e_Paper (23 December 2016)

SECOND EDITION 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016 | Poush 9, 1423, Rabiul Awwal 22, 1438 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 235 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages plus 24-page weekend supplement | Price: Tk10 

Mustafizur named ICC Emerging 

Cricketer of the Year › 24 

Ivy stays Narayanganj 

mayor › 2 

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU 

Narayanganj citizens give yet another mandate 

to Selina Hayat Ivy, who secured a 27-percentage 

point lead over her opponent, BNP’s 

Shakhawat Hossain, in an election that was 

unprecedented in its lack of violent incidents 

Ashulia workers want to return 

to work › 5 

Kashmir struggles to cope with 

tide of trauma › 8

2 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016 

DT 

News 

Ivy stays Narayanganj mayor 

LEAD STORY 

• Tribune Desk 

The ruling Awami League-backed 

candidate Selina Hayat Ivy has 

been re-elected as Narayanganj 

City Corporation (NCC) mayor by a 

wide margin. 

She defeated BNP candidate 

Sakhawat Hossain Khan by over 

79,567 votes and also won her rival’s 

neighbourhood with 1,930 

votes, in one of the most peaceful, 

incident-free elections Bangladesh 

has ever seen. 

Although many had feared violence 

because of the “Shamim Osman 

factor,” the NCC elections only 

saw one attempted fake vote casting 

and three people being fined for 

minor breach of code of conduct. 

Returning Officer Md Nuruzzaman 

Talukder announced the 

unofficial results at the election 

control room, saying that the voter 

turnout was 62.33% at 174 polling 

centres combined. 

Two election monitoring NGOs – 

Democracywatch and Brotee – expressed 

their satisfaction over the 

polls. 

The two main mayoral candidates 

from the BNP and the Awami 

League, election observers and 

the Election Commission said they 

were satisfied by how the election 

was conducted. 

Ivy cast her vote at Sishubagh 

School polling centre while BNP 

candidate Shakhawat cast his vote 

at the Adarsha School centre saying 

he will accept the results if the 

election was fair and impartial. 

There was a large presence of 

law enforcers with around 9,500 

officials deployed to ensure safety 

and security. 

Chief Election Commissioner 

Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad briefed 

the press after the polls closed 

at 4pm: “The election was held 

peacefully and we have began to 

count the votes, the security provided 

has let people cast their votes 

without intimidation and fear.” 

The NCC elections were held so 

peacefully with such a festive atmosphere 

that it has set the bar very 

high for the ruling Awami League 

for all upcoming elections to be held 

in such a free and fair manner. 

Peaceful election 

During the election yesterday the 

roads in Narayanganj where full 

N C C P O L L S I N N U M B E R S 

474,931 

registered voters 174 

polling stations 

Vote’s for 

Selina Hayat Ivy 

175,611 

Vote’s for 

Shakhawat 

Hossain Khan 

96,044 

Selina Hayat Ivy shows the victory sign as her supporters cheer outside her home after unofficial result of her win in yesterday’s 

Narayanganj City Corporation polls arrive 


I dedicate this victory 

to Bangabandhu and 

Sheikh Hasina 

- Selina Hayat Ivy 

Number of law 

enforcers deployed 

9,500 

Votes counted 

in 174 centres 

I have information that 

the votes have been 

subtly manipulated 

- Shakhawat Hossain Khan 

of voters creating a festive atmosphere 

with the queues starting at 

poll centres as early as 8am. 

Jahangir Alam, presiding officer 

of Safura Khatun Pilot High School 

polling station under Ward 6, said 

he had never seen such a peaceful 

election in his life. 

Similar remarks were made by 

Centre 15 Presiding Officer Akmal 

Hossain as he told the Dhaka Tribune 

that the election went smoothly 

and was very peaceful. 

However, he said that voters 

faced some difficulties in the morning 

finding their polling booths 

at the centre because there was a 

huge rush of voters. 

The scene around all the 174 

polling centres was very similar. 

The Awami League and BNP activists 

and supporters of the councillor 

candidates gathered in small 

number at different places and 

campaigned for their candidates 

with no incident of voter intimidation 

being reported. 

Teams of mobile courts run by 

magistrates and of law enforcers 

monitored the polling centres. 

Shahzadi Tahmina, a judicial 

magistrate, told the Dhaka Tribune 

that they did not find any case of 

violation of electoral code of conduct 

when she visited three polling 

centres at 3pm. 

All reports indicated that the 

NCC elections have been one of the 

most successfully run polls Bangladesh 

has seen. This has set the bar 

very high for all the upcoming elections 

in the country. • 

Dhaka Tribune Narayanganj 

Correspondent Tanveer Hossain, 

staff reporters Ashif Islam Shaon, 

Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique, 

Manik Miazee and Nure Alam Durjoy 

and staff photojournalists Rajib 

Dhar and Mahmud Hossain Opu 

contributed to this report 

CEC: Assistance of candidates 

and supporters made 

election peaceful 

• Shohel Mamun 

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi 

Rakibuddin Ahmad yesterday said 

the Narayanganj City Corporation 

polls were completed peacefully 

and successfully. 

“With the assistance of candidates 

and supporters, voting in 

Narayanganj City Corporation election 

has been completed peacefully 

with no untoward incidents,” he 

said while briefing reporters at the 

Election Commission in Dhaka following 

the completion of voting at 

NCC polling centres. 

“Every time, our goal is to arrange 

a peaceful election, however, 

we have not had success several 

times. Today [yesterday], though we 

conducted only one mayoral polls, a 

large number of law enforcers were 

appointed to ensure security. 

“But the most significant issue 

is that the candidates and supporters 

contributed more in conducting 

a peaceful election,” he added. 

“This proves that if the candidates 

and supporters help the Election 

Commission, it becomes an 

easy task,” he further said. 

The CEC praised the effort of 

law enforcement agencies and the 

local administration, saying they 

have worked hard for the polls. 

However, there were three individuals 

who violated the electoral 

rules and they were punished with 

Tk8,000 as fine, he added. 

Rakibuddin said: “It is much appreciated 

that no violence have occurred 

and no one broke discipline. 

We hope that the candidates will 

accept the verdict of the people.” •

News 3 


BNP’S LIVELY PRESENCE AT POLLS 

Grassroots hopes for a return 

to electoral politics 

DT 

• Nure Alam Durjoy 

After a peaceful election to 

Narayanganj City Corporation 

yesterday, grassroots BNP is now 

hopeful about the party’s getting 

back to electoral politics. 

BNP activists in Narayanganj 

enthusiastically participated in the 

city corporation election yesterday. 

Voting ended for the second 

Narayanganj city polls yesterday 

‘Paddy sheaf’ symbol won Shakhawat votes 

• Ashif Islam Shaon 

A majority of the voters who cast 

their ballots in favour of Shakhawat 

Hossain Khan, the BNP-backed 

mayoral candidate in yesterday’s 

Narayanganj City Corporation polls, 

did it for the party, not the candidate. 

This is what the grassroots activists 

of BNP and its affiliates observed 

throughout the polling day, 

as they told the Dhaka Tribune. 

“We are happy just to see our 

party participating in an election 

successfully after a long time,” said 

several grassroots workers at different 

polling centres. 

Shakhawat, who is not much 

known beyond his reputation as a 

lawyer and holds no importation 

position in the party, won most of 

his votes because he represented 

the BNP’s comeback in the country’s 

electoral system, they said. 

with a remarkable absence of any 

violent or confrontational incidents. 

Many of BNP’s grassroots activists 

told the Dhaka Tribune that the 

festive and peaceful environment 

had raised their hopes of the party 

returning to electoral politics. 

Md Selim Molla, the organising 

secretary of Ward 17 BNP unit, said 

he and his fellow party men were 

elated to be able to return to the 

“In the last city polls [in 

Narayanganj], we had no candidate 

to campaign for. Many of us supported 

Ivy [who was an independent 

candidate in the last election]. 

Ivy won mainly due to votes from 

our people,” said Parvez Mallik, a 

grassroots leader of Jatiyatabadi 

Matsajibi Dal, a BNP affiliate. 

“This time we have our own 

candidate. We will bring a change,” 

he told the Dhaka Tribune. 

Mallik was working at Shishubagh 

Bidyalay polling centre in the 

city’s Paschim Deobhog area in the 

afternoon. Selina Hayat Ivy, the 

Awami League-backed candidate 

running for mayor, had cast her 

vote at the centre a few hours ago. 

Mallik was with a team of BNP 

activists and local leaders, all of 

them wearing badges depicting a 

paddy sheaf – BNP’s electoral symbol. 

The team was helping voters to 

A large number of voters queue at the Narayanganj Club polling centre yesterday to cast vote for mayoral candidates for the 

NCC polls 


find out their serial numbers on the 

voters’ list. 

The Dhaka Tribune also spoke 

with Delwar Hossain, a leader of 

Jatiyatabadi Tarun Dal, another 

BNP affiliate in Narayanganj, who 

said the local BNP members would 

be happy if Shakhawat managed to 

win 50% of the votes. 

“What makes us the happiest is 

the fact that we are here working 

for the BNP candidate without any 

fear and obstacle. It does not matter 

to us who the candidate is,” he said. 

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, 

streets chanting slogans. 

“We openly worked to campaign 

for our candidate,” he said. 

“We had no candidate in the last 

election. Party activists are happy 

to be able to return to an environment 

of election,” Selim added. 

Local activists had been instructed 

to be on the ground until 

the results were announced, if the 

polling was peaceful, he said. 

At Gopnagar Government Primary 

School centre in Ward 18, 

Ruma Akhter, a polling agent for 

BNP-backed candidate Shakhawat 

Hossain Khan, said her party was 

actively and enthusiastically participating 

in the election process. 

“BNP agents are present in all 10 

booths in this centre, even though 

not all booths have Awami League 

agents,” she said. 

In Siddhirganj Ward 12, at the 

Bar Academy Building polling centre 

where ruling party MP Shamim 

Osman marked his ballot, BNP 

agents were seen in abundance. 

Supporters were present outside 

the centre as well, wearing their 

candidate’s image and the BNP logo. 

In the many polling centres that 

this correspondent visited, BNP 

polling agents were present in each. 

In Siddhirganj, a voter named 

Abdul Hai told the Dhaka Tribune 

he had seen energy and spirit 

among voters. 

“So many people have turned 

out to vote. I am hopeful that this 

will mark a turn towards healthy 

politics,” he said. 

The party’s central leadership, 

however, refused to comment on 

this issue. 

Most of the central leaders could 

not be reached. BNP Senior Joint 

Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi 

said he would not comment on 

this just yet. 

After the third phase of Union 

Parishad elections ended with 

widespread violence, BNP was 

found to have scraped up only onethird 

of the total votes. • 

local leaders and activists said a good 

number of BNP followers firmly believed 

that their party would make it 

to the city corporation because of the 

ruling party’s negative impression. 

“We have silent supporters who 

despise Awami League’s repression 

and their past records of vote rigging 

in elections,” said a BNP leader in the 

city’s Ward 17, seeking anonymity. 

“Some of our city and district-level 

leaders were unhappy 

when Shakhawat got the election 

ticket. But all of us have been instructed 

to work for him by the party 

high command. We must work 

for the party,” he told the Dhaka 

Tribune at the poll centre in Paikpara 

Government Primary School. 

However, Shakhawat could not 

make it to a government office this 

time, losing to Ivy by 79,567 votes, 

according to the final vote count in 

174 poll centres. • 

Is Shamim’s 

ballot flash 

unlawful? 

• Shohel Mamun 

Awami League lawmaker 

Shamim Osman drew the 

ire of some when he cast his 

vote openly yesterday during 

the Narayanganj City Corporation 

Election. 

A lawyer as well as 

field-level officials of the 

polls said that it was a criminal 

offence to cast the vote 

publicly. However, the Election 

Commission (EC) secretary 

said there had been no 

violation. 

Shamim cast the vote 

at the Narayanganj Bar 

Academy polling centre, 

along with many supporters 

and in the presence of 

journalists. 

Presiding Officer Bahauddin 

told the reporters that 

after taking the ballot paper 

from the polling officer, 

Shamim Osman cast his vote 

for mayoral candidate openly, 

without using the secret 

room, which violates discipline. 

Swadhin Malik, a senior 

lawyer, said: “Publicly casting 

the vote is a violation 

of the electoral rules. It is a 

criminal offence. As such, 

the EC will have legal authority 

to take action against 

Shamim Osman.” 

EC Secretary Muhammad 

Abdullah, on the other hand, 

told the Dhaka Tribune: “The 

secret ballot rule is there to 

ensure the safety of voters. 

If a voter takes his safety into 

his own hands and casts his 

vote openly, it would not be 

a criminal offence, as far as I 

know.” 

When asked about the 

matter at a press briefing, 

Shamim Osman replied: 

“The journalists have not 

found any wrongdoing to 

report on in this election. So 

they have fixated on this issue 

instead.” •

4 


DT 

News 

DB ‘invites labour leader to tea’ 

as eight others sent to jail 

277 workers suspended over Ashulia troubles 

• Kamrul Hasan and Nadim 

Hossain, Savar 

Garment Workers Unity Forum 

(GUWF) president Moshrefa Mishu 

was detained yesterday in Dhaka 

but later released on condition that 

she refrain from further protests. 

Separately, Ashulia police yesterday 

produced top labour leaders 

and the acting chairman of Savar in 

connection to the ongoing labour 

unrest in Savar’s Ashuulia area. 

The Ashulia industrial belt has 

been experiencing strikes since December 

11 and owner-initiated shut 

downs of scores of factories since 

December 20. 

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Detective 

Branch detained Moshrefa 

Mishu from the capital’s Topkhana 

Road over the ongoing Ashulia 

unrest on early yesterday. She was 

released by DB yesterday evening. 

GWUF Finance Secretary Shahidul 

Islam Sabuj said Mishu was 

about to attend a press conference at 

Nirmal Sen Milanayatan at 11am, but 

was picked up around 10:45am as 

she arrived at the spot by rickshaw. 

He said DB officials, who had 

already condoned off the area, put 

her into a DB van. 

The press conference was organised 

to demand the withdrawal 

of “false cases” filed against garment 

workers, the reopening of 

factories closed under Labour Act 

Article 13(1) and bringing an end to 

the current policy of firing workers 

who protest injustices at factories, 

he said. 

Law enforcers dispersed the 

conference attendees, threatening 

them with arrest, and snatched 

their banner from them, Shahidul 

said, adding that a protest rally 

would be held in front of the Press 

Club today at 11am. 

A cup of tea at DB HQ 

Additional Commissioner of Dhaka 

Metropolitan Police (DMP) Monirul 

Islam said Mishu was neither arrested 

nor picked up. 

He claimed she had been invited 

to the DB office for a cup of tea to 

discuss a solution to the unrest in 

Ashulia. 

“She came to the DB office by 

herself in response to an invitation 

at 1pm and DB officials were in discussion 

with her,” Monirul added. 

Mishu claims after she was 

picked up, a DB inspector took 

her to DB Deputy Commissioner 

(South) Mashrukur Rahman 

Khaled’s office room where they 

interrogated her. 

“They asked me not to continue 

any movement further as this 

Authorities of Sterling Apparels Limited hang a notice outside the factory gates stating the reason why the factory has been 

closed down for indefinite period 

NADIM HOSSAIN 

They asked me to convince other rights 

activists that the DB would facilitate 

meetings with ministers – the home 

minister, state minister for labour or any 

other minister – if we wanted, but to swear 

off rallies and protests 

might give militants scope to carry 

out new attacks. They said government 

high-ups told the DB to 

convince me to refrain from further 

agitation, before dropping me 

home. 

“They asked me to convince 

other rights activists that the DB 

would facilitate meetings with 

ministers – the home minister, 

state minister for labour or any 

other minister – if we wanted, but 

to swear off rallies and protests,” 

Mishu said. 

Mishu told the Dhaka Tribune 

that no matter what the police offered, 

garments labourers still demand 

the withdrawal of false cases, 

the reopening of factories and 

an increase in wages – Tk10,000 

basic and Tk16,000 with gross. 

The National Human Rights 

Commission (NHRC) expressed 

grave concern Mishu’s detention. 

“We have to make sure that 

the rights of garment workers are 

not violated in the recent waves 

of unrest in this sector,” Farhana 

Sayeed, NHRC public relations officer, 

quoted chairman Kazi Reazul 

Haque as saying. 

“Garment workers are expressing 

their discontent over various 

issues. The NHRC urges the authorities 

not to deploy force and to 

ensure freedom of expression and 

freedom of assembly,” she added. 

Savar acting chairman arrested 

Acting chairman of Savar upazila 

Mini Akhter Urmi was arrested yesterday 

over the Ashulia RMG factory 

unrest. 

Dhaka District Superintendent 

of police Shah Mizan Shafiur Rahman 

said: “She (Urmi) has been 

produced in court.” 

Mini Akhter Urmi, also a BNP 

leader of the upazila, was arrested 

from Yarpur union in Ashulia, Shah 

Mizan said. 

Ashulia Officer-in-Charge Mohsinul 

Kadir said eight persons had 

been arrested as of yesterday. 

OC (prosecution) Asaduzzaman 

told the Dhaka Tribune that Urmi 

and the other arrestees had been 

produced in court seeking 7-day 

remand sessions. The court has set 

the remand hearing for December 

27 and sent them to jail. 

OC Mohsinul said the primary 

investigation found that the labour 

leaders were “attempting to create 

political unrest” in the area. 

On Wednesday, police said they 

had detained five labour leaders for 

allegedly provoking worker unrest. 

Yesterday, another three were taken 

into custody. 

The detainees were identified 

as Savar upazila acting chairman 

Mini Akhter Urmi, Trinomul Garment 

Employee Federation president 

Shamim Khan, Savar-Ashulia-Dhamrai 

region Garment 

Workers Front president Soumitra 

Kumar Das, Swadhin Bangla Labourers 

Workers Federation (Ashulia 

zone committee) president Al 

Kamran, Bangladesh Garment 

Labour Federation general secretary 

Shakil Ahmed and president 

Rafiqul Islam Sujon and labour 

leaders Ibrahim and Mizan from 

the Savar-Ashulia area. 

277 workers suspended 

The authorities of Windy Apparels 

Ltd and Fountain Garments Manufacturing 

Limited have suspended 

157 more workers due to their alleged 

involvement in the Ashulia 

labour unrest, Ashulia Industrial 

Police Circle Director Mustafizur 

Rahman said. 

Windy Apparel Ltd yesterday 

suspended 22 more garments 

workers raising the number to 142 

workers. They earlier suspended 

120 workers. 

In the meantime 135 workers 

were suspended by Fountain Garments 

Manufacturing Limited yesterday. 

The number of suspended workers 

stands at 277 when this report 

was filed. • 

RMG workers 

anxious over 

post-unrest 

arrests 

• Kamrul Hasan and Nadim 

Hossain, Savar 

Windy Apparels Ltd yesterday 

published the names and identities 

of factory workers who 

were suspended yesterday and 

Wednesday for allegedly taking 

part in labour unrest that has 

swept across the Ashulia industrial 

belt. 

Workers were seen coming 

to the factory gate to see if their 

names were on the list or not. 

Garments workers seemed 

panicked after their unscheduled 

industrial action was met 

with owner-initiated shutdowns 

and a hunt for instigators. 

Some Windy Garments workers 

living at Beron in Jamgora, 

Ashulia said fellow workers had 

left home fearing arrest. 

After visiting several houses, 

mostly mess halls, many 

garments workers appeared to 

be away from home. 

Again, when asked, many 

residents refused to disclose 

their identity. Some even denied 

being garments workers 

and claimed to be small traders. 

