DT e-Paper 06 March 2017

SECOND EDITION
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017 | Falgun 22, 1423, Jamadi-us-Sani 6, 1438 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 308 | www.dhakatribune.com | 24 pages plus 8-page world supplement | Price: Tk10
SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
SC: BGMEA building must go › 2
Unplanned farming
threatens Tangon
River › 7
‘Possible to win
Test series’
› 18
7 bus drivers
jailed on first
day of drive › 24

2
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
DT
News
SC: BGMEA building must go
• Ashif Islam Shaon
The Supreme Court stands by its
verdict upholding the High Court’s
order to demolish the BGMEA
Complex in Dhaka.
The Appellate Division of the
apex court dismissed a petition to
review the 2016 verdict in a hearing
yesterday, saying the building was
built illegally and therefore must
be pulled down.
The 15-storey building, headquarters
of Bangladesh Garment
Manufacturers and Exporters Association
(BGMEA), stands on a crucial
spot in Dhaka and blocks the
connection between the two large
water bodies in the city – Hatirjheel
lake and Begunbari canal.
The court has also ordered the
BGMEA to inform it in a petition by
Thursday as to how long it would
take to demolish the building.
The court will hold a hearing on
that petition on the same day.
Barrister Imtiaz Moinul Islam,
counsel for the BGMEA, said they
would seek three years’ time to implement
the court’s order.
In June 2016, the Appellate Division
upheld the High Court’s
verdict ordering the demolition of
the structure when the BGMEA appealed
against it.
The High Court had issued the
verdict in 2010, following its suo
moto ruling based on a new report
on the issue.
The High Court found the building
illegal as it was constructed violating
the law protecting the country’s
wetlands. When the Appellate
Division upheld the High Court
order last year, the BGMEA filed a
petition to review the verdict.
The verdict, the full text of
which was released by the Supreme
Court on November 8 last year, also
asked the BGMEA to bear the cost
of the demolition. Rajdhani Unnayan
Kartripakkha (Rajuk), the
development authority in Dhaka,
was asked to demolish the building
after 90 days from the verdict publication
date.
The court also observed that the
building was constructed without
taking environment clearance certificate.
In addition, the site clearance
was obtained for an industrial
building, which the BGMEA Complex
is not.
Moreover, anomalies were
found regarding the ownership of
the land the building stands on.
According to the High Court
verdict in 2010, the BGMEA told
the court that the Export Promotion
Bureau (EPB) had handed the
land over to the organisation in
2001, when government records
show that the EPB had received the
land’s possession from Bangladesh
Railway in 2006.
In addition, the deed between
the EPB and the BGMEA, in line
with government records and the
Dhaka Wasa’s Master Plan of Dhaka
City, stated that the Begunbari canal
and Hatirjheel lake are natural
water bodies.
According to the Natural Water
Reservoir Conservation Act 2000,
a water body cannot be changed,
nor can it be used in any manner
or purpose. It cannot be leased out,
rented or transferred to anybody,
and nobody can claim any compensation
if illegal construction or obstruction
built on it is demolished.
The water bodies are connected
with the Buriganga River through canals
and play a pivotal role in keeping
the capital city safe from waterlogging
and monsoon flooding.
The Supreme Court verdict said
to protect the water bodies from
grabbers, the government took up
a huge Hatirjheel-Begunbari development
project with a cost of more
than Tk1,480 crore.
But the BGMEA joined the land
grabbers and accordingly managed
to get permission from the government
as well as from Rajuk to build
its 15-storey office complex on the
said water bodies.
The BGMEA constructed the
building in defiance of the law,
thereby depriving the Dhaka residents
from enjoying the facilities
provided by the development project,
said the court.
The apex court also maintained
the High Court’s order that said the
money invested by the BGMEA in
the construction of the building
can never be the grounds to allow
it to keep the building.
It also directed the BGMEA to
return the money to those who
bought floor spaces in the building
– as those transactions stand vitiated
– within 12 months from the date
the compensation claims are made.
However, the floor space owners
cannot claim interest on the
original price that they paid, because
the court finds them guilty
of contributory negligence as they
had the knowledge of the illegality
of the building’s construction, the
court said.•
BGMEA floor space owners worried about compensation
• Ibrahim Hossain Ovi
The BGMEA Complex was constructed illegally in Hatirjheel, Dhaka and blocks
the water flow between two large waterbodies in Dhaka – Hatirjheel lake and
Begunbari canal
RAJIB DHAR
The individuals or organisations who
own floor spaces in the BGMEA Complex
are worried about compensation
and relocating elsewhere now that the
Supreme Court has ordered the BGMEA
to tear the building down.
The apex court yesterday dismissed
the BGMEA’s petition seeking review of
its verdict that upheld the High Court’s
demolition order last year.
The High Court verdict, issued in
2010, also directed the BGMEA to return
the money the owners paid to buy
the floor spaces, as those transactions
now stand vitiated.
The court also ordered the BGMEA
to pay the compensation within 12
months from the date the owners make
the claim.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune
yesterday, some of the owners said the
compensation claim could turn ugly if
the BGMEA did not follow the court’s
order.
They said it would be difficult and
time-consuming if they were compelled
to start a legal battle on this issue.
“We are not sure about getting the
compensation from the BGMEA. If the
court issues a directive in this regard, it
will make the process easier for us,” said
MA Rahim Feroz, managing director of
Dulal Brothers Ltd (DBL).
The DBL, which employs 400
people, owns 60,000 square feet of
floor space in the building, so relocating
to somewhere else is not easy and will
require time, he said.
The BGMEA Complex, a 15-storey
building, has floor space of around
266,000 square feet space. Nearly
125,000 square feet of that space is
owned by about 40 companies.
Among them are Dhaka Bank Ltd
and Exim Bank Ltd.
Officials of these banks said they
were already looking for suitable places
for their offices.
“We have already started to process
of moving our branch out of this
building,” said Syed Mahbubur Rahman,
managing director of Dhaka Bank. “We
will sit with the BGMEA authorities to
discuss compensation.”
BGMEA seeks
3 years to
demolish
building
• Ibrahim Hossain Ovi
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers
and Exporters Association
(BGMEA) will file a petition on
Thursday, asking for a three-year
extension before the demolishing
of its building at Hatir Jheel as per
the Supreme Court directive.
BGMEA President Siddiqur Rahman
yesterday said after the Supreme
Court upheld its decision:
“As per the court’s directive, we will
file a petition seeking a minimum of
three years to demolish the building.
“The logistics involved in moving
the office are immense, since
missing even one day of work could
adversely affect the reputation of
Bangladesh’s RMG sector abroad.”
“That in turn would affect the
lives of 4.4 million RMG workers
and cost us millions of dollars in
lost revenue.”
Siddiqur said they were close to
finding a new location for its office,
preferably Uttara or Purbachal.
During the hearing, the Supreme
Court also asked the BGMEA to file
a petition by Thursday to inform
the court on the amount of time it
would take to demolish the building
and the hearing on that petition
will also take place the same day.
A BGMEA leader, seeking anonymity,
said the land selection will
be finalised by the end of March,
with Uttara as the preferred location.
BGMEA Vice-President Mohammad
Nasir said once the land is
selected they will buy it from the
government and start building the
new office.
“We only ask that the court considers
our logistical problems of
buying and then building the new
office and gives us the necessary
time needed to do so,” he added.•
AKM Jahidul Islam, assistant
vice-president and operation manager
of Exim Bank’s Karwan Bazar branch,
said they had yet to decide when they
would move out of the building, or
where they would go.
When contacted, BGMEA Senior
Vice-President Faruque Hassan said
they had not yet made a decision
regarding the compensation. “The
board of directors will discuss this
issue and make the decision following
the court’s order,” he told the Dhaka
Tribune. •

News 3
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
Government bans Ansar al-Islam
DT
• Kamrul Hasan and Arifur
Rahman Rabbi
ATTACKS CLAIMED BY AQIS
January 13, 2013
February 15, 2013
June 24, 2014
September 30, 2014
November 15, 2014
February 26, 2015
March 30, 2015
May 12, 2015
August 7, 2015
October 31, 2015
April 6, 2016
April 25, 2016
The government has banned radical
Islamist outfit Ansar al-Islam,
the self-proclaimed Bangladesh
chapter of al-Qaeda in the Indian
Subcontinent (AQIS), believed to
be involved with over a dozen attacks
on war crimes trial campaigners,
secularists and LGBT rights activists.
Almost two years after its appearance,
law enforcement is able
to name only two of its top leaders
and does not have an understanding
of its organisational structure.
The police counter-terrorism
unit has not yet formed a separate
investigation unit for the banned
militant group. Rather they are investigating
individual cases.
The Home Ministry issued a gazette
notification on March 1 listing
it as the seventh banned militant
group in the country.
The ban means law enforcement
will now be able to take action
against Ansar al-Islam for holding
meetings, processions or preaching
ideology anywhere in the country
under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
After Ansarullah Bangla Team
was banned in 2015, it reportedly
merged with AQIS to meet their
common goal – establishing Shariah
law in the country.
Ansar al-Islam has so far claimed
responsibility for 13 attacks since
January 2013 to April 25, 2016, in
which 11 war crimes trial campaigners
and secularists were killed
Blogger Asif Mohiuddin critically injured in machete attack
Blogger, architect Ahmed Rajib Haider killed
Blogger, engineer Rakib Mamun survives gun attack
Daffodil University student Ashraful Alam stabbed dead
Rajshahi University’s Prof AKM Shafiul Islam hacked to death
Mukto-Mona blog founder Avijit Roy killed, wife Bonya
injured in machete attack
Secular activist Oyasiqur Rahman Babu hacked to death
Science writer Ananta Bijoy Das hacked to death in Sylhet
Blogger Niladri Chatterjee (Niloy Neel) hacked to death
Publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan hacked dead at his office in Dhaka
Publisher Ahmedur Rashid Tutul, and two writers –
Ranadipam Basu and Tareq Rahim – injured in attack
Secular activist Nazimuddin Samad hacked to death
in Old Dhaka
LGBT rights activists Xulhaz Mannan and Mahbub Tonoy
hacked to death in Dhaka
while five others were injured.
The group made its first claim
on May 3, 2015, naming six victims
including blogger Rajeeb Haider
and science author Avijit Roy.
Currently the trials of Ansarullah
militants for the attempted murder
of blogger Asif Mohiuddin and the
murder of Oyasiqur are underway.
A Sylhet court recently ordered the
police to re-investigate the Ananta
murder since the first charge
sheet had flaws. Police also pressed
charges in Prof AKM Shafiul Islam
murder case. But the other murder
probes have not made progress.
After the death of 13 persons, police
could only arrest six militants
and one – alleged operational chief
of Abhijit murder Shariful Islam alias
Mukul – was killed in a gunfight.
The spiritual leader of Ansarullah
Bangla Team, Jasim Uddin Rahmani,
was arrested on August 12, 2013
for inciting jihad at mosques.
On December 31, 2015, Rahmani
was sentenced to five years in
prison for inciting the murder of
Rajeeb Haider. Two of his followers
were sentenced to death and
four others got jail terms for their
involvement in the murder.
Apart from preaching the murder
of atheists, Ansar al-Islam has lent
support to hardline Islamist platform
Hefazat-e-Islam and the Rohingya
militants waging armed jihad against
the Myanmar government.
The biggest success of the law
enforcers was arresting a deathrow
convict in Rajeeb murder case,
Redwanul Azad Rana. A former
leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir,
Rana is described by the police as a
key organiser of Ansar al-Islam.
But so far, law enforcement has
very little idea who the top leaders
of the organisation are. The alleged
operations chief Maj (sacked) Syed
Ziaul Haque and spiritual leader
Tamim al-Adnani have been eluding
arrest. Two others, identified as
spiritual leaders remain unidentified.
Two trainers who were identified,
Selim alias Iqbal alias Hadi-2
and Sazzad alias Sajeeb alias Siam
alias Shams, remain fugitive.
A CTTC source said police have
received some details of sleeper cell
members – Sifat alias Sameer alias
Imran, Abdus Samad alias Sujon
alias Raju alias Salman alias Sad.
The rest remain completely unknown.
Police only have a list of
around 30 organisational names.
Speeches of spiritual leader
Tamim al-Adnani are still available
on the internet and there are many
websites and social media accounts
campaigning for the group.
The Counter Terrorism unit are
in charge of all the related cases.
CTTC Deputy Commissioner
Mohibul Islam Khan said: “Many
leaders and members of this group
have been arrested and killed. The
group does not have any strength
left to carry out more attacks.” •
IFB to invite imams of two holy mosques
to preach against militancy in Dhaka
• Tarek Mahmud
Islamic Foundation Bangladesh, an
autonomous body under the Ministry
of Religious Affairs, is trying to bring
imams of the two most revered
mosques of Islam to Dhaka this
month to preach against militancy.
Islamic Foundation Director
General Shamim Mohammad Afzal
told the Dhaka Tribune that they are
expecting imams of Masjid al-Haram
and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi to attend
the founding anniversary of IFB
on March 22 in Dhaka, and address
people on eradicating militancy.
Two political parties, however,
had failed to successfully invite Dr
Sheikh Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul
Aziz Al-Sudais, imam of Masjid al-
Haram, in July last year.
“Both Dr Sheikh and Ali Bin
Abdur Rahman al Huthaify, chief
imam of Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, are
highly respected among Muslims
all over the world. We hope that
they will accept our invitations
and come to Bangladesh to spread
awareness among people against
militancy,” said Shamim.
Islamic Foundation is planning to
arrange a rally on its 42nd founding
anniversary at Suhrawardy Udyan,
where Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina is also expected to attend.
Foundation personnel met the
prime minister on February 28 to
discuss the event.
Following the meeting, a fourmember
representative team from
Bangladesh met authorities of
the Royal Embassy of Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia in Dhaka on March 2
to take the preparations forward.
According to the team, the
Saudi king would have to allow the
invitation as the imam of Grand
Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz
Al-Sudais
Imam of Masjid al-Haram
President of General Presidency for
the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.
Awarded “Islamic Personality of the
Year” in 2005 by Dubai International
Holy Quran Awards. Preaches Islam’s
opposition to terrorism and advocates
peaceful inter-faith dialogue. Completed
his PhD in Islamic Sharia from Umm
al-Qura University.
Mosque is a state post.
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah,
secretary of the Ministry of
Religious Affairs, said: “The time
has not come to confirm their visit
yet, but we are trying our best.”
Islamic Foundation has been
running anti-militancy campaigns
by instructing imams and muezzins
in Bangladesh to deliver sermons
about the devastating impacts of
extremism. •
Ali Bin Abdur Rahman al Huthaify
Chief Imam of Al-Masjid an-Nawabi
Former lecturer of Islamic Jurisprudence
and Tawheed at Islamic University
of Saudi Arabia.
He completed his PhD in Islamic law
from Al-Azhar University.
al Huthaify has also studied forensic
sciences.
He was the imam of the Quba
Mosque. al Huthaify has been the imam
of the Prophet’s Mosque since 1979.
Middle Easterners often
visited Kashem
• Tribune Desk
Known as Boro Hujur among his
followers, Maulana Kashem, who
also headed a faction of the original
Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh,
was arrested from Dhaka’s
Shonapara area on Thursday night
and placed on remand the following
day.
Kashem had met people from
the Middle East frequently who
financially supported him. He met
them at different madrasas in Dinajpur,
Rajshahi and Dhaka, reports
Bangla Tribune quoting a source of
the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational
Crime (CTTC) unit.
However, the spiritual leader
went into hiding after the Holey Artisan
Bakery attack on July 1, 2016.
Stating that Kashem wrote motivational
books for militants, a
CTTC official said: “He has started
disclosing information. Kashem informed
us that he had Arabic-based
education and is not very fluent in
English. He was trying to learn English
because he had to meet many
foreigners, especially from the Middle
East.”
CTTC Chief Monirul Islam said:
“Kashem met New JMB leader
Tamim Chowdhury in 2013. We
learnt about him when some international
intelligence agencies told
us about Tamim in 2014. But they
did not name Boro Hujur, only said
he was a madrasa principal.
“We were able to confirm his
identity in 2015.”
Sources said that ATM Tajuddin
introduced Tamim to old JMB’s top
leader Abdus Samad alias Mamu
alias Arif, who Arif introduced
Tamim to Maulana Kashem.
Following that meeting, Samad
and Tamim met with Maulana
Kashem several times.
Investigators said Maulana
Kashem ordered all New JMB members
to obey Tamim Chowdhury.
Claiming anonymity, the CTTC
official told Bangla Tribune:
“Tamim used to call Abul Kashem a
‘Shaykh,’ but the others addressed
him as Boro Hujur.”
He was the one who gave permission
for the Gulshan attack.
“Boro Hujur wrote numerous
jihadi books under several pseudonyms.
Tamim, Marjan, Hatkata
Mahfuz, northern region commander
Rajib Gandhi and many
more were devoted to him.”
The official said they were trying
to identify the others who were
acquainted with Kashem. •

