The Bangladesh Today (09-02-2018)

fRIday 

Dhaka : February 9, 2018; Magh 27, 1424 BS; Jamadi-ul-awal 22, 1439 hijri 

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www. tbtbangla.com 

Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.16; No.52; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00 

InTeRnaTIOnal 

Myanmar's place at 

US military drills in 

Asia draws ire 

>Page 7 

aRT & CulTuRe 

Fifty Shades 

trilogy reaches 

disappointing climax 

>Page 8 

SPORT 

Greig Laidlaw starts 

as Scotland change 

six for France 

>Page 9 

Khaleda jailed for 5 years 

Tarique, 4 other accused get 10 yrs; 

Khaleda lands in jail 

DHAKA : Amid heightening tensions 

and various speculations, a special court 

here on Thursday convicted former 

prime minister and BNP chairperson 

Khaleda Zia and sentenced her to five 

years' imprisonment in the muchtalked-about 

Zia Orphanage Trust graft 

case, reports UNB. 

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. 

Five other accused in the case, including 

her son and BNP senior vice-chairman 

Tarique Rahman, were sentenced 

to 10 years' imprisonment each. The 

court also fined the five accused Tk 2.10 

crore each. 

After Jatiya Party Chairman HM 

Ershad, Khaleda is the second head of 

the government who got convicted in a 

graft case. 

Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the special 

court-5 handed down the verdict in 

the sensational case in his crowded 

courtroom at 2:30 pm amid tight security 

in and around the court. 

The judge started reading out the 

summary of the 632-page verdict in 

presence of Khaleda Zia at 2:12 pm. 

After conviction, Khaleda Zia was 

taken to Old Dhaka central jail on 

Najumuddin Road from Special Court-5 

at Bakshibazar. Khaleda left the court in 

a white car around 3pm and reached the 

jail gate around 3:13 pm. 

Earlier on January 25, Judge 

Akhtaruzzaman fixed the date for 

announcing the verdict after the defence 

had closed their arguments in the case. 

However, BNP turned down the verdict 

against its chairperson and five others, 

and urged people to take to the 

streets to register their protests in a 

peaceful manner. 

"This verdict is an anti-people one. It 

has gone against people's expectations. 

It was given only to appease one person. 

Justice is denied here," said BNP's 

senior joint secretary general Ruhul 

Kabir Rizvi. 

Forty minutes after the announcement 

of the verdict, the BNP leader 

came up with the instant reaction at the 

party's Nayapaltan central office. 

Rizvi said the country's people have 

rejected the verdict with hatred. "We 

strongly condemned and protested it." 

Juma 

05:20 AM 

12:17 PM 

04:13 PM 

05:54 PM 

07:10 PM 

6:35 5:51 

Photo : Star Mail 

Hours after the verdict against BNP 

chief Khaleda Zia in a graft case, Law 

Minister Anisul Huq said the verdict has 

proved that no one is above the law, and 

the rule of law is prevailing in the country. 

"By pronouncing the verdict, our judiciary 

has once again proved that no one 

in the country is above the law, no matter 

how powerful he or she is," he said. 

The Anti-Corruption Commission 

(ACC) filed the Zia Orphanage Trust 

graft case on July 3, 2008 with Ramna 

Police Station accusing Khaleda, her 

eldest son Tarique Rahman, now living 

in the UK, and four others of misappropriating 

over 2.10 crore that came as 

grants from a foreign bank for orphans. 

Four other accused are former BNP 

MP Salimul Haq Kamal and businessman 

Sharfuddin Ahmed, former principal 

secretary Kamal Uddin Siddique and 

Mominur Rahman, nephew of late 

President Ziaur Rahman. 

Kamal Uddin Siddique and Mominur 

Rahman have long been absconding. 

The BNP chief is now facing around 

36 cases filed with different courts and 

police stations across the country. 

After the death of her husband 

President Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia 

was elected party chairperson at a party 

council in 1984. Since then, she has been 

serving as the party chairperson. 

She had played a significant role during 

the anti-Ershad movement in 1990. 

Khaleda became the country first female 

prime minister following the victory of 

BNP in the 1991 general election. She 

also served as Prime Minister for a 

short-lived government in 1996. In the 

next round of general election of 1996, 

the Awami League came to power. 

Khaleda again became Prime Minister 

when her party came to power again in 

2001. After her government's term 

ended in 2006, the scheduled January 

2007 elections were delayed due to 

political violence and infighting, resulting 

in a bloodless military takeover of 

the caretaker government. 

During its interim rule, it charged Zia 

and her two sons-Tarique Rahman and 

Arafat Rahman Koko-with corruption. 

She was arrested on September 3, 2007 

and sent to jail. She secured bail on 

September 11, 2008. 

Her son Koko died of heart attack in 

Malaysia in 2015 and her elder son 

Tarique has been staying in the UK 

along with his family. 

Khaleda was thrown out of power 

after her party's defeat in the 2008 general 

election arranged by the caretaker 

government. 

After a number of movements in a 

period of severe political unrest between 

2012 and 2014 to prevent ruling Awami 

League from holding the 10th general 

election in January 2014 without a neutral 

caretaker government, the Khaledaled 

BNP and its alliances boycotted the 

election. 

BNP rejects verdict, says 

'justice denied' 

DHAKA : BNP on Thursday turned down 

the verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust 

graft case against its chairperson and five 

others, and urged people to take to the 

streets to register their protest in a peaceful 

manner, reports UNB. 

"This verdict is an anti-people one. It 

has gone against people's expectations. 

It was given only to appease one person. 

Justice is denied here," said BNP's 

senior joint secretary general Ruhul 

Kabir Rizvi. 

Forty minutes after the announcement 

of the verdict, the BNP leader came up 

with the instant reaction at the party's 

Staff Correspondent : BNP secretary general 

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on 

Thursday said the verdict in Zia Orphanage 

Trust graft case sentencing Khaleda Zia to 

five years' imprisonment will deepen the 

country's political crisis further. 

"The current immoral government 

has convicted the country's most popular 

leader, Khaleda Zia, in a false case 

making fake documents to keep her 

away from politics and the next general 

election. The country's people have 

turned it down," he said. 

Speaking at a press conference at the 

party's Nayapaltan central office, the 

BNP leader further said, "The verdict, 

we think, will deepen further the country's 

existing political crisis. People will 

lose their confidence in the judiciary following 

such a verdict." 

Nayapaltan central office. 

Rizvi said the country's people have 

rejected the verdict with hatred. "We 

strongly condemned and protested it." 

Asked whether their party will 

announce any action programme, he said, 

"I call upon all the BNP leaders and 

activists and nationalist forces to register 

their protests in a peaceful manner maintaining 

the democratic norms." 

Rizvi urged the party men to take to the 

streets but not to indulge in any violence. 

He warned that the government may 

try to indulge in acts of sabotage to shift 

the blame on BNP leaders and activists. 

Verdict to deepen political 

crisis: Fakhrul 

Tarique to run BNP as its acting chairman, says Nazrul 

Amid heightening tensions and various 

speculations, a special court here in the 

morning convicted the former prime minister 

and sentenced her to five years' 

imprisonment in the much-talked-about 

Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. 

Five other accused in the case, including 

her son and BNP senior vice-chairman 

Tarique Rahman, were sentenced to 10 

years' imprisonment each. The court also 

fined the five accused Tk. 2.10 crore each. 

Fakhrul demanded the government 

immediately release Khaleda. 

He alleged that the government has 

created a war-like situation across the 

country over the last three days centring 

the verdict. "The government itself has 

created an unstable situation, and it's 

now indulging in terrorism using the 

state machinery." 

Paltan area of the capital city turned into battle field yesterday centering the verdict of Zia 

orphanage trust case. 


'Where's she now'? 

says Hasina 

about Khaleda 

BARISAL : Criticising her arch rival 

Khaleda Zia for instigating violence in 

2013, 2014 and 2015, Prime Minister 

Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said 

'where the BNP chief is now', reports 

UNB. 

"Where is she [Khaleda] today? The 

Throne of the Almighty Allah gets shaken 

when one carries out repression on 

people. Those who burnt people to 

death face such consequences. And that 

justice is being done," she said while 

addressing a rally at Bangabandhu 

Udyan in the city. 

The Prime Minister said Khaleda Zia 

had taken position in her office in 2015 

declaring that she would not return 

home until the fall of Awami league 

government. 

Khaleda torched some 3,500 cars 

and burnt 500 people to death and 

injured over 3,000 people in 2013, 

2014 and 2015. 

Reiterating that the country sees 

development when Awami League 

comes to power, Sheikh Hasina 

urged people to vote for the Awami 

League and its alliance in the national 

election to be held in December 

next to maintain the pace of development 

in the country. 

Hasina said the Awami League government 

has carried out massive 

development works in the country as 

people voted it to power for their welfare. 

"We've taken Bangladesh to the 

path of development in the last nine 

years. The trend has to be maintained. 

I want you to promise [to vote 

for Awami League]," she added. 

Shimul Biswas, 

Ctg city BNP 

chief Dr 

Shahdat held 

DHAKA : Police arrested BNP 

Chairperson's special assistant 

Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas and 

Chittagong city unit president Dr 

Shahdat Hossain from the capital and 

port city respectively on Thursday, 

reports UNB. 

Police picked Shimul Biswas up from 

the special court premises 

after the verdict sentencing 

BNP chief Khaleda Zia to 

five-year imprisonment and 

five others to 10 years' 

imprisonment in the Zia 

Orphanage Trust graft case 

as he faces 20 arrest warrants, 

said court sources. 

Besides, Mirza Fakhrul 

Islam Alamgir at a press 

briefing at the party's 

Nayapaltan central office 

said that police arrested 

Shahdat from the port city. 

The 'mass arrest' was 

going on across the country 

centring on the verdict. 

Verdict proves no one 

above law: Anisul Huq 

DHAKA : Hours after the verdict 

against BNP chief Khaleda Zia in a graft 

case, Law Minister Anisul Huq on 

Thursday said the verdict has proved 

that no one is above the law, and the 

rule of law is prevailing in the country, 

reports UNB. 

"By pronouncing the verdict, our judiciary 

has once again proved that no one 

in the country is above the law, no matter 

how powerful he or she is," he said 

Anisul made the remarks while 

expressing his reaction to the lower 

court judgment against Khaleda, her 

son Tarique and four others. 

Asked whether Khaleda can participate 

in the upcoming general election, 

the minister said, "As per our constitution, 

a person cannot contest the 

national election if he or she is sentenced 

to more than two years' imprisonment." 

"Though sentenced by the lower 

court, anyone can contest the national 

election until the case is pending with 

the Appellate Division. But in another 

verdict, it's written that he or she won't 

be able to contest the national election," 

the minister said. 

However, the apex court will decide 

whether she can contest the next 

national election slated for December 

this year." 

According to a Supreme Court judgment, 

a person cannot contest the election 

if he or she is convicted in a case 

until the issues are settled at the 

Appellate Division, the law minister 

said. 

The issues regarding Khaleda Zia's 

contesting the election depends on the 

decision of the Supreme Court, he said. 

"And it's the Election Commission that 

will decide." 

Anisul said Khaleda Zia can seek bail 

from the High Court after getting the 

certified copy of the lower court judgment. 

She has to file the appeal with the 

High Court division against the lower 

court in the next 60 days, the minister 

added. 

However, the certified copies of the 

632-page verdict will not be issued 

today, he added. 

It has been proved by the judgment 

that anybody, even if he or she is a 

politician, has to be punished if one 

commits corruption. 

Asked about BNP's allegation of conducting 

the trial hastily, the minister 

instantly ruled out the allegation, saying 

that there was no hurried move in dealing 

with the graft case. 

