n Mohammad Jamil Khan and Arifur Rahman Rabbi

Motiur Rahman Nizami, the king-pin of notorious al-Badr force and second top collaborator of the Pa-kistani occupation forces after Ja-maat guru Ghulam Azam, was ex-ecuted at Dhaka Central Jail in the wee hours today.

The execution took place at 12:10am, DMP Commissioner Asa-duzzaman Mia told the Dhaka Trib-une at 12:30am.

Nizami, the 75-year-old incum-bent chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, did not seek presidential clemency ad-mitting the crimes. The three other senior Jamaat leaders hanged for their war-time crimes also did not seek clemency.

The International Crimes Tri-bunal sentenced Nizami to death for planning, instigating and exe-cuting genocide, murder, rape and deportation among other crimes in Pabna and Dhaka during the 1971 Liberation War.

Of the three counts that brought Nizami the death sentence, two were committed at Pabnas San-

thia. Nizami was found guilty of planning and executing the killing of 450 people, rape of 30-40 wom-en and deporting of Baousgari, Ruposhi and Demra villagers on May 14, 1971. He had also ordered the murder of 30 people of Dhulau-

ra village on November 27, 197.The other o ence is conspiring

and instigating the abduction, tor-ture and mass killing of intellectu-als and professionals in Dhaka and elsewhere at the fag end of the war.

He was sentenced to death

on January 31, 2014 in connec-tion with the sensational haul of 10-truck arms at the CUFL jetty in 2004. Nizami was the industries minister at that time.

Until September 30, 1971, Nizami was the chief of Jamaats

student wing East Pakistan Islami Chhatra Sangha (now Islami Chha-tra Shibir). Apart from aiding the Pakistani Army in person, he had formed ruthless militia al-Badr Ba-hini with the members of Chhatra Sangha which mounted Gestapo like attacks under his command.

Nizami and his party also mis-used Islam during the war. Nizami violated the Quranic injunctions and prophetic traditions by form-ing al-Badr force, and encouraging its members to exterminate and kill Bangali intellectuals and pro-lib-eration people, the International Crimes Tribunal said in its verdict.

A top leader of the collabora-tors, Nizami visited di erent parts of the country during the war and in his speech he abused Islam by saying Pakistan is the house of Al-lah, Hindus are always enemies of Muslims and Islam and Paki-stan are one and indivisible.

Before Nizami, the tribunal sen-tenced to death al-Badr leaders Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan for the killing PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 | Boishakh 28, 1423, Shaban 3, 1437 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 19 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

SECOND EDITIONIN

SID

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Umpire Nadir su ers blow to foreheadUmpire Nadir Shah su ered a blow on his forehead during the game between Mohammedan and Kalabagan in the Dhaka Premier League at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah yesterday. PAGE 25

Bangladeshis in Panama Papers A list of Bangladeshis and foreign nationals related to Bangladeshi companies doing o shore businesses have surfaced after a huge database of the Panama Papers became available online. PAGE 32

Tonus parents: Two army men involvedThe parents of Victoria college student Sohagi Jahan Tonu claimed their daughters murder was well-planned and blamed it on two army men working at Comilla cantonment. PAGE 3

Fair marks for Nasirs rst year in o ceChittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin has managed to keep his approval rating at near 50%, a year after he assumed o ce in the port city, a survey commissioned by Bangla Tribune has found. PAGE 7

Planning to commit crimes, andinvolvement in killing 450 people,raping 30-40 women and deportingof Baousgari, Ruposhi and Demravillagers in Pabna on May 14, 1971

Ordering the murder of 30 peopleof Dhulaura village in Pabna onNovember 27, 1971

Conspiring the planned murder ofintellectuals and professionals inDecember 1971.

D E A T H P E N A L T Y G I V E N F O RFrom arrest to gallowsArrested: Jun 29, 2010Charged: Dec 11, 2011Indicted: May 28, 2012Trial ends: Nov13, 2013

Tribunal reformed:Feb 24, 2014

Rehearing ends:Mar 24, 2014

Verdict: Oct 29, 2014Appeal led: Nov 23, 2014Appeal verdict: Jan 6, 2016Full verdict: Mar 15, 2016Death warrant: Mar 15, 2016Review verdict: May 5, 2016Full verdict: May 9, 2016Executed: May 11, 2016

SUPERIOR RESPONSIBILITY

Al-Badrs onus on Nizamin Ashif Islam ShaonMotiur Rahman Nizami was not an ordinary war criminal but one of the top designers who did everything possible to stop the journey towards Bangladeshs in-dependence through abduction, mass killings and conspiracies.

Apart from aiding the Pakistani Army in person, he had formed the ruthless militia, al-Badr Bahi-ni, which mounted Gestapo like attacks, with a goal to wipe out the brightest sons and daughters of the soil towards the end of the Libera-tion War, under his command.

The members of al-Badr killed the intellectuals taking them away blind-folded and in icting inhu-man tortures upon them and there-

after dumped the bodies at Rayer-bazar and other mass graves.

The International Crimes Tribu-nal and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in their verdicts against the Jamaat-e-Islami leader repeatedly said that Nizami had been the ex-o cio chief of al-Badr death squad and a civil superior o cer in its true sense as the presi-dent of Jamaats then student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha.

Being the chief of both Chha-tra Sangha (from 1966 to at least September 30, 1971) and al-Badr, Nizami had a superior-subordinate relationship with al-Badr members.

Apart from his participation in the crimes in person, he was responsible for all the criminal

PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Barbarous Nizami hanged

Two ambulances, one of them carrying the co n of executed war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami, come out from Dhaka Central Jail at 1:24am today RAJIB DHAR

News2DTWEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Al-Badrs onus on Nizamiactivities committed by al-Badr Ba-hini and was liable to be punished because of his superior status.

The International Crimes (tri-bunals) Act 1973 under which the collaborators of the Pakistani Army have been tried for 1971 war crimes narrates the concept of superior responsibility.

Section 4(2) of the ICT Act says: Any commander or superior o cer who orders, permits, acquiesces or participates in the commission of any of the crimes speci ed in Section 3 or is connected with any plans and activities involving the commission of such crimes or who fails or omits to discharge his duty to maintain discipline, or to control or supervise the actions of the per-sons under his command or his sub-ordinates, whereby such persons or subordinates or any of them com-mit any such crimes, or who fails to take necessary measures to prevent the commission of such crimes, is guilty of such crimes.

The tribunal in its verdict said: Nizami being the president of ICS exercised his superior position in transforming Islami Chhatra Sang-ha [ICS] into al-Badr Bahini know-ing the consequence of his actions that substantially encouraged his fellows giving them moral support.

... he cannot be relieved from the responsibility for the planned crimes committed by the members of al-Badr Bahini with whom he had de facto superior-subordinate rela-tionship. It is evident on record that during Liberation War the accused gave a lot of provocative speeches before [the] members of ICS who ultimately became members of al-Badr Bahini and committed crimes against humanity at random.

The Appellate Division that up-held Nizamis death sentence said that it was proved beyond doubt that Nizami had total control over the ruthless al-Badr militia.

It said: ... speeches delivered by the appellant [Nizami] in di er-ent meetings praising and encour-aging the members of Islami Chha-tra Sangha and al-Badr Bahini, and also directing them to co-operate with the Pakistani occupation forces prove that this appellant had control over the members of al-Badr Bahini even after 30th Sep-tember, 1971.

It said that al-Badr Bahini was formed with the members of Chha-tra Sangha, of which Nizami was the president for a long period of ve years.

... The fact that al-Badr Bahini was raised and controlled by the

Pakistani Army does not disprove the fact that this appellant [Nizami] also, being president of Islami Chha-tra Sangha, became a leader of al-Badr Bahini and he also had control on the members of al-Badr Bahini.

... More than one person can be superiors and can hold e ective control on the same subordinates and more than one superior may be liable for the crime committed by the subordinates.

After reviewing its judgement upon the war criminals petition, the Appellate Division again men-tioned about role of Nizami in the killing of intellectuals by al-Badr at the fag end of the war.

Some others also might have any involvement in the conspiracy of killing of intellectuals, but that does not exonerate the appellant [Nizami] from his criminal liabili-ty in killing the intellectuals which has been proved before the tribu-nal by su cient evidence ...

In the circumstances the al-leged non-implication of this ap-pellant [Nizami] in the alleged ear-lier cases does not relieve him of the liability in intellectuals killing which has been proved in this case by su cient evidence.

Replying to the defence counsels arguments that Nizami had no con-

trol over al-Badr as he never issued ID cards for the force, the court said: The failure of the prosecution to produce any ID card of any al-Badr with the signature of the appellant is not fatal at all for the prosecution especially in consideration of the fact that those ID cards were issued long 42 years before.

The tribunal also criticised Nizami and his party Jamaat for misusing Islam during the war. It said that Nizami had violated the Quranic injunctions and prophetic traditions by forming al-Badr force, and encouraging its members to exterminate and kill Bangali intel-lectuals and pro-liberation people.

