Beyond LBA: Expectations, challengesAnalysts stress need for caution so as not to in� ict more su� erings on enclave peoplen Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Bangladesh’s border is set to lose much of its peculiarity with India’s passage of a bill that rati� ed a 1974 land boundary deal between the two neighbours paving the way for reha-bilitation and resettlement of the inhabitants.

The peculiarity, more like anomalies, stems from the numerous sovereign enclaves – over 160, of which several are enclaves with-in enclaves – where inhabitants remained in a virtual state of statelessness for decades without any modern amenities that their fel-low citizens enjoy.

There are similar enclaves scattered in re-mote patches of Europe and Africa, about 50, but few have seen their citizens abandoned to such despair.

Folklore has it that such high number of enclaves, accounting for over three-fourths in the world, was the result of a series of chess games between the Maharaja of Cooch Behar, now a West Bengal district, and the Faujdar of Rangpur. The two wagered villages for their games.

In a more scholastically tempered ac-count, Brendan R Whyte, the assistant cura-tor of maps at the Australian National Library,

PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

PAGE 8Thai tra� cking crackdown targets corrupt police

PAGE 10Modi defends ban on gang rape documentary

PAGE 7Illegal gas connections in Sreepur increasing

PAGE 5Three human tra� ckers killed in gun� ght

BLOCKADE CASES YET TO BE PROBED PAGE 3

ERSHAD: BOTH LEADERS WANT POWER PAGE 4

BANGLADESHI-BRITONS IN UK PARLIAMENT PAGE 32

SECOND EDITION

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015 | Boishakh 26, 1422, Rajab 19, 1436 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 27 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

ASSAM

MEGHALAYwill receive 97 hectares

WEST BENGALwill receive970 hectaresKOLKATA

TRIPURA willreceive

BANGLADESH

DHAKA

MIZORAM56

hectares

LalmonirhatKurigram

NilphamariPanchgarh

FactsheetDocumentsLand Boundary Agreement 1974Terms of lease in perpetuity of Tin Bigha corridor 1982Implementing Tin Bigha lease 1992Land Boundary Agreement protocol 2011

Total enclaves 162Bangladesh enclaves in India 51Population 14,215 (2011)Location: Cooch Behar district in West Bengal

Indian enclaves in Bangladesh 111Population 37,334 (2011)*59 in Lalmonirhat, 36 in Panchagarh,12 in Kurigram and 4 in Nilphamari

Adversely possessed land Bangladesh will receive 971 hectares

West Bengal will lose 792 hectares

Meghalaya will lose 17 hectares

Assam will lose 108 hectares

India will receive 1,124 hectares

West Bengal will receive 970 hectares

Meghalaya will receive 97 hectares

Tripura will receive 56 hectares

*

Surprise Conservative win changes political landscapen AFP, London

Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conserva-tives won a surprise victory in Britain’s gen-eral election yesterday, which dramatically redrew the political map and could rede� ne the country’s future in Europe.

Widespread predictions of a close contest with the opposition Labour party turned out to be wide of the mark, as Cameron won a ma-jority in the House of Commons and � ve more years in Downing Street.

Nationalists won a historic landslide in Scotland and the leaders of Labour, the Lib-eral Democrats and the anti-EU UK Independ-ence Party (UKIP) all stepped down after suf-fering major losses after Thursday’s voting.

Following his own re-election in Witney, near Oxford, Cameron travelled to London to

pay a visit to Buckingham Palace, where he was recon� rmed as prime minister by Queen Elizabeth II.

Bringing an end to � ve years of coalition government with the Liberal Democrats, he announced to reporters in Downing Street: “I will now form a Conservative majority gov-ernment.”

The result is an endorsement of the Con-servatives’ austerity programme and is likely to see a continuation of cuts to public spend-ing as they seek to reduce a budget de� cit of nearly £90 billion (120 billion euros, $140 bil-lion).

The pound rallied and stocks rose as in-vestors welcomed a clear result and a “busi-ness-friendly” government.

But after an election that exposed deep PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha wave as they return to Number 10 Downing Street after meeting with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in London yesterday REUTERS

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Sheikh Hasina wonders how one can support BNPn UNB

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday won-dered how a section of people can support BNP and vote for them although Khaleda Zia and BNP-Jamaat burned hundreds of people to death in the name of hartal and blockade.

“Khaleda Zia and BNP-Jamaat burned hun-dreds of people to death and caused untold su� erings to many in the name of movement. Despite that, how could some people stand in favour of that party (BNP) and vote for them...I don’t � nd any answer to it,” she said.

The prime minister was addressing a function marking the celebration of 154th

birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore at Shahzadpur Pilot High School Ground.

The prime minister laid the foundation stone of Rabindra University, an institution named after Nobel Laureate Biswakobi Ra-bindranath Tagore, from Shahzadpur Pilot High School ground marking the great poet’s 154th birth anniversary.

Mentioning that her government would continue steps to preserve the memories of the great poet, Hasina announced that anoth-er university would be set in Kushtia named after the Nobel Laureate poet as Bangaband-hu during his visit to Shilaidah had pledged to establish it. l

Bangladesh Jubo League brings out a rally from Bangabandhu Avenue congratulating Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her diplomatic success for passing of the long-pending Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh MEHEDI HASAN

Beyond LBA: Expectations, challengesindicates that the enclaves resulted from peace treaties in 1711 and 1713 between Cooch Behar kingdom and the Mughal Empire, “ending a long series of wars in which the Mughals wrested several districts from Cooch Behar.”

The patches remained through the ages even when the subcontinent was divided and carried on through the birth of Bangladesh.

However, that is about to change with the rati� cation of a four-decade-old treaty to swap these territories which will see Bangla-desh gaining about 4,047 hectares of land in the process.

Commentators and former diplomats say that now is the time to look forward to the rehabilitation of the inhabitants, who will be given the opportunity to choose their citizen-ship.

Imtiaz Ahmed, professor of international relations at Dhaka University, said the main challenge was to rehabilitate these people be-cause of the bureaucratic hassle that charac-terises government activities.

Advising caution not to further traumatise these people with bureaucratic tangles, he said: “Providing them with voter ID cards, passports, land and other privileges should go smoothly.”

Professor Imtiaz also said there were some

other disputes with India and the sooner those were resolved, the better. “I hope they will not take another 40 years.”

There are more than 14,000 people living in Bangladeshi exclaves while Indian exclaves are home to over 37,000 people.

Anisul Islam Mahmud, a former foreign minister, thinks that the main hurdle has been overcome and from here on it will be smooth sailing.

“Implementation is not a problem. The big thing is that Indian parliament has passed the bill unanimously. Other issues will be re-solved as a new window has opened.”

The bicameral Indian parliament passed a bill to amend its constitution on Wednesday in Rajya Sabha, and on Thursday in Lok Sabha.

Abul Hasan Chowdhury, another former foreign minister, said although long overdue there was no doubt that this was a very posi-tive outcome. He only hoped that the wave of optimism carried on.

“I think both governments will play con-structive roles in future too. Indian Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi has shown that he has a vision and I hope that the question of Teesta water-sharing will be resolved.”

He also mentioned border killings, which he said were unacceptable, should be stopped. “I think Modi has opened a new

door through which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken a strong step regarding In-dian security.”

The bill will also resolve disputed terri-tories along the border accounting for 2,777 acres (921.47 hectares) under Bangladesh possession and 2,267 acres (917.42 hectares) under Indian possession.

Delwar Hossain, professor of internation-al relations at Dhaka University, said: “This accord will add to further cementing the re-lationship between the two neighbours. Im-plementation of the accord is not a problem given the precise guideline.”

He said India has already surveyed and found that some 8-10% enclave residents have indicated their preference for Bangla-deshi citizenship. Bangladesh is yet to con-duct any such survey though.

“Rehabilitation is not a problem as we have resources and we will gain some land through the accord too. It is the government’s will and bureaucratic role that is important. The government has to conduct a proper sur-vey to ascertain how many want to stay back and how many want to become Indians.”

He warned that the government should exercise much caution in order not to in� ict further su� erings on the hapless enclave res-idents. “This should be dealt with be� tting

empathy.”While India has already allocated funds for

rehabilitating enclave residents, Bangladesh is yet to follow suit. The state minister for foreign a� airs has hinted the government’s commitment to providing them with civic amenities towards a better life.

Mostafa Farruque Mohammed, former ambassador in New Delhi and president of Bangladesh-India Citizen Society, said: “The rati� cation of the land boundary deal is a dip-lomatic success. Bangladesh-India relations have marked a historic milestone through the passage of the bill and a longstanding prob-lem of the two neighbours will be resolved.”

Tareque Shamsur Rahman, professor of international relations at Jahangirnagar Uni-versity, said this marked a new high in In-do-Bangla relations.

“This initiative is a part of Modi govern-ment’s commitment to establish good ties among its South Asian neighbours. As both governments have reached an understand-ing, the other problems including Teesta treaty, border killings, trade imbalance and Tipaimukh dam will also be resolved.”

He also said rehabilitation of the enclave residents would not be a challenge but the government would have to allocate funds for these people as has the Indian government. l

Surprise Conservative win changes political landscapepolitical divisions and the nationalist land-slide in Scotland, Cameron avoided trium-phalism and promised to “bring our country together”.

He said he would deliver manifesto pledg-es for the bene� t of everyone in Britain, in-cluding a vote on the country’s membership of the European Union by 2017.

Political map redrawnCameron paid tribute to Labour leader Ed Miliband and his former deputy prime minis-ter, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who both stepped down Friday after a dismal re-sult.

He also acknowledged the surge of the Scottish National Party (SNP), promising to give Scotland “the strongest devolved gov-ernment anywhere in the world, with impor-tant powers over taxation”.

“We can take these islands with all our

proud history and build an even prouder future. Together we can make Great Britain greater still,” he said.

Scotland voted to reject independence in a referendum last September, partly after Cam-eron promised new powers.

But the SNP came close to a clean sweep north of the English border in Thursday’s election, winning 56 out of 59 seats, up from just six in 2010.

“It is an extraordinary statement of intent from the people of Scotland. The Scottish lion has roared this morning across the country,” former SNP leader Alex Salmond said, as he was elected to the northeastern seat of Gor-don.

Most of the gains were at Labour’s expense – in Paisley and Renfrewshire South, 20-year-old student Mhairi Black defeated Labour’s campaign chief to become Britain’s youngest MP since 1667.

Overall Labour lost about two dozen seats, for which Miliband said he took “absolute and total responsibility,” before standing down as party leader.

It was also a terrible night for the centrist Liberal Democrats, who looked set to lose all but eight of their 57 seats as voters punished them for entering a government with Camer-on.

Clegg held his seat but resigned the party leadership, saying: “The results have been immeasurably more crushing than I could ever have feared.”

Both men are still expected to attend a cer-emony Friday to mark 70 years since the Al-lied victory against Nazi Germany, along with Cameron and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon.

EU membership in doubtThe election raises questions over Britain’s future in the EU, as Cameron con� rmed in his

victory speech, promising: “We will deliver that in-out referendum on our future in Eu-rope.”

He has previously said he would campaign to stay in the bloc, provided he can secure changes to Britain’s terms of membership, notably on freedom of movement – although this has so far been met with resistance in EU capitals.

“Cameron will very quickly have to come to Brussels and negotiate a settlement,” Sara B Hobolt, a European politics professor at the LSE, told AFP.

The premier made the referendum prom-ise in large part to counter an electoral chal-lenge from the anti-immigration UKIP, which has campaigned for Britain to leave the EU.

In the event, UKIP lost one of its two par-liamentary seats and its leader Nigel Farage quit after failing in his seventh attempt to be-come an MP. l

NEWS2DT

NEWS 3D

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AL leader: Khaleda must face trial for every killingn Abu Hayat Mahmud

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will have to face trial in every murder case � led against her for burning and killing innocent people in the name of nationwide blockade earlier this year, several Awami League leaders said yesterday.

They further said Khaleda also must stand trial for her conspiracy and attack on common people in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area dur-ing the city polls campaign last month.

The ruling party leaders made these re-marks at di� erent events around Dhaka yes-terday.

Speaking at a discussion organised by Isla-mi United Party at National Press Club, Awami League’s Publicity and Publications Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud urged police to register cases against the BNP chief on the grounds

that her security personnel launched an at-tack on people. Law preserves equal rights for everyone, he said.

Hasan further said the passing of Land Bor-der Agreement (LBA) bill in the Indian parlia-ment was a diplomatic success of the Awami League-led coalition government of 14 parties.

Food Minister Md Qamrul Islam, who at-tended the discussion as well, asked Khaleda to stop killing people along with Jamaat.

“Jamaat-e-Islami is a militant organisation and an anti-liberation party. Jamaat is a par-ty like the Taliban and IS. So the government should take steps to ban Jamaat.”

In another event at Bangabandhu Avenue, which was in observance of Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s homecoming day, Qamrul said Hasina’s cou-rageous return to the country on May 7, 2007

during the then military-run unelected gov-ernment helped establish democracy, human rights and the right to vote.

The food minister further said the present government under Hasina’s leadership had been driving the country towards development to make it economically strong.

In another event, State Minis-ter of Home A� airs Asaduzzam-an Khan Kamal said BNP-Jamaat would not escape the conse-quence of their fundamental-ism, militancy and terrorism.

“There is no room for mili-tancy in Islam, which is a reli-gion of peace,” he added.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, at a programme in Bho-

la, said all the cases against the BNP chief will proceed as per the laws and regulations and the government would not interfere with the case proceedings, the BSS reports. l

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

Most blockade violence cases yet to be probedn Mohammad Jamil Khan

Despite Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s di-rective on quick completion of cases related to blockade violence, law enforcers are yet to submit charge sheets in most of the cases.

Following the instruction of the prime minister, the police headquarters asked its o� cials concerned to expedite the case pro-cedures shortly, said a source in the police headquarters.

Nearly two thousand cases have so far been � led against leaders and activists of the BNP-led 20-party alliance for their involvement in violence during the three-month-long block-ade and shutdowns.

The law enforcers have not only failed to submit charge sheets but investigation into most of those incidents have also remained pending.

According to information of the police headquarters, a total of 1,775 cases have so far been � led in between January 5 and March 30

across the country.The law enforcers have only been able to

submit charge sheets in only 125 cases. Of them, 43 were submitted to the courts in Dha-ka Metropolitan Police area while 82 others in other metropolitan areas.

In almost all cases the accused numbering 16, 000 belong to BNP-Jamaat politics. But only 2,500 were named in the First Informa-tion Report while others are unnamed.

Of the cases � led so far, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was named as an aider and abet-tor in at least four cases � led for arson attacks on vehicles.

A high o� cial of police headquarters re-questing not to be named said they had not been able to complete investigations as police were busy tackling violence for a long period of time.

Soon after the political violence dwind-led there came the city corporation polls, he said.

In the DMP area maximum 436 cases were

� led. Police have so far submitted charge sheets in 43 cases while the rest 393 are still under investigation.

When contacted Monirul Islam, Joint Com-missioner of the DMP, said instruction had already been given to o� cials concerned to submit the charge sheets.

The lowest number of cases were � led in Rajshahi Metropolitan Police area where only 37 such cases were recorded.

Around 107 cases were � led in Chittagong Metropolitan Police area, 54 in Khulna, 34 in Sylhet and 23in Barisal metropolitan areas.

Apart from them, 356 cases were � led in Chittagong Range, 210 in Rajshahi Range, 203 in Dhaka Range, 74 in Barisal Range, 63 in Sylhet Range, 69 in Rangpur Range and 76 in Khulna Range.

And 33 cases were � led with railway po-lice stations across the country for attacks on trains and damage to railway properties.

Deputy Inspector General of Railway Range Ruhul Amin said investigations had almost

ended and he was hopeful about submission of charge sheets shortly.

Sha� qul Islam, DIG of Chittagong Range, echoed Ruhul Amain.

DIG of Rangpur Range Police Humayun Ka-bir, however, said they were going to submit the charge sheets within one month.

According to information from police sources, at least 52 people were killed in pet-rol bomb attacks in the three-month-long violence across the country while 281 more su� ered injuries.

On top of that 21 people were killed and 549 injured being caught in violence like crude bomb attacks.

However, as the newspaper reports go, a total of 138 people were killed in the three-month-long violence. Of them, 77 were killed in petrol bomb attacks.

Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, state minister for home, said directives had already given to concerned o� cials to complete the investiga-tion into the incidents of violence. l

For constructing a high-rise building, workers have piled up sands occupying almost half of the road in the capital’s Panthokunja creating immense inconvenience to the pedestrians and vehicles. Such act indicates to the lack of civic sense of a group of people MEHEDI HASAN

Political parties welcome LBA passagen Tribune Report

Several political parties yesterday hailed the passage of an Indian bill to implement the land boundary agreement with Bangladesh, saying it had ended a long wait for the countries.

Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad congrat-ulated the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a message saying that the passing of the bill by the Indian parliament has ended the six decades su� erings of people of the en-claves along the Bangladesh-India border.

The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) also expressed its satisfaction over the passage of the bill. In a joint statement, CPB President Mujahidul Islam Selim and General Secretary Syed Abu Jafar Ahmed said with the passage of the historic Land Boundary Agreement Bill, the 41-year-long awaiting has ended.

The Workers’ Party of Bangladesh Presi-dent Rashed Khan Menon, MP and General Secretary Fazle Hossain Badsha, MP, also con-veyed their greetings saying the rati� cation of the long awaited bill was the fruit of Sheikh Hasina’s sincere e� orts and initiative. l

NEWS4DTSATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

BNP: Conspiracies on to destroy oppositionn UNB

Criticising the government for its “repressive acts,” BNP yesterday alleged that various con-spiracies are being hatched to destroy the op-position.

“The country is going through a critical time. There is no democracy and freedom of expression in the country. Our leader Khale-da Zia has been charge with false cases. Imaginary and absurd allegations have been brought against her,” said BNP spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon.

He made the remarks while addressing a miald mah� l on the ground � oor of BNP’s Nayapaltan headquarters. BNP arranged the programme seeking salvation of the departed soul of its assistant organising secretary Na-siruddin Ahmed Pintu who died on May 5.

Ripon, also a BNP’s international a� airs secretary, voiced concerned that their party leaders are getting sick in jails. “Our leader Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu’s dead body was brought from jail a few days

back. Our secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is also ill and he has lost 15 kg weight.”

He alleged that Pintu died at the Rajshahi Central Jail for lack of treatment. “We demand the government impartially investigate the reason behind Pintu’s death. We have heard a probe committee has been formed. We’re waiting to see whether the committee does their job neutrally.”

The BNP leader called upon the party lead-ers and activists to get united for carrying their ongoing movement for establishing democra-cy. “We will not bow down to undemocratic forces and we must continue our struggle.”

He also urged the government to give the opposition the due political space and op-portunity to exercise their political rights to strengthen democracy.

Some central leaders of BNP and the 20-party alliance joined milad mah� l.

A munajat was o� ered after the pro-gramme parrying for eternal peace of Pintu’s departed soul. l

Ershad: Both party leaders want to cling to power n Our correspondent,

Munshiganj

Leaders of the two main par-ties want to hold on to power by holding the people hostage, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Er-shad said yesterday.

He said the country was heading towards a bloody war and its the people who were paying the price for the lust of power of the two leaders.

“Both the leaders want to go to power at the cost of peo-ple’s lives but I handed over power to avoid clash. Jatiya Party does not want to see any clash in the country,” said Ershad while speaking at a programme at Jamiya Islamia Halimiya Madhupur Madrasa in Sirajdikhan upazila in the afternoon.

The former president said the Muslims across the world had been facing many su� erings.

“Conspiracies are being hatched against the Muslim people but the holy Quran and the Hadith will live forever. I declared Islam the state reli-gion as Allah and Islam are our only possessions.”

Founder Director of the ma-drasa, Maulana Abdul Hamid, presided over the programme which was also attended by Jatiya Party’s former secretary general Ruhul Amin Howlad-er and Bogra 3 lawmaker Md Nurul Islam Talukder among others. l

Alleged robber critically injured in mob beating n FM Mizanur Rahaman

A man was critically injured in a mob beating after allegedly attempting a robbery at a Agra-ni Bank branch in Kuyaish area under Hathaz-ari upazila of Chittagong on Thursday night.

Critically injured, the man named Shukkur was admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

Hathazari police Inspector Md Salahuddin

told the Dhaka Tribune: “The security guards and Ansar members in front of the Agrani Bank branch started shouting when they saw three persons digging a hole on the roof of the bank around 11pm Thursday.”

