e_Paper, Monday, April 17, 2017

SECOND EDITION
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017 | Boishakh 4, 1424, Rajab 19, 1438 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 349 | www.dhakatribune.com | 24 pages plus 8-page World s supplement | Price: Tk10
Five years on,
police yet to
find Ilias Ali › 3
Hindu woman
assaulted
after failed
rape bid › 6
MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
What changes
under
Turkey’s new
constitution
plan › 8
Seating stops, cheating
continues › 2
DT
World Tribune
North Korea
TRUMP’S NORTH KOREA
2 FLAW
3
UN PEACEKEEPERS RAN A
CHILD SEX RING IN HAITI
7
TRUMP REVERSES HIMSELF
ON NATO, CHINA, RUSSIA
AND MORE
WORLD SUPPLEMENT
Trump’s North Korea
sabre-rattling has
a flaw › 2
CPD: Adjust kerosene, diesel
prices with global market › 5
Concerns about fall
in remittance › 10
UN peacekeepers
ran a child sex ring
in Haiti › 3
Trump reverses himself
on NATO, China,
Russia and more › 7

2
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
DT
News
Seating stops, cheating continues
BRTA drive to stop Seating Service, Gate Lock Service in Dhaka’s public buses faces trouble on first day
• Shohel Mamun
The Bangladesh Road Transport
Authority (BRTA) drive to stop
“Seating Service” and “Gate Lock
Service” in Dhaka’s public buses
suffered a stumbling block on the
very first day as bus owners allegedly
created problems for the BRTA
officials.
The BRTA launched the drive
in the capital yesterday to stop the
two services, which was decided
by the city’s passenger owners’ association
in the first place.
But as the drive started, most of
the public transport owners who
previously ran Seating Service kept
their buses off the streets yesterday,
creating a huge transport crisis
and causing immense suffering to
the commuters.
Those who did operate their
service in the city charged passengers
the Seating Service fares even
though they discontinued the service,
a number of commuters complained.
Meanwhile, a huge number
of bus owners and their associates
were seen around the mobile
courts set up by the BRTA in the
city, seemingly there to help the
authorities with the drive.
However, BRTA officials complained
that instead of help, they
caused trouble by secretly informing
their drivers so they could
avoid the routes being watched by
the mobile courts.
In fact, a few BRTA magistrates
claimed that the bus owners were
trying to influence the mobile
court activities.
Because of the interference, the
mobile courts wrapped up their
drive by 2pm, although it was supposed
to run until 5pm.
“We have decided to officially
inform the higher authority
of BRTA about the influential
bus owners’ interference in mobile
court operations. We will do
it on Monday [today] morning,”
said one BRTA official, requesting
anonymity.
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, he
said Seating Service has always
been illegal under the BRTA regulations.
“But now the [passenger
bus] owners are highlighting this
issue because they are facing pressure
from the top tier of the government.
So they are playing both
sides now.”
The decision to no longer allow
Seating Service and Gate Lock Service
in public buses was made by
Dhaka Sarak Paribahan Samity, an
association of passenger bus owners
in the capital, on April 4.
They made the decision as passengers
riding Seating Service buses
were forced to pay additional
Police and BRTA officials are fining the buses that are plying on Dhaka roads as Seating Service buses are overcharging passengers. The photo was taken yesterday on
Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka
SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
What are Seating Service and Gate Lock Service?
Buses and minibuses that have Seating
Service do not allow passengers to ride
the vehicles as standing passengers if
all the seats are taken.
Passengers riding buses with Seating
Service are charged fares higher
than the bus fares fixed by the BRTA.
For example: the regular fare from
Mirpur to Motijheel is Tk22, while the
Seating Service fare for the same route
is Tk25.
The major problem with this service
is that passengers who buy tickets for a
fares, which is illegal.
The association met with the
BRTA authorities on Saturday
and decided to launch the drive
yesterday.
Asked about the owners’ interference
in the mobile court
proceedings, Khandaker Enayetullah,
secretary general of Bangladesh
Sarak Paribahan Malik
Samity, the association of passenger
bus owners in the country,
said he had been informed of the
irregular activities.
“I have been informed that
some bus owners did not run their
service today [yesterday]. But they
did not do so to violate our decision.
They kept their buses off the
streets mainly because they are
in the workshop for the removal
of bumpers, rooftop carriers and
angles, which is also a part of the
[government] decision,” he told
certain route will have to pay in full no
matter where they get off the bus.
For example, the Seating Service
fare for Mirpur-Farmgate route is Tk15,
but if a passenger gets off the bus
anywhere before Farmgate, they will
have to pay Tk15 anyway.
The difference between Seating
Service and Gate Lock Service is that,
buses and minibuses with the latter
service do not let passengers get on
a bus at any stoppages between its
starting point and its final destination,
the Dhaka Tribune.
However, as per the government
decision, the deadline to
remove bumpers, rooftop carriers
and angles from public buses was
March 31.
Enayetullah also said bus owners
intended to help the mobile
courts with the drive when they
gathered around them. “If anyone
is found to have disturbed the mobile
court activities, they must be
punished.”
About the bus owners keeping
their buses off the streets, he said:
“How long will they keep their service
suspended? Because the drive
will continue.”
Despite Enayetullah’s reassurances,
several sources within the
association told the Dhaka Tribune
around 1,000 buses did not run on
the streets during the drive, which
took place in Dhaka’s Asad Gate,
even if it has empty seats.
The Gate Lock Service is more
expensive because passengers will
have to pay for the full route no matter
where they get off the buses.
According to BRTA regulations, there
are no provisions for Seating Service or
Gate Lock Service in public transport.
Yet bus owners have been providing
these services in Dhaka for years.
As per the BRTA fare chart, bus fare
in Dhaka is Tk1.7 per kilometre, and
minibus fare is Tk1.6 per kilometre.
Agargaon, Tejgaon, Ramna, Jatrabari
and Airport areas.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune,
Nasir Uddin Khakan, managing
director of Bihanga Paribahan Ltd,
said they had run only 50 out of
their 150 Seating Service buses to
avoid mobile court.
“All of the buses will come out
in the evening, when the mobile
courts have ended their drive for
the day,” he added.
Like Bihanga, public transport
services like VIP Paribahan, Bahon
and Rocket Paribahan did not
operate their services yesterday
morning.
According to Bangladesh Sarak
Paribahan Malik Samity, over 4,500
buses ply in Dhaka every day under
around 150 transport companies.
Meanwhile, several commuters
told the Dhaka Tribune that the bus
services that had Seating Service
Bus owners still
charging Seating
Service fare
Nearly 1,000 buses
kept off the streets,
creating a massive crisis
Mobile court
proceedings hindered
by bus owners and
their associates
were no longer offering it, but they
were still charging the old fares.
This reporter rode a bus of
Meghalaya Paribahan, which did
not carry the BRTA-approved fare
chart, when it should have.
Road Transport and Bridges
Minister Obaidul Quader said both
the government and members of
bus owners’ associations would
strictly monitor the drives to ensure
that these illegal services never
resume in future and completely
stop charging extra fares.
Talking to reporters at Satrasta
intersection yesterday morning,
the minister said he hoped that the
drives would bring discipline in the
transport sector.
He added that the government
would continue drives against illegal
bumpers, angles or carriers in
the buses which often lead to accidents.
•

News 3
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
Five years on, police yet to find Ilias Ali
• Arifur Rahman Rabbi
Five years have passed since former
BNP lawmaker M Ilias Ali disappeared
without a trace, and investigators
have failed to find him.
The BNP leader, who was an
organising secretary of the party
at the time of his disappearance,
went missing in Dhaka along with
his chauffeur Md Ansar on the
night of April 17, 2012. Police later
found his car near his home in the
city’s Banani area.
Ilias’ family and BNP have repeatedly
blamed the government
for his disappearance, saying that it
was some law enforcement agency
that picked him up.
The law enforcement agencies
have denied the allegations of enforced
disappearance and said they
were working to find the BNP leader.
However, they have yet to show
any visible progress in their search
for Ilias. They have not even been
able to confirm whether he is still
alive or not.
“He is still missing. We are trying
to find him,” said BM Forman
Ali, OC of Banani police station,
when the Dhaka Tribune called
him yesterday.
Ilias is not the only case of enforced
disappearance, and the
country’s law enforcement agencies,
particularly Rapid Action Battalion
(RAB), have been often accused
of making people disappear
– both by the victims’ families and
human rights activists.
In one of the recent incidents,
a doctor named Muhammed Iqbal
Mahmud was picked up by plainclothes
men from the Science
Laboratory intersection in Dhaka’s
Dhanmondi area on October 15 last
year, according to his family.
A CCTV footage, which went
viral, showed that some people
forced Iqbal into a microbus, and
when it left the scene, it was followed
by a police vehicle.
Iqbal’s father AKM Nurul Alam
on December 17 sought Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina’s attention regarding
the case because the law
enforcement agencies had failed to
find his son.
BNP alleges that at least 500 of
its activists and leaders have been
made disappeared since the Awami
League-led 14-party alliance came
to power in 2009.
The photo shows Haor areas in Kishoreganj ravaged by flash floods. Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid took a helicopter tour
of the area yesterday
PID
Enforced disappearances on the rise
In September last year, the UN
Working Group on Enforced or
Involuntary Disappearances expressed
deep concern that the
number of enforced disappearance
was on the rise in Bangladesh and
was becoming a frightening trend.
According to human rights organisation
Ain O Salish Kendra
(ASK), 309 individuals involuntarily
disappeared between 2013 and
March 2017.
ASK’s data is based on reports
published in different newspapers.
According to that data, 53 persons
disappeared in 2013, 88 in
2014 and 55 in 2015. At least 88
people disappeared between January
and November in 2016 among
whom eight were found dead,
three returned home and 20 were
found to have been arrested. The
remaining 57 still remain missing.
In the first three months of 2017,
25 people have been reported to
have disappeared. Of them, one
was found dead, and four had been
abducted and were released later.
The rest remain disappeared.
Holey Artisan attack survivor Tahmid acquitted
• Md Sanaul Islam Tipu
A Dhaka court has acquitted Gulshan attack
survivor Tahmid Hasib Khan of the
charge of non-cooperation with police
in a non-prosecution case.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate
Mahmudul Hasan passed the order in
his presence on Sunday.
The court said in its verdict that the
prosecution had failed to place specific
evidence against Tahmid to prove him
guilty in the case.
At least 20 hostages, including 17
foreign nationals, were killed by suspected
militants during the terror attack
at Gulshan’s Holey Artisan restaurant on
July 1 last year.
A student of the University of Toronto,
Tahmid came to Dhaka the day before
the attack and went to the restaurant
with two of his friends that evening.
He was rescued along with 32 other
survivors before and after a commando
operation at the café on July 2, after a
12-hour hostage standoff.
However, as Tahmid had been missing
for over a month following the incident,
his family reportedly sought Canadian
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s
intervention in finding him out.
Later, the Bangladesh origin Canadian
permanent resident was arrested
from Bashundhara on August 3 on suspicion
of having links with the Gulshan
DT
’Government is responsible’
Human rights activists said the
government’s irresponsibility is the
main reason behind the upward
trend of enforced disappearance.
“The government is not paying
proper attention to this issue,” said
Nur Khan Liton, former acting executive
director of ASK. “It is the
responsibility of the state to find
out a person who has been abducted
or gone missing.
“Human rights organisations have
long been demanding formation of a
judicial investigation commission to
probe [enforced] disappearance cases,
but it has yet to happed.”
Prof Asif Nazrul, who teaches
law at Dhaka University, said the
judiciary has the authority to direct
the law enforcement agencies to
find all the missing individuals and
direct credible periodical reports
on the progress of their search.
Furthermore, all human rights
organisations should form a strong
alliance and make coordinated efforts
to investigate the complaints
of enforced disappearance, and the
human rights commission must
conduct independent investigation
on such complaints and publish
their findings, Asif told the Dhaka
Tribune.
National Human Rights Commission
Chairman Kazi Reazul Hoque
said: “Every person is entitled
to basic human rights. Enforced
disappearance is not acceptable.
The government must take initiatives
to stop it. If a state-run organisation
is found to be responsible,
the government should take legal
actions accordingly.” •
French backpacker
still traceless
• Adil Sakhawat
It has been 11 weeks since Arthur
Angé, a French backpacker, went
missing somewhere in Bangladesh,
and his relatives have yet to know
his whereabouts.
Yesterday, when contacted over
email, his cousin Maeva told the
Dhaka Tribune: “We came to know
from a Burmese friend of Arthur
that he informed the Burmese girl
about his plan to cross the Bangladesh-Myanmar
border illegally.
“Arthur last spoke to the girl on
January 27 and informed her that
he would reach Chittagong on January
29 and would like to cross the
Bangladesh-Myanmar border.”
There has been no word from
him since then, she added.
He either encountered troubles
or went missing somewhere between
Chittagong and Dhaka, or
in Chittagong along the Myanmar
border, Maeva expressed suspicion.
Citing their email correspondence
of January 26, Maeva had earlier
said: “Arthur intended to go to
Thailand and then Malaysia by sea.
He said he needed to be in Malaysia
by the beginning of February to
meet a friend.”
The Dhaka Tribune repeatedly
tried to contact the French Embassy
in Dhaka, but the embassy
has not been forthcoming with any
information or confirmation about
Angé’s whereabouts.
The six-foot-tall man with
brown eyes and chestnut-red
hair began his expedition around
the world from Montpellier in
France three years ago. His Facebook
profile cover photo has an
illustration of the world map with
“World Tour By Land” written
bellow. He posted the picture on
October 28, 2013. •
attackers under Section 54 of the Code
of Criminal Procedure.
On October 5, another Dhaka court
cleared him of the charges as the police
found no evidence of his involvement
in the attack, but it accepted a prayer
of the case’s investigation officer to file
a prosecution report against Tahmid for
not cooperating with him in the investigation
despite repeated notices. He was
released on bail on October 2. •

