Saturday, January 21, 2017 by DhakaTribune

SECOND EDITION

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

Magh 8, 1423, Rabiul Saani 22, 1438

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 264

www.dhakatribune.com

32 pages |

Price: Tk10

It’s all about US › 2, 3, 8, 9, 10

PHOTO: AFP

News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

‘Only America first’ A transcript of Trump’s first speech as president: “Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans and people of the world, thank you. We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people. Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come. We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done. Every four years we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power. And we are grateful to President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent. Thank you. Today’s ceremony, however, has a very special meaning because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people. For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have bore the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation’s capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land. That all changes starting right here and right now, because this moment is your moment. It belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country. What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. January 20th, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before.

US President Donald Trump during inauguration ceremonies swearing him in as the 45th president of the United States on the West front of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US on Friday REUTERS At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families and good jobs for themselves. These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public. But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists. Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation. An education system flush with cash but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge. And the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. This American carnage stops right here and stops right now. We are one nation, and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams, and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home and one glorious destiny. The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans. For many decades we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry, subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad de-

pletion of our military. We’ve defended other nations’ borders while refusing to defend our own. And we’ve spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. We’ve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon. One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world. But that is the past, and now we are looking only to the future. We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital and in every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first, America first. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our product, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. I will fight for you with every breath in my body,

and I will never ever let you down. America will start winning again, winning like never before. We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth, and we will bring back our dreams. We will build new roads and highways and bridges and airports and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful nation. We will get our people off of welfare and back to work, rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor. We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and hire American. We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world, but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first. We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example. We will shine for everyone to follow. We will re-enforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth. At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country we will rediscover our loyalty to each other. When you open your heart to

patriotism, there is no room for prejudice. The Bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable. There should be no fear. We are protected and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God. Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving. We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining but never doing anything about it. The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action. Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again. We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow. A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions. It’s time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget, that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots. We all enjoy the same glorious freedoms and we all salute the same great American flag. And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty creator. So to all Americans in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words: You will never be ignored again. Your voice, your hopes and your dreams will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way. Together we will make America strong again, we will make America wealthy again, we will make America proud again, we will make America safe again. And, yes, together we will make America great again. Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.”l COLLECTED FROM CNBC WEBSITE

News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

Protesters, police clash in Washington as Trump assumes presidency n Reuters, Washington, DC Black-clad activists angry about US President Donald Trump’s inauguration smashed store car windows and blocked traffic in Washington on Friday and fought with police who responded with tear gas and stun grenades. About 500 people, some wearing masks, marched through the city’s downtown, using hammers to claw up chunks of pavement to smash the windows of a Bank of America branch and a McDonald’s outlet. The crowd chanted anti-Trump slogans and carried signs with slogans including “Make Racists Afraid Again,” a play on his “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan. The incident occurred about 90 minutes before Trump took oath at the Capitol 2.4 km away. Police detained about 50 people and charged numerous people with rioting while two police officers were injured. “The message I want to send is that Trump does not represent this country. He represents the corporate interests,” Jessica Reznicek, a Roman Catholic aid worker from Iowa, said. Not far from the White House, protesters scuffled with police, at one point throwing aluminum chairs at an outdoor café.

Bob Hrifko, a member of the “Bikers for Trump” group in town to celebrate the inauguration, was struck in the face when he tried to intervene. “I know, law and order and all that. We need more order. This ain’t right,” he said.

Crowds thin

The number of people, who turned out to view the swearing-in, appeared to be significantly smaller than the estimated 2 million who had attended ex-President Barack Obama’s first inauguration. Overhead video of the National Mall showed sections of the white matting laid down to protect the grass were largely empty. More people were expected to be on hand when Trump and his entourage travel along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House later Friday afternoon. Earlier, activists with a group called Disrupt J20, which is against Trump’s controversial comments about women, illegal immigrants and Muslims, intermittently blocked multiple security checkpoints leading to the largest public viewing area for the inauguration.

Sympathy rallies

Tensions were high on the Washington streets, with Trump supporters

Protesters display anti-Trump placards as they wait to get to the National Mall for the inaugration of US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on Friday AFP starting scuffles with opponents. Trump supporters Chris and Karen Korthaus, who carried a lifesize cardboard cutout of the US president, crossed paths with an anti-Trump crowd. “A protester came over and ripped off the Don’s head,” Karen Korthaus said, adding, “We ran to a pizza shop and taped his head back on”. Carl Beams stood in line with thousands of Trump supporters waiting to enter the National Mall

to view the inauguration. “This is a great moment in history. I wanted to be able to say I was here firsthand,” said Beams.

People reacted across the world

In Tokyo, several hundred people, most of them expatriate Americans, protested against Trump while activists draped a banner across London’s iconic Tower Bridge reading “Build bridges not walls,” a reference to Trump’s

promise to wall off the US-Mexico border. But in Moscow where nationalists held an all-night party, Russians hoping Trump will usher in a new era of detente with their country celebrated his inauguration. Meanwhile, the US Secret Service, Washington police and other law enforcement agencies had about 28,000 officers in place to secure a roughly 7.8 square km of downtown Washington. l

Obama’s final note for the Americans The 44th US President Barack Obama posted his final note to American citizens on his official White House Facebook page on Thursday. In his note; he highlighted issues like how his administration dealt with economic recession, gun control issues, and same-sex marriage and the cornerstone of his legacy- the affordable care act. Barack Obama popularity rating % of Americans who approve of his action B. Obama 80

Approve Overtaken at the end of 2 terms by only:

Bill Clinton Ronald Reagan

60%

50 40 30 20

66% 64%

23 February 2009

Source: Poll CNN/OR

2009

39% Disapprove January

2017

It’s a long-standing tradition for the sitting president of the United States to leave a parting letter in the Oval Office for the American elected to take his or her place. It’s a letter meant to share what we know, what we’ve learned, and what small wisdom may help our successor bear the great responsibility that comes with the highest office in our land, and the leadership of the free world. But before I leave my note for our 45th president, I wanted to say one final thank you for the honor of serving as your 44th. Because all that I’ve learned in my time in office, I’ve learned from you. You made me a better President, and you made me a better man. Throughout these eight years, you have been the source of goodness, resilience, and hope from which I’ve pulled strength. I’ve seen neighbors and communities take care of each

other during the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes. I have mourned with grieving families searching for answers – and found grace in a Charleston church. I’ve taken heart from the hope of young graduates and our newest military officers. I’ve seen our scientists help a paralyzed man regain his sense of touch, and wounded warriors once given up for dead walk again. I’ve seen Americans whose lives have been saved because they finally have access to medical care, and families whose lives have been changed because their marriages are recognized as equal to our own. I’ve seen the youngest of children remind us through their actions and through their generosity of our obligations to care for refugees, or work for peace, and, above all, to look out for each other. I’ve seen you, the American people,

in all your decency, determination, good humor, and kindness. And in your daily acts of citizenship, I’ve seen our future unfolding. All of us, regardless of party, should throw ourselves into that work – the joyous work of citizenship. Not just when there’s an election, not just when our own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime. I’ll be right there with you every step of the way. And when the arc of progress seems slow, remember: America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We.’ ‘We the People.’ ‘We shall overcome.’ Yes, we can. And if you’d like to stay connected, you can sign up here to keeping getting updates from me: https://act. barackobamafoundation.org/KeepIn-Touchl

News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

Bishwa Ijtema second phase begins Hayat Mahmud and n Abu Mahadi Al Hasnat The second phase of the world’s second largest annual congregation of Muslims, Bishwa Ijtema, started early yesterday on the banks of Turag River at Tongi in the outskirts of Dhaka. With the presence of thousands of devotees, the three-day congregation organised by Tabligh Jamaat began through Hindi sermons by Indian cleric Mohammad Shamim after Fazr prayer, while the final stage of the religious gathering will end through Akheri Munajat (final pray) on Sunday. The Juma prayers were led by Delhi Markaz’s Imam Mawlana Saad. After the Juma prayers, Bangla sermons were made by Mawlana Rabiul Islam, Imam of Kakrail Mosque in Dhaka. After the Asr prayers, sermons were made by Pakistani Mawlana Ehsanul Haque and Indian Mawlana Saad. The first phase of the Ijtema started on January 13 and ended on January 15. A five-tier security arrangement

People pouring into the venue as the second phase of Bishwa Ijtema begins has been taken for the event, with the deployment of several thousand members of different law enforcement agencies, including RAB and police. Several health-care centres have been set up in different parts of the venue along with beds and almost all first aid and other treatment facilities are available, with doctors doing round-the-clock duty at each centre. The government has been

operating 228 buses since Wednesday for the attendees. A special train service has also been introduced. Measures have been taken to ensure uninterrupted power during the three-day event. Seven floating bridges have been placed on the Turag by army engineers so that devotees can cross with ease. The Ijtema was divided into two segments from 2010 to avoid overcrowding. Every year Bangladeshis

DHAKA TRIBUNE

from 16 districts would get to attend the event by rotation. Foreign devotees were allowed at all times. Later in 2015, it was divided into four phases spread over two years. Due to the increasing number of devotees, the government of then East Pakistan allowed organisers to schedule the event annually by the River Turag in 1967. After Independence, Banglabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

allotted 160 acres of land in Tongi for Ijtema. In 2001, the number of attendees was two million, while in 2010 the number was five million. Estimates of foreign devotees stand at 20,000-50,000. They come from various regions, including the South Asian Subcontinent, Russia, and Central Asia, Europe, SouthEast Asia, Middle East, North Afria and North America. l

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

The history of Ijtema Police detains 152 Myanmar nationals at Ijtema

Hayat Mahmud and n Abu Tarek Mahmud Bishwa Ijtema is the world’s second largest annual congregation of Muslims, after Hajj. It is organised by the Tablighi Jamaat movement, which began in Mewat, India in 1927. The event is a gathering of the movement’s followers as well as other Muslims for several days of religious discussions, prayers and study of the Quran and Hadith. In Bengal, the Tabhlighi Jamaat movement started in Dhaka during the 1950s. The first Ijtema was organised in Chittagong in 1954 and in the next one in Narayanganj in 1958 and the next three at the Ramna Race Course in Dhaka in 1960, 1962 and 1965. Due to the growing number of attendees, the government of East Pakistan allowed organisers to schedule the event annually by the River Turag in 1967. After the Independence, Banglabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

allotted 160 acres of land for Ijtema. Ijtema was one of the earliest practices adopted by Tabligh founder Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlawi, an Indian savant, and began as a small group of religious-minded individuals gathering at mosques. Eventually three Ijtema centres were established in the subcontinent – Bhopal in India, Raiwind in Pakistan and Dhaka. A biography of al-Kandhlawi says that in the 1930s, Tabligh used to hold annual Ijtemas at Mewat. The first Ijtema in Bengal was held in 1946 in Dhaka. Later that year they organised another massive Ijtema in Khulna. Then it was organised in Chittagong in 1954 and Narayanganj in 1958, followed by Ijtemas at the Ramna Race Course in Dhaka in 1960, 1962 and 1965. Due to the increasing number of participants, the government of East Pakistan allowed organisers to schedule the event annually by the River Turag in 1967. Since then the Ijtema has been held every year. l

Islam Akand, n Raihanul Gazipur

Police detained 152 Myanmar nationals at the Ijtema premises in Tongi, Gazipur on Thursday night. Police said they detained the Myanmar nationals after some locals as well as foreigners raised alarm and informed police about them. None of them were carrying valid documents. During interrogation, the de-

tainees confessed that they had entered Bangladesh illegally. Among them 126 people came via Cox’s Bazar, police said. Thirteen others have managed to evade the detention, said Harun-ar-Rashid, superintendent of police in Gazipur. It has yet to be confirmed whether the detainees are Rohingyas. Harun said during primary interrogation, they said they had entered Bangladesh illegally about a month

ago and were planning to move to another country from here. They paid local brokers to participate in Ijtema and accompanied other Muslims from Cox’s Bazar to reach Ijtema premises. The detainees were handed over to Gazipur police and later were sent to the Myanmar embassy in Dhaka. Harun said the process of sending them back to their country was underway. l

Muslims congregate to pray for salvation, as they consider the Bishwa Ijtema second only to performing the holy hajj. Regardless of obstacles, whether heat or winter chill, they are willing to endure hardships in pursuit of forgiveness RAJIB DHAR

News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

It’s hajj for many poor Bangladeshis

Ijtema breaks borders as foreigners attend in numbers

Hayat Mahmud and n Abu Mahadi Al Hasnat

Hajj refers to the largest pilgrimage of Muslims in Saudi Arabia, and is one of the five pillars of Islam. Each Muslim dreams of undertaking this pilgrimage in the Arabian nation, at least once in his or her lifetime. Every year, millions of Muslims attend the world’s largest religious congregation while many Muslim devotees in Bangladesh cannot perform hajj as they cannot afford to meet the pilgrimage expenses. Considering the fact, Bishwa Ijtema, as it is called, began in Bangladesh back in 1946 as the largest religious congregation in the country and the second largest of its kind across the world. The event is also called hajj for the poor Muslims in the country. With the course of time, the expenses of hajj has been increasing, leaving many Bangladeshi Muslims living hand to mouth to fail in raising the money needed for the pilgrimage. Mominul Islam, a 57-year-old man, hailing from Meherpur, said it is an uphill task for him to pay the expenses for Hajj pilgrimage, which includes visa fees, air fares and accommodation costs. “For a poor man, the required sum of money is way too high to arrange,” he observed, claiming, many poor Bangladeshi people face the same problem.

A significant number of foreigners are set to attend this year’s Ijtema, hailing from various countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. As it is a non-political gathering, Ijtema draws people of varying persuasions from as many as 150 countries. Among those in attendance would be pilgrims from India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar and others as well as those from Bangladesh. Abu Jar, a 52-year-old from Malaysia, told the Dhaka Trinbune: “I reached in Bangladesh on Thursday night. This is my second visit to Bangladesh for attending Ijtema and I first attended in 2009.” Replying to a query, he said that Ijtema was the second largest holy gathering after hajj in Islam and he was compelled to visit for the satisfaction of the almighty Allah. 23-year-old Mohammad Huzaifa, another Malaysian who is professionally an engineer, said that he had taken a 15-day leave from his employer to attend the pilgrimage. “This is the real world and attending such holy gatherings is the only way to get to heaven,” he added. Bolot and Suban from Kirghistan, Mohammad Ali from India, Hasan Raja from Pakistan and Mohammad Ilias from Myanmar all echoed Abu Jar in saying they had come to Ijtema for the satisfaction of Allah. When contacted, Mohammad Ilias said that he had arrived in Bangladesh from Myanmar about two months ago, with a valid Myanmar passport. Illias confirmed that he was indeed a Rohingya Muslim and could

Thousands gather for the Jumma prayers as the second phase of the Bishwa Ijtema kicks off DHAKA TRIBUNE performing Hajj previously, said: “Now, I want to sacrifice the rest of my life only for the cause of Allah, especially by inviting people to embrace Islam. And, the Ijteam is a platform for me to do the job properly.” Another devotee, Abul Kalam Azad Kalu, said he attended the congregation for the first time. Terming thyself lucky, Kalu, who is on his late 50s, said the gathering of millions of Muslims will benefit him both in this life and hereafter. Echoing the previous trio, Kalu, a Pabna resident, said he was happy attending the congregation since he was not in a position of meeting the growing expenses of hajj. l

The middle-aged man further said: “Bangladesh’s largest religious gathering ‘Ijtema’ is an alternative to hajj to me, until I cannot afford to go to Saudi Arabia.” 62-year-old Rajit Uddin, a farmer from Cox’s Bazar, said:“My source of income is merely agriculture. Since I have no alternative way for livelihood, it’s not possible for me get to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj.” “Hence, Muslims like me, who cannot afford the hajj expenses, are bound to pick Ijtema as the second choice,” the sexagenarian continued. Meanwhile, the newspaper also talked to another Muslim devotee named Rafiqul Islam, from Kishoreganj, who claimed

Hundreds campaign on the streets to keep Dhaka clean n Nure Alam Durjoy The campaign Dhaka Clean held a big awareness programme stretching from Shahbagh to Panthapath intersection yesterday in a bid to show citizens how to keep the city clean. Hoards of young people were seen standing by the side of the road with broomsticks, dressed in the colours of the flag to build awareness against all kinds of littering on the streets, Farid Uddin Milon, coordinator of Dhaka Clean, said: “Young people can lead by example with initiatives like this.”