Hearing the noise, locals chased the al-leged robbers and caught Sukkur, said Sala-huddin.

A case was lodged with Hathazari police station in this connection. l

Biggan Andolon Moncho, a platform of science campaigners, forms a human chain in front of the National Press Club yesterday demanding a ban on commercial vessel movement through the Sundarbans SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

NEWS 5D

TSATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

3 human tra� ckers killed in gun� ght with Teknaf police n Mohammad Jamil Khan with Our

Correspondent, Cox’s Bazar

Three suspected human tra� ckers were killed during a gun� ght with the police at Teknaf beach of Cox’s Bazar early yesterday.

The three deceased were from border-ing Teknaf upazila, said Teknaf police. They were identi� ed as Dhalu Hossen, 55, Jahangir Alam, 30, and Zafar Alam, 25.

“Police recovered two � rearms, three rounds of live bullets and some other ammu-nition,” said Ataur Rahman, O� cer-in-Charge (OC) of Teknaf Police Station.

The deceased were on the list human traf-� ckers prepared by the Home Ministry, said the police. Dhalu was leader of the human tra� cking syndicate.

Dhalu was accused in nine human tra� ck-ing cases, Jahangir in eight cases, and Zafar in two, said OC Ataur, adding that other human tra� ckers were sending people to Malaysia illegally by sea.

“Acting on a tip-o� , police went a drive in Hatchery Beach area of Teknaf where a group

of human tra� ckers were waiting to send some people to Malaysia by sea,” said OC Ataur.

Sensing presence of the law enforcers, the human tra� ckers started � ring at the police compelling them to retaliate. Police � red 30 rounds in retaliation.

The bullet-wounded human tra� ckers were rushed to Teknaf Hospital where the on-duty physician declared them dead. The bodies are at Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Four police o� cers including the OC were injured during the gun� ght and were given � rst aid at the local hospital. Two separate cases were � led with Teknaf Model Police Sta-tion in this regard.

Meanwhile, a team of Rapid Action Battal-ion 7 arrested alleged human tra� cker Anwar Hossain, 28, from Cox’s Bazar sadar early Fri-day. The RAB 7 o� cials said Anwar was the main assistant of local human tra� cking ring leader Ra� que alias Burmese Ra� que.

Mass graves were unearthed in hidden camps located deep in the jungles of Thai-land’s southern province Songkhla recently

after 26 bodies were recovered from a shallow grave in one of these camps on May 1.

International media quoted a survivor who claimed more than 500 prisoners, mostly mi-grants or abductees, had been killed. The re-ports also said most victims were thought to be from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

In another incident, one Luto Mia of So-nadia Island of Moheskhali was shot dead by human tra� ckers when the villagers were re-sisting the tra� ckers on April 9.

According to Chittagong Metropolitan Po-lice some 241 human tra� ckers of Bangla-desh, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia are active around the coastal areas of Bangladesh.

Tofail Ahmed, Additional Superintendent of Police, Cox’s Bazar said: “Cox’s Bazar po-lice already rescued more than 300 people seeking jobs abroad and arrested 20 human tra� ckers over the last two months.”

Lieutenant Colonel Khandokar Saiful Alam, Commanding O� cer of BGB 17 battalion, Cox’s Bazar told the Dhaka Tribune: “BGB members rescued some 78 people and detained 23 hu-man tra� ckers during the last six months.” l

BCL to elect new leadership in Julyn Arif Ahmed

Following a delay of almost two years, Chha-tra League is set to elect its new leadership at the student wing’s 28th central committee council on July 25 and 26.

HM Badiuzzaman Sohag, president of Chhatra League, announced the dates yester-day in a press conference at Dhaka Universi-ty’s Modhur Canteen.

Before the central convention on July, Dha-ka Metropolitan (North) unit’s convention will be held on May 28, Dhaka Metropolitan (South) unit’s on May 30 and the DU unit’s on June 11; conventions would also take place at 16 district units.

The last central council of Chhatra League was held on July 10, 2011, where the incum-bent central executive committee was elected with Sohag and Nazmul as president and gen-eral secretary respectively.

The current committee has been in place for almost four years, even though the stu-dent wing’s constitution dictates that new leadership must be elected every two years.

“The tenure of the central executive com-mittee is two years. New council has to be held by this time. Otherwise, the executive committee will stand dissolved,” article 11(b) of the Chhatra League’s constitution reads.

When asked about young leaders with the most potential for leadership positions, Chhatra League President Sohag said: “The most dedi-cated, disciplined and obedient activists of the organisation will be given the charge to lead it.”

Asked about the two-year delay in hold-ing the council, he said: “It is not our fault as there are some limitations in the whole politi-cal system; that is why it became so late.”

However, some leaders who have already turned 29 years old or will cross 29 before July, expressed their disappointment over the delay, as the student body’s constitution does not al-low its top leaders to be more than 29 years old.

Seeking anonymity, one of the incumbent joint secretaries of Chhatra League said: “It is a conspiracy of the current president and gen-eral secretary to keep away the potential lead-ers from their due recognition. That is why they declared the convention date so late.”

Meanwhile, sources inside the Chhatra League said the up-and-coming students lead-ers have already began networking with top leaders of the party in order to secure top posts at the next central executive committee.

The top two posts of the student body are likely to be won by leaders from Barisal and Faridpur-Madaripur regions, reliable sources in-side Chhatra League told the Dhaka Tribune. l

Flower seller Sabina could not hold her tears when she saw a photo exhibit depicting sexual assaults of women, on display around the Raju Bhashkorjo on the Dhaka University campus yesterday. Looking at the photos, she said she was reminded of the horri� c incident of sexual assault at the very spot on Pohela Boishakh. The exhibit was put up by photographer Avik Adnan Siddiqui RAJIB DHAR

Yunus Centre responds to premier’s alleged remarks n Tribune Report

Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus would never do anything against the interests of Bangladesh, the Yunus Centre said.

In a rejoinder to the prime minister’s al-leged remarks about the mirco-� nancier’s role in cancelling World Bank funding for the Padma Bridge project, the Yunus Centre said: “He has always promoted Bangladesh and its successes, and has helped to put Bangladesh on the map as a model for development and poverty reduction.

“To state that he is harmful to the nation is

very unfortunate.” The prime minster reportedly criticised

Yunus for allegedly in� uencing Hillary Clin-ton and getting World Bank funding for the Padma Bridge project cancelled.

The comments were reported to have been made at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on May 5.

“The allegations were made Professor Yunus without presenting any proof of the truth of such statements,” the Yunus Centre’s rejoinder on Thursday said.

The prime minister allegedly said the poor were getting stuck in a microcredit trap.

She is reported to have said the bank charg-es high interest rates and that its outlook is chie� y commercial.

Yunus is widely known for developing a model for poverty reduction in Bangladesh and beyond.

His work on microcredit for rural devel-opment has been recognised throughout the world through the award of the Nobel Peace Prize and many other prizes, the Yunus Cen-tre said.

Several daily newspapers reported on the prime minister’s alleged remarks about Yunus at a meeting of the Executive Committee of

National Economic Council on May 5. “We hope the honourable prime minis-

ter did not actually make these comments, but we are responding to each of the quotes attributed to her, since they have been pub-lished widely,” the centre said.

News reports quoted the prime minister as saying Yunus in� uenced Hillary Clinton to cancel World Bank funding for the Padma Bridge over a con� ict between Yunus and the government over the directorship of Grameen Bank.

“He is harmful to the nation,” Prime Minis-ter Sheikh Hasina was also quoted as saying. l

NEWS6DTSATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

Kazir Bazar bridge likely to open in Junen Mohammad Serajul Islam, Sylhet

After missing several deadlines, the Roads and Highway Department has set afresh deadline for the inauguration of much talked-about Kazir Bazar Bridge over the Surma River in Sylhet, much to create frustrations among local people.

Last year, Road Transport and Bridg-es Minister Obaidul Quader said the bridge would be opened on 16 December as a Vic-tory Day gift to townspeople. Since then, sev-eral deadlines such as February 21, March 26 and Pohela Boishakh, the � rst day of Bangla year, have gone, but the bridge had not been opened as construction of many portions of the bridge are yet to complete.

Now, o� cials of the Roads and Highway

Department are saying that the bridge would be open for public in June.

Khurshed Alam, divisional engineer of R&H department, told the Dhaka Tribune that con-struction works of main structure of the bridge had already � nished. Now, the construction of a drain and RCC road was going on. After com-pletion of the drain and road, construction of 300-metre road would begin soon.

He said: “I am hopeful that we would be able to � nish the construction works by the end of this month.”

The Roads and Highway department could not � nish the construction works even after nine years due to repeated changes in de-signs, delay in land acquisition, fund crunch, and a lack of coordination among the relevant agencies.

The cost has already increased almost threefold to Tk124 crore from Tk44 crore be-cause of price hikes of the construction mate-rials as well as land.

On December 24, 2005, the then � nance minister M Saifur Rahman laid the founda-tion stone of the bridge. The initial cost of the project was estimated to be Tk44.64 crore but in nine years, it has risen more than three times to Tk124 crore.

Kamal Associates, a Dhaka-based � rm, is implementing the project which is 391 metre long and 18.90 metre wide.

Obaidul Quader has recently visited the Sylhet city when he said the bridge would be inaugurated in June and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would open the bridge for people. l

Hospital vandalised protesting ‘wrong’ treatmentn Our Correspondent, Lakshmipur

A pregnant woman died of alleged wrong treat-ment at Lakshmipur Model Hospital Pvt Ltd sit-uated on South Temuhoni Lakshmipur-Ramgo-ti Road in Lakshmipur district yesterday.

Sabina Yasmin Lipi, 22, wife of Firoz Alam of Banchhanagar, Lakshmipur, was admitted to the hospital with labour pain on Tuesday. The deceased left two kids while her unborn child died during treatment.

The victim’s relatives alleged that the doc-tors’ negligence in duty had led to the death of Lipi and her unborn child.

Lipi was receiving treatment under Dr Ishrat Jahan Annie in the gynecological de-partment of the hospital. After three days due

to Annie’s alleged wrong treatment the child in her womb died.

The hospital authority concealed the mat-ter and continued treatment of Lipi, how-ever, she died yesterday. Her death sparked protests among the locals and her relatives who vandalised the hospital and physically assaulted two employees of the hospital in-cluding its manager.

Being informed by the hospital author-ities, police arrested three relatives of Lipi – Md Shaheed, Mayeen Uddin and Sho� ullah – yesterday morning.

The relatives alleged that the hospital au-thorities hold secret meetings with the local administration to evade responsibility and divert attention from the incident. l

One held with six gold bars n Tribune Report

Police arrested a person in possession of six gold bars weighting one kilogram at Chandanaish upazila of Chittagong yesterday afternoon.

The arrestee was identi� ed as Alok Deb, 24, while the detail of the arrestee could not be ascertained immediately, said O� cer-in-Charge of Chandanish police station Abul Kashem Bhuiyan.

The OC said police had searched a Chit-tagong-bound bus of S Alam Paribahan com-ing from Cox’s Bazar at Gashbariya College check post around 2pm and detained Alok for his suspicious movement.

Later, police recovered six gold bars kept into his two shoes, added the OC. l

Road accident kills two in Ctg n Tribune Report

Two persons were killed and two others in-jured in a road accident on the Dhaka-Chit-tagong Highway at Mirsarai upazila in Chit-tagong yesterday morning.

Sub-Inspector of Jararganj Highway po-lice outpost Farid Uddin Ahmed said a Chit-tagong-bound newspaper-laden microbus carrying four persons hit the central reser-vation as its driver lost over steering around 5:30am, leaving Md Asaduzzaman, 42, a res-ident of Barisal, dead on the spot. Three peo-ple were also injured in the accident.

The injured were rushed to Chittagong Med-ical College Hospital (CMCH) where the on duty doctors declared Sa� q,45, dead. l

Woman hacked to deathn Tribune Report

A young girl, who was hacked by a young man at Bajnabo Sayedpara in Telabo upazila on Thursday evening over love a� air, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) early yesterday.

The deceased was identi� ed as Rinvi Akter Dipa, 22, daughter of Sayed Samsuzzaman, a resident of Bajnabo Sayedpara. She was a 2nd year student of Narshingdi Gov College.

Local people said Al-Amin, 28, son of Niaruddin of Bajnabo Kazirtech village, pro-posed Dipa for getting into a love a� air.

Dipa did not respond to the proposal.As a sequel to this, Al-Amin went to Dipa’s

residence on Thursday evening and indiscrimi-nately hacked her with a sharp weapon around 5:15pm. Later, Dipa was whisked o� to DMCH on critical condition where she succumbed to her injuries around 1am yesterday. l

Man killed by elder brothern Tribune Report

A man was allegedly beaten to death by his elder brother at Uttarpara village in the Sadar upazila in Lalmonirhat. The deceased was identi� ed as Bulbul, 35, son of Jamal Uddin Mandal, a resident of the village.

Police said Bulbul had been at loggerheads with his elder brother Bullet over family af-fairs. As a sequel, the two brothers locked into an altercation on Thursday night. At a stage, Bullet hit at the head of his younger brother with a stick around 10:30pm, leaving Bulbul dead on the spot. l

Three killed as nor’wester lashes Sirajganjn Tribune Report

Three people were killed and another was in-jured as a nor’wester swept through Shahjad-pur upazila of the district on Thursday night.

The deceased were identi� ed as Farhad Ali, 22, son of Barkat Ali, a resident of Char Anga-ru, Shaher Ali, 34, a resident of Char Narua village and Ayub Ali, a resident of Jamirta vil-lage of the upazila. The storm also damaged crops of vast tracts of land.

Meanwhile, four cows died in lightning strike during the storm in Bhatbera village of Ullahpara upazila.

Shamim Ahmed, upazila nirbahi o� cer of the Shahjadpur upazila said, the families of the de-ceased will be provided with � nancial support. l

Extreme heat has a� ected the country over last few days. The picture taken yesterday from under the bridge over the Mahananda River in Chapainawbganj shows the heat a� ected children are jumping o� a boat into water to get respite from heat AZAHAR UDDIN

NEWS 7D

TSATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

Source: Accuweather/UNB

D H A K ATODAY TOMORROW

SUN SETS 6:31PM SUN RISES 5:19AM

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

35.4ºC 29.5ºC

Chittagong Tangail

SourceL IslamicFinder.org

F O R E C A S T F O R T O D A YDhaka 34 26

Chittagong 34 26

Rajshahi 35 25

Rangpur 33 24

Khulna 35 25

Barisal 33 26

Sylhet 33 23

Cox’s Bazar 34 26

PRAYER TIMESFajr 3:54am

Sunrise 5:18am

Zohr 11:55am

Asr 4:33pm

Magrib 6:31pm

Esha 8:01pm

WEATHER

SATURDAY, MAY 9

DRY WEATHER

Illegal gas connections in Sreepur increasing, consumers lose interest in legal onesn Our Correspondent, Gazipur

Providing illegal gas connections to house-holds have become rampant in the outlying areas of Sreepur upazila in Gazipur.

A certain gang is providing these illegal connections to those interested for large sums of money; thus, consumers of the municipal-ity and its nearby areas are losing interest in getting legal gas connections. This gang is also very active, providing several connections everyday.

It is alleged that in� uential Awami League leaders, involved with this ring, help provide these connections: digging up miles of roads and using substandard pipelines for these il-legal gas connections. Once dug up the roads are left unrepaired, adding to the inconven-ience to the pedestrians. Many such roads have become unusable because of the unau-thorised digging.

These connections, being provided by unskilled, inexperienced personnel working during the night, are also giving rise to the risk

of accidents. Moreover, these workers also get involved in mugging pedestrians.

It is alleged that the contractors enlisted with the local government are involved and the gas lines are being laid down by some metal workshop owners of several areas in Sreepur. On top of that, people claiming to be journalists – using their contacts with profes-sional journalists – are managing these illegal gas connections. Under their in� uence, some works are done even during the day.

Sreepur police are also allegedly involved with this ring, taking Tk5,000 per connection. Even if the police are informed of illegal road digging, they do not even enter the area. If they are not paid up however, the police � le cases against the contractors.

Last January, in the Sreepur upazila law enforcement committee meeting, the then Of-� cer in Charge (OC) Mohsinul Kadir of Sreepur Police Station technically avoided discussion of the issue of the illegal gas connections when it came up. The absence of steps by po-lice in stopping these activities is a� ecting the

image of the law enforcement agency, com-mented many.

Talking to several households who took the illegal connections, it was learned that the involved contractors claim to have managed everyone from the local authority of Titas gas to the police administration for the illegal gas connection business. These contractors also luring people with the promise of these con-nections getting regularised by the govern-ment in the future.

The consumers also said the contractors charge Tk40,000 to Tk80,000 for these con-nections depending on the distance of house-holds from the gas mainlines.

Gazipur Titas Gas and Distribution Com-pany Limited (Titas) Managing Engineer AM Siaful Islam said: “I have asked the recently transferred OC of Sreepur police [OC Mo-hsinul] several times to assist us in discon-necting these illegal gas connections. He as-sured us of arresting those involved but have not caught one of them. Even a letter was sent to the Superintendent of Police in this regard

from the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Ministry.”

Managing Engineer Moshiur Rahman of Titas in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh said: “We have heard of the illegal connections. They are using equipment which we have identi� ed as un� t for gas connections. Hence, these illegal connections are very risky. No way are these connections going to be author-ised. We will conduct a drive very soon to dis-connect these gas lines and take legal action against those involved.”

The recently transferred OC Mohsinul Kadir told journalists: “I am always willing to cooperate with the state. I have no hand in these illegal gas connections.”

The new OC of Sreepur police station Mot-aleb Miya said he lodged a case after getting a complaint in this regard and claimed no mem-bers of the police are involved. He added that not only police, but di� erent government or-ganisations are active in stopping these illegal connections and everyone involved will be brought under the rule of law. l

Tofail: Khaleda will be tried for killing people n Our Correspondent, Bhola

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will be tried for the deaths of the victims of her party’s three-month anti-government agitations, said Com-merce Minister Tofail Ahmed yesterday.

He said the BNP attempted to destroy the country in the name of agitations but failed.

“After failing to do so, she [Khaleda] sur-rendered to court and returned home. She has been sued for the killings that took place during the agitations and will be standing tri-al according to the existing laws,” said Tofail while talking to reporters after inaugurating a bridge on the Maya River in Charfashion.

He said voters had retaliated the killings of innocent people by voting for Awami League-backed candidates in the April 28 city corpo-ration polls. lBNP demands withdrawal of

Bulbul’s suspension ordern Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

Local BNP leaders demanded immediate rev-ocation of the order of suspension of Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul.

They came up with the demand at a press conference held at its party o� ce in Rajshahi city yesterday morning.

No high-up leaders were present in the press brie� ng where BNP Rajshahi district unit General Secretary Advocate Kamrul Monir and Joint-Secretary Alauddin Ahmed spoke, among others. The speakers said the government had taken stand against wish of people suspending Mayor Bulbul, who was elected by Rajshahi city dwellers.

The leaders vowed to go on tougher move-ment, if the order is not withdrawn immediately.

On Thursday, Bulbul was suspended fol-lowing the framing of charges against him in

several cases, including murder of constable Siddhartha Sarker.

The Local Government Division (LGD) is-sued a noti� cation regarding the suspension of the pro-BNP mayor who has been in prison in several lawsuits.

According to section 12 (1) of the City Cor-poration Act, if charge sheet is accepted by court against any city corporation mayor and councillor, the government has right to sus-pend him or her in consultation with the Elec-tion Commission.

After the suspension, LGD Senior Assistant Secretary Jasim Uddin Hawlader said Bulbul had been removed from his post as per the aforesaid section.

Earlier, the government suspended anoth-er pro-BNP Sylhet Mayor Ariful Haque Choud-hury on the same ground.

On September 18, 2013, Bulbul started serving as the mayor of Rajshahi. l

Mayors of Dhaka city visit Bangabandhu’s shrine n Tribune Report

Newly-elected mayors of Dhaka South and North City Corporations, Sayeed Khokon and Annisul Huq, paid a visit to the mazar of Fa-ther of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mu-jibur Rahman at Tungipara in yesterday.

