04 June, 2016

SECOND EDITION

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

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Jyoishtha 21, 1423, Shaban 27, 1437

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 42

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

Muhith optimistic about high NBR target 35% hike. The activities as per the plan will start from this month,” the minister said while addressing a post-budget press conference at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka.

“I have thrown it as a challenge to my officers who are competent to undertake this operation and make it a success,” he said.

With the proposed FY2016-17 budget, finance minister has proposed assigning the revenue authorities with mobilising Tk203,152 crore, which is 10.4% of the GDP. Although the target is challenging, the minister said the revenue authorities have the increased capacity and increased manpower to achieve the target. “Currently, there are tax offices in 96 upazilas and all the upazilas will have tax offices gradually,” he added.

BUDGET FY2017 n Syed Samiul Basher Anik The revenue collection target set in the proposed national budget is “ambitious,” Finance Minister AMA Muhith said, but added that he was very optimistic on achieving the goal.

In his budget speech on Thursday, Muhith said he plans to collect Tk203,152 crore revenue through the National Board of Revenue (NBR) in fiscal year 2016-17 – which is 35.4% higher from the revised target of outgoing fiscal year.

“I have proposed a 35% hike in revenue collection hike for next fiscal year. I have plans to meet the

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MP Mostafizur, 2 others sued for assaulting poll official n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong A case has been filed against Banshkhali lawmaker Mostafizur Rahman Chowdhury and two others for assaulting an election officer.

Confirming the matter to the Dhaka Tribune, Chittagong district Election officer Khorshed Alam said the Election Commission (EC) asked Banshkhali police station officer-in-charge (OC) to file a case in connection with the assault, which took place on Wednesday.

When contacted, Banshkhali OC Md Alamgir Hossain said the case was filed on Thursday night following the EC directive, in which three identified and several other unidentified persons were listed as suspects.

The known suspects are Banshkhali lawmaker and local Awami League leader Mostafizur Rahman, Banshkhali Juba League President Tajul Islam and Banskhali Ulama League President Akhtar Hossain.

Tajul Islam is also Mostafizur's

INSIDE CPD: Budget rhetoric overtakes status quo The budget has disparity between revenue income and expenditure in line with the present situation where investment remained stagnant, CPD said in its budget reaction yesterday.  PAGE 3

Bus-truck collision kills 10 in Bogra At least 10 people were killed and 15 more were injured in a headon collision between an inter-city bus and a stone-laden truck on the Dhaka-Bogra highway in Dhankundi area of Bogra’s Sherpur upazila early yesterday.  PAGE 32

personal assistant and a chairman aspirant in the upcoming union parishad polls in the upazila.

Mostafizur and the others suspects allegedly assaulted Banshkhali Election Officer Jahedul Islam on Wednesday when he did not comply with the MP's illegal demands.

It is alleged that the Banshkhali MP had given a list of his chosen presiding and polling officers to Jahedul for their appointment in the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

‘Money whitening during govt tenure’ n Tribune Desk The budget for fiscal year 201617 has brought a good news for untaxed money holders as they can still whiten their money under the existing legal provisions by paying fines until FY2018-19.

“The existing legal provisions

allow a taxpayer to revise his income tax statement by paying a certain amount of fines, if they fails to furnish the statement properly. The provision will continue as long as the current government stays in power,” Finance Minister AMA Muhith said yesterday.

An undisclosed money holder can whiten his money by paying taxes and fines, any day  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

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News

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

Muhith: Big targets will drive efficiency n Asif Showkat Kallol

Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday delivered a reposte to critics saying progress over the last few years had shown that the government was capable of implementing his admittedly ambitious budget.

“Yes, it is ambitious,” Muhith told the horde of journalists gathered at Osmani Auditorium yesterday for his customary post-budget press meet.

“But I am confident of taking the opportunity to achieve it.”

Muhith, a veteran of 10 budgets, said the government had not set small budgetary targets in the past, which would have been a good plan if he wanted to show good performance.

“But that would not have improved the efficiency of the government. Big budget and big targets will definitely drive up the efficiency of the administration,” he said.

He also claimed the implementation of projects under Annual De-

Finance Minister AMA Muhith speaks at a post-budget press conference held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka yesterday RAJIB DHAR velopment Programmes have now reached 96%.

Leading economic think tank Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) has said in its review that the Tk3,40,605cr budget for fiscal 2016-17, unveiled in parliament

on Thursday, was ambitious and would be difficult to implement.

CPD also said every year the finance minister announced a big budget and revenue target but does not achieve them.

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa

Kamal, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury and Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu were present as usual at the press meet.

In reaction to BNP’s statement that the budget was reactionary, Muhith said the party had become almost non-existent. “This is just a political stance,” he said.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia did not look into the budget speech before making a statement.

Asked about the state of the investment climate in Bangladesh, Muhith said confidence was returning to investors at home and abroad as the political situation had stabilised. He said there were plans in the budget to give a big push to investment, but did not elaborate on the matter.

The finance minister hinted that fuel oil prices may be further reduced for the sake of a positive impact on essential commodities.

“I have already advised Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina about continuing the process of reducing fuel oil prices,” he said “We will adjust the prices of fuel oil carefully as per barrel fuel oil prices in the international market drop to $50,” he said.

On April 25, the government cut the prices of per liter octane and petrol by Tk10 and diesel and kerosene by Tk3 per liter. Furnace oil price was cut by Tk18 per liter.

Asked about CPD’s mention of a government statistic of job losses in the manufacturing sector, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said 13,000 jobs had been lost in the manufacturing sector in quarterly data but it was only a seasonal slump.

He also said the Awami League government had created 180,000 to 250,000 jobs every year for the last seven years.

Muhith said the government planned to introduce pension scheme for the private sector by the end of its tenure in 2019. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Muhith optimistic about high NBR target Talking on the matter, NBR Chairman Md Nojibur Rahman said the standard average yearly revenue growth was 17.28%, but tax officials would be able to cross the rate by taking it to 18% growth.

“The NBR will be able to achieve its target and will witness surplus by collecting Tk160,000 crore against the revised target of Tk150,000 crore,” said Nojibur.

Muhith, however, expressed his dissatisfaction about the NBR’s performance during the outgoing fiscal year.

“I think this year’s performance is unfortunate. Performance should have been much better from this

institution. It can go much further up to the level,” the octogenarian minister said.

For the outgoing fiscal year, the government had assigned the NBR to mobilise Tk176,370 crore.

But because of negative revenue trends, the target was later downsized to Tk150,000 crore in the revised budget.

Regarding the source tax hike on export for ready-made garments sector, Muhith said the apparel sector was not dissatisfied as they have got certain concession rates through other budgetary provisions.

The government has proposed to hike the source tax on export to 1.5% from existing 0.60% for RMG makers, but have reduced apparel makers’ corporate tax rate to 20% from existing 35%.

About hiking supplementary duty on mobile phone usage, Muhith said he thinks it would not be a big deal for subscribers, but would be a good way to collect a significant amount of revenue.

The minister also called upon people to change their habit of not paying the tax. “We always create chaos about the services provided by the government, but we do not talk much about the requirement

in the fiscal year, Muhith said at the post-budget press briefing at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka.

Undisclosed money – popularly known as black money – stands for the money, wealth or property that individuals and organisations have not included in their tax returns.

According to the Income Tax Ordinance 1984, any untaxed money can be invested in some areas including the real estate sector and other income-generating sectors by paying certain amount of penalty, along with regular tax.

According to section 19B of income tax ordinance, any taxpayer can whiten his undisclosed money in purchase of residential building and flat by paying tax at different rates considering the locations.

On the other hand, section 19E of the same ordinance says such money can be invested in in-

come-generating sectors such as “industrial enterprises, balancing, modernisation, renovation and extension of an existing industry, building, apartment, land, securities listed with stock exchanges and any trade, commercial and industrial venture engaged in production of goods and services” through payment of 10% penalty along with regular tax at the rate of 30%.

Economists, anti-graft campaigners, taxpayers and different stakeholders have always been vocal against the move to allow the provision to continue.

According to the Global Financial Integrity Report 2013, during 20092013, more than Tk2,098 crore was whitened in Bangladesh, against which the revenue authorities received only Tk279 crore in taxes.

In fiscal year 2014-15, only 222 individuals legalised Tk676.47 crore

through investment in different sectors while the government received only Tk27.54 crore as income tax, the National Board of Revenue data show.

Transparency International Bangladesh has termed the money whitening provision “very frustrating” and said it goes against the announcement of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina she made earlier.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Berlin-based group said that to achieve mass people’s trust, the government should cancel all procedure of making the black money legal. Although the finance minister had taken position against this procedure several times, it remained in subsequent budgets.

TIB thinks that the procedure never created an investment-friendly environment, rather it has discouraged the people to practise honesty. l

Tax and duty on other sectors

‘Money whitening during govt tenure’

of tax payment. I think the habit needs to be changed and focus should be put on this matter,” he added.

Regarding no allocation for district budget in FY17, the minister said the provision was there as a test basis to help the government assess its activities on district level, but there was no requirement for it any more.

Addressing the press conference, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed assured businesses that the government would not create any mechanism in the name of globalisation or liberalisation that would harm local industries. l

MP Mostafizur, 2 others sued upcoming final phase of UP elections, scheduled to be held today.

But following the alleged assault, the EC postponed the election in all union parishads in Banshkhali.

Meanwhile, Mostafizur’s followers – led by Tajul, another suspect in the case – brought out a procession and later held a rally on Banshkhali Upazila Nirbahi Office premises on Thursday.

At the rally, the protesters claimed that Jahedul is an aide of BNP-Jamaat coalition and demanded he removed immediately. l

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BUDGET FY2016-17

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

CPD: Budget rhetoric overtakes status quo n Kayes Sohel The budget has disparity between revenue income and expenditure in line with the present situation where investment remained stagnant, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) said in its budget reaction yesterday.

“There is a problem between income and expenditure framework proposed in the budget,” CPD Distinguished Fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya said at a press conference in Dhaka.

“If you want to hit your target, you need to shot your arrow. And for this, you need to have a bow.

Here, the arrow is for income and the bow is for expenditure. I cannot see strength of this arrow and bow,” he said.

The so-called development and non-development expenditure budget should be aligned with each other for bringing more transparency in the budget, he added.

Debapriya also thinks that the 7.2% GDP growth estimation was not possible to achieve.

“An additional Tk80,000 crore will be required for investment and along with this the government needs to increase Tk65,000 crore

CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya discusses the Centre for Policy Dialogue’s analysis of the proposed FY2016-17 national budget at a press event in Dhaka yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE in income and Tk75,000 crore in expenditure,” he said.

A stable stock market and strong banking sector, infrastructure development, law and order, and policy assurance are the key factors to attract private investment, he observed.

About the present employment situation, Debapriya said that there

had been a great change in the Bangladesh job market.

“Jobs have been created in the informal sector … not in the formal sector over the last two years, which means no quality job is being generated. Corporate sector is the ideal one that can create quality jobs, and for this, more private investment that still remained

15.3% tax GDP ratio by FY2019 n Syed Samiul Basher Anik

The government has set a target to push the tax – GDP ratio of Bangladesh to 15.3% by 2018-19, when the current government ends its term.

Currently, the tax - GDP ratio of Bangladesh is at 10.3%, which the government says is the lowest in the world, while it is 20% to 32% in neighboring countries.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith came up with the target while unveiling the budget for fiscal year 2016-17 at the parliament on June 2.

Muhith has proposed to set the revenue income for the next fiscal year at Tk242,752 crore, which is more than 35% higher than the previous year.

To reach the goals in the budget, the minister came up with different reform initiatives to ease tax collection procedure, increase compliance and prevent evasion of taxes.

During his budget speech, the minister expressed his dissatisfaction with number of existing taxpayers.

“Our target is to add 300,000 more taxpayers with the existing 1.2 million,” he said.

He also stressed on coming out from the existing tax exemption culture to boost revenue.

While placing his 10th budget, the minister also informed Parliament about the target to collect

50% of the total revenue from the direct taxation in the year 20202021.

Direct taxation is the most ideal taxation system which valuably contributes to wealth distribution by ensuring higher tax rates for wealthier people.

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Aim to add 300,000 new taxpayers

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Target to collect 50% of total revenue from direct taxation by 2020-2021

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New reform plans unveiled

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Wealth statement to be optional for marginal taxpayers

To achieve the target, the government has identified seven policy areas for reform in direct taxes - fiscal adequacy, equity and fairness, facilitating business and growth, social responsibility, increasing tax compliance and combating tax evasion, adopting international best practices, and simplification of tax system and increasing the effectiveness of tax laws, according to Muhith.

The veteran minister also stressed on introducing international best practices through up-gradation of the existing laws.

The reform plans are - establishing an internationally recognised min-

imum tax system instead of final settlement of taxes and introduction of machine readable returns, forms and certificates.

While talking on the simplification of tax procedure, Muhith proposed to make submission of wealth statements optional for marginal taxpayers having gross wealth below Tk20 lakh.

To bring dynamism in Withholding Tax management, that collects average 50% of the income tax, he said a new Withholding Tax Unit will be established while electronic at-source tax management system will also come into effect soon.

He also said a modern and automated tax information unit will be established in Bangladesh that will have connection with other online systems nationwide. It will collect information automatically to identify potential taxpayers and to address tax evasion, he said.

With regard to illicit financial flows, he said the National Board of Revenue has already established a Transfer Pricing Cell to combat cross-border tax evasion and avoidance, although the measures are not sufficient.

“After proper examination, a separate unit will be established in the National Board of Revenue to address the transfer mis-pricing, taxation of foreign nationals and combating money laundering,” he added. l

sluggish is a must.”

CPD Executive Director Prof Mustafizur Rahman said that public salary and allowances played a big role in the economic growth of the country for the current fiscal year. “For the next fiscal year, agriculture and industry sectors should be catalyst for strengthening this economic growth,” he said.

“So, if public salary and allowances are increased, goods and services should be increased proportionately. Otherwise, it will turn into an inflation, which leads to raise nominal GDP … not real GDP.” According to the CPD’s budget analysis paper, the increased allocation in education, gender and social safety net was a good sign for the budget. But the allocations in agricultural sector need to be increased and the reporting mechanism in defence budget should be transparent, it said.

The CPD suggests that the government strengthen its institutional capacity and bring in necessary policy reforms to implement the national budget for FY2016-17.

It made some recommendations including bringing more transparency in budget formulation, implementation and assessment procedures; establishing a Public Expenditure Review Commission; formulating appropriate follow-up mechanisms for monitoring government tax incentives; disclosing financial accounts of state-owned enterprises including the BPC; and establishing transparency in the government’s asset acquisition. l

Gas subsidies to arrive n Asif Showkat Kallol Even though subsidies for fuel oil have finally been discontinued, the effect of VAT on international oil company products is driving a demand for gas to be subsidised.

A top-level official from Finance Division, who was involved with preparing the budget, told the Dhaka Tribune that Energy Division had threatened to raise gas prices if they were not allocated the necessary subsidies.

The official, seeking anonymity, said Petrobangla would seek subsidy funds from the budget as international oil companies will have to

pay VAT on their income from gas.

Next fiscal year’s allocation for subsidies has gone slightly up – partly because of the introduction of Tk3,000 crore gas subsidies.

But according to sources, Petrobangla is demanding that subsidy be increased to Tk5,000 crore.

According to budget documents, the proposed subsidy allocation in the next budget is Tk26,729cr, up from 2015-16 fiscal year’s Tk25,573cr. In the revised budget, the subsidies outlay is Tk18,785cr.

Meanwhile, unlike the previous national budget, there would be no more subsidy for fuel oil – thanks to declining global prices. l

SUBSIDY, INCENTIVE AND CASH LOAN Proposed field

Subsidy Food Other Total Subsidy Incentive Agriculture Incentive Export cash Incentive Incentive for Jute product Total Incentive Cash loan PDB BPC Others Total cash loan Total Subsidy, incentive and cash loan GDP Percentage

Proposed 2016-2017

Revised 2015-2016

Budget 2015-2016

Budget 2014-2015

2,820cr 1,409cr 4,299cr

1,976cr 409cr 2,385cr

1,864cr 1,409cr 3,273cr

908cr 170cr 1,078cr

9,000cr 4,000cr

7,000cr 3,000cr

9,000cr 3,000cr

7,101cr 3,300cr

500cr 13,500cr

500cr 10,500cr

500cr 12,500cr

700cr 11,101cr

6,000cr 0 3,000cr 9,000cr 26,729cr

5,500cr 0 400cr 5,900cr 18,785cr

8,000cr 800cr 1,000cr 9,800cr 25,573cr

8,978cr 600cr 4cr 9,582cr 21,761cr

1.4

1.1

1.5

1.4

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BUDGET FY2016-17

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BNP terms budget ambitious and hollow

Jamaat: Budget will increase sufferings

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday termed the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2016-17 as highly ambitious and will increase people’s sufferings.

“People’s sufferings will increase due to this highly ambitious and deficit budget. People’s lifestyle expenses will also increase and the prices of daily essentials will increase too,” Shafiqur Rahman, acting secretary general of Jamaat, said in a press statement.

The party, which was blamed for committing crimes against humanity during the country’s liberation war and opposed the birth of Bangladesh, also said the proposed budget is dependent on foreign loans and impossible to implement.

The party said in the proposed

The BNP has dubbed the proposed budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year “budget of looting”, saying it does not reflect hopes and aspirations of Bangladesh’s people.

BNP leaders said they would come up with a formal reaction after analysing the budget.

Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday said: “There is no specific direction in the proposed budget. Millions are unemployed but there is no focus on employment.