4
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
DT
News
‘Drug smuggling
prevention
is emerging
challenge’
• Anwar Hussain, Chittagong
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan
Kamal yesterday said Bangladesh
does not produce any illegal drug
but prevention of drug smuggling
through border has emerged as a
challenge for the country.
He made the remark at the Chittagong
Circuit House while attending
a special law and order committee
meeting as chief guest.
“Yaba has been smuggled
through Myanmar border and we
have talked to Myanmar government
about it. Be it for their internal
policy or for their go-slow policy, we
did not see any expected result over
the issue,” the minister said.
According to the Department
of Narcotics Control, yaba pills are
being manufactured in at least 40
factories near the Myanmar border.
“There was a time when India
used to produce Phensedyl. However,
India has stopped manufacturing
Phensedyl and the drug does not
enter in Bangladesh through border
anymore,” the home boss said.
He also said it is difficult to prevent
drug smuggling by only arresting
smugglers if not a massive
awareness takes place in the society.
Officials of government agencies,
law enforcement agencies and
public representatives attended
the programme.
Among others, Shamsul Arefin,
deputy commissioner of Chittagong,
lawmaker Nazrul Islam,
SM Mostain Hossain, deputy commissioner
of Chittagong Metropolitan
Police, Noor E Alam Mina, superintendent
of Chittagong police,
and Lt Col Miftah Uddin Ahmed,
commanding officer of RAB 7, were
present at the meeting. •
Politics a major challenge for
regional connectivity
• Syed Zainul Abedin
A frequently used strategy in every
connectivity project will not work
accordingly. It depends on trust
among all parties involved and mutual
benefits.
Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul
Haque made this remark yesterday
while presenting the keynote paper
at a symposium, “Bangladesh and
Regional Connectivity,” organised
by Bangladesh Institute of Law and
International Affairs (BILIA).
The foreign secretary said politics
and mistrust are major challenges
to functioning regional or
sub-regional connectivity.
Time will be needed to achieve
in this region what the European
nations have achieved. Many initiatives
have been ruined due to noncooperation
by a country, he said.
Members of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports in a gathering at the press club
premises yesterday invited the public to join a mass rally in Khulna near the Sundarbans on April 20 to demand the Rampal
power plant project be cancelled
RAJIB DHAR
FM meets Leningrad Oblast governor in Moscow
• Tribune Desk
Politics and mistrust are major challenges to
functioning regional or sub-regional connectivity
Distinguished Fellow of Centre
for Policy Dialogue Dr Mustafizur
Rahman said connectivity has to be
used as a wider part of development.
Bangladesh can achieve all its
Sustainable Development Goals if
it uses connectivity in a win-win
manner, Dr Mustafizur said.
Transport connectivity translates
to an economic corridor – the
movement of goods, services, and
people – which can turn our comparative
advantages into competitive
advantages, he said.
Honorary Director of BILIA Dr
Shahdeen Malik hosted the symposium
which was presided over
by former ambassador Ashfaqur
Rahman. Chairman of Bangladesh
Institute of International and Strategic
Studies Munshi Faiz Ahmad
also took part in the discussion. •
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood
Ali, MP met with Leningrad Oblast
Governor Alexander Yurievich
Drozdenko on Saturday at the
Governor’s Mansion in St Petersburg.
The governor briefed the foreign
minister on the historic importance
of the capital in the region, St Petersburg,
a city built by Tsar Peter
the Great, a press release stated.
Drozdenko further briefed him
on the growing economic importance
of the city as the trade and
transit hub of eastern and western
parts of Europe.
Regarding trade, Foreign Minister
Ali said that Bangladeshi export
items such as pharmaceuticals,
ocean-going vessels, leather goods,
EC prepares roadmap
for next general polls
• Bilkis Irani
The Election Commission (EC) has
prepared a draft roadmap for the
next general elections.
EC Secretary Mohammad
Abdullah said they would
disclose the roadmap by May
15 after bringing some corrections
to it.
He was speaking to reporters at
the EC Secretariat yesterday.
Earlier, Abdullah had told the
Dhaka Tribune that the roadmap
would include an updated list of
voters, guidelines for consultation
with stakeholders, registration of
political parties, and revising the
potatoes, fragrant rice, and tea,
especially organic tea, are popular
in various European countries and
foresee good potential in Russia as
well.
The two sides also discussed the
possibility of a joint shipbuilding
venture to produce medium-sized
vessels and fishing trawlers.
Drozdenko particularly expressed
desire to recruit skilled
existing electoral laws. He added
that there would be a work plan
in the roadmap for the next two
years.
The secretary also said the EC
proposed holding meetings with
stakeholders ahead of the election.
Election to 160 UPs
Elections to 160 Union Parishads
(UPs) in different districts were
held yesterday, simultaneously
from 8am to 4pm.
The EC secretary said: “Voters
in the electoral areas … cast their
ballots freely and safely. No incident
of clashes took place during
the polls.” •
professionals, especially medical
doctors, from Bangladesh.
Citing the historic value of St Petersburg’s
architectural beauty and
its role as a major Russian port, Foreign
Minister Ali proposed to make
Chittagong its twin city.
He invited Drozdenko to visit
Bangladesh with a business
delegation and the governor accepted.
•

News 5
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
CPD: Adjust kerosene and diesel
prices with the global market
• Shariful Islam
Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)
yesterday recommended that the
government adjust diesel and
kerosene prices with global rates in
the upcoming budget for fiscal year
2017-18 for the sake of the poor.
“Since poor people are the main
consumers of these petroleum
products, living in areas that are
not connected to the central grid,
the government should adjust
and reduce their prices,” said CPD
Research Fellow Towfiqul Islam
Khan on the think tank’s analysis
on the state of the Bangladesh
economy in 2016-17.
Speaking at a press conference
about the current budget and
presenting recommendations for
the next one, Towfiq said reducing
diesel and kerosene prices would
not cut the government’s profits
and would only benefit the poor.
They recommended depreciating
the local currency to facilitate
export and remittance sector, adjustment
of interest rate of savings
certificate with bank deposit, exercise
of caution and vigilance in
view of rising rice price and mandatory
consideration of bank’s performance
during recapitalisation.
The CPD recommended a set
of reform agenda including in the
financial sector, agriculture price
regulation and public expenditure
review.
Their recommendation was
a three sector-wise commission
to implement the reform agenda
in the FY2017-18 budget, calling
them Independent Financial
Sector Reform Commission (IFRC),
Agriculture Price Commission
(APC) and Public Expenditure
Review Commission (PERC).
The IFRC will work for the
reform of financial sector, the APC
to regulate price of agricultural
products protecting farmers’
rights and the PERC will provide
medium-term policy guidelines
and formulate a concrete set of
strategies to improve efficiency in
budget delivery.
Towfiq said: “Planned size of the
total budget increased over time
but the actual implementation did
not improve by any discernible
Probashi Kallyan Bank to become
scheduled in June
• Adil Sakhawat
CPD officials present their proposals and recommendations for the 2017-18 budget in Dhaka yesterday
Probashi Kallyan Bank (PKB) is
likely to start its journey as a scheduled
bank from June this year.
The Wage Earners’ Welfare
Board (WEWB) has given the PKB
Tk50 crore to that end.
Expatriates’ Welfare and
Overseas Employment Minister
Nurul Islam handed over the Tk50
crore cheque to PKB Managing
Director ANM Masrurul Huda Siraji
in a programme at the ministry
yesterday.
Probashi Kallyan Bank was established
in 2012 with a capital
of Tk100 crore to provide loan to
would-be migrants. The WEWB
provided Tk95 crore of the fund
and the Finance Division of the
government provided the remaining
Tk5 crore.
A scheduled bank requires a
minimum capital of Tk400 crore.
The rest of the amount will be
provided by the Finance Division
next month.
“We will apply to Bangladesh
Bank after getting the capital
amount next month. As the expatriates’
welfare minister has already
talked to the prime minister,
we are hopeful to run as a scheduled
bank from June,” Masrurul
Huda said at the programme.
“All the other requirements including
Bangladesh Bank’s approval
have already been fulfilled,” the
PKB managing director told the
Dhaka Tribune over phone.
Addressing the programme,
Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas
Employment Minister Nurul Islam
said the PKB should open branches
in every district of the country
so that aspirant migrants can avail
themselves of its services. •
MEHEDI HASAN
margin.
“Budget implementation
capacity needs to be enhanced,
particularly in delivering ADP in
a time-efficient and cost-effective
manner.”
However, supporting the new
Value Added Tax (VAT) act, which
is scheduled to come into effect
from July 1, the CPD recommended
46th death anniversary
of Lt Col Qadir
• Tribune Desk
Today is the 46th death anniversary
of Lt Col Muhammad Abdul Qadir,
who embraced martyrdom on
April 17, 1971.
A milad mahfil will be held today
at the Qadirabad Cantonment
Central Mosque for the peace of the
departed soul, says a press release.
The Qadirabad Cantonment in
Natore district was named after
him for his role in the 1971 Liberation
War. The government also issued
a postal stamp of him as one
of the martyred intellectuals.
Qadir’s grave was found in 2007
DT
reducing VAT to 12% instead of the
uniform 15% after a year or two of
the implementation.
The think-tank recommended
reducing the personal income
tax rate from 10% to 7.5% in the
upcoming budget, saying that it
will help expand the domestic
market.
Distinguished CPD fellow, Debapriya
Bhattacharya said: “Prevailing
economic situation in the
country demands an expansionary
budget. But the quality of financial
indicators of budgets including
revenue target, expenditure,
budget deficit, financing budget
deficit is a huge mismatch.”
He said without a pragmatic
review of the budget the creation
and announcement of a big budget
will create a “fiscal illusion.”
“Public representative is absent
in formulation of budget which
is an impediment in formulating
and implementing a budget and
this makes it easy for a group of
unscrupulous people to manipulate
the budget allocation for their own
benefits,” added Debapriya.
CPD Executive Director
Fahmida Khatun presided over the
presentation while CPD Research
Fellow Towfiqul Islam Khan
presented the key-note paper.
Distinguished fellows of CPD
Debapriya Bhattacharya and Prof
Mustafizur Rahman and CPD
Research Director Khondaker
Golam Moazzem also spoke at the
event.•
and he was reburied with full state
and military honour at Qadirabad
Cantonment in 2011.
He is the father of eminent journalist
Nadeem Qadir, who is currently
the minister (press) in the Bangladesh
High Commission in London.•
TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY
Dhaka 36 24 Chittagong 34 25 Rajshahi 36 24 Rangpur 34 20 Khulna 35 23 Barisal 35 24 Sylhet 35 20
Cox’s Bazar 31 24
RAIN LIKELY
MONDAY, APRIL 17
DHAKA
TODAY
TOMORROW
SUN SETS 6:21PM
SUN RISES 5:35AM
YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW
34.5ºC
19.7ºC
Chuadanga
Mymensingh
Source: Accuweather/UNB
PRAYER
TIMES
Fajr: 5:10am | Zohr: 1:15pm
Asr: 5:00pm | Magrib: 6:28pm
Esha: 8:15pm
Source: Islamic Foundation

6
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
DT
News
Hindu woman assaulted
after failed rape bid
• Ariful Islam, Kurigram
The 35-year-old housewife is awaiting justice for the assaults and rape attempts
on her by a locally influential person
DHAKA TRIBUNE
One week has passed since the filing
of a complaint on assaults and
attempted rape of a Hindu woman
in Phulbari upazila of Kurigram,
but the police are yet to take any
action against the accused.
The 35-year-old complainant,
hailing from Nazar Mamud village,
alleged that neighbour Hossain Ali,
son of Hayfat Ali, had beaten her up
with a bamboo stick near her house
on April 9.
As her son Jibon came to her rescue,
the assaulter also beat up the
boy before leaving the scene.
According to the complaint,
Hossain Ali assaulted her after
failing to rape her in repeated attempts
in the past. The last of such
instances was on March 25 when
the victim was home alone.
Khirod Chandra Barman, president
of Phulbari upazila unit of
Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikyo
Parishad, condemned the incident
and demanded legal steps against
the accused immediately.
Phulbari police Officer-in-
Charge Khandaker Fuad Ruhani
told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday
that they would take steps after an
investigation. •
President visits floodravaged
Haor areas
• Bijoy Roy Khoka, Kishoreganj
President Abdul Hamid visited
the flood-affected Haor areas in
Mithamoin upazila of Kishoreganj
yesterday.
After his arrival at the upazila
headquarters at noon, the president
flew in a helicopter to the
Haor areas of the district that have
been ravaged by flash flood recently
triggering food crisis.
Days of heavy rainfall and
onrush of water from the upstream
Meghalaya hills in India
caused the flash flood that have
damaged around 40,000 hectares
of paddy fields, mostly of
mature Boro rice, in Mithamoin,
Austogram and Itna upazilas of the
district, according to the Department
of Agricultural Extension
(DAE).
Huge extent of paddy fields
in the Haor areas of neighbouring
Sunamganj, Sylhet, Habiganj,
Moulvibazar, Netrakona and Brahmanbaria
districts have also been
affected by the flood.
President Hamid is set to visit
the flood-affected areas in Sunamganj
today.
State Minister for Finance
and Planning MA Mannan said
on April 9 that the government
would take steps to provide relief
to the affected people, after
visiting the flood-affected areas in
Sunamganj.
He observed that many farmers
in Haor areas were facing food
scarcity due to recent flash flood
and stated that he would advocate
for exempting the affected farmers
from loan repayment.
Kishoreganj 4 lawmaker Rezwan
Ahamed Towfiq has demanded
that the flood-affected Haor
areas be declared disaster zone to
tackle the situation.•