Dhaka is a sprawling metropolis earmarked to be one of the biggest mega cities in the world, yet it is also considered one of the dirtiest as people pay very little heed to civic duties. Organisers spoke at the Panthapath intersection saying: “There is a huge amount of waste being generated by the city, our streets are covered in garbage because people do not use bins which also clogs the drains. “Water logging is a huge issue during the monsoon because the drains are blocked with garbage.

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

Dhaka

LIGHT TO MODERATE FOG WEATHER SATURDAY, JANUARY 21

Chittagong

This is the real world and attending such holy gatherings is the only way to get to heaven Another Rohingya, forty-six-year old Habibullah who currently lives in Cox’s Bazar, said he came to join the second phase of Bishwa Ijtema on Thursday. He told the Dhaka Tribune that he had learnt about the congregation during his youth, but attended for the first time this year as he was seeking divine salvation for the Rohingya people in Myanmar facing suffering and genocide. He said: “This is a global congregation for Muslims where thousands of people from both home and abroad attend every year. Earlier, I could not attend in this flock, but this year I grabbed the chance after entering Bangladesh.” “Rohingya Muslims are facing severe trouble in my homeland and I have come to the Ijtema to join the ‘Akheri Monajat’, asking for mercy and salvation from the Almighty”, he added. Speakers at the Bishwa Ijtema will include Islamic scholars from various countries. l

People living the city seem completely unaware of the fact that their actions have direct consequences to the stardard of living in the city.” Director of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Moniruzzaman was present at the event and said: “The country can be kept clean with the willing participation of all its citizens. This programme will help build awareness and try to keep the city clean.” Dhaka Clean is a voluntary non-political organization that began operation in 2016 to build awareness about keeping the city clean. l

Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 5:36PM

both speak and understand Bangla, while expressing his uncertainty regarding whether he would get clearance to return home from the Myanmar border security force. He then proceeded to show his Myanmar passport to law enforcement officials at Entrance 3, before entering the grounds reserved for foreigners at the Ijtema location.

Rangpur

Khulna

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 6:43AM

30.6ºC Sitakunda

8.1ºC Rajarhat

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES

Sylhet

Cox’s Bazar

Fajr: 6:05am | Jumma: 1:15pm Asr: 4:30pm | Magrib: 5:44pm Esha: 7:30pm Source: Islamic Foundation

News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

‘Help or let them die’ n Ashraful Islam, Meherpur It is very bizarre in the social context of Bangladesh to seek permission from administration for someone’s death. Appealing for such an approval in the South Asian nation is also rare. But, the country, which is well known for stronger family bonding, saw such a case of late with a middle-aged person, Tofazzal Hossain, seeking permission from the deputy commissioner for the death of his two sons and a grandson in the south-western district of Meherpur. The trio – Abdus Sabur, 24, Raihan,18, and Sourav, 9 – have been suffering from chronic muscular dystrophy. Tafazzal, 52, on Thursday wrote to the local DC Parimal Singha seeking his permission for the deaths. Tafazzal, in the letter, mentioned he had no choice but to seek the approval since he was no longer capable of bearing the sufferings and ordeal of the his sons and his grandson. He, according to the letter, appealed to the authorities concerned for bearing treatment costs, otherwise. However, sources in the DC office confirmed the matter to the Dhaka Tribune later on. He claimed he tried his best for better treatment for them. He had to lose

Toffazzal and his wife were seen sitting with their two sons and grandchild who are suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a genetic disorder at their residence at Meherpur town yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE his business and even wealth to fund the treatment. With his psychologically-challenged wife, things turned even tougher for Tafazzal to deal with. Tafazzal said his elder son Sabur, who is now bed-ridden, was first diagnosed with the incurable ailment in

a local hospital, when the latter was a 4th grader. After that, Tafazzal took Sabur to India where the disease was confirmed further. The other two were confirmed affected at the age of eight each. Though Saurav can still move, his

maternal-uncle, Raihan, is now unable to walk. Tafazzal said he approached many individuals, organisations and even to an foreign embassy in Dhaka for financial assistance to meet the treatment costs.

Medical science says muscular dystrophy is a disease weakening muscle and affecting the ability to move. In muscular dystrophy, abnormal genes (mutations) interfere with the production of proteins needed to form healthy muscle. There are many different kinds of muscular dystrophy. Symptoms of the most common variety begin in childhood, primarily in boys. Other types don’t surface until adulthood. However, the National Institute of Homoeopathy, India brought some good news for Tafazzal, who is resident of Berpara area of the district, as it said long-term treatment may help recover the ailment. Despite the hope, he is not daring to get his sons and grandson admitted in the hospital due to his financial crisis. Talking to this reporter, he was also reduced to tears as he described the miseries of the trio coupled with his inability to support the treatment cost. With grief, Tafazzal said:“When do I die? I can’t even afford to earn a bread for my family properly now.” “It’s better to expect their death, rather than witnessing them dying a painful death,” he said in a disappointed voice. Contacted, the acting DC of Meherpur, Khairul Islam, said the matter is so humanitarian and needs to be addressed. l

‘Sever ties with Jamaat first’ Youth found People suffer as drugstores dead on n shut down Teknaf beach n Kudrote Khoda Sobuj, Kushtia

The information minister has asked the BNP to cut ties with Jamaat-e-Islami, razakars and militants before discussions on election and democracy can be held. “You cannot strengthen democracy if you have Jamaat, razakars and militants with you,” Hasanul Huq Inu said in Kushtia yesterday. He was replying queries about

the BNP’s threats to hit the streets if the Election Commission was not formed in a democratic manner. Inu said there was no scope for installing an unelected government after the court annulled the caretaker government provision. “The BNP’s proposal to form election-time government or installing an unelected interim government is an attempt to thwart the election,” he added. l

Madhu Mela begins at Sagardari today n Tribune Desk A weeklong Madhu Mela, marking the 193rd birth anniversary of celebrated Bengalee poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta, begins at Michael Madhusudan Academy at Sagardari in Keshabpur upazila today. State Minister of Public Administration Ismat Ara Sadique is expected to inaugurate the fair, to be arranged by the Cultural Affairs Ministry and the district administration of Jessore, on the bank of the Kobadak River at 3pm. On the occasion, discussions will be held every day where eminent litterateurs, poets, educationists, writers, lyrics and dramatists will

participate. The discussion meetings on the life, works and teachings of the great poet will be followed by sessions of recitation, cultural functions, dances and dramas. Reputed singers and vocalists from Dhaka and other parts of the country will participate in the programmes. The weeklong Madhu Mela will also include jatra, circus, puppet show, doll-dance and Kabi gaan. A large number of people from all ages are expected to throng the fair every day. A views-exchange meeting was held at Sagardari Madhu Mancha Auditorium on January 16 for smoothly holding the fair. l

n Abdul Aziz, Cox’s Bazar

Police have recovered the decomposed body of an unidentified youth, aged between 30 and 35, from the beach at Teknaf upazila in Cox’s Bazar. Inspector (investigation) Sheikh Ashrafuzzaman of Teknaf police station said: “They recovered the body, which was lying on the beach at Maheshkhalia Para area under the upazila, after being informed by local people around 2pm yesterday.” He also said: “The ill-fated might have died 2-3 days ago and that the body was already mutilated with both eyes gouged out, and the ears and nose ripped off.” The deceased wearing only undergarments could not be identified until yesterday evening while this report was filed around 9pm. The inspector, however, further said that they were trying to dig out the reasons behind the death and confirm the victim’s identity. Police sources said that the body was sent to the morgue of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for an autopsy. An unnatural death case was filed in this connection. l

Bipul Sarker Sunny, Dinajpur

Drugstore owners kept their shutters down in Dinajpur district for the second consecutive days to press home their four-point demand, including transfer of district drug controller, causing sufferings to the patients. On Thursday afternoon, a mobile court led by Executive Magistrate Anisur Rahman with the help of RAB conducted drives near Munshipara General Hospital area and fined Arman Pharmacy Tk1 lakh, Rogmukti Pharmacy Tk2 lakh and other pharmacies Tk1 lakh for keeping date-expired medicines and running pharmacies without legal documents. After the drives, leaders of Dinajpur Chemist and Druggist Association called the strike for indefinite times with their four-point demand. The demands are transfer of district drug super, refund of the fined money, preparation of a drug list for drugstores and measures to force doctors not to prescribed unlisted drugs. Rupali Rani, a resident in the town, said: “I need medicine for our son, but all drugstores are shut down.” Urging both parties to solve the matters Shibli, another resident of

the town, said: “Mass people are suffering for the strike. We do not want to be victim of their internal problems, we just want medicines.” Drugstore owners in a press conference threatened to keep their shutters down for indefinite period across the district if their demands were not met.

I need medicine for our son, but all drugstores are shut down Anowar Hossain, president of the association, said: “If authorities concerned do not accept our demands, we will go for harder actions.” Binod Sarkar, office secretary of Dinajpur Chemist and Druggist Association, said: “We had handed over a memorandum to the deputy commissioner. We will keep our shutters down until our demands are fulfilled.” Rafiqul Islam, district drug controller, said: “We fined the pharmacies for keeping date-expired medicines and running pharmacies without legal documents.” l

News

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

Uber increases fares in Dhaka n Tarek Mahmud

Uber, the popular phone based taxi hailing service app launched in Dhaka on November 22 last year, announced on Friday that there would be an increase in its fares in the city starting from January 23. The increased fares were announced to the public via a notice on Uber’s website, while Uber users also received an alert through SMS. In a statement published along-

side the notice, Launcher EMEA at Uber Utsav Agarwal said the reason for the changes was to “ensure that UBER continues to be a high-quality platform that seamlessly connects riders to affordable transportation, and drivers to viable economic opportunities.” “After all, Uber works well when it works for both riders and driver-partners,” he added. The notice from the site’s newsroom read: “Changes are limited

to increases in the distance and time fare from Tk18 per kilometre to Tk21 per kilometre and from Tk2 per minute to Tk3 per minute, which will result in a 20% – 22% increase in the final fare.” In order to ease the transition to higher prices for clients, Uber also announced a promotional offer where users in Dhaka could avail a 20% discount on the first five rides after the new prices come into effect, through the code “movingdhaka”.

Assuring continued improvements to the taxi hailing service, Agarwal’s a statement further said: “Dhaka, over the last 2 months, we have loved moving you around. Rest assured, we will continue to strive for a better Uber experience each time.” An American multinational online transportation network company headquartered in San Francisco, California, Uber offers an app-based taxi service allowing customers with smartphones to

submit trip requests 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Though Uber does not own any cars and just acts as a middleman between customers and cab drivers, it has made the task of booking taxis easier. Once a person signs up for Uber’s free app, he or she can call a car by opening the app and setting a pick-up location. The system then connects the client to a nearby driver and informs them how long it would take for the car to arrive. l

4 Bangladeshi women return No one claiming fished-out SUV n from India Raihanul Islam Akand, Gazipur

n Selim Reza, Benapole Four Bangladeshi women have returned home from India, two and a half years after they were arrested for illegal entry. Indian Border Security Force (BSF) handed them over to Bangladesh authorities through Benapole check post yesterday. The victims are - Sajeda Khatun, 18, Kulsum Khatun, 16, Nasima Khatun, 19, and Khadiza Begum, 16, had been arrested by the Indian police in 2015 for entering without valid documents and sent to jail. Later, an NGO named “Lilua Shelter Home” got them released and arranged shelter. Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA) Co-ordinator Muhit Hossain said: “The four women had been handed over by the Indian authorities under the extradition treaty uesterday afternoon.” They were later taken to Benapole port police station. BNWLA will hand them over to their families after scrutinising documents, according to Benapole check post’s ICP camp Nayek Subedar Abdul Wahab. Earlier, on December 29, 2016, seven Bangladeshi nationals, including two women, returned home from India. l

When Badal Sarkar, an ordinary farmer from Narayanpur village in Kapasia upazila, Gazipur, left home in the morning on Thursday, all he was looking forward to was catching some fish from the Shitalakkhya River. Discovering an uber-expensive sports utility vehicle (SUV) under water is not something he saw coming when he cast his fishing net. The car, a Toyota Prado, was pulled out of the river by police with the locals’ help around 4:30pm on Thursday. Both police and the residents of Kapasia are baffled by the discovery of the SUV in the locality. “I do not understand how it got here. A car that big would not be able to enter here [the locality] without anyone noticing,” said a local, requesting not to be named. No one has claimed ownership of the car since the news broke out, said Abu Bakar Siddique, OC of Kapasia police station. “We ran the number plate [Dhaka Metro Gha 11-2029] through our system and found that the car was registered under the name of Reena Begum, with an address in Dhaka’s Mirpur,” he told reporters. “But when Mirpur police went to that address to check, they found that no one by that name lived there,” he added. No general diary for the car having

Curious locals were seen flocking into the compound of Kapasia police station yesterday to see a Toyota Prado car which was pulled out of the Shitalakkhya River by police with the locals’ help on Thursday afternoon DHAKA TRIBUNE been stolen has been filed in Gazipur either, police said. Speaking to reporters, Badal Sarker said: “People usually fish in the river during winter as the water is low during the dry season. Like others, I installed an enclosure using bamboo in the river a few weeks ago and covered the water surface with leaves so there would be plenty of fish inside the enclosure. “When I went back yesterday [Thursday] afternoon to catch the fish, my fishing net got caught in a heavy object. That is how I found the car sub-

merged in water. I informed police right away and they came here to recover it.” The car was covered with mud, algae and rust, but some light cleaning revealed its colour to be white, the OC said. “The key was left in the ignition. Three of the four tyres were still intact. There was an extra tyre too. The windows are intact too,” he added. Sub-Inspector Dulal Hossain said they had filed a general diary on recovering the SUV. “We will also contact with Bangladesh Road Transport Authority about it tomorrow [today].”