“We reject this budget as it does not represent the people’s hopes and aspirations.”

Finance Minister AMA Muhith

presented a Tk304,605cr budget in Parliament on Thursday. The government eyes a 7.2% growth and plans to keep inflation below 6%.

BNP Standing Committee member Mahbubur Rahman yesterday

Apart from these, there is no specific direction for industrial growth and foreign investment told the Dhaka Tribune over phone that he found the budget highly ambitious and impossible to implement.

“There is no good direction in the budget. It is huge in size and

highly ambitious,” he said.

“The main challenge of this budget is implementation. In the current context of the country, it is not possible to implement the budget,” he added.

He said the budget is focused on mega projects and believed funds for these projects would simply be looted. “Money will be siphoned off from the mega projects and people will not be benefited. Also, there is no good news for the farmers in the proposed budget,” he said.

“Apart from these, there is no specific direction for industrial growth and foreign investment. In all the budget will not fulfil peoples’ hopes and aspirations and will only fuel corruption.” l

n Tribune Desk

budget VAT and tax nets were spread which would mount sufferings on the poor people and would create discrimination on resource sharing. It also said keeping the provision of whitening black money, the government is encouraging bribery and corruption.

Bringing all the media advertisements into the VAT net, the government has adopted the media squeezing policy.

Shafiqur said in the proposed budget, there is no space for preserving the poor people’s interests.

“The incumbent government is not elected through people’s mandate. So this government does not have any accountability to the people of the country. That’s why people’s interests were ignored. So we are rejecting the proposed budget.” l

GM Quader: Budget impossible to implement n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

GM Quader, co-chairman of the main opposition, the Jatiya Party said the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2016-17 is not a pro-people budget and is impossible to implement.

Quader told the Dhaka Tribune that the party will formally announce its reaction to the proposed budget in a few days.

“The budget is highly ambitious

and its implementation will not be possible. The target of revenue collection is huge compared to the last year and it will be impossible to attain the target just like it was in the past years. There is an ambiguity in achieving the revenue collection,” Quader told the Dhaka Tribune.

The JaPa leader also said in order to implement the budget the allocations from the development sector and public welfare sector will be cut as the allocations

Leftist parties say budget not for the working class n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The reaction on the budget for the fiscal year 2016-17 from the leftist parties points to with budget allocation, resource mobilisation, budget implementation and resource sharing as matters of concern.

Haider Akbar Khan Rono of the Communist Party of Bangladesh said: “This budget is in favour of market economy, in favour of rich people and against the interest of the working class.”

Sharif Nurul Ambia, president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, said the challenge with the budget lies the mobilisation of resources.

“For the mobilisation of resources the capacity to do so should be increased which is yet to begin. So, I think this will lead to difficulties in implementing the budget,” he said.

Ambia also said there are some usual trends in the proposed budget but the positive thing is that the government is undertaking some of huge tasks on hand.

Fazle Hossain Badsha, general secretary of Workers Party Bangladesh, said development activities stressed on the proposed budget will lead to greater economic activity.

The leftist leader, however, said even though the budget is aimed at equal sharing of resources, discriminatory resource sharing trends will also increase.

“But there is no specific programme or guideline to remove the discrimination of resource sharing. We will see development and discrimination of resource sharing equally. So it is tough to say if all the people will get the benefits of development as proposed by the budget,” he also said. l

from the non-development sector like remuneration of government employees would be impossible to cut.

“When the target will not be possible to achieve, the government then will have to borrow money from the banks which will create a crisis in liquidity flow and net tax will also increase.”

The former commerce minister said: “The budget is not investment-friendly as nothing has been

offered for investors in infrastructure building of electricity, gas etc.

Other necessary incentives were not offered in the proposed budget to attract more investors.”

He said there is a problem of equal sharing of resources in the proposed budget. “Per capita income is increasing and at the same time discrimination of resource sharing is also increasing.”

Budget is not only an account of income and expenditure rather the

direction of the government’s philosophy, Quader said.

“In the proposed budget we have seen that the finance minister did not say anything about the state banks money looting, Bangladesh Bank heist and other financial scams but what we have seen is the proposed huge subsidy to be given in those sectors. That means the peoples’ money will be spent there without an explanation for it.” l

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BGMEA seeks lowering tax at source n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association has urged the government to set tax at source at 0.30% instead of 1.5% proposed for the fiscal year 2016-17.

BGMEA President Siddiqur Rahman came up with demand at a press briefing yesterday. He also said that the proposed budget was not business-friendly for the RMG sector.

On the other hand, the platform hailed the government decision of cutting corporate tax to 20% from 35%, and allocating Tk4,500 crore as incentives.

shadow on achieving 7.2% GDP growth in the next fiscal.

Currently, the apparel makers and other export-oriented sectors pay 0.60% tax at source. In the last budget, the government increased it to 1%, but later it was reduced to 0.60% following demands from the exporters.

Siddiqur said that cutting the tax rate would help them remain competitive in the global market.

He added that they had plans to meet with the prime minister to discuss the matter.

He claimed that it would be very tough for the small entrepreneurs to survive if 1.5% tax at source was implemented. He argued that on an

Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Thursday proposed to raise the tax at source on exports, including that of the garment sector, to 1.5% from 0.60% for the next fiscal year.

Tax at source is being paid based on the sales not on the profits.

“The government has proposed some initiatives including allocation of Tk4,500 crore as incentives, duty-free import of safety and prefabricated building materials for exporters, skill development and others to encourage the industry people,” Siddiqur told reporters.

He thinks that the increment of tax at source is not business friendly and conflicting with the expansion of business, which will cast

average, the sector people make 3% profit and 1.5% tax at source means they have to pay 50%, “which is too high and is not seen anywhere in the world.”

According to BGMEA data, a total of 618 RMG units shut their business in the last three years, while 319 factories are in the process of closure.

To achieve the $50 billion export target by 2021, the sector has to register a 12% growth, Siddiqur said. “Employment generation is needed to increase production capacity. To create jobs, investment is a must but the proposed budget is not heading towards that direction,” he said.

The BGMEA claims that the exporters will lose interests in the business if the government implements the proposed source tax since it will cut profits due to rise in production cost.

The garment industry, which earned $25.5bn from exports in the last fiscal year, currently employs over 4m workers, of who 80% are women.

BGMEA Senior Vice-President Faruq Hassan, vice-presidents Mahmud Hasan Khan Babu, Mohammad Nasir and SM Mannan Kochi; and former BKMEA vice-president Mohammad Hatem were present at the press briefing among others. l

Trade bodies call budget complicated, challenging n Tribune Desk

Cabinet members, diplomats and other government high-ups see Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina off at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka yesterday as she leaves Dhaka for a five-day official visit to Saudi Arabia FOCUS BANGLA

‘Doubled VAT may cause revenue loss’ n Tribune Report The government may lose a significant amount of revenue if it continues with its plan to double the package Value Added Tax (VAT) rate for fiscal year 2016-17.

Trade body Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) said in a press release yesterday that it welcomed the continuation of the package VAT system but warned that if the rate is doubled, it will create pressure on businesses and many traders may fail to pay VAT. “As a consequence, the government will lose a significant amount of revenue,” the chamber said, demanding reduction of package VAT rate to a rational level.

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

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fore the law comes into effect.

The chamber urged the government to reduce corporate tax rate for all manufacturing industries to 20% from existing 35%, as proposed for apparel makers in the FY17 budget.

It also requested the government to withdraw provisions for investment of undisclosed income saying it will discourage honest taxpayers.

BCI also urged the government to include provisions about establishment of industries at rural and undeveloped areas in the proposed budget for fiscal year 2016-17 to create employment opportunities and for balanced development of the country. l

Finance Minister AMA Muhith on June 2 proposed to hike package VAT rate for businesses in the Dhaka and Chittagong city corporations to Tk28,000 from existing Tk14,000, while the rate will be Tk20,000 from existing Tk12,000 for those in other city corporations.

He also proposed to set the package VAT at Tk14,000 from existing Tk7,200 for municipalities, and Tk7,000 from existing Tk3,600 for other areas of the country.

BCI thanked the government for postponing the implementation of the new Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act by a year.

It called upon the government to take necessary initiatives to increase awareness and capacity beDhaka

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The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) has termed the proposed budget complicated with some formulas launched to collect VAT tactfully.

“We will not comment at this point whether the proposed budget is business friendly as it is very complicated to make a decision for the remarks,” said FBCCI President Abdul Matlub Ahmad at a press conference at the trade body’s Motijheel office yesterday.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith proposed a budget of Tk3,40,605 crore for FY17 on June 2 in Parliament.

“Since the new VAT law did not come into effect, the government resorted to some strategies to get the benefit of law through imposing VAT in different manners,” said Matlub.

He warned that if the VAT is imposed unfairly on businessmen, it will be very difficult for the government to ensure its collection.

“We need more time to analyse

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the budget to make a comment on it as the government has imposed tax and VAT very tactfully here,” Matlub added.

“Top business leaders are travelling to Saudi Arabia as the prime minister’s entourage and the FBCCI would come up with budget remarks after a week.”

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka termed attaining the increased revenue target for FY17 a key challenge, and suggested pursuing new avenues for tax collection instead of putting extra burden on tax compliant enterprises.

In a press release issued yesterday, it said higher priority should be given to improving quality of education and skills development to utilise the Tk27,203 crore allocation for human capital development.

The MCCI said it was disappointed that no measures had been proposed in the budget to ease the existing gas crisis for the next two years, and urged that businesses suffering from low gas pressure be exempted from the minimum charge. l

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

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SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

Bribery a bane for Sirajganj Palli Bidyut n Aminul Islam Rana, Sirajganj Bribery has become the only way for people in Sirajganj to get a new electricity connection from Palli Bidyut Samity, locals claim.

Any application submitted to the local Palli Bidyut Samity (PBS) remains glued to the tables of PBS official until middlemen are bribed to process the file, according to some of the residents of the area who have been waiting several years for a new connection despite completing all the necessary paperworks.

The local PBS office faces even a greater danger in the future as many of the sufferers are opting to get power connections from the Power Development Board (PDB), who have allegedly been operating wrongfully in PBS zones.

The Dhaka Tribune found that people under the Ullapara headquarters of Sirajganj PBS 1, and under the zonal offices of Shahjadpur, Tarash and Raiganj suffer the most harassment at the hands of the unscrupulous Palli Bidyut officials.

In many cases, the contractors must be paid separately to erect

new electricity poles and transport necessary materials to expand the power coverage.

Talking to the locals, the Dhaka Tribune learned that each new connection for residential, commercial or irrigation purposes requires Tk25,000 to Tk30,000 as bribe; a new industrial connection requires Tk200,000-Tk250,000, and the electrification of a village needs at least Tk300,000-Tk400,000 as bribe.

When interested subscribers fail to pay the bribe, officials come up with different excuses to hold on to their files.

There are also allegations that – for some unknown reasons – PBS officials do not provide new connections to villages where all necessary poles and wires had already been set up.

Over the past two years, power lines have been set up in 75 villages in four upazilas of the local PBS; but not a single village has received new connections as the PBS technical department is yet to approve the necessary permission.

Unscrupulous officials also of-

ten charged extra for changing power transformers; but in reality they documented a reduced power load to assign new connections without setting up a new transformer.

What locals say

Ruhul Amin, a resident of Tarash, said he has been waiting since 2013 for a new PBS connection; but one of his neighbours applied in 2014 and got the connection by paying the bribe.

Amirul, Jahurul and Saiful – villagers from Ullapara’s Chawk-Pangashi – said at least 274 families in their area were being denied new power connections even though they had paid all the official fees and the power lines had been set up in their village a year ago.

Dhopakandi village’s Rafiqul Islam and Chariya Shikar village’s Hasan Ali both told the Dhaka Tribune that they had to pay middlemen Tk40,000 each to get new PBS connection.

Baruhash UP Chairman Moktar Hossain claimed that Ullapara PBS technical department’s Deputy

Managing Director Zulfiqar Rahman had pocketed hundreds of thousands of taka to give new connections to 15 villages.

Zulfiqar, however, denied the allegation, saying no file remains stuck on his table for more than 24 hours. Unlike past times, there was no more chance of corruption after the PBS started working in spot metre system from April 23, he said.

What officials say

Board chairman of Sirajganj PBS 1, Mostafa Kamal Sohel, said they have already received complaints on this regard and would discuss the issue at the board meeting.

Ullapara Managing Director Hasan Ahmed Mazumdar said he has provided 48,000 new connections since joining office ten months ago. Applicants in Raiganj and Shahjadpur would receive new connections within June 18, and those in Ullapara and Tarash upazila would have to wait until June 2018 to get all the connections, he said.

Mazumdar added that investigation was going on regarding over a hundred complaints he had re-

ceived in the past ten months.

But unfortunately, the crisis is not limited only to the PBS 1 zone.

Corruption is also rampant in the Sirajganj PBS 2 headquarters in Sadar upazila and zonal offices in Belkuchi and Kazipur, where hundreds of local PBS subscribers are now choosing to switch to PDB connections.

Sources said almost 10,000 PBS subscribers from 50 villages in the Sadar upazila have jumped over to enlist service from the PDB over the past few years.

As a result, the local PBS is now facing massive financial losses in the coming years.

Mohammad Azahar Ali, MD of Sirajganj PBS 2, said he has solved 80% of the problems under his jurisdiction. Claiming that there was no more subscriber harassment under his office, Azahar said at least 43,000 new connections were provided over the last nine months.

Commenting on PDB encroaching on PBS territory, the MD said official letters are regularly sent on this regard to high officials – but to no avail. l

Sechhasebak League leader kills widow over land row

n Nazmul Huda Nasim, Bogra A local Sechhasebak League leader and his henchmen in Bogra’s Shahjahanpur have been accused of assaulting and killing a 54-year-old widow.

Rimu allegedly pushed the face of his neighbour Kohinur Begum, wife of late Laya Miah, into mud, causing her to stop breathing and die at Phuldighi Madhyapara yesterday morning. Police described Rimu as a criminal who had been named in five to six cases, and said Kohinur was killed over land disputes.

Four people – Rimu’s wife Ruma, Abdus Sabur, Rifat Hossain and Emdadul Haque – were detained after Kohinur’s brother Abdul Mannan filed a case over the killing.

Alamgir Hossain, officer-incharge of Shahjahanpur police station, said Rimu recently walked out of jail and planned to grab the land owned by Kohinur.

“But he failed and kept harassing the woman, who makes a living by rearing cattle. On Friday, he claimed that Kohinur’s cattle ate crops from his cropland and began beating her before his henchmen joined him.

They fled after Kohinur died,” he said.

“In the case, Kohinur’s brother Mannan named Rimu and several others. We are trying to arrest the other accused.” l

Vendors stack palm fruits on the side of a road in Firingi Bazar, Chittagong yesterday, preparing for a good day’s business. The edible, jelly-like seeds of the summer fruit are a popular snack among people as it helps to combat dehydration caused by the summer heat RABIN CHOWDHURY

WDB project makes villagers hopeful Majumder, n Jasim Khagrachhari

The Water Development Board (WDB) is implementing a project worth Tk95 lakh at Ganjapara under sadar upazila in Khagrachhari district to save the second Chengi Bridge and the lives of 200 villagers.

While a group of villagers welcomed the project, many others are upset as the project covers a length of only 70 meters, while a 400m area,

at least, in which 500 families reside, remains in danger of river erosion.

Sajai Marma, a Ganjapara villager, said some 200 villagers had become victims of erosion in the last 10 years, and 500 families are in danger now.

Golabari Union Parishad Chairman Gayano Jyoti Chakma welcomed the WDB project at Ganjapara, an ancient village on the bank of the Chengi River in his upazila. He said both the second Chengi Bridge

and 200 families would be saved from erosion with the project’s implementation.

Yet it doesn’t take into account the 500 families who would be endangered by river erosion in the coming rainy season, he also said, adding that if the project is not extended by 400 metres, more than 500 families would be affected and might lose their homes. He urged WDB to extend the project in aims to save the whole village.

Khagrachhari district WDB surveyor Nikhil Chakma said after having surveyed the area, they had identified a 350 metre area in danger of river erosion, and submitted a project to the higher authorities for approval.

Yet, the authorities concerned allocated the project for only 70 metres, rather than the full amount.

“We would set out to save the rest of the area and its residents if the government allocated more money,” he added. l

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SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

Last phase of Union Parishad polls today One dies in pre-poll violence in Chittagong UP POLLS

n Tribune Desk Last phase of the Union Parishad (UP) polls at 710 union councils across Bangladesh will be held today amid tight security.

“All preparations have already been done for holding the sixth and last phase of polls in 710 unions amid adequate security measures,” said SM Asaduzzaman, public relations officer of the Election Commission.

He said around 33,000 candi-

dates, including contestants for the post of union council chairmen and general and members in reserved seat were taking part in the election.

Voting will be held from 8am to 4pm without any break. The government has announced a public holiday in the respective poll areas today.

Nearly one crore voters will franchise their voting rights in the last phase of the UP elections.

EC sources said around 200,000 members of the law enforcement agencies including the plain clothed detectives will keep vigil to ensure peaceful atmosphere in and around the polling centers. Besides, mobile courts led magistrates will remain active during the polls.

The fifth phase of UP polls were

held in 717 unions in 45 districts of the country on May 28.

A total of 3,254 candidates contested for the post of chairman, over 27,000 for general member and over 7,000 for reserved seat member in the election.

In the fourth phase, elections to 703 Ups in 47 districts were held on May 6.

On April 23, the third phase of election were held at 614 Union Parishads in 48 districts.

On March 31, the second phase of the elections in 639 unions of 47 districts were held.