Both the mayors paid glowing tributes by placing wreaths and o� ering special prayers at the grave of Bangabandhu on the premises of his memorial complex at 3 in the afternoon. At that time, newly-elected councillors of both the city corporations of Dhaka were present. A large number of leaders and workers also accompanied them. Talking to reporters after placing wreaths at the mazar of Bangabandhu, Sayeed Khokon and Annisul Huq expressed their � rm determination to transform Dhaka into a modern capital of Bangladesh. l

The National Garments Sramik Federation brings out a procession in city yesterday demanding special allocation for women garment workers in national budget SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

WORLD8DTSATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

Norwegian, Philippine ambassadors killed in Pakistan helicopter crashn Reuters, Islamabad

A Pakistan military helicopter carrying diplo-mats to inspect development projects crashed yesterday killing seven people, including the ambassadors of Norway and the Philippines and the wives of the Malaysian and Indone-sian ambassadors.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was traveling to the mountainous northern region of Gilgit on a separate aircraft to launch two projects when the accident happened. He returned to Islamabad, his o� ce said.

As well as Norwegian Ambassador Leif Larsen, Philippine Ambassador Domingo Lu-cenario and the wives of the ambassadors of Malaysia, the two pilots and a crew member were killed, military spokesman Asim Bajwa said in Twitter posts. l

Thai tra� cking crackdown targets corrupt police, o� cialsn AP, Bangkok

Thailand’s police chief announced the arrest of a powerful provincial mayor yesterday and said 50 police o� cers are being investigat-ed in a widening human tra� cking scandal spanning four Asian countries.

Police chief Somyot Poompanmoung called Mayor Banjong Pongphon a “key sus-pect” in the investigation.

He delivered the strongest public admis-sion yet of police involvement in tra� cking syndicates that use Thailand as a regional transit hub. “If you are still neglecting, or in-volved with, or supporting or bene� ting from human-tra� cking networks — your heads

will roll,” Somyot told the meeting at Bang-kok’s national police headquarters.

Last Friday, police unearthed two dozen bodies from shallow graves in the mountains of southern Thailand, a grim discovery that has since exposed a network of jungle camps run by tra� ckers who allegedly held migrants captive while they extorted ransoms from their families. A total of 33 bodies, believed to be migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh, have now been exhumed from various jungle camps.

The discoveries have embarrassed Thai-land, which is already under pressure from the United States and the European Union to crack down on human tra� cking both on

land and in its � shing � eets.Fearing the crackdown, tra� cking gangs

appear to be abandoning migrants in south-ern Thailand. Since Thursday, police in Pa-dang Besar found 96 migrants, all frail and hungry, who claimed to be Rohingyas and Bangladeshis, said police Col Palahon Gade-kaew. In an editorial Friday titled “Take Down the Tra� ckers,” the Bangkok Post said the ar-rests con� rm “long-held public suspicions of government o� cials’ collusion with tra� ck-ing networks.”

Last June, the US downgraded Thailand and Malaysia to its lowest category — Tier 3 — in an annual assessment of how governments handle human tra� cking. l

Saudi-led forces conduct air strikes in Yemen’s Saadan Reuters, Cairo/Aden

Saudi-led forces conducted several air strikes on Thursday against the Yemeni province of Saada, a stronghold of the Iranian-allied Houthi movement, Saudi Arabia’s state news agency SPA said yesterday.

The strikes targeted two Houthi control centers in Bani Maaz and destroyed a mine factory in the old quarter of the city of Saada and a communications center in the Motha-lath area, the agency said. Two Houthi com-mand centers in the province were also de-stroyed.

Residents of Saada said the strikes had damaged the tomb of the founder of the Houthi movement, Hussein al-Houthi.

There was also heavy shelling in the west of the province, on the border area between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and 13 villagers were killed in strikes on Hajja province, also near the border, locals said.

The � gures could not be independently veri� ed. l

Putin, Xi cement ties at WWII anniversaryn AFP

China’s Xi Jinping � ew into Moscow yester-day as some two dozen world leaders headed to Russia for a grandiose World War II victory parade snubbed by the West.

Russia will roll out its military might at the Red Square parade to mark 70 years since victory over Nazi Germany from 10am today (0700 GMT) with 16,000 troops and a display of hardware including the latest generation Armata tanks.

Putin called Xi “our great friend” after a meeting at the Kremlin where the two lead-ers of the neighbouring countries that once shared a Communist ideology said they agreed to strengthen economic ties.

The two leaders signed a joint declaration on cooperation between a Kremlin-backed trade bloc made up of ex-Soviet allies Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, and China’s vision of a Silk Road Economic Belt running West through Asia to the markets of Europe.

“We are talking about the prospect of entering a new level of partnership with a shared economic space on the whole Eura-sian continent,” Putin said.

The two sides signed memorandums on deals including Chinese investment in a high-speed rail line linking Moscow and the Volga city of Kazan.

“The Chinese side agreed to � nance this project to the tune of around 300 billion ru-bles (US $5.92 billion),” Putin said.

They also signed an agreement on creating a joint Chinese-Russian company that could acquire 100 of Russia’s Sukhoi Superjet 100 jumbo jets over three years in a deal worth around $3 billion and lease them out in Asia.

Putin said the two also discussed joint en-ergy projects, with “substantial results.”

Last year, China and Russia inked a 30-year, $400-billion agreement that will even-tually involve Moscow supplying Beijing with 38 billion cubic metres of gas annually.

“The Russian side has already started building the gas pipeline while work on Chinese territory starts in the near future,” Putin said.

China is Russia’s largest trade partner. In a sign of closer ties with China, a column

of its troops will march in the parade for the � rst time. l

Spain’s indicted princess seeks bail cut in tax-fraud casen AP, Madrid

Princess Cristina has presented a list of assets that will be blocked in order to cover her 2.7 million euros ($3 million) bail fee while she awaits trial on tax fraud charges.

A court in Palma de Mallorca said the prin-cess � led the list before yesterday afternoon deadline and also sought a reduction in the bail amount.

The court said Judge Jose Castro would decide on the petition next week. No further details were released.

None of the blocked property will be seized from the princess but she will not be able to sell any of it.

Cristina, the 49-year-old sister of King Fe-lipe, was indicted in December as part of a four-year probe into her husband, Inaki Ur-dangarin, who faces charges including mon-ey-laundering and fraud. l

Russian soldiers take part in a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Red Square in Moscow. Russia will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the 1945 victory over Nazi Germany on May 9 AFP

WORLD 9D

TSATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

EU refugee quota scheme unravels amid national oppositionn AP, Brussels

European Union plans to introduce a quo-ta system obliging countries to share the burden of settling refugees unraveled yes-terday as member nations began rejecting the scheme.

Slovakia and Estonia are among those to publicly object to a quota system, which would require unanimous agreement among the 28 EU nations.

“The Slovak Interior Ministry currently re-fuses binding quotas on migrants,” it said in a statement to The Associated Press. Estonia said it prefers voluntary relocation and reset-tlement for refugees.

The EU’s executive Commission was to propose the plan next Wednesday as part of a strategy to cope with thousands of migrants � eeing con� ict for better lives in Europe.

A handful of countries including Germany, Sweden and France are struggling under the massive migrant in� ux and quotas were seen as one way to enforce solidarity on their re-luctant EU partners.

“This is not a challenge that Italy or Malta or Greece should face alone,” said a lead EU lawmaker on migration, Roberta Metsola.

But away from the media spotlight, weak economies, public opposition to migration and election campaigns mean that real soli-darity remains elusive. l

Greek PM forecasts happy resultn Reuters, Athens/Rome

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras forecast a happy end soon to fraught negotiations with creditors on a cash-for-reform deal, and the chairman of euro zone � nance ministers said talks were making progress, though not enough for a deal next Monday.

However, with Greece fast running out money, sources close to the talks with the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank said there was still no breakthrough on cru-cial sticking points over pension and labor market reforms and budget targets.

The government has said its “red lines” are that it will not make further pension cuts or legislate to ease layo� s in the private sector. It has given some ground on privatizations and value added tax but wide gaps remain.

In Rome, Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem said Monday’s meeting of � -nance ministers of the currency area would not be decisive, but negotiations were mov-ing forward. Greece’s partners would only consider debt relief once Athens commit-ted to and completed its current bailout program, he said.

Italian Economy Minister Pier Carlo Pa-doan told a joint news conference after talks with Dijsselbloem he was con� dent of a deal in “a reasonable time frame.”

Despite the slow pace of detailed negotia-tions, EU o� cials said they were keen to en-sure the Eurogroup sends a positive message

on Monday that a deal with Greece is in the works and to avoid another confrontation like the one with Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis in Riga last month.

However, they said the outcome would not be enough to prompt the ECB to allow Greek banks on emergency liquidity support to buy more short-term treasury bills to ease the government’s funding crunch.

A senior EU source said Brussels believed Athens has enough money left to pay a crucial 750 million euro debt installment to the IMF on Tuesday and meet other payment obliga-tions in May.

It was essential to reach a deal by the end of May to allow time for some parliaments to approve the agreement and authorize disbursement of 7.2 billion euros left in Greece’s existing bailout, which expires at the end of June.

As so often since the euro zone’s debt crisis began in 2010, much hinges on the position of Germany, the EU’s main paymaster and Greece’s biggest creditor nation.

A source briefed on German government thinking said Merkel was willing to take a deal to continue � nancial support for Greece to an increasingly skeptical parliament provided Tsipras made serious commitments on the key reforms.

The source said Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble and a growing number of lawmak-ers in Merkel’s conservative CDU party were skeptical about Greece’s ability to stay in the euro zone. l

London stocks, pound surge as Cameron holds onto powern AFP, London

London’s stock market rallied and the pound surged yesterday as Prime Minister David Cameron’s “business friendly” Conservatives claimed a surprise victory in Britain’s general election.

The benchmark FTSE 100 index jumped 1.83 percent to stand at 7,013.0 points in mid-day deals, lifted by soaring share price gains for banks and energy majors.

Among the biggest winners were energy � rm Centrica, up 7.50 percent to 276.70 pence and state-rescued Lloyds Banking Group, up 6.56 percent to 87.53 pence, with the Con-servatives seen as being less tough on regu-lating the � nancial and energy sectors com-pared with the Labour party, which will stay as the main opposition party.

As the results rolled in, forecasts of a close contest between the Conservatives and Labour turned out to be wide of the mark, with Cam-eron on course to win a majority in parliament and secure � ve more years in Downing Street.

The outcome sent the British pound soar-ing to $1.5423 from $1.5262 late in New York on Thursday. The euro was down at 72.71 pence from 73.82 pence.

The European single currency fell to $1.1215 from $1.1266 on Thursday.

“A night of victory for the Conservative party has put UK markets on the front foot, with sterling and the FTSE moving higher,” said Chris Beauchamp, senior market analyst

at IG trading group.“For investors, the results... mean that

they can cease worrying about the UK econ-omy, and focus on the other areas of concern, like Greece and whether the Fed will hike rates this year.”

Scotland, EU risksAs well as the Conservatives, the other big winners were the pro-independence Scottish

National Party, which won 56 of the 59 seats in Scotland.

The success of the SNP could increase pressure for a fresh referendum on Scottish independence, even though that was rejected just last September.

An overall victory for the Conservatives will meanwhile trigger a referendum on Brit-ain’s membership in the EU by 2017.

And Britain can expect more austerity as

Cameron looks to further slash the country’s huge de� cit.

“Admittedly, a Tory victory means that the economy will have to endure a fairly aggressive renewal of the � scal squeeze,” said Redwood.

“On top of that, investment could su� er from uncertainty ahead of the referendum on UK membership of the EU that will presuma-bly now take place. Meanwhile, the success of the SNP suggests that Scottish independence could also come back onto the agenda.”

US focus European market focus Friday was also � rmly on the United States, with the world’s biggest economy publishing key monthly jobs data.

In afternoon deals, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 stocks index was up 0.56 percent to 11,472.00 points and the CAC 40 in Paris won 0.76 per-cent to 5,004.90 compared with Thursday’s closing levels.

“While investors in the UK will no doubt be focussed on events in London there is also the added complication of the latest US employment report for April, which could go some way to gate crashing events today,” said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

“Today’s numbers are even more impor-tant in the context of the recent slowdown seen in the US economy in the � rst quarter of this year, which has put back rate hike expec-tations in to the second half of this year and in the process sent the US dollar tumbling.” l

O� cial: IS, Taliban pairing up in northern Afghanistann AFP, Kunduz

Foreign � ghters allied with the Islamic State group are training Taliban insurgents in a vol-atile Afghan province, an o� cial said yester-day, the � rst such claim as the government raises the alarm over an emerging IS threat.

President Ashraf Ghani has repeated-ly raised fears that IS – notorious for their brutal reign of terror in Syria and Iraq – are making steady inroads into Afghanistan, which is already in the grip of a � erce Taliban insurgency.

But the governor of Kunduz, the scene of intense � ghting for two weeks that has dis-placed thousands, has gone further by claim-ing that the two groups are joining forces in the northern Afghan province.

IS � ghters are “supporting the Talib-an, training the Taliban, trying to build the capacity of the Taliban for a bigger � ght,” provincial governor Mohammed Omar Sa� told the BBC.

Local observers have viewed claims of IS’s rise in Afghanistan with caution.

The two groups, which espouse di� erent ideological strains of Sunni Islam, are be-lieved to be arrayed against each other in Af-ghanistan’s restive south.

But the governor insisted that the � ght is di� erent in the once-tranquil north, which has recently seen a huge in� ux of foreign � ghters. l

2121115656

232232 331331

11

88

Greens

Conservatives

UKIP

Labour

Liberal Democrats

Others

ScottishNational

Party

Final resultsTories win UK general election

Source: BBC

650seats

WORLD10DT

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

Modi defends ban on gang rape documentaryn Reuters

Indian P rime Minister Narendra Modi has de-fended his government’s decision to ban a con-troversial documentary � lm about the fatal gang rape of a woman in New Delhi, saying it was to ensure the dignity of the victim was protected.

The � lm “India’s Daughter” - which fea-tures an interview with one of the men who raped and tortured a 23-year-old woman on a bus in December 2012 - was banned in March

as his comments were considered to be de-rogatory towards women.

The director of the documentary, Leslee Udwin, said the ban obstructed free speech, and critics have said the move was aimed at concealing widespread misogynistic atti-tudes in India.

In his � rst remarks about the case, Modi told Time Magazine that broadcasting the documentary would have “violated the dig-nity of the victim.” l

UN: 50,000 have � ed Burundin AFP

Over 50,000 Burundians have � ed their coun-try since the start of political violence in April, the UN refugee agency said yesterday, adding that many more were trying to leave but faced hurdles.

UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards said more than 25,000 had crossed into Rwanda, another 7,700 into Tanzania in a week, and 8,000 people had gone to the South Kivu prov-ince of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“In all these cases women and children, including a large number of unaccompanied children, are in the majority,” he said.

A third term bid by Burundi’s president has sparked violent demonstrations claiming at least 18 lives and sparking global concern that

the central African nation – which endured a brutal 13-year civil war – could lapse into con-� ict again.

Opposition parties and civil society groups say president Pierre Nkurunziza’s third-term bid in elections due in June violates both the constitution, which limits a president to two terms in o� ce, and the accords that in 2006 ended the civil war between Tutsis and Hutus.

Edwards said there were reports of daily violence in Burundi’s capital Bujumbura with unrest spreading to the provinces.

“In Rwanda, new arrivals have reported � eeing Burundi because of harassment and intimidation by Imbonerakure youth mili-tants, who paint red marks on homes of peo-ple to be targeted,” he said, referring to the ruling party’s militia. l

A man, suspected of belonging to the Burundian ruling party’s youth wing, pleads with soldiers while trying to escape a lynching by a mob in Bujumbura on Thursday AFP

EDITORIALSATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

We welcome the suggestion made by the German ambassador to Bangladesh that global consumers should change their mindset about buying clothes at low prices.

In the long-term, the only way out of a race to the bottom in the garment supply chain is to secure more funds for improvements in working conditions and sustainability that ben-e� ts consumers and workers alike. The ambassador is right to ask brands and buyers to look more at pricing structures and pressures.

All stakeholders have a role to play in securing the estimated $1bn to $3bn of funds which the RMG sector needs to invest over the next few years to secure long-term growth.

The government can help by making more land available on which entrepreneurs can develop new industrial zones to allow more new purpose-built, higher productivity RMG factories to be constructed.

With growth in new orders threatened by political uncertainty, it is important that the BGMEA and BKMEA work in tandem with international buyers to help secure more orders and funds for factory owners to invest in improvements.

Buyers should look to nurture closer long-term relationships with those industry leaders who are investing in major improvements and are seeking to incorporate environmental sustainability into their enhancements and retro� tting factories they are making to improve industry safety.

With its large base and increasingly experienced workforce, there are sound reasons to hope the RMG sector can get back on course in achieving its target of doubling exports to $50bn by 2021.

All stakeholders have a role to play

Secure funding for RMG growth

Be heardWrite to Dhaka Tribune

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First hand account of Pohela Boishakh sexual assaultApril 18

shihab  Bangladesh is a poor country because we Bangladeshies are poor in manner and in our thinking, and our political leaders make every e� ort to keep us poor and we still vote for them.

Dev Saha  Easy task! These criminals need to be identi� ed and expelled from their universities or schools. No party should patronise these animals.

Leon Halder  Undoubtedly, we are still the worst people of all, and that makes our country the worst ever! Shame, shame … what a third class country we are living in! I wish I could take a bite out of these hooligans and hang them naked in front the public. Bangladesh should be awarded for being the worst country ever even in this century.

Dent Gardiner  That’s some shameful stu� going on there, guys. I have a few mates who are Bangladeshi and I’m certain they would be embarrassed if I asked them about this. Makes me so happy I live in Australia. There is no way that would happen at a public gathering of any kind here. Don’t think for one second that the world isn’t watching and judging. They are, trust me.

Dev Saha Dent Gardiner: Too many thugs are at large in such a wild and unruly country. Yes, it is very shameful for every Bangladeshi.

Sam No point in beating around the bush. The police didn’t intervene because they knew it would be futile, as the assailants have the right connections. If the govt is sincere, then the perpetrators can be rounded up in hours

or days, but don’t hold your breath, the country belongs to the mercenary goons of the government of the day.

Akm Fazlul Bari It is shameful that women get assaulted. Should Sheikh Hasina, being a woman, not take actions where law and order has failed? It is unacceptable for people to be tolerating such crimes. The administration has been failing time and again in securing safety for the people.

People Akm Fazlul Bari: Hasina celebrated the new year surrounded by high security, so it doesn’t bother her how others were cele-brating the new year.

Akm Fazlul Bari People: The PM, as the head of the govern-ment of Bangladesh, deserves high security. So, no questions on that. It is not the PM who should provide security for everyone, but her directives, which should be appro-priately implemented by the law and order communities for the celebration.

Rashed Helaluddin Akm Fazlul Bari: Security forces at the venue failed to provide security for the celebra-tions. During the last book fair, a blogger was hacked to death less than 50ft away from on-duty police o� cers, opposition members are disappearing without a trace, and the Sagar-runi murder case has made no headway! RAB is just an organised group of hitmen, if you remember the incident. These cases are unfortunate, inhumane, and unjus-ti� able. Mr Bari, we the common people are praying for the govt to give directives to security forces to simply do their job. But alas, we Bangladeshis are not so lucky.

It is heartening to see that India’s Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha have both unanimously passed the bill to ratify and implement the 1974 land-boundary agreement between Bangladesh and India.

While real progress on the issue has been a long time coming, it is good news that the wheels are � nally moving. Bangladesh has been patiently waiting for the rati� cation of the LBA for far too long.

Regrettable as it is, this issue which has caused much human hardship, has been held up by politics as much as it has, the progress made this week is a welcome sign that Bangladesh and India are improving bilateral relations ahead of the Indian prime minister’s expected visit to Dhaka.

It is imperative for both countries that we move forward with the LBA, and resolve for good all the issues that have caused so much pain and hardship to thousands of citizens. Bangladeshis living in enclaves and in related border zones have su� ered the most from the seemingly perpetual delays in ratifying the agreement.

The LBA issue is long overdue, but is still crucial to improving relations between India and Bangladesh, so that we may amicably move forward in resolving other long-standing issues, such as the Teesta water sharing agreement.

Closing the chapter on the land-boundary agreement will not only allevi-ate the su� ering of those living in enclaves, it will send a powerful message that India is ready to co-operate with us, and move forward in the common interest of both our nations.