Explaining the trial process, he said 

the verdict was delivered after conducting 

a trial for more than nine years and 

allowing time to Khaleda on numerous 

occasions so she can get enough time to 

defend her. 

Earlier, a special court in Dhaka 

handed down five years' imprisonment 

to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 10 

years' jail to five others accused in the 

Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. 

The other accused in the case, including 

Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman, 

were sentenced to 10 years in jail. 

BNP announces 

2-day demo 

programme 

DHAKA : BNP on Thursday 

announced a two-day countrywide 

demonstration programme for 

Friday and Saturday in protest 

against the jailing of its chairperson 

Khaleda Zia, reports UNB. 

BNP secretary general Mirza 

Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced 

the programme from a press conference 

at its Nayapaltan central office. 

He said the party leaders and 

activists will stage demonstrations 

across the country, including all the 

district towns and upazila headquarters, 

in a peaceful manner as per 

directive of their chairperson 

Khaleda Zia. 

Fakhrul said Khaleda asked the 

party leaders not to take any imprudent 

programme and register their 

protests peacefully. 

Khaleda Zia was taken to Old 

Dhaka central jail from Special 

Court-5 at Bakshibazar in the city 

as the court sentenced her to five 

years' jail in the Zia Orphanage 

Trust graft case.

NEWS 

FRIDAY, 

FEBRUARY 9, 2018 

2 

UGC Officers’ 

Association 

gets new 

executives 

DHAKA : Dr Md Khaled and 

Md Mohibul Ahsan have 

been elected president and 

general secretary 

respectively of University 

Grant's Commission (UGC) 

Officers' Association for two 

years. 

Other office bearers of the 

11-member executive 

committee are Md Omar 

Faruque and Engineer 

Mohammad Monir Ullah as 

vice-presidents, Golam 

Dostogir as joint secretary, 

Rabiul Islam as sports and 

cultural secretary, Md 

Morshed Ahammed as 

treasurer, Md Harun Mia as 

organising and publicity 

secretary and Mohammad 

Nur Islam Chowdhury, 

Mamun Patwary, AKM 

Mahmudur Rahman Miah 

as members, reports BSS. 

Lawyers say 

Maldives’ top judge 

unconstitutionally 

detained 

MALE : A lawyer for the 

Maldives' chief justice says 

he is being 

unconstitutionally detained 

after being forcefully 

dragged on the floor from 

his chambers by security 

personnel in riot gear 

following last week's 

surprise ruling to free jailed 

politicians, reports UNB. 

The lawyer expressed 

grave concern about the 

detention of Chief Justice 

Abdulla Saeed in a 

statement 

cvwb-422/2017-2018 

GD-210/18 (5 x 3) 

Thursday, 

saying, "this Executive 

encroachment of Judicial 

powers is a blatant violation 

and completely erodes the 

doctrine of separation of 

powers." 

Lawyer Hisaan Hussain 

said Saeed must be released 

immediately. 

The country's acting 

police chief on Wednesday 

accused Saeed and a second 

Supreme Court justice of 

taking bribes in return for 

the court ruling, which has 

set off a political crisis in the 

country. 

42 crude 

bombs seized in 

C’nawabganj 

CHAPAINAWABGANJ : 

Members of Border Guard 

Bangladesh recovered 42 

crude bombs from Fatehpur 

border area in Shibganj 

upazila on Thursday 

morning, reports UNB. 

Two miscreants were 

crossing Padma river in 

Saurapara Padmar Char 

area around 9:30am 

carrying two buckets of 

crude bombs, said Lt Col 

Abul Ehsan, commanding 

officer of BGB-9 battalion. 

Sensing the presence of 

BGB members, the 

miscreants fled away 

swimming the river after 

blasting several crude 

bombs. 

US$15m investment in RFL 

Electronics to build new 

manufacturing facilities 

DHAKA : CDC, the UK's development 

finance institution, has announced a new 

US$15 million debt investment in RFL 

Electronics Ltd ("RFL"), a Bangladeshi 

electronic goods company, reports UNB. 

CDC's capital will be used to acquire 

equipment for a state-of-the-art 

manufacturing facility producing consumer 

electronic goods for the local market. 

The RFL manufacturing base is located 

25km from Dhaka and will produce 

electronic appliances ranging from TVs and 

refrigerators, to rice cookers and electric 

irons, sold under the Vision brand in 

Bangladesh. 

CDC is investing alongside Standard 

Chartered Bank Bangladesh who are 

providing an additional US$3m, for a total 

financing package of US$18 million. 

CDC's long-term investment will support 

the creation of 1,500 manufacturing jobs, 

half of which are expected to be for women. 

With total employment expected to reach 

2,500 over the course of CDC's seven-year 

investment, RFL will hire experienced 

factory managers from Dhaka and other 

workers from neighbouring towns. 

This is the CDC's first direct corporate 

debt investment in Bangladesh and follows 

other recent financing for projects in the 

country including a US$103m investment 

in the Sirajganj-4 power plant and US$25m 

funding for Grameenphone, Bangladesh's 

leading telecoms company. 

Welcoming the investment, CDC's Head 

of Corporate Debt, Richard Palmer said as 

Bangladesh's economy grows they see their 

investment in RFL Electronics as an 

opportunity to create jobs, meet the 

growing demand for consumer goods and 

help the country boost its local 

manufacturing. 

"Access to long-term debt capital in local 

and foreign currency remains limited in 

Bangladesh, so our investment plays an 

important role in helping the company 

grow by importing the equipment that will 

modernise RFL's manufacturing base in 

Bangladesh." 

Uzma Chowdhury, Finance Director of 

Pran-RFL said consumer electronic goods 

can go a long way to improving people's 

livelihood if they can be offered at 

affordable prices. 

"RFL has been doing this since its 

inception in 1981. In order to make 

consumer goods more affordable, the 

industry needs to be set up within 

Bangladesh. CDC's long-term debt at 

affordable cost allows us to manufacture 

electronics goods at a reasonable price and 

with high safety standards within 

Bangladesh. RFL Electronics Limited is a 

world class manufacturing unit where 

production goes on with maximum 

protection of the environment." 

CDC is working with the company to 

develop and implement an effective 

environmental and social management 

system that will deliver international 

standards in areas such as labour and 

working conditions, environmental 

management and fire safety 

RFL Electronics is part of the Pran-RFL 

Group of companies which is a diversified 

conglomerate specialising in consumer 

goods such as food products, beverages, 

plastic goods and furniture. 

Senate celebrates budget deal 

but shutdown still possible 

WASHINGTON : Senate leaders 

brokered a long-sought budget 

agreement Wednesday that would 

shower the Pentagon and domestic 

programs with an extra $300 

billion over the next two years. But 

both Democratic liberals and GOP 

tea party forces swung against the 

plan, raising questions about its 

chances just a day before the latest 

government shutdown deadline, 

reports UNB. 

The measure was a win for 

Republican allies of the Pentagon 

and for Democrats seeking more 

for infrastructure projects and 

combatting opioid abuse. But it 

represented a bitter defeat for 

many liberal Democrats who 

sought to use the party's leverage 

on the budget to resolve the plight 

of immigrant "Dreamers" who face 

deportation after being brought to 

the U.S. illegally as children. The 

deal does not address immigration. 

Beyond the $300 billion figure, 

the agreement adds almost $90 

billion in overdue disaster aid for 

hurricane-slammed Texas, Florida 

and Puerto Rico. 

Senate leaders hope to approve 

the measure Thursday and send it 

to the House for a confirming vote 

before the government begins to 

shut down Thursday at midnight. 

But hurdles remain to avert the 

second shutdown in a month. 

While Senate Democrats 

celebrated the moment of rare 

bipartisanship - Minority Leader 

Chuck Schumer called it a 

"genuine breakthrough" - 

progressives and activists blasted 

them for leaving immigrants in 

legislative limbo. Top House 

Democrat Nancy Pelosi of 

California, herself a key architect 

of the budget plan, announced her 

opposition Wednesday morning 

and mounted a remarkable 

daylong speech on the House floor, 

trying to force GOP leaders in the 

House to promise a later vote on 

legislation to protect the younger 

immigrants. 

"Let Congress work its will," 

Pelosi said, before holding the floor 

for more than eight hours without a 

break. "What are you afraid of?" 

The White House backed the deal 

- despite President Donald Trump's 

outburst a day earlier that he'd 

welcome a government shutdown if 

Democrats didn't accept his 

immigration-limiting proposals. 

Trump himself tweeted that the 

agreement "is so important for our 

great Military," and he urged both 

Republicans and Democrats to 

support it. 

But the plan faced criticism from 

deficit hawks in his own party. 

Some tea party Republicans 

shredded the measure as a budgetbuster. 

Combined with the party's 

December tax cut bill, the burst in 

military and other spending would 

put the GOP-controlled 

government on track for the first $1 

trillion-plus deficits since 

President Barack Obama's first 

term. That's when Congress passed 

massive stimulus legislation to try 

to stabilize a down-spiraling 

economy. 

"It's too much," said Rep. Scott 

BIWTC earns 

Taka 71 crore in 

last 6 months 

DHAKA : Bangladesh 

Inland Water Transport 

Corporation (BIWTC) 

earned Taka 71 crore over 

the last six months 

(August, 2017 to January, 

2018) through the 

operations of its 48 ferries. 

During this period, the 

BIWTC transported a total 

of 8,57,526 vehicles on 10 

ferry routes across the 

country. Besides, a survey 

of the corporation is 

underway to explore and 

launch operations on 

newer ferry routes, said a 

ministry press release. 

This was informed at a 

meeting of the BIWTC on 

its development, financial 

and administrative affairs 

held at the Shipping 

Ministry conference room 

today with Shipping 

Minister Shajahan Khan in 

the chair. 

The meeting was 

informed that the BIWTC, 

a government-owned 

corporation that owns and 

operates river vessels and 

ships and river ports in 

Bangladesh, made a net 

profit of Taka 27 crore in 

the last fiscal year (FY17) 

while its income during 

the first four months of the 

current fiscal year stood at 

Taka five crore. 

Besides, there is a fixed 

deposit of Taka 717 crore 

against the BIWTC. 

Perry, R-Pa., a fiscal hawk. 

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R- 

Wis., however, backed the 

agreement and was hoping to 

cobble together a coalition of 

moderate Democrats and 

Republicans to push it through. 

Despite the 77-year-old Pelosi's 

public talkathon, she was not 

pressuring the party's rank-andfile 

to oppose the measure, 

Democrats said. The deal contains 

far more money demanded by 

Democrats than had seemed 

possible only weeks ago, including 

$90 billion in disaster aid for 

Florida and Texas. Some other 

veteran Democrats - some of whom 

said holding the budget deal 

hostage to action on Dreamer 

immigrants had already proven to 

be a failed strategy - appeared 

more likely to support the 

agreement than junior progressives 

elected in recent years. 

The budget agreement would give 

both the Pentagon and domestic 

agencies relief from a budget freeze 

that lawmakers say threatens 

military readiness and training as 

well as domestic priorities such as 

combating opioid abuse and 

repairing the troubled health care 

system for veterans. 

The core of the agreement would 

shatter tight "caps" on defense and 

domestic programs funded by Congress 

each year. They are a hangover from a 

failed 2011 budget agreement and have 

led to military readiness problems and 

caused hardship at domestic agencies 

such as the Environmental Protection 

Agency and the IRS. 

Venezuela sets April 

22 for election after 

talks break down 

CARACAS : Venezuelan officials moved swiftly Wednesday 

to call an early presidential election, acting hours after a 

breakdown in talks between the government and opposition 

over how to conduct the vote, reports UNB. 

The election will be held April 22, said Tibisay Lucena, 

head of the government-controlled National Electoral 

Council. 

Venezuela traditionally has held its presidential elections 

late in the year, and the United States along with several 

countries in Europe and Latin America have condemned 

the rush to hold the vote so early, saying it undercuts political 

negotiations and is unfair to the opposition. 

