saying that he had mentioned the amount in his wealth submitted to the ACC. ACC filed an appeal on December 5, 2013 challenging Tarique’s acquittal. The High Court on January 19 last year asked the lower court to send it the case records and ordered Tarique to surrender before the trial court in the case.

It, however, asked the trial court to grant him bail after his surrender.

Meanwhile, the ACC in January 2014 launched a probe against the trial court judge, retired special judge Motaher Hossain, following specific allegations of amassing illegal wealth, abusing judicial power. l

death sentence upheld n Ashif Islam Shaon The Appellate Division has upheld a High Court order to confirm the death sentence of banned militant group Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operative Masumur Rahman Masum in a case filed over the 2005 bombings in a Lakshmipur court.

A four-member bench led

by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha yesterday scrapped a High Court verdict that acquitted another JMB activist Amzad Ali in the same case and ordered retrial.

The apex court gave the retrial order since the High Court in its

verdict in 2013 observed that the charges against Amzad had not been taken into cognisance properly, Deputy Attorney General Shashanka Shekhar Sarker told reporters.

The court also ordered the jail authorities concerned to shift Amzad from the condemn cell to general ward.

According to the case, members of the banned Islamist outfit on October 3, 2005 launched a bomb attack on Lakshmipur district court during a trial session leaving many people including a judge and a bench officer seriously injured.

One of the injured later died at a hospital. l

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Ansarullah explosives coming through border n Mohammad Jamil Khan Upon analysis of the arms and explosives recovered from the dens of banned outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team in a recent drive in the capital, police’s Detective Branch (DB) found those have been coming from outside the country.

The organisation is reportedly taking support from other militant outfits, including Hizb-ut Tahrir and Jama’atul Mujaheedin Bangladesh (JMB), in bringing these arms into the capital, according to sources.

“These arms and explosives are mainly coming from the hill tracks and border areas of the country,” says Md Didar Ahmed, additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

Didar Ahmed also said they are working to track down the route through which these arms make their way in, giving priority to finding out who support and finance the network of such activities.

Police have already tracked down three Ansarullah dens and are working to uncover if any are left.

Meanwhile, the organisation has already shifted existing hubs to new locations after a joint drive

by DB police and counter-terrorism and transnational crime (CT) unit saw the end of three such dens.

During this drive, interrogation and some recovered documents pointed to the fact that the organisation has eight hubs in the capital.

When inquired, Monirul Islam, additional commissioner of DMP and chief of the CT unit, told the

Dhaka Tribune that even though the Ansarullah dens were shifted before they could take action, there would be continued efforts to locate them.

Sources in the DB informed that although Ansarullah members in the other dens fled, the raid from three hubs in Mohammadpur, Badda and Dakkhinkhan yielded documents with information on suspected members and two possible financiers.

Sources also said Ansarullah operational wing member Redowanul Azad Rana is currently in Malaysia from where he is trying to conduct activities in Bangladesh, along with an IT expert named Tamim Al Adnani.

Directed by these two, the existing local members are now reportedly trying to make “book bombs,” which are easily transferable and law enforcers might not suspect them.

A DB high official, requesting to remain anonymous, told the Dhaka Tribune that they have got proof that an organisation named Dawatul Islam is providing financial support to Ansarullah along with Hizb-ut Tahrir.

The raid of the Dakkhinkhan den yielded bombs set up inside books, usually dictionaries, said the official.

Upon contact, Mashruqure Rahman Khaled, deputy commissioner of DB police, said: “We are now analysing the evidence. We are looking into some suspects who used to live in the house, and trying to trace their locations.” l

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurates the construction of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery at Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday by unveiling the foundation stone BSS

State banks to get Tk3,000cr less to meet capital shortfall n Asif Showkat Kallol

ta, Agrani, Rupali and Basic Banks would not get any further money to cover their capital shortfall.

A senior official of the division told the Dhaka Tribune that funds for meeting banks’ capital shortfall has reduced. On previous occasions, state-owned banks had been able to forcefully draw public funds from the Finance Division, but there was not enough funds to draw from this year, he added.

Of the Tk2,000 crore allocation under the revised budget, around Tk1,200 crore has already been disbursed to Basic Bank in December last year.

Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation is set to receive Tk200 crore from the allocation as Finance Minister AMA Muhith has already approved it.

The remaining Tk600 crore

The government has reportedly decided to cut Tk3,000 crore from the revised annual budget that was originally allocated for allowing state-owned banks to meet their capital shortfall.

From the initial Tk5,000 crore allocation, the Finance Division decided to slash the amount in the revised budget to only Tk2,000 crore, because the government reported a revenue deficit of Tk31,536 crore last fiscal year.

“We have no choice but to slash the budget allocation because the total revenue shortfall has crossed the Tk30,000 crore mark,” a Finance Division official said.

Seeking anonymity, the official added that under the revised budget, state-owned Sonali, Jana-

would be distributed among Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, Bangladesh Commercial Bank and Ansar VDP Bank, according to the revised budget.

Of the eight state-owned banks, six had capital shortfall totalling Tk14,054 crore at the end of December 2015. Only Agrani and Bangladesh Development Banks were in the surplus.

Bangladesh Krishi Bank had the highest capital shortfall of Tk6,676 crore, followed by Basic Bank’s Tk3,050 crore shortfall, Sonali Bank’s Tk2,934 crore, Janata Bank’s Tk663.24 crore, Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank’s Tk582.94 crore and Rupali Bank’s Tk145.50 crore.

In the 2015-16 fiscal year budget, the government allocated Tk5,000 crore budget to meet the state bank’s capital deficit. l

Coal sector to get production sharing contract n Aminur Rahman Rasel Similar to the gas sector, the government is going to formulate a production sharing contract for the coal sector as well.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) has already asked its Hydrocarbon Unit to prepare a draft on this regard.

“We recently organised a seminar to find out how the production sharing contract will be prepared,” Hydrocarbon Unit Director General Md Harun-ur-Rashid told the Dha-

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Unit said contractors take the risks in this process while the client will get the benefits of foreign investment at an upfront agreed terms.

The contractor shall be given due return on his investment for exploration during mining operation.

Considering circumstances prevailing in Bangladesh, a model coal production sharing contract appropriate for attracting investment in the coal sector may be prepared and selection may be done by conducting international competitive bidding process, he said.

velopment of coal fields as his liability and enter into contract with the client to produce a defined amount of coal per year, the expert said.

The produced coal would then be shared between the client and the investor or contractor, the expert told the seminar.

The client will pay the contractor the return on investment by offering him coal. The client will get his share of coal free and the contractor’s share of coal will be paid by the client, the expert said.

An official of the Hydrocarbon

ka Tribune yesterday.

He said that EMRD Additional Secretary Muhammad Ahsanul Jabbar and other experts expressed their views at the seminar.

Seeking anonymity, a Hydrocarbon Unit official quoted an expert saying at the seminar that Petrobangla – with its vast experience – could go for coal exploration and development through the production sharing contract modality.

In this modality, the investor shall take the responsibility for technical and investment risk in the de-

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It would have been ideal if the country’s coal reserves could have been exploited with own resources, but the option was not feasible due to limited resources, he added.

Production sharing contract is defined as a contract between a host government and a petroleum company for the exploration and production of petroleum resources where the company’s costs are recovered from a percentage share of production and the balance is shared between the government and the company, he said. l Sylhet

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Fajr: 4:25am | Zohr: 12:01pm Asr: 3:29pm | Magrib: 6:20pm Esha: 7:47pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

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Fish hatchery in Lakshmipur Khulna state-run jute mills’ strike continues beset with manifold crisis Islam Sawpan, n Syful Lakshmipur Fish hatchery at Raipur upazila in Lakshmipur district has been lying in poor condition due to manifold reasons.

Local sources said the biggest hatchery in the country was build up on 54-acre land in the upazila in 1989.

The function of the institution is seriously hampered as the posts of 51 out of 81 have been lying vacant for many years.

With the shortage of manpower, the institution is also facing crisis of water and electricity.

The time of fish breeding is March to August. If the crisis cannot be solved immediately, the breeding will be hampered.

The hatchery was set up to produce fry of darkina, napit koi, baghagutum, baligara, silvercurf, gojar, Kalibous and rui fishes in 428 hectre area water body in river and canel under Chandpur irrigation and flood controlled project. It started the work in 1981.

The institution became familiar across the country as it produced

standered fry. People from several areas of the country collected the fry from the hatchery. As demand of the fry increased, the institution began to face crisis.

Shortage of manpower was responsible for the crisis, said the sources.

‘People from several areas of the country collected the fry from the hatchery’ When visiting the area recently, it was found that only 30 officials were operating the function where it was supposed to be over 81.

There are seven resident buildings for the employee of the hatchery. Many of them remain unused.

The buildings became on the verge of extinction due to uncared as nobody lives there.

The important posts of scientific officers remain vacant which seriously impacts the production of fish fry.

Of the six, there are only two officers and it is difficult for them to operate the work as there are employ shortage in many other posts.

According to office sources, more than 30 ponds out of 69 cannot be used due to water shortage.

Theses ponds had not been repaired for many years and they near to dry.

Maximum ponds have turned into play field due to lack of digging.

The water of canals are polluted. Due to low voltage, the water cannot be lifted with tube well. As a result, maximum fry have died in recent times.

Mayor Ismail Khokon said: “Fishermen in the area like the fish fry produced in the hatchery.”

But they are disappointed as the institution cannot meet up their demand, he added.

Chief scientific officer Md Jasim Uddin said: “It was the largest hatchery in Asia. But now it is the largest in the country.”

“It has lost its golden period and now it is facing many problems.

If the existing problems can be removed, it will regain its proud,” he said. l

n Tribune Report The indefinite strike enforced by the employees of seven stateowned jute mills in Khulna to press home their five-point demand entered into third day yesterday.

The CBA and non-CBA Oikya Parishad of the seven jute mills – Crescent Jute Mills, Platinum Jute Mills, Khalispur Jute Mills, Star Jute Mills, Eastern Jute Mills, Jessore Jute Mills and Carpeting Jute Mills – enforced the strike on Monday morning.

The CBA leaders threatened to continue their road blockade programme from 6am to 2pm until April 7.

The demands of the workers include adequate allocation for the jute industry, payment of their arrears, formation of a wage board and stopping the move to privatise the state-owned jute mills.

Yesterday, 50,000 workers of seven state-run jute mills in Khulna and Jessore blocked roads and railways demanding outstanding salaries.

They took position in Notun

Raastar More, Atra and Rajghat in Khulna and Jessore, blocked roads and railways with burning logs and tyres, bringing vehicular movement to a grinding halt.

Project Chief of Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills Mamunur Rahman said the workers had not been paid for eight weeks. “In this situation, I cannot do anything without directions and money from BJMC [Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation],” he said.

Liaison officer of Khulna BJMC zonal office Mahabbat Ali said they were observing the situation. “We have informed the BJMC headquarters of the latest situation and waiting for directions from the centre,” he said.

The workers would meet tomorrow to chalk out fresh agitation plans.

Earlier on March 16, they had given the government an April 3 deadline to meet their demands.

On March 15, workers of seven state-run jute mills also blockaded the local highway and railway on a five-point demand including financing the mills by the government. l

Workers of Future Spinning Ltd hold an agitation programme yesterday in front of BGMEA Bhaban in the capital demanding their due payment MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Rizvi gets bail in arson case Correspondent, n Our Comilla

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was granted bail yesterday by a Comilla court in a case filed over a 2015 arson attack in the district’s Chauddagram.

Rizvi appeared in the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Razia Sultana and

filed a bail petition through his counsel advocate Kaimul Haque Rinku.

The court granted the petition.

Rinku said his client had earlier been granted bail in the case by the High Court.

The case was filed over the arson attack made on a Dhaka-bound bus of Icon Paribahan at Jagmohanpur area on Dhaka-Chittagong

Highway on February 3 last year. The firebomb attack left eight people dead.

Sub-Inspector of Chauddagram police station Nuruzzaman filed the case against 56 people, including Rizvi, BNP chief Khaleda Zia and journalist leader Shawkat Mahmud.

In the case, Rizvi was accused of aiding and abetting in the arson attack. l

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Nor’wester ravages several parts of country n Tribune Report Two people were killed and scores injured and a number of tress uprooted and houses damaged as nor’wester swept over south-western part of the country.

In Khulna, a man died as a wall collapsed on him during a storm at Tutpara in the city on Tuesday night.

Local sources said Abdur Rahim, 30, was injured critically as a wall collapsed on him while he was returning home from his workplace around 8pm. He was taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital where on duty doctors declared him dead.

People of Khulna city remained without power for 14 hours as several eletrict pole were uprooted by the storm.

Apart from this, some pavilions set up at the venue of international trade fair has been damaged by the storm.

In Bagerhat, At least 10 people were injured and lots of houses damaged as a nor’wester swept through the district.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the district Jahangir Alam said the violent storm accompanied with hailstorm and thunderbolts wrecked havoc throughout the district for 30 minutes from 8pm to 8:30pm.

The storm uprooted a large number of trees and badly damaged huge paddy and other crops on vast tracts of land in the district, the DC added.

In its aftermath, the entire district plunged into a blackout as

A billboard was tilted at Goborchaka in Khulna city after a storm swept over the district on Tuesday night more than 50 electric poles were uprooted by the storm.

A number of trees collapsed on the Bagerhat-Khulna and Dhaka-Mawa highways during the storm, creating road blockade which led to traffic congestion.

DC Jahangir, later, directed the upazila nirbahi officers of the re-

Mahfuj indicted in Narayanganj five murder case Correspondent, n Our Narayanganj Police yesterday pressed a charge sheet against Mahfuj in connection with the killing of five people, including two children, in Narayanganj.

Abul Khayer, investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet before Narayanganj Chief Judicial Magistrate Court.

Abul Khayer said although three people were accused in the killing case, they indicted only Mafhuz as involvement of two other people in the killing were not found during investigation.

Dr Khandakar Mohiuddin said: “Police filed the charge sheet after 80-day investigation.”

On January 17, five people – Taslima,35, her son Santo, 10,

daughter Sumaiya, 5, brother Morsedul, 22, and daughter-in-law Lamia, 25, were found dead at their residence.

Shafiqul Islam, husband of Taslima, filed a case with Narayanganj Sadar police station against three people – Mahfuz, Nazma and Shahjahan the following day. On the same day, the case was shifted to Criminal Investigation Department.

On January 18, police arrested Nazma and Mahfuz for their alleged involvement in the killing.

On January 21, Mahfuz, nephew of Shafiqul Islam, admitted that he had killed four of his extended family by hitting them on the head with a grinding stone and another by pushing his head hard against a wall as his aunt Taslima refused to make illicit relation with him. l

spective upazilas to prepare a list of the people affected by the storm and to estimate the losses.

In Chuadanga, an elderly woman was killed as a nor’wester lashed several upazilas of the district.

Witnesses said Sabina, a resident of Majdah village in Alamdanga upazila, died on the spot as

a wall of her house fell on her after being hit by the storm at about 6:30pm Besides, several hundred houses were damaged and thousands of trees uprooted during the storm in different areas of the district.

