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Vol 1 No 288
14 | REAL EASE PAST OSASUNA7 | SOVALDI, A HOPE FOR HE PATITIS C 9 | INDIA, US TO END FEUD6 | MOZUMDER: KING OF DHAKA
News5 Dense fogs continued
to disrupt road and water
transportation yesterday.
International8 Nearly 500 people, among
them 85 civilians, have been
killed in a week of fighting
pitting Syrian rebels against
the jihadist Islamic State
of Iraq and the Levant,
a monitoring group said
yesterday.
Op-Ed11 The 10th parliamentary
election was held amidst a
lot of confusion, obstructions,
and violence. During the
period preceding the
election, many substantive
issues were discussed widely
in the media.
INSIDE
Two Hindu women raped in JessoreCases filed as masked men swooped on the community in a Monirampur village late Tuesday
JAMAAT SUPREMACY IN SHIBGANJ
A by-product of AL’sunethical politicsnMohammad Jamil Khan,
back from Shibganj
It may sound unbelievable but it is true
that Jamaat-e-Islami and its student
wing Islami Chhatra Shibir established
their political muscle in Shibganj upazila
of Chapainawabganj with support fromAwami League leaders and lawmakers.
A Dhaka Tribune investigation
found Jamaat-Shibir had been able to
establish their supremacy in Shibganj
as a section of Awami League leaders,
particularly district unit kingpins and
its lawmakers had maintained a closedliaison with them.
District unit Awami League Presi-
dent retired Brigadier Enamul Haque,
Vice-President Abdul Wadud, Secre-
tary Mynuddin Mandal, Chapainawab-
ganj 2 lawmaker Abdul Wadud and
Chapainawabganj-3 lawmaker Golam
Rabbani are alleged to be involved in
pampering Jamaat-Shibir.
During the Awami League tenure
over the last five years Awami League
President Enamul Haque certified
Chhatra Shibir men in Shibganj as
Chhatra League activists. Islami Chha-
tra Shibir President Faruk of RajshahiUniversity was certified as Chhatra
League activist.
His Brother-in-Law Fazlur Rahman
who is mainly a Jamaat leader dealt in
legal affairs in the upazila.
Besides, Enamul’s Private Secretary
Mahbubur Rahman Babu who com-
pleted his education from Rasulpur
Madrassa is also involved in Jamaat
politics.
On request of anonymity, an Awami
League leader said the district unit lead-
ers rehabilitated Jamaat-Shibir men in
Shibganj thus giving them a platform to
establish supremacy in the area.
The Dhaka Tribune tried to con-
tact Enamul but his cell phone was
switched off.
PAGE 2 COLUMN 1
Jamaat toned up by AL in SatkhiranEmran Hossain, back from
Satkhira
Conflicts within the ruling Awami
League coupled with links between
its lawmakers and the Jamaat-e-
Islami has made it easy for the latter
to re-establish political supremacy in
Satkhira and unleash a reign of terror
persistent for months.
Now fear is all-pervasive among
the Awami League grassroots, send-
ing many of leaders and activists out
of home – even the country – althoughthe ruling party lawmakers hold all
the four constituencies in the district.
Jamaat candidates had won in every
election since 1986 until 2008 when it
lost in all Satkhira seats.
In the past 10 months, as many as 16
Awami League activists were killed in
Jamaat attacks apparently for support-
ing the war crimes trials without being
able to put up the least resistance.
Hindus had to leave the district’s
Jamaat-dominated areas in thousands,
seeking refuge at relatives’ houses inIndia.
The casualties could have been re-
duced, if not completely prevented,
had the lawmakers played their role,say Satkhira politicians. Most families
affected in Jamaat attacks complained
that the MPs took months to v isit them.
The lawmakers, who mostly stay in
Dhaka, get updates from the district-lev-
el leaders while staying at the CircuitHouse or in their houses in the town. It
is apparent from their comments made
to this reporter – despite their claim to
have visited their constituencies fre-
quently, with one of them even giving a
specific number of his visits.
“I visited the town 166 times and
you can find it in the guest book at the
Circuit House. I kept the record for this
day,” said Shaikh Muzibur Rahman,
former MP from Satkhira 1.Former health minister AFM Ru-
hal Haque, who has been elected for a
PAGE 2 COLUMN 1
History repeatsfor Jatiya PartynKamran Reza Chowdhury and
Manik Miazee
The Jatiya Party that first put into prac-
tice the culture of placing a “subservient
opposition” in parliament more than 25
years ago is itself now going to play the
role of an opposition of similar nature.
Before that the Jatiya Party, in the
first instance, held a one-sided poll in
the country.
Now apprehending a public image
of a “domestic’ opposition” former mil-
itary dictator HM Ershad’s Jatiya Party
wants to be both in the opposition and
the treasury benches for power sharing.In absence of the BNP and its allies,
the Jatiya Party has emerged as the
largest party with 33 seats after theAwami League that has won 232 seats.
According to the parliamentary rules,
the Jatiya Party is supposed to be in the
opposition bench.
Soon after taking oath on January 9,
the parliamentary group of the Jatiya
Party picked Ershad’s wife, Raushan
Ershad, as the leader of the opposition
in the 10th Jatiya Sangsad. At the same
time, the party MPs concluded that
they would be in the cabinet too.
HM Ershad, elected from the Rang-
pur-3 seat despite his previous poll boy-
cott decision, is now in the combined
military hospital for his “purported
sickness”, has snubbed the post of the
opposition leader as he was the presi-
dent of the republic, party leaders say.
“We instituted a domestic opposition
in 1988. Even if we now try to play the
role of a real opposition, we will be brand-ed as domestic opposition of the Awami
League,” Mujibul Haque, a presidium
member and state minister for youth and
sports, told the Dhaka Tribune.
PAGE 2 COLUMN 1
nTribune Report
Two rape victims from Jamaat-dominat-
ed Hazrail area in Jessore’s Monirampur
filed cases with local police yesterday,
two days after they had been tortured
in front of family members by some
masked men, allegedly activists of Ja-
maat-Shibir, at their Hrishipara houses.
Jessore ASP Reshma Sharmin told
the Dhaka Tribune that they had re-
ceived two complaints lodged by thevictims themselves, who are also rela-
tives, against unnamed people.
The incident remained beyond any-
one’s knowledge until the victims filedthe cases with Monirampur police sta-
tion yesterday, reports our correspond-
ent in Jessore. It took place at a time
when attacks on Hindus and Awami
League supporters in the area contin-
ued since the 10th parliamentary elec-
tion on January 5.
On the election day, an entire Hindu
locality of Malopara village in Obhoy-
nagar upazila of the same district was
driven away from their homes by the
activists of Jamaat-Shibir.
Panicked as well as enraged, locals
are now guarding the village at night
together to resist any further attack.
Police suspect that the Jamaat-Shibir
men had been behind the rapes.
Hazrail is known as one of the
strongholds of opposition ally Ja-
maat-e-Islami in the district. Duringan election campaign last month, the
activists of Jamaat and its student wing
Islami Chhatra Shibir torched the pri-
vate car of former MP from the area
PAGE 2 COLUMN 6
AL leadersoppose JaPa’scabinet dream
nEmran Hossain Shaikh
Several Awami League leaders have re-
acted strongly to the proposition that
the HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party (JaPa)
be a part of government by joining the
cabinet.
Awami League sources said most of
the party’s policymakers are discour-
aging party President Sheikh Hasina
from including JaPa in the cabinet.According to the sources, they have
told Hasina it would be controversial
and many people including BNP and
Jamaat would get a weapon to criticise
the government.They also told her that such a form of
government would be rare in the democ-
racy and it might lead to bad practices.
On Thursday a delegation of JaPa, led
by Rawshan Ershad, met Sheikh Hasina
and according to sources discussed the
formation of a government under mu-
tual agreement. Sources said JaPa had
requested Hasina to include seven MPs
of their party in the government.
A senior Awami League Leader who
attended the meeting tried to dissuade
Hasina from including JaPa in the
PAGE 2 COLUMN 6
PM: Khaleda must pay for mistakes
nEmran Hossain Shaikh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yester-
day said BNP Chairperson and former
premier Khaleda Zia would have to pay
the price for boycotting the 10th parlia-
mentary election.
“You made a mistake by not con-
testing the poll. So, why will the peo-
ple pay the price? Rather you will have
to...” Hasina, also the Awami League
president, said while addressing a rally
at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital.
The AL organised the programme
marking the homecoming day of Father
of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mu-
jibur Rahman on January 10, 1972.
“Khaleda Zia has unleashed her
party’s criminals and militants of the
Jamaat-Shibir on the minorities and
innocent people of the country as
PAGE 2 COLUMN 6
People of all ages in Hrishipara unite, demanding life of dignity, in front of the media on Thursday, two days after two housewives were violated DHAKA TRIBUNE
Party supporters gather at Suhrawardy Udyan to join Awami League’s first post-election rally yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE
19 killed in nine months;nobody dares file cases infear of reprisal
SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com SECOND EDITION
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News2 DHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, January 11, 2014
A by-product of AL's unethical politics PAGE 1 COLUMN 5
Contacted, Enamul’s Private Secretary
Mahbubur Rahman Babu refused to
make any comment and at one stage
disconnected his cell phone call.
District unit Vice-President Abdul
Wadud is an incumbent lawmaker from
Chapainawabganj-2.
It was alleged that the lawmaker
picked Jamaat district Amir Latifur
Rahman and nominated him as an aca-
demic committee president of the City
College and executive committee pres-ident of Fulkuri Islamic Foundation in
the district town.
Asked about Awami League organisa-
tional activities, Abdul Wadud, who was
earlier a BNP leader, told the Dhaka Tri-
bune that the responsibility of the entire
party activities did not rest with him.
The lawmaker’s nephew Harun-or-
Rashid is an organising secretary of Ra-
jshahi unit BNP.
Wadud blamed district unit Presi-
dent brigadier Enamul Haque and itsSecretary Mynuddin Mandal for the
weakness of the party.
Asked about their forging links with
Jamaat-Shibir, he said the country was
going through a political stalemate and
it required cooperation of all to contin-
ue political activities.
He, however, refused to have estab-
lished any link with Jamaat-e-Islami
and claimed he always tried to work for
the party welfare.
Why not any protest even after Ja-
maat-Shibir attack on AL leaders, he said
it was Shibganj where the incident took
place and he was not entrusted with
looking after the party issues in that area.
“Our district unit president is tasked
to do the job in Shibganj and moreover
it is the area of Golam Rabbani who is
an MP-elect,” he said.
Contacted, Chapainawabganj-3 law-
maker said the party activities were
somewhat laid-back there because of
poor organisational structure.
“We are working hard and hope that
we would be able to rein in the situa-
tion very shortly,” he added.
District unit Awami League Secre-
tary Mynuddin Mandal also dodged the
question that their leaders were pam-
pering Jamaat-Shibir.
He said: “I have heard something
like that, but I do not know the details
about it.”
As many as 19 political killings have
been recorded in Shibganj over the past
nine months. It is irony of fate that five
of them were Awami League men who
were killed in Jamaat-Shibir attacks,
police said.
All the cases and complaints were
recorded by the police as the victims’
families dared not file any complaints
against the attackers.
Mizanur Ra hman, offi cer-in-c harge
of Shibganj police station, said: “We
wait for the victims’ families to ap-
proach us and file cases, but they do
not respond.”Most Awami League leaders in Shib-
ganj and its surrounding areas spend
nights away from home in fear of Ja-
maat-Shibir attack.
This correspondent met Awami
League activist Mostafizur Rahman in
front of the district super market who said
he went home once a week fearing attack.
Recently, the Jamaat men attacked
Mohammad Selim, 28, in Ranihata area
on his way home, he said.
In the latest killing a group of Ja-maat-Shibir activists allegedly set fire
to the shop of upazila Awami League
Adviser Enamul Haque who was
burned to death inside his shop.
When asked why no case was filed
and no action taken Awami League
district unit Health Secretary Shahja-
lal Shahin attributed the failure to the
organisational flaw while its Join S ecre-
tary Faruk Masum laid blame on their
leaders.
Faruk said the district unit leaders
were unconcerned about the problems
of leaders and activists in the upazila.l
History repeats for Jatiya Party PAGE 1 COLUMN 6
“So, we want to be in the cabinet and
in the opposition bench. It is better
to share power with the government
when the blame of domestic opposition
is a must,” he said, justifying the Jatiya
Party’s decision to be in the cabinet.
Raushan Ershad Thursday night saw
the prime minister Sheikh Hasina and
conveyed her party’s desire to join the
cabinet besides holding the post of op-
position leader.
Awami League General Secretary
Syed Ashraful Islam on Thursday just
smiled in reply to the Dhaka Tribune
question whether it was possible for
a party to be in the opposition having
representation in the cabinet.
In the face of boycott by the Awami
League and the BNP, HM Ershad’s Jati-
ya Party formed the fourth parliament
in 1988. A faction of the Jatiya Sama-
jtantrik Dal (Rob) joined the polls and
its leader ASM Abdur Rob became the
opposition leader.
The political parties then called Rob
a “domestic” opposition leader.
Kazi Feroz Rashid, another presid-
ium member, told reporters that the
Jatiya Party did not want to only fight
with the government.
“This is possible to be in the cabinet
and the opposition simultaneously,” he
said.
Academicians and experts vehe-
mently oppose the Jatiya Party’s “op-
portunistic” attitude.
“There is no instance of such ec-centric nature that a party can be in
the cabinet and the opposition simul-
taneously. They consider people to be
foolish,” Prof Nizam Uddin Ahmed, a
Chittagong University teacher who has
several books on parliamentary politics
in Bangladesh to his credit, told the
Dhaka Tribune.
According to the parliamentary
lexicon, he said, a party having single
cabinet member cannot be in the oppo-
sition.“The Jatiya Party basically shows an
unprecedented sign of opportunistic
politics for their gains,” he said.
However, a section of the Jatiya Par-
ty MPs, who have no possibility of be-
ing selected in the cabinet the Awami
League is set to form on Sunday, op-
posed the party decision to select seven
leaders for induction in government.
Raushan Ershad, who was unan-
imously selected as the opposition
leader at the parliamentary party meet-
ing on Thursday, saw the prime minis-
ter Sheikh Hasina and handed over the
names of the seven JaPa MPs for induc-
tion in the cabinet.
They are: Anisul Islam Mahmud,
Ziauddin Ahmed, Kazi Firoz Rashid,
Mujibul Haque (Chunnu), Salma Is-
lam, Moshur Rahman Ranga and ABM
Ruhul Amin Howlader.
Moshiur Rahman Ranga, who ac-
companied Raushan Ershad for meet-
ing with Sheikh Hasina, told the Dhaka
Tribune that the seven lawmakers are
likely to become ministers in the “gov-
ernment of consensus”.
Fakhrul Imam MP, also a presidium
member, told the Dhaka Tribune: “If
the government is thinking of forming
a government of consensus, at best
one can be minister from our party.
But if we have seven ministers, we
will actually lose our status as the
opposition party”.
Out of the total 33 MPs, three JaPa
MPs talked to the Dhaka Tribune and
opposed the idea of joining the c abinet
besides playing the role of opposition
in parliament.
At the Thursday’s parliamentary
party meeting, a JaPa MP said joining
the cabinet would demonstrate our
party as a “domestic opposition”. So,
the JaPa should not join the cabinet.
But the other members opposed
him. He finally agreed with the other
members who were in favour of joining
the cabinet.The Dhaka Tribune asked four JaPa
members – Ruhul Amin Howlader, Kazi
Firoz Rashid, Salma Islam and Moshi-
ur Rahman Ranga – whether they got
any call from the cabinet division for
induction in the cabinet. l
Jamaat toned up by AL in Satkhira PAGE 1 COLUMN 3
second time from Satkhira 3 uncontest-
ed in the 10th parliamentary election,
claimed that he had visited the constit-
uency at least twice a month.
“People can build resistance against
any atrocities, but they cannot do it
when the leadership fails,” said Musto-
fa Lutfullah, who has been elected MP
from Satkhira 3 in the January 5 poll
from the Workers’ Party.
He believes Satkhira situation will
remain the same until a strong political
intervention is made against Jamaat.
“Our leadership has failed us. I
do not see any hope at the end of the
tunnel and I believe this is high time
I quit,” said an AL union-level leader.
He does not even dare talk on record
and requested that his identity be con-
cealed by all means.
Rivalry between Ruhal and Muzibur,
president of the district unit, is evident
from the statement they made to this
reporter.
Ruhal categorically blamed the par-
ty’s district leadership for its currentdeplorable condition.
Better known as Engineer Muzibur
Rahman, the district unit chief, how-
ever, accused the administration of
patronising Jamaat violence, when it is
believed that the former minister had
a hand behind designing the adminis-
tration.
Muzibur is also facing allegations of
corruption and misappropriation. He
allegedly took over three years to build
the Satkhira-Khulna road, raising its
cost from Tk7 crore to Tk16 crore. Con-
tractors alleged that Muzibur even pre-
vented them from dropping tenders to
ensure that he gets the contract himself.
On the other hand, masterminds be-
hind the atrocious 10 months since Ja-
maat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee
was sentenced to death on February
28 for war crimes have remained out ofthe law enforcers’ dragnet.
Habibur Rahman, Jamaat’s Satkhira
upazila Nayeb-e-Ameer, who led the
February 28 attack on Satkhira Circuit
House that resulted in the deaths of
seven Jamaat-Shibir activists, is the
brother of Satkhira Awami League Gen-
eral Secretary Nazrul Islam and is still
at large.
Abdul Khaleque, the husband of
Nazrul’s cousin, is Jamaat’s district
nayeb-e-ameer and the principal of
Agardari Aminia Kamil Madrasa, which
is widely said as a Jamaat-Shibir “can-
tonment” for giving shelter to cadres.
Khaleque is still out of the law enforc-
ers’ reach.
Jamaat was so successful in winning
public faith through constant politi-
cal campaigns that it had been able to
manipulate general people to believe
that Sayedee and Abdul Quader Molla
were innocent and victims of the “Awa-
mi League’s politics against Islam.”
Thousands of villagers joined Jamaat
demonstrations, proving their impres-sion of the government.
The Awami League leadership has
failed to counter Jamaat’s propagan-
da politically and save general people
from abuse in the name of Islam.
Even Ruhal is not hopeful of “end-
ing the party’s pitiable” condition. He
blamed the party’s district-level lead-
ers for non-cooperation as they did not
even respond to his calls to meet him to
find a solution. “I have tried to reform
Satkhira politics in the past three years,
but failed,” Ruhal said.
Regarding party leaders having fa-
milial relations with Jamaat, Ruhal’s
opinion is: “Jamaat men can be rela-
tives, but the relation should not over-
shadow political ideology.”
At the same time, he mentioned that
there were numerous occasions in the
past when influential district AL leaders
pressured police for releasing arrestedJamaat leaders. But the story takes an
interesting turn if the volley of alle-
gations made by local leaders against
Ruhul is taken into consideration.
AL’s Kaliganj upazila unit President
Sheikh Waheduzzaman alleged that
80% appointment made in the dis-
trict during the last five years were Ja-
maat-Shibir activists.
Kaliganj falls in Ruhal’s own constit-
uency and Waheduzaman alleged that
the appointments had been made in
exchange of money.
Newspaper reports quoting the
minister’s declaration disclosed to the
Election Commission ahead of the polls
reveal that his wife’s property grew at
a stunning rate of 782% when her hus-
band was a minister. His son turned into
a businessman from a service holder.
Ruhal claimed that there must be
a typo in registering his wife’s wealth
information. On the appointments,
he said there were only three to four
Jamaat-Shibir activists who had been
recommended by the AL leaders.
Local leaders alleged that said Ruhal
had prioritised the Jamaat and the BNP
men because of his APS Moshayet Ali
Khokon, who was general secretary of
Kaliganj College unit Jatiyatabadi Ch-
hatra Dal, the BNP’s student wing. The
former health minister dismissed the
allegation.
“The [former] minister always over-
looked our recommendations and de-
mands. He rather worked for the Jamaat
for money,” claimed district AL unit Or-
ganising Secretary Sarder Firoz Ahmed.
Rivalry between Ruhal and Muzibur
over supremacy in the party’s leader-
ship is a common topic of discussion in
the district. People said they rarely saw
these two political figures on the same
stage in the last five years.
Party insiders allege that the two
leaders lacked moral strength to stand by the side of the people affected by
the recent attacks perpetrated by the
Jamaat-Shibir.
Muzibur visited Deyara union unit
Swechchhasebak League President
Rabiul Islam’s family first time on De-
cember 26, a month after the leader
was hacked to death in broad daylight.
And then, he, guarded by 10-12 youths
looked like his body guard, stayed there
less than 10 minutes and hurriedly left
the area apparently in fear since the v il-
lage is known as a Jamaat den.
Muzibur said it was not “politically”
safe for him to visit the victims for a
number of reasons, including his safety
concern centring intra-party feud.
“The election has created division
among the party men. And I had a con-
cern for my safety too.”
Ruhal said the blockades put by Ja-maat supporters had prevented him
from visiting the victims’ families. He
wondered how he could visit the places
when even the law enforcers could not
take him.
On the other hand, Jamaat leaders,
even the ones wanted by police, attend-
ed janaza of their activists killed in the
firing of law enforcers. They arranged
the funerals and reportedly gave every
family of a deceased Tk5 lakh.
Satkhira did not see violence only
in 2013. Former Jatiya Party lawmaker
HM Golam Reza’s Satkhira 4 constitu-
ency saw one of the most significant
Hindu repressions in 2012, allegedly
fuelled further by the lawmaker.
Another former JaPa lawmaker MA
Jabbar from Satkhira 2 seat is said to
have spent most of the government aid
– distributed under Test Relief and Ka-
bikha (food for work) programmes – to
Agardari Aminia Kamil Madrasa.
“The present crisis in the area is not
all about Jamaat. The Awami League
is also equally responsible for all of
these,” aggrieved, said a district AL
leader preferring anonymity.
“Jamaat found a golden opportunity
to do what it has done in absence
of a competent leadership in Satkhira.
And the grand alliance leaders werenever seen talking anything about
secular politics,” said Abul Kalam Azad,
acting editor of local newspaper the
daily Patradut. l
PM: Khaleda must PAGE 1 COLUMN 3
they cast votes in favour of the Awami
League ignoring their call to boycott the
poll,” Hasina said.
Threatening the opposition BNPJa-
maat for “criminal activities,” the pre-
mier said: “You wanted to resist the poll,
but failed. Now stop killing innocent
people in the name of hartal and block-ade. Otherwise...the Awami League
knows how to prevent it.”
She said the BNP chief and some war
criminals and terrorists would not be
able to stop the progress of Bangladesh.
“So, I request you to stop violent activi-
ties and come to a negotiation table... Let
us resolve the crisis through talks,” the
premier said.
She also asked the people to assist the
government in preventing the criminal
activities of BNPJamaat.
The AL chief again thanked the peo-
ple for not responding to the call of the
BNP chairperson who had urged them
to foil the 10th parliamentary poll. She
thanked the 40% voters for casting their
rights in favour of the AL braving all sorts
of obstacles.
The premier said a vested quarter had
been hatching conspiracy to foil the poll
to take benefit from an unconstitutional
government. “But the people cast votes
to establish democracy in the country,”
she said adding that the countrymen
would not want to see any “terrorist”party in power anymore.
Informing the people about her meet-
ing with the president on Thursday, the
premier said: “I met with the President
as leader of majority party. We will form
the next government and take oath on
January 12 [tomorrow].”
AL leaders including Amir Hossain
Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta,
Matia Chowdhury and Syed Ashraful Is-
lam also addressed the rally with Syeda
Sajeda Chowdhury in the chair.