Mostafa, worker of a closed 

factory, said they were still in 

fear of being arrested at any 

time as police had arrested 

Windy Garments employees on 

December 20 from his rented 

flat in Swarna Villa. 

Afroja, another worker of a 

closed garments factory, was 

seen coming out through a tiny 

gate beside Swarna Villa in Beron. 

When approached, she reacted 

sharply and asked why anybody 

would ask her about her living. 

When she realised she had 

been approached by a journalist, 

she sought anonymity and 

said after the December 14 unrest, 

she left for village out of 

fear. She said she had returned 

yesterday morning after her 

neighbour informed her that the 

situation had improved. 

Police were seen making 

public announcements yesterday 

near Fantasy Kingdom until 

around 12pm. 

Police, RAB and Border 

Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were 

seen patrolling the road. Locals 

people appeared to be anxious, 

said Faruk Hossain, a furniture 

company employee who was 

injured by the police during the 

unrest on December 14. 

BGMEA President Siddiqur 

Rahman said that workers who 

were not connected to the unrest 

need not panic as the trade 

body would not bring complaints 

against workers. •

News 5 


Ashulia showdown erupts over 

demand for living wage 

DT 

• Kamrul Hasan 

The sentiment among Ashulia 

workers yesterday was calm but 

unapologetic. 

Workers told the Dhaka Tribune 

they felt the need to agitate 

for minimum wage increases or 

else the government would never 

pay heed to their demands. They 

said scheduled rallies were not always 

effective. 

A demand for a living wage 

made by a labour organisation last 

month appears to be behind the 

Ashulia labour showdown that led 

to owner-initiated shutdowns of 

55 factories on December 20. 

The next day, the number of 

factory closures under Article 

13(1) of the Labour Act reached 84. 

Torn rally posters featuring 

speaker Soumitra Kumar Das, 

president of the Savar-Ashulia-Dhamrai 

regional committee 

of the Garment Labourers Front 

(GLF), were plainly visible in the 

vicinity of the factories that have 

halted operations yesterday. 

Widespread postering for the 

conference preceded the rally. 

The rally held in front of Fantasy 

Kingdom Jamgora on November 

25 called for a minimum wage 

of Tk15,000, among other things. 

Soumitra was arrested by 

law enforcers on Wednesday on 

charge of provoking garment 

workers to create political unrest, 

according to Ashulia OC Mohsinul 

Kadir. 

According to the posters, the 

GLF claimed it would submit a 

memorandum to State Minister 

for Labour Mujibul Haque Chunnu 

demanding a Tk15,000 minimum 

wage for garments workers. 

Workers of nearby factories, 

who asked not to be named, told 

the Dhaka Tribune that the demand 

simmered for two weeks 

before erupting into the first of 

several incidents of labour unrest. 

Workers told the Dhaka Tribune 

that on December 11, they 

heard that their colleagues were 

demanding a wage hike. 

Ashulia workers want to return to work 

Garments labourers hit by loss of pay during owner-initiated closures 

• Ibrahim Hossain Ovi and 

Kamrul Hasan 

A fear of losing more of their wages 

is causing the workers of recently 

closed RMG factories in Savar’s 

Ashulia area to seek a return to 

work as soon as possible. 

Garments factory owners’ body 

BGMEA has said the closed factories 

will reopen if the workers return 

to work peacefully and pledge 

to abjure agitation tactics. 

On Tuesday, in the wake of a 

continuous workers strike in Ashulia 

and Savar, some 84 RMG factory 

owners declared that they were 

shutting down their manufacturing 

units. 

The closure of factories under 

Article 13(1) of the Labour Act, 2013 

allows owners to shut down all or 

part of industrial units affected by 

unscheduled labour action and allows 

the resulting loss in workers’ 

wages to remain unpaid. 

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, 

several workers in Ashulia and 

Savar expressed fears of losing 

more money if factories remain 

closed. They said they were eager 

to return to work. 

“I have to bear family expenses 

as well as my own with my wages. 

I am in doubt about receiving payment 

for those days the factory was 

closed,” Ferdous Mirza, a worker of 

Law enforcers stand guard outside the gates of Windy Apparels Limited on Wednesday after the factory authorities sacked 

120 workers. The list of workers sacked was also posted on the gate NADIM HOSSAIN 

Windy Group told the Dhaka Tribune. 

“If wages are deducted from 

my monthly salary, it will leave me 

in trouble to meet family expenses.” 

He urged the factory owners not 

to cut wages during the Article 13(1) 

closure. 

“I will work for my wages,” he 

added. 

Mohammad Anowar, a worker 

of Universe Knitting told the Dhaka 

Tribune: “There was no problem 

with our factory but it was declared 

closed following the strike at other 

This localised demand spiralled 

into a full-blown strike, garnering 

broad support from other 

garments workers. 

The factory remained closed 

for four days after clashes took 

place between police and workers. 

On December 17, the factory’s 

owners, Bangladesh Police Dhaka 

Range Additional Deputy Commissioner 

of police Shafique and 

the Superintendent of Industrial 

Police sat with the agitating workers. 

A female worker name Razia 

was injured during clashes on 

December 14 said she received 

Tk2,000 from the owners. Factory 

owners also arranged lunch for 

workers on December 18 and 19. 

Outside workers have tried to 

benefit from the largesse shown 

by some factory owners. 

One female worker told the 

Dhaka Tribune that as she was 

returning to her factory, outside 

workers tried to beat her as she 

took lunch items from their garment 

authorities. 

On December 19, workers received 

word that other workers 

linked to the strike leaders were 

forcing everybody to leave the 

factory immediately. 

The next day, the factories 

were announced closed by their 

respective owners. • 

factories. 

“This has affected my earnings. 

It is my earnest request to the management 

to reopen the factory. We 

were not involve in the strike.” 

BGMEA president Siddiqur Rahman 

told the Dhaka Tribune: “Demands 

for wage hikes are illogical 

because there is a provision for 5% 

annual increments which owners 

implement. 

“A new wage structure is possible 

only after the expiry of the five-year 

tenure of the current structure that 

was effected in December 2013.” 

He added: “If workers want to 

return to work peacefully, I will 

talk to the owners and decide 

whether or not the factories will be 

reopened.” 

When asked about wages withheld 

during the closure, Siddiqur 

said: “We will follow the law.” 

Sirajul Islam Rony, president of 

the Bangladesh National Garment 

Workers Employees League, told 

the Dhaka Tribune: “I think workers 

will have to apply to factory 

owners to reopen the factories stating 

that they want to work.” 

The demand for a wage hike 

is logical but the way the workers 

went about it – going on strike – 

was outside the legal framework, 

Rony said. 

“Unruly labour tactics cannot 

ensure worker rights. Instead they 

create the opportunity for factory 

owners to take legal action against 

workers,” said Rony. 

“If workers went on strike after 

placing their demands, owners 

would not have had the chance to 

shut down the factories.” • 

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY 

Dhaka 28 17 Chittagong 28 20 Rajshahi 27 16 Rangpur 27 15 Khulna 28 15 Barisal 28 17 Sylhet 28 15 

Cox’s Bazar 27 19 

DRY WEATHER 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23 

DHAKA 

TODAY 

TOMORROW 

SUN SETS 5:17PM 

SUN RISES 6:38AM 

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW 

28.2ºC 

11.2ºC 

Cox’s Bazar Jessore 

Source: Accuweather/UNB 

PRAYER 

TIMES 

Fajr: 6:00am | Jumma: 1:15pm 

Asr: 4:00pm | Magrib: 5:27pm 

Esha: 7:30pm 

Source: Islamic Foundation

6 


DT 

News 

Bridge on Bhadrabhati River turns risky 

• Nazmul Huda Nasim, 

Bogra 

A bridge on Bhadrabhati River in 

Nandigram upazila of Bogra district 

has become too risky due to 

lack of maintenance for years. 

Thousands of people of Nandigram 

and Sherpur district risk their 

lives to cross the bridge every day. 

The bridge, which was built 

around 60 years ago, has become 

rusty. 

Local commuters have been 

urging the authorities concerned 

to build a new bridge in the area for 

years. 

However, the local authorities 

have hung a warning for the commuters 

and heavy vehicles to stay 

away, instead of taking any measure 

to repair the bridge. 

Many businessmen, school-goers, 

small traders, patients and local 

residents are using the bridge 

defying the warning. They have 

also demanded to repair the bridge. 

Shah Alom, a CNG auto-rickshaw 

driver in the area, told the 

Dhaka Tribune that he was always 

worried about his passengers’ safety 

while he had to cross the bridge. 

He said: “If the bridge would 

be not repaired very soon, it may 

cause serious accident any day.” 

When contacted, upazila Executive 

Engineer Delowar Hossain, 

said: “A project has been taken to 

repair the bridge and its work will 

be started very soon,” •

Husband takes 

life of wife 

• Arif Mostafa, Pirojpur 

A housewife was killed allegedly by 

her husband at Barasinga village in 

Mathbaria upazila in Pirojpur yesterday. 

The deceased was Rabia Begum, 

wife of Sagor Sardar from Munshiganj. 

According to Mathbaria police: 

“Rabia was staying at her father’s 

house, following a family dispute 

with her husband. On Wednesday, 

Sagor went to Barasinga to bring her 

back, but Rabia refused his proposal.” 

Later, Sagor stabbed Rabia when 

she went outside of her room at 

night to use the bathroom, leaving 

her critically injured. 

Hearing her screams, locals rescued 

her and sent her to Upazila 

Health Complex, where on-duty 

doctors declared her dead. Locals 

caught Sagor from the spot and 

handed him over to police. • 

Bus owners block 

Dhaka-Sylhet highway, 

create traffic gridlock 

• Ujjal Chakraborty, 

Brahmanbaria 

Bus owners in Brahmanbaria 

blocked the Dhaka-Sylhet highway 

yesterday afternoon protesting leguna 

– a human haulier service – 

running on the highway. 

The one-hour blockade created 

huge traffic congestion on the 

highway. 

Leaders and workers of a local 

bus owners' association blocked 

the road by strategically placing 

buses around Ashuganj roundabout 

from 12pm and 1pm. 

“It is also dangerous to drive 

human hauliers on a highway. 

They disrupt movement of buses; 

there have been several accidents 

already,” said Enayet Ullah Emon, 

organising secretary of Brahmanbaria 

District Bus Owners-Workers’ 

Oikkya Parishad. 

The protesters withdrew the 

blockade when police went to the 

spot and assured them of taking 

legal actions against those responsible 

for the leguna service. 

“There is a long-standing dispute 

between the leguna owners 

and the local bus owners here,” 

said Muhammad Selim Uddin, OC 

of Ashuganj police station. “We are 

taking necessary actions in this regard.” 

• 

News 7 


All activities at HSTU 

come to a halt 

• Bipul Sarker Sunny, Dinajpur 

All academic and administrative 

activities of Hajee Mohammad 

Danesh Science and Technology 

University in Dinajpur have been 

hampered severely for the last 

three months, as the post of vice 

chancellor has remained vacant. 

The former vice chancellor Prof 

Ruhul Amin retired from his job on 

September 26 this year and since 

then academic and administrative 

activities at the university had almost 

stalled, said Dr ATM Shafiqul 

Islam, proctor of the university. 

Md Delwar Hossain, associate 

professor and controller of examinations 

at HSTU, said all admission 

tests at the university for regular 

and other courses, which were 

Night guard stabbed 

to death 

• Bipul Sarkar Sunny, Dinajpur 

Shuku Shoren, who had joined Lutheran 

Mission and Model Primary 

School in Dinajpur’s Awliapukur 

as a night guard two days ago, was 

stabbed to death early yesterday. 

According to locals, a thief 

sneaked into the school premises 

after midnight and stabbed 40- 

year-old Shuku with a knife. 

Shuku was the son of late Lokkhon 

Shoren from Awliapukur. 

Dinajpur ASP Mahfuzur Zaman 

Ashraf said: “Police went to the 

spot at night. Shuku was killed by a 

thief and the cause of the death is 

excessive bleeding. Locals took him 

to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital, 

where he was declared dead by 

the doctors.” Lawmaker and Jatiya 

Sangsad Whip Iqbalur Rahim, 

members of Rapid Action Battalion 

and Detective Branch of Police visited 

the spot yesterday morning. 

Iqbalur said: “We have given 

the victim’s family Tk20,000 and 

the government will provide them 

with further financial assistance.” 

Anyone involved in the killing 

would be brought to book, he 

added. • 

scheduled to be held from December 

18 to 21, had been suspended. 

The admission tests would be 

held after a new VC was appointed, 

said Delwar. 

A total of 96,041 admission aspirants 

have applied for admission 

at HSTU against 2,087 seats in different 

regular and other courses 

this year, according to the university. 

Prof SM Harun-ur-Rashid, director 

of Student Advisory and 

Counselling section, said if the admission 

tests could not be given on 

due time, classes and examinations 

of the courses would be delayed. 

Besides, approval of VC was required 

to hold semester examinations 

and appoint examiners, he 

said. 

“So, if a new VC is not appointed 

as soon as possible, there is a possibility 

of session jam,” added Prof 

Harun. 

Prof Saifur Rahman, registrar of 

HSTU, said: “All activities, which 

require the approval of VC, including 

giving stipends to students, 

have been stopped. Wages of the 

staff, who work on daily basis, cannot 

be paid also for the same reason.” 

Mohiuddin Nur, a student of the 

university, said classes and examinations 

were not being given properly, 

which might cause session 

jam. 

Another student Tariqul Islam 

Tareq said students were being deprived 

of their stipends, as there 

was no VC. • 

Fish farmer 

killed in 

Rajshahi 

• Abdullah Al Dulal, Rajshahi 

DT 

A fish farmer was allegedly stabbed 

to death by miscreants at Sadhonpur 

Leppara village in Puthia upazila, 

Rajshahi on Wednesday night. 

The deceased was identified 

as Amzad Hossain, 35, son of late 

Ayon Ali from the same village. 

Puthia police station Inspector 

Rakibul Hasan said: “On Wednesday 

night, Amzad, a fish farmer, 

left his home to visit his farm, but 

after a while he was found by locals 

lying beside the road, covered in 

blood.” 

Locals rushed him to Puthiya 

Upazila Health Complex, where the 

doctor on duty declared him dead, 

he added. On information, police 

went to the health complex and 

took the body to Rajshahi Medical 

College Hospital for an autopsy. • 

HSC examinees from Jharbari Mahabidyalaya in Birganj upazila of Bogra bring out a procession yesterday protesting 

realisation of extra fees by the college authorities for filling-up exam forms 

DHAKA TRIBUNE 

Road accidents kill 4 in 3 districts 

• Tribune Desk 

Four people, including mother and 

daughter, were killed in separate 

road accidents in Noakhali and Satkhira 

yesterday. 

In Noakhali, a woman and her 

daughter were killed instantly, 

as a bus hit a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, 

which was carrying them, on 

Sonaimuri-Begumganj bypass road 

in Sadar upazila in the morning, reports 

our Noakhali correspondent. 

Deceased Hasina Akter, 35, 

wife of Harun-ur-Rashid and her 

daughter Himu Akter, 10, were 

residents of Ghoskamta village in 

Sonaipuri upazila. Later, police recovered 

the bodies. 

Our Satkhira correspondent reports, 

an elderly man was killed 

when a speeding truck hit him 

from behind at Raita village in Kalaroa 

upazila in the morning. 

Deceased Md Ojiwar Rahman, 

65, was a resident of Salimpur village 

in the upazila. 

OC said: “A sand-laden truck hit 

Ojiwar from behind in the area while 

he was returning home from Raita 

riding a bicycle around 11:00am, 

leaving him dead on the spot.” 

Later, police sent the body to Sadar 

Hospital for autopsy. 

In Lakshmipur, a teenager was 

killed and the driver of the auto-rickshaw, 

which rammed into a roadside 

tree, received severe injuries at Udmara 

village in Raipur upazila of the 

district yesterday morning, said our 

district correspondent. 

Deceased M Sohel, 14, son of M 

Kokhon, was a resident of the same 

village. 

M Lokman Hossain, officer-incharge 

(OC) of Raipur police station, 

said the accident took place 

when the auto rickshaw, carrying 

Sohel hit a roadside tree in the 

area, leaving its passenger dead on 

the spot. 

Auto rickshaw driver Kauser 

was admitted at Lakshmipur Sadar 

Hospital. •

DT 

8 

World 


SOUTH ASIA 

Sri Lanka seizes offensive 

Buddha aprons 

Sri Lanka’s customs authorities 

on Thursday impounded a 

consignment of aprons from India 

featuring images of the Buddha. 

Spokesman said it was an offence 

under international customs law 

to trade in merchandise that could 

cause offence, even though the 

aprons were only transiting Sri 

Lanka en route to Slovenia. AFP 

INDIA 

Indian police bust baby 

trafficking racket 

Police in India’s commercial capital 

Mumbai have arrested a gang 

of six people accused of stealing 

babies or convincing single 

women to sell their children in 

the latest bust in a series of baby 

trafficking rackets. The arrests followed 

the rescue of five children 

- four boys and one girl and came 

less than a month after a similar 

trafficking racket was busted in 

West Bengal. REUTERS 

CHINA 

58,000 people died on 

Chinese roads in 2015 

Chinese roads saw 58,000 deaths 

in more than 180,000 traffic accidents 

in 2015, authorities said, 

adding that poor enforcement of 

traffic laws still posed a threat to 

road safety in the country. Deaths 

on Chinese roads have dropped 

from more than 107,000 in 2004 

to 58,000 in 2015, according to a 

report posted on Wednesday on 

the official website of the parliament. 

AFP 

ASIA PACIFIC 

Japan pays Unesco dues 

over Nanjing row 

Japan said on Thursday it has 

paid millions of dollars in Unesco 

annual funding dues after holding 

back the payment over a world 

war II-era history row. Unesco last 

year agreed to China’s request to 

include documents in its Memory 

of the World register recording 

atrocities by Japanese troops after 

the fall of the Chinese city of Nanjing 

1937. REUTERS 

MIDDLE EAST 

Mortar fire kills 11 including 

aid workers in Mosul 

Mortar fire killed 11 people including 

four aid workers as civilians 

gathered to receive assistance 

in the battleground Iraqi city of 

Mosul, the UN said on Thursday. 

According to initial reports, aid 

workers and civilians queueing for 

emergency assistance in eastern 

Mosul have been killed by indiscriminate 

mortar fire. AFP 

FACTBOX 

How Berlin attack suspect slipped 

through police net 

As police hunt for Tunisian Anis Amri, 

the top suspect in Berlin’s Christmas 

market attack, public anger has grown 

over a catalogue of failures that allowed 

him to evade arrest or deportation. 

Here are the missed chances that 

may have prevented Monday’s attack, 

according to what we know so far from 

official statements and press reports. 

False start 

It seemed too good to be true when 

police said Monday night they had arrested 

a suspect within an hour of the 

attack – a Pakistani man who had apparently 

been identified by an eyewitness. 

By the time police let him go late 

Tuesday for lack of evidence, they had 

lost 24 hours during which the public had 

not been told the armed killer was still on 

the run. Police say a forensics team only 

found a wallet containing Amri’s papers in 

the truck cabin on Tuesday afternoon. 

It took until Wednesday afternoon 

for authorities to issue a Europe-wide 

public wanted notice that gave Amri’s 

full name, age and photograph and 

warned the public he was dangerous. 

Attack plot 

Amri had been watched since March by 

counter-terrorism services who knew 

he was in contact with radical Islamists 

and could have been plotting an attack. 