On March 22, first phase of polls were held at 717 union parishads.

Over 80 people were killed in polls-related violence across the country although the Election

Commission claimed that the polls were held in a free and fair manner.

One killed in pre-poll violence in Chittagong

One person was killed and several others were injured during a pre-electoral clash in Chittagong’s Anwara upazila yesterday evening.

The deceased was identified as Md Faruk, 30, a resident of Bhuapanchak area under Bairag union in Anwara upazila.

The locals said supporters of Awami League nominated chairman candidate Nawab Ali and rebel candidate Md Solaiman of Bairag union locked into a clash.

Assistant Sub-Inspector of Chittagong Medical College Hospital police outpost Pankaj Barua said a

youth with multiple hack injuries in the head was admitted to the hospital following a clash.

“However, the ill-fated youth succumbed to his injuries around 7:30pm while undergoing treatment,” said Pankaj.

Abdul Latif, Officer-in-Charge of Anwara police station, said a clash between two rival groups left a person dead.

Contacted, Md Saiful Islam, UNO of Anwara told the Dhaka Tribune that a fierce clash had ensued between supporters of two UP member candidates at Amanullahpara under Bairag union.

“I have come to know that a person died and several others were injured following the clash,” said the UNO. l

SEIZURE OF 2.71 CRORE INDIAN RUPEES

CID finds all the amount counterfeit Mizanur Rahaman, n FM Chittagong After eight-month of seizure of 2.71 crore Indian Rupees from a container in Chittagong Port, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) confirmed that all the amount were counterfeit.

“Conducting forensic examinations in CID's lab in Dhaka, we are confirmed that all the Indian rupees were forged” said Inspector of CID, Chittagong Liton Dewan.

He said: “We have received the forensic reports of the rupees on May 20. During the test, it was found that all the rupees are counterfeit.”

He also said though the fraudsters had used high technology to

print the rupees, however, they could not be able to put all the security marks on the rupees.

The Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation (CIID) recovered the currencies from a container of Chittagong port on September 20, last year.

One Dubai-expatriate Shahidujjaman sent the container with household items, said the official.

After primary investigation, the CID officials said that the rupees were counterfeit, but it needed more examinations to come to a conclusion.

Following the recovery, five persons were arrested and CID filed a case with Bandar police station on September 22.

Slum children near Padma residential lake in Rajshahi peek under a banner during a slum development programme arranged

by Rajshahi City Corporation in conjunction with Germany’s international development firm GIZ. The photo was taken on Thursday AZAHAR UDDIN

Illegal market near court building being removed Hossain, n Moazzem Lalmonirhat A market that was illegally set up by the Lalmonirhat District Lawyers Association beside the local Judge’s Court is finally being demolished.

The move came after District and Sessions Judge Miah Muhammad Ali Akbar Azizi issued a written directive to the association last month, telling it to remove the structures that were erected after bringing down a wall of the court premises.

According to court documents, 13 shops and an office for the Lawyers’ Assistants Association had been built after demolishing a

wall on the northwest of the court building.

Around 80% of the removal work has been completed so far, but the wall that stood there before is yet to be rebuilt.

Court sources, however, said the wall would be constructed once the entire marketplace is removed.

“The District Lawyers Association illegally constructed a market after demolishing a wall on the northwest of the court premises.

The removal work began on May 22 after a notice and a written directive were sent on March 9 and May 15 respectively to the president and the general secretary of the lawyers association,” said Judge Azizi, who has been on post-retirement

leave since May 26.

The land on which the Lalmonirhat District Judges Court currently stands was originally acquired from Bangladesh Railway in 1994.

Apart from the court building, a Bar library, and a power sub-station were also built on the land.

However, the lawyers association illegally built the market this March on a deserted piece of land to the west of the library.

When the court issued the initial notice in March, lawyers association General Secretary Moyzul Islam replied by claiming that the land of the market belonged to the Zila Parishad.

“The mentioned land is owned

by Lalmonirhat Zila Parishad,

which had previously leased it to different individuals. Makeshift establishments were set up [by the lawyers association] after applying to the Zila Parishad and securing its verbal permission,” Moyzul wrote in his written response, dated March 12.

In the same letter, he requested that if the land actually belonged to the district judgeship then it be granted to the association; adding that the lawyers’ body would voluntarily remove the establishments otherwise.

Work on removal finally began on May 22.

Meanwhile, Transparency International Bangladesh removed Moyzul as president of the local

TIB Shachetan Nagorik Committee – or citizen awareness committee, after it was found that he had violated the code of conduct.

TIB Executive Editor Dr Iftekharuzzaman confirmed the news.

Commenting on this, Moyzul said: “I have honestly performed my duties as the general secretary of the District Lawyers Association and president of TIB’s Lalmonirhat Shachetan Nagorik Committee.

The establishments were set up under the decision of the lawyers association and were eventually removed on the request of the district and sessions judge sir.

“Even though TIB has removed me from my duties, my social works will continue,” Moyzul said. l

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SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

Pakistan maintains defence budget increase

Pakistan on Friday announced it will once again increase its annual military budget by 11%. The country would provide Rs860bn ($8.6bn) to the armed forces during the 2016-17 financial year. Pakistan also increased its defence budget by 11% in 2015-16.

-AFP

INDIA

Modi to embark on a five-nation tour India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a five-nation trip this weekend that will include his first visits to Switzerland, Qatar and Mexico since coming to power.

Modi will also hold talks with US President Barack Obama in Washington on June 6 for a 3-day visit.

He will also address a joint session of the US Congress on June 8. -AFP

CHINA

China furious by US criticism of anti-terror fight

China on Friday asked the US to respect the fight against what Beijing says are militants in Xinjiang region, after Washington expressed concern about the lack of transparency in China’s anti-terror campaign.

Hundreds have died in recent years in Xinjiang in unrest, mostly blamed

by Beijing on militants and separatists. The US State Department said there was a lack of transparency or information from China on terrorism incidents said counter-terrorism cooperation was limited.

-REUTERS

ASIA PACIFIC

Thailand asks China, rivals to look beyond border rows

Thailand on Friday urged China and rival claimants to the South China Sea to look beyond border disputes and find ways of cooperating. “If the countries in the region focus solely on borders, , we’ll never find a way out,” Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha said in a speech opening Asia’s largest security forum in Singapore. -AFP

MIDDLE EAST

Hamas condemns French peace plan Hamas and three other Palestinian groups on Friday condemned Paris talks aimed at restarting moribund peace negotiations with Israel. Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas and his Fatah movement have endorsed the French initiative, which hosts representatives of 25 countries, UN, EU Arab League, on Friday. Israel has rejected the initiative too.

-AFP

104 migrant bodies wash up in Libya n Agencies The bodies of more than 100 migrants have washed up on a Libyan beach as a new migrant boat tragedy unfolded in the Mediterranean south of Greece on Friday, reports Agence France-Presse.

Meanwhile, news agency Reuters reported that desperate rescue efforts were under way off the Greek island of Crete where at least 340 people were saved after a vessel believed to have left Africa with hundreds of migrants on board capsized.

The Libyan navy said meanwhile it had found the bodies of at least 104 migrants on the shore in the western Libyan town of Zwara, warning that the toll could rise.

“The number of bodies retrieved Thursday evening was 104 but the toll is expected to rise since an average boat carries 115-125 passengers,” said Libyan navy spokesman Colonel Ayoub Qassem.

The names and nationalities of the drowned migrants, whose bodies were found on Thursday, were not yet known till filing of the report at 2230 hours BST. In Greece, efforts were under way to find hundreds believed missing after a migrant boat capsized off the island of Crete.

Greece’s coastguard has al-

German rescuer from the humanitarian organisation Sea-Watch holds a drowned migrant baby, off the Libyan cost on May 27. The dead baby plucked out of the sea whose picture sparked international outrage this week was probably a sixmonth-old Somali boy whose mother also most likely died in the shipwreck, Italian police said on Wednesday REUTERS ready recovered four bodies.

Coastguard spokesman Nikos Lagadianos said at least 340 people had been rescued, and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said the vessel “is believed to have left Africa with at least 700 migrants on board”.

Among the survivors, over 240 are on route to Italy, 75 to Egypt, 16 to Turkey and seven to Malta, the coastguard said.

The Friday sinking marked the second migrant vessel found in that area of the southern Aegean Sea since last week, indicating that people smugglers may be forging a new route to avoid Nato ships.

‘Hundreds in distress’

A Greek coastguard spokeswoman said a major rescue operation was underway, including four ships that were passing through the area,

in clear but windy conditions about 75 nautical miles south of Crete.

“The number of people in distress could be counted in the hundreds,” she said.

It was not immediately clear where exactly the boat had left from or where it was headed, or the nationalities of those on board.

The coastguard spokeswoman said a passing ship spotted the sinking vessel off Crete.

The coastguard rushed two patrol boats, a plane and a helicopter to the scene.

About half of the 25-metre-long boat was completely underwater, the spokeswoman said.

The deaths are the first in Greek waters since April, as a controversial March deal between the EU and Turkey designed to halt the flow of migrants using the popular Aegean route has led to a sharp drop in arrivals.

Nevertheless, some 204,000 migrants and refugees have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe since January, the United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday.

More than 2,500 people have died trying to make the perilous journey this year -- the vast majority of them on crossings between Libya and Italy -- as Europe battles its worst migration crisis since World War II. l

SWIFT fights to restore faith after BB height n Reuters, London The chief executive of secure messaging system SWIFT said the theft of $81m from Bangladesh Bank, by criminals sending fraudulent payment instructions via SWIFT, would force the organiSation to shrink and review its strategy.

In an interview, Gottfried Leibbrandt said he would be forced to scale back some of SWIFT’s operations to help pay for new security initiatives it plans. But he denied the Belgium-based co-operative should have taken these measures sooner.

“Hindsight is always a wonderful thing,” he said in an interview at SWIFT’s London offices.

“You can always say ‘should they have done it before?’, but sometimes it takes these types of events,” he added.

In February, thieves hacked into Bank Bangladesh’s interface with SWIFT’s network -- a fund-transfer pipeline that is the backbone of international finance.

They sent payment instructions to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, telling it to transfer $951m from Bangladesh central bank’s account to accounts in the

Gottfried Leibbrandt

WIKIMEDIA

Philippines. Most of the transactions were blocked but four went through, amounting to $81m that remains missing.

Industry officials say it was long understood that the biggest weakness in the SWIFT system was users’ access points to the core network, since not all banks had strict security practices for safeguarding the keys to their SWIFT terminals.

However, Leibbrandt, a former management consultant with McKinsey who joined SWIFT in 2005 and has been CEO for four years, said before February he had been unaware of any attempts to hack into a bank’s SWIFT terminal. Consequently, he concentrated SWIFT’s security activities on

its own infrastructure.

After the Bangladesh theft, other banks came forward and revealed they had been victims of attacks.

SWIFT discovered, by examining inquiries to its customer support department, that other banks had also likely been compromised.

The incidents have changed industry perceptions about how trustworthy SWIFT messages really are.

Last week, SWIFT unveiled measures to tighten up security throughout the broader system, including adding additional authentication factors to the software it sells users and the possible development of a service that would allow it to spot suspicious payment instructions sent across its network.

‘No holds barred’

Some critics said SWIFT and the banks that own it should have acted earlier.

Leibbrandt rejected such criticism. He said while he was under pressure to make the programme a success, he was confident that hacking of clients’ SWIFT architecture could be turned “into a nuisance rather than a potentially

threatening situation”.

He said the planned measures would require investment.

This may mean that SWIFT’s user banks may not continue to enjoy falling costs for sending messages.

It also means that SWIFT itself would shrink.

“We need to take a look at what we are doing. We cannot carry on with everything we did before and do this on top, that wouldn’t be credible,” the CEO said.

He said SWIFT would pull back from “a few areas” but declined to name any candidates.

“There are no holds barred in solving this problem, so as far as I am concerned, nothing is off the table.”

Some former SWIFT executives say that wouldn’t be a bad thing because the company has become involved in providing too many services.

For the past decade, revenue from non-core activities such as consulting and training has risen sharply and in 2014, the most recent year for which data is available, the core messaging service generated less than half of SWIFT’s total revenues for the first time. l

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SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

ANALYSIS

USA

Turkey’s reaction to Germany genocide vote tempered by politics, trade n Reuters, Ankara/Berlin Turkish outrage over Germany’s decision to label the 1915 massacre of Armenians as an act of genocide was swift, but like the symbolic Bundestag vote itself, Ankara’s reaction is likely to be more for show than anything else.

German lawmakers on Thursday overwhelmingly endorsed the resolution, prompting Turkey to recall its ambassador and summon a senior German diplomat to the foreign ministry. Newspapers across the political spectrum were united in their anger, with both the pro-government Star and the opposition Sozcu depicting German Chancellor Angela Merkel as Adolf Hitler.

The Armenian massacre is a touchy subject for Ankara, which is sensitive to outside criticism. Turkey rejects the view that the killings of Christian Armenians during World War I amounted to a genocide.

Ruling party officials said Ankara’s response would be kept in check by economic reality. Germany is Turkey’s top export market, accounting for $13.4bn in exports last year.

It is also home to more than 3m Turks. Those ties - as well as talks with the EU to end the migrant crisis and give Turks visa-free travel to Europe - are unlikely to be permanently damaged.

The nature and scale of the killings remain highly contentious.

Turkey accepts that many Armenians died in partisan fighting beginning in 1915, but denies that up to 1.5m were killed and that this constituted an act of genocide, a term used by many Western historians and foreign parliaments.

President Tayyip Erdogan has previously described the killings as “inhumane” and has expressed condolences.

Total diplomatic rupture?

Never one to shirk from voicing outrage, Erdogan said on Thursday the vote would “seriously impact” relations. Yet, tellingly, he has not yet given any details.

This time, Turkey’s language is markedly more reserved than in 2012, when it threatened a “total rupture” with France over a law outlawing denial of the genocide.

France’s highest legal authority ruled that was an unconstitutional violation of freedom of speech, prompting a thaw in relations.

Even the withdrawal of Turkey’s ambassador was tempered by the fact he was due to leave Germany this summer.

“We are looking past what Erdogan says and focusing on what he actually does. He may not be espe-

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World

Trump escalates attacks on judge in Trump University suit Donald Trump on Thursday escalated his attacks on the federal judge presiding over lawsuits against Trump University, saying the judge had “an absolute conflict” because of his Mexican heritage, the Wall Street Journal reported. Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, is fighting lawsuits that accuse his school venture of misleading thousands of students.

-REUTERS

THE AMERICAS

Brazil acting president pushes for quick Rousseff impeachment

A 1915 file photo, collected from the New York Times Archieve, shows, Ottoman Armenians are marched to a prison in Kharpert, Armenia by armed Turkish soldiers in April of the year. According to a long-hidden record that belonged to the interior minister of the Ottoman Empire, 972,000 Ottoman Armenians disappeared from official population records from 1915 to 1917 WIKIMEDIA

THE RUTHLESS MASSACRE OF THE ARMENIANS DURING WWI Historical background

Ü Following centuries of alternating Ottoman and Persian rule, Armenians by the mid-19th century lived across the Russian and Ottoman empires. Ü Between 1.7m and 2.3m Armenians were living in eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire by 1915, according to estimates of Western scholars.

Ü Ottoman authorities had been suspicious about the loyalty of Armenian subjects since the late 19th century when a nationalist movement gained momentum, seeking autonomy from Ottoman rule.

Ü An estimated 100,000 to 300,000 Armenians are thought to have been killed in 1895-1896 in the so-called Hamidian massacres under sultan Abdul Hamid II. In 1905 he narrowly escaped an Armenian attempt to assassinate him with a bomb.

Ü In 1914, the Ottoman Empire entered World War I on the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary. Ü As major battles erupted in Armenian-inhabited provinces, the Ottoman authorities unleashed a propaganda campaign portraying Armenians as an “enemy within”.

Ü On April 24, 1915, hundreds of Armenian community leaders and intellectuals suspected of being hostile to the Ottoman government were rounded up in Constantinople, present-day Istanbul.

Ü April 24 is commemorated by Armenians as Genocide Remembrance Day. Chain of events

Ü Following two laws authorising deportation of Armenians and confiscation of their property, hundreds of thousands were marched into a desert in present-day Syria. Those who survived were put into 25 concentration camps.

Ü Armenians were subjected to mass shooting, burning and poisoning, according to accounts by foreign diplomats and intelligence agents at the time.

Ü On October 30, 1918, the Ottoman Empire surrendered to the Allied powers -- Britain, Russia and France. The armistice agreement provided for the return of Armenian deportees to their homes.

Ü In February 1919, a court-martial in Constantinople found a number of top Ottoman officials guilty of war crimes, including against Armenians, and sentenced them to death, though failed to prosecute those who had fled the country.

Conflicting versions

Ü Armenia says up to 1.5m people were killed between 1915 and 1917 and has long pushed for international recognition of the killings as genocide.

Ü Turkey, the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, accepts that massacres and deportations were carried out but describes the bloodshed as an internecine conflict.

Ü Ankara argues that 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers and sided with invading Russian troops.

Sources: HISTORY.COM cess of an EU-Turkey deal she has championed to stem the flow of migrants to Europe in return for cash, visa-free travel for Turks to Europe and accelerated talks on EU membership.

At home, critics accuse her of

UK

Study: From 8 years old, UK boys earn more than girls British girls receive on average 12% less pocket money than boys -- a tenfold jump in the pay gap since last year, according to a study by the Halifax Bank published Friday.

On average, boys aged between 8 and 15 years old receive £6.93 per week compared to £6.16 for girls of a similar age, but are more likely (44%) than girls (39%) to think they should receive more.