There was a huge crowd during the
rally at Suhrawardy Udyan where Bang-
abandhu had given his historic speech
on March 7, 1971. Controversial lawmak-
er Shamim Osman and former state min-
isters Quamrul Islam and Jahangir Kabir
Nanak joined the programme along with
a large number of activists. l
AL leaders oppose PAGE 1 COLUMN 6
government. Another leader told the
prime minister not to sacrifice more than
two ministries for them, sources said.
AL Presidium member and new-
ly-elected MP Mohammad Nasim told
the Dhaka Tribune that the premier
would like to form a government based
on mutual agreement with the partici-
pation of all parties represented in par-
liament. “This is why, JaPa may have a
token participation in the government.
“Their representation might be in
one or two posts, but how is it possible
if they demand more than five?” he said
suggesting that the JaPa should not join
the government. It should play the role
of a “real opposition” which would help
increase its popularity.
“And they will also get the anti-Awa-
mi League votes that were supposed to
go to BNP who rejected them for being
allies with Jamaat,” he explained.
Party Adviser Suranjit Sengupta saidat an event yesterday: “The opposition
desires to be a part of the cabinet as well.
It means they want all the benefits for
themselves. We hope it will not be some-
thing absurd in the name of a consensus
government,” he said.
AL leader Amir Hossain Amu said
there was no scope for any party to be a
part of the government and the opposi-
tion at the same time. l
Two Hindu women PAGE 1 COLUMN 1
Khan Tipu Sultan’s son. They even pre-
vented Tipu Sultan from putting up
posters in the area ahead of the election.Electi on o ffi cials had t o p ost-
pone voting in 60 polling centres in
Monirampur upazila alone as the Ja-
maat-Shibir activists wreaked havoc in
the area to foil the poll. The number is
highest in a single upazila where poll-
ing was postponed across the country.
Family members of the rape victims
said 10-12 masked men equipped with
firearms had gone to one of the houses
at Rishipara around 10pm on Tuesday
and asked for drinking water. See-
ing firearms with them, the dwellers
thought they might be law enforcers.
Then the criminals entered the house,
tied the family members and raped a
woman at gunpoint until midnight.
The family members said the rapists
then went to an adjacent house – both
situated at a corner of the Hrishipara
village – and raped another woman
until 3am on Wednesday, holding the
family members hostages at gunpoint.
The victims were taken to Jessore
General Hospital yesterday morning formedical tests, said police.
UNB quotes Offi cer-in-Ch arge of
Monirampur police station Mir Rezaul
Hossain: “Those who are on the run
following the ongoing drives of the
joint forces are behind the incident.” l
RAB 'locks up'Narayanganj BNP offi cenOur Correspondent,
Narayanganj
District BNP leaders alleged that mem-
bers of RAB 11 Narayanganj camp had
locked up th e district BN P offi ce yes-
terday morning.
They alleged that RAB members
came into the offi ce and locked it down
while a maulana and some madrasa
students were reciting the Qur’an
for those who were killed during
the 18-party Alliance’s hartals and
blockades.
Lt Col Tareq Sayeed Mohammad, the
command ing offi cer of Rap id Action
Battalion (RAB 11), rejected the alle-
gation outright and told the Dhaka
Tribune: “RAB personnel neither con-ducted any operation in Narayanganj
yesterday nor shut down any of the
offi ces of BN P.”
He further said if anybody had
raised such an allegation, they were
not right.
City BNP General Secretary ATM
Kamal ope ned the BNP offi ce on Thurs-
day morning after two months, return-
ing with some other BNP leaders after
imprisonment.
Kamal said a RAB vehicle came in
front of th e offi ce yesterday morn ing.
Later two more vehicles also came
there and RAB members from the vehi-
cles entered the offi ce, he alleged.
“Seeing the RAB members coming
towards the offi ce, city BNP Joint Gen-eral Secretary Nurul Haq Chowdhury
Dipu and Offi ce Secret ary Akter Ho s-
sain Khokon Shah fled by scaling the
boundary wall at the back,” he said.
A RAB member who was present in
one of the vehicles said they did not
enter the BNP offi ce though they were
in front of the offi ce.
Kamal alleged that RAB members
locked up t he offi ce and wa lked the
maulana and the students out. The
peon was warned not to reopen the
offi ce.
“Whoever opens the o ffi ce will be
arrested, they said,” Kamal said.
Condemning the government,
Naraynaganj district unit BNP Presi-
dent Advocate Taimur Alam Khandak-
er said, “BY lock ing up the BNP offi ce,
the government has locked up democ-
racy. The government has also proved
that it is anti-religious by stopping the
recitation of the Qur’an.”l
Vehicles, mostly goods-laden trucks, stuck in a 15km-long jam from Paturia towards Dhaka after they started operating yesterday when
there was no blockade of the opposition. The photo was taken at Rajbari DHAKA TRIBUNE
Kamal alleged that RABmembers locked up theoffi ce and walked themaulana and the studentsout. The peon was warnednot to reo pen the offi ce
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Potiya madrasa headmasterkilled, two injurednTarek Mahmud, Chittagong
A dead body was recovered from a sep-
tic tank of a madrasa in Khorna union
of Chittagong’s Potiya upazila yester-
day morning.
The dead was identified as Ab-
dul Aziz, 50, hailing from Satkania of
the district. He was the headmaster
of Shahjahan Awlia Etimkhana and
Hekhana and member of Ahle Sunnat
Wal Jamaa t, Offi cer-in-Ch arge Mafi z
Uddin of Potiya police station said.
Police said a teacher and a student
of the madrasa had been detained for
interrogation but their names were not
disclosed for the sake of the investiga-
tion.
OC Mafiz Uddin said they had recov-
ered the body from the tank around
8am after they received information
from the madrasa authorities. The body had some bruises on the hands,
head and the face, he added.
Assistant Superintendent of Police
Shamim Hossain of Potiya circle in
Chittagong said in initial investigation,
it was found that a number of unknown
miscreants had called the headmaster
out of the madrasa around 11pm on
Thursday and hacked him indiscrim-
inately. The miscreants later dumped
the body in the tank, he added.
He said the miscreants had also
slashed at the madrasa’s domestic
help, Rowshan Ara Begum, 55, and a
student, Abdu Rahman Tipu, 15, when
they came out of their rooms hearing
the headmaster shout. Rowshan re-
ceived injuries on her head and Tipuon his leg, he added.
The ASP said the domestic help was
currently undergoing treatment in
Chittagong Medical College Hospital
and the body of Abdul Aziz was sent to
the morgue for autopsy.
OC Mafiz said they were investigat-
ing the matter and a case was lodgedwith Potiya police station in this re-
gard.
SUM Abdus Samad, presidium
member of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat,
alleged that Jamaat-Shibir men had
killed the headmaster. However, Mo-
hammad Ullah, publicity secretary of
the city unit of Jamaat-e-Islami, denied
the allegation.
The ASP said they were looking into
the matter to see whether the killing
was political or it was related to any
previous local dispute. l
3NewsDHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, January 11, 2014
BNP: AL men attackminority and blameopposition for itn
Mohammad Al-Masum Molla
The BNP yesterday alleged Awami
League activists of attacking the mi-
norities and trying to put the blame on
the opposition party, and added that it
was a “usual part of Awami League’s
falsehood.”
“People of Bangladesh are very
much conscious. Also, people from the
Hindu community blamed the Awami
League for attacking the Hindus and
demanded punishment of the culprits
after identifying them,” Mirza Fakhrul
Islam Alamgir, BNP acting secretary
general, alleged in a press release.
Fakhrul, on behalf of party Chair-
person Khaleda Zia, also called upon
the party leaders and activists of alltiers to stand beside the Hindu com-
munity and to extend support as per
their capacity.
Condemning the attacks, the
spokesperson of the party demanded
exemplary punishment for the “real”
criminals.
Minority communities came under
attack in different places across the
country following the January 5 elec-
tion, forcing many to flee their houses
and seek shelter elsewhere.
In most of the incidents, Ja-
maat-e-Islami and its student wingIslami Chhatra Shibir were blamed for
attacking the Hindus with the help of
local BNP men.
Fakhrul alleged that the incumbent
“illegal government” has pushed the
country into extreme chaos and uncer-
tainty as it was implementing a plan
to eradicate the opposition from the
country using law enforcers.
Fakhrul claimed that the govern-
ment’s conspiracy, propaganda and
ill-strategy would not be able to stop
the ongoing movement.
“If Awami League does not stop
misusing power and repressing the op-
position leaders and activists, it has to
face the same consequences faced by
previous autocratic governments,” he
said.l
Attacks on minorities trigger protest, immediatetrial of perpetrators demandednTribune Report
Various human rights, cultural and civil
society organisations yesterday raised
their voices against the attacks on mi-
nority people across the country and
demanded an immediate trial of the
perpetrators.
Ganajagaran Mancha observed a ral-
ly yesterday protesting the attacks on
minorities and urged people to resist
such attacks.
“For the last 43 years, it had only
been limited to protest programmes,
but it is high time we actually took steps
to resist such heinous acts, not just be-
ing content with mere protests,” Imran
H Sarker, spokesperson of Ganajagaran
Mancha, said while reacting to the at-
tacks on minorities.
Imran was addressing a rally in front
of the main gate of Jahangirnagar Uni-
versity as part of their two-day “Road
March” to Jessore.
Human Right’s Forum Bangladesh
also condemned the attacks on the Hin-
dus in a statement yesterday.
Meanwhile, civil society platform
Nagarik Sanghati yesterday urged the
government to constitute a tribunal for
bringing perpetrators involved in com-
munal attack on minorities to justice.
The victims of such attacks always
seek justice, but a vested quarter is
carrying out attacks on minorities be-
cause of impunity, and the situation is
worsening gradually, the speakers said,
addressing the rally in front of the Na-
tional Museum in the capital.
They also urged the government to
bring the attackers under trial immedi-ately apart from providing compensa-
tion to the victims living a miserable life
after the attacks.
Meanwhile, 10 civil society organ-
isations observed a human chain and
silent procession in Habiganj city, pro-
testing the violence against minority
people. They called upon the govern-
ment for immediate arrest of perpetra-
tors and take measures to secure every
people of the country.
Civil society leaders of Khagrachari
organised a discussion that criticisedthe role of law enforcement agencies
during the attack and urged the govern-
ment to enact a tougher law to ensure
rights of minority community in the
country.
They also demanded proper com-
pensation and rehabilitation for the vic-
tims, apart from taking steps to secure
their life and properties.
Communist Party Bangladesh ob-
served a human chain and demonstra-
tion at Narayanganj.
It said BNP and Awami League were
blaming one another for the attack on
minorities. Such blame game helped
the perpetrators to hide out, added the
party.
The speakers of the party laid blame
on Police, RAB and local Awami League
leaders, saying these people were at the
places where such attacks took place,
but they did not take any action against
the attackers.
Human chain and rally were ob-
served at Feni, Kurigram Madaripur,
Gopalganj, and Sirajganj districts pro-
testing the attacks.
Meanwhile, a team of police arrested
Akkas Ali, a local leader of Jamaat-e-Is-
lami from Kochubunia village in Mo-
relganj upazila, suspecting his involve-
ment in arson attack on two temples on
Wednesday night.
Earlier, law enforcers arrested three
BNP activists – Mintu, Isahaq and Halim
on the same charges.
Just after the 10th parliamentary poll,
attacks on the minority people have tak-
en place in the villages of Thakurgaon,
Dinajpur, Rangpur, Bogra, Lalmonirhat,Gaibandha, Rajshahi, Chittagong and
Jessore districts.l
1,200 guests to attend newcabinet’s swearing-innRabiul Islam
The cabinet division started inviting
guests for attending the oath talking
ceremony of new cabinet of 10th parlia-
ment at Bangabhaban on Sunday.
Offi cials at the cabinet division a t
Bangladesh Secretariat said around
1,200 guests including the newly elect-
ed law makers would be invited.
The newly elected law makers took
oaths on Thursday.
Despite weekly holiday (Friday), the
cabinet division remained open and
was busy sending invitations to the des-
ignated persons that include president,
prime minister, speaker, chief justice,
former presidents, prime ministers,
speakers, and chief justices, leaders of
different political parties, cultural per-
sonalities and diplomats.
“We have yet to decide whether to
invite the BNP high-ups, and the deci-
sion in this regard will be finalised on
Saturday,” a senior offi cial of the ca binet
division told the Dhaka Tribune on con-
dition of anonymity.
“We are getting the list of guests and
sending them invitation accordingly,”
the offi cial added.
About inviting BNP Chairperson
Khaleda Zia, cabinet Secretary Moshar-
raf Hossain Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Trib-
une, “I will not disclose the decision as it
is a confidential matter. The list of guests
is approved by the prime minister.”
With reference to the Indian bureau-
cracy, he said the invitation of guests is
not also disclosed there. “I can only tell
you the oath taking ceremony will be
held at 3:30pm on Sunday,” he added.Talking to this correspondent, an of-
ficial at the cabinet division said there
was no question of inviting Jamaat.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, an ally of the
BNP-led alliance, faces the fury of gov-
ernment which is bringing the war
criminals to justice while the islamist
organisation is opposing the govern-
ment move. l
Activists of Ganajagaran Mancha bring out a procession at Shahbagh yesterday before starting for the road march to Malopara of Jessore. The Mancha called out for the march to
protest communal violence by the oppositions DHAKA TRIBUNE
50 metres of Jamunaembankment collapsednOur Correspondent, Sirajganj
About 50 metres of an embankment of
the Jamuna River in Sirajganj got caved
in yesterday morning despite a steady
flow in the river.
The Tk350cr embankment called Sir-
ajganaj Town Protection Embankment
was constructed by the Bangladesh Wa-
ter Development Board in 2000.Though eroded several times in last
four years, this is the first time an ero-
sion occurred during winter.
Md Rafiqul Islam, the executive en-
gineer of the local Water Development
Board, told the Dhaka Tribune that the
lower part adjacent to the slope of the
embankment got eroded suddenly.
He added that it got eroded because
of scouring during the last flood.Deputy Commissioner Md Billal Hos-
sain and the sadar Upazila Nirbahi Of-
ficer Mohammad Salauddin went to visit
the spot after the erosion had occured.
Locals complained to them that irre-
sponsible attitude and corruption of the
local WDB engineers and their contrac-
tors were responsible for the situation.
The deputy commissioner
assured the locals that necessary
measures would be taken after proper
investigation. l
14-month-old baby rescued after 7 days of abductionnKailash Sarkar
A 14-month-old baby girl was rescued
from a house in capital’s Mirpur area
after seven days of abduction.
Rapid Action Battalion-2 arrested
the alleged abductor Nasir Uddin alias
Nesar, 32, from his village Atakora
under Chouddagram in Comilla on
Thursday night.
Following his statement, the childnamed Anika, was rescued from the
house yesterday afternoon.
Nesar had been demanding
Tk1.5lakh as ransom from the child’s
parents Rumana Akhter, an employee
at a restaurant in Adabar, and
rickshaw-puller Abul Hossain, said Lt
Col SM Azad, c ommandi ng offi cer of
Rab 2 while addressing a press briefingat Rab-2 o ffi ce in c apital’s Ag argaon
yesterday.
“Nesar was one of my co-workers at
the restaurant. He took my child from
my lap on January 3 in the eveningand went out for a walk outside the
restaurant. He did not get back until it
was 11:30pm and then he made a phone
call demanding Tk1.5lakh as ransom,”
said Rumana.
“Nesar threatened that if we did
not pay the money, we would see dead
body of our child lying in front of our
house,” added Rumana.
A day after the incident, Abul
Hossain filed a general diary with
Adabar police station and informed the
matter to Rab-2 personnel.
“Being informed by the parents, we
started searching. With technological
support, we were able to detect the
location of the abductor and detained
him from his village. He confessed
that he had left the child at a house
in the capital’s Dakkhin Peererbagh
area in Mirpur. The Rab men returned
Dhaka with him and rescued the child
around 3:00pm,” said the commanding
offi cer.
He said Nesar had left the child to
one of his friends who fled away from
the house sensing danger.
“The friend of the abductor left the
house leaving the infant inside it on
January 6. Hearing crying of the baby
the locals rescued it and since then
they had been taking care of it,” said
the Rab offi cial. l
Being informed by theparents, we started searching.With technological support,we were able to detect thelocation of the abductor anddetained him from his village
Highways, city roads witness long queuenTribune Report
Major highways and city roads yester-
day witnessed long tailbacks as people
came out in large numbers after getting
a reprieve from the back-to-back hartal
and communication blockade of the
BNP-led 18-party alliance.
The streets were affected by a tri-
ple whammy of dense fogs, swarming
vehicles and haphazard parking in the
morning, but there were little signs of
easing up even after the fogs lifted later
in the day.
There were long queues of vehicles
packed with passengers around almost
every intersections in the capital, while
its entry points were clogged by in-
bound and out-bound long-route bus-
ses and trucks.
Comilla witnessed a 36-kilometre
tailback on both sides of the highway
between Chandina and Daudkandi toll
plaza, caused by heavy fogs and high
concentration of vehicles, especiallygoods-laden trucks, reports our Comilla
correspondent.
The passengers of a Dhaka-bound
bus from Chandina said they had
started for the capital around 6am but
couldn’t get past the upazila periphery
even after four hours.
Mohammad Sohel, driver of a cov-
ered van, said it had taken him over five
hours to drive the 27 kilometres from
Chandina to Gouripur. “It was not to-
tally unexpected. People got a two-day
break before another spell of blockade
begins on Sunday; naturally, they will
try to make the most of it.”
A 60-kilometre tailback was wit-
nessed on the road between Comil-
la’s Iliotganj to Narayanganj’s Meghna
Bridge.
“The jam ensued after some vehicles
got stuck in the foggy weather early in
the morning, and by 10am it stretched
over 60 kilometres,” said Sargent Md
Saiful Islam of Bhoberchar Highway po-
lice camp.
Meanwhile, a slow traffi c movement
was reported at the Hatikumrul High-
way of Sirajganj, on both sides of Bang-
abandhu Bridge, early in the day. “It got
worse as the day wore on,” said Ali Farid
Ahmed, offi cer in charge of H itikumrul
Highway police station.
The situation was no better on the
waterways. Ferry operations on the
Mawa-Keurakandi route were suspend-
ed because of dense fog on Thursday
night, leading to long queues of vehicles
waiting to cross the Padma.
Ferry crossing at the integral point
to South from Dhaka resumed after 11
hours around 10am, but there was al-
ready a long jam with buses and trucks
from 21 districts stuck on both sides of
the river.
Passengers on launches, speed boats
and trawlers had to suffer similar delays
because of the fog and resultant tail-
backs.
City’s Situation
Traffi c pressure in t he capital was
higher compared with the past few
days. Commuters had to wait for long
hours to get into their desired vehicles
and reach their destinations.
“I have been waiting for more than
20 minutes for a bus from Sukrabad to
Azimpur. I tried several times to get into
one but failed each time,” said Nahid Ja-
han, a Master’s student of Eden Mahila
College.
A similar situation was seen aroundimportant intersections like the Sonar-
gaon, Farmgate, Bijoynagar, Shahbagh,
and Gulistan.
A traffi c sergeant posted at the Pan-
thapath intersection, seeking anonymi-
ty, said jams in these points were in part
contributed to by the Awami League ral-
ly at the Suhrawardy Udyan, which was
organised to observe the homecoming
day of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman.l
The situation was no betteron the waterways as ferryoperations on the Mawa-Keurakandi route weresuspended because of densefog on Thursday night
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News 5DHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, January 11, 2014
Fog continues to disrupt communication There may be drizzles across the country except for Chittagong region today
nAbu Bakar Siddique
Dense fogs continued to disrupt road
and water transportation yesterday.
Water transports were particularly
hampered, with several hours of delays
in reaching destinations.
There may be drizzles across the
country except for Chittagong region
today, the Bangladesh Meteorological
Department said in a regular forecast.
The Met O ffi ce also said th e tem-
perature tonight will rise slightly due
to the drizzle.
“The temperature may fall by 2 to
3 degrees from Sunday, thus turning
the ongoing mild to moderate cold
wave into a severe cold wave across the
country,” said Forecasti ng Offi cer Abul
Kalam Mollik yesterday adding that it
was normal as January was the coldestmonth in the country.
The ongoing moderate cold wave
with chill wind and dense fog that is
sweeping over the country is causing
diffi cultie s in everyday life, especi ally
for low-income people in the northern
districts.
The cold spell has triggered cold-re-
lated diseases including pneumonia,
asthma and respiratory complications
in northern districts like Kurigram, Go-
palganj and Chuadanga.
Seven children were reported tohave died of cold-related diseases over
the last 10 days, Chuadanga Sadar Hos-
pital authorities said.
On an average, 150-200 patients
with cold-related diseases were receiv-
ing treatment at the outdoor section of
the hospital every day, they said.
The ferry service at the Ma-
wa-Keurakandi and Paturia-Dawlatdia
landing stations has been suspended
for 12 hours at night for the last two
weeks due to heavy fog, causing a few
kilometres of tailback on both the sidesof the river leading.
Sirajul Islam, a manager of Bangladesh
Inland Water Transport Corporation at
Mawa, said water transports and ferry
services remained suspended to avoid
accidents, resuming at 9.30am every
day after the fog disappears.
Communication problems
have been prevailing on all routes
including the Dhaka-Chandpur and
Dhaka-Barisal water route due to
dense fogs.
Ali Asgar Sarker, a launch owner,
told the Dhaka Tribune that the plying
of water vessels on almost all routes of
the Southern region had stopped be-
cause of poor visibility.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport
Corporation authorities said all vessels
on these routes were asked to be care-
ful while moving in mid-river.
On Wednesday, the country experi-
enced a record temperature drop of 6
degrees Celsius in Ishawrdi, according
to the Met Offi ce.
The lowest temperature yesterday,
at 7.6 degrees Celsius, was recorded in
Dinajpur while the highest tempera-
ture was recorded in Teknaf at 27.6 de-
grees Celsius. l
‘10th parliamentary
poll not free and fair’nMushfique Wadud
Election observer group Brotee yester-
day said the 10th parliamentary elec-tion held on January 5 was not free and
100% fair, but it recognised the poll in a
bid to overcome the political crisis cen-
tring election.
The organisation also said the Elec-
tion Commission failed to ensure se-
curity and create an environment for a
free, fair and credible election.
Based on its monitoring of 234 poll-
ing centres under 16 constituencies by
mobile observers and analysis of media
reports, Brotee found 37% votes were
cast in their observing centres.
It estimated that vote casting was
26% in Dhaka.
The organisation, however, did not
give any estimate on the percentage of
vote casting in all constituencies.
“The 10th parliamentary election
was not f ree and 100% f air,” Sharmeen
Murshid, chief executive offi cer
of Brotee, said at a press briefing
yesterday.
“We want to overcome the political
crisis centring election, and so we have
accepted the election,” she added.“Though the parliamentary election
was legally correct, it was not as fair as
the previous one,” she further said.
The observation report said 30 peo-
ple were killed and 671 injured on the
poll’s day and in post-poll violence.
Of the victims, 21 were killed and
587 injured on January 5 and nine
killed and 84 injured in post-election
violence.
It also estimated that 180 people
were killed in violence since the an-
nouncement of election schedule on
November 25.
According to the report, violence
took place in 445 polling centres under
32 districts and polls in 539 centres un-
der 36 constituencies were postponed.It said 152 schools were burnt by the
18-party alliance activists.
In 29 constituencies, the rival can-
didates boycotted the election alleging
vote rigging.
The report said participation of
women and non-muslim voters were at
its lowest.
In the post-election violence, 422
houses, temples and shops of Hindu
community were vandalised, torched
and looted, added the report.
About the reasons of low turnout,
the report mentioned lack of prepara-
tion and campaign of c andidates.