4
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
DT
News
Gas cylinder blast kills
child in Chittagong
• FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong
A one-year-old child was killed and her father
sustained critical burn injuries in a gas
cylinder explosion in Patenga area of Chittagong
yesterday.
The deceased is Oishi, daughter of Md
Raju, resident of Bhandaria upazila of Pirojpur,
said police sources.
RMG worker Raju was admitted to the
Burn and Plastic Surgery Ward of Chittagong
Medical College Hospital with critical injuries.
Jahirul Islam, inspector of CMCH police
outpost, told the Dhaka Tribune: “RMG
worker Raju and his daughter Oishi sustained
critical burn injuries from a gas cylinder
blast. Later they were rushed to CMCH
where Oishi breathed her last at midnight
while receiving treatment.”
Oishi had sustained around 55% burns,
he added. •
CMCH intern doctors observe a work abstention to protest the suspension and transfer order of four
Shahid Ziaur Rahman Medical College doctors in Bogra yesterday
RABIN CHOWDHURY
Signing of exploration deal
with Posco Daewoo March 14
• Aminur Rahman Rasel
Petrobangla is all set to sign a
deal with South Korea-based
Posco Daewoo International
Corporation on March 14
for gas and oil exploration in
deep-sea block 12 in the Bay
of Bengal.
Petrobangla Chairman
Abul Mansur Md Faizullah
informed this to the Dhaka
Tribune yesterday.
On February 8, the Cabinet
Committee on Economic
Affairs approved a proposal
allowing the Bangladesh Oil,
Gas and Mineral Corporation
(Petrobangla) to ink the deal
under the Speedy Supply of
Power and Energy (special
provision) Act-2010.
The deal is the first of its
kind in the country as Posco
Daewoo has directly been
selected in line with the act,
instead of through the conventional
tender procedure.
The South Korean company
will sell 1,000 cubic feet
of gas at $6.5 per unit if gas is
found in the block, according
to the deal.
The company submitted
an expression of interest
(EoI) to Petrobangla under
the act to explore the block
with the provision of gas
export – something that has
been revived despite being
scrapped in 2012.
Currently, three foreign
companies – Chevron, Santos
and Kris Energy – are working
at onshore and shallow sea
blocks in the country following
international biddings in
1993 and 1997. •
Activists call for citizens’
audit of foreign debt
• Tribune Desk
Anti-debt activists at the
South Asia workshop of
the Committee for the Abolition
of Illegitimate Debt
(CADTM) demanded that
an audit of Bangladesh’s
foreign debt be carried
out.
Bangladesh is overburdened
with debt from foreign
creditors controlling
the shots, they said at the
workshop, held in Dhaka
from March 3-4.
The workshop was attended
by CADTM members
various South Asian
countries, Japan and Belgium,
as well as Bangladeshi
policymakers and
activists.
The participants deliberated
on the issue of debt
and the disastrous impacts
of lending by International
Financial Institutions
(IFIs) such as the World
Bank, IMF, ADB, JICA, etc.
Dr Eric Toussaint,
co-founder and spokesperson
of CADTM International,
described the global
debt situation and made
clear why a citizens’ audit
of the debt was necessary.
The question of public
debt repayment is undeniably
taboo, the activists
said, adding that a citizens’
debt audit is a way to
break the taboo.
The audit enables an increasing
proportion of the
population to grasp the
“ins and outs” of a country’s
national debt process,
they said.
It involves an analysis
of the borrowing policy
followed by a given country’s
authorities, they added.
Dr Toussaint was the
scientific coordinator of
the Truth Committee on
the Greek Public Debt set
up by the President of the
Hellenic Parliament.
He was also a member
of Ecuador’s Debt Audit
Commission (Comisión
para la Auditoria Integral
de la DeudaPública
-CAIC), created by Ecuadorian
President Raphael
Correa in 2007.•
Special tribunal
orders arrest of 25
leaders of radical
Islamist groups
• Tribune Desk
A special tribunal has issued arrest
warrants against 25 people, including
leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam, in
a case lodged against them four
years ago for instigating a bomb
attack on Gonojagoron Moncho on
February 22, 2013.
Dhaka Metropolitan 1 Special
Tribunal Judge Mohammad Kamrul
Hossain Molla ordered the arrest
warrants based on the Shahbagh
police station’s charge sheet which
accuses 29 people for the attempt.
Islami Oikya Jote Chairman Abdul
Latif Nizami and Secretary General
Mufti Md Faizullah, Bangladesh
Khilafat Majlish Ameer Mawlana Md
Ishaq, Secretary General Ahmed Abdul
Quader and chief Mawlana Abdur
Rouf Yusufi, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
Executive President Mufti Md
Wakkas and Bangladesh Khilafat
Andolon Ameer Shah Ahmedullah
Ashraf are among the 25 accused.
The tribunal has also ordered
the Shahbagh police station OC to
submit a report on April 6 stating
whether these accused have been
arrested.•

Elections to 14 upazilas,
4 municipalities today
• Adil Sakhawat
The newly formed Election Commission
(EC) will conduct elections
to three upazilas, and by-elections
to 11 upazilas and four municipalities
today.
EC Secretary Mohammed Abdullah
yesterday told the press
that they had already taken all the
necessary preparations to hold the
elections in a fair and free manner.
He added that they had instructed
electoral officials to remain
alert so none could demonstrate
high-handedness against laws during
the polls.
“The previous EC drew a lot of
flak from all strata. The new EC is
therefore much more careful about
holding the elections in a fair and
peaceful manner, as part of which we
have held several meetings with officials
concerned,” Abdullah added.
Election Commissioner Mahbub
Talukder said: “The reputation of
the new EC largely depends on the
elections.”
When asked about BNP’s allegations
that the EC was taking no
heed of its complaints about electoral
irregularities, Abdullah said:
“It is not true that we are not taking
any complaint into consideration.
The complaints should be based on
concrete evidence, without which
we cannot go for action.
“There will be executive magistrates
in all the constituencies,
where the elections are taking
place. They will take action if there
is any anomaly.”
Electoral areas
The three upazilas where voters
will elect chairmen, vice-chairmen
MP LITON MURDER CASE
Quader’s PS Joha confesses
involvement
News 5
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
and female vice-chairmen are Osmaninagar
of Sylhet, Guimara of
Khagrachhari, and Jagannathpur
of Sunamganj.
The upazilas where by-polls will
take place are: Banaripara and Gournadi
upazilas of Barisal, Adarsha sadar
upazila of Comilla, Sujanagar of
Pabna, Hossainpur of Kishoreganj,
Boraigram of Natore, Jaldhaka of
Nilphamari, Kalaroya of Satkhira,
Morrelganj of Bagerhat, Rangabali of
Patuakhali, and Ishwardi of Pabna.
The four municipalities are Golachipa
of Patuakhali, Sakhipur of
Tangail and Arani of Rajshahi, and
Sherpur of Sherpur.
Elections to four other upazilas
-- Kurigram sadar, Kathalia of
Jhalakathi, and Comilla sadar (south)
and Chauddagram upazilas – will not
be held as candidates there have already
been elected uncontested. •
BNP to take part in
18 local polls
• Manik Miazee
BNP will take part in today’s upazila
and municipality polls in 18 places
across the country.
Speaking to the press yesterday,
the party’s central leaders claimed
that their candidates and activists
were under attack and being repressed
everywhere.
The ruling party was using the
law-enforcement agency to stop
BNP candidates from speaking to
voters in the election areas and
party leaders and activists had
been detained, they said.
After their boycott of the 2014
parliamentary elections, BNP
returned to the booths in local
government polls the next year.
However, in all of them except
Narayanganj city corporation polls,
they withdrew their candidates on
the polls day alleging rigging.
In all these cases, BNP accused
the EC and the law enforcement of
DT
inaction as the ruling party’s activists
took over polling centres and
intimidated its voters.
However, the party is now willing
to let the new Election Commission
demonstrate that it is capable
of holding a free and fair election.
“There cannot be a free and
fair election under the new EC,
because the CEC is a ruling party
man,” BNP Senior Joint Secretary
General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told reporters
yesterday.
“The EC did not take any action
against our complaints regarding
several upazilas including Morrelganj
in Bagerhat, Sujanagar in
Pabna, Hossainpur in Kishoreganj,
Daulatpur in Kushtia and also
Rangabali in Patuakhali, which is
CEC’s home area,” he said.
Rizvi alleged that law enforcement
had arrested BNP’s leaders
last week from election areas, including
Rangabali upazila BNP President
Kabir Hossain Talukdar. •
• Kamrul Hasan, Tazul Islam Reza,
Gaibandha
Shamsujjoha, personal secretary of former
lawmaker Abdul Quader Khan, confessed in a
Gaibandha court yesterday afternoon to being
involved in the murder of MP Liton from the
planning stages.
‘Quader held a number
of meetings at Joha’s
wholesale shop at Naldanga
in Sadullahpur before the
murder’
Shamsujjoha, commonly known as Joha, who
was arrested from Kismat Haldia area of Sunderganj
on Saturday night has filled in a few
vital pieces of the puzzle in the murder investigation,
police sources claimed.
A policeman requesting anonymity told
the Dhaka Tribune that Joha confessed to being
involved in the murder from the planning
stages. Joha also admitted to going to Bogra
after the murder took place to update Quader
about the matter, who was laying low there.
Police sources claimed, Joha admitted to
playing a key role in securing assistance of
Chandan Kumar Roy, a man who allegedly
lodged complaints about Quader’s corruption
to regional Anti-Corruption Commission due
to Liton’s encouragement.
Chandan had close ties with MP Liton, but
a rift ensued between them after Liton became
a member of the parliament. It was at
this time that Joha allegedly convinced Chandan
to side with Quader.
Joha transferred Tk15,000 to Chandan in
two installments through bkash, before the
latter fled to India, Chandan was last traced in
Kurigram by police on January 5, the sources
said.
Quader believed that Liton’s ploy to use
Chandan to file the corruption complaints
ultimately led to his defeat in 2013 election
against Liton, which is why Quader wanted
to convince Chandan to withdraw the complaints,
the sources said.
Chandan also allegedly tipped the three
killers about a convenient time to strike MP
Liton.
The sources said, Quader held a number
of meetings at Joha’s wholesale shop at Naldanga
in Sadullahpur before the murder. The
three killers used to lodge there. Chandan
and his brother-in-law Subol Chandra also attended
the meetings.
Joha was sent to jail after his testimony. •
TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY
Dhaka 30 18 Chittagong 30 21 Rajshahi 33 13 Rangpur 31 13 Khulna 33 18 Barisal 31 20 Sylhet 27 15
Cox’s Bazar 30 20
RAIN LIKELY
MONDAY, MARCH 6
DHAKA
TODAY
TOMORROW
SUN SETS 6:04PM
SUN RISES 6:16AM
YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW
32.6ºC
13.5ºC
Patuakhali
Tetulia
Source: Accuweather/UNB
PRAYER
TIMES
Fajr: 5:50am | Zohr: 1:15pm
Asr: 4:45pm | Magrib: 6:10pm
Esha: 8:00pm
Source: Islamic Foundation