-AFP

EUROPE

AfD leader: Nat’l football team no longer German

Ü Most of them were later executed or deported.

cially determined to join the EU but he clearly wants to use the EU-Turkey deal to get certain things like visa liberalisation. We believe he has a strong interest in this deal,” said one senior German official.

Merkel is relying on the suc-

Brazil’s interim government on Thursday pushed for speeding up the impeachment process against suspended president Dilma Rousseff, who could be forced from office in August. Rousseff, accused of taking unauthorised loans to patch up the state budget during her 2014 reelection campaign and in early 2015, was suspended for the trial on May 12. The suspension can run as long as 6 months.

-AFP

going soft on Ankara over human rights because her desire to stop the flow of migrants. In April, she drew fire for allowing German prosecutors to look into charges against a comedian who mocked Erdogan in a crude poem. l

A German right-wing populist politician who caused outrage by racially disparaging footballer Jerome Boateng followed up Friday by saying the national team is “no longer ... German in the classical sense.” Alexander Gauland, of the Alternative for Germany party, also questioned the loyalty of German-born international Mesut Ozil, who is of Turkish origin, for making the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. -AFP

AFRICA

Shell probing new claim of Nigeria pipeline attack Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary said on Friday it was investigating a claim by the Niger Delta Avengers that it had struck another pipeline in the restive oil-producing south. The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), blamed for a wave of bombings on Nigeria’s oil infrastructure since the beginning of the year, earlier claimed responsibility for the attack.

-AFP

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World

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

POINTS TAKEN

After Brexit: Roadmap for a leap in the dark 19 DAYS TO GO

n Reuters, Brussels Dawn, Friday, June 24. The votes are in. The British have spoken in their EU membership referendum and they want out. It is a scenario European leaders are now planning for in earnest while praying it never happens.

Secret meetings in Brussels and across Europe reveal huge uncertainty, officials and diplomats familiar with the proceedings say, over what would follow a vote that British Prime Minister David Cameron calls a “leap in the dark” -- and also no little concern about what happens if Britain stays on.

This is a rough roadmap to Europe after June 23, based on conversations with many diplomats and officials, few of whom speak of it in public for fear of inflaming debate in Britain:

Day 1 (June 24)- The three Rs or more

Polls close at 10pm. No mainstream exit polls are planned but overnight counts should give a result by around the time the midsummer sun is coming up over Brussels.

Aside from the result itself, there are already several big imponderables. Cameron says he will notify the EU “immediately” if Britain is leaving. But he may take at least a few days. If he has lost he will be under huge pressure from his divided Conservative party to resign. He might also be, even if he wins.

Money markets will be volatile.

The Bank of England and European Central Bank, with global allies, are assumed to have contingency plans to deal with a “Brexit shock” to sterling.

Expect joint statements from EU founders Germany and France and from EU institutions. Look for a mantra of Three Rs: Regret - at losing nearly a fifth of the EU economy and more of its military and global clout; Respect - for the will of the British people; and Resolve - to forge ahead with European integration.

There may be a fourth message.

Call it Reprisal, perhaps, though Britons should not take it personally; warnings of woe for those leaving will aim to discourage others from following suit. There may be an element of spite, too.

Some Europeans, sotto voce, may also feel Relief. Some in France fret at British blocking of federalist ideas and fear a British vote to remain could unleash a new push for a free-market EU.

Day 3 (June 26)- Rallying round the EU flag

After a Brexit vote, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will chair an emergency meeting of the executive’s “college” of 28 commissioners, including Britain’s Jonathan Hill, officials say. The Commission will be responsible for negotiating the divorce settlement between London and Brussels.

EU officials insist there is no “Plan B” in place for Brexit. But, recalling the same denials during last summer’s narrowly avoided Grexit during the Greek debt crisis, one speaks of a “Room B”, where a fire-fighting team of EU lawyers and experts will be ready.

The start of a new week on global financial markets will see investors and voters demanding answers on where Britain and the EU are heading. Expect both to offer assurances of orderly talks, while nothing changes immediately, for firms or citizens.

ANTI-BREXIT CAMP

CATALYST CAMP

PRO-BREXIT CAMP

Jean-Claude Juncker

Boris Johnson

David Cameron

Angela Merkel

Day 5 (June 28)- ‘David, are you leaving now?’

A 24-hour EU summit is scheduled.

After a Brexit vote, his political career may be over but Cameron would likely stay on at least until his deeply divided party elects a successor. He would be expected to appear for dinner in Brussels. Big question - would he notify summit chair Donald Tusk that he is triggering Article 50 of the EU, the legal basis for Britain to leave the Union?

In London, pro-Brexit would-be successors may try to play for time.

Until Britain declares its hand, the EU would stall, though many would be impatient to make clear there will be no new talks to try and keep it in. If Cameron secures a referendum win, the summit will discuss quickly enacting the reform package he won in March to give Britain a special deal to stem EU immigration.

Day 6 (June 29)- ‘Please wait outside, David.’

Day Two of the summit and, if it is to be Brexit, leaders of the 27 other states will confer without Cameron in the room - a pattern Britons will have to get used to. Article 50 sets a two-year limit on divorce talks. The EU must fill a Britain-sized hole in its budget and reassure millions of EU citizens living in Britain and Britons on the continent of their future rights.

EU leaders, notably Germany and France, may push for a quick show of unity on more integration.

Divisions between Berlin and Paris on managing the euro zone probably rule out a big move on that front before both hold elections in 2017. Closer EU defence cooperation, without sceptical Britain,

George Osborne

François Hollande

Nigel Farage

The collage of pictures show the top politicians and bureaucrats involved in the campaigning and administrative process in the upcoming UK referendum, to be held on Jun 23. British prime minister and his deputy are urging the Brits to vote against a move that will ensure UK's divorce with the 28-member European bloc, while former London mayor and the top right-wing UKIP leader are arguing why the people of the British Isles will be better off with being a part of the EU. The rest, the German chancellor, the chief of the European Commission and the French president are also playing and will keep playing very crucila role in the whole process REUTERS may be revived. A major EU security policy review is already on the summit agenda. Other initiatives, aimed at blunting Marine Le Pen’s far-right, eurosceptic bid for the French presidency in 2017, could include a push to stimulate job creation, especially among the young.

The Council of EU leaders must give the executive Commission a negotiating mandate. Some in Britain see exit discussions lasting longer than two years. But an extension requires an EU unanimity that few in Brussels expect.

Some suggest talks with Britain on its future trade terms can run in parallel to the exit talks.

From day 7 - Nothing (and everything) changes; Hello Estonia

After a Brexit vote, all EU laws apply in Britain until two years after London starts the process to leave. Then none would apply.

Meanwhile, British lawmakers sit in the EU parliament, Hill in the Commission, thousands of Britons would go on working as EU civil servants and British ministers sit in EU councils. But they will have no real voice and Britain plans to renounce its EU presidency in the second half of 2017; Estonia would come forward to start its first stint in the chair six months early.

Some also see heavy pressure to exclude British MEPs from a say on EU laws and to deprive Hill, a Cameron appointee, of his sensitive portfolio overseeing financial services regulation.

Whatever the referendum’s outcome, a host of other EU plans, shelved for fear of alienating British voters, will come out of cold storage, including energy-saving rules to limit the power of toasters and kettles. Dealing with the fallout from a Swiss referendum on EU migration and a Dutch rejection of the EU trade deal with Ukraine will get back on track, as will a review of the EU’s seven-year budget.

If Britain votes to stay in, some, notably in France, fear a new British-led push to free up EU markets and rein in regulation. Others doubt that Cameron, if he survives at all, would have much appetite for deeper EU engagement amid post-referendum Conservative blood-letting.

A post-Brexit relationship between Britain and the EU is the great unknown. Many EU leaders, wary of eurosceptic voters at home, are determined Britain cannot have access to EU trade and financial markets if it wants to keep out EU workers.

New trade barriers would hurt

both sides’ economies. But the EU fears a political “domino effect” would cost more long-term. Brexit would “break a taboo”, Juncker says: “If others open the door, inspired by the British model, we’ll see a stream of referendums, depriving the European project of all credibility.”

End of the road?

Leaders have much else on their plates to distract them from negotiating with Britain, including Russia, the euro, jobs and refugees.

London may have other priorities, too, not least the likelihood europhile Scotland would bid again to break away.

There is a “Brussels consensus” that Britain would face a chilly future, cast out after two years to perhaps talk its way back later into some kind of trade access in return for many of the things -- notably free migration from inside the bloc and contributions to the EU budget -- which Brexit voters want to end.

But cautious diplomats do not rule out surprise turns.

EU law may seem clear but EU leaders, German Chancellor Angela Merkel included, are loath to see Britain go and may yet seek a way to keep it in, whatever the vote on June 23. l

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World

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

Police clash with squatters leaves 22 killed in Mathura n Reuters, Lucknow

At least 22 people were killed when police clashed with squatters in north India, officials said on Friday, the violence erupting after protesters killed two police officers during an operation to clear thousands of people from a public park.

Police began the operation to clear the park in Mathura, 140km southeast of the capital New Delhi, on Thursday after a court ordered about 3,000 people to vacate the area.

Officials said they were investigating why the squatters had gathered in the park. The court had di-

rected authorities to clear the land after the squatters refused to comply with earlier orders to leave.

Debashish Panda, the principal home secretary in Uttar Pradesh state, told Reuters police had initially responded to gunshots with tear gas and rubber bullets but then returned fire when the two police

officers were killed.

Other officials said it was not immediately clear how the squatters died. The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state, where Mathura is located, has ordered an inquiry.

Around 200 members of the squatters’ group were also arrested.

Uttar Pradesh police chief

Javeed Ahmed told reporters at the scene on Friday the group had set fire to their tents before abandoning the camp after the clashes.

“Subsequent searches by the police revealed that the activists of the group ... had stored firearms and other weapons, including grenades, in the camp,” he said. l

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SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

Arts & Letters

PHOTOS: ARIF HAFIZ

P

lays scripted and performed in English are a rarity in this country. So when we heard one such play was going to be staged in the city, we were curious. Our curiosity only increased when we came to know

Editor’s note that it was an adaptation set in the present-day Bangladesh. This issue features a review of the play which seeks to understand if English plays have a future in this country.

May 27-28 also saw the confluence

of a number of our writers, poets, translators and academics in a very interesting literature conference where they dissected the presence of magic in literature in all its dimensions. While some argued that the return of magic

and occultism in the narratives of fiction and film has to do with the rise of fundamentalism, some highlighted the fact that magic in the form of supernatural and unreal happenings has attracted writers and playwrights

for thousands of years and that, in many cases, it has served as the writer’s defiance of exploitative social norms and systems. This issue covers the twoday event and offers readers the key points that speakers highlighted. l

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Arts & Letters

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

T H E AT R E R E V I E W

The death of a garment worker When word spread that An Inspector Calls would be staged in the city by actors known to us, many ventured to ask: Is an English play written in 1945 and originally set in 1912 Edwardian England at all relevant for an urban audience in Dhaka in 2016?

n Shuprova Tasneem

M

any are already familiar with the play, An Inspector Calls, widely considered to be one of the classics of 20th century English theatre. Written

by J B Priestley at the close of the Second World War, the play is a trenchant critique of the capitalist system and the class-based values it promotes, and is known for representing Priestley’s own socialist political views.

When word spread that the play would be staged in the city by actors known to us, many ventured to ask: Is an English play written in 1945 and originally set in 1912 Edwardian England at all relevant for an urban audience in Dhaka in 2016?

Now that I have seen the performance, the answer is: Yes, it is as relevant today, without a doubt.

Produced by Jatrik Productions, the play was staged to huge acclaim at Gulshan Club on May 27 and 28. Famous actor Naila Azad (who acted in the critically successful film Crossing Over, among other films and plays) directed the play.

In this adaptation by Azad, who also designed the production, the play was set in a fictional town (named Bonobagan) in Bangladesh, at the house of Mr Borhania, a garment-factory owner, and Mrs Borhania. The proud couple are hosting a lavish party to celebrate the engagement of their daughter Sheila to a rich business tycoon’s son Jawad. Everyone at the party is immensely pleased, except Ejaj, the moody and rebellious son of Mr and Mrs Borhania.

The celebrations are soon interrupted by the sudden appearance of Inspector Jinnah, a mysterious and imposing character who starts interrogating everyone about the gruesome suicide of a young garment factory worker named Abha Alam. Through his investigation, it is eventually revealed that each person present at the party, although not criminally responsible, took certain actions and decisions that put the young woman in the most hapless of situations and drove her to take her own life.

While the set was not elaborately designed, it was a clever idea to have Abha’s

That’s why the most splendid artistic moments were when Abha stood silently in the corner of the stage while her tragic story of exploitation and powerlessness was related by other characters

little room (and sometimes her workplace) next to the Borhanias’ richly-furnished drawing room.

Actress Shormymala was excellent in portraying the silent suffering that Abha had gone through while the other characters simultaneously talked about their run-ins with her.

Abha’s troubles are slowly unveiled to the audience by Inspector Jinnah, played by Ariq Anam Khan, who nicely captured the gravitas and imposing stature of the role. A bit patronising at times, the inspector still does an excellent job in questioning the family -- pronouncing judgment on their selfishness in one act, only to soothingly coax information out of them in another.

As the story progresses, the audience learns that Mr Borhania triggered the chain of events when he had fired Abha from his factory for asking for higher wages. Kazi Toufikul Islam portrays him as a smug, self-satisfied man and a rather one-dimensional character, who shows no remorse for the part he played in Abha’s suicide and whose only focus is on taking his family wealth and power forward.

Mrs Borhania is similarly unmoved. While Munize Manzur’s portrayal of Mrs Borhania as a high-class, pearl-wearing, charity subscription-collecting “Aunty” is stereotypical at times, her moments of pure love for her children against the stark hatred she feels for Abha, who she dismisses as one of the undeserving poor, was commendable.

Sheila, played by Afia Rashid, added a different dimension to the characters. While she is clearly spoilt and used to having her way, she is the first to repent her spiteful anger towards Abha for Abha, she had felt, was prettier than her. This led to Abha losing her second job at a clothing store.

Sheila’s character also serves as a foil to Abha’s -- both are young women in the city, but while Sheila’s wealth allows her to chastise and scold her unfaithful lover and even her parents, Abha’s poverty means that a justified demand to live a life of dignity is met with indifference, scorn and even outrage.

The play also reveals that both Ejaj and Jawad had relationships

with Abha at different times and although they both argue about their chivalrous intentions, it is soon understood that she was sexually exploited by them.

Shaan Rahman really shone in the character of Ejaj, grabbing the audience’s sympathy with his rebellion against his father and the system he’s a part of; but he, too, slowly reveals his weaknesses.

One could also sense his disconnect with the real world in the play -- while he argues that the repressed classes will soon rise up against their oppressors, he can’t understand the principles that led Abha to refuse stolen money from an alcoholic like him.

Nafis Salman, by no means a weak actor, did not come across with plausibility in his role as Jawad, however. Furthermore, there did not seem to be enough space for directing a critical glance at his sexual exploitation of Abha.

Last but not least, Shakil Ahmed played the Borhania’s domestic help Dino and a few other minor roles alongside Shormymala.

The play ends with a twist that causes the family to question whether Inspector Jinnah was

actually a real person, or an “avenging angel” brought to question their conscience. In the end, we see Sheila and Ejaj are the only two who are truly shaken by the consequences of their actions.

The fact that an English play, adapted to the setting of presentday Bangladesh, was staged in front of a jam-packed audience was proof enough that plays scripted in English do have a future in this country.

About the adaptation, director Azad said, “Because I love literature and the language of the play, I tried to bring in as much of the original language as possible, but obviously I had to dilute the 1912 England background. So for example, in the original play we see the mention of Titanic as the unsinkable ship and we all know what had happened. So from there, we had Mr Borhania refer to Rana Plaza as this amazing, modern factory, and we all know of the tragedy that followed.”

While some have considered Priestley’s original play to be a bit too preachy, his critique of the ruling clique is still relevant to this day. That’s why the most splendid artistic moments were when Abha stood silently in the corner of the stage while her tragic story of exploitation and powerlessness was related by other characters.

The story of how the voices of the poor are silenced and how workers are exploited is as relevant today as it was 71 years ago. l Shuprova Tasneem is a journalist and writer.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

Arts & Letters BOOK REVIEW

An Indian writes a novel in the US that’s not about immigrants

MAN BOOKER INT’L 2016

Chaitali Sen’s novel is a universal exploration of how political violence tests the noblest of human emotions

n Anu Kumar

I

n our times, it does seem a book needs a category to fit into, a neat label for itself.

But Chaitali Sen’s novel, The Pathless Sky, isn’t just another work of immigrant fiction; that would be far too pat and casual.

It’s intriguing in the many themes it explores, and raises – especially in how violence, its memories, and its reach, leaves an impact on everyone, especially two people involved in a relationship.

Political violence, in reference to recent decades, has figured in recent fiction by Indian American writers. The violence spawned by the Naxalite movement shadows the relationships that appear in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland – Udayan’s death, for instance, never allows things to settle between Gauri and Subhash.

In Karan Mahajan’s An Association of Small Bombs, a terror attack has implications on even those tangentially affected.

Its scars linger and manifest themselves much later in life. And in a somewhat more oblique way, Ranbir Singh Sidhu’s Deep Singh Blue is set in north California, but some of its protagonists are drawn to the conflict raging in 1980s Punjab.

A fictional world of conflict

The Pathless Sky was published in the US in late 2015 by Europa – which has in recent years also won acclaim as the publisher of Elena Ferrante’s celebrated novels, including the Neapolitan Quartet.