The observation report said it found
anti-election activists threatened vot-
ers not to cast votes, and crude bombs
were blasted surrounding the polling
centres.l
CLASH AT KOREAN EPZ IN CHITTAGONG
Victims to get compensation,6,000 workers suednTarek Mahmudd, Chittagong
The authorities of Korean Export Pro-
cessing Zone will give compensation
to family members of the workers of
Karnaphuli Sportswear Industries who,
was killed and were injured during
Thursday’s clash.
The EPZ authorities announced clo-
sure of the factory for indefinite period.
The police filed a case with Karna-
phuli police station accusing about
5,000-6,000 unknown workers in con-
nection with the clash.
Saifee Anwarul Azim, public relation
offi cer of Korea n EPZ, to ld the Dhak a
Tribune that the EPZ authorities would
provide Tk six lakh to family members
of each deceased worker while the in-
jured offi cials, employees and workers
would get Tk one lakh.Mohammed Mohiuddin , offi -
cer-in-charge of Karnaphuli police
station, said Sub-Inspector Md Saifuz-
zaman had lodged a case with the po-
lice station accusing about 5000-6000
unidentified workers in connection
with the incident.
The workers of Karnaphuli Sports-
wear Industries of Youngone Group,
which own the Korean EPZ, locked in
a clash with the law enforcers during
demonstration demanding proper im-
plementation of newly announcedwage board for garment workers.
A female worker Parvin Akhter was
killed and 20 others, including five po-
lice offi cers, were inj ured in the clash
between law enforcers and the workers
in the afternoon.
The agitated workers of the factory
also set a warehouse of the factory on
fire and vandalised machines during
the clash. l
Most footbridges remain unused in ChittagongTownsfolk avoid the bridges to avoid any untoward incidentsnFM Mizanur Rahaman
Most of the footbridges in the port city
have been lying unused as they are un-
der the grips of snatchers, sex workers,
beggars and vendors, thanks to indif-
ference of authorities concerned fornot properly monitoring and maintain-
ing the infrastructures.
Pedestrians rarely choose the foot-
bridge which have been constructed
for saving life of pedestrians and keep-
ing the tra ffi c movement s mooth o n
the roads, to sidestep unwanted inci-
dences, especially snatching.
Local sources said a section of ad-
vertisement companies had set up
billboards on the both sides of the foot-
bridges that keeps bridges invisible
from pedestrians as well as encourages
anti-socials activities such as snatch-
ing, prostitution and drug abuse, on
them.
Consequently, people avoid over
bridges and cross roads amid life risk,
local sources said, adding that it had
also bee n causing t raffi c jam on the
roads during the pick hours, making
life of city peop le more diffi cult.
According to Chittagong City Cor-
poration sources, there are a total of 10
footbridges in the city and those are lo-
cated in New Market, Chittagong Rail-
way Station, BAWA School and College,
CPA Girls’ High School and College,
Free Port, Chittagong Export Process-
ing Zone, Fakirhat, Customs intersec-
tion, Port Offi cers Colo ny and Na vy
Gate areas.
During a recent visit to the over
bridges, this correspondent witnessed
that pedestrians were using only three
bridges in which two are located in EPZ
area and one in BAWA School and Col-
lege area while rest of the bridges were
seen in abandoned condition.
People are not interest to use the
footbridges as they have been lying in
dilapidated conditions.
The foot over bridges in front of
Municipal High School of New Mar-
ket, Railway Station and Fakirhat areas
were found almost wrapping with bill-
boards while human wastes and dirt
were littering on the bridges. The street
people were also found dwelling on
several bridges.
“The miscreants snatch valuable if
they found any pedestrian on the foot-over bridge taking the opportunity of
invisibility caused by the billboards,”
said Sanjoy Nath, a shopkeeper at
Shah Amanat Market, adding that he
never used foot over bridges for the
cause.
Alamgir Hossain, another pedestri-
an in Fakirhat area, said he faced risk
while crossing road, however, had no
alternative as the foot over bridges re-
mained unusable and unsafe.
Sources at the Chittagong Devel-
opment Authority said they had con-structed nine bridges while rest one
had been constructed by CCC, adding
that they had handed over the bridges
to the city corporation after construc-
tion.
The city corporation is entrusted
with the task of looking after the foot
over bridges.
Ahmadul Haque, chief revenue
offi cer of CCC, told the Dhaka Tribune
that he was not sure about the setting
up of billboards on the foot over
bridges adding that there was no
scope to rent the foot over bridges for
advertisement.
“We have recently started drive to
evict illegal billboards, however, the
drive came to a halt due to political tur-
moil in the recent period,” added the
offi cial. l
Army to remaindeployed in eightconstituencies tillJanuary 17nTribune Desk
Members of the Army will remain de-
ployed in eight constituencies till Janu-
ary 17 as there will be re-polling in 392
centres on January 16.
”Armed forces w ill remain deployedas a striking force in the eight constit-
uencies along with the law enforcers,”
said an ISPR media release.
The eight constituencies are Dina-
jpur-4, Kurigram-4, Gaibandha-1, 3 and
4, Bogra-7, Jessore-5 and Laxmipur-1.
The Election Commission has tak-
en the decision of keeping the army
personnel deployed for free and fair
re-polling in the centres, reports UNB.
On Sunday (Jan 5), elections were
held in 147 constituencies. The voting
in the 392 polling stations was sus-
pended due to widespread violence
during the elections. l
Truck-train collisionkills two in TangailnTribune Report
Two people were killed and 12 oth-
ers injured as a Dhaka-bound train hit
a sand-laden truck in Tenguria Para
rail-crossing under Basail upazila in the
morning.
The deceased were truck driver Sujat
Ali, 32, of Ulla Para upazila and Helper
Nijamuddin, 30, of Raigonj upazila in
Sirajganj.
Police said a sand laden truck fell
into a roadside water-filled ditch after
being hit by a Dhaka-bound train of
the Rangpur Express at Tenguriapara
around 9am, leaving two dead on thespot and injuring 12 others.
Four people were killed in two sep-
arate road accidents in Chittagong.
Highway Police found dead bodies of
three youths with a smashed motor-
bike from the Dhaka-Chittagong high-
way at Boro Darogarhat area of Mirsarai
upazila.
The deceased were Arafatullah, 35,
Kafil Uddin, 36, and Forkan, 22, of Ban-
shkhali upazila.
Police suspect that their motorbikemight have been hit by any heavy ve-
hicles leaving them dead on the spot,
he added.
In another incident, a housewife,
Popi Begum, 18, was killed as a truck
rammed her at the port city’s Ma-
jhirga ht ar ea un der S adargh at p olice
station around 8am.
Popy was rushed to Chittagong
Medical College Hospital where she
was pronounced dead by the on-du-
ty doctors, said police. l
City High Low
Dhaka 23.1 11.0
Chittagong 24.2 11.8
Rajshahi 23.5 09.0
Rangpur 23.2 09.0
Khulna 23.2 10.0
Barisal 24.3 10.5
Sylhet 25.0 12.1
Cox’s Bazar 28.0 13.2
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar 5:23am
Sunrise 6:42am
Zohr 12:06am
Asr 3:53pm
Magrib 5 :29 pm
Esha 6:49pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org
WEATHER
Light drizzle likelynUNB
Light rain or drizzle is likely to occur
at one or two places over Rajshahi,
Rangpur, Khulna, Dhaka and Sylhet di-
visions and the region of Comilla until
6pm today.
Weather may remain dry with tem-porary partly cloudy sky elsewhere
over the country.
Moderate to thick fog may occur
over the country during midnight till
morning , Met Offi ce sources sai d.
A moderate cold wave that is sweep-
ing over the regions of Srimangal and
Dinajpur and a mild cold wave sweep-
ing over Rajshahi and the rest parts of
Rangpur division and the regions of
Sitakunda, Rangamati, Khulna, Madar-
ipur, Khepupara, Jessore and Kushtia
may continue as mild cold wave.
Night temperature may rise slightly
and day temperature may remain near-
ly unchanged over the country.
The sun sets in the capital at 5:30pm
today and rises at 6:44am tomorrow.
Country’s highest temperature 28.0
degree Celsius was recorded yesterday
in Cox’s Bazar and lowest 7.6 degrees in
Dinajpur.
Highest and lowest temperature in
some major c ities yesterday were:
Bloomberg Philanthropies organises a street show in the city’s Shahbagh yesterday to raise awareness against tobacco usage DHAKA TRIBUNE
Members of Amra Obhoynagar Bashi form a human chain in front of the National Museum yesterday, protesting communal violence in
Jessore SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
The ongoing moderate coldwave with chill wind and densefog that is sweeping over thecountr y is causing diffi cultiesin everyday life, especiallyfor low-income people in thenorthern districts
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Shahzaman Mozumder: King of DhakaA dapper blogger reigns in cyberspace
nJames Saville
Ihad not been in Dhaka long be-fore I heard rumours of a won-
derful local eccentric, a man who
goes by the nickname “The King
of Dhaka.”
Who could this pretender be? Some
long-lost heir to the sultanate of Ben-
gal? Or a scion of an old Nawab perhaps?
Eventually I was told that His Majes-
ty’s kingdom is, alas, in cyberspace. But
anyone who heads to kingofdhaka.com
will find all the regal splendour they
could ever want.
The man behind the site is Shahza-
man Mozumder, and it is the most
unique fashion blog I have ever seen.
The site’s homepage consists of a
series of daily photo-posts bearing the
title “What I am wearing today,” with
pictures of Zaman in his immaculate,
and often flamboyant, ensembles.
Smart English-style tailoring is very
much the order of the day. There is a
menu with clickable links for sarto-
rial advice, all organised under helpfulheadings such as “Suit jacket buttoning
rules” and “Pocket square folds.”
The website is aimed at young pro-
fessionals who find themselves wear-
ing suits and ties for the first time, and
seeks to provide guidance to those
navigating the minefield that is men’s
tailoring.
This need comes from personal ex-
perience.
Zaman tells me: “In 1980-83 I ac-
tually didn’t know what to do. I wish
there had been a resource that I could
have consulted, just to learn a little
bit about what colours go with what,”
he says.
“For example, what should be the
colour of my first suit? ... I purchased a
suit in a very funny colour.”
“What colour did you buy?” I ask.
“It was blue, but not the blue I
would buy these days.”
“Was it a light blue?”
“Not exactly light. It was… funny.”Zaman tells me that kingofdhaka.com
has had more than 110,000 hits since itsinception a year ago, proving that he may
be onto something.
He fervently believes that the pur-
pose of style is to present oneself, al-
most as if for sale, something youngpeople need to be able to do when in
search of their first job.He asks me: “Do you know: What’s
the point of a necktie?”
“Erm…”
“It is like a ribbon – you wrap your-
self up in a ribbon to present yourself
like a gift.
Zaman is hugely enjoyable com-
pany, self-effacing and witty. He’s not
remotely bothered that some people
might think he looks like a stuffy an-
glophile. In fact he is totally self-aware,
and seems to acknowledge the pros-
pect that formal clothes can be a source
of comedy.
When I mischievously suggest his
already dandy-like appearance could
be improved further with the addi-
tion of a trilby, he doesn’t take the bait.
Giggling, he says: “I think wandering
around Dhaka in a hat would be totally
ridiculous!”
In spite of his congeniality, the re-
ality of Zaman’s life has been much
tougher than one would expect fromsomeone so fond of fine clothes.
Born in Dinjapur as the young-
est of six siblings, his family strug-
gled to make ends meet after the
early death of his father left them in
semi-poverty.
As a student at Dhaka University
in 1971 when the war broke out,
he joined the Mukhtibahini at a
very early stage, seeing exten-
sive combat and later being
awarded the Bir Protik for his
efforts.
These days he works in
IT, and pursues his interests
in men’s style – he hates the
word “fashion” – whenever
he can.
The next phase is his
quest to re-educate people’s
dress-sense is to set up his
own tailor shop here in Dha-
ka. “The problem is when the
British left, the flow of tech-nology stopped.”
Not one to be put off, Za-
man has been training a set
of local tailors over the last
4 years, and is soon to open
a tailoring service that will
operate from inside Sonargaon Hotel.Products will include made-to-
measure suits for $100 plus mate-rial costs, and also fully bespoke
suits, the cost of which will de-
pend on how extravagant the
customer wants them to be.
After more than an hour of
enthusiastic discussion on the
benefits of different styles –
double-breasted would be a good
look for me, he confirms – we
part ways.
I leave slightly ashamed
of my ill-fitting
t-shirt and
slightly torn
trousers. l
nTasnuva Amin Nova
Inspired after a disappointing trip
to Cox’s Bazar, cousins Ishnad
Chowdhury and Tadib Muqtada
decided to introduce an adven-
turous new water sport to Bang-
ladesh’s growing tourist destination:
parasailing.
“As beautiful as the place was, we
found that there was absolutely noth-
ing to do,” Tadib said in an interview
with the Dhaka Tribune.
Cox’s Bazar, despite its natural ad-
vantages as the world’s longest natural
sand beach and its surrounding lush
greenery, is still developing as a beach
resort area.
It did not take long for these two
enterprising young men to figure out
a solution. They took a second trip to
Panowa (the local name for the seaside
town) and scoped out the possibility
of offering parasailing and other beach
activities.
In September 2012, they decided to
launch Fun Fest.
Within a month, they convinced the
Cox’s Bazar Beach Management Com-
mittee that this would be beneficial for
tourism,and by November that year,
they bought the necessary equipment
and started training the workforce.They offi cially w ent into opera tion a
month later.
“We faced many constraints from
people, but my only concerns were the
wind, water and waves. Thisis what
makes parasailing either possible or
impossible.”
Fun Fest is located in Himchari
Beach, not far from the main beach.
They offer regular parasailing, where
the adventurer wears a parachute to
catch the wind and fly up like a kite
while being towed by a boat. There is
also“super fun” parasailing, a longer,
more thrilling ride that makes one drop
into the middle of the sea until the feet
touch water. Additionally, visitors to
Fun Fest have the opportunity to do
other activities such as land sailing,
zorbing and banana boating.
“Safety is our #1 priority,” the Fun
Fest website reads. “Parasailing is safe because we make it safe.”
“There are only a few things that
could go wrong. Worst cases: either
you fall into the sea [while] wearing
lifejackets; or you fall on the ground,
which is soft sand.”
Ishnad said: “We acquired all our
equipment from different parts of the
world which specialise in their manu-
facture. For example, our boats and en-
gines are from Japan because they are
the best suppliers of these.
“We train our staff according to in-
ternational standards. One of our train-
ers is the only person in town who has
had eight years of experience in para-
sailing in different countries, including
Malaysia. “
The dynamic duo behind Fun Fest is
just getting started.
“The entertainment sector here is in
its infancy.” Tadib said. “It needs a big
push to start off. The government has
been very cooperative with us so far.”
Tadib left his job in Switzerland in
search of interesting ventures in Bang-
ladesh. Ishnad, who was educated
abroad and has a degree in finance,
also has big dreams for the local enter-
tainment industry.
He and his business partner have
opened Fun Fest Urban Activities, a
recreation zone in the capital’s Jamu-
na Future Park. They share a common
vision, which is to introduce new sorts
of entertainment to Bangladeshis,
more than just eating out.
“However, entertainment and tour-
ism are particularly vulnerable to the re-
cent political unrest.” Tadib remarked.
“When the roads are not safe enough
for people to go to work, you cannot ex-pect people to go out for leisure. Sadly
this [situation] is worse in Cox’s Bazar,
the main tourist hub, where violence
reaches its peak during hartals and
blockades.”
Ishnad said:
“The perks of be-ing in this industry
are not just mon-
etary. The ability to
bring smiles to the
faces of other peo-
ple is priceless. And
that’s one of the
things that keeps us
going.”l
6 FeatureDHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, January 11, 2014
‘A necktie is like aribbon – you wrap
yourself up with a
ribbon to present
yourself like a gift’
Flying high in Cox’s BazarFun Fest brings parasailingto our local paradise
November 7, 2013: If you look closely you
will notice that a button is missing from the
front of the jacket (I am trying to hide the
missing button by folding my hands where
the first button should be)
December 17, 2013: With a pink and blue
striped silk bow-tie
December 2, 2013: White linen double-
breasted suit with patch pockets
COURTESY
‘What I am wearing today’
Landsailing: Cruising the beach with wind
power COURTESY
‘Safety is our #1 priority’ COURTESY
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Keeping asthma symptoms at bayAsthma symptoms, which include coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness, are common inan asthma attack. Sometimes reffered to as bronchial asthma or reactive airway disease,asthma can be controlled with proper treatment. In severe cases, an untreated asthma
attack can be life-threateningnDr Kazi Saifuddin Benoor
Asthma is a disease
of the airways in the
lungs. Its symptoms
are caused by inflam-
mation, which makes
the airways red, swol-
len, narrower and
extra-sensitive to ir-
ritants. Asthma symptoms range from
minor to severe and vary from person
to person.
Symptoms of an asthma attack
include:
Wheezing, a whistling sound
when exhaling
Coughing that won’t stop are
worsened by a respiratory virus,
such as a cold or the flu
Shortness of breath and tightness
in the chest
Who gets asthma?
It isn’t clear why some people get
asthma and others don’t, but it’s prob-
ably due to a combination of environ-
mental and genetic (inherited) factors.
Asthma can appear at any age, but it
typically develops during childhood.
Those most at risk include people with
allergies or a family history of asthma.
Having a parent with asthma makes
children three to six times more likelyto develop the condition.
Asthma trigger
For some people, asthma symptoms
flare up in certain situations:
Exercise-induced asthma, which
may be worse when the air is coldand dry
Occupational asthma, triggered byworkplace irritants such as chemi-
cal fumes, gases or dust
Allergy-induced asthma triggered
by particular allergens, such as
mold, dust mites, pet dander,
cockroaches or pollen.
If pollen is one of your triggers,
you’ll probably notice your asthmasymptoms are worse at certain times of
the year.
Diagnosing asthma
If you have symptoms of asthma, yourdoctor will want to check how well
your lungs are working. A lung func-
tion test, also called spirometry, mea-
sures how much air you can breathe in
and out.
The results will help determine
whether you have asthma and how se-
vere the condition is. Your doctor mayalso recommend allergy testing to pin-
point some of your asthma triggers.
Managing asthma
While there is no cure, there are highlyeffective strategies for keeping asthma
symptoms at bay.
Sometimes children with asthma
can grow out of their symptoms, or
many years of regular treatment with
anti-inflammatory asthma medication
may make the disease disappear. It is
tempting to think that your asthma has
been cured if you have not had symp-toms for a long time, but you will usu-
ally still have a tendency to develop
asthma if you are exposed to the ap-
propriate triggers in the future. Most
people with asthma are able to keep the
conditions under control.
Allergy treatment using hyposensi-
tisation (often called allergy vaccina-
tion) is unhelpful for most people.
Avoiding triggers
The first step in controlling asthma is
to identify and avoid your triggers. The
most effective way to fight allergens
in the home is to remove the source,
which may include pets, carpets, and
upholstered furniture. Dust regularly
and use a vacuum cleaner.
Long-term medication
It is virtually impossible for people with
asthma to avoid all their triggers all the
time. For this reason, many people need
to take daily medication to prevent
asthma attacks. Inhaled corticosteroids
are the most common medication for
the long-term control of asthma.
Quick relief for asthma attacks
Even with the use of long-term medi-cation, asthma symptoms sometimes
flare up. When this happens, you’ll
need another type of inhaler to pro-
vide quick relief. Short-acting beta2-
agonists are the most common choice.
These rescue inhalers quickly relax the
tightened muscles around the airways,
restoring the flow of air to the lungs. It
is better to take asthma medications
through an inhaler or nebuliser, which
assures effi cacy, promp t relief and few-er side effects.
Children and older people are ad-
vised to use the inhaler with a device
called spacer, which helps them take
the medicine properly. Some asthma
attacks require emergency treatment
in the hospital. l
Dr Kazi Saifuddin Benoor is Assistant
Professor of Chest Medicine in National
Institute of Chest Diseases and Hospital.
How to donate bloodnDr Sajol Ashfaq
The blood you donategives someone an-
other chance at life.
Giving blood is one of
the most worthwhilethings you can do. Pa-
tients require blood for
a range of reasons from
cancer to surgery and many more; with
some patients needing blood regularly.
Who can donate?To give blood you need neither extra
strength nor extra food, and you will
save a life. Most people between the
ages of 17 and 65, who weigh over
50kg (7st 12lb) and have a good level
of general health will be able to do-
nate blood. If you’ve had a cold or
other illness within a week of donat-
ing, you need to wait for 7 days before
you can donate. You must also be
over 45 kilograms to ensure the blood
loss won’t affect you.
Where to donate?
Various organisations such as Shand-
hani, Red Crescent, and Quantum are
operating blood banks that help in
voluntary blood donation. Most hos-
pitals have a blood bank that can ar-
range the donation.
What happens on the day you
donate?
The actual process only takes about
5-10 minutes. Before donation, you
have to fill out a confidential ques-
tionnaire and have an interview
with a staff member to make sure
you’re healthy and fit for a donation.
If you’re in good shape to make a
donation, they’ll then start the pro-
cess. After donating blood you’ll be
given something to eat and drink and
shown somewhere you can rest for
the recommended 15 minutes before
leaving. Altogether, it will take about
an hour.
How long do I have to wait before my
next donation?For a whole blood donation, you need
to wait 12 weeks before your next do-nation.
Does giving blood affect your
energy?You should avoid exerting yourself
for 12 hours after donating as a pre-
caution, but your energy levels won’t
be affected. It only takes 1 to 2 days
for your blood volume to be back to
normal, but make sure you drink lots
of water to help the recovery process.
Will it hurt?
There’s nothing to worry about, you
won’t feel more than a tiny pinprick.
Does the Blood Service pay for
donations?
No. All blood donations are volun-
tary, following World Health Orga-
nization and Red Cross and Crescent
policies. l
Prescription 7DHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, January 11, 2014
HEALTH NEWS
| Compiled by: Shirsho Saaeadat
| Dr Mohammad Sayem
A first-aid kitat your homeand offi ce
A first-aid kit is a collection of supplies
and equipment for use in giving first
aid. A well-stocked first-aid kit can help
you respond effectively to common
injuries and emergencies. Keep at least
one first-aid kit in your home, your of-
fice and one in your car.
Store your kits in easy-to-retrieve
locations that are out of the reach of
young children. You can purchase first-
aid kits at many drugstores or assem-
ble your own. Contents of a first-aid kit
should include:
Basic supplies
Adhesive tape
Antibiotic ointment
Antiseptic solution
Bandages, including a roll of elas-
tic wrap and bandage strip
Instant cold packs
Cotton balls and cotton-tipped
swabs
Disposable latex or synthetic
gloves, at least two pairs
Duct tape
Gauze pads and roller gauze
First-aid manual
Petroleum jelly or other lubricant
Plastic bags for the disposal of
contaminated materials
Safety pins
Scissors and tweezers
Soap or instant hand sanitiser
Sterile eyewash, such as a saline
solution
Thermometer
Triangular bandage
Blood pressure measuring ma-
chine and stethoscope
Medications
Anti-diarrheal medication
Over-the-counter oral antihista-
mine
Aspirin and nonaspirin pain re-
lievers (never give aspirin to chil-
dren)
Calamine lotion
Over-the-counter hydrocortisone
cream
Syringe, medicine cup or spoon
Oral saline
Give your kit a checkup. Check your
first-aid kits regularly, at least every
three months, to be sure the flashlight
batteries work and to replace supplies
that have expired.
QUICK TIPS
HEALTH
NEWS
Microchip helps in dietingDieters who are struggling in los-
ing weight could be implanted with a
computer chip that alerts them when
they’ve eaten enough and then releas-
es a hormone to make them feel full.