6
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
DT
News
Bamboo used to build Narail school
• Sultan Mahmood, Narail
The skeletal frame of some
parts of a school building in
Lohagara upazila of Narail has
been found to be made of bamboo
sticks instead of iron rods.
The bamboo skeleton was
first sighted through a crack
that developed on the pillar
about a week ago.
But students and teachers
of Naogram Government Primary
School have reported
that an unidentified youth
removed the bamboo skeleton
from a rear pillar of the
building after the class hours
on March 2.
The school’s head teacher
Kazi Robiul Islam told the
Dhaka Tribune: “We noticed
the bamboo sticks in the pillar
around a week ago when
the cracks first appeared. On
Saturday, we came to know
that someone had removed
the bamboo sticks.”
The school administration
has informed the upazila
education officer about the
matter.
“Classes will be cancelled
if the condition of the building
is deemed risky,” said Md
Luthfur Rahman, an official
of Lohagara upazila primary
education office.
The building that houses
four classrooms was built under
the supervision of the Local
Government Engineering
Department (LGED) in 2003.
Officials at LGED’s Lohagara
office have so far
failed to find out the name
of the contractor who supervised
the construction work.
Osman Gani, an engineer
of LGED’s Lohagara office,
said: “We have to examine
the building to make sure
whether other parts of the
building were built using
bamboo. We have notified
the higher authorities about
this.” •
Britannia University
trustees sued for corruption
• Mohiuddin Molla,
Comilla
The Anti-Corruption Commission
yesterday filed a case
against seven people including
the chairman of Britannia
University, Comilla for misappropriating
Tk2 crore.
ACC Deputy Director
Nurul Huda lodged the case
with sadar south police station
accusing them of embezzling
the amount from
the university’s account.
As per the law, no one can
transfer money from the account
of a university, operated
under a trust, to his/her
personal account or spend
for personal purposes.
The accused are Trustee
Board Chairman Syed Ehsanul
Huq, Treasurer Siddiqur
Rahman, and members Md
Shamsuddoha, Saiful Ahmed
Chowdhury, Syeda Rownak
Afza, Abu Zafar Md Moinul Islam
and Rizwan Ahmed.
The ACC launched the investigation
upon getting allegations
against the Trustee Board members,
ad later found that Siddiqur
Rahman had pocketed Tk1.52
crore through 14 cheques while
Rownak embezzled Tk40 lakh.
The private university was
established in Poduar Bazar
area of the town in 2012. The
University Grants Commission
warned the university
in a circular last year for irregularities
in the admission
process. •
Bulbul to get his
mayoral seat back
• Tribune Desk
The suspended Rajshahi city
corporation mayor, Mosaddek
Hossain Bulbul, will get
his post back as the Supreme
Court has upheld a High
Court order that declared his
suspension order illegal.
An Appellate Division
bench headed by Chief Justice
SK Sinha dismissed a
government leave-to-appeal
yesterday.
Bubul, who was charged
in several criminal cases,
filed a writ petition after the
government suspended him
in May 2015, challenging the
order’s legality.
The High Court declared
government’s decision illegal
in March 2016. •
Hartal in
Rangamati
demanding
Bangali quota
• Ziaul Haque, Rangamati
Parbatya Bangali Chhatra
Parishad will enforce a dawnto-dusk
shutdown in the district
today demanding quota
for the Bangali students in
Rangamati Science and Technology
University (RCTU).
They brought out a procession
starting from Kathaltali
area and paraded the
town’s main streets. Later a
rally was held in front of the
Kathaltali Jame Masjid.
Rangamati unit General
Secretary of the organisation
Md Jahangir asked all the hill
tracts people to observe the
hartal. He demanded that the
government introduce quota
for Bangali students in proportion
to the population. •
60 Rokeya University BCL
men face extortion cases
• Liakat Ali Badal,
Rangpur
Two cases have been filed
against over 60 leaders and
activists of Chhatra League’s
Begum Rokeya University
unit for demanding extortion.
University unit President
Mehedi Hasan Shishir and
General Secretary Mostafa
Mahmud Hasan are among
the accused.
The cases were filed on
Saturday night, Kotwali police
OC Abul Aziz confirmed
to the Dhaka Tribune on Sunday
morning.
One of the cases was filed
by Mazedul Islam, owner of
a Fast food restaurant. His
shop was allegedly vandalised
by Chhatra League men
on Saturday afternoon.
He filed the case against
25-30 Chhatra League activists
mentioning Shishir as the
prime accused.
The vandalism triggered
a clash in the afternoon between
Chhatra League activists
and local traders, leaving
25 injured.
The other case was filed by
Mizanur Rahman, supervisor
of a construction company.
He lodged the case against
30-35 Chhatra League members
including General Secretary
Mostafa alleging that
they demanded Tk50 lakh as
extortion for the construction
of Dr Wazed Research
Institute on February 28.
He also alleged that the
Chhatra League men had assaulted
eight workers at the
site.
“We conducted a nightlong
drive to arrest Shishir
and Mamun, but failed,” the
OC added. •

Law demanded for indigenous
groups of plain land
News 7
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
Unplanned farming threatens Tangon River
• Zakir Mostafiz, Thakurgaon
Once marauding river Tangon has
now turned into a shadow of itself,
for nothing other than unplanned
excavation of canals which were
supposed to feed the increasing
farming activity in the district.
The authorities of Thakurgaon
town, built on the bank of the Tangon
River, also share some responsibility
for huge waste dumping
into the river.
The story is similar to other
rivers like Shuk, Nagar, Dhepa,
Nahna, Bhulli, Tirnai, Lachhi,
Chandana, Kulik, Pathraj and
Senua that flow across different
parts of the district, some of them
trans-boundary.
Originated in West Bengal state
of India, the Tangon marauds
around the Bangladesh-India
border as it trespasses the state
boundaries thrice, crossing on the
way Thakurgaon, Rangpur and Dinajpur
before meeting the Punarbhaba
River in Naogaon district.
People now cultivate paddy on the land which was the once-marauding Tangon
River in Thakurgaon
ZAKIR MOSTAFIZ
The air around the river gives
a pungent smell of wastes covering
the water surface, said Abdul
Mazid Mukul of Munshipara area
in Thakurgaon town.
All the hotels and other business
establishments dispose their waste
into the river, he alleged.
Even during the rains, farmers
are not getting enough waterflow
for the retting of jute.
The fishes have depleted
throughout the entire course and
almost vanished in some places
that give way seedbeds for paddy
cultivation.
It is not only the Tangon that
has lost its veracity for the unplanned
excavation of canals along
the beels (wetlands) that had been
used as storage of water for the river
during the dry season, the same
factor is working behind the depletion
of water of two other big rivers
– Nagar and Kuliki – in the district,
M Inamul Haque, chairman of the
Institute of Water and Environment,
told the Dhaka Tribune.
Over-drainage of water from
the beel areas has led to a boost in
crops cultivation, but at the same
time the rivers are deprived of their
due shares, he explained, adding
that most of such excavation is
sponsored by the Bangladesh Water
Development Board (BWDB)
itself.
Then comes the Revenue Department
which has an overtly
liberal approach to lease out khas
lands (land in government custody
including those falling under
rivers, canals and wetlands) to the
locals for agricultural uses, added
DT
Inamul, also a former director general
of the Water Resource Planning
Organisation (Warpo).
The river system in Thakurgaon
and Nilphamari districts used to
feed on the Teesta and the Mahananda
rivers in the past, but
this umbilical cord has been delinked
over the passage of time for
both anthropogenic and geological
events.
Barrages built on these two
major rivers in the Indian side is
contributing a lot to this delinking
while the gradual shift of the Teesta
towards its left bank has been a
factor silently playing a part, noted
Sheikh Rokon, general secretary of
Riverine People, a collective of river
protection activists.
“The Tangon Barrage in
Panchagarh has some of its functionality,
and the river both on the
upstream and the downstream of
the barrage has been silted. I think
this is a major cause behind the
degradation of the Tangon River,”
he said. •
• Nure Alam Durjoy
Indigenous leaders and NGOs
have demanded that a draft law
proposal protecting the rights
of 38 plain land indigenous
communities be placed in parliament
in the current session.
A dialogue regarding the
proposed draft law was held
at The Daily Star Centre in
Dhaka yesterday morning.
They also suggested that
special provisions should be
included for the marginalised
minority castes like the
Robidas, Ramdas, Joldas,
Rajbangshi, Dom, Chandal,
Muchi and others.
Manusher Jonno Foundation,
Indigenous People Development
Services (IPDS),
Brotee, Gram Bikash Kendro,
and Jatiyo Adibashi Parishad
have collaboratively prepared
the proposed draft.
“There are only 38 indigenous
communities left in the
plain lands. They no longer
have ownership of the land
they have lived on for so long.
These people need our help,”
said IPDS President Sanjeeb
Drong, presenting the proposed
draft.
Several speakers suggested
that a separate commission
empowered with legal authority
to deal with these issues
should be formed, rather
than providing recommendations
to the government.
Others suggested some
corrections to the proposed
draft.
Civil Aviation and Tourism
Minister Rashed Khan Menon
said: “Since 1993, these
indigenous communities’
demands have gone unheard
and unfulfilled.
“There must be a definite
pledge to form this commission
in the next election manifesto,
if it is not formed under
the current parliament.”
Menon suggested that the
repetitions and ambiguities
in the draft be revised.
Barrister Sara Hossain said
that the draft had helped begin
the discussion on these
matters and opened up the
possibility of more such conversations
in the future.
She stressed the need to
identify the land belonging
to the indigenous communities
and set rules to give them
back their land.
Jatiya Adivasi Parishad
President Rabindranath Soren
said: “The government
should take an initiative regarding
this draft and ensure
that the indigenous communities
are actively involved in
the process.”
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal
lawmaker Nazmul Haque
Prodhan, lawmaker Tipu
Sultan, Brottee Executive Director
Sharmin Murshed also
spoke among the others. MJF
Director Rina Roy moderated
the session. •

DT
8
World
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
Media struggles for balance in
covering hostile Trump
• AFP, New York
Facing a White House which has
been unrelenting in its attacks on
the media, news organisations are
struggling to find the right balance
in covering President Donald
Trump’s administration.
Reporters and media groups are
increasingly finding they are part of
the story, after Trump’s denunciation
of “fake news” and his branding
of media groups as “the enemy
of the people.”
Most news organisations have
promised to fulfill their responsibility
to report aggressively, without
being vindictive.
“The goal is to be tough, but to
be fair. The fairness part is an important
part of the equation,” said
Richard Benedetto, an adjunct professor
of journalism at American
University who was a White House
correspondent for USA Today.
The White House may have some
justification for claiming the press
is unfair: an NBC survey last month
found 53% of Americans believed
the media was exaggerating problems
in the Trump administration.
“There seems to be a lack of concern
about being fair,” Benedetto
said. “It’s become kind of personal.”
Dogged, and impartial
Reuters editor-in-chief Steve Adler
said the news agency planned to do
its job in Washington as it does in
other countries where governments
are hostile to the press.
The agency responds to difficult
conditions “by doing our
best to protect our journalists,
by recommitting ourselves to reporting
fairly and honestly, by
doggedly gathering hard-to-get
information – and by remaining
impartial,” Adler said in a January
memo to staff.
Karen North, a professor at the
University of Southern California’s
Annenberg School, said objectivity
has become complicated as more
journalists feel a need to connect
with readers by offering personal
thoughts on social media.
North said some reporters feel a
need to rebut the president on his
favorite platform, Twitter.
In the fast-paced Twittersphere,
she said, reporters are not just
churning out facts but “they’re also
putting out their opinion through
social media.”
North noted that news organisations
are also struggling for ways to
keep the attention of their viewers
and readers.
People take part in a protest outside the New York Times on February 26
Crossing a line
New York Times public editor Liz
Spayd acknowledged that some
reporters in their Twitter messages
during the campaign may have
gone “over the line” and cast doubt
on their objectivity.
Trump has tested the limits of
the media meanwhile not only by
attacking the press as “dishonest,”
but by stretching or ignoring
facts about the economy, crime,
and the probe into his own circle’s
contacts with Russia during the
campaign.
Some newspapers, notably the
AFP
New York Times, have decided to
brand Trump’s statements “lies.”
The Wall Street Journal has ordered
a more restrained interpretation
of Trump’s conduct, drawing
protests from the editorial staff
against chief editor Gerry Baker.
There are no shortage of opinions
on how the press should deal
with the Trump problem.
Some analysts say the media
should turn the other cheek, others
say they should boycott or ignore
Trump’s efforts. Some news organizations
are stepping up their investigative
efforts. •
White House calls
for investigation
into alleged Trump
wiretapping
• Tribune Desk
The White House has called for the
US Congress to investigate President
Donald Trump’s claim Barack Obama
ordered Trump Tower to be “wiretapped”
during the 2016 US election.
In a series of tweets, White House
press secretary Sean Spicer called
Trump’s allegation, for which he has
provided no evidence, “very troubling”.
He said Trump is requesting Congress
examine whether “executive
investigative powers were abused”
during the 2016 election campaign,
as part of an ongoing congressional
probe into Russia’s influence on the
election.
The announcement came one day
after Trump took to Twitter to accuse
his predecessor Barack Obama of tapping
his phones ahead of the November
election.
An Obama spokesman has denied
Trump’s accusation as “simply false.”
In his statement, Sean Spicer said,
“President Donald J Trump is requesting
that as part of their investigation
into Russian activity, the congressional
intelligence committees exercise
their oversight authority to determine
whether executive branch investigative
powers were abused in 2016,” •
A demonstrator in support of Donald Trump sprays pepper spray towards a group
of counter-protesters during a rally in California on March 4
REUTERS
Violent clashes at pro-
Trump rallies
• Tribune Desk
Supporters of Donald Trump
clashed with counter-protesters in
Minnesota and California on Saturday
as crowds rallied for the President
nationwide.
At a “March 4 Trump” rally in support
in St Paul, Minnesota, Trump
supporters confronted about 50 anti-Trump
protesters at the state capitol
building, said Lt Tiffani Nielson,
spokeswoman for the state patrol.
One man appeared to have been
hit in the face, WCCO reported.
Crowds took off when someone
started using pepper spray on the
protesters. The Minnesota State
Patrol arrested six people, five of
whom were detained for allegedly
setting off firecrackers inside the
capitol building, not for fighting,
according to Steve Linders, spokesman
for the St Paul Police.
All of those arrested were in
the anti-Trump camp, and were
charged with disorderly conduct,
police said.
Tensions escalated when both
groups started voicing their opinions
about President Trump’s political
agenda. •
Sikh man shot in
US, told to ‘go back
to your country’
• Reuters, Washington, DC
A Sikh man was shot and wounded in
Washington state by an attacker who
approached him in his driveway and
told him to leave the country, police
and media reported on Saturday.
The shooting, on Friday night in
the city of Kent about 24km south of
Seattle, followed a number of other
attacks on Sikhs in the United States
over a period of more than a decade.
Hate crime-tracking groups say
assailants have occasionally mistaken
Sikhs for Muslims, who have
also been victimized in religiously
motivated crimes.
The Sikh man was working on
his car in the driveway of his home
when he was shot in the arm, according
to Seattle television station
KIRO 7, which spoke to a woman
who knows the victim and saw him
after he was struck by the bullet.
Sikh community members stood
behind Thomas as he described the
shooting. Police believe the suspect,
who is at large, is a man, media
reported. •
Malaysia expels North Korea
ambassador over Kim murder
• AFP, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia has expelled North Korea’s
ambassador, giving him 48 hours to
leave the country in a major break in
diplomatic relations over the airport
assassination of the half-brother of
Pyongyang’s leader.
Kim Jong-Nam was poisoned February
13 with deadly nerve agent VX.
North Korea has not acknowledged the
dead man’s identity but has repeatedly
disparaged the murder investigation,
accusing Malaysia of conniving with its
enemies.
“The ambassador has been declared
persona non grata” after Malaysia
demanded but did not receive an
apology for Pyongyang’s attacks on the
investigation, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister
Anifah Haji Aman said.
“Malaysia will react strongly against
any insults made against it or any attempt
to tarnish its reputation,” he said
in a statement released late Saturday.
Ambassador Kang Chol failed to
present himself at the ministry when
summoned and “is expected to leave
Malaysia within 48 hours,” the statement
added. The expulsion deadline
expires 6pm on Monday.
Arch-rival South Korea has blamed
the North for the murder, citing what
they say was a standing order from
leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled
half-brother who may have been seen
as a potential rival.
The foreign ministry said the expulsion
is “part of the process by the
Malaysian government to review its
relations” with North Korea, which
before Kim’s assassination were unusually
cosy.
“North Korea must learn to respect
other countries,” Malaysia’s Deputy
Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
said Sunday.
The expulsion shows “we are serious
about solving this problem and we
do not want it to be manipulated,” he
added.
On Sunday evening, a senior government
official who did not want to
be named said Kang was still in the
country and was expected to leave on
a flight to Beijing on Monday. •