Meanwhile, curious locals were seen flocking into the compound of Kapasia police station all day yesterday to see the car. Some were even seen taking photos of the car. “The car is parked right beside the gate of the police station,” said construction worker Robiul Islam. “We have been here all day and have not seen anyone come asking for it.” Tarek Miah, owner of a tea stall in front of the police station, said: “I heard the car belongs to some woman in Dhaka. But no one has come to claim it.” l

Two of forgery gang held in Dhaka Bangalee youth found n dead in Rangamati Arifur Rahman Rabbi

Law enforcers detained two persons at Mohammadpur in Dhaka on Thursday allegedly for possessing a large number of passports and different types of fake seals. The detainees are Rabiul Hassan Prokash alias Rabiul, 27, and Abu Bakar Siddique, 20. They used to forge various documents in exchange for hefty amounts of money through faking seals of government officials, said

RAB sources. Rabiul studied law at a private university and used to introduce himself as a lawyer though he was yet to be a Bar Council member, RAB 2 Commanding Officer Lt Col Md Iftekharul Nabud told a press briefing at his office in Agargaon yesterday. Rabiul confessed to being involved in sending people abroad through forging travel documents including visas and passports in collusion with some employees at

passport offices, Iftekharul said, adding that he already sent 40 to 50 people to different countries. “We are trying trace out the passport office staff involved and will take action against them,” he also said. Terming Rabiul a kingpin of a forgery syndicate, RAB-2 media officer Assistant Superintendent of Police Firoz Kawsar told the Dhaka Tribune that they were trying to arrest other members of the syndicate. l

n Ziaul Haque, Rangamati

Police recovered the body of a Banglee youth from Rajbari area in Rangamati town yesterday morning. The deceased was identified as Jakir Hossain, son of Rojob Ali, a resident of Kanchpur of Narayanganj. Police said local people spotted the body at the north gallery of Rangamati stadium in the morn-

ing. Being informed by locals, police rushed to the spot and recovered the body. Officer-in-Charge of Rangamati police station Mohammad Abdur Rashid told the Dhaka Tribune that they confirmed the identity of the deceased through his mobile phone. He, however, said they did not find any injury mark on the body, he said. l

8 World

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

SOUTH ASIA

Clashes as hardliners demand missing Pakistanis face blasphemy charge

THE INAUGURATION OF DONALD TRUMP IN PICTURES

Hardline religious protesters threw stones at supporters of five missing Pakistani activists and demanded that police charge the missing men under a blasphemy law that carries a mandatory death sentence. The liberal activists, who have posted blogs criticising the political influence of the military and speaking up for the rights of religious minorities, have all gone missing separately. REUTERS

INDIA

Protests flare in southern India over Jallikattu ban The mass Jallikattu protests on Chennai’s Marina beach showed no sign of dying out on Friday, even after Tamil Nadu chief minister promised that a draft ordinance aimed at ensuring the conduct of the traditional bull-taming sport has been submitted to the home ministry. Indian Supreme Court has agreed not to pronounce its verdict on Jallikattu for one week in the wake of the large-scale protests. HT

CHINA

Chinese dismisses Taiwan’s delegation to Trump’s inauguration China’s foreign ministry on Friday dismissed Taiwan’s sending of a delegation to Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony, saying that the move was aimed to disrupt China-US relations. The comments came after media reports said that former Taiwan official Yu Shyi-Kun was leading a delegation to attend the inauguration in Washington. XINHUA

ASIA PACIFIC

Japan to conduct simulated drills for China-Taiwan clash Japan will carry out a tabletop exercise next week to simulate its response in the event of a military clash between China and Taiwan, Japanese media said. The Self-Defence Forces will conduct drills from Monday through Friday with the US military participating as an observer. AFP

MIDDLE EAST

Saudi-led air strikes kill 29 Yemen rebel Saudi-led air strikes on Yemen’s Red Sea coast have killed at least 29 rebels over the past 24 hours, military sources said on Friday. The strikes hit two military camps, an ammunition depot and an arms transporter in Hodeida province, the sources said. Around 20 fighters and renegade troops were also wounded. AFP

PHOTOS: REUTERS, AFP

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

The government secrets Donald Trump is about to discover n Tribune International Desk When Dwight Eisenhower was elected president in 1952, outgoing president Harry Truman informed him of an important secret: Days before the election the US had tested the world’s first hydrogen bomb in the Pacific. The nation now possessed a weapon roughly a hundred times as powerful as any before, and almost nobody else knew. Eight years later, when Eisenhower handed the keys to John F Kennedy, his administration passed along its own secret: US had a covert plan underway to invade Cuba. Kennedy let the Bay of Pigs mission proceed, and the result was a fiasco that would take the world to the brink of nuclear war. The president of the US has more access to official secrets than any other human being in the country, and the potential to know more about the world than anyone else on the planet. And on January 20, the person being handed access to all of those secrets will be Donald Trump.

The Kill List

One of the relatively new powers of the presidency is the ability to sign off on strikes from Predator and Reaper drones run by the CIA and the Pentagon. While political assassination is forbidden by Executive Order 12333, Presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush have enjoyed wide latitude in designating suspected terrorists for lethal strikes in areas like Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Iraq and

discover that the CIA had been paying King Hussein of Jordan six and seven figures annually for nearly two decades to ensure his cooperation with US interests.

The Nukes

Former President Bill Clinton, left, former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, former President George W Bush and Laura Bush stand on the West Front of the US Capitol on January 20 in Washington, DC AFP Afghanistan. The exact process for such “kinetic” attacks, never publicly revealed in depth and not beholden to any judicial oversight, will be explained carefully to the new president. As president, Trump will also have sway over the opaque process itself, so he could well tweak or expand the lethal authorities of the commander in chief without any public disclosure that the rules have changed.

Covert Action

Whereas most people tend to think of classified information as broad categories like Confidential, Secret and Top Secret, the three levels of security clearance that individuals are typically granted, the nation’s most sensitive secrets occupy their own category of “Special Access Programmes”

of “Sensitive Compartmented Information,” labels colloquially known as “beyond top secret.” And the US doesn’t spy on just its enemies: Leaks from Edward Snowden revealed that US intelligence regularly listened to the telephone calls and read emails of foreign officials, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and top overseas business leaders, transcripts and documents that Trump could routinely access if he so desired.

Secret Agents

Those beyond-top-secret files would also include details about which foreign officials are on the payroll of agencies like the CIA or the Drug Enforcement Administration. These payments can run into the millions and last for years; President Jimmy Carter was shocked to

In addition to the “nuclear football”, the briefcase carried close to the president by a military aide that contains the nation’s nuclear war plans, the president will automatically gain access to what’s known as “Q clearance” information from the Department of Energy. This includes the operational details of the nation’s nuclear weapons program: its weapons stockpiles, damage estimates, technological specifications and the procedures for securing and launching the nation’s nuclear triad, the bombers, submarines and silo-based ICBMs that can rain nuclear destruction on the nation’s enemies in as little as 30 minutes.

Secret Law

In 2015, when Obama released his new hostage policy, known as Presidential Policy Directive No. 30, close watchers of the administration realised the last publicly announced PPD had been No. 28, which meant that sometime between January 17, 2014, and June 24, 2015, he had signed yet another directive whose very existence was classified. The whole point of these laws and procedures is to grant the president power the public doesn’t even know he has, and might not know until it’s unveiled in the midst of a crisis, either real or invented. l

Will Trump end globalisation? The doubt haunts Davos’ elite n Tribune International Desk It’s been impossible to escape the shadow of Donald Trump at this year’s gathering of the business elites at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Uncertainty over what Trump will do once he takes office Friday and whether his presidency will mark the end of globalisation dominated discussions all week at this event, which more than any has become synonymous with international business. Sure, lofty ambitions were discussed, from fighting epidemics to dealing with inequalities across the world. But inevitably all talk turned to Trump, who has promised to rewrite free trade deals and even slap tariffs on China, the world’s second-largest economy. Roberto Azevedo, director-general of the World Trade Organisation, the institution that oversees global trading

rules, reminded delegates that in the 1930s, unilateral actions to raise tariffs led to a “domino effect” that wiped out two-thirds of global trade in three years.

The case against globalisation Whether or not world trade goes into reverse, it’s evident that globalisation, the commitment to lower barriers to doing business around the world, is under threat like no other time in decades. The main allegations are that it has increased inequalities in wealth, eroded job security for the middle and lower-income families in developed countries, and kept a lid on wages as businesses seek low-cost workers in poorer countries. The breakneck pace of technological innovation is making jobs redundant, particularly in industries like manufacturing. Anti-poverty charity Oxfam illustrated the issue of inequality starkly in a report this week in which it said that eight

billionaires own as much wealth as half the world’s population, or 3.6bn people. There’s a perception among many middle- and lower-income households in developed economies like the US and Europe that globalisation hasn’t worked for them and it’s their anger that supported Trump’s victory and Brexit.

The case for it Globalisation has helped lift hundreds of millions to escape poverty over the past few decades. Populous countries like China and India have enjoyed phenomenal growth, improved standards of living, life expectancy, literacy and employment rates. As though to underscore that point, China’s leader visited the Davos forum this year for the first time ever. In a historic address, Chinese President Xi Jinping cast his country as a champion of free trade and stability. Though China does in fact put big lim-

World

its on foreign companies in the country, Xi’s message was clear: that China wants to take a bigger role on the global stage and keeping business flowing.

Way ahead The key will be what policies Trump actually puts in motion, and whether other countries follow the temptation to throw up bigger barriers to business. UK will this year renegotiate its trade relations with the rest of the EU, the region it does most business with. And populist political movements have risen in countries like the Philippines and are increasingly prominent in developed economies like France, the Netherlands and Italy. Theresa May, UK’s prime minister, sought to convince the Davos elite that UK was not retreating from the global scene. But she did concede that policymakers have to support those for whom globalisation is not working. l

USA

Rights group files legal request on Trump business ties The American Civil Liberties Union filed a legal request on Thursday demanding details on Trump’s potential conflicts of interest related to the extensive business affairs of the US president and his family. The request demands that the agencies to turn over documents that shed light o----n any of Trump’s actual or potential conflicts of interest and seeks details concerning regulations on divestment of financial interests and prohibitions on nepotism. REUTERS

THE AMERICAS

Chile hopes Trump will respect Latin America Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said Thursday that she hopes Donald Trump will maintain “a relationship of respect and cooperation” with Latin America when he takes over the White House. Just hours before Trump takes the oath of office as the 45th US president, Bachelet said that the region “is waiting to see what decisions he will take and what campaign promises” he will actually fulfil. AFP

'Trump bigger uncertainty for EU than Brexit' Donald Trump’s presidency is likely to create bigger uncertainty for the EU than Brexit, UK’s finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday. “Brexit has introduced uncertainty. I think the change of administration in the US has introduced an even bigger piece of uncertainty for the EU,” Hammond said. REUTERS

EUROPE

Turkish parliament nears approval of presidential system Turkey edged closer to adopting a constitutional bill extending President Tayyip Erdogan’s powers overnight, with parliament approving four more articles of a reform which opponents see as a step towards an authoritarian state. Erdogan, who could rule the EU candidate country until 2029 if the legislation is passed, says it will provide stability at a time of turmoil and prevent a return to the fragile coalitions of the past. REUTERS

AFRICA

'45,000 flee the Gambia amid political turmoil' Political turmoil in the Gambia has driven about 45,000 people, mainly children, to flee into Senegal, UNHCR said on Friday, citing figures from the Senegalese government. “The next few days will be critical and more people may leave the country if the current situation is not resolved peacefully soon,” UNHCR said in a statement. REUTERS

World

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

Next career for Barack Obama? n Tribune International Desk

While the 42 men who preceded him as the US president made diverse choices for a post-presidency career, Barack Obama appears poised to follow the trend set by Jimmy Carter and followed by Clinton and also Bush to some extent. Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are likely to be involved in similar work cased in the Obama Foundation. But for now he will be retreating to the quiet of the Palm Springs desert in California with his family. He

is only 55 years old, a year younger than Clinton when his term ended. According to USA Today, throughout his last year in office, Obama talked about getting back to community organising, working on issues like criminal justice reform, immigration, race relations, gun control. nuclear non-proliferation “I want to do some writing,” he told reporters this week. “I want to be quiet a little bit and not hear myself talk so darn much. I want to spend precious time with my girls.” The Obamas are not disclosing

how long they plan to remain in Palm Springs nor whether the former president and first lady will stay there longer than their daughters, one of whom is still in high school, reported LA Times. Obama has no plans to give interviews, the White House said, though he has said he will speak out as events demand it, particularly if the Trump administration moves to deport the 750,000 or so young adults who were brought into the US illegally as children and whom Obama temporarily protected from deportation. l

Former president Barack Obama waves with his wife Michelle as they board Special Air Mission 28000, a Boeing 747 which serves as Air Force One, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday REUTERS

Timing of Mexico drug lord’s extradition seen as political n AFP, New York

Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Mexican drug baron Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, one of the world’s most notorious criminals, was extradited to the US on Thursday to face charges on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration. Guzman heads the Sinaloa cartel, which is accused of generating much of the deadly violence in Mexico’s decades-long drug war and providing tons of narcotics to the US. His extradition caps a Hollywood-worthy cat-and-mouse game between Mexican authorities and the slippery 59-yearold drug lord, who escaped from prison twice. His feats turned him into a legend of Mexico’s underworld, with musicians singing his praises in folk ballads known as “narcocorridos”, tributes to drug capos. Guzman is charged in six separate indictments throughout the United States, one of which is in New York. The drug baron had fought desperately against extradition since being recaptured almost exactly a year ago in his home state of Sinaloa following his second daring jailbreak. Timing: Dig at Trump? The Mexican foreign ministry said he was handed over to US authorities after the Su-

preme Court and a court of appeals rejected his latest bids to avoid extradition. The appeals court ruled that the extradition conformed with a bilateral treaty and that Guzman’s rights had not been violated, the statement said. But one of Guzman’s lawyers, Silvia Delgado, told Milenio television that she was surprised by the extradition, calling it “illegal” because another legal petition was pending. In May, the Mexican foreign ministry approved extradition bids from California, where he is wanted for drug distribution, and Texas, where he faces a slew of charges including murder and money laundering. Trump, who takes office on Friday, has publicly clashed with Mexico over trade and immigration issues. The Republican president-elect has pledged to build a wall on the US-Mexican border. Alejandro Hope, a prominent Mexican security expert, said the decision to extradite Guzman in the last hours of Barack Obama’s presidency and before Trump takes office was “not a coincidence.” “They didn’t want Trump to be able to brag about it, so they managed to hand him over in the final minutes” of the Obama administration, he told AFP. But Alejandro Almazan, author of Guzman biography “The Most Wanted,” said the kingpin was “a gift to Trump” because Pena Nieto wants good relations with the new US leader. Alberto Elias Beltran, Mexico’s deputy attorney general for international affairs, denied that the timing was politically motivated. l

World

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

Myanmar rebukes Malaysia PM over Rohingya defence n Tribune International Desk

Myanmar’s government lashed out at Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Friday, accusing him of using the Rohingya crisis unfolding in Rakhine state for his own “political interests”. The premier of Muslim-majority

Malaysia has been a vocal critic of Myanmar since violence erupted in the north of the state in October, when the army started hunting attackers behind deadly raids on police border posts. On Thursday he used an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to call for an

Supporters cheer as Adama Barrow is driven after his inauguration ceremony at the Gambian embassy in Dakar on January 19 REUTERS

Gambia’s Jammeh to step down, leave country n Reuters, Banjul Gambia’s longtime leader Yahya Jammeh, who lost a December election but refused to recognise the result, has agreed to step down and go into exile, a close adviser to new President Adama Barrow said. Mai Ahmad Fatty was shown a tweet from a Twitter account purported to belong to Barrow stating that Jammeh had agreed to the deal and was asked if it was authentic. “That is correct,” he said. Earlier before, Gambia’s army chief on Friday abandoned embattled longtime leader Yahya Jammeh, saying his forces would not fight against a military operation to remove him, as regional leaders led a last ditch effort to convince him to flee into exile. The defection of General Ousman Badjie, who had previously stood by Jammeh, removes what was perhaps the former coup leader’s last remaining pillar of support, potentially raising the likelihood of a peaceful solution to the political impasse. New President Adama Barrow, who won December’s election, was sworn into office on Thursday and immediately called for regional and international support. West African militarise announced soon after that they had crossed into Gambia.