He had had contact with Iraqi “hate 

preacher” Ahmad Abdulaziz Abdullah A, 

who was arrested by German police in November 

for setting up a recruitment network 

on behalf of the Islamic State group. 

Surveillance had however shown 

that Amri was working as a small-time 

drug dealer in Berlin, and the observation 

ended in September. 

Police say that a suspect’s 24/7 

phone and personal surveillance requires 

a rotating team of up to two 

dozen officers. German security services 

say they are keeping an eye on some 

540 radical Islamists they consider potentially 

dangerous. 

Deportation blocked 

Amri arrived in Germany in July 2015 

at a time when a historic influx of migrants 

and refugees was overwhelming 

authorities. 

His asylum request was rejected in 

June this year, but Amri couldn’t be deported 

because he had no passport and 

Tunis denied he was a Tunisian citizen. 

Germany has repeatedly accused 

Tunisia and other North African states 

of stalling on the repatriation of their 

nationals from Germany. 

Jailed in Italy 

In Italy, where Amri had arrived by boat 

from Tunisia in 2011, he had served 

more than three years in jail for setting 

fire to a school building used to house 

refugees and other offences. 

In May 2015, he was placed in 

deportation detention but released 

weeks later, free to travel on to Germany, 

wrote Die Welt. 

Italy only issued an alert for him 

across Europe’s visa-free Schengen zone 

this year, according to Der Spiegel. • 

Source: AFP 

Kashmir struggles to cope with tide of trauma 

• AFP, Srinagar, India 

In a consultation room in a Kashmiri 

hospital, Parvaiz Ahmed struggles 

to find the words to describe 

how his interrogation at the hands 

of India’s security forces seven 

years ago has left him traumatised. 

Speaking in a whisper and 

barely looking up from the table, 

Ahmed’s face is wracked with 

pain as he speaks of his sleepless 

nights, still haunted by his months 

in detention in 2009. 

“We can see maybe 190 patients 

per day and I average around 100,” 

says Arshad Hussain as he explains 

the workload at the Shri Maharaja 

Hari Singh Hospital. 

“60% to 80% of them are trauma, 

depression or PTSD (post-traumatic 

stress disorder) patients,” he adds. 

The hospital is situated in the 

centre of Srinagar, the largest 

city in Kashmir – an often achingly 

beautiful Himalayan region 

which is divided between India 

and Pakistan and claimed in full 

by both. 

Relatives of Irfan Ahmed, who died after being hit by a tear gas canister fired by security forces, mourn his death in Srinagar 

in Kashmir on August 22 

REUTERS 

Valley of tears 

A Doctors Without Borders survey 

last year found more than 1.5 million 

living in the Kashmir Valley 

have symptoms of depression. 

Some are relatives of those 

killed, such as Mohammad Shafi 

Bhat, who lost his voice for several 

years after troops shot dead 

his 23-year-old son Bashir Ahmad 

BERLIN MASSACRE SUSPECT ANIS AMRI 

Anis Amri, 24: Born in 1992 in Tunisian town of Tataouine. 

2011: Leaves Tunisia to escape 

imprisonment after taking part in 

armed robbery. Arrives in Italy 

as an illegal immigrant 

2011-15: Spends four years in 

Italian jail on charge of burning 

down reception centre. 

Jul 2015: Arrives in Germany at 

Freiburg, near the border with 

Switzerland and France. 

Late 2015: Amri is added to list 

of hundreds of known Islamic 

extremists in Germany after being 

linked to Abu Walaa – jihadist 

preacher who supports IS. 

Feb 2016: Moves to Berlin, 

becomes involved in dealing drugs. 

Bhat in 2014, and still finds speaking 

a struggle. 

Shafi, 50, is barely audible as he 

tries to recount the events surrounding 

Bashir’s shooting as he waters 

the flowers around his son’s grave in 

Srinagar’s ‘Martyrs’ Cemetery’. 

Some of the other sufferers 

don’t even have a body to mourn 

over. For some, the last glimpse of 

Mar: Put under surveillance 

on suspicion of planning robbery 

to fund purchase of automatic weapons. 

Jul: Amri’s asylum application 

is rejected. German authorities 

prepare to deport him. 

Aug: Attempt to get replacement 

passport issued by Tunisia takes 

until December 

Sep: Surveillance called off 

Dec 21: Amri becomes prime 

suspect in attack on Christmas 

market in Berlin that leaves 

12 people dead and 48 injured 

© GRAPHIC NEWS 

their loved ones was as they were 

being hauled away for questioning. 

It’s a situation which further 

complicates the grieving process. 

Amnesty International and other 

advocacy groups say around 

8,000 people have permanently 

“disappeared” after being taken 

away for questioning by the security 

forces in Kashmir. •

World 

Putin urges Russian nuclear 

weapons boost 

• AFP, Moscow 

Russian President Vladimir Putin 

on Thursday called for the country 

to reinforce its military nuclear 

potential and praised the army’s 

performance in its Syria campaign. 

In a speech that recapped military 

activities in 2016, Putin said 

the army’s preparedness has “considerably 

increased” and called 

for continued improvement that 

would ensure it can “neutralise 

any military threat”. 

“We need to strengthen the 

military potential of strategic nuclear 

forces, especially with missile 

complexes that can reliably 

penetrate any existing and prospective 

missile defence systems,” 

the Kremlin strongman said. 

He said Russia’s military had 

successfully demonstrated its capabilities 

in Syria, showcased its 

technology to potential arms buyers 

and helped the Syrian army 

make considerable advances. 

“The Syrian army received 

considerable support, thanks to 

which it carried out several successful 

operations against militants,” 

he said. 

“The effective use of Russian 

weapons in Syria opens new possibilities 

for military-technical cooperation. 

Russia began its bombing campaign 

in Syria in September 2015 

in support of President Bashar 

al-Assad, with its special forces 

also operating on the ground in 

the country. 

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu 

Trump picks fierce China critic for trade advisory role 

• Reuters 

US President-elect Donald Trump 

named Peter Navarro, an economist 

who has urged a hard line on 

trade with China, to head a newly 

formed White House National 

Trade Council, the transition team 

said on Wednesday. 

Navarro is an academic and 

one-time investment adviser who 

has authored a number of popular 

books and made a film describing 

China’s threat to the US economy 

as well as Beijing’s desire to become 

the dominant economic and 

military power in Asia. 

Trump’s team praised Navarro 

in a statement as a “visionary” 

economist who would “develop 

trade policies that shrink our 

trade deficit, expand our growth, 

and help stop the exodus of jobs 

from our shores.” 

Navarro, 67, is a professor at 

University of California, Irvine, and 

RUSSIA 25 YEARS AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION 

Before 1991 Dec 1991 

In 2016 

Soviet Union 

Warsaw Pact 

country 

POLAND 

CZECH REP. 

SLOVAKIA 

HUNGARY 

ROMANIA 

BULGARIA 

MOLDOVA 

Source: AFP, NATO,CSTO 

CIS 

(was to 

replace the USSR) 

ESTONIA 

LATVIA 

LITHUANIA 

Transdniestr 

* CSTO: Collective Security Treaty Organisation 

said the military had used “162 

types of modern armaments during 

the military campaign in Syria,” 

including its Sukhoi warplanes 

and MiG and Kamov helicopters. 

“They have shown to be highly 

effective,” he said. 

‘35,000 fighters’ 

Shoigu produced figures for the 

entire campaign in Syria but did 

not mention any estimate of civilian 

casualties. 

Russian warplanes have “liquidated 

725 training camps, 405 

weapon factories and workshops, 

advised Trump during the campaign. 

His books include “Death by 

China: How America Lost its Manufacturing 

Base,” which was made 

into a documentary film. 

China is paying close attention 

to Trump’s transition team and the 

possible direction of policy. 

‘Don’t poke the Panda’ 

Navarro has also suggested a 

stepped-up engagement with Taiwan, 

including assistance with a 

submarine development program. 

He argued that Washington 

should stop referring to the “one 

China” policy, but stopped short 

of suggesting it should recognize 

Taipei, saying: “There is no need 

to unnecessarily poke the Panda.” 

China considers Taiwan a renegade 

province and has never renounced 

the use of force to bring 

it under its control. 

China’s foreign minister, Wang 

Yi, said in an interview carried on 

BELARUS 

Donbass 

UKRAINE 

MOSCOW 

South Ossetia 

Crimea 

Abkhazia 

GEORGIA 

ARMENIA 

Nagorny Karabakh 

AZERBAIJAN 

TURKMENISTAN 

Economic and political 

Member of the Eurasian 

Economic Union 

Member of the European 

Union 

KAZAKHSTAN 

UZBEKISTAN 

RUSSIA 

TAJIKISTAN 

1,500 pieces of terrorist equipment, 

and 35,000 fighters, including 204 

field commanders,” he said. 

The Russian airforce has conducted 

a total of 18,800 sorties 

and carried out 71,000 strikes 

since the start of its campaign, 

Shoigu said. 

“In general, the operation has 

allowed (us) to solve several geopolitical 

problems,” he said. 

Russia is prioritising its Asian 

partners including India and China 

for arms sales, he added. 

Shoigu said Nato activities 

along Russia’s western borders 

Thursday in the Communist Party of 

China’s official newspaper that China-US 

relations face new uncertainties 

but with mutual respect for core 

interests they will remain stable. 

After his November 8 election 

win, Trump stoked China’s ire 

when he took a telephone call from 

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in 

a break with decades of precedent 

Military 

Territorial 

Member of the CSTO* 

Large Russian- 

conflicts 

Former member, Warsaw 

speaking 

Pact. NATO member 

minority 

KYRGYZSTAN 

** NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 

500 km 

have grown eight-fold over the 

past decade, forcing Moscow to 

send more warplanes to prevent 

breaches of Russian airspace. 

Next year, four additional 

S-400 anti-missile defence systems 

will be delivered to the army, 

and Russia will pay particular attention 

to its Western flank and 

the Arctic, he said. 

“First and foremost, we will 

continue to increase military 

capabilities... take measures to 

reinforce troops in the western, 

southwestern and Arctic strategic 

sectors,” Shoigu said. • 

Peter Navarro has been tapped by US president-elect Donald Trump to the head 

the new National Trade Council 

ONLINE 

that cast doubt on his incoming administration’s 

commitment to Beijing’s 

“one China” policy. 

In an opinion piece in Foreign 

Policy magazine in November, 

Navarro and another Trump adviser, 

Alexander Gray, reiterated 

the president-elect’s opposition 

to major trade deals, including the 

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). • 

9 


USA 

Trump vows tough 

immigration plan 

DT 

Denouncing the deadly attack on 

a Christmas market in Germany, 

Donald Trump renewed his vow 

to stop radical terror groups and 

appeared to suggest a willingness 

to move ahead with his campaign 

pledge to ban temporarily Muslim 

immigrants from coming to the 

US. Trump proposed the Muslim 

ban during the Republican primary 

campaign, drawing sharp criticism 

from both parties. AP 

THE AMERICAS 

Argentina, UK agree to 

identify Falklands War 

dead 

Argentina and Britain have signed an 

agreement to exhume and identify 

123 Argentine soldiers buried on the 

Falkland Islands following mediation 

by the International Committee 

of the Red Cross, the British government 

said. The soldiers died in the 

1982 war over the islands between 

Britain and Argentina – a conflict 

which killed a total of 649 Argentine 

soldiers, 255 British soldiers and 

three islanders. REUTERS 

UK 

UK’s ministry of defence 

loses hundreds of laptops 

UK’s defence ministry has lost more 

than 700 laptops and computers 

over 18 months, according to figures 

released on Wednesday. A total of 

759 laptops and computers were 

lost and an additional 32 were stolen 

between the May 2015 election 

and October 2016, records released 

by the Press Association show. AFP 

EUROPE 

Death toll in alcohol 

poisoning in Russia rises 

to 72 

Local health officials in Russia’s 

Siberia say the number of people 

who have died from drinking a bath 

lotion that contained methanol has 

climbed to 72. The health ministry 

in the Irkutsk region said on its 

website Thursday that another 33 

were still in hospital while six others 

have been discharged. Bottles 

with the lotion carried warnings 

that they weren’t for internal use, 

but labels said the product contained 

ethyl alcohol. AP 

AFRICA 

Nigerian troops rescue 

1,880 from Boko Haram 

Nigerian troops have rescued 

1,880 civilians from a Boko Haram 

redoubt in the restive northeast in 

the past week and arrested hundreds 

of insurgents, Major-general 

Leo Irabor said in a statement on 

Wednesday. Irabor added that 564 

Boko Haram terrorists were arrested 

while 19 others surrendered to 

our troops. REUTERS

10 


DT 

World 

INSIGHT 

India’s cash crackdown imperils 

pivotal national tax reform 

People queue outside a bank to withdraw cash and deposit their old high denomination 

banknotes in Ahmedabad 

REUTERS 

• Reuters, New Delhi 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra 

Modi’s crackdown on the cash economy 

has shattered the consensus needed 

for a new national sales tax, plunging 

his boldest reform into limbo and 

threatening to entrench an economic 

slowdown. 

Modi’s government already had its 

work cut out to finalise a deal with 

India’s 29 federal states to launch a 

Goods and Services Tax (GST) on April 

1 that would transform Asia’s third 

largest economy into a single market 

for the first time. 

But his decision to scrap 86% of the 

cash in circulation, in a bid to purge the 

economy of illicit “black money”, has 

caused huge disruption. 

A slump in business activity stemming 

from the cash crunch has caused 

the revenue of state governments, 

which collect value-added tax on 

goods and other duties, to slump by 

25-40%. 

The states won’t risk another setback 

by rushing the sales tax into force. 

The GST is India’s biggest tax overhaul 

since independence in 1947. It 

would replace a plethora of federal and 

state levies with one tax, easing compliance, 

broadening the revenue base 

and boosting productivity. 

It took Modi more than two years to 

forge a political compromise on the tax 

in August. Now, demonetisation “has 

created a trust deficit,” said Kerala Finance 

Minister TM Thomas Isaac. “After 

this, I am not going to sit and compromise. 

They don’t deserve it.” 

Left in the lurch 

Failure to break the deadlock could tip 

India into a fiscal crisis: The GST would 

need to come into effect by mid-September, 

when the old system of indirect 

taxation is due to lapse. 

The lingering uncertainty is worrying 

companies needing to understand 

financial implications of the new tax. 

Modi’s shock move last month to 

scrap Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes was 

aimed at India’s shadow economy. But 

the ensuing cash crunch has caused 

job losses, disrupted supply chains and 

slowed construction activity. 

With cash shortages showing no 

signs of abating, some economists 

are calling for emergency stimulus to 

cushion the economy against the impact 

of demonetisation. 

Ambit Capital, a Mumbai brokerage, 

forecasts growth this fiscal year will be 

only half of the roughly 7% level many 

expect. The Reserve Bank of India has 

shaved its growth outlook by half a 

percentage point to 7.1%. 

To make up for their losses, states 

are seeking compensation and will 

press their case at a meeting in New 

Delhi on Thursday and Friday with Finance 

Minister Arun Jaitley. 

Counting costs 

The quibble is not just over lost revenue. 

Some states worry about the social 

and political costs of demonetisation. 

Take Kerala, where credit cooperatives 

that farmers and retired government 

workers rely on cannot swap 

old bills or issue fresh notes. The state 

alleges this has encouraged commercial 

banks to scout for their deposits, 

sparking a “run” on them. 

Odhisa’s chief minister has written 

to Modi, saying curbs imposed on primary 

agriculture societies were making 

it difficult for farmers to access crop 

loans and procurement payments. • 

A front page of a Chinese newspaper with a photo of US Presidentelect 

Donald Trump and the headline 'Outsider counter attack' is 

displayed at a newsstand in Beijing, China 

AP 

ANALYSIS 

Trump should learn 

from India to deal 

with China 

• Tribune International Desk 

US President-elect Donald 

Trump can take strategy lessons 

from one Asian country 

on how to effectively deal 

with China without the latter 

blowing its gasket, suggests 

noted American magazine 

Foreign Policy. 

The entire world by now 

knows about how China 

threw a fit because of Trump’s 

unintended or deliberate 

gaffe in taking a congratulatory 

call from Taiwan’s President. 

As well, about how US 

State Department mandarins 

have been wringing their 

hands ever since this ‘sleight’ 

to China by ignoring the decades-old 

‘One China’ policy. 

What they seem to have 

forgotten, or overlooked, is 

that one particular country got 

away without acknowledging 

there is just ‘One China’, which 

is mainland China, not Taiwan. 

And that country did it not just 

without blow-back, it even 

worked the situation to its advantage. 

That country is India. 

How India dealt with China 

The article talks about how 

in 2010, the Congress party-led 

Manmohan Singh government 

took “uncharacteristically 

swift and punitive 

action” against China and 

suspended all bilateral military 

ties and any form of joint 

exercises. This was done in 

retaliation for China refusing 

a visa to Lieutenant General 

BS Jaswal because he was 

then on head of India’s military 

command in Kashmir. 

Being Pakistan’s “all-weather 

friend”, meant Beijing was refusing 

to acknowledge Indian 

sovereignty over Kashmir. 

“For India to agree on 

a one-China policy, China 

should reaffirm a one-India 

policy,” External Affairs Minister 

Sushma Swaraj said right 

before Chinese President Xi 

Jinping’s first trip to New Delhi 

in September 2014. “When 

they raised the issue of Tibet 

and Taiwan with us, we 

shared their sensitivities.... 

They should understand 

and appreciate our sensitivities 

regarding Arunachal 

Pradesh,” the minister added. 

“More important, six years 

after India’s change of heart on 

One-China policy, it has suffered 

no discernible political or economic 

backlash that can be tied 

to the policy shift... It’s notable, 

then, that beyond its broad refusal 

to endorse the One-China 

policy, New Delhi has given no 

indication that it plans to walk 

back its repeated reaffirmations 

of Chinese sovereignty over Tibet 

(much less Taiwan). 

On the other hand, Prime 

Minister Modi has adopted 

several initiatives short of that 

threshold to signal a more defiant 

posture on Tibet and the 

border dispute,” notes Foreign 

Policy. There’s more. 

“It’s notable, then, that 

beyond its broad refusal to 

endorse the One-China policy, 

New Delhi has given no indication 

that it plans to walk 

back its repeated reaffirmations 

of Chinese sovereignty 

over Tibet. • 

[This is an excerpt of a Foreign 

Policy magazine article, which 

can be found at http://atfp. 

co/2hDZV5s]

World 

11 


DT 

This file photo taken on November 15 shows a placard reading ‘Trump 

Make Israel Great Again’ in Tel Aviv 

AFP 

Trump, Netanyahu 

urge Obama to veto 

UN resolution on 

halting settlements 

• Reuters, Jerusalem 

US President-elect Donald 

Trump and Israeli Prime Minister 

Benjamin Netanyahu 

urged the Obama administration 

on Thursday to veto a UN 

Security Council draft resolution 

calling for an immediate 

halt to settlement building on 

occupied land that Palestinians 

want for a state. 

Netanyahu took to Twitter 

in the dead of night in Israel to 

make the appeal, in a sign of 

concern that President Barack 

Obama might take a parting 

shot at a policy he has long opposed 

and a right-wing leader 

with whom he has had a rocky 

relationship. 

Hours later, Trump, posting 

on Twitter and Facebook, said: 

“The resolution being considered 

at the United Nations Security 

Council regarding Israel 

should be vetoed.” 

Trump said that “as the 

United States has long maintained, 

peace between the 

Israelis and Palestinians will 

only come through direct 

negotiations between the 

parties, and not through the 

imposition of terms by the 

United Nations”. 