Socialist President Nicolas Maduro has already launched 

his campaign for a second term and currently stands as the 

only candidate as Venezuela's continues to sink deeper into 

an economic crisis of high inflation and food shortages. 

Talks on resolving Venezuela's political divide fell apart 

earlier in the day in the Dominican Republic, with the two 

sides accusing one another of grandstanding and negotiating 

in bad faith. 

Dominican President Danilo Medina, one of the international 

mediators, said the talks had entered an "indefinite 

recess" when Venezuelan government negotiators returned 

home Tuesday night after signing a "draft agreement" that 

was unacceptable to the opposition. 

The head of the opposition's delegation, Julio Borges, 

urged the government to reconsider its stance while reiterating 

that he won't sign an agreement that puts Venezuela's 

democracy at risk. He called on Venezuela's government to 

accept the opposition's counter proposal. 

Former Afghan leader 

urges sanctions on 

Pakistan officials 

KABUL : Saying that Afghanistan is in 

"terrible shape" 16 years after the collapse 

of the Taliban, former President Hamid 

Karzai accused the United States and 

Pakistan of using the Afghan war to 

further their own national interests, 

reports UNB. 

He also warned that Afghans who had 

embraced the U.S. as a friend and 

liberator now see it as "hurting us, not 

helping us." 

"That has to change," Karzai said in an 

interview with The Associated Press. 

As many as 16,000 U.S. forces remain 

in Afghanistan, and a special training unit 

is scheduled to deploy early this year. 

After the U.S. and NATO forces formally 

concluded their combat mission at the 

end of 2014 and shifted to a training role, 

a resurgent Taliban stepped up their 

attacks and an affiliate of the Islamic 

State group emerged in Afghanistan. 

That same year marked the end of 

Karzai's second and final term in office. 

In the interview at his Kabul home, 

where he wore his signature ankle-length 

green striped coat and karakul cap, Karzai 

echoed complaints from Afghanistan's 

current government that accused 

neighboring Pakistan of harboring 

Taliban militants and he urged the U.S. to 

impose sanctions on Pakistani military 

and intelligence officials. 

Citing U.S. President Donald Trump's 

New Year's Day tweet that accused 

Pakistan of "lies and deceit," Karzai said, 

"We hope the U.S. will now act in 

Pakistan." 

But he added that "doesn't mean that 

the Pakistan people should be hurt or that 

war should be launched in Pakistan." 

"In other words I want the U.S. to 

impose sanctions on the Pakistan military 

and the intelligence, not on the Pakistani 

people," Karzai said. 

Trump has ramped up pressure on 

Pakistan this year, suspending up to $2 

billion in military aid to Islamabad after 

accusing it of failing to crack down on 

militants who launch cross-border 

GD-211/18 (4 x 3) 

we`ÿ r/Rb-885(2)/7/2/18 

GD-208/18 (6 x 3) 

attacks on U.S. and Afghan forces. 

Pakistan denies such allegations, 

blaming the violence on the Kabul 

government's security failures. 

The interview came a day after U.S. 

lawmakers questioned the direction of 

America's longest war. At a hearing 

Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations 

Committee noted that Washington is 

spending about $45 billion a year in 

Afghanistan, with most of the money 

going to security, the bulk of which 

finances U.S. troops and accompanying 

logistical support. Only $780 million goes 

toward economic aid. 

In recent weeks, Kabul has been 

battered by a wave of attacks claimed 

alternately by the Taliban and a rival 

Islamic State affiliate, which killed scores 

of people and exposed the U.S.-backed 

government's failure to secure the capital. 

"The U.S. cannot tell us, 'Well if I am 

not here, you will be worse off.' We are in 

a terrible shape right now. ... We want to 

be better. We want to have peace. We 

want to have security," Karzai said. 

In the early years of Karzai's 

administration, which was criticized as 

corrupt, oversight of the war was 

nonexistent. Commanders allied with the 

U.S.-led coalition often steered their 

American partners toward attacking their 

own enemies to try to settle old scores, 

rather than build the nation. 

Today, Afghanistan's National Unity 

Government, paralyzed by bickering and 

feuding, shares power between President 

Ashraf Ghani and his chief executive, 

Abdullah Abdullah. The power-sharing 

deal was brokered by then-U.S. Secretary 

of State John Kerry. 

Karzai called it a U.S. creation and said 

it "undermined Afghan democracy and 

the Afghan constitution." 

He did not hide his frustration during 

the interview. He believes Washington 

wants to establish permanent bases in 

Afghanistan to project power in the 

region, while Pakistan wants to turn 

Afghanistan into a client state.

METRO 

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018 

3 

First BD architect Marina 

Tabassum shortlisted for 

Jameel Prize 

DHAKA : Bangladesh architect Marina Tabassum has 

been shortlisted for the Jameel Prize while her works will 

be exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in 

London at the end of this year, reports UNB. 

The V&A recently announced the shortlist for Jameel 

Prize 5, the international prize for contemporary artists 

and designers inspired by Islamic tradition. 

The aim of Jameel Prize is to explore the relationship 

between Islamic traditions of art, craft and design and 

contemporary work as part of a wider debate about 

Islamic culture and its role today. 

Eight finalists including Marina Tabassum have been 

shortlisted for £25,000 (around Tk 28, 89,198) 

prize which is awarded every two years. 

Other finalists are - Kamrooz Aram, Hayv Kahraman, 

Hala Kaiksow, Mehdi Moutashar, Naqsh, Younes 

Rahmoun and Wardha Shabbir. 

The Jameel Prize was founded in partnership with Art 

Jameel and the first award was made in 2009. The Prize 

returns to the V&A on June 27, 2018 when the winner of 

the fifth edition will be announced. 

The Art Jameel is currently also partnering with Dhaka 

Art Summit and loaning work from the Art Jameel 

collection to this fourth edition. 

The exhibition, showcasing the work of the eight 

shortlisted artists and designers will be held from June 

28 until November 25, 2018. 

A panel of judges chaired by V&A Director Tristram 

Hunt selected the shortlist among the nearly 400 

nominations from around the world while for the first 

time, the shortlist featured work from Bangladesh, 

Bahrain and Jordan. 

Marina Tabassum, the first architect shortlisted for the 

Jameel Prize, is the founder of Marina Tabassum 

Architects. She graduated from Bangladesh University of 

Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 1995. 

The same year, with Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury, she 

founded URBANA, an architecture practice based in 

Dhaka. In 1997, her second year in practice, the firm won 

a prestigious national competition to design the 

Independence Monument of Bangladesh and the 

Liberation War Museum. 

Tabassum ended her ten-year partnership in URBANA 

to establish MTA (Marina Tabassum Architects). In 

2005, MTA began its journey in the quest to establish a 

language of architecture that is contemporary to the 

world yet rooted to the place. 

Marina Tabassum is the academic director of the 

Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and 

Settlements. She has conducted design studios at BRAC 

University since 2005. She taught an Advanced Design 

Studio as the visiting professor at the University of 

Texas. 

Her project 'Bait Ur Rouf mosque' in Dhaka won the 

prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2016. 

The certificate award ceremony of No. 106 Junior Command and Staff Course of Bangladesh Air 

Force was held at Bangladesh Air Force Command and Staff Training Institute (CSTI) of BAF Base 

Bashar on Thursday. Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Plans) Air Vice Marshal M Sanaul Huq, OSP, GUP, 

ndc, psc attended the ceremony as the Chief Guest and distributed certificates and trophy among the 

graduating officers. 16 officers from Bangladesh Air Force and 01 officer from Sri Lankan Air Force 

attended the course. Squadron Leader Md Badruzzaman Milon.of Bangladesh Air Force was awarded 

with the "Chief of Air Staff's Certificate and Trophy" for his best performance in the course. 

While addressing, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Plans) thanked the government of participating country 

for sending student officers in this course and hoped that they would continue to send their officers 

in future as well. Earlier, in the welcome address, the Officer Commanding of the institute, 

Group Captain Muhammad Mushtaqur Rahman, BPP, afwc, psc gave a brief resume on the course 

curriculum. 

Photo : Courtesy 

British FS due Friday to 

discuss Rohingya issue 

DHAKA : British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson 

arrives here on Friday on a two-day visit to discuss 

bilateral and regional issues with special focus on 

Rohingya crisis, reports UNB. 

"You can understand such visit is taking place after 

long time. We welcome him (British FS). We have a very 

close relationship with the UK," Foreign Minister AH 

Mahmood Ali told reporters at the Foreign Ministry on 

Thursday. 

After long ten years, a British foreign secretary will be 

visiting Bangladesh. Former foreign secretary David 

Miliband last visited Dhaka in 2008. 

The British foreign secretary will visit Rohingya camps 

to see the situation on the ground. 

The Foreign Minister said the UK has played a very 

important role in the UN Security Council discussion on 

Rohingya issue and strongly supported Bangladesh. 

"All these point of views, we maintain very deep 

relations with the British government," Minister Ali said. 

Foreign Secretary Boris will meet Prime Minister 

Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali 

during his visit, according to Foreign Ministry here. 

Boris Johnson was appointed foreign secretary on July 

13, 2016. He was elected Conservative MP for Uxbridge 

and South Ruislip in May 2015. Previously he was the 

MP for Henley from June 2001 to June 2008. 

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth 

Affairs has overall responsibility for the work of the 

Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 

Sheikh Hasina establishes 

rule of law: Lawmakers 

SANGSAD BHABAN : Lawmakers from treasury and 

opposition benches yesterday termed that Prime Minister 

Sheikh Hasina established rule of law in the country as a 

court gave verdict on corruption case against BNP 

Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia for amassing huge money 

in the name of Zia Orphanage Trust, reports BSS. 

Taking part in the unscheduled discussion in the Jatiya 

Sangsad they said the corruption case on Zia Orphanage 

Trust was filed against Khaleda Zia and others in July 2008. 

The case was continued around 10 years with recording the 

statements from prosecution and defence. 

The parliamentarians said that finally the court announced 

verdict handing down Khaleda Zia five years imprisonment 

for committing corruption. She was sent to jail for five years 

while others including Tarique Rahman faced ten years 

imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust Corruption case. 

Joining the discussion, senior lawmaker Sheikh Fazlul 

Karim Selim came down heavily on Khaleda Zia as well as 

others saying BNP does not abide the country's law, as she 

entered into the court after her scheduled time. "She 

(Khaleda Zia) wanted to foil the trial for that reason she and 

her cadres tried to create incident on the eve of the court 

verdict, but the BNP cadres failed," he added. 

He said the BNP cadres attacked on Bangladesh High 

Commission in London and vandalized portrait of Father of 

the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina only to foil the trial of 

corruption case. 

The Awami league government led by Prime Minister 

Sheikh Hasina believed rule of law but Ziaur Rahman took 

power and ran the country for five years by marshal law and 

banned all trials including Bangabandhu killing case, Selim 

told the House. 

He said the BNP is a terrorist and militant party. 

Besides, Tariqat Federation lawmaker Syed Nazibul 

Bashar Maizbhandari, Jatiya Samastantrik Dal members 

Shirin Akter and Nazmul Haque Prodhan, treasury bench 

member Fazilatun Nesa Bappy, BNF member Abul Kalam 

Azad joined the discussion. 

2nd Nat’l Science Fest 

begins at JU Friday 

JAHANGIRNAGAR UNIVERSITY : The '2nd National 

Science Fest' will begin on Friday at Jahangirnagar 

University (JU), reports UNB. 

With the slogan, 'Be Innovative, Make Innovative', 

Jahangirnagar University Science Club (JUSC), a sciencebased 

social organisation of the university, is organising the 

festival. 