Power supply to different areas got snapped as a number of electric

DHAKA TRIBUNE

poles were uprooted by the storm.

The Nor’wester that lasted 45 minutes in Jhenaidah damaged crops on a vast tract of land and uprooted hundreds of tress.

Communication on the Dhaka-Khulna and Kaliganj- Chuadanga road remained suspended for 10 hours due to uprooted tress. l

5 denied bail in gang-rape case n Our Correspondent, Tangail A Tangail court has sent five local transport leaders to jail rejecting their bail pleas in a case filed over the gang-rape of a housewife inside a moving bus.

Tangail Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Judge Md Hamidul Islam made the order yesterday when the five surrendered before his court and sought bail in the lawsuit.

The five are Zila Sarak Paribahan Sramik Union Vice-president

Selim, Organising Secretary Jalu, Publicity Secretary Military Selim, Assistant General Secretary Elias and its former organising secretary Latif Miah.

The case’s Investigation Officer and also Dhanbari Officer-inCharge (investigation) Khan Mohammad Hasan Mostafa said nine people were made accused in the case and of them, eight were already bars while the other named Lablu was on the run.

On Friday morning, a transport worker’s wife gang-raped inside a

moving bus on Tangail-Mymensigh highway in Madhupur upazila.

Police arrested three people – bus driver Habibur Rahman Nayan, 33, supervisor Rezaul Karim Jewel, 35, and helper Abdul Khaleque Bhutto, 30 in the case.

During primary questioning, the three pleaded their guilty in the heinous crime and were sent to a Tangail court, where Nayan and Jewel were placed on a three-day remand and Bhutto was sent to jail.

Later, the court recorded the statement in this regard. l

Arrest warrant against MP Rana n Our Correspondent, Tangail

A Tangail court yesterday issued an arrest warrant against ten persons including local Awami League MP Amanur Rahman Rana and his three brothers in freedom fighter Faruk murder case.

Judge Md Aminul Islam of Sen-

ior Judicial Magistrate Court took the charge sheet of freedom fighter Faruk Ahmed murder case in cognizance and passed the order.

Golam Mahfijur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Tangail DB police, also the investigation officer of the case, said AL leader and freedom fighter Faruk Ahmed was shot

dead near his residence in the town on January 18, 2013.

On January 22, 2013, Faruk’s wife Nahar Ahmed filed the murder case with Tangail Model police station against unidentified criminals.

On February 3, a charge-sheet was submitted against 14 persons. l

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The Serenity of Kuakata

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n Mahmood Sadi he best part of Kuakata beach is its serenity.

Unlike Cox’s Bazaar, where roads get caught up in traffic snarlups just like in the capital, Kuakata is a land of tranquility and peace. The place still has a lot to offer to those who prefer enjoying the seashore on their own, away from the hustle and bustle of cities.

If one can visit Kuakata during the off-season, or the rainy season, the serenity and beauty they would be able to experience is unparralled.

Driven by that thought, me and four of my friends made a sudden short trip to Kuakata a few days ago.

For the uninitiated, one word of advice: don’t ever think that you will get into a bus and can reach Kuakata without facing trouble on the road. This was my fourth time visiting Kuakata and every time something happened on the way to make my journey a tough one.

Either the bus fell into a ditch, or the bus became dysfunctional, or one of the seven ferries from Patualhali to Kuakata became unavailable. I have faced all these problems.

This time, it was the ferry. After enduring a 10 hour bus ride, we found that the last two ferries were not available as a public service warning signal number 2 was hoisted at the river port and signal 4 was hoisted at the sea port as well as at Kuakata beach.

As a result, we crossed the rivers in trawlers, made our way via a van, a bike and finally a “Nosimon” ride to cross a little more than 32kms. When we reached the small town of Kuakata, it was about 10:30am. We started our bus journey at around 9pm the night before. So, you can

PHOTOS: COURTESY

only imagine how long it took us to reach Kuakata.

Once we reached, we learned that their was a power cut for over two days, as a result of public storm signal 4 warning being hoisted over the sea. Moreover, there was intermittent rain and storm too. In fact, a sudden storm welcomed us as soon as we set foot on Kuakata town.

The good part was that the hotels were cheap. Because of the off-season timing and the power cut, a 40% discount was offered at every hotel and resort. We brought it down to 50% initially, but soon enough, we succeeded in bring that further down to 60%, thanks to my friend’s negotiation skills.

I have to say that the experience

we gained during that short trip was amazing. First of all, finding the second most popular sea beach of the country devoid of people really, was a unique experience.

Also, experiencing it amid the storm and rain is something so beautiful that words have failed me.

The two days spent there were rather gloomy. We barely saw the sunlight. It was raining or about to rain every now and then. With the public storm warning signal number 4 raised over the beach, there was no way we could have swum in the sea. However, we had decent hotel rooms with balconies facing the sea. Just by sitting there with friends and sharing an old school “adda” was such

I have to say that the experience we gained during that short trip was amazing. First of all, finding the second most popular sea beach of the country devoid of people really, was a unique experience

an experience that it can only be termed as “ethereal.”

During the second night, as the weather improved, we had a barbecue party at our resort’s lawn. There were no other guests in that resort so it was only us friends, with no one to break our party spirit.

During our two days there, we spent most of our time at the hotel room, enjoying the sea from our hotel balcony, not bothering to visit any of Kuakata’s tourist attractions. Despite it all, I can easily say that it was one of the truest vacations that I ever have had and the serenity and relaxation that I experienced was out-of-this-world.

wells to collect drinking water, landing on Kuakata coast in the eighteenth century after, being disqualified from the Arakan lands by the Mughols. Afterwards, Rakhaine tribes followed suit.

Trivia for the Kuakata bound traveler The name Kuakata was created from the word “Kua,” the Bengali word for “well,” which was dug into the seashore by the early Rakhine settlers. They dug these

How to go to Kuakata: • Direct bus service: ‘Sakura’ from Shaymoli.

• Launch service to Patuakhali and then a bus service from Patuakhali to Kuakata. l

Kuakata has several tourist attractions which include: • The crab beach, where thousand of red crabs run free • The Gangamoti reserve forest • The Buddhist temple and the 200 year old well nearby • The “shutki polli” and fishing village nearby is a good place for shutki connoisseurs.

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Married and obese?

Does the wedding ring come with excess baggage?

n Mahmood Sadi The debate is over. Studies have finally been able to tackle the correlation between married women and obesity. A recent research by Icddr,b, one of the most reputable organisations have published official research findings revealing that nearly one in five married women in Bangladesh are obese or overweight.

The study also identified a range of factors such as wealth index, educational status, hours spent behind watching television that contribute to gaining excess weight, which could be targeted in interventions to reduce the prevalence of obesity in married women.

What does the study say?

In 2016, Haribondhu Sarma, head of Icddr,b’s Nutrition Programme, along with colleagues from Icddr,b and Stanford University, USA, analysed nutrition-related data from the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey to identify factors associated with being overweight or obese among women aged 18-49 years who were, or had been, married.

The results, recently published in the journal "BMC Obesity," revealed that out of 16,493 women who were studied as sample cases, around 18% were overweight or obese.

Urban women who are not in full-time employment were at 1.44 times higher risk of being overweight or obese than urban women involved in manual work.

Women from wealthy and foodsecure families were at higher risk of being overweight or obese in both rural and urban areas.

Talking about the study, Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, senior director, Nutrition & Clinical Services Division at Icddr,b said that these increased levels of obesity will have severe implications for the health budget of Bangladesh.

“Rates of obesity and overweight-related diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidney diseases and heart diseases are going to escalate if not tackled,” he said.

Haribondhu Sarma, the principle investigator of the study said that the growing problem of obesity presents a challenge for public healthcare systems in low and middle-income countries.

“Traditionally, overweight and obesity were largely associated with high-income countries,” he said. “However, their incidence is increasing in low and middle-

income countries,” as suggested by this study. Healthcare systems in these countries traditionally devote their resources to problems like being underweight and infectious diseases, but as these countries experience increased economic development, they must also learn to manage nutritionrelated, non-communicable diseases.”

Similar study in another country A study conducted by Ohio State University in USA which was conducted following more than 10,000 people for 22 years showed that women tend to gain weight in the two years following their marriage.

The scientists behind the Ohio State University study attributed the weight gain in women to having more duties around the house after tying the knot, which gives them less time to exercise.

Another research conducted by the researchers of Salonica

University of Greece which was based on 17,000 couples aged between 20 and 70, found that married couples exercised less frequently, had less sex, had poor nutrition and were “comfortable” in their lives.

Married couples spent more time eating together, sitting in front of the TV more and often ordered takeaway while exercising less.

What are the reasons?

Nutritionist and weight specialist Zania Haque said that women gained weight immediately after giving birth and it took some time for a new mother to change the eating habits she adopted during her nine months of pregnancy and months of breastfeeding.

“Many women gain weight when they’re pregnant, especially first time mothers. During their first time as mothers, it is tiring and stressful for them to deal with motherhood. When men judge

Your body is used to a certain style of cooking in terms of the spices used, the taste, etc. But you are likely to change this to impress your in-laws and husband and adopt their cooking methods

them for the way they look, they get depressed. They find refuge in more food.”

Citing another reason, Zania said that the change in eating habit is another reason behind getting fat. “Your body is used to a certain style of cooking in terms of the spices used, the taste, etc. But you are likely to change this to impress your in-laws and husband and adopt their cooking methods. Your body reacts to this by altering your digestive pattern,” she said.

Besides, many unmarried women watch their diets and stay in shape simply to attract a partner. Once a partner has been “secured” through marriage, they no longer feel the need to look their best and therefore discard PHOTOS: BIGSTOCK

many of the healthy lifestyle habits that kept their weight down.

Zania continued that there is nothing more damaging to a woman’s ego as hearing that her body is too flawed to be sexually appealing, particularly if the words are coming out of her husband’s or partner’s mouth.

“Being able to be there for your partner by listening to her and finding out what causes her to eat, why she is unmotivated, is helpful. When she realises she doesn’t want to let you and herself down she may find the motivation needed to lose weight. Being open to what she has to say and being helpful will likely get her to stay focused." l

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Editorial 11

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016

INSIDE

Let’s get our priorities straight What bothers me is the fact that only selective issues make us mad. We get outraged over things that happen at a sporting event, but we are completely desensitised to brutal murders PAGE 12

Chewing the fat Schools can involve kids in physical activities like games and dance groups, with more emphasis on non-competitiveness. Classroombased health education can make older children and teens aware of the importance of a nutritious diet and engaging in regular physical activity PAGE 13

Security for the most vulnerable Many women in Bangladesh fail to report violence committed against them, because there persists a stigma regarding rape and domestic violence 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.

BIGSTOCK

Turn loss-making state jute mills into EPZs

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round 50,000 workers at seven state-run jute mills in Khulna and Jessore have abstained from work this week because they have not been paid for nearly two months.

These government-run jute mills are in gross violation of laws safeguarding the payment of wages.

Jute mills and other state-owned enterprises which make losses and are consequently forced to violate workers’ rights to timely payment, should be privatised or closed.

There is no justification for keeping state jute mills open if they cannot even support their normal wage bill. It is completely unacceptable that these mills and other perennially loss-making state-owned enterprises continue to incur large losses requiring tax-payer subsidies.

The case of Adamjee, once the world’s largest jute mill, which was closed down in 2002, shows the folly of continuing to prop up loss-making state-owned jute mills.

Since being converted into an EPZ in 2006, the lands at Adamjee have gone from strength to strength as plots have been developed by a range of export-oriented, foreign, or joint-venture companies.

In the decade since, 40,000 jobs have been created in the Adamjee EPZ, which is 14,000 more than the formal payroll on the books when Adamjee Jute Mills was closed.

Karnaphuli EPZ in Chittagong, which has a similar history, created 55,000 jobs in the same period.

The opportunity costs of not making better use of state-owned land and resources are huge.

Not only are workers kept unsecured in poorly managed loss-making enterprises, but the country misses out on the chance to create more productive higher-value jobs through leasing out or selling the land to private investors.

The government should privatise loss-making state enterprises so their land can be better utilised to attract investment and grow the economy.

More jobs can be created for more workers by leasing and selling unproductive assets

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Opinion

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016

Let’s get our priorities straight Violent crime and religious extremism deserve more attention than sports and viral videos

n Adit Hasan Khan

O

ver the course of the past few months, I watched from afar some remarkable things in Bangladesh.

For instance, the government proposed a value added tax on private universities, which common sense dictated would inevitably be passed on to the students.

The system would have a disproportionate regressive burden on students from middle class families. The students stormed the streets, utilised social media, and stopped the government from imposing the tax on private universities.

Shifting gears to issues of a very different scale -- when there was a scuffle between two teenagers at Dhanmondi Lake, once again, the nation took to social media and condemned the behaviour in every way possible.

The incident eventually got police attention, and social media was abuzz with talk about the incident -- probably more than the incident merited.

When our national cricket team faced unfair rulings from the ICC, social media erupted again -- that did not lead to an outcome we would have wanted, but the world definitely learned about our outrage.

I list the incidents above to make a simple and obvious point.

When we are outraged over something, big or small, we as a nation hold enough power to bring about some real change, or at least make enough noise to get attention from the ones who can bring about change for us.

What bothers me is the fact that only selective issues make us mad.

We get outraged over things that happen at a sporting event, but we are completely desensitised to brutal murders.

Our passion for cricket sometimes supersedes more important issues of social justice

What bothers me is the fact that only selective issues make us mad. We get outraged over things that happen at a sporting event, but we are completely desensitised to brutal murders

Most of us are aware of the terrible fate of the bloggers of the secular blog Mukto Mona. Shortly after those incidents, religious minorities all over the country felt

unsafe, but for some reason, we are not outraged by any of this.

We barely had a reaction over the attack on the Italian Catholic pastor.

The killing of a Hindu priest had an even shorter life span on mainstream news. We quickly forgot the attack on the Shia mosque, and now we are too involved in our own lives to notice the murder of a Christian convert freedom fighter.

Having seen what the nation can do when it is enraged, I am dumfounded wondering why we are not enraged when a group of miscreants scream Allahu Akbar and take the life of a 68-yearold man who fought for the independence of this country.

We have created an environment where religious

extremism does not bother us anymore. Every time I am on social media, I see my Bangladeshi friends upset about the rhetoric of American presidential candidates.

I cannot forecast what would have happened if we devoted a fraction of that energy to fight the atrocities that are routinely taking place in our own land.

Minorities have always been the targets of religious extremists in Bangladesh. If an organised study goes into calculating the number of temples that have been burned in Bangladesh over the last 10 years, the number is likely to be so

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

large we will all feel ashamed of ourselves.

Nevertheless, these murders have failed to get a strong enough response out of our citizens, and barely any attention from our leaders.

Now, as minorities prepare for a new wave of violence, we can all sit back and casually blame the government for everything.

But when the dust settles, one has to admit that we all contributed to this with our misplaced priorities. l Adit Hasan Khan is a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Mississippi.