Four people including a woman were killed when a car collided head-on with a microbus in Kundarpara
area of Shibpur upazila of Narsingdi yesterday
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Road crashes take 11
lives in 5 districts
• Tribune Desk
At least 11 people including three of a family
were killed and more than 46 got critically
injured in separate road accidents in five
districts yesterday.
In Sirajganj, five people were killed in a
road accident at Shialkol Bazar in Sirajganj,
our correspondent reported.
The deceased are Urmi Khatun, wife of
Sohel Rana; her daughter Soheli; and brotherin-law
Kauser Ahmed. Identity of another
woman could not be known.
The accident took place when a bus hit
a CNG-run auto rickshaw from behind on
Sirajganj-Nalka Road, leaving two passengers
of the auto rickshaw dead on the spot.
The two others were declared dead after
taken to Sirajganj General Hospital, Officer-in-
Charge of Sadar police Rafiqul Islam said.
Meanwhile, four people including a
woman were killed and six others injured
as a car collided head-on with a microbus in
Kundarpara area of Shibpur upazila, said our
Narsingdi correspondent.
The accident took place around 8am on
Dhaka-Sylhet Highway. The woman died on
the spot, Officer-in-Charge of Shibpur police
Md Syeeduzzaman said.
The injured were admitted to Narsingdi
Sadar Hospital where three victims
succumbed to their injuries.
In Natore, two people were killed as a
truck collided head-on with an ambulance in
Kadamchilan area under Lalpur and plunged
into a pond, our Natore correspondent
reported.
The deceased are ambulance driver Farid
Hossain, 50, and his helper Sujon Sheikh, 32.
In Narsingdi,
Our Kustia correspondent reported that 25
people were critically injured when a student
bus of Kustia Islamic University collided head
on with a public bus on the Kustia-Khulna
Road in Bitthipara area of the district.
In Jhenaidah, 15 people were critically
injured when a covered van collided
head-on with passenger bus on the
Jhenaidah-Magura Road in the morning, said
our correspondent.•
Bogra Jubo Dal leader
hacked to death
News 7
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
CID to examine Raudha’s
phone, laptop
• Abdullah Al Dulal, Rajshahi
DT
The mobile phone and laptop used by Maldivian
model Raudha Athif, who was found
dead at a dormitory of Islami Bank Medical
College in Rajshahi on March 29, has been
sent to the forensic lab of the CID.
Rajshahi CID Inspector Asmaul Hoque,
who is also the investigation officer of the two
cases filed over the sensational death, confirmed
this to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
The CID started their investigation after
taking charge of the two cases on Friday. One
of the cases was filed for unnatural death
while Raudha’s father Dr Mohammad Athif
lodged the murder case alleging that his
daughter had been killed in a planned way.
“We have started investigation keeping
in mind all the possibilities. The documents
of the murder case have been handed
over to us from the police. But we did not
received the documents of the other case
from the DB police [Detective Branch],” said
Asmaul Hoque.
On April 10, Raudha’s father filed the
murder case with a Rajshahi court and
named Seerat Parvin Mohammad as the
prime suspect. Seerat was Raudha’s classmate
at the medical college.
Seerat, an Indian student from Kashmir,
was one of Raudha’s closest friends at the
dorm. They lived in adjacent rooms. According
to her earlier testimony, she was the
last person to see Raudha before she allegedly
killed herself on March 29.
Seerat had claimed to have seen her hanging
body through the window. She then broke
open the door and recovered the body.•
• Nazmul Huda Nasim, Bogra
A Jubo Dal leader has been hacked to death in
Bogra Sadar upazila allegedly over business
disputes.
Hazrat Ali, 45, son of late Abdus Sattar of
Nishindara Mondolpara, was the joint general
secretary of No 16 ward unit Jubo Dal. He was
a sand trader.
Police say he was in jail in connection with
a murder case. Recently, he got bail and started
his business again.
A group of miscreants stopped him in front
of Nishindara Mondalpara ward councillor’s
office while he was returning to home around
1pm yesterday.
They hacked him with sharp weapons,
leaving him dead on spot.
Later, police recovered the body and sent it
to Shahid Ziaur Rahman Medical College and
Hospital for an autopsy.
Aslam Ali, officer-in-charge (investigation)
of Sadar police, said: “We suspect that it was a
pre-planned murder. Business rivals of Hazrat
Ali may have killed him over business interests.”•

DT
8
World
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
SOUTH ASIA
Sri Lanka rubbish dump
landslide death toll rises
to 23
Hopes of finding anyone alive
under a collapsed mountain of
garbage in Sri Lanka’s capital faded
Sunday as the death toll reached
23 with another six reported
missing, police said. Hundreds of
soldiers were digging through the
rubbish and the wreckage of some
145 homes that were destroyed
when a side of the 90-metre high
dump crashed on Friday. AFP
INDIA
High alert at Indian
airports after hijack threat
Security at three major international
airports in Mumbai, Hyderabad
and Chennai has been stepped
up after agencies were informed
about a possible hijack attempt of
an aircraft from these facilities. A
woman had e-mailed Mumbai Police
that she overheard talks about
a possible aircraft hijack attempt at
these places. THE HINDU
CHINA
China enlists Russia help
to avert North Korea crisis
China has sought to enlist Russia’s
help to cool tensions over North
Korea amid fears among Beijing’s
leaders that hostilities between the
US and Pyongyang are imminent.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
made the appeal in a phone conversation
with Sergey Lavrov, his
Russian counterpart, after telling reporters
that conflict could break out
“at any moment”. THE TELEGRAPH
ASIA PACIFIC
Philippines, US to hold
military drills
The Philippine military said Sunday
it would hold annual exercises with
US troops next month, reaffirming
its commitment to the alliance
despite cooling relations under
President Rodrigo Duterte. The 10-
day exercises will be the first held
under Duterte, who has suggested
cancelling the drills and called for
the withdrawal of US troops. AFP
MIDDLE EAST
‘Iran needs no one’s
permission to build missiles’
Iran will ask “no one’s permission”
to build up its missile capability,
President Hassan Rouhani said
on Saturday. Facing an election in
May where he hopes to secure a
second four-year term, Rouhani
has had to defend himself from
opponents who say he has been
too eager to appease the West, after
agreeing to curb Iran’s nuclear
programme in exchange for the
lifting of sanctions. REUTERS
What changes under Turkey’s new
constitution plan
The ‘Yes’ campaign to give Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
expanded powers was just ahead
of its rival Sunday in a bitterly-contested
referendum that will determine
Turkey’s future destiny, initial
results said.
The ‘Yes’ campaign had won
52.1% of the vote while the ‘No’
campaign had mustered 47.9%,
the election commission said in
figures quoted by state news agency
Anadolu, in an initial count
based on 92% of the ballot boxes.
What would change under the
new constitution plan?
More powers for Erdogan
Under the new constitution, the
president would have strengthened
executive powers to directly
appoint top public officials including
ministers.
The president would also be able
to assign one or several vice presidents.
The office and position of
prime minister, currently held by
Binali Yildirim, would be scrapped.
The changes would implement a
shake-up in the judiciary.
Longer state of emergency
Under the proposed constitution,
a state of emergency would be imposed
in the event of an “uprising
against the homeland” or “acts of
violence which put the nation in...
danger of being divided”.
The president would decide
whether or not to impose a state of
emergency and then present it to
the parliament.
Erdogan can rejoin AKP
The number of members of the
Turkish parliament would rise
from 550 to 600. The minimum
age limit for MPs would also be
lowered from 25 to 18.
Legislative elections would take
place once every five years – instead
of four – and on the same day
as the presidential elections.
The president will also have
to be a Turkish citizen at least 40
years old, and can be a member
of a political party. The change
would again allow Erdogan to become
leader of the ruling Justice
and Development Party (AKP) that
he co-founded.
Erdogan in power to 2029?
Erdogan was elected president in
August 2014 after over a decade as
prime minister, in the first ever direct
elections for a Turkish head of
state. The proposed constitution
states that the next presidential
and parliamentary elections are to
be held simultaneously on November
3, 2019.
If he won, the president would
have a five-year term with a maximum
of two mandates. So the
changes would mean that Erdogan
could stay in power for another
two terms until 2029. •
Pakistan hate speech investigation against clerics
after student killed for alleged blasphemy
People demonstrate after the killing Mashal Khan, accused of blasphemy at
Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan, Pakistan on April 14
REUTERS
Nepal, China begin first-ever
joint military exercises
• AFP, Kathmandu
China and Nepal began their
first-ever joint military exercises
on Sunday, a move likely to rattle
India as Beijing boosts its influence
in the region.
Impoverished Nepal is sandwiched
between China and India
and has in recent years ping-ponged
between the sphere of influence of
Delhi and Beijing as the Asian giants
Supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan wave national flags during a
rally in Konya, Turkey on April 14
REUTERS
jostle for regional supremacy.
The 10-day drill in Kathmandu,
dubbed “Sagarmatha Friendship
2017” referring to the Nepali name
for Mount Everest, will focus on
counter-terrorism.
Landlocked Nepal remains dependent
on India for the majority of
its imports, but the previous administration
aggressively courted China
as part of a nationalist drive to decrease
its reliance on New Delhi. •
• Reuters, Peshawar
Pakistani police opened a hate speech
investigation involving two Muslim
clerics on Sunday after the killing of a
university student over allegations he
committed blasphemy.
The clerics are accused of attempting
to disrupt the funeral of student Mashal
Khan, who was beaten to death by fellow
students after a dormitory debate was
followed by accusations of blasphemy
being spread across a university campus
in the northern city of Maradan.
University officials had issued a public
notification hours before the murder
naming three students being investigated
for “blasphemous activities”.
Source: AFP
In a statement released to the press
on Saturday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
said he was “shocked and saddened by
the senseless display of mob justice that
resulted in the murder of a young student,
Mashal Khan, at Wali Khan University”.
Mardan police chief Alam Shinwari
said 20 people had been identified as
culpable in the killing on the basis of
videos taken during the attack, and 15
had been arrested. He said they would
be tried by anti-terrorism courts.
Police say they are also investigating
the clerics in Khan’s hometown of
Swabi, some 60km south of Mardan,
for attempting to disrupt funeral proceedings
and instigate hatred against
the dead student’s family. •
Senior Trump aide visits
Afghanistan
• Reuters, Kabul
US President Donald Trump’s national
security adviser met Afghan
officials in Kabul on Sunday, amid
questions over the new administration’s
plans for the military mission
in Afghanistan after American
forces unleashed a huge bomb
there on militants.
The visit by HR McMaster, the
first high-level visit by a Trump official,
came just days after the US
military sparked controversy by
dropping a GBU-43 Massive Ordnance
Air Blast bomb during an
operation on Thursday against IS
in eastern Afghanistan.
While military officials said the
strike was based solely on tactical
needs, it led to speculation that
Trump’s defence advisers are planning
to escalate the war against
militants in Afghanistan. •