JUSC President Shahriyar Kabir Shohag disclosed the 

details of the event on at a press conference at the office of JU 

Journalists' Association Thursday afternoon. 

Chief Coordinator on Sustainable Development Goals 

(SDG) Affairs at the Prime Minister's Office Abul Kalam Azad 

will inaugurate festival while JU Pro-VC Prof Amir Hussain 

and Treasurer Prof Sheikh Monzurul Huq will be present as 

special guests at the opening ceremony at the Zahir Raihan 

Auditorium at 9:30 am, he said. 

A total of 10 universities, 20 colleges and 30 schools will 

take part in the festival, Shohag added. 

The two-day festival will feature inaugural session, poster 

presentations, project showcasing and quiz contests for 

university level students, idea contests, robotic workshops 

and project presentations for the school and college level 

students, award handover and ending session. 

Discussion commemorating Islamic 

Revolution in Iran on Today 

DHAKA : A discussion meeting on 'Independence, National 

Ability and Development of the Islamic Republic of Iran' will 

be held on Fridayat the Bangladesh National Museum, 

reports UNB. 

Iran Cultural Centre, Dhaka and Bangladesh National 

Museum will jointly organise the discussion meeting on the 

occasion of 39th anniversary of the glorious victory of the 

Islamic Revolution in Iran (National Day). 

With director general of the National Museum Faizul Latif 

Chowdhury in the chair, Professor Dr Mohammad Siddiqur 

Rahman Khan of Islamic History and Culture department at 

University of Dhaka will present the keynote paper at the 

discussion. 

Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on 

Finance Ministry Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque will 

attend the programme as chief guest while ambassador of 

Iran in Bangladesh Dr Abbas Vaezi Dehnavi, Vice-Chancellor 

of Daffodil International University Professor Dr Yusuf 

Mahbubul Islam and eminent actor and former Professor of 

Department of Chemistry in BUET Dr Enamul Haque will be 

special guests. 

Seyed Mousa Hosseini, Cultural Counsellor of Iran 

Cultural Centre in Dhaka, will deliver the welcome address. 

The programme will be followed by the screening of the 

famous Iranian film 'Body Guard' directed by Ebrahim 

Hatamikia. 

GD-205/18 (10 x 4) 

GD-206/18 (9 x 4)

EDITORIAL 

FRIdAY, 

FeBRuARY 9, 2018 

4 

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam 

Telephone: +8802-9104683-84, Fax: 9127103 

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com 

Friday, February 9, 2018 

Risky disposal of 

medical wastes 

M 

edical 

wastes, due to their contents of 

hazardous substances, pose serious 

threats to environmental health . The 

hazardous substances include pathological and 

infectious materials, sharps, and chemical 

wastes . In hospitals, different kinds of 

therapeutic procedures (i.e. cobalt therapy, 

chemotherapy, dialysis, surgery, delivery, 

resection of gangrenous organs, autopsy, 

biopsy, para clinical test, injections etc.) are 

carried out and result in the production of 

infectious wastes, sharp objects, radioactive 

wastes and chemical materials . 

Medical waste may carry germs of diseases 

such as hepatitis B and AIDS. In developing 

countries, medical waste has not received much 

attention and it is disposed of together with 

domestic waste . Improper medical waste 

management is a growing concern in 

Bangladesh and it poses a serious threat to 

public health. 

Medical waste contains highly toxic metals, 

toxic chemicals, pathogenic viruses and bacteria 

which can lead to pathological dysfunction of 

the human body . Medical waste presents a high 

risk to doctors, nurses, technicians, sweepers, 

hospital visitors and patients due to arbitrary 

management. 

It is a common observation in Dhaka City that 

poor scavengers, women and children collect 

some of the medical wastes (e.g. syringeneedles, 

saline bags, blood bags etc.) for 

reselling despite the deadly health risks. It has 

long been known that the re-use of syringes can 

cause the spread of infections such as AIDS and 

hepatitis . The collection of disposable medical 

items (particularly syringes), its re-sale and 

potential re-use without sterilization could 

cause a serious disease burden . 

The safe disposal and subsequent destruction 

of medical waste is a key step in the reduction of 

illness or injury through contact with this 

potentially hazardous material, and in the 

prevention of environmental contamination. 

The management of medical waste therefore, 

has been of major concern due to potentially 

high risks to human health and the 

environment . 

The growing number of hospitals, clinics, and 

diagnostic laboratories in Dhaka City exerts a 

tremendous impact on public health and 

environment. All of the hospitals, clinics, and 

diagnostic laboratories are considered here as 

the health care centres( HCEs). Some 600 

HCEs in Dhaka city generate about 200 tons of 

waste a day . Like ordinary household waste, 

medical wastes are generally dumped into DCC 

bins. It is reported that even body parts are 

dumped on the streets by the HCEs. The liquid 

and solid wastes containing hazardous 

materials are simply dumped into the nearest 

drain or garbage heap respectively. 

But proper management of medical waste is 

crucial to minimise health risks. The 

improvement of present waste management 

practices for HCEs in Bangladesh will have a 

significant long-term impact on minimising the 

spread of infectious diseases. Medical waste 

requires specialized treatment and 

management from its source to final disposal. 

Simply disposing of it into dustbins, drains, and 

canals or finally dumping it to the outskirts of 

the city poses a serious public health hazard. 

Thus, there is a need to initiate a concentrated 

effort to improve the medical waste 

management to reduce the negative impact of 

waste on: environment; public health; and 

safety at health care facilities. 

Medical wastes account for a very small 

fraction, about one percent of the total solid 

wastes generated in Bangladesh . However, 

when this tiny amount is not handled properly, 

it gets mixed with domestic solid waste, and the 

whole waste stream becomes potentially 

hazardous. 

Until recently, there was no system for proper 

medical waste management in Bangladesh to 

protect environmental health hazards. It was 

generally disposed of in the same way as 

ordinary domestic waste. But, very recently, 

government is trying to develop a system to 

handle medical waste properly. But this 

disposal system is still a namesake one. It needs 

to be quickly turned into a comprehensive 

facility covering all the HCEs to effectively 

address the issue of safe disposal of medical 

garbage. 

After demonstrating judicial 

restraint for the past several 

months, the apex court has 

finally responded strongly. One senator 

has been sent behind bars and is barred 

from holding public office for five years 

over contempt of court; two federal 

ministers are facing the same charges. 

Contempt notices have also been issued 

to Nawaz Sharif and his daughter 

Maryam Nawaz by the Lahore High 

Court. 

But that has not deterred the ousted 

prime minister and his loyalists from 

attacking the judges. The confrontation 

between the judiciary and Sharif has 

become ugly and destructive. Neither 

side seems to be relenting. To many, it 

appears like a no-holds-barred clash of 

egos. 

In fact, Sharif's tenor has become 

more defiant and hostile after the 

Supreme Court's latest action. The 

daughter who has now taken centre 

stage in national politics is far more 

vitriolic in her statements. It is not just 

about being hurt by the court ruling that 

disqualified a third-time prime minister 

and put the entire family in the dock; in 

fact, it is mainly to do with the sense of 

hubris that drives Sharif to carry out his 

anti-judiciary campaign. 

Whenever the apex court has tried to 

assert itself, it has faced a backlash from 

the executive. 

The Supreme Court has not backed 

down, and, in fact, appears to have gone 

on the offensive. "If the judges of this 

court were weaklings or feeble at heart 

and if they could be frightened or 

browbeaten by verbal assaults or naked 

threats, then the respondent, namely 

Senator Nehal Hashmi, had surely 

made a valiant attempt at that. It, 

however, appears that he and those he 

I 

've spent the last two years talking 

with parents about the 

unprecedented stress and anxiety 

plaguing their adolescents - nearly half of 

whom, according to recent studies of 

college students, report feeling 

"overwhelmed by all I had to do". Our 

conversations often end with parents 

expressing a mournful wish: "I just want 

her to be happy," they tell me. "But she 

puts so much pressure on herself." 

As parents, we say this phrase from a 

place of good intention. We want to signal 

to our children that we don't need or 

expect them to be perfect, and that we will 

love them no matter what. Yet, the very 

phrasing of the statement - "on herself" - 

lays blame for distress at the feet of our 

teens, rather than a culture that is stoking 

the flames of their anxiety. It puts the 

onus for change on children - just chill, we 

seem to be saying, and you'll be okay! - 

letting the rest of us off the hook, even as 

we may unwittingly exacerbate their 

distress. 

In fact, we may be making it worse. A 

new study called 'Perfectionism Is 

Increasing Over Time' finds that young 

people are more burdened than ever by 

pressure from others, and that includes 

parents. Psychologists Thomas Curran 

and Andrew Hill found that unhealthy 

perfectionism has surged among young 

adults, with the biggest increase seen in 

those who feel pressured by the 

expectations of others. Perfectionism, the 

dangerous collision 

wanted to obey or please are poor 

judges of men," Justice Asif Saeed 

Khosa stated in his ruling. 

It is rare that judges enter into 

polemics and use such strong language 

notwithstanding extreme provocation 

from the other side. Could this show of 

anger possibly cloud the contempt-ofcourt 

proceedings against the Sharifs 

and the two federal ministers? 

Indeed, no one can condone the 

outrageous and threatening language 

used by Nehal Hashmi against the 

honourable judges and their families. 

Yet slapping a jail sentence on him and 

unseating him (in the Senate) after he 

had tendered an unconditional apology 

does seem too severe, and can open the 

apex court to criticism and allegations of 

being 'vengeful'. 

It is apparent that the tirade launched 

by Sharif loyalists is a calculated 

political move and is meant to bring the 

judges under pressure as the 

accountability court comes close to 

winding up the graft case against the 

former prime minister and his family. 

study's authors say, is a mix of excessively 

high personal standards ("I have to excel 

at everything I do") and intense selfcriticism 

("I'm a complete failure if I fall 

short"). In its unhealthiest forms, 

perfectionism can lead to eating 

disorders, depression, high blood 

pressure and thoughts of suicide. 

Perfectionism is caused by a variety of 

factors, not only parents. Young adults 

have described pressure to appear 

flawless in every domain, often 

effortlessly so - in schoolwork, athletics, 

activities, and looks - since the early 

2000s. Social media has raised the bar in 

the pursuit of teen perfection, introducing 

a place where the drive to project success, 

as much as a wish to connect, draws 

youth like moths to the digital flame. As 

ZAHId HuSSAIN 

Sharif is also playing the victim card to 

win public sympathy and mobilise 

supporters for the coming general 

elections. 

But the judges are expected to 

exercise prudence. It is indeed a testing 

time for the judiciary as it is seen to 

adopt an overly active approach. There 

is always the danger of the judiciary 

becoming politicised if it encroaches on 

the domain of the executive and the 

legislature. Previously, we saw how the 

The Supreme Court has not backed down, and, in 

fact, appears to have gone on the offensive. "If the 

judges of this court were weaklings or feeble at heart 

and if they could be frightened or browbeaten by 

verbal assaults or naked threats, then the 

respondent, namely Senator Nehal Hashmi, had 

surely made a valiant attempt at that. It, however, 

appears that he and those he wanted to obey or 

please are poor judges of men," Justice Asif Saeed 

Khosa stated in his ruling. 

RACHeL SIMMoNS 

sanctity of the apex court was damaged 

under former chief justice Iftikhar 

Chaudhry. It is extremely harmful for 

the institution if judicial rulings are seen 

as being driven by populism. 

This tendency is now apparent as the 

clash of institutions turns serious. While 

it is wrong for political leaders to 

demean the judiciary it is not becoming 

of the top judge to indulge in public 

debate. And it is not appropriate for 

judges to respond to every criticism or 

defend themselves in public. They must 

only speak through their judgements. 