Speaking to Reuters by telephone, Badjie said he recognised Barrow as the army’s commander-in-chief and would welcome, not fight, the regional force. “We are going to welcome them with flowers and make them a cup of tea,” he said. “This is a political problem. It’s a misunderstanding. We are not going to fight Nigerian, Togolese or any military that comes.” West African leaders Alpha Conde of Guinea and Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz meanwhile flew to the capital Banjul on Friday to allow Jammeh one last chance to cede power peacefully. UN officials, including Mohammed Ibn Chambas, UN Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, were also involved in the talks. The military operation was halted late on Thursday to give mediation a chance, and a midday deadline was extended on Friday as negotiations, which diplomats said were focusing on a deal to grant Jammeh immunity from prosecution, continued. A senior official from regional bloc ECOWAS, under whose mandate the military operation was launched, said late on Thursday that there was no question that Jammeh would be allowed to remain in Gambia, even if he agreed to step down. l

end to the “unspeakable cruelty” being unleashed against the Muslim minority. His comments drew an angry response from Myanmar, which denies the allegations of abuse of the Rohingya, instead blaming “fake news” for spreading unfounded accusations. Najib is “using Myanmar for his own political interests, against the

principles of Asean,” deputy director of Myanmar’s foreign ministry, Aye Aye Soe said. “They criticise us without hesitation based on news reports from different places, including news from unreliable sources, without discussing the issue like a good neighbour. We are deeply sorry about this.” Analysts say Najib’s embrace

of the Rohingya is at least in part aimed at burnishing his image after allegations of massive graft linked to state fund 1MDB, a claim he denies. The treatment of the Rohingya, a stateless group denied citizenship in Myanmar, has galvanised anger across the Muslim world. l

Heritage

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

The merchant of Venice The journals of mid-second millennium traders make for fascinating reading

n Tim Steel

n 1588, the “Lord High Admiral” of England, Lord Howard of Effingham -- who in that year was, perhaps, somewhat distracted by organising naval resistance to the famous Spanish Armada -- received from an English writer and translator, Thomas Hickock, a very flowery addressed missive, the import of which was to have potentially, considerable significance for the lands that are today those of Bangladesh. In the wonderful way of late Medieval dedications, the missive commenced with the usual flattery. “To the Right Honourable, Charles, Lord Howard, Baron of Effingham, Knight of the most Noble order of the garter, Lord High Admirall of England, and one of her Majesties most Honourable privie counsaile: Thomas Hickock, wisheth long life in good health, with much encrease of Honour, and all happy successe.” He went on to write that, “being at sea in March last in Hercules of London, I resolved to take in hand the translating of this little work out of Italian into English.” The work was a journal written by Cesar Fedrici, most commonly identified as M Caesar Frederick, a merchant of Venice.

We are familiar with the great interest in, and knowledge of, that William Shakespeare evidently had of Italy, and the Italians in his various works, and speculation continues about the source of that interest.

out of Venice, some such speculation may well be justified. Caesar Frederick’s travels were, in fact, almost contemporaneous with those of the London Merchant, Ralph Fitch, who returned to London two years

south as the Malay Peninsula. Opportunities that the Portuguese navigator, Vasco da Gama, had opened less than a century earlier. In many ways, Frederick’s descriptions are far more

His description of acquiring merchandise at the local markets along the Ganges, from a hired boat, both underlines the unchanging scene of so much of today’s Bangladesh, where such markets still flourish, and further indicates what contemporary maps of the time suggest, that the Ganges was more readily available from Chittagong than it is today

However, since his famous drama, The Merchant of Venice, is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599, early in his writing career, we may be permitted to wonder whether, perhaps, familiar with Hickock’s translation, it offered an inspiration to him. Not that the phrase, “The merchant of Venice” was especially unusual, but since both Hickock and Shakespeare use an identical phrase, and both were writing of the extensive opportunities of trading ventures

after Hickock’s work reached Lord Howard. Fitch’s report is believed to have given impetus to the Charter granted, only 10 years later, to set up the East India Company, but, no doubt, Hickock’s translation of Frederick’s work also contributed to the decision. Both, in fact, were exploring in detail the trading opportunities in the northeastern corner of the Bay of Bengal, encompassing Chittagong, southward; both, almost certainly, reached as far

effusive than Fitch’s about the commodities suitable to trade; which may well support the suspicion that he and Fitch may have had slightly different trading interests. It is not unreasonable to believe that Fitch’s interest as a leather merchant might well have especially encompassed the fact that the lands around the Ganges itself, it is now believed, contained some 75% of the known supply of saltpetre, the basic essential ingredient of

the gunpowder that was rapidly becoming a fundamental resource for the warfare that was becoming commonplace in Europe as well as in Asia. Indeed, since it seems likely that, in fact, the Venetian merchant had certainly somewhat different primary interests to those we may well suspect had engaged Fitch, the leather worker, it is probably not so surprising that he appears to have had a slightly different geographical focus for his activities in the area. Unlike Fitch, he appears to have taken little interest in the lands around the Ganges, concentrating, rather, on the coastal region of Arakanese interests, reaching from Chittagong and Sandwip ... curiously he makes no mention of Ramu, although we know from contemporary Portuguese writing that it remained, even after a millennium or so, a lively centre of trade, and although he was clearly interested -- as was Fitch -- in opportunities in what we now know as Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, it seems his primary focus was on Pegu, today’s Bago, in Myanamar. Chittagong, known then as Satagan, he refers to as a “reasonable fair city of the Moors,” Muslims, “abounding in all things,” and “was governed by the king of Patna, and now subject to the great Mughal,” from that we

Such ancient descriptions afford something of an insight into conditions in the ancient trading lands around the Ganges delta, the first of the Silk Road trading centres, but then, already at least two millennia old

may judge that the Mughal takeover was, at the time of Frederick’s visit, a recent undertaking. He remained four months in Chittagong, taking a great interest in trade through the port; a port that, “every year ladeth 30, or 35 ships, great and small, with rice, cloth of Bombaste of diverse sorts (a contemporary, generic reference to fabrics, although, at the time, more commonly referring to material used for stuffing such garments as doublets, britches, and probably the cod pieces much favoured by men!), Lacca, great abundance of sugar, Mirabolany, dried and preserved (herbal medication ‘which quickens and makes lusty the body ... the chief thing is, whereby age is defended and youth prolonged!’), long pepper, oil of Zerzeline (probably sesame ... a reference that, once again, may raise the question of the origins of sesame and its oil, often claimed for the Indus valley, but which, given the Sanskrit origin of the name, like so many now common crops may well, in fact, have originated in and around the lands that are now Bangladesh), and many other sorts of merchandise.” His description of acquiring merchandise at the local markets along the Ganges, from a hired boat, both underlines the unchanging scene of so much of today’s Bangladesh, where such markets still flourish, and further indicates what contemporary maps of the time suggest, that the Ganges was more readily available from Chittagong than it is today. But Frederick’s greater interest was aroused somewhat further south, in his writing of travel and trade. His description of

his difficulty returning to Pegu from further south dramatically underlines the hazards of such travels at the time; not least his description of an earthquake, with which, as an Italian, he was unlikely to be entirely unfamiliar. However, the “horrible earthquake and great noise it makes,” was evidently accompanied by a tsunami ... “the great increasing and diminishing of the water.” It is apparent that he was aboard a ship that had to ride out the turmoil. However, amongst those hazards was the difficulty of wind reliant power; departing from the Portuguese base of Malacca, his report graphically underlines such hazards, “for Pegu 800 miles distant, the voyage usually made in 20 or 30 days, took four months, and at the end of three months the ship was without victuals.” But it appears that amongst the compensations was an “excellent wine, which is made from the flowers of a Nyper tree (identified as a juniper tree) ... distilled to make a crystal clear drink, good for the mouth, and even better for the stomach, having excellent qualities,

especially for one rotten with the French pox ... a friend, whose nose began to rot from the infection, drank the wine and returned to good colour and sound.” The origin of gin drinking, perhaps; not so much “Mother’s ruin,” as Father’s cure. He affords a fairly comprehensive description of Pegu, waxing lyrical about the “diamonds, pearls, fine cloths, imported rubies and sapphires, together with ‘all manner of household stuffs.’” One suspects that his description of accommodation and the domestic dangers may well have been as applicable to Chittagong of the period, since, although Pegu was clearly in Arakanese hands, it is equally clear that the influence of both Arab, and especially Portuguese traders was considerable in both centres of trade. There were, he reported, “no lodgings, no inns, no hosts, and no chambers” for accommodation, a house required to be rented, and staff recruited, for a minimum of six months. The dangers included “gentlemen with slaves ... who were trained to rob strangers.” Such ancient descriptions

Heritage

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

afford something of an insight into conditions in the ancient trading lands around the Ganges delta, the first of the Silk Road trading centres, but then, already at least two millennia old. Less than a decade later, such visiting Europeans began to flex their muscles; in 1599, such was the disturbance to trade by local rulers, that the Portuguese took possession of Pegu, in much the same way, a century and a half later, vital supplies, especially, of all important saltpetre, in peril from local rulers and other European allies, the British seized control of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. Clearly, this mid-second millennium period of globalisation of trade, politics, and even warfare, as it has throughout the ages, had consequences, and the journals of those, of so many nationalities, caught up in the process make for both fascinating, and even instructive, reading. And, as so often, the lands that are now Bangladesh have centre stage. l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.

Climate Change

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

Can ecosystem-based adaptation help deliver the promise of Paris? n Hannah Reid

nder the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change, 196 countries committed to try to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, a target widely regarded as the “tipping point” for the planet’s climate. Countries also agreed to support the poorest and most climate vulnerable to adopt strategies to build resilience to the effects of climate change. Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is one such strategy: The sustainable management of our ecosystems is fast being recognised as a way of helping people adapt to the changing climate. EbA is particularly important for the world’s poorest communities. People living in precarious conditions -- on fragile coastlines or floodplains -- are highly exposed to climate-related shocks such as storms or flash

Shaded pond growing vegetables in Barisal

Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is one such strategy: The sustainable management of our ecosystems is fast being recognised as a way of helping people adapt to the changing climate

floods. They are hardest hit by the impacts of climate change but least able to adapt. At the same time they rely heavily on the natural environment for their livelihoods, which provides food, water, and fuel, and a way of generating cash. Climate change damage to delicate ecosystems presents a further threat to these communities. The Paris Agreement called on countries to integrate EbA into their national climate action plans and emphasised the importance of “building the resilience of socioeconomic and ecological systems, including through economic diversification and sustainable management of natural resources.” The COP22 climate negotiations in Marrakech helped pave the way for implementation of the agreement, with the Marrakech Action Proclamation stressing the need to link climate change action with sustainable development.

Multiple benefits

Restoring mangroves to protect coastlines from storm surges, conserving indigenous crops

to develop climate-resistant varieties, and revegetating hillsides to prevent erosion are just some of the ways local communities can work with nature to adapt to climate change. EbA can also support mitigation -- for example by reducing emissions from deforestation or through carbon storage of wetlands.

Knowledge gaps

Across the world EbA is helping communities adapt to climate change. However, there are knowledge gaps around when it works in practice and why, and little consolidated evidence on the social, economic, and environmental benefits. And there is scant information on how EbA compares with other adaptation approaches, for example building hard infrastructure such as dams and coastal defences. Many country adaptation plans acknowledge how ecosystems can help people cope with climate change. A recent IIED study showed 109 of 162 national climate

action plans (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs)) incorporate ecosystems in their vision for adapting to the impacts. But the plans do not set out targets for success, ways to measure progress, or how to involve local people. Having been overlooked in the past as a viable tool for adaptation and mitigation, EbA is finally gaining recognition in the international climate policy arena. But for implementation on the ground, policy-makers need a much clearer understanding of how it works, and tangible ways to measure its success.

Building evidence

To help address the evidence gap, the ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation: Strengthening the evidence and informing policy project implemented by IIED, IUCN, and UNEP-WCMC is consolidating lessons from 13 EbA case studies from around the globe. These include work in Chile on how ecosystems are protecting infrastructure and communities from climate change risks, and

MAHFUJUL HAQUE RIPON

work to increase community resilience in Southwest China through participatory plant breeding and community supported agriculture. During the course of the project, we will seek to understand where EbA is working, why and how. The case studies will also demonstrate the political, policy, and institutional conditions that maximise uptake of EbA. At the local level, this evidence will help build capacity and assist people to implement EbA on the ground. At national level, it will encourage integration of this approach into the wider policy discourse and help strengthen the case for funding EbA.

Finding the best tools for the job

Early project findings suggest that many tools assessing adaptation responses do not sufficiently identify the importance of ecosystems and the services they provide. In light of this, UNEP-WCMC is building an inventory of tools and methodologies that support EbA planning, implementation and mainstreaming. This inventory will help identify gaps in existing tools, gather feedback on user experiences and help develop a toolkit to support effective EbA. The partners are seeking feedback on the draft inventory -- the deadline for responses is January 31, 2017. Given the growing recognition of EbA as a strategy for adaptation, IIED’s 11th International

Conference on Community-Based Adaptation (CBA11) will bring together practitioners, policymakers, planners, and donors to explore how local communities can harness ecosystems as a way to adapt to climate change. Taking place in Uganda in June 2017, the conference program will be designed to share learning on practical ways to scale up EbA from local to national level. Through these research and capacity building efforts we hope to help turn the ambitions of Paris into a reality. l Dr Hannah Reid is a research associate with IIED’s Climate Change research group and biodiversity team. Contributions from Ali Raza Rizvi, program manager, Ecosystem-based Adaptation, IUCN; Nathalie Seddon, professor of biodiversity, University of Oxford and visiting fellow at IIED; and Sylvia Wicander, program officer, Climate Change and Biodiversity Program, UNEP-WCMC. Originally published at www.iied.org. 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.