Scientists in Switzerland are develop-
ing the pioneering technology and be-
lieve it could be available worldwide
within five to 10 years. The coin-sized
chip would be inserted under the skin
of a slimmer’s arm where it would con-
stantly check for fat in the blood and
release a hunger-sating compound
when enough was consumed. Subject
to funding, the first human tests could
take place in around three years. The
device’s inventor, Professor Martin
Fussenegger, said: “The chip could
provide an alternative to expensive
and invasive weight loss surgery with
no major side-effects.” l
Sovaldi, a hope for chronichepatitis C
The US Food and Drug Administration
recently approved Sovaldi (sofosbuvir)to treat chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)
infection. Sovaldi is the first drug that
has demonst rated safety a nd effi cacy
to treat certain types of HCV infection
without the need for co -administration
of interferon. Sovaldi is to be used as a
component of a combination antiviral
treatment regimen for chronic HCV in-fection.
Hepatitis C is a viral disease that
causes inflammation of the liver that
can lead to diminished liver function or
liver failure. Like hepatitis B, hepatitis
C has got no vaccine. l
Fat dads make fat kidsFathers-to-be need to get in shape be-
fore their children are conceived to
avoid passing on fat genes, new research
suggests. Recently a study showed thatif fathers and grandfathers have a high
fat diet and were obese, their grandsons
are more likely to be overweight. While
the effects of a mother’s diet during and
even before pregnancy are known, the
new research is a wake-up call for pro-spective dads.
It is thought that a father could
contribute his genes and that’s about
it, but this research suggests both par-
ents’ lifestyles may contribute to their
babies’ genes.
The findings have also sparked de-
mand for further studies on the im-
pacts of both parents’ behaviours onchildren during pregnancy. l
Children and olderpeople are advisedto use the inhalerwith a device calleda spacer, whichhelps them take themedicine properly
Difference between freshmilk and UHT milk
Fresh milk, often referred to as homogenised and
pasteurised milk, is sold in the chilled foods section
of the supermarket. It has a short shelf life and must
be kept below 4°C to maintain freshness. Ultra heat
treated (UHT) milk, which is sometimes called long-
life milk, is slightly different. It has had extra treat-
ment which enables it to be stored at room tempera-
ture (as long as it is unopened) for extended periods.
Both fresh milk and UHT milk have undergone pasteuri-
sation and homogenisation before packaging and sale to
consumers. Pasteuri-
sation involves heating
the milk to 72°C for 15
seconds to kill harm-
ful bacteria that may
be present. The milk is
rapidly chilled, before
homogenisation com-mences. This involves
passing the milk
through a fine nozzleto create a smooth,
creamy taste and tex-
ture.
Fresh milk is then packaged and refrigerated, while UHT
milk is exposed to a more powerful heat treatment to inac-
tivate harmful bacteria. This allows the milk to be stored
out of the fridge while it is unopened. It is important to chill
UHT milk once it has been opened. l
Brown eggs vswhite eggs
Brown eggs are often thought as a healthier alterna-
tive to white eggs. You might be surprised to learn
that nutritionally, both brown and white eggs are
almost identical in content. The only measurable
differences come from the color and breed of the
chickens producing the eggs.
The colour of an eggshell is determined by the co-
lour of the hen laying the egg. T his is very similar to
how your eye color and hair colo ur are determined by genet-
ics. Brown eggs come from brown hens and white eggs come
from white hens. The
color of the yolk inside
the shell and the egg
white is the same for
both brown and white
eggs. The nutritional
value of brown and
white eggs are almostidentical.
On average, brown
eggs are more expen-sive than white eggs.
The higher price tag
on brown eggs does not necessarily reflect better quality,
rather it is a result of specific breeds of brown hens being
higher maintenance than white hens. This occurs be-
cause brown hens are larger than white hens and therefore
require more food, which translates into a higher cost for
consumers.l | Prescription Desk
HEALTH
FLASH
B I G S T O C K
BIGSTOCK
B I G S T O C K
DID YOU
KNOW?
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Saturday, January 11, 2014DHAKA TRIBUNE InternationalDHAKA TRIBUNE8
Two drunk Russians cut offown ears for a betTwo inebriated Russians in a Siberian min-
ing region both cut off their own left ears
after betting on the result of an arm-wres-
tling contest, police said yesterday. The
men were drinking to celebrate Orthodox
Christmas and held an arm-wrestling
contest, agreeing that the loser had to cut
off his ear, police reported in the southern
Siberian Kemerovo region. One of the men
won the first bout, but his opponent insist-
ed on a second round, which he won. The
two men then decided that according to
their rules, both must cut off their ears, po-
lice said. “The men voluntarily cut off their
left ears. One completely, and the other
half off. They were hospitalised with these
injuries,” police said. The men’s drunken
escapade echoed Dutch artist Vincent Van
Gogh, who also cut off part of his left ear.
Three severed heads foundin Mexico in drug violenceThe decapitated heads of three suspected
members of the Zetas drug cartel were found
on the trunk of a car in eastern Mexican
state of Veracruz, authorities said Thursday.
With them authorities found a note in which
another cartel, Jalisco Nueva Generacion,
apparently claimed responsibility. The grisly
discovery came in the state capital, the port
city also called Veracruz, said a police offi cial.
The note said: “This is going to happen to
any filthy Z that goes around kidnapping
and robbing innocent people,” according
to the police offi cial. The heads, with signs
of torture, were found Wednesday night
after police were advised by local people.
In late December five people were found
decapitated in the western state of Micho-
acan, also along with a note from the Jalisco
Nueva Generacion cartel, which is fighting
for control of the state with rival drug gangs
called the Knights Templar and La Familia
Michoacana. Veracruz is one of the Mexican
states hardest hit by drug-related violence
by cartels such as the Zetas, which resorts to
abductions and extortion, as well as robbery
and traffi cking of undocumented migrants
trying to reach the United States. Also in
December the remains of three women and
four men were found in several clandestine
graves on a beach in Veracruz. The state lies
on the Gulf of Mexico and boasts Mexico’s
biggest commercial port.
Man’s cockroach-in-the-earagony Down Under A man in Australia endured a painful
hospital visit after a large cockroach bur-
rowed into his ear and his efforts to suck
it out with a vacuum cleaner failed. Dar-
win-based Hendrik Helmer’s ordeal began
in the early hours of Wednesday morning
when he was woken by a sharp pain in
his right ear, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation said. “I was hoping it was not
a poisonous spider... I was hoping it didn’t
bite me,” he said, adding that as the pain
got worse he tried to suck the insect out
with a vacuum cleaner before squirting
water in his ear. “Whatever was in my ear
didn’t like it at all,” he told the broadcaster
yesterday. With the pain becoming excru-
ciating, his flatmate rushed him to hospital
where a doctor put oil down the ear canal.
This only forced the two centimetre (0.8
inch) roach to crawl in deeper, before it
eventually began to die. “Near the 10 min-
ute mark ... somewhere about there, he
started to stop burrowing but he was still in
the throes of death twitching,” said Helmer.
At that point the doctor put forceps into his
ear and pulled out the cockroach.
OTHER NEWS
80% of Israelis saypeace talks will fail
nAFP, Jerusalem
The vast majority of Israelis believe
US-brokered negotiations with the Pal-
estinians will fail to bring any peace
agreement, an opinion poll published
on yesterday showed.
About 80% of 507 Jewish and Arab
Israeli respondents told Maariv news-
paper that they believed the talks
would not succeed.
The poll came a week after a visit
by US Secretary of State John Kerry,
who kick-started the talks in July after
a three-year hiatus and is pushing the
two sides to accept a framework agree-
ment for final status negotiations.The Maariv survey showed that 73%
rejected a total withdrawal of Israeli
troops from the West Bank under any
peace accord. Israeli and Palestinian
leaders appear increasingly at odds
over irreconcilable demands, including
over the borders of a future Palestinian
state and an Israeli military presence in
the Jordan Valley, where the West Bank
borders Jordan.
Israelis insist the army must remain
there in the long term to guarantee the
Jewish state’s security, but the Pales-
tinians insist they must leave and make
way for an international military force.
A separate opinion poll by pro-gov-
ernment Israel Hayom said 70% of 500
Jewish respondents rejected a with-
drawal from the Jordan Valley.l
Nearly 500 killed in Syriarebel-jihadist fightingnAFP, Beirut
Nearly 500 people, among them 85 ci-
vilians, have been killed in a week of
fighting pitting Syrian rebels against
the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and
the Levant, a monitoring group said
yesterday.
“We have documented the killing of
482 people in the fighting – 85 civilians,
240 members of the rebel brigades and
157 members of ISIL,” said Syrian Ob-
servatory for Human Rights director
Rami Abdel Rahman.
Among the civilians and rebels
killed were 42 hostages who were exe-
cuted in Aleppo by ISIL.
Rebels also executed 47 ISIL members,
mainly in Idlib province in north-western
Syria, Abdel Rahman said.
“The rest of the deaths came during
the fighting. It is likely dozens more
people have lost their lives, but it is im-
possible to accurately document all the
killings,” he added.
He called for “crimes being commit-
ted in Syria to be brought before an in-
ternational court.”
Jihadist-rebel fighting has raged for
a week, mainly in Aleppo, Idlib and
Raqa provinces. On yesterday, rebels
continued to advance in much of Alep-
po and Idlib, where ISIL’s presence was
relatively weak, while the jihadists had
the upper hand in Raqa, which has been
under their control for several months.
Several rebel groups fighting Presi-
dent Bashar al-Assad’s regime openeda new front against ISIL last week, ac-
cusing the jihadists of seeking control
and committing horrific abuses in op-
position-held areas. l
Snowden leaks may be‘lethal’ for troopsnAFP, Washington
Fugitive intelligence contractor Edward
Snowden’s theft of 1.7m secret docu-
ments could potentially put US military
forces in “lethal” danger worldwide,
American lawmakers warned Thursday,
citing a confidential Pentagon report.
The Defence Department prepared
and sent on Monday to prominent
members of Congress a classified paper
analysing the potential impact of reve-
lations by the former National Security
Agency (NSA) contractor.
Defence Intelligence Agency chiefLieutenant General Michael Flynn
formed a Pentagon task force dubbed
the “Information Review Task Force-2”
shortly after Snowden’s theft of classi-
fied files was discovered, a DIA spokes-
man told AFP.
The DIA-led taskforce worked in co-
ordination with other members of the
intelligence community, the military
services and the combatant commands.
“The goal was to assess the potential
impact to the Department of Defence
from the compromise of this informa-
tion,” the spokesman added, speaking
on condition of anonymity.
Only an initial assessment was provid-
ed to lawmakers and the task force “con-
tinues its work as additional information
is reviewed,” according to the spokesman.Snowden has disclosed details of US
intelligence-gathering operations, but
lawmakers warned that the leaker’s
illegal haul includes a large amount of
classified military data.
“This report confirms my greatest
fears – Snowden’s real acts of betrayal
place America’s military men and wom-
en at greater risk,” House Intelligence
Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said
in a joint statement with the panel’s top
Democrat Dutch Ruppersberger.
The actions by Snowden, who is
currently in Moscow under temporary
asylum, “are likely to have lethal con-
sequences for our troops in the field,”
Rogers added.
Snowden and his supporters argue
that his revelation of details of secret US
programs that hoover up vast amounts
of telephone and Internet data on virtu-
ally every American was merely a mis-
sion to defend civil liberties.
The disclosures have triggered a
monumental debate in the UnitedStates over the balance between per-
sonal freedoms and fighting terrorism,
but have also sparked uproar against
Washington amid revelations the NSA
had tapped mobile phones of world
leaders including that of German Chan-
cellor Angela Merkel. l
US objects tofreeing of Talibansuspects
nAgencies
The United States has strongly objected
to a plan by the government of Afghan-
istan to release 72 prisoners that the US
considers dangerous criminals linked
to “terror-related crimes.”
Relations between the two nations
plunged on Thursday when Afghan
President Hamid Karzai said there was
insuffi cient eviden ce to continue hold-
ing the men at Bagram prison, a former
US site now controlled by the Afghan
government.
“We cannot allow innocent Afghan
citizens to be kept in detention for
months and years without a trial for
no reason at all,” Karzai’s spokesman,
Aimal Faizi, told the Reuters news
agency. “We know that unfortunately
this has been happening at Bagram, but
it is illegal and a violation of Afghansovereignty.”
The United States objected to the
decision, with State Department Jen
Psaki saying: “These 72 detainees are
dangerous criminals against whom
there is strong evidence linking them
to terror-related crimes, including the
use of improvised explosive devices,
the largest killer of Afghan civilians.”
She said “time will tell” if the release
of the men would affect the signing of a
pact that will ensure a US presence in the
country after it pulls its main forces out
later this year. Joseph Dunford, the US
General in command of NATO forces in
Afghanistan, made an offi cial objection to
the plan. He said it was against an agree-
ment signed when Bagram was handed
over in March last year. It included assur-
ances that inmates who posed a danger to
Afghans and international forces would
continue to be held under Afghan law.
Following a meeting on Thursday
between Karzai and the head of the
Afghan spy agency, it was decided that
there was on ly suffi cient ev idence tohold 16 of 88 men the US considered to
be dangerous criminals.l
United State warns both sidesin South Sudan over conflictnAgencies
Government forces pressed with an of-
fensive to wrestle back South Sudan’s
main oil hub from rebel forces as the
White House urged both sides in the
deadly conflict to sign an agreement to
cease hostilities immediately.
The worst fighting on yesterday cen-
tred around Bentiu, where forces loyal
to former Vice President Riek Mach-
ar have been holding off the army of
President Salva Kiir, leaving the town
ransacked and emptied of its civilian
population.South Sudanese rebels rejected a
government plan on Wednesday to end
a dispute over detainees and unblock
peace talks aimed at halting the conflict
that has killed at least 1,000 people.
Susan Rice, President Barack
Obama’s national security adviser,
said in a statement it was the respon-
sibility of both leaders to make sure
their country was not marred by more
violence.
“Mr. Machar, in particular, must
commit to a cessation of hostilities
without precondition,” Rice said add-
ing that the US was “disappointed”
senior politician detainees in gov-
ernment custody have not yet been
released.
“The United States reiterates its call
upon President Salva Kiir to release the
detainees immediately to the custody
of IGAD so that they can participate in
the political negotiations.”
On Wednesday, the government
proposed to shift the peace talks to
the United Nations compound in Juba,
enabling the 11 detainees to attend the
negotiations during the day and return
to custody in the evening.
South Sudan’s presidential spokes-
man said the rebels appeared to
reject that.
The UN, which shelters more than
8,000 people at its Bentiu compound,
said its mission in South Sudan had
cut off military links with the gov-
ernment and was ready to fend off
any attack.
Farhan Haq, UN deputy spokesman,said the outcome of the battle for Ben-
tiu, capital of Unity state, was “unclear
and fluid.”l
French upholds ban on ‘anti-Jew’ comediannAgencies
A top French court has upheld the ban
of a show by a comedian whom the
government accuses of anti-Jew sen-
timents and insulting the memory of
Holocaust victims.
The Council of State, France’s highest
administrative court, issued its last-min-
ute decision just an hour before the
show by Dieudonne M’bala M’bala was
to begin in the western city of Nantes.
The top court’s ruling came after In-
terior Minister Manuel Valls, who has
been leading the effort to stop Dieud-
onne’s national tour, appealed against
a decision by a lower administrative
court that rejected local authorities’
efforts to ban the show. In its ruling,
the Council of State - which has previ-
ously ruled against bans on Dieudonne
performances - cited the risk to public
order were the show to proceed.
There were angry scenes on Thurs-
day as crowds of supporters protested
against the decision. One of Dieud-
onne’s lawyers, Jacques Verdier, has
argued that a ban on his client would
breach his freedom of speech. Dieu-donne, 46, has been repeatedly fined
for hate speech and local authorities in
Nantes had barred the show following
the lead of other cities that did the same
on the grounds of risk to public order.
The comedian’s supporters say he
is anti-establishment and anti-Zionist,
not anti-Jew. The appeals court’s deci-
sion validated the efforts of Valls and
President Francois Hollande, who had
argued for regional prefects to remain
“on alert and inflexible” in determining
whether or not to ban the shows. l
C African president resigns
after deadly unrestnAFP, N’djamena
Central African Republic President
Michel Djotodia has resigned under
intense pressure over his failure to
stem the sectarian unrest ripping his
country apart, a regional grouping an-
nounced yesterday.
African leaders meeting in neigh-
bouring Chad to seek a solution to the
crisis said they had “noted the resig-
nation” of Djotodia and Prime Minister
Nicolas Tiengaye, whose notoriously
fractious relationship with the presi-
dent had led to political paralysis.
Djotodia was under intense pressure
from his peers, who gathered in Chad
Thursday in a bid to end the violence
that has seen more than 1,000 people
killed in the last month alone.
All 135 lawmakers from the land-
locked Central African Republic (CAR)had flown to Chad on Thursday at the
behest of Chadian President Idriss
Deby Itno to try to resolve the crisis as
it threatened to spill over into neigh-
bouring countries.
Djotodia has come under fire for
failing to stem the spiralling violence
between the mainly Muslim former
rebels who brought him to power last
year and militias formed by the Chris-
tian majority.
Earlier Friday, thousands of resi-
dents in the Central African capital
Bangui took to the streets demanding
Djotodia’s departure.
“We want Djotodia to stand down.
We need someone new to lead the
country,” said one protester, while
another said Djotodia should “stay in
N’Djamena,” accusing him of responsi-
bility for a “massacre.”
Although he was already due to step
down when a transition period expires
in a year’s time, his inability to rein in
chaos across the country prompted
calls for a swifter change in leadership.Deby, Central Africa’s perennial king-
maker, had opened the Economic Com-
munity of Central African States (EC-
CAS) summit Thursday with stark words
seen as a push to remove Djotodia.
“The CAR is suffering deeply from
the actions of its own sons, who are
dragging their country down into a war
that jeopardises its future,” he said.
Deby called for “concrete and deci-
sive action” to halt the vio lence pitting
Muslims against Christian self-defence
militias that has killed more than 1,000
people in the past month.
Looming humanitarian crisis
Regional leaders are anxious to stem
the crisis as there are fears that the un-
rest is extending beyond the miner-
al-rich Central African Republic.
The United Nations has warned that
both ex-Seleka rebels and CAR former
soldiers have crossed into the volatile
Democratic Republic of Congo, causing
local residents to flee.
Many troops fled their home coun-
try when the Seleka rebels launched
their coup. The rebels in turn werepushed out when French and African
peacekeepers arrived in the country in
December.
Although mass slaughters have most-
ly ceased in Bangui itself amid frequent
patrols by the peacekeepers, sporadic
killings carry on almost every night.
A humanitarian disaster is also
looming with almost a million people
having fled their homes in a nation of
about 4.6 million people.
Some 100,000 of them have set up
camp in one tent city alone near Bangui
airport, close to the peacekeepers’ bases.
UNICEF has warned of a potential
disaster in overcrowded camps in and
around the capital, where there have
been several c ases of measles, which
could be deadly. Relief agencies have
joined in a vaccination campaign.
EU nations are considering whether
to join in the French and African peace-
keeping operations in the country,
with a meeting on the issue scheduled
for yesterday.lRebel fighters carry the body of a dead man at the Aleppo headquarters of the Islamic State of Iraq AFP
US National Security Advisor Susan Rice AFP
French controversial humorist Dieudonne Míbala Míbala arrives for a trial at the Paris
courthouse AFP
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9Saturday, January 11, 2014DHAKA TRIBUNE International
Tibetan Buddhist instituteengulfed in flamesnAFP, Beijing
A remote Tibetan Buddhist institute
thought to be among the largest in
the world has been seriously damaged
in a huge fire, reports said yesterday,
while the cause of the inferno remains
a mystery.
The fire at the Serthar, or Larung
Gar, Institute in Sichuan province in
southwest China started on Thursday
evening, according to a China News
Network report.
The blaze destroyed at least 10
structures but no casualties had been
reported, the report said.
More than 450 rescuers, police and
fire-fighters carried out relief efforts at
the scene and an investigation was un-
derway, it added.
Pictures posted on Weibo, a Chinese
version of Twitter, showed throngs of
onlookers standing in a street, gazing up-
ward as bright yellow flames consumed
a huge portion of the sprawling institute
and smoke wafted into the night sky.
In one of the images rescue workers ap-
peared to be moving debris and aiding
several shaven-headed monks in long
scarlet robes.
Serthar, known as Seda in Chinese,
is in a Tibetan area more than 4,000
metres above sea level and hundreds
of kilometres from the nearest c ity.
The institute was founded in 1980
in an uninhabited valley and has since
grown to become one of the world’s
most important centres of Tibetan
Buddhism, with an estimated popu-
lation of 10,000 monks, nuns and stu-
dents living in small wooden homes on
the hillsides surrounding the complex.
Its founder, Khenpo Jigme Phunt-
sok, who died in 2004, was known for
keeping a strict focus on Buddhismrather than politics at the institute.
He maintained a close relationship
with both Chinese authorities and the
Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader
and Nobel peace laureate who Beijing
condemns as a separatist.
But the Buddhist academy’s sur-
vival was threatened in 2001 when
armed police forced hundreds of nuns
and monks to leave the site, destroy-
ing more than 1,000 homes to prevent
them returning.
Police demanded that nuns sign
documents denouncing the Dalai Lama
and pledging not to return, accord-
ing to overseas campaign groups, and
Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok was detained
for a year after the incident.
In early 2012, Serthar was rocked by
violence when police fired tear gas and
began shooting into a crowd of hun-
dreds of peaceful Tibetan protesters,
exile groups said.
China’s offi cial Xi nhua news a gen-
cy said that the incident, in which one
person was killed, was triggered when“rioters” attacked police with knives,
bottles of petrol and guns.l
Karachi blast killsPakistani Taliban foe
nAgencies
A senior Pakistani police offi cer famous
for taking on the Pakistani Taliban has
been killed by a car bomb in Karachi.
Chaudhry Aslam, who had survived
previous assassination attempts, died on
Thursday when the convoy he was trav-
elling in was attacked. Tehreek-i-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) said it carried out the ex-
plosion and warned other security offi -
cials that they were also targets.
“Yes, we have killed Chaudhry Aslam
and claim the responsibility of his killing,”
Ehsanullah Ehsan, TTP’s spokesman, told
AFP news agency over the phone.
“We attacked him earlier also but he
survived. He has killed, tortured and
wounded our mujahideen friends ... fi-
nally, we have sent him towards his end.
“We warn other police and securityoffi cials wh o are brutal to and to rture
the mujahideen that their fate will be
no different.” The Pakistani Taliban
had previously tried to kill Aslam in
September 2011, with a huge explosion
tearing off the front of his home in Ka-
rachi and killing eight people. l
Australian PM likens people-smugglingcrackdown to warnAFP, Sydney
Australian Prime Minister Tony Ab-
bott on yesterday likened the fight
against people-smugglers to war, while
defending the detention centres asy-
lum-seekers are held in as effective and
humanely run.
Indonesi an offi cials say the Aust ra-
lian navy has turned back at least one
boat carrying asylum-seekers to its
shores, although The Australian news-
paper said as many as five have been
secretly returned.
Abbott’s conservative government
has refused to reveal details of the in-
cidents or other “operational matters,”
sparking claims from the Labour op-
position that it is overseeing a “Stalin-
ist”-style media blackout.
“In the end, we are in a ierce
contest with these people-smug-
glers,” he told a breakfast television
programme.
“And if we were at war, we wouldn’t
be giving out information that is of use to
the enemy just because we might have
an idle curiosity about it ourselves.”
Abbott said he would not release in-
formation which would be exploited by
people-smugglers to the peril of their
customers “and to the tremendous dis-
advantage of our country.”
The conservative Liberal Party
leader, who won power in Septem-
ber polls after campaigni ng to “stop
the boats,” has introduced the mili-
tary-led Operation Sovereign Borders
to crack down on asylum-seekers
coming by boat.
Under the policy, Australia will turn
back boats to Indonesia when it is safe
to do so, while those who reach Austra-
lian territory will be processed within
48 hours and quickly sent to Pacific
island camps on Nauru or Papua NewGuinea.