Indeed, the present confrontation 

children hungrily seek the "likes" of their 

peers, it is not uncommon for many to 

delete posts that don't receive enough 

"likes". (The one-like-per-minute ratio is 

most desirable, according to the many 

teens I speak with.) 

But the parental push to raise an ubersuccessful 

child has never been more 

keenly felt, so much so that researchers 

But the parental push to raise an uber-successful child 

has never been more keenly felt, so much so that researchers 

have a name for it: "Child-contingent self-esteem", or the 

tendency for a parent to base their own self-worth on the 

success of their child. Parents now spend more time than 

ever on school work with their children, while time spent 

simply hanging out has declined. Meanwhile, between 1986 

and 2006, the number of children who said their parents 

surveilled their every move has doubled. 

have a name for it: "Child-contingent selfesteem", 

or the tendency for a parent to 

base their own self-worth on the success 

of their child. Parents now spend more 

time than ever on school work with their 

children, while time spent simply 

hanging out has declined. Meanwhile, 

between 1986 and 2006, the number of 

children who said their parents surveilled 

their every move has doubled. 

between the judiciary and the executive 

is not unprecedented. We have 

witnessed such tensions between the 

two pillars of the state in the past as well. 

It is a manifestation of a systemic 

failure. For the most part of the 

country's history, the judiciary largely 

remained subservient to the executive - 

both under civilian and military rules. 

That clouded its independence. 

Whenever the apex court tried to 

assert its authority it would face a strong 

backlash from the executive. The first 

thing any military regime would do was 

to purge the top judiciary to remove any 

legal challenge to its power. That's how 

military dictators would obtain 

legitimacy from the Supreme Court. 

This tendency to control the judiciary 

was equally strong during civilian rule. 

We have seen every elected government 

getting into a confrontation with the 

Supreme Court since the 1990s. It was 

the clash with the then chief justice that 

contributed to the fall of Benazir 

Bhutto's second government in 1996 

beside other reasons. 

But for Nawaz Sharif, who enjoyed 

the blessing of the establishment in the 

past, it has been a totally different story. 

Unlike as in the Bhuttos' case, the 

judiciary has traditionally been soft on 

the leader from Punjab. Only Nawaz 

Sharif's government could get away 

unpunished after storming the 

Supreme Court and dividing the judges. 

The then chief justice was sent packing 

by his brother judges. 

It was the darkest episode in 

Pakistan's judicial and political history 

when the judges were allegedly bribed 

to rebel against the chief justice. 

Source : Dawn 

Perfectionism among teens is rampant - and parents aren’t helping 

Everyone has the right to change 

their opinions and to choose or 

dump their political beliefs or 

allegiances. At an intellectual level, 

changing or discarding an opinion is 

considered a sign of a healthy mind. 

A cardinal rule in academia is to keep 

questioning the axiom unrelentingly. 

Professor Sarvepalli Gopal's masterly 

lectures (in gentle Oxbridge) on the kisan 

movement in Uttar Pradesh opened 

entire new perspectives for his history 

students. However, when a student one 

day noted an anomaly in what he was 

saying and what he had written in his 

book, the historian's rejoinder contained 

a world of wisdom: "Is there anything 

wrong in changing an opinion?" 

Journalists are a part of a society's 

intellectual sinews. As with any other 

profession, there are good journalists and 

bad journalists. Some journalists, be it out 

of personal ambition or missionary zeal, 

cross over into the political arena. 

Well-regarded journalists in India have 

gone to the Congress, others have gone to 

the BJP. A few have become active 

members of the Aam Aadmi Party and so 

forth. Some journalists end up becoming 

public relations officers for business 

houses they otherwise served less 

honestly as handout hacks. There was a 

time when a fairly large number of 

journalists actively belonged to the left, 

some of them card-carrying members of 

this or that communist party. 

Well-regarded journalists in India have 

gone to the Congress, others have gone to 

View from the spider’s web 

the BJP. After the recent bout of 

communal violence in Kasganj in Uttar 

Pradesh a few of my colleagues rushed to 

the spot to investigate the story. I picked 

up Riot After Riot, an insightful book by a 

journalist-turned-politician about 

religious violence and other forms of 

conflicts dogging India. M.J. Akbar's 

book carries a word of praise from 

Khushwant Singh, another giant of a 

journalist. 

The Congress party inducted both as 

MPs; Singh went to Rajya Sabha under 

Indira Gandhi and Akbar to the Lok 

Sabha to be part of Rajiv Gandhi's 

eventful tenure. Khushwant Singh 

supported Mrs Gandhi's emergency and 

later sponsored the candidature of BJP 

leader Lal Kishan Advani to Lok Sabha, a 

decision he later regretted. Akbar went 

over to the Rajya Sabha as Prime Minister 

Modi's handpicked man assigned to an 

JAwed NAqVI 

important cabinet post at the foreign 

ministry. 

We don't really know what Akbar feels 

about the transition from this to that 

party. I am not even aware if he has ever 

explained the reasons for the transition. 

But let us see what he wrote earlier and 

whether his political move to join the 

Bharatiya Janata Party, the political front 

The Congress party inducted both as MPs; Singh went 

to Rajya Sabha under Indira Gandhi and Akbar to the 

Lok Sabha to be part of Rajiv Gandhi's eventful tenure. 

Khushwant Singh supported Mrs Gandhi's emergency 

and later sponsored the candidature of BJP leader Lal 

Kishan Advani to Lok Sabha, a decision he later 

regretted. Akbar went over to the Rajya Sabha as Prime 

Minister Modi's handpicked man assigned to an 

important cabinet post at the foreign ministry. 

of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh he 

once criticised, came with a change of 

opinion about his faith in India's secular 

tryst. "Law and order have two enemies: 

the Full Truth and the Complete Lie. 

When people realise the truth, they start 

revolutions. When they are fed lies they 

begin meaningless riots." I am quoting 

from Riot After Riot. 

"Lies are the staple of every communal 

disturbance. They are spread by people 

who have a stake in this stupid violence, 

who have something to gain out of 

In other words, teens are not the only 

ones guilty of "putting too much 

pressure" on themselves - the push to 

fulfil others' expectations has never been 

higher, for parents too. 

In the recent perfectionism study, 

published in the journal Psychological 

Bulletin, the researchers examined how 

cultural changes over the past three 

decades have shaped the personalities of 

40,000 college students in the United 

States, Canada and Britain. It revealed a 

bump in two types of perfectionism: "selforiented" 

(in other words, having high 

expectations of yourself), and "otheroriented", 

where people have rigorous 

standards for others, and treat them with 

hostility or disdain when they fall short. 

But the most dramatic finding, by far, was 

a 33 per cent spike in the kind of 

perfectionism where teens feel they must be 

perfect to win approval from others, 

whether it be friends, social media followers 

or parents. These teens tend to believe 

others judge them harshly, and they see 

their schools and families as unreasonably 

demanding. Psychologists call this the most 

debilitating form of perfectionism, because 

youth are plagued by the feeling they've let 

others down, whether it be by bottoming 

out on a test score, missing a shot on goal or 

getting a "no" from a first-choice college. It 

is associated with major psychopathology 

like anxiety and depressive symptoms. 

Source : Gulf News 

impoverished Hindus and Muslims 

fighting each other. Businessmen, 

traders, politicians, goondas, 'leaders of 

cultural organisations' (like the Hindu 

Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh - RSS) 

feed the people with lies, watch these lies 

become convictions in people's hearts, 

watch the passions build up, and then 

these leaders actually set up the events 

which will provoke a conflagration. They 

simply stick a pin into the nerves of 

people, and it is only a matter of time 

before the people explode. 

"Then, when the first round of violence 

is over, when the initial steam has been let 

off, the lies keep on circulating. The 

people must not realise that they have 

been fooled. Or they will tear down their 

false heroes. There is fuel ready in the 

murky events that make up communal 

violence, and upon this more lies are 

heaped and spread. 

"After all, if the Hindus and Muslims 

live in peace, how will the RSS find 

another convert? How will the trader sell 

arms? How will a shopkeeper have the 

pleasure seeing a rival's shop burn down? 

How will the goondas loot? How will the 

communalist kill fellow human beings? 

Keep the life floating friends!" 

In a chapter titled 'Split-level war in 

Jamshedpur', Akbar blended some 

serious spot reporting with useful insights 

into what can be discerned as a pattern of 

communal violence generally, and in 

Jamshedpur specifically. 

Source : Dawn

STRATEGIC ISSUES 

FriDay, FebrUary 9, 2018 

5 

russia’s objections to Japan’s aegis ashore Decision 

GUy PloPSky 

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo 

Abe's Cabinet decision to procure two 

Aegis Ashore systems with the stated 

purpose of strengthening Japan's ballistic 

missile defense (BMD) capabilities 

in the face of persistent North 

Korean provocations and threats 

drew heavy condemnation from Russia's 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

"[T]he adoption of a decision to purchase 

and deploy these systems 

should be viewed as disproportionate 

to the real missile threats in the 

region," declared Russian Foreign 

Ministry spokesperson Maria 

Zakharova in late August 2017, 

adding that they "may undermine 

strategic stability in the northern part 

of the Pacific." Deputy Foreign Minister 

Sergey Ryabkov was equally critical 

in December, and proceeded to 

threaten that the future presence of 

such systems in Japan is "something 

we certainly cannot fail to take into 

account in our military planning." 

Objections to decisions made by the 

United States and regional allies on 

the stationing of BMD assets in the 

Asia-Pacific region are not new. The 

deployment of a U.S. Army Terminal 

High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) 

system to South Korea in 2017 was 

met with heavy criticism from both 

Moscow and Beijing despite repeated 

reassurances from Washington and 

Seoul that the purpose of the deployment 

was to bolster South Korea's 

defense against a potential missile 

strike from the North. For Russia, 

both the THAAD deployment and the 

Aegis Ashore decision represent the 

continued expansion "of the U.S. 

global ballistic missile defense system." 

Unlike THAAD, however, the two 

Aegis Ashore systems are intended for 

Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force 

(JGSDF). Tokyo has repeatedly conveyed 

this point to Russian officials, 

reassuring them that the systems will 

be operated by Japan. Moscow, however, 

continues to stick to its accusations. 

"We heard the allegations that 

Japan would control this system and 

that the United States would have no 

relation thereto," Russian Foreign 

Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists 

in mid-January 2018, adding that 

"[w]e have serious doubts that this is 

so." This dubious Russian assumption 

has served as the basis for all of 

Moscow's objections to the installation 

of the systems, and is likely to 

damage Russia's relationship with 

Japan as well as further strain U.S.- 

Russia relations in the future. 

A land-based version of the famed 

seaborne Aegis Combat System, 

Lockheed Martin's Aegis Ashore will 

serve as the "upper tier" of Japan's 

BMD system. Tokyo has yet to 

announce where Japan's two Aegis 

Ashore installations will be built; 

however, potential locations include 

Akita prefecture and Yamaguchi prefecture 

in northwestern and southwestern 

Japan, respectively. The systems 

are expected to become operational 

no earlier than 2023 and cost 

approximately ¥100 billion ($912 

million) each. 

Tokyo plans to equip the systems 

with advanced exoatmospheric Standard 

Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA 

interceptors. Developed jointly by 

Raytheon and Japan's Mitsubishi 

Heavy Industries, the Block IIA is 

designed to intercept short-, medium- 

, and intermediate-range ballistic 

missiles (SRBMs, MRBMs, and 

IRBMs). Compared with the previous 

generation SM-3 Block IA and Block 

IB, the Block IIA is a markedly more 

capable missile, possessing much 

greater horizontal and vertical range 

as well as a higher burn-out velocity 

and a significantly more advanced kill 

vehicle. These factors make the SM-3 

Block IIA a potential strategic interceptor, 

meaning Block IIAs could, in 

theory, be used to aid in defending 

against intercontinental ballistic missiles 

(ICBMs). (The Block IIA has yet 

to be tested against an ICBM-class 

target). 