World
9
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
DT
Sri Lanka rejects UN call for foreign judges in war probe
• AFP, Colombo
Sri Lankan President Maithripala
Sirisena has rejected a fresh appeal
from the United Nations to allow
international judges to investigate
alleged war-era atrocities, vowing
to not prosecute soldiers.
“I am not going to allow non-governmental
organisations to dictate
how to run my government. I will not
listen to their calls to prosecute my
troops,” the president said in remarks
distributed by his office Sunday.
The UN on Friday criticised Sri
Lanka’s “worryingly slow” progress
in addressing its wartime past, urging
the government to adopt laws
Poland puts forward rival
candidate to EU’s Tusk
allowing for special hybrid courts to
try war criminals.
In his first remarks since the UN
Human Rights Council in Geneva
handed down a new scorecard on
Sri Lanka, Sirisena rebuffed calls for
international judges to probe abuses
committed during the island’s
37-year civil war.
Sri Lanka has resisted calls to establish
a special court to investigate
allegations that government forces
killed up to 40,000 Tamil civilians
in the final months of fighting,
which ended in May 2009.
Sirisena, a member of the majority
Sinhalese community, received
the support of the Tamil minority
after promising accountability for
excesses carried out by the largely
Sinhalese military.
He had agreed to a UN Human
Rights Council resolution in October
2015 which called for special tribunals
and reparations for victims and
gave Sri Lanka 18 months to establish
credible investigations. •
• AFP, Warsaw
Poland said Saturday it was proposing
a Polish Euro-MP for the
EU presidency to succeed Donald
Tusk, whose second term is
opposed by the governing rightwing
Law and Justice party (PiS).
Tusk, who has been president
of the European Council since
December 2014, had so far been
the sole candidate.
“The Polish government proposes
the candidacy of Jacek
Saryusz-Wolski for the presidency
of the European Council,” the foreign
ministry said in a statement.
Tusk, a centre-right Polish
prime minister from 2007 to
2014, has been sharply at odds
with Poland’s rightwing government
over a range of issues including
changes to state media
and the constitution.
Saryusz-Wolski, 68, an MEP
since 2004, is a member of the
European People’s Party (EPP),
gathering Christian Democrat
and centre-right parties.
After Saturday’s announcement,
Civic Platform expelled
Saryusz-Wolski from its ranks,
which will trigger his exclusion
from the EPP group.
Tusk’s problems with PiS
stem greatly from a vitriolic relationship
with party boss Jaroslaw
Kaczynski.
The EU and Poland have been
at loggerheads over a series of
policies introduced by the PiS, including
a string of judicial reforms
that saw critics take to the streets
in large demonstrations. •
Francois Fillon
Pressure mounts on
France’s Fillon
AFP
• Reuters, Paris
A senior politician from embattled
French presidential
candidate Francois Fillon’s
conservative camp said on
Sunday that several party
heavyweights were about to
issue a statement calling for
former prime minister Alain
Juppe to replace him.
Once the frontrunner, Fillon
is mired in a scandal over
his wife’s pay, and his campaign
has been in serious
trouble since he learnt last
week that he could be placed
under formal investigation for
misuse of public funds.
He is under growing pressure
as party leaders prepare
a crisis meeting for Monday to
discuss the situation ahead of
a March 17 deadline when all
presidential candidates must
be formally endorsed by at
least 500 elected officials.
After a string of resignations
among advisers and
backers, the 63-year old former
conservative prime minister
is banking on a rally of
supporters in Paris on Sunday
to show his detractors that he
remains their best hope to win
the presidency. •

DT
10
Business
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
CAPITAL MARKET SNAPSHOT: SUNDAY
DSE Broad Index 5,573.1 -0.2% ▼ Index 1,299.9 -0.3% ▼ 30 Index 2,010.9 -0.5% ▼ Turnover in Mn Tk 7,944.8 -4.3% ▼ Turnover in Mn Vol 208.4 -3.6% ▼
CSE All Share Index 17,243.1 -0.3% ▼ 30 Index 14,988.1 -0.3% ▼ Selected Index 10,455.4 -0.4% ▼ Turnover in Mn Tk 436.0 2.1% ▲ Turnover in Mn Vol 13.6 -3.1% ▼
Muhith rejects proposal to
raise banks stock exposure
• Asif Shawkat Kallol
Finance Minister AMA Muhith has
rejected Orion Group Chairman
Obadul Karim’s proposal to raise
the limit of stock market exposure
for commercial banks along with
any contract with the company on
the basis of its stocks.
The minister recently expressed
his agreement with a Bangladesh
Bank letter that argued that risks to
the banking sector would increase
if the limit is raised and if companies
can obtain loans on their stock
market holdings.
However, the central bank says
large business groups can obtain
loans for investment in priority
sectors in the country under state
loan guarantee.
The Orion Group appealed directly
to the Prime Minister’s Office
to amend the provisions of the Bank
Company Act. The government is
amending the law to change the
structure of bank director boards.
Earlier, Bangladesh Bank General
Manager Abu Fara Md Nasar sent
the letter to the Finance Ministry
recommending that the provisions
26 (A) and 26 (B) of Bank Companies
Act 1991 not be amended, in
reply to the ministry’s query.
In his letter, he said if the provisions
are amended, there will be a
negative impact on the country’s
Bangladesh Bank says overall bank investment in the country’s stock market
needs to be limited for the betterment of the market
DHAKA TRIBUNE
stock market. Officials of the Bank
and Financial Institutions Division
said the central bank does not
agree with the proposed amendment
to provision 26 (A) as the big
groups want to have contracts with
banks who invest in stocks.
They said the central bank
thinks the investments are not certain
and are risk-prone.
The Bangladesh Bank letter
reads: “Overall bank investment in
the stock market needs to be limited
for the betterment of the local
stock market.”
It says the government should
provide guarantees to large business
group loans on a case-by-case basis.
“Syndicated loans to large business
groups will ease the risk of implementation
of any big project,”
he said. Under the provision 26
(A), banks are not allowed to invest
more than 5% of their paid up capital
in the stock market.
The banks’ share market exposure
limit is 25% of its capital under
the provision 25 (B) of the Bank Companies
Act 1991. The capital includes
paid-up capital, share premium, statutory
reserve and retained earnings.
But the Bangladesh Bank gives
exemption of bank exposure if the
government provides loan or guarantee
to the bank for investing in the
stock market, according to the law.
Earlier in December 2015, the
banks’ capital given to their stock
market subsidiaries were kept out
of their stock market exposure. •
Nasrul: Industries to
pay higher gas tariff
• UNB
Hinting at further increase in gas
prices, State Minister for Power
and Energy Nasrul Hamid on Sunday
asked the industry owners to
get ready to pay higher gas tariff in
the future.
“We’re trying to provide imported
gas to industries within two years
which will be costlier. So, I’d ask the
industries to get ready to pay the increased
gas price,” he told reporters
on the sidelines of a seminar on energy
efficiency at a city hotel.
The remarks from the junior
minister came within a couple of
days of High Court’s suspension of
the second phase hike in gas price,
scheduled to be effective on June 1.
The first phase came into effect on
March 1.
The government raised the gas
price by 22 percent through the
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory
Commission (BERC) on February
23 in two phases.
Nasrul Hamid said his ministry
has to increase the gas price due to
payment of high tax. “We have to
pay 55 percent tax to the national
exchequer. If we fail to pay the tax
timely, we have to pay a lot,” he said.
Admitting the charging of higher
fares by transport operators on
the plea of gas price hike, he said it
is unfortunate that nobody is talking
about the issue. “But when we
raised gas price, hartal was called.”
Institute of Policy, Advocacy
and Governance (IPAG), a think
tank, organised the seminar on the
occasion of International Energy
Efficiency Day.
Energy secretary Naziumuddin
Choiwdhury also spoke at the seminar
with IPAG chairman Prof Syed
Munir Khasru in the chair.
He said the government has
moved to formulate a policy to
make the LPG price affordable as
there is a plan to replace the existing
piped natural gas with the LPG.
“We’ll invite debate on LPG
price and controlling issues. Because,
more discussions are needed
to determine who would control
the price and how it will be regulated,”
he said.
At the seminar, the speakers laid
emphasis on implementing energy
efficiency initiatives to reduce the
cost of energy.
In a presentation, Power Division
joint secretary and SREDA
member Siddique Zobair said India
has taken a big initiative to promote
the use of energy efficient appliances
while China has adopted a
policy in its budgetary framework
to provide subsidy to use energy
efficient products.
He said Bangladesh has been
studying different mechanisms to
set its own strategy to promote energy
efficiency. •

Business 11
DT
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
NBR to begin pre-budget talks on March 8
• Tribune Business Desk
National Board of Revenue will
start pre-budget meetings with different
stakeholders from March 8.
Representatives of different sectors
will talk to the taxmen ahead
of the FY2017-18 budget, according
to the meeting schedules.
The pre-budget talks, which are
usually attended by representatives
of all the leading chambers,
business organisations and associations,
are a regular fixture every
year to help make an inclusive national
budget.
NBR Chairman Md Nojibur Rahman
will chair the meetings.
The NBR holds the meetings
as part of preparations of budget
formulation for the upcoming fiscal
year, which it expects to be a
participatory, pro-people, business-friendly
and a potentially revenue-generating
budget.
At the inaugural meeting on
March 8, the NBR will hear from
the country’s three leading chambers
- Metropolitan Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, Dhaka
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
and Bangladesh Chamber of
Commerce and Industry.
On March 14, the meetings
will be held with a number of export-related
organisations including
Bangladesh Economic Zones
Authority, Bangladesh Investment
Development Authority and Bangladesh
Export Processing Zones
Authority.
On March 23, the taxmen will
hear from hoteliers, restaurateurs
and other service sector operators.
The meetings will also be held
with representatives from the paper,
printing, publication, film and advertising
firms and representatives
of clinics and diagnostic centres.
Talks will take place with banks,
insurance companies, SME Foundation
and stock exchanges on
March 30.
On April 3, the NBR will hold
meeting with economists and professionals.
The following day the meeting is
scheduled to be held with construction,
other industries and business
sector and the Real Estate and Housing
Association of Bangladesh.
The meeting with the Economic
Reporters Forum and representatives
of the country’s print and
electronic media is due on April 5.
On April 6, the NBR will meet
representatives from various export
sectors including those enjoying
bond facilities like Bangladesh
Garment Manufacturers and Exporters
Association.
The meeting with different
chambers including Foreign Investors
Chamber of Commerce and
Industry and India-Bangladesh
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
is scheduled on April 10.
The meeting is scheduled with
electrical, electronics and transport
sector on April 11, with leading
chambers of divisional cities on
April 13, with Large Taxpayers on
April 17 and with agriculture and
chemical sector on April 18.
On April 19, the NBR will meet
representatives from clearing and
forwarding agents, tax lawyers and
chartered accountants.
Once the meetings are over, the
NBR will meet finance minister at
the consultative committee meeting
with the country’s top trade
body - Federation of Bangladesh
Chambers of Commerce and Industry
on April 23.
The business representatives
will be able to make recommendations
directly to the finance minister
at that meeting.
Meetings are also scheduled
with different divisional chambers
and also with divisional commissioners
and deputy commissioners
of divisions on different days.
The last meeting, on May 4, will
be with the divisional commissioner
and deputy commissioners of Sylhet.
The next budget will be placed
in parliament in early June for the
coming July-June fiscal year. •
Huawei hosts the Global Digital Transformation Forum at the Mobile World Congress 2017. The technology
giant united the industry’s greatest minds at the event recently
PwC advisory
leader due in
Dhaka today
• Tribune Business Desk
Deepankar Sanwalka,
PwC Advisory
Leader
for India-Bangladesh,
is set
arrive in Dhaka
today on a
three-day visit.
He will meet senior government
officials and clients of PwC Bangladesh
during the visit, said a press
release.
Deepankar joined PwC India in
2014. He has over 20 years of experience
in forensics, governance,
internal audit, revenue assurance,
financial risk management, sustainability,
development sector
practices as well as accounting advisory
services with a specialisation
in forensics accounting.
Deepankar is a member of the
International Arbitration Council
of the ICC, the ASSOCHAM Committee
on Internal Audit and Corporate
Fraud. •
China cuts 2017 growth
target to around 6.5%
• AFP, Beijing
China yesterday trimmed
its 2017 GDP growth target
to “around 6.5%” as
the world’s second-largest
economy, already expanding
at the slowest pace in a
quarter-century, faces an
array of challenges.
The target, detailed in
a report to be presented
to China’s rubber-stamp
parliament by Premier Li
Keqiang beginning at 9
am (0100 GMT), was lower
than last year’s range of
6.5 to seven percent.
The economy ended up
growing 6.7% in 2016, its
slowest rate since 1990.
“GDP is projected to
grow by 6.5% approximately,
however in practice,
we will strive for better,”
according to a copy
of Li’s planned address
to the National People’s
Congress (NPC), the Communist
Party-controlled
legislature.
Li’s remarks said the
target was still sufficient
to meet the Communist
Party’s target of doubling
the size of the economy by
2020, compared to 2010.
The NPC brings together
thousands of politicians
from across China, touted
by the ruling party as proof
that it answers to the people
despite a monopoly on
power, and is used to outline
top national priorities
and policies.
The target came in
slightly below the expectations
of analysts in a sign
that authorities are prioritising
risk control over
short-term growth rates.
China is trying to pivot
from hyper-fast growth
based on investment
and exports towards a
steadier consumer-driven
model. •