A top leader of the collaborators, Nizami visited di erent places of the country during the war and in his speech he abused Islam by say-ing Pakistan is the house of Allah, Hindus are always enemies of Muslims and Islam and Pakistan are one and indivisible.

Before Nizami, the tribunal sen-tenced to death al-Badr leaders Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, Chow-dhury Mueen-Uddin and Ashrafuz-zaman Khan for the killing of in-tellectuals. Of them, Mujahid was executed on November 21 last year while the two other death-row con-victs have remained absconding. l

Barbarous Nizami hangedof intellectuals. Of them, former minister Mujahid was executed on November 21 last year while the two others have remained ab-sconding.

Former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam was given imprisonment until death on July 15, 2013 consid-ering his age though he was found guilty of conspiracy, incitement, planning, abetment and failure to prevent murder. He died in jail.

Both of them ed the country af-ter the independence and returned in 1978. They resumed politics and were never brought to book for the war-time o ences until the forma-tion of the tribunal in 2010.

Nizami was arrested on June 29, 2010 and soon shown arrested in the war crimes case. He was indict-ed on May 28, 2012. Even though the trial ended on November 13, 2013, the case was reheard due to shu e in the tribunal.

The tribunal sentenced him to death on October 29, 2014 and the Appellate Division upheld the death penalty on January 6 this year. His review petition was re-jected on May 5.

Jamaat enforced shutdown across the country on May 8 in protest against the rejection of Nizamis petition.

After his execution, Nizamis body was taken by the law enforc-ers to his birthplace at Monmothpur of Santhia in Pabna for burial. On the way to Pabna, the district police units were kept ready to escort the

ambulance carrying the body.Locals started preparing the grave

yesterday morning sensing that he could be hanged immediately.

The law enforcers also took safe-ty measures for the eight prosecu-tion witnesses from Santhia who had testi ed against the war crim-inal at the tribunal.

Superintendent of Police Alam-gir Kabir said that they were ready to thwart any untoward incident in the district.

The government last night also beefed up security measures in Dhaka by deploying the members of Border Guard Bangladesh along-side police and elite force Rapid Ac-tion Battalion.

After the announcement of ex-ecution, justice seekers and war crimes trial campaigners who had been eagerly waiting for Nizamis execution at Dhakas Shahbagh and the jail gate celebrated the moment.

Since Monday when the top court released full verdict of the re-view petition, everybody was wait-ing for an o cial announcement or a hint about the time when top war criminal would be hanged.

The possibility rose yesterday when the movement of media per-sons and jail o cials became visi-ble as hangman Tanvir Hasan Raju was brought to the Dhaka Central Jail from the Kashimpur high secu-rity jail at 3pm.

Raju was earlier part of all the four teams of hangmen who had executed the death sentences of

the four convicted war criminals since December 2013. Previously it was hangman Shahjahan who played the key role during the ex-ecutions. Raju worked as one of his associates. Jail sources said that Raju had been given the charge since Shahjahan was ill.

After an hour, the law enforcers started taking security measures in and around the jail, and at 6pm all the streets adjacent to the area were closed.

Around 6:30pm, Nizamis fami-ly members called Jail Superinten-dent Jahangir Kabir and asked for permission to meet the death-row convict. The family asked the jail superintendent whether it was their nal meeting. He said no, no. Just come, Nizamis lawyer Tanim told the Dhaka Tribune.

O cials said that 26 mem-bers of the family entered the jail 7:50pm. The visitors who came in three vehicles included Nizamis wife Shamsunnahar Nizami, Na-zib Momen alias Nazibur Rahman and Naimur Rahman, daughters-in-law, four nephews, an uncle, an aunt, two sisters and a brother.

One of the family members, who could not be identi ed immediate-ly, said that Nizami had been say-ing his prayers when they entered the jail. He said that he was ne and asked us and party supporters to have patience, she told report-ers outside the jail around 9:30pm.

Around 8pm, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told

the Dhaka Tribune that the gov-ernment had already given node to execute the war criminals death sentence. He later con rmed that Nizami had not sought presidential clemency his last resort to save the neck.

Jail sources said that Nizami had conveyed his opinion about the clemency to the magistrates earlier in the day.

Senior government o cials started entering the jail around 9:30pm while the main gate was shut at 10:30pm giving a clear im-pression that Nizami could be exe-cuted any time.

Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Salauddin, Additional District Magistrate Emdadul Islam and Executive Magistrate Tanvir Mohammad Ajim entered the cen-tral jail at 10:05pm; and DMP Com-missioners representative DB Dep-uty Commissioner (west) Sheikh Najmul Alam at 10:20pm. Earlier, Civil Surgeon Abdul Malek entered the jail around 9:50pm and DMP Deputy Commissioner Mo zuddin Ahmed around 10pm.

Nizami was brought to the Dha-ka Central Jail from Kashimpur on Sunday, three days after the Appel-late Division of the Supreme Court rejected his review petition the last legal battle to prove himself innocent.

The full verdict was published on Monday and it was read out to the condemned war criminal in the night. l

SWIFT rejects Bangladeshi claims over $81 million cyber heist n ReutersSWIFT yesterday rejected allega-tions by o cials in Bangladesh that technicians with the global mes-saging system made the nation's central bank more vulnerable to hacking before an $81 million cyber heist in February.

The comments were in response to a Reuters story that cited Bangla-deshi police and a central bank o -cial as saying that SWIFT technicians introduced security holes into the bank's network while connecting SWIFT to Bangladesh's rst real-time gross settlement (RTGS) system.

"SWIFT was not responsible for any of the issues cited by the o cials, or party to the related decisions," the Brussels-based bank-owned cooperative said in a statement posted on its website.

"As a SWIFT user like any oth-er, Bangladesh Bank is responsible for the security of its own systems interfacing with the SWIFT net-work and their related environ-ment starting with basic password protection practices in much the same way as they are responsible for their other internal security considerations," the statement said.

Reuters has not been able to in-dependently verify the allegations by Bangladeshi o cials about the SWIFT technicians.

The o cials in Dhaka discussed their ndings with Reuters ahead of a meeting on Tuesday in Basel, Switzerland, where Bangladesh Bank o cials have said their gov-ernor and a lawyer appointed by the bank would discuss recovery of about $81 million stolen by hackers with the head of the Federal Re-serve Bank of New York and a sen-ior executive from SWIFT.

SWIFT's statement said it "looks forward to the meeting with Bang-ladesh Bank and New York Federal Reserve Bank o cials in Basel on 10th May, when the banks security issues and these baseless allega-tions will be discussed."

Bangladesh Bank o cials have said they believed SWIFT, and the New York Fed, bear some responsi-bility for the February cyber heist.

SWIFT's statement on Monday marked the rst time it responded to such allegations. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

As a SWIFT user like any other, Bangladesh Bank is responsible for its own security

News 3DT

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Nizamis arguments in reviewn Probir K SarkerTop war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami had sought review of the three counts on which the Appellate Division upheld his death penalty.

The occurrence in respect of charge 2 had been committed at Baousgari, Ruposhi and Demra vil-lages of Santhia in Pabna on May 14, 1971. Around 6:30am, Nizami along with the Pakistani Army and other razakars besieged the vil-lages, picked up 450 civilians and then shot them to death.

Nizamis counsel submitted that the tribunal as well as the Appel-late Division arrived at incorrect assumption of the petitioners involvement with the Pakistani Army. His second contention was that the apex court committed error of law in maintaining the conviction of the petitioner on im-probable facts. Thirdly, he alleged that prosecution witnesses 11 and 17 were motivated witnesses and therefore, the court had commit-ted error of law in maintaining the conviction of the petitioner relying upon these two witnesses.

In response to the arguments, the court said during the Liberation War of Bangladesh, the appellant not only sided with the Pakistani Army but also incited the members of al-Badr Bahini and Islami Chha-tra Sangha to co-operate with the Pakistani Army.

On the other points, the court said that those were not legal grounds for review. It said: The witnesses have deposed to the ef-fect that the Pakistani Army com-mitted that incident of mass killing by ring indiscriminately at the in-

struction of the appellant [Nizami]. The court also observed that

though the defence had pointed out some contradictions in the evi-dence of the witnesses, we do not think that these alleged contradic-tions are fatal at all to make their evidence unbelievable.

In respect of charge 6, Nizami was also sentenced to death by the tribunal and the top court a rmed the conviction and sentence.

It was related to an occurrence committed around 3:30am on No-vember 27 at Dhulaura village at Santhia. The war criminal with the help of razakars and the Pakistani Army raided the house of Dr Abdul Awal of Dhulaura and neighbouring houses of the village on the plea of searching freedom ghters, caught a good number of unarmed peo-ple numbering about 30 and killed them indiscriminately on the Dhu-laura School eld around 6:30am.