Sen sets her work and characters in a totally fictional world. It is a conceit intriguing in many ways; raising questions of plausibility, for instance.

John Merchant, when pressed on the matter, doesn’t know where he is really from for “no one is really from Alexandria” – which is not the Egyptian city as the reader might automatically assume. It is in college in Mt Belet that John meets Mariam from Sulat, a region where a conflict has raged even before her time.

The one conflict Mariam does know about is more immediate – the quite evident division between her parents, one that has in many ways led Mariam to resent her father.

There’s another one that’s revealed

to her only later; this relates to her grandfather, his escape to Germany, and his subsequent suicide: a revelation that leaves Mariam conflicted in certain ways.

It may be hard in the beginning to place this fictional universe on a map. Sulat is in the north, where we learn only gradually of the conflict between Catholics and Muslims. Alexandria, John’s home, is where the elite largely lives. The military outpost John leaves for when he is called up is eighteen

emotions: a book that follows almost in the fine traditions of novels such as The Plague.

Rebels in the northern province of Sulat, where Marian is from and where she returns after her father’s sudden illness, have engaged militarily with the government; the army has a strong presence in the region. Reports of atrocities and casualties only grow in the period when John and Mariam find themselves away from each other.

This novel is more about how conflict and everyday violence shapes and moulds human behaviour and everyday emotions

hours away by train, making the country almost as big as India.

Other characters feature with names (sometimes with just first names), like Vic Arora, Nina, or John’s professors Malick and Nehemia – that can be easily placed but then are also universal.

The scenes and reports might remind us of graphic newspaper accounts – an innocent family killed for no reason, a survivor’s anguish, the censorship, the suspicion, the suppression of crucial war information.

But the attempt to draw analogies doesn’t really matter after a while. For this novel is more about how conflict and everyday violence shapes and moulds human behaviour and everyday

Metaphors of the earth

The campus at Mt Belet is a politically neutral place. It offers a benign environment, and descriptions of the library, dorms, even of the falling snow, evoke in some ways the film Love Story. But it is when Mariam is forced to return home to the English Canal in Sulat, and John is called up for military service, that the conflict intrudes.

From then on, it will shadow their lives and the decisions they make – relating to careers, having a family, and even routine ones like making a journey out of the country. Weighed against such wider forces of political violence, individual choice takes on a poignant turn, making blame difficult, and betrayal and

resentment, dangerously easy.

Letters and documents have a role to play as well. Mariam’s letters, for instance, never reach John. He learns afterwards that they have been confiscated. Later, Mariam’s attempts to secure a passport for herself, a vital document granting identity, and one that will help her out of the country, prove frustratingly elusive.

Along with the wonderful passages on John and Mariam’s lovemaking, this book resonates

with some powerful lingering imagery. For instance, roads like x-rays that cut through land claiming it. And on another page, blue is the colour of oceans and the sky, but also, as Mariam says, the colour of twilight and sadness.

As it happens, she is wearing a blue dress (inadvertently, it’d appear) when she and John meet again after long years apart.

The world of geology that John inhabits works as an effective contrary metaphor. It is his work of understanding earth formations, the evidence hidden away below the surface for centuries, that intrigue him. It helps him belong in a way he otherwise finds difficult; almost in the same way, that Anil, the forensic pathologist in Michael Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost, tries to painstakingly reconstruct a recovered skeleton and its story, in the hope that this will enable her to understand the Sri LankanTamil conflict. l The Pathless Sky, Chaitali Sen, Europa Editions. This is a truncated version of an article that first appeared in scroll.in.

Han Kang and translator share prize n Arts & Letters Desk

South Korean author Han Kang has won this year’s new-style Man Booker Int’l prize for her fiction The Vegetarian. She will share the £50,000 prize with her British translator.

The South Korean writer beat José Eduardo Agualusa and Elena Ferrante to scoop the award for foreign works translated into English The Vegetarian is a dark novel about a woman who becomes vegetarian -- something that is extremely uncommon in South Korean society -- and the way this affects her relationships with the people around her, including her sister and her brother-in-law, an artist who becomes obsessed with her.

This is the first time that The Man Booker International prize has been awarded for a single book, rather than for a body of work. It follows the prize’s joining together with the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.

The prize follows the recent success of several acclaimed foreign works by authors such as Norway’s Karl Ove Knausgaard and Italy’s Elena Ferrante - published in English.

Ms Han competed with Angolan writer José Eduardo Agualusa with his novel A General Theory of Oblivion and Elena Ferrante’s final Neapolitan novel The Story of a Lost Child.

Ms Han’s translator, Deborah Smith, shares the award for her translation despite only having learnt Korean just a few years ago.

Ms Smith said she had only spoken English until the age of 21 but decided to move to Korea after completing her English Literature degree to immerse herself in the language after she noticed there were few EnglishKorean translators.

Source: www.independent.co.uk

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Arts & Letters

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

L I T E R AT U R E C O N F E R E N C E AT U L A B

The meaning of magic in literature A literature conference sought to understand the underlying meaning of magic in literature

n Arts & Letters Desk

D

iscussion on magic in literature started in the 1980s. But much of that discussion was about “magic realism” as it was being practised and used by Latin American Boom writers and some others writing in English. Many critical writings on the subject in blogs, magazines or journals sounded as if magic in the form of unreal events or happenings came into use only after the publication of One Hundred Years of Solitude.

The Bangladeshi literary scene has seen even a more lasting interest in the subject with a number of contemporary writers regularly and dedicatedly using the craft of magic in their works.

One would have thought that the literature conference “Magic and Literature” that was held at the University of Liberal Arts on May 27-28 would merely offer a recapitulation of the above discussions in a formal and academic ambience. While the panel discussions and papers covered many aspects of “magic realism”, they, considered together, made a holistic approach to the idea of magic in literature, making it crystal clear at the very beginning that magic has always attracted writers, playwrights and artists for thousands of years now and that it is not an exclusive literary property of Latin American writers.

According to the organisers, magic is rather an ancient phenomenon in the arts that takes different shapes and dimensions in different ages, depending on the cultural and economic tides of the time.

“Through this conference, we sought to understand if magic is only a form of ancient art for mastering our limitations or it has some bigger implications. We also sought to understand if the recent increase of magical elements in literary and film narratives has anything to do with the rise of fundamentalism,” said Professor Shamsad Mortuza, the conference convener.

The department of English at ULAB organised the event and what made it very different from typical conferences was the lively participation of young academics and numerous students from both private and public universities.

The spontaneity in their response was evident from the fact that a total of 87 papers, written by both

(Clockwise)ULAB VC Prof Imran Rahman handing over a crest to Dr Subir Dhar; Prof Azfar Hussain moderating the Bangla session in which Razu Alauddin, first from left, Mohammad Rafiq, second from right, and Shamim Reza spoke; Dr Subir delivering his keynote speech PHOTOS: FARZANA AKTER students and academics, were presented in two days.

The keynote speech was given

by Professor Subir Kumar Dhar of Rabindra Bharati University. Other highlights of the two-day event included a plenary speech by Dr Azfar Hussain of Grand Valley University in Michigan and USbased Global Center for Advanced Studies; a panel discussion on “Magic in Bangla Literature” by poets Mohammad Rafiq, Shamim Reza, and Raju Alauddin; and a plenary discussion on Caribbean, African, Latin American and Native American literature by Dr Joshua Yu Burnett, Prof Mortuza and Mashrur Shahid Hossain.

In total, seventy-two academics from Bangladesh and abroad presented their scholarly works.

The conference also featured a magic demonstration by Prof Dhar,

a digital artwork by Zaki Rezwan Rahin and a video art installation by renowned artist Laila Sharmin.

The keynote speaker Dhar mentioned how belief in magic, specifically in the performance of supernatural or paranormal deeds and actions by certain skilled, talented or learned individuals, has existed as a staple in world literature since the dawn of civilization and how in traditional literary criticism and theory there appears to exist a major disregarding of the role of magic in literature. He proposed to analyse literature through the contradictions of our times that on the one hand demand the presence of magic and on the other occlude any serious discussion on it.

The panel on Magic in Bangla Literature was moderated by Azfar Hussain who in his opening gambit

framed the discourse by looking at the history of Bangle literature from the Charyapada through the middle ages to our contemporary times. Noted editor and translator Raju Alauddin traced magic in Bangla literature with reference to Latin American literature while indicating that the term “magic realism” has lost its original power and resonance. Poet Shamim Reza offered an impressive survey of literary works in Bangla that incorporated magic either as a metaphor or a material condition.

Finally, Mohammad Rafiq—one of the leading and internationally recognized poets—closed the session making a few interesting observations. He said that colonialism had destroyed our knowledge system including magic and that magic “can be a site

of anti-colonial resistance.”

The main attraction on the second day was a plenary session featuring Azfar Hussain. In his speech titled “Marx, Money and Magic”, Hussain explained how, under the shadow of the capitalist mode of production, money attains both supernatural and magical power. Drawing on from a vast range of literary and cultural materials, while bringing Shakespeare and Marx together, he made the following observations: “Although we are all aware of the magic of money, we seldom think of this magic and power from the standpoint of its victims, from the standpoint of those who are systemically kept without money and property, and, of course, whose labour is systematically exploited.” l

Learn English

ORDER THE WORDS

Farm animals MILK

Play a game about animals that live on a farm. Can you put the words of each sentence into the correct order?

1.

a

bird.

is

A

rooster

2.

baby

is

a

lamb

sheep.

3.

feathers.

has

A

turkey

4.

goose

A

is

white.

5.

cheese.

likes

mouse

A

6.

cow

milk.

A

produces

A

Answers . r is a bird 1. A rooste heep. is a baby s 2. A lamb thers. y has feath 3. A turke

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18

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

. e is white 4. A goos eese. e likes ch 5. A mous ilk. roduces m 6. A cow p

Find lots more fun things to do at www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglishkids Š British Council 2016

| initiative |

19

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Biz Info

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

| launch |

Hopefools: A platform that communicates sustainability With the aim of achieving sustainability in every aspect of our lives, Hopefools started its expedition last year on September 1. Since then, it has been working to create a network of sustainability that encourages sustainable business solutions, along with sustainable marketing to mainstream conventional businesses.

According to the statistics, corporate industries have the largest impact on our society, economy and the environment.

In order for businesses to sustain in the long run, they must be responsible for their own impact on the environment.

People in social media and on the roads demonstrate their claims for social and humanitarian rights, but people have hardly been seen claiming for environmental justice and rights. Those who are fighting

for the environment and the betterment of the society are very small in number or are working sporadically in most cases. That’s where Hopefools comes in and focuses on environmental aspects first voyage to attain sustainability.

As a minute step towards fulfilling a very big dream, Hopefools launched a new project called “Environment is the new cool - Poribesh niye vaab dekhao.”

Collaborating with EMK MakerLab, and partnering with Green Savers and Change, Hopefools has organised a one of a kind show to celebrate World Environment Day, where people from mufti-disciplines will tell their stories and experiences, focusing on the tagline “Environment is the new cool.”

The program will be held on June 5, 2016 at EMK Center. l

| food |

Breaking the fast at Amari Dhaka

Amari Dhaka brings the opportunity for Muslims to take an exclusive experience of suhoor and iftar this Ramadan under the same roof with all its outlets. Whether you want a sumptuous meal or a budget feast, Amari Dhaka has got options to suit everyone.

Alongside platters of Bangladeshi items such as chola, piyaju, aloo chop, and shahi haleem, jalebi; Amaya food gallery will be also highlighting the delicacies of Asia and Middle East, Arabic and Persian

starters, assorted fresh juices and a selection of main courses.

Guests can finish their meal with Arabic and Continental desserts, assorted traditional cakes and fresh fruits.

During the holy month of Ramadan, Amaya food gallery is offering endless choices to suit everybody’s taste with Asian and traditional iftar Buffet at Tk3,163 net. For the first time, Amaya is also offering Suhoor buffet at Tk2,528 net.

For those wishing for a comfortable, casual and relaxed

ambience, the hotel’s Cascade Lounge offers a special set iftar menu at Tk2,277 net where families can enjoy different types of juices, rooh afza, lassi as drinks with the main dishes of chicken biriyani, chicken malai kabab, nan, salad and exceptional Ramadan sweets, dates and Amari special haleem. Moreover, a suhoor menu is available at Tk2,277 net at the Cascade Lounge.

Alternatively, a take away traditional iftar box will be available from the same venue at Tk2,087 net. l

France Alumni platform launched in Bangladesh The ambassador of France to Bangladesh, HE Sophie Aubert, officially launched the France Alumni platform in Bangladesh during a reception at the residence de France on May 31.

France has a strong cultural relation with Bangladesh and in this relation, the language plays a leading role. The French Alliances here in Dhaka and in Chittagong have been a focal point for those who wanted to learn French.

For decades, the cultural branch was been at work to promote both cultures, the French and Bangladeshi, relentlessly. “We are proud of our alliances,” commended ambassador HE Sophie Aubert in her speech.

“We know that we are in an English speaking country, but the French language is the second foreign language spoken here in Bangladesh. For many reasons, people learn French,” she continued.

The French government created this platform, initially, to regroup all the individuals who went to France and help them to keep in touch with the country or with

people they have met there.

The second goal was to involve companies which are looking for francophone new employees.

“The alliances and campus are our two pillars here for the promotion of the French language.

The embassy also supports the institute of modern languages, which opened a course in French.

Alumni is our third pillar,” stressed the ambassador.

After short presentations from Marufa Ishaque, an alumnae who complete her internships in India under French scientists in the field of oceanography, and Somen Dutta, a teacher at the Alliance Française de Dhaka and counsellor at the French embassy at the economic section, a vocal performance from Rama and Jamie concluded the event with a mesmerising interpretation of “Jacques a dit,” originally by Christophe Willem.

Numerous guests, amongst whom were representatives of companies, former scholarship holders and friends of France, attended the event.l

DT

20 Editorial

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

INSIDE

Being Begum She was a woman, a wife, a mother, and she gave back a tremendous amount to the people all around her. She was the kindest soul I had ever met. In spite of being busy carrying the beacon for women’s liberation, she handled her home with equal grace PAGE 21

The ‘why’ factor Despite having high-quality teachers in our department, most of them started teaching us in the way we were taught literature during the SSC and HSC classes. We completed our Master’s degree and, till today, I can’t find the answer to the question as to why I studied literature

BIGSTOCK

PAGE 22

New VAT laws need to address public concerns

Climate change Despite the number of deaths following Cyclone Roanu, this is actually a success story where better disaster preparedness has avoided loss of human lives on a much greater scale PAGE 23

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

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

I

n the recently unveiled budget for FY2016-2017, it was revealed that the new law of imposing a 15% value added tax across the board for all sectors will indeed move forward but will not be implemented immediately. The change to the new law is expected to happen July of next year, giving tax-payers a year to prepare for the switch.

It is generally agreed, however, that a 15% uniform VAT will not only hurt businesses hard, but will also be quite difficult to implement in Bangladesh.

Even though the government has given itself a year’s time to implement this ambitious measure, the question of fairness remains.

Furthermore, this law will remove a number of exemptions, such as exemptions of fabrics woven by power looms, and classified advertisements.

A sales tax such as VAT, by its very nature, is unfair and regressive -research has consistently shown that, when it comes to VAT, the poor people end up having to pay a higher proportion of their income than the rich. We should aspire to have a fairer system based on progressive taxes that are levied on a person’s income, and then actually implement these income tax laws, which have proven notoriously difficult in the past, but are nevertheless the right way to go.

Furthermore, the jump in the package VAT for small traders -- to be implemented this fiscal -- is disheartening. Small stores enjoy the benefit of paying package VATs based on the square footage of their stores. However, it is hard to see the justification in doubling the package VAT to Tk28,000 rate in Dhaka and Chittagong, and almost doubling the rate in other city corporations.

The government should keep the concerns and criticisms of businesses and customers in mind when moving forward with these new measures.

We should aspire to have a fairer system based on progressive taxes that are levied on a person’s income

DT

21

Opinion

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

Being Begum Nurjahan Begum served as a beacon of light to all Bangladeshi women of her time

n Munia Chowdhury

M

y grandmother, Nurjahan Begum, was a beautiful person. Her beauty transcended physical bounds and radiated into the work she devoted her life to -- enlightening and liberating women and bringing out their suppressed talents through the might of the pen.

Nurjahan was born at a time when female revolutionaries were much needed in our society. Born on June 4, 1925 in Chalitatoli, a remote village of Chandpur, she soon moved to Kolkata, which at the time was the cultural hub of the region.

Her father, Mohammad Nasiruddin, was a renowned journalist and the founding editor of the monthly Saugat, a leading Bengali literary journal published in Kolkata since 1918.

Besides enrolling his daughter to school, which in itself was quite unconventional among Muslim families, Md Nasiruddin played an avid role in training young Nurjahan in music, dance, acting, sports and arts and crafts.

Her mother, Fatema Khatun, was a constant pillar of support.

She taught her daughter to read and write Arabic, knitting, cooking, and all the skills needed to become a complete lady.

After completing her entrance exams from Sakhawat Memorial Girl’s School in 1942, Nurjahan got enrolled in Lady Brabourne College Kolkata, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree.

Meanwhile, being the progressive man that he was, Md Nasiruddin realised that a separate platform was needed to bring out female writers (especially Muslim) to the forefront of the literary world. Hence, the avant-garde Begum was introduced as the first and only women’s weekly magazine of the subcontinent.

Nurjahan took charge as the magazine’s editor soon after its first issue was published on July 20, 1947.

The main appeal of Begum was that all the writers and contributors were female and it gave women an outlet to depict their abilities and aspirations that had remained suppressed by the shackles of society.