DT
12
Editorial
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
TODAY
Controversy
creates cash
Controversy topped with some negative
reports actually raise the profile of the
targeted item. Take Salman Rushdie
for instance -- while on one hand, the
writer had to lead a secret life to avoid
getting murdered, on the other, his
popularity as a writer rocketed
PAGE 13
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Bangladesh in Sri
Lanka: A preview
Bangladesh will be happy to have
Mustafizur Rahman back in the Test
team after a while. Barring Shakib
and Rubel none of the bowlers have
much experience, keeping in mind that
Mahmudullah is a part time bowler who
is selected in the team for his batting
PAGE 14-15
Be heard
Write to Dhaka Tribune
FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath,
Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207
Send us your Op-Ed articles:
opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com
www.dhakatribune.com
Join our Facebook community:
https://www.facebook.com/
DhakaTribune.
The views expressed in opinion
articles are those of the authors
alone and they are not the
official view of Dhaka Tribune
or its publisher.
First, do no harm
One of the preliminary promises etched within the
Hippocratic Oath is to “first, do no harm” -- an important
step in becoming a doctor.
Which is why it is a matter of shame that medical
interns all over the nation are holding a strike, compromising the
lives of many patients in the process.
The strike is being held in protest of four medical interns from
Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital (SZMC) getting
suspended for six months for assaulting a patient’s relative.
We respect citizens’ right to peaceful protest, but, given the fact
the medical interns, who have connections to BCL, were rightfully
suspended over their transgressive act of assault, there is no
justification for such strikes.
By refusing to provide treatment to those who need it, the
medical interns engaged in the strike are fundamentally breaking
the Hippocratic Oath and effectively harming those they have
sworn their entire practice to.
In addition to SZMC, the strike is being upheld in a number
of medial colleges around the country, including Sher-E-Bangla
Medical College Hospital in Barisal, Dinajpur Medical College,
Khulna Medical College, and at least four hospitals in Sylhet.
This is a deeply regrettable state of affairs.
In a nation that is already ailing when it comes to its health care
sector, it is irresponsible of those involved in the strike to simply
stop working, in protest or otherwise -- an action that can have
long-term adverse effects on our population’s health.
The decision to suspend the offending interns was the right
move on the part of SZMC administration, and the striking
interns need to realise that and get back to serving the people by
upholding their promise to do no harm.
In a nation that is already
ailing when it comes to
its health care sector, it
is irresponsible of those
involved in the strike to
simply stop working, in
protest or otherwise

Controversy creates cash
Where traditional marketing fails, controversies thrive
Opinion 13
DT
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
SERPENT
IN EDEN
• Towheed Feroze
They say any publicity is
good publicity, whether
your venture has been
heaped with accolades or
drowned under a sea of tirade.
In reality, in current times,
we see that people become more
interested in products or events
once they have been tarnished
by some sort of controversy. Ban
a product from the market, and,
usually, its demand will see a
surge.
Of late, we have been seeing
some rather innovative marketing
ploys where a lot of salacious
gossip, mostly tilting on the
not-so-ideal side, is forcefully
circulated to create a market buzz.
People talk only when something
is not full of virtue.
Let’s take a look at the publicity
of a rather recent film production
which saw stupendous success
even though the template was
totally contrary to the commercial
movie formula. And guess what? It
did not have a provocative, bloodpressure-instigating
item number
either.
But, it had something else: A
kissing scene around which a lot of
market interest was created.
Did the protagonists actually
lock lips or not? -- the question
was deliberately posted countless
times on social media platforms
and, well, a lot of young people,
plus a few curious old ones,
decided to buy tickets and see for
themselves.
Not a big deal, a kiss in a film,
but despite suggestive dialogue
and dance scenes with women
exposing the navel and the
cleavage, our movies usually do
not show actual kissing.
Lest the morals of the young are
diluted!
So, there you have it: The power
of what many will call strategic
marketing.
A few months ago, a TV advert
created a storm when it showed
a well-known cricket player in a
sexually suggestive sequence with
an undertone of role-play and
bondage.
“Outrageous!” cried the
puritans -- but the new generation
was thrilled to the core. The advert
was for an energy drink, but I am
sure it’s consumed everywhere as
an aphrodisiac.
The advert was taken off air,
Gossip and hype have superseded advertisement
Controversy topped with some negative reports actually raise the profile
of the targeted item. Take Salman Rushdie for instance -- while on one
hand, the writer had to lead a secret life to avoid getting murdered, on
the other, his popularity as a writer rocketed
but look it up on YouTube and
see how many times it has been
searched for and viewed -- a canny
marketing approach with the ban
and the social outcry serving the
purpose of brand build-up.
Let’s go into the realm of
fiction: Back in the early 90s,
a book was proscribed on the
grounds that it misrepresented
“traditional values” and
demeaned a section.
To put it simply, it showed a
married woman having an illicit
physical affair with an artist, with
their trysts detailed in steamy
language. “Fifty shades of Bengali
eroticism,” perhaps. Again,
there was outrage, and the book,
unheard of by most so far, became
the talk of evening addas.
Inquisitive people went to
bookstores asking in a hushed
tone: “Bhai, do you have ...”
When we were in our teens
in the early 80s, the standard
command in all middle-class
homes was “Masud Rana pora
jaabe naa” (you cannot read
Masud Rana books), because
books from this series had a few
racy paragraphs, much like that of
James Bond or Nick Carter.
Collective parental
denunciation of Masud Rana was
compounded when the author of
the series was taken to court for
explicit lines in one of his books.
The fact that the writer was later
allowed to go free never altered
the deeply-entrenched belief
among parents that Rana’s main
target was to make young minds
become vitiated with sex.
The result, of course, was the
opposite. Masud Rana was perhaps
the most read series in postindependence
Bangladesh.
Controversy topped with some
negative reports actually raise
the profile of the targeted item.
Take Salman Rushdie for instance
-- he became a hated figure in
many parts of the world when
one of his books was deemed
to be blasphemous, but, while
on one hand, the writer had to
lead a secret life to avoid getting
murdered, on the other, his
popularity as a writer rocketed.
Never liked his writing, but due
to the fatwa issued on him for his
death, Rushdie became known
globally.
Well, maybe in this case, the
writer’s publicist possibly did not
foresee the grim ramifications.
In Bangladesh, a well-known
textile businessman shot into
celluloid prominence when
he began brazenly comparing
himself to top Hollywood stars in
interviews.
Such unabashed self-promotion
stunned people, and many tried
to dismiss him as a narcissistic
clown, but this strategy plus many
other antics, including public spats
recorded on mobile and posted
online, fueled his image, and
people went to see his movies,
turning the man into a superstar.
Initial controversy turned into
a wave of popular support. Movies
made profit, the man became
an icon, and, after achieving
recognition, slipped away into his
own world of business.
A Dhaliwood star sustains the
mystique surrounding him and his
BIGSTOCK
private life by keeping people in
confusion as to where his actual
love interests lie. From time to
time, delectable stories of secret
affairs de coeur are printed on
paper which only trigger public
fascination in him and his private
life.
To end, the latest buzz is over
a movie which is reportedly based
on the life of a now deceased
writer. Speculation of a legal case,
colourful comments from both
here and abroad, and conflicting
statements coalesced to create a
pre-release hype.
Don’t know if this is part of
a well-thought-out marketing
strategy or not, but such debate
surely inflame the interest of
movie-goers.
One of my journalist friends,
a dilettante film-maker, asked
for marketing advice, and I told
him: “Whatever you make, ensure
that, prior to release, the actors
disappear in an abduction drama,
with the police in hot pursuit
and the media running frontpage
news with titles like ‘Actors’
abduction: Night club owner
Vodka-Manik suspected.’”
Then, on the day of the release,
have them be discovered in some
remote place, perhaps dressed in
combat uniform, with temporary
amnesia, and a large crate of
pomegranates.
Thoughts? •
Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently
working in the development sector.

14
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
DT
Opinion
Bangladesh in Sri Lanka: A preview
Can Bangladesh celebrate their 100th Test match with a victory?
Do we have what it takes to beat Sri Lanka?
MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK
• Syed Munazir Hussain
After Bangladesh lost
the first Test of 2016
to England by a close
margin of 21 runs,
memories of Multan in 2003,
Fatullah in 2006, and Chittagong
in 2008 came flooding back to
haunt us again of the Test victories
that were so close, yet, so far.
Winning a Test match against
the likes of Pakistan, Australia,
or even New Zealand would have
bolstered Bangladesh’s credibility
as a Test-playing nation at a time
when it certainly was in question.
The tigers, however, redeemed
themselves in the second match
when they beat England in three
days by 108 runs.
This, in fact, showed that the
team was not only improving
in home conditions in the ODI
format, but also in Test cricket.
After playing Test matches in New
Zealand and India within a short
period, the team can no longer
say that they have forgotten how
to play it because of the long gaps
between matches (for more than
a year for at least two instances in
recent times).
The fact that Shakib has played
Bangladesh will be happy to have Mustafizur Rahman back in the Test
team after a while. Barring Shakib and Rubel none of the bowlers have
much experience, keeping in mind that Mahmudullah is a part time
bowler who is selected in the team for his batting
only 47 matches in his 10-yearlong
career (as opposed to 100-120
matches played by other teams in
the same time frame) shows how
infrequently Bangladesh gets an
opportunity at this format but the
same is true for other teams in
their early years.
Bangladesh will for the first
time be playing a Sri Lankan team
which is without the likes of
Sangakkara and Dilshan. Angelo
Mathews, their current seniormost
batter, will also be out of the
series because of an injury.
Bangladesh, I daresay, may
be considered strong contenders
for the ODI series but whether
they are quite there in the longer
version can only be answered after
the series is completed. I will try
to use stats to find out whether
a Bangladeshi victory maybe
possible.
Bangladesh team batting
With captain Mushfiqur declaring
that he will not be batting, I
had to shuffle the batting order
accordingly and put in Liton Das as
wicket-keeper batsman.
I am guessing the team
management will choose
Mahmudullah over Sabbir for the
sixth batsman since he has more
experience and also because of his
performance in the just concluded
Hyderabad test.
Mominul has an average close
to 50 but the issue of concern is
that his batting average has been
falling for the last two years.
The other batsman with an
average over 40 is Shakib Al
Hassan who has been batting at an
average of 52.53 for the last two
years and around 50 for five long
years.
Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur

Opinion
15
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
DT
who average in the 30s have been
averaging over 40 for the last five
years. Soumya Sarkar, who has an
average of 31.77, averages 44.75 as
Subashis Roy, who was impressive
in the only Test he played will
replace Taijul. However, the team
management may prefer Kamrul or
Tharanga are the only experienced
batsmen in this team. Dhananjaya,
Gunaratne, and Dickwella are fairly
inexperienced.
Bangladesh bowling
Bangladesh will be happy to have
Mustafizur Rahman back in the Test
team after a while. Barring Shakib
and Rubel (who will mostly likely
not be picked) none of the bowlers
have much experience, keeping in
mind that Mahmudullah is a part
time bowler who is selected in the
team for his batting.
While ESPN Cricinfo debutant
of the year for 2016 Mehedi will
indeed strengthen Bangladesh’s
spin attack, Shakib’s strike rate for
the past year has improved to 50.3.
Mustafizur’s pace bowling
partner will need to be able to
contain the batsman for runs
like Shahid did when Rahman
demolished South Africa for 248 in
Chittagong. However, if Taskin can
bring early breakthroughs and the
fielders, especially the slippers, can
Pushpakumara, the new spinner,
who is yet to play Test cricket,
also has an outstanding first class
record. However, Perera will most
likely be the second spin option for
the Lankans.
Herath is most likely the greatest
left arm spinner and has been
improving his records by leaps
and bounds every year. He has an
average of 20.58 and a strike rate of
45.5 for the last 12 months.
A lot will depend on him if the
Lankans want to get Bangladesh
out cheaply. Perera and Sandakan
are also capable spinners who know
how to utilise home conditions to
their full advantage.
The pace bowling attack has
more experience but on paper
looks, at best, what can only be
described as decent.
The Sri Lankans, despite having
If Bangladesh somehow manages to pull off a
surprise victory, it will be similar to Sri Lanka’s
first overseas victory against New Zealand in
1994-95 when Sri Lanka’s pace bowling attack
was as inexperienced as Bangladesh’s is now
an opening batsman. Mahmudullah
needs to lift his average over 35 if
he wants to stay in the team for the
long haul.
The problem with Bangladesh’s
batting lies not with the top order
but with the weak tail which can
collapse in minutes once the sixth
wicket falls.
If the wicket is pacer-friendly,
Rubel.
Sri Lanka Test team batting
With no Dilshan, Sangakkara,
Jayawardene, or Mathews, the
Lankans will have to rely on
Chandimal and the newcomers to
put any kind of scoreboard pressure
on the visiting Tigers.
Karunaratne, Chandimal, and
Gunaratne’s average of 75 came
against the two test matches he
played against Zimbabwe while
Dickwella, who has never played as
an opener, averages only 20. While
the Lankan’s top order batting
lineup is weaker than Bangladesh
due to inexperience, they do have
a stronger tail with Herath and
Perera.
hold on to catches, Bangladesh may
be able to put on some pressure.
Sri Lanka bowling
Sri Lanka will be missing the parttime
pace bowling of Mathews in
addition to his batting.
They have found a new pacer
in Kumara who excelled under the
South African conditions.
a weaker batting attack, will want
to win the series, and the recent
memory of thrashing Australia
(the then) number one ranked
team 3-0 in their backyard will
give them confidence.On the other
hand, a 2-0 series victory will
promote Bangladesh to eigth in
Test team rankings, something they
desperately want to do soon.
Sri Lanka may be relying on
their spinners to win this series
but Bangladesh should remember
that the Australian pace bowlers
did very well in those conditions
but for any chance of a victory the
fielders must hold on to catches.
It will be interesting to see how
well Liton Das does as a keeper and
whether the Bangladeshi spinners
can make use of Lankan conditions
if provided with spinning tracks.
If Bangladesh somehow
manages to pull off a surprise
victory, it will be similar to Sri
Lanka’s first overseas victory
against New Zealand in 1994-95
when Sri Lanka’s pace bowling
attack was as inexperienced as
Bangladesh’s is now.
It may be a tall order to expect
Mustafiz to do what Vaas did in
Napier or to expect Mehedi to do
what Steve O’Keefe did to India but
one can only dream. •
Syed Munazir Hussain is a freelance
contributor.