Though Russian officials have not 

stated that their concerns about 

Japan's planned Aegis Ashore systems 

emanate specifically from the 

potential capabilities of the SM-3 

Block IIA, Russia's Foreign Ministry 

has, on a number of occasions, 

accused Tokyo of being involved in 

"building the Asian segment of the 

U.S. global missile defense system" - a 

move which the Ministry claims contributes 

to strategic instability. If this 

accusation is interpreted as meaning 

a dubious russian assumption is behind moscow's opposition 

to the missile defense system. 

Photo: U.S. navy 

that Russia fears Japan's Aegis 

Ashore systems may undermine its 

strategic nuclear deterrent, then this 

accusation lacks merit. While an indepth 

discussion on whether Japan's 

Aegis Ashore systems threaten Russia's 

strategic nuclear deterrent is 

beyond the scope of this article, it suffices 

to note that - all other difficulties 

and obstacles put aside - Aegis Ashore 

systems stationed in Japan's Akita 

and Yamaguchi prefectures will not 

pose a threat to Russian ICBMs 

launched at the U.S. mainland from 

sites in Siberia simply due to the distances 

involved. 

Indeed, though Japan's Aegis 

Ashore systems will likely include an 

"engage-on-remote" capability 

enabling them to engage targets at 

ranges exceeding those of their own 

radar systems, Russian ICBMs headed 

for the U.S. mainland will still 

remain beyond the 2,000 to 2,500 km 

(1,243 to 1,353 mile) operational 

range of SM-3 Block IIA interceptors 

deployed at the two aforementioned 

probable Aegis Ashore sites in Japan. 

Attempting to defend the United 

States against a Russian ICBM strike 

with Block IIA interceptors would 

require deploying them in very large 

quantities elsewhere, namely, close to 

the continental United States. Even 

then, the prospects of successfully 

intercepting large numbers of Russian 

ICBM warheads are very slim. 

What then explains Russia's vehement 

opposition to Japan's Aegis 

Ashore decision and its conviction 

that these BMD systems "may undermine 

strategic stability?" Moscow has 

traditionally opposed the deployment 

of any BMD assets that it perceives as 

furthering the capabilities of the U.S. 

national missile defense system. It has 

done so regardless of the actual capabilities 

of the assets in question. Ergo, 

Russia's objection to Japan's Aegis 

Ashore decision could have simply 

been carried over from Europe, where 

Moscow has for years strongly objected 

to the installation of two U.S. Aegis 

Ashore systems in Romania and 

Poland (even though these systems, 

too, pose no threat to Russia's strategic 

nuclear deterrent). 

Another, more obscure, factor that 

may assist in explaining Russia's calculus 

on Japan's Aegis Ashore decision 

is China. Like Russia, China does 

not differentiate between U.S. theater 

and national missile defense, and, like 

Russia, China has the military means 

to target U.S. and allied BMD assets in 

the region. For Moscow, China's similar 

stance on BMD and the expanding 

offensive capabilities of the People's 

Liberation Army (PLA) present 

both an opportunity and a long-term 

concern. 

They present an opportunity 

because they could allow Moscow and 

Beijing to jointly apply greater pressure 

on Japan as well as complicate 

defense planning for Tokyo and 

Washington. Of particular concern for 

Japan are Chinese and Russian cruise 

missiles. According to Japanese 

Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, 

Tokyo is contemplating adding an 

anti-air warfare capability to its Aegis 

Ashore systems - including the possible 

integration of Raytheon's highly 

capable Standard Missile-6 (SM-6)- - 

in order to increase their survivability. 

In addition to cruise missiles and aircraft, 

upgraded versions of the SM-6 

are also designed to provide terminal 

defense against SRBMs and MRBMs 

as well as hypersonic weapon systems. 

China has been particularly 

active with regard to the latter, and, as 

The Diplomat reported in December 

2017, has been testing a mediumrange 

hypersonic boost-glide system. 

That said, while the PLA's rapidly 

expanding military capabilities are 

primarily directed at the U.S. and 

regional allies, they also greatly complicate 

Moscow's desire to contain 

China in the long run. Russia's 2014 

annexation of Crimea and American 

moves to contain China in the Asia- 

Pacific have pushed Moscow and Beijing 

much closer together; however, 

mutual suspicions between the two 

are likely to endure. 

As a result, the prospect of China 

fielding large quantities of conventional 

and nuclear-capable longrange 

cruise missiles, theater ballistic 

missiles, and theater-range hypersonic 

weapon systems in response to U.S. 

and allied missile defenses in the 

region represents a potential longterm 

concern for Russia as well. So, 

too, does the prospect of China 

expanding its ICBM arsenal for fears 

of it being undermined by U.S. and 

allied BMD assets. Hence, Russian 

Foreign Ministry complaints that the 

deployment of THAAD in South 

Korea and the installation of Aegis 

Ashore systems in Japan "will disrupt 

the strategic balance in Asia Pacific 

and beyond," may very well also be a 

subtle reference to Russia's uneasiness 

about China's growing military 

capabilities. 

Another Russian accusation levied at 

Tokyo's decision to deploy Aegis Ashore 

systems is that their installation would 

violate the 1987 Intermediate-Range 

Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which bans 

conventional and nuclear groundlaunched 

cruise and ballistic missiles 

(GLCMs and GLBMs) with ranges of 500 

to 5,500 km (310 to 3,417 miles). The 

Treaty also bans all launchers of a type 

that have contained or launched a missile 

considered by the Treaty to be a GLCM or 

GLBM possessing a range that falls within 

the above mentioned prohibited range 

region. According to Russia's Foreign 

Ministry, Japan's Aegis Ashore systems 

violate the INF because they are "capable 

of launching cruise missiles." 

is this the Start of a US-China trade War? 

Shannon tiezzi 

Ever since the election of U.S. President 

Donald Trump, the threat of an uptick 

in U.S.-China trade tensions have 

seemed unavoidable. Trump, after all, 

based his campaign on a promise to 

return economic prosperity to the U.S. 

Rust Belt, where manufacturing jobs 

have dried up, or, in Trumpian parlance, 

been "stolen" by China. A year 

into Trump's presidency, however, we 

hadn't seen much action on that front, 

with Trump instead taking a cordial 

stance in talks with Chinese President 

Xi Jinping. 

That changed on January 22, when 

the Trump administration announced 

that it would levy tariffs on imported 

solar panels and washing machines, 

arguing that "increased foreign imports 

of washers and solar cells and modules 

are a substantial cause of serious injury 

to domestic manufacturers." While the 

tariffs apply to products imported from 

around the world, the press release 

from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative 

singled out China's trade 

practices as a major concern. In 

response, China's Ministry of Commerce 

(MOFCOM) called the move "an 

abuse of trade remedy measures." 

"China hopes the U.S. will use the 

trade restrictions with restraint, abide 

by the multilateral trade rules and play 

a positive role in promoting world economic 

development," said Wang 

Hejun, head of MOFCOM's Trade 

Remedy and Investigation Bureau in a 

statement. "With regard to the erroneous 

practice of the U.S., China will, 

together with other WTO members, 

resolutely defend its legitimate interests." 

On February 4, MOFCOM moved 

beyond words to actions, opening antidumping 

and anti-subsidy investigations 

into sorghum imported from the 

United States. Notably, the MOFCOM 

statements announcing the investigations 

admitted that the probes were not 

triggered by a formal domestic complaint; 

citing "special circumstances," 

thought, MOFCOM said there was 

"ample evidence" to believe that dumping 

and subsidies were causing harm to 

Chinese domestic producers by suturing 

the market and bringing down 

prices. 

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, 

in a regular press conference, 

emphasized that the sorghum probes 

were "just a normal individual case of 

trade remedy investigations" - rather 

than an explicit response to the Trump 

administration's recent moves. 

The investigation could have a not 

inconsiderable effect on U.S.-China 

trade. According to the U.S. Grains 

Council, sorghum is the third-largest 

cereal grain crop grown in the United 

States - and China accounts for the 

lion's share of sorghum exports (79 percent 

as of the 2016-2017 crop year). 

More concerning, however, is the possibility 

that this is simply a warning shot. 

China is the largest export market for 

U.S. agricultural products, consuming 

$21.4 billion in U.S. agricultural 

exports in 2016; further action from 

China could threaten that considerable 

total. On the other hand, China can ill 

afford to jeopardize its own agricultural 

supplies simply for the sake of making 

a political point. 

Trade action against U.S. agricultural 

products is China's preferred method 

for signaling displeasure with Washington's 

own trade decisions. In the 

early days of the Obama administration, 

China responded to new U.S. tariffs 

on tire imports by putting its own 

tariffs on U.S. chicken products as well 

as automobiles. Such tit-for-tat 

exchanges are par for the course in 

U.S.-China trade relations; the earlier 

cases were later settled through a mixture 

of diplomacy and judgments from 

the World Trade Organization. 

In other words, despite Trump's bombastic 

campaign rhetoric - he infamously 

accused China of "raping" the United 

States - so far, we haven't seen anything 

out of the ordinary in the U.S.-China 

trade relationship. But with Trump 

promising "a very big intellectual property 

potential fine" on China in January, the 

trade frictions are just heating up. 

after the trump administration levies tariffs on Chinese solar panels, China investigates U.S. 

sorghum imports. 

Photo: White house 

Factory workers on an assembly line at a haier factory in China's Shandong Province. 

Photo: mark Schiefelbein 

is China’s era of Cheap labor really over? 

Dmitriy Plekhanov 

Cheap labor has long been considered the main factor behind 

the Chinese economic miracle, propelling the country to the 

status of the world's factory, shifting global supply chains, 

and igniting debates in other countries about companies 

moving their plants to China, the consequences of job outsourcing 

for domestic industries and workers, and unfair 

competitive advantages associated with the poor labor conditions 

of Chinese factory workers. 

However, as is often the case in economics, the causes and 

effects can change their places. Cheap labor created the Chinese 

miracle, which, in turn, can finally eliminate the cheap 

labor phenomenon. Economic growth during the past 20 

years has led to a rapid increase in wages. Thus the developments 

of the Chinese labor market have recently drawn 

increased attention from various economists and analysts 

trying to figure out what is happening with China's most 

prominent global competitive advantage. 

The official statistics in China indicates a tremendous 

increase in population incomes. But what matters for international 

competitiveness is cross-country comparison. Various 

analysts have proposed their estimates comparing the 

level of China's wages and labor costs with other countries. 

For example, according to estimates from the Bank of America 

Merrill Lynch, hourly wages in Mexico in dollar terms in 

2016 were 40 percent lower than in China. According to data 

from Euromonitor International, hourly manufacturing 

wages in China in 2016 exceeded those in every major Latin 

American economy except Chile and were at around 70 percent 

of the level in weaker Eurozone countries, such as Portugal. 

All in all, those estimates taken together indicate that 

China's competitive advantage is definitely shrinking if it has 

not completely gone already. However, international comparisons 

of wages are hampered by inadequate data. To be 

eligible for comparison, statistical indicators should be calculated 

on the basis of the same methodology, following internationally 

accepted statistical standards. But in the sphere of 

labor market statistics, there is a remarkable heterogeneity 

among countries in terms of methods and sources of data for 

estimating national wages. 

This problem is especially pronounced for developing 

countries. Estimation of wages can differ by sources of data 

(administrative data, sample surveys, census), by coverage of 

various categories of enterprises and workers, periods of statistical 

observation, etc. For example, the official statistics in 

India do not cover all employed in industry, and in Mexico, 

the national data are available only since 2005. 

China's labor market statistics also have drawbacks, which 

impose even more restrictions on international comparisons. 