Better late than never

LBA ratifcation is a welcome sign that bilateral relations can move forward

11D

T

OPINION12DT

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

n Ashikur Rahman and Zarif Iftekhar Rasul

A sustainable development strategy, at its core, is concerned with how human society as a whole balances the need of the present generation

without compromising the prospects of future generations. The very idea, in essence, is focused on inter-generational equity as it compels socio-economic actors to accept that economic actions today shape the choices and opportunities that are available to future generations, and that a “just economic order” necessitates that we value the implications of our actions with the utmost precaution.

In this context, the nexus of climate change, economic growth, and environmen-tal degradation has received growing atten-tion in recent years, with both developed and developing countries taking solid measures to address such issues.

Bangladesh, too, has identi� ed the need for sustainable development as outlined in the government’s � ve-year plans. Realising that Bangladesh will be among the worst victims of climate change, as corroborated by The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, policy-makers within Bangladesh have taken a deep interest in various mani-festations of climate change.

In particular, Bangladesh has formulated the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, which has been complemented by the establishment of a number of institu-tions and funds so that both adaptation and low-carbon development may be addressed adequately.

Despite such initiatives, several issues continue to pose challenges. According to the Environment Performance Index (EPI) of 2014, Bangladesh ranks at 169 out of 178 countries. Unplanned urbanisation, haphaz-ard waste management, and rising noise, air, and water pollution due to poorly regulated industrialisation, have meant that environ-mental quality has been less than ideal.

Environmental challenges, including the rami� cations of climate change, are expected to become even more severe over the coming years. A rise in both sea levels and frequency of cyclone-storms -- due to the escalating atmospheric temperature -- is likely to have grave food and energy security consequenc-es. As noted in several studies, sea levels near Dhaka has a high chance of rising 30cm by 2040 and exceeding 100cm by 2100.

Inundation from a 100cm rise could poten-tially displace 13 million people. Adapting to such climate change impacts pose a signi� -cant challenge. The capacity of government o� cials (especially at the local level) and in-stitutional co-ordination is often found to be inadequate in responding to such challenges.

Considering past experience and present constraints, the seventh � ve-year plan from 2016-2020 provides a timely opportunity for Bangladesh to reiterate her commitment to-wards sustainable development. The Sustain-able Development strategy under the seventh plan should be addressed on three fronts -- climate change, internal environmental management, and disaster management. Each of these three fronts should put forward activities which, from a holistic perspective, can ensure that Bangladesh is on track for sustainable development.

A climate change strategy traditionally en-compasses two components: Adaptation and mitigation. While adaptation refers to the activities we take to prepare ourselves from the inevitable impacts of climate change, mitigation activities are concerned with reducing our carbon footprint. Various adap-tation practices, such as coastal a� orestation and construction of cyclone shelters, have already been implemented.

Mitigation activities, which is often in-strumentally related to the quality of internal environmental management, are often overshadowed, as adaptation is often viewed as more important.

As a result, the seventh plan should give due emphasis to climate change mitigation. In particular, given that the government intends to generate more than 20,000MW from coal by 2030, it must provide attention to the choice of technology so that high e� -ciency options are adopted for cleaner energy generation. Most importantly, we must avoid the mistakes of Beijing, which has recently acknowledged the adverse consequences of depending too much on this dirty fuel.

Limited institutional capacity also plagues all three fronts of the sustainable develop-ment strategy. Inadequate understanding of the multi-faceted nature of climate change and environmental and disaster management prevents adequate measures from being pursued. Hence, under the seventh plan, the capacity of o� cials should be scaled up

so that they are well prepared to deal with various climate change, environmental, and disaster issues.

A proper institutional framework speci-fying roles and responsibilities of di� erent institutions, along with promoting a culture of knowledge-sharing, will greatly facilitate institutional coordination.

As Bangladesh seeks to break out of the 6% growth path, articulating a green-growth approach becomes paramount for sustainable development. Low-income developing coun-tries have the tendency to follow a “grow dirty, clean up later” outlook. Proponents of such an approach argue that satisfying human needs and development should be the � rst priority, since their environmental footprint is relatively small.

However, this is misleading for a number of reasons, chief of which is that a lot of the subsequent damages are irreversible. The loss of many environmental assets, most importantly biodiversity, cannot be undone. Even if it is possible to clean up afterwards, it will not come cheap. These problems under-line the need for a system where economic growth and environmental sustainability can go hand-in-hand.

Green-growth programs will improve the eco-e� ciency of economic growth and enhance the synergy between the environ-ment and the economy. Small green-growth programs at the local level, such as paying smallholders and farmers to adopt mod-

ern farming methods which will minimise environmental degradation, can be expanded through active engagement of the private sector and proper � nancing.

Green practices, such as the adoption of green accounting, are particularly encour-aged. The concept of green accounting, which incorporates costs and bene� ts of en-vironmental protection and the depletion of natural capital into gross measures of nation-al welfare, is yet to be fully established. Bang-ladesh Bureau of Statistics has recognised the need to strengthen and deepen environmen-tal statistics. To do so, maintaining natural resource accounts and emissions accounts is crucial as they can be used to make more informed decisions, subsequently leading to enhanced environmental protection.

On the whole, the population of Bangla-desh is expected to double by 2050, reaching some 270 million. In the years to come, the adverse e� ects of a burgeoning population coupled with industrial development and climate change will exacerbate the impact on the environment unless we act now. It is therefore imperative that, under the seventh � ve-year plan, we establish sustainable de-velopment as a top priority to ensure that our current development needs do not jeopardise the aspirations of future generations. l

Ashikur Rahman is Senior Economist, Policy Research Institute. Zarif Iftekhar Rasul is Economist, Policy Research Institute.

If not now, when?

BIGSTOCK

OPINION 13D

TSATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

n FS Aijazuddin

If there is a name Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has heard once too often, it is that of Bruce Riedel. Riedel retired from the CIA in 2006. His wife still works there.

(The CIA, like sub-continental politics and the US presidency, is a family business.)

In July 1999, when Nawaz Sharif made his lightning visit to Washington to invoke Bill Clinton’s intervention after the Kargil � asco, the only other person allowed in the meeting at Blair House was a note-taker: Bruce Riedel.

Within three months, Nawaz Sharif heard the name again. Bruce Riedel helped broker Nawaz Sharif’s escape from Attock Fort. “Af-ter Sharif’s ouster in a coup by Pervez Musharraf in 1999,” Riedel recalled, “he went into exile to Saudi Arabia, an agreement negotiated by myself for the Clinton admin-istration to forestall Nawaz’s execution. The deal was arranged with the in� uence of Saudi ambassador to the US, Prince Bandar bin Sultan.”

In 2011, Riedel (now a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, Washington) revealed Saudi interest in Pakistan’s nuclear program. Riedel wrote: “In October 2003, then Crown Prince Abdullah visited Pakistan for a state visit. Several experts reported after the trip that a secret agreement was concluded that would ensure Pakistan would provide Saudi Arabia with nuclear technology and a bomb if Saudi Arabia felt threatened by a third party nuclear program in the future. Both coun-tries, of course, denied the stories.” 

Riedel was, in fact, repeating the dis-closure made earlier in The Washington Times by Arnaud de Borchgrave. Relying on a ranking Pakistani insider “whose infor-mation have proven reliable for more than a decade,” Borchgrave spilled the radioactive beans that “Pakistan and Saudi Arabia has concluded a secret agreement on ‘nuclear co-operation’ that will provide the Saudis with nuclear-weapons technology in exchange for cheap oil. 

The disclosure came at the end of a 26-hour state visit to Islamabad last weekend [in March 2010] by Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, who � ew across the Arabian Sea with an entourage of 200, including Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal and several cabinet ministers. It will be vehemently denied by both countries … but future events will con� rm that Pakistan has agreed to provide [Saudi Arabia] with the wherewithal for a nuclear deterrent.”

In November 2013, the BBC carried a report that “Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence, told a conference in Sweden that if Iran got the bomb, ‘the Saudis will not wait one month. They already paid for the bomb. They will go to Paki-stan and bring what they need’.” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the BBC report as “speculative, mischievous and baseless,” in-sisting that Pakistan is “a responsible nuclear state.”

These revelations -- deliberate and dis-closed with a purpose -- were timed to apply a pincer pressure by Saudi Arabia and by Israel on the US during its negotiations on a

nuclear deal with Iran.Israel and imperial Iran had once been

friends; Royal Saudi Arabia and Israel once enemies. “Any country can choose its friends,” Gholamreza Ansari the Iranian Ambassador to New Delhi advised his hosts in a newspaper interview recently. “But we should not let our friends choose our ene-mies. If Israel is your friend, don’t let them choose your enemies.” Ansari then paid an unexpected compliment to Pakistan for its stance in the Saudi-Yemeni con� ict: “The

Pakistanis didn’t help them because they were wise.”

Our wisdom will be tested soon enough, as soon as the new Saudi administration � exes its well-oiled muscles. Interestingly, the recent dynastic mutation in Riyadh is a replay of one in Amman in 1999 (a fateful year for many), when King Hussein’s brother Hassan (crown prince for 34 years) found himself peremptorily replaced by the dying Hussein’s son (now King Abdullah). 

The outgoing Foreign Minister Saud bin

Faisal, like his father King Faisal, had been a staunch friend of Pakistan. His successor is from a more brittle mould. Nawaz Sha-rif’s visit of contrition notwithstanding, the Saudis are unlikely to forgive Sharif, his parliament or his country for what the Saudis regard as an unconscionable betrayal.

In their eyes, we have committed the unpardonable. We have made them lose face publicly, and when all that is visible of a Bedouin Arab is his face, to lose that is to lose all. 

How far should Pakistan have gone to express gratitude to the Saudis? The Irish patriot Daniel O’Connell once declared: “No man can be grateful at the cost of his honour … and no nation can be grateful at the cost of its liberty.” By o� ering the Saudis tardy thanks in lieu of timely tanks, we may have reasserted our liberty but we have certainly lost a friend. l

 FS Aijazuddin lives in Lahore and is a columnist for Dawn, Pakistan’s main English-language newspa-per. This article was � rst published in Dawn.  

Thanks, but no tanks

Nawaz Sharif’s visit of contrition notwithstanding, the Saudis are unlikely to forgive Sharif, his parliament or his country for what the Saudis regard as an unconscionable betrayal

REUTERS

LONG FORM14DT

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

n Seema Amin

“The ‘they,’ as it were, can constantly have ‘them’ invoking it …” -- Heidegger

Easy does it. “They” did it.In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper

Lee described the subjectivism of the human experience: “People gener-

ally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.” Justice, in this world-view, tends to black out, losing consciousness to a kind of societal tunnel vision. Atticus Finch, protagonist in that American classic, saw mockingbirds as epitomes of harmlessness, innocent songbirds that should not be prey to the predator. But in the natural world, mockingbirds are characterised by quite an-other “gift.” Mockingbirds mimic other birds. The song of the mockingbird is a song of the average, a kind of adjusted polyglot’s mean of birdsong.

The culture of “public reaction” in Bangladesh, today, is an echo chamber of mockingbirds, not too distant from the cultures of resistance(s). The same coterie, friends, networks, who “resisted” together for forty years, resist on. They sign together, dine together, sing and � ght together. Yet, around them, the “culture” of corruption -- the three musketeers of political, social, and sexual corruption -- has not changed terri� cally, much as the colours of our national holidays remain heroically the same, strutting “freedom,” tradition, and “progressive liberal values” all at once, singing the song of the average.

Heidegger’s treatment of the “they” in Adorno’s The Jargon of Authenticity, plumbs the concept of “averageness” in a culture of exchange: “Being-with-another” concerns itself with averageness. Thus, the “they” maintains itself factically in the averageness of that which belongs to it, of that which it re-gards as valid and that which it does not, and of that to which it grants success and that to which it denies it.

This care of averageness reveals, in turn, an essential tendency of Dasein, which we call the “leveling down of all possibilities of being.” Complex as it sounds, Adorno makes this concept concrete when he describes a world born of phrases, chatter, giving birth to a “reality that arose in the name of culture.”

A few days after the coordinated public humiliation or molestation or, dare I say, rape of more than 20 women in Dhaka Universi-ty’s TSC, Information Minister Inu described the style of the “attack” as “Talibaneque.” It would take the Taliban, of course, or ISIS, or, at the very least, Ansarullah Bahini, to get away with, ehm, this crime of “no name” that Rahnuma Ahmed, in 2010, named in an article titled “Chhatra League and sexual violence. A widespread state of denial,” after incidents of sexual harassment in the same Raju Chottor area in Pohela Boishakh.

In 2015, of course, it would take the Taliban. And this, though the security is beefed up more each year, audibly to stem

any minuscule threat of “militancy,” cultural harassment, etc. We heard the same stories of extraordinary security measures, special RAB, and police booths as in Ekushey and Boi Mela, when blogger Avijit Roy was silenced forever. And yet, in spite of everything, the same exact venue remained “outside of the jurisdiction” of security.

No surprise. They -- the Taliban-- control Shahbagh after all. They won the spoils of that war in 2008. They mark their territory, we circle in their urine. They came from underground terrorist tunnels behind TSC, they were handed over by Nandi to the police, who, in turn, were so enamoured with the most wanted terrorists of Bangladesh that they released them, did not even take a second glance at the now famous “bearded

man” seen repeatedly near the scene on the cameras … beards get alarming only in the af-termath. But of course! The terrorists control Shahbagh.

In spite of detailed reports in print media, immediately after the incident, recounting sexual harassment in Jagannath by Chhatra League on the same day as the spectacle at TSC, the TV media mediated an Islamic threat soon after, reporting what could well be a clue, or a red herring, that the state’s mouthpieces were only too eager to echo. Meanwhile, the weight of the “evidence” veered towards the song of the average. Women’s rights activists, university profes-sors, writers, even students, seemed caught between explaining the endemic environ-ment of sexual harassment and ringing the

alarm bell over a threat to the national (secu-lar) culture of Pohela Boishakh.

Exceptions to note: Some referred back to the pages of history, the 1998 protests over serial rapes by Chhatra League cadres in Jahingnagar University; some hinted at the political patronage that creates impunity. But the echo chamber, where the mocking-birds � ocked quickly, swiftly sang the song of the rooster of “the morning after,” who announced, with alarm, the usual, and yet, unusual suspects. Chatter � its between half truth and an incomplete lie.

In a thorough report in the Dhaka Courier, the culture of impunity in rape and sex-ual harassment prevalent even in 1973 is mentioned, alongside the historical marker of 1971 regarding rape. Afsan Chowdury’s purported claim that the destigmatisation of rape was “the most signi� cant” legacy of Pakistan, that the 1971 breakdown of norms regarding public rape allowed impunity re-garding rape to become the norm, is intrigu-ing. Bangladesh, however, did not merely continue impunity for Pakistani and razakar rapists, they gave impunity for rapists from our own freedom � ghters.

War has always involved rape, and the notion that it takes such a violent “breakdown” for the patriarchal norms in peacetime to change should raise some questions. In any case, today, if we continue

A tale of two mockingbirdsPublic reaction in Pohela Boishkah and echoing namelessness

We heard the same stories of extraordinary security measures, special RAB, and police booths as in Ekushey and Boi Mela, when blogger Avijit Roy was silenced forever. And yet, in spite of everything, the same exact venue remained “outside of the jurisdiction” of security

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

LONG FORM 15D

TSATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

to thank Pakistan for the “destigmatisation” of pubic rape, we may as well blame patriarchy and its normalisation of sexual violence on Pakistan in independent Bangladesh. Afsan Chowdhury himself was quoted elsewhere saying that power and privilege provides impunity to rapists -- and has that power not changed hands? Only from man to man, state to state, old patronage, new patronage. Merely.

The report’s own description of Chhatra League’s shame provides some clue: “DMP Joint Commissioner Munirul said they were working on releasing the suspects’ photos taken from screenshots of the footage. But in a related development, popular website Moja Losss? had to wrap up their social awareness work done through the site after using the CCTV footage to identify some of the perpe-trators and providing links on their Facebook page. Many of the identi� ed louts were found to be members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling party.”

The same report mentioned Chhatra Un-ion Dhaka University unit’s president Liton Nandi’s witness of men who were saying: “Record this! Record this! We will never get such a view again.” Ironically, the “view from camera 16,” the one camera from which footage has not been released but which was placed in the area where the more “name-less” acts occurred, may well also never be the same again. It is easy to doctor footage once so much time has passed. And given the way the security forces and the state has reacted so far, a state so willing to “set the record straight” … one can, I suppose, only believe our authorities “innocent until proven guilty.”

Alas, still, the footage needs to be re-

leased, if only for us to know the full extent of what Rahnuma called a “nameless crime.” The New York Times live website recently did an article on “Sunitha Krishnan, the woman who made the bold and controversial move of posting real footage of men raping women on the Internet” and how it led to the iden-ti� cation of rapists following the 2012 New Delhi rape, among other cases.

Rahnuma Ahmed, in the 2010 article, ven-tured that the widespread “state of denial”

regarding Chhatra League’s involvement in rape was slowly shaking. Did it? Has it? Does the crime have a name? In spite of commend-ably large, widespread, and energetic pro-tests following this year’s event, the chatter in the echo chamber seems to fall squarely in the centre of the cesspool of events of the last few years, where impunity has prevailed, and where, on the occasion someone is indicted, the public largely remains skeptical that the actual criminals were found.

For so many reasons, my suspicions are with the most likely suspects, not the usual

suspects, given the weight of history, the precedents of 2010, the particular style and nature of the assaults, and the simultaneous assaults in Jagannath University on the same day, and the reining in of Chhatra League’s women by the party following their desire to protest the incidents; and, and, and. But I maintain reasonable doubt. I ask myself, if an Islamic militant wanted to make a point with this coordinated lechery, what is the point “they” would make?

I know the mockingbirds’ answer: To intimidate those who practice “Bengali cul-ture.” But I get lost in irony. Point: Today, like every day, women are subject to public and private abuse simply because of the fragrance they carry of “womanhood.” That fragrance is “apparent weakness.” The same fragrance for which the police were emasculated by our valiant Chhatra Union protesters when they came with bangles and sarees to Shahbagh police station. What point, then, was Chhatra League making in Jagannath?

What point were they making in the

hundreds of cases of assault that they have been implicated in over the years? Which Is-lamic force incited them, were they trying to suppress our “national culture”? What point were they making when their own female members wanted to protest? And were they making similar points when they extorted Jatra owner Anusheh over a concert, and failing to convince her, incited the conserva-tives of a village in Sundarban to rise against improperly covered women?

But the media barely mentioned the connection. Some media houses, in fact, were found to be involved in the extortion. And how am I to separate the point they were making from the chatter: Our famous actress-es and activists vociferously muddling the waters so the dogs of Shahbagh can maintain jurisdiction -- the one the police can quite honestly claim was not theirs -- forever.

Friends, sisters, aunties, mockingbirds -- the boy who cried wolf will one day face a real wolf. And on that day, the wolf won’t spare any of us, not women, not minori-ties, no one. Just like we didn’t spare them. Though they hid in the jungle, as harmless as Lee’s innocent birds, the day our tigers roamed free, preying without fear, with the help of our mockingbirds.

The dogs of Shahbagh mark their terri-tory and we circle in their urine. We sing songs of awakening. But no one wakes up in an echo chamber. Like the vuvuezla that deadens ours sense of sound, the sound of a 10-year-old screaming, being bitten, thrown, the obfuscations of the mockingbirds make obfuscation of the state unnecessary. And the show goes on. l

Seema Amin Senior Feature Writer at Depart.

Friends, sisters, aunties, mockingbirds -- the boy who cried wolf will one day face a real wolf. And on that day, the wolf won’t spare any of us, not women, not minorities, no one

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

CLIMATE CHANGE16DT

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

Green climate fund: Reality or rhetoricn Dr SM Munjurul Hannan Khan

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is an interna-tional climate � nance mechanism that devel-oped countries pledge funds into for climate related activities in developing countries. It is established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The GCF is accountable to and functions under the guidance of the annual Conference of Parties (COP).

Governing structure of GCF The headquarter for the Fund sits in Songdo, South Korea and it is governed and super-vised by a Board that has full authority for funding decisions. The World Bank has been appointed as the interim trustee responsible for administrative and management of � nan-cial assets of the fund initially for three years.