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Opinion

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016

Chewing the fat Childhood obesity has severe health consequences insufficient sidewalks, parks, and bike-riding facilities. Taking into consideration these limitations, physical activity can be improved by habits like walking to school, or parking cars away from stores so that kids can walk and take the stairs instead of elevators or escalators. It is essential that parents are aware of the potential risk the child faces due to obesity, and take actions to control the problem.

Schools can involve kids in physical activities like games and dance groups, with more emphasis on noncompetitiveness.

Classroom-based health education can make older children and teens aware of the importance of a nutritious diet and engaging in regular physical activity Healthy diets are a lifelong practice Hossain and n Ahmed Rashenda Aziz

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he weight gain of a child is celebrated in our country by any parent -- at least in the beginning. Culturally, food is our love; it’s our warmth, it’s our family. But as parents, many of us don’t see the impact of weight gain.

We conducted a study in two English-medium schools in Dhanmondi with 169 students of Class VI to Class X during the month of January 2016. It appears that the prevalence of overweight/ obese children is around 19%.

This is an increasing concern with respect to the health and wellbeing of the child. Increased prevalence of childhood obesity may have adverse, disturbing, and unpleasant implications when the child reaches adulthood.

It’s quite natural that parents don’t recognise obesity. In the American Heart Association, it is noted that if you are obese at 16, there’s an 80% chance you will re-

main obese as an adult. With obesity comes a long list of life-threatening ailments: Hypertension, type II diabetes, heart disease, cancer, respiratory problems, bone conditions, and many more.

Health problems related to obesity are not only physical, but psychological and social as well.

Children who are obese have negative body image issues, which lead to lower self-esteem. Children feel depressed, and are nervous about their obesity issues, and this has a negative effect on their behaviour. Some scientists predict that with the increasing rates of childhood obesity, today’s kids will be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents.

The weight gain of a child is due to the imbalance between caloric intake and the calories utilised (for growth, development, metabolism, and physical activities). Normally, the amount of calories a child consumes through food or beverages, if not used for energy activities, leads to weight gain in children. It is seen

REUTERS

that children and teens nowadays lack the required amount of physical activity, hence the calories are not used properly, and can lead to becoming obesity.

A sedentary lifestyle is also an important factor for abnormal weight gain, as many children spend most of their time in front of television sets, play video games, and sit in front of computers. Children snack more in front of televisions and spend time sitting without any physical activity. Again the television advertisements of energy-rich and sugar-rich foods influence children to make unhealthy choices. These unhealthy food choices may lead to weight gain and obesity.

At home, parent-child interaction is very crucial, as parents can influence children’s food choices and motivate them to have a healthier lifestyle. Effective interventions in a family setting can be beneficial towards changing a child’s food choices.

Children spend a significant portion of their time at school.

Hence, school plays an important role in the life of the child.

Children take at least one meal at school, hence, schools can encourage kids to make healthy food choices, such as reducing the intake of carbonated drinks or sugary foods, encouraging kids to drink healthy fruit juices, water, vegetables, and fruits.

Schools which provide meals can have healthy nutritious food items with emphasis on a balanced diet. Schools can involve kids in physical activities like games and dance groups, with more emphasis on non-competitiveness.

Classroom-based health education can make older children and teens aware of the importance of a nutritious diet and engaging in regular physical activity.

Weight-loss programs like dietary management (eating more of fibre-rich foods) and increasing physical activity are recommended for children above seven years of age with risk of secondary complications.

Our community also has

Childhood obesity needs attention as a major public health issue in Bangladesh. The complications caused due to childhood obesity are severe, and could continue to affect the health of a child even in adulthood. Hence, there is need to address this problem at every possible step through effective interventions and motivation strategies.

In Bangladesh, the government and other health care organisations are not taking sufficient action and environmentally safe interventions for children to improve physical activity. Children need to adopt healthy behaviours as a lifelong practice, so that they can have a healthy life. This will lead to a nationwide healthy future for kids. l Ahmed Hossain is an Associate Professor at the Department of Public Health, North South University.

Rashenda Aziz is an MPH student at the Department of Public Health, North South University, and a research fellow at USAID.

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Security for the most vulnerable Indigenous women suffer greatly as a result of continued discrimination

n John Tripura

D

uring the 1971 Liberation War, around 300,000 Bangladeshi women were raped, tortured, and murdered by the Pakistani occupation army with the support of Bihari and Razakar militias.

Though we now have an independent state, even after 45 years, the ever-increasing rate of rape is an alarming phenomenon, and depicts the diminishing value given to indigenous women in society.

According to Article 27 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, there is “equality before the law,” but there is no implementation of these laws in many cases. It is clearly visible that violence against women is a common occurrence in most parts of Bangladesh, whether the violence is physical or mental.

The recent incident of Tonu in an exclusive military area is really shameful for the nation. Even after two weeks of the incident, the criminals have not yet been identified.

I do not know whether Tonu will get proper justice because of the experience of the Kalpana Chakma incident -- the fearless indigenous activist who was abducted in June 1996 by the army forces 19 years ago when

people’s issues, furthering the culture of ignorance.

Many women in Bangladesh fail to report violence committed against them, because there persists a stigma regarding rape and domestic violence. According to a BRAC report, violence against women in the country has increased by 74% in 2015 compared to 2014. According to the report, 68% of violence against women is not documented.

Moreover, according to the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association website, in the overall violence against women and children, there has been an increase of 5% in 2015.

Rape has increased at an alarming rate by 35%, due to dowry torture by 8%, and sexual harassment by 4%.

But for the indigenous women in Bangladesh, the situation is more brutal and vulnerable. The indigenous women have been either raped or sexually harassed in different parts of the country, which is increasing day by day.

And due to the impunity perpetrators enjoy, the violence against indigenous women is continuing. The police also tend to blame the victims and take the side of the abuser. So, violence against women has become one of the most visible social issues

Stop the violence

Many women in Bangladesh fail to report violence committed against them, because there persists a stigma regarding rape and domestic violence

she was only 20 years old, whose perpetrators were never arrested and brought to justice.

But I am quite optimistic for Tonu, because there were thousands of people crying out on the streets and raising their voices demanding justice. But, on the other hand, if we look at the case of Kalpana Chakma, 35 investigating officers were involved in the case, but still there is no substantive solution of the issue.

And although there are many indigenous women victims around the country, we have seen very few prominent people talk about the issues on a national platform.

Here, we can see some kind of discrimination towards indigenous

in our country, due to a culture of impunity.

However, according to the Kapaeeng Foundation human rights report, 85 indigenous women and girls fell victim to sexual and physical violence in 2015 around the country, with at least 26 cases of rape/gang rape, three killings, 11 physical assaults, 16 attempted rapes, five abductions, six cases of sexual harassment, and two cases of trafficking.

A total of 69 cases of violence against indigenous women and girls in Bangladesh were documented. Among the 69 cases, 38 cases were reported from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).

The interesting thing is, the age group of these victims ranged from four to 50 years. Even children and older women are not safe in this country. 75% of the perpetrators were identified as non-indigenous, 15% as indigenous, 6% were unknown, and law enforcement and personnel accounted for 1%.

Cases were filed against most acts of violence, but no proper action was taken against even a single case.

And most of the cases relating to violation against indigenous women in Bangladesh were based on land issues. The perpetrators or the land-grabbers violated the indigenous women and girls in order to terrorise the community

BIGSTOCK

and unsettle them, and thus create opportunities for them to occupy the lands belonging to indigenous peoples.

The main reason for the increase in violence against indigenous women is that indigenous people do not have control over their own lands and territories. Malpractice in the justice system often deprives the victims from getting redress.

And another main reason is for not fully implementing the CHT Accord, which was signed on the December 2, 1997.

For effective solutions, and to comprehensively address the issue of violence against women, we must recognise certain establishments, and underlying dynamics based on the complex social, cultural, religious, and economic ideologies that serve to maintain the unequal relationships between men and women in society.

The government should take proper actions regarding violence against women, and end the culture of impunity. l John Tripura works for the Kapaeeng Foundation.

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INSIDE ILO team due Apr 17 to see workers condition A high-level mission of International Labour Organisation will visit Bangladesh on April 17 to learn the status of Bangladesh’s workers, their freedom of association, collective bargaining and safety standards, especially in RMG sector. The mission entitled “High Level Tripartite Mission Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining” will arrive in Dhaka under the leadership of Elizabeth Onuko. PAGE 16

ILO team due Apr 17 to see workers condition

A high-level mission of International Labour Organisation will visit Bangladesh on April 17 to learn the status of Bangladesh’s workers, their freedom of association, collective bargaining and safety standards, especially in RMG sector. The mission entitled “High Level Tripartite Mission Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining” will arrive in Dhaka under the leadership of Elizabeth Onuko. PAGE 17

Spanish port becomes global ‘smart city’ laboratory

Bangladesh e-commerce to see explosive growth in next 3 years Showkat Kallol and n Asif Ishtiaq Husain Trading is increasingly entering into the world of online in Bangladesh as today’s busy people look to find a simpler way in their daily purchases and transactions.

The system is popularly dubbed as e-commerce. As E-commerce Day is set to be observed today, the Dhaka Tribune approached Rezwanul Haque Jami, vice-president of e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB), yesterday to talk about the new trend.

He says given the changing habits of tech-savvy people, there will be an explosive growth in the country’s e-commerce field over the next three years. According to him, the growth will increase to 40% per month from 36% now in next few years. Rezwanul said presently the monthly value of the country’s e-shopping is Tk1,000 crore which continues to rise rapidly.

Dhaka Tribune: Where is Bangladesh now in e-commerce, particularly in South and Southeast Asia?

In Spain’s historic port of Santander, parking is no longer a headache, rubbish bins never overflow and grass is watered only when needed since this northern resort became a testing ground for “smart cities” around the world. PAGE 18

Rezwanul Haque: Bangladesh is now at the fourth place in e-commerce adoption among other nations in the region. But the situation could have been better if Internet penetration in the country was faster. India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are doing well in increasing the people’s Internet penetration compared to Bangladesh.

Broad Index

4,413.9

0.1% ▲

Index

1,067.6

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30 Index

1,670.5

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Turnover in Mn Tk

4,276.6

34.6% ▲

Turnover in Mn Vol

126.7

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All Share Index 13,580.2

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30 Index

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Selected Index

12,253.3 8,248.6

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Turnover in Mn Tk

418.2

96.9% ▲

Turnover in Mn Vol

11.5

45.8% ▲

Is the lack of trust among clients a major barrier in Bangladesh for e-commerce in gaining popularity?

The debit and credit card holders of banks feel a lack of confidence in the e-commerce system after a number of forgery incidents happened recently. They fear they would be cheated by e-commerce firms while using the system. Besides, low quality of products and services in online market places remain another reason behind failure in attracting many potential buyers.

Why does e-commerce traders avoid cash-on-delivery system?

Cash-on-delivery

system

bears

some risks. According to e-CAB members, around 10% of the cash-on-delivery followers face financial losses. Yet the system is popular in Bangladesh because of weakness in our financial system.

This is also popular in India.

How is e-CAB handling the issue of low quality products and frauds in online market places?

We have already made self-governing policies for our (e-CAB) 367 members to ensure quality of products and services. The e-CAB has suspended membership of some e-commerce firms including a courier service provider on allegations of presenting low quality products and services.

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Is a law and a policy necessary to control the business and prevent unscrupulous traders from polluting the system?

Yes. we have already started formulating an e-commerce policy.

We think laws also need to be amended while new laws could be necessary in cases like ensuring authenticity.

What are you doing against the e-commerce frauds?

We suspend website of those involved in online business frauds.

We can do that if they use the country domain. But when they use international domain it’s not then possible for us to shut down their website. l

E-commerce Day to be observed today n Tribune Report

Capital market snapshot: Wednesday DSE

E-CAB Vice-President Rezwanul Haque Jami during an interview with Dhaka Tribune yesterday

e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) will observe e-Commerce Day today to promote online business.

United International University (UIU) and e-CAB have jointly organised a programme on its Dhanmondi campus to observe the day.

State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak will be present on the occasion as the chief guest.

The association has already declared April as e-Commerce month to boost sales, targeting Bangla New Year, Pahela Boishakh. E-CAB has been observing April 7 as the e-Commerce Day since last year.

Razib Ahmed, president of

e-CAB, said for the advancement of e-commerce, it is high time the government declared April 7 as an e-commerce Day. e-CAB has a total of 367 members.

Rezwanul Huque Jami, vice-president of the association, said the online shopping growth is gaining momentum while this trend will continue over the next couple of years.

A wide range of discounts on different products have already been announced ahead of the day.

According to e-CAB, the total transaction of online shopping now stands at about Tk1,000 crore a year. The online transaction is gaining momentum as consumers are becoming more focused on it

with the blessings of information technology according to a report of LightCastle Partners (LCP) – a business management consulting firm.

The trend to purchase via e-commerce platforms all the year round accounts for 37% while during religious festivals like Eid. l

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ILO team due Apr 17 to see worker conditions Govt claims workplace safety and workers’ rights have been improved in most factories n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi A high-level mission of International Labour Organisation will visit Bangladesh on April 17 to learn the status of Bangladesh’s workers, their freedom of association, collective bargaining and safety standards, especially in RMG sector.

The mission entitled “High Level Tripartite Mission Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining” will arrive in Dhaka under the leadership of Elizabeth Onuko.

The other members of the mission include Sonia Regenbogen,

Marc Leemans, Karen Curtis and Veronika Vajdova.

During the three-day visit, the mission delegates will hold meeting with Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, State Minister for the Ministry of Labour and Employment Md Mujibul Haque, ILO Country Director for Bangladesh Srinivas B Reddy, Senior Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar, BEPZA Chairman Major General Mohammad Habibur Rahman Khan.

“The team will visit Bangladesh to know about the latest status of Bangladesh’s workers rights and safety issues especially in the RMG

sector,” Senior Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar told the Dhaka Tribune.

Following the collapse of Rana Plaza building, the safety issue and workers rights came under the spotlight. The global trade unions, rights group from home and abroad and buyers kept putting pressure on the government and manufacturers.

The government and RMG sector people in association with the buyers and donor agencies took several initiatives to ensure workers rights and workplace safety.

“We have been able to improve safety standard and workers’

Indian firm appointed as safety auditor for elevated expressway n Tribune Report The government has appointed an Indian safety consulting firm as the safety auditor for the Dhaka Elevated Expressway.

The cabinet committee on public purchase gave its consent yesterday to the Bridges Division proposal to appoint the Indian firm – Intercontinental Consultants and Technocrats.

After the meeting, Cabinet Division Additional Secretary M Mustafizur Rahman told journalists that the firm will carry out safety supervi-

sion on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway for the next five years.

He said the cost of appointing the safety consulting firm will be Tk42.99 crore.

The construction of elevated expressway began last August.

The DEE project under a public-private partnership (PPP) venture is currently estimated to cost Tk8,940.18 crore.

The expressway, which is first in kind, will begin at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and run along the New Airport Road via Mo-

hakhali, Tejgaon, Moghbazar and Kamalapur Railway Station before connecting with the Dhaka-Chittagong highway via Jatrabari.