Defence counsel Khandaker Mahbub Hossain argued that the court has committed error of law in believing the sixth prosecution witness identi cation of the pe-titioner in the incident which was not at all believable story, and that relying upon the improbable facts narrated by the sixth and the eighth witnesses was further error.

The top court responded that

determination of these points also depends upon re-assessment of ev-idence which is not a legal ground for review.

The last charge which earned Nizami death penalty is related to committing genocide by killing professional and intellectuals on the eve of the independence of the country. The court said when Nizami and his force realised that the liberation of the country was

nearing, they committed atroc-ities by selective elimination of professionals and intellectuals so that even if the independence was achieved, they (leaders) would not be able to run the country.

Khandaker Mahbub submitted that the court had committed error of law by believing two prosecution witnesses who made inconsistent statements to the investigation of- cer. He spoke against a documen-tary evidence that suggests Nizami was an al-Badr leader. The coun-sel also argued that the court had erred in law in assuming that the petitioner passed the order for kill-ing martyr Dr Abdul Alim and that though it has also relied upon some books it has misread them.

Finally, he argued that even if it is assumed that the petitioner had collaborated with the Pakistani Army, his acts attract abetment of

the o ences, and therefore, leav-ing the principal o enders, the sentence of death awarded to the petitioner is an error of law.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam argued that the defence counsel had failed to point out any error apparent on the face of the judgement of the top court. Therefore, the grounds on which the review petition been led are not entertainable, and thus this pe-tition is liable to be dismissed, he told the court.

The Appellate Division bench ob-served that the commission of these crimes even the slightest complic-ity in these most cruel, gruesome and barbarous crimes warrants death sentence only. There is no mitigating circumstances to reduce the death sentence, rather there are aggravating circumstances.

The court mentioned that the petitioner had not challenged his life-term jail terms given on two other charges which involve his direct participation in the killing of Sohrab Ali of Brishalikha and insti-gating to kill Bodi, Rumi, Jewel and Azad at the Old MP Hostel at Dha-kas Nakhalpara.

Therefore, the petitioners in-volvement and complicity in the perpetration of o ences of crimes against humanity and genocide have been impliedly admitted by the accused. More so, in view of the submission of the learned [defence] counsel to commute the sentence, the petitioner cannot dispute his in-volvement in those o ences.

We nd no merit in this petition. It is, accordingly, dismissed, the top court said in the full text of the judgement published on Monday. l

Tonus parents: Two army men involvedn Our Correspondent, ComillaThe parents of Sohagi Jahan Tonu said their daughters killing was well-planned and blamed the mur-der on army Sergeant Jahid, his wife and soldier Jahid deployed at Comilla cantonment.

Tonus father Yaar Hossain and mother Anowara Begum made the claims before yesterday evening when they were taken to the dis-trict's Criminal Investigation De-partment (CID) o ce for interroga-tion for the seventh time over the murder.

The second-year history student at Comilla Victoria Government Col-lege and cultural activist was found murdered near her residence inside the Cantonment on March 20.

Yaar, a cantonment board o -cial, and his wife asserted that the mystery surrounding Tonu's killing would be solved once the two army men were questioned.

We are tired of being interro-gated time and again. Investigators are not questioning anyone from the family in which Tonu tutored a student. Even questioning kids from that family could yield impor-tant information, they said.

Monowara said Tonu turned down a request of army study unit to sing at a programme and went on Sylhet tour instead. Later, a troupe was hired to perform.

I suspect Tonus murder was a fallout of the incident, she said. If there is any other reason behind her death, that too, should be un-earthed.

She said her daughter was severe-ly beaten before being killed. Tonu was murdered out of vengeance.

The rst post-mortem examina-tion found no evidence of rape and failed to determine the cause of death. Tonu's body was exhumed on March 30 on a court order and a second post-mortem examination was performed. CID o cials, inves-tigating the murder, said they were waiting for the autopsy report.

Monowara questioned the delay in publishing the autopsy report. All information regarding the kill-ing will be found if Sergeant Jahid, his wife and soldier Jahid are inter-rogated. No one other than army men can carry out such murders inside a secure area like the can-tonment, she added.

CID interrogated nine persons, including four from Tonus fami-ly, on Tuesday. Her parents have sought the prime ministers inter-vention to arrest and punish their daughter's killers. l

Nizami did not challenge his life-term jail terms given on two other charges which involve his direct participation in the killing of Sohrab Ali of Brishalikha and instigating to kill Bodi, Rumi, Jewel and Azad at Dhakas Nakhalpara

TONUMURDERCASE

Relatives of Motiur Rahman Nizami on their way to pay the last visit to the war criminal yesterday RAJIB DHAR

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016News4DT

Awami League-backed teachers panel wins JU deans electionn JU Correspondent The Awami League-backed panel swept the Jahangirnagar University deans election yes-terday.

The election between four faculties of the university started at 9am and continued until 2pm at Teachers Club on the campus. JU Registrar Abu Bakr Siddique, also the return-ing o cer, declared the polls result around 3pm, sources said.

AL-backed economics de-partment teacher Prof Amir Hossain was elected dean to the universitys social science faculty. Statistics department Prof Ajit Kumar Mazumder was elected dean to mathe-matical and physical science faculty and zoology depart-ment teacher Prof Abdul Zab-bar Hawlader was elected dean to life science faculty.

Meanwhile, JU archae-ology department teacher Prof Mozammel Haque was

elected dean to arts and hu-manities faculty as a separatecandidate and nance and banking department teacher Prof Neelanjan Kumar Saha was elected dean to business studies faculty without any contest.

When contacted, JU regis-trar Abu Bakr Siddique said: A total of 440 teachers had cast their votes to elect the deans to four out of six faculties in the university.

Sources said that a to-tal of 14 teachers contested from three panels. AL-backed teachers contested under the banner of Bongobond-hur Adorsho O Muktijuddher Chetonay Biswashi Progotish-eel Shikkhok Shomaj while BNP-backed teachers contest-ed under the banner of Jati-yatabadi Shikkhok Forum. A section of pro-Awami League and left-leaning teachers jointly competed the election under the banner of Progo-tisheel Shikkhok Jote. l

Submission open for Meena Media Award 2016n Tribune DeskUnicef Bangladesh has opened submission for print, online and visual media content for Meena Media Award 2016.

A new category and a new award segment have been added to the award this year: the new category is News Photography Online/Print Media, and the new award segment is Reports/Creative contents including Videogra-phy, according to a press note by Unicef Bangladesh.

News, articles, features, news photographs and tele-vision and radio programmes that investigate and explore childrens issues to improve their lives in Bangladesh or provide healthy entertain-ment for children are eligible to compete for the award. En-tries should have been pub-lished or broadcast between May 1, 2015 and April 30, 2016.

Submissions will be solicit-ed from Bangladeshi citizens in two age groups: under-18 and 18 and above. Deadline for submission of content ends on June 1.

Introduced in 2005 by Unicef Bangladesh, Meena Media Award recognises excel-lence in promoting childrens issues in Bangladeshi media.

The award is named after Meena, a popular animation character created in Bangla-desh. Meena is the iconic girl child, a change agent, whose attractive stories champion the rights of children across South Asia.

This year marks the 12th an-niversary of the award.

Other categories of the award are: Print/Online Media Reports, Print/Online Media Creative, Visual Media Re-ports including Videography, Visual Media Creative con-tents including Videography, Radio Report, and Radio Creative.

There are three prizes in each category: rst prize is a crest, a certi cate and Tk50,000, sec-ond prize is a crest, a certi -cate and Tk25,000, and third prize is a crest, a certi cate and Tk15,000.

More information can be found at the Unicef Bangla-desh website. l

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016News 5

DT

PRAYERTIMES

Coxs Bazar 35 27Dhaka 38 28 Chittagong 36 28 Rajshahi 40 29 Rangpur 37 26 Khulna 38 28 Barisal 38 28 Sylhet 37 24T E M P E R AT U R E F O R E C A S T F O R TO DAY

Source: Accuweather/UNB

D H A K ATODAY TOMORROW

SUN SETS 6:32PM SUN RISES 5:17AM

YESTERDAYS HIGH AND LOW37.8C 23.0CMongla DimlaWEDNESDAY, MAY 11

Source: Islamic Foundation

Fajr: 4:55am | Zohr: 1:15pmAsr: 5:15pm | Magrib: 6:40pmEsha: 8:30pm

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

Police get more time to end Boishakh sexual assault proben Md Sanaul Islam TipuThe Police Bureau of Investigation yet again received an extension until June 2 to submit the probe report in a case led over the inci-dents of sexual harassment during the Pohela Boishakh celebrations last year.

It is the third time a Dhaka court extended the deadline as PBI In-

spector Abdur Razzak, also investi-gation o cer of the case, failed to submit the report.

Metropolitan Magistrate AKM Mainuddin passed the order and asked the PBI o cer to submit the report by June 2.

Several groups of youths as-saulted and sexually harassed a number of women and children at Suhrawardy Udyan gate near Dha-

ka Universitys TSC and Matsya Bhaban areas when people were celebrating the rst day of Bangla New Year on April 14.