The GCF Board has 24 members, composed of an equal number of members from devel-oping and developed countries. Each board member has an alternate member who are entitled to participate in the meetings of the Board only through or in the absence of the principal member, without the right to vote, unless they are serving as the member. Bang-ladesh is alternate member of the GCF Board representing the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

Mobilisation of resources The GCF aims to support developing coun-tries in their national e� orts to address cli-mate change by leveraging � nance as grants and/or other form of concessional � nancing for mitigation and adaptation measures. It was agreed that developed countries will con-tribute signi� cantly to this fund -- $100bn per year by 2020 to address the needs of devel-oping countries. Public and private, bilateral and multilateral, and alternative sources pro-visions are planned to mobilise resources for the fund. Commitment does not necessarily mean actual contributions from developed countries due to the complex nature of inter-national climate change negotiations.

While developed countries emphasise mit-igation measures to address climate change, developing countries are asking for support for urgent and immediate needs for adapta-tion actions to save the lives and livelihoods of millions. The GCF is trying hard to mobilise resources for supporting developing countries deal with the impacts of climate change. Ef-forts are going on to convert pledges of devel-oped countries into actual contributions into the fund. The total amount pledged to date by developed countries is $10.2bn of which $4bn is con� rmed by contribution agreement. It is only 42% of total amount pledged by devel-oped countries which is a concern for devel-oping countries to access funds from the GCF before COP 21 in 2015.

While developing countries are expecting developed countries to contribute more re-sources to the GCF to take action on the real cause of climate change, developed coun-tries are failing to show their responsibility in this process. However, without new pledg-es/commitments and converting all pledges and commitments into contributions before COP21 in Paris this year, it will be very hard to agree on the Paris Agreement to address the global climate change challenge.

Access to the GCFThe GCF, as a global climate � nance mecha-nism, is moving forward to provide � nancial support to adaptation and mitigation actions in developing countries. In general, there are two di� erent ways to directly access resourc-es from the GCF. Multilateral Implementing Entity (MIE) that includes multilateral devel-opment banks and the United Nations agen-cies that are accredited by the GCF. Another form of direct access is through a National Implementing Entity (NIE) that includes any national institution accredited by the GCF. The Board of the GCF has already accredited seven institutions to access resources directly from the GCF such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the German Development Bank (KfW), the United Nations Development Pro-gram (UNDP), the Secretariat of the Paci� c Regional Environment (SPREP), Centre de Suivi Ecologique (CSE), Peruvian Trust Fund for National Parks and Protected Areas (PRO-FONANPE) and Acumen. These organisations, as MIEs and NIEs, have been accredited by showing a speci� c level of standards and cri-teria that are required by the GCF.

Direct access of resources from any interna-tional climate � nance mechanism is of particu-

lar interest to all developing countries. However, due to lack of institutional capacity in climate � -nance governance, developing countries are un-able to get accreditation of NIE to ensure direct access of resources from international climate � -nance mechanisms such as the GCF. Most of the developing countries are now relying on MIEs for accessing resources from any international climate � nance mechanisms including the GCF.

Opportunity for BangladeshThe GCF is the main vehicle for securing and facilitating � nance for adaptation and mit-igation actions in developing countries. All developing countries, including Bangladesh must draw on the GCF to receive support for addressing climate change impacts. It is cru-cial for developing countries to start readi-ness programs to identify potential national institution to become NIE for direct access of � nance. It is worth mentioning that the above list of accredited organisations will provide a good judgment to all developing countries to identify potential national institutions to be-come NIEs. Bangladesh can also identify pub-lic, non-pro� t and private institutions within the country to nominate as NIEs for the GCF.

The government of Bangladesh has identi-� ed Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the Ministry of Finance as the National Designat-ed Authority (NDA) to communicate with the GCF which is the � rst step towards directly accessing the fund. However, accreditation of NIE is a real challenge for the country to ensure direct access of funds from the GCF. It is true for all developing countries that MIEs are interested to facilitate direct access of funds from the GCF. This can not be taken as long-term approach for Bangladesh to access funds from the GCF. Hence, it is imperative for Bangladesh to access funds from the GCF through NIEs to ensure a sustainable and re-liable climate � nance institutional framework and governance in the country. l

Dr. SM Munjurul Hannan Khan: Joint Secretary, Govt. of Bangladesh and Lead Negotiator, LDC Group, UNFCCC

Climate � scal framework: Bangladesh leads on climate actionsn Bowen Wang

Bangladesh ranks � fth among the world’s ten most vulnerable countries to climate change induced ca-lamities in the world according to the Climate Risk Index, 2014. Bangladesh has become one of the most innovative � ghters of climate change through both community-based adaptation, national level initiatives, as well as participation in international negotiations. At the national front, the Finance Division at Ministry of Finance, has instituted the Climate Fiscal Framework (CFF) a pioneering sys-tem leads the way in mainstreaming climate � nance into the national � scal system.

The concept of climate � scal framework is still at an infant stage. It is a framework designed to ensure that external and internal � nances are used most e� ectively in addressing climate change. By introducing such a framework, countries would be able to identify the demand (expenditure) and supply (revenue or � nance) of how much funds are needed to � nance climate projects. It establishes a transparent and sustainable system to track and verify climate � nance use.

These elements are vitally important to Bangla-desh as its annual climate � nance � ow is immense and the demand for climate change related invest-ment is even larger. Without a robust � scal system to bridge budget expenditure, and outcomes, it is extremely di� cult to ensure that objectives in climate policies are delivered in a responsible and accountable manner. The Government of Bangladesh has acknowledged this as highlighted in the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategic Action Plan (BCCSAP 2009), where it states that there is a need to “study and map out � scal issues for climate change.” Stemming from this document, the � -nance division developed a full proposal in 2014 for establishing a Climate Fiscal Framework, pending approval from the Planning Commission.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh will have to over-come at least three severe challenges before a sound climate � scal framework can be established. Firstly, major e� orts are needed to identify existing expenditures and modalities for � nancing in Ban-gladesh. This is rather complicated as Bangladesh is mobilising (internally) and receiving (externally) a large amount of climate � nance and donor agencies

have their own preference for disbursement mo-dalities. Whoever receives their funds are required to comply. Secondly, on the demand side, the government needs to make estimations of future expenditures to create the budget drawing from action plans such as BCCSAP, but previous data is currently not available to make such estimations. Lastly, Bangladesh must create an enabling envi-ronment where private investors can entrust their capital with relevant institutions. Inevitably, this would require weakness detection and long term institutional capacity building.

There are many imperative building blocks for this ambitious � scal framework. The most substantial one, arguably, is a set of climate change markers, or a climate budget code in the Ministry Budget Framework. With such a budget code, climate change expenditures can be e� ectively tracked using the existing national budgetary system, and thereby providing solid evidence for policy analysis and estimation of long-term � nance needs. The great potential of climate code has already been veri� ed in FY2012 to FY2014, during which all government expenditures were reviewed

in the course of identifying climate related projects and programs. This experimental practice has given policy makers a clear insight on the portion of climate related expenditure that needs to be allocated in total public national budget.

Bangladesh has proved its leadership in smart actions to adapt to climate change to the world. It is now time to impress its followers with a bench-marking initiative on climate � scal framework. The road towards it may not be easy, but with careful at-tention and planning all e� orts will be rewarded and the government and donors will start to see returns on their investment in climate change programs. l

Bowen Wang is a Climate Change Policy Research Consultant and Visiting Researcher at ICCCAD. This article is adapted from the presentation of Dr Krishna Gayen, Joint Secretary of Finance Division, at the Learning Hub Event on “Tracking and Monitoring Climate Finance” hosted by International Center for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) on April 6, 2015.

CLIMATE CHANGE 17D

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

The green climate fund and the private sector in Bangladeshn Neha Rai and Barry Smith

As the UN prepares to roll out a multibil-lion-dollar Green Climate Fund (GCF), it o� ers greater opportunities to engage the private sector to combat climate change risks. The GCF business model not only aims to raise money from institutional private investors, but also support local, small-scale businesses to invest in climate responsive technologies and ventures.

Small-scale businesses and local � nancial intermediaries can play a crucial role by joining hands with the public sector to combat climate change, but accessing � nance remains a chal-lenge for most small and medium sized enter-prises (SMEs), particularly in least developed countries (LDCs). The private sector facility of the GCF aims to address some of these chal-lenges by “allocating a signi� cant share of its resources to � nance private sector activities. It will also proactively promote the participation of local private sector actors” (GCF, 2014).

The space that Bangladesh needs to watch Although the modalities are still under dis-cussion, the GCF private sector facility plans to roll out a dedicated program to help SMEs access � nance for investing in climate change. This will include concessional funding for Micro-SMEs (MSMEs), capacity building sup-port, and a streamlined approval process.

The GCF is split between two pots of fund-ing: mitigation and adaptation. 50% of all the adaptation funding will go to Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Upon request, governments can access grants or concessional loans for both adaptation and mitigation, and to � nance the cost of overcoming policy barriers, address in-

formation gaps, and capacity constraints that impede local private sector activity.

The fund also seeks to minimise the trans-action costs of working with SMEs by having

accredited entities originate, approve, admin-ister, and manage � nancing on behalf of the GCF through a programmatic approach. The accredited entities can be national, regional or international intermediaries that are ac-credited by the GCF for project management purposes and for the purpose of approving grants and loans.

How can Bangladesh harness its already established domestic financial innovations? Bangladesh has had signi� cant success in us-ing its public sector intermediaries to incen-tivise the private sector, particularly in the renewable energy industry. The Bangladesh Bank launched an initiative that gives incen-tives to the � nancial sector to lend to SMEs and micro � nance institutions (MFIs) aiming to invest in green technologies such as solar home systems, irrigation pumps, etc. The “policy guidelines for green banking,” intro-duced by the central bank in 2011, requires every bank to allocate a speci� c budget to � nance green projects. This includes direct or wholesale lending for renewable energy projects. Banks are expected to set achievable targets and strategies and disclose these in their annual reports. Banks are also required to establish a green branch in the second phase.

Compliant banks receive preferential treat-ment through a re� nancing model that pro-vides access to low-cost � nance. Bangladesh Bank is one such example of a central bank, but national development banks of a few other countries are also investing to provide adequate and appropriate � nance through green credit lines. Experiences from other developing coun-tries will be discussed in an upcoming meeting

on South-South cooperation on the post-2015 development agenda organised by the Govern-ment of Bangladesh in Dhaka from May 17-18.

The Infrastructure Development Compa-ny Limited (IDCOL) is another example of a government-owned � nancial intermediary that channels donor and government � nance to decentralised climate-friendly energy pro-jects. IDCOL has supported the setup of more than 3 million solar home systems in Bang-ladesh, and its business model is now being replicated in several countries in Africa. The success of IDCOL lies in its one stop shop model. The model includes supporting the delivery of energy access projects, o� ering an end-to-end package that incentivises market creation, delivery networks, access to capital, quality assurance, after sales service, train-ing, and institutional strengthening support for partnering organisations and SMEs, etc.

These existing institutions and policies provide evidence of tried and tested models of how local � nancial intermediaries can be instrumental in promoting the participation of private sector actors in Bangladesh. Such entities can also become accredited GCF in-termediaries, � tting with the fund’s ambition to ensure country ownership and direct ac-cess. Accessing GCF funds directly through Bangladeshi organisations is an opportunity for more SMEs to access � nance. However, a lot more needs to be done to ensure private enterprises ful� ll their crucial role in the � ght against climate change. l

Neha Rai is a senior researcher with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and Barry Smith is an independent consultant working with IIED’s Climate Change Group.

This solar irrigation pump provides 4 lakh litres of water per day to farmers in Dhamrai. Bangladesh is already making strides in mitigation with this IDCOL funded project SYED TASFIQ MAHMOOD

The Green Climate Fund, with a promised $100bn a year for developing countries to tackle climate change, is the reward at the end of the maze BOWEN WANG

HERITAGE18DT

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

n Tim Steel

Sir Francis Walsingham is still remem-bered as one of Britain’s greatest spy-masters. He is credited with ensuring the endurance of Queen Elizabeth

I, to whose 45-year reign are attributed the foundations of a, near, half-millennium of British achievement. Years that saw the development of England as a maritime power in an increasingly global economy, a power that, in large part � nanced such events of international signi� cance as the Industrial Revolution.

Despite “� ts and starts” of the ensuing century, the foundations were laid for what was to become the world’s greatest ever empire; an empire built, and protected, above all, with gunpowder. An empire of which, arguably, the inspiration originated in the late 16th century court of Elizabeth, and the foundation stone of which was arguably the lands, most of which are now those of Bangladesh.

Walsingham � rst joined the small coterie of those the Queen had gathered about her when, having been ambassador to France, he was appointed to the Privy Council in 1573, and was made, e� ectively, joint secretary of state, becoming sole holder of that high o� ce three years later.

His spheres of in� uence, from 1573, until his death in 1590 enabled him to consider-ably in� uence, if not control, alongside the ubiquitous Cecil family, all matters of policy, and every � eld of government, both domestic and foreign.

Active in the support of maritime develop-ment, he was, himself, an investor in such as the Muscovy and Levant trading companies, as well as supporting maritime adventures elsewhere in the world, including Sir Francis Drake’s 1578 three year circumnavigation of the world.

Born to a well-connected family, where connections included Sir Edmund Walsing-ham, his uncle, who was lieutenant governor

of the all important armoury, the Tower of London, in the time of Elizabeth’s father, King Henry VIII, he will have been well aware of the prospects for, not only maritime trade, but also the developments in warfare that were always a potential aspect of such developments.

Not least, would have been awareness of the limitations of de� ciency of supplies of gunpowder during Henry VIII's war with France in the 1540s.

The ever-present threats to both Queen and Protestantism, which had driven him into exile during the brief reign of Elizabeth’s elder sister, Queen Mary, were certainly always at the front of his mind. The capture, in May 1582, of the letters sent by Bernard de Mendoza, the Spanish Ambassador in London, to his contacts in Scotland, by Sir John Foster, warden of the Eastern March, indicating a plot for a Spanish invasion to seize and replace Elizabeth by the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots, would certainly have sharpened that awareness.

It seems hard to imagine that he was nei-ther aware of, nor, more possibly, instigator of, a unique adventure that commenced in February 1583; the month, itself, notoriously di� cult for voyages across the Bay of Biscay, suggesting some urgency.

The small group of merchants who embarked on board the Tyger, a ship of the recently formed Levant Company, in which Walsingham had invested, and had, certainly, great in� uence, seems to have taken place in the safety of full public view. William Shakespeare, an 18-year-old at the time, entertained a Globe Theatre audience, 30 years later, with the First Witch’s greeting to Macbeth: “Her husband to Aleppo has gone, he’s Master of the Tyger.” It appears that, the voyage, to visit “The Great Mughal,” was a

little like a moon landing today.It has been estimated that, in the 17th

century, some 70% of the known supplies of saltpetre, the main chemical ingredient of gunpowder, lay in the east end of the Ganges basin, the provinces of the Mughal Empire known as Bihar and Bengal. These are now, in large part, lands that are the lands of Bangladesh.

An early 17th century comparison of the in balance of supply of saltpetre between these lands, and Europe can be easily made. In 1610, Pratapaditya, the zaminder of Jes-sore, now an area in southwest Bangladesh, surrendered to the Mughals after decades of resistance. Amongst the surrendered

weaponry was 45 tons of gunpowder. A few years earlier, Phillip, the King of Spain and Portugal, commissioned the Portuguese agent in Goa to obtain gunpowder for him, and received ten barrels!

Certainly, from Portuguese involvement in such local warfare there were many Portu-guese in Pratapaditya’s army and navy there would have been awareness, in Europe, of the considerable stocks of saltpetre available in the region. It may well be, however, that the Portuguese established in the region, like many of their compatriots, resented the Spanish acquisition of the Portuguese throne, and were disinclined to share such knowledge with their new Spanish rulers and his agents. As a traditional ally of England, it seems very possible that Walsingham’s agents may have been apprised of the fact.

It seems unlikely that such a prodigious collector of intelligence as Walsingham would not have sought, and gained, informa-tion about sources of the essential ingredi-ents to improve English supply. Especially with the information about the impending Spanish invasion in his mind.

That the one man who saw through the completion of the mission to India, which set out early in 1583, should have been a member of the Guild of Leatherworkers, it may be rea-sonable to also view as no coincidence, since saltpetre was a useful ingredient in tanning, and leather was commonly used to carry supplies of gunpowder.

The facility of an available voyage on a Levant Company ship may, or may not, be related to Walsingham’s investment and in-� uence; but what we can be sure of is that no such adventure would be mounted without his knowledge and assent.

There are also curiosities about the journey that might well support a view that there was more than simply assent involved. The arrest of the group in Basra, being taken to Goa, where an English Jesuit priest may well have found good reason to secure their release, perhaps � nding his Englishness more important than his faith, or perhaps recognis-ing that international diplomacy was at work, appears, on the face of it, a little curious.

Leaving one of the party in Basra, the small group, no doubt including servants, travelled on, to reach the court of the Mughal Emperor, Akbar, at Fatepur Sikri, where a jeweller in the party decided to remain, to develop what business he could as a special-ist in a court renowned for its gems.

Fitch travelled on, alone, arriving, even-tually, after a lengthy, evident slow, voyage by water down Yamuna and Ganges, through Patna, in Bengal.

It is far from clear, from Fitch’s jour-nal, quite why he travelled so extensively, although, certainly, journeying on into Thailand, Malaysia and Sumatra may well have supported the belief that this was an exploration of trade potential. However, his journey, that may well have included Cooch Bihar, Bhutan, Tibet and China appears rath-er extensive, especially around the fringes of the Ganges Basin, where the greatest deposits of saltpetre would have been located, further suggests his mission was not entirely one of curiosity.

Walsingham’s greatest legacy?

Despite “� ts and starts” of the ensuing century, the foundations were laid for what was to become the world’s greatest ever empire

HERITAGE 19D

TSATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

Fitch arrived back in London in 1590, the year in which Walsingham died, but his report on his travels saw the creation of the East India Company, chartered by Queen Elizabeth in 1600, three years before her death. Luminaries and favourites of her Court, as well as Elizabeth herself, were avid investors in the Company.

There is some evidence of trade by the newly created Company before its receipt of the charter. Trade in which John Mildenhall, claiming to be “Ambassador,” for the, as yet, unchartered, East India Company, arrived in India in 1599, lends substance. Although his adventure was subsequently disowned, this suggests some urgency to develop contacts in the subcontinent.

Within 11 years, in 1611, the � rst company ship arrived on the east coast of India; by 1630 a base had been established in Orissa, and begun to ship considerable cargoes of saltpetre back to England.

The ensuing century saw troubled times in England, as well as the Act of Union with

Scotland, creating the United Kingdom we see today. It also saw very tangible founda-tions of the empire. And that empire, of all empires the world has known, might most properly be described as, “The Gunpowder Empire!”

I once wrote, and no one really disagreed, that the lands that are now Bangladesh were, in large part, the foundation stone of modern India. The wealth, trade, and we might add power, generated through these lands, certainly � nanced the conquest, and uni� cation of the India of today, post independence; and even, arguably, its “democratic” tradition.

Perhaps, now, we might go further. That these lands were, in large part, the foun-dation of the gunpowder that built and maintained the British Empire, it could be suggested, makes them a foundation, not only of that empire, but also, arguably, the entire global economy of today.

We have, of course, no means of knowing whether, from his international espionage connections, Walsingham knew, or even suspected, these lands in the Ganges basin as a major source of supply for the essential in-gredient of gunpowder. Neither can we know that he did any more than what he certainly did, which was authorise the merchants’ Indian adventure. But the time line seems remarkably suggestive; and the result, in the end, far more so.

Was this, in fact, the greatest legacy of Sir Francis Walsingham? And does it seem ap-propriate, as it might to some, that the global economy was built upon saltpetre, which is, in its natural form, essentially derived from crystalised human and animal urine and excrement! l

Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tour-ism consultant.

Perhaps, now, we might go further. That these lands were, in large part, the foundation of the gunpowder that built and maintained the British Empire

n Garga Chatterjee

How does dialogue and engagement start? I ask this question without any speci� c context. I shall come to that later. But still, generally,

how does dialogue start? Honest dialogue and engagement assumes at least one thing. The pre-engagement attitude that exists between the conversants before any dialogue starts is clearly unsatisfactory. Hence the need arises for greater understanding, for dialogue. If one perpetuates clichéd under-standings and sells them in a new package, it can even be slick, but if someone hopes that the package will have a new gift inside, they are being foolish. Let me now cut out all these generalisms and talk speci� cs.