According to Bangladesh Bridge Authority, the construction was scheduled to begin back in December 2011, but was delayed for over three years due to lack of funding.

In January 2011, the government signed an agreement with Italian-Thai Development Public Construction Company Limited to build the four-lane expressway at a cost of Tk8,703 crore. l

BB board focuses on tightening cyber security n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank board emphasised on tightening cyber security into the central bank to avert repetition of technical system breached that took away $81m from the central bank’s forex reserve account with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The central bank held the first board meeting after Fazle Kabir joined it as the new governor on March 20.

More three board members were sat at the meeting for the first time after a massive reformation of central bank board by the government in the wake of largest digital heist.

The new members were

Secretary of bank and financial institutions division of finance ministry, Mahbub Ahmed, who was replaced of Aslam Alam and others were Jamaluddin Ahmed and Rushidan Islam Rahman.

Board members mainly discussed on how to remove technical loopholes by strengthening the technological system and software.

Though, there was no final decision in this regard but initially board instructed to develop a package design of what type of change is needed and which software will be mostly secured to use. Later, a consultant will be appointed to consult with different foreign software firms to take final decision of bringing

change in technical system in Bangladesh Bank, according to the central bank source.

At the beginning of the meeting a presentation was made over the reserve heist to inform the board member formally that how the money was stolen and what steps were taken by Bangladesh Bank to retrieve money.

The board members suggested to put more effort and increase co-operational activities to recover money.

The board members were formally informed through a power point presentation over the stolen since beginning of the incident to last development, Jamaluddin Ahmed said reporters soon after the meeting. l

rights. The inspection by the Accord and the Alliance and National Initiative have found less than 2% factory risky for safety and led to closure of 38 RMG factories,” said Shipar.

In last three years, about 400 trade unions got registered with the Department of Labour, which reflects that the workers rights to associate are being ensured, he added.

The mission also will hold meeting with the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF), where Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knit-

wear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) will be present.

“We are invited to join the meeting as RMG sector is the highest employing sector in the country,” BGMEA Vice-President Mahmud Hasan Khan Babu told the Dhaka Tribune.

As a representative, BGMEA will present the current status of the sector and its success that came from a series of initiatives taken to improve safety and workers rights, said Mahmud.

Following the visit, the mission will submit its report to the ILO expert committee, Shipar said. l

Stocks end in choppy trading Doreen Power makes happy debut ally higher while food and The higher volume of n Tribune Report allied, telecommunications trade of the debutant Doreen Stocks ended flat amid choppy trading yesterday as cautious investors continued to opt for profit booking.

The market moved between red and green zones throughout the entire session as bull and bear were locked in race.

The benchmark index DSEX inched 4 points up to close at 4,413, after profit booking fell in previous session.

The Shariah index DSES was slightly up over 1 point to 1,067.

The blue chip comprising index DS30 witnessed a fractional rise of 0.3 point to 1,670.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX settled at 8,248, shedding 5 points.

Power Generations and Systems Limited has bolstered overall trade volume at DSE. This has led to increase the DSE turnover which stood at Tk427 crore, sharply up about 35% over the previous session’s value.

In its first trading day, stock prices of the Doreen Power that accounted for almost 16% of the days’ total trade jumped 188.6% to Tk83.7 crore on its offer value.

The company also contributed to the rally of power sector that surged nearly 2%, which was the highest gainer of the day.

Most other sectors like engineering, banks and pharmaceuticals closed margin-

and non-banking financial institutions closed marginally lower.

“The market took a breath after substantial swings in benchmark index,” said Lanka Bangla Securities.

Investors were closely watching the first quarter’s economic data to gauge the strength of recent uptrend in market, it added.

Shares of 316 companies were traded on the day. Of these, 102 companies closed positive, 160 negative while 54 remained unchanged.

After Doreen Power, other turnover leaders included Keya Cosmetics, BSRM Limited, The Ibn Sina, Aman Feed and Lanka Bangla Finance. l

NOVOAIR Dhaka Travel Mart kicks off tomorrow n Tribune Report

A four-day long international tourism fair styled “NOVOAIR Dhaka Travel Mart 2016” begins tomorrow in the capital.

The Bangladesh Monitor, country’s premier travel and tourism-related publication, is the organiser of the thirteen edition of the fair.

Kazi Wahidul Alam, editor of the Bangladesh Monitor and also the chairman of the NOVOAIR DTM-2016 Organising Committee came up with the disclosure while addressing press conference at a city hotel yesterday.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan

Menon will formally inaugurate the Dhaka Travel Mart at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the city.

NOVOAIR Managing Director Mofizur Rahman and General Manager of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Syed Ahasan Hossain Kazi also addressed the press conference.

NOVOAIR, a leading private airliner, is the title sponsor while Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) and Biman Bangladesh Airlines are jointly supporting the event as partners.

About 50 organisations from home and abroad are taking part in the fair, which includes National Tourism

Organisations (NTOs), Airlines, Tour Operators, Hotels, Resorts, Healthcare service providers and others.

The fair will remain open for the visitors from 5pm to 9 pm tomorrow while from 10am to 8pm from Saturday to Monday with an entry fee of Tk.25 per person. Raffle draw will be held on the entry coupons at 7.30 pm on the concluding day.

Kazi Wahidul Alam said “To unlock the country’s tourism potential, we had launched the annual event thirteen years back and we believe that Dhaka Travel Mart has been able to play some role in the development of the tourism sector.” l

Dollar near 17-month low against yen n Reuters, Tokyo The dollar hovered near a 17-month low against the yen yesterday after taking a fresh knock overnight on comments

by Japan’s prime minister which suggested the authorities were cautious towards arresting the yen’s appreciation.

The US currency traded little changed at 110.300 yen JPY after falling to 109.92 late on Tuesday, its lowest since Oct. 31, 2014. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the Wall Street Journal that coun-

tries should avoid seeking to weaken their currencies with “arbitrary intervention.”

Amid earlier turmoil in the global markets the yen has advanced steadily this year due to its safe-haven status and more recently on expectations that the Federal Reserve would not hike interest rates as aggressively this year as initially anticipated.

But each significant advance had been accompanied by some wariness in the market that Japan could intervene to prevent a stronger yen,

which is an unwelcome factor for a government trying to shore up a moribund economy.

“Japan will host the G7 summit in May. It cannot afford to invite almost guaranteed criticism by intervening through yen-selling after it adopted negative interest rates,” said Junichi Ishikawa, FX analyst at IG Securities in Tokyo. “The authorities also have to keep US political developments in mind, as presidential hopefuls Trump and Clinton have both been critical of Japan’s stance on currencies,” Ishikawa added. l

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Spanish port becomes global ‘smart city’ laboratory n AFP, Santander In Spain’s historic port of Santander, parking is no longer a headache, rubbish bins never overflow and grass is watered only when needed since this northern resort became a testing ground for “smart cities” around the world.

Thousands of sensors have transformed the metropolis, known for the grand hotels and high-end casinos lining its beach on Spain’s northern Atlantic coast, into a high-tech laboratory.

Four hundred alone are buried beneath streets in the city’s busy heart to monitor whether parking spots are free or occupied.

Light panels at intersections and GPS devices direct drivers to the nearest available parking spaces, reducing traffic congestion.

“An app allows you to pay for the parking with your smartphone and when the time runs out, you can extend it directly without having to go down to the street to put more coins in the meter,” said Cristina Munoz, a 32-year-old journalist.

When Luis Munoz, an IT professor at the University of Cantabria, pitched the idea of creating a “smart city” to Santander officials back in 2009, he remembers the first thing they told him: “We have a huge problem with parking”.

Seven years later, Santander, with some 175,000 residents, is a

A resident uses a mobile phone to read a QR code on a public bus stop in Santander kind of living laboratory.

With funding from the European Commission and a handful of foreign universities, around 20,000 sensors are up, down and all around - under the asphalt, affixed to street lamps and riding on top of city buses.

The devices, about the size of a shoebox with four antennae, collect data on rainfall and road traffic which is sent to a control centre to help the city provide services more efficiently and cheaply.

The pilot project has made Santander the most connected city in Europe “in terms of installed infrastructure”, said Munoz, and has even peaked foreign curiosity.

On a recent day, the professor welcomed a delegation from Singapore that wants to share in the Spanish city’s experience.

Other cities such as Boston in the United States and Aarhus in Denmark have also shown interest in working with Santander.

The city is taking part in a dozen international projects whose results are being closely monitored at a time when cities across the world, such as London and Tel Aviv, are deploying IT to deliver services.

Intelligent streetlights

Sensors installed in bins for inorganic waste warn when they are full and ready to be collected.

AFP

The city receives 180 days of rainfall per year and the sensors ensure the automatic irrigation system in public parks only starts working when the soil is dry.

Santander will soon use sensors to ensure that its elegant wroughtiron streetlights reduce the light they emit when no one is nearby.

With a perennial smile, 49-yearold Angel Benito tweaks the display in the window of his shoe shop on one of Santander’s main pedestrian thoroughfares.

On the glass is a QR barcode which can be scanned by a smartphone to provide information about the shop along with a link to its online sales page.

Back in 2012, he was the first shopkeeper to display such a code.

Now there are 1,500 throughout the city.

“Customers can learn about our opening hours, our products, special offers,” he said of the system which even allowed him to take an order from a tourist who visited Santander on a Sunday when the shop was closed.

A smartphone app allows residents and tourists to find shops, libraries, medical centres and transportation.

Another provides residents information about their water consumption in real time and sends an alert to their phone if there is a leak.

Residents creating apps

Santander Mayor Inigo de la Serna acknowledges that the sensors raise concerns about privacy and the risk of cyber-attacks, but he said the goal is to further develop the system.

“There is a data protection law which we must follow and that is a guarantee,” he said.

“A smart city is one where if anything happens, all services start to act automatically. For example, if there is a crack in the pavement, a smart city should boost lighting on that street, send an alarm to locals and automatically detour traffic,” he said. l

CORPORATE NEWS

BFC opens its branch at Mirpur 10 n Tribune Business Desk

Best Fried Chicken (BFC), a local fast food shop, has opened its 15th branch at Mirpur 10 for the food lovers of the area recently. The new branch is located at Plot -01, Road03, Mirpur-10.

Opex and Sinha Group Chairman Anisur Rahman Sinha formally inaugurated the new branch.

The Executive Director of BFC Nizamul Karim Chowdhury and other officials along with invited guests attended at the inaugural ceremony.

In this new branch, consumers can enjoy the tasty food and hygienic environment with friends and family.

Among the experience, there are the BFC staples, crispy fried chicken, chicken cheese burgers, hot wings, chicken nuggets, special rice combo, chicken strips, French fries and beef cheese burgers. To sweeten the meal, one can finish up with the deliciously soft icecream. l

AG Motors, a concern of Anwar Group has recently signed a dealership agreement with Paugeot, a French automobile brand, said a press release. The agreement was signed by Hossain Khaled, managing director of AG Motors and Didier Richard, head of sales and marketing for India and Pacific Region at PSA Peugeot Citroën

BSRM Group has recently signed a partnership agreement with United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) to support the ultra-poor women in rural areas by providing training on life skills. UNDP Bangladesh’s deputy country director, Nick Beresford and chairperson of BSRM Group, Alihussain Akberali have signed the agreement, said a press release

Standard Bank Ltd has recently held its 251st board meeting. The bank’s chairperson, Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed presided over the meeting, said a press release

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited has recently held a board meeting in order to evaluate the bank’s performance. The bank’s chairperson, Engr Mustafa Anwar presided over the meeting, said a press release

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| health |

Spring breakers n

that have been with us since the beginning of time and are the most socially acclaimed and culturally significant are: the runny nose, high temperature, headache and or general pain, nausea and vomiting, lack of energy and diarrhea.

These conditions are so important in medicine that, in almost every illness, one looks out for at least one of these characteristics. A cocktail of all these conditions is considered very serious and is linked to a myriad of diseases. So if you find yourself experiencing these symptoms, your body is falling ill.

It may also be your body’s subtle way of telling you to slow down and live a healthy and happy life.

Sometimes a phone call from the spring breakers might be exactly what you need in your life. If you’re one of those people who claim themselves to be a doctor, who has been to the doctors’ perhaps once in your life and your answer to everything is Paracetamol (like most people in Bangladesh). Then, a few days in bed living off of a healthy,

Pragya Rahman

Hallelujah! It’s Spring, which means it is the season to fall ill with all kinds of viruses and bacteria floating around in the air. Never mind hay fever or dust allergies-your closest confidant of the season. While the season comes every year to add colour and zest to life, it also bring with it an army of various viruses and bacteria. The spring breakers

balanced and nutritious diet in a nurturing, low and controlled stress zone is probably what you need. As far as the self-prescribing of medication is concerned, we as a nation, love to be stoic and show that we’re impervious to vulnerability. But taking medicine (especially anti-biotics, antivirals and painkillers) without consulting your physician will not only bring on the adverse effects of the drugs but may also lead to problems caused by the

drug. Let’s evaluate this issue by looking at our old friend, good ol’ Paracetamol.

It was blessed upon humankind like manna from the heavens and could cure just about anything, or so we think, while this may rid you of your aches and pains temporarily, in the long run it will become the cause of more pain. People who keep popping painkillers for headaches especially migraine sufferers who rely on non-steroidal anti-

inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) tend to develop a much more severe and sometimes chronic form of headaches due to medication overuse. NSAID’s are not known to be gut-friendly and overuse may lead to acid reflux issues and even ulcers. Always consult your physician before taking any medication and report any allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), immediately.

Let’s pretend for a while that the spring breakers have not necessarily attacked you with their fury but gave you a golden opportunity to have your health checked. You’re cold and achy and your stomach’s churning everything out into rubbish, now is the perfect time to pick up the phone and call a doctor. Now brace yourself, the doctor may order some general tests for you but don’t panic. Some of these will include a complete blood count, a lipid profile, a stool and urine test. You should put your doctor’s number on speed dial now and have these tests done at least twice a year even if you are fit as a fiddle.

Always stay positive and remember that health comes first. If needed, take appropriate medication as prescribed by your doctor and you’ll live a long and healthy life. l

| women empowerment |

| bites |

Panel Discussion on the need of digital skills for women

Healthy bites at BBQ Bangladesh

The British Council recently organised a panel discussion titled, “Digital Skills – Can They Change Girls’ Lives?”

The discussion considered the disparity between men and women in terms of access to the internet and smartphone use in developing countries, and how accessing both can have a significantly positive impact on such economies.

Chowdhury Mufad Ahmed, additional secretary, Ministry of Education, Shahin Ahmed Chowdhury, director general, department of women affairs, Mahmuda Rahman Khan, senior program development specialist, USAID Bangladesh and Dr Gitiara Nasreen, professor, gender, media, and ICT expert, University of Dhaka, took part in the discussion as panelists.

Gaynor Evans, head of English, British Council, moderated the discussion.

The panel addressed vital areas pertaining to the topic including the challenges that young women and girls face to

If you’re planning to shed a few pounds, eating out can be quite the challenge since fried food contains a high amount of sodium and processed ingredients that spell murder for your diet plan.