All women, from every nook and cranny of the nation, were encouraged and welcome to send in their writings. Begum was also the first magazine in this region to publish photos of its female writers.

Breaking all boundaries and inhibitions, the photo of a Muslim woman, the legendary Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, was published on the cover of the first issue of Begum in 1947.

Following the Hindu-Muslim riot of 1950, Md Nasiruddin permanently moved to Dhaka with his family. Begum and Saugat continued to be published from its new location in 66 Patuatuli, Dhaka.

The gifted father-daughter duo did not stop at Begum. In 1954, “Begum Club” was established to bring all its writers and contributors together. Begum Club started hosting yearly gatherings, where women could exchange views, ideas, as well as exhibit their edifying skills.

From hosting music and dance competitions to carrying out relief work in times of natural calamities, the club extended its activities into myriad directions. Sewing classes were held every week.

It was a vibrant atmosphere where women could thrive and learn to be independent.

Amidst the fight for women’s empowerment and struggle towards positive change, my grandmother met her perfect match.

My grandfather, Rokonuzzaman Khan, initially worked for the Daily Ittehad and Shishu Saugat for a brief period. He later became the editor of the literature and feature pages of the Daily Ittefaq as well as the founding editor of Kochi Kachar Ashor.

Nurjahan and Rokonuzzaman got married in 1952 and while she continued to conquer the inhibitions that surrounded women’s progress, her husband went on to become a renowned journalist, poet, and advocate of childhood development.

He established the children’s organisation, “Kachi Kachar Mela” in 1956 and dedicated his life to providing a platform through which children could flourish in both body and mind.

They led a peaceful married life, complementing each other in their constant endeavour to create a more enlightened society.

Since the inception of Begum in 1947, up until she breathed her last on May 23, 2016, Nurjahan Begum served as a dedicated and capable editor, paving the paths for and creating thousands of female writers from all spheres of our society.

She received numerous awards in her lifetime. Notably, Begum Rokeya Padak (1997), Ananna

Today would have been her 91st birthday

COURTESY

She was a woman, a wife, a mother, and she gave back a tremendous amount to the people all around her. She was the kindest soul I had ever met. In spite of being busy carrying the beacon for women’s liberation, she handled her home with equal grace Shahitto Puroshkar (2002), Ekushey Padak (2011) and many more. But above all, she won the hearts of thousands of women whose lives she had inspired.

I remember my grandmother as a versatile, multi-faceted woman, who would wake up early every morning, put on a black satin ribbon on her silver hair and set out to enrich lives.

A “begum” is not just a title for a married woman. To me, the true essence of being a begum is what my grandmother was. She was a woman, a wife, a mother, and she gave back a tremendous amount to the people all around her.

She was the kindest soul I had ever met. In spite of being busy carrying the beacon for women’s

liberation, she handled her home with equal grace.

She was an excellent cook and taught me to cook my first ever dish, her famous “hari kebab.”

For as long as she was able, not a single Eid went by that we didn’t relish her wonderful spread of home-cooked delicacies.

She was secular, but never missed her prayers. In her leisure time, she loved playing ludo with the domestic help, all of whom she loved dearly.

She earned the respect of people from all walks of life and I, myself, have never come across a more humble, graceful and charismatic human being.

She was a begum in the truest form, and this enlightened lady

illuminated the lives of countless women with her ever-glowing torch.

My grandmother was fondly called “Nuri,” and indeed, her radiance lit up the dark.

Although her death will remain a huge loss for our society, the legacy and heritage she has left behind will continue to light the path for womankind.

She will live on through her beloved Begum and all the begums she had nurtured in her lifetime. l Munia Chowdhury is Nurjahan Begum’s only granddaughter from her first born, Flora Nasreen Khan. Munia is a summa cum laude in BSc Economics from North South University and a proud mother of four.

Opinion

DT

22

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

The ‘why’ factor It is the question that no one asks in our education system

Empty minds are as bad as an empty classroom

BIGSTOCK

n Ekram Kabir

A

recent television report on the quality of secondary and higher-secondary level education in Bangladesh suddenly created a huge hue and cry. It also gave birth to a wave of massive criticisms regarding the quality of journalism the reporter and the TV channel displayed.

The reporter asked some questions to a few students on the history, culture, and literature of the country and most of the pupils, who scored very highly in the board exams, gave the wrong answers.

The report then concluded by questioning the quality of education in Bangladesh.

However, on social media, most of the critics of that report were questioning the quality of journalism that the reporter had displayed.

Many termed the report as fake and staged; many alleged that the report was intentional and thereby didn’t provide a proper picture; and many outright rejected the content of the report. But no one thought of the quality of education while criticising the report.

What if the reporter was right?

What if the report wasn’t fake?

What if the quality of education

Despite having high-quality teachers in our department, most of them started teaching us in the way we were taught literature during the SSC and HSC classes. We completed our Master’s degree and, till today, I can’t find the answer to the question as to why I studied literature

is close to what was shown in the report? After all, it wasn’t for the first time that a journalist had raised questions on the quality of GPA-5s; it wasn’t for the first time that someone had tried to point out the loopholes in the apparent brilliance.

The academicians themselves, the social thinkers as well as the media, have been raising concerns for quite some time now. However, there was hardly any initiative to assess the quality of this bunch of GPA-achievers.

Our Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics, BANBEIS, conducts quite a lot of surveys, but have they done any on this? What are these students actually doing after scoring GPA-5 in their exams? How are they faring in their respective professions or lives?

In my opinion, knowledge of history, culture, and literature is important for ensuring the quality of one’s learning process.

Knowledge of these would lead to a holistic form of education.

Is our educational system today able to evoke an interest to learn about our surroundings?

Is the quality of our teachers good enough to produce human resources with good analytical abilities?

A fine way of educating the population, I believe, is to make students capable of analysing what they are learning from textbooks.

What’s so special about being educated in this country? What are we achieving after scoring GPA-5s or a first class, after all? Are the teachers capable enough to imbue curiosity among the students so that they want to learn more

outside their textbooks?

Please allow me to cite some examples from my experience.

When I was studying in a cadet college, our teachers weren’t focusing on how they could evoke interest in me through my process of learning. They were quite busy with the students who would score high and thereby earn laurels for the institution.

And as far as those good students were concerned, our teachers were only teaching them how to score well.

They had no clue about the future applicability of the textbooks in our real lives. And that’s where, I believe, the quality suffered.

When I went to university to study literature, I partially knew why I was there. However, I found the majority of my classmates

didn’t know why they had come to study literature. At the same time, our teachers had never tried to stir our minds by asking the question: “Why are you studying literature?”

Despite having high-quality teachers in our department, most of them started teaching us in the way we were taught literature during the SSC and HSC classes.

We completed our Master’s degree and, till today, I can’t find the answer to the question as to why I studied literature. What was our vision surrounding our education?

So, I think, the “why” factor in our education process is missing.

The answers to this “why” could lead to many things. It could mean earning international prestige, getting a Nobel prize, earning good money, becoming a leader or politician, etc.

There could be a billion answers to this. But, to me, the answers to this “why” would generate a sense of creativity, character, and intelligence which might ultimately make us properly educated.

To a great extent, in this case, our GPA-5 scorers are not being guided by this “why” factor. It’s important that our educators, parents, and the government give it the importance it deserves.

Ekram Kabir is a writer.

23

DT

Climate Change

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

Cyclone Roanu hits: A story of loss and damage avoided n Saleemul Huq

O

n the evening of May 22, Cyclone Roanu hit the coast of Bangladesh. On last count, the cyclone had caused the deaths of around 30 people.

Although the loss of 30 lives should be considered too many, the death toll in light of previous climatic disasters makes this a good news story, where successful disaster risk reduction measures have avoided loss and damage.

The coast of Bangladesh, and India and Myanmar on either side, is regularly hit by cyclones moving from the Indian Ocean northwards up the Bay of Bengal.

The coastline is shaped like a funnel, directing the storms towards landfall.

In 1970, a cyclone hit the coast of Bangladesh, killing more than 300,000 people, and in 1991 over 100,000 lives were lost by a cyclone of similar strength.

Over the last decade, the coast of Bangladesh has been struck by two cyclones of similar magnitude -- Sidr and Aila.

But, on these occasions, around 2,000 people were killed -- most of whom were fishermen out at sea, unable to make it back to land in time.

This dramatic reduction in loss of human lives was due to an extensive disaster risk management program including: a) Building cyclone shelters along the coast, most being multi-purpose buildings that could also be used as schools or community rooms b) Teaching children how to respond to cyclone warnings, including how and when to evacuate, and where to find shelter c) A large-scale early warning system implemented by the Bangladesh Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and d) Training NGO volunteers to deliver cyclone warnings During Cyclone Sidr in 2007 and Cyclone Aila in 2009, more than two million people received warnings and thousands were evacuated to cyclone shelters.

While there was still much damage to crops, houses, and infrastructure, many lives were

saved by taking these measures.

In contrast, when Cyclone Nargis hit the coast in neighbouring Myanmar in 2010, over 100,000 people died; even though weather warnings had shown the cyclone was on its way, the country was completely unprepared.

Human-induced climate change is not expected to dramatically

increase the frequency of such cyclones, but as waters become warmer and sea surface temperatures rise, cyclones will almost certainly become more intense.

Despite the number of deaths following Cyclone Roanu, this is actually a success story where better disaster preparedness has

avoided loss of human lives on a much greater scale. l

or amphibians. For example, citizen scientists said that snakes will come to their house or balcony before a major flood. Frogs croaking in the month of March (Chaitra) provides a warning of rainfall. If grass hoppers are flying too high in the middle of April, rainfall will occur.

If cattle return to their home or birds return their nests, this provides a sign that a big storm is coming, and if herons are flying erratically, then this is a particular sign of a northwesterly storm.

Citizen scientists also said they interpreted the weather by observing the position and colour of clouds or the speed and direction of wind.

For example, where dark clouds appear in the northeastern sky, there is a high chance of heavy rainfall and consequent flash flood.

Likewise, a persistent southerly wind may be a precursor to heavy rainfall. If water levels rise coinciding with a cold breeze, a flash flood may be coming. Often senior citizens are able to provide early warning based on their experiences and wisdom.

Sunamganj communities

continue to interpret natural signs to predict the weather, because many say that meteorological weather forecasting systems are incorrect, not locationspecific, or inaccessible. Some hilly areas in the northeastern parts of Bangladesh are outside of electricity and newspapers coverage. The only early warning regarding a climatic disaster is their local knowledge which often comes from their lifetime experiences. Disseminating early warnings to those areas are quite challenging but cannot be ignored!

Sunamganj’s citizen scientists suggested ways to improve the dissemination of early warning messages. For most, any weather related warning announced over TV or radio by the government is considered very seriously, however, they argue that for these warnings to be more useful they should be more location-specific, accurate, early and in the local language.

The media has a role to play, as does communication technology such as voice messages through mobile phones and the internet.

Warning signs and meaning can also be included in the school

syllabus from primary school. l

Saleemul Huq (saleemulhuq@iied.org) is senior fellow in IIED’s Climate Change Group and Director at ICCCAD. This article was originally posted on http://www. iied.org/cyclone-roanu-hits-bangladeshstory-loss-damage-avoided and has been reprinted with their permission.

Signs of the weather Saiful Islam and n AKM Scott Bremer

W

hen most of us think of weather prediction, we think of the weather forecasts presented on the television or radio. It is only recently that we have had access to this meteorological science.

Traditionally, we have predicted the weather according to our own observations of the sky and other natural signs that might indicate rain or storms, drought or flood.

Many agricultural communities in Bangladesh continue to draw on this local and traditional knowledge to supplement the televised forecasts, with these natural “signs” highly interesting for scientists.

In their piece “Lets talk about the weather” published on March 20 in the Dhaka Tribune, Dr Scott Bremer and Dr Abu Syed introduced the TRACKS research project that is working with communities in Sylhet Division to better understand the local weather and how it shapes their lives.

In interviews with almost 240

local people, they unpacked a rich store of local and traditional knowledge of weather. In this piece we want to report on a second step in the project, where 25 of the people interviewed in Sunamganj were brought together as “citizen scientists,” to discuss their understanding of the weather in a workshop at the Sunamganj Sadar LGED office, from 9-10 March, 2016. This saw people discussing the natural signs they use to predict the weather, which are intriguing for the climate scientists present.

It is no wonder that Sunamganj communities have their own traditional and local knowledge to predict the heavy rainfall, hailstorm, or flash floods they experience.

Local proverbs such as “Abundance of mango will bring floods and abundance of jackfruit will increase rice production,” or “Abundance of mango and paddy will bring flood” are in common use, and provide early warnings about the possibility of floods.

Sunamganj people also interpret early warnings of floods or rainfall by observing the behavior of animals, birds, insects

Acknowledgements: Authors also express their sincere thanks to the Project Team (particularly Team Leader Prof Matthias Kaiser, Dr Mathew Stiller-Reeve, Dr Anne Blanchard, Dr Md Mahfujul Haque (Ripon), Mr Saifullah Rony, Mr Nabir Mamnun, Zakia Naznin, Mr Abu Syed and Engr Md Abul Bashar) and all the participants of the workshop. AKM Saiful Islam is a Professor at the Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM) at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in Bangladesh. Scott Bremer is a researcher at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities at the University of Bergen in Norway.

This page has been developed in collaboration with the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and its partners, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). This page represents the views and experiences of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Dhaka Tribune or ICCCAD or its partners.

DT

24 Sport

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

TOP STORIES

De Kruif: Want to get back nation’s respect Bangladesh’s temporary Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif sounded out a positive note prior to their departure to Dushanbe for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers play-off match against Tajikistan.

PAGE 25

Bench lift Warriors to first blood Warriors needed a big lift to down the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals opener. With Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson going cold, Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala and Leandro Barbosa came through. PAGE 26

An action of the Green Delta Premier Division Hockey League match between Abahani Limited (L) and Sonali Bank at Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Mosharraf, Mithun receive one-game ban Rupganj duo also fined along with coach Mashud cided to punish a few of us after n Minhaz Uddin Khan having discussions with the um-

Kaneria appeals to BCCI for help When you meet a legspinner who’s taken 261 wickets in 61 Tests (I’d have taken at least 500 if I was still playing, he says), you’d want to talk to him about the mystique of which has always fascinated connoisseurs of cricket. PAGE 27

Serena eyeing 22nd Grand Slam Serena Williams moved one victory from her second consecutive French Open trophy and 22nd Grand Slam title overall, beating Kiki Bertens 7-6 (7), 6-4 in the semifinals yesterday. Williams was hardly at her best, falling behind early. PAGE 28

Legends of Rupganj captain Mosharraf Hossain and batsman Mohammad Mithun have been slapped with a one-match suspension.

The duo were also fined Tk 20,000 each, along with the side’s coach Khaled Mashud and official Ahmed Rubel.

As a result, Mosharraf and Mithun will sit out today’s Dhaka Premier League match against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club at the BKSP 3 ground.

The Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis dished out the suspensions and the fines last Thursday, three days after the unfortunate incident had occurred during the game between Rupganj and Kalabagan Krira Chakra in Fatullah.

According to CCDM secretary Amin Khan, the aforementioned quartet were notified of their indiscretion following last Monday’s match. But since numerous of the CCDM’s calls went unanswered, it was left with no other option but to impose the punishment last Thursday.

During the ninth round tie, a

series of controversial decisions by the on-field umpires against Rupganj had the players and the management furious. At one point, the Rupganj players and team officials got out of the dressing room and charged towards the match officials.

Mashud though believes the issue is nothing but a result of a personal grudge between a few influential personnel. The former Bangladesh skipper confessed to Dhaka Tribune yesterday that there was indeed an issue regarding a few controversial decisions but it was later taken care of by the match referee Samiur Rahman.

“We were lucky in that there were a few video journalists present during the incident. They had the footage and once it was shown to the match referee, he was convinced that our protest was correct. But [last Thursday] we got to know that the CCDM de-

pire’s committee,” said Mashud yesterday.

The former wicketkeeper-batsman demanded a proper investigation of the incident and went on to show his dissatisfaction with the quality of umpiring in this season’s DPL. “In such cases, the match referee provides a form to the accused and formal hearings are held. But none of these were done in this case. I demand a proper investigation of the issue as I believe the umpires were wrong and I am sure it will be revealed in the investigation,” explained Mashud.

“Rupganj have a few national cricketers, and also young cricketers, who are dedicated to perform. They have nothing else in mind but to perform and develop their profile. But issues like this are harming those who are innocent, and also Bangladesh cricket.

After five years, hardly anyone will remember who had won this season’s title, but if there is a good performer coming out of the Rupganj team, he will no doubt benefit Bangladesh cricket,” he added. l

Abahani script come-frombehind win n Tribune Report

Abahani Limited came from behind to earn a hard-fought 4-3 win over Sonali Bank in the Green Delta Premier Division Hockey League at Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium yesterday.

Taher Ali put Sonali Bank ahead against the run of play with just a minute into the clock but Tousique Arshad quickly made amends on behalf of Abahani, grabbing the equaliser in the 20th minute from a penalty corner.

Romman Sarkar then gave the Sky Blues the lead in the 27th minute but Tousiq Ahmed brought parity for the Bank outfit just four minutes later. In the second half, Abahani asserted their dominance over the opposition, running away to a 4-2 lead, thanks to goals from Pakistan forward Shakil Abbasi and Mohammad Irfan.

Ihsan Ullah Khan’s goal in the 66th minute proved nothing but a mere consolation.