Key proposals by leading candidates
in French election
• AFP, Paris
The five main contenders in
France’s presidential election span
the ideological spectrum from
hard left to far right. A week before
the first round of voting, here are
their main proposals:
Marine Le Pen: France first
Ü Negotiate France’s exit from
the eurozone and return to the
franc. Immediately suspend
membership of the European
passport-free Schengen area and
restore border controls.
Ü Reduce legal immigration to
10,000 people per year, require
refugees seeking asylum in
France to apply in their home
region, hold a referendum on
reforms including introducing a
French-first policy on jobs and
housing
Ü Impose a 35% tax on products
from companies that offshore
factory jobs
Ü Pull France out of Nato’s central
Death toll in
bomb attack on
Syria evacuees
rises to 126
• Reuters, Beirut
The death toll from a bomb attack
on a crowded bus convoy outside
Aleppo has reached at least 126 in
the deadliest such incident in Syria
in almost a year, the Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights monitoring
group said on Sunday. At least 68
children were among those killed.
Syrian rescue workers of the Civil
Defence said that they had taken
away at least 100 bodies from the
site of Saturday’s blast, which hit
buses carrying Shia residents as
they waited to cross from rebel into
government territory in an evacuation
deal between the warring sides.
Those killed were mostly residents
of the villages of al-Foua and
Kefraya in Idlib province, but included
rebel fighters guarding the
convoy, the Observatory said.
There was no immediate claim of
responsibility for the attack, which
pro-Damascus media said was carried
out by a suicide car bomber.
Syria’s main armed opposition
condemned the bombing, with
groups fighting under the banner of
the Free Syrian Army describing it as
a “treacherous terrorist attack”.
Pope Francis condemned the
attack, describing it as “ignoble”,
and asking God to bring healing
and comfort to what he called the
“beloved and martyred Syria”. •
command and develop closer relations
with Russia.
Emmanuel Macron: Economic
‘liberation’
Ü Give all workers access to unemployment
benefits.
Ü Accelerate integration in the eurozone
by giving it a central parliament,
finance minister and
budget.
Ü Create tax incentives to encourage
companies to hire jobseekers
from underprivileged neighbourhoods.
Ü Introduce one month’s obligatory
military service for all
18-21-year-olds.
World
The main candidates for the French presidential election
Jean Luc Melenchon
65 years
old
Francois Fillon: Shrinking the state
Ü Cut 500,000 public servant jobs
and reduce public spending by
€100bn over five years to reduce
France’s debt.
Ü Ban the full-body Islamic burkini
swimsuit and introduce uniforms
in public schools.
Ü Reduce immigration by setting
annual quotas.
Ü Work with Russia, Iran and the
Syrian regime in combating the
IS.
Jean-Luc Melenchon: Big spender
Ü Renegotiate EU treaties. Get the
union to scrap rules on fiscal
discipline and allow the European
Central Bank to buy up debt
from member states.
Ü Move from a presidential system
to a parliamentary system.
Ü Withdraw from Nato. Improve
relations with Russia “to avoid
war.”
Benoit Hamon: Income for all
Ü Introduce a universal basic income,
initially targeting the
working poor but eventually extended
to all citizens, reaching
€750 a month.
Ü Tax robots that take human jobs.
Ü Increase the share of renewables
in the energy mix to 50% by
2025. •
Theresa May: UK uniting around Brexit
• AFP, London
British Prime Minister Theresa May
said Sunday that Britain was beginning
to unite behind Brexit, 10
months after the divisive referendum
that saw the country narrowly vote to
leave the EU.
“This year, after a period of intense
debate over the right future for our
country, there is a sense that people
are coming together and uniting behind
the opportunities that lie ahead,”
May said in her Easter message.
May backed remaining in the EU
but is spearheading Britain’s drive to
the departure gates.
She formally notified Brussels last
month of Britain’s intention to leave
the bloc, triggering two years of exit
negotiations.
“For at heart, this country is one
great union of people and nations with
a proud history and a bright future,”
May said.
The Sunday Telegraph newspaper
reported that support for Brexit has
hit a five-month high, with 55% backing
Britain’s exit from the EU, according
to a poll by research company Orb
International.
Turning to faith in her Easter message,
she said: “We should be confident
about the role that Christianity
has to. “We must be mindful of Christians
and religious minorities around
the world who do not enjoy these
same freedoms, but who practise their
religion in secret and often in fear.” •
Trump supporters, opponents clash
in California park
• Reuters, California
Benoit Hamon
49 years
old
Emmanuel Macron
39 years
old
Francois Fillon
63 years
old
A melee erupted on Saturday in
a Berkeley, California park where
supporters and opponents of President
Donald Trump were holding
competing rallies, resulting in at
least 20 arrests as police struggled
to keep the two camps apart.
As fist fights broke out between
the two sides and people threw
bottles and cans over a barricade
separating them, police resorted
to using to an explosive device at
one point in a bid to restore order.
Several people were observed
by a Reuters reporter with bloodied
faces and minor injuries, but
there was no official word on casualties
from authorities. Media, citing
police, reported that at least 11
people were injured. Police said
more arrests could follow after
video shot during the melee was
reviewed.
The trouble unfolded when
Marine Le Pen
48 years
old
Conservative demonstrators and opposition against Donald Trump fight during
a Patriots Day Free Speech Rally in Berkeley, California on April 15 REUTERS
hundreds of Trump opponents
staged a counter-rally alongside
an event billed as a “Patriots Day”
free-speech rally and picnic, organised
by mostly Trump supporters.
•
9
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
USA
Trump hits back at tax
protests
US President Donald Trump on
Sunday hit back at nationwide protests
calling for him to release his
tax returns, questioning “who paid
for” the “small” rallies. “Someone
should look into who paid for the
small organized rallies yesterday.
The election is over!” the president
tweeted Sunday morning. That
message came about an hour after
an earlier tweet when he appeared
to suggest the matter was a
non-issue. AFP
THE AMERICAS
New protests set in
troubled Venezuela
Opponents and backers of Venezuela’s
embattled President
Nicolas Maduro announced new
marches for Wednesday after violence
in ongoing anti-government
protests that have left five people
dead. Both sides promised to hold
sway across Caracas on the heels
of two weeks of demonstrations
that also have seen 117 people
arrested. AFP
UK
New poll gives Tories
historic lead over Labour
DT
Theresa May’s Conservatives are
21 points ahead of Labour in a
new poll, giving the party their
greatest lead while in government
since 1983, shortly before Margaret
Thatcher’s second victory at the
ballot box. The poll, conducted
by ComRes, gives the Tories 46%
of the vote share, 25% for Labour,
11% for Tim Farron’s pro-EU Liberal
Democrats and 9% for the embattled
Ukip under Paul Nuttall’s
leadership. INDEPENDENT
EUROPE
ETA launches internal
debate after disarm move
The Basque separatist group ETA
said on Sunday it would consult its
members on “future decisions” following
its unilateral disarmament,
a Basque newspaper reported.
In a statement issued on Basque
“homeland day,” ETA said it had
entered a phase in which it would
take “decisions from among all its
members for moving forward,” the
daily Gara reported. AFP
AFRICA
South Sudan army denies
charges its troops killed 14
in Raga
South Sudan’s army denies charges
that its forces killed 14 civilians
in the northwestern town of
Raga. “This is a negative media
campaign by the rebels. We didn’t
kill anybody, we’re there to protect
the citizens,” said Col Santo
Domic Chlo, acting spokesman of
the army. AP

DT
10
Business
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
CAPITAL MARKET SNAPSHOT: SUNDAY
DSE Broad Index 5,592.8 -0.9% ▼ Index 1,286.8 -0.6% ▼ 30 Index 2,059.7 -1.3% ▼ Turnover in Mn Tk 7,242.2 21.6% ▲ Turnover in Mn Vol 235.8 29.2% ▲
CSE All Share Index 17,319.7 -0.9% ▼ 30 Index 15,401.9 -0.8% ▼ Selected Index 10,501.6 -0.9% ▼ Turnover in Mn Tk 472.0 -1.3% ▼ Turnover in Mn Vol 19.8 1.4% ▼
Concerns about fall in remittance
Fiscal Coordination Council is also worried of alleged rise in capital flight
• Asif Showkat Kallol
Fiscal Coordination Council has expressed
concerns about the capital
flight and the decline of remittance
inflow as investments are being
hampered in the country due to
such incidents.
The concerns were expressed at
a meeting of the Fiscal Coordination
Council and Budget Management
Committee yesterday, said
officials who attended the meeting.
The meeting was held at the finance
ministry auditorium with
Finance Minister AMA Muhith in
the chair.
The council observed that a
large amount of the local capital
has been illegally transferred to
foreign countries like Malaysia,
Canada and Australia.
Earning from sale of land is not
being disclosed to the state agencies
concerned as there is a ceiling on
land sale fixed by the government.
The council said the actual price of
land should be calculated on the basis
of price when it was sold.
It suggested cancellation of the
ceiling to discourage earning of
black and undisclosed money.
Finance Minister asked the authorities
concerned to form a committee
to find ways of reducing
the amount of undisclosed money
from land sales.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith
will sit with the stakeholders soon
Expatriates in Middle Eastern countries see drops in wage in the recent years
in his efforts to reduce undisclosed
money.
The meeting observed that the
wages of Bangladeshi expatriates
have declined in the six Middle-Eastern
countries including the
UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
Major part of the Bangladesh
remittance come from these countries.
The major reasons of the decline
of remittance were identified as illegal
channeling of money like “Hundi”,
dull economic situation in the
Middle East and drop of wages.
While the wages in these countries
dropped, the number of expatriates
from Bangladesh has increased
during the last few years.
Besides, the meeting expressed
concerns about the decline of export
prices over the last few years.
After the meeting, finance minister
categorically indicated that
DHAKA TRIBUNE
the next fiscal year’s budgetary
deficit will exceed 5% of total gross
domestic product (GDP) that might
cause more government borrowing
from banks.
“We hope that the next budget
deficit will not be more than 5.4%
of GDP,” the minister said.
“At the end of a fiscal year, the
budget deficit never exceeds our
estimation because of the unused
funds,” Muhith added. •
Global carmakers
converge on
China as rare
slowdown looms
• AFP, Shanghai
Global carmakers converge on China
for the Shanghai auto show this
week, with the industry bracing
for a sharp sales slowdown and
potential price war as competition
stiffens in the world’s biggest car
market.
Manufacturers have reaped a
windfall as the fast-expanding Chinese
middle class hits the road, but
clouds loom as Volkswagen, Toyota,
GM, and other top nameplates
pitch their latest models starting
this Wednesday at China’s biggest
auto showcase.
Passenger-vehicle sales have
nearly quintupled over the past
decade and logged another stellar
performance in 2016, surging
14.9% to a record 24.38 million, according
to the China Association of
Automobile Manufacturers.
But volume was skewed upward
in 2016 by a government purchase
incentive. As China’s decades-long
economic boom loses lift, sales
growth will essentially be flat this
year and could even shrink in 2018
for the first time in memory, consultancy
IHS Markit said last week.
In a boon for consumers, IHS
Markit said there is already “a major
price war descending on the
market” as manufacturers and
dealers slash prices to move growing
stock. •

World Bank says
Bangladesh GDP
to grow at 6.8%
in 2017
• Ibrahim Hossain Ovi
The World Bank has projected 6.8%
growth of Bangladesh gross domestic
growth in 2017, a slight fall
from 7.1% last year.
“The economy of Bangladesh
has weathered global uncertainties
well aided by strengthening investment
and a recovery of exports.
Growth will be sustained at 6.8%
in 2017, coming down slightly from
7.1% in 2016 and with a decelerating
information rate and a budget
deficit that has narrowed, said the
World Bank in a report published
on Sunday.
The report identified infrastructural
gaps and inadequate energy
supply, combined with the high
cost of doing business as the main
obstacles to the realisation of Bangladesh’s
growth potential.
The World Bank said South Asia
remains the fastest-growing region
in the world, gradually widening
its lead relative to East Asia.
The report said regional GDP
growth of South Asia is expected
to rise from 6.7% in 2016 to 6.8% in
2017, and 7.1% in 2018.
“To make the most of this export
opportunity, countries in the region
should continue to focus on polices
that promote economic growth,”
said World Bank South Asia Region
chief economist Martin Rama.
Despite possible protectionism,
South Asia, the fastest growing
region in the world, has an opportunity
to increase exports to create
jobs and accelerate growth, said
Rama.
He said: “A survey of South
Asian experts conducted for this
report reveals a strong consensus
on the need to promote human
capital accumulation, investments
in infrastructure, and a more business-friendly
environment.”
‘Advanced
economies are
recovering and could
see faster growth
that will likely
increase demand
for South Asian
products’
World Bank South Asia Region
Vice President Annette Dixon said:
“Simulations on the impact of hypothetical
new trade barriers show
that South Asia is not only resilient
to a potential rise in protectionism
but could possibly even gain from
it in some circumstances.”
She said: “Advanced economies
are recovering and could see faster
growth that will likely increase
demand for South Asian products.
The region should seize this opportunity
to diversify its exports and
enhance its supply response.” •
Business 11
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
Managing Director of Prime Bank Ahmed Kamal Khan Chowdhury speaks at a press conference on the occasion of the 22nd
anniversary of the bank at a hotel in Dhaka yesterday. Other highs officials of the bank were also present
Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover
project cost hike approved
• Asif Showkat Kallol
Cabinet Committee on Economic
Affairs has approved the increase
of project cost of Moghbazar-Mouchak
flyover by another
Tk108.40 crore.
The approval was given at a
meeting of the Committee yesterday.
Local Government Division’s
(LGD) proposed the rise of cost
“mainly for protecting the underground
utility services put on both
sides of the flyover.”
The additional cost will be used to
construct new piles to keep the underground
utilities services intact.
After the meeting, Additional
Cabinet Secretary Md Mostafizur
Rahman said the project authorities
are installing a pot bearing and
shock transmission unit in the flyover
to help protect it from earthquake-caused
damages.
“This has increased the cost to
Tk452.10 crore from the estimate
of Tk343.70 crore.”
The 8.25km Moghbazar-Mouchak
flyover project was
taken up in January 2011 and was
supposed to be completed by December
2015.
But the authorities concerned
went for a one-and-a-half-year
time extension until mid 2017 with
the construction still in progress.
However, an LGD official said
the flyover’s Mouchak part, which
is 3.937km long, will be opened to
traffic next month, despite the total
project being incomplete.
The additional piles will be installed
to save the utility service
connections like electricity lines,
gas and sewerage lines, water pipelines
and land-phone cables.
Meanwhile, the installation of
a pot bearing and shock transmission
unit was followed a BUET recommendation.
The increase of VAT and other
taxes by National Board of Revenue
has also pushed up the cost
coupled with the consultant firm’s
DT
demand of price adjustment of different
items of the project.
The total project cost now
stands at Tk1,327.4 crore against
the Tk773cr primary estimate.
In the latest hike, the government
on December 27 had raised
the project cost by Tk271 crore for
the project’s Moghbazar part.
Experts said the flyover costs
more and takes longer time to complete
in Bangladesh than any other
South Asian countries despite cheap
labour and construction materials.
One kilometre of four-lane flyover
costs on an average Tk123 crore
in Bangladesh. The average cost of
the same in India is Tk100 crore and
in Pakistan, it is around Tk70 crore.
The cost of a flyover in Bangladesh
is also higher than that of any
other countries like Malaysia and
China, where less than Tk100 crore
is spent for building a kilometre of
four-lane flyover, according to construction
experts and project findings
in those countries. •
Cadet College Club Limited organised a cultural night to celebrate the 14 th founding
anniversary of the club and Pohela Boishakh yesterday. Dhaka Bank Limited was
the sponsor of the event. CCCL President Rashed Chowdhury and Dhaka Bank
Director Abdul Hai Sarkar along with former cadets from different cadet colleges
were present
Students to get stipends on BKash
• Tribune Business Desk
BKash Limited with the partnership
with the state-owned Agrani
Bank Limited launched disbursement
of stipend for the students of
secondary schools yesterday.
The students will receive the
stipends in their BKash accounts
twice in a year.
Education Minister Nurul Islam
Nahid inaugurated the system as
the chief guest at the International
Mother Language Institute auditorium
in Dhaka yesterday.
Around 300,000 students of
2,916 secondary schools will receive
the stipends under SESIP, initiated
by the education ministry
with the Asian Development Bank’s
technical and financial assistance.
SESIP Director Prof SM Wahiduzzaman
chaired the event.
The inauguration was also
attended by BKash CEO Kamal
Quadir. •
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid speaks at the inauguration of stipend
disbursement programme through BKash in Dhaka yesterday