Police led a case with Shah-bagh police over the incident on April 17.

The police highups rst denied having any evidence of sexual as-sault terming the incidents trivial. But on May 17, the police chief an-

nounced that they had recognised the faces of eight men and sought help from people for capturing them announcing a reward of Tk1 lakh for each.

On December 13 last year, the Detective Branch submitted nal report to the court, saying that none of the sex o enders had been identi ed.

Accepting the report, the Dha-

ka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court sent it to the Third Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal on December 31 for its disposal.

On January 27, police arrested Md Kamal, 35, from Old Dhaka and later submitted an application with the tribunal, seeking revival of the case. The tribunal then asked the PBI to deal with the case. l

Indian foreign secretary to arrive in Dhaka todayn Sheikh Shahariar ZamanIndian Foreign Secretary S Jais-hankar is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka today for a two-day bilateral visit.

The top Indian diplomat will have courtesy calls on Prime Min-ister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Af-fairs Minister AH Mahmood Ali in the evening. Both the Bangladeshi and the Indian foreign secretaries will have their formal talks tomor-row.

Jaishankars visit is considered signi cant in the backdrop of the recent killings of bloggers, pub-lisher, writers and teachers, as well as the overall security situation in Bangladesh and South Asia.

The Islamic State and al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the kill-ings, but the government claimed that these brutal acts were done by home-grown fundamental out ts.

Diplomatic sources said the se-curity aspect will get importance in the discussion with the visiting foreign secretary.

On Monday, US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat said the US Department of States Assistant Secretary Nisha Desai Biswal had a meeting with Indian High Com-missioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla during her visit in the city last week.

She was speaking to journalists after a two-hour meeting with For-eign Secretary M Shahidul Haque at Ministry of Foreign A airs.

We always compare notes and are looking at the situation each country looks at, Bernicat said. Three governments Bangladesh, India and the United States are all ghting extremism; absolutely we all are on the same page... all three

of us on the same page. Bernicat also said a delegation

from Washington would arrive in Dhaka later this week to discuss what Bangladesh needs to do in order to improve security in the country.

When contacted, Foreign Sec-retary Shahidul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune: We have multidi-mensional relations with India and we (the secretaries) will discuss all issue relevant to us.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh and India yesterday discussed modal-ities and framework for setting up Indian economic zones in various locations, including Bheramera, and information technology SEZs in Keraniganj and Chittagongs Mir-sarai for mutual bene t.

The Bangladesh delegation was led by Bangladesh Economic Zones Authoritys Executive Member S M Shawkat Ali while the Indian del-egation was led by Joint Secretary (Bangladesh-Myanmar) of Indian Foreign Ministry Sripriya Rangana-than.

A press release issued by the Indian High Commission said it was the rst meeting of the joint working group to operationalise the memorandum of understand-ing (MoU) on establishing Indian economic zone signed during the visit of the Indian prime minister to Bangladesh in June last year.

Both sides agreed to meet at regular intervals to monitor the progress of cooperation activities being undertaken under the MoU.

Meanwhile, Indian foreign min-istrys o cial spokesperson Vikas Swarup at a press brie ng on May 5 said they were trying to upgrade the visa application systems in Bangladesh. l

POWER IS POWERIn a contrast of situation pictured on the above photos, a tra c police sergeant is seen to stop two cars in Dhakas Bijoy Sarani yesterday to ne the vehicles owners as they opted to take the wrong side of the road. On the other photo, a car bearing a Bangladesh government emblem takes the wrong side of the road in front of Gulshan Shooting Club in Dhaka on Monday, outing the rules. The vehicle also had no number plate SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN/ MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Fair marks for Nasirs rst year in o cen Tribune DeskChittagong City Corporation May-or AJM Nasir Uddin has managed to keep his approval rating at near 50%, a year after assuming o ce, a survey said.

A survey, commissioned by Bangla Tribune and conducted by the Institute of Informatics and Development, showed that a sig-ni cant proportion of residents of the port city were impressed with the city corporations handling of public transport.

A large number of participants also recognised e orts by the Nasir administration to prune risky trees to make the city safer.

Nasir was a surprise pick for the ruling Awami League in the last mayoral election, in which he de-feated BNP-backed M Manjur Alam by a huge margin.

He was the general secretary of Awami League student front Bangladesh Chhatra Leagues Chit-tagong City unit in 1978 and 1981. He also served as the vice president of the student front twice in 1981 and 1983.

The vice president of the Bang-

ladesh Cricket Board, he was the founding general secretary of Chit-tagong Brothers Union and the dis-tricts sports council.

But many of the survey partici-pants said there were not su cient playgrounds for children in the city while a large number claimed that most available playgrounds were not up to par.

Two- fths of the port citys residents said they were satis ed with the city corporations e orts in managing waste and improving water stagnation. These two issues led the list of services respondents wanted to see more improvements in during the coming year.

Poll responses suggest that mos-quito infestation had improved in

some areas of the city but needed to be improved further in other parts of the city.

Born on January 1, 1957 at Andarkilla, Nasirs website de-scribe him as a person driven to

help the needy. It calls him a man of myriad talents, who stands out for his sense of commitment, re-sponsibility, dedication, honesty, integrity and sheer passion in all his undertakings. l

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016News 7

DT

Yes17%

No83%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Yes No

45%55%

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE JOB DONE BY YOUR CITY CORPORATION MAYOR LAST YEAR?

IF THERE ARE, ARE THEY SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN TO PLAY IN?

Source: Institute of Informatics and Development

Outlawed party man killed in gun ghtn Our Correspondent, KushtiaA member of the outlawed party Purba Bangla Communist Party (red ag) was killed in a reported gun ght with police in Kaligora Bridge area under Mirpur upazila in Kushtia yesterday.

The deceased was Asadul Pha-kira, 38, son of late Ejahar Ali of Radhanagar village and an active member the party.

Kamruzzaman, assistant superintendent of Kushtia police (Veramara Circle), said a team of police conducted a drive in

the area while some 10-15 miscreants were holding secrete meeting.

He said: Sensing the presence of the law enforces, they opened re at the police.

In retaliation, police red back that left Asadul injured. Two po-

licemen were also injured in the incident.

Later, the duty doctor declared Asadul dead after he was taken to Upazila Health Complex

The police recovered two re-arms and some bullets from the spot. l

500,000 new consumers likely to get electricity connections in Chittagong n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong With a view to improving the exist-ing power distribution system and ridding the consumers of the per-sistent power outage in Chittagong, the state-owned power generation and supply agency, the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) has recently undertaken a mega project.

As per the information provid-ed by the PDB, there is an 8,000-km long power distribution line in Chittagong region. However, no major repair to the supply system was done in the last 11 years in Chit-tagong region. It was in 2005 when the distribution line was renovated for the last time, albeit partially.

The consumers of Chittagong and other adjoining districts have to face untold su erings due to

sudden power outage caused by frequent accidents, including transformer explosions.

The o cials of the PDB related to the project have expressed their optimism that Chittagong city, Coxs Bazar, three districts of the Chittagong Hill Tract and Coxs Ba-zar will witness a radical change in the power generation and distribu-tion system with the implementa-tion of the mammoth project.

With the renovation of the ex-isting power supply system which will cost Tk1,100 crore, the elec-tricity network will be expanded further and around 500,000 new consumers will be connected to the power grid in Chittagong, hoped the PBD o cials.

We have a plan to generate 600MW more electricity. However, it is not possible to generate addi-

tional power without revamping the existing power supply system. The additional power cannot be used if the electricity distribution system cannot be improved, said Engineer Abul Bashar Khan, mem-ber (planning and development) of the PDB.

Power generation is an index to the socio-economic development of a country. We hope that our con-sumers will be able to consume un-interrupted power supply will be ensured with the successful imple-mentation of the project, added Engineer Bashar Khan.

The mega project which is likely to come to an end in 2018 includes constructing and repairing 23 sub-stations, installing 2,500-km long distribution line and setting up 1,500 supply transformers.

A total of 15 new sub-stations

will be constructed while capacity of 8 sub-stations will be enhanced and rehabilitated under the new project.

At present we have as many as 4,500 distribution transformers. However, it is a matter of regret that most of the transformers are outdated and facing serious over-loading problem. Thats why we will install new transformers and repair the existing ones so that the load could be balanced, said En-gineer Prabir Kumar Dey, deputy director of the PDBs project of im-proving the distribution system.

The project of improving pow-er supply system will address the voltage problem to a great extent. The consumers will get rid of the perennial load shedding problem which we call forced load shed-ding, added Engineer Prabir. l

Charge sheet of Habiganj schoolboy killing case rejected n Md Noor Uddin, Habiganj A Habiganj court yesterday reject-ed charge sheet in connection with the killing of four schoolboys at Ba-hubali upazila.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Kausar Alam rejected the charge sheet due to legal complications. The court also rejected bail plea of seven accused and ordered to send them to jail. The accused are Abdul Ali, Rubel Mia, Arzu Mia, Shahed Mia, Saleh Uddin and Boshir Mia.