Egypt circulated the draft 

on Wednesday evening and 

the 15-member council is due 

to vote on Thursday, diplomats 

said. It was unclear, they 

said, how the United States, 

which has protected Israel 

from UN action, would vote. 

The resolution would demand 

Israel “immediately and 

completely cease all settlement 

activities in the occupied 

Palestinian territory, including 

East Jerusalem”. 

Obama critical of settlements 

Obama’s administration has 

been highly critical of settlement 

construction in the occupied 

West Bank and East 

Jerusalem. US officials said 

this month, however, the 

president was not expected 

to make major moves on Israeli-Palestinian 

peace before 

leaving office. 

Netanyahu said the United 

States “should veto the anti-Israel 

resolution at the UN Security 

Council on Thursday”. 

Israel’s far-right and settler 

leaders have been buoyed 

by the election of Trump, the 

Republican presidential candidate. 

He has already signalled 

a possible change in US policy 

by appointing one his lawyers 

- a fundraiser for a major Israeli 

settlement - as Washington’s 

new ambassador to Israel. 

In 2011, the United States 

vetoed a draft resolution condemning 

Israeli settlements 

after the Palestinians refused a 

compromise offer from Washington. 

Israel’s UN ambassador, 

Danny Danon, said on Israeli 

Army Radio: “In a few hours 

we will receive the answer 

from our American friends.” 

The draft text says the establishment 

of settlements 

by Israel has “no legal validity 

and constitutes a flagrant 

violation under international 

law”. 

It expresses grave concern 

that continuing settlement 

activities “are dangerously imperilling 

the viability of a twostate 

solution”. 

The United States says 

continued Israeli settlement 

building lacks legitimacy, but 

has stopped short of adopting 

the position of many countries 

that it is illegal under international 

law. Some 570,000 

Israelis live in the West Bank 

and East Jerusalem, areas Israel 

captured in a 1967 war. •

DT 

12 

Business 


CAPITAL MARKET SNAPSHOT: THURSDAY 

DSE Broad Index 4,956.7 0.7% ▲ Index 1,175.9 0.8% ▲ 30 Index 1,796.6 0.3% ▲ Turnover in Mn Tk 9,000.6 20.9% ▲ Turnover in Mn Vol 308.0 32.8% ▲ 

CSE All Share Index 15,249.1 0.7% ▲ 30 Index 13,503.0 0.8% ▲ Selected Index 9,251.0 0.7% ▲ Turnover in Mn Tk 493.2 40.6% ▲ Turnover in Mn Vol 19.6 42.9% ▲ 

Muhith: Bank merger law 

will be updated 

• Asif Showkat Kallol 

Bangladesh urges UK 

to lift ban on direct 

cargo flights 

• Tribune Business Desk 

Bangladesh Foreign Minister 

Mahmood Ali has urged the British 

government to lift the ban imposed 

on direct cargo flights from Dhaka 

to London. 

He came up with the call at a 

meeting with visiting Rushanara 

Ali MP, UK Prime Minister’s Trade 

Envoy for Bangladesh, held at the 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka 

Wednesday. 

The minister also expected 

Rushanara’s strong pursuance to 

her government for lifting the temporary 

ban, said a press release issued 

by the foreign ministry. 

Mahmood also hoped that 

Bangladesh will continue to enjoy 

the same – or better – facilities 

for duty-free, quota-free market 

access to the UK market for 

“Everything but Arms” products 

and services even after Brexit 

comes into force. 

Finance Minister AMA Muhith says Bank law needs to be updated DHAKA TRIBUNE 

Referring to the UK being the 

third largest country for exports 

from Bangladesh, the foreign 

minister requested the UK trade 

envoy to exchange trade delegations 

between the two countries 

to tap into the huge business and 

investment potential that Bangladesh 

delivers. 

He also congratulated Rushanara 

on her appointment as the UK 

Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for 

Bangladesh. 

Mahmood expressed his satisfaction 

over the signing of an MoU 

between Bangladesh Railway and 

British company DP Rail Ltd for 

setting up a 240km rail track between 

Dhaka and Payra seaport in 

Patuakhali. 

Mentioning this as the biggest-ever 

foreign direct investment, 

the foreign minister observed 

that this would be a major 

breakthrough in the public-private 

partnership area in Bangladesh. • 

The merger and insolvency provisions 

under the Bank Company 

Law will be amended by next two 

years, Finance Minister AMA Muhith 

said yesterday. 

“We need to strengthen the two 

provisions of the law because we 

need to be on par with the global 

banking laws,” he said at the inauguration 

of 10 branches of Mercantile 

Bank Limited, at the Westin 

Hotel Dhaka. 

Muhith said these provisions 

would be used in the coming days 

as 56 banks are operating in the 

country and that the number needs 

to be reduced. 

“There are 56 banks operating 

business in Bangladesh, which is a 

huge number for Bangladesh.” 

Bangladesh Bank Governor Fazle 

Kabir, Mercantile Bank Limited 

Chairman Shahidul Ahsan and 

the bank’s Managing Director Kazi 

Mashiur Rahman were also present. 

“Mercantile Bank has expanded 

its service. This is good for its clients 

as well as the country can benefit 

from its expansion economically,” 

finance minister said. 

“The money would of no use if 

they are not circulated. The banks 

are doing this job well. The circulation 

of money is also needed for 

the development of the banking 

system,” he added. 

Bangladesh Bank Governor Fazle 

Kabir said: “I believe the expansion 

of banking service will create a 

new horizon in the banking sector.” 

“We welcome this initiative. 

With the successful advancement 

of the growth, I would like to thank 

the authorities for the management 

of the bank efficiently,” he 

said. • 

Budget spending slows 

in first quarter 

• Asif Showkat Kallol 

The government has spent 

Tk41,908 crore or 12.30% of the total 

budget allocation of the current 

fiscal during the first quarter, according 

to a budget analysis of the 

finance ministry. 

At the same period last year, 

12.60% of the total budget allocation 

was spent. 

Finance Minister AMA Muhith 

will present a report on the country’s 

macroeconomic situation and 

budget implementation in next 

session of the parliament. 

In the current fiscal year, the 

budget deficit is estimated to be 

Tk97,853 crore, which is 5% of the 

country’s gross domestic product. 

The deficit is to be met by borrowing 

from foreign and local resources. 

A finance ministry official involved 

with budget expenditure 

said the reason behind the low expenditure 

rate is slow implementation 

of the annual development 

programme (ADP). 

In the first quarter, only 6.32% 

of the total ADP allocation was 

spent, which is the lowest in five 

years, earlier it was only 6.7% of 

the total ADP. 

Senior Finance Secretary Mahbub 

Ahmed said the bank borrowing 

had declined as the ministries 

and divisions did not complete 

their development projects in the 

current fiscal year. 

“Those ministries and divisions 

do not have enough capacity to utilise 

their development funds, and 

as a result most of the funds were 

returned at the end of the fiscal,” 

the secretary said. 

He said: “We had to reduce the 

current fiscal year’s bank borrowing 

outlay.” 

The government repaid the bank 

loans. Due to non-use of the funds 

in development projects, bank borrowing 

has dropped remarkably. 

The government’s bank borrowing 

target for the current fiscal year 

has been set at Tk38,938 crore. The 

government has repaid Tk3,047 crore 

in first three months of this fiscal. 

The target of the non-bank 

loan is Tk20,784 crore in the current 

budget from which the government 

borrowed Tk2,264 crore 

while borrowing from saving instruments 

stands at Tk8,702 crore 

in the first quarter. • 

Bankers’ role vital to promote SME 


Senior bankers and business leaders 

have said sustainable promotion 

of Small and Medium Enterprises 

(SMEs) is key to bolstering the country’s 

economy, BSS reports. 

They observed that both the 

public and private banking sector 

and other authorised financial institutions 

should take the responsibility 

of successful development of entrepreneurship 

and SME business. 

The observation came at the inaugural 

session of a two-day workshop 

styled “Financial Literacy for 

SME Bankers” held at the conference 

hall of local office of Bangladesh 

Bank in Rajshahi yesterday. 

A large number of senior officers 

from both public and private banks 

in the region participated in the 

workshop. 

SME Foundation hosted the 

workshop with the aim of familiarising 

the participants with the 

nature and process of entrepreneurship 

development, particularly SME 

entrepreneurship and its business. 

Managing Director of SME Foundation 

Shafiqul Islam and BB Executive 

Director Zinnatul Bakeya addressed 

the session as the chief and 

special guests respectively with BB 

General Manager Asim Kumar Mazumder 

in the chair. 

General Manager of SME Foundation 

Shaheen Anwar, President 

of Bangladesh Silk Industries Owners 

Association Liakat Ali, President 

of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce 

and Industry Md Muniruzzaaman 

and local unit president of Bangladesh 

Women Chamber of Commerce 

and Industry Prof Rojety 

Naznin spoke on the occasion. 

In his address, Shafiqul Islam 

asked the bankers to give more 

emphasis on the development of 

entrepreneurship through SME financing 

to accelerate the economic 

condition of the grass roots. 

Stressing the need for entrepreneurship 

development and increased 

financing for the SME sector, 

he also called for an increase in 

credit flow to the sector. 

SME sector can play an effective 

role in economic progress, employment 

generation and poverty reduction, 

Shafiqul said, adding that 

if SMEs are properly financed, the 

nation would be benefited. 

In this regard, he asked the 

bankers to expedite the SME credit 

programme through intensifying 

motivational, awareness building 

and monitoring activities to make 

the programme a total success. •

Business 13 

DT 


Investors look at computer screens showing stock information at a brokerage house in Shanghai REUTERS 

Most Asia markets lower 

after US losses 

• AFP, Hong Kong 

Asian markets mostly turned 

lower yesterday following a 

rare drop for this month on 

Wall Street, with concerns 

about Italy’s banking sector 

denting confidence. 

With dealers winding 

down for the Christmas break 

business is thinning, making 

swings sharper while profit-takers 

close in after the recent 

global rally. 

Trading floors from Asia to 

the Americas have been humming 

since Donald Trump 

last month won the US presidential 

election, with dealers 

betting his big-spending, 

tax-cutting policies will ramp 

up growth in the world’s top 

economy. 

That has also fuelled a 

surge on US markets, with all 

three main indexes clocking 

up record closes in December. 

However, the Dow 

slipped for just the fourth 

time this month, having hit 

multiple all-time highs and 

bearing down on the key 

20,000-point mark. 

And in early trade Asian 

markets followed their US 

counterpart’s lead. 

Tokyo ended down 0.1%, 

having risen for 10 of the previous 

12 sessions. 

“Moderate losses on Wall 

Street, underpinned by the 

fall in oil prices, are providing 

little inspiration for Asian 

markets today,” Jingyi Pan, a 

strategist at IG Asia in Singapore, 

told Bloomberg News. 

“Thin volumes are also providing 

little momentum for 

trade into the end of the year.” 

Hong Kong lost 0.8%, putting 

it into a correction - a 

10% drop from its recent high 

seen on September 9. 

Italy bank fears 

Singapore fell 0.7% and Seoul 

was 0.1% lower, while Taipei, 

Manila, Mumbai, Bangkok and 

Kuala Lumpur also retreated. 

But Sydney closed 0.5% 

higher and Wellington climbed 

0.7% after data showed the 

New Zealand economy grew 

more than expected July-September. 

Shanghai reversed 

early losses to end up 0.1%. 

Financial firms fell on 

worries over Italy, where the 

world’s oldest bank Monte dei 

Paschi di Siena plunged more 

than 12% as it struggles to stay 

afloat under massive debts. 

The lender’s troubles mirror 

a wider problem in Italy’s 

banking industry, which is 

buckling under bad loans, 

prompting parliament to approve 

a 20bn euro ($20.9bn) 

support package. 

There are fears a collapse 

in the country’s finance sector 

could batter the global 

banking industry. 

Expectations Trump’s 

spending will fuel inflation 

and force the Federal Reserve 

to hike interest rates have also 

boosted the dollar against all 

its peers and on Thursday it 

held its recent gains, sitting 

at 10-month highs against the 

yen and near 14-year highs 

versus the euro. • 

DSE closes week with further record 


The major price index of 

Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) 

reached about 24-month 

high yesterday maintaining 

high record like the last session 

of the previous week, 

reports BSS. 

DSEX, the major price 

index of DSE, added 31.01 

points over the week at 

4956.73 which was the highest 

after January 13, 2015 

when it closed at 4,969.73. 

But the blue-chip index 

DS30 ended over 9.36 points 

down at 1796.64. 

The average daily trade 

volume increased by 6.5% 

to 30.22 crore shares when 

the value surged by 2.3% to 

Tk934.51 crore. 

Of the 329 traded securities, 

189 closed higher against 

112 losing issues when 28 remained 

unchanged. 

The five major gaining 

companies included Zeal 

Bangla, IDLC, Emerald Oil, 

CMC Kamal and Eastern Lubricant. 

The five major losing companies 

included Progressive 

Life Insurance, NHFIL, MAR- 

ICO, Savar Refrigerator and 

Jamuna Oil. 

The top five turnover leaders 

were BBS, Apollo Ispat, 

Square Pharma, Saportl and 

Lafarge Surma Cement. 

Chittagong Stock Exchange 

(CSE) also closed the 

week up, with its major CAS- 

PI index ending 81.41 points 

higher at 15249.08. 

Like DSE, most of the issues 

traded here closed higher 

when both the trade value 

and the volume of shares increased 

significantly. • 

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14 


DT 

Business 

EU court lawyer deals blow to quick trade deals 

• AFP, Luxembourg 

EU trade deals require a potentially 

bruising process of ratification by 

all member states, a key opinion at 

the European Union’s highest court 

said, with possible consequences 

for Brexit. 

Britain hopes to win a fast-track 

trade deal with Europe after it negotiates 

its divorce from the EU but 

Wednesday’s opinion, if followed 

by the bloc’s highest court, could 

cripple that plan. The view of the 

European Court of Justice’s top advisor 

pertained to an EU-Singapore 

treaty signed in 2013. 

In her opinion, Advocate General 

Eleanor Sharpston found that 

the EU-Singapore trade deal “can 

only be concluded by the EU and 

the Member States acting jointly,” 

said a statement from the court 

summarising the decision. 

In denying the commission’s 

view, Sharpston said several parts 

of the agreement fell strictly under 

national competence, including 

“fundamental” norms involving the 

environmental policy. The ECJ is not 

obliged to follow the advocate general’s 

rulings when it hands down its 

final decision but it frequently does. 

A verdict by the ECJ is expected 

early next year and will stand as key 

jurisprudence for future trade deals 

including any deal with Britain. 

The opinion comes just months 

after the tiny region of Wallonia almost 

killed off a huge EU-Canada 

trade deal after years of talks. That 

tussle highlighted the dangers of a 

marathon ratification process that 

involves votes in more than 30 national 

or regional parliaments. •

Business 15 

DT 


Lessons from past haunt 

BOJ as yield rise sparks 

talk of tightening 

• Reuters 

CORPORATE NEWS 

For the first time in a decade 

the Bank of Japan is prepared 

to contemplate the possibility 

of a future rate rise – a radical 

shift for an extremely dovish 

central bank that now finds 

itself boxed into a corner by 

surging global bond yields. 

But that doesn’t mean the 

BOJ is anywhere close to pulling 

the trigger. 

Not only Governor Haruhiko 

Kuroda and one of his 

deputy governors Kikuo Iwata 

- widely regarded as the 

architects of the BOJ’s massive 

money-printing experiment, 

but many others on the 

nine-member board would 

need a significant change of 

heart. 

And central bank officials 

haunted by their two failures 

since 2000 to exit zero rates 

would rather be late in tightening 

than be caught out, and 

criticised, again for taking the 

steam out of the economy. 

“The last thing the BOJ 

wants is to be blamed for 

ruining a budding economic 

recovery and to be criticised 

yet again for doing too little 

to spur growth,” said a source 

familiar with the BOJ’s 

thinking. • 

Minister of State for Science and Technology, Yeafesh Osman has recently 

inaugurated an international conference on engineering materials and 

metallurgical engineering organised by BCSIR, said a press release 

Southeast Bank Limited has recently opened its 126th branch at Kansha 

Road, Singair in Manikganj, said a press release. The bank’s AMD, 

Muhammad Shahjahan inaugurated the branch 

Md Mokhlesur Rahman has recently 

been promoted as general manager 

of Janata Bank Limited, said a press 

release. He joined the bank as a senior 

officer in 1984 

Standard Bank Limited has recently opened its 109th branch at 

Goalanda More in Rajbari, said a press release. The bank’s managing 

director, Mamun-Ur-Rashid inaugurated the branch 

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16 


DT 

Feature 

The uncomfortable issue of ‘comfort women’ 

• Mahmood Sadi 

The issue of comfort women 

during the Pacific Theater of World 

War II is not something that is 

well depicted in the media for the 

common people. 

Perhaps, this fact alone will 

shed light on the rarity of available 

media content about comfort 

women that it took Cho-Jung Rae, 

a South Korean film director 14 

years and the contributions of 

75,000 individual donors to put 

the issue of ‘comfort women’ into 

the silver screen for the first time 

on a large scale. 

His movie Spirits’ Homecoming, 

released in 2016, was about two 

fictional Korean girls (though 

based on real facts), Jung-Min 

(14) and Young-hee (15) who 

were kidnapped by the Japanese 

Imperial Army and taken to a 

‘Comfort Station’ in China. 

The term ‘comfort women’ is a 

controversial term that refers to 

approximately 200,000 women 

who were recruited as prostitutes 

by the Imperial Japanese Army 

during World War II. 

Many of the young women 

were forced into servitude and 

exploited as sex slaves throughout 

Asia, becoming victims of the 

largest case of human trafficking in 

the 20th century. 

A New York Times report said 

that the idea of comfort women 

first came from a lieutenant 

paymaster in Japan’s Imperial 

Navy named Yasuhiro Nakasone, 

who was stationed at Balikpapan 

on the island of Borneo. There, 

he was assigned to oversee the 

construction of an airfield. But 

he found that sexual misconduct, 

gambling and fighting were so 

prevalent among his men that the 

work was stalled. 

As a solution, Nakasone 

organised a military brothel, or 

‘comfort station’. After the success 

of his venture, the same idea 

was replicated by thousands of 

Imperial Japanese Army and Navy 

officers across the Indo-Pacific, 

both before and during World 

War II, as a matter of policy. From 

Nauru to Vietnam, from Burma to 

Timor, women were treated as the 

first reward of conquest. 

So, by definition, the trade 

of comfort women is thus a 

massive violation of human 

rights. Interestingly, countries 

like Korea, China, Taiwan which 

have suffered most by the Imperial 

Japanese Army on the issue of 

comfort women have left out 

Photos: AP 

this issue from their textbooks, 

leaving the individuals embroiled 

in the atrocious practice to be 

remembered merely as abstract 

characters in a taboo history. 

On 1993, Japan’s Chief Cabinet 

Secretary Kōno Yōhei issued an 

official declaration on comfort 

women which conclusively 

said, referring to a Japanese 

government study, that in many 

cases, the comfort women were 

recruited against their own will, 

through coaxing coercion, etc, 

and that, at times, administrative/ 

military personnel directly took 

part in the recruitments. They 

lived in misery at comfort stations 

under a coercive atmosphere. 

Interestingly, at present, the 

Japanese military’s involvement 

in comfort stations is bitterly 

contested. The Japanese 

government led by Shinzo Abe 

denies that imperial Japan ran a 

system of human trafficking and 

coerced prostitution, implying 

that comfort women were simply 

camp-following prostitutes. 