Australia’s tough po licies have irked
Jakarta, which has warned that turning
boats back could breach Indonesian
territorial sovereignty. l
Malaysia courtthrows out chargeagainst opposition’sAnwarnAFP, Kuala Lumpur
A Malaysian court on yesterday threw
out illegal-assembly charges against
opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim over
his part in a 2012 rally that could have
barred him from standing for election,
his lawyer said.
Anwar, 66, and two other members
of his party were charged in 2012 with
violating newly enacted restrictions on
public gatherings as well as a court or-
der banning the rally from the centre of
the capital Kuala Lumpur.
But the charges were dismissed after
a separate court ruled on Monday that
the ban on the gathering was invalid,
Anwar’s lawyer Ram Karpal said. Tens
of thousands had gathered April 28,
2012 to demand reform of an electoral
system that critics say is biased toward
the ruling coalition that has controlled
Malaysia since independence in 1957.
Azmin Ali, the deputy president of
Anwar’s People’s Justice Party and a
co-defendant, called the latest devel-
opments a “moral victory” for the op-position.
“The rulings show that the authori-
ties have to respect the right of citizens
enshrined in the constitution to assem-
ble peacefully,” he told AFP.
A former deputy prime minister
and rising ruling-party star, Anwar was
sacked in a 1998 falling-out with his
boss, then-premier Mahathir Moha-
mad, and jailed on sodomy and corrup-
tion charges in an episode that rocked
Malaysian politics. l
Pakistan teen diesstopping suicidebomber
nReuters
A Pakistani schoolboy who died stop-
ping a suicide bomber from attacking
his school has been recommended for
the country’s highest civilian award, a
provincial police chief said.
On yesterday, Nasir Khan Durrani
recommended Aitezaz for Pakistan’s
top civilian award - Sitara-e-Imtiaz.
Aitezaz Hassan, 15, tackled the
bomber as he tried to enter a govern-
ment school in the north-western
province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Hassan and the bomber died, but
no other students or staff were hurt,
police said.
“Though I lost my sweet son I have
no regret for what he has done. He
has done a heroic job and I am proud
of his bravery,” Mujahid Ali, Aitezaz’s
father, told Reuters news agency. The bomber approached the school with
explosives hidden under a school uni-
form on Monday, but students noticed
and started shouting out warnings
to stop him.
Aitezaz tackled him head on, but the
bomb detonated and Aitezaz died of his
injuries, said head teacher Azmat Ali.
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a Sunni Muslim
sectarian group, claimed responsibility
for the attack. The school is in Hangu, a
predominantly Shia Muslim area.
The boy’s parents said no govern-
ment offi cial or politician had contact-
ed them. Aitezaz’s father said authori-
ties could rename the school after him
and offi ciall y declare hi m a martyr, a
designation that would bring some fi-
nancial relief to his family.
His mother, brother, and two sisters
were mourning Aitezaz, but took some
comfort in knowing that he had saved
many others, the father said. l
Karzai unlikely to meet US security deadlinenAFP, Washington
The top US negotiator in talks to secure
a long-term security deal with Afghan-
istan has warned that President Hamid
Karzai is unlikely to sign the agreement
on time, The Washington Post reported
Thursday.
The assessment was made in re-
cent days by US Ambassador James
Cunningham in a classified cable, after
President Barack Obama’s administra-
tion repeatedly extended the deadline
for the agreement, originally due to be
signed early last fall.White House spokesman Jay Carney
said this week that the deal must be
signed within “weeks and not months.”
“The clock is ticking,” he said.
But Cunningham said he did not ex-
pect Karzai to agree to sign the docu-
ment before presidential elections set
to be held in April.
USAfghan ties hit a new low in re-
cent months after Karzai made a sur-
prise decision not to sign the BilateralSecurity Agreement promptly, despite
having vowed to do so.
The BSA would see several thousand
US troops remain in Afghanistan to pro-
vide training and assistance after the
NATO combat mission ends in December.
Signing the BSA is a precondition for
the delivery ons of dollars in Western
aid for Afghanistan.
“We continue to urge President Kar-
zai to sign the BSA promptly,” a seniorState Departm ent offi cial told t he Post
when asked about Cunningham’s cable.
President Barack Obama’s deputies
have warned that unless Karzai relents
on the security deal soon, there will be
no option but to prepare for a full US
troop exit – the so-called “zero option.”
“If we cannot conclude a bilateral
security agreement promptly, then we
will be forced to initiate planning for a
post-2014 future in which there would
be no US, nor NATO troop presence in
Afghanistan,” Carney warned Monday.
“That’s not the future we’re seek-
ing,” he added. “But the further this
slips into 2014, the more likely that
outcome will come to pass.”l
Cambodia opposition warnof ‘final’ push against PMnAFP, Phnom Penh
Cambodia’s opposition warned strong-
man premier Hun Sen of a “final cam-
paign” against him unless fresh elec-
tions are held, as it rallied yesterday in
the country’s northwest despite recent
bloody crackdowns on protesters.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy and
his deputy Kem Sokha met hundreds of
supporters in Siem Reap province after
authorities banned anti-government
rallies in the capital and renewed calls
for Hun Sen to resign over alleged vote
fraud in July 2013 polls.
“If he does not agree to a new election,
we will start the final campaign. That will
be to make him step down,” Kem Sokha
told a cheering crowd, according to a live
stream from the rally on his Cambodia
National Rescue Party website.
Authorities chased opposition pro-testers from their rally site in the capital
Phnom Penh on Saturday and banned
all anti-government demonstrations
indefinitely after bloody clashes be-
tween striking garment workers and
security forces that saw police shoot
several people dead.
In the face of growing international
alarm, the government has defended
the crackdown, denouncing the rallies
against Hun Sen as violent and illegal.
Rainsy and Kem Sokha, who have
been summoned to Phnom Penh Mu-
nicipal Court on January 14 for ques-
tioning in connection with the recent
unrest, are planning similar rallies in
two more provinces over the weekend.
“We are not scared, brothers. We
did not commit any wrongdoing,” Sam
Rainsy told supporters as they chanted
“Step down, Hun Sen.”
The rally was peaceful, local wit-
nesses told AFP, although a few securi-ty offi cers were depl oyed nearby.
Rainsy’s CNRP has boycotted parlia-
ment since last year’s election, alleging
that Hun Sen was returned to power
because of widespread vote-rigging.
The Cambodian premier, who has
ruled for 28 years, has faced mount-
ing criticism over his rights record as
well as accusations of excessive force
against demonstrators.
Last Friday police opened fire on
striking garment factory employees
demanding a minimum wage of $160
per month for their work in an industry
which supplies brands including Gap,
Nike and H&M.
Rights activists said at least four
civilians were shot dead in what they
described as the country’s worst state
violence against its citizens in 15 years.
The strike has since been called off
and most of the garment workers havereturned to work.
In the clearance of the long-stand-
ing opposition rally site in a Phnom
Penh park on Saturday, activists said
dozens of security personnel armed
with shields and batons chased away
hundreds of protesters – including
monks, women and children.
Hun Sen, 61, has vowed to stay in
power until he is 74.l
India, US reach deal to end feud,count cost of damagenAFP, New Delhi
The United States and India ended
a month-long feud over a diplomat
who was arrested, strip-searched and
charged in New York for visa fraud with
a deal yesterday allowing the envoy to
fly home.
The row began on December 12
when consulate offi cial Devyani Kho-
bragade w as arrested on suspicion of
filing false documents to obtain a visa
for her domestic servant and then un-
derpaying her.
Her arrest outside her children’s
school and treatment in custody, when
the mother-of-two said she was sub-
jected to a cavity search, outraged In-
dia which claimed she benefited from
diplomatic immunity.
US prosecutors disputed this be-cause she was a consu lar offi cial, lea d-
ing New Delhi to request Washington
to grant her a G1 visa given to diplo-
mats at India’s UN mission which is
also in New York.
“Devyani given G1 visa by USA ac-
cording her full diplomatic immunity.
India transfers her back. She is now
flying home,” Indian foreign ministry
spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said in
a tweet that confirmed the deal. Just
hours earlier, prosecutors had filed
charges against her in a New York court.
The deal ends the dispute, but the
two countries which had embraced
each other as strategic partners must
now count the cost of weeks of feisty
exchanges which have left resentment
on both sides.
India has removed extra security
barriers at the US embassy in New Del-
hi, has demanded contract details for
domestic staff employed by American
diplomats and even stopped the mis-
sion importing duty-free alcohol.
On Wednesday, it ordered an embas-
sy leisure centre popular with Amer-
ican expatriates in the capital to stop
admitting non-diplomatic members,
while schedu led visits by US offi cials to
India have been cancelled.
The United States through pres-
idents George W. Bush and Barack
Obama has invested heavily in im-
proving ties with India which it has
embraced as part of its “pivot” to Asia,
designed to check Chinese influence.
The row exposed a gulf in perceptionsand values between the two countries.
Khobragade, a wealthy 39-year-
old, was seen at home as the victim of
heavy-handed policing and her treat-
ment was viewed as a humiliation of
India by the world’s superpower.
Domestic servants are routine for
the middle classes in India where few
employees have contracts, many are
abused, and none make even a f raction
of the US minimum wage.
In the United States, there was littlepublic sympathy for a woman allegedly
exploiting a vulnerable employee who
had lied to bring her to the country.
“We are proud Indians. We may be a
poor country but we don’t compromise
the sovereignty of the country,” Kho-
bragade’s father, Uttam, told a press
conference on yesterday.
“We as a family would not like to touch
the soil of a country that treats a human
being in such a way,” he added, saying
that Khobragade’s children and American
husband would follow her to India. l
Sri Lanka protests USwar crimes remarks
nAFP, Colombo
Sri Lanka said yesterday it would pro-
test to the United States over its alle-
gations that army shelling killed hun-
dreds of families during the final days
of the island’s ethnic civil war.
A senior foreign ministry offi cial
said the allegation, made in a US em-
bassy tweet Thursday, would be dis-
cussed with visiting Ambassador for
Global Criminal Justice Stephen Rapp.
“Our minister (G. L. Peiris) will take
it up face-to-face with ambassador
Rapp,” the offi cial to ld AFP, asking not
to be named.
Rapp arrived in Sri Lanka Monday
on a five-day vis it to meet offi cials an d
politicians to discuss Sri Lanka’s rightsrecord and attempts at reconciliation
five years after the end of war.
The US embassy posted on Twitter
a photo of Rapp and its ambassador
Michele Sison from the island’s former
battle zone with the caption: “St Antha-
ny’s Ground - site of Jan 2009 killing of
hundreds of families by army shelling.”
US diplomats in Colombo told AFP
the tweet reflected Washington’s
toughening human rights policy to-
wards Sri Lanka.
“This twee t reflects offi cial govern -
ment stance,” an embassy offi cial said,speaking on condition of anonymity.
Sri Lanka has denied charges that
up to 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians
were killed by the army during the final
push that crushed Tamil rebels fight-
ing for a separate homeland. Sri Lanka
maintains that not a single civilian was
killed by troops and in November or-
dered a census of war casualties.
The country’s main Tamil political
party has rejected the count as a sham
and says it will collate its own figures.
The UN estimates that the conflict
for a separate homeland for ethnic
Tamils in the Sinhalese-majority na-
tion cost at least 100,000 lives between
1972 and 2009. l
Devyani Khobragade AFP
In the face of growinginternational alarm, the
government has defendedthe crackdown, denouncingthe rallies against Hun Sen asviolent and illegal
Lightning streaks across the sky of Montevideo, over the Legislative Palace – seat of the Uruguayan Government – during a thund erstorm
early on January 10 AFP
The blaze destroyed atleast 10 structures but nocasualties had been reported,the report said
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Rich got richer, poorpoorer in 2013January 5
P Bidhan
This is very normal for a country with a large
number of corrupt politicians and civil servants,
and a dishonest, educated society.
Shakerul Tazu
Oh, really? Somebody finally speaks out about
it. Thanks!
Ban on 11 types of vehiclesJanuary 5
Arafat Rahman
What type of vehicles are allowed then??
P Ahmed
This is worse than a hartal or blockade. And
imposed by the government, supposedly
defending democracy!
Hasina: We tried best for BNPJanuary 3
Aleef Khan
RIP democracy in Bangladesh! My voting right
is denied.
If she has any grace left, she would stop this
staged and one-sided election to prevent the
country from going into a deep crisis.
Dear PM, when the people rise up, you
will not only endanger yourself, your party
and fellow supporters, but will also face the
threat of extinction. To save yourself and the
country, reach a consensus with the opposition
for a poll-time govt. There is nothing to lose
in compromise, rather you may gain for your
magnanimity.
Akhtar Shah
AL is completely faultless I presume!
Time for the BNP
to cut Jamaat loose
In a recent interview with the New York Times, Khaleda Zia gavehints that the BNP might consider cutting its long-standing ties withJamaat-e-Islami.That she is giving this move any thought at all is a good sign, and
might work to the advantage of her party. But it might be time for BNPnot to think of this only in terms of strategy or tactics, but in terms ofthe party’s long-term platform.
Between the elections of 2008 and the more recent Shahbagh move-ment, and most crucially with the abiding support for war crimes, it has become clear as day that there islittle tolerance in this country forthe kind of politics represented byJamaat.
While Jamaat has served as agood tactical ally in electoral seatsharing in the past, the war crimes baggage and now the horrors ofmore recent violence make themtoo toxic an association for any-one seeking broad-based support.
Jamaat-Shibir activists werealready infamous for their brutalviolence against other activistsand law enforcement, but theyhave gone so far as to target thegeneral public in the past year.The sickening violence on andafter election day serve as further reminders of the costs to the BNP ofmaintaining such an alliance.
From the time Jamaat joined the 18-party alliance, there have beeninternal disagreements with some party policymakers showing discom-fort with having Jamaat in the fold.
Khaleda Zia has rightly said that her party’s internal decisions aretheirs. We understand this, and it is to her and her party’s best intereststhat we appeal.
There was always notable support for BNP’s demands for a free andfair election. Free of Jamaat, BNP might have succeeded in building amore successful movement for that demand through peaceful means.The murky coupling with Jamaat and its agenda of foiling war crimestrials through violence has hurt BNP’s legitimate demands badly.
Cutting Jamaat loose would also put the government on the spotas Sheikh Hasina has said on more than one occasion that she wouldwelcome dialogue with BNP if it put an end to violence and dropped itsalliance with Jamaat.
It is clearer than ever before that BNP stands to gain by cutting Jamaatloose, sooner rather than later.
Storm in a teacup
The swearing in of 289 MPs has taken place, albeit amid somecontroversy. Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury conducted theoath-taking ceremony a few days ago, though the 10th parliament
does not go into effect until January 24.Many people, including some of our legal and constitutional experts,
have raised a hue and cry about this legal debate, with BNP’s actingsecretary general going so faras dubbing it a violation of theconstitution.
Under our reading, the proce-dure being followed is both con-stitutional and logical. But, moreto the point, we do not thinkspecious arguments on this issueare either helpful or enlightening.
Arguing about whether theswearing-in is unconstitutional ornot is a non-issue, in our opinion.
This is hardly where the focusshould be. We have much biggerproblems that need to be dealtwith.
Over the past months, Bangla-desh has been combating a crisisof democracy, with numerous arson attacks, crude bomb attacks, as wellas atrocities on minority communities across the nation. On top of that,the blockades have dealt a crippling blow to our economy.
This is where the focus should be, on finding a workable solution tothe crisis, on holding those behind the attacks accountable, on repairingthe damage that’s done to the economy, and making the nation safe forthe public.
While we congratulate the MPs on taking their oaths, we hope thatthey understand their constitutional obligations, and act accordingly forthe public good.
Legal nit-picki ng about when they take offi ce and what happens untilthen is neither here nor there. There is far more serious business toattend to.
Editorial10
www.dhakatribune.com
DHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, January 11, 2014
LETTER OF THE DAY
CALVIN AND HOBBES
PEANUTS
Letters to the Editor
Low voter turnout logical,
says CECJanuary 5
There should be re-elections in the 154 seats,
where about 50 million voters were deprived of
exercising their voting right, especially in constitu-
encies where candidates were forced to withdraw
by their own parties.
Parveen
Shibir man dead
in Chittagong clashJanuary 5
Are police permitted to open fire?
Zahirul Islam Shawon
Children are used to carry out
political agendaJanuary 7
The other day during hartal, I was going to
GPO from the Motijheel Commercial Area for
work. When crossing the road in front of BDBL
Bhaban, all of a sudden I saw a minor boy being
escorted by the police force, and some people
making a hue and cry. I approached the mob and
wanted to know what was going on. I was flab-
bergasted. The minor boy, aged 12, was caught
red-handed by the police, about to set a CNG
ablaze, then taken in to police custody.
At this age, he should be in school, instead of
being engaged in a political party’s agenda. But
this is not new in our country, where many chil-
dren remain below the poverty line, and beyond
the light of education.
Children are used implement political agen-
da by being offered money. They never dare to
carry out any order since they have nothing to
lose. Political parties have to commit to not us-
ing children in their political programmes, and
strictly follow through. Here, civil society and
NGOs can play a significant role to create pres-
sure on political parties.
Md Zonaed Emran
Our focus should beon finding a workablesolution to the crisis, onrepairing the damage
that’s done to theeconomy, and makingthe nation safe for thepublic
The war crimesbaggage and nowthe horrors of morerecent violence makeJamaat too toxic anassociation for anyone
seeking broad-basedsupport
LETTER OF
THE WEEK
Democracy at a crossroadsJanuary 5
Ifty Islam’s full page essay on the above subject
succinctly portrays the total decline and
downfall of democracy in Bangladesh today. All
political, civic and moral principles have been
battered by our self-centred politicians.
This writer feels that for us democracy has
reached a dead end. Maybe we should forget
it, and the alternative of “autocracy” or even
“dictatorship” may be a better option. At least
it will ensure peace and law and order for the
common man, which is their prime need,
instead of this “bent and broken” governance
by democracy.
When all is said and done, democracy is
dead, and our future smeared in uncertainty
of lawlessness and destruction, fights and end-
less rowdiness.
The way we are going, it is an invitation for
total destruction of the country due to the un-
manageable infighting between the political
parties. That is the irony of our fate!
SA Mansoor
A cruel joke from the ECJanuary 6
On January 3, I received a message in my mobile phone. It was a government information text issued by
the election commission.
It said: “Apnar vote apnar gonotantrik odhikar, apnar vote, apnar pochondo. Dayittoshil vabe po-
chonder prarthike, dekhe shuney, bujhe apnar vote din – election commission.”
I just cannot believe my eyes. How could the Election Commission send such a message? It is auda-
cious, and reflects a total disregard for people’s feelings and their rights.
153 candidates have already been elected uncontested, and 47 candidates are going to be elected in
a rigging process. In the one-sided January 5 election, the government is depriving people of their basic
rights. For its autocratic decision, the country is falling to pieces.
Nur Jahan
Be Heard
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How to solve
Sudoku:
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 num-
ber repeating.
CROSSWORD YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS
ACROSS
1 Effective power (5)
4 Inflamed swelling (4)
7 Land measure (3)
8 Make brown (3)
9 Practical intelligence (5)
12 Incline (4)
13 Showed contempt (7)
15 Pale (3)
16 Secret agent (3)
18 Top card (3)
19 Used a chair (3)
21 Regain health (7)
24 Faithful (4)
26 On two occasions (5)
27 Tool (3)
28 Transgression (3)
29 Judge (4)
30 Explosion (5)
DOWN
1 Church service (4)
2 Peaceful (6)
3 Inherited character unit (4)
4 Hairless (4)
5 Numeral (3)
6 Rangy (5)
10 Ply the needle (3)
11 Efface (5)
14 Make into a statute (5)
17 Abstract (6)
18 Performed (5)
20 Pull along (3)
21 Quantity of paper (4)
22 Passport
endorsement (4)
23 Payment for
property use (4)
25 Employ (3)
Crossword
Code-Cracker
SUDOKU
7/27/2019 Print edition :January 11, 2014
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What kind of a nation do we want?
11Op-Ed Saturday, January 11, 2014DHAKA TRIBUNE
nShazia Omar
Every day, we as a nation, openthe papers and look with horror
and sadness at the meaningless
violence taking place in our country.
While our politicians play games for
power, it is our poorest people that
suffer most. Day labourers are unable
to work or earn without risking their
lives, and as a result, their families
go without meals, sometimes go into
debt, and are thrown into such depths
of poverty, that they may never be ableto climb out of their nightmare.
Little boys taking lunch to their
fathers and mothers who cannot afford
to stay home are hit by bullets and lie
bloody on our roads, as we wonder
how our “leaders” will get over their
differences and let democracy play
itself out. We want our leaders to stop
nurturing personal bank accounts and
instead, do what we are voting them
into power for – and that is – serve the
people.
In our beloved country, 17.6% of
the population lives below the lower
poverty line. That is approximately25 million extremely poor people or 6
million extremely poor families.
Jui is an extremely poor girl I met in
Rajshahi. She is chronically underfed,
malnourished and frequently ill. She
faces social, economic and gender
exclusion. Her father left her mother,
as is common among extremely poor
families. Her mother owns no assets,
savings or land. She has no skills or
education. They will remain in abject
poverty throughout their lives and
from one generation to the next.
Is this the sort of country we want?What is your vision of our country in
ten years? What sort of country do
we dream of? Let us dare to dream
big. Let us dare to dream of a nation
where young single mothers are not
left without support to raise beautiful
daughters like Jui, where children can
eat, learn to read and write, find safe
jobs, and live with dignity.
National successes
Bangladesh, despite its huge
population, political instability
and climatic vulnerability, has
had remarkable achievements in
development. We invented Micro
Finance and ORS. We have had great
results against MDG indicators. We
have reduced maternal mortality,
improved family planning and scored
well on several social indicators. We
have achieved significant reductions
in poverty, including, extreme poverty,
over the past 10 years. Women’s
participation in economic activity has
increased from 8% to 57% between
1983 and 2011, putting Bangladesh
ahead of neighbours such as India
(29%), Pakistan (22%), and Sri Lanka
(35%). Our success is considered a
paradox and has made us the global
poster child of development. The
world looks to us to lead the way in
poverty-reducing innovations.
National challenges
Economic growth is high but the
benefits don’t trickle down to the
poorest. We are still a nation with high
inequality, governance challenges,
lack of justice, especially for the
poorest, rights and entitlements are
not always upheld, political instability,
poor infrastructure, not enough jobs,
vulnerability to climate change.
What can we do?
We will be judged as a nation by the
way we treat our poorest. How can
we answer to our own conscience and
to our children if we do not move to
eliminate this poverty?
Transforming extreme poverty into
economic capacity
These conditions need not continue.
Evidence shows that with adequate
support, families can climb out
of extreme poverty. Bangladeshhas several successful programs
(CLP, BRACCFPR, shiree, REOPA,
FSUP, Nobo Jibon, UPPR) that have
transformed the lives of the extreme
poor through asset transfers or
vocational skills training. Let’s scale
up our efforts.
Benefits of eradicating extreme
povertySome of the benefits are obvious – the
elimination of severe hardship and
suffering of 25 million fellow citizens,national solidarity and pride. Also,
this will mean enhanced economic
benefit for all of us. As the extreme
poor join the economy, they will
consume, produce and buy more.
Our labour force will be stronger (well
nourished, skilled, capable) and there
will be a multiplier effect, increasing
economic growth. Internationally we
will also b e better respected.
Manifesto for the Extreme Poor
The Manifesto for the Extreme Poor
is a civil society document that has
received great national support from
private sector companies, civil society
organizations, donors, NGOs, think
tanks and academics.
One demand
The Manifesto has one demand: the
complete eradication of extreme
poverty from Bangladesh by 2022. All
the pieces of the jigsaw already exist
for rapid eradication of poverty, now
it’s a matter of setting a target andworking towards this clear objective.