Kids

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

colour these

ILLUSTRATIONS: BIGSTOCK

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

Kids

PHOTO: BIGSTOCK

Presents delivery! The last chapter of Catherine’s epic story

n Nusaiba Zyen After feeling a bit better, I decided to deliver the presents. I knew everyone in the society so I prepared myself and left the house. I rang the bell on every house and when they opened the door, their faces lit up from an expression of sadness to that of happiness. They also thanked and hugged me. After about 15 minutes of delivering all the presents, I headed back home. We started to open our presents. And my

present, was a very magical ring. Oh wait, it was The Magical Christmas Ring! The ring was emerald-green with a wellrounded ruby on it. I gazed at it as my eyes sparkled. I ran outside and experienced the feeling and it was magical. I wondered about its power. I tried rubbing on it and made a wish. I wished for it to snow a lot and for candy-canes to fall from the sky. Everyone was enjoying themselves! All of my friends from the neighbourhood came and all of us were enjoying the snowfall. With the magical ring, I could

enjoy Christmas even when it wasn’t December 25! Since that day, I always wear the magical ring. And when having too much homework makes me want to have fun in the snow, my friends would remind me about the magical time we had and motivate me to finish my homework. After that, we would use the ring and have fun with all of them just like Christmas! Thank you very much for reading my adventurous and imaginative story! So, what are your plans for next Christmas? Is it the same as Catherine’s? l

Animal facts

Kids

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

diy

How to sew a pillow cover in 20 minutes Anybody with a sewing machine can now make cute and easy slipcovers for their pillows. The covers will slip right off and are easy to wash, while making the living room look lively and pleasant. Remember to ask an adult to help you throughout the process! You will need • Colourful fabric • Scissors or rotary cutter • Thread • Sewing machine • Pins How to do it Step 1 Measure your pillow to determine the size of fabric you will need. Here’s an easy formula to remember. Length = (pillow’s size x 2)+1″, Width = pillows size + 1″. Once you have determined the size of your fabric, cut out a rectangular shaped piece. Step 2 Hem both of your short

What you need • Tea bag • Non flammable surface • Matches or lighter • Scissors How to prepare 1. Remove the staple, string and label from the tea bag. 2. If the tea bag is not open on the ends, cut both ends of it and empty out the tea into the trash. 3. Unfold the bag of tea so that it is straight. 4. Use your fingers to open up the bag which will end up with a cylinder shape. 5. Make the cylinder stand on one end of the dinner plate. 6. With a lighter, ignite the top of the cylinder. 7. Watch the flame travel down from the top of the cylinder. The tea bag will rise up like a rocket.

Why it happens? Air density – the flame heats the air inside the cylinder. Warm air rises above the cooler, less dense air. The tea bag then turns into ashes that is super lightweight and is lifted by the smoke. Tip: Remember to ask an adult to help you with cutting and igniting the cylinder. l

quiz Question • Which is the only continent without a desert? • Who are the first men to step on the moon? • What is the third-largest island in the world? (Hint: it’s a six-letter word ending in O) • Which country did the Olympic Games originate in? • What is the name of the largest ocean on earth? • Who invented the telephone? • In terms of continent size, where does Antarctica stand? Third largest, fourth or the fifth? • On which city was the first atomic bomb dropped? • Which country is the first to use paper money? l

1) Europe 4) Greece 7) 5th largest at 13,209,000 sq. km

Flying tea bag rocket experiment

2)Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin 5)Pacific Ocean 8) Hiroshima

fun science

3)Borneo 6)Alexander Graham Bell 9)China

Axolotls or “Mexican Walking Fish” are amphibians like frogs and toads. • They can grow from 20-40cm and live for 10-15 years. • They have lungs but they breathe through their gills and skin. • Axolotls feed on raw meat, fish and other worms and can be kept in aquariums. • They are famous for their healing abilities. If an axolotl loses a leg, it will grow the limb back! • They can regenerate any part of their body like their tails, skin, heart and kidneys. • The Axolotl was an inspiration in the making of the Pokemon “Whooper.”l

Answers

Axolotls

edges ½ inch. Step 3 Fold your fabric in half, right sides together. Step 4 Fold the other edge in, overlapping the first fold. It should overlap about 2-3 inches. Pin the sides. Step 5 Sew both ends shut (make sure not to close the middle - just the ends). Step 6 Flip the cover right side out and stuff your pillow in. You’ll be making some fabulous pillows in no time at all. Once you get started, you just can’t stop, it’s that addictive! l

PHOTOS: VARIOUS SOURCES

SATURDAY,JANUARY 21, 2017

Kids

book review

gaming

Blast away!

To be or not to be talented Author Lisa Graff Age 8 - 12 Genre: Fantasy

The story

The city of Poughkeepsie is just like any other city except that, it has one major twist - the lives of its residents depend on whether they are talented or not. 11-year-old orphan Cady has a definite talent for baking; her friend Marigold, though unsure of her talent, is a budding intelligent girl, but both these girls are forced to embark on a challenging journey when a wicked thief starts stealing talents from people who have them, and these girls are forced to stop the villain and save the city all by themselves.

PHOTO: AMAZON

Any good?

With archaeological digs and yummy food recipes, A Tangle Of Knots stresses on the importance of family and loyalty, and teaches all readers to do the right thing and to rise above their previous mistakes and become a better person. So yes, this is a must read. l

PHOTO: AMAZON

movie

A fantasy of their own

The Nerf Vortex Praxis is a handgun with a 10-disc magazine and is star of the new Vortex line. The Praxis utilises its removable 10disc chip and seems to work perfectly for newbies. But if you want larger capacity, then there is the Nitron with a 20- disc chip. Big hands or small, it doesn’t really matter. The Praxis works just fine. Simply aim towards the target using the nice grip right below the barrel and

pull the trigger. Once out of the barrel, the disc can travel up to 55-65 feet. Now that is super-duper awesome! Praxis has the longest range in the Nerf lineup. Even though these are discs and not darts, it does not make it any less fun to shoot at targets that are far away. They might not be as precise as the darts, but that does not make them any less fun either. l

music

An adaptation of the novel of the same name, this movie is a perfect for a screening anytime in the day. Meet Jesse Aarons (Josh Hutcherson); a typical fifth grader pre-teen who is busy in his own world. Soon Jesse makes a new friend, Leslie Burke (Anna Sophia Robb) who also happens to be his next door neighbour, and they become friends. Every day after school, they would wander about in the woods. Soon, they discovered an abandoned tree house and a broken truck. They decide to call the place “Terabitihia,” a fantasy world which comes to life through their eyes. Soon enough, Leslie and Jesse are awestruck in their fantasy world overcoming loads of hurdles. Although a lot of people say books are always better than adapted movies, this movie has definitely created a buzz. It has won awards including “Best Family Feature Film (Fantasy on Musical) and is definitely a must watch! l

7 facts about the harmonica

PHOTO: INTERNET

PHOTO: IMDb

1. The simplest of the musical instruments, the harmonica is also called the “mouth organ” or “French harp.” 2. It was invented in Berlin by Friedrich Buschmann. 3. It produces sounds by employing the reeds inside it. 4. The reeds are set in a small, narrow case of wood or metal. 5. For each reed, there is a hole through which the player draws or blows in air with the mouth. 6. This produces sounds of two octaves and can be used to play a tune. l

Biz Info

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

| social service |

| launch |

ULAB hosts freshers’ orientation for Spring 2017

Samsung launches bottom mount refrigerator

ULAB Social Welfare Club stands beside the needy Like every year, the ULAB Social Welfare Club of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) has taken the initiative to stand by the needy who suffer from the harsh winter. On January 16, 2017, the ULAB Social Welfare Club has

PHOTOS: COURTESY

distributed around 200 blankets and used winter clothes to the poor people of Magura district’s Sreepur Thana, Raypur village. This year, the motive of club members was to reach to remote area and help the neediest people. The distribution program was supported by the personal contributions of club members and a charity cultural show which was organised to collect donations. Foysal Al Mahmud, club president, Shafayet Hossain, general secretary along with former and current members of the club were present during the distribution program. l

| food |

Le Méridien Dhaka to hold an Indian food promotion at Latest Recipes In order to enjoy the palette of flavours, spicy, sour, sweet and other exotic ingredients, Le Méridien Dhaka is arranging a threeday long Indian food promotion at Latest Recipe. The promotion aims to enhance the local and international culinary experience of the guests, giving them an opportunity to acknowledge the authentic taste of Indian gastronomic heritage. In celebration of the food promotion, the hotel is introducing their new Indian master chef Mufid Alam, bringing in the fusion of Indian cuisine. The varieties of Shahi Indian cuisine like Awadi Gosht korma, Galwati kabab, Kachi gosht ki biryani, Phuk jhari sheikh will be included in the buffet dinner menu. Guests will be able to enjoy

PHOTO: COURTESY

For the first time ever, Samsung has launched Direct Cool category at the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) Samsung Electronics, the global leader in Consumer Electronics has announced the launch of its innovative Bottom Mount Refrigerator at the biggest fair of Bangladesh – the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) 2017, in its premium pavilion at Sher-E-Bangla Nagar. Samsung Electronics’ newest addition to its home appliance range, the Bottom Mount Refrigerator at the premium pavilion at the DITF comes in two different model names RB21KMFH5SE/D2 and RB21KMFH5SK/D2 priced at Tk42,900. The Bottom Mount Refrigerators features capacity of 218 liters (Gross), 10-year digital inverter compressor warranty, 10% more freezer space compared to conventional top mount refrigerators, tempered

glass shelves and stabiliser free operation (135~290V safety). In the inauguration ceremony of The Bottom Mount Refrigerator at the Samsung premium pavilion at DITF high officials of Samsung Bangladesh including Seungwon Youn, Managing Director, Mr. Firoze Mohammad, Head of Consumer Electronics were present along with Fair Electronics Limited’s CEO Mr. Choon Soo Moon, and its Managing Director Mr. Md. Ruhul Alam Al Mahbub. Seungwon Youn said, “Samsung always focuses on adding value to its valued customer’s lives through innovation and technology. For the first time in Bangladesh, we have brought Direct Cool category refrigerators to address the need of this category per Bangladeshi market demand. I expect Bangladesh will love this category of refrigerator from Samsung.”l

| conference |

PHOTO: COURTESY

the taste of Indian food with regular buffet dinner at their multi-cuisine restaurant Latest Recipes, which will start from January 25 and will continue till January 27. The dinning will open at 6:30pm to 11:30pm. Guests can avail this offer at Tk3600++ per person. The

hotel will not only showcase Indian traditional food but also a variety of dishes from the regular buffet. Guests can contact +8801990900900 or +88017666673443 to learn more information or reserve table booking.l

Brother Robi Purification, director of Bangladesh Rehabilitation and Assistance Centre of Addiction (BARAKA) speaking at a press conference on “Drug dependent and Family” at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Wednesday. Networking Among Addiction Rehabilitation Centre Of Bangladesh (NARCOB) secretary Faisal Tanvir Rana and BARACA Dr Jashim Pathan were also present, at the conference among others. PHOTO: COURTESY

20 Editorial

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

TODAY

The right flank Donald Trump has now taken the reins of the government heralding in his own words a time to ‘make America great again.’ It is difficult to say whether these reins will return America to the hands of the extreme right PAGE 21

Dietary enemy number one We could at least start alerting the citizens about the negative impacts of sugar and, at the same time, we can convince the sugary beverage manufacturers to print a sugar alert on all the cans and bottles

REUTERS

PAGE 22

What next?

Merely a textbook omission That the erasure of other contributors to my homeland’s culture is concurrently taking place in the pages of Bangladesh’s textbooks, also comes as no surprise 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 and they are not the official view of Dhaka Tribune or its publisher.

s Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the sole global superpower, the world waits with bated breath to see what his first actions will be. Trump’s victory, where he won the Electoral College but lost in the popular vote, was nothing if not controversial, but the system, as it stands, dictates he should be acknowledged and ushered in as the rightful president. But we must face up to the fact that Trump’s inauguration into the most powerful office in the world is a worrying development not just for his country, but for the whole world. His presidency was achieved through one of the most divisive political campaigns in recent history, marked by xenophobia, racism, and misogyny. Trump has consistently defied the democratic ideals of the United States, and the scandals only kept increasing after his election win. As Trump takes power, the world must stay more vigilant than ever against any kind of bigoted policy that fans the flames of hatred. Too much progress has been made in the last eight years to be undone at this point. The rest of the world has as much cause for concern as the US -- Trump has vowed to remake the entire world order, and the implications of that promise will only become clear in the days to come. Decisions made by Washington affect every nation in the world, and there is simply no way to ignore that fact. More worrying is how Bangladeshis and people from other nationalities will be treated under Trump’s regime. Already there is evidence of bullies being emboldened by being backed up by Trump’s rhetoric. No doubt, tough times lie ahead for the world. As we move into an uncertain future, we can only hope that our fears about Trump turn out to be unfounded.

More worrying is how Bangladeshis and people from other nationalities will be treated under Trump’s regime. Already there is evidence of bullies being emboldened by being backed up by Trump’s rhetoric

Opinion

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

The right flank How many of his campaign promises will Trump keep?