The official narrative in Japan 

is fast becoming detached from 

reality, as it seeks to cast the 

Japanese people, rather than the 

comfort women of the Asia-Pacific 

theater, as the victims of this 

story. The Abe administration 

sees this historical revision as 

integral to restoring Japan’s 

imperial wartime honour and 

modern-day national pride. But 

the broader effect of the campaign 

has been to cause Japan to back 

away from international efforts 

against human rights abuses and 

to weaken its desire to be seen as a 

responsible partner in prosecuting 

possible war crimes. 

Academicians however 

argue that the history of the 

comfort women is not (as some 

commentators in both countries 

wish to portray it) an issue of 

Japanese-versus-Koreans. It is an 

issue of human rights and human 

dignity whose implications 

extend throughout East Asia and 

beyond. •

Feature 

17 


DT 

Discovering 

our heritage – 

Puthia 

• Nahin Taher 

History and its beauty, diminishes 

with the fall of its place and 

time. Once an edifice, which has 

paved its way to be marked as a 

heritage, falls, it is simply because 

it lacks proper maintenance by the 

government. A heritage tells us 

about its origin; about our origin. 

But, unfortunately we neglect our 

past and see it decline with time, 

eradicating indiscriminately like its 

origin. One such land that lost all 

is Puthia. 

Puthia is an upazila in Rajshahi 

district. From Puthia to Rajshahi, 

the distance is about 30km. Puthia 

can be easily located as it is beside 

the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway. In 

its initial days, it was a village 

of Laskarpur Pargana, named 

after Laskar Khan. Puthia can be 

accessed by a side road off the 

main street, where the temple 

complex of Puthia lies, with its 

splendid and aristocratic late 19th 

century palace, and some of the 

finest Hindu temples within the 

country. 

The Rajbari of Puthia is 

surrounded by many 

lakes, which act as 

boundaries and covers 

4.31 acres of land. 

The Rajbari was once 

surrounded by strong 

walls, but the remains of 

it has been damaged in 

various places now. The 

palace is divided into four 

courts: Kachari (office) 

Angan (court), Mandir 

angan or Gobindabari 

(temple court), Andar 

Mahal (inner quarters) 

and Residence of 

Maharani Hemanti 

Kumari. 

Each room of the 

Rajbari is built around 

the courts in the palace, with the 

exception of the kachari angan. The 

courts of the palace are one storey 

high. The west entrance gate of the 

palace leads to kachari angan, while 

the other leads to the Temple or 

Gobindabari courts. Each portico is 

supported by four semi-Corinthian 

columns, which are as tall as the 

full height of the building. The 

upper part of the building is also 

supported by four semi Corinthian 

pillars. On the east side of the 

Rajbari, there is a wooden staircase, 

which leads to the upper floor. 

There are three rooms of different 

sizes and out of these three, two 

were used as treasure vaults. In the 

west, there are four rooms with 

two protruding verandas. Close 

to Gobindabari, there are two 

small rooms with a veranda. 

Sadly, most of the 

rooms built on the 

eastern and southern 

sides of kachari 

angan are at ruins. 

The northern wing of 

the building has two 

floors. The upper floor 

has six large rooms. 

In the hallway of the 

Rajbari, there is a wide 

veranda with two 

balconies on either 

sides. 

At the centre of 

the Rajbari, there 

is the Pancharatna 

Bara Gobinda temple, 

which is beautifully 

ornamented with 

terracotta. In the 

western part of the 

Rajbari, there are 

two rooms with 

several toilets. This 

lies mainly in the 

Ander Mahal of the 

Rajbari. The western 

wing, which is mainly 

the Andar Mahal, is 

impoverished. 

The eastern part 

of Ander Mahal, where Rani 

Hermanta Kumari lived, is one 

storey. It has a porch in front, along 

with a central reception hall, with 

nine big rooms. The wide verandas 

have arches in the front and the 

back. Most of the roofs are 

made out of iron and wood. 

Most of the terracotta 

relics of the temples that 

surround the palace in 

Puthia, such as the Chotto Anik 

Temple, Boro Gobindo Temple 

and Chotto Gobindo Temple, have 

been either stolen or destroyed. 

The others are at grave risk, as 

those are almost at the brink of 

decaying, due to high salinity. 

Sheer carelessness and 

lack of responsibility of the 

government and the Department 

of Archaeology and History, is 

pushing this exquisite site to 

lose its existence completely. 

Till now, there has not been any 

effective initiative taken by them 

to preserve the palace and its 

surrounding temples. During the 

last 30 years, the failure of the 

Department and was evident, 

when they couldn’t even put up 

a mere boundary wall in place for 

the protection of the temple and 

the palace. Relics, terracotta motifs 

and artefacts are being looted 

every other day. 

This 400 year-old edifice is now 

a common site for cattle grazing. 

The government has not declared 

the importance of Puthia’s heritage 

to tourism till date. The beautiful 

palace, which once stood with 

pride because of it terracotta 

motifs, is diminishing with time. 

Most of the terracotta motifs are 

stolen due to absence of proper 

preservation and care from the 

Department of Archaeology and 

History. • 

Photos: Syed Zakir Hossain

18 


DT 

Health 

Is it a good idea for me to go to a 

psychologist? 

will help you get to those, he or 

she can also help you handle the 

issues immediately facing your 

health like, addictions, eating 

disorders, stress management and 

insomnia. 

Phobia 

The fear of heights and insects 

are common phobias, but some 

unusual and unwarranted fears 

can create substantial problems in 

your life. For example, sitophobia 

(fear of eating) may lead to serious 

health problems. A psychologist 

can help you to overcome your 

fears so that you can live without 

polyphobia (fear of many things) 

or phobophobia (fear of fear). 

• Moumita Ahmed 

Our society still shows antiquated 

and oblivious thoughts regarding 

psychiatrists. Psychiatric patients 

and therapists have dependably 

been stigmatised. And, the reasons 

for this stigmatisation are many 

– fear, prejudices, discrimination, 

and the lack of knowledge. 

But life is hardly ever without 

its difficulties and challenges. 

There are a few, in any case, that 

can be overbearing to the point 

that it appears to be difficult 

to move on. Whether it’s the 

overpowering sentiments of 

tension or the loss of a friend or 

family member, it is important 

for you to realise that help is 

accessible for each issue life tosses 

your direction. 

Let’s look at a few instances 

where a psychologist may be able 

to help us cope with such hidden 

issues. 

Loss 

Death is an unavoidable part of 

life, but that doesn’t make it any 

simpler to manage. Everyone 

handles the loss of a loved one 

differently. The common ways 

are grieving privately or openly, 

but avoiding the realities of loss 

can lead to lingering problems. 

A psychologist can help you find 

proper ways to cope with the 

death of someone close to you. 

Stress and anxiety 

Certain aspects of life are stressful, 

and many situations — from a job 

interview to relationship issues — 

can cause you to feel restless and 

anxious. If you ignore the things 

that lead to stress and anxiety, 

it can lead to social isolation, 

depression, and a large number 

of different issues. A psychologist 

can help you oversee stress and 

nervousness, by finding the source 

or reason for your issues, as well 

as proper approaches to conquer 

them. 

Depression 

Overwhelming sentiments 

of vulnerability or sadness 

are common indications of 

depression. While many believe 

that people can simply “snap out” 

of their misery or depression, 

it seldom happens. Depression 

is a common disorder where 

individuals lose enthusiasm for 

things, experience weariness, and 

frequently experience difficulty 

controlling their emotions. 

Psychologists can help you find 

the cause of your depression, the 

first step often is to feel better. 

Family and relationship 

issues 

Whether personal, family, or 

work-related, every relationship 

has its ups and downs. While it can 

be one of the best things in life, 

a relationship can definitely be a 

the reasons for this stigmatisation 

are many – fear, prejudices, 

discrimination, and the lack of 

knowledge 

source of stress and problems as 

well. Working with a psychologist, 

individually or in a group, can 

resolve wrinkles that can frame in 

even the strongest relationships. 

Photos : Bigstock 

Bad habits and addiction 

Some bad habits like smoking, 

drinking, and drug abuse, are 

frequently used to escape or 

self-medicate bigger and hidden 

issues. While your psychologist 

Mental clarity 

A psychologist can help you 

enhance your mental clarity by 

going about as an unprejudiced set 

of ears. Often, patients find their 

own solutions just by listening to 

themselves discuss it out loud. 

Essentially, discussing their issues 

and getting them out in the open, 

help individuals improve their 

mental clarity, be more able to 

concentrate, and become more 

task-orientated. Psychologists are 

trained to be great listeners. 

Mental disorder 

Sometimes, there are numerous 

side effects which are caused by 

bigger issues. Mental disorders 

can show themselves in several 

ways and are frequently disguised 

as something else, and can only 

be revealed with the assistance 

of a mental health professional. 

Some mental disorders with 

varying symptoms include: 

bipolar disorder, major depressive 

disorder, schizophrenia, and posttraumatic 

stress disorder.•

| ceremony | 

Biz Info 

ULAB’s 4th convocation held 

The University of Liberal Arts 

Bangladesh (ULAB) held its 

fourth convocation yesterday at 

the Bangabandhu International 

Conference Centre (BICC), 

Dhaka. Minister for Education, 

Nurul Islam Nahid, declared 

the opening of the Convocation 

2016 on behalf of the Chancellor 

while the convocation speech 

was delivered by eminent human 

rights activist, Advocate Sultana 

Kamal. Professor Abdul Mannan, 

Chairman, University Grants 

Commission of Bangladesh was 

present as special guest. 

Addressing the graduating 

students, Education Minister 

Nurul Islam Nahid urged them 

to use their education to become 

real assets of the country. “The 

progress of our nation depends 

on your future activities,” he said, 

adding, “you have to be world 

class citizens using your talents 

and skills.” 

UGC Chairman Professor 

Abdul Mannan underscored the 

need to be historically conscious 

of the sacrifices made by our 

freedom fighters and dedicate 

ourselves to the development of 

the country. 

In her convocation speech, 

Advocate Sultana Kamal 

highlighted the ethos of liberal 

humanism and requested the 

students to devote themselves 

in protecting human dignity 

and rights. She also asked the 

students to be tolerant in a 

world that is becoming very 

divisive. 

ULAB Acting Vice Chancellor 

Professor Imran Rahman 

delivered the welcome speech 

and led the convocation 

ceremony. 

Vice President of the 

ULAB Board of Trustees Dr 

Kazi Anis Ahmed maintained 

that education should be a 

combination of rationalism and 

imagination. 

A message from the Founder & 

Chaiman Kazi Shahid Ahmed was 

also read out during the event. 

The theme for ULAB’s 

convocation this year, was 

“Journey towards Excellence.” 

The theme reflects the 

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain 

connection between liberal 

arts education and human 

excellence. Around 1,325 

graduates from undergraduate 

(1,031) and graduate (294) 

programs received their 

certificates this year. 

The honour of being named 

this year’s valedictorian went 

to Hosneara Yeasmin Eti from 

the English and Humanities 

Department, as well as being 

the recipient of the Gold Medal 

from the Graduate Programs. 

The other Gold Medalist from 

the Undergraduate Programs was 

Azharul Alam. • 

The Finance Minister, Abul Maal 

Abdul Muhith, inaugurated 10 

new branches of Mercantile Bank 

Limited in different locations 

across the country, through video 

conference at an event yesterday, 

at The Westin, Dhaka. Fazle 

Kabir, Governor of Bangladesh 

Bank was present as special 

guest on the occasion while the 

Bank Chairman, Shahidul Ahsan, 

presided over the grand ceremony. 

AKM Shaheed Reza, Vice 

Chairman, Mohd. Selim, 

Chairman, Executive Committee; 

Al-Haj Akram Hussain (Humayun), 

M Amanullah, Md Abdul Hannan 

and Al-Haj Mosharref Hossain, 

Dr Md Rahmat Ullah, Directors; 

Sponsors S M Shafiqul Islam 

(Mamun) & Md Nasiruddin 

Choudhury and Sponsor 

Shareholder S M Abdul Mannan 

and M A Khan Belal, Additional 

Managing Directors Monindra 

19 


DT 

| launching | 

Mercantile Bank Limited digitally 

inaugurates 10 new branches 

Kumar Nath and Md Quamrul 

Islam Chowdhury, Deputy 

Managing Directors Mohammad 

Masoom, Mati-Ul-Hasan and Gaus- 

Ul-Wara Md Mortaza and other 

officials of the bank were present. 

Many respected businessmen 

and elites of the society, journalists 

from print and electronic media 

were also present at the event. 

The Finance Minister, who 

was chief guest, congratulated 

Mercantile Bank for such an 

extraordinary initiative. He also 

said that this pioneering initiative 

from a technological aspect will 

definitely be a significant leap 

towards achieve the nation’s 

‘Digital Bangladesh’ goal. 

Shahidul Ahsan, Chairman of 

the bank expressed his gratitude 

and thanks to all who were present 

as well as his whole team for 

successful completion of such a 

challenging program. • 

| program | 

Role Reversal Program at Le Méridien Dhaka 

Le Méridien Dhaka initiated a day 

long Role Reversal Program with 

their associates on December 19. 

The Role Reversal is an initiative 

of Le Méridien Dhaka, where high 

performing associates are selected 

to perform senior management 

roles for a full working day, while 

the senior management takes on 

entry level positions. 

The day long program 

was celebrated with top level 

management playing the roles 

of doorman, bellman, steward, 

waiter, public area attendant 

and assistant technicians, while, 

the associates played the role 

of General Manager, Director of 

Sales and Marketing, Director of 

Food and Beverage, Executive 

Housekeeper, Director of Human 

Resource and various other 

managerial roles. 

On this occasion, the General 

Manager of Le Méridien Dhaka, 

Ashwani Nayar who was the 

doorman for the day, stated, 

“The Role Reversal Program is a 

learning and motivational program 

were management relives the 

life of their earlier experiences 

and also learn to blend in with 

the recent generations. On the 

other hand this program offers 

an aspirational goal to associates 

as they learn to appreciate the 

responsibility attached with senior 

positions in the organisation.” 

Meanwhile, the Director of Human 

Resource, Arman Huda who was 

a waiter for the day, said, “The 

program created a happy working 

environment among the associates 

at all levels and great bonding by 

recognising the efforts of those 

associates who work at the root 

level.” 

The management of Le 

Méridien Dhaka hopes to build 

great future leaders, who will 

revive their future aspirational 

managerial roles by taking top 

positions and process towards 

becoming strategical decision 

makers. •

DT 

20 

Editorial 


TODAY 

No place 

to call home 

There is still time as the bill is yet to 

become law, but the clock is ticking. The 

next parliamentary session is around 

the corner. The government must be 

put under pressure to bring the draft 

in line with Bangladesh’s international 

obligations and the Constitution 

PAGE 21 

The scenic tour 

For achieving the SDGs through 

tourism, we need cooperation from 

various ministries as well as private 

tourism stake-holders 

PAGE 22 

ROBIN CHOWDHURY 

Save our rivers before it is too late 

A social cancer 

Within the discourse of harassment, 

more often than the other sex, it is 

predominantly women who are the 

victims 

PAGE 23 

Be heard 

Write to Dhaka Tribune 

FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, 

Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207 

Send us your Op-Ed articles: 

opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com 

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https://www.facebook.com/ 

DhakaTribune. 

The views expressed in opinion 

articles are those of the authors 

alone and they are not the 

official view of Dhaka Tribune 

or its publisher. 

It is a sad commentary that a country known for rivers has allowed its 

rivers to be polluted to this extent. 

A recent study reveals that the rivers Buriganga, Shitalakkhya, 

Dhaleshwari, Turag Bongshi, and Balu are so severely contaminated 

that it is impossible to even treat the water to make it usable for humans. 

Such levels of pollution spells death for aquatic life, and even various 

industries. 

This situation is nothing short of tragic. Bangladesh is a riverine country, 

with rivers inextricably tied to not just our heritage but also our livelihood. 

It is time, then, to get serious about protecting the rivers that can still be 

saved. 

The government has done a good thing in setting up a high-level 

committee to save rivers around Dhaka and Chittagong’s Karnaphuli. It is 

certainly high time that such an initiative was undertaken. 

The committee would do well to stop the continuous discharge of the 

thousands of tons of industrial waste, garbage, and sewage water into our 

rivers. 

In the past, we have seen projects to clean up rivers such as 

Shitalakkhya fail because of the impunity granted to polluters. 

Industrial sites such as tanneries also need to be relocated away from 

rivers. 

Ultimately, it is blatant disregard for the law and the environment which 

has made cleaning up our rivers such a difficult endeavour. 

Needless to say, polluters must pay the price for the damage they have 

caused. 

Recently, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stressed the importance of 

protecting our water resources. Every living organism requires water to 

survive. As such, it is the most precious commodity on the planet. 

It is, then, a shame how we have abused and failed to protect our rivers. 

We have made mistakes in the way we have treated our rivers so far. Let 

us not continue to make those mistakes in the future. 

We have made mistakes in 

the way we have treated 

our rivers so far. Let us not 

continue to make those 

mistakes in the future

No place to call home 

Opinion 21 

A law that stands in the way of human rights cannot be allowed to pass 

DT 


• Rashna Imam 

Citizenship has been aptly 

described as “the right to 

have rights.” It not only 

provides a person with a 

sense of identity and belonging, 

but also full state protection in 

the form of access to and the 

enjoyment of many human rights 

-- including education, health 

care, legal employment, property 

ownership, political participation, 

and freedom of movement. 

Part of the Constitution 

guarantees citizens of Bangladesh 

all the fundamental rights 

contained in it. Only a limited set 

of fundamental rights have been 

guaranteed to persons who are not 

citizens of Bangladesh. 

As such, it does not come 

as a surprise that a number of 

widely-ratified human rights 

treaties have recognised the 

fundamental importance of the 

right to citizenship. The Universal 

Declaration of Human Rights, 

which Bangladesh has ratified, 

states, in unequivocal terms, 

in Article 15: “Everyone has the 

right to a nationality. No one 

shall be arbitrarily deprived of his 

nationality nor denied the right to 

change his nationality.” 

Citizenship laws of member 

states are required to ensure that 

individuals are not arbitrarily 

deprived of their citizenship, that 

men and women enjoy equality 

in citizenship matters, and that 

children are granted a nationality 

in circumstances in which they 

would otherwise be stateless. 

The objective behind the 

proposed Citizenship Bill should 

have been two-fold. 

First, to update, improve, and 

consolidate the existing laws 

on citizenship, currently spread 

across the Citizenship Act, 1951 

and the Bangladesh Citizenship 

Order (Temporary Provisions) 

Order, 1972 -- and the rules 

framed under it. And secondly, 

to reform our citizenship laws to 

prevent new cases of statelessness 

and to resolve long-standing 

statelessness situations, thus 

discharging our international 

obligations in this regard. 

Unfortunately, the bill, as it now 

stands, is unlikely to serve any of 

the above objectives. 

To make matters worse, some 

of its provisions are downright 

unconstitutional for violating the 

fundamental rights guaranteed 

under the Constitution. Civil 

society organisations like Refugee 

and Migratory Movements 

Research Unit (RMMRU) and 

BLAST have organised a number 

of workshops to raise awareness 

about the glaring deficiencies of 

the bill. 

A number of the provisions 

are susceptible to abuse by the 

government of the day as critical 

words and phrases have not been 

defined or explained. For example, 

a person will not be qualified to 

acquire citizenship by descent, if 

his or her parents were involved in 

“any activity against Bangladesh,” 

-- a phrase that has not been 

defined in the bill. 

A person may be disqualified 

for citizenship if he expresses 

“direct or indirect allegiance to a 

foreign state” -- again a phrase that 

has not been defined despite being 

of great import; and a person’s 

citizenship may be cancelled if he 

acts in a manner that goes against 

the sovereignty of Bangladesh or 

the Constitution of Bangladesh. 