16
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
DT
Downtime
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Shrewd (6)
6 Fuel (3)
9 Earth (Lat) (5)
10 Vocal sound (4)
11 Mock (5)
12 Mature (3)
13 Morose (6)
15 Ship's company (4)
18 Singer (4)
21 Cavalry swords (6)
24 Metal-bearing rock (3)
25 Got up (5)
28 Fasting period (4)
29 Even (5)
30 Strange (3)
31 Regret (6)
DOWN
1 Top room (5)
2 Expanse of water (3)
3 Suspension of
hostilities (5)
4 Container for ashes (3)
5 Makes lace (4)
6 Target (4)
7 Divine messengers (6)
8 Observed (4)
14 Bowl with slow underhand
movement (3)
16 Brought up (6)
17 Armed conflict (3)
19 Over (5)
20 Kind of wheat (5)
21 Alone (4)
22 Curve (4)
23 Auction (4)
26 Corded fabric (3)
27 Indonesian
monetary unit (3)
CODE-CRACKER
How to solve: Each number in our
CODE-CRACKER grid represents a
different letter of the alphabet. For
example, today 2 represents N so fill N
every time the figure 2 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

What's on
17
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
DT
EVENTS AROUND TOWN TODAY
LAUNCH
PERFORMANCES
EXHIBITON
Poetry of Darkness
When 5:30pm
Where Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, Dhanmondi
What The fourth solo painting exhibition by artist Rashedul Huda.
Grand opening of Signature Collection
When 5pm
Where Pink City, Pl-15, Block-Cen(C), Road 103, Gulshan-2, Dhaka
What Grand opening of Signature Collection at Pink City.
MOVIE
STAR Cineplex
Where Basundhara City, Dhaka
What Movie showtime (March 6)
XXX: Return of Xander Cage (3D):
1:40pm and 6:40pm
Split (2D): 10:50am, 1:40pm,
4:50pm and 7:10pm
Bubon Majhi (2D): 11am, 1:30pm,
4:20pm and 6:50pm
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
(3D): 11:15am
La La Land (2D): 11:20am,
1:50pm and 4:30pm
Logan (2D): 10:50am, 11:10am,
1:20pm, 2pm, 4:10pm, 4:30pm,
7pm, 7:20pm and 7:30pm
Blockbuster Cinemas
Where Jamuna Future Park, Ka-
244, Pragati Avenue, Kuril, Dhaka
What Movie showtime (March 6)
The Great Wall (3D): 12pm and 5pm
Split (2D): 11:40am, 2:25pm and
7:35pm
Bubon Majhi (2D): 2:30pm and
5pm
Rings (2D): 12:10pm, 2:40pm and
7:45pm
La La Land (2D): 2:20am, 5pm and
7:20pm
Logan (2D): 11:30am, 2:15pm,
4:55pm and 7:45pm
Patriots Day (2D): 5pm
Allied (2D): 12pm and 7:45pm
SEVEN on tour
When 7-9pm
Where Chhayanaut,
Dhanmondi
What UN Women, The
Swedish Embassy and
Voices are proud to
introduce SEVEN, a
documentary play on
women's rights, by Paula
Cizmar, Catherine Filloux,
Gail Kriegel, Carol K.
Mack, Ruth Margraff, Anna
Deavere Smith and Susan
Yankowitz.
BRACU MONON presents
“Comedy For Charity”
When 11am
Where BRAC University, 66
Mohakhali, Dhaka
What BRACU MonOn in
collaboration with It’s
Humanity Foundation (IHF)
presents the long awaited,
entertainment packed event
“Comedy for Charity.”
UPCOMING
March 7
Open Mic
Sessions
Vol.1
When 6:30-
8pm
Where Bulls
N Barrels, House 24, Road 36,
Gulshan 2, Dhaka
What Organised by Rise
DHAKA, an open door policy
for those who have a powerful
mind of sageness, tales, poetic
vibes, and passion for music.
Bangabandhu Bangladesh
When 11am-8pm
Where National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy,
Segun Bagicha Road, Dhaka
What Painting exhibition on Bangabandhu, organised by BSA and
Samatat Sonargaon.
London 1971: Unsung heroes of Bangladesh’s Liberation War
When 10am-5pm
Where British Council Bangladesh, 5 Fuller Road, Dhaka
What Photo exhibition featuring more than 40 rare photographs
brought together by Ujjal Das. The exhibitions and events are all
open and free to the public and will continue throughout this
month.
Here, For Now
When 5-8pm
Where Kalakendra, 1/11 Iqbal Road (3rd Floor), Mohammadpur,
Dhaka
What Solo Photography Exhibition by Hadi Uddin
March 7
Joy Bangla Concert
When 4:40pm
Where Bangladesh Army Stadium
What Young Bangla will be organising the Joy Bangla Concert on
the anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic
March 7 speech.

DT
18
Sports
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
Tamim: Possible to win Test series
• Tribune Report
Bangladesh Test vice-captain
Tamim Iqbal believes it is possible
for the visiting side to register their
first ever series win against host Sri
Lanka.
Bangladesh will take on the Lankans
in the first of the two-match
Test series, beginning in Galle tomorrow.
Since achieving Test status back
in 2000, the Tigers have played
seven bilateral series against the island
nation but are yet to win one.
Among the 16 matches played, the
Tigers were able to draw only two
Batsmen dominate day one in BCL final round
• Tribune Report
Tests, losing the remaining 14.
However, the scenario is different
this time around, given that
Sri Lanka are undergoing a transitional
period. In the last couple
of years, the Lankans lost most
of their senior and experienced
campaigners to retirement while
all-rounder and regular captain
Angelo Mathews is injured.
In their absence, the Tigers are
expected to make the best use of
the situation.
On top of that, Bangladesh’s
recent successes and signs of improvement
in the longer-version
of the game will also work as confidence
boosters.
"We know the importance of the
series. We feel we should win it if
we play good cricket. They are also
a good, young team. We are mentally
prepared, and everyone is trying
their best to make it to the final
playing XI," said Tamim in Galle
yesterday.
Bangladesh are often accused
of losing focus in five-dayers after
a certain point of time and this
was clearly evident in their recent
Tests, against New Zealand and India.
Tamim, who hammered 136
runs in the two-day tour game
Bangladesh Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim yesterday assesses the wicket at Galle International Cricket Stadium
5TH BCL, RD 6, DAY 1
CENTRAL ZONE 181 trail NORTH
ZONE 422/6 in 109 overs (Naeem 133*,
Shanto 123) by 241 runs
SOUTH ZONE 296 lead EAST ZONE
93/1 in 38 overs (Afif 55*, Tasamul 22*)
by 203 runs
South Zone batsman Tushar Imran
registered his second hundred of
the season to become the highest
run-scorer yesterday in the Bangladesh
Cricket League.
Former Bangladesh cricketer
Tushar was unbeaten on 101 after
day one in the sixth and final round
of the four-day tournament.
In the other tie, table-topper
North Zone are in the driving seat
against East Zone.
With two wins and 19 points,
North are at the top of the standings,
followed by South, who have
13 points.
South v Central, BKSP
Alongside Tushar, wicketkeeper-batsman
Mohammad Mithun also
shone with the bat, scoring an unbeaten
127 as South posted 325 runs
for the loss of two wickets at stumps.
South won the toss, elected to bat
first and made a steady start. Opening
batsmen Imrul Kayes scored 57
while Fazle Mahmud made 39 before
the latter was dismissed with
the scoreboard reading 88.
Later, Tushar and Mithun took
against Sri Lanka President’s XI in
Moratuwa last week, said his side
have to meet the small targets and
make sure of sticking to their process
throughout the game.
"The team and I have to take on
small targets, so that our process
remains on track. If we can bat well
and stick to our plans, we can do
something good. Things will be different.
I did well in one innings but
that doesn't mean I will keep playing
in the same way in Galle. But
as I said, if I am on track with the
process, it gives me more chance to
get a big score," said the left-handed
batsman. •
AFP
charge, putting on 213 unbroken
runs for the third wicket partnership.
The stand is currently only
nine runs shy of the highest partnership
for any wicket this season,
behind Afif Hossain and Tasamul
Haque’s 222 for the second wicket
for East Zone.
Central spinners Shuvagata
Hom and Mosharraf Hossain
bagged a wicket each.
Mashrafe on
track for Sri
Lanka series
• Tribune Report
Bangladesh limited-over captain
Mashrafe bin Mortaza is on track
to making a return in the Sri Lanka
series after recovering from thumb
fracture.
The right-arm pacer fractured
his right thumb during the third
and final T20I against host New
Zealand in January this year.
Mashrafe yesterday bowled
for the first time since the injury.
The veteran paceman bowled four
overs in the BCB Academy nets and
there were no major complaints.
“I had thought it would take me
more time to recover. But it wasn't
the case. I have recovered pretty
fast. I am being able to bowl. There
is some trouble, to be honest, but
you cannot complain after coming
from an injury. You will have
to play with some pain. I think I
have some problems with fitness
though,” said Mashrafe.
Mashrafe was initially ruled out
of action for six weeks. However,
it took the Bangladesh captain
around eight weeks to return to
action.
“I bowled four overs. Faced no
trouble in the first four overs really.
But in the fourth over, I had to push
myself and got a bit tired in the process.
This showed I need to work on
fitness and improve my running. It
will be done in the next few days
hopefully,” Mashrafe explained.
The Bangladesh think-tank is
aiming to get Mashrafe fit before
the limited-over series against the
Lankans begins later this month.
Bangladesh, who are in the island
nation now, will first face the home
side in a two-match Test series,
beginning tomorrow with the first
five-dayer in Galle.
The three-match ODI series will
start on March 25, followed by the
two-match T20I series, scheduled
to get underway on April 4. •
North v East, Fatullah
Farhad Hossain’s 108-run innings
took North to a position of authority
against East at Khan Shaheb Osman
Ali Stadium. At stumps, North
posted 305/5.
Having lost opener and captain
Jahurul Islam for eight and with
just 10 runs on the board, North
crafted a shaky start to the innings.
But a 204-run partnership between
Junaid Siddique and Farhad
for the second wicket steadied the
innings. Junaid score 84 before he
was sent back to the dressing room
by off-spinner Afif. Middle-order
batsman Nasir Hossain added 40
runs to the tally.
East pacer Mohammad Saifuddin
picked up two wickets. •

Sports 19
HOCKEY WORLD LEAGUE ROUND 2
Jimmy, Chayan propel Bangladesh
DT
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
• Shishir Hoque
Russel Mahmud Jimmy and Mamunur
Rahman Chayan netted
twice apiece as Bangladesh registered
their first win in the Hockey
World League Round 2, beating Fiji
5-1 in their second Pool A match at
Maulana Bhasani National Hockey
Stadium in Dhaka yesterday.
The home side struggled to get
onto the scoresheet in the opening
half where they earned seven penalty
corners. Among those seven,
they converted only one.
Following unsuccessful efforts
from the set pieces, Jimmy then
turned out to be saviour for the
host, netting two lovely field goals
which enabled Bangladesh to find
their rhythm.
Jimmy's brace spread confidence
among the drag-and-flick
specialists in the team as Chayan
scored two, along with Ashraful Islam's
one; all coming from penalty
corners.
“Firstly, we wanted to win. But
still, we could have scored at least
10-12 goals if we had converted most
of our chances. The positive thing
is that we were able to gain confidence,”
said Jimmy after the game.
Fiji, one of the lowest ranked
participants in the tournament,
looked like they had prepared well
to defend the penalty corners. They
were busy defending their territory
for most of the game with rare
counter attacks in the meantime.
Bangladesh's performance in
the first two quarters was all about
misfiring attacks and unproductive
penalty corners. The Fiji goalkeeper
Eyre Richard also showed bravery,
denying some of the attacks
from the men in red and green, including
a promising effort of Romman
Sarkar in the 13th minute.
Bangladesh earned their first
penalty corner in the fifth minute
and went on to earn a dozen more
in the rest of the game, converting
three of them.
Tottenham
Hotspur’s English
forward Harry
Kane shoots at goal
against Everton
during their
Premier League
match at White
Hart Lane in north
London yesterday.
Kane scored twice
as Spurs beat the
Toffees 3-2
AFP
Action from the Hockey World League Round 2 game between Bangladesh and Fiji in Dhaka yesterday
Chayan provided the home side
the much deserved lead in the 26th
minute, converting Bangladesh's
seventh penalty corner. Krishno Kumar
pushed the ball forward, Sarwar
Hossain stopped it and Chayan
smashed home with powerful hit.
Fiji gave the home side a wakeup
call, equalising with two minutes
into the third quarter, converting
their only penalty corner
through Smith Hector Jr. Smith
Adrian stopped a push from Fong
Martin before Hector calmly sent
the ball past custodian Asim Gope
with grounder.
After facing the opponent's solid
defending against nearly half a
dozen penalty corners, Bangladesh
seemed to have gone for a new plan
that allowed them to create more
chances for field goals. The result
came immediately.
Jimmy put Bangladesh ahead
again five minutes later with a
brilliant attack, led by the forward
himself, and Kamruzzaman Rana.
The one-to-one between Jimmy
and Rana split the Fiji defence before
Jimmy slotted home from the
right side of the circle.
Jimmy extended the lead three
minutes later with a sneaky flick,
following a cutback by Romman
from the right side. Jimmy was unmarked
in front of goal.
Chayan netted his second in the
54th minute from Bangladesh's
10th penalty corner after Milon's
push was stopped by Sarwar. This
time, Chayan was more precise in
hitting the back of the net, compared
to his previous effort.
Ashraful finally broke his jinx of
failing to score from penalty corners
as the young defender made
it 5-1 three minutes before the end
of stipulated time, firing from Sarwar's
stop inside the net after Krishno's
push.
Bangladesh, who lost 2-0 against
Malaysia in the first game, will take
on Oman in a crucial encounter tomorrow.
The game will decide who
finishes second in Pool A.
Jimmy said, “We have a vital
game against Oman. It will be a
crucial match if we have to finish
second. If we play our natural game
we can overcome them. Hopefully
we will come back and Chayan,
Ashraful and Khorshedur [Rahman]
will find their way and score
more goals from penalty corners.” •
U18 National Football
begins Thursday
• Tribune Report
A total of 64 teams, including 63
districts and BKSP, will take part in
the first round of the U-18 National
Football Championship 2017, set
to get underway in eight different
regions across the country this
Thursday.
The eight regions are – Feni, Sunamganj,
Gopalganj, Shariyatpur,
Madaripur, Netrokona, Rajshahi
and Dinajpur.
RESULTS
Bangladesh 5-1 Fiji
Chayan 26, 54, Jimmy 37, 40, Hector 32
Ashraful 57
Ghana 5-4 Sri Lanka
Egypt 2 (3)-2 (2) China
Malaysia 6 -1 Oman
MD MANIK
Eight teams in each region, split
into two groups, will play in accordance
with the league system
in the first round. The top finishers
from each group will play in the final
round.
Kirshoreganj doesn't have District
Football Association due to
which they will not be playing in
the tournament.
BKSP replaced Kishoreganj after
winning the play-off against Jessore
Education Board. •