DT
12
Editorial
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
TODAY
A festival that unites
Not to forget, the Boishakh festival is
the only festival in Bangladesh where
people from all religions, classes, sexes
participate together
PAGE 13
The possibilities
are endless
The biggest hurdle is the mindset of
traditional business people in Bangladesh
who consider it a taboo to sell a business,
even if it makes rational sense to do so
PAGE 14
BIGSTOCK
Digital roadmap
Private issues,
public sensation
A celebrity has to be careful. That’s
the price of being at the heart of public
adulation
PAGE 15
Be heard
Write to Dhaka Tribune
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The views expressed in opinion
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or its publisher.
While the government’s plan for high tech parks around
the country is an excellent initiative, and will no doubt
take us further towards Digital Bangladesh, the plan
must go hand in hand with enhanced science education
to be truly effective.
If these IT parks are to fulfill their potential, we must have the
talent to fill them.
What will really take this vision to the next level is serious
investment in education, especially science education, which will
motivate young minds to pursue careers in IT.
The Indian IT industry is a good example of this. Many
entrepreneurs in India had spent years studying or working in places
like Silicon Valley before setting up companies in their own country.
Even more important, it was the Indian government’s massive
investment in science education -- most notably setting up the IITs
-- that paved the way for their success.
So while we applaud the idea of high-tech parks, they should be
one part of a bigger solution.
For them to operate as envisioned and to have the impact desired,
the initative needs to be carried out together with a commitment to
science, especially IT, education.
Focusing on educating the youth who will lead the way forward
into the future is the first step. This will ensure that, not only the IT
industry, but other sectors as well have access to talented and skilled
labour.
It is through enabling and easing the channels for further scientific
education, research, and study that Bangladesh can truly digitise
itself.
We have a lot of potential. Let’s make use of it.
We have a lot of
potential. Let’s make
use of it

A festival that unites
Pohela Boishakh is a celebration of our diversity
Opinion 13
DT
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
• M Shakhaowat Hossain
The clerics have already
denounced the festival
of Pohela Boishakh,
Bengali New Year as a
Hindu festival and they don’t
want others to celebrate it. They
had elaborated and insisted that
it is indeed a Hindu ritual with
so much fervour that, as a result,
many people over the years have
distanced themselves from the
festival.
From my own experiences, I’ve
seen the number of participants
in the festival decline over recent
years. One major reason for this
decline is the argument of whether
the Boishakh festival is Islamic or
un-Islamic.
These clerics are solely
responsible for turning this vibrant
cultural celebration into an un-
Islamic festival.
I remember, last year, our maid
told us that the Boishakh festival is
a sin because one such cleric told
her so. She, along with her family
members, used to celebrate it, but
these days, they refrain.
Not only that, the year before,
I also remember how the imam of
Khilgaon Taltola bazaar mosque
gave a bitter sermon on a fine
Friday against the Boishakh
festival over loud speakers as I
was passing by. These sermons
are not hidden, not anymore.
So he shouted: “If you go to the
Boishakh festival, will you go to
heaven?” A rhetorical question,
right?
But all the attendees shouted
in unison: “No, we will not go to
heaven.”
Now imagine what most of
Does everyone agree with the
clerics? Is there not any opposition
to their views?
The opposition against the
clerics states that the Boishakh
festival is not a Hindu festival. The
opposition seems liberal; and even
shows evidence from the pages
of history that the Mughals, who
were Muslims too, introduced the
festival for the convenience of
tax collection, keeping the local
agricultural cycle in mind.
But what is the ground for the
opposition’s argument? Is its basis
of argument any different from
what the clerics are proclaiming
-- who dismiss the festival simply
because they consider it Hindu?
Of the opposition’s rhetoric I
have the following understanding:
Since Boishakh festival is not
a Hindu festival, it can be
celebrated.
How sad is this argument? The
opposition’s parameters are the
same. Thus, hatred against Hindus
is apparently visible among both
the clerics and the opposition. Not
to mention, the religious identity
of the opposition also becomes
clear from its own statement.
This division also penetrates
the idea in the society that
anything Hindu is bad.
How come, over only some
centuries, Muslims have such
unjustifiable resentment against
Hindus?
How can they forget that all
Muslims in this region were once
Hindus?
Thus, the question is: How
liberal are the liberals? Are they
liberal at all? Are they really an
opposition? They are pseudoliberals,
who will be more
An integral part of our heritage
SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
Not to forget, the Boishakh festival is the only festival in Bangladesh
where people from all religions, classes, sexes participate together
the clerics have done across the
country with their acrimonious
sermons against an innocent
cultural festival like Pohela
Boishakh.
Many people are now
ambivalent about Boishakh’s
celebrations. This ambivalence
forecasts a dangerous future,
because it can possibly lead to a
gradual reluctance to engage in all
things Pohela Boishakh -- even a
complete rejection of the festival is
foreseeable.
successful than the clerics in
achieving their purpose, for the
former are in disguise.
This conundrum further divides
people. Even if this festival is
related to Hindu customs, what
is wrong in it? Borrowing from
each other’s cultures should
show tolerance, respect, mutual
understanding, and peaceful coexistence.
Thus, there is a necessity
of a third party who will not
differentiate based on whether
a festival (or anything else) is a
Hindu custom or not. The third, I
hope, will celebrate diversity. Not
to forget, the Boishakh festival is
the only festival in Bangladesh
where people from all religions,
classes, sexes, etc participate -- in
no other festival in the country
do we have such a harmonious
celebration.
For good to prevail, the third
party must act in time -- so that
the festival continues to thrive and
celebrate our diversity in the long
run. We must act in time, before it
is too late.
The clerics are already
becoming popular politically;
in a few years, they might be
determining policies on a massive
scale.
We may keep in mind what
Yeats stated in his poem: “The
best lack all conviction, while
the worst / Are full of passionate
intensity.” Some people are full of
enthusiasm to darken our paths
to progress; they do not want
any continuation of the arts and
culture.
On the other hand, the others
are somewhat silent, but they
must act now and fight the good
fight. •
M Shakhaowat Hossain is a Senior
Lecturer of English literature and
language at North South University.

14
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
DT
Opinion
The possibilities are endless
Mergers and acquisitions can revamp our economy
We need to collaborate and create
• Mamun Rashid
The concept of Mergers and
Acquisitions (M&A) deals
is relatively new in the
Bangladeshi context but
such deals have been common in
other parts of the world for a long
time. Bangladesh can be said to be
lagging behind in this area.
Nonetheless, we have noticed
a few large deals in Bangladesh
in recent times. For example,
CEMEX Cement Bangladesh was
acquired by Siam City Cement of
Thailand, the local Philips and
Pepsi businesses were acquired
by Transcom, significant shares
of Citycell were acquired by
SingTel, and AKTEL shares by NTT
DoCoMo.
Recently, we have also seen
some foreign investment in the
banking sector. We have seen a lot
of interest from foreign investors
in M&A as well as joint venture
deals in the telecommunication,
energy, FMCG, and food sectors.
Despite a steadily growing
Bangladeshi economy -- and the
concomitant boom in successful
new businesses -- a lot of sectors
are either experiencing excess
supply or a few large players are
dominating the market, making
it harder for small businesses to
keep up.
Such sectors are therefore ideal
for M&A but a number of hurdles
get in the way.
The biggest hurdle, I believe,
is the mindset of traditional
business people in Bangladesh
who consider it a taboo to sell a
business, even if it makes rational
sense to do so. However, I also
believe this mindset will change
gradually as the successors of
these businesses take up the
mantle.
The new generation will
hopefully attach less emotion
and more logic to business,
thus changing the game in the
Bangladesh M&A industry.
Moreover, most existing small
and medium-sized businesses do
not have proper succession plans
and this is where M&A and other
monetising deals can play a vital
role going forward.
Another factor that is
problematic is that Bangladesh
does not have regulations that
specifically apply to public M&A,
except the 2002 BSEC Substantial
Acquisition of Shares and
Takeovers Regulation, which has a
very limited scope.
The Company Act 1994 is a key
statute for M&A. In addition, the
Income Tax Ordinance 1984 is
also relevant. Most importantly,
M&A deals in Bangladesh need
to be approved by the High Court
Division of the Supreme Court of
Bangladesh.
While the government has
enacted the Competition Act
2012 and declared the formation
of a Competition Commission
(CC), it has not yet framed any
rules and regulations concerning
competition and M&A activity.
In addition, there is no proper
policy for the transfer of foreign
reserves as Bangladesh still follows
the one established in 1946. But
regulators and other private
corporations are working together
to improve the framework.
Usually, that is how regulations are
developed.
The government should also
think about providing tax breaks
and other incentives for M&A as
no such incentives exist at the
The biggest hurdle is the mindset of traditional business people in
Bangladesh who consider it a taboo to sell a business, even if it makes
rational sense to do so
BIGSTOCK
moment.
If the government or companies
are worried about hostile
takeovers, there is a number
of defensive strategies that
Bangladesh has yet to use like the
“white knight,” “poison pills,”
or “golden parachutes” -- which
are frequently used in developed
markets. However, most M&As
in Bangladesh so far have been
friendly, not hostile.
With regards to regulatory
and institutional barriers, there
are few direct obstacles but the
biggest obstacle which impacts
M&A indirectly is the lack of
transparency and weak financial
reporting, which make valuation
extremely tough.
The disclosure of financial
statements is not quite
transparent, creating confusion
and inefficiency in the process.
Lack of regulatory framework,
good corporate governance, and
proper price disclosure are a few
hurdles that bidders face, but a
lot of private corporations and
advisory firms are now working
in Bangladesh to mitigate these
obstacles and make the transition
smoother.
There is so much potential for
M&A in Bangladesh. The highgrowth
sectors already have high
demand among foreign investors.
More and more foreign investors
are seeking brownfield growth
opportunities rather than starting
an operation from scratch, thus
creating opportunities for M&A.
In fact, any competitive sector
that provides growth potential for
large players rather than small or
medium ones is poised for M&A
deals.
After all, working
collaboratively will not only
generate economies of scale but
also create a new platform for
making meaningful contribution
to the overall development of the
country.
We also have to understand that
when a foreign investor comes to
Bangladesh, in most cases, they
have accumulated knowledge
and experience in business
management from other parts of
the world. That is a win-win for
both foreign and local businesses
involved.
These deals provide a highly
competitive environment for
businesses, which in turn always
benefits consumers in the form of
better pricing, better products, and
better services.
And from the business
perspective, better corporate
governance, innovation, and
technology are some of the
benefits.
Each and every company
has some significance and can
add value to a certain extent in
creating a promising future for
Bangladesh. Companies merging
would simply open up new
gateways of improvement and
development on many levels. The
possibilities are endless. •
Mamun Rashid is the Managing Partner
at PwC Bangladesh and former CEO at
Citibank N.A. Bangladesh. He was also
the head of Corporate & Institutional
Banking at Standard Chartered Bank.

Opinion 15
Private issues, public sensation
To what extent does the media shape the lives of celebrities?
DT
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
Any publicity is good publicity
SERPENT
IN EDEN
• Towheed Feroze
Celebrities are of a different
breed; they are not like
most of us. When I use
the word celebrity, I mean
renowned people from all social
spheres: Actors, musicians, sports
persons etc.
Fame does strange things to
humans; those under the spotlight
become more conscious about
what they do and where they are
seen.
For instance, I can easily walk
into a bar and come out without
worrying about who has or hasn’t
seen me. It’s my life and I have the
right to choose my drink.
However, the moment a socially
accomplished person is seen near
the bar, eyes will roll and the
tabloids may relish the idea of a
salacious story: Actor X spends his
evening with the bottle! In reality,
that person may have gone just to
meet someone at a bar or perhaps
for a few drinks, but the clever use
of certain words or hyperboles in
the headline of a report may paint
him as a drunkard or a jilted lover
in search of swift solace.
Or let’s look at it from another
angle: Two well-known singers,
both married, are seen together
at a coffee shop. They may just
be having a caffeine chat but the
world may want to look at it as a
prelude to something raunchy. “Is
it only coffee?” A headline like this
may start the rumour mill.
Some may even go further: “Aaj
coffee, kaal lunch, porshu ki?”
(Coffee today, lunch tomorrow,
tryst the day after?)
The bottom line is: A celebrity
has to be careful. That’s the price
of being at the heart of public
adulation.
Recently, family theatrics of
rather epic proportions were
played out before the entire
nation, both in print and broadcast
media, when a well-loved film
actress came out from hibernation,
dropping a bomb about her being
married to another male film star
and having a child together.
As soon as the revelations
came, social media became
abuzz with activity. The male
film actor, who made the blunder
of slamming the wife when
questioned by the media, turned
into the national villain overnight.
No one was interested to listen
to his rationale that keeping the
marriage secret was for the benefit
of his acting career.
A celebrity has to be careful. That’s the price of being at the heart of
public adulation
Simply put, in our society
where family values still reign
supreme, this deceit was deemed
reprehensible.
I won’t be wrong to state that
the “King” epithet enjoyed by the
male actor turned to “crass” that
evening when he exploded at the
revelation made by his actress
wife.
But conspiracy aficionados
are of the opinion that this was
a carefully crafted, brilliantly
performed publicity stunt.
Look at it this way: Both the
actors found the most prominent
spot on the cover page of the top
national Bengali daily with the
picture of the cricket captain and
the prime minister pushed to the
sidelines.
Come to think of it, would these
actors, no matter how famous,
ever be featured on the front page
of a national daily in such an eyecatching
position?
Well, no other actor in
Bangladesh has ever had such
media treatment.
Even if we set aside the fact
that the news was more of a family
tribulation type, the publicity
value cannot be overlooked.
By the way, what started out as
a tragedy actually seems to have
had a happy ending now.
So, just think about it: Mass
coverage everywhere, a tearjerking
sequence in the beginning
followed by the typical deus ex
machina ending of the Dhaliwood
plot. Let’s forget all the rancour
and pose for the camera.
We are family!
But, what if there was real
suffering behind this whole
episode? In that case, we need to
first underscore the role of the
media in bringing out the tale of
woe of a woman who was being
forced to conceal her marriage and
her baby.
The male actor, on the first day,
took a belligerent stance, on which
he swiftly turned around to take
a conciliatory tone when his hero
BIGSTOCK
status was being shredded by the
masses.
A celluloid king retains the
throne as long as his subjects, the
audience, look up to him as just
that, a hero who does the right
thing.
He may be delivering clichéd
lines on screen and dancing in
brassy outfits, but the audience
loves him because he does what is
morally correct.
Henceforth, the celluloid
heartthrob had no other option but
to quickly apologise and deliver
the message that we all wanted
to hear. In the end, if we look at
the event, there’s no denying it,
the eventual beneficiaries are the
actors.
For four days they were the
cynosure of attention. In a world
where shelf life of news is about
half a day, that’s indeed an
achievement.
I bet the next movie featuring
our king will be a super-hit. He
needn’t worry about his marital
status: The world has moved
way ahead now. A fictional hero’s
real life issues hardly bother the
audience.
And women are rarely bothered
if their favourite actor is married
or not.
To end with Oscar Wilde: The
only worse thing than being talked
about is not being talked about. •
Towheed Feroze is a journalist working
in the development sector.