Earlier on April 25, the court also rejected the charge sheet of the case due to absence of main documents.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Samsad Begum refused the charge sheet after a hearing. The court also xed May 5 for the next hearing and asked investigation o cer of the case Abdul Muktadir to submit the charge sheet with main documents.

On April 16, nine people were indicted in connection with the killing case. On February 17, police recovered the bodies of four school-boys from a ditch at Shundratiki vil-lage under Bahubal upazila.

Four Of the accused have al-ready given confessional state-ments before the court under sec-tion 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. l

News8DTWEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

AL leader allegedly kills elder brother over paternal landn Nayan Khondoker, JhenaidahA man was killed allegedly by his younger brother over paternal land related issues in Bojrapur village of the districts Moheshpur yesterday.

The dead was Mojibur Rah-man Khokon, elder brother of ATM Ajibor Rahman Mohan who claims himself to be vice-presi-dent of Awami League central unit sub-committee.

Mohan, identifying himself as a central leader, has been carrying out many criminal activities in

the area for long, locals alleged. He also tortured and harassed his own family members, the locals added.

According to the family, Mohan had been depriving his brothers from their paternal property, ac-quiring it illegally for years.

Yesterday, when Mojibur went to their family land in the morning, Mohan beat him to death and to hide the killing he took his broth-er to Kotechandpur Upazila Health Complex and told duty doctors that Mojibur had a stroke.

Mohan then brought his broth-

er home after the doctors declared him dead.

When the locals received the news of Mojiburs death, they beat Mohan up and con ned him.

Mojiburs younger sister Sham-ima Akhter said: My brother was killed because he opposed Mohan grabbing our paternal land. Mohan also killed my mother, torturing her.

Mohespur police station OC Aminul Islam Biplob said the locals have handed over Mohan to the po-lice and Mojiburs body have been sent to the morgue for autopsy. l

Thousands marooned as embankment collapses n Asaduzzaman, Satkhira Thousands of people at six villages of Ashasuni upazila, Satkhira have been left marooned as a portion of an embankment collapsed due to high tide yesterday.

Local sources said a number of shrimp enclosures and crops on hundreds acres of land have been washed away.

On Sunday, about 200 feet of the embankment at Kola village point have been collapsed in the Kopotak-sha River inundatinf Kola, Hijlia,

Sriula, Mariala, Hajrakhali, Langal-dari and Kalimakhali villages.

Abdur Razzak, a resident of Kola village, said the portion of the dam had been in a vulnerable condition

for long, but the Water Develop-ment Board did not take any meas-ure to x it.

Sanjay Das said after the portion had collapsed, hundreds of peo-ple of the six villages led by local representatives tried to rebuild the portion with bamboo and soil on Monday, but all of their e orts went in vain.

Chairman of Protapnagar un-ion parishad Jakir Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune that they had earli-er informed the authorities about the vulnerable state of the portion

of the embankment, but they did not take any action.

He said: The WDB did not take any initiative to repair the risky embankment, despite repeated requests, rather they embezzled the budget for such development works.

We do not need any relief, we need repair of damaged portion of the embankment.

He also apprehended that if the authorities concerned did not take action in this regard, more villages, including Puizala and Satkhira Sa-

dar, would be ooded soon. An o cial of the WDB said they

had already informed higher au-thorities of the matter. As soon as they got instruction, they would start work on the damaged portion of the dam.

Earlier on Friday, hundreds of villagers at Kola village were ma-rooned after high tide breached parts of the embankment.

Then, a madrasa, about 50 sh enclosures and crops on a vast tract of land were inundated after the collapse. l

Chittagong city BCL secretary denied bail n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong Chittagong city chapter Chhatra League Secretary Nurul Azim Rony was denied bail in an arms case yesterday.

Hossain Md Reza, senior judicial magistrate of Chittagong, passed the order after lawyer of the BCL leader prayed for bail, said Moshiur Rahman, inspector (court) of Chit-tagong district police.

It may be mentioned that the BCL leader was arrested in posses-sion of a 9mm pistol, 15 rounds of bullet, Tk26,000 in cash and a rub-ber stamp from Chittagongs Hath-azari upazila during the 4th phase of Union Parishad polls on May 7.

A mobile court led by Judicial Magistrate Harunur Rashid arrest-ed the BCL leader and later on, sentenced him to two years impris-onment in total for breaching elec-toral rule.

The Hathazari police lodged a case against the BCL leader under arms act and Nurul Azim Rony was shown arrested in the arms case. l

Suspected robber lynched n Our Correspondent, JessoreA suspected robber was beaten to death by mob in Jhikorgachha area of the district yesterday.

The deceased was Lalu Mia. Sources said locals caught four

robbers and beat them up while they were returning home after conduct-ing a robbery at a church in Shimulia in the morning. Lalu died on the spot while three others got injired.

Anisur Rahman, superintendent of police, said: The injured have been admitted to Jessore 250-bed General Hospital. l

544 schemes under TR near completionn BSSThe implementation of 544 schemes under the rst phase test relief programme in four upazilas and four pourasabhas of Chuadan-ga district near completion.

The four upazilas are: Chuadan-ga Sadar, Alamdanga, Damurhuda and Jibannagar. Four pourasabhas are: Chuadanga, Alamdanga, Dar-sana and Jibannagar.

The relief and disaster manage-ment department is implementing the schemes spending 615 metric tons of rice. l

Members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League stage demonstration in front of the o ce of Chittagong deputy commissioner in the port city yesterday demanding release of a BCL leader who was jailed two days back for violating electoral code of conduct DHAKA TRIBUNE

The WDB did not take any initiative to repair the risky embankment, despite repeated requests

9DT

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016Feature

PHOTO: BIGSTOCK

Religious leaders and peacebuildingHow faith-based leaders can advocate for messages of peace in Bangladesh

n G M Shoeb Ahmed

Nationalism, socialism, democracy, and secularismare the four fundamental principles of the Bangladesh Constitution. According to the constitution, Bangladesh is a secular country although Islam is the widely practiced religion, with Muslims constituting 90.4 percent of the population. This is followed by Hindus (8.5 percent), Christians, Buddhists and other religions, including Sikhs, Bahaiis, animists and other indigenous religions.

Nonetheless, Islam in Bangladesh is far from monolithic and there are differences according to region and by urban and rural areas. In recent times, the issues of religion, politics and security have become tied together in Bangladesh. But in many places, peoples shared faiths can persuade them to participate in communities and motivate others to be more engaged. Of course, shared values, communication through the same language, customary greetings, and other cultural connections also create a sense of community, but religion does play an important role.

Faith-based leaders have a role to playFaith-inspired organisations across religious traditions work for interfaith harmony, conflict mitigation between ethnic and religious communities, and peacebuilding. According to a survey conducted by the Asia Foundation with USAID support, more than 80 percent of Bangladeshi citizens say that religious leaders of all faiths should have a role in progressing national development goals and democratic ideologies in Bangladesh. The survey also found that over 64 percent of ordinary citizens believe religious leaders have a major role to play in guiding community thought on social issues, and that over 70 percent would request the involvement or opinion of a religious or community leader at ashalish, or local mediation forum.

According to Rosita MacDonald, programme officer for the Asia Foundations Governance, Law and Civil Society programmes, religious and community leaders possess a deep understanding of the needs and interests of local communities, and can communicate local urgencies to government officials and

development professionals. Such positions of respect allow them to provide practical feedback on whether the goals of peacebuilding, reconciliation and mediation are working at the local level.

In Bangladesh, faith leaders can hold these local positions of respect and possess an understanding of local communities interests. According to an imam from Bagerhat who chose to remain unnamed, I try to talk about issues like the importance of transparent and peaceful message in my Friday sermons, and when people come to me for advice, I try to answer them, but I also direct them to organisations in our community that may be able to help them better.

Leaders and development: the possibilitiesIf links are built between religious leaders and development organisations, they can play a positive role in activities that are related to promoting safety and security and peacebuilding. Discussions between humanitarian organisations and religious leaders can build common ground, and these organisations

can play an important role in passing on these messages of peace. These issues can then in turn be explained byimamsduring Friday sermons to local communities.

In situations of violence and during political turmoil, progressive religious leaders can play positive roles rather than negative ones, and try to establish dialogue and reconcile communities.

Inclusive dialogue and trust-building are indispensable and in many contexts, this has been effective in ensuring a better respect for humanitarian values and principles. Better dialogue and building links at different levels of community can contribute to limiting further polarisation, and, where possible, to reducing the numbers of victims.