The difficulties encountered by the Chinese official statistics 

in measuring population earnings (income and wages) can 

be illustrated by the fact that the National Bureau of Statistics 

(NBS) still estimates economy-wide indicators such as GDP 

using mainly a production approach. 

There is no single indicator of wages in Chinese official statistics. 

The official statistics on wages disseminated by the 

NBS come from different sources, which cover different categories 

of employees. This peculiarity of the Chinese official 

statistical system stems from the fact that the Chinese economy 

during recent decades has undergone a huge transformation 

from a command-style economy to some kind of 

market economy with Chinese characteristics. During this 

period, the capabilities of the official statistical system to 

monitor developments in the economy has been lagging 

behind the pace of changes in society in general. The role of 

state-owned enterprises in the economy decreased, new 

types of enterprises were introduced, migration from rural to 

urban areas increased dramatically, and the labor market 

underwent substantial informalization.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018 

6 

Local SME fair-2018 was inaugurated in Feni recently. 

Bankers should have 

vast computer 

Knowledge: speakers 

RAJSHAHI: Speakers at a 

training programme said 

bankers should acquire 

knowledge on computer and 

ICT applications for 

enhancing their professional 

efficiency, reports BSS. 

They said no banker can attain 

professional success without 

gaining knowledge on basic 

computing, banking software 

and proper applications. 

They made the observation 

at inaugural session of a threeday 

training course titled 

"Basic Computing and 

Banking Software" held here 

on Wednesday. 

Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan 

Bank (RAKUB) organised the 

course at its central computer 

laboratory. A total of 20 

officers and senior officers 

joined the course. 

Main objective of the course 

was to making the mid-level 

bankers competent and 

efficient in computer software 

and its applications. 

RAKUB Managing Director 

Kazi Alamgir and General 

Manager Muzammel Haque 

addressed the session as chief 

and special guests respectively 

with principalof its training 

institute Ataur Rahman in the 

chair. Dy General Manager 

Ashok Kumar Acharya, Senior 

Faculty Member Subrata 

Kumar Ghosh and Course 

Coordinator Ahsan Ullah also 

spoke on the occasion. 

Kazi Alamgir said largescale 

promotion and 

application of ICT is very 

important for making the 

banking services time-fitting 

and client- friendly in the 

present era of globalisation. 

Truck driver 

killed in Gazipur 

road accident 

GAZIPUR: A truck driver 

was killed in a road accident 

in Salna area of the district 

this morning, reports BSS. 

The deceased was identified 

as Enayet Hossain, 40. Police 

said the accident occurred on 

the Dhaka-Mymensingh 

highway when a truck hit 

another standing truck, 

leaving its driver Eanyet dead 

on the spot. 

Enayet was repairing his 

truck in the area, police said. 


A drug peddler with 2500 pieces of yaba held in Gopalganj yesterday. 

Photo : TBT 

Tight security measures were taken in Dinajpur yesterday centering the 

verdict of Zia orphanage trust case. 

Photo : TBT 

Nat’l science festival 

begins at JU today 

SAVAR : A two-day science festival tilled, '2nd 

National Science Fest-2018' will begin at 

Jahangirnagar University today, reports BSS. 

With the slogan, 'Be Innovative, Make 

Innovative', Jahangirnagar University 

Science Club (JUSC) is arranging the festival. 

Shohag said a total of 10 universities, 

including public and private, 20 colleges and 

30 schools will take part in the festival. 

JUSC president Shahriyar Kabir Shohag 

came up with the announcement at apress 

conference held at the office of Jahangirnagar 

University Journalists' Association on the 

campus in the afternoon. 

Chief Coordinator of Sustainable 

Development Goals (SDG) Affairs at the 

Prime Minister's Office Abul Kalam Azad will 

inaugurate the festival at Zahir Raihan 

auditorium premises at 10.30 am tomorrow. 

Shohag said a total of 10 universities, 

including public and private, 20 colleges and 

30 schools will take part in the festival. 

The two-day festival will arrange poster 

presentations, quiz contests for university 

level students, idea contests, robotics 

workshops, project presentations for the 

school and college level students and award 

distribution ceremony. 

Founding 

anniversary 

of RDRS 

observed 

NILPHAMARI: - The 46th 

founding anniversary of 

RDRS Bangladesh was 

observed in a befitting 

manner here yesterday, 

reports BSS. 

In observance of the day, 

Deputy Commissioner Md 

Khalid Rahim addressed a 

post-cake-cutting discussion 

as the chief guest at its 

district office, said a press 

release. 

The chief guest said RDRS 

Bangladesh has played 

laudable role in improving 

the rural life, socioeconomy, 

education, health, 

women empowerment, 

agriculture and food 

security. 

The chief guest also urged 

RDRS Bangladesh for 

working shoulder-toshoulder 

with the 

government in turning the 

country into a middle 

income nation by 2021, and 

subsequently a developed 

country by 2041 as 

envisioned by Prime 

Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

Programme Coordinator 

of the NGO for Nilphamari 

unit KM Rashedul 

Arefeenpresided over the 

event participated by its 

officials, civil society 

members, socio-cultural and 

human rights activists, 

professionals, federation 

leaders and local elite. 

Senior 

Programme 

Manager (Microfinance) for 

Nilphamari unit of the NGO 

Golam Mostafa delivered 

the welcome speech 

narrating its glorious 

performances in improving 

livelihoods and socioeconomic 

condition of the 

poor by cutting poverty. 

1992 and Silver Medal in 

1995, Expo-Hanover Award 

in 2002, City Group Award 

in 2006, Good Practice 

Competition Award of 

UNFPA, Women and 

Children Affairs Ministry in 

2012. 

Seminar on 

research 

methodology 

held at BRUR 

RANGPUR: A day-long 

seminar on 'Research 

Methodology: Questionnaires 

Development' was held at 

Begum Rokeya University, 

Rangpur (BRUR) here 

yesterday, reports BSS. 

Dr Wazed Research and 

Training Institute (DWRTI) 

of the university organised 

the seminar at its virtual 

class room in the campus, 

said a press release. 

Vice-Chancellor of BRUR 

and Director of DWRTI 

Professor Dr Nazmul Ahsan 

Kalimullah formally 

inaugurated the seminar. 

Chief Executive Officer 

(CEO) of Change Maker 

Syed Tamjidur Rahman 

conducted the seminar as 

the keynote speaker. 

Moderated by Research 

Officer of DWRTI 

Mehzabeen Elahi, research 

fellows of DWRTI, teachers 

and students of different 

departments and officials of 

DWRTI participated in the 

seminar. 

Brac distributes educational 

tools among 100 poor students 

RAJSHAHI: Some 100 primary students 

coming from poor and extreme poor families 

in the city received education equipment like 

schoolbag, Tiffin-box, notebook, pen and 

pencil free of cost, reports BSS. 

Brac distributed the tools in association 

with its 'Urban Development Programme' at 

a function in the conference hall of Rajshahi 

City Corporation here on Wednesday. 

The educational appliances will help the 

students conducting their regular schooling 

and institutional learning. 

Brac Regional Coordinator Farzana 

Parveen told the function that around 

53,000 people of 12,500 households living in 

different slum areas in the city are getting 

time-fitting tools of improving their living 

and livelihood condition for reducing multidimensional 

poverty and deprivation under 

the urban development programme. 

An empowering situation is being created 

so that the targeted people are able to get 

access to adequate, safe and affordable 

housing, basic and inclusive services and 

upgrades slums. 

Around 17,500 youths, including around 

13,000 females of 15-29 age group, will get 

empowerment and entrepreneurship 

privileges through need- based promotional 

activities. 

Of them, 3,000 youths will be imparted 

either three or six-month need- based 

vocational and technical training and job 

placement for improving their living and 

livelihood condition. 

Farzana Parveen said the programme 

intends to promote socio-economic 

empowerment of the beneficiary people. 

City Mayor Musaddique Hossain Bulbul 

addressed the meeting as chief guestwith 

Chief Executive Officer Shah Mumin in the 

chair. Chief Engineer Ashraful Haque and 

Executive Engineer Nur Islam Tusser also 

spoke. 

Police recovered four cows which were looted from the farm of Minister in 

Lalmonirhat recently. 


Farmers training needed for 

promoting water-saving crops 

RAJSHAHI: Speakers at a discussion mentioned farmers in the Hard Barind area need 

time-fitting training and motivation on how to cultivate more water-saving crops to lessen the 

existing pressure on groundwater, reports BSS. 

They viewed there is no alternative to encourage the farmers to promote various cereal 

crops and vegetables instead of only Irri-boro paddy on the dried land to face the water stress 

condition as its groundwater table has gradually been declining. 

They were addressing a daylong farmers training styled "Production of Quality Wheat and 

Paddy Seed and Cultivation of Less Water Consuming Crops". 

Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) organized the event at its Naogaon 

Zone office in association with its 'Quality Seed Production, Distribution and Farmers 

Training for Crops Production' project yesterday. 

BMDA Chairman Dr Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Deputy Manager (Agriculture) ATM 

Rafiqul Islam addressed the training sessions as chief and special guests respectively with 

Executive Engineer Shariful Islam in the chair. 

Rafiqul Islam said more than 600 farmers will be brought under the training programme 

for cultivation of less-water consuming crops like cereal, pulses, oilseed, tuber and vegetables 

in the preliminary stage. 

Winter Pitta Festival was held at Singair Upazila Parishad premises of 

Manikganj district recently. 

Photo : Mubarak Hossain 

Bangladesh Ansar-VDP working 

dedicatedly for people’s welfare 

Chase and counter-chase between police and BNP activists was held in Joypurhat centering Khaleda's 

verdict. 

Photo : Masrakul Alam 

GAIBANDHA: Speakers at a function 

here yesterday said Bangladesh Ansar- 

VDP, the largest voluntary organization 

in the country, has been working 

dedicatedly and affectionately for the 

welfare of the people for long, reports 

BSS. 

"The members of Ansar and VDP 

work to maintain law and order, 

contribute to the socio-economic 

development side by side with 

eradicating militancy, and other social 

crimes from the society", they said. 

They made the comments while 

addressing an annual conference 

organized by Palashbari Upazila Ansar 

and VDP office at upazila town hall of the 

district on Wednesday. 

District Commandant of Ansar and 

VDP M. Aftkharul Islam addressed the 

conference as the chief guest and officer 

in charge of Palashbari thana 

Mahmudul Hasan and commander of 

Upazila Muktijoddha Sangshad M. 

Abdur Rahman and president of Upazila 

Press Club M. Robiul Islam were present 

as the special guests. 

With UNO M. Tofazzal Hossain in the 

chair, the function was also addressed, 

among others, by upazila Ansar and 

VDP officer M. Ayub Ali and upazila 

trainer Ferdousi Begum. 

The chief guest in his speeches 

narrated the glorious history of the well 

organized and disciplined voluntary 

organization that has been working with 

dedication in remote areas with its 

trained members for building a middle 

income country by 2021 and digital 

Bangladesh as well. 

He also urged the members to 

discharge their duties with utmost 

sincerity and honesty to make all the 

government-sponsored development 

programmes successful. 

UNO M. Tofazzal Hossain asked the 

members to work to free the society 

from social crimes specially militancy, 

eve teasing, human trafficking, gender 

disparity, drug trading and 

superstitions. 

At the end, some Ansar and VDP 

members were awarded bi-cycles, 

sewing machines, umbrella and 

different kinds of gifts for their laudable 

contribution in the working fields. 

A total of 200 members of Ansar and 

VDP of the upazila participated in the 

conference spontaneously.

INTERNATIONAL 

fRIdAy, feBRUARy 9, 2018 

7 

Lawmakers are demanding Myanmar's exclusion from U.S.-led military exercises in neighboring 

Thailand next week amid pressure for more American sanctions in response to atrocities against 

Rohingya Muslims. 