16
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
DT
Downtime
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Wooden shoe (4)
4 Meditated (5)
8 Read carefully (6)
9 Prophetic sign (4)
11 Songs for two (5)
12 Afresh (4)
14 Anger (3)
15 Lubricating (6)
19 Buy back (6)
21 Adults (3)
22 Explodes mildly (4)
24 Hot wine drink (5)
27 Be weak-minded (4)
29 Proverbs (6)
30 Dealt with successfully
(5)
31 Look for (4)
DOWN
1 Dove's call (3)
2 Laid bare (6)
3 Unit of inheritance (4)
4 Wet soft earth (3)
5 Customary (5)
6 Bishop's territory (3)
7 Pattern (6)
10 Female horse (4)
13 Misery (3)
14 Seemingly mocked by
fate (6)
16 Little devil (3)
17 Set as a burden (6)
18 Nidus (4)
20 Ooze out (5)
23 Lyric poems (4)
25 Opening (3)
26 Sorrowful (3)
28 Large deer (3)
CODE-CRACKER
How to solve: Each number in our
CODE-CRACKER grid represents a
different letter of the alphabet. For
example, today 23 represents V so fill V
every time the figure 23 appears.
You have a letter in the control grid to start
you off. Enter it 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
FRIDAY’S SOLUTIONS
CODE-CRACKER
CROSSWORD
DILBERT
SUDOKU

What’s on
17
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
DT
EVENTS AROUND TOWN TODAY
THEATRE
MOVIE
EXHIBITION
STAR CINEPLEX
Where Bashundhara City, Dhaka
What Movie showtime (April 17)
Perception
When 9am-10pm
Where Radius Art Gallery, 57 Gulshan Avenue, Dhaka
What A solo art exhibition by Uttom Kumar Roy.
Pheriwala
When 7-8:30pm
Where Studio Theatre Hall, Shilpakala Academy, Shegun
Bagicha, Dhaka
What A theatrical production by Troupe: Oboyob Natyadal.
FESTIVAL
Mou Mela 2017
When 11pm
Where Krishibid Institution of Bangladesh, Khamarbari,
Dhaka
What Hosted by Horticulture Wing, Ministry of Agriculture to
promote honey bee culture.
Ghost in the Shell (3D): 10:50am,
1:40pm, 4:30pm, 7:20pm
Swatta (2D): 4:10pm, 7:10pm
Fast & Furious 8 (3D): 10:50am,
11am, 1:40pm, 1:50pm, 4:30pm,
7pm, 7:20pm
Fast & Furious 8 (2D): 4:35pm,
7:30pm
Logan (2D): 10:50am, 1:40pm
The Boss Baby (3D): 11:30am, 2pm,
4:50pm
Beauty and the Beast (3D):
11:20am, 2:10pm, 4:40pm, 7:15pm
BLOCKBUSTER CINEMAS
Where Jamuna Future Park, Dhaka
What Movie showtime (April 17)
Mukh O Mukhosh-7
When 11am-8pm
Where Gallery Kaya, House 20, Road 16, Sector 4, Uttara,
Dhaka
What An exhibition featuring masks.
Unseen in Our Sight
When 3-9pm
Where Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, 26, Mirpur Road, Dhaka
What A solo photography exhibition by GMB Akash
emphasising on caste and occupation-based discrimination
in the 21 st century. The exhibition is organised by Christian
Aid Bangladesh and Alliance Francaise de Dhaka.
Choitro Sonkranti and Bangla Noboborsho Celebration
When 10am-10pm
Where Park Road 1, Sector 12, Uttara, Dhaka
What A Noboborsho celebration promoting art, fashion, food
and music.
Rings: 2:50pm
La La Land: 4:50pm
The Shack (2D): 12:10pm, 7:35pm
Swatta (2D): 1pm, 4pm, 7pm
Haripada Bandwala (2D): 12:30pm,
3:30pm, 6:30pm
Power Rangers (2D): 11:40am,
2:15pm, 5pm, 7:30pm
Fast and Furious 8 (3D): 11:30am,
11:35am, 2:15pm, 2:20pm, 5pm,
5:05pm, 7:45pm, 7:50pm
Face-to-Face
When 5-8pm
Where Kalakendra, 1/11 Iqbal Road (3 rd Floor),
Mohammadpur, Dhaka
What A solo art exhibition by Moon Rahman.

DT
18
Sports
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
Heavyweights
Sk Jamal,
Rupganj face
off today
• Tribune Report
Defending champion Dhaka Abahani
Limited will take on Partex
Sporting Club at the BKSP 3 ground
in the second round of the Dhaka
Premier Division Cricket League
2016-17 season today.
FIXTURES
Abahani v Partex, BKSP 3
Brothers v Doleshwar, KSOAS
Rupganj v Sk Jamal, BKSP 4
Away in Fatullah's Khan Shaheb
Osman Ali Stadium, Prime Doleshwar
Sporting Club will face Brothers
Union while Legends of Rupganj
will lock horns with Sheikh
Jamal Dhanmondi Club in what is
expected to be a high-voltage affair
at the BKSP 4 ground.
The Sky Blues registered a
comfortable five-wicket win over
Khelaghar Samaj Kalyan Samity
in their opening game, riding on a
brilliant century from Mosaddek
Hossain. Despite a few hiccups,
Abahani chased down their challenging
target of 294 runs.
On the other hand, Partex lost
their opening match against Doleshwar
by 78 runs.
Like Partex, Brothers also suffered
a defeat in their opening
game, against Rupganj by four
wickets, after being unable to overhaul
the opposition's 206/9.
Meanwhile, today's most interesting
game will perhaps take
place in Savar where powerhouse
Rupganj will be up against the
star-studded Sheikh Jamal. The
latter won their opening match
against Victoria Sporting Club by
two wickets.
Sheikh Jamal's experienced
left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak is
in fine form as he picked up four
wickets in the first game. He will be
ably supported by off-spinner Sohag
Gazi, who took three wickets
against Victoria.
Rupganj though will pose a
stern test of Sheikh Jamal's credentials,
owing to the presence of
Bangladesh Test captain Mushfiqur
Rahim and ODI skipper Mashrafe
bin Mortaza. •
Manchester United’s Ander Herrera scores their second goal against Chelsea yesterday
United offer hope to Spurs
with 2-0 win over Chelsea
• Reuters
Manchester United reopened the
Premier League title race yesterday
with a 2-0 victory over leader
Chelsea that leaves second-placed
Tottenham Hotspur just four points
behind.
United manager Jose Mourinho
started with top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic
on the bench but delivered
a tactical masterclass against his
former club, largely nullifying the
threat from Eden Hazard.
Old Trafford erupted in the seventh
minute when Ander Herrera
won the ball in midfield, possibly
by using his hand, and delivered
an inch-perfect pass into the path
of Marcus Rashford, who outpaced
Luiz and fired low into the far corner
of the net.
Four minutes after halftime, the
normally reliable N’Golo Kante was
robbed inside the area by Ashley
Young who cleverly laid the ball
back to Herrera whose well-struck
effort deflected off Kurt Zouma and
into the net to make it 2-0.
Meanwhile Roberto Firmino
fired Liverpool to a 1-0 victory at
West Bromwich Albion yesterday
that moved Jurgen Klopp’s men
back into third place in the Premier
League.
Firmino settled a scrappy game
with a close-range header in first
half stoppage-time to condemn
Albion boss Tony Pulis to his first
ever home league defeat against
the Reds. The Brazilian converted
a flick-on from Lucas Leiva to seal
a fifth win in their last seven games
for Liverpool.
They are unbeaten since losing
at Leicester in late February and
now lead fourth-placed Manchester
City by two points, although
Pep Guardiola’s team have a game
in hand in the race for an automatic
spot in the Champions League
group stage.
West Brom had the first opening
when Liverpool failed to clear their
lines and Matt Phillips picked up
possession on the edge of the area.
He struck a shot that deflected
to Hal Robson-Kanu but the Wales
forward could not react quickly
enough to turn it home.
Liverpool began to dominate
possession but Phillips tried his
luck again with an ambitious effort
from distance that went high and
wide.
However, Liverpool should
have led on 15 minutes when they
pounced on a hesitation from Claudio
Yacob in the West Brom midfield,
stole possession and broke
with pace.
Lucas fed Philippe Coutinho,
who burst into the area and hit a
cross-shot that flew narrowly wide
of Ben Foster’s goal.
West Brom then missed a glorious
chance from a well-worked
free-kick that saw Phillips volley a
cross towards Nacer Chadli at the
far post.
The Belgian was distracted by the
slightest of touches by Emre Can,
but Chadli should still have gobbled
up the chance.
Instead he missed his kick
and Liverpool almost broke away
and scored. Firmino crossed for
Coutinho, who sent a difficult shot
wide at the far-post. Coutinho then
tried another long-range shot but it
never troubled Foster.
And Liverpool’s defensive vulnerability
was exposed again when
Robson-Kanu raced onto a simple
ball over the top but he snatched at
his shot and Simon Mignolet made
a comfortable save.
After struggling to break down
West Brom’s resistance, Liverpool
went ahead through a set-piece on
the stroke of half-time.
Chris Brunt was penalised for
a foul on Divock Origi, and from
James Milner’s free-kick the visiting
side took the lead.
It was flicked on by Lucas to
Firmino, who nodded home after
reacting quicker than Craig Dawson.
Origi could have doubled the
visitors’ lead early in the second
half when he cut in from the left
and curled a right-footed shot just
beyond the far post.
Milner should have scored moments
later when he arrived late to
meet a cross by Firmino, only to sidefoot
a volley over the crossbar. •
REUTERS
Panama
international
football player
shot dead
• AFP, Panama City
Panamanian football player Amilcar
Henriquez, a veteran member
of the national team, was shot dead
Saturday, authorities said.
Gunmen got out of a car and
opened fire on Henriquez and his
friends in Sabanitas, a suburb of
the city of Colon, according to preliminary
reports. The 33-year-old
athlete was taken to a clinic, where
he died from his wounds.
The Panamanian Football Federation
added: "God bless your soul
Mickey."
Henriquez was playing at the
United Arab League club in Colon.
His last match was against Chorrillo
in the Panamanian Football
League on Wednesday.
He also played for the Colombian
teams Independiente de Medellin
(2012-2014), America de Cali
(2015-2016), Real Cartagena (2015),
Atletico Huila (2009-2012) and Costa
Rica's Santacrucena (2008). •