Yes, 2022 is an ambitious target, but
why not be ambitious? 2021/2022
is a significant year for Bangladesh
symbolically – our 50th anniversary. If
we eradicate extreme poverty by 2022,
the nation will truly have come of age.
Once we establish a healthy,
democratically elected government,
let us start to tackle issues of real
relevance. L et only those who love
to serve their people come into
power and then, let us work together,
those of us who can, to mobilise the
resources and actions necessary to
relieve 25 million people of their pain
and suffering. We can be a country
where girls like Jui will have a fair
chance at a good life. Let us honour
our nation and our independence and build the beautiful Bangladesh we are
meant to be. l
Shazia Omar is Head of Advocacy at Shiree.
The death penaltydilemmanMH Bari
Does society need the death
penalty? It is the million dollarquestion now, as voices in fa-
vour of certain universal human rights
are getting stronger day by day.
The EU countries, Australia, Cana-
da, and some US states have abolished
capital punishment. The UN opposes
the imposition of the death penalty
under any circumstance, even for the
most serious crimes. However, Bangla-
desh has retained the practice of death
penalty as punishment.
Proponents of the death penalty say
it is an important tool for preserving
law and order, that it deters crime,
and costs less than life imprisonment.
They argue that retribution, or “an eye
for an eye,” honours the victim, helps
console grieving families, and ensures
that the perpetrators of heinous crimes
never have the opportunity to causefuture tragedy.
Those who support capital punish-
ment argue that all guilty people de-
serve to be punished in proportion tothe severity of their crime. It is argued
that death penalty provides closure for
victims’ families. Some proponents of
capital punishment argue it is benefi-
cial for society overall. It is undeniable
that those who have been executed
cannot commit further crimes.
On the other hand, opponents
of capital punishment say it has no
deterrent effect on crime, that it
wrongly gives governments the power
to take human life, and it perpetuates
social injustices by being racist and
classist, disproportionately handing
out punishment to minorities or the
underprivileged. They say lifetime jail
sentences are a more severe and less
expensive punishment than death.
Everyone thinks human life is
valuable. Opponents say everyone,
even those who commit murder, havean inalienable right to their own life.
Sentencing a person to death and exe-
cuting them violates that right. Thoseagainst capital punishment believe
that human life is so valuable that
even the worst murderers should not
be deprived of their right to live.
Those who are against capital pun-
ishment also argue that death penalty
is wrong because it lowers the dignity
of people, that it is a surrender to the
worst that is in human beings, that it
uses a sort of power – the offi cial pow-
er to kill by execution – that has never
elevated a society, never brought back
a life, and never inspired anything but
hate.
The most common and most cogent
argument against capital punishment
is that innocent people may also get
killed because of mistakes or flaws in
the justice system. Witnesses, (when
they are part of the process), prosecu-
tors, and jurors can all make mistakes.
When this is coupled with flaws in the
system, it is inevitable that sometimes
innocent people will be convicted ofcrimes.
Where capital punishment is used,
such mistakes cannot be set right. An-
other important and crucial argument
against retribution is that it is immoral.In addition to all these issues sur-
rounding capital punishment, some
argue that all ways of executing people
cause so much suffering to the con-
demned person that they amount to
torture, and are therefore wrong. Many
methods of execution are quite likely
to cause enormous suffering, such as
beheading, execution by lethal gas,
electrocution and so on.
A number of points can be made
to logically argue against the death
penalty. There is a better alternative:
life without parole. The death penalty
puts innocent lives at risk. Race and
place determine who lives and who
dies. Poor legal defence leaves many
sentenced to death. Capital punish-
ment does not deter crimes. Thereis a better way to help the families
of murder victims. No civilian’s job
description should include killing
another person.
It may be noted that people are not
born criminals. Rather, it is society
that makes them criminals. Two of the
main causes for crimes are fear and
want. We know that human rights are
freedom from fear and want. If we can
enforce human rights effectively, then
society will be automatically peaceful.
Why should we go f or punishments
that cannot deter or stop crime? It
would be good if the state could usethem in better ways, keeping criminals
in custody for life.
We are a developing steadily, ourrate of education is increasing and our
illiteracy rate is decreasing. The pov-
erty level is going down and our per
capita income has crossed $1000. More
importantly, we are practicing the
most sophisticated system of govern-
ance, democracy, which is supposed to
protect human rights.
Bangladesh is a signatory of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR) and the International Bill of
Rights. So, Bangladesh might want to
consider scrapping the death penalty
from its penal code.
The death penalty might someday
become unlawful in Bangladesh. It
will, at that point, be a reflection of
the larger social consensus that capital
punishment is inhumane. l
MH Bari works in the global marketing ofseafood from Bangladesh.
nM Shamsul Haque
The 10th parliamentaryelection was held amidst a
lot of confusion, obstruc-
tions, and violence. During
the period preceding the
election, many substantive issues
were raised and discussed widely in
the media. Issues such as there being
too much of a concentration of power
in the hands of the prime minister,
restrictions on floor-crossing by the
elected members from one party to
another, and frequent boycotting of
parliament sessions by the opposition
were raised.
All these made the government of
the country seem unaccountable and
authoritarian. In this regard, Afsan
Chowdhury said the 15th amendment
was passed to make electio ns diffi cult
for everyone except the ruling party.The enormous phase of violence was
a joint product of the AL and the BNP.
There was no need to pass this when
no compulsion existed. The reaction ofthe BNP supported by Jamaat showed
how deeply callous our politicians
can be. But together, it showed, after
42 years we hadn’t yet found out aconstitutional way to rule and transfer
power through elections.”
Too much authority given to
parliament members made the local
government institutions virtually
ineffective. The powerful position of
MPs allowed them to accumulate vastamounts of wealth at the cost of good
local governance, as it is revealed in
their submission to the election com-
mission.
Dr Kamal Hossain, in this
connection, expressed that parliament
and its members could be more
effective if the functioning of parties
could be brought into conformity with
the mandates of the constitution.
He said Article 70 of the constitution
appeared to have made members
apprehensive of speaking out on
issues for fear of incurring their party’s
displeasure.
Reforms needed to be carefully
considered to strengthenparliamentary democracy. If the
strategic goals set for 2021 were to
succeed, meaningful change had to
be made in our institutions and ourpolitical behavior.
Too much centralisation of power at
the headquarters of the government in
Dhaka has hindered expected growth
some of the regions, especially the
northwestern parts of the country
such as North Bengal, as well as some
southern districts.
As a result of this deprivation,
people in these areas clearly showed
their disliking of the Awami League
government at the centre. These re-
vealed preferences of the people needto be recognised through changes in
the constitution of the country before
another election is held under the
existing constitution.
It may be mentioned that w hen
Bangladesh became independentin 1971, it had a population of
only 75 million. The current
population is about 160 million.
To deliver public services to this
vast growing population requires
effective legislative and executive
decentralisation.
There are many countries such as
Sri Lanka and Malaysia with less than
one third of our population that have
provincial legislature and govern-
ments under federal systems. Profes-
sor Rehman Sobhan opined that 2013
had brought into full public view the
weaknesses of our democratic system.
Can Bangladesh adopt a federal
system similar to Malaysia or Sri
Lanka, with Dhaka city being like NewDelhi?
It may be mentioned that fo rmer
president HM Ershad, during his
regime in the 1980s, proposed
the creation of 4-5 provinces, and
devolved government. But hismove was stopped by the High
Court as it was against the unitary
form of governance laid out in our
constitution.
Perhaps it is time that we take
his idea seriously, and establish a
high-powered constitutional commis-
sion to study and propose necessary
legislation in the 10th parliament.
This has become essential now, given
the dysfunctional state of governance
under the existing unitary system.
While these legislative and adminis-
trative changes are being deliberated,
it would be appropriate of the current
AL government to make the upazilla
system more active and effective.
There is going to be a new round
of elections in the upazilas soon.
Before these elections are held, thegovernment must curtail all the
powers and positions given to the
MPs as they have been, by and large,
misused and caused quite somedissatisfaction among the people.
They should, especially, be withdrawn
from their chairmanships of schools
and colleges.
Headmasters and principals should
be made ex offi cio chairs of manag-
ing committees with all powers. In
addition, administrative and financial
control of educational institutions
should be placed under district educa-
tion offi ces. l
M Shamsul Haque is Vice-Chancellor,Northern University Bangladesh.
To deliver public services to this vast growingpopulation requires effective legislative andexecutive decentralisation
Our success isconsidered a paradoxand has made us theglobal poster child of
development
Why should we gofor punishments thatcannot deter or stopcrime?
We will be judged as a nation by the way we treat ourpoorest. How can we answer to our own conscienceif we do not move to eliminate this poverty?
Decentralise to move forward
Time to move the power around?
7/27/2019 Print edition :January 11, 2014
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EntertainmentDHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, January 11, 201412
ExhibitionShilpacharya and his Outer
World of Art
Time: 12pm-8pm
Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts
House 42, Road 16 (New) / 27
(old), Dhanmondi
City of Rhythm
Second phase of Kazi
Salahuddin Ahmed
Time: 128pm
Shilpangan
House 7, Road 13 (New)
Dhanmondi
Zainul Quamrul Exhibition
Time: 10am – 8pm
Nalini Kanta Bhattasali Gallery
National Museum
Shahbagh
FilmPacific Rim in 3D
Escape Plan
The Conjuring
The Hunger Games: Catching
Fire
Star Cineplex
Bashundhara City
Gravity
Blockbuster Cinemas
Jamuna Future Park
Ka-244, Kuril
Pragati Avenue, Dhaka
TODAY IN DHAKA
A scene form Mahfuz Ahmed’s new mega serial Amader Chhoto Nodi Chole Bake Bake
Mahfuz Ahmed bringsyet another mega seriesnPunny Kabir
After bringing out one after another successful
mega serials, eminent TV actor and director Mah-
fuz Ahmed is all set to entertain the audience of
small screen with a remarkable record in main-
taining quality. Directed and scripted by Mahfuz
Ahmed, new mega serial Amader Chhoto Nodi
Chole Bake Bake will begin airing today on Chan-
nel i at 7:50pm.
The drama features a rural storyline and the
cast includes Misha Saudagar, Raunak Hasan, P u-
nam Hasan Jui, Nader Chowdhury and others.
Dhaka Tribune managed to have a conversa-
tion with Mahfuz Ahmed who, besides being a
popular actor, has gained huge acclaims as a di-
rector for the serials such as Tomar Doyay Bhalo
Achhi Ma, Buno Chaltar Gaye, Choita Pagol and
more.
Tell us the concept and story of the newproduction.
The title Amader Chhoto Nodi Chole Bake Bake is
taken from Tagore’s poem which is a loved poem
to everyone who loves the beauty and serenity of
the villages of our country. But, ironically our ru-
ral community is no more a sweet place. Corrup-
tion has engulfed the villages. From educational
institutes to government organisations to NGOs—
corruption is everywhere. The series p ortrays the
sad reality of the villages.
What are the other features of the serial?
I grew up in a village and know what a real village
looks like. So I am shooting the serial in different
locations of greater Noakhali belt which depict
the diverse landscape of our rural life. Most of
other TV plays featuring rural storyline are shot
in Gazipur and Pubail which do not represent the
wide variety of our rural landscape.
Why do you prefer rural stories for your serials?
I have a deep connection with village since I grew
up there. As the new generation directors are less
interested in narrating stories of village people I
feel that I should keep o n presenting such tales.
The serial presents the mighty villain of
Dhallywood film, Misha Saudagar, for the first
time in TV. What made you cast him?
In this serial I have chosen such actors who are
not very regular faces in TV. I feel that the TV
audience is tired of seeing some common faces
in repetitive manner. Misha Saudagar has never
worked in TV before and this time he is enacting
a role fully opposite what he is used to doing infilms. It was a great challenge for me and a direc-
tor always looks for challenges.
Are you playing any character in the serial?No. Though I have acted in Choita Pagol, I prefer
not to appear in productions I direct. It hampers
my concentration.
Are you acting in any other projects right now?I have signed for Animesh Aich’s upcoming film
Zero Degree, and this is the only project I have in
my hands right now.
Why are you not regular on TV screen?These days the industry has a sheer lack of new
stories and experimental directors. The repetitive
stories and common narrations made me very
tired. So I’m taking a break. l
Tanjina Tomaperforms todayat IGCCnEntertainment Desk
Tagore singer Tanjina Toma will per-
form today at Indira Gandhi Cultural
Centre in Gulshan today at 6:30pm at
the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre.
Tanjina Toma has trained in Rabin-
dra Sangeet at the prestigious Ch-
hayanaut and has also trained under
renowned gurus such as late Wahidul
Haque and Dr Sanjida Khatun. She is
serving as a teacher of Rabindra San-
geet in Chhayanaut for the last 10 years.
A gifted artist, Toma rendered her
voice in Balmiki Prathibha, a joint
Bangladesh-India production in 2010,
and also in a documentary titled Ban- gladeshey Rabindranath, produced on
the occasion of Tagore’s 150th birth
anniversary celebrations and screenedin Bangladesh, India, UK and Australia.
Toma is a senior grade artist and reg-
ular performer for Bangladesh TV and
Bangladesh Betar. She has so far released
has released two solo albums: Modhu Ja-mini from Bangladesh in 2011 and Jibon
Kotha from Kolkata in May, 2013. l
Thor comes to DhakanEntertainment Desk
Star Cineplex brings the 2011 Amer-
ican superhero film Thor based on
the comic book character of the same
name published by Marvel Comics.
The film is directed by Kenneth
Branagh, written by Ashley Edward
Miller, Zack Stentz and Don Payne,
and stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie
Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Antho-
ny Hopkins and many more.
The powerful but arrogant god
Thor is cast out of the fantastic
realm of Asgard by his father Odin
(Hopkins) for his arrogance and is
ordered to live amongst humans in
Midgard (Earth). He soon becomes
one of the finest defenders of earth.
While there, he forms a relation-
ship with Jane Foster (Portman)
who teaches him much-needed les-
sons, and his new-found strength
comes into play as a villain from his
homeland sends dark forces toward
Earth. However, Thor must stop his
adopted brother Loki, who intends
to become the new king of Asgard.l
‘Item girl’ tag derogatory and silly:Malaika Arora KhannEntertainment Desk
An “item song,” in Indian cinema, is a musical performance
that has little to do with the film in which it appears, butis presented to showcase beautiful dancing women in re-
vealing clothes, to lend support to the marketability of the
film. The dancer who appears in an item number is known
as an item girl.
Bollywood actor Malaika Arora Khan, whose popular
item numbers like Chaiyya Chaiyya and Munni Badnam Hui have raised the bar for her contemporaries to match
her style, finds the “item girl” tag “derogatory and silly.”
“I don’t like the term ‘item girl’. Why not look at it (item
song) as a special song? I find it derogatory and silly,” Ma-
laika told in an interview.
Unlike in the past, currently mainstream actresses
like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka
Chopra, Katrina Kaif and others are appearing such songs
in different films.
Though Malaika has proved herself as a dancer on
screen, but one format she wants to learn is belly dancing.
“I would love to learn popping, locking and robotics,
gymnastics and acrobatics, it is amazing to learn these
things. I know basic thing about belly dancing but not the
technicalities, I want to learn it. I want to learn belly danc-
ing. I wish to learn more of dancing. I have been associated
with dance since long time b ut yet there is so much more to
learn about it,” she said.
Malaika says the space of belly dancing is largely unex-plored in Bollywood movies.
“We have done a few steps here and there in films,
whether Deepika Padukone or Katrina Kaif they all have
done it but not the real part. There is no one who has actu-
ally done belly dancing on screen.Besides belly dancing, the 40-year-old actress would
like to do some bike stunts and acrobatics, which she says
fascinate her. l
26 films to be screened at DhakaInternational Film Festival todaynEntertainment Desk
Twenty-six films including six Bangla-
deshi films will be screened on the second
day of the 13th Dhaka International Film
Festival (DIFF) at different venues across
the capital today.
The films cover six categories- “Retro-
spective,” “Cinema of the World,” “Chil-
dren’s Film, “Women Filmmakers,” “Short
and Independent Films Section,” and
“Spiritual Films Section.”
The festival features a competition in
three categories- Asian and Australian and
those of the six segments.
Five films will be screened today at the
National Museum auditorium from 10am
to 9pm in the “Cinema of the World” cat-
egory. Antaral, directed by Nepali film
maker Dipa Basnet will be screened at
10:30am, Beauty by Argentinian director
Daniela Seggiaro at 1pm, Polvo by Julio
Hemandez Cordon at 3pm, Ghetu Putra Komola directed by Humayun Ahmed at
5:30pm and Chorabalidirected by Redoan
Rony at 7:30.
Sixteen films will b e screened including
four Bangladeshi films short films will be
screened at the Sufia Kamal Auditorium.
In the Independent and Spiritual Sec-
tion, Folk Faith by Shahiduzzaman Badal,
36-24-36 by Bratto Amin, Bish Kabya (The Poison Teller) and Shohor Kabya (TheCity Song) by Shabnam Ferdousi will be
screened from 1pm to 3pm.
Foreign films- Irrompibles by Luis Gra-
jera f rom Spain, Solo by Mina Yonezawa
from Japan, Long Days by Simin Fallahza-
deh Tehrani from Iran, The Red Soil by
Arash Yazdani from Iran will be screened
from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. T’ Adhib by Ra-
quel from Spain and Okul Nodi (Endless River) by Tuni Chatterji, Clay Dean fromUSA will be screened from 7:30pm to 9p m.
For competing in the three sections, five
films will be screened at the Public Library
auditorium-- Bardou by Seyed Hadi Mo-
haghegh at 10am, The Blindfold by Garin
Nugroho at 1pm, Eve Donus Sarikamiş 1915(The Long Way Home) by Alphan Eseli at
3pm, Udhao (Escape is not an Opinion) by
Amit Ashraf at 5:30pm and Steppe Man(Colcu Cholchu) by Shamil Aliyev at 7:30pm.
Finance Minister AMA Muhit graced
the first day of the festival as the chief
guest while Information and Cultural Af-
fairs Minister Hasanul Haq Inu was pres-
ent as the special guest.
Director of the festival Ahmed Mustafa
Jamal delivered a speech. l
13TH DHAKA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Chorabali The Blindfold
Int’l Conference on Women in Cinema nHasan Mansoor Chatak
Graceful presence of a number of seasoned film makers, ac-
ademicians, and development activists marked the inaugu-
ration of the two-day international conference on “Women
in Cinema”–part of the 13th Dhaka International Film Festi-
val yesterday.
Organised by the Rainbow Film Society, the pro-
gramme took place at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury
Senate Bhaban at the University of Dhaka.
Renowned human rights activist Khushi Kabir presided
over the session and presented a keynote paper on “Film-
makers who are civil rights activists.
A number of foreign film makers attended the confer-
ence including Afghanistani filmmaker and lecturer Sah-
raa Karimi, Clementine Ederveen, a Dutch film producer,
writer and director.
While addressing, Ederveen focused on the roles
played by women in the world of cinema.
Robyn Hugan, an Australian filmmaker exhibited her
two short films. The films highlighted Malaysian and In-
donesian refugees seeking refuge in Australia because of
their vulnerable social and economic state.In the following session Prof Kaberi Gayen of depart-
ment of Journalism and Mass Communication, DU, pre-
sented a key note paper on “War, Women and Cinema.”
The session was inaugurated by Professor AAMS Arefin
Siddique, vice-chancellor of DU while country director of
Action aid Farah Kabir was the convener. Mofidul Haque,
trustee of Bangladesh Liberation War Museum was also
present at the session. Women and Gender Studies depart-
ment organised a cultural programme.
The conference was held in cooperation with Depart-
ment of Women and Gender Studies, Department of Jour-
nalism and Mass Communication and Department of Tele-
vision and Film Studies of University f Dhaka, supported by Actionaid and Manusher Jonno Foundation.
Today’s discussion will be held on “Bangladeshi Women
Filmmakers: Challenges and Realities” by Shamim Akhtar.
A keynote papers will be presented on “Women and
New Trends in Cinema” by Nurkurniati Aisyah Dewi-Nia
Dinata, an Indonesian Filmmaker and activist while Giti
Ara Nasreen, Prof of Department of Journalism and Mass
Communication, DU will discuss on “Gender Representa-
tion in Bangladeshi Cinema.”
Around 40 films directed by national and international
women filmmakers will be screened at the American Centre
in Dhanmondi in the capital as a part of the 13th DIFF. l
ONTVMOVIE
7:20pmHBO
Miss Congeniality
8:30pmStar Movies Action
Death Race
COMEDY
2:30pm Comedy Central
Up All Night
10:30pm Star World
2 And A Half Men
DRAMA
8:30pm Star Plus
Meri Bhabi
11:30pm Colors
Balika Vadhu
MISC
10:30am TLC
Rude Boy Food
7:30pm AXN
The Millionaire Matchmaker
7/27/2019 Print edition :January 11, 2014
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13DHAKA TRIBUNESaturday, January 11, 2014
SportDid you know?
Man United legendEric Cantona
averaged a goalassist every 2.78
matches, the bestrate in PremierLeague history
14 Yaya Tourenamed AfricanFootballer of Year
15 Younis, Misbahfight for Pakistanin second TestDAYS TO GO
0 6 4
(LR) Muktijoddha’s Nigerian defender Eleta Benjamin controls the ball and executes a perfect right-footed propeller kick to score against BJMC during their Bangladesh Premier League match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday MUMIT M
Mahmudullah
eyes comebacknMazhar Uddin
The second edition of the Bangladesh
Cricket League (BCL) will hit the
field tomorrow in BKSP as defending
champions Walton Central Zone face
East Zone.
“We have a very good side but we
have to perform as we have a very
strong top order - some handy all-
rounders with the spin and fast bowl-
ing department very strong. We have
Shahdat Hossain, along with two
young fast bowlers Sohid and Dewan
Sabbir and I think it’s a balanced side
but we have to perform well,” said Cen-
tral Zone captain Mahmudullah yester-
day at the Sher-e-Bangla National Sta-dium yesterday.
He added, “We are the defending
champions but we are planning to take
it match by match. We will now play
two matches and if we can play well,
we can get the same result as last sea-
son,” he said.
The 27-year old added that the BCL
will help the cricketers prepare for the
home series against Sri Lanka later
this month, “We have been waiting
for Sri Lanka to come and we have
been preparing ourselves according
to that.”
The right hander has had a poor run
recently in the Test arena, scoring only
36 runs in his last six matches and was
excluded from the recent New Zealand
series. Nonetheless, he remained
optimistic.
“My place in the Test side is still un-
der some doubt but I am working hard
to make a comeback,” he said. l
Sensational bicyclehighlights Muktis winnShishir Hoque
Nigerian de-
fender Eleta
Benjamin scored
one of the finest
goals in Bangladesh football history as
Muktijoddha SKC registered their first
victory in the Bangladesh Premier
League with a 2-1 win over Team BJMC
at the Bangabandhu National Stadium
yesterday.
With great control and technique,
Eleta Benjamin doubled Muktijoddha’s
lead with an outstanding bicycle kickon the stroke of half-time after, mid-
fielder Shafiqul Islam Bipul put the
All Reds ahead at the beginning of the
game. Nigerian midfielder Samson Ilia-
su scored a screamer at the hour mark
to give BJMC the consolation.
The game was a delight to watch,
with both sides unleashing a number
of attacking plays from the very
beginning.
It was Muktijoddha who took the
lead just four minutes into the cgame
when midfielder Shafikul Islam Bipul
netted his first goal in the league with
a fierce angular shot from the right
edge of the box, that slipped out of
the gloves of diving BJMC goalkeeper
Ariful Islam and rolled into the far post.