Religious unrest: how can we solve it?Religious intolerance has managed to put down deep roots in our society, and now we are experiencing its extremes. Many in the country do not feel free to access their fundamental right of religious freedom; it seems every now and again, there is news of suffering among Hindus, Buddhists, and indigenous

peoples. In this backdrop, religious

leaders from different faiths can act as voluntary agents of change and influence local community to address identified safety-security and peacebuilding issues to uphold the peace. They can even motivate the community to work together against sexual harassment, domestic violence, early marriage, dowry and political violence. There are already local leaders who advice people to not arrange early marriage, who warn against the adverse effects of drug abuse and encourage the youth to not engage in eve-teasing.

If religious leaders actively provide sermons at mosques, temples and religious gatherings to challenge these anti-social activities, coordinate and cooperate with local government and police administration and spread awareness amongst the local communities, we can create communal harmony and use religious teachings themselves to fight against extremism in Bangladesh. l

G M Shoeb Ahmed is currently working in safety, security and peacebuilding issues in the Bangladesh development sector. Email: gmshoeb.ahmed@gmail.com

n Nadia AfrinWedding season never seems to end. Brides, grooms and their families will leave no stone unturned to make their wedding an occasion to remember. There will be a scramble to book the best venues in town and hundreds of guests will be invited to witness the fanfare. Our weddings have truly gone global these days saris brought in from India, make-up from the US, gold from Dubai and orchids from Thailand for added air.

In the midst of wedding mania, a handful of conscious couples are opting for more ethical and eco-friendly choices to make their special day meaningful. Although green weddings are a rare occurrence today, this trend is gradually catching on.

Here are ten ways to can make your wedding unique, memorable and re ect your values:

Shop locally We dont need an economic study to know that buying local products helps support local businesses and strengthens the economy of the community. Make a trip to Mirpur Benarasee Polli to check out traditional sarees for your bridal wardrobe. You can choose from a wide array of katan, benarasee and silk sarees made by local artisans. Take some time out to see the weavers and apprentices at work churning out beautiful sarees with intricate motifs.

Choose eco-friendly wedding cards Your wedding announcement or invitation can set the tone for your environmentally-friendly wedding. Print up cards on recycled card stock. There are many options today for 100% recycled, partially recycled papers from wedding invitation suppliers. If possible, go paperless and use Facebook or services like Evite (www.evite.com) or Paperless Post (www.paperlesspost.com) to invite your friends.

Pick an outdoor location If you are getting married during the cooler months, have an outdoor wedding ceremony and let nature be the backdrop for your big day. A garden, park or beach setting can add a romantic touch. Create a beautiful setting for photo opportunities and minimise the need for dcor. You can also save energy by taking advantage of the natural light and cutting down on air conditioning.

Use green wedding dcor Since power is always in short supply, go easy on the lights and maintain austerity in electricity consumption. For dcor, use potted-plants instead of cut owers and give them to your guests as gifts at the end of the night.

Organise ride shares Navigating through Dhaka tra c can be quite daunting. Help out your guests and reduce carbon emissions by organising minibuses or ride-shares to the wedding venue.

Host joint events Traditional Bengali nuptials have several pre and post-wedding ceremonies (engagement party, gaye holud, bou bhat) that can easily spiral out of control. To avoid waste and excess, the bride and grooms family can come together and host a joint gaye holud and wedding reception.

Reuse old jewelry There is something beautifully symbolic about the tradition of exchanging rings to symbolise a

long-lasting commitment

to your partner. Although diamond rings are

customary, in recent years, there is growing awareness that the diamond trade is fueling war and con ict in many parts of Africa. For your ethical wedding, nd a con ict-free diamond or choose a di erent gemstone. You can create exquisite rings from pearl, turquoise, ruby, emerald, jade etc. Given the steep price of gold, you can reuse old jewelry or melt down and refashion family heirlooms. For instance, a friend recently proposed to his girlfriend with his mothers wedding ring. Using

a piece of jewelry that has been previously owned and loved can be especially meaningful. If you are truly bold, unconventional and dont care much for gold, you can always opt for accessories made with dried owers.

Request charitable gifts When my husband and I were getting married, we had two

complete households and all the china, kitchen

equipment and silverware we needed. So we requested our guests not to bring gifts or if they must, they could choose to donate to one of the charitable causes we had picked out. Our friends and family contributed over Tk80,000

that went towards educating girls,

providing reproductive healthcare and giving

farm animals to poor rural families. This was

a truly wonderful way to commemorate our special day. A few other friends came together and got us

a wedding photographer and a hotel gift voucher for

our honeymoon - thoughtful and memorable gifts that we could actually use.

Dont waste food Donate the surplus food from your wedding reception to a local orphanage or shelter. If you are giving away leftovers, make sure that food is preserved at the right temperature and handled with care so that it does not spoil. Volunteer honeymoon This is not for the faint of heart. If you are truly passionate about a particular cause, you can spend part of your honeymoon volunteering together. This can be a fantastic bonding experience for newly-wed love birds. Volunteer at a school or hospital or build houses for low-income communities with Habitat for Humanity Bangladesh (http://www.habitatbangladesh.org/). There are plenty of options to choose from.

These are just a few small measures in which you can be budget-conscious and ensure that your wedding leaves a small foot print on the environment. Most importantly, involve friends and family in planning your ethical wedding. And dont forget to have fun! l

10DTWEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Feature

Go green in the wedding sceneTen ways to make your special day meaningful

PHOTO: BIGSTOCK

INSIDE

It is over-optimistic for Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation to claim that its sale of 1.66 hectares of land in Gulshan to the Public Works Department has solved its nancial problems.At best, this is a temporary x, paid for with tax-payer money, su cient only to cover the outstanding debts it owes to workers who had their wages stopped.

While it is good news for local residents that PWD intends to turn the land into a playground, the sale does nothing to curb the cost caused to tax-payers by the SOEs losses.

It also raises questions about how pro tably BJMC had been managing the land which it had rented out to the Italian embassy.

The underlying problems of poor management which caused BJMC to incur losses and violate workers rights to timely payment remain the same. As does the only sensible solution.

Jute mills and other perennially loss-making SOEs should be privatised or closed. There is no justi cation for keeping them open if they cannot even support their normal wage bill.

The bene ts would be seen in three main ways.Firstly, losses to the taxpayer would be ended, allowing more money to be

invested in education.Secondly, more jobs could be created and the economy boosted by leasing or

selling the land for developments as EPZs. The EPZs at the site of former jute mills at Adamjee and Karnaphuli have created over 95,000 jobs, far more than were previously on the payroll of loss-making SOEs.

Finally, by ending unfair competition to private jute mills, owners would have more incentive to invest in expansion.

It is clear the opportunity costs of not making better use of state-owned assets and land are huge.

The government must learn to manage public resources more productively.

It is the only sensible solution to poor management of state-owned assets

The labyrinth of the primaries

Confusing words, real concernsMany people have alleged that the premiers statement would inspire the killers, as she said her government would not shoulder responsibility for murders occurred because of writing against religion

PAGE 13

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Down a slippery roadThis is a slippery road for the government to take. Once you start on this road, where does it stop? Soon someone may attack a restaurant thats open during the days of Ramadan because it hurts their religious sensibility

The nomination process for US elections is probably the most complex among Western democracies. It is lengthy, cumbersome, and di cult to understand for most people in the country, at least for those who are not political workers

Privatisation the best way for BJMC to secure jobs

11DTEditorial

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Be heardWrite to Dhaka Tribune

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The views expressed in Opinion articles are those of the authors

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Tribune or its publisher.

BIGSTOCK

n Ziauddin Choudhury

The high point in US politics this year is the general elections this November, when a new president will be chosen along with members for the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate. But before we get there, people are now riveted by the primaries and caucuses that precede the general elections, which are a necessary process for each political party to select their nominees for the o ces.

Indeed, the primaries and caucuses have never generated greater public interest than this election year because of the plethora of presidential candidates who sought the Republican nomination, and their greatly divergent political opinions that ranged from puerile to incendiary, from ludicrous to outlandish.

The nomination process for the US elections is probably the most complex among Western democracies. It is lengthy, cumbersome, and di cult to understand for most people in the country, at least for those who are not political workers.

The process is more complicated not just because each US state has its own method of nomination, caucus, or primary. A caucus is a system of local gatherings where voters decide which candidate to support and select delegates for nominating conventions. In a primary, delegates are selected in a statewide voting process in which voters cast secret ballots for their preferred candidates.

Decades ago, most states held caucuses for nomination of pres-idential candidates, but now only

a handful hold these. Most states now hold primary elections to choose nominees of each party for president and other public o ces.

Major reasons why more states have opted for primary elections are because these are held by the states and not by the parties, and these are more direct than caucuses held by the political parties. Delegates to the political convention (which o cially gives the seal of approval to the nominees) are selected after votes in the caucus.

In a sense, the primaries are a rehearsal of the actual election in November, except that the results determine which candidate the party supporters would like to see as the partys nominee.

Just as the US presidential elec-tion is determined by the number of electoral votes from each state (which are equal to the total num-ber of senators and members of House of Representatives from the state), the presidential nomination for each party is also based on the number of delegates the nominees garnered through the caucuses and primaries.