The essence of democratic rights

BIGSTOCK

conduct of public as well as corporate business. That is, until the appearance of Donald Trump in the political scene. But to draw a historical line of the death of political correctness with Donald Trump alone would perhaps be an exaggeration. Political correctness or civility in political conduct has a lot to do with the overall changes in a society. Society would be tolerant and mutually respectful when all sections of the society are reasonably happy with the status quo and no one group considers the other to be a threat to its existence. Unfortunately however, without real integration, this remained as good behaviour or

n Ziauddin Choudhury “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

he paragraph above which is emblazoned in the US constitution as first amendment captures the essence of democratic rights of individuals in the US. These words have sustained rule of law and democracy in the US for last the 250 years. Ironically, these rights have also given birth to a variety of groups and cults that range from supporters of civil liberties to white supremacists, from worshippers of voodoo to atheists, from conformists to nihilists. In a word, the constitution has supported expression of one’s thoughts and ideas in any form so long as these do not conflict with the rights of another group of citizens or the law of the land. Such freedom has also given rise to alt-right -- abbreviated nomenclature for the alternative right political movement that has grown in recent years. We all became familiar with this expression and movement in conjunction with the appearance of Donald Trump in the American political scene. The movement, considered to be a subset of the country’s conservative politics, is so much in the farthest extreme of conservatism that it is regarded as a rebellion from mainstream conservatism, which is the base of

Donald Trump has now taken the reins of the government heralding in his own words a time to ‘make America great again.’ It is difficult to say whether these reins will return America to the hands of the extreme right with their slogans of nativism, ethno-centricity, and end to liberal politics

the Republican Party. This is not just because of its rejection of establishment right politics but because of the kind of people it has attracted to its fold. It has within its ambit not just people who are ethnocentric and anti-globalists, but also other fringe groups who are blatantly white supremacists and antiimmigrant. The US has had a long history of racial discrimination that it officially overcame with the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 after a prolonged political struggle. The legislation was not a unanimous act between the two major political parties or the contestants at large, but at least the Act showed the world that the US had come to recognise the race based division of the country and ended it by giving all citizens equality irrespective of colour and ethnicity. People who had opposed this legislation were not necessarily defined by political parties they belonged to. They opposed because they thought time was not ripe for allowing the black minorities the same rights as themselves. They opposed because they were fearful of creeping black emergence and

dominance in politics of the country. Unfortunately, however, racial integration that was probably one of the motives of the act never really happened in this country. Elements both on the right or wrong side of the Civil Rights Act knew that. But all hoped that the Act would open the way for the marginalised communities of the country to move forward and be equal partners, economically and politically. The Civil Rights Act could not change the economic fate of the black community, but it was able to foster in the country a culture of tolerance and civil behaviour toward the minorities. Gradually, not only was discrimination on the basis of race outlawed in housing and work places, the use of language in official parlance and in media derisive of race, colour, or ethnicity also became taboo in later years. The US tried to become a role model in establishing norms of behaviour toward all races and communities, but also toward other groups that identified themselves differently from the mainstream because of sexual orientation. The words “politically correct” became guidelines in

politically correct behaviour that could break down whenever the threat returned. And this happened in the last few years when the conservatives drove some of their own to the extreme right as the white middle class felt they were being let down by their own political party -- the Republicans. Several factors could explain this rightward shift. For much of last 60 years, the US had been able to provide economic stability to its people and leadership to the world economy, attracting millions from the world to its shores. But with growth in economy, economic power, and immigration also came other changes that the average American could grasp only lately. The first change was in the demography. With increased immigration, both legal and illegal, the face of America started to change. In the 50s white America accounted for 75% of the population, the blacks accounting for a mere 12%, and Hispanics and Asians accounting for the rest. Today, white American share has dwindled to 65%, while Hispanics alone have jumped to 13% leaving black Americans where they were before. For the first time, America’s racial and ethnic minorities now

make up about half of the underfive age group, the government said Thursday. Along with this change also came the economic downturn of the average white bluecollar worker. Global shifts of manufacturing from US to elsewhere left millions jobless. For many others, their income remained tethered to levels many years before. In their rantings against the government and corporations, these luckless millions in Middle America pointed fingers at the new immigrants and the establishment politicians in Washington. This was ground ripe for the rise of the elements which had been blaming the minorities and the newcomers for the ills in the country. To their mind, the establishment politicians had sacrificed the interests of the whites in their zeal to pacify the minorities and in establishing socalled equal opportunities for all. The white supremacists group gave out a rallying cry to stand up and oppose the marginalisation of the whites. The disgruntled whites came in droves to support those neo-conservatives who promised to stand for them and bring in a new order that return to them their old America along with jobs and economic opportunities. Donald Trump was one such leader who gave them hope and they voted him as their next president. Donald Trump has now taken the reins of the government heralding in his own words a time to “make America great again.” It is difficult to say whether these reins will return America to the hands of the extreme right with their slogans of nativism, ethnocentricity, and end to liberal politics in the country. But what is certain is that it will be difficult for any new group to reverse the demographic changes that have taken so far, or to deny any group their democratic rights to elect their leaders whichever be their ethnic identity. For now, the US and the world will wait and see how many of the promises that the new president had in his campaign to woo his supporters he will actually implement, and how many of these will actually be for the larger interest of this great country and the world at large. l Ziauddin Choudhury has worked in the higher civil service of Bangladesh early in his career, and later for the World Bank in the US.

Opinion

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

Dietary enemy number one We need to understand how harmful sugar really is LARGER THAN LIFE

n Ekram Kabir

he Asian edition of Reader’s Digest in its latest issue ran an article titled “Sugar, the new tobacco.” The article, with all kinds of scientific references and expert quotations, argued that sugar is extremely injurious to health. The article also argued that the sugar industry has been very similar to the tobacco industry in how it works. It said that they fund their own research studies and criticise research they see as harmful. They focus on personal responsibility, saying it’s up to the parents and the individual. The piece added that the tobacco industry had pushed for self-regulation over legislation. And now the countries across the world have self-regulation around marketing junk food and drinks to children, which is exactly what the tobacco industry got away with. I was quite surprised to learn from the article that a 330ml can of fizzy drink contains 35 grams of sugar. If just one can of drink contains this much sugar, imagine how much there is in a two-litre bottle. And when I see people around me consuming these drinks without thinking how much damage the sugar is causing to their health, I almost shiver in fear. Allow me to make a confession about my sugar intakes. I was almost like all the sugar-lovers around me; I myself used to consume quite a lot of sugar every day. There are times when I ate one kilogram of traditional Bengali roshogollas at one go. As

diagnosed with diabetes in my 40s. Trust me, it’s scary when you see yourself face-to-face with the mother of all diseases. Yes, I call diabetes the mother of all diseases. I did quite a lot of research on the disease after that and found out that we have various kinds of myths related to the disease as well as related to sugar. You’ll find many people around you who defend sugar, saying that there’s no problem having sugar if you don’t have diabetes. This is wrong. Apart from our blood glucose spiking and plummeting, sugar increases the risk of obesity and heart disease. It makes the functioning of our immune system problematic. A high-sugar diet often results in chromium deficiency leading to blood sugar irregularities. Sugar accelerates aging. If you’re scared about tooth decay, you should think twice before consuming sugary foods. It affects children’s behaviour. It also increases stress. You think you’re benefitting from gulping a bottle of energy drink? Think again. The people who consume the most sugar have the lowest intakes of essential nutrients -- especially vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B-12, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and iron. Sugar can overload your liver and cause a non-alcoholic fatty liver. I’ve only mentioned a few problems. Doctors and researchers across the world have volumes on the dangers of sugar; they’re even alerting us about the dangers of cancer due to sugar. The dangers of sugar are not a secret any more across the world. That’s one of the reasons we see the sugary food manufacturers

What’s in your soft drink?

far as I can remember, I was pretty obsessed with consuming sweets. That was one of the reasons my parents had a tough time managing me as a boy. My realisation regarding sugary food and drinks came when I was

being extremely aggressive in their marketing. There are many countries where the governments are convinced they should discourage their people from the overconsumption of sugar and alert them about

the dangers of sugary foods. Furthermore, they are seriously considering imposing a sugar tax. The UK, Hungary, South Africa, and Mexico are a few among them. The WHO has extended its full support to the countries that are

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considering the sugar tax. Doing something like this in Bangladesh could be a difficult task as, first of all, we don’t have the awareness of the ugliness of sugar and sugary food and drinks. This is a land of sweets; almost everyone here entertains a guest with sweets; the majority of the population in Bangladesh still carry boxes of sweets when they go to someone’s house. Sweets have been a delicacy in this country for thousands of years. Therefore, convincing the citizens that sugar is as harmful as tobacco is a difficult task. There are, however, two possibilities in this country.

We could at least start alerting the citizens about the negative impacts of sugar and, at the same time, we can convince the sugary beverage manufacturers to print a sugar alert on all the cans and bottles. This would at least create some awareness about the dangers of sugary foods and drinks. We must remember that, once upon a time, sugar was considered as one of the sources of too many calories; then it became the source of too much of fat; presently, in many countries, there’s an all-out war on sugar, calling sugar as “dietary enemy number one.” l Ekram Kabir is a fiction writer.

Opinion

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

Merely a textbook omission What happens when the role of minorities is erased from the curriculum? Christianity brought to slaves what their native practices could not. In 2016, the Texas Board of Education, under pressure from educators and community leaders, deigned to include a chapter on Mexican-American Studies, where Mexican-Americans were described as “lazy” and “unfit” for the Puritan work ethic of industrial magnets. The cover features an indigenous man in a feather headdress, a representation largely removed from the context in which the 10.5 million MexicanAmericans live. That the erasure of AfricanAmericans and HispanicAmericans (not to mention, Native Americans) from US history textbooks is blatantly on display in school curricula may not be surprising, given the presidentelect who has just been sworn into office four days from now. That the erasure of other contributors to my homeland’s culture is concurrently taking place in the pages of Bangladesh’s textbooks, also comes as no surprise. The president-elect’s pick for secretary of state, a staunch supporter of charter schools with minimal experience in the field of education, has drawn the ire of a nation divided over the Department of Education’s

the past, sanctioned by the highest office in the nation. The Education Ministry in Bangladesh, helmed by a lawyer and a book author, is now mired in its own textbook controversy. The government’s free textbook distribution program, kicked off on January 1, drew criticism for its own erasures. Grammatical and lower-order sentence errors notwithstanding, the decision to willfully eliminate the contributions of India and Hindu individuals to Bangladeshi culture and liberation is eerily familiar, if slightly less underhand, to those of us who witnessed similar erasures across the pond. The chapters on MexicanAmerican heritage, or AfricanAmerican slavery, have their counter-narratives; there are champions in the press and the classroom, petitioning for authentic representations of these cultures that do not fit the paradigm of “rugged individualism,” or as-Americanas-apple-pie stereotypes, just as these cultures that have been deemed “not Bengali enough” by the government’s textbooks, Bangladesh’s long and storied history of syncretism notwithstanding. l Shehtaz Huq is a middle school teacher based out of the Bronx, New York.

That the erasure of other contributors to my homeland’s culture is concurrently taking place in the pages of Bangladesh’s textbooks, also comes as no surprise Are they teaching the correct version of history in schools?

n Shehtaz Huq

he word “Bangladesh” was buried, on page 197, of the Advanced Placement US History textbook assigned to 10th graders in 2008. In a chapter replete with details about riots at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the Kent State massacre, Vietnam, the 26th Amendment, Nixon and Watergate, Bangladesh was buried on page 197, under a paragraph on India, with a map of the Indian sub-continent circa 1971. “East Bangladesh separates

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from Pakistan and establishes the independent nation of Bangladesh,” the textbook read. In the last nine years, the history textbook approved by the Texas Board of Education has erased other seemingly unsavoury details. In 2014, chapters on the transatlantic slave trade were substantially revised. The enslavement of AfricanAmericans were downgraded to “willful employment,” full of “song and prayer,” and a symbiotic relationship with white “employers.” The slave’s song uplifted the slave from shackles, while

Common Core State Standards in 2008. A curriculum designed to propel 21st century scholars into a digital and global age prioritises conceptual understanding over rote memorisation, critical thinking over superficial. Yet, the state test results show stagnant growth, greater pressure on educators to meet performance standards, and performancebased evaluations that contribute to high turnover rates at underperforming schools. And the fear remains, that the erasure of certain histories will continue, less insidiously than in

24 Sport

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

TOP STORIES

Hadlee urges Tigers to play big nations One of greatest all-rounders the game of cricket has ever seen, Sir Richard Hadlee, has praised Bangladesh for the recent improvement in the limited-over formats. PAGE 25

Federer masterclass wows Aussie Open Andy Murray and Roger Federer put on a masterclass yesterday as they swept into the last 16 of the Australian Open, hoping to take advantage of Novak Djokovic’s shock exit. PAGE 26

Bangladesh opener Soumya Sarkar plays a pull shot during day one of their second Test against New Zealand at Hagley Park Oval in Christchurch yesterday

Di Maria: PSG better than China Paris Saint-Germain winger Angel Di Maria has insisted he wants to see out his contract with the French champions, dismissing speculation he could move to the cash-rich Chinese Super League. PAGE 27

Batting costs Bangladesh women Batting debacle once again haunted Bangladesh women’s cricket team as they were bundled out for 68 runs against their South Africa counterparts in the fifth and final ODI in Cox’s Bazar. PAGE 28

Rookies lift Bangladesh as Southee takes five n AFP, Christchurch

Rookie opener Soumya Sarkar led a makeshift Bangladesh to a competitive 289 but New Zealand claimed the honours on day one of the second Test in Christchurch yesterday. "If you can bowl a side out on day one it's a good effort," New Zealand strike bowler Tim Southee said after taking his sixth five-wicket haul. But, despite removing two of the more experienced Bangladesh batsmen in the first 11 overs, it took New Zealand until the last over to end the innings of an injury-hit side with seven players having three or fewer Tests to their name. After being put into bat on a standard New Zealand green surface, Bangladesh were ready to punish anything short or wide on a pitch which offered swing but not extreme pace.

Their willingness to search for runs resulted in early casualties when senior batsmen Tamin Iqbal (five) and Mahmudullah (19) were removed inside 11 overs to be 38-2. Shakib al Hasan mounted a sterling fightback producing a rapid 127 with Soumya who celebrated his return to Test cricket and maiden innings as an opener with 86 off 104 balls. In his previous three Tests in 2015, Soumya had batted at six or seven with a best score of 37, yet he felt he could have done better as an opening batsman against New Zealand. Soumya's recall and elevation to opener came as injuries kept Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mominul Haque, and a combined 98 Tests worth of experience, out of the match. In their place were Soumya for his fourth Test and debutants Nurul Hasan and 18-yearold Nazmul Hossain with the

fledgling trio all featuring well in the innings. Soumya brought up his 50 driving Colin de Grandhomme to the boundary and had a life on 52 when dropped off the same bowler in the first of four missed chances by New Zealand. Trent Boult claimed Soumya's wicket after lunch to start a New Zealand counter-attack which produced three wickets for 14 runs in 16 deliveries to have Bangladesh at 179-5. He removed Sabbir Rahman for seven while Shakib, coming off a double century and a duck in the first Test, reached 59 before he fell to Southee. Test newcomers Nurul and Nazmul then mounted the second rescue mission as they defied New Zealand's established bowling line-up with a 53-run partnership. Nazmul departed for 18 while Nurul batted for nearly three hours to make 47 after being

AFP

2ND TEST, DAY 1 BANGLADESH 1ST INNINGS Tamim c Watling b Southee Soumya c de Grandhomme b Boult Mahmudullah c Watling b Boult Shakib c Watling b Southee Sabbir c Southee b Boult Nazmul c Raval b Southee Nurul Hasan c Watling b Boult Mehedi b Wagner Taskin c Williamson b Southee Kamrul lbw Southee Rubel not out Extras (b4, lb2, w5, nb1)

R 5 86 19 59 7 18 47 10 8 2 16 12

Total (all out; 84.3 overs)

289

B 17 104 24 78 8 56 98 13 26 63 21

Fall Of Wickets 1-7 (Tamim), 2-38 (Mahmudullah), 3-165 (Soumya), 4-177 (Sabbir), 5-179 (Shakib), 6-232 (Nazmul), 7-248 (Mehedi), 8-257 (Taskin), 9-273 (Nurul), 10-289 (Kamrul) Bowling Boult 24-4-87-4, Southee 28.3-7-94-5 (1w), de Grandhomme 14-4-58-0 (1nb), Wagner 18-1-44-1 Toss: New Zealand

dropped on two and 36 while an edge on 25 went between first and second slip. Rubel Hossain, who was struck on the helmet grille and the elbow of his bowling arm, was not out 16 at the close. Southee finished with five for 94 while Boult took four for 87. l

Sport

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

Hadlee urges Tigers to play big Test nations n Tribune Report

One of greatest all-rounders the game of cricket has ever seen, Sir Richard Hadlee, has praised Bangladesh for the recent improvement in the limited-over formats. However, the former New Zealand cricketer said the Tigers need to play more Test matches against the big nations in order to improve in the longer version. The 65-year old was present at Hagley Oval in Christchurch to watch the second Test between New Zealand and Bangladesh. “Bangladesh is playing good in ODI and T20 cricket but to improve the game, they need to play more Test matches. They should play Tests against Australia, England, South Africa and the other big teams in world cricket to improve,” Hadlee told the Bangladesh media. According to the Kiwi great, Bangladesh should not hurry with their approach as it usually takes quite a bit of time to form a formidable side in Test cricket. He reminded that it took New Zealand 25 long years to win their first Test. “In the first Test in Wellington, Bangladesh scored a record first innings total and played really well but in the second innings, it was a rather disappointing display from the batsmen as they gave away wickets to their opponent. They also played some unnecessary shots which helped New Zealand to win the game,” he said. The former right-arm fast bowler, who took 431 wickets in 86 Tests including 36 five-wicket hauls, said Bangladesh should look to improve their fast bowling department. “At least six-seven fast bowlers should always be ready in the squad so that they can replace others if injury occurs. At the same time, bowlers should also work on their technique and physical ability for better results,” he added. Hadlee went on to praise all-rounder Shakib al Hasan and said he enjoys watching Shakib in action. Hadlee also termed Shakib a big asset for Bangladesh cricket. l

Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan tries to kick the ball during day one of their second Test against New Zealand in Christchurch yesterday

Soumya not satisfied despite brisk 86 on Test return n Tribune Report Soumya Sarkar made a good comeback, top-scoring with 86 runs as Bangladesh were all out for 289 during the opening day's play of the second and final Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch yesterday. The left hander, who played his last Test against India in 2015, utilised the opportunity after going through a poor run with the bat recently. Soumya replaced the injured Imrul Kayes and faced 104 balls for his 86, featuring 11 fours.