In a cautiously optimistic note, the Indian Union and Pakistan have decided to resume dialogue. Delhi sent its foreign secretary S Jaishankar across the Radcli� e for initial engagement. Unrelated to the mood swings of Delhi and Islamabad, certain citizens of Pakistan and the Indian Union have been trying for decades to foster dialogue and understanding between people living on the two sides of the western Radcli� e line.

This has taken di� erent forms. Of this, the most serious and consistent one is what is often termed “Track II” where in� uential folks from these 2 nation-states meet and dis-cuss and come up with position papers. The good thing is that the Track II crowd is not necessarily made up of doves. If anything, re-tired hawks have a very special place in such initiatives. That is also a way, one can safely assume, by which the Track 2 deliberations do not go completely counter to the agendas of the power-to-be.

In addition to this, there are, what I want to term as “dhandaa” lobbies. Merchant chambers of various kinds are important in this and often, they are among the most successful, given their relative disinterest in the geo-political origins of the products they want to trade vis-à-vis their interest in getting a good deal. They understand, as a commentator from West Punjab pointed out not so long ago, that a tomato is neither Hindu nor Muslim. It is a tomato.

But beyond these hard-nosed initiatives, much of what exists is a particular kind of feel good posturing with very weak roots. Much of these feel good posturing can be reduced to two things -- religion and com-monality.

The Indian Union and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are tied together in a grand narra-tive of religious di� erence. One is Hindu and

the other is Muslim -- that’s how the story goes. Once one buys into this story of essen-tial and insurmountable di� erence, the peace and friendship initiatives � ows along clichéd lines. With the increasing avenues of interac-tion enabled by the Internet, these initiatives are more real than ever before. What shapes do these things take?

Typically, this would involve, say, a Hindu from Delhi or Bombay (two cities where rootlessness, curiously, is a cause of celebration with people only having “city” identities) giving Eid greetings to his friends in Pakistan. Or maybe a heart-warming story of a certain Hindu raising an orphan Muslim child as a Muslim and then marrying him/her o� to a Muslim. By now, the corresponding set of overtures from Pakistan should also be predictable. A Muslim from Lahore will give Diwali greetings to those across the Radcli� e. Someone who has researched a bit more may even come up with a Ganesh Chaturthi greeting (look it up. I looked up what this entailed, given I am from West Bengal where this particular God’s worship is not so big).

All these messages across religious lines may be extremely well-meaning. That is not the problem. The problem lies in the fact that

even in the most well-meaning of gestures, we seek to replicate the � ssures of di� erence in the � rst place, reducing each other to their religious selves. And because of the super� -ciality, it is a tad dis-honest. There are these people in the Indian Union, who are born in high-caste Hindu families. Their privileged education makes them “not believe in caste” and “not divide people into castes.” So far so good. But ask them, beyond mouthing gen-eral humanism, can you give me speci� cs of the lower castes -- who they are, what is their society like and what are their practices.

This is when the elite feel vulnerable. The elite anti-caste position is a lazy and fash-ionable excuse for general alienation from society at large -- no wonder atomised cities produce them more easily. That is one trap that super� cial religious tolerance and greet-ings at each other’s festivities may fall into.

At a more fundamental level, one might even question these super� cial greetings and exchanges as a kind of smart-alec posturing -- a short cut to tolerance and peace-making. I am reminded of certain characters in the Indian Union territory, who are born Hindu, are mostly atheist or agnostic, do not say Ram Ram or Durga Durga, as is customary in certain regions, but would respond to a Mus-lim greeting like As-Salamu-Alaikum with a contrived Wa-Alaikum-as-Salam.

This probably helps create some personal

sense of fashionable political correctness among some, but for anything else, this is absolutely useless. That the Indo-Pak peace types have too many of these types amongst themselves is a problem indeed. Peace-build-ing or for that matter, people to people contact building, mostly needs people who are rooted in their socio-religious particular-ities but at the same time are wanting to go beyond what their respective nation-state narratives have taught them. Unless those people get involved, elite feel-good posturing is what we will get. Sorry to have said this bluntly, but well.

Another problem with this Hindu-Muslim-bhai-bhai narrative of Indo-Pak peace-build-ing is the complete marginalisation of religious minorities of these nation-states in this model. This is particularly unfortunate given that the religious minorities su� er the � rst brunt of violence if something goes wrong across the Radcli� e. And let’s not even start with the constant hum of religion-based persecution and violence that is perpetrated on the minorities in these two nation-states. But playing the Hindu-Muslim game, we end up ossifying � ssures and excluding the already marginalised, in spite of the noblest of intentions.

Let me now come to the other prism by which many approach Indo-Pak peace -- that of commonality. I will start with an anecdote. From a long time ago, I remember a picture in a Bengali daily newspaper. It showed, in a schematic view, the progressively increasing range of a particular missile system of Paki-stan. It could have been Shaheen or Hatf or something else. It does not really matter. The picture showed a series of concentric circles of increasing diameter -- depicting the range of the missile.

At � rst it covered some parts of Pun-jab-Kashmir-Haryana-Delhi areas, then a ma-jor part of the middle-Gangetic plains and in the last circle, it was shown to cover Western Bengal -- my home. I should honestly state here that it is this last circle that terri� ed me. Call me chicken, call me close-minded, call me what you will, but I will unhesitatingly state that in the imaginary scenario where the missiles might be launched, � rst and foremost, I wish to escape unhurt. The inclu-sion of Kolkata in that range diminishes the chances of that.

This anecdote from my teenage is to state something that is not always obvious in the Indo-Pak peace circles -- that di� erent regions inside the two nation-states have varying attitudes towards this thing. For

some it is distant or even irrelevant -- a certain kind of Baloch or Naga mindset come to mind. Some are slowly learning to get worked up about this -- certain sectors of West Bengal or Tamil Nadu come to mind. And then there is Hindustan -- that vast stretch centred around the upper and middle Gangetic plains, the theatre of certain kinds of Indo-Persian encounters. One problem of this Indo-Pak commonality narrative is that this Hindustan is confused with the Indian Union and West Punjab becomes a proxy for Pakistan.

In this Hindustan-West Punjab love-fest, a very skewed picture of Indo-Pak com-monality is produced. The wistfulness for Lahore, the regal memories of Delhi (curi-ously patronised by that upstart parasite of a city called New Delhi), the commonalities between the two and all that lies in between -- these things have been a source of a lot of heart-warming stories and anecdotes.

This has produced in Delhi and its out-skirts a not so small circle of the enlightened who invariably turn to verses in Rekhta to bolster their cosmopolitan and re� ned sensitivities. And of course there is the New Delhi based mini-cottage industry of what can only be called kitschy Su� sm. Yes, you heard that one here � rst. As the Indian Union continues its long project of neutering re-gional identities by cooking them in the Delhi cauldron, I am sure the tribe Su� sm-dabblers will rise. But at this point, there are others in the Indian Union. It is important that in the commonality project of Indo-Pak peaceniks, these “others” are not forgotten or side-lined. Dialogue needs to carry populations -- extremely varied populations at that. For good or for worse, there is no lasting solution between the nation-states that excludes vast sections of its constituents.

I have sought to underline certain draw-backs and limitations of the peace lobby’s approach. If all that I have stated till now sounds a tad too critical, let me be clear that the enmity between these two nation-states is not an option at all. It may be useful to remember the words of the contemporary Bengali thinker Ashis Nandy: “You can a� ord to choose your friends carelessly but need to be careful when choosing an enemy because, in the long run, you begin to resemble, perhaps not your enemy, but certainly as you imagine him to be.” l

Garga Chatterjee is a political and cultural commentator. He can be followed on twitter @gargac.

LONG FORM20DT

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This is when the elite feel vulnerable. The elite anti-caste position is a lazy and fashionable excuse for general alienation from society at large

Know thy enemy

21D

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ION

INSIDE

22prep

Gearing up for a stunning personality

23letters to Mars

Lost interests

24Written in the Stars

A breather for the environment

A legacy in inkIllustration:Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy

Happy Birthday, Dopiaza!

May 7 marked the 102nd birth anniversary of Kazi Abdul Kashem, popularly known as “Dopiaza,” who was considered the � rst Muslim cartoonist in the Indian Subcontinent. Born in Jhenidah, before moving to Kolkata, Kashem was a man of many talents, known not just for his cartoons, but also his work in music and early animation. Dopiaza’s artwork graced many publications between 1937-1980, and he often used his artwork to in� uence political movements.Kazi Abdul Kashem passed away on August 7, 2003.

prep

n Ishtiaque Mahmud

The problemIn our country, right now is as good a time as any to bring up the subject of harassment. Be it an event of eve teasing, catcalling or downright copping a feel, the core of the matter remains the same, that it is becoming exceedingly di� cult for women in our society to feel safe away from the con� nes of their homes. Yet what can they do about it? There are three common courses of action that the woman habitually takes, given that she must step out of the safety of their premises. i) She lives in denial, not thinking about

it and hoping that nothing of the sort will ever happen to her since god will ensure that she is never too far from her fourwheeler; needless to say, this is no practical way of dealing with a situation such as this.

ii) She goes all out with raising awareness, appealing to the presumably right authorities, activating campaigns, writing articles, shaming men and basically doing everything in her power to bring about some sustainable, positive change. Unfortunately, she witnesses next to no lasting e� ect, making her feel helpless that her yells for support fall on deaf ears.

iii) This is by far the most prevalent while also being the worst course for anyone’s mental wellbeing, to live in constant fear - fear of how groups of men turn to stare at her from head to toe, regardless of what she may be wearing; fear of how if anyone makes a loud and insulting pass at her, chances are she’ll be the one facing reprimand for somehow “enticing” them into making that comment; fear of her clothes, dignity and sense of self being ripped to shreds simply because she dared to stand in a crowd of men.

The causeThe real reason behind our current state is rather primitive and also mind numbingly depressing. Men have, throughout the ages, dominated and oppressed women, in the name of protecting them from the “horrors” of “reality;” and the unfairness of

it all almost always manages to fall on the sidelines of our priorities until our friends and family are violently a� ected. But if we want to pin it down to the most dominant causes, they would be:

i) Lack of enforcement of law, which leads degenerates to feel that if they are clever enough they can get away with doing just about anything.

ii) The fact that we rarely retaliate in a fashion that perpetrators can relate to and thus fear.

iii) The fact that we lack the culture and underlying societal education that women are human beings. They deserve the same respect that men wield, that if push comes to shove which surprisingly it hasn’t yet, they will claw their way out of the problem in the most violent of ways with or without the help of the male populace.

The way outIn the long run for someone who would take this extremely seriously, the solution is to � rst counter and then overwhelm the strengths that a group of men might carry, ie the actual advantage of physical prowess that the average man has over the average woman, and the advantage associated with attacking one with many.

This means that the woman needs to train herself into nothing short of Lara Croft, but since that isn’t going to happen in a day, she also needs a short term so lution — my recommendation, stun guns!

If you want to walk away from a group of attacking men unscathed while at the same time maintain a clear conscience of not having killed anyone in the process, stunning and incapacitating is the way to go. And what better way than to have it at the tip of your � ngers waiting for the press of a button. I’d go as far as to say, since you’ve got two hands, buy two of them for each, and let them have it if the necessity presents itself.

The pathFirst you get your hands on some state of the art stun guns. Log on to backpackbang.com, and order anything from the inexpensive mini stun guns and lipstick stun guns to the more formidable stun batons that look just right in the hands of Batman or the Daredevil.

However, plans such as the one

mentioned above are all well and good as long as they are executable. There’s a world of di� erence between “thinking” about holding your own in the midst of a wild and angry mob and actually doing it in the heat of the moment.

The truth is, under such circumstances, ordinarily the body freezes up from fear. Even breathing becomes a chore, while weapons as e� ective as 25,000,000 V lipstick stun guns straight out of a James Bond movie turn into dead weight, proving to be of no real consequence other than aggravating attackers even more. So this requires some undeniable physical as well as mental training.

Training the bodyPractise o� the � eld with friends, preferably ones much larger than you. Ask them to attack you and slowly but steadily train your body to react on re� ex. So that upon being attacked, an instant later you � nd yourself pressing the stun gun at his ribs itching to press the button. Request your training partner to go less easy on you with each passing day.

Practise daily, at least 10 times every day; learn to make time for it away from your busy schedule, because what could possibly be more important! Give yourself a 30 day stun gun practice challenge, return to it every day, and watch your body make the correct movements on its own.

Training the mindThis requires training on the � eld. Take every opportunity you get to observe groups of men on streets, � gure out patterns, � nd the apparent leader of the pack, because locating him and putting him down � rst is often half the battle won if not all of it.

Maintain a safe distance and while walking past them visualise being attacked by them and responding in kind. This is as crucial as the physical training because in the instant of being attacked, if the mind isn’t trained to get in the right gear on re� ex, the body’s re� exes will never come into play.

With these tips and tricks in mind, ladies, go forth unafraid, for you are now equipped with all that you need to cultivate the same perk that men enjoy every day without a second thought – strolling through the dark recesses of our country with ease. l

As submissive as it gets

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SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015T-JUNCTION22D

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Gearing up for astunningpersonality

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SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

ARIES (MAR 21-APR 19)You’ll be a busy bee this week, working like a dog to pull through tons of un� nished and incoming work.

TAURUS (APR 20-MAY 20)This is a great time for you to rise and shine. Anything you say or do could put you in the spotlight for a while. At the same time don’t move your eyes away from pre-set projects, they could develop and give you some favourable results soon.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 20) You may be feeling more tired and sleepy than most weeks this week. Try not to get too overworked or stressed out, if you can get a power nap every now and then.

CANCER (JUN 21-JUL 22) At work, it’ll be a good idea to work with a group as that will lead you to ideas which

will bring in a lot of investments.

LEO (JUL 23-AUG 22)You have to be very strong this week and learn to say no to a few people to say yes to the right ones in order to shine.

VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 22) There might be something that you may like to clean up from your past this week. After that there will be a wide range of possibilities waiting for you.

LIBRA (SEP 23-OCT 22)This is a good week to think about who and what has come into your circle of trust.

SCORPIO (OCT 23-NOV 21)You have a lot of potential and if you want success you will have to go that extra mile this week.

HOROSCOPE

n Agony Aunt

Hi, I have been dealing with an issue for the last few months. I have noticed that my wife is not interested in me anymore. She seems aloof and does not even want to get intimate with me anymore. I have tried talking to her but nothing helps. I think the reason for it may be the fact that I am much older than her. Our age gap is of about nine years and I am afraid that it is taking a toll on our relationship now. Things had been smooth for the � rst � ve years of our marriage but now things are not working out anymore. She is slowly losing interest and won’t admit it. Please tell me what I can do about it.

I understand your concern and worry, but your di� erence of age has nothing to do with what is going on. Most marriages go through what you are experiencing. What is important right now is communication.

Communication is not about telling someone o� or complaining; it is about

sharing how you feel without blaming the other. How do you do that? Tell your wife about it. Even when you feel that she is doing something to upset you, just tell her “I feel sad,” instead of pointing � ngers and saying, “You make me upset.” Ask her for her opinion on how to make things better. Remember what it was like when you used to court her? Women pay attention to small details. Ask her to go for a walk with you or for ice cream. Bring her � owers on your way home from work. Be patient and be loving, anger and bitterness do not magnetise a relationship, they destroy it. l

Lost interests

Moving on

letters to Mars

letters to Venus

Our Agony Aunt is a life coach and a relationship coach as well as a corporate and organisational consultant. AA lives and works in Bangladesh but travels extensively around the world to attend seminars and see her clients

n Agony Aunt

Six months back, I broke up with my ex of three years. Although we broke up on very bad terms, I can’t help but feel like I still love him. He was abusive, manipulative and a psychopath. At worst, he would restrict me from doing anything and everything, doubt me all the time and treat me like dirt. At best, we were perfect. When we were alone and doing things by ourselves, the world seemed like the perfect place. Sometimes I feel that it is my loss that we broke up, that maybe I should’ve listened to him and I could’ve changed him bit by bit. I

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22-DEC 21)At the moment the best thing for you to do is to leave complicated and perplexing situations to simmer for a little longer and let them be.

CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 19) You’ll soon be moving into a zone of � nancial security only if you can get to control your arrogance and laziness. AQUARIUS (JAN 20-FEB 19)You’ve been very lucky since last year with all the accomplishments and opportunities you’ve been given, you’ve now been given a lot of raw material to work with. Good luck!

PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20) It looks like you’ve been under a lot of pressure lately and you need a breather. l

can’t get over this feeling but I want to. I don’t know if I should try � xing it with him or move on with my life. Any su� estion?

Oh my dear girl, the world is made of bad marriages because of girls like you, who believe “they” can change men. The man you marry is the man you get - what you do not like before marriage will not be changed by you. Marriage is about concentrating on what you like about the person, and what you do not like, if it is not too bad, you ignore. After all, no one is perfect and your husband would have to learn to love you as you are. Be real; your introduction of him to me is not at all positive. Breath out and know the pond is full of � sh; do not concentrate on the � sh that escaped! lPHOTO: BIGSTOCK

PHOTO: BIGSTOCK

Written in the StarsT-JUNCTION24DT

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

A breather for the environment

n Rad Sharar Bin Kamal

Mifrah Hasher Khan is a young student of International School Dhaka, and still in her learning stages in school. But that doesn’t stop her from trying to make the world a better place. T Junction has a chat with the young initiator on her e� orts.

When did your drive to change the world to a better place � rst begin?My desire to bring about even the slightest change in our environment began when I started noticing things all around me. I live in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, which is considered one of the most populated countries in the world. But sadly enough we do not have adequate housing, safe drinking water and almost non-existent drainage, sewerage and waste disposal systems. As a result, I live in a highly polluted environment. From a very early age, I visited di� erent places outside Dhaka and even there, I saw brick-kilns where long chimneys spewed out black smoke and the rivers, when I went out on picnics, had water which was slimy, black and full of stench. When I started researching on this topic, I realised how disastrous such an environment was for any living thing for survival and I knew I had to do something about it. I am convinced that every small beginning done with sincerity and knowledge would ultimately lead to a de� nite successful result.

Tell us a bit about your club and its activities.In 2014, I held a seminar at school called “Steps to a Sustainable Future Seminar.” In this event, I invited a professor from the University of Dhaka to speak about the topic of environments in order to inspire the youth of our generation. I did not want to stop my journey of raising awareness right there so later that year, I created a co-curricular programme at my school named “Steps to a Sustainable Future CCP.” In this club, students from grades six to 12 meet once a week in order to � nd creative ways to raise awareness about the degradation of the environment and to inspire more students

in the community to help the cause. In our club, we have self-motivated individuals who create videos, blogs and as well as plan assemblies at school on this topic. Our most recent event was the Earth Day assembly at school where we created stimulations and interactive activities with the audience to let them know the current events of the world while giving them some food for thought as they left the assembly.

How did the initiative for the successful Sustainable Living Competition � rst begin?The Sustainable Living Competition was not the original idea of the event, as we just wanted to call professors and renowned environmental enthusiasts to inspire the youth. With the help of my business and management class at school, we decided to create a platform where students from schools around Dhaka city would inspire other students instead. We invited schools around Dhaka to choose a representative with drive, intuition and determination in order to speak about the theme “Sustainable Living.” The student could pick any part of this theme. For example, business, economics, environment, health, etc. We wanted to make sure that their ideas would come to life - therefore with the help from the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at ISD, we attained a grant that was given to the winner of the event in order to fund their initiative. Other sponsors of the event include, Magnito Digital, Monasa Learning Centre and ISD. We had nine participating schools including Viqarunissa Noon School and College, Sunbeams School, Hurdco International School, International School Dhaka, Chittagong Grammar School, International Turkish Hope School, Sir John Wilson School and Aga Khan School. The judges of the event were Dr Moniruzzaman, Tamima Hossain, Ra� Bashar, Sultana Alam and Aditi Chowdhury. The planning of the event started in February when we began inviting the schools and the event was held last Saturday. The speeches from the students were brilliant and informative with students speaking about business, economics, health, law and education.