In most states, the delegates are allocated to the nominees based on the percentage of popular votes they receive, but in states that follow winner-takes-all formula, all delegates are awarded to the candidate getting majority votes.

I had a rst-hand experience

this election season to just not to witness but help primary elections in a precinct in Maryland as an election judge. The title is a little euphemistic because the nature of the job is more to work as a polling o cer than a judge.

But the polling job was a great way to understand the labyrinth of a primary election and the seriousness that it entailed both among party workers and voters of each party. From start to nish, it was nothing short of a general election, and the rules that the elections followed were not less serious or arduous than a general election.

To perform the duties of the day (which began at 6am and ended at 10pm), I had gone through two days of training before at the County Board of Elections even though I had worked as election judge in the mid-term elections two years before.

The training was partly refresher, but mainly to acquaint ourselves with the new voting machines and to learn the di erence between primary and general elections. In a primary, the elections are to vote for nominees for each party for the o ces the candidates are seeking, and therefore, the voters are registered as supporters of one party or another.

Since most states follow a closed primary, voters can vote

for a particular party only if they have registered themselves as supporters of that party. Closing dates for registration di er from state to state. In some states which follow open primaries, voters could register for the party of their choice as late as Election Day. Una liated or independent voters can vote only for school boards or local judges only in a primary, but they can vote for presidential candidates or congressional candidate from any party in a general election.

The rules for the polling centres were as strict as those for a correction centre or a secret facility. No electioneering was allowed within 100 meters of the centre, no bills, campaign posters, or hoardings advertising of any candidate were permitted within that perimeter. No voter was allowed to carry any poster, newspaper, or electronic device including cellphones inside the centre. The election o cials were asked not to carry any newspaper or magazine, and leave their phones at home.

The only way the election o cers could communicate with family during the 16 hour peri-od they were in the centre was through a Board of Elections-pro-vided phone which was installed for the day inside the centre (which in our case was a high school). There were no police or

security guards, but everybody en-tering and exiting the centre knew what the rules were and what would be the consequence should any of the rules be infringed.

The day ended without any chaos or any ru ing of feathers. No one shouted foul play, no one was intimidated while performing their duties or casting their votes.

The nomination process for the US general elections will soon be over with the nal primaries in early June. It is possible that before that date, the nal nominees for each major party will be known and will be given the stamp of approval in the conventions of each party in July.

There is a possibility that the Republican nomination can be contested, if there is no clear winner before the convention date as Donald Trumps success so far has not been looked upon favourably by many of the Republican stalwarts.

Whether there is a contested convention or not, each candidate has to walk through the labyrinth of the nomination process, working hard to win the primaries and caucuses in what could be best described as an ideal democratic process.

The US presidential election process may be lengthy and complex, but the intent of the process is to involve people at all stages so that there is transparency in not just the election itself, but also the process that goes along with it. And there lies the signi cant di erence between US democracy and all others. l

Ziauddin Choudhury has worked in the higher civil service of Bangladesh early in his career, and later for the World Bank in the USA.

Opinion12DTWEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

The primaries are a gruelling process REUTERS

The nomination process for US elections is probably the most complex among Western democracies. It is lengthy, cumbersome, and di cult to understand for most people in the country, at least for those who are not political workers

It is hard work walking through the complex nomination process, but every candidate must do so

The labyrinth of the primaries

Long Form 13DT

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

n Masuda Bhatti

Until recently, many quarters, especially the government, claimed that the targeted killings had been conducted in a planned manner to undermine the image of the country in the global arena.

But now that it is really happening, globally, Bangladesh is now labelled as a blogger-killer country, where terrorists are silencing free-thinkers with their holy machetes.

Here the governments role has also been questioned, as it has failed to ensure safety and security for its citizens.

This is a glimpse of what the foreign media is talking about when it comes to us. Sometimes, conscious foreign friends ask me personally to know what actually is happening in Bangladesh, though they know the answer.

We can see how people with alternative thoughts are being killed one after another and how it is creating panic among the common people.

These killers are also identifying themselves in public after completing their missions, as per the eyewitnesses and the law enforcers.

On the other hand, the overall law and order implies that no one is safe anymore from the clutches of the invisible forces that are trying to grab power, taking peoples lives hostage. We can say so beyond any doubt because such attempts had been made in the past too.

In these circumstances, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made some comments during the Pohela Boishakh celebrations at her residence, and it has created grievances.

Many people have alleged that the premiers statement would

inspire the killers as she said her government would not shoulder responsibility for murders occurred because of writing against religion.

I went through the same report on several newspapers, but found only an online portal publishing her speech in detail while others published a part of the comments that they want to tell the readers. Here is a quote from her speech taken from an online newspaper:

As a Muslim, I follow the religious guidelines regularly. I am hurt when someone writes about it. And why would you blame the government if anything awkward takes place because of that writing? Everyone should get rid of discourtesy and maintain self restraint and decency.

About the people who kill in the name of religion, she said: Killing people is not a solution. Someone will write something and someone else will kill him/her as a revenge -- it is not what Islam says. Allah said He will try them on the judgement day. Those who do not rely on Allah want to kill others. They do not follow Allah and the Prophet. They want to do the Allahs task -- it is shirk.

She also came down heavily on those who are propagating against the Pohela Boishakh celebrations. I doubt whether they follow

religious teachings. There are many festivals in our country. We celebrate Eid as well as Pohela Boishakh. There is no scope for obstructing someone from celebrating the festivals.

I do not know why they are opposing. People are trying to make many di erent comments on the issue. Some claim that it resembles Hindu culture. We live in Bangladesh even though we are Muslims. We are Bangali because we achieved independence through a war as Bangalis. There is no ground to say you cannot be a Muslim if you are following Bangali culture. Where did you nd it in the religion [Islam]?

Describing the protests against the festival as unfortunate, the premier said: It is unfortunate that di erent parties make di erent opinions. [Actually] everybody follows their own religious rites. We need to practice tolerance so that we can maintain peace in the country. Peace is the main concern. No progress can be made without a peaceful atmosphere. Peace prevails in the country now, for this, our GDP growth is increasing, the per capita income has risen, and this year, Pohela Boishakh is being observed at the rural level.

About the teachings of Islam concerning tolerance, she said: We practice our religions. Islam says that everyone will follow their own religious practices. It does not suggest attacking another religion. The Prophet has asked all not to cross the limit regarding religion.

Does anyone still have any doubts that she cannot or did not instigate the machete-wielding killers? If not, lets talk about it a little more.

Those who love debate can argue whether Bangladesh is a Muslim country or a secular one. We have to discuss the matter accepting the reality. Either Bangladesh has changed or, more speci cally, it has been changed.

I mentioned it many times in the past that it would be unjust to expect a single political party to advocate for secularism or dream about a secular state, while the other parties keep trying to turn it into a Muslim country; when only the AL will continue supporting liberals and, for this, invite blame on itself as a party of atheists. l

The concluding part of this long form will be published tomorrow. This article has been translated by Probir Bidhan.

Masuda Bhatti is a poet and columnist.

Why did the PM say what she said? BIGSTOCK

Many people have alleged that the premiers statement would inspire the killers, as she said her government would not shoulder responsibility for murders occurred because of writing against religion

What does the PMs Pohela Boishakh speech reveal? This is the rst part of a two-part long form

Confusing words, real concerns

Opinion14DTWEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

n Mahmud Rahman

In Tangail, Bangladesh, Nikhil Chandra Joardar, a Hindu tailor, was hacked to death by machete-wielding on a motorcycle.

Several years ago, he had spent some time in jail for supposedly o ending religious sentiments -- Muslim ones, that is.

A week earlier, two school-teachers -- Krishnapada Mouli and Ashok Kumar -- were jailed for o ending the religious sensibilities of Muslims in Bagerhat.

Parents had apparently been outraged when a child reported that a teacher had said something critical of Islam. Soon, a mob had gathered outside the school with plans to punish the teachers.

A court with special powers made a judgement on the spot and convicted the teachers. The reports I have seen in the Bangladeshi press are short of details.

I wish some journalists had gone down there to investigate the ostensible crime committed by

the teachers instead of accepting at face value what the locals and police claimed.

This is not the rst time teachers have been persecuted for comments made in their classrooms. A friend reported on Facebook that, back in 1993, a relative had come to him to report of a colleague, a science teacher, who had been paraded around with a garland of shoes. His o ence had been to teach that the Earth revolved around the sun.

My friend reported that he had tried to get some of the press to report on the incident, but no papers were willing to touch it; no one would stand by a poor teacher trying to teach science. He believes that stories like this may well be common around Bangladesh. They will no doubt become much more so.

There are mobs that can easily be whipped up. There is the state with its colonial-era law on o ending religious sensibilities. And now, here come the machete-wielding, self-appointed Islamist executioners.

Starting with the prime minister, Bangladeshs leaders have announced that no one should be tolerated for o ending the religious sensibilities of believers. On the ground, this means only Muslim believers, since no one ever gets punished for o ending the religious sensibilities of Hindus or Christians.