Luckily, BBQ Bangladesh has a number of healthy recipes for you which do not compromise on taste.

The olive tender strips salad

gain relevant digital skills and the initiatives that are currently being taken to address and resolve the issue. It also considered how digital access can enhance economic empowerment and skill development of young girls, how young women and organisations can be encouraged to participate in the gender equality movement, how relevant policies and standards can be strengthened, and the role of governments and NGOs. The various challenges that

stand in the way of women to achieve this potential include a gender digital divide, which has led to a gender skill imbalance and unequal opportunities for women. This is compounded by the need to overcome social norms, the need to embrace the opportunities for women that comes with access to technology and the need to work in multilateral partnerships to bring women in to the technology space.l

puts juicy chicken strips on a bed of fresh greens, drizzled with honey mustard sauce and while the Sous-vide chicken salad is topped off with a flavourful lemon dressing, their fresh garden salad is made tastier with creamy balsamic dressing and feta cheese.

Try these and more at BBQ Bangladesh. l

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Downtime

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THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Unassuming (6) 6 Snake (3) 9 Foolish person (5) 10 Gratis (4) 11 Cathartic drug (5) 12 Anger (3) 13 Supporting beam (6) 15 Uncommon (4) 18 Excuse (4) 21 Greek capital (6) 24 Regret (3) 25 Abnormally fat (5) 28 Article (4) 29 Light beer (5) 30 Was ahead (3) 31 Held principles (6)

DOWN 1 Niggard (5) 2 Lyric poem (3) 3 Restaurant car (5) 4 Vast age (3) 5 Male deer (4) 6 Dry (4) 7 Calm (6) 8 Look narrowly (4) 14 Sharp blow (3) 16 Shrewd (6) 17 Female sheep (3) 19 Loyal vassal (5) 20 Affirms with confidence (5) 21 Seeds covering (4) 22 Pay attention (4) 23 Part of a shoe (4) 26 Interdict (3) 27 Become firm (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 15 represents K so fill K every time the figure 15 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

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016

INSIDE

Why Americans not included in #PanamaPapers Shockwaves from the Panama Papers investigation Investigation launched

Cameron, family won’t take benefit from offshore funds in future Prime Minister David Cameron, his wife and their children will not benefit in future from any offshore funds or trusts, a spokesman said on Wednesday as the British leader faced more questions over family tax affairs.

PAGE 22

UNITED KINGDOM

ICELAND

“I own no shares, no offshore trusts, no offshore funds, nothing like that”

Huge demonstration Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson resigns

UNITED STATES “Tax avoidance is a big global problem”

PANAMA

CHILE President of “Transparent Chile” resigns after his name appears in connection with 5 offshore firms

Nepal and India expressed alarm on Tuesday over a report that children as young as 10 from both countries are being sold as domestic slaves to rich families in the UK for $7,525 each.

PAGE 23

The roots of Saudi’s harsh justice system Last year alone there were 151 executions in Saudi Arabia, the highest number in 20 years. About half died for non-violent offences, and about half were foreigners, according to an Amnesty International report, published on Wednesday.

PAGE 24

UKRAINE

FRANCE

Law firm Mossack Fonseca denounces leaks as “a crime, a felony... an attack on Panama”.

One of the firm founders say company has been “hacked by servers abroad”

Nepal, India alarmed by report of children trafficked as slaves to UK

BANKS

n Tribune International Desk One of the many remarkable things about the massive leak of documents known as the Panama Papers is what’s so far been lacking. Americans.

The documents, related to a Panamanian law firm that specialises in creating shell companies for many of the world’s richest people, provide a glimpse into how secret fortunes and ill-gotten gains are moved through a shady financial network, according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism, which worked with news organisations around the world to analyse the files.

The clients and connections included current and former world leaders, famous athletes and billionaires, but also notorious underworld operatives. The ICIJ says people in the US were involved.

But hardly any are among the bold-faced names made public.

One exception is Chicago-based financial coach and author Marianna Olszewski — who, according to ICIJ member the BBC, allegedly used the firm, Mossack Fonseca, to hide her name as the owner of a secret offshore account.

The seeming dearth of Americans in the reports doesn’t necessarily mean that US citizens are more upfront, or more law abiding, than their counterparts

HSBC, UBS, Credit Suisse and Societe Generale say they did nothing wrong when they set up offshore subsidiaries using Mossack Fonseca

President Petro Poroshenko denies any wrongdoing National Front Party over three offshore denounces “defamation” RUSSIA accounts in his name Kremlin denounces a bid to “destabilse” FOOTBALL President Vladimir Putin and Russia in the run-up Family denies “false PAKISTAN to elections and insulting” Prime Minister Nawaz allegations against Sharif announces Lionel Messi formation of commission to investigate allegations linking family to offshore CHINA companies Beijing censoring reports on the ARGENTINA Panama Papers President Mauricio Macri, accused with investigation, which his father and brother of being directors has implicated of offshore company in Bahamas, says senior politicians “there was nothing strange about the operation”

around the world, experts said.

But there are a number of possible reasons why so few have showed up in the coverage.

First, this was a leak of more than 11m documents, and it will take some time for the ICIJ to scour them. “So maybe there are revelations about specific Americans and secret funds that we haven’t heard about,” said Matt Gardner, executive director of The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a research organisation.

At the same time, it’s possible that Americans who do this sort of thing simply worked with law firms other than Mossack Fonseca.

There are numerous other firms, large and small, American and foreign, that help wealthy clients set up offshore shell corporations — which isn’t of itself illegal, as long as the clients aren’t trying to hide criminal proceeds or dodge tax collectors, experts said.

“This firm is one of thousands in the world and there are hundreds or thousands just like it in the US,” said Ana Owens, a tax and budget advocate at US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), a federation of state-level consumer advocacy organisations.

“If a company in the US can do the exact thing for you as this company in Panama, then you might as well do it right here in the

US and its perfectly legal, which is the issue.”

She cited a series of stories by the Portland Business Journal last year that revealed federal authorities’ failed attempts to catch a California-based “corporation mill” committing fraud, despite evidence of financial crimes by companies related to the firm.

In January, the British activist group Global Witness found several New York real estate lawyers who expressed willingness to help an undercover reporter form shell companies to secretly move suspect money from Africa.

US itself a tax haven

Two states, Delaware or Nevada, along with the US Virgin Islands, are known in particular for loose regulations and low taxes, making them attractive for people to hide their activities and assets behind a corporate facade.

The British-based Tax Justice Network released a “Financial Secrecy Index” of popular tax havens last fall that ranked the US third, behind Switzerland and Hong Kong, and far higher than Panama, at 13th.

What may keep more super-rich Americans from seeking tax havens is that they have less to lose, said Lee Sheppard, an expert in international finance at the nonprofit research organisation Tax Analysts.

“For Americans, taxes aren’t all that high relative to other developed countries,” Sheppard said.

But that doesn’t keep some from trying.

Larry Langdon, a former Internal Revenue Service commissioner, said many of America’s biggest businesses, including Apple and Google, legally cut their tax burdens by forming companies in countries with even lower rates than the US — not only typical havens like islands in the Caribbean, but also job-hungry countries like Ireland.

The IRS wants to catch Americans who are breaking the law by hiding assets. But that has become difficult as budget cuts have forced the IRS to prioritise large corporations over wealthy individuals, he said.

Reform advocates say one possible solution lies in a bill pending in Congress called the Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Assistance Act, which would require states to collect data on the “beneficial ownership” of shell companies. That information could be made available to investigators.

If they get their way, advocates say, Americans would have fewer opportunities to hide assets. l

[This is an excerpt of an NBC News article, which can be found at http:// nbcnews.to/205xzhU]

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#PANAMAPAPERS LEAK

Cameron, family won’t take benefit from offshore funds in future n Reuters, London Prime Minister David Cameron, his wife and their children will not benefit in future from any offshore funds or trusts, a spokesman said on Wednesday as the British leader faced more questions over family tax affairs.

Cameron’s late father, Ian, was among the tens of thousands of people named in leaked documents from Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca which showed how the world’s rich and powerful are able to stash their wealth and avoid taxes.

After having at first described it as a private matter, Cameron’s office said on Tuesday that he and his family did not benefit from any such funds at present. Cameron also said he did not own any shares or have any offshore funds.

But his failure to say whether he or his family would benefit in future only intensified media speculation, with the story splashed across many newspaper front pages on Wednesday.

“There are no offshore funds or trusts which the prime minister, Mrs Cameron or their children will benefit from in future,” a spokesman for Cameron said on Wednesday.

Cameron has cast himself as a champion in the fight against tax evasion, particularly in British-linked territories such as the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands, but the opposition Labour Party have said the “Panama Papers” show the government has failed to tackle the issue.

The Telegraph reported that Ian Cameron’s fund moved its operations to Ireland in 2010, the year Cameron became prime minister, as the directors believed it was about to “come under more scrutiny.”

Asked whether the prime minister considered Ireland an offshore jurisdiction, his office repeated that Cameron had made clear he had no shares in any company and no offshore funds.

“People already think Cameron is very posh, very rich and very out of touch. I expect most of the public probably assume he’s got some huge steaming pile of cash stored away somewhere,” Anthony Wells, a director at pollsters YouGov, said.

“The Conservative Party could be talking about something where they are strong, like crime or the economy, where it would help them win votes. Instead they’re not, they’re talking about something that’s really bad for them where Labour have something to say.”

Finance minister George Osborne, who also comes from a wealthy family, was asked whether he had any offshore funds.

“This Conservative government has done more than any Labour government or any previous government to tackle tax evasion, to tackle tax avoidance, to get money into the exchequer that is owed to the public,” he responded. l

#PanamaPapers: The banks implicated The banks that set up the largest number of offshore firms using the Panamanian law firm as an intermediary

Mossack Fonseca In business since 1977 set up

214,488

HSBC

The main banks

United Kingdom

2,300

Nordea

Denmark

Deutsche Bank

offshore firms

Germany

15,579

(7.26%) of them for

365

banks

Societe Generale France

1,105

979

2/3 of which via a subsiary Source: ICIJ/Le Monde

Credit Suisse

SG Bank and Trust Luxembourg

UBS Switz.

1,100

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Nepal, India alarmed by report of children trafficked as slaves to UK The illustration of the poster Kunaal Bhargava created DNAINDIA

Mumbai teen’s child labour project gets nat’l platform Reuters n Thomson Foundation, Mumbai It began as a school project, became a citywide campaign, and is now a national social media campaign aimed at getting communities to address child labour in India.

Kunaal Bhargava, 17, a student at the American School in Mumbai, picked child labour for a classroom project. He approached Salaam Baalak Trust, a charity that works with street children, for help with material. The Mumbai police were so impressed with the poster campaign he created that it was adapted for billboards across the city earlier this year.

This week, a citizen engagement platform LocalCircles, which connects its more than 1m members in discussions on governance and other matters of public interest, created a discussion group on child labour to seek input on the issue.

“We encounter it (Child labour) every day, so getting the community involved is an effective way to check child labour,” said Bhargava.

There are 5.7m Indian child workers aged between five and 17, out of 168m globally, according to the International Labour Organisation.

Members of the LocalCircles group can, in addition to offering suggestions, post pictures and report instances of child labour that the police and NGOs can act on, said founder Sachin Taparia.

The LocalCircles group for child labour is managed by the Indian Police Foundation, a think tank comprising police officials, bureaucrats and civil society leaders. l

n

Thomson Reuters Foundation, New Delhi/ Kathmandu

Nepal and India expressed alarm on Tuesday over a report that children as young as 10 from both countries are being sold as domestic slaves to rich families in the UK for $7,525 each.

An investigation by The Sun newspaper suggested that gangs operating in the north Indian state of Punjab are preying on destitute Indian children, as well as Nepali children who migrated to India after earthquakes hit their country last year.

The article published on Monday prompted British Home Secretary Theresa May to call for a police investigation into the allegations of child trafficking - “a truly abhorrent crime” - and action against perpetrators.

Government officials in Nepal and India said they are aware human trafficking is common, especially after natural disasters, but were surprised victims are being sent as far away as the UK. “We have no proof now. If any proof is found out during investigation, we will bring those involved it the crime to justice.

There is no question of leaving them without punishment,” Yadav Koirala, spokesman for Nepal’s Home Ministry, said.

“It is a known fact that children from poor families are trafficked from states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh bordering Nepal. The last devastating earthquake in Nepal has added to this problem,” said an official of the Indian home ministry, who did not want to be named.

He said cases of human trafficking were possible in Punjab where drug trafficking is a problem, and that the same gangs could be involved in buying and selling children as well.

A Bombay High Court bench has asked the BJP-ruled Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) whether “India is for Hindus only”, while expressing anguish over the corporation’s move to recite ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ (a Hindu devotional hymn) at an AIDS awareness programme.

The Nagpur bench of the court, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) suit on Tuesday, expressed strong reservations over the plan to recitation of hymn,

praising Hindu God Hanuman, at the awareness event, which is taking in association with a local organisation called the Ram Mandir Trust.

“Why only recital of Hanuman Chalisa and why not from Qur’an, the Bible or other religious literature? What is the nexus of AIDS awareness and Hanuman Chalisa recital? Is it only Hindus who contract AIDS? Is chanting of Hanuman Chalisa the only remedy for eradication of this deadly disease? the division bench asked.

“If people can come for this

SOUTH ASIA

Suu Kyi’s state counselor bill passes despite military protest Myanmar’s military lawmakers made clear their opposition to a bill to create a powerful new presidential advisory role for Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday by refusing to take part in a lower house of parliament vote on it. The bill, which creates a state counselor position enabling Suu Kyi to work in both in the executive and legislative branches, passed in the lower house but not before raising tension between the military and Suu Kyi’s party.

-REUTERS

INDIA

Amitabh Bachchan denies link with Panama Papers A pictograph of child and women slavery

‘Take a Nepalese to England’

The Sun’s investigation was carried out by an undercover reporter posing as a wealthy British-Indian visiting the city of Jalandhar, looking for a child worker to take back to the UK. It quotes a trader called Makkhan Singh, who had lined up three children for the reporter to choose from, claiming he had supplied mostly Nepali boys to rich families in England.

“Take a Nepalese to England.

They are good people. They are good at doing all the housework and they’re very good cooks. No one is going to come after you,” he was quoted as saying.

South Asia is the fastest-growing and second-largest region for human trafficking in the world, after East Asia, according to the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

India, alone, is home to almost half the world’s 36m slaves, according to the 2015 Global Slavery Index, produced by the Australia-based Walk Free Foundation.

Thousands of children, mostly from poor rural areas, are taken to cities every year by gangs who sell them into bonded la-

BIGSTOCK

bour or hire them out to unscrupulous employers. Many end up as domestic workers or labourers in brick kilns, roadside restaurants or small textile and embroidery workshops. Many women and girls are sold into brothels.

40,000 children hit after quakes

Earthquakes that struck Nepal in April and May 2015, killed some 8,800 people, left hundreds of thousands of families homeless and raised concerns among rights groups that trafficking rings would take advantage of the vulnerable.

Nepali officials say more than 40,000 children either lost their parents, were injured, or were placed in a precarious situation following the disaster.