Favourites:Food - Prawn cakesPlace to eat - Pan TaoBook - Paper Towns by John GreenTelevision show - Game of Thrones, DaredevilMovie - The Imitation Game, Django UnchainedMusic - Coldplay, The Script, Hozier

The audience consisted of more than 250 captivated members who learnt new information and hopefully got inspired in the process. The winner of the event was the representative of the Aga Khan School who received a grant from Steps to a Sustainable Future and PTA to jump-start their initiative. I’m looking forward to Sustainable Living Competition 2016!

What challenges did you face in organising the competition?There were many challenges, which I faced while organising this huge event. The biggest challenge was approaching the schools around Dhaka and having a representative from them to participate due to all the political turmoil but we managed to convince them! Secondly, just trying to get everything in order before the event was quite hectic but everything worked out at the end.

Who was the greatest support?My greatest support were my parents, Mr Greg, Mr Salmon, Ms Kim, Ms Stacey, my business class and my CCP - without whom the event would not have been possible.

What are your future plans for yourself and what do you aim to be/do?I’m not sure what I want to be or do when I grow up but all I know is that I want to help create a more sustainable future and educate the youth of our generation. I want to help my community and Bangladesh strive for a better future. I’m not sure which career path I want to take but one thing I am certain of is that it will be devoted towards helping, inspiring, motivating and educating the youth of our generation.

What did you learn so far that you think others of your age should realise and know?The biggest thing I learnt so far is to be sel� ess and not worry about how it would be bene� cial for myself personally. This helped me be more passionate and caring. Not only that - I know for a fact that I have my best ideas when I think about the betterment of other people. l

PHOTOS: COURTESY

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KRUIF WANTS GAP BETWEEN FRIENDLIES

KUZNETSOVA THRASH HOLDER SHARAPOVA

‘NOT IMPOSING THE FOLLOW-ON MIGHT HAUNT THEM’

26 2927

Juventus and Argentina striker Carlos Tevez has had his driving licence suspended after being caught speeding through the

Mont Blanc Tunnel, Italian media reported Thursday

FAST & FURIOUS

Sport2ND TEST, DAY 3

PAKISTAN 1ST INNINGS557-8 declared (Azhar Ali 226, Younis Khan 148, Asad Sha� q 107; Taijul Islam 3-179, Mohammad Shahid 2-72, Shuvagata Hom 2-76)BANGLADESH 1ST INNINGS R B(overnight 107-5)Tamim Iqbal lbw b Junaid 4 4Imrul Kayes b Yasir 32 46Mominul Haque c Sarfraz b Junaid 13 34Mahmudullah c Azhar b Wahab 28 32Shakib Al Hasan not out 89 91Mush� qur Rahim b Yasir 12 24Soumya Sarkar c Azhar b Wahab 3 13Shuvagata Hom c Sha� q b Wahab 0 1Taijul Islam b Hafeez 15 22Mohammad Shahid c Azhar b Yasir 1 20Shahadat Hossain absent hurt -Extras (lb2, w2, nb2) 6

Total (all out, 47.3 overs) 203

Fall of wickets1-4 (Tamim), 2-38 (Mominul), 3-69 (Imrul), 4-85 (Mahmudullah), 5-107 (Rahim), 6-113 (Soumya) 7-119 (Shuvagata), 8-140 (Taijul), 9-203 (Shahid)

BowlingJunaid 6-2-26-2 (1w), Imran 7-0-31-0, Wahab 15-2-73-3 (1w, 2nb), Yasir 15.3-4-58-3, Hafeez 4-1-13-1.PAKISTAN 2ND INNINGS R BMohammad Hafeez c Rahim c Shahid 0 4Sami Aslam c Mahmudullah b Shahid 8 39Azhar Ali c Shuvagata b Sarkar 25 38Younis Khan c and b Taijul 39 55Misbah c sub (Hasan) b Mahmudullah 82 72Asad Sha� q b Shuvagata 15 25Sarfraz Ahmed not out 18 14Extras (lb2, w6) 8

Total (for six wickets decl, 41.1 overs) 195

Fall of wickets1-0 (Hafeez), 2-25 (Aslam), 3-49 (Azhar), 4-107 (Younis), 5-140 (Sha� q), 6-195 (Misbah)

BowlingShahid 10-4-23-2 (w6), Taijul 10-0-56-1, Sarkar 9-0-45-1, Shakib 8-0-43-0, Shuvagata 2-0-18-1, Mahmudullah 2.1-0-8-1BANGLADESH 2ND INNINGS R BTamim Iqbal not out 32 42Imrul Kayes b Yasir 16 29Mominul Haque not out 15 13Extras: 0

Total (for one wicket, 14 overs) 63

Fall of wicket: 1-48 (Imrul)

BowlingJunaid 5-0-19-0, Imran 4-1-22-0, Yasir 3-0-7-1, Wahab 2-0-15-0

Bangladesh need 487 more runs to win with nine wickets in hand

Bangladesh opener Imrul Kayes fails to stop a Yasir Shah (unseen) delivery from shattering the timber during the third day of the deciding Test against Pakistan at SBNS, Mirpur yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Herculean task awaits Tigers, 487 runs still required for historic win n Mazhar Uddin

Bangladesh have the un-enviable task of chasing down a record 550 for vic-tory when they resume the fourth and penultimate day’s play today in the de-ciding Test against Paki-

stan at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.In their pursuit of an improbable target,

the home side have already lost opener Imrul Kayes as they � nished the third day’s pro-ceedings yesterday on 63/1, requiring a fur-ther 487 runs for victory.

Tamim Iqbal and Mominul Haque, unbeat-en on 32 and 15 respectively, will spearhead

the Tigers’ challenge today. Their previous highest successful run-chase was 217 against the West Indies in St. George’s six years ago so the hosts need to bat out of their skins if they are to draw the Test match, let alone making a � st out of the chase.

Earlier on the day, Bangladesh, resuming on 107/5, added a further 96 runs before losing their remaining four wickets. Right-arm pace-man Shahadat Hossain was unable to bat.

Shakib al Hasan led the way with an un-defeated 91-ball 89 as wickets tumbled at the other end. He eventually ran out of partners and was stranded just 11 runs away from his fourth Test hundred.

Left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz bowled a � ery spell to dismiss Soumya Sarkar for three

and Shuvagata Hom for a duck. Shakib, along-side Mohammad Shahid, added 63 runs for the ninth wicket to lend some respectability to the Tigers’ � rst innings total.

Wahab and Yasir Shah bagged three wick-ets apiece while left-arm paceman Junaid Khan picked up two as the Tigers fell short of the follow-on mark. Many thought skipper Misbah-ul Haq would enforce the follow-on but to everyone’s surprise, Pakistan came out to bat again.

Pakistan stretched their lead to 549, de-claring their second innings on 195/6. Misbah top-scored with a � ne 82 from 72 balls.

Right-arm paceman Shahid scalped two wickets while Taijul Islam, Shuvagata, Mahmudullah and Soumya all took one each.l

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SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

PLAYS OF THE DAYBANGLADESH v PAKISTAN, 2ND TEST, DAY 3, MIRPUR

Shakib al Hasan’s 1000 runs in MirpurThe deciding Test has been a disappointing one to say the least for the home side’s bat-ting department. In pursuit of Pakistan’s huge � rst innings tal-ly of 557/8 declared, Bangladesh only man-aged to come up with 203 before losing all of their wickets. Among

the Tigers batsmen, Shakib perhaps has been the only exception.

The champion all-rounder, who was 44 runs short of 1000 runs at Sher-e-Bangla Na-tional Stadium, reached the milestone yester-day during his unbeaten 89-run knock in the � rst innings.

Despite the fall of regular wickets at the other end, Shakib continued to play his shots. The left-hander smashed 14 boundaries and two sixes and now has 1045 runs to his name in Tests at the home of cricket.

In 13 Tests at SBNS, Shakib blasted a hun-

dred and seven � fties at an average of 47.50. With 44 wickets, Shakib also tops the wick-et-takers’ list in Mirpur.

Tamim Iqbal reaches 3000 Test runsTamim, who has been in terri� c form of late, added another feather to his cap yesterday. The Chittagong lad became only the second Bang-ladesh batsman to score 3000 runs in Tests.

The 26-year old has scored 3010 runs in 39 Tests at an average of 40.13, including seven hundreds and 17 � fties.

As things stand at the moment, Tamim

needs just 17 runs to overtake Habibul Bashar as the Tigers’ highest run-scorer in Tests.

Besides Tests, Tamim is Bangladesh’s leading run-scorer in ODIs and Twenty20 internationals. His 206 in the drawn � rst Test in Khulna is also the Tigers’ highest individual score in � ve-dayers.l

–MAZHAR UDDIN

Not the greatest of times for the world’s bestn Minhaz Uddin Khan

Maverick cricketer Shakib al Hasan is un-doubtedly Bangladesh’s most dependable all-round player in recent times. There have been a number of occasions when the coun-try looked towards him to provide inspiration and more often than not, Shakib was able to emerge as the saviour, either by initiating regular breakthroughs with the leather or by guiding the middle- and lower-order.

The ongoing bilateral home series against Pakistan, however, has been an indi� erent one for the Magula lad. In the three-match ODI series, Shakib was only required to bat twice due to the team’s brilliant performanc-es. On those two occasions, he scored 31 and seven not out while with the ball, he scalped � ve wickets at the expense of 116 runs. Shakib was overshadowed by opener Tamim Iqbal, who took the ODI series by storm, registering one heroic display after the other.

In the solitary Twenty20 international, Shakib was back to his marauding best, an un-beaten 57 steering the Tigers to a convincing win. With the ball, however, Shakib remained wicket-less for only the second time in the format. The previous instance of Shakib re-maining wicket-less in a T20I was against Australia in the 2014 ICC World T20.

Then, the southpaw headed into the � rst Test in Khulna with some sweet memories. In the previous � ve-dayer in the south-western city, Shakib became only the third cricketer in the history to score a hundred and bag 10 wickets in the same Test. Unable to play Shakib

properly, Zimbabwe su� ered a crashing defeat.Recent times have not been kind to Shakib

though. The left-arm spinner is probably ex-periencing his worst form with the ball. In the drawn � rst Test in Khulna, Shakib at one stage leaked 122 runs without success in 31 overs. Although he did end up getting a wick-et in Pakistan’s � rst innings, he conceded 146 runs for his solitary strike.

While with the willow, Shakib had the op-portunity to end the Test on a high. Unbeaten on 76 and on course to reach his fourth Test hundred, stand-in captain Tamim Iqbal sig-nalled him to carry on. Shakib, however, de-cided to the end the game in a mutual draw following consultations with the opposition.

Quite what forced the reluctant Shakib to not go for his hundred is still a mystery although some believe he was in a hurry to rush to Dhaka to attend one of his close friend’s birthday party, which was organised at Shakib’s restaurant located in Banani.

Moving on to the deciding Test in Dhaka, he was again bite-less with the leather, con-ceding 179 runs in total for his single wicket.

Shakib though more than made it up with the bat. With wickets falling at regular inter-vals, he was running out of partners but he tried his best to guide the ship alone, ham-mering an unbeaten 91-ball 89. His attacking knock featured 14 boundaries and two sixes.

The Tigers had one wicket remaining in their � rst innings but as right-arm paceman Shahadat Hossain is nursing an injury to his right knee, Shakib was stranded 11 runs short of his fourth hundred. l

‘Not imposing the follow-on might haunt them’n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan yes-terday informed that he was surprised to see Pakistan not imposing the follow-on.

The visitors, who posted a mammoth 557/8 declared in the � rst innings, skittled out the hosts for 203. It was widely expected that the tourists would enforce the follow-on over the opposition but skipper Misbah-ul Haq surprised everyone by deciding to bat again.

Pakistan later posted 195/6 in the second innings, presenting the Tigers an improbable target of 550 but Shakib believes Misbah’s decision to bat again took up some valuable

time from the deciding Test. “If we count the number of days, it is a

slight advantage for us. I did not expect them to bat again. I do not know why they did that. I thought they were in a � ow and had the best time to attack us. Hopefully, it (not enforcing the follow-on) will be in our favour. I am sure they will think about their decision if we reg-ister a big partnership tomorrow (today). It would, even for a short time, give them some tension,” Shakib told the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday following the third day’s play.

“It would be hard to predict the result of the game because anything can happen in a

game of cricket. But, to be practical, I think, after the end of day three, we are losing the game. Nobody have ever chased such a total so if we do not play well tomorrow (today), we will not be thinking about the chase ob-viously. It is going to be di� cult but if we can take inspiration from the Khulna Test, who knows?” he said.

Although the Tigers face a daunting task in the remainder of the Test match, Shakib said one big partnership from the top-order will change the complexion of the game.

The Tigers bowling attack was bite-less in the Khulna Test and large parts of the Dha-ka Test. The majority are blaming Shakib’s

lack of contributions as one of the reasons behind the bowlers’ pro� igate displays. Many believe Shakib’s bad form with the leather is down to his detachment from � rst-class cricket for quite some time now but he thinks otherwise.

“I do not think it that way. I have always played in this way (not playing enough � rst-class cricket). I do not remember taking more than a couple of � ve-fors in our domestic � rst-class cricket. I do not even bowl much for my division side too. It is just a mental thing. I did not bowl well in three innings. I think some-one new has to take up the responsibility but I will try my best de� nitely,” he said.l

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan smotes one through cover during the third day of the deciding Test against Pakistan at SBNS, Mirpur yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

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SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

Kapali double, Asif ton pilot East Zonen Mazhar Uddin

Alok Kapali smashed a double hundred while Asif Ahmed blasted a century to guide Isla-mi Bank East Zone to 473-allout in their � rst innings against BCB North Zone in the Bang-ladesh Cricket League longer-version. North ended the second day’s play on 63/1, still trail-ing East by 410 runs.

In the other four-dayer, Prime Bank South Zone made a brilliant start to their � rst innings, reaching stumps at 125 for no loss, in reply to Walton Central Zone’s � rst innings tally of 413-allout. South still trail Central by 288 runs.

East Zone vs North Zone, ChittagongResuming the second day on 250/4, overnight batsmen Kapali and Asif continued from where they had left o� on the opening day.

Kapali, who was 11 short of his hundred pri-or to the day’s proceedings, went on to ham-mer his second double century of the season. He scored 228 runs o� 382 balls with the help of 17 boundaries and seven huge sixes.

Asif, on the other end, played 167 deliveries for his 103-run mark and smote nine fours and two sixes. The fourth-wicket partnership add-ed 191 runs. Naeem Islam, Sanjamul Islam and Mahmudul Hasan bagged a couple of wickets each for North. In reply, North lost Farhad Reza for a duck but national discard Junaid Siddique (39 not out) and Mahmudul (24 not out) en-sured there would be no further hiccups.

South Zone vs Central Zone, FatullahCentral posted 413 on the board, riding on the 137-run stand for the ninth wicket between Mos-harraf Hossain and Elias Sunny. Resuming on 248/7, the two national discards – Mosharraf and Sunny – took Central past the 400-run mark. Mosharraf scored 89 while Sunny chipped in with 58. Veteran spinner Abdur Razzak and young fast bowler Musta� zur Rahman picked up three wickets each for South. In pursuit of Central’s 413, South began brilliantly with open-ers Shahriar Nafees and Anamaul Haque unde-feated on 59 and 66 respectively. By the end of the day’s play, South put up 125/0.l

Kruif wants gap between friendliesn Shishir Hoque

Bangladesh head coach Lodewijk de Kruif ex-pressed his concern regarding the � tness and injury situation of the national footballers and informed that playing two international friendlies in a very short time will actually back� re rather than bene� t the booters.

As planned earlier, defending Sa� champions Afghanistan showed their interest in playing an away friendly against Bangladesh on June 2. The Football Association of Singapore, meanwhile, informed that they would like to play against Bangladesh in another away friendly on May 30. If the two friendlies does take place, the Bangladesh footballers will get only 48 hours to recover.

Dutchman De Kruif emphasised on the importance of arranging two friendlies before Bangladesh face Kyrgyzstan in their 2018 Fifa World Cup Quali� ers (second round) opener

on June 11 at Bangabandhu National Stadi-um but he added that playing two matches in such short notice will hinder the players’ progress.

“We have to play two friendlies. Afghani-stan can’t play on [June] 4 and they want to play on 2. Singapore want to play on [May] 30th. What’s my concern is, it is not enough to recover in 48 hours so I have to change it,” said De Kruif last Thursday.

“My target is playing matches with the big-gest group of my main team. I have to build them up again the right way. First thing is not to pick up an injury so they need rest,” he said before adding, “I told [Bangladesh Football Federation general secretary Abu Nayeem] Shohag that we need 72 hours to recover fully between the gap of two matches. Not possible (to play in 48 hours).”

De Kruif also said he expects much better performances from the national footballers plying their trade with premier league giants

Sheikh Jamal DC and Sheikh Russel KC in the top-� ight.

“At this moment, everybody has to be � t when we start our camp on [May] 22 or 23. It is a big concern if everybody will be able to stay � t. Not so fantastic at this moment,” he said.

“Mamunul [Islam] went o� after 15 minutes. The injury was not very serious but still pain in the hamstring. If it was caused due to heat or the pitch then that is horrible. We need a good pitch if we want to play on the ground. There is a big concern for me.”

The Dutchman also talked about the possible inclusion of German-born Bangladeshi expatriate Reasat Khaton, who is now playing in the Philippines top-tier. “He made his � ight two or three days ago from Germany to Manila to play on 7th May. He will play on May 14th, 17th, 24th, 30th. I gave him a deadline to come after the match on 24th because we need time,” said De Kruif. l

‘Shakib’s knock changed our follow-on plan’n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Pakistan’s spin-bowling consultant Mushtaq Ahmed yesterday said Bangladesh all-round-er Shakib al Hasan’s blazing 89 o� 91 balls cut o� their plan to impose the follow-on in the deciding Dhaka Test.

Mushtaq informed that they approached the third day’s play at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday with the strategy of taking the remaining � ve wickets as soon as possible but Shakib’s quick� re knock changed their plan to enforce the follow-on.

“We had the plan of bowling them out within the � rst hour or so but they lingered on a bit, forcing our main bowler to bowl a longer spell. Also, the pitch may behave di� erently on day four and � ve so all these elements played a role for not enforcing the follow-on,” Mushtaq told the media at the post-day press conference.

“Also, we respect the opponent and Bang-ladesh are a good team so we had to have enough runs on the board to bowl them out again.

“This is Test cricket; you don’t have to � n-ish the game in three days. You got to be pro-fessional and see the limitation of the team and the bowlers as well. We still have plenty of time left in the Test and also, you have to respect the game. It was a team decision and we have to stick with the decision,” he said.

Bangladesh were given an improbable tar-get of 550 to win the Test and subsequently, the series. Although such a target has never been achieved in the history of Test cricket, Mushtaq believes the task in not an impossi-ble one.

“Whole point is things can happen and a lot of records get broken. But, we are on top of our cricket and have a big chance to win this from here,” said the 44-year-old.l

Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz celebrates one of his wickets during the third day of the deciding Test against Bangladesh at SBNS, Mirpur yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Why Shuvagata?n Minhaz Uddin Khan

The inclusion of all-rounder Shuvagata Hom in the Bangladesh starting XI for the two-Test series against Pakistan gave birth to lots of questions that are yet to be answered. Many termed the decision to include Shuvagata in the playing XI for the � rst Test in Khulna as a defensive one and cited that a lack of another genuine spinner might come back and haunt the Tigers.

The concerns proved to be true as Pakistan racked up a huge total in the � rst innings. Only a record-breaking 312-run partnership for the opening wicket between Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes saved the hosts’ plight.

A similar scenario prevailed in the decid-ing Test in Dhaka as Pakistan posted 557/8 declared in their � rst innings. The majority are questioning his place in the side but head coach Chandika Hathurusingha defended

his disciple, saying Shuvagata is one of Bang-ladesh’s best o� -spinners. Ace all-rounder Shakib al Hasan also batted for his teammate saying, “If [Shuvagata] has a recognised bats-man at the other end, he can put together a substantial partnership. Bangladeshi bats-men have scored 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s at No 7 and 8 in the past. Since he is a specialist bats-man, he can bat with the tail-enders.”

Faruk Ahmed, chief of the national selec-tion panel, however, said there is no point playing a batsman at number eight.

“I think we included him as a batsman but recently he is bowling well,” Faruk told the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.