Friday prayers and waj-mah ls are routinely peppered with vile remarks against Hindus, Jews, and Christians. Every Durga Puja season comes with reports from across the country of vandals destroying idols and defacing murals. Death threats are routinely made against in dels.

This is a slippery road for the government to take. Once you

start on this road, where does it stop?

Soon, someone may attack a restaurant thats open during the days of Ramadan because it hurts their religious sensibility.

There are mullahs who routinely go around on rickshaws with megaphones demanding that women cover themselves. Are we too far from seeing women attacked for o ending religious sensibility because they do not wear the prescribed attire?

And what about books? How long will the novel Lal Shalu by Syed Waliullah, which features a fraudulent majar-keeper, be sold in bookshops? Can it be taught in schools and colleges?

What about our poets and

songwriters, Nazrul Islam and Lalon Fakir? Both have said things that could o end some believers religious sensibility.

If you start on this road, one day youll turn around and nd that having a woman as prime minister still o ends various peoples religious sensibilities.

The road ahead is treacherous. Once we accept this as the new normal, it will burn us all. We can look at Pakistan to see where this road heads toward. Pakistans killing elds were not created in a single day. l

Mahmud Rahman is the author of Killing the Water: Stories and the translator of Mahmudul Haques novel Black Ice. This article rst appeared on thewire.in.

Dont stand by and watch as freedom burns BIGSTOCK

This is a slippery road for the government to take. Once you start on this road, where does it stop? Soon someone may attack a restaurant thats open during the days of Ramadan because it hurts their religious sensibility

Down a slippery roadWe are going down the dangerous road of religious extremism

15DTBusiness

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

Capital market snapshot: TuesdayDSE Broad Index 4,330.3 0.0%

Index 1,066.2 0.2%

30 Index 1,681.1 0.1%

Turnover in Mn Tk 4,307.0 -12.8%

Turnover in Mn Vol 113.4 11.6%

CSEAll Share Index 13,311.5 0.1%

30 Index 12,343.7 -0.1%

Selected Index 8,091.8 0.0%

Turnover in Mn Tk 194.1 -35.3%

Turnover in Mn Vol 7.0 -33.3%

INSIDE

Global retail, consumer sector deals less priceyMergers and acquisitions in the global consumer and retail sectors in 2016 are likely to be characterised by lower val-uations for small rms and reasonable values for riskier assets, after a string of mega deals in 2015, a report shows. PAGE 17

Aramco nalises IPO options, plans global expansionSaudi Arabias state-owned oil giant is nalising options for its partial pri-vatisation and will present them to its Supreme Council soon, its chief executive said about the centrepiece of the kingdoms e orts to overhaul its economy. PAGE 16

Canada wild re a hard hit to economy, oil companiesThe wild re raging in Canada is forcing a reduction in oil output at the worst possible time in a country where the energy sector accounts for 10% of GDP and thousands have lost their jobs due to low crude prices. PAGE 18

Plan to end culture of tax exemptionn Asif Showkat Kallol and Syed Samiul Basher Anik

To increase the tax-GDP ratio and create a favourable environment for all taxpayers, the government now plans to keep development projects out of tax exemption fa-cility.

A policy is likely to be formu-lated to bring about the changes in the Bangladesh tax system from the next scal year (2016-17), ac-cording to o cial sources.

The National Board of Reve-nue (NBR) has already prepared a working paper to end the culture of tax exemption so there is no un-even competition in the economy.

The NBR is currently working on the matter as part of its budget formulation process.

According to the draft policy papers, no development projects can apply for any tax or duty ex-emption. Rather, they will have to pay all the taxes and duties.

In case of any tax exemptions, the government will clearly men-

tion about the sectors eligible to get the bene t through a statutory regulatory order.

The sectors will include import of products through diplomatic policies and import of donation products for the projects taken for the wellbeing of the people.

The papers emphasise that the country needs to end the exist-ing culture of tax exemption if it wants to increase the taxGDP ra-tio to an expected level.

Currently, a signi cant num-

ber of sectors are getting tax ex-emption bene ts. As a result, Bangladeshs tax-GDP ratio is low compared to many developing countries, said the NBR papers.

To increase tax-GDP ration, the NBR has already taken initiatives to expand tax base, encourage all the taxpayers to pay taxes and raise awareness among the poten-tial taxpayers.

The negative impact of expan-sion of the tax exemption bene ts is that it hinders creation of lev-

el-playing eld for di erent sec-tors resulting in uneven competi-tion in the economy.

Currently, many of the manu-facturing companies in the export processing zones enjoy duty-ex-emption bene t.

The tax and duty exemption facility were also given to inves-tors and developers of economic zones under Bangladesh Econom-ic Zones Authority and establish-ments under Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority.

As a result, a major portion of the economy will be out of tax net in the next 10-12 years, an o cial said.

The government has a target to raise tax-GDP ratio to 13.7% from the existing 10.3% by 2020 as per its seventh ve year plan, which the NBR termed as challenging.

The NBR o cial said the impor-tance of domestic resource mobi-lisation increased as demands of investment rose and agreement made as a signatory of United Na-tions Sustainable Development Goals needed to be followed. l

Another 23 lorries seized for carrying products without VAT documentsn Tribune Business DeskThe value-added tax audit intel-ligence and investigation direc-torate has seized 23 lorries and covered vans over the past four days as they were carrying goods which reportedly evaded VAT.

In separate drives, the VAT intelligence o cials stopped ve-hicles on the streets and checked if they had any VAT payment re-ceipts or challans.

The vehicles were seized as they failed to show relevant documents including VAT pa-pers and valid trade documents, and the goods were released and being transported, abusing the bonded warehouse facility.

Most of these lorries were carrying goods from plastic and packaging manufacturing com-panies, o cials said.

Earlier, the same authorities seized 31 trucks and covered vans, in between April 22 and April 29 for the same allegations.

O cials said manufacturers took the goods out of manufac-

turing units, dodging VAT, which is common among a section of manufacturers.

According to the law, a vehicle transporting products from fac-tories to distributors or to whole-salers must have to carry VAT payment receipts known as VAT challan as a proof of VAT payment.

Currently, there is a 4% VAT applicable at manufacturing stage.

The authorities have led cas-es against owners of those com-panies and kept the vehicles at the Dhaka Customs House and the National Board of Revenue.

The directorate is conducting such drives after having such power in the 2015-16 scal years budget.

The VAT Act 1991 has been amended as a budgetary measure in the scal year to empower the directorate so it could take hard-line against the VAT evaders.

O cials said the drives would continue on regular basis in dif-ferent parts of the country under the anti-VAT evasion steps taken by the NBR. l

Stocks end at amid volatilityn Ibrahim Hossain OviDhaka stocks ended at in the green yesterday amid volatility as investors took cautious moveon selling and buying spree ahead of the budget for the scal year 2016-17.

DSEX, the key index of the coun-trys premier bourse, ended at in the green with a marginal gain of 1 point closing at 4,330 points.

The blue chip index, DS30 gained by 0.12% or 2 points to n-ish at 1,066 points while the shari-ah-based index went up by 0.21% or 2 points ending at 1,681 points.

After having a volatile trading session, the market closed without making any notable change to the index yesterday. The volume was up, with support of some large caps

stocks. A Mixed performance was witnessed in the sector-wise move-ment, said LankaBangla Securities in its market commentary.

After a day-long volatility, the market ended at yesterday, with Micro-caps and mini-caps posting the highest returns. By the end of the day, DSEX hardly moved from the last session and settled at 4,330 points, said IDLC Investments mar-ket analysis.

Meanwhile, the market partic-ipation declined 12.8%, with a to-tal turnover amounting to Tk430 crore including block transaction of T72.63 crore out of which Islami Bank accounted for Tk60.93 crore.

Fuel and Power continued to dominate the turnover chart, seiz-ing 22.9% of the days total trade PAGE 16 COLUMN 4

NBR headquarters building in Dhaka DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business16DTWEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

Aramco nalises IPO options, plans global expansionn Reuters, DhahranSaudi Arabias state-owned oil giant is nalising options for its partial privatisation and will present them to its Supreme Council soon, its chief executive said about the centrepiece of the king-doms e orts to overhaul its economy.

The company has a huge team working on the propos-als for the initial public o er-ing (IPO) of less than 5% of the companys value, which include a single domestic listing and a dual listing with a foreign market, CEO Amin Nasser said on Tuesday.

They will be presented soon to Aramcos Supreme Council, headed by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is leading an economic reform drive to ad-dress falling oil revenue and sharp scal de cits by boost-ing the private sector, ending government waste and diver-sifying the economy.

Nasser also said Aramco was seeking to expand glob-ally via joint ventures in Asia and North America.

We are looking at the current market status that, even though challenging, is an excellent opportunity for growth, Nasser said, adding that he was looking at oppor-tunities in the United States, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and China.

The CEO was sp