Sports 19
DT
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
Prime Minister
rewards sports
personalities
• Tribune Report
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday
felicitated the Bangladesh
athletes from different sports for
their contributions in the international
level. The Premier presented
cash rewards and flats to the athletes
at Gonobhaban.
During the ceremony that lasted
for more than an hour, 339 athletes,
coaches and officials were
rewarded for their contributions.
In her speech during the closing
stages of the ceremony, the
Bangladesh PM congratulated the
athletes and officials and said the
government will provide all sorts
of assistance for the development
of sports in the country.
Among those who were rewarded
included Tigers Test captain
Mushfiqur Rahim, ODI skipper
Mashrafe bin Mortaza, the Bangladesh
cricket team, the national
women's cricket team, the Bangladesh
women's football team, the
U-14 football team, and several
others. •
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presents cheques to Tigers Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim and ODI skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza at Gonobhaban yesterday.
BCB president Nazmul Hasan was also in attendance
PMO
TRI-NATION PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED T20
Shahriar’s Bangladesh win
big against Sri Lanka
• Tribune Report
Host Bangladesh got to a winning
start defeating Sri Lanka in the
Tri-Nation Physically Challenged
Twenty20 tournament. Bangladesh
defeated Sri Lanka by 171 runs
on the opening day of the tournament
at Jagannath Hall field in
Dhaka yesterday.
Bangladesh went to bat first and
scored 218 runs in 20 overs losing
eight wickets riding on Shahriar
Shamim’s 78 runs. Wicket-keeper
batsman Shamim struck 11 boundaries
and four over boundaries in
his 35-ball innings. Sujon Debnath
added 56 runs to the board off 40
deliveries with six boundaries and
a six. Suranga and Dinesh picked
two wickets each for Sri Lanka.
Chasing the mammoth target,
Sri Lanka failed to resist Bangladesh
bowling attack and got allout
with just 48 runs on the board.
Amin Uddin bagged two wickets
conceding 22 runs for Bangladesh.
The tri-nation tournament consisting
host Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
and India began yesterday. All the
matches of the tournament will be
held at Jagannath Hall field. •
Jonathan: Abahani getting
better and better
• Shishir Hoque
Hailing from south Wales,
Jonathan David Brown has
played for more than 10 clubs in
his career, including Welsh outfit
Cardiff City.
He also represented Wales
U-21 in 2008 and since then, he
has played in the UK, Australia
and Thailand before joining
Bangladesh giant Dhaka Abahani
Limited last year. He won the
premier league and Federation
Cup title in his debut season.
The 26-year old talked to
Dhaka Tribune on Saturday at
the club premises, ahead of their
2017 AFC Cup tie against FC
Bengaluru, scheduled to be held
tomorrow.
Here are the excerpts:
What are your expectations
regarding the Bengaluru clash?
We know it is going to be a
difficult match. We got to go
there and get three points. We
believe we can win the game. We
need three points. Bengaluru are
a strong team.
They are in good form, like
they were last season where they
became the champion. It will be
a tough test.
In the absence of foreign recruits
Lee Andrew Tuck and Sunday
Chizoba, are you getting enough
support from your team mates?
They were a big loss. Sunday’s
goals and Lee’s goals and assists.
We have got new faces
here this year, with new coach
(Drago Mamic) obviously. We are
knowing each other everyday.
But I feel every match and every
training session, (we are) getting
better and better together.
How are you enjoying your
new partnership with Emeka
Darlington?
I am enjoying. Good match off
the pitch as well. This season
me and Emeka are staying together.
Like I said, it is going to
take some time to get the best
outputs. Game by game, we are
going to improve.
Do you think Abahani have what
it takes to repeat the heroics of
last season where they finished
their league campaign as
unbeaten champion?
Need more time. Indian teams
are nearly at the end of their
league season so they are much
better in shape than us, their
fitness is better. When new players
start to know each other’s
strengths and weaknesses, I feel
we will get better in future.
What is your preferred playing
position?
Played many positions. I can
play midfield, like I did against
Mohun Bagan, last year I played
in wings, both right and left.
I can also play as striker. I like
playing as winger.
How are you enjoying Dhaka?
Yes, I’m really enjoying here.
(Friday) everybody was very
busy due to Bengali new year. I
relaxed at home and speak to my
family. Last year, I enjoyed my
time here and the life. And this
year as well. It’s good.
Did you enjoy your stay in
Cardiff?
I lived just outside Cardiff, it was
a 20-yard drive from Cardiff. I
grew up there and supported the
club (when I was a) kid. It was
my home team. It was my dream
to play for the first team professionally,
and also in the championship.
It was a great honour
for me as well to represent my
country in the U-21 level. It was
good. •
Shahriar Shamim plays a shot against Sri Lanka yesterday in Dhaka
MD MANIK

20
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
DT
Sports
BUNDESLIGA
Dortmund 3-1 Frankfurt
Reus 3, Sokratis 35, Fabian 29
Aubameyang 86
Mainz 1-0 Hertha Berlin
Latza 45+1
Wolfsburg 3-0 Ingolstadt
Suttner 45+1-og,
Malli 68, Gomez 80
Augsburg 2-1 Cologne
Hinteregger 6, Verhaegh 23 Sorensen 65
Hoffenheim 5-3 M’gladbach
Szalai 9, 24, Vestergaard 31, Stindl 35,
Demirbay 58, 89, Uth 75 Dahoud 78
RB Leipzig 4-0 Freiburg
Poulsen 36, Werner 42,
Keita 51, Demme 90
Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 Bayern Munich
POINTS TABLE
Teams P W D L GD Pts
Bayern Munich 29 21 6 2 56 69
RB Leipzig 29 19 4 6 25 61
Hoffenheim 29 14 12 3 25 54
Dortmund 29 15 8 6 29 53
Hertha Berlin 29 13 4 12 2 43
Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus lays the shirt of Dortmund’s Marc Bartra, who was injured during the bus attack, after their Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt
in Dortmund on Saturday
AFP
Bartra tributes as rattled Dortmund bounce back
• AFP, Berlin
Borussia Dortmund players paid
tribute to injured defender Marc
Bartra as they beat Eintracht
Frankfurt 3-1 on Saturday in their
first Bundesliga match since the
bomb attack on their team bus.
Germany winger Marco Reus
scored on his return after six weeks
out on an emotional afternoon for
the club.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos and
leading scorer Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang were also on target in
a home victory which let Thomas
Tuchel's side to all but wrap up a
top-four finish and boost morale at
the end of a traumatic week.
The team was buoyed before
kick-off on Saturday as Bartra was
released from hospital following
surgery on a broken wrist.
The Dortmund squad held his
number five shirt aloft as they
celebrated in front of their home
fans after the final whistle. Reus,
back from a hamstring injury,
needed just three minutes to open
the scoring in front of a sell-out
crowd of 81,360 and a heavy police
presence at Signal Iduna Park.
Everton rally round Barkley after
banning The Sun
• Reuters
Premier League club Everton rallied
around their midfielder Ross
Barkley on Saturday after a newspaper
columnist compared him
to a gorilla and made a series of
disparaging statements about the
England international and the residents
of Liverpool.
The club announced on Saturday
that The Sun newspaper,
whose former editor Kelvin Mac-
Kenzie wrote the column, would be
banned from covering their games
and press events.
Everton fans then gave Barkley a
rapturous reception as he came on to
the pitch for the home match against
Burnley at Goodison Park and again
Frankfurt drew level on 29
minutes when Marco Fabian's
speculative shot hit the top-right
corner, but Sokratis restored the
host’s advantage before the break
with a thunderous effort that barely
deviated as it flew past Frankfurt
goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
Aubameyang netted his 26th
league goal this season late on to
secure the points and make him
the division's joint top scorer
alongside Bayern Munich's Robert
Lewandowski.
Runaway league leader Bayern
later endured a frustrating goalless
when he scored in the 3-1 win.
The Sun has suspended Mac-
Kenzie and apologised for the column
which they said made "unfunny"
and "wrong" comments about
the people of Liverpool.
The paper also said they had not
been aware of the family heritage
of Barkley, whose grandfather was
born in Nigeria. The Sun is already
banned by Everton's city rivals Liverpool
due to their coverage of the
Hillsborough disaster in which 96
people lost their lives in 1989.
MacKenzie was editor of the
newspaper during its coverage,
which was widely criticised for blaming
fans for the disaster and accusing
them of poor behaviour. The Sun later
apologised for the coverage. •
draw at 10-man Bayer Leverkusen
as they desperately missed topscorer
Robert Lewandowski, who
was suspended.
Leverkusen had Tin Jedvaj sent
off for the last 30 minutes, but
Bayern could not break down the
hosts' defence despite 19 shots
on goal - including having double
saves off the line on two separate
occasions.
Defenders Jedvaj and Omer
Toprak cleared shots by David
Alaba and Javi Martinez in rapid
succession on 32 minutes.
Second-placed RB Leipzig are
Chinese fans fume as injured
Tevez visits Disneyland
• AFP, Shanghai
The world's highest-paid
footballer, Carlos Tevez, has come
under fire from Shanghai Shenhua
supporters after being spotted at
Disneyland the same day he missed
an important match due to injury.
The Argentinian striker, who's
been earning a 38-million-euro
salary since he joined the Chinese
team at the start of the year, was
photographed Saturday at Shanghai
Disneyland - while his team
was playing another Chinese premier
league club.
"We pay him tens of millions
so that he can have a guided tour
of Shanghai," one disgruntled Internet
user wrote on football site
Hupu.
"I wonder if Shenhua paid his
now eight points behind Bayern
after their 4-0 home thrashing
of Freiburg. Yussuf Poulsen gave
RB an early lead before putting
Timo Werner in behind the
Freiburg defence to net his 16th
league goal this season just before
the break.
Guinea midfielder Naby Keita
scored with a superb shot on 51
minutes before Diego Demme hit
their fourth.
Leipzig, in their first top-flight
campaign, are now guaranteed a
top-four finish and a crack at the
Champions League next season. •
Disneyland expenses," wrote another.
The South American's absence
did not end up hurting his team,
with Shanghai Shenhua beating
Changchun Yatai 3-2.
Since his arrival at the Chinese
club, Tevez has scored just once
in four matches. His team is now
placed 11th in the Chinese premier
league.
The controversy over Tevez
came the same day as another
international footballer imported
by China, Brazilian Paulinho,
was admonished by his team
Guangzhou Evergrande, for
promoting a betting company
alongside a porn star.
Gambling and casinos are illegal
in mainland China, as is the sale of
pornographic films. •

Sports
21
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
DT
Isco seeks long
term Real stay
• AFP, Madrid
Real Madrid playmaker Isco insists
he wants to stay at "the best club in
the world" despite being courted
by Barcelona and a host of Premier
League clubs.
The Spanish international
starred by scoring twice, including
a 90th minute winner, as a muchchanged
Madrid side remained
three points clear of Barcelona at
the top of La Liga with a 3-2 win
over Sporting Gijon on Saturday.
"I am at the best team in the
world, there is no bigger team than
Madrid and I feel fortunate," said
Isco. "I want to stay here for a long
time."
The 24-year-old is out of contract
at the end of next season
which has reportedly sparked the
interest of Madrid's rivals Barca.
And despite 10 goals in all competitions
this season he remains a
fringe player with coach Zinedine
Zidane preferring a midfield three
of Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni
Kroos.
"You know what I think of Isco,
he is a player I like a lot and his
place is here," said Zidane.
"There are 24 players and it will
always be unfair for those that
don't play. That is the difficult part
of this job, leaving very good players
on the bench."
Isco was one of nine changes
Zidane made to his starting lineup
with the second leg of their
Champions League quarter-final
against Bayern Munich tomorrow
in mind. •
DAY’S WATCH
CRICKET
SONY SIX
4:30 PM
Indian Premier League 2017
Delhi v Kolkata
8:30 PM
Hyderabad v Punjab
FOOTBALL
STAR SPORTS SELECT HD2
12:50 AM
Premier League 2016/17
Middlesbrough v Arsenal
TEN 1 HD
5:15 PM
Sky Bet EFL 2016/17
Sheffield United v Bradford City
12:40 AM
La Liga Santander 2016/17
Alaves v Villarreal
TENNIS
TEN 2
3:00 PM
ATP 1000 Masters 2017
Monte Carlo Rolex Masters Day 1
TEN 3
7:45 PM
Sky Bet EFL 2016/17
Fulham v Aston Villa
Enrique: Barca capable of fresh comeback
• AFP, Barcelona
Barcelona are capable of springing
another remarkable Champions
League comeback from 3-0
down against Juventus on
Wednesday, insists coach Luis
Enrique.
The Spanish champion made
history by overcoming a 4-0 first
leg deficit by beating Paris Saint-
Germain 6-1 in the second leg of
their last 16 tie.
"It is obvious it is not our
most consistent season, we have
struggled more than in other
years," said Enrique, after Barca's
3-2 win over Real Sociedad on
Saturday.
"But this is group of winners and
champions capable of anything.
"Anyone who doubts that can
switch off the lights on their way
out."
Enrique, who will step down at
the end of the season, predicted
before the return leg of the PSG
tie that has side would at least get
back into the tie at some point at
the Camp Nou.
And he repeated that prediction
for the visit of the Italian champions
despite Juventus' excellent
Pakistan’s Sharjeel, Khalid handed
spot-fixing evidence
• AFP, Lahore
Pakistan cricket authorities on Friday
handed spot-fixing evidence
to opening batsmen Sharjeel Khan
and Khalid Latif as a court rejected
an appeal challenging the investigation.
Khalid had challenged the ongoing
spot-fixing inquiry in Lahore
high court but had to appear before
the anti-corruption unit of the Pakistan
Cricket Board.
Khalid, 31, is one of five players
charged with spot-fixing and other
related offences during the Pakistan
Super League held in February
and March earlier this year.
A three-member tribunal headed
by a retired judge is investigating
the issue.
A Lahore high court official said
Khalid was directed back to the tribunal.
The PCB said it has submitted
evidence against the players to
the tribunal.
"PCB submitted its opening
brief to the tribunal which details
its claims along with all the supporting
evidence. This includes,
amongst other material, witness
statements, recorded interviews,
match footage, and copies of certain
WhatsApp voice messages,"
said a PCB release.
A copy of the evidence was also
presented to Sharjeel and Khalid.
They were provisionally suspended
on February 10 over charges
of accepting offers of fixing.
Mohammad Irfan became the
first player to be punished in the
case, banned for one year (including
six months suspended) last month
after the lanky fast bowler confessed
to receiving offers of fixing
that he did not report to the PCB.
Two other players - Shahzaib
Hasan and Nasir Jamshed - were
also provisionally suspended.
In England, Jamshed released a
video message rejecting allegations
against him. •
LA LIGA
Deportivo 2-0 Malaga
Joselu 47, Mosquera 67
Sporting Gijon 2-3 Real Madrid
Cop 14, Vesga 50 Isco 17, 90, Morata 59
Atletico Madrid 3-0 Osasuna
Carrasco 30, 47,
Luis 61
Barcelona 3-2 Real Sociedad
Messi 17, 37,
Umtiti 42-og,
Alcacer 44 Prieto 45+1
POINTS TABLE
Teams P W D L GD Pts
Real Madrid 31 23 6 2 49 75
Barcelona 32 22 6 4 61 72
Atletico Madrid 32 19 8 5 35 65
Sevilla 31 18 7 6 17 61
Villarreal 31 15 9 7 21 54
Barcelona’s Lionel Messi vies with
Real Sociedad’s David Zurutuza
during their Spanish league match
at Camp Nou on Saturday AFP
defensive record having conceded
just two goals in nine Champions
League games this season.
"In the previous tie we were able
to overcome an even more difficult
result,” said Enrique.
"We will be in the tie at some
point of the 90 minutes.
"We need to play a great game
and have a clear and precise
efficiency in front of goal." •
Pioneer
Football begins
next month
• Tribune Report
With the participation of 72 teams
across the country, the Pioneer
Football League 2017 gets underway
in May, confirmed the Pioneer
League committee following
a meeting at BFF House yesterday.
Titled the Dhaka South and
North City Corporation Pioneer
League 2017, the U-16 tournament
will feature 48 teams from Dhaka
metropolitan and 24 from outside
the capital city.
The matches will be held at six
different venues in Dhaka. The Pioneer
League committee informed
that the registration process for 2250
players has already been completed.
Among the 72 teams, 20 sides will
contest the final rounds while the
top four teams will qualify for the
third division. Ten teams will get
relegated. There will be a training
camp with the top performers after
the end of the league. More than 70
players will be chosen for preliminary
selection. The roster will then be cut
to 30 players for final training. •