However, the 23-year old informed that he was not fully satisfied with his performance. “After being included in the Test side, I tried to perform well and give my hundred percent. But to be honest, I am not satisfied with my performance as I wanted to stay longer at the crease. I should have been more alert which would have helped my team to post a decent total,” Soumya told the media after the day's proceedings. The Satkhira cricketer stated that he is comfortable opening the innings and said the Hagley Oval pitch

is not an easy one to bat on initially. “The pitch was green in the morning when we went out to bat. It was very difficult for the batsmen to face the fast bowlers. But after spending some time at the crease, it became easier to bat. I think if a batsman wants to stay at the wicket and work hard, there is always some runs in here,” he said. The elegant left hander added that it would have been better if the Tigers were able to post some more runs in the first innings. He went on to say the fall of regular wickets following his partnership with

tain Tamim Iqbal, caught down the leg side. "I felt all right, it's always nice to pick up wickets," Southee said at the end of the first day. "There were a couple of burgles down the leg side, which are always nice. It looks good in the score book - caught [BJ] Watling bowled Southee. On other occasions you bowl probably better and haven't got the wickets, but it's nice to contribute and take wickets." "If you can bowl a side out on day one it's a good effort," Southee

said. "They came out again with a positive intent and looked to put any balls that we missed away to the fence and they did that, especially in that period before lunch. I think we managed to claw the run rate back a bit towards the end so it's a good day. "We were pretty good at the start. Then they got a bit of a partnership going, but we know it happens quite quickly. You get a couple wickets, then you can grab a couple more, and we knew if we

could hang in our areas for a long period of time then it was our best chance of taking wickets." Southee's five for 94 took him to 198 Test wickets and he is in line to become only the fifth New Zealand bowler to take 200 wickets. "It will be nice if it comes but you don't set out to do too many individual milestones," he said. "They're the sort of things you tick off along the way. The next job is to try to knock them over again. Hopefully after a little bit of rest." l

Southee happy with mixed bag of wickets n Cricinfo

Two "burgles" down the leg side, a newcomer sucked into an uppish drive, one stubborn tailender bounced out and another trapped plumb lbw - Tim Southee couldn't have scripted a more diverse five-wicket haul. He would have bowled far better in previous Tests and not picked up a wicket, but Southee had luck on his side at Hagley Oval, where his first scalp was the Bangladesh cap-

AFP

Shakib caused the most damage. Meanwhile, fast bowler Rubel Hossain, who was struck on his elbow while batting, provided yet another injury scare in the dressing room. Regarding Rubel's blow to the elbow, Soumya said, “We were all concerned in the dressing room when Rubel got hurt in his elbow while batting as we only have three fast bowlers in the side. If any one of them gets injured it will be a big blow for us. Still, we don’t know about his injury situation but as he was able to stand and bat again, I hope it is nothing serious.” l

Sport

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

Zidane seeks quick solution to Madrid collapse n AFP, Madrid Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane insists he is responsible for the European champions' back-to-back defeats as they look to return to winning ways when Malaga visit the Santiago Bernabeu today. Madrid hadn't lost in 40 matches in all competitions stretching back nine months until conceding twice to lose 2-1 at Sevilla last weekend, and followed that up with a shock defeat by the same scoreline at home to Celta Vigo in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final on Wednesday.

Switzerland's Roger Federer hits a return against Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych during their men's singles third round match on day five of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne yesterday AFP

Murray, Federer masterclass wows Aussie Open n AFP, Melbourne

Andy Murray and Roger Federer put on a masterclass yesterday as they swept into the last 16 of the Australian Open, hoping to take advantage of Novak Djokovic's shock exit. Murray swamped Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 and Federer humbled Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 in just 90 minutes, maintaining his 100 percent record over his old rival at Melbourne Park. Women's world number one Angelique Kerber also hit form as she dropped only four games against Kristyna Pliskova to race into a fourth-round meeting with America's Coco Vandeweghe. Federer, 35 and returning from an injury lay-off, said he even surprised himself with an imperious win over Berdych that left the Czech shaking his head as he departed. Japan's Nishikori should provide a stern test for Federer and the fifth seed underlined his confident form by seeing off Slovakian qualifier Lukas Lacko 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Stan Wawrinka, the 2014

champion, survived a four-set tussle with Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) and now faces Italy's Andreas Seppi, who ousted Steve Darcis of Belgium. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also came through in four sets against American Jack Sock and will play Briton Dan Evans, who beat Australia's Bernard Tomic 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3). In the women's draw, Kerber finally got into her stride with a 6-0, 6-4 destruction of Kristyna Pliskova, the 58th-ranked twin sister of Czech fifth seed Karolina. Svetlana Kuznetsova outlasted fellow thirtysomething Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 5-7, 9-7 and will next play fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Venus Williams beat Duan Yingying 6-1, 6-0 to end Chinese interest, earning a match with German qualifier Mona Barthel who overcame Australia's Ashleigh Barty in three sets. French Open champion Garbine Muguruza was a 6-4, 6-2 winner against Anastasija Sevastova, setting up an encounter with Romania's Sorana Cirstea. l

LA LIGA FIXTURES Espanyol Real Madrid Alaves Villarreal

v v v v

Granada Malaga Leganes Valencia

Zidane played down his concern, but admitted "something is wrong for sure" after Madrid lost on home soil for the first time in 11 months and just the second time since he took charge. "I am the one responsible for this and I have to look for the solution," said the Frenchman. Worryingly for Zidane, Madrid's lacklustre display in midweek

came about despite the fact he picked almost a full strength side. Karim Benzema looks set to return up front and Keylor Navas will replace Kiko Casilla in goal. However, with first-choice right-back Dani Carvajal out injured for a month, Zidane may have to move captain Sergio Ramos or Nacho wide to avoid handing the hapless Danilo, who was jeered by the Real fans on Wednesday, another start. Malaga are suffering a slump of their own with new coach Marcelo Romero yet to pick up a point in two games since former Spurs boss Juande Ramos resigned during the winter break. l

Sport

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

DAY’S WATCH CRICKET

CHANNEL 9

4:00 AM Bangladesh Tour of New Zealand 2nd Test, Day 2

FOOTBALL STAR SPORTS SELECT HD 1 8:16 PM Bundesliga 2016/17 Werder Bremen v Borussia Dortmund

STAR SPORTS 2 2:30 PM KFC T20 Big Bash League 2016/17 Melbourne Stars v Sydney Sixers

STAR SPORTS HD 4 8:50 PM Premier League 2016/17 Middlesbrough v West Ham United

STAR SPORTS SELECT HD 1

6:20 PM Premier League 2016/17 Liverpool v Swansea City 8:50 PM Stoke City v Manchester United 11:20 PM Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur

STAR SPORTS SELECT HD 2 8:50 PM Premier League 2016/17 Crystal Palace v Everton

Di Maria: PSG better than China n AFP, Paris Paris Saint-Germain winger Angel Di Maria has insisted he wants to see out his contract with the French champions, dismissing speculation he could move to the cash-rich Chinese Super League. "There are two years left on my contract," Di Maria, who joined PSG from Manchester United in August 2015, told ESPN Argentina. "Of course there are rumours. I'm very happy here, my family too. That's important for me so I will stay here for the duration of my contract." Di Maria has struggled in his second sea-

son at the Parc des Princes, with the recent arrival of Germany international Julian Draxler putting his place in the starting line-up under serious threat. But the 28-year-old said he had no plans to leave Paris as Unai Emery's men fight for a fifth successive Ligue 1 title. "Everyone has their way of thinking, we can always have the hope of going to play in China," added Di Maria. "For sure, we can be sensitive to the amount of money we are talking about. But I'd rather stay here, be happy here and achieve the goal I've always spoken about. I came to Paris to win the Champions League." l

11:16 PM Bundesliga 2016/17 RB Leipzig v Eintracht Frankfurt

TEN 1 HD 9:50 PM French Ligue 1 2016/17 F.C. Nantes v PSG

SONY SIX 9:00 PM La Liga Santander 2016/17

Real Madrid v Malaga

SONY ESPN 2:00 AM Serie A TIM 2016/17 AC Milan v Napoli

TENNIS SONY SIX 6:00 AM Australian Open 2017 Day 6, 3rd Round

Sport

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

BANvSA, 5TH ODI BANGLADESH WOMEN Sultana c Jafta b Kirsten Sharmin c Kapp b Fourie Shaila c Steyn b Fourie Rumana b Letsoalo Nigar lbw b Letsoalo Salma b Kirsten Fargana lbw b Kirsten Lata lbw b Kirsten Jahanara c & b Letsoalo Panna not out Khadija c Fourie b Van Niekerk Extras (lb 3, w 7)

R 13 4 0 9 10 3 0 0 4 8 7 10

Total (all out; 36.3 overs)

B 28 7 2 34 48 20 1 4 20 32 23

South Africa women celebrate with the trophy after winning the fifth and final ODI against Bangladesh in Cox’s Bazar’s Sheikh Kamal International Stadium yesterday MD MANIK

Fall Of Wickets 1-7 (Sharmin), 2-7 (Shaila), 3-22 (Sultana), 4-32 (Rumana), 5-38 (Salma), 6-38 (Fargana), 7-40 (Lata), 8-46 (Nigar), 9-50 (Jahanara), 10-68 (Khadija) Bowling Daniels 7-1-18-0, Fourie 8-1-22-2, Kirsten 10-5-10-4, Letsoalo 10-3-13-3, Van Niekerk 1.3-1-2-1 SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN Lee c Lata b Salma Steyn lbw b Rumana Du Preez not out Tryon not out Extras (w 1)

R 37 9 9 13 1

Total (2 wickets; 10 overs)

B 19 17 16 8

Fall Of Wickets 1-28 (Steyn), 2-54 (Lee) Bowling Khadija 2-0-21-0, Jahanara 3-0-16-0, Rumana 3-0-13-1, Salma 2-0-19-1 South Africa women won by eight wickets PoM: Odine Kirsten (SA) PoS: Lizelle Lee (SA)

Batting costs Bangladesh women again South Africa women seal ODI series 4-1 sealed the series 4-1. n Tribune Report The home side have been beBatting debacle once again haunted Bangladesh women's cricket team as they were bundled out for 68 runs against their South Africa counterparts in the fifth and final ODI in Cox's Bazar's Sheikh Kamal International Stadium yesterday. In reply, the Proteas women faced little trouble overhauling the target in 10 overs for the loss of two wickets. In the process, the visitors

low-par with the bat right throughout the series and yesterday was no different as only two batters reached double figures. Batting first, the women in red and green were skittled out in 36.3 overs. Sharmin Sultana top-scored with 13 while Nigar Sultana added 10. Medium pacer and player of the match Odine Kirsten was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/10

n AFP, Madrid

n AFP, London

Barcelona ended a decade-long drought without winning away to Real Sociedad on Thursday as Neymar's first-half penalty handed the Spanish champions a 1-0 Copa del Rey quarter-final, first leg lead. Atletico Madrid also took a huge step towards the semi-finals as goals from Antoine Griezmann, Angel Correa and Kevin Gameiro downed an under-strength Eibar 3-0 at the Vicente Calderon. Barcelona hadn't won in their last eight meetings against Real Sociedad at Anoeta with coach Luis Enrique describing their 1-1 draw back in November as "almost a miracle" given how his side had been outplayed. Despite largely empty stands amidst freezing temperatures in the Spanish capital, Atletico made light work of an Eibar side shorn of many of their usual starting line-up to ensure the return leg should be a mere formality. l

COPA DEL REY 3-0

Eibar

Griezmann 28, Correa 60, Gameiro 67

Real Sociedad

0-1

highest scorer with 37 off 19 balls. South Africa, after enjoying a good outing in sub-continent conditions, will now turn their attention to the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in Sri Lanka next month. The top four teams from the event will qualify for the 2017 World Cup, scheduled to be held in June. Australia, England, New Zealand and the West Indies have already qualified for the tournament opener. l

Guardiola gloom not the spur for Tottenham

Barcelona end Sociedad hoodoo

Atletico Madrid

while Marcia Letsoalo took 3/13. Rumana Ahmed and her troop kept losing wickets right from the word go and although seven batters faced at least 20 balls, none of them were able to score significantly. The Bangladesh think tank will also be worried at the inability of the batters to rotate the strike. Chasing 69, the tourists romped home with as many as 40 overs remaining. Player of the series and opening batter Lizelle Lee was the

Barcelona Neymar 20-P

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Sociedad’s Asier Illarramendi in action during their Spanish King's Cup match at Anoeta Stadium on Thursday REUTERS

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino wants his players to demonstrate their Premier League title credentials in today’s crunch clash with Pep Guardiola’s ailing Manchester City. Tottenham climbed to second place in the table last weekend by outclassing West Bromwich Albion 4-0 and are seeking to register seven successive league wins for the first time since 1967. City were on the wrong side of the same scoreline at Everton, but Pochettino is more concerned by leaders Chelsea’s seven-point lead than the six-point gap his side could open up over Guardiola’s men. City had won their first six league games under Guardiola prior to their 2-0 defeat at White Hart Lane in October’s reverse fixture and they have not been the same team since. Last weekend’s 4-0 defeat at Everton was Guardiola’s heaviest in league football and left City 10 points adrift of Chelsea in fifth place, two points off the Champions League berths. Having known practically nothing but success in his managerial career to date, Guardiola is under pressure to prove that the stardust