DT
20
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
Sports
LA LIGA
Leganes 1-0 Granada
Machis 83
Eibar 1-4 Real Madrid
Ruben 72 Benzema 14, 25,
Rodriguez 29, Asensio 80
Villarreal 2-0 Espanyol
Soriano 45, Lopez 80-og
Barcelona 5-0 Celta
Messi 24, 63, Neymar 40,
Rakitic 57, Umtiti 60
LA LIGA
Teams P W D L GD Pts
Barcelona 26 18 6 2 55 60
Real Madrid 25 18 5 2 41 59
Sevilla 25 17 4 4 20 55
Sociedad 26 15 3 8 6 48
Atletico 25 13 7 5 23 46
Villarreal 26 12 9 5 19 45
FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi kicks the
ball to score during their Spanish La
Liga match against Celta Vigo at the
Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain on
Saturday
AP
Messi makes Barca believe, Benzema leads Real
• AFP
Lionel Messi dazzled with two
goals and two assists as Barcelona
thrashed Celta Vigo 5-0 in their first
game since coach Luis Enrique announced
he will leave at the end of
the season.
Real Madrid remain just one
point behind Barca at the top of La
Liga and with a game in hand as
Karim Benzema scored twice in the
absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and
Gareth Bale in a 4-1 win at Eibar.
An inspired performance by
Messi on Saturday raised Barca
hopes of a miraculous Champions
League fightback from 4-0 down
against Paris Saint-Germain next
Wednesday.
And the champions showed no
ill effects from Enrique's pending
departure in arguably their best
performance of the season.
Messi opened the scoring in
sensational style on 24 minutes as
he turned just inside the Celta half
before skipping past a host of helpless
defenders and stroking the ball
home from the edge of the area.
However, the finish for Barca's
second was equally as majestic as
Messi's pass was dinked over Sergio
Alvarez from close range by
Neymar.
The hosts' dominance was rewarded
with a third just before
the hour mark, although there was
more than a touch of fortune about
it as Ivan Rakitic was clearly offside
when he pounced on Rafinha's layo
ff .
Messi was the provider once
more for the fourth as his low cross
was turned home by Samuel Umtiti
for his first Barca goal.
And the five-time world player
of the year produced another individual
effort to end the scoring as it
started as he cut in from the right
before firing the ball inside Alvarez's
near post.
Earlier, Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane
praised his side's response to
a recent slump in form after defeat
to Valencia and a thrilling 3-3 draw
with Las Palmas in two of their previous
three outings.
Indeed, Madrid were 3-0 up inside
half an hour as Benzema finished
twice from close range before
teeing up James Rodriguez for the
third.
Despite the absence of Ronaldo
and Bale through injury and suspension
respectively, Zidane rested
a host of other first-team regulars
ahead of Tuesday's Champions
League last 16 return leg away to
Napoli. •
EPL
Leicester 3-1 Hull
Fuchs 27, Mahrez 59, Clucas 14
Huddlestone 90-og
Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal
Firmino 9, Mane 40, Welbeck 57
Wijnaldum 90
Man United 1-1 Bournemouth
Rojo 23 King 40-P
Stoke 2-0 Middlesbrough
Arnautovic 29, 42
Swansea 3-2 Burnley
Llorente 12, 90+2, Gray 20-P, 61
Olsson 69
Watford 3-4 Southampton
Deeney 4, Okaka 79, Tadic 28,
Doucoure 90+4 Redmond 45+2, 86
Gabbiadini 83
West Brom 0-2 Palace
Zaha 55, Townsend 84
Arsenal’s Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech
saves at the feet of Liverpool’s Dutch
midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum
during their English Premier League
match at Anfield in Liverpool, north
west England on Saturday
AFP
Wenger admits Sanchez
gamble backfired
• AFP
Arsene Wenger admitted his decision
to drop Alexis Sanchez had
backfired, but the Arsenal manager
blamed "cheap goals" for his side's
damaging 3-1 defeat at Liverpool
on Saturday.
Wenger opted to leave star striker
Sanchez on the bench for the
first half at Anfield and the move
failed miserably as Liverpool swept
into a two-goal lead.
The Gunners boss sent on
Sanchez at half-time and the Chilean
immediately provided the assist
as Arsenal's Danny Welbeck
reduced the deficit.
It was too late to spark an Arsenal
fightback however and
Wenger's side crashed out of the
top four after a third defeat in their
last four league games.
Wenger conceded the Sanchez
decision had proved a mistake, but
he also turned the blame on his
players.
"Yes (it did backfire), but I felt
the strikers suffered in the first
half and we didn't dominate in the
midfield. It is always debatable," he
said.
"We had problems getting into
the rhythm of the first half. We
conceded cheap goals, direct balls
from the goalkeeper and you do
not expect that in a game like this.
"We came back in the second
half, responded well, but didn't
perform at our level in the first
half."
Liverpool manager Jurgen
Klopp was delighted by a commanding
display that erased the
memory of Monday's lacklustre 3-1
loss at Leicester and lifted his team
into third place.
"It was one of the best games we
have played so far because of the
strength of the opponent," he said. •

Sports
21
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
DT
Bayern go seven
points clear
in Germany
• AFP
Bayern Munich went seven points
clear at the top of the Bundesliga
with a 3-0 win at Cologne on Saturday
in a perfect warm-up for their
midweek Champions League trip
to Arsenal.
Spain internationals Javi Martinez
and Juan Bernat gave Bayern
a comfortable two-goal lead
before substitute Franck Ribery
netted a third on 90 minutes.
The result allowed Bayern to extend
their lead over second-placed
RB Leipzig, who drew 2-2 at Augsburg
on Friday.
Bayern now head for Arsenal
on Tuesday for their Champions
League last 16 return tie, holding a
5-1 first-leg lead.
Cologne earned a 1-1 draw in
Munich last October, but there was
no denying Bayern this time.
Martinez headed home Arturo
Vidal's cross after Bayern worked
a short-corner routine on 25 minutes.
•
BUNDESLIGA
Teams P W D L GD Pts
Bayern 23 17 5 1 44 56
Leipzig 23 15 4 4 19 49
Dortmund 23 12 7 4 27 43
Hoffenheim 23 10 11 2 20 41
Berlin 22 11 4 7 6 37
Frankfurt 22 10 5 7 3 35
BUNDESLIGA
Dortmund 6-2 Leverkusen
Dembele 6, Aubameyang 26, Volland 48,
69, Pulisic 77, Wendell 74
Schuerrle 85-P, Guerreiro 90+2
Mainz 1-1 Wolfsburg 1
Cordoba 24 Gomez 20
Cologne 0-3 Bayern
Martinez 25, Bernat 48, Ribery 90
Bremen 2-0 Darmstadt
Kruse 75-P, 90+2
Hoffenheim 5-2 Ingolstadt
Rudy 27, Szalai 62, 79, Cohen 38,
Kramaric 77, Huebner 88 Suele 60-og
Gladbach 4-2 Schalke
Johnson 28, 64,
Bentaleb 38-P,
Wendt 67, Raffael 76 Goretzka 83
DAY’S WATCH
CRICKET
STAR SPORTS 1
10:00AM
Australia Tour of India
2nd Test, Day 3
FOOTBALL
STAR SPORTS SELECT HD 2
2:00AM
English Premier League
West Ham United v Chelsea
SONY SIX
2:00AM
Spanish La Liga
Mertens brace conquers
Roma, boosts Juve title bid
• AFP
2ND TEST, DAY 2
INDIA 1ST INNINGS 189 in 71.2 overs
(Rahul 90, Lyon 8/50)
AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS 40/0 IN 16
OVERS R B
Warner b Ashwin 33 67
Renshaw st Saha b Jadeja 60 196
Smith c Saha b Jadeja 8 52
Shaun c Nair b Yadav 66 197
Handscomb c Ashwin b Jadeja 16 30
Mitchell lbw b Sharma 0 11
Wade not out 25 68
Starc not out 14 19
Extras (b 8, lb 2, nb 5) 15
Total (6 wickets; 106 overs) 237
Fall Of Wickets
1-52 (Warner), 2-82 (Smith), 3-134
(Renshaw), 4-160 (Handscomb), 5-163
(Mitchell), 6-220 (Shaun)
Bowling
Ishant 23-6-39-1, Umesh 24-7-57-1, Ashwin
41-10-75-1, Jadeja 17-1-49-3, Nair 1-0-7-0
Australian cricketer Mathew Wade
slips on ground while playing a shot
during the second day of the Test
against India at M Chinnaswamy
Stadium in Bengaluru yesterday
AP
Marsh, Renshaw give Australia edge in 2nd Test
• AFP
Fighting half-centuries from Shaun
Marsh and Matt Renshaw helped
Australia secure a crucial first-innings
lead over world number one
India in the second Test in Bangalore
yesterday.
The visitors were 237 for six at
stumps on the second day, leading
India by 48 runs at the M Chinnaswamy
Stadium. Matthew Wade on
25 and Mitchell Starc on 14 were at
the crease.
Shaun top-scored with a 197-ball
66 before Indian seamer Umesh Yadav
lured him into a tired-looking
shot that was caught at short midwicket
just before close of play.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja
claimed three wickets, including
the key scalps of Australia skipper
Steve Smith (eight) and Renshaw
(60) on a pitch that offered variable
bounce.
Fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and
Umesh, with a wicket each, unsettled
the visiting batsmen but regular
partnerships helped Australia
surpass India's first-innings score
of 189.
The visitors were faltering at the
tea break on 163-5, but Shaun returned
to score his sixth Test fifty
while he and Wade put on 57 for
the sixth wicket.
NADAL HAS NO ANSWER TO QUERREY POWER
American Sam Querrey claimed the biggest title of his career with an emphatic 6-3
7-6 (3) upset victory over second seed Rafa Nadal in the final of the Mexican Open
on Saturday. The unseeded world number 40 belied his ranking to overpower
Nadal, blowing away his Spanish opponent for a first victory in five career meetings
with the Spaniard
REUTERS
Shaun had his share of luck, surviving
a few close calls against the
Indian bowlers including nicking a
Umesh delivery on 14 off the glove.
Earlier Renshaw, who started
the day on 15, put on 52 runs with
Shaun to keep the Indian attack
temporarily at bay as runs came
at a miserly rate of roughly two an
over.
The left-handed opener, who
had scored 68 in the first innings
in Pune, looked ready to accelerate
after hitting Jadeja for the first six
of the match, but the bowler got his
revenge two balls later.
Jadeja saw Renshaw emerge
from his crease and fired the ball
down the leg side as wicket-keeper
Wriddhiman Saha completed the
stumping in quick time.
Runs came at a trickle in the
morning session, with the visitors
scoring just 47 in 29 overs as two of
their top batsmen Warner (33) and
Smith were sent back to the pavilion.
Ashwin bowled Warner to get
the opener for an eighth time in 12
Tests, while Smith battled hard for
52 deliveries before being caught
by Saha off a wily Jadeja.
The morning was enlivened by
banter between the lanky Ishant
and Smith, who traded barbs as the
day progressed. •
SERIE A
Roma 1-2 Napoli
Strootman 89 Mertens 26, 50
Sampdoria 3-1 Pescara
Fernandes 18, Quagliarella 58,
Schick 68 Cerri 32
Milan 3-1 Chievo
Bacca 24, 70, De Guzman 43-P
Lapadula 82-P
Napoli's Dries Mertens hit a brace
in a thrilling 2-1 win at Roma that
prompted Giallorossi coach Luciano
Spalletti to virtually concede
the Serie A title race to Juventus.
Belgium midfielder Mertens
was given the nod ahead of striker
Arkadiusz Milik despite the Poland
star's recent return from a fivemonth
injury lay-off.
And coach Maurizio Sarri's intuition
to keep deploying the Belgian
midfielder as his main striker was
proved right during an end-to-end
thrill-fest that saw Napoli soak up
long spells of pressure before seeing
Mertens punish Roma's leaky
defence.
Napoli took a 1-0 lead into halftime
at the Stadio Olimpico after
Mertens struck against the run of
play to flick the ball over onrushing
Wojciech Szczesny on 26 minutes.
Mertens completed his brace,
taking his league tally for the season
to 18 goals, five minutes into
the second half with another cool
finish following Lorenzo Insigne's
inswinger towards the back post. •