Meanwhile in the day’s other match, Mariner Young’s Club outplayed Azad Sporting Club 8-0. Arshad Hossain netted four goals in the 10th, 21st, 30th and 56th minute while Mamunur Rahman Chayan and Sohanur Rahman scored in the 18th and 33rd minute from penalty corners. Raju Ahmed Tapu and Mainul Islam Koushik added one apiece in the 52nd and 67th minute.l

25

DT

Sport

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

Andy sets up French Open final date with Novak n Reuters, Paris Britain’s Andy Murray knocked out defending French Open champion Stan Wawrinka 6-4 6-2 4-6 6-2 in the semi-finals yesterday to reach his first Roland Garros final where he will face world number one Novak Djokovic.

Ending his claycourt hoodoo against the Swiss, second seed Murray came close to losing his first service game, which he took after five deuces before winning the set in an epic 10th game in which Wawrinka held three break points.

With Wawrinka’s trademark booming backhand slightly misfiring, Murray took control of the match, breaking twice to win the second set before the Swiss picked his pocket to take the third.

Murray closed out the match in the fourth set with two further breaks of serve.

Earlier, Novak Djokovic reached his fourth French Open final with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 demolition of Austria’s Dominic Thiem yesterday to move one match closer to a career Grand Slam. It will be the 29-year-old’s sixth successive Grand Slam championship match as he looks to add

a first Roland Garros crown to his collection of 11 majors.

Victory tomorrow will also make him just the eighth man to complete the career Grand Slam.

“The atmosphere was fantastic. It’s the first time I have played a semi-final on the Suzanne Lenglen court,” said the top seed, moved out to the secondary arena as organisers played catch-up in a rain-ruined schedule.

“I played the best tennis of the tournament so far. I am now in the situation where I always dream of being each season, in the final of Roland Garros.”

Djokovic sprinted out to a 3-0 lead in the opener on the back of a break in the second game against 13th-seeded Thiem. A double fault by the young Austrian opened the door for Djokovic to take the first set in the eighth game.

Thiem, who possesses a picture-perfect one-handed backhand, was undone by 20 unforced errors to just five by the world number one. Djokovic was just as untouchable in the second set despite playing for a fourth successive day as the slightly faster conditions played into his hands. l

Great Britain's Andy Murray returns the ball against Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka during their French Open semi-final at Roland Garros yesterday REUTERS

IOC names first-ever refugee team for Rio Olympic

Kruif: Want to get back nation’s respect

n AFP, Lausanne

n Tribune Report

The International Olympic Committee yesterday named 10 members to the first-ever refugee team to compete at the Olympic Games.

The Rio de Janeiro-bound team includes two Syrian swimmers, five track athletes from South Sudan, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and an Ethiopian marathon runner.

“These refugees have no home, no team, no flag, no national anthem,” IOC President Thomas Bach told reporters after the organisa-

This file photo taken on April 26, 2016 shows Syrian refugee and amputee swimmer Ibrahim al-Hussein (R) waving as the Olympic torch relay passes through the Eleonas refugee camp in Athens AFP

tion’s executive board confirmed the group at a meeting in Lausanne.

“We will offer them a home in the Olympic Village,” he added.

The head of the UN refugee agency Filippo Grandi hailed the unprecedented team as “a tribute to the courage and perseverance” of all those forced to flee from their home countries.

The team will be headed by Kenyan runner Tegla Loroupe, a world record holder in several long-distance competitions and the first African woman to win the New York City marathon.

Her foundation also includes a refugee athletic support programme.

The biggest migrant crisis since World War II, sparked largely by people fleeing Syria’s civil war, has fuelled rising anti-migrant rhetoric across Europe and in the United States.

Bach voiced hope that the first-ever Olympic level refugee team can “send a signal to the international community”.

“Despite the unimaginable tragedies that they have faced, anyone can contribute to society,” he told reporters. l

Bangladesh’s temporary Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif sounded out a positive note prior to their departure to Dushanbe for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers playoff against Tajikistan.

However, despite his positive words, the Bengal Tigers suffered a 5-0 thrashing against the Persian Lions. The team is still in Dushanbe and is expected to return home today ahead of the second leg at Bangabandhu National Stadium this Tuesday.

Following the conclusion of the first leg, De Kruif gave his version of the events. Here are the excerpts:

About the match

The result is very disappointing.

Strong opponent. I could live with 2-0 or 3-1. In a game like this, we received one goal from corner kick and two from free kicks. I can come up with all kinds of excuses. If the players were professionals then they would do what they were supposed or instructed to do. In the first half, our organisation was good, but the opposition made the difference by picking our mistakes.

The excuses

One of the excuses may be is that you miss six very important players who didn’t play matches in home for two-three months for even 90 minutes. Still, I am a sportsman and I want to win every game. We were not up-to-date to handle an opponent like Tajikistan. Tajikistan played big tempo, position play.

Upcoming home game

The result in this match is very disappointing but we are looking for home match in Dhaka on 7 June.

Of course its a big challenge for us to keep Tajikistan away from goals in the upcoming home match of Bangladesh and of course as a professional I would like to win in the home match. We will make our tactical plan again and go for the battle on the 7th June. We want to get back the respect of the nation.

The future

In Bangladesh we don’t have proper education plan to grow up the football players from the age of eight-10 years old, but we are planning to implement the grassroots plan in Bangladesh and hope that we will be a good football nation in Asia. l

DT

26

Sport

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

NBA FINALS

GAME 1, GS LEAD 1-0

CAVALIERS 89-104 WARRIORS 57-25, 24-17 Away

CLE GS

73-9, 39-2 Home 1 24 28

2 19 24

3 25 22

4 T 21 89 30 104

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS PLAYERS K Love L James T Thompson K Irving JR Smith

MIN 37 41 31 38 36

FG 7-17 9-21 5-11 7-22 1-3

3PT FT REB AST PTS 2-5 1-1 13 2 17 2-4 3-4 12 9 23 0-0 0-0 12 0 10 1-4 11-12 3 4 26 1-3 0-0 1 1 3

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS PLAYERS D Green H Barnes S Curry K Thompson A Iguodala

MIN 40 30 36 24 36

FG 5-11 6-10 4-15 4-12 5-9

3PT FT AST STL PTS 2-6 4-4 7 4 16 0-2 1-1 2 1 13 3-8 0-0 6 0 11 1-5 0-1 2 0 9 2-4 0-0 6 1 12

Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) dunks to score a basket against Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half in game one of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena on Thursday AP

Bench lift Warriors to first blood in Finals n Reuters The Golden State Warriors needed a big lift from their bench to down the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-89 in the NBA Finals opener in Oakland on Thursday.

With Warriors sharpshooters Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson going cold, Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala and Leandro Barbosa came through to spearhead a decisive 15-0 run at end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter.

“I missed some shots and didn’t get a rhythm, but the way that

they defended, we’ll be able to find some adjustments for Game Two. Not worried about that,” said Curry, who settled for 11 points, two more than his backcourt team mate, Thompson.

“Just really proud of the way everybody contributed. You don’t win championships without the entire squad coming in and making an impact on games.”

In a rematch of last year’s championship series, won by the Warriors in six games, LeBron James and the Cavaliers had taken the lead for the first time since the open-

ing minute with a surge midway through the third quarter.

Livingston, who scored a playoff career-high 20 points, Iguodala (12) and Barbosa (11) picked up the slack for the defending champions, however, with the Warriors bench outscoring their Cleveland counterparts 45-10.

“This was a strange game for us,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We’re not use to having both Steph and Klay off like that with their shooting.

“But we’ve said all year that if we defend and take care of the

ball we’re going to have somebody score enough points, whether it’s the starters or the bench.

“I thought we played great defense. We had nine turnovers total and that allowed us to control the game, and our bench obviously gave us a huge lift.”

Livingston has played for nine different teams in his 14-year career but has found a home with the Warriors in the last two seasons.

“Steph and Klay, they’re our guys,” said the 30-year-old, whose team have now won four straight games since falling behind 3-1 to

the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference final series.

“I think the series with [Oklahoma City] really prepared us for this series. It can be anybody on any given night. We just have to stay ready.”

As well as a standout performance on offense, Iguodala helped limit James to 23 points and made the most of his knack of stripping opponents of the ball when in close.

“He’s great at doing that, for sure,” James said. “Just got to do a better job protecting the ball. It’s that simple.” Game Two is in Oakland tomorrow. l

'US ready to spring Colombia surprise' n AFP, Santa Clara

Members of the US men's team train before their opening Copa America 2016 match against Colombia at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on Thursday AFP

Jurgen Klinsmann is confident the United States can spring a surprise over Colombia here yesterday when his team kicks off the Copa America Centenario determined to launch an extended run in the competition.

Two years after the USA emerged from the “Group of Death” at the 2014 World Cup, reaching the knockout rounds at the expense of Portugal and Ghana, Klinsmann’s men find themselves with another daunting first round assignment.

As well as the Colombians, the Americans face World Cup quarter-finalists Costa Rica and last year’s Copa America semi-finalists Paraguay in Group A, easily the toughest group in the 16-team

tournament.

Yet Klinsmann is relishing the prospect of trying to mastermind another upset of Colombia on US soil, 22 years after the Americans’ famous win over the South Americans at the 1994 World Cup.

The former German international wants to see how his team measures up against powerful opponents in yesterday’s opener at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara as he builds towards the 2018 World Cup. “We were in the ‘Group of Death’ in Brazil and we managed to

come out of it, we left Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo behind, we left Ghana behind and then we hit the wall with Belgium in extra time,” Klinsmann said.

Although the Colombians boast an array of attacking talent led by Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez and Juventus’s Juan Cuadrado, Klinsmann believes the US can exploit weaknesses in Los Cafeteros’s ranks.

“Every team has their strengths and weaknesses. We’ve learned a lot over the past couple of years about how to play big teams and how to come up with solutions against big teams, whether it’s in Europe or elsewhere,” added Klinsmann, whose side have scored friendly victories over Germany and the Netherlands in the past 12 months. l

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SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

QUICK BYTES Ali in hospital with respiratory problem - spokesman Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has been hospitalized for a respiratory issue, his spokesman said Thursday. The 74-year-old former heavyweight world champion, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, was in a “fair condition”, a statement from spokesman Bob Gunnell said. “A brief hospital stay is expected,” Gunnell said. “At this time, the Muhammad Ali family respectfully requests privacy.” ESPN reported that Ali had been hospitalized in Phoenix, where he now lives. The three-time heavyweight champion, who retired from the ring in 1981 after a defeat to Trevor Berbick, has been hospitalized multiple times in recent years.

–AFP

Bolt could lose relay gold after team-mate tests positive Usain Bolt’s 2008 Olympics 4x100 meters relay gold medal could be in jeopardy after team-mate Nesta Carter was identified as one of 32 athletes who failed a retrospective drugs test, the Jamaica Gleaner reported yesterday. The Gleaner said a retest of Carter’s "A" sample from the Beijing Games had found traces of the banned stimulant Methylexaneamine. The result of retests of Carter’s "B" sample was not yet known, the Gleaner said citing “well-placed sources”.

Carter, 30, ran the first leg for Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team in Beijing, which also included Michael Frater, Asafa Powell and superstar Bolt.

Banned Pakistan cricketer Kaneria appeals to BCCI for help n Agencies When you meet a legspinner who’s taken 261 wickets in 61 Tests (I’d have taken at least 500 if I was still playing, he says), you’d want to talk to him about his art, the mystique of which has always fascinated connoisseurs of cricket. Unfortunately, when you sit with Danish Kaneria - Pakistan’s fourth-highest wicket-taker (and the most successful spinner ever), the topic centres around just one thing - fixing, a charge which destroyed his career, for good perhaps.

The leggie is currently in India on a “religious trip.” Only the second Hindu to play for Pakistan after Anil Dalpat, Kaneria has so far visited Shirdi, Trimbakeshwar, Siddhivinayak, Mahalaxmi and Mumbadevi temples during his visit. “I plan to go to the land of my forefathers, Surat too,” Kaneria tells TOI during an exclusive interview.

There’s speculation brewing back home that the tainted cricketer now wants to move to India for good. “This is such loose talk.

I’ve received so much love in Pakistan, it is just that the PCB has dis-

For the past four years, ever since the 35-year-old was banned by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for life for allegedly indulging in spot-fixing in a NatWest Pro40 game while playing for Essex against Durham, Kaneria has been fighting a vain battle to "restore his honour" and return to the game but has received "little help" from the Pakistan Cricket Board and the International Cricket Council.

criminated against me. If I wanted to seek asylum here, why would I leave my kids behind in Karachi.

I’ve come here with my mother and wife,” he shoots off. He does see a ray of hope emerge from this trip too. “I’ve got so much love from India every time I come here.

Though I’m not scheduled to meet any BCCI officials, I won’t mind meeting them on this trip. I appeal to the Indian board to help me out,

–AFP

ICC calls for clampdown on bat size India’s Anil Kumble and several other former Test players on an International Cricket Council committee have urged the sport’s law-makers to bring in new restrictions on the size of bats admid concerns over a glut of run-scoring. Following a two-day meeting at Lord’s, the headquarters of the Marylebone Cricket Club, the ICC cricket committee chaired by Kumble issued a statement saying it wanted MCC, which still has overall global responsibility for cricket’s Laws or rules, to instigate a clampdown. While there are limitations on bat length and width, none currently exist on depth.

–AFP

Tahir says Ramadan won’t put him in a spin When Ramadan starts, Imran Tahir will begin juggling the demands of observing his Muslim faith and playing a full day of international cricket for a team sponsored by a beer company. “I don’t think it is difficult to balance professional sports with practising your faith,” insisted the South Africa legspinner, in an interview with AFP. “It is very easy if you follow the right path.” One of the world’s top spinners, Pakistan-born Tahir has played more than 100 times for the Proteas since making his international debut in 2011, after becoming a South African citizen through marriage.

–AFP

Villa confirm Di Matteo as new manager Roberto Di Matteo has been appointed as the new manager of Aston Villa, the club confirmed yesterday. The former Chelsea manager replaces Frenchman Remi Garde, who was sacked in March ahead of Villa’s relegation from the Premier League. Di Matteo, 45, guided Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2012 and is understood to be well regarded by Villa’s new Chinese owner Dr Tony Xia. Italian boss Di Matteo, whose appointment was widely reported by British media on Thursday night, has been out of management since resigning as the boss of German side Schalke a year ago.

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH FOOTBALL SONY ESPN Copa America Centenario 7:30AM USA v Colombia 02:30AM (Sunday) Costa Rica v Paraguay 5:30AM (Sunday) Haiti v Peru 8:00AM (Sunday) Brazil v Ecuador FIFA International Friendly

6:30PM French Open 2016 Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Singles

MOTO GP TEN 2 4:30PM Moto GP 2016: Qualifying Gran Premi De Catalunya

CRICKET STAR SPORTS 2 10:30PM

10:30PM

Natwest T20 Blast 2016

Germany v Hungary

Leicestershire v Durham

1:00AM

UFC: 199

France v Scotland

TENNIS

NEO PRIME

SONY SIX 8:00AM Luke Rockhold v Michael Bisping

because they’ve the power to do so,” he pleads.

Kaneria turns emotional while reliving his ordeal ever since his fellow Essex teammate Murray Westfield (a fast bowler) named him as the man who introduced him to Anu Bhatt, an Indian bookie, during an ECB trial in 2012. Westfield pleaded guilty to the charge and was let off, while Kaneria was banned for life for not admitting to his alleged “match irregularities.”

“The trial was launched two years after the Scotland Yard cleared me. It was biased against me, since they (ECB) seemed to have struck a deal with Westfield to protect him.”

Kaneria adds, “During the trial, when I told them that my father was suffering from cancer, the ECB attorney said ‘we don’t care whether your father lives or dies.’ Such was their attitude.”

“The PCB toed the line of ECB, and banned me too. Ironically, the (in)famous spot-fixing scandal of 2010 in England came after I was pulled out of the Pakistan team at ECB’s insistence, despite having provided the PCB all documents to prove my innocence. Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir were supposed to be the ambassadors of the game, but look at what they did,” he says, while slamming the move to end the bans of the trio.

“You’ve now given an example to a teenage cricketer that even if you get caught doing this, you can be let off on grounds of sympathy,” he points out. Perhaps, the ICC took a lenient view on the matter since they pleaded guilty to their crime. “Did they have a choice?

They were caught red-handed.

Why should I admit what I haven’t done,” he scoffs at the suggestion.l

ICC conducts dope tests on Pakistan’s Yasir Shah, Misbah n AFP, Lahore Cricket’s world governing body is conducting dope tests on four Pakistani players, including leg-spinner Yasir Shah, suspended for three months earlier this year, team manager Intikhab Alam confirmed yesterday.

Pakistan Test captain Misbahul-Haq was also tested by the International Cricket Council.

The team can ill afford any positive results, which could have a significant impact on their upcoming tour in England, during which the results are expected to be confirmed.

The ICC, which has been a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2006, routinely conducts such tests in and out of competition.

Shah was provisionally suspended in December last year after he tested positive for chlortalidone, a masking agent under the WADA list of banned substances.

He was barred for three months after he pleaded guilty and told the ICC that he had inadvertently taken his wife’s blood pressure medication. His ban was lifted in late March, making him eligible for the England tour. l

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Sport

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

Serena eyeing 22nd major against Muguruza n AP, Paris Serena Williams moved one victory from her second consecutive French Open trophy and 22nd Grand Slam title overall, beating Kiki Bertens 7-6 (7), 6-4 in the semifinals yesterday.

For the second match in a row, the No. 1-seeded Williams was hardly at her best, falling behind early and making 22 unforced errors in the first set alone. Williams needed to erase two set points for her 58th-ranked Dutch opponent in the opener, but managed to get through it.