The bill provides no guidance as 

to the activities that are likely to be 

considered against Bangladesh’s 

sovereignty or its Constitution. 

The bill has the potential 

to render several categories 

Fundamental flaws in the proposed Citizenship Bill can rob many of basic human rights 

There is still time as the bill is yet to become law, but the clock is ticking. 

The next parliamentary session is around the corner. The government 

must be put under pressure to bring the draft in line with Bangladesh’s 

international obligations and the Constitution 

of people stateless, including 

unregistered dwellers of recently 

exchanged enclaves, children born 

overseas to Bangladeshi nationals 

living overseas who may not be 

registered within the short timeframe, 

illegal immigrants, etc. 

Thus adding to the global 

problem of statelessness. 

The bill renders minor children 

stateless by disqualifying them 

from citizenship, if their parents 

have renounced Bangladeshi 

citizenship. There being no 

guarantee that the country 

whose citizenship the parents are 

acquiring confer citizenship of the 

child. 

India has effectively dealt with 

this issue -- a parallel provision in 

the Citizenship Act 1955 of India 

gives that child the option to 

resume Indian citizenship within 

one year of attaining full age, if 

he/she wishes to do so. We see no 

such provision in our bill. 

The bill discriminates between 

citizens by birth and all other types 

of citizens, thus creating secondclass 

citizens who do not enjoy 

the full set of rights conferred to 

citizens by birth. Persons acquiring 

citizenship by descent, marriage, 

and naturalisation, honorary 

citizens and dual citizens cannot 

be elected for the positions of 

member of parliament, president, 

local government and also cannot 

be appointed as a government 

servant or a judge and cannot 

form or be involved in or support a 

political party. 

This is contrary to Article 27 of 

the Constitution that guarantees 

that all citizens are equal before 

the law and are entitled to equal 

protection of the law. Once a 

person has acquired citizenship 

under the bill, the Constitution 

demands that he or she be given 

the same set of rights as any other 

citizen, irrespective of whether the 

citizenship was acquired by birth 

or descent or naturalisation. 

The bill fails to recognise 

children as individuals with 

personal rights, holds children 

accountable for actions of their 

parents by depriving them of 

citizenship -- thus exposing them 

to human rights violations. Having 

ratified the Convention on the 

Rights of the Child, Bangladesh is 

under an international obligation 

to reform its laws to ensure these 

rights and more to children. 

Problems aside, the 

bill, if enacted as it stands, 

represents an opportunity lost. 

Illegal immigrants like the 

Rohingyas have been excluded 

unconditionally from citizenship. 

Lessons may be learned in 

this regard from India -- the 

Citizenship Amendment Bill 

2016 that amends the Citizenship 

Act 1955 of India, makes illegal 

migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, 

Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and 

Christians from Afghanistan, 

Bangladesh, and Pakistan, eligible 

for citizenship. 

While the constitutionality of 

such a provision that makes illegal 

migrants eligible for citizenship 

on the basis of religion may be 

questioned for violating the right 

BIGSTOCK 

to equality, the bill at least offers 

a legalisation mechanism for 

illegal immigrants. We see no such 

mechanism in our bill. 

A mechanism could have 

easily been carved out in the bill 

to legalise illegal immigrants in 

phases, beginning with temporary 

work and residence rights, moving 

to permanent residency for 

workers who meet requirements, 

etc. 

A prolonged and rigorous 

pre-legislative scrutiny of the bill 

would have probably addressed 

these deficiencies or at least 

highlighted them on time. 

Unfortunately, the bill was neither 

published in the Law Ministry’s 

website for wider public scrutiny 

nor highlighted by the media. 

Nevertheless, there is still time 

as the bill is yet to become law, 

but the clock is ticking. The next 

parliamentary session is around 

the corner. The government must 

be put under pressure to bring the 

draft in line with Bangladesh’s 

international obligations and the 

Constitution. 

Needless to say, the media can 

play a critical role in this regard, 

and if, by dint of public apathy, 

the bill is placed before the 

parliament, as it is, one can only 

hope that the good sense of our 

parliamentarians will prevail. • 

Rashna Imam, an Oxford Scholar, is 

a practicing Barrister of the Supreme 

Court of Bangladesh and the Managing 

Partner of Akhtar Imam & Associates.

22 


DT 

Opinion 

The scenic tour 

We can meet the SDGs by focusing on tourism 

For Bangladesh, tourism has immense potential 

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN 

• Md Ziaul Haque Howlader 

After the successful 

achievement of 

the Millennium 

Development Goals, 

the whole world is now focusing 

on the Sustainable Development 

Goals. Bangladesh is a great 

example of a country which has 

achieved most of the MDGs. It 

is a country that is now trying 

to embark on the right track to 

achieving the SDGs. 

Tourism is one of the world’s 

largest and fastest growing 

industries in the world. This 

industry is a significant source 

of foreign exchange and 

employment for developing 

countries all over the world. In the 

context of sustainable economic 

growth, employment-generation 

tourism can be an effective 

tool in achieving Sustainable 

Development Goals. 

Sustainable Development 

Goals number eight, 12, and 14 

are quite relevant in regards to 

the development of the tourism 

industry. Goals 13, 14, and 15 are 

connected to the sustainability 

of the environment, which can 

also contribute to eco-tourism 

development. Eco-responsible 

tourism is an essential part of 

sustainable tourism development. 

SDG number eight says: 

“Promote sustained, inclusive, and 

sustainable economic growth, full 

and productive employment, and 

decent work for all.” 

In line with this goal, target 8.9 

delineates: “By 2030, devise 

and implement policies to 

promote sustainable tourism that 

creates jobs and promotes local 

culture and products.” Here, the 

contribution of tourism to job 

creation may be recognised. The 

tourism industry can be the largest 

employment generation if proper 

allocation is made for sustainable 

project implementation. 

Goal number 12 spells out: 

“Ensure sustainable consumption 

and production patterns.” Target 

12b of this goal says: “Develop 

and implement tools to monitor 

sustainable development impacts 

for sustainable tourism which 

creates jobs, and promotes local 

culture and products.” We can 

relate this to the tourism sector as 

well. If the tourism sector adopts 

sustainable consumption and 

production practices, it can play a 

significant role in accelerating the 

global shift towards sustainability. 

Goal number 14 describes: 

“Conserve and sustainably use the 

oceans, seas, and marine resources 

for sustainable development.” 

To achieve this goal, target 

number 14.7 says: “By 2030, 

increase the economic benefits 

of Small Island Developing States 

and LDCs from the sustainable 

use of marine resources, including 

thorough sustainable management 

of fisheries, aquaculture, and 

tourism.” 

In line with this, we can link 

the development of coastal 

and marine tourism, which are 

the biggest segments of the 

For achieving the SDGs through tourism, we need cooperation from 

various ministries as well as private tourism stake-holders 

tourism industry, particularly for 

small island developing states. 

Tourism development must be 

a part of integrated coastal zone 

management for conserving and 

preserving fragile eco-system and 

serve as a vehicle to promote the 

blue economy. 

For the successful achievement 

of SDGs, just like certain other 

sectors in our country, tourism has 

great potential. 

Now, we need to undertake 

some specific programs in the 

context of the seventh Five-Year 

Plan targeting the SDGs. The 

programs need to be implemented 

properly and timely. 

The tourism policy also 

focuses on sustainable tourism 

development of Bangladesh. 

The government of Bangladesh 

has already undertaken various 

programs in line with the SDG 

targets. 

Meanwhile, the government 

has enacted various laws for 

sustainable growth, employment 

generation, and women 

empowerment. For achieving 

the SDGs through tourism, we 

need cooperation from various 

ministries as well as private 

tourism stake-holders. 

All of us have roles to play in 

various spheres targeting the 

SDGs. We are hopeful Bangladesh 

can again be a great example of 

meeting the SDGs. • 

Md Ziaul Haque Howlader is Manager, 

BPC.

Opinion 

23 


DT 

A social cancer 

Assaults on women are becoming increasingly violent 

• Syed Ashik-E-Elahi 

Eve teasing has become 

something akin to a 

social cancer in recent 

years, and often ends 

up in physical assault on girls 

and sometimes even rape. Law 

enforcement agencies and some 

non-government organisations 

in Bangladesh have been trying 

hard to curb eve teasing and the 

harassment of women in our 

society, but there seems to be no 

stop to these crimes. 

The recent cases of physical 

assault on women and girls seem 

to be more violent than those 

reported in the media some 15 to 

20 years ago. The attacks often 

leave them physically traumatised. 

Sometimes they even lose 

their lives at the hands of their 

attackers. 

A few months ago, a female 

student of class 10 was stabbed in 

Gazipur. She bled to death in front 

of the school gates. More recently, 

a schoolgirl in Chittagong studying 

in class eight was pushed off from 

the second floor of her tutor’s 

home by her stalker. The fall from 

the second floor of the building 

fractured her spine. And of course 

there was the brutal attack on 

Khadiza, a college student in 

Sylhet, an incident that shook the 

whole nation. 

Within the discourse of 

harassment, more often than the 

other sex, it is predominantly 

women who are the victims. 

Take a look at our neighbouring 

country Myanmar. Women there 

have been reported to be treated 

as nothing but objects of sexual 

pleasure. Women in the Syrian 

war are forcibly used as sexual 

entertainers by their captors. 

Now there are two important 

questions that we need to ask 

ourselves: Why are the culprits 

becoming more violent? And why 

are they becoming blind to family 

values? 

In this regard, as a teacher 

of sociology, I believe such 

phenomena are made possible 

by the fact that family values 

are getting weaker day by day. 

Material considerations such as 

jobs, money, and property are 

becoming the main focus in life. 

Joint families are giving way 

to nuclear ones, often as a result 

of people flocking to cities and 

looking for work. Everyone seems 

to be cautious about their personal 

well-being and safety, and remain 

oblivious to the concept of social 

security at large. As a result, 

crime and moral deterioration are 

becoming more common in our 

Women are under attack 

society. 

It is evident that such criminal 

activities are more acute in urban 

areas than in rural ones. Therefore, 

it is crucial that the government, 

as well as the general public, who 

are living in urban communities, 

come forward and take necessary 

steps. 

Such steps could include 

organising social gatherings and 

institutional awareness-raising 

programs, stressing the need 

for spending more time with 

family members, highlighting 

the negative impacts of not being 

integrated into society, and 

encouraging the masses to raise 

Within the discourse of harassment, more often than the other sex, it is 

predominantly women who are the victims 

their voices against any crime, 

especially the kind that involves 

assault on women. 

Society is an overarching 

concept that binds us together. 

We have to try our best to make 

ours a better place to live. Law 

enforcment agencies should take 

strict measures in order to bring to 

book the rascals who disrupt the 

general peace of our society. 

We cannot afford to let our 

nation fall prey to the ill wills of a 

few. • 

Syed Ashik-E-Elahi is an Assistant 

Professor of Sociology at Northern 

University Bangladesh. 

BIGSTOCK

DT 

24 

Sport 


TOP STORIES 

Tigers suffer 

three-wicket loss 

Visiting Bangladesh cricket team 

started their New Zealand tour on 

a losing note as the hosts beat the 

Tigers by three wickets in a rainaffected, 

43 overs per side practice 

game at Cobham Oval, Whangarei 

yesterday. PAGE 25 

Bayern hammer 

10-man Leipzig 

Robert Lewandowski led Bayern 

Munich to a 3-0 triumph in their 

Bundesliga showdown against 

ten-man RB Leipzig that opened 

up a three-point lead over their 

rivals. Coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed 

a “perfect” first half. PAGE 26 

Barcelona pummel 

Hercules in Copa 

Turkey international Arda Turan 

scored a hat-trick as holders 

Barcelona thrashed third-division 

side Hercules 7-0 in the second leg 

of their Copa del Rey last-32 tie. 

Turan struck his second hat-trick 

in as many weeks. PAGE 27 

Fast bowling sensation Mustafizur Rahman is now the first and only Bangladesh cricketer to win an annual ICC award 

WINNERS 

ICC CRICKETER OF THE YEAR 

(Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) 

Ravichandran Ashwin (India) 

ICC TEST CRICKETER OF THE 

YEAR Ravichandran Ashwin (India) 

ICC ODI CRICKETER OF THE YEAR 

Quinton de Kock (South Africa) 

ICC WOMEN’S ODI CRICKETER OF 

THE YEAR 

Suzie Bates (New Zealand) 

ICC WOMEN’S T20I CRICKETER 

OF THE YEAR 

Suzie Bates (New Zealand) 

ICC T20I PERFORMANCE OF THE 

YEAR 

Carlos Brathwaite (West Indies) (34 

not out, 10 balls, 1×4, 4×6, ICC WT20 

India 2016 final v England, Kolkata) 

ICC EMERGING CRICKETER OF 

THE YEAR 

Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh) 

ICC ASSOCIATE/AFFILIATE 

CRICKETER OF THE YEAR 

Mohammad Shahzad (Afghanistan) 

ICC SPIRIT OF CRICKET AWARD 

Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan) 

ICC UMPIRE OF THE YEAR 

(David Shepherd Trophy) 

Marais Erasmus 

Mustafizur named ICC Emerging 

Cricketer of the Year 

• Tribune Report 

Fast bowling sensation Mustafizur 

Rahman has been named the 

International Cricket Council’s 

Emerging Player of the Year, becoming 

the first Bangladesh cricketer 

to win an annual award of 

world cricket’s governing body. 

The left-arm fast bowler has 

registered impressive performances 

since his international 

debut in April, 2015. In the period 

under consideration (September 

2015-16), he picked up eight ODI 

wickets and 19 Twenty20 international 

wickets. 

“This award is the best gift of 

the year for me and will encourage 

me to do even better in the 

coming years. I’m delighted and 

proud to win this award, especially 

since this is the first time that a 

Bangladesh player has won an ICC 

award,” said Mustafizur. 

“Playing international cricket 

is a dream for every cricketer. And 

it has been a dream come true for 

me. I want to thank everyone who 

supported me over the years. I 

promise to give my best whenever 

I get the opportunity,” he added. 

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin 

became the third India player 

and 12th overall to win the prestigious 

Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy 

(Cricketer of the Year). He was also 

named the Test Cricketer of the 

Year, thus becoming the second 

India cricketer after Rahul Dravid 

(2004) to receive two awards in 

the same year. 

The top-ranked Test bowler 

took 48 wickets and scored 336 

runs in eight Tests during the voting 

period, in addition to 27 wickets 

in 19 T20Is. In 2016, he bagged 

72 wickets in 12 Tests and became 

the second-fastest bowler to take 

200 Test wickets. 

South African wicketkeeper-batsman 

Quinton de Kock was 

named the ODI Cricketer of the 

Year while West Indies all-rounder 

Carlos Brathwaite won the T20I 

Performance of the Year award 

for his match-winning 34 not out 

off 10 balls in the final of the 2016 

World T20 against England in Kolkata, 

India. 

Afghanistan stumper-batsman 

Mohammad Shahzad was adjudged 

the Associate/Affiliate Cricketer 

of the after the hard hitter batsman 

finished as the leading ODI 

run-scorer with 699 runs in 16 ODIs. 

New Zealand’s Suzie Bates 

was named the Women’s ODI and 

T20I Player of the Year while Pakistan 

captain Misbah-ul Haq was 

awarded with the Spirit of Cricket 

accolade.• 

Leicester triumph 

captures minds 

Leicester City Football Club’s 

fairytale Premier League title 

victory made 2016 the year of the 

underdog in English football, but 

as 2017 approaches, the giants 

are emerging from their peaceful 

slumbers. PAGE 28

Sport 25 

DT 


Khulna at the 

NCL summit 


Khulna moved to the top of the 

Tier 1 points table with 36 points after 

winning their round four game 

by 10 wickets within the third day 

against Barisal in the ongoing 18th 

National Cricket League. 

Khulna v Barisal, BKSP 3 

Khulna bagged a convincing win 

chasing down their target of just 12 

runs. Barisal resumed the day with 

10 runs on the board in their second 

innings. But they managed to 

post only 211 runs before losing all 

of their wickets. 

Later, Khulna chased down 

their target with ease in 1.4 overs. 

Ashiquzzaman was adjudged player 

of the Match for his nine wickets 

in the game. 

Dhaka v Dhaka Metro, Fatullah 

Dhaka recorded a five-wicket win 

over Dhaka Metro in what turned 

out to be a low-scoring affair at 

Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium. 

Dhaka Metro started the day from 

their overnight score of 27/4 but 

failed against a joint bowling effort 

by Dhaka. Dhaka Metro posted 125 

runs in their second innings and set 

Dhaka a 105-run target. 

In reply, Dhaka reached their 

destination in 31.5 overs with five 

wickets intact. 

Chittagong v Rangpur, Sylhet 

Rangpur, backed by their mammoth 

total in the first innings, are 

on track for a big win against Chittagong. 

Replying to Rangpur’s 450 

runs, Chittagong were all out for 

182. With the port city outfit 268 

runs behind in their first innings, 

Rangpur decided to impose the follow-on 

and at the end of day three, 

Chittagong trailed by 119 runs with 

a day and six wickets to spare. 

Rajshahi v Sylhet, Bogra 

Chasing 330 runs, Sylhet required 

another 302 runs with a day and 

nine wickets remaining. • 

18TH NCL, RD 4, 

DAY 3 

DHAKA METROPOLIS 166 & 125 in 

55.5 overs (Mehrab Jr 39, Sharif 3/24) 

lost to DHAKA 187 & 106/5 in 31.5 overs 

(Joyraj 30, Rony 4/42) by five wickets 

BARISAL 171 & 211 in 46.3 overs 

(Monir 70, Ashiquzzaman 6/57) lost to 

KHULNA 371 & 15/0 in 1.4 overs (Mehedi 

11*, Hasanuzzaman 0*) by 10 wickets 

RAJSHAHI 204 & 344 in 92.5 overs 

(Farhad 132, Junaid 78) lead SYLHET 

219 & 28/1 in 11 overs (Imtiaz 18*, Muktar 

1/10) by 302 runs 

RANGPUR 450 lead CHITTAGONG 

182 in 58 overs (Irfan 47, Saddam 3/36) 

& 149 in 56 overs (Pinak 45, Yasir 39*) 

by 119 runs 

Jasmin Akter participates in the women’s 100m hurdles during the ongoing National Athletics Championship at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday 

Tigers suffer three-wicket 

loss against NZ XI 


Visiting Bangladesh cricket team 

started their New Zealand tour on 

a losing note as the hosts beat the 

Tigers by three wickets in a rain-affected, 

43 overs per side practice 

game at Cobham Oval, Whangarei 

yesterday. 

Despite the loss, fast bowling 

sensation Mustafizur Rahman had 

a fruitful outing, bagging two wickets 

in his return to competitive action. 

This was his first match in five 

months after recovering from his 

shoulder surgery. 

Batting first, Bangladesh XI 

posted 245/8 in 43 overs with opening 

batsman Imrul Kayes, out-ofform 

Soumya Sarkar, BPL 4 man of 

the tournament Mahmudullah and 

wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur 

Rahim all registering starts. 

Mushfiq top-scored with 45 off 

41 balls, hitting two fours and a six 

while Soumya must have been a 

relieved man after scoring 40 off 47 

deliveries. Imrul Kayes made a brisk 

29-ball 36 and added 55 runs for the 

second wicket alongside Soumya. 

Mahmudullah on the other 

hand gave the opportunity to the 

others for some time in the middle 

as he retired after scoring a 46-ball 

43. Shakib added 23 off 35 balls, 

Sabbir Rahman made a 20-ball 11 

while Tanvir Haider scored 10 off 

nine balls. 

Captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza 

was not out on a 19-ball 21 but 

opener Tamim Iqbal missed out, 

making only one off five balls. 

Shawn Hicks and Brett Hampton 

shared four wickets between 

themselves. 

In reply, Ben Horne remained 

unbeaten on a 53-ball 60, featuring 

five fours, as New Zealand XI 

reached their target in 41.4 overs. 

Horne received valuable support 

from opener Ben Smith (50) and 

Bharat Popli (45). 

Mustafizur picked up the wickets 

of Ryan Duffy (four) and Henry 

Shipley (24) while Shakib bagged 

three wickets. Leg-spinner Tanvir 

Haider was expensive, leaking 59 

runs without success in nine overs. 

Bangladesh will travel to 

Christchurch today for the first of 

their three ODIs against the Black 

Caps, scheduled to be held on Boxing 

Day. The second and third ODI 

will be held at Saxton Oval, Nelson 

this Thursday and next Saturday 

respectively.• 

Bangladesh batsman Soumya Sarkar awaits his turn to bat during their practice 

match against New Zealand XI at Cobham Oval in Whangarei yesterday COURTESY 

SCORECARD 

MD MANIK 

BANGLADESH XI R B 

Tamim c Horne b McPeake 1 5 

Imrul c McEwan b Hampton 36 29 

Soumya c Smith b Shipley 40 47 

Mahmudullah retired not out 43 46 

Shakib c McEwan b Hicks 23 35 

Mushfiq c Duffy b Patel 45 41 

Sabbir c Bharat b Hampton 11 20 

Tanvir run out (Patel) 10 9 

Mashrafe not out 21 19 

Miraz c Horne b Hicks 3 6 

Taskin not out 1 1 

Extras (b 2, lb 3, w 6) 11 

Total (8 wickets; 43 overs) 245 

Fall Of Wickets 

1-7, 2-62, 3-96, 4-155, 4-160, 5-205, 6-220, 

7-226, 8-235 

Bowling 

McEwan 4-0-35-0, McPeake 6-1-32-1, 

Hampton 8-0-44-2, Shipley 6-0-28-1, 

Patel 9-0-48-1, McConchie 4-0-23-0, 

Hicks 6-0-30-2 

NEW ZEALAND XI R B 

Duffy c Mushfiq b Mustafizur 4 8 

Smith b Shakib 50 67 

Bharat c Tamim b Shakib 45 48 

McClure run out (Imrul) 10 16 

McConchie c Tamim b Shakib 0 3 

Horne not out 60 53 

Hicks c Rubel b Mahmudullah 15 16 

Shipley c Sabbir b Mustafizur 24 19 

Hampton not out 29 21 

Extras (b 2, lb 3, w 4, nb 1) 10 

Total (7 wickets; 41.4 overs) 247 

Fall Of Wickets 

1-6, 2-94, 3-108, 4-108, 5-128, 6-154, 7-199 

Bowling 

Mashrafe 5-0-29-0, Mustafizur 7-0-39-2, 

Rubel 6-0-29-0, Tanvir 9-0-59-0, Taskin 

3.4-0-19-0, Shakib 7-0-41-3, Miraz 2-0-12- 

0, Mahmudullah 2-0-14-1 

New Zealand XI won by three wickets 

(D/L method)

DT 

26 


Sport 

POINTS TABLE 

P W D L GD Pts 

Bayern 16 12 3 1 29 39 

RB Leipzig 16 11 3 2 16 36 

Hertha Berlin 16 9 3 4 8 30 

Frankfurt 16 8 5 3 10 29 

Hoffenheim 16 6 10 0 11 28 

RESULTS 

Bayern Munich 3-0 RB Leipzig 

Thiago 17, Alonso 25, 

Lewandowski 45-P 

Hertha Berlin 2-0 Darmstadt 

Plattenhardt 53, 

Kalou 66 

Cologne 1-1 Leverkusen 

Modeste 21 Wendell 44 

Ingolstadt 1-2 Freiburg 

Suttner 53 Niederlechner 34-P, 41 

Hoffenheim 1-1 Werder Bremen 

Wagner 26 Gnabry 87 

Mats Hummels of Bayern Munich in action with Timo Werner of RB Leipzig during their Bundesliga match at Allianz Arena, 

Munich on Wednesday 

REUTERS 

Bayern hammer 10-man Leipzig to open up lead 

• AFP, Berlin 

Robert Lewandowski led Bayern 

Munich to a 3-0 triumph in their 

Bundesliga showdown against tenman 

RB Leipzig that opened up a 

three-point lead over their rivals. 

Coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed a 

“perfect” first half in which Bayern’s 

Thiago Alcantara and Xabi 

Alonso scored early goals before 

Leipzig winger Emil Forsberg was 

shown a red card for a dangerous 

tackle. That left the visitors to play 

an hour at Munich’s Allianz Arena a 

man down. 

Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi 

then conceded the penalty which 

Lewandowski converted on 45 

minutes to put Bayern 3-0 up at the 

break. 

The result put Munich three 

points clear of their battered opponents 

at the top of the German 

league table heading into the winter 

break. 

Leipzig briefly knocked Bayern 

off top spot early this month and 

the two have been in a neck-andneck 

battle since. 

Ancelotti highlighted his side’s 

first half display. 

There was a minute’s silence for 

the victims of Monday’s truck attack 

in Berlin at Munich, Cologne, 

Ingolstadt and Hoffenheim, but it 

was most poignant at the capital’s 

Olympic stadium. 

Hertha Berlin hosted Darmstadt 

seven kilometres (four miles) from 

Lazio’s goalkeeper Federico Marchetti tries to save Inter Milan’s Mauro Icardi’s 

goal during their Serie A match at San Siro on Wednesday 

REUTERS 

Breitscheidplatz where a lorry 

ploughed into a busy Christmas 

market on Monday, leaving 12 dead 

and at least 48 injured. 

Fans in Berlin held up thousands 

of lights during a poignant 

minute’s silence before kick off. 

The Hertha squad had earlier laid a 

wreath at the site. 

A second-half free-kick by Marvin 

Plattenhardt and a Salomon Kalou 

header sealed Hertha’s 2-0 win 

to stay fourth. 

In Munich, Ancelotti pulled a 

surprise by leaving Germany forward 

Thomas Mueller and French 

winger Franck Ribery on the bench. 

Thiago Alcantara and Douglas 

Costa started and the selection 

paid off with 17 minutes gone. 

Balotelli off as Monaco 

close gap on Nice 

• AFP, Paris 

Mario Balotelli and Younes Belhanda 

were sent off in the dying seconds 

as Ligue 1 leaders Nice stumbled 

into the winter break with a 

0-0 draw at Bordeaux, allowing 

Monaco to trim the gap at the top 

to two points. 

Paris Saint-Germain eased the 

pressure on coach Unai Emery by 

beating Lorient 5-0. 

Bordeaux had suffered three 

POINTS TABLE 

P W D L GD Pts 

Nice 19 13 5 1 21 44 

Monaco 19 13 3 3 36 42 

Paris SG 19 12 3 4 23 39 

Lyon 18 11 1 6 15 34 

Guingamp 19 8 6 5 6 30 

Captain Philipp Lahm fired in a 

cross, Lewandowski hit the post, 

but Thiago was waiting in the middle 

to convert the rebound. 

A mistake by Leipzig’s Naby Keita, 

who had recovered from a thigh 

injury, saw Bayern grab their second 

on 25 minutes. 

Arturo Vidal robbed the Guinea 

midfielder of possession, Lewandowski 

sprinted clear and 

Thiago slipped the ball to Alonso, 

who fired home. 

A header by Leipzig captain Willi 

Orban forced Bayern goalkeeper 

Manuel Neuer into a diving save 

just before disaster struck for the 

visitors on 30 minutes. 

Left winger Forsberg was sent 

off when his tackle caught Philipp 

successive defeats - conceding 

eight goals in their last two outings 

- and a frustrating evening for Nice 

ended disastrously with Balotelli 

and Belhanda dismissed for offthe-ball 

incidents. 

Lucien Favre’s side will now 

start 2017 without two key players 

after the pair were shown straight 

red cards in the closing stages. 

“I look foward to seeing the images. 

We’ll see if it’s a foul,” said 

Favre, after Balotelli was given his 

marching orders for lashing out at 

Bordeaux defender Igor Lewczuk. 

“In the end, I was disappointed 

after these two red cards because 

that’s going to be a few matches 

(suspension).” 

Radamel Falcao scored a penalty 

in a 2-1 win over Caen as Monaco 

rebounded from their defeat at 

home to Lyon last weekend.• 

Hummels goes 

blond after 

losing bet 

• AFP, Berlin 

Bayern Munich defender Mats 

Hummels dyed his hair blond for 

Wednesday’s 3-0 top-of-the-table 

win over RB Leipzig after losing a 

bet at the Oktoberfest beer festival. 

The 28-year-old World Cup 

winner went peroxide blond for 

the high-profile showdown at Munich’s 

Allianz Arena which saw 

Bayern open a three-point gap over 

second-placed Leipzig. 

Hummels said his striking hair 

change was a forfeit after losing 

a game of skittles during a visit to 

Munich’s Oktoberfest, the world’s 

most popular annual beer festival, 

to which the Bayern squad pay an 

annual visit.• 

Lahm on the Achilles tendon and 

referee Felix Zwayer pulled out a 

red card. 

“He knew straight away that 

he had made a mistake, he’s already 

apologised and we all can 

make mistakes,” said Leipzig coach 

Ralph Hasenhuettl. 

Gulacsi then conceded the penalty 

as it finished 3-0 at the break. 

Bayern were then to let their 

opponent chase the ball as they 

enjoyed 75 percent possession, but 

the hosts battered the Leipzig goal 

in the closing minutes. 

“I am proud of what the team 

has achieved this season, but this 

was a lesson for us and compliment 

to Bayern on the way they played,” 

added Hasenhuettl.• 

RESULTS 

Nantes 1-0 Montpellier 

Lima 12-P 

Monaco 2-1 Caen 

Falcao 48-P, Bazile 90+4 

Bakayoko 76 

Saint-Etienne 0-0 Nancy 

Dijon 2-0 Toulouse 

Tavares 49-P, 

Lees-Melou 52 

Metz 2-2 Guingamp 

Nguette 12, Briand 49, 74 

Hein 90+2 

Bordeaux 0-0 Nice 

Paris SG 5-0 Lorient 

Meunier 25, Toure 44-og, 

Silva 50, Cavani 63-P, 

Lucas 70 

Lyon 2-0 Angers 

Lacazette 9, Fekir 84 

Lille 1-1 Rennes 

Eder 89 Ntep 22 

Bastia 1-2 Marseille 

Djiku 83 Gomis 8, Njie 90+1

Sport 27 

DT 


QUICK BYTES 

Bruised Amir set 

for Boxing Day Test 

Pakistan spearhead Mohammad 

Amir is expected to play the Boxing 

Day Test against Australia despite 

stiffness and a bruised thigh, officials 

said yesterday. The left-arm seamer, 

who completed a five-year ban for 

spot-fixing last year, left the field 

during the first Brisbane Test on a 

motorised stretcher after falling on 

the Gabba turf. He appeared in agony 

but returned a short time later and 

continued to bowl. Amir was also 

hit on the thigh by a Mitchell Starc 

full toss. 

–AFP 

Kvitova out for six 

months 

Two-time Wimbledon tennis 

champion Petra Kvitova, whose hand 

was wounded in a knife attack, will 

not play again for at least six months 

and it is too early to say when she 

can return to competition, her 

publicist said on Wednesday. Kvitova 

was injured on Tuesday when she 

fought off an intruder in her home 

in the Czech Republic, damaging 

all the fingers on her playing hand. 

Following a successful operation, 

the world number 11 will begin her 

rehabilitation in about six to eight 

weeks and hopes to be able to grip 

a racket again after three months, 

publicist Katie Spellman said. 

–REUTERS 

Jose ‘too young’ to 

be tempted 

Wealthy Chinese clubs are unlikely 

to lure Jose Mourinho away from 

England as the Manchester United 

manager says he is enjoying the 

challenge of competing in the 

Premier League. Chinese clubs have 

been shelling out huge sums of 

money on foreign players. 

–REUTERS 

DAY’S WATCH 

FOOTBALL 

NEO SPORTS 

10:00PM 

Supercoppa Italiana 

Juventus v AC Milan 

TEN 1 HD 

A-League 

Brisbane Roar FC v Western Sydney 

Wanderers FC 

CRICKET 

STAR SPORTS 2 

12:38PM 

KFC T20 Big Bash League 

Sydney Sixers v Hobart Hurricanes 

3:43PM 

KFC T20 Big Bash League 

Perth Scorchers v Adelaide Strikers 

Barcelona’s French defender Samuel Umtiti vies with Hercules’ goalkeeper Ivan Buigues during their Spanish Copa del Rey 

(King’s Cup) round of 32 second leg match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on Wednesday 

AFP 

Barcelona 

pummel 

Hercules 

• AFP, Madrid 

Turkey international Arda Turan 

scored a hat-trick as holders Barcelona 

thrashed third-division side 

Hercules 7-0 in the second leg of 

their Copa del Rey last-32 tie. 

Turan struck his second hattrick 

in as many weeks - following 

a quickfire treble against Borussia 

Moenchengladbach in the Champions 

League a fortnight ago - as Barca 

eased into the last 16 following 

an 8-1 aggregate win. 

Luis Enrique rested his formidable 

front three of Lionel Messi, Luis 

Suarez and Neymar but the floodgates 

opened once Lucas Digne 

broke the deadlock on 37 minutes 

at the Camp Nou. 

Ivan Rakitic added a penalty 

with Rafinha and Paco Alcacer the 

others to get on the scoresheet. 

Luciano Vietto and Wissam Ben 

Yedder also scored three goals each 

as Sevilla pummelled fourth tier Formentera 

9-1 in Andalusia, completing 

a 14-2 victory over the two legs.• 

Ex-SA batsman Petersen banned for two years 

• AFP, Johannesburg 

Alviro Petersen, a veteran of 36 

Test matches, on Wednesday became 

the highest-profile South 

African cricketer to be banned for 

corruption since former captain 

Hansie Cronje in 2000. 

Former opening batsman Petersen, 

36, was banned for two 

years after agreeing a plea bargain 

with Cricket South Africa. 

He is the sixth player to be 

banned following a corruption 

scandal which led to former international 

player Gulam Bodi being 

banned for 20 years for attempting 

to fix matches in South Africa’s domestic 

Twenty20 competition during 

the 2014/15 season. 

More players could yet be 

charged. A statement by CSA announcing 

Petersen’s ban said investigations 

were continuing. 

Petersen admitted several 

breaches of CSA’s anti-corruption 

code - four charges of failing to 

disclose details of an approach to 

engage in corrupt conduct; four 

charges of failing to disclose full 

details of evidence involving another 

player, four charges of failing 

to provide accurate and complete 

information to investigators; and 

one charge of concealing and destroying 

information that was relevant 

to the investigation. 

After considering representations 

made by Petersen, CSA withdrew 

other charges, including 

those relating to fixing or contriving 

to fix any match and seeking, 

accepting or offering to accept any 

bribe or other reward to fix or influence 

any match. 

The two year-ban will be effective 

from November 12 this year, 

when Petersen was suspended 

Pakistan’s Afridi says arrest of 

Indian fan ‘shameful’ 

• AFP, Karachi 

Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi 

said Wednesday the arrest of an 

Indian student for wearing a shirt 

bearing his name was “shameful”, 

but would not deter the subcontinent’s 

cricket-mad fans from supporting 

rival players. 

Ripon Chowdhury, 21, was arrested 

on Sunday in Hailakandi, a 

small town in the northeastern state 

of Assam, while watching a local 

cricket tournament after his shirt 

angered a Hindu nationalist group. 

“A complaint was lodged against 

him by a local right-wing outfit. We 

arrested him based on the complaint 

but gave him bail immediately,” 

a source told AFP on condition 

of anonymity, refusing to confirm 

media reports that Chowdhury had 

been charged with obscenity in a 

public place. 

Afridi, whose mighty sixes and 

all-or-nothing approach to batting 

earned him a huge following across 

the cricketing world, slammed the 

move. 

“It was shameful to arrest a fan 

for wearing my shirt,” the 36-yearold 

told AFP. “Such incidents don’t 

suit civilised people.” 

He said fans in both India and 

Pakistan put the sport above the often-fraught 

relations between their 

countries and admired each others’ 

players. 

“You cannot stop fans from 

supporting a player by arresting 

them,” he said. “Sports and politics 

should be kept apart and such 

incidents go against the principles 

of sportsmanship.” 

Afridi himself landed in hot water 

with home fans for saying he got 

“more love” in India than he did in 

Pakistan, ahead of a crucial clash in 

the World Twenty20 in March. 

In January a Pakistani fan was 

arrested for waving the flag of India 

after his idol Virat Kohli struck 

a match-winning knock against 

Australia.• 

because charges were laid against 

him. 

Petersen apologised, according 

to a CSA statement which quoted 

him as saying: “I would like to 

apologise to my family, friends, the 

public who are fans of the game of 

cricket, my team-mates, Gauteng 

cricket, Lions cricket and especially 

to CSA for my actions. 

“At the time that the meetings 

with Bodi and the fixers happened, 

I never had any intention of fixing 

matches or taking money. 

“I now deeply regret having participated 

in these meetings. ”• 

Argentina, France 

take honours 

• AFP, Zurich 

Lionel Messi’s beaten Copa 

America finalists Argentina end the 

year top of FIFA’s world rankings 

while France, defeated in the Euro 

2016 final, were named “mover of 

the year”. 

Argentina finish 2016 out in 

front of arch rivals Brazil to inherit 

the “team of the year” title 

from Belgium, displaced from the 

FIFA summit by the Edgardo Bauza-coached 

Albiceleste in April. • 

FIFA TOP 10 

1. Argentina 

2. Brazil 

3. Germany 

4. Chile 

5. Belgium 

6. Colombia 

7. France 

8. Portugal 

9. Uruguay 

10. Spain

DT 

28 


Sport 

LEICESTER TRIUMPH ROUSES ENGLAND’S DOZING GIANTS 

• AFP, London 

Leicester City’s fairytale Premier 

League title win made 2016 the 

year of the underdog in English 

football, but as 2017 approaches, 

the giants are emerging from their 

slumbers. 

A team of misfits and cast-offs 

marshalled by twinkly-eyed Italian 

manager Claudio Ranieri, Leicester 

pulled off a 5,000-1 triumph that 

was one of the biggest upsets in the 

history of sport. 

But just as Ranieri predicted, 

the big clubs flexed their muscles 

in the close-season transfer window 

and as the Foxes faltered, so a 

cast of superstars set about re-establishing 

the old order. 

“It’s more difficult than last season,” 

Ranieri said - prophetically, 

as it would transpire - of his side’s 

title chances on the eve of the season. 

“It’s easier that ET comes to Piccadilly 

Circus.” 

As 2016 dawned, Leicester were 

in second place, below leaders Arsenal 

on goal difference, their surprisingly 

high placement seen as an 

aberration caused by the inconsistency 

of the superpowers. 

But as the big guns continued 

to misfire, so Leicester continued 

to win - 1-0 at Tottenham Hotspur, 

2-0 at home to Liverpool, a stunning 

3-1 victory at Manchester City. 

By the spring the unthinkable 

had become thinkable and although 

teams belatedly realised 

Leicester had to be taken seriously, 

they forged on, a run of five gritty 

wins carrying them to within sight 

of glory. 