22
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
DT
Showtime
Rock bands to recreate five Swadhin
Bangla Betar Kendra songs
Kamar Ahmed Simon’s film
selected for Cannes’ coproduction
initiative
• Showtime Desk
• Showtime Desk
During the turbulent days of
1971, Sujeo Shyam and his fellow
musicians created songs for
Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra
to boost the morale of freedom
fighters and keep the hope for an
independent Bangladesh alive.
Forty six years later, five such
songs, will be presented before
an audience at this year’s edition
of the Joy Bangla concert, to be
held at the Army Stadium.
Popular bands Warfaze,
Chircutt, Arbovirus, Lalon,
Cryptic Fate, Nemesis,
Shironamhin and Shunno are
scheduled to perform at the
concert.
Four inspiring Audio Visuals
(Avs) on themes like pride,
courage, inspiration and trust
will be screened at the event. The
content for all the AVs have been
compiled from moments of the
historic March 7 speech.
Moreover, another key
attraction of this edition will be
the screening of the colourised
version of Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman’s historic March
7 speech.
Free registration for tickets
began on February 27 and
interested people are requested
to visit the website: ticket.
youngbangla.org.
Like the previous years,
renowned musicians will open
PHOTO: COURTESY
the show by conducting a grand
orchestra playing our National
Anthem.
The youth platform, Young
Bangla, under the auspices of
the Center for Research and
Information (CRI), is organising
the music extravaganza to inspire
the youth through the words
of the Father of the Nation,
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman’s March 7 speech.
“The concert seeks to imbue
the youth of the country with
the timeless message using the
universal medium of music,
culture and arts,” said Sabbir
Bin Shams, executive director of
CRI.•
Bangladeshi filmmaker
Kamar Ahmed Simon’s
film project Day After
Tomorrow has been
selected for the Atelier
program. A part of
Cannes’ Cinefondation
film development
initiative, the Atelier, will
invite 15 directors whose
projects have been
considered “particularly
promising.”
Together with
their producers, they
will be able to meet
potential partners,
a necessary step to
finish their project.
The Atelier provides
its participants with
access to international
co-productions, thus
accelerating the film’s
completion.
Talking about
his selection in the
Atelier, Kamar Ahmed Simon
said, “To be selected in Cannes
Cinefondation’s Atelier is inspiring
and intriguing. This challenges me
to take my creative posture to the
next level.”
“This selction will surely
provide my film with an
international stature,” he added.
Kamar’s Day After Tomorrow
also won the Film Festival
Locarno’s Open Doors Grant,
as well as another grant, that of
PHOTO: COURTESY
ARTE International Prize.
Day After Tomorrow is a riverset
ensemble drama which marks
the second part of a planned water
trilogy.
Yona Rozenkier’s
Decompression, Marie Grahto
Sorenson’s Teenage Jesus, and
Sew the Winter to My Skin, South
Africa’s Jahmil XT Quebek,
among others, have made it to the
15-project cut for the 2017 Cannes
Festival Atelier co-production
forum. •
Karan becomes a Dad
• Showtime Desk
Filmmaker Karan Johar has
become a proud dad to Yash and
Roohi. He has welcomed two twins
into his life. The director became
a dad via surrogacy and is ecstatic
about the new additions to his
family.
According to Times of India,
the director shared his feelings
by releasing an official statement:
“I am ecstatic to share with
you all the two most wonderful
additions to my life, my children
and lifelines; Roohi and Yash. I
feel enormously blessed to be a
parent to these pieces of my heart
who were welcomed into this
world with the help of the marvels
of medical science. This was an
emotional yet well-thought out
decision which I have taken after
considering all the responsibilities
and duties that come with being
a parent. In order to arrive at this
decision, I have prepared myself
mentally, physically, emotionally
and logistically to ensure that my
children get all the unconditional
love, care and attention from
me and mine. I have submitted
to the fact that my children are
my world and priority. My work,
travels and social commitments
would have to take a back seat
and I am prepared for that. By
the grace of God, I have the most
caring and supportive mother
who will be an integral part in the
up-bringing of her grandchildren
and of course, friends who are
family. I am eternally grateful to
the surrogate who has fulfilled
my lifelong dream and provided
a warm, loving and nurturing
environment to my children before
bringing them into this world.
She will always remain in my
prayers. Finally, a big thank you to
Dr Jatin Shah for his guidance and
support and for being like a family
member through this wonderful
and exciting journey.”
At the launch of his memoir,
An Unsuitable Boy in January, he
expressed his desire to become
a father in the future, and also
went on to state that his Student
of the Year stars - Alia Bhatt, Varun
Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra are
like his children.
Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan,
who also co-star in Karan’s latest
production Badrinath Ki Dulhania
took to Twitter to wish him on this
joyous occasion.
Alia tweeted, “Finally I can
say I have a younger brother AND
sister!!!!!! So so so happy. So much
love to give uff bursting with
joy!!!!!”
Varun posted, “Karan you’re
the best human being I know and
I’m sure you will make the best
dad. Can’t wait to meet these lil
munchkins.”
Director-choreographer Farah
Khan also tweeted, “Glad u took
my advice seriously @karanjohar
Best thing to happen to you.. n
they’ll b the youngest people you
hang out with so all’s good.”•

Showtime
Cholochitro Shilpi Samiti election
to be held on May 5
23
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
WHAT TO WATCH
Escape to Victory
5:09pm, HBO
As allied POWs prepare for
a soccer game against the
German National Team to be
played in Nazi-occupied Paris,
the French Resistance and
British officers are making
plans for the team’s escape.
Cast: Sylvester Stallone,
Michael Caine, Max von
Sydow, Pelé, Bobby Moore,
Paul Van Himst
DT
• Showtime Desk
The election of Bangladesh
Cholochitro Shilpi Samiti, the
organisation of film actors in
Bangladesh, will take place on
May 5. The news has come after
three weeks of expiration of
the existing panel. President of
the existing executive panel,
Shakib Khan disclosed the notice
after a meeting with the panel,
which was held yesterday at the
committee’s office.
The validity of the committee
has expired last February.
According to the clause 8(Cha)
of the constitution of the
Bollywood
Rapunzel- Twinkle
• Showtime Desk
Twinkle Khanna’s cute look
suddenly turned into a hot one,
as soon as she parted her hair
from the centre. The 43-year
old and a mother of two is also
known as one of Bollywood's
beauties. For her lovely hair, this
Bollywood 'Rapunzel' has been
chosen as the Indian ambassador
to a popular hair salon brand.
She was announced as their
first Indian brand ambassador
at an award function held in
Bambolin on Wednesday, with
eminent salon and hairdressing
personalities present there.
Twinkle is not just glamorous,
but also an inspiration for today’s
organisation, the election must
be held within the extra 90 days
of the previous committee,
after their expiration. However,
the previous committee will be
considered active until the day of
the election.
The extra 90 days for the
current panel will end on May 8.
“We are organising the election
within the rules. The extra 90
days for us will come to an end
on May 8 and the election will
take place on May 5 before the
expiration,” said the man at the
helm, Shakib Khan.
The Dhallywood sensation
also added, “We want the Samiti
women.
“Twinkle Khanna is glamorous,
multi-faceted and an inspiration
to the woman of today. L’Oreal
Professionnel is delighted to
have her as a partner on our next
beauty journey together,” Sussan
Verghese, General Manager,
L’Oreal Professionnel India, said in
a statement.
A deep side part is flattering,
but not everyone knows how
to pull it off with grace. When
Twinkle Khanna opted for this
trendy hairstyle, she looked
radiant as ever. This picture is
from a promotional photo shoot
of her book Mrs Funny Bones and
the author Twinkle Khanna looks
adorable there. •
to serve for the betterment of
the actors. There is no personal
benefit whatsoever. As a result,
by keeping it in mind, we are
working towards securing a fair
and square election after every
two years.”
Although, schedule for the
election hasn’t been announced
yet, Shakib Khan looks forward
to announce it within a day or
two.
One of the presumed
candidates for the helm, Misha
Sawdagar appreciated the
announcement. He said, “What
we wanted is that the election
takes place within the rules. It
doesn’t matter who wins at the
end. We just want the election
to be finished in an enjoyable
environment.”
Two different panels have
been formed surrounding the
election. One of which consists
of Misha Sawdagar for the
president’s chair, along with
Zayed Khan for the post of
General Secretary, while Omar
Sani leads the other panel with
Ilias Kobra for General Secretary.
Both of the panels have formed
the full panel of 21 members,
and are about to reveal it after
the announcement of the
schedule.•
Shaun of the Dead
11:30pm, Movies Now
A man decides to turn his
moribund life around by
winning back his ex-girlfriend,
reconciling his relationship
with his mother, and dealing
with an entire community that
has returned from the dead to
eat the living.
Cast: Simon Pegg, Kate
Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Nick
Frost, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy,
Penelope Wilton
Bloodsport
7:35pm, Zee Studio
Follows Frank Dux, an
American martial artist serving
in the military, who decides to
leave the army to compete in
a martial arts tournament in
Hong Kong where fights to the
death can occur.
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme,
Donald Gibb, Bolo Yeung,
Norman Burton, Forest
Whitaker
Die Hard 4.0
6:30pm, Star Movies
John McClane and a young
hacker join forces to take down
master cyber-terrorist Thomas
Gabriel in Washington DC.
Cast: Bruce Willis, Timothy
Olyphant, Justin Long, Mary
Elizabeth Winstead, Maggie Q

24
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
DT
NBR TO BEGIN PRE-BUDGET
TALKS ON WED PAGE 11
Back Page
JIMMY, CHAYAN PROPEL
BANGLADESH PAGE 19
BOLLYWOOD RAPUNZEL-
TWINKLE PAGE 23
SHAZNEEN MURDER
SC upholds death for Shahidul
• Ashif Islam Shaon
The Supreme Court has upheld
the death penalty of domestic
help Shahidul Islam alias
Shahid rejecting his review
petition in a case filed for the rape
and murder of Shazneen Tasnim
Rahman.
A three-member Appellate
Division bench, headed by Chief
Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha,
passed the order on Sunday
morning, Shahid’s lawyer Monoj
Kumar Bhowmik confirmed the
Dhaka Tribune.
Shazneen, a 15-year-old Scholastica
student and the youngest
daughter of Transcom Group
Chairman Latifur Rahman, was
raped and killed at her Gulshan
residence on April 23, 1998.
The Criminal Investigation Department
(CID) investigated the
sensational murder and pressed
charges against six accused on December
12, 1998. The trial began on
July 9, 2000.
On September 2, 2003, the
Women and Children Repression
Prevention Tribunal sentenced all
the six accused including domestic
help Shahid to death. The others
are: Syed Sajjad Mainuddin Hasan,
a contractor who was appointed to
repair the house; Sajjad’s assistant
Badal; carpenter Shaniram Mandal;
and two house maids – Estema
Khatun Minu and Parvin.
As the convicts filed review
petitions against the verdict,
the High Court on July 10,
2006 acquitted Shaniram, but
upheld the death sentence for
others.
On August 2, 2016, the Appellate
Division upheld the death sentence
for Shahid, and acquitted the four
others.
Shahid filed a review petition
against the judgment.
The lone convict may seek presidential
clemency after the full verdict
of Sunday’s order is published.
If Shahid does not seek clemency
admitting the crimes or if the mercy
petition is rejected, he will be
executed as per the tribunal’s order.•
Hawkers threaten to
cripple Dhaka if evicted
• Abu Hayat Mahmud
Leaders of hawkers in Dhaka’s
Gulistan and Motijheel areas have
threatened to cripple Dhaka if the
Dhaka South Mayor tries to evict
them.
The hawker leaders came up
with the threat at a sit-in protest
organised by Hawkers Samonyay
Parishad in front of National Press
Club on Sunday in the city.
The threat comes within three
weeks of an earlier threat made
on February 15 to cordon off
DSCC Mayor Mohammad Sayeed
Khokon. However, Sayeed Khokon
has called the hawkers’ movement
a conspiracy by extortionists.
Addressing Mayor Khokon, the
Hawkers Union Adviser Murshiqul
Islam Shimul said: “Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina instructed against
an eviction of hawkers. She also
said no eviction without rehabilitation.
So you [Khokon] are not more
powerful than prime minister and
the parliament.
“We ask you not to make a rash
move based on a whim; do not ignore
the Prime Minister’s words. If
you still make an attempt at eviction,
we will be forced to cripple Dhaka.”
Hawkers Samonyay Parishad
Convener Abul Kalam urged the
mayor to fulfil their demands or
they would take a tougher stance.
He said their final decision will
be declared at the hawkers’ mass
rally on March 29.
Meanwhile, the hawkers’ protest
caused a traffic gridlock between
Purana Paltan and Shahbagh
in the city.
Cleaning up the footpaths has
also been difficult as street hawkers
happen to be occupying most
of them.
Earlier in October, attempts to
evict hawkers in Gulistan led to
a clash between the hawkers and
DNCC officials and the police.•
ANTIQUATED BUS BAN
Seven bus drivers jailed on first day of drive
• Abu Hayat Mahmud
Seven drivers were jailed yesterday
on day one of a massive drive
against getting public buses, whose
licences were removed and are no
longer serviceable, off the roads.
Three mobile courts carried out
the drive at Dhaka South City Corporation,
fining bus drivers and
owners Tk87,000 for operating
unlicensed, unserviceable buses
and bringing a total of 75 cases
against the drivers and owners.
Three old buses were also seized
and dumped.
Jointly conducted by DSCC,
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority
(BRTA), and Dhaka District
Administration, with the cooperation
of Dhaka Metropolitan Police
(DMP), the mobile courts ran the
drive at Bangabandhu Avenue,
Dainik Bangla intersection and
Motijheel in the capital.
BRTA Executive Magistrate Md
Abdus Salam led the mobile court
in Gulistan, Dhaka District Administration
Executive Magistrate Touhid
Elahi led the court at Dainik
Bangla, while the court at Motijheel
was led by DSCC Executive
Magistrate Mamun Sardar.
Three mobile courts carry out a joint drive in different areas of Dhaka South City Corporation to rid the streets of old,
unlicensed, unfit buses. The photo was taken yesterday at Motijheel
RAJIB DHAR
The mobile courts penalised
drivers for operating old buses,
lacking driving licenses, driving
under the age of 18, parking illegally
on roads, and not displaying fare
charts on the buses, among other
offences.
Very few old buses were seen on
the city roads on the day due to the
drive.
DSCC Mayor Mohammad Sayeed
Khokon was at the drive on Bangabandhu
Avenue around 11am.
“Accidents continue to occur
due to the plying of unfit vehicles,
the lack of awareness and skills displayed
by drivers, and some drivers
being under aged. Traffic jams also
occur due to vehicles parking randomly
on the roads,” he said.
He added that the drive would
continue for 15 days and may be
extended if unfit, unlicenced buses
continue to ply while the drive is
carried out.
The DSCC mayor again asked
bus owners to hire skilled drivers
18 years of age or older with BRTA
issued driving licenses, and also
warned that legal action would
be taken against drivers aged 18
or older who illegally acquired
BRTA licenses by hiding their
legal age.
On February 15, Khokon announced
that public buses older
than 20 years would be banned
from March 1.
He made the announcement after
a meeting with senior officials
of BRTA, DMP, Rajuk, the Dhaka
district deputy commissioner’s
office, and Dhaka Transport
Co-ordination Authority at Nagar
Bhaban.•
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