In the final, Williams will face No. 4 Garbine Muguruza of Spain, a rematch of last year’s Wimbledon title match won by the American.

Muguruza advanced yesterday by defeating 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur 6-2, 6-4.

If Williams wins today, she

will equal Steffi Graf’s Open-era record of 22 major championships. Only Margaret Court, with 24, has won more.

Because of repeated rain that sabotaged the schedule this week, the women’s semifinals were played simultaneously in front of similarly empty stadiums, Williams vs. Bertens at Court Philippe Chatrier, Muguruza vs. Stosur at Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Both matchups had wide disparities in age and accomplishments. Williams, 34, is a decade older than Bertens. Stosur, 32, is a decade older than Muguruza.

Williams was contesting her 31st Grand Slam semifinal; Bertens her first. Stosur was in her fifth, including a run to the 2011 U.S. Open title; Muguruza her second.

Under a full cover of clouds and with the temperature in the 50s (teens Celsius), Williams did not start well, not at all.l

HEAD TO HEAD Williams leads 3-1 2013 Aus Open R64 Hard Williams 6-2, 6-0 2014 French Open R64 Clay Muguruza 6-2, 6-2 Serena Williams of the US returns a ball during her French Open match in Paris, France yesterday REUTERS

Prosecutors ask Messi to be absolved in trial n AFP, Barcelona Spanish prosecutors called yesterday for Lionel Messi to be absolved and his father found guilty on the final day of the pair’s high-profile tax fraud trial in Barcelona.

The Argentina star and his father Jorge Horacio Messi have been accused of using companies in Belize and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on 4.16 million euros ($4.6 million) of Messi’s income earned from his image rights from 2007-09.

Barcelona forward Messi’s defence lawyers want both the fivetime World Player of the Year and his father to be absolved.

But the state attorney - who in Spain intervenes in trials in parallel with prosecutors when the interests of a public organisation have been impacted, in this case the tax authorities - wants both sentenced.

“Lionel Andres Messi must be absolved,” Prosecutor Raquel Amado said in her closing argument, a day after the footballer took the stand and said he trusted his father with his finances and “knew nothing” about how his wealth was managed.l

2015 Aus Open R16 Hard Williams 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 2015 Wimbledon F Grass Williams 6-4, 6-4

Garbine Muguruza of Spain plays a shot during her French Open match in Paris, France yesterday REUTERS

Kane: England are a work in progress n AFP, London Harry Kane admits England’s spluttering attack still has plenty of room for improvement ahead of their Euro 2016 opener.

Roy Hodgson’s side wrapped up

their preparations for the tournament in France with a 1-0 win over Portugal at Wembley on Thursday and the main talking point of a drab display was the lack of cohesion between England’s three forwards.

Hodgson opted for a diamond

Portugal's Bruno Alves (L) fouls England's Harry Kane during their international friendly at Wembley Stadium on Thursday. England won 1-0 AP

formation that saw Wayne Rooney deployed just behind a front two of Kane and Jamie Vardy.

But it was the first time they had all played together and, with England lacking any penetration on the flanks, Tottenham striker Kane and Leicester forward Vardy found themselves forced to drift wide to the right and left respectively.

Kane finished as the Premier League’s top scorer with 25 goals, and Vardy netted 24 times as Leicester won the title, but they rarely had the chance to combine in dangerous areas, with Vardy touching the ball only nine times. And Kane confessed England would need to spend time fine-tuning the formation before their first match at the Euros against Russia on June 11.

“Of course we would probably want a few more chances and a few more shots on goal, but it’s something we are working on,” Kane said.

“We are still working on stuff.

That’s what we have these three friendlies for, to prepare for the tournament.

“Whether it’s tactics or set pieces or anything else. We are learning to see what works and what doesn’t.

“We can use that in the tournament. Of course we will debrief the game after our few days off and see what works best."l

Ronaldo makes Portugal terror target, says coach n AFP, London Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence makes Portugal a more significant potential target for terror attacks during Euro 2016, according to coach Fernando Santos.

France is on high alert ahead of the tournament, which starts on June 10, following the Islamic State group terror attacks in Paris last November that left 130 people dead.

“As everybody knows, Portugal is considered one of the high-risk teams due to the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo. But we are prepared for this,” Santos told reporters at Wembley after his side’s 1-0 friendly loss to England on Thursday.

“In reality, this will be the responsibility of the French security. Our fans will have to understand that at certain moments we won’t be able to release our players as we would like.”

The United States warned its citizens earlier this week that the tournament will present “potential targets for terrorists”, echoing comments by French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve. A three-time Ballon d’Or winner, Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo, 31, is one of the most famous names in world sport.l

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Country (5) 4 Cult (4) 7 Measure of length (3) 8 Church seat (3) 9 Minute particles (5) 12 Nigh (4) 13 Coming too late (7) 15 Short sleep (3) 16 Secret agent (3) 18 Tree (3) 19 Deity (3) 21 Lowers in degree (7) 24 Circle of light (4) 26 Make into a statute (5) 27 Vestment (3) 28 Contend in rivalry (3) 29 Wise man (4) 30 Search (5)

DOWN 1 Crustacean (4) 2 Inns (6) 3 Worshipped image (4) 4 Transmit (4) 5 Female sheep (3) 6 Sluggish (5) 10 Homo Sapiens (3) 11 Raised platforms (5) 14 Kind of lyric poem (5) 17 Abstract (6) 18 Prolonged pains (5) 20 Mouse-coloured (3) 21 Acting part (4) 22 Grotto (4) 23 To let stand (4) 25 Convict (3)

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Downtime

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 17 represents V so fill V every time the figure 17 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

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

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

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30

Showtime

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

Sporshia inside a cupboard

Peya to play cameo role n Showtime Desk

n Showtime Desk Popular actress and model Orchita Sporshia recently spent four long hours inside a cupboard. She wasn’t trapped inside it, but did it for the sake of shooting in a play titled Rongin Didha.

The shoot was carried out inside a room of a hotel in Dhaka’s Shantinagar area, where Orchita was kept sitting inside

The poster of Sonakshi’s ‘Noor’ is out

n Farhan Shahriar The makers of Sonakshi Sinha’s upcoming film Noor have unveiled its first look poster. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh uploaded the poster on his twitter account.

This film is directed

by Sunhil Sippy and produced by T-Series and Abundantia. The poster features the Dabangg girl posing with multiple poses.

The shooting of the movie will start this July.

The movie is based on the book Karachi, You’re Killing Me, and shall have the 28-yearold actress portraying the role of a journalist, alongside Kanan Gill, who is renowned as a stand-up comedian.l

a cupboard. Riaz acts alongside Sporshia in the play, which was written and directed by Azisul Haque and Shamim Shahed respectively.

“In the play, I act in the role of a sex worker who has to hide herself inside a room at a certain point of the story. The director wanted to shoot the scene in one long take. The cupboard was so small that it was difficult to repeatedly go inside and come

out of it. So until and unless the shot was ‘ok,’ I had to stay inside.

I sat inside the cupboard for four hours,” Sporshia said.

Much excited about her role, Sporshia says she had to go through experiences that were unprecedented. The shooting was done a week ago and is scheduled to go on-air during Eid on Channel i.

Dipa Khondokar acted in the play as well. l

After earning accolades for Chorabali and Gangster Returns, Jannatul Ferdous Peya is going to make her mark with a special appearance in the upcoming IndoBangla joint production Prem Ki Bujhini.

The model and actress started her journey in film Chorabali and continued with Gangster Returns. After a brief hiatus, she is now back with Prem Ki Bujhini for which she is flying to London today.

This is the first time the actress will be seen as a special appearance in a film.

“It is an opportunity to work with a good sript, production house and a decent crew. I will stay there for three days and return on June 7, after which I have to attend my LLB exam,” said Peya.

Kolkata actor Ongkush is reportedly acting in the film. Jazz

Multimedia has not announced the names of other actors working on the project.

India’s SK Movies is jointly producing the film with Jazz Multimedia. l

Zen Cassettes releases their first music video

n Farhan Shahriar US and Canada based electro pop outfit, Zen Cassettes, have just released their new single “Pixelated Dreams.” They aim to blend Bengali and English for lyrical developments, while also experimenting with other

languages simultaneously.

Already signed by an American label, the band seeks to deal with GP music in Bangladesh to play and sell their first single track on their app. The money shall be donated to charity organisations who work with distressed children in Bangladesh.

The music video is quite commendable. The Bengali vibe complemented the theme of the video, which comes as a stunning combo with the sweet background tune.

This is a beat drop we wouldn’t put past you. Stream it now. l

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Showtime

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

The cursed child of Hogwarts

n SK Farhan Rahman Provided that you’re not a dementor, the new Harry Potter is set to have you grappling for tissues.

The play is the official eighth installment of the Harry Potter series and previews are set to debut on the London stage in a few days. JK Rowling has warned fans lucky enough to see the preview to carry tissues, loads of tissues.

A fan on twitter asked if the new Harry Potter play will, “make her cry,” the acclaimed author responded by saying, “If it doesn’t, we’ll be checking your vital signs.”

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stars Jamie Parker as Harry

Potter, Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger, and Paul Thornley as Ron Weasley. All that has been said about the production is that the Cursed Child picks up 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts. It follows Harry’s son Albus Severus Potter, who struggles with the weight of the family legacy, a legacy he never wanted. Sounds very familiar now, doesn’t it?

With barely a week to go before previews begin, there’s a lot to be emotional about. Watching Harry struggle with being overworked by the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father to three school going children, and dealing with an extremely distant son who wants

nothing to do with him, sounds like emotionally draining material.

The London production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has finally revealed of all the actors in their costumes, starting with the Potter family, the Weasley family, and finally, the Malfoys.

Rowling has been very tight lipped on details, but opted to share some details recently. Early on, Albus will be wearing his older brother, James Sirius Potter’s hand-me-downs, an idea that came to Sam Clemment himself, the young actor who plays Albus.

After all, we do know that Harry is an overworked father of three children, and that doesn’t come cheap.

Harry’s wife Ginny retired as chaser for the Holyhead Harpies, and is described as a cool mom now, a mom who dresses like a “tasteful Pygmy Puff ”, according to the actress who plays her.

With sparse plot details at the moment, it’s tough to tell whether Ron and Hermione’s daughter, Rose Weasley, will get along with Albus Potter, as well as their parents do.

Undoubtedly, it is safe to assume that they grew together, but, everyone knows that things change once you step on the Hogwarts Express.

As Albus struggles with the weight of the Potter legacy he inherited but never wanted, he could just be a loner...or, a Slytherin.

Speaking of Slyherins, joining Rose and Albus as first year Hogwarts student is Draco and Astoria Malfoy’s son, Scorpius Malfoy.

Only time will tell if they will be the franchise’s new trio in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

If you have a time turner lying around somewhere, you are welcome to find out yourself. But no spoilers, please.

Previews for

the play begins on June 7, with the official premiere set to be at the Palace Theatre in London on July 30. l

WHAT TO WATCH The Incredibles Zee Studio 5:00pm A family of undercover superheroes, while trying to live the quiet suburban life, are forced into action to save the world.

Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee, Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Louis Superman Returns WB 2:50pm Superman reappears after a long absence, but is challenged by an old foe who uses Kryptonian technology for world domination.

Cast: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden, Parker Posey

Unstoppable Star Movies 7:30pm With an unmanned, half-milelong freight train barreling toward a city, a veteran engineer and a young conductor race against the clock to prevent a catastrophe.

Cast: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Kevin Corrigan, Ethan Suplee

Mad Max: Fury Road HBO 9:30pm A woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in post apocalyptic Australia in search for her home-land with the help of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshipper, and a drifter named Max. Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Rosie HuntingtonWhiteley, Riley Keough

GI Joe: Retaliation Zee Studio 9:30pm The GI Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardise their very existence.

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, DJ Cotrona l

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Back Page

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016

THE DEATH OF A GARMENT WORKER PAGE 13

MOSHARRAF, MITHUN RECEIVE ONE-GAME BAN PAGE 24

THE CURSED CHILD OF HOGWARTS PAGE 31

Bus-truck collision kills 10 in Bogra n Nazmul Huda Nasim, Bogra At least 10 people were killed and 15 more were injured in a headon collision between an inter-city bus and a stone-laden truck on the Dhaka-Bogra highway in Dhankundi area of Bogra’s Sherpur upazila early yesterday.

The bus driver’s failed attempt at overtaking another vehicle caused the collision, police told the Dhaka Tribune.

According to witnesses, fire service sources and police, around 6am yesterday the Dinajpur-bound bus of Rekha Enterprise, coming from Dhaka, tried to overtake another vehicle on the highway near a restaurant named Pentagon in Dhankundi when the bus driver, Shamim Hossain Belal, lost control of the bus and collided head-on with the truck coming from the opposite direction.

The collision killed Shamim, 40, truck driver Bhola Miah, 42, and five others on the spot, while 18 people were injured.

On information, police and fire fighters rushed to the scene and rescued the injured, sending them

Locals look on as rescue workers tow a completely wrecked passenger bus out of the Dhaka-Bogra highway in Sherpur, Bogra yesterday. The bus collided head-on with a truck early yesterday, killing 10 people and injuring 15 others FOCUS BANGLA to Sherpur upazila health complex and Shahid Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital.

By 9am, two of the patients at the medical college hospital and one of the patients in the health

Telecom operators begin deducting 20.75% for mobile services BUDGET FY2017 n Ishtiaq Husain Mobile telephone operators have begun implementing a new 5% supplementary duty on all mobile phone services.

The duty, proposed in the 201617 fiscal year budget, came into effect a couple of hours after Finance Minister AMA Muhith placed it in parliament on Thursday.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) issued a Statutory Regulatory Order shortly after the measure was announced in the house. The NBR routinely implements supplementary duties in this way.

Muhith has proposed that all mobile phone services – voice,

data, short message services (SMS) and value-added services (VAS) – be subject to the duty.

Under the new duty, the cost to cell phone users will be Tk20.75 for a Tk100 bill. Last fiscal year, customers paid Tk15 on Tk100 bill as VAT, sources said.

Customers described the duty as a burden. Banker Ehsanul Karim said the duty would undermine the Digital Bangladesh campaign.

Dhaka university student Raihanul Islam said: “Using a mobile phone is not a luxury, it is a necessity. The authorities should rescind the duty.”

The finance minister said he believed the additional duty would not be a significant burden for phone users but would get the government a significant amount of revenue.

Operators have also expressed unhappiness with the move.

In a pre-budget event at the

NBR office, the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) urged the government to withdraw the existing 15% VAT on mobile phone services.

AMTOB General Secretary TIM Nurul Kabir said the duty worked against the government’s Digital Bangladesh vision. He said since the telecom sector provides the highest revenue, it should not be burdened with more duties.

Grameenphone Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Mahmud Hossain echoed Nurul Kabir concerns.

Ekram Kabir, vice president (communications and corporate responsibility) of Robi Axiata, said mobile phone services would become more expensive due to the new levy.

“Our overall revenue collection could decline because of the move. We will request the government to roll back the duty,” Ekram said. l

complex succumbed to their injuries.

Besides Shamim and Bhola,

the people who were killed in the accident were Nazmul Sarkar, 40, Parvez Alam, 35, Tazirul Islam, 40, Abdul Hakim, 35, Hafizur Rahman, 28, Benzir Rahman, 45, Sarwar Khan, 35, and Rakib Hossain, 35.

Currently, there are 15 injured people undergoing treatment at the medical college hospital, while two are admitted at the health complex. Among them, five are in critical condition, said hospital sources.

The injured are: Mokhlesur Rahman, 55, Abir Uddin, 24, Abdul Latif Kuddus, 25, Rezaul Alam, 30, Shahanur Alam, 30, Ayub Ali, 60, Shahin Alam, 35, Rafiqul Islam, 40, Asad, 30, Shafiqul Islam, 30, Ershad, 28, Shafiqul Islam, 35, Noor Mohammad, 28, Abdul Latif, 30, and Zafar, 22.

Bogra Superintendent of Police Md Asaduzzaman, Bogra Highway Police Superintendent Israfil Hawlader, Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Gaziur Rahman and other police officials visited the accident spot later in the day.

Police were preparing to hand the dead bodies over to their families when this report was filed. l

India finalises draft citizenship law n Tribune Desk The Home Ministry of India has finalised the draft of amendments to the citizenship law that will exempt minority citizens of Bangladesh and Pakistan, who fled to India to escape religious prosecution, from being tagged as “illegal migrants.”

The changes to the Citizenship Act, 1955, will give a legal path to nearly 2,00,000 Hindus from India’s neighbours to remain in India and even claim citizenship, a move in tune with the Modi government’s election manifesto, reports Times of India.

The draft will be placed in cabinet at the earliest, said officials of the Home Ministry.

As per the draft proposals, December 31, 2014 will be designated as the cut-off date for refugees to be eligible to apply for citizenship.

The Modi regime has taken a series of measures to facilitate grant of long-term visas to the refugees until they are granted citizenship.

Assam border closure announced

Meanwhile, the Indian government has set a deadline of June 2017 to completely seal the Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam to check the influx of illegal Bangladeshi migrants, one of the key issues on which the BJP won the state Assembly polls, reports Indian Express.

On Thursday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed border management at a meeting which was attended senior officials concerned.

The minister directed that the entire Indo-Bangla border in Assam should be sealed. For this, it was decided that 100 locations covering 11.9km will have physical barriers in the form of fencing, and 22 locations covering 48.8km of riverine areas will have non-physical barriers including technological barriers.

Earlier, BJP President Amit Shah said in March this year that the BJP would not only completely seal the border but also “completely free” Assam of the Bangladeshi problem. l

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