BJMC had a chance to equalize in
the 19th minute when Abdullah al
Parvez’s cross from the right flank
was powerfully headed by Nigerian
midfielder Samsom Iliasu just wide
of the goal. Five minutes before
half-time, Aminur Rahman Shojib hit
the woodwork with a header inside
the box from a free kick from Abdullah
Al Parvez.
Eleta Benjamin scored one of the
best goals in recent years in the 45th
minute – his first in Bangladesh.
Following a corner taken by Maruf
Ahmed from the left flag, Benjamin
showed great skill and technique to
control o the ball, pop it into the air
and execute a perfect right-footed pro-
peller kick from the box t past BJMC
keeper Ariful Islam.
Muktijoddha could have extended
the lead to 3-0 10 minutes into the
second half when Nkwocha Kingsley
broke into the penalty area but his shot
went over the bar.
Six minutes later, Samson Iliasu
pulled one back for BJMC with a stun-ning goal from 20 yards out. Receiving
a lobbed pass from Omar Faruk Babu,
the Nigerian midfielder’s powerful vol-
ley hit the back of the net.
Eleta Benjamin had another brilliant
effort in the 86th minute. Moving for-
ward from his natural position, the de-
fender took a powerful strike from the
edge of the box that was brilliantly fist-
ed away by the keeper for a corner.l
Glory goal delights EletanRaihan Mahmood
Nigerian defender Eleta Benjamin
scored one of finest goals in Bangladesh
Premier League history when his bicy-
cled effort fooled the Team BJMC de-
fence and the goalkeeper at the Bang-
abandhu National Stadium yesterday.
In the 60th minute of the match with
Muktijoddha leading 1-0 skipper, Maruf
Ahmed whipped a low corner from the
left hand flag that landed on the edge of
the box to Eleta on the left edge, who
toe-pocked the ball in the air, turned
his body and fired a back volley into the
near post. Team BJMC defence and the
goalkeeper was left stunned.
Muktijoddha coach Shafikul IslamManik said he had seen Sheikh Md.
Aslam score such a goal about twenty
years ago. Such was the beauty of Eleta
Benajmin’s goal that it will surely re-
main in the minds of all those who
were fortunate enough to see it.
Eleta himself was ecstatic. “I am a
defender but I know where to put the
ball. I saw the goal post, took the sud-
den decision of trying it and I am lucky
that I scored a goal with the effort. I am
very happy to score a goal in this style,”
he said.Eleta said coach Manik’s instruc-
tion was to for him to attack the op-
position defence zone only when there
was a corner, free kicks or throw-in. It
is worth mentioning that Eleta Ben-
jamin also takes power packed long
throw-ins that create trouble for the
opposition defence.
Eleta Benajmin said he has practiced
hard to use his attacking instincts. “I
practice scoring goals in the practice
and my coach encourages it. It is ex-
tremely satisfying to see the hard work
providing the rewards, I look forward
to scoring more goals,” said Eleta.
The defender said in the Nige-
rian second division he has scored a
goal from the midfield just after the
kick-off. “I like scoring goals though
I am a defender, and this goal is
the best among the few goals that I
have scored, I see Wayne Rooney score
in similar fashion in the English Pre-
mier League.”
Meanwhile coach Shafikul Islam
Manik said his team was the worthy
winner. “We dominated the scenario
and scored two goals. We would have
scored more but could not finish, Team
BJMC played well and we had to work
hard to finish as the winner.”
Team BJMC coach Ali Asgar Nasir
did not want to disclose the causes his
off the field problems. Two of his reli-
able players - Cameroonian Jean Jules
Ikanga and Guinean attacking mainstay
Ismael Bangoura – have been absent
from practice in the last few days. l
BCB promises extra
security for PakistannMazhar Uddin
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) presi-
dent Nazmul Hasan returned from a
successful International Cricket Coun-
cil meeting in Dubai yesterday, where
it was confirmed that Bangladesh will
host the Asia Cup and the previously
announced home series against Sri Lan-
ka will go on as planned. The BCB boss
added that Pakistan were interested in
coming to Bangladesh and that they
would have additional security during
the Asia Cup tournament if needed.
“Pakistan has now said they want to
come. But they are worried about their
security. They asked me if we can givethem additional security. I told them
that we will give all the teams the top-
most security. If your security personnel
ask us to increase the security, we will
provide that. Till yesterday, their ap-
pearance in Bangladesh was uncertain.
After talking to them in Dubai, it seems
they will try to come,” said Nazmul.
The PCB has also confirmed send-
ing their representative for the security
briefing in Dhaka on January 2014 and
the BCB president is confident after the
ICC meeting that Pakistan are likely to
come. “I basically think that we have
done what we needed to do till now. We
needed to make them understand that
they should come here to play. This was
our major challenge. To be honest, the
situation was such that there was a pos-
sibility of them not coming,” he said.
However Nazmul Hasan warned
about such incidents like the bomb
blast near the team hotel of the West
Indies U-19 side and urged the politi-
cal parties, government, media and the
general public to see that such inci-
dents should not occur again.
“We have done our part but now it is
the political parties. The government,
media and the general public have to
take the responsibility. We have dis-
cussed yesterday how this is the big-
gest World Cup, with 26 teams. There
are so many tournaments lined up.
This is a very important time in Bangla-
desh. If a small incident occurs, caus-
ing teams to avoid playing here, our
cricket will be set back by 15-20 years
and destroy our c ricket,” said Nazmul.
“SLC have asked whether it is pos-
sible to skip Sylhet, because it is a lot of
travel for one ODI. You must have read
it in Cricinfo, but it has not been final-
ized,” he said.
Nazmul Hasan also confessed that
the Sri Lanka series was a vital one for
the BCB and if the Sri Lanka side de-clined to participate in the Asia Cup, the
World T20 might be moved to another
country. “If the Asia Cup isn’t held here,
the World Twenty20 wouldn’t take
place. If Sri Lanka didn’t come here,
there was a big chance for the Asia Cup
to be moved. All of these tournaments
are connected. The biggest challenge
was Asia Cup because Pakistan had an
objection,” he explained.
However, Nazmul informed that Ban-
gladesh hosting the Asia Cup has been
confirmed and as a result, there was no
possibility of shifting the World T20.l
Usha confirm
Indian recruitmentsnRaihan Mahmood
Usha Krira Chakra confirmed the ar-
rival of their four Indian recruits for
the upcoming premier division hockey
league yesterday.
The players are forwards Ajitesh Rai
and Roshan Minz, defender Shivakar
Ram and goalkeeper Sukhjit Singh. All
the players have represented the Indian
national team at some time in their ca-
reer. Rafikul Islam Kamal, the coach of
Usha, said as per their latest communi-
cation, the players are scheduled to ar-
rive on January 14. “We hope to receive
them on January 14th. I don’t think they
will be able to take the field in the semi-
final of the ongoing club cup hockey, but they will be ready for the final billed
to take place on January 15,” he said.
Meanwhile Abahani, the other title
contender, will not bring in any foreign
players for their club cup commitments.l
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Muktijoddha 21 BJMCShafikul 3, Samson 60Eleta 45
3” GOAL! Shafikul Islam Bipul
put Muktijoddha ahead after
his fierce angular shot from the right
edge of the box slipped from the
gloves of diving BJMC goalkeeper Ari-
ful Islam and rolled into the far post.
21” Abdullah al Parvez’s cross from
the right flank found BJMC’s Ni-
gerian midfielder Samsom Iliasu inside
the box who headed the ball wide.
40” Aminur Rahman Shojib’s
header inside the box hit thewoodwork, following a free kick from
Abdullah Al Parvez.
45+” GOAL! Nigerian defender
Eleta Benjamin took Maruf
Ahmed’s corner and showed great
control and technique to back-volley
past BJMC keeper Ariful Islam from
right of the box.
60” GOAL! Nigerian midfielder
Samson Iliasu scored an
absolute screamer from 20 yards out,
after a lobbed pass from Omar Faruk
Babu.
86” Eleta Benjamin’s powerful
strike from the edge of the
box saved brilliantly by the keeper.
Current Australian Open tennis champions Serbia’s Novak Djokovic (R) and Victoria
Azarenka from Belarus pose with the championship trophies t o the offi cial draw ceremony
at Melbourne yesterday. The Australian Open begins on M onday REUTERS
INCREDIBLE
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SportDHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, January 11, 201414
FIXTURES Card iff City v West Ham
Everton v Norwich City
Fulham v Sunderland
Hull City v Chelsea
Man United v Swansea City
Southampton v West Brom
Tottenham v Crystal Palace
RESULTSRoma 10 SampdoriaTorosidis 6
Udinese 10 InterMilanMaicosuel 32
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after a missed scoring opportunity against Osasuna during their Spanish King's Cup match at Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid on Thursday REUTERS
Can’t get Messi? Sign
his cousins insteadnAFP, Rio De Janeiro
World footballer of the year Lionel
Messi may be out of reach for Bahia,
but the Brazilian top-flight side have
signed two of his cousins instead.
On Thursday, the club from Salvador
de Bahia paraded new recruits, Argen-
tine brothers Maxi and Emanuel Bian-
cucchi, their website carrying a picture
of the duo standing alongside Messi.
Midfielder Emanuel, 25, spent last
season with Paraguayan club Olimpia,
with whom he reached the final of the
Libertadores Cup, losing to Brazilian
side Atletico Mineiro.
Formerly with German outfit 1860
Munich, he is described by Bahia as
“outstanding at dead balls” and has
agreed a one-year deal.
His elder brother Maxi, 29, has signed
a three-year contract and should havefew problems adapting to his new sur-
roundings having previously played for
Bahia’s local rivals Vitoria, with whom
he netted a total of 17 goals last year.
He has also played for Rio de Janeiro
giants Flamengo, as well as enjoying
spells in Paraguay and Mexico. l
Chelsea eye top spot in EPLnAFP, London
Jose Mourinho’s Chel-
sea will attempt to in-
crease the pressure on
their Premier League
title rivals by moving
to the head of the table with victory at
Hull City today.
Three points at the KC Stadium will
take the Blues ahead of second-placed
Manchester City who travel to Newcas-
tle 24 hours later, while current leaders
Arsenal visit struggling Aston Villa on
Monday.
So Chelsea’s time, if any, at the sum-
mit may be brief but victory on Hum-
berside would maintain a pleasing run.
Last weekend’s FA Cup win at D erby
County marked a fourth successive
success for a side who’ve conceded just
one goal in their last five outings.
And while Mourinho continues to
have concerns about the lack of goals
from his forwards, the contribution
from midfield has masked the deficien-
cies up front.
The Portuguese manager has claimed
the club will not bring in a new striker
during the January transfer window to
supplement his current trio of Samuel
Eto’o, Fernando Torres and Demba Ba.
But with Ba’s Chelsea future look-
ing increasingly uncertain -- his last
appearance came in the League Cup
quarter-final defeat by Sunderland --
the Senegal forward’s departure would
almost certainly trigger a move for a
replacement.
Wayne Rooney has called on Man-
chester United’s fans to remain behindthe team as they look to end a three-
game losing streak against Swansea on
Saturday.
United now lie 11 points behind Pre-
mier League leaders Arsenal heading
into this weekend’s fixtures, with their
hopes of finishing in the top four and
so qualifying for next season’s Champi-
ons League under severe threat.
But Rooney, battling to be fit to
face Swansea after missing the last
two games with an abductor problem,
urged fans to remain loyal to both the
team and Moyes.
West Ham have conceded 11 goals in
two games, having previously lost 5-0
at Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup,
and find themselves second from bot-
tom in the league table ahead of Satur-
day’s trip to Cardiff City.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be takingcharge of his first home game as Car-
diff manager, after masterminding a
2-1 win at Newcastle in the FA Cup last
weekend in his first match at the helm.
Buoyed by the mid-week suc-
cess over Manchester United in their
League Cup semi-final first leg, bottom
club Sunderland will hope to bridge
the four-point gap that separates them
from safety when they visit fifth-bot-
tom Fulham on Saturday.
Third-bottom Crystal Palace, mean-
while, face Tottenham, who have
climbed to sixth on the back of a four-
game unbeaten run under rookie man-
ager Tim Sherwood.
Another club with a new boss are
West Bromwich Albion, who have ap-
pointed Spaniard Pepe Mel as head
coach, although caretaker Keith Down-
ing will remain in charge for Saturday’s
trip to Southampton. l
Real ease past OsasunanAFP, Madrid
Real Madrid took a
huge step towards the
quarter-finals of the
Copa del Rey with a 2-0
win over Osasuna in the
first leg of their last 16 tie on Thursday.
Karim Benzema got the hosts off
to the perfect start when he headed
in Luka Modric’s cross after 19 min-
utes. Jese Rodriguez then gave Madrid
breathing space in the tie when he
chipped home Cristiano Ronaldo’s pass
after half-time.
And Madrid were only denied a
third in comic circumstances moments
later as Ronaldo deflected Gareth Bale’s
goalbound effort behind.
Ancelotti named a strong side with
Bale returning to the starting line-up
for the first time in four games follow-
ing a calf injury. Despite failing to findthe net, the Welshman showed flashes
of his best form in the second-half and
Ancelotti is confident he will go from
strength to strength having completed
the 90 minutes.
However, after originally pointing
to the spot, referee Jesus Perez Mon-
tero reversed his decision and harshly
booked Jese for diving.
Minutes later Madrid were in front
as Benzema flicked home Modric’s free-
kick to register his 99th goal for the club.
Ronaldo passed up a great chance
to double the advantage when he fired
straight at Riesgo after a lovely scooped
pass from Bale as Madrid began the
second-half with more purpose than
they ended the first.
And the hosts took advantage ofsome woeful Osasuna defending to
make it 2-0 just before the hour mark
as Benzema and Ronaldo combined to
tee up Jese to loft the ball over Riesgo.
That was to be the Spanish interna-
tional’s last major involvement as he
pulled up injured shortly afterwards
and was replaced by Isco.
Bale should then have had his first
goal since November as his goalbound
shot from Benzema’s cut-back was de-
flected behind by Ronaldo.
But despite failing to add to their
tally Madrid will be strong favourites
to set up a quarter-final meeting with
Alcorcon or Espanyol when they travel
to Pamplona for the second leg next
Wednesday. l
Ronaldinhoextends deal with
Atletico MineironAFP, Rio De Janeiro
Former World Player of the Year Ron-
aldinho has signed an extension to his
contract with Atletico Mineiro, the Bra-
zilian side’s president announced on
Thursday.
The 33-year-old Ronaldinho, a
World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002
and a winner of the Copa Libertado-
res with Atletico last year, was due to
be a free agent at the end of this year
and had been a target for Turkish side
Besiktas.
Brazilian press reports claimed that
the Istanbul outfit had offered the for-
mer Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and
AC Milan player an annual salary of 6million euros ($8.2m) to sign for them.
Ronaldinho moved to Atletico, from
the city of Belo Horizonte, from Fla-
mengo in June 2012, and has scored 35
goals in 70 games for them. l
Walcott injury forces
Wenger’s handnAFP, London
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger ad-
mitted on Thursday that he has had
to reassess his plans for the January
transfer window after Theo Walcott
succumbed to injury.
England winger Walcott has been
ruled out for six months, forcing him
out of the World Cup in Brazil, after
rupturing the anterior cruciate liga-
ment in his left knee.
Wenger is a notoriously cautious op-
erator in the transfer market, but with
his side seeking to defend their posi-
tion at the top of the Premier League
table, he could now move for attacking
reinforcements.“(Walcott’s injury) has accelerated
speculation first and of course my de-
sire as well, but let’s not forget about
Serge Gnabry, who can play in the first
team,” Wenger told the Arsenal website.
“We have (Alex) Oxlade-Cham-
berlain back and we have many other
players who can play on the flanks, so
to find better solutions than what we
have internally will not be easy.
“Up front we lose Theo as a poten-
tial central forward and that’s maybe
where we have to look outside. Butwe hopefully have (Nicklas) Bendtner
back (from injury) in three weeks.
“We are there for the opportunities
but it’s very diffi cult at the moment.”
Wenger said that Walcott, 24, had
the requisite mental strength to make a
full recovery from his injury, which he
sustained during Arsenal’s 2-0 victory
at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the
FA Cup last weekend.
“Theo is handling it as well as you
can when you have had such a shock be-
cause he’s mentally strong, he’s very bal-
anced as a person and he can put it into
perspective,” the Frenchman said.l
West Bromname Pepe Mel
as new coachnAFP, London
West Bromwich Albion appointed
former Real Betis boss Pepe Mel as
their new head coach on Thursday,
the English Premier League club
announced.
The 50-year-old Spaniard replaced
Steve Clarke, sacked last month after
a 1-0 defeat by Cardiff City left Albion
two points off the relegation places.
But, under caretaker manager Keith
Downing, the Baggies are currently
four points above the bottom three.
Mel himself was sacked by Betis last
month, with a 4-0 defeat by local rivals
Sevilla helping seal his fate as the club
failed to make good on last season’sseventh-placed La Liga finish which
took them into the Europa League.
Previously in charge of Rayo Valle-
cano, Mel was appointed by Albion on
a relatively short 18-month contract. l
Udinese shock Inter in ItalianCup as Roma also advancenReuters, Rome
A goal from Brazilian Maicosuel gave
Udinese a surprise 1-0 Italian Cup win
over Inter Milan on Thursday while AS
Roma also reached the quarter-finals
with a 1-0 victory over Sampdoria.
Maicosuel finished off an incisive
passing move with a first-time shot
from close range just after the half-hour
mark to deny visiting Inter a likely der-
by tie with AC Milan in the last eight.
Massimiliano Allegri’s Milan take on
Serie B side Spezia at the San Siro on
Wednesday.
Udinese’s win is a boost for Frances-
co Guidolin’s side who are 13th in Serie
A having lost 10 of their 18 matches.
Inter, sixth in the league, dominated
the tie but struggled to create chances.
Coach Rudi Garcia’s Roma, chas-
ing a 10th Italian Cup trophy, will face
Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico later
in the month after Vasileios Torosi-
dis tapped the ball into the net for the
hosts in the sixth minute.
It was an impressive team perfor-
mance by Roma on new signing Radja
Nainggolan’s debut.
They would have managed a more
comfortable margin of victory but for
a sterling display from visiting goal-
keeper Vincenzo Fiorillo who among a
series of saves pulled off an incredible
double stop to deny Alessandro Flo-
renzi.The tie with Juve will be a chance for
revenge for Roma after their 3-0 defeat
by the Serie A champions on Sunday. l
Yaya Toure named AfricanFootballer of Year againnAFP, Lagos
Manchester City star Yaya Toure on
Thursday won a third straight African
Footballer of the year award.
The 31-year-old Ivory Coast interna-
tional also won in 2011 and 2012. Nige-
ria’s John Obi Mikel was second and Di-
dier Drogba of Ivory Coast finished third.“I thank my family for their support
and also congratulate John Obi Mikel,
who also deserved this award,” said
Toure, who was a key player for both
club and country last year.
Egyptian legend Mohamed Aboutri-
ka beat compatriot Ahmed Fathy and
Sunday Mba from Nigeria to win the
best Player based in Africa.
It was a fitting send-off gift for the
35-year-old Al Ahly star, who has an-
nounced his retirement from the game.
Ahly were also rewarded as the Club
of the Year ahead of CS Sfaxien of Tuni-
sia and South Africa’s Orlando Pirates
after they won an eighth CAF Champi-
ons League trophy.
Nigeria scooped several awards to
underline a very successful year with
coach Stephen Keshi voted Africa’s best
coach, while the Super Eagles were the
best national team after they won a
third Africa cup of Nations in February
and qualified for a fifth World Cup.
The country’s Under-17 team were
picked as the National Youth Team and
Kelechi Iheanacho, who was voted the
MVP of the 2013 Under-17 FIFA World
Cup, received the Most Promising Tal-
ent award.l
RESULTSReal Sociedad 00 Villarreal
Real Madrid 20 OsasunaBenzema 19, Jese 59
RayoVallecano 00 Levante
Bayern Munich's Claudio Pizarro (L) shoots to score next to Al-Merrikh's Ali Jaffar during their friendly match in Doha on Thursday REUTERS
Argentine forward Lionel Messi (C) posing
with cousins Maximiliano (L) and Emanuel
Biancucchi AFP
LIST OF WINNERSAfrican Footballer of the YearYaya Toure
Best African-based PlayerMohamed Aboutrika
Coach of the YearStephen Keshi
Most promising TalentKelechi Iheanacho
National team of the YearNigeria
National Youth Team of the YearNigeria Under-17
Club of the YearAl Ahly of EgyptReferee of the YearHaimoudi DjamelLegends of the YearBruno Metsu, Jose FariaAfrica XIVincent Enyeama - Ahmed Fathi, MehdiBenatia, Kevin Constant - John Obi
Mikel, Yaya Toure, Mohamed Aboutrika,Jonathan Pitroipa - Emmanuel Emnike,Asamoah Gyan, Pierre-Emerick Au-bameyangCoachStephen Keshi
7/27/2019 Print edition :January 11, 2014
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/print-edition-january-11-2014 15/16
SportDHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, January 11, 2014 15
Pakistan 1st innings 165
Khurram Manzoor 73; N. Pradeep 362,R. Herath 326
Sri Lanka 1st innings
(overnight 3184)D. Karunaratne lbw b Junaid 32K. Silva lbw b Hafeez 95K. Sangakkara lbw b Ali 26D. Chandimal c Ali b Junaid 12M. Jayawardene b Ajmal 129A. Mathews c Ahmed b Ali 42P. Jayawardene b Junaid 9R. Herath run out 6S. Eranga b Bhatti 14S. Lakmal not out 10N. Pradeep lbw b Ajmal 3Extras: (b1, lb7, nb1, w1) 10
Total: (all out; 134 overs) 388
Bowling
Junaid 3671023, Ali 3661312, Ajmal3411562, Bhatti 223801 (1nb, 1w),Hafeez 61111
Pakistan 2nd innings
Khurram c Prasanna b Pradeep 6Ahmed Shehzad c Prasanna b Herath 9Hafeez c Prasanna b Pradeep 1Younis Khan not out 62Misbah-ul Haq not out 53Extras: (lb1) 1
Total: (for three wkts; 49 overs) 132
Bowling
Lakmal 61190, Pradeep 102282,
Herath 213581, Eranga 123260
SCORECARD, DAY 3
Training campset to startThe long-awaited preparation camp for
the Bangladesh athletes in prepara-
tion for the Commonwealth Games
and Asian Games in 2014 along with
the Asian Youth Games, began at the
residential camp of the Dhaka Canton-
ment yesterday. A total of 26 athletes
from four disciplines are attending the
camp. The disciplines are shooting,
archery, taekwondo and boxing. Along
with 12 shooters, there are seven
archers, three boxers and three from
taekwondo in the training program.
Ukrainian boxing coach Oleksandre
Ghurenko was scheduled to arrive in
Dhaka yesterday night to take over the
boxing discipline. The other foreign
coaches for the other three disciplines
are expected to arrive soon.
–SH
Roma agree $10mBradley dealRoma agreed to sell US international
midfielder Michael Bradley to Major
League Soccer club Toronto for $10mil-
lion on Thursday. A club statement
said that a deal for the 26-year-old had
been completed. Bradley has played
in the MLS before with a spell at New
York Red Bulls in 2006. He has also
played for Heerenveen in Holland,
Germany’s Borussia Monchengladbach,
Aston Villa in England and both Chievo
and Roma in Serie A.