Back in Britain, Home Secretary May called on The Sun to help with the police investigation in the UK. “We encourage The Sun to share its disturbing findings with the Police and National Crime Agency so that appropriate action can be taken against the vile criminals who profit from this trade,” May said in a statement on Monday. l

Court asks whether India is for Hindus only n Tribune Desk

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World

event, they will also come for recitation of Qur’an and Bible,” the court observed.

The judges disposed of the suit filed by former corporator, after both the NMC and programme convener, who is the ruling party’s leader in the civic body, agreed to disassociate with the two events (AIDS awareness and Hanuman Chalisa event).

The judges said that they were not against any religious programme, but only concerned with government agencies associating with it.

The judges asked the respondents (NMC and the temple trust) to keep at least an hour’s gap between the AIDS awareness programme and the Hanuman Chalisa recitation, which over 150,000 people are expected to attend.

The court further directed to ensure that separate banners are put up backstage during both the programmes, with individual names of organisers. The NMC was also asked to give wide publicity to its AIDS awareness programme, without mentioning the Hanuman Chalisa event. l

Actor Amitabh Bachchan, whose name figured in the Panama Paper leaks as allegedly having links with offshore entities in two tax havens, on Tuesday denied any connection with those companies, saying his name may have been misused. He also claimed that even the news report had not suggested any wrongdoing on his part.

-HT

CHINA

China opens lighthouse on S China Sea reef China has expanded its presence in the contested South China Sea by switching on a lighthouse atop a reconstructed reef also claimed by Vietnam and the Philippines, state media said. The 55-meter-high facility on Subi Reef in the Spratly chain contains technology to monitor passing ships. China has turned Subi Reef - known as Zhubi in China - into an artificial island in the past year.

-AFP

ASIA PACIFIC

Japanese military jet carrying 6 airmen missing A Japanese military jet carrying 6 airmen disappeared from radar over southern Japan on Wednesday afternoon, and the search has been suspended for the night. Defence Ministry said the U-125 search-andrescue jet lost contact while it was flying over mountains about 10km north of the Air Self-Defence Force’s Kanoya base in Kagoshima.

-AFP

MIDDLE EAST

Arab-Jewish segregation comments spark criticism A far-right Israeli politician has been admonished by his party and roundly condemned by commentators after suggesting Jewish and Arab women should be separated in maternity wards in apartheid-style segregation. Betzalel Smotrich, a 36-year-old member of parliament from the Jewish Home Party, is an ultra-nationalist settler who is frequently outspoken on issues of religion and the Palestinians.-REUTERS

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THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016

USA

Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders win Wisconsin Republican Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Bernie Sanders snatched victories in the crucial Wisconsin presidential primary Tuesday, sending a message to frontrunners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton that their march to the nominations are not foregone conclusions. Cruz’s win in the Badger State is a serious blow to Trump and could alter the trajectory of the Republican race.

-AFP

THE AMERICAS

New Mexico envoy to US to tackle Trump tensions Mexico on Tuesday named a new ambassador to the United States who it said would tackle the anti-Mexican atmosphere generated in the US presidential campaign. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto promoted his current consul in Los Angeles, Carlos Sada, to ambassador in Washington in what his government called a shift in strategy. -AFP

UK

Junior doctors stage 4th strike in bitter dispute Junior doctors in English hospitals went on strike again Wednesday, withdrawing all but emergency care in their fourth walk-out in a bitter dispute with the government over working conditions. More than 5,000 procedures and operations in the state-run National Health Service have been postponed as a result of the 48-hour action. The government has said it would impose new terms in August to force an end to nearly three years of dispute.

-REUTERS

EUROPE

Russia in major security forces reshuffle Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday announced the creation of powerful new National Guard security force. The Kremlin said that the Naional Guard will answer directly to Putin and tackle terrorism and organised crime. Analysts say the move comes as the Kremlin strives to bolster its security apparatus ahead of parliamentary elections in September in the face of a crippling economic crisis authorities fear could stir unrest.

-AFP

AFRICA

Nigeria opens camp to rehabilitate Boko Haram Nigeria’s military has opened a camp to rehabilitate Boko Haram fighters who have surrendered and are repentant, the military said Tuesday. The military did not give any details of the camp is or how it run, but said the repentant militants would be given vocational training so they can help contribute to the economy.

-AP

INSIGHT

The roots of Saudi’s harsh justice system n Tribune International Desk In 2013, A Canadian school, which set up a a satellite campus in Saudi Arabia’s Jazan drew huge criticism from home after Saudi authorities had executed five Yemenis for murder, and put their corpses on display on a pole strung between two cranes as a warning to others at the city centre.

Though it’s a standard practice in the desert kingdom, but it was a bit too much for the Canadian authorities to digest, since the country considers itself one of the biggest defender of human rights in home and abroad.

Last year alone there were 151 executions in Saudi Arabia, the highest number in 20 years.

About half died for non-violent offences, and about half were foreigners, according to an Amnesty International report, published on Wednesday.

This year began on an even bloodier note, with 47 executions on January 2 alone, including that of a prominent Shia cleric who had spoken against the royal family.

Rooted in religion

In fact, Saudi Arabia puts fewer people to death than either China or Iran. But Saudi Arabia’s grim tally attracts attention for three main reasons.

One is that many of those put to death are foreigners (mostly poor migrant workers); another is that it executes people for “crimes” (like adultery or even sorcery) that are not considered offences in other countries; and the third is that its punishments — beheading, whipping, crucifying and stoning — are so shocking to civilised sensibilities.

These actions make it difficult for allies to defend the kingdom, particularly because similar punishments are often cited as part of the justification for waging war on groups like Dae’sh and the Taliban.

And yet Saudi Arabia also appears uniquely impervious to outside pressure to change its ways, which are rooted in religion.

“Saudi Arabia has always been a very difficult country to push human rights change in,” says Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada. “It’s very resistant to external pressure, and it’s been ruthless in crushing internal reform efforts.”

One of the leading experts on the country, Gregory Gause, the head of the international affairs department at Texas A&M University, agrees that the Saudis are not feeling the heat.

“The more power a country has

in the international system, the less they have to worry about human rights reports,” he says. “And the Saudis have leverage because of oil.”

But Gause says there is one area where the Saudis are very touchy, and that may have influenced the methods it used in the recent mass execution.

“They’re extremely sensitive to the comparison to the Islamic State (Dae’sh). Not many of the 47 were beheaded. Most of them were stood up in front of firing squads,” a decision, Gause says, that was “probably” influenced by a desire to differentiate the kingdom from the jihadist group.

Rule by fatwa

Islam has no established clergy, and yet senior religious figures can issue edicts or fatwas that have legal force in Saudi Arabia.

Among them are about 700 qadis or religious justices who can decide individual cases.

These judges are known for their conservative world views.

In 2008, for example, one of the most influential of these Saudi qadis issued a fatwa against Mickey Mouse, warning that mice and other rodents were “soldiers of Satan.”

Other Saudi fatwas ban Pokemon cards, Barbie dolls, marking Valentine’s Day or bringing flowers to a sick person in hospital.

How rigorously a fatwa is enforced can depend on the personal religious authority of the man who issued it.

While the al-Saud family holds the throne, it is the al ash-Shaykh family that sits atop the kingdom’s religious, and therefore judicial, hierarchy as grand muftis. They are the direct descendents of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, who founded the kingdom’s official creed of Wahhabi Islam in the 18th century.

Bonds of marriage and mutual interest have joined the two families together for 270 years. The al ash-Shaykh family, more than the Sauds, are generally considered the true guardians of Saudi conservatism.

The last grand mufti, Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz, issued a fatwa that the sun rotated around the Earth, deeming it “lawful to kill whoever claims that the sun is static.” Bin Baz only changed his mind in 1985 after Saudi Prince Sultan bin Salman went into space on the shuttle Discovery and returned to Earth to say that he had seen the planet rotating.

The prince also succeeded in persuading Bin Baz to drop his long-standing insistence that the world was flat.

Executions in Saudi Arabia 2015

151

2014

90

2013

79

2012

79

2011

82

2010 27 2009

69

2008

102

2007

143

Source: Amnesty International The kingdom’s only law book

The vagaries of the Saudi justice system, however, can be seen in any number of cases, including that of Ali Hussain Sibat, a Lebanese TV personality who had his own call-in show where he wore a turban and peered into a crystal ball.

In 2008, Sibat visited Saudi Arabia on pilgrimage, and was unfortunate enough to be recognised by a member of Saudi Arabia’s Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, known colloquially as the religious police. He was hauled before a Sharia court and sentenced to death for “predicting the future.”

No such crime exists in the Saudi criminal code, because there is no Saudi criminal code.

The ulama, the Saudi religious establishment, insists that no codified law is required because all that needs to be said about law and punishment can be found in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, the oral tenets of Islam that have been handed down over the centuries.

Consequently, Sharia court judges are free to improvise charges such as “predicting the future,” “breaking allegiance with the ruler” or, in the case of the recently executed Shia cleric, “seeking foreign meddling.”

Those charges are typically linked back to a broader category of offence that appears in the Qur’an.

In Sibat’s case, it was “sorcery.”

Dhaka Tribune

What has happened to him since his death sentence is unknown, but Saudi Arabia continues to behead men and women, mostly foreigners, whom it accuses of casting spells and making magic potions.

Reform a long way off

Still, it would be a mistake to imagine that removing the current establishment would lead to a more liberal regime, says Gause.

“The central parts of Saudi Arabia are extremely conservative, socially. And if you had a true democratic system, I think you’d have a lot of people who are more socially conservative than the royal family coming to power.”

The practices that shock people, including the public beheadings and the public display of bodies all seem likely to continue.

Advocates of more democracy will remain targets.

“I think that the current regime feels itself to be in a threatened regional environment,” says Gause. “They’re also going to have to confront the domestic issues of falling oil prices, and what that means for government spending, and I think their impulse is not going to be to loosen up. I think it’s going to be to tighten up.” l

[This is an excerpt from a CBC article, which can be found at http://bit. ly/1OVq4GY]

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THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016

INSIDE

'Bachao Football' meets BCB president A group of sports organisers and former footballers of the country with the slogan “Bachao Football” (Save Football) yesterday sought support from Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan so that they can present their message to PM Sheikh Hasina. PAGE 26

Ground honour for WI captain Sammy Darren Sammy’s World Twenty20 success has been recognised by his native St Lucia after it was announced that the island’s main cricket ground would be renamed in his honour. The Beausejour Cricket Ground will now be known as the Darren Sammy National Cricket Ground. PAGE 27

Barca protected, fumes Torres Fernando Torres raged that Atletico Madrid are not treated equally to Barcelona by referees after his early red card turned their Champions League QF, first leg around on Tuesday. Torres had put Atletico in front at the Camp Nou. PAGE 28

Homecoming for Liverpool’s Klopp Jurgen Klopp makes his eagerly anticipated return to Borussia Dortmund today when his Liverpool side visit the German giants in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final heavyweight clash. Klopp spent seven years at Dortmund. PAGE 29

Luis Suarez (R) heads to score for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid during their Uefa Champions League QF, first-leg at the Nou Camp on Tuesday

BARCA’S 7-GAME ATM WINNING STREAK Luis Suarez made the difference for Barcelona once more against Atletico Madrid as his second-half double handed the Catalans a 2-1 Champions League quarter-final, first leg lead. Here, AFP Sports looks at how Suarez’s partnership with Lionel Messi and Neymar has allowed Barca to regain the upper hand on Diego Simeone’s side.

Barcelona 3 Atletico Madrid 1 La Liga, January 11, 2015

Barca came into this clash in the midst of a crisis having lost at Real Sociedad in their previous league game and with coach Luis Enrique apparently one more defeat away from the sack.

Instead, Suarez, Messi and Neymar all scored in the same game for the first time in La Liga to kickstart a run of 12 wins in 13 games that would eventually carry Barca to the title.

Barcelona 1 Atletico Madrid 0 Copa del Rey, January 21, 2015

Just 10 days later the sides met again in the Copa del Rey with far fewer talking points as Atletico’s defensive set-up frustrated Barca for 85 minutes until Messi stabbed in the rebound after his penalty

had been saved by Jan Oblak.

Atletico Madrid 2 Barcelona 3 Copa del Rey, January 28, 2015

One of a series of bad-tempered affairs between the two in recent seasons, Atletico ended with nine men and could have been even more depleted had now Barca midfielder Arda Turan not escaped with just a yellow card for throwing his boot towards an assistant referee.

Torres had raised hopes of an Atletico fightback when he netted inside the first minute before Neymar’s equaliser left the hosts needing two more to progress.

Raul Garcia’s penalty put them back in front, but a Miranda own goal and second from Neymar sealed the tie before half-time.

Atletico Madrid 0 Barcelona 1 La Liga, May 17, 2015

A year after Atletico won the title at the Camp Nou on the final day of the season, Barca got their revenge by sealing a 23rd La Liga crown thanks to Messi’s sumptuous solo effort.

Atletico Madrid 1 Barcelona 2 La Liga, September 12, 2015

Messi only stated the next

meeting at the Calderon on the bench a day after the birth of his second son, but he again proved the match winner by prodding home Suarez’s layoff after Neymar’s brilliant free-kick had cancelled out Torres’s opener.

Barcelona 2 Atletico Madrid 1 La Liga, January 30, 2016

Atletico couldn’t have started any better as their early dominance was rewarded with Koke’s 10th-minute opener.

Yet, two brilliant goals

by Messi and Suarez in an eight-minute spell turned the game around before Filipe Luis and Diego Godin were justly sent off either side of half-time to leave Atletico down to nine men once more.

Barcelona 2 Atletico Madrid 1

Champions League, April 5, 2016 Again Atletico went ahead as Torres punished some awful defending for his 11th goal against Barca, but the former Liverpool and Chelsea striker undid his good work by lunging in on Neymar and Sergio Busquets shortly after.

A second-half Barca onslaught ensued and Suarez finally made Atletico pay with two goals in 12 minutes to leave the tie finely poised. l

REUTERS

TALKING POINTS KEY PLAYER: LUIS SUÁREZ The brains of the visiting team, midfielder Koke played superbly in a first half in which Ter Stegen’s brilliant save from Antoine Griezmann kept the holders alive. But after Atleti went down to ten, the power and irresistibility of the home side took over, Andrés Iniesta their ever tireless and nerveless orchestrator. Meanwhile Suárez, as he did here against Bayer Leverkusen and Arsenal, proved that having a striker for whom the goalmouth is magnetic is the difference between winning and losing.

THE SIMEONE SPECIALTY Most teams struggle to cope against Barcelona with 11 men, but for the second time in little more than two months Atlético played at the Camp Nou with numerical inferiority. That they threatened with nine men in January’s Liga meeting, and with ten here, is testimony to their tactical nous, fitness and collective fortitude. And if their Herculean efforts earned little moments of fortune in keeping the score down, perhaps it is evidence of the old refrain that ‘the harder I work the luckier I get’.