22
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
DT
Showtime
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner
are officially calling it quits
• Showtime Desk
Former Hollywood couple, Ben
Affleck and Jennifer Garner, who
were living separately for nearly
two years, have finally applied for
divorce, the Los Angeles Times
reported.
Coordinating the filing of
nearly identical documents at the
same time, the couple formally
filed divorce papers recently.
And, in a somewhat unusual legal
move, both stars cited in pro
persona, a legal condition which
states that Affleck and Garner are
representing themselves, and do
not refer any lawyer representing
them.
Affleck and Garner got married
in 2005 and have three children
together – two daughters, Violet
and Seraphina, and a son named
Samuel. The acting duo are
seeking joint custody of their
three children.
Ben Affleck appeared in
2003 superhero film Daredevil
alongside Jennifer Garner. The
pair had announced that they
were getting a divorce in June
2015, a day after their 10th
wedding anniversary.
In a joint statement, Affleck
and Garner said, “We go forward
with love and friendship for one
another and a commitment to
co-parenting our children. This
will be our only comment on this
private, family matter.”
A two-time Oscar winner, Affleck
recently announced that he
completed a stint in rehab, and
thanked Garner for supporting
him and caring for their kids
while he was recovering from
alcohol addiction. •
Deepto TV to air Mujibnagar
Alia’s recent venture
• Showtime Desk
Deepto TV will broadcast a
documentary titled Mujibnagar
on April 17, at 5pm.
Produced by Kazi Media
Limited, the documentary
portrays Mujibnagar – a town
in the Meherpur district of
Bangladesh, formerly known as
Baidyanathtala and Bhaberpara.
It focuses on the historical
significance of the place where
the Provisional Government of
Bangladesh was formed on April
10, 1971 by the Awami League,
who were leading the guerrilla
war for the independence of
Bangladesh (then East Pakistan)
in 1971.
The Mujibnagar government
had also been known as
Mujibnagar Government in-exile,
and was headed by Tajuddin
Ahmad, who took an oath
on April 17, 1971 at the same
place. The place was renamed
Mujibnagar by the proclamation
of independence, in honour
of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,
the Father of the Nation, who
declared the independence of
Bangladesh.
A lot of historically significant
structures, including the
Amrokanon, Mujibnagar
memorial, and Muktijuddho
Smriti Complex exist in the area.
Research, script and direction of
the documentary was done by
Bratto Amin. •
• Showtime Desk
Most newcomers today are
jumping on the TV bandwagon.
While many believe that doing
a TV show — be it as a judge on
a reality show or the host of a
game show — gets you more
recognition and helps you reach
out to a larger audience, Alia
Bhatt feels differently.
“I don’t think I am ready
for TV yet. So if you ask me if
I would take up anything on
the small screen, I would say
not as of now. Although I really
appreciate and respect the
medium, I feel that I personally
won’t be able to handle a TV
show at all,” said Alia.
Meanwhile, many roles have
been offered to Alia, one of
which is with Shah Rukh Khan.
Many leading heroines have
been approached by Anand L
Rai in these few months, to play
the lead with the superstar,
but none of them have been
finalised yet. Apparently,
Deepika Padukone was also
approached for the role, but due
to her date issues, she chose
Padmavati over SRK’s film.
The latest news is that Alia
Bhatt has been approached
for the said role. According to
sources, Alia Bhatt was recently
seen visiting SRK’s house. She
is said to have had a long chat
with him. However, rumours
say that Alia is not very happy
with the offer. •

Showtime
23
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
DT
Netflix to stream two Farooki films
• Showtime Desk
Mostofa Sarwar Farooki started the
new year with a great news for both
local filmlovers and filmmakers like
himself.
The Television director posted
on Facebook on April 15, revealing
news of a deal between him and
Netflix, the undisputed kingpin of
global streaming services.
According to Farooki, the
American entertainment company
that works as a global streaming
media and provides online
video-on-demand (VoD) service,
has agreed to release two of his
films, Television and Piprabidya,
worldwide on May 15.
Expressing the significance of
the deal, Farooki wrote, “All of us
know about Netflix. Some even
say that platforms like Netflix or
Amazon are the future of film and
TV content. Despite the arguments
surrounding it, the reality is that
industries like Hollywood and
Bollywood make hundreds of
films every year but not all of these
films get a worldwide theatrical
release. Then how do people watch
the rest of the films? What about
independent films?”
“This is why Netfilx became the
kingpin of the global entertainment
industry. They are not only
showing films, they’ve already
started producing them,” he added.
Founded by Reed Hastings
and Marc Randolph on August
29, 1997, Netflix started out as
a DVD sales and rental service.
The company took a more
profitable turn when it expanded
its business and introduced
streaming media online,
retaining their original DVD and
Blu-ray rental services.
During 2015 only, Netflix made
a record $6.78 billion in revenue.
Farooki hopes that the giant
VoD service will be producing
content in Bangladesh. He
requested, “Although, most of
the filmgoers have already seen
the films but I would request
you to watch the films again on
Netflix. This will inspire them
to support more content from
Bangladesh.”
“I am sure that it will not be
limited to buy content, Netflix
will produce Bangladeshi content
in the near future. When a road
opens, it opens for all of us!”•
Harry Styles debuts second single
on SNL
Mark Hamill says Luke
Skywalker might turn to the
dark side in The Last Jedi
• Showtime Desk
• Showtime Desk
Former One Direction singer,
Harry Styles carried out two
prominent musical performances
on Saturday Night Live over
the weekend, and appeared on
several funniest cameos showing
off his comedy skill.
Styles dominated the stage
singing as a solo artist for the first
time without his former band
One Direction, with a powerful
performance of his debut solo
single “Sign of the Times.”
Later in the evening,
Styles returned for a second
performance where he premiered
another new tune “Ever Since
New York.” His second single is a
slower, lovelorn ballad and will
definitely spark controversy over
who it could have been written
about.
However, the 23-year-old
English heartthrob didn’t
just stick to singing on the
popular NBC show. In a game
of “Celebrity Family Feud:
Time Travel Edition,” Styles
showed off his comic talent by
impersonating a 1970s-era Mick
Jagger.
While impersonating Jagger,
Styles even poked fun at
departure from One Direction
and his ambition to become a
solo artist.
When he was asked if he
would ever try to branch out on
his own from the Rolling Stones,
Styles’ Jagger replied by saying,
“Solo? Why would anyone in a
successful band want to go solo?
That is insane.”
Styles’ self-titled debut album is
set to be released on May 12 this
year. •
The trailer for the
highly anticipated Star
Wars: The Last Jedi was
dropped on Friday, at
Star Wars Celebration
in Florida. Mark Hamill,
who acts in the role
of the beloved Luke
Skywalker, gave an
interview to ABC News
and completely blew
the franchise’s fandom
as he said that there’s a
possibility that the iconic
hero could go bad in the
latest instalment.
“It’s possible,
anything’s possible,”
Hamill told Paula Faris.
However, he also joked during
the panel that he suffers from
“short term memory loss” and
said, he had “lost credibility with
the public through social media
because I lie all the time.”
While talking about his April
Fools jokes on Twitter, the
65-year-old actor said, “I lost total
credibility with the public through
social media because I lie all the
time and I post an exclusive look
at the Episode VIII trailer and it’s
a trailer on the back lot… It’s like
the boy who cried wolf, nobody
believes me.”
Although, a lot of fans think
that it would be really interesting
to see the hero gone wrong.
Specially after the release of the
first trailer for the eighth episode
in the space saga on Friday, which
focuses on Rey’s Jedi training
under the tutelage of Luke
Skywalker.
There’s also footage of space
battles, glimpses at characters like
Finn and Kylo Ren, and a crushed
Darth Vader mask. The trailer
concludes with the line, “I only
know one truth: It’s time for the
Jedi to end.”
The eighth instalment in the
blockbuster franchise is tabbed
to come out on December 15, this
year.•

24
MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2017
DT
WB SAYS BANGLADESH GDP
TO GROW AT 6.8% IN 2017 › 11
Back Page
FIRMINO LIFTS LIVERPOOL
BACK TO THIRD ›19
NETFLIX TO STREAM
TWO FAROOKI FILMS › 23
Facebook blocking fake accounts in Bangladesh
• Ishtiaq Husain
Social media giant Facebook started
blocking fake accounts from Friday
in Bangladesh to help stop criminal
activities.
The Facebook authorities intensified
the campaign on Saturday without a
prior notification to the account holders.
However, many genuine Facebook
accounts were also either blocked or
disabled.
Dawra-e-Hadith
degree exams
from May 15
Last week, State Minister for Posts
and Telecommunication Tarana Halim
had said Facebook authorities would
start doing so in the country.
On March 30, Tarana Halim held a
meeting with Facebook officials in Singapore
where the latter assured her of
blocking fake accounts in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Association of Software
and Information Services (BASIS) President
Mustafa Jabber in his Facebook
status congratulated the move.
Razib Ahmed, president of e-Commerce
Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB),
too hailed the initiative.
“We should not be disappointed
with a reduction in Facebook likes since
it is not good for everyone,” Razib told
the Dhaka Tribune.
The Facebook crackdown on so
called fake accounts also garnered
criticism as many alleged that their real
accounts have been blocked.
Farah Binta Alam, one such victim,
told this reporter that her account got
shut down despite being a genuine
one.
“I received an email at 12 noon on
Friday about an attempted hack into
my Facebook account. After that, I
changed my password. But, the next
day I discovered my account deactivated.
I am yet to recover my account
despite following the due process,” she
added.
In her blog post, Shabnam Sheikh,
programme manager, technical team
(protect and care) of Facebook, said the
social networking site took the initiative
to block fake accounts in Bangladesh,
Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and a few
other countries as a lot of fake likes
and comments are coming from these
countries.
Facebook authorities also blocked
30,000 fake accounts in France ahead
of its presidential polls set to be held on
April 23. •
• Anwar Hussain,
Chittagong
Examinations of Qawmi madrasa’s
“Dawra-e-Hadith”
degree, which has recently
been recognised as post-graduation,
are going to be held
between May 15 and May 25
under indifferent question papers
across Bangladesh.
The decision was made yesterday
in a meeting of a committee
formed to conduct the examinations
and implement the
Those who are
criticising Qawmi
madrasas are
doing it out of
their evil desires
standard of the degree certificate
at the office of Shah Ahmed
Shafi, chairman of Hefazat-e-Islam,
in Hathazari of Chittagong.
Claiming that Qawmi madrasas
are no longer engaged in
conventional politics, Shafi, also
the head of the committee, defended
its recent meeting with
the government in Dhaka.
“We always strive for establishing
peace in the society
and country. So, there is
no scope to spread confusion
over the meeting with the government,”
he claimed.
“Those, who are criticising
the present stance of the
Islamic scholars and Qawmi
madrasa board, are doing it
all out of their evil desires. We
will have to remain united to
stop propaganda about the
government decision,” Shafi
added.
Meanwhile, both the certificate
and examinations were
named “Al-Haiyatul Uliya Lil
Jamiyatil Qawmia Bangladesh”
with the committee deciding
not to take any government
fund, said Munir Ahmed,
press secretary to Shafi.
The meeting also formed a
sub-committee comprising 11
members from six local Qawmi
madrasa education boards to
help conduct the examinations.
The madrasas that are not
registered with the six boards
will not be allowed to take part
in the examination. Any madrasa
registered under a certain
board will not be given registration
from any other board this
year, the meeting was told.
The Education Ministry on
Thursday published a circular
declaring “Dawra-e-Hadith”
equivalent to a Master’s degree
in Islamic Studies or Arabic, just
two days after Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina decided to acknowledge
so in a meeting with
Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasa Education
Board and Hefazat-e-Islam
leaders at Ganabhaban.
The decision has been garnering
criticism from the civil
society and prominent educationists.
Even, Islamist group Ahle
Sunnat Wal Jamaat on Saturday
urged the government to
cancel its decision. •
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