–AFP
Ferrer flops, Taiwan’sLu sets up Isner finalDefending champion David Ferrer
crashed out of the Auckland Open
semi-finals Friday when Taiwan’s Lu
Yen-Hsun staged a stunning upset to
set up a tournament decider against
American John Isner. Lu defeated the
world number three and top seed 64,
76 (7/4), shattering the Spaniard’s
dream of winning a record-breaking
fifth Auckland title and denting his con-
fidence ahead of next week’s Australian
Open Grand Slam. –AFP
QUICK BYTES
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12:00PM
Pakistan v Sri Lanka
2nd Test, Day 4
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Big Bash T20
8:40AM
Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Thunder
2:15PM
Brisbane Heat v Melbourne Stars
La Liga
9:00Pm
Athletic Bilbao v Almeria
11:00PM
Celta Vigo v Valencia
Star Sports HD2
Italian Serie A
1:45AM
Bologna v Lazio
Ten Action
Hero Hockey World League Final
2:30PM
Belgium v Argentina
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Netherlands v Australia
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England v Germany
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New Zealand v India
French Ligue 1
10:00PM
AC Ajaccio v PSG
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Ten Golf
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Volvo Golf ChampionsDurban, SA - Day 3
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Hull City v Chelsea
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Ten HD
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Sheffi eld Wednesda y v Leeds United
10:00PM
Ram Slam T20 Challenge
Warriors v Cobras
DAY’S WATCH
Chennai Super Kings
Ravichandran Ashwin (Ind), DwayneBravo (WI), MS Dhoni (Ind), Ravindra
Jadeja (Ind), Suresh Raina (Ind)
Kings XI Punjab
David Miller (SA), Manan Vohra (Ind)
Kolkata Knight Riders
Gautam Gambhir (Ind), Sunil Narine (WI)
Mumbai Indians
Lasith Malinga (SL), Kieron Pollard (WI),Ambati Rayudu (Ind), Rohit Sharma (Ind),
Harbhajan Singh (Ind)
Rajasthan Royals
Stuart Binny (Ind), James Faulkner (Aus),
Ajinkya Rahane (Ind), Sanju Samson (Ind),
Shane Watson (Aus)
Royal Challengers Bangalore
AB De Villiers (SA), Chris Gayle (WI), Virat
Kohli (Ind)
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Shikhar Dhawan (Ind), Dale Steyn (SA)
RETENTION QUOTA
Del Potro toplay Tomic inSydney finalnAFP, Sydney
World number five Juan Martin del
Potro powered his way into his first
Sydney International final with a
straight sets demolition of Dmitry Tur-
sunov on Friday.Del Potro had his big serve firing as
he rolled to a 6-4, 6-2 win over the Rus-
sian fourth seed in 64 minutes.
Del Potro, the top seed, will face Aus-
tralian defending champion Bernard
Tomic, who wore down Ukraine’s Sergiy
Stakhovsky in the other semi, 6/7 (4/7),
7-5, 6-3 in 2 hours and 13 minutes.
The first Argentine to reach the Syd-
ney final since David Nalbandian in
2009, del Potro broke Tursunov’s serve
three times and was formidable on his
own service.
He thundered down nine aces, mak-
ing it 38 aces in his three wins so far in
Sydney.
It will be his 25th career final and he
is looking to step up for his second ma-
jor title since downing Roger Federer to
win the 2009 US Open in New York.
“It is one of my biggest challenges
for this season,” he said. l
Devil in detail forEngland’s PriornAFP, London
England wicketkeeper Matt Prior has
laid the blame for a 5-0 Ashes thump-
ing in Australia on the team letting
their standards slip.
In his column for Britain’s Daily
Telegraph newspaper Prior -- dropped
following the third Test in Perth after
poor displays with both gloves and
bat – said players had shown a lack of
respect for both captain Alastair Cook
and coach Andy Flower.
The 31-year-old Sussex wicketkeep-
er-batsman said seemingly minor is-
sues such as being late for team meet-
ings and not wearing the correct kit
were symptomatic of deeper problems,
even allowing for the fact Australia
played by far the better cricket during
the series.
“There are obvious straightforward
cricketing reasons why we lost the Ash-
es in Australia but when assessing this
defeat you have to look deeper,” Prior
wrote.
“It all goes back to the dressing
room and making sure that environ-
ment is right and on this tour I think we
let it slip a bit. We let a few things slide.
They appear trivial issues to those on
the outside but they are important
when building a team environment.
“Little things like wearing the right
kit, turning up to meetings on time, notfive minutes late. It is about the respect
you have for your team-mates, coach
and captain.”
Meanwhile Prior, for so long one of
the pillars of the England Test side, was
severely self-critical of his own perfor-
mance in Australia. l
Pironkova beats Kerber for Sydney titlenAFP, Sydney
Bulgarian qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova
crowned a stunning week of top ten
scalps with a straight sets victory over
fifth seed Angelique Kerber in the final
of the Sydney International Friday.
Pironkova, the world number 107, de-
feated her third top-ten ranked opponent
of the week with a 6-4, 6-4 win in 96 min-
utes. Pironkova became the first wom-
en’s qualifier to win the Sydney Interna-
tional, one of the oldest tournaments in
the world, for her maiden WTA title.
She reached her debut WTA final
with a last four win over second seed
Petra Kvitova after beating Italian third
seed Sara Errani in the quarter-finals.
“Where do I start? Mum, dad, I have
a trophy,” the 27-year-old said in anemotional victory speech.
“When I know what I’ve been
through, not only last season but
throughout my career, it hasn’t been
easy for me,” Pironkova said at her
post-match media conference.
“This is something that I’ve been
waiting for for so long and something
that I’ve missed so much. Now that I
finally have it, it’s all surreal. I still can-
not believe it, honestly. My mum and
dad are the people that have always been with me. My dad is also my coach,
so obviously he’s very excited too.”
The Bulgarian’s powerful backhand
constantly had the German left-hander
under pressure and she finished the
stronger despite playing her eighth match
in eight days. Pironkova broke Kerber’s
service six times and lost her serve four
times in a physical contest between two
big hitters on the women’s circuit.
It was a draining week for the
Bulgarian, who had her right thigh
strapped and showing the effects of her
heavy schedule as she heads to next
week’s Australian Open. l
Roma, Comathrive in Dakar’sArgentine heat
nAFP, San Miguel De Tucuman
Spanish driver Nani Roma reclaimed
the Dakar Rally lead Thursday as com-
patriot Marc Coma soared to the top of
the motorcycling standings after a bru-
tal fifth stage which saw temperatures
nudge the 40-degree mark.
Roma, behind the wheel of a Mini,
had led after three stages and he reas-
serted his authority on the gruelling
912km run from Chilecito to San Miguel
de Tucuman. Roma clocked 4hr 27min
01sec on the 527km timed section of
the stage with South Africa’s Giniel DeVilliers, in a Toyota, in second spot,
and America’s Robby Gordon, driving a
Hummer, in third place. l
Younis, Misbah fight forPakistan in second TestnAFP, Dubai
Seasoned batsmen Younis Khan and
Misbah-ul Haq hit resolute half-centu-
ries to take the fight to Sri Lanka in the
second Test in Dubai on Friday.
Younis was unbeaten on 62 and Mis-
bah scored 52 not out to help Pakistan
reach 132-2 at close on the third day at
the Dubai stadium pitch which is likely
to help spinners on the last two days.
Pakistan still need another 93 runs
to avoid an innings defeat and go 1-0
down in the three Test series after the
first Test ended in a draw in Abu Dhabi.
Younis and Misbah -- who both hit
hundreds in Abu Dhabi last week, came
together with Pakistan in dire straits at
19-3. They held the batting together
during their unfinished 113-run fourth
wicket stand.
Sri Lanka earlier gained a big 223-
run lead by scoring 388 in their first
knock. Pakistan had made 165 in the
first innings.
It was paceman Nuwan Pradeep (2-
28) who gave Pakistan early wobbles.
Pradeep, who took a c areer best 3-62
in the first innings, had Mohammad
Hafeez (one) caught behind in his sec-
ond over and in his fourth swung one
across Manzoor (six) for wicketkeeper
Prasanna Jayawardene to take his sev-enth catch of the match.
Pakistan had lost opener Ahmed
Shehzad in the last over before lunch,
caught behind for nine off spinner Ran-
gana Herath.
It was left to Younis and Misbah to
fight one more time for Pakistan.
Younis was more cautious, reach-
ing his 28th half-century with a single
off Herath and continued to bat solidlyduring his 142-ball stay, hitting four
boundaries.
Misbah completed his 3,000 Test
runs when on 10, becoming Pakistan’s
15th batsmen to achieve the milestone.
The Pakistan captain survived one leg-
before referral on one and twice on
close catches behind the wicket, once
off a miscued hook which went to the
boundary.
But in another responsible bat-
ting display he reached his fifty with a
double off Herath. He has so far hit five
fours and a six during his 119-ball stay. l
MI, CSK and RCB use full retention quotaKKR retain Gambhir, Narine as DDR make bold move
nAgencies
Defending champi-
ons Mumbai Indi-
ans, the formidable
Chennai Super
Kings and Rajasthan Royals are threeteams who have exhausted all their
five retentions available for the sev-
enth edition of the cash-rich IPL as the
franchises on Friday submitted their
list to the Governing Council.
Almost all the established India
players have been retained by their re-
spective franchises. CSK predictably re-
tained skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni,
Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja,
Suresh Raina and West Indies` Dwayne
Bravo.
Mumbai Indians went with their
champion skipper Rohit Sharma, se-
nior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, West
Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard, Sri
Lankan slinger Lasith Malinga and tal-
ented batsman Ambati Rayudu.
Aussie pace spearhead Mitchell John-
son will in all likelihood be picked up
with `Right to Match` card while Dinesh
Karthik has also got the boot.
Royal Challengers Bangalore had
retained their captain Virat Kohli, Ja-
maican Game-Changer Chris Gayle and
explosive South African ODI and T20
skipper AB de Villiers.
Rajasthan Royals retained Australian
Shane Watson, who will lead the side
in IPLVII along with left-arm seamer
James Faulkner along with India inter-
nationals Ajinkya Rahane and Stuart
Binny. The franchise also retained tal-
ented India colts wicketkeeper-batsman
Sanju Samson, who did well for the fran-
chise in the Champions League T20.
Kings XI Punjab retained hard-hitting
South African left-hander David Miller
and talented Ranji team opener MananVohra. Vohra is another uncapped play-
er to be retained.
Kolkata Knight Riders retained their
skipper Gautam Gambhir along with
mystery spinner Sunil Narine for the
next edition of the cash-rich league.
Delhi Daredevils unanimously de-
cided against retention of their existing
player going into the Indian Premier
League (IPL7) auction.
The team management explaining
the decision said “it was the unanimous
decision of the management with the
focus of building a fresh team that thefans would be proud of”.
Mumbai Indians expectedly retained
five players including skipper Rohit Shar-
ma. Australian speedster Mitchell John-
son will now be favourite to be obtained
through `Right to Match` cards that the
franchise can exercise during the two-
day auction on February 12 and 13.
The Shah Rukh Khan co-owned Kol-
kata Knight Riders have retained their
captain Gautam Gambhir and mystery
spinner Sunil Narine.l
Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria holds the
women's singles trophy at the Sydney
International yesterday REUTERS
Pakistan cricketers Younis Khan (R) andMisbah-ul-Haq (L) look on at the drinks breakduring the third day of the second Test againstSri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket
Stadium in Dubai yesterday AFP
Del Potro celebrates his win yesterday
7/27/2019 Print edition :January 11, 2014
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16 Back PageDHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, January 11, 2014
One lakh Wi-Fihotspots for rural areasnMuhammad Zahidul Islam
The government has planned to es-
tablish one lakh Wi-Fi hotspots in dif-
ferent rural areas to provide people
internet connectivity free of cost with
an aim to diminish the information and
communication gap between city and
rural areas.
The establishment of the service would
be focused especially at market places and
other developing areas, according to a
high offi cial of Information and Commu-
nication Technology ministry.
Md Nazrul Islam Khan, secretary of
ICT ministry, yesterday told the Dhaka
Tribune: “We are planning to expand
our ICT development work to the re-
motest areas in the country and pro-
vide free internet to people who cannot
afford the service.”He said they would establish the
infrastructure gradually and try to pro-
vide all kinds of technical support f rom
the rural areas.
About the initiative, Nazrul Islam
said: “Through this process we can re-
duce the ‘digital divide’ between the
city and rural areas.”
According to sources, the ICT minis-
try is currently planning the project and
would establish it within the next fiscal.
Nazrul also said the cost of the proj-
ect could not be estimated yet but es-
timations would be completed before
pre-budget meetings.
He said he was optimistic about the proj-
ect and hoped that the facilities would
create employment in the rural areas as
well reduce unnecessary hazards.
The ICT offi cial said the gover nment
has already established more than five
thousands Union Information Centres,
adding that “We will create new cen-
tres at haats and bazars.”
The ICT ministry is currently work-
ing on a project of apps development
which it expects will enable people to
use modern services more easily.l
Bones and skulls still being found inRana Plaza debrisCalls raised for renewed search, police claim remains are ‘cow bones’
nSyed Samiul Basher Anik and
Muktasree Chakma Sathi
Some form of closure has finally ar-
rived for the family of Obaidul Haque,
who had been missing since the deadly
Rana Plaza disaster, after the garment
worker’s skeletal remains were recent-
ly recovered from under the debris of
the building.
Obaidul, who worked at the New
Wave Bottoms factory and hailed from
Mymensingh, was the first among the
missing workers whose full skeleton
had been found since the rescue opera-
tion was called off.
Although eight and a half months
had passed since the tragedy occurred,
human bones and skulls are still being
found at the Rana Plaza site, as rela-
tives of many missing people continue
their wait to be able to bury their loved
ones.
The long wait for Obaidul’s family
ended when his skeleton was foundalong with an identity card and a mo-
bile phone, during a series of search
drives.
Locals said the first human skull
was recovered on December 13 last year
by street children, who were trying to
collect iron rods and pieces from the
debris.
Following the incident, garment
workers, street children and voluntary
organisations conducted more drives
and found at least 310 pieces of human
skeletal remains, including four skulls
from the debris, said Emdadul Islam,
president of Rana Plaza Garments
Workers Union.
He added that street children car-
ried out searches on four occasions at
the site, while other organisations car-ried out five drives.
The highest number of bones re-
covered during a single drive was 110
different skeletal pieces from eight
separate places at the Rana Plaza site,
Emdadul said.
“On our last drive on January 3, we
recovered 28 pieces of human bones
including a skull from the debris. We
wanted to continue the drives, but po-
lice barred us, saying the bones were
cow bones and threatened us with ar-
rest,” said Emdadul, who worked at
Rana Plaza’s Phantom Garments as
an iron man and was rescued after 24
hours of the deadly collapse.
The locals who were involved in
the searches said they had seen many
bone parts lying neglected in three wa-
ter-reservoirs at the site.
“We just want to conduct a drive at
the three places, and we are sure that
we could recover some bodies of the
unlucky workers from there,” said Em-
dadul.
Labour rights leaders also urged au-thorities concerned to launch renewed
search efforts, saying it was now clear
that not all bodies had been found
during the initial rescue drive.
Rafiqul Islam Sujan, president of
Bangladesh Garment and Industrial
Workers Federation, told the Dhaka
Tribune that another search in the de-
bris was very much needed.
Labour leader Syed Sultan Uddin
Ahmed, also the assistant executive
director at Bangladesh Institute of La-
bour Studies, said: “A search is immedi-
ately needed and the government can-
not neglect the issue now, just because
it is no longer a burning issue.”
While visiting the site on Thursday
afternoon, many relatives of the miss-
ing workers were found to be waiting
there for updates about searches fortheir loved ones.
Shapla, who was injured in the Rana
Plaza collapse, said her brother Solai-
men Hossain Sentu – who also worked
with her on the third floor of the build-
ing – remains missing since the inci-
dent.
“I provided DNA in Dhaka, but so
far, none of the found bodies are my
brother’s. So I come here often hoping
one day, my brother’s body parts would
be found,” she said.
When contacted, Savar model po-
lice stati on Offi cer-in-Ch arge Mostaf a
Kamal claimed that some people were
staging a drama to embarrass the gov-
ernment, adding that the bones were
not “human,” rather they were “cow
bones” or had been collected from out-side.
The bones have been sent to the
National Forensic DNA Profiling Lab in
Dhaka to verify the true identity of the
bones, he added.
Savar Upazi la Nirbahi Offi cer Kamrul
Hasan Molla, who was now in charge of
the debris site, admitted that he had
received pieces of recovered human
bodies and had already sent them to
the DNA lab at Dhaka Medical Collage
and Hospital.
“After getting results from the lab,
we would have an indication that
whether these bones belong to Rana
Plaza workers or not; and then, we will
decide whether it is necessary to run a
fresh search,” he said.
Kamrul a lso said his offi ce had al -
ready sent a report to the higher au-
thority in this regard, but did not clar-
ify who the higher authority was.
At least 1,134 people were killed
and thousands more injured when the
nine-storied Rana Plaza collapsed on
April 24 last year.The Ninth Infantry Division of army,
which led the rescue, abandoned the
search for survivors on May 13.
According to a statement issued
by the Inter Services Public Relations
Directorate, 261 people remained un-
traced at the site. The army identified
those 261 out of 329 people who were
reportedly missing after the collapse. l
DITF begins today
nTribune Report
The 19th Dhaka International Trade Fairis all set to begin today despite little im-
provement in security situation that
pushed back its usual starting time.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will
inaugurate the month-long fair at 11am
at the Bangabandhu International Con-
ference Centre of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar,
said Commerce Secretary Mahbub
Ahmed at a press briefing yesterday.
The DITF was originally scheduled
for January 1 but was rescheduled fol-
lowing a request from participating en-
terprises on security grounds.
The fair will remain open from 10am
to 10pm until February 11. The entry fee
for adults is Tk30 and Tk20 for children.
“The ministry has completed all
necessary preparations despite the ex-
isting political deadlock,” Mahbub told
reporters. “We are expecting a huge
turnout of visitors.”
Despite organisers’ claim to have
completed preparations, however, most
of the 471 stalls and pavilions at the fair
venue were found under construction
yesterday. The arched gateway leadingto the venue was also incomplete.
A total of 12 countries are taking part
in the fair.
Last year, Bangladesh bagged spot
orders worth Tk157cr; we are expecting
more this year,” Mahbub said.
On security arrangement, he said
the venue would be kept under surveil-
lance by the members of BGB as well as
regular secu rity offi cers. l
Another arson victim diesnTribune Report
The driver of a human hauler who was
burnt in a petrol bomb attack during
the BNP-led 18-party alliance’s latest
two-day hartal lost the battle for his life
yesterday in Chittagong city.
Md Mitul, 22, suffered 80% burn
injuries when miscreants hurled the
bomb on his vehicle, locally known as a
Laguna, at Technical intersection in the
port city on Monday. He was undergo-
ing treatment at the ICU of Chittagong
Medical College Hospital (CMCH) and
died around 4am, our Chittagong cor-
respondent reported.
The BNP-led 18-party alliance was
observing the hartal demanding can-
cellation of the results of the 10th par-
liamentary election held on January 5.
In another development, police in
separate drives nabbed 16 Jamaat-Shibir
men from Fatikchhari upazila yesterday
for their alleged connection with sabo-
tage during the recent political unrest.
Md Shahj ahan B huiyan, the offi -
cer-in-charge (OC) of Fatikchhari po-
lice station, said they had conductedan overnight drive at different areas to
make the arrest.
Meanwhile in Pirojpur, ruling Awa-
mi League activists set fire to a BNP
offi ce six hours af ter an Awami Leag ue
offi ce was torc hed yesterday.
Fire service sources said a fire erupt-
ed at the Awami Le ague offi ce at abou t
3:40 am and soon engulfed the entire
offi ce an d the adjoini ng Gra meen-
phone customer care centre. Firefight-
ing units rushed in and doused the
flame after three hours of frantic ef-
forts, reported UNB.
Local Awami League President
Alauddin Khan blamed BNP and Ja-
maat-Shibir men for the attack.
Afterwards, a group of Awami
League activists took to the streets,
brought out a procession and vandal-
ised the distri ct unit BNP offi ce on Post
Offi ce Road aroun d 9:30 am.
Later they al so set fire to the o ffi ce.
A fire service unit rushed in and butthe activists obstructed and vandal-
ised it as well. L ater the fire service unit
managed to reach the spot under police
protection and doused the fire after an
hour of frantic effort.
Additional police, Rab and army per-
sonnel were patrolling the area to avert
further trouble. A tense situation was pre-
vailing in the town follow ing the incident.
Our Dinajpur correspondent report-
ed that yeste rday four p residing o ffi -
cers who discharged duties in different
polling centres in Birganj upazila filed
separate cases accusing 1,950 uniden-
tified men of the 18-party alliance for
their involvement with incidents like
clashes, attacks on polling centres and
hijacking and torching polling materi-
als on the election day.
In Sherpur, two Jamaat activists were
arrested from Poragarh area of Sribardi
upazila on Thursday and yesterday af-
ternoon under the charges of attacking
local Awami League leader Billal.
In Bagerhat, police arrested a local
leader of Jamaat from Kachubunia vil-lage in Morelganj upazila early yesterday
for his suspected involvement in torching
two Hindu temples on Wednesday night.
In Sylhet, police arrested An-
har Ahmed, 40, the secretary of Os-
maninagar thana unit of Jamaat from
Goalabazar area yesterday afternoon,
UNB reported. l
The establishment of theservice would be focusedespecially at market placesand other developing areas,according to a high ICTministry o ffi cial
Labourers covered in dust work in a brick kiln at Kharkhari in Rajshahi yesterday. Most brick kilns in Kharkhari and Godagari in the district are illegally established. A lack of protective
measures for the labourers working in such hazardous environment puts them at serious risk of respiratory ailments DHAKA TRIBUNE
Black hole to have its ‘big meal’nBBC Online
Astronomers are getting ready for their
best ever glimpse of the mysterious
black hole at the heart of our galaxy.
“Fireworks” will flare if it gobbles
up a giant gas cloud which is drifting
perilously close.
A collision is now likely in spring,
according to scientists at the American
Astronomical Society meeting. Stargaz-
ers will be able to see the climax on a
new public monitoring website.
“This could be our black hole’s
biggest meal in hundreds of years,”
said Leo Meyer, of the University of
California, Los Angeles. “It might bring
spectacular fireworks - and we want
everybody to watch.”
The collision could give astrono-
mers a unique window on one of the
universe’s great enigmas.
Black holes are so dense that not
even light can escape them, once it
passes their event horizon (point of no
return). They can only be observed in-
directly – from brief flashes of radiation
released by matter falling in.
The giant gas cloud G2 is three
times the mass of Earth. It was first
spotted in 2011 hurtling towards
Sagittarius A* – the black hole in our
galactic core.
Impact is now just a few months
away. If the gas drifts close enough it
will heat up, releasing great flares of
X-rays, which shed light on the black
hole’s properties.
Astronomers have already secured
front row seats. Dr Meyer’s team is
tracking the cloud’s approach using the
Keck Observatory in Hawaii. They can
see it “stretching like spaghetti” as the
black hole tugs at its head, now moving
much faster than its tail.
And while Keck watches the cloud,
Swift is watching the black hole. Nasa’s
XRay space telescope is poised and
primed to catch the first glimmers of an
encounter.
“Everyone wants to see the event
happening because it’s so rare,” said
Nathalie Degenaar, Swift’s principal
investigator.
Sagittarius A* lurks 26,000 light
years away in the Milky Way’s inner-
most region.
Viewed from Earth, it is in the
southern summer sky near the constel-
lations Sagittarius and Scorpius.
Even for a black hole it is dim -
about a billion times fainter than others
of its “supermassive” type. And this
makes it something of a mystery.
“Currently it’s not easy to see at all.
But if the gas cloud suddenly feeds it
with much more mass, you might get
fireworks. And with that, you can test
all sorts of theories,” said Dr Meyer.
Black holes are thought to play a
crucial role in the life cycles of galaxies.
They eat matter from their sur-
roundings and blow matter back. This
influences how stars are formed, how
the galaxy grows, and how it interacts
with other galaxies.
To get a sense of the typical feeding
habits of Sagittarius A*, the Swift team
has been making regular observations
since 2006.l