HISTORY MAKERS? Part of the allure of this competition is that no club has successfully defended the UEFA Champions League title. This quarter-final is still open and what the first leg made clear is that the distance between the sides, even after so many Atlético defeats, is paper-thin. Even so, could this be the year the holders finally do it? Can Barcelona overcome the tiredness, the hurdles, the stress, the travelling and the different playing styles? We shall see.l

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Bachao Football group meets BCB president n Tribune Report

TOP FIVE BOWLING DISPLAYS OF THE 2016 WT20

A group of sports organisers and former footballers of the country with the slogan “Bachao Football” (Save Football) yesterday sought support from Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan so that they can present their message to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Ahead of the upcoming Bangladesh Football Federation election, scheduled to be held on April 30, Bachao Football, an opposition alliance of current president Kazi Salahuddin as well as the existing executive committee, met the BCB supremo at his Gulshan residence without the presence of one of its key leaders Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi president Manjur Kader. Mohammedan’s director-in-charge Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan was also absent.

I listened to the players and organisers. They want changes in BFF. They gave me a responsibility and I will try my best to raise the matter to the Prime Minister soon Golam Sarwar Tipu, Sheikh Mohammad Aslam, Zakaria Pintoo, Ashrafuddin Ahmed Chunnu, Shamsul Alam Manju, Kaisar Hamid, Abdur Gaffar and Shafiqul Islam Manik were present among others.

Papon assured the organisers that he would talk about this issue with the Premier. “I listened to the players and organisers. They want changes in BFF. They gave me a responsibility and I will try my best to raise the matter to the Prime Minister soon,” said the BCB boss.

On the other hand, BFF chief Salahuddin termed the efforts of Bachao Football as a mere stunt before the BFF election.

“I want to ask the question who are they? Are they footballers?

If they are national footballers or something like that then what is their contribution in the country’s football? There are some people who has been living abroad for the last 10 years and suddenly they are asking about the development of Bangladesh football,” said Salahuddin before adding, “I do not want to ask what they did as footballers.

This is absolutely a stunt before the BFF election. All they want to show is that they are some stakeholders of Bangladesh football. Actually they are not.” l

MITCHELL SANTNER

SAMUEL BADREE

4/11 (4 overs) against India

2/16 (4) against England

The 24-year old left-arm spinner bowled brilliantly against the hosts in the Super 10s, bagging four miserly wickets. Santner extracted maximum purchase from the Nagpur pitch as the home side were skittled out for a paltry 79.

The leg-spinner, who bowled the opening over in the grand finale, repaid the faith of captain Darren Sammy, conceding just 16 runs from his quota of four overs. The 35-year old was economical throughout the entire tournament.

CHAMPIONS

MUSTAFIZUR RAHMAN

BEN STOKES

5/22 (4) against New Zealand

3/26 (4) against New Zealand

Although it came in a losing cause, the pace sensation still left his mark against the Kiwis.

Among his five scalps, the wily delivery that shattered the timber of skipper Kane Williamson was the best of the lot.

With the exception of “that final over”, the right-arm seamer was consistent, especially his bowling in the death overs. In the semi-final, the Kiwis managed just 32 runs in their last five overs due to Stokes’ brilliant spell.

HARDIK PANDYA

2/29 (3) against Bangladesh

The bowling figure might not appear outstanding but his last over in which he scalped two wickets helped his side defend 11 runs. His spell was lauded in many quarters as one of the best performances in the sixth edition.

–MAZHAR UDDIN

West Indies cricketer Dwayne Bravo attends the launch of the 'Ultimate Sports Coaching' cricket camp in Chennai yesterday

AFP

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QUICK BYTES Women’s players’ transfer today The players’ transfer of the upcoming Dhaka Premier Division Women’s Cricket League will be held at the Academy building of the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla national stadium today. The players’ transfer of the women’s cricket league however, will not be similar to the mens’ players’ draft where the cricketers have been divided into different categories. The 16 national women cricketers will receive Tk 1.5 lac-Tk 6 lac while the players outside the national pool will pocket Tk 20,000-Tk 1 lac. All the teams will face each other once in the league with the top six sides advancing to the next round.

–TRIBUNE REPORT

Goalkeeper hospitalised after lightning strike An 18-year-old Australian-born goalkeeper was in intensive care in a Malaysian hospital after being reportedly struck by lightning while training in Malacca, local media said yesterday. Stefan Petrovski, of mixed Malaysian and Australian heritage, was hit along with 21-year-old defender Muhd Afiq Azuan as they left training with second tier Melaka United on Tuesday and were rushed to hospital.

–REUTERS

Kiwi shock jocks suspended over Stokes prank A pair of New Zealand radio presenters were suspended Wednesday for broadcasting a heated conversation with England all-rounder Ben Stokes’ mother without her knowledge. Radio Hauraki shock jocks Jeremy Wells and Matt Heath had been mocking Kiwi-born Stokes’ role in England’s loss to the West Indies in the World Twenty20 final on Sunday before the on-air incident. Stokes, who moved from Christchurch to England as a child, conceded four consecutive sixes in the final over to give the Windies victory, making him a target for some New Zealanders.

–AFP

Rangers return to elite after four-year exile Rangers ended a four-year exile from the Scottish Premiership when they beat Dumbarton 1-0 with a second-half goal by James Tavernier to clinch the Championship title and automatic promotion at Ibrox Stadium on Tuesday. The victory means they will be back among the elite next season.

–REUTERS

An action of the KFC Independence Cup match between Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi (C) and Brothers Union at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday

Wedson, Emeka brilliance inspire Sk Jamal n Shishir Hoque A brilliant hattrick by Wedson Anselme propelled Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi to a comprehensive 5-0 win over Brothers Union in the KFC Independence Cup at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Emeka Darlington and Wedson, who have been in superb form in the last two seasons, were involved in all five goals as the premier league champions inched closer to the semi-finals after collecting maximum points from two matches. Emeka netted two goals and assisted as many.

It took the Dhanmondi-based outfit 20 minutes to break the deadlock through the combination

of none other than Emeka-Wedson. Receiving a through pass from Emeka, Haitian winger Wedson rounded off the opposition goalkeeper before placing the ball home into an empty net.

The deadly duo caused havoc just three minutes later to double Sheikh Jamal’s lead and this time it was Emeka who was the scorer.

Wedson further extended the lead in the 72nd minute after capitalising on a deflected lob from Enamul Haque.

Emeka made it 4-0 three minutes later, slotting home from a perfectly-weighted Wedson through pass.

Wedson then completed his first hattrick of the season in the 84th minute.

Earlier yesterday at the same venue, Rahmatganj MFS registered their first victory in the season-opening tournament following their come-from-behind 3-2 win against Feni Soccer Club.

Ghanaian striker Twum Frank put Feni ahead in the 12th minute, placing home a Akbar Hossain Ridon cross.

A blunder by Feni custodian Osman Goni though allowed Rahmatganj midfielder Sohel Mia to equalise the margin in the quarter-hour mark.

Rahmatganj dominated proceedings in the second half and deservedly took the lead in the 66th minute. Congolese forward Siyo Zunapio tapped home a low Nurul

Ground honour for Sammy n AFP Darren Sammy’s success in captaining the West Indies to the World Twenty20 title has been recognised by his native St Lucia after it was announced that the island’s main cricket ground would be renamed in his honour.

The Beausejour Cricket Ground will now be known as the Darren Sammy National Cricket Ground, with one of the stands to be named in honour of fellow St Lucian and Twenty20 winner Johnson Charles.

According to the West Indies Cricket Board, the announcement was made by the Prime Minister of St Lucia, Kenny D. Anthony, at a “welcome reception” on the island

on Tuesday.

“The West Indies Cricket Board would like to congratulate West Indies captain, Darren Sammy and opener, Johnson Charles for the honour their home country St Lucia has bestowed on them,” the WICB added in a statement, issued from their St John’s, Antigua, headquarters.

Sunday’s victory over England, in a thrilling Kolkata final where Carlos Brathwaite hit four successive sixes in the last over, meant the West Indies became the first team to win the World Twenty20 title twice.

Sammy, 32, was also the West Indies’ captain when they beat then hosts Sri Lanka in the 2012 final in Colombo.

But immediately after the team’s latest triumph at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens ground, the all-rounder slammed the WICB for a “disappointing” lack of support, saying the team felt “disrespected” by their own officials. Sammy’s comments came on the back of a bitter pay dispute that has dogged West Indies cricket for several years.

Dave Cameron, the WICB president, responded by calling Sammy’s remarks “inappropriate”.

However, Cameron added the board would meet players after the end of the Indian Premier League next month to persuade them to play for the West Indies, rather than opt for lucrative franchise Twenty20 leagues.l

MI MANIK

Absar cross.

Zunapiyo netted his second of the day six minutes later after the Feni netminder came out of the box only to fluff his lines. Zunapiyo drifted past the keeper, entered the penalty area alone and had enough time to head home.

Frank helped Feni reduce the arrears in injury time with a superb goal. The Ghanaian out-muscled his marker, collected a pass from Iqbal Hossain Bhuiyan, turned round and curled the ball into the far post.

Sheikh Russel will take on Team BJMC in their second match today while Mohammedan face newly-promoted Uttar Baridhara Club in the other tie of the day. l

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Benfica treat Bayern defeat as moral victory n Reuters, Lisbon From the rapturous reception they received on their return home to the comments from their players and coach, it was clear that Benfica regarded their 1-0 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich as a moral victory.

Bayern had scored 18 goals in their four previous home European games and when Arturo Vidal gave them a second-minute lead in Tuesday’s quarter-final first leg at the Allianz Arena, the Portuguese champions appeared destined for a long night.

Instead, the defensive pairing of Victor Lindelof and Jardel succeeded in doing what few others

BAYERN v BENFICA 1-0

Benfica

Possession (%)

36 10 1 4 5 2 2 2 0 12 10 287 219

Bayern Munich Vidal 2

64 15 5 8 2 5 5 2 0 11 11 665 591

Total attempts on target off target blocked Corners Offsides Yellow cards Red Cards Fouls committed Fouls suffered Passes completed

have this season by keeping Robert Lewandowski off the scoresheet, while full backs Andre Almeida and Eliseu nullified Franck Ribery and Douglas Costa. Regarded as the rank outsiders among the eight quarter-finalists, Benfica now believe they have at least a chance of pulling off a memorable win when they host the German champions in next week’s second leg.

“Bayern certainly wanted to win 5-0 but we played superbly,” midfielder Nicolas Gaitan told.

“We’ll be much stronger in our own stadium, with the backing of our supporters.” “The team played to a really high standard, they played with conviction and determination,” coach Rui Vitoria said.

“I’m a proud coach after seeing the team play with such personality.

“We came here to do our job without changing our strategy. The tie is open,” he added.

“Even when they scored in the second minute, I wasn’t worried because I know my team. The team were fantastic in the way they interpreted the match.” Vitoria’s team have shown they are at their most dangerous when battling against the odds. They lost their first three meetings with neighbours Sporting this season, yet won the one which really mattered last month when a 1-0 success took the top of the Portuguese league at the expense of their rivals. They have remained there ever since.l

Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal vies with Benfica defender Victor Nilsson-Lindelof (R) during their Champions League quarter-final, first-leg in Munich, southern Germany on Tuesday AFP

Barca protected, fumes Torres after red card n AFP, Barcelona Fernando Torres raged that Atletico Madrid are not treated equally to Barcelona by referees after his early red card turned their Champions League quarter-final, first leg around on Tuesday.

Torres had put Atletico in front at the Camp Nou before seeing two quick-fire yellow cards to leave the visitors a man light for over an hour. Luis Suarez finally converted Barca’s relentless second-half pressure into a 2-1 lead as he struck twice in 12 minutes.

However, Atletico were enraged as unlike Torres, Suarez escaped punishment for a kick out at Juanfran and an off-the-ball incident with Filipe Luis.

“They shouldn’t have been cards. If it had been the other way around then they wouldn’t have been given,” Torres told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope.

“With 11 (men) we would have won without any doubt.”

And the former Liverpool and Chelsea striker claimed UEFA have their priorities wrong after making

both sides play in their away kits to avoid a colour clash.

“UEFA worry about making us change shirts, but they didn’t appoint a referee that is up to the level of the Champions League quarter-finals.”

Luis went even further by implying UEFA are scared of Barcelona not reaching the final.

“I don’t know what Barca play-

ers have to do to get sent off just like us,” Luis told. “You can tell there is fear that Barca will be eliminated.” Coach Diego Simeone was more measured in his criticism and was happy to escape Catalonia with the tie still in the balance.

“There were more than two incidents involving Suarez,” said Atletico boss Diego Simeone.

“I can’t say what I think, but I

am not angry with Fernando (Torres) for sure. We had a great firsthalf, in the second we tried to limit the damage as much as possible for the game that is still to come.”

Barca boss Luis Enrique was understandably less sympathetic towards Torres. “Both of Torres’s two yellow cards are clear,” he said.

“They may have been unintentional, but they are clear.” l

BARCA v ATLETICO 2-1

Barcelona

Atletico Madrid

Suarez 63, 74

Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres (L) is shown a red card by referee Felix Brych during their Uefa Champions League quarter-final, first-leg against FC Barcelona at the Nou Camp, Barcelona, Spain on Tuesday REUTERS

68 19 5 8 6 1 2 3 3 0 19 687 631

Torres 25 Possession (%) Total attempts on target off target blocked

against woodwork Corners Offsides Yellow cards Red Cards Fouls committed Passes completed

32 7 2 2 3 0 2 0 8 1 16 219 164

Messi tax trial dates altered for Copa America n AFP, Barcelona Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi’s trial for tax fraud has been reset to its initial start date of May 31 after an earlier change in the schedule threatened his participation in June’s Copa America in the United States.

The initial decision to delay the start of the trial till June 7 would have seen Messi at least miss Argentina’s opening group game against reigning champions Chile in Santa Clara, California, on June 6.

However, a judicial source said yesterday that the trial would start as scheduled on May 31 after a “misunderstanding” regarding the dates without offering further details.

Messi and his father Jorge have been charged with tax fraud for allegedly failing to declare 4.16 million euros ($4.74 million) in taxes related to his image rights between 2007 and 2009 through front companies in Belize and Uruguay.l

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IPL Maharashtra matches should be shifted n BBC A court in India has recommended the shifting of Indian Premier League games from the western state of Maharashtra to save water, as parts of the state are suffering from severe drought.

Some 20 IPL Twenty20 games are scheduled in the cities of Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur in April and May. Pune and Nagpur are located in a region which has suffered two consecutive droughts. The IPL is the richest of the world’s Twenty20 cricket leagues.

Top Indian and international players take part in the

tournament each spring.

Eight teams will participate in this year’s tournament, scheduled to begin in Mumbai, Maharashtra’s capital, on Saturday.

Judges of the Bombay High Court said on Wednesday that a lot of water was required to prepare the pitches for the tournament.

One report estimates that six million litres of water is needed for the upkeep of the pitches and the ground in the three cities.

“How can you waste water like this? Are people more important or IPL? How can you be so careless,” a judge was quoted as saying by the

NDTV news channel.

“This is criminal wastage.

You know the situation in Maharashtra.”

The court is hearing a petition on drought conditions in the state.