Photo : AP 

Myanmar’s place at US military 

drills in Asia draws ire 

WASHINGTON : Lawmakers are 

demanding Myanmar's exclusion from 

U.S.-led military exercises in neighboring 

Thailand next week amid pressure 

for more American sanctions in 

response to atrocities against Rohingya 

Muslims, reports UNB. 

Myanmar's planned participation in 

the Cobra Gold exercise, which starts 

Feb. 13, comes as its security forces are 

accused of killing hundreds if not thousands 

of civilians and burning down villages 

after Rohingya militant attacks 

last summer. More than 680,000 

Rohingya - loathed in majority Buddhist 

Myanmar and denied citizenship 

- have fled to Bangladesh, joining hundreds 

of thousands more already sheltering 

there. They are unlikely to return 

any time soon. 

That makes the country's involvement 

in Cobra Gold, America's largest, 

annual multi-nation drills in the Asia- 

Pacific, all the more controversial, 

although Myanmar has taken part 

before. Up to three officers from Myanmar 

are being invited to observe the 

humanitarian assistance and disaster 

relief portion of the drills, Pentagon 

spokesman Marine Lt. Col. Christopher 

Logan said. He said the identity and 

ranks of the officers participating is still 

under discussion. 

"Simply put, militaries engaged in 

ethnic cleansing should not be honing 

their skills alongside U.S. troops," Sen. 

Naked passenger 

forces plane back 

to Anchorage 

ANCHORAGE : An Alaska 

Airlines flight to Seattle was 

forced to return to Anchorage 

early Wednesday after a 

passenger locked himself in 

the bathroom, took off all his 

clothes, and refused to follow 

crew instructions, 

reports UNB. 

Kate Danyluk, a passenger 

on the flight, told The Associated 

Press she knew something 

was wrong because the 

flight attendants kept going 

back and forth in the aisles 

and had put on rubber 

gloves. 

"Alaska Airlines flight 146 

from Anchorage to Seattle 

returned to Anchorage due 

to a passenger not following 

flight attendant's instructions. 

While no emergency 

was declared, the decision 

was made to return to 

Anchorage," Alaska Airlines 

spokesman Tim Thompson 

said in an email. 

Airport police and FBI met 

the plane when it landed 

shortly before 3 a.m. 

"The police came on and 

took him out the back door," 

said Danyluk, an Anchorage 

teacher who was taking a 

"green escape" to attend a 

garden show in Seattle. 

It wasn't immediately 

clear if the man was arrested. 

The FBI did not return 

repeated messages to the 

Associated Press on 

Wednesday. 

"There was a subject on 

the aircraft that had barricaded 

or locked himself in 

the bathroom, the lavatory," 

airport police Sgt. Darcy 

Perry told Anchorage police 

station KTVA. Her office 

declined to make her available 

to speak to the AP. 

John McCain, the Republican chair of 

the Senate Armed Services Committee, 

told The Associated Press. 

The criticism by Democrats and 

Republicans in Congress reflects the 

souring view of the Southeast Asian 

nation's transformation from decades 

of army rule to democracy as evidence 

of widespread abuses has mounted. 

Myanmar's siege-like denial it's done 

anything wrong has only furthered its 

estrangement from much of the world. 

Before last year's crackdown, McCain 

was advocating more U.S.-Myanmar 

military ties, not less. Now he's one of 

the sponsors of a new sanctions bill. 

The Trump administration already 

has imposed sanctions on the chief of 

Myanmar's western military command 

and says it's considering blacklisting 

others. It maintains restrictions on 

visas and assistance to Myanmar's military. 

But the Senate's bipartisan bill, 

approved Wednesday by the Foreign 

Relations Committee, would turn the 

screw by pushing for more targeted 

sanctions and by reinforcing restrictions 

on military engagement with 

Myanmar, also known as Burma. A 

partner bill has been introduced in the 

House. "We need to bridge the impunity 

gap that protects Burma's military," 

said Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of 

Massachusetts. Secretary of State Rex 

Tillerson has described the attacks on 

Rohingya as "ethnic cleansing." U.N.- 

appointed investigator Yanghee Lee 

has gone further, saying it "bears the 

hallmarks of a genocide," which the 

world body defines as acts committed 

with intent to destroy a national, ethnic 

or religious group. Unlike ethnic 

cleansing, genocide is a crime under 

international law. 

Rep. Ed Royce, the House Foreign 

Affairs Committee's Republican chairman, 

and Democrat Sen. Patrick Leahy 

of Vermont, architect of a law prohibiting 

U.S. assistance to foreign military 

units implicated in serious human 

rights abuses, also said Myanmar had 

no business taking part in the drills in 

Thailand. They include 29 nations. 

About 20 are observers. 

"We should not be rewarding those 

who flagrantly violate international law 

with impunity," Leahy said. 

The plight of the Rohingya has highlighted 

the Myanmar military's unchallenged 

authority over security operations 

despite ceding power to a civilian 

government after 2015 elections. 

Myanmar staunchly denies that its security 

forces have targeted civilians in its 

"clearance operations" in Rakhine State on 

Myanmar's west coast. Even civilian leader 

Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate, 

has bristled at the international criticism. 

But Myanmar's denials have appeared 

increasingly tenuous as horrific accounts 

from refugees have accumulated. 

US airstrike repels attack 

by Syrian regime-backed 

troops 

WASHINGTON : U.S. officials say 

America launched airstrikes on Syrian 

government-backed troops Wednesday 

after they attacked Syrian opposition 

forces who were accompanied by U.S. 

advisers in Deir el-Zour Province, 

reports UNB. 

It's a rare strike against forces that 

support Syrian President Bashar 

Assad's regime. The U.S.-backed Syrian 

Democratic Forces, aided by coalition 

support, are battling Islamic State militants 

east of the Euphrates River. Syrian 

government forces are active on the other 

side of the river around the city of 

Deir el-Zour. The U.S. coalition says in a 

statement that pro-regime forces 

attacked an SDF headquarters, and the 

U.S. launched the airstrike in selfdefense. 

U.S. officials say no Americans were injured 

or killed in the attack by the pro-regime 

forces. They spoke on condition of anonymity 

as details are still emerging on the attack. 

US fighter jets were involved in raids against Syrian regime forces on 

Wednesday. Bram Janssen AP 

Thai activists 

who protested 

junta surrender 

to police 

BANGKOK : Nearly three 

dozen Thai democracy 

activists have turned themselves 

in to police after being 

summoned in connection 

with a protest calling for the 

ruling military government 

to step down and relinquish 

power through elections, 

reports UNB. 

The legal aid group Thai 

Lawyers for Human Rights 

says the activists were 

charged with violating the 

ruling junta's ban on political 

assembly and nine faced 

an additional charge of sedition. 

A few protest leaders did 

not show up Thursday out of 

fear that they would be kept 

in custody and unable to 

attend another pro-election 

rally planned for the weekend. 

Thailand has been under 

military rule since a 2014 

coup, but the junta is under 

increasing pressure both at 

home and abroad to return 

the country to civilian governance. 

South Korean 

soccer player 

pleads not 

guilty to sex 

assault 

HAGATNA : A South Korean 

soccer player accused of 

sexually assaulting a woman 

at a hotel on Guam has 

pleaded not guilty, reports 

UNB. 

The Pacific Daily Newsreportsthat 

Sangju Sangmu 

FC player Byong Oh Kim 

entered his plea on Wednesday. 

Court documents say a 

22-year-old woman told 

police last month that she 

woke up in a hotel room to 

Kim rubbing her stomach 

and breast. She told police 

that Kim also took off her 

underwear and raped her. 

The woman says she ran 

out of the hotel room away 

from Kim and found a security 

guard who called police. 

Kim's attorney, F. Randall 

Cunliffe, says there's video 

evidence from the hotel disputing 

the allegations made 

against his client. 

Kim has been ordered to 

stay on Guam. His next 

hearing is Feb. 13. 

4 stabbed at Texas 

home church service; 

suspect in custody 

CORPUS CHRISTI : Four 

people were stabbed 

Wednesday during a church 

service at a Texas home and 

a man is in custody, police 

said, reports UNB. 

The Corpus Christi Caller- 

Timesreported thatthe incident 

occurred about 7 p.m. at 

a nondenominational service. 

Corpus Christi police 

were called to the home and 

found the pastor who had 

been holding the service 

stabbed in the chest. 

Lt. Jay Clement told the 

newspaper that both the pastor 

and a band member who 

was also wounded were taken 

to a hospital with lifethreatening 

injuries. The 

band member was stabbed 

in the neck, according to the 

newspaper. 

Clement said two more 

people received punctures - 

one to the hand and another 

in the arm. He said they were 

injured trying to get the suspect 

away from the pastor. 

He said it's not clear what 

led to the attack and that the 

suspect faces aggravated 

assault charges. 

Those attending services at 

the home have been gathering 

there each day as part of 

a "40-day pledge," Clement 

said, adding that witnesses 

said the suspect was a 

parishioner. 

In November, a gunman 

fatally shot more than two 

dozen worshippers at a 

church in Sutherland 

Springs, Texas, before dying 

of an apparent self-inflected 

gunshot wound. 

More than 300 child 

soldiers released in 

South Sudan 

YAMBIO : More than 300 child soldiers have 

been released by armed groups in South 

Sudan, the second-largest such release since 

civil war began five years ago. Over 19,000 

children are thought to have been recruited 

by all sides, reports UNB. 

The "laying down of the guns" ceremony 

for 87 girls and 224 boys on Wednesday was 

the first step in a process that should see at 

least 700 child soldiers freed in the coming 

weeks, the United Nations said. 

Putting down weapons and rejoining normal 

life is just the "beginning of the journey," 

said the head of the U.N. mission in South 

Sudan, David Shearer. The U.N. has released 

almost 2,000 child soldiers so far. More than 

10 percent of them have been under age 13. 

One 17-year-old who had been abducted 

and forced to fight attended Wednesday's 

ceremony while clasping his arms around his 

stomach and staring at the ground. He gave 

only his first name, Christopher. 

"They told me to kill my mother," he said, 

his voice barely audible. 

After being seized from his home by opposition 

soldiers at the age of 10 during a period 

of localized fighting, he said his mother 

came into the bush to plead with his commanders 

to set him free. 

"When she came they told me to shoot her 

or I'd be killed instead," the boy said. "I had 

no option, I just asked God to forgive me." 

But he had never shot a gun, and when he 

pulled the trigger it jammed. His mother 

escaped. 

Now freed, Christopher said his family has 

forgiven him. The released children will be 

reunified with their families and given three 

months' worth of food assistance and psychosocial 

support, along with the opportunity 

to go to school. 

Although aid workers were optimistic, they 

worried that renewed violence could force 

the children back into armed groups. A new 

round of peace talks began this week in 

neighboring Ethiopia, mediated by a regional 

bloc. 

"If peace isn't sustained and people are 

forced to the bush, we'll lose these children," 

said Anne Hadjixros, a child protection 

officer with UNICEF. 

Human rights groups say child recruitment 

continues, even as South Sudan's government 

says it has committed to ending 

More than 300 child soldiers have been released by armed groups in South 

Sudan, the second-largest such release since civil war began five years ago. 

Over 19,000 children are thought to have been recruited by all sides. 

Photo : AP 

the practice. "The continued recruitment 

and use of children by the military and 

opposing armed groups points to the utter 

impunity that reigns in South Sudan, and 

the terrible cost of this war on children," 

Mausi Segun, Africa director at Human 

Rights Watch, said in a new report this 

week. 

Speaking at Wednesday's ceremony, 

South Sudan's First Vice President Taban 

Deng Gai called the release of child soldiers 

a sign of peace. 

He also warned other countries, particularly 

the United States, against criticism 

from those in "glass houses." Some in the 

East