Tottenham had emerged as 

Leicester’s biggest rivals, but Mauricio 

Pochettino’s exciting young 

team could not last the pace, eventually 

conceding defeat in a bruising 

2-2 draw at outgoing champions 

Chelsea. 

Watching the game on television 

at the home of striker Jamie 

Vardy, Leicester’s players erupted 

into joyous celebrations captured 

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri and captain Wes Morgan hold up the Premier League trophy 

on left-back Christian Fuchs’s 

smartphone and beamed around 

the world. 

It was the most surreal title win 

England had ever seen. 

Andrea Bocelli, the Italian tenor, 

sang on the pitch at the King Power 

Stadium. 

Former Leicester striker Gary 

Lineker presented BBC’s flagship 

‘Match of the Day’ highlights programme 

wearing only a pair of 

white boxer shorts after betting 

they would not do it. 

Rough-cut talisman Vardy and 

jinking Algerian winger Riyad 

Mahrez cleaned up in the end-ofseason 

awards, having cost Leicester 

a combined total of just £1.4 

million ($1.8 million, 1.7 million 

euros). 

But there was little sign of bargain-hunting 

in the transfer window 

that followed. 

Instead, spending rocketed past 

£1 billion for the first time as clubs 

lavished the proceeds of new £8 

billion TV deals in an unprecedented 

splurge. 

Manchester United smashed 

the world transfer record to bring 

French midfielder Paul Pogba back 

to the club from Juventus in a 

heavily trailed £89.3 million deal. 

Manchester City spent big on 

John Stones and Leroy Sane, Arsenal 

on Shkodran Mustafi and Granit 

Xhaka, Chelsea on old boy David 

Luiz and Leicester lynchpin N’Golo 

Kante, Liverpool on Sadio Mane. 

The biggest incoming personalities, 

however, pitched up in the 

dug-outs. 

City finally lured Pep Guardiola 

to the Etihad Stadium from Bayern 

Munich, enabling him to renew his 

sulphurous rivalry with Jose Mourinho, 

who alighted across town at 

United following his sacking by 

Chelsea. 

Mourinho took over from Louis 

van Gaal, who led United to FA Cup 

glory before paying the price for 

two years of stagnant football and 

overblown philosophising. 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined Mourinho 

at Old Trafford, resuming 

their Inter Milan collaboration and 

putting him in direct opposition 

with Guardiola, who he branded a 

“coward” after they fell out at Barcelona. 

But both Mourinho and Guardiola 

have been eclipsed by new 

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, 

whose late-September switch to a 

3-4-3 formation served to catapult 

the west London club to the top of 

the tree. 

AFP 

“After the first six games of the 

season, I was wondering what Antonio 

Conte was doing,” said former 

United and Everton defender 

Phil Neville. 

“But then he changed to the formation 

that brought him such success 

with Juventus and Italy, and 

they have not looked back.” 

Jurgen Klopp’s all-action Liverpool, 

Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal 

and League Cup winners City lead 

the pursuit, the latter adjusting unsteadily 

to Guardiola’s possession 

obsession, with Spurs and United 

close behind. 

Leicester, meanwhile, have 

been dragged into a relegation 

fight, but the Champions League 

has brought a welcome distraction, 

the Foxes cruising into the last 16 

along with City and Arsenal to keep 

the flame aflicker. • 

People pay tribute to the players of Brazilian team Chapecoense Real AP Real Madrid players celebrate after Cristiano Ronaldo’s winning penalty AFP

Downtime 

29 


DT 

CROSSWORD 

ACROSS 

1 Free from bias (4) 

5 Wooden shoe (4) 

10 Metal (4) 

11 Metric surface measure 

(3) 

12 Useful thing (5) 

13 Vigour (3) 

14 Book of maps (5) 

16 Formal agreement (6) 

18 Message (6) 

21 Corkwood (5) 

23 Drinking vessel (3) 

24 Approaches (5) 

26 Supplement (3) 

27 Heavenly body (4) 

28 Examine (4) 

29 Slender support (4) 

DOWN 

2 Passageway between 

seats (5) 

3 Anger (3) 

4 Turns (7) 

6 Molten rock (4) 

7 Prayer (6) 

8 Precious stone (3) 

9 Reality (4) 

15 Unjust rulers (7) 

17 Reprimand (6) 

19 Conscious of (5) 

20 Partial darkness (4) 

22 Matures (4) 

23 Encountered (3) 

25 Consume (3) 

CODE-CRACKER 

How to solve: Each number in our 

CODE-CRACKER grid represents a 

different letter of the alphabet. For 

example, today 8 represents A so fill A 

every time the figure 8 appears. 

You have two letters in the control 

grid to start you off. Enter them in the 

appropriate squares in the main grid, then 

use your knowledge of words to work out 

which letters go in the missing squares. 

Some letters of the alphabet may not be 

used. 

As you get the letters, fill in the other 

squares with the same number in the 

main grid, and the control grid. Check 

off the list of alphabetical letters as you 

identify them. 

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 

CALVIN AND HOBBES 

SUDOKU 

How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the 

numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must 

contain all nine digits with no number repeating. 

PEANUTS 

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS 

CODE-CRACKER 

CROSSWORD 

DILBERT 

SUDOKU

30 


DT 

Showtime 

Björk’s open letter to media 

criticising sexism 

• Showtime Desk 

Björk has penned a 

lengthy open letter 

addressed to the 

media about 

the sexism that 

female artists 

face in how 

their art and 

performances 

are received. 

The 

Icelandic 

singersongwriter 

wrote the 

open letter on 

Facebook Wednesday, about 

what she claims as sexist 

criticism concerning her 

aspiring DJ career. 

Following 

her DJ sets at 

Day For Night 

Festival in 

Houston, 

Björk says 

she saw 

media 

critiques 

that she 

was “not 

‘performing’ 

and ‘hiding’ 

behind desks,” a critique that she 

found sexist as other DJs did not 

receive the same. 

“I think this is sexism,” she 

writes, “which at the end of this 

tumultuous year is something 

I am not going to let slide; 

because we all deserve 

maximum changes in this 

revolutionary energy we are 

currently in the midst of.” 

“Women in music are allowed 

to be singer songwriters singing 

about their boyfriends. If they 

change the subject matter to 

atoms, galaxies, activism, nerdy 

math beat editing or anything 

else than being performers 

singing about their loved ones, 

they get criticised; journalists 

feel there is just something 

missing...as if our only 

lingo is emo,” she 

continued. 

Later in her 

letter, Björk notes 

the difference in 

subject matter 

between her last 

three albums — 

Volta, Biophilia 

and Vulnicura 

— and how 

they were each 

received. • 

Photo: Getty Images 

Passengers travels to Star Cineplex 

23, 2016. The audience will get 

to enjoy the movie right after its 

world release. 

Passengers is a 2016 American 

romantic science-fiction, 

adventure-thriller directed by 

Morten Tyldum and written 

by Jon Spaihts. It stars Chris 

Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence 

as two people who wake up 90 

years too soon from an induced 

hibernation on board a spaceship 

bound for a new planet. The 

film was released in the United 

States on December 21, 2016 by 

Columbia Pictures. 

Emma Stone frustrated for 

not being taken seriously 


Being one of Hollywood’s most 

high-profile actresses, Emma 

Stone has recently revealed that 

she finds it difficult to be taken 

seriously. 

The 28-year-old star of La 

La Land recently landed on 

the covers of Rolling Stone and 

while talking to the magazine for 

a profile, she talked about her 

experiences on film sets, and said 

that she can often feel weary when 

she brings up ideas, because they 

tend to be ignored or overlooked. 

“There are times in the 

past, making a movie, 

where I’ve been told 

that I’m hindering 

the process by 

bringing up an 

opinion or 

an idea,” she said. “I hesitate to 

make it about being a woman, but 

there have been times when I’ve 

improvised, they’ve laughed at my 

joke, and then gave it to my male 

co-star.” 

Emma added: “Or it’s been me 

saying: ‘I really don’t think this 

line is gonna work’ and being told: 

‘Just say it, just say it, if it doesn’t 

work we’ll cut it out’. And they 

didn’t cut it out, and it really didn’t 

work!” 

Her new film La La Land, which 

is currently looking like the one 

to beat on Oscars night, is 

running in Blockbuster 

Cinemas. • 


STAR Cineplex is releasing yet 

another Hollywood adventure, 

drama and romance movie 

Passengers on Friday, December 

The synopsis : 

On a routine journey through 

space to a new home, two 

passengers, sleeping in 

suspended animation, are 

awakened 90 years too early 

when their ship malfunctions. 

As Jim and Aurora face living 

the rest of their lives on board, 

with every luxury they could 

ever ask for, they begin to fall 

for each other, unable to deny 

their intense attraction until 

they discover the ship is in grave 

danger. With the lives of 5,000 

sleeping passengers at stake, only 

Jim and Aurora can save them 

all.• 

Photo: MVM Studio

Showtime 

Four factors of Hollywood in 2016 


Family films still steal the show 

Family films have always been a 

part of the box office landscape 

with big hits in the past. But in 

2016, the genre really showed 

that it could prop up the entire 

industry. Without family films, 

the 2016 box office would have 

been a complete disaster. 

in more than $400 million 

domestically. And they were 

hits with audiences and critics 

alike, registering scores of 90% 

or better on Rotten Tomatoes. 

In fact, eight of the top 15 

blockbusters of the year were 

either a sequel or a prequel, and 

half of those brought in at least 

80% score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

31 


WHAT TO WATCH 

The Transporter 

Star Movies 9:30pm 

Frank is hired to “transport” 

packages for unknown clients 

and has made a very good 

living doing so. But when asked 

to move a package that begins 

moving, complications arise. 

Cast: Jason Statham, Qi Shu, 

Matt Schulze 

DT 

But movies like Universal’s The 

Secret Life of Pets and Disney’s 

The Jungle Book, Moana, and 

Zootopia brought in big, and at 

times, unexpected numbers. 

If sequels and prequels are good 

audiences will watch 

Yes, Hollywood may be over 

saturated with sequels 

and perhaps too 

enamoured with 

recognisable titles but 

audiences still will see 

them if they’re well 

executed. 

Disney’s 

Finding Dory 

and Captain 

America: 

Civil War 

each 

brought 

New concepts ran over nostalgia 

Disney’s Rogue One: A Star Wars 

Story and WB’s Fantastic Beasts 

and Where To Find Them took 

place in the magical worlds of 

Star Wars and Harry Potter, 

but introduced characters and 

storylines that shed 

new light on these 

beloved tales. 

On the other 

hand, 

decadesold 

reboots 

or sequels 

like Sony’s 

Ghostbusters and 20th Century 

Fox’s Independence Day: 

Resurgence didn’t do enough to 

win over audiences or expand 

the pre-packaged brands they 

came with. 

The magic of the movies matters 

right now 

Between the deaths of too 

many beloved celebrities and a 

contentious election, 2016 felt like 

a rough year to many people and 

one worth escaping. For example, 

Civil War and Batman v Superman: 

Dawn of Justice. Both films share 

basically the same plot of popular 

superheroes battling it out, but 

one was touching, colourful and 

fun. The other was Batman v 

Superman, a film that wasn’t just 

really bad, but too gloomy for fans 

of the iconic heroes. This could 

be why Civil War is currently the 

second biggest blockbuster of the 

year and Batman v Superman is 

seventh. 

Even one of the most violent 

and raunchy movies of the year, 

Fox’s Deadpool, was light enough 

to garner a nomination at the 

Golden Globes as a comedy 

and to make more than $360 

million domestically. Similarly, 

the musical La La Land, which 

has opened to promising 

results in limited release, might 

have arrived at just the right 

moment, as a source of uplifting 

escapism.• 

Source: New York Times 

Run All Night 

HBO 9:30pm 

Mobster and hit man Jimmy 

Conlon has one night to figure 

out where his loyalties lie: 

with his estranged son, Mike, 

whose life is in danger, or his 

longtime best friend, mob boss 

Shawn Maguire, who wants 

Mike to pay for the death of his 

own son. 

Cast: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris, 

Joel Kinnaman 

Mission: Impossible 

WB 9:00pm 

An American agent, under 

false suspicion of disloyalty, 

must discover and expose the 

real spy without the help of his 

organisation. 

Cast: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, 

Emmanuelle Béart 

16 Blocks 

Zee Studio 7:20pm 

Priyanka Chopra gets 

back to Bollywood 


Priyanka Chopra has been 

missing in the big screen of 

Bollywood ever since Jai 

Gangaajal. The actress has 

been extremely busy with her 

international series as well as her 

Hollywood debut Baywatch. And 

now, her recent visit to India is 

not just a Christmas break but 

the actress will be deciding on 

her next Bollywood ventures. On 

the Christmas break, Priyanka 

Chopra decided to take the time 

off to welcome the New Year 

with her family. Besides that, the 

actress also has plans on taking 

forward her career in Bollywood. 

However, in a recent statement, 

the actress revealed that she has 

indeed come back to the country 

to decide on her next project. 

In fact, she mentioned that she 

will be signing two films but also 

added that and she will decide 

on that by the end of January. 

Besides that, Priyanka Chopra 

also confirmed that the team 

of Baywatch starring Dwayne 

Johnson and Zac Efron, will soon 

set out on their promotional 

tour of varied cities and will 

definitely visit India as a part 

of it. 

Apart from that, her recent 

visit to India will also see her 

shooting for the episode of the 

popular chat show Koffee With 

Karan with anchor-filmmaker 

Karan Johar. However, the 

details of who will accompany 

her on the couch are yet to be 

known. • 

Photo: Bollywood Life 

An aging alcoholic cop is 

assigned the task of escorting 

a witness from police custody 

to a courthouse 16 blocks 

away. There are, however, 

chaotic forces at work that 

prevent them from making it 

in one piece. 

Cast: Bruce Willis, Yasiin Bey, 

David Morse 

The Final Destination 

Movies Now 7:55pm 

After a young man’s 

premonition of a deadly racecar 

crash helps saves the lives 

of his peers, Death sets out to 

collect those who evaded their 

end. 

Cast: Nick Zano, Krista Allen, 

Andrew Fiscella •

32 


DT 

MUHITH: BANK MERGER LAW 

WILL BE UPDATED PAGE 12 

Back Page 

TIGERS SUFFER THREE- 

WICKET LOSS PAGE 25 

FOUR FACTORS OF 

HOLLYWOOD IN 2016 PAGE 31 

Nahid urges all universities to maintain 

global standard of education 

• Afrose Jahan Chaity 

Education Minister Nurul Islam 

Nahid yesterday urged all universities 

to maintain a global standard 

of education. 

Speaking at the fourth convocation 

of University of Liberal Arts 

(ULAB), Nahid said ULAB had set 

an example by being a non-profit 

university and other institutions 

needed to follow suit by not looking 

at education as a commercial 

enterprise. 

The minister also commended 

ULAB for its curriculum, having 

subjects like Bangladesh Studies 

and Sustainable Development, 

which gives students a better understanding 

of their country and 

the current issues that affect the 

world. 

The fourth convocation of the 

ULAB was held at Bangabandhu 

International Conference Centre, 

Dhaka. 

A total of 1,325 graduates were 

conferred degrees at this year’s 

convocation. Nahid awarded gold 

medals to two outstanding students 

– Azharul Alam from the undergraduate 

programme and Hosneara 

Yesmin Eti from the graduate 

programme, who also gave the valedictory 

speech. 

From left, Vice-President of ULAB 

Board of Trustees Dr Kazi Anis 

Ahmed, human rights activist 

Sultana Kamal, Education Minister 

Nurul Islam Nahid, Chairman of 

the University Grants Commission 

Professor Abdul Mannan 

and ULAB Vice-Chancellor 

Professor Imran Rahman stand 

up to show their respect for the 

National Anthem during the 4th 

Convocation of ULAB yesterday 

at Bangabandhu International 

Conference Centre, Dhaka 

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN 

Human rights activist Sultana 

Kamal delivered the convocation 

speech, urging students to focus 

more on learning and less on getting 

the highest marks. 

“Learn to be a good human being 

first and help continue Bangladesh’s 

achievements further,” 

she said. 

Asking parents to prioritise 

knowledge first, she said: “Help 

your child acquire knowledge and 

do not let them only focus on the 

competition, just getting high 

scores is not enough.” 

ULAB Vice-Chancellor Professor 

Imran Rahman gave the welcome 

speech. “We strive to maintain the 

highest standards of ethics and 

integrity in dealing with each other 

and stakeholders,” he said. 

“We believe that the strength 

of our nations lies in the innate 

capabilities, patriotic spirit and 

the curiosity of our young people. 

Our mission is to help develop 

these young graduates so 

that they can make a difference 

in the future of our country,” 

said Prof Imran. 

Vice-President of the Board 

of Trustees of ULAB Dr Kazi Anis 

Ahmed urged graduates to follow 

their dreams. 

“Life begins with dreams and 

ends with memories,” he said. 

Chairman of the University 

Grants Commission of Bangladesh 

Professor Abdul Mannan spoke 

at the occasion while member of 

the ULAB Board of Trustees Kazi 

Inam Ahmed delivered a speech on 

behalf of Kazi Shahid Ahmed, the 

president of the Board. • 

Mitu’s father asks for killer’s identity to be revealed 

• FM Mizanur Rahaman, 

Chittagong 

Mosharraf Hossain, father of 

Mahmuda Khanam Mitu who 

was brutally killed in front of her 

son on June 5 this year, has asked 

police to reveal the name of his 

daughter’s killer. 

“Whether her husband [former 

superintendent of police 

Babul Akter] or someone else 

killed her, I request police to reveal 

the murderer’s name,” he 

said while speaking to reporters 

at Chittagong Metropolitan Police 

(CMP) Headquarters yesterday. 

The former police official also 

requested further investigation 

to find the motive behind the 

gruesome murder and identify 

those who were involved in it. 

‘Her husband or 

someone else 

killed her, I request 

police to reveal the 

murderer’s name’ 

Mosharraf was at the CMP 

headquarters for interrogation 

regarding Mitu’s murder, conducted 

by Additional Deputy 

Commissioner Mohammed 

Kamruzzaman of the Detective 

Branch of police, who is also the 

investigation officer of the case. 

However, he expressed satisfaction 

with the investigation’s 

progress. 

“We are satisfied with the way 

this investigation is progressing. 

The investigation officer has discussed 

the case’s development 

with me,” he said. 

Earlier on December 15, Mitu’s 

husband Babul, who filed the 

case, was interrogated by the 

investigation officer at the CMP, 

where he confessed that Kamrul 

Islam Musa, prime accused 

in the case, was one of his 

informants. 

Musa is still absconding. The 

CMP has declared Tk5-lakh bounty 

on his whereabouts. 

Asked whether he and his 

family suspected Babul’s connection 

with the murder, Mosharraf 

said: “We do not suspect his involvement, 

but we have asked 

the investigation officer to find 

out whether he was involved, or 

it was someone else.” 

Asked what he thought about 

the connection between Babul 

and Musa, the prime accused, he 

said: “I do not know much about 

it. I came to know of their connection 

by reading news.” 

Kamruzzaman, the investigation 

officer, told reporters that he 

had received some information 

from Mitu’s father during his interrogation. 

“Police will now verify the information 

he has provided,” he 

added. 

In reply to a question, he said 

other members of Mitu’s family 

would be questioned as well if required 

for the investigation. 

Asked if there was any discrepancy 

between Babul’s and 

his father-in-law’s statements, 

Kamruzzaman said: “We are still 

verifying the information.” 

Mitu, mother of two children, 

was stabbed and shot to death 

near her house in Chittagong city’s 

GEC intersection by three motorbike 

riders on June 5 when she was 

taking her son to his school bus. • 

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 Office: 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

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