IPL chairman and MP Rajiv Shukla said on Tuesday that the games would go on as scheduled.

“As far as the question of drought, water is concerned, we are with the farmers of Maharashtra, we are ready to help in all possible ways.

If the Maharashtra Government brings a proposal, then all of us will think in what way we can help the farmers,” he told reporters.l

Sporting Braga players take part in a training session at the club's training grounds in Braga yesterday on the eve of their UEFA Europa League match against Shaktar Donetsk AFP

Dortmund homecoming for Liverpool’s Klopp n AFP, Paris

bid to add to their haul of 11 European trophies.

The Reds have been plagued by inconsistency this term but have fared well against tougher opposition, and midfielder James Milner is confident Liverpool can stand up to Dortmund.

“We don’t fear anyone and

Jurgen Klopp makes his eagerly anticipated return to Borussia Dortmund today when his Liverpool side visit the German giants in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final heavyweight clash.

Klopp spent seven years at Dortmund, guiding them to a pair of Bundesliga titles as well as the Braga 2013 Champions League Villarreal final, but is now plotting Athletic Bilbao the downfall of his former Dortmund employers as Liverpool

FIXTURES v v v v

Donetsk Sparta Prague Sevilla Liverpool

we’ve proved this year we can beat anyone,” Milner told Liverpool’s official website.

“We have to make sure we’re on our game and if we do that we’ve got every chance of going through to the next round.”

Having seen off eternal rivals Manchester United in the last 16, Liverpool will hope to use the Anfield crowd to their advantage in the return leg but Milner knows that all depends on securing a favourable result at Signal Iduna Park.l

DAY’S WATCH FOOTBALL TEN 1

12:00AM UEFA Europa League Athletic v Sevilla

TEN 2

TEN 3 12:00AM UEFA Europa League Villarreal vs. Sparta Praha

BADMINTON

12:00AM UEFA Europa League

STAR SPORTS 2

Dortmund v Liverpool

Malaysia Open

4:00PM

HOCKEY

STAR SPORTS 1

Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2016 2:00PM Australia v India 4:00PM New Zealand v Canada 6:30PM Japan v Malaysia

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Showtime

Six desi classics from the ‘1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die’

by The Byrds. Following him at number 131 is The United States of America by The United States of America.

n Nate Rabe Who doesn’t love to Google themselves? There is nothing more intriguing than staring into the still cyber waters of the Internet and whispering, “Who’s the fairest of them all?”

In the world of rock and roll there are many narcissistic ponds which inform us exactly who is the greatest, the best and the most popular. Usually these take the form of end-of-year round-ups.

Or increasingly, they take over an entire edition of a monthly whenever the editors have run out of offbeat angles to cover the stars of the moment: The Top 100 Reggae Albums of All Time! The Best 200 Singles of the 1990s! The 50 Best Overlooked Jazz Records You Must Own! In 2005 the mother of all such compendiums landed in bookstores with the rather bossy title, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Music freaks and bass players all around the world drooled with excitement as they thumbed its 960 pages to count how many of the albums on this “ultimate list” they once owned, had lent to an ex-girlfriend or had downloaded on to one of several external HDs. While 1001 AYMHBYD (which has been regularly updated) is certainly exhaustive it has its detractors. Partisans are aghast that their favourites are not included. Classical music and jazz snobs suggest the number 1001 is far too ambitious as no more than 75 rock and roll records are worthy of serious reflection. I’m somewhere in the middle. It’s easy to make a case of the top 10 or even 100 albums but what serious criteria separates 390 and 391? And why is there no 1002nd?

But these are just niggles. This behemoth of authority, unlike

most gigantic things, is actually great fun. And full of brilliant trivia that you absolutely must know.

South Asian music lovers can also get some enjoyment out of the list as several Indian/Pakistani albums make the list.

Let’s dig in then and discover to what subcontinental albums this elite cohort of Western “rock and roll experts” give the big thumbs up.

Nat Bhairav [Rank 127] Pt Shivkumar Sharma, Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt Brijbhushan Kabra Sandwiched between The Beatles White Album [126] and The Incredible String Band’s The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter [128], 1967’s seminal classical album The Call of the Valley, is the top ranking Indian album on the list.

The three Pandits (Sharma, Chaurasia and Kabra) were Young Turks at this stage and trying to break down the doors of the crusty Hindustani classical music establishment. Only problem was they each played instruments which the keepers of the flame dismissed as non-traditional: santoor, bansuri and guitar.

Sharma had been approached to compose a “thematic” album based on ragas but one that would

be more accessible to the nonserious listener. With his two friends he repaired to a Bombay studio for what they thought would be another small notch in their professional belts. A novel experiment. What they produced, however, astounded the world.

Dylan, George Harrison and David Crosby all praised the album and it went out to be the first and probably only window into Indian classical music the hippies ever had. It remains a huge seller and truly one of the most loved “world music” records ever made. A definite worthy recipient.

Sindhi – Bhairavi [Rank 130] Pt Ravi Shankar A few rungs down the ladder sits The Sounds of India, Pt Ravi Shankar’s primer on Indian classical music. Complete with spoken introductions this record caught the attention of thousands of fans who knew Shankar as a friend of George Harrison’s or that Indian bloke on the Concert for Bangladesh album.

Released in 1968 at the zenith of the Age of Aquarius, Shankar was the face of India for young America. Though many probably bought this and other Indian classical albums, one wonders how often they were actually played.

Preceding Panditji at number 129 is The Notorious Byrd Brothers

Light My Fire [Rank 178] Ananda Shankar Ananda Shankar, Ravi’s nephew, issued a clutch of albums in the 1960s and ‘70s that are best labeled Hindu-psychedelic. They were far more adventurous than anything released by his famous relative and pushed the sitar far from its classical shore. Seventeen years after his passing, Ananda Shankar’s contribution to the pop scene remains fresh, interesting and exciting. It is no surprise that his self titled album, Ananda Shankar makes this list. A step ahead of him at 177 is American Beauty by The Grateful Dead.

Nipping at his heels at 179, comes Bitches Brew by Miles Davis.

Illustrious company indeed!

One Two ChaChaCha [Rank 342] Usha Uthup (RD Burman) This inclusion is the most enigmatic. Listed as a single album and in violation of the editors’ rule not to include compilations, about a third of the way down the ladder at 342 comes Shalimar/College Girl. Clearly one of the editors had enjoyed grooving to the music on a double CD or cassette he’d picked up at a local grocery. Of course, RD Burman is now recognised outside of India as a stone genius and the subject of serious academic attention. So we include one of Shalimar’s many musical high points by way of posthumous appreciation.

Pyar Mange Hai Tumhi Se [Rank 342] Kishore Kumar (Bappi Lahiri) Bappi Lahiri, while much ballyhooed in India, has yet to achieve the sort of respect Burman or Asha Bhosle get from international audiences. And whether his inclusion in this “list of lists” is deliberate or accidental (see comment above) I for one am very happy for him. Kishore Kumar’s voice is always a wonder to behold. One step above at 341 our Bollywood friends is that original outlaw Willie Nelson’s album Red Headed Stranger.

Breathing down their necks at 343 are funksters Earth Wind and Fire’s That’s the Way of the World.

Allah Hoo [Rank 713] Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan If the previous entry was enigmatic, this one is shocking.

How could the mighty, the ultimate the stupendous and gargantuan Shahenshah of Qawwali just stumble across the line at number 713? This is where I find myself wanting to join the critics and partisans. Such a low ranking speaks not to the quality or value of the music of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan but only of the narrow tastes of the editors. So, if you agree with me, play this final inclusion of desi sounds in the Bible of Rock and Roll Lists, at top volume NOW. And then repeat!

If you’re interested: number 712 belongs to Copper Blue by Sugar and number 714 to Alice in Chain’s Dirt. l The article was first published in Scroll.in

Kuddus is back

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THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016

Drew Barrymore’s post-divorce toast n Showtime Desk Actress Drew Barrymore was seen promoting Barrymore Wines at the Pebble Beach Food & Wine event hours after confirming divorce with her third husband Will Kopelman.

Drew and her husband for four years, Will Kopelman, confirmed the rumours of their divorce on Saturday but said they will continue to be a family for their daughters. The former couple released a statement confirming their split and insisted

n Showtime Desk Kuddus Boyati, one of the popular faces of Bangla folk song, is all set to return with a different flavour of music. Kuddus will be featured in a fusion hip-hop song “Asho Mama Hey.” Pritom Hasan, the composer of the song, blended the tune with the baul genre and the rhythmic speech form of hip-hop.

Pritom Hasan and Kuddus Boyati have sung the song together while Someshwar Ali penned the lyrics.

Talking about the song composition and music arrangement, Hasan said: “The

Bangla baul’s signature singing style could be vastly powerful if the fusion with baul song is carried out in a precise way. The song nearly took a year to finish.”

“At the initial stage, it was just my urge to introduce Kuddus Boyati to the young generation.

Now, I am delighted to work with such a legendary singer,” he added.

Tanim Rahman Angshu directed the music video while it’s shooting took place at different locations in Old Dhaka and Tejgaon in the capital. On the occasion of Pohela Boishakh, the music video will come out on April 9 at the Gaanchill Music’s official Youtube

channel.

Kuddus Boyati has sung Bangla folk and pala since he was ten. He became familiar in the arena of music and entertainment through an initiative taken by the iconic writer Humayun Ahned.

Kuddus’s lent voice to “Ei din din noy aro din achey,” which was used in a TV drama by Humayun Ahmed, received positive acclaim after it was aired. Since then, Kuddus has held the reputation of being a steady, well loved singer performing on TV, radio and film alongside various cultural programmes at home and abroad. l

A wildling and a man of the Night’s match n Showtime Desk Game of Thrones stars Kit Harington and Rose Leslie have officially stepped out as a couple, walking the red carpet together at London’s Olivier Awards. Looks like a wildling and a man of the Night’s Watch can indeed make it work. Rose Leslie, who played Ygritte on HBO’s Game of Thrones, and Kit Harington, the well tousled Jon Snow, officially stepped out as a couple at the Olivier Awards in London on Sunday. The pair were all smiles on the red carpet, laughing and whispering to one another in front of photographers.

They even shared a quick kiss for the cameras while hitting the red carpet.

The couple, who played on-

They’ve evidently rekindled their relationship and have been spotted offering plenty of PDA in the last few months. l

on putting their two kids, Olive and Frankie, as their priority.

The 41-year-old actress tied the knot with her third husband Will Kopelman at her estate in Montecito, California, on June 2012. Their daughters Olive and Frankie are three and 23 months respectively.

The Charlie’s Angels star introduced a new rose at the event and appeared cheerful, while she greeted wine lovers and fans in the Grand Tasting Tent at the festival. l

JATRA BIROTI LIVE Bhaab featuring Shoeb of Gaan Pagol April 7, at 7pm.

Shoeb is a classically trained singer who’s band Gaan Pagol is a local favourite.

His unique take on Bangla folk music makes him a sought after performer. He has performed at Jatra Biroti on numerous occasions, always receiving tremendous response.

Open Mic April 8, at 7pm Each week this event grows in popularity. Always surprising, always fun. Open Mic provides a venue for YOU to sing, dance, recite poetry, juggle...whatever you wish.

screen love interests in Game of Thrones, Harington and Leslie first fueled romance rumours in 2012, though they were presumed broken up by the end of the year.

DT

Showtime

Indian Classical Vocal Performance April 9, 7pm Anol Chatterjee is a rising name in the field of Indian classical vocal music. The flavour of Anol’s music

is essentially of Patiyala Gharana, the style which was made popular by the great maestro Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sahab, but Anol has incorporated the best parts of other Gayakies or styles like Kirana, Jaipur, Agra Benaras etc to establish an attractive and beautiful style of his own. His exceptional sense and command over rhythm has made this Gayaki even more unique.

He is accompanied on tabla

by Koushik Banerjee. l

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THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016

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GROUND HONOUR FOR WI CAPTAIN SAMMY PAGE 27

KUDDUS IS BACK PAGE 31

Report: Bangladesh 3rd in death penalty n Tribune Report Bangladesh courts have sentenced at least 198 people to death in 2015, bagging the third highest position in the world, said an Amnesty International report.

According to the report titled “Death Sentences and Executions Report 2015,” the South Asian nation also occupied the top spot among the South Asian countries where such sentences were handed out last year.

The Amnesty report also alleged that the proceedings of the International Crimes Tribunal, a special court established to try people accused of crimes committed during the 1971 War of Independence, were marked with severe irregularities and violations of the right to a fair trial.

It stated: “Challenges to the jurisdiction of the court continued to

be barred due to a constitutional provision. Statements from prosecution witnesses shown by the defence to have been false were still used as evidence in court.

“Affidavits by defence witnesses that the accused was too far from the site of the offence to be involved were not admitted. The government prevented defence witnesses abroad from attending trials by denying visas. Appeals processes were marked by similar flaws.”

It added: “Despite repeated calls

by Amnesty International and other human rights organisations to stop executions after unfair trials and flawed appeal hearings, three prisoners were executed in 2015, bringing the number of executions after ICT trials to four.”

As per the report released on Wednesday, Pakistan is the second top country in the region having imposed at least 121 death sentenc-

es last year while India occupied the third position by awarding capital punishment to some 75 people.

Another South Asian country Sri Lanka bagged the fourth position by sentencing at least 51 people to death.

The report stated that at least 1,634 people were executed in 25 countries in 2015. “This represents a stark increase on the number of executions recorded in 2014 of more than 50%.”

In 2014, Amnesty International recorded 1,061 executions in 22 countries worldwide.

This is the highest number of executions recorded in more than 25 years (since 1989), said the report.

Most executions took place in China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the USA – in that order.

“China remained the world’s top executioner – but the true extent of the use of the death penalty in Chi-

na is unknown as this data is considered a state secret; the figure of 1,634 excludes the thousands of executions believed to have been carried out in China,” the report added.

Excluding China, almost 90% of all executions took place in just three countries – Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, it further added.

“During 2015, 25 countries, about one in 10 of all countries worldwide, are known to have carried out executions – a rise from 22 in 2014. This number has decreased significantly from two decades ago (39 countries carried out executions in 1996).”

140 countries worldwide, more than two-thirds, are abolitionist in law or practice.

In 2015, four countries – Fiji, Madagascar, the Republic of Congo and Suriname – abolished the death penalty for all crimes.

In total, 102 countries have done

so – a majority of the world’s states.

In 2015, Mongolia also passed a new criminal code abolishing the death penalty which will come into effect later in 2016.

Commutations or pardons of death sentences were recorded in 34 countries in 2015.

At least 71 people who had been sentenced to death were exonerated in six countries in 2015: China (1), Egypt (1), Nigeria (41), Pakistan (at least 21), Taiwan (1) and USA (6).

At least 1,998 death sentences were recorded in 61 countries in 2015, a decline from 2014 (at least 2,466 death sentences in 55 countries).

At least 20,292 people were on death row at the end of 2015.

Reports indicated that at least nine people who were under 18 at the time of the crime for which they were sentenced to death were executed in 2015 – four in Iran and five in Pakistan. l

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