“It was more a demand of the team man-agement. But, to be honest, there is no point in carrying someone at number eight who cannot be used as a full-time bowler,” the for-mer national captain added.l

Sport28DT

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

EUROPASevilla (ESP) 3-0 Fiorentina (ITA)Vidal 17, 52, Gameiro 75

Napoli (ITA) 1-1 Dnipro (UKR)David Lopez 50 Seleznyov 81

FIXTURES Aston Villa v West Ham United Crystal Palace v Manchester United Everton v Sunderland Hull City v Burnley Leicester City v Southampton Newcastle United v West Brom Stoke City v Tottenham

LA LIGA FIXTURES Granada v Cordoba Barcelona v Real Sociedad Real Madrid v Valencia Athletic Bilbao v Deportivo

Sevilla’s goalkeeper Sergio Rico (L) saves a scoring opportunity by Fiorentina’s Mohamed Salah (R) during their Europa League semi-� nal, � rst leg match at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville on Thursday REUTERS

No La Liga let up for Madrid, Barca as strike loomsn AFP, Madrid

Real Madrid and Barcelona can’t a� ord a Champions League hangover as their La Liga title hopes will again be on the line on Satur-day as they host Valencia and Real Sociedad respectively.

Senior players from both Real and Barca, including club captains Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernandez, were present at a press confer-ence on Thursday that backed the players’ union’s stance unless a solution is found be-fore next weekend.

Madrid trail Barca by two points at the top of the table with three games to play and face

the signi� cantly tougher task this weekend against a Valencia side looking to seal their place in next season’s Champions League with a fourth-place � nish.

Madrid could have striker Karim Benzema back as he returned to training on Thursday having missed the last six games due to a knee injury.l

Things to look out for this weekend in EPL1) Spurs have everything not to play forWith matches against Stoke, Hull and Everton remaining this season, Tottenham Hotspur are up against it in the race to avoid qualify-ing for next season’s Europa League. South-ampton (Leicester away, Aston Villa at home, Man City away) and Swansea (Arsenal away, Man City away and Crystal Palace at home) have tougher run-ins and it seems unlikely both will win enough points to save Spurs.

2) A penny for Gerrard’s thoughtsIt might be a slightly bittersweet occasion for the Liverpool mid� elder Steven Gerrard but he has always insisted he never really wanted

to leave the club in the summer of 2005, when the Reds’ rejection of a £32m bid from Chel-sea led to a transfer request. But few would blame him if, even if just for a moment, his thoughts stray to what might have been.

3) Four on the bounce for Man United?Safe and sound in 12th place, Crystal Palace may not have much to play for, but anyone who thinks Manchester United will get an easy ride at a packed Selhurst Park need only cast their mind back a year when Liverpool came to town and saw their title hopes crum-ble in the face of an incredible comeback by a mid-table side playing as if their lives de-

pended on avoiding defeat. Desperate for the points they need to guarantee a top four � n-ish, Manchester United travel to south-west London on the back of three consecutive de-

feats and there is every possibility they will depart having su� ered another one.

4) Will the real Man City please stand up?The Manchester Evening News this week suggested that Pellegrini’s position has been solidi� ed by assurances received by Carlo An-celotti over his future at Real Madrid. With the futures of Touré, Zabaleta, Navas, Fernando, Milner, Nasri, Sagna, Demichelis, Dzeko, Cli-chy, Kolarov, and Jovetic all (according to var-ious reports) uncertain and Lampard � nally heading o� to MLS, it is perhaps no longer the manager whose future at the club is at stake. l

–AGENCIES

River beat Boca 1-0 in Libertadores � rst legn Reuters, Buenos Aires

River Plate scored with a late penalty to over-come city rivals Boca Juniors 1-0 on Thursday and take a slender advantage into the second leg of their Libertadores Cup last 16 tie.

Carlos Sanchez broke the deadlock from the spot after 81 minutes to give the home side a barely deserved win in a scrappy tie played in front of 62,000 fans at the Monu-mental stadium.

The bad tempered match was marked by a number of over-the-ball challenges and o� -the-ball incidents.

Six players were booked and River’s Teo� -lo Gutierrez sent o� for a nasty challenge just before the end.l

Vidal leads Sevilla rout, Napoli heldn AFP, Paris

A brace of stunning goals from Aleix Vidal helped defending champions Sevilla to a commanding 3-0 victory over Fiorentina in the � rst leg of the Europa League semi-� nals on Thursday.

In Italy, Napoli dominated large parts of their � rst leg match against Dnipro, but the Ukrainian underdogs scrapped it out for an unlikely 1-1 draw - and a vital away goal for the second leg.

Sevilla stretched their unbeaten run in Eu-ropean games to nine in handing Fiorentina a � rst away defeat in 13 games.

The La Liga side, bidding for a fourth Eu-ropa League title after winning in 2006, 2007 and 2014, took the lead in the 17th minute through the outstanding Vidal.

After a strong Machin Perez run, Carlos Bac-ca pirhouetted in from the left of the penalty box to send the ball out to fast-advancing Vidal whose perfectly-executed, � rst-time shot from the right edge of the area hit the net after send-ing Murara Neto the wrong way. Jose Antonio Reyes saw his e� ort then go just wide as the Spanish side pushed for the double.l

Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo watches the match between Rafael Nadal of Spain and Simone Bolelli of Italy at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid on Thursday REUTERS

Sport 29D

T

BTV, Gazi TV, Star Sports 110:00AM Pakistan Tour of Bangladesh, 2nd Test, Day 4Star Sports 17:50 PMEnglish Premier League Stoke City v Tottenham Hotspur12:40 AMItalian Serie A: Milan v RomaStar Sports 25:55 PMEnglish Premier League Everton v Sunderland7:50 PMHull City v Burnley10:20 PMCrystal Palace v Manchester UnitedStar Sports 4F1 World Championship Qualifying : Circuit De Catalunya, Barcelona9:55 PMSpanish La Liga FC Barcelona v Real Sociedad11:55 PMReal Madrid CF v Valencia CF1:55 AMAthletic Bilbao v Deportivo de La CorunaStar Sports HD 110:00 PMItalian Serie A Cagliari v JuventusTen Action 3:30 PMA-League SF2: Sydney FC v Adelaide United9:00 PMFrench Ligue 1 S.M. Caen v Olympique Lyonnais12:00 AMF.C. Girondins De Bordeaux v F.C. NantesTen HD7:00 PMATP 1000 Masters Mutua Madrid Open SF 112:00 AMMutua Madrid Open SF 2Ten Sports9:30 PMWTA Mutua Madrid Open FinalNeo Prime 7:30 PMBundesliga FC Bayern Munchen v FC Augsburg10:30 PMVfB Stuttgart v FSV Mainz 05Live

Neo Sports7:30 PMBundesligaMonchengladbach v Bayer 04 LeverkusenSony Six4:30 PMIndian Premier League Kolkata v Punjab8:30 PMDelhi v Hyderabad

DAY’S WATCH

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

SEREI A FIXTURES Juventus v Cagliari AC Milan v Roma

FIXTURES Bayern Munich v Augsburg Dortmund v Hertha Berlin M’gladbach v Bayer Leverkusen Hanover 96 v Werder Bremen Frankfurt v Ho� enheim VfB Stuttgart v Mainz 05

Bayern host Augsburg as Barca loomn AFP, Berlin

Bayern Munich are set to rest several stars when they host Augsburg on Saturday look-ing to break a three-match losing streak be-fore their ‘mission impossible’ Champions

League semi-� nal against Barcelona.Bayern need a footballing miracle in Tues-

day’s return leg after Lionel Messi-inspired Barca ran out 3-0 winners at the Camp Nou last Wednesday if they have any chance of reaching the Champions League � nal on June 6 in Berlin.

Second-placed Wolfsburg are at relega-tion-threatened Paderborn on Sunday, but there will be a battle royal between Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. With Augsburg, Dortmund, Bremen and Ho� enheim all chasing a Europa League place next season, Dortmund host Hertha Berlin without winger Marco Reus.l

Milan look to dent Roma Euro pushn AFP, Rome

AC Milan, at the centre of takeover uncertainty and with coach Inzaghi unlikely to survive un-til next season, can have a hand in the Cham-pions League shake-up when they face Roma on Saturday. Milan go into their home clash with second-placed Roma on the back of three defeats and a winless run of � ve matches.l

Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia celebrates after winning against compatriot Maria Sharapova at the end of their semi-� nal at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain yesterday REUTERS

Essel group outlines league plan, says ‘wiser’ after ICLn Cricinfo

The � rst outline of the plan for another an-ti-establishment Twenty20 league, backed by the Indian Essel Group, has been revealed by the organisation’s head of � nance and strate-gy Himanshu Mody. The intention is for the tournament to be a T20 competition involv-ing up to 12 teams, though no timeframe had been set for it to take place, and Mody said he did not see players or venues being a problem.

The Essel Group was also the organisation that began the rebel ICL in 2007, a T20 league that preceded the IPL but ended in less than two years after its players were banned from mainstream cricket by the cricket boards of various countries

under instruction from the BCCI and ICC.Mody said the ICL experience had left

them wiser. “The format for what we are building will be the T20 format, home and away games, across 10-12 cities,” Mody told Times of India. “We are not looking at a short time frame. It could be a year away or even a little more. We know the timing is right but we are equally aware of the pitfalls where BCCI can hit us and are much wiser today.

“Besides the right time … the two main ingredients are players and grounds,” Mody said. “We had four grounds in India during ICL and players. We got players even from Pakistan, so I do not see both as a problem at all. On the grounds front, during ICL, we fell

short with just four grounds in four cities. Also, we learned we needed eight to 10 teams. So, this time round, we will have to ensure we have more grounds.”

The ICC responded to reports of such a venture by setting up a committee comprising its three top o� cials - chairman N Srinivasan, ECB’s Giles Clarke and CA’s Wally Edwards - to conduct an inquiry and present a report.

There had also been unsubstantiated re-ports of o� ers of $50 million to David Warner and Michael Clarke to join the rebel league but Edwards had said CA was con� dent that their players were secure. An NZC o� cial had also said he had not heard of any approaches being made to New Zealand players or venues. l

Serena’s unbeaten run ended, Kuznetsova thrash Sharapovan Reuters, Barcelona

World number one Serena Williams’s 27-match unbeaten run ended with a 6-2 6-3 defeat by Petra Kvitova in the Madrid Open semi-� nals on Friday.

Czech Kvitova will face Svetlana Kuznetso-va in the � nal after she surprisingly knocked out defending champion Maria Sharapova.

Williams had not lost since October but her mood appeared negative and she was slow around the court against fourth seed Kvitova who broke the American’s � rst service game and never looked back.

Kvitova broke serve three times in the � rst set and there was little resistance in the sec-ond set from a despondent Williams.

It was a setback for Williams who won in Madrid in 2012 and 2013, and this was her � rst claycourt tournament of the season as she prepares for the French Open looking to win her 20th grand slam title.

Sharapova crashed out after failing to match the solid hitting of unseeded Kuznetso-va who won 6-2 6-4.

Sharapova came to the tournament in poor form and struggled to get through her previ-ous two matches in the Spanish capital with Caroline Garcia and Caroline Wozniacki tak-ing her to three sets.l

DOWNTIME30DT

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

DILBERT

How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no number repeating.

CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS

CODE-CRACKER

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a di� erent letter of the alphabet. For example, today 8 represents B so � ll B every time the � gure 8 appears.You have two letters in the control grid to start you o� . Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.As you get the letters, � ll in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check o� the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

CROSSWORD

ACROSS1 Heavenly bodies (6)6 Resting place (3)9 Proverb (5)10 Decline in power (4)11 Singer (5)12 Frozen treat (3)13 Wise counselor (6)15 Pay attention (4)18 Popular drink (4)21 Manage (6)24 Monkey (3)25 Moves with bounding steps (5)28 Second-hand (4)29 Sifting implement (5)30 Was in front (3)31 Bank employee (6)

DOWN1 Seize in � ight (5)2 Lyric poem (3)3 Minister’s residence (5)4 Self (3)5 Teaching period (4)6 Lure (4)7 Call for repeat (6)8 Horned ruminant (4)14 Seize suddenly (3)16 Pass away (6)17 Failure (coll) (3)19 Discharge in disgrace (5)20 Step’s vertical face (5)21 Pull with force (4)22 Require (4)23 Otherwise (4)26 Lubricant (3)27 First woman (3)

SUDOKU

SHOWTIME 31D

TSATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

WHAT TO WATCH

Carriers CHBO 7:46pmFour friends � eeing a viral pandemic soon learn they are more dangerous than any virus.Casts: Lou Taylor Pucci, Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Emily VanCamp, Christopher Meloni

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief C-Movies Now 7:05pmA teenager discovers he’s the descendant of a Greek god and sets out on an adventure to settle an on-going battle between the gods.Casts: Logan Lerman, Brandon T Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest CStar Movies 9:30pmJack Sparrow races to recover the heart of Davy Jones to avoid enslaving his soul to Jones’ service, as other friends and foes seek the heart for their own agenda as well.Casts: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport, Bill Nighy

Kendall Jenner breaks down into tears in a conversation with Bruce Jenner about his transition.

“He’s the most amazing person I know, I couldn’t ask for a better dad. He taught me how to ride a bike and be the tomboy that I am,” said the model in an interview where she opened up about her feelings towards her father’s transition. Kendall along with the family has expressed full support for Bruce.

Quite recently, Kendall tweeted about how she is immensely proud of her father for being so strong and courageous. l

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

Kate Middleton @HRHCatherineSo many parody accounts for #PrincessCharlotte! I mean really, who would parody a Princess?

Will Ferrell @WillFerreI If Twitter showed how many times you visit someone page , we would all be screwed!!..

NICKI MINAJ @NICKIMINAJ These Chanel bags iz a bad habit https://instagram.com/p/2VYExzr8Uq/

n Showtime Desk

Celebrating the 154rd birthday of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Chhayanaut has organised a two-day-long festival. The celebratory programme titled “Rabindra Utsob 1422” is a tribute to the literary titan of the sub-continent and will be celebrated with colourful acts and musical performances.

An array of inspirational, devotional and love songs of Tagore will be presented at the programme. On the second day, a special segment called “Rupe Rupe Oporupa” will be presented under Sanjida Khatun’s direction. Performers from the dance troupes including Jaago Art Centre and Bhabna will perform lovely dance pieces. Other artistes from various divisions of the country will also be present at the event. Recitations of Tagore’s popular poems will be performed by renowned artistes. The celebration is open for all. l

Kendall Jenner opens up about her father

Chhayanaut celebrates Tagore’s birthday

Answers to last quiz: Forrest Gump (Top), Pulp Fiction (middle), The Shinning (bottom)

QUIZ

If you were wondering about the event that has been all over the news and your Facebook newsfeed for the last one week, it was the Met Gala. This party is specially known for its style quotient and its display of celebrities in high-fashion and avant-garde attires. Considering the buzz and the controversies, the Met gala has generated over the past few days, it only seemed fair to include the Met Gala in our quiz. Look at the photos carefully, guess who the celebrities are. You should de� nitely get most of them right.

BACK PAGE32DT

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

PUTIN, XI CEMENT TIES AT WWII ANNIVERSARY PAGE 8

IF NOT NOW, WHEN? PAGE 12

KAZIR BAZAR BRIDGE LIKELY TO OPEN IN JUNE PAGE 6

Being a mother in Bangladesh still a challengen Tribune Desk

As Bangladesh gets set to celebrate Mother’s Day tomorrow, the country has fared among the best in the region in the State of the World’s Mothers index. But the region as a whole has a long way to go.The ranking, compiled by Save the Children each year, to determine which countries are the best places to be a mother put Bangladesh in at 130th place.

Although performing poorly overall, Bang-ladesh fared better than its neighbours; India was ranked 140th, Pakistan 149th, and Myan-mar 158th.

Out of the 179 countries surveyed, Norway, Finland and Iceland were found to be the world’s best countries for mothers to raise children.

Nearly all of the bottom-ranked countries are a� ected by con� ict, with Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic at the bottom of the ranking.

The 16th annual State of the World’s Mothers report, released last week, focused on exploring health disparities between the wealthy and the poor women and children liv-ing in cities around the world, and found that urban slums were some of the worst places in the world to be a mother.

The report said one of the key � ndings of the

survey was that the urban poor were often as bad as, or even worse o� than, the average rural family; while for many rural families, moving to the city may result in more hardship.

The ranking also found that the poorest ur-ban mothers and children were often deprived of lifesaving health care, with huge disparities in access to prenatal care and skilled birth at-tendance.

According to the report, Bangladesh is among the countries which have the largest urban child survival gaps, meaning that the poor urban chil-dren in Bangladesh are three to � ve times as likely to die as their most a� uent peers.

Dhaka is among the 22 cities that have the

largest coverage gaps between the rich and the poor. In these cities, stunting rates are 29 to 39 percentage points higher among the poorest compared to the richest.

In Bangladesh and India, over half of the poor urban children are stunted, compared to 20% or less of the wealthiest children.

In case of under-� ve mortality rate, 41.1 children die for every 1,000 live births in Bangladesh; in last year’s ranking, the rate was 40.9.

Bangladesh also performed poorly on fe-male education. Women in Bangladesh re-ceive about 10 years of formal schooling, while the world average is about 12 years. l

Bangladeshi-British women stride into UK parliamentn Tribune Desk

Three British citizens of Bangladeshi origin were elected members of parliament in the United Kingdom general elections yesterday, all on Labour party tickets.

Rushanara Ali convincingly defended her Bethnal Green and Bow seat securing 32,387 votes while her nearest contender Conserva-tive Matthew Smith won just 8,070.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s niece Tulip Siddiq ousted the Conservatives in the Hamp-stead and Kilburn constituency with 23,977 votes.

Rupa Huq took the Ealing Central and Ac-ton seat with 22,002 votes, sliding past the Conservative candidate Angie Bray who se-cured 21,728 votes.

Rushanara Ali was elected member of parlia-

ment for Bethnal Green and Bow in May 2010. She moved to the UK with her family when

she was 7 years old. After going up to Oxford and worked in par-

liament, in a research � rm and in government before becoming a lawmaker.

She took her seat in parliament in 2010 after defeating George Galloway’s Respect Party.

She was appointed Shadow Minister for Education in 2013 and before that was ap-pointed as Shadow Minister for International Development.

Rupa Huq is from Ealing, and was born at Queen Charlotte’s in Hammersmith in 1972.

Her parents came from Bangladesh in the 1960s. In 1991, she went up to study Social and Political Sciences and Law at Cambridge Uni-versity.

After Cambridge, she earned a doctorate at the University of East London, researching youth culture. She has also worked as a DJ.

In 1998, she began teaching at Manchester University and in 2004 became a Senior Lec-turer in Sociology and Criminology at King-ston University.

Tulip Siddiq lives in West Hampstead with her husband Chris. Her parents were married in Kilburn forty years ago.

She was previously a local councillor and cabinet member for culture and communi-ties in Camden council overseeing Camden’s engagement with the 2012 London Olympics, which saw the launch of three legacy schemes to encourage more physical activities.

She has previously worked on corporate social responsibility. l

Rogue Russian spacecraft burns up in Earth’s atmospheren BBC

The Russian space agency said its out-of-con-trol spacecraft had burnt up as it re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere.

Re-entry was over the Paci� c, it said, and only a few fragments were expected to hit the sea.

The unmanned cargo ship was launched from Kazakhstan on April 28, but control was lost soon afterwards.

The Progress M-27M was carrying more than three tonnes of supplies to the Interna-tional Space Station.

Russian space agency Roscosmos said: “The Progress M-27M spacecraft ceased to ex-ist at 05:04 Moscow time (02:04 GMT) on May 8, 2015. It entered the atmosphere ... over the central part of the Paci� c Ocean.”

Progress was to deliver food, water, fuel, oxygen and clothing to the crew of six people on the ISS, which orbits about 420km (250 miles) above Earth.

But after a communications failure, it be-gan spiralling out of control.

Since then, it has been slowly descending, and orbiting Earth in a pattern that takes it over the eastern United States, Colombia, Bra-zil and Indonesia.

The capsules were designed to burnup in the atmosphere after delivering their cargo.

A special commission has been set up in Russia to investigate why Progress was lost.

In 2011, one of its predecessors was de-stroyed when it crashed soon after take-o� in Siberia.

Even after Progress’ loss, the astronauts have enough supplies to keep them going un-til the next expected delivery on June 19.

A Roscosmos spokesman told Reuters that the loss was valued at 2.59 billion roubles ($50.7m). l

Tulip Siddiq Rushanara Ali Rupa Huq

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial O� ce: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com