EPL FIXTURES

Bournemouth Crystal Palace Liverpool Man City Middlesbrough Stoke West Brom

v v v v v v v

Watford Everton Swansea Tottenham West Ham Man United Sunderland

from his Barcelona and Bayern Munich days has not deserted him. There was a glimmer of sunlight through the gloom on Thursday when Gabriel Jesus completed his £27 million ($33.3 million, 31.2 million euros) transfer from Palmeiras. Spurs have been flying in their new 3-4-2-1 system and Guardiola may elect to revert to a back three to counter it. He will be once again without Fernandinho, who is serving the third game of a four-match suspension, and Ilkay Gundogan (knee) remains a long-term absentee. But captain Vincent Kompany is expected to return to the squad after two months on the sidelines with knee ligament damage. Pochettino must make a defensive reshuffle after centre-back Jan Vertonghen sustained an ankle injury against West Brom that is likely to keep him out for around six weeks. l

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Essential part (4) 4 Play for time (5) 9 Perform (3) 11 Operatic air (4) 12 Farm birds (5) 13 Repair (4) 14 Top of the head (4) 15 Artless (5) 19 Strict (5) 21 Journey (4) 25 Uncommon (4) 26 Pale yellow (5) 28 Of the ear (4) 29 Wane (3) 30 Annoyances (5) 31 Brave man (4)

DOWN 1 Jokes (4) 2 Frozen formation (3) 3 Beer tankard (5) 5 Meddle (6) 6 Region (4) 7 Wound dressing (4) 8 Burdened (5) 10 Worth (5) 16 Way of viewing (6) 17 Corruptly mercenary (5) 18 Razor sharpener (5) 20 Stately (5) 22 Scold (4) 23 Part of the eye (4) 24 Therefore (4) 27 Corn spike (3)

Downtime

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 14 represents G so fill G every time the figure 14 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. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

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

Showtime

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

Kim Kardashian lands role in allfemale ‘Ocean’s Eight’

SRK for KJo

n Showtime Desk

PHOTO: GETTYIMAGES

The internship

The upcoming all-female Ocean’s Eight will take recent events in the lives of the Kardashian family and put them on full display for the world to see. One scene in the film features a jewel robbery at New York’s annual Met Gala - an event packed with celebrities- bringing to mind the robbery Kardashian suffered in Paris last year. According to TMZ, Kim Kardashian and half-sister Kendall Jenner filmed cameos for the reboot in New York City this week. Rihanna, Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway are due to take some of the main roles in Ocean’s Eight, which will be the fourth movie in the Ocean’s franchise in 17 years after Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen. The Hunger Games’ Gary Ross is directing from a script he cowrote, with George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh serving as producers on the project. Shooting started in October in New York and Warner Bros has set a release date of June 18, 2018. l

PHOTO: BOLLYWOOD LIFE

n Showtime Desk

called threat back in 1998. We’ve heard it directly from the horse’s mouth. Well, maybe not the mouth but in writing. Karan mentioned the incident in one of his publications saying that, “Shah Rukh said, ‘What nonsense!’ He went inside and dragged me out. He said, ‘I’m standing here in front of you. Let’s see who shoots you. I’m standing right here.” SRK was also seen to be telling Karan’s mother, “I’m a Pathan. Nothing can happen to me and nothing will happen to your son. He’s like my brother. Nothing’s going to happen.”l

Those who say, “the media never allows friendships to grow,” Showtime has something to contradict that. Just a few days before the release of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Karan Johar was put in a small room with two security guards for his protection. Reportedly, it was because the ‘Underworld Don’ Abu Salem sent him a terrible threat. Soon after, details revealed that one of his best friends, SRK, nearly took a bullet for him, during the so-

Chiranjeevi beats Aamir

PHOTO: NBC.COM

n Showtime Desk One of the below-the-radar news bits comes from President Barack Obama’s eldest daughter, Malia Obama. Malia previously interned on the HBO show Girls and now is set to work with Hollywood super producer and heavyweight (also Democratic donour), Harvey Weinstein. She secured an internship with Weinstein through a report confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter. A source states that Malia, 18, is expected to begin work in the New York office of The Weinstein Co in February, after the newly-former first family are done with their short

vacation in Palm Springs. Soon after, Malia is set to attend Harvard University in the autumn, after she took a year off from graduating high school last June. As mentioned, this wasn’t Malia’s first trip to working in Hollywood. In 2015, she worked as an intern in New York on the hit HBO series Girls. She also spent some significant time in Los Angeles on the sets of Halle Berry’s CBS drama Extant. For the time being, it’s unclear where exactly Malia will be working at the Weinstein offices, but a source states that she might fall into its marketing or development departments. l

n Showtime Desk Who can ever forget the man with the sword in the song “Roop Suhana lagta Hain”? Chiranjeevi is one of those actors that has become an ageless hero for every generation in all of India. Even now, his movies can dominate Bollywood films by doing better business in the box office. Khaidi no 150, starring Chiranjeevi and Kajal Aggarwal for the first time,

PHOTO: BOLLYWOOD LIFE

is the remake of the Tamil movie Kaththi. It starred the megastar in a double role. The remake, directed by VV Vinayak, has received decent reviews so far. And the fans are super thrilled that the boss is back. Looks like the father-son combination has turned out to be a winner! Chiranjeevi‘s Khaidi no 150 is turning out to be the megastar’s biggest hit. Ever since its release on January 10, the movie has

been creating new records every day. Right from its release, the movie went on to collect a whopping Rs47 crore worldwide to now heading towards the two-million mark at the US box office. Khaidi no 150 is performing phenomenally just as the numbers have displayed. And now, Chiranjeevi’s new film can add another feather to its cap as it beat Aamir Khan’s Dangal day one collection in India.l

Showtime

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

Gorillaz returns with Jennifer Aniston looks forward anti-Trump song to a return to TV n Showtime Desk

PHOTO: BILLBOARD

n Showtime Desk Only a day before Donald Trump’s official inauguration, Gorillaz unveiled their first song in six years titled, “Hallelujah Money.” The song features Benjamin Clementine, an English multiinstrumentalist and 2015’s Mercury Prize winner for an eerily soulful meditation on business, power and humanity. The music video opens with Clementine crooning the slowburning theatrical tune in front of a screen broadcasting an eclectic montage of clips, including innocent cartoons, kabuki dancers and killer clowns. Halfway through the song, “Hallelujah Money” thins as Clementine

delivers a spoken-word breakdown over a sparse beat and Damon Albarn’s mechanised voice filters out of the background. Gorillaz – the project of Albarn and illustrator Jamie Hewlett – are at work on their first album since 2011’s The Fall. The group is expected to release the album later this year. However, “Hallelujah Money” is not its first single. In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2015, Albarn revealed that he was working on a new Gorillaz record. He said, “So far, it’s really fast, and it’s got quite a lot of energy. I’ve been stuck on piano, somewhere off Broadway, for years now. I want to go somewhere completely opposite of that.” l

NBC’s Friends star Jennifer Aniston who has earned a household name for donning the role of Rachel in one of the most celebrated TV shows ever. However, apart from small cameos, she has yet to make a return to television. Recently, in an interview with Variety, the 47-year-old actress pointed out a possible return on television in the near future saying, “I’ve thought about it a lot. That’s where the work is. That’s where the quality is.” “At this point in my career, I want to be a part of wonderful stories, exciting characters, and also just having a good time,” she added. In her words, The Yellow Birds actress also recalled how far she has come in showbiz world on her acting career. She said, “When you are in your 20s, going away from home was an adventure — meeting new people, seeing other parts of the country or world was so exciting. Now it’s really about wanting to stay closer to home and just enjoying your time.” “It goes really fast. The experience needs to be a good experience. I have no time for the yelling, angry directors, or bad behavior anymore,” she added.

PHOTO: VARIETY

Aniston admitted that she didn’t think her open letter to tabloids, which she wrote in July,

has changed the culture of how false pregnancy rumours and body shaming are publicised. l

WHAT TO WATCH Iron Man 2 Star Movies 9:30pm With the world now aware of his identity as Iron Man, Tony Stark must contend with both his declining health and a vengeful mad man with ties to his father’s legacy. Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow

Contagion WB 7:40pm Healthcare professionals, government officials and everyday people find themselves in the midst of a worldwide epidemic as the CDC works to find a cure. Cast: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law

Bloodsport Z Studio 7:35pm Frank Dux, an American martial artist serving in the military, who decides to leave the army to compete in a martial arts tournament in Hong Kong where fights to the death can occur. Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Donald Gibb, Leah Ayres

Batman Begins HBO 8:30pm After training with his mentor, Batman begins his fight to free crime-ridden Gotham City from the corruption that Scarecrow and the League of Shadows have cast upon it. Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe

Death Race Sony PIX 11:30pm Ex-con Jensen Ames is forced by the warden of a notorious prison to compete in our post-industrial world’s most popular sport: a car race in which inmates must brutalise and kill one another on the road to victory. Cast: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Tyrese Gibson l

Back Page

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2017

MYANMAR REBUKES MALAYSIA PM OVER ROHINGYA DEFENCE PAGE 11

ROOKIES LIFT BANGLADESH AS SOUTHEE TAKES FIVE PAGE 24

Davos: Five key themes this year n AFP The global elite wrapped up its talkathon in the Swiss ski resort of Davos on Friday - around the same time as Donald Trump entered the White House on a wave of anti-elitist anger. Here are five key themes from this year’s World Economic Forum, which gathers movers and shakers from business, politics, academia and showbiz every year for a week of earnest debate and extravagant partying.

China: Globalisation’s new saviour?

China’s President Xi Jinping emerged as an unlikely capitalist

hero as Davos kicked off Tuesday, with a staunch defence of globalisation that stood in stark contrast to the protectionist Trump. The first Chinese supremo to address Davos, Xi said there was “no point in blaming economic globalisation for the world’s problems” at a time when anger over the downsides of open borders has triggered political revolts in the US, Britain and beyond. The message won glowing praise from Davos delegates.

Tackling the populist revolt

After a year in which US and British electorates lashed out at out-oftouch elites, the cream of that elite

did plenty of head-scratching over the reasons for the revolt and what can be done about it. The official theme of this year’s meeting was “responsive and responsible leadership”, with the growing rural-urban divide in Western countries up for discussion along with how to appease the “squeezed and angry” middle class.

The Brexit business

Getting down to business on Brexit, British Prime Minister Theresa May headlined Thursday, with business leaders flocking to hear further details of her Brexit plan. Anxious executives in Davos

said they were relieved to have a little more clarity on how Brexit might affect business -- but they said the devil will be in the details of the divorce negotiations.

Robots are coming for your jobs

Others spent the week laying preparations for the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” -- technological advances such as artificial intelligence that are predicted to change our lives hugely in the decades to come, notably the way we work. After industrial robots put paid to many manufacturing jobs in the West, experts now predict the loss of millions of white-collar jobs that machines will be able to perform

- and are urging governments to wake up to the challenge.

Inequality: on the agenda, and on display

The jamboree of the rich and powerful kicked off with a report by Oxfam that said eight men -- including Microsoft founder and Davos attendee Bill Gates -- own the same wealth as half of the world’s population put together. The growing gap between the world’s rich and poor was also very much on show in Davos -- where billionaires, politicians and A-listers party late into the night at invitation-only events, often after arriving by helicopter. l

PM: ICT will lead the way to ‘inclusive’ youth innovation n Tribune Report Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday welcomed global partnership of knowledge and business to unleash creativity and innovation of millions of young people in Bangladesh. Speaking at “Digital leaders’ policy meeting on jobs” at the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos, Switzerland, she said: “Bangladesh is positioning itself to be a part of the emerging global knowledge economy and our government has initiated a mission to achieve Digital Bangladesh despite the many challenges the country faces.” The prime minister was chosen by the WEF to be the special guest and a panelist at the session in view of Bangladesh’s “demonstrated success” in digitisation of economy, popularly known as “Digital Bangladesh”, which has exposed millions of its youths to most advanced technologies, knowledge and skills, reported BSS. “Our aim was to bridge the knowledge and technological gaps within our society, and also with the world outside. Our people are highly adaptive to new technologies, and today, Bangladesh has the 10th largest mobile phone subscribers’ population in the world,” Hasina said. She also referred to the fact that about one-third of Bangladeshi population is between 10 and 24

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speaking at Digital Leaders’ Policy on Jobs, an event that was part of World Economic Forum 2017 at Davos, Switzerland on Thursday FOCUS BANGLA years of age, and that the country would continue to have such a youthful population for at least next three decades. That is why the vision of Digital Bangladesh particularly focuses on investing technology and knowledge for youth and their skills development, she added. Hasina said the strategy is to enhance human resources and skills, deliver critical services effectively and create right synergies among knowledge, employment and skills. “Technology is to improve our lives and facilitate living. In a globalised world, we must ensure that every individual gets a footprint in the changed space in terms of choices, access and op-

portunities. As we move forward, we must see to it that technology does not become a limiting factor for people,” she said in reference to the government’s political Vision 2021 of graduating Bangladesh as a middle-income country and Vision 2041 of becoming a developed nation. Citing the interventions undertaken by Digital Bangladesh, Hasina said the emphasis was on “ICT for education”, not “ICT education”. “We aim to develop our children’s skills and competencies through digital learning contents.” She stated that Bangladesh now has over 23,000 multimedia classrooms in secondary schools and around 14,000 more are coming in primary schools. Around 150,000

secondary and high school teachers are registered in an online platform called Teachers’ Portal, through which they can share and access over 8,000 educational materials developed by other registered teachers. Hasina further said Bangladesh was now developing MuktoPath, an e-learning platform like Coursera. She said this has the potential to help anyone develop their skills portfolio and create jobs opportunities. Speaking about the next moves, she said her government was trying to assess changing patterns of work in reference to global job market and skills development through ICT. The prime minister said the

government’s approach was to be “inclusive”: embracing both formal and informal sectors across the economy, focusing in particular on ethnic minority communities. Hasina also mentioned some future initiatives such as “Skills and Employment Dashboard” by National Skills Development Authority and “360 degree Human Development Media Platform” by Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET), which are under development. Speaking of ICT use and accessibility in Bangladesh, Hasina said: “The key focus is to create self-employment opportunities for the youth through ICT. Today, Bangladesh has one of the largest pools of IT freelancers with around half a million across the country. The government is now focusing on women and freelancers in remote or under-privileged areas.” She said there were about 4,500 Union Digital Centres connecting every corner of Bangladesh and serving up to five million people every month. “We have over 600 pilot initiatives on healthcare and education, crops and fisheries, land and human rights. To scale those up, we have a Service Innovation Fund which has attracted over 3,000 proposals,” she added. Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak were also present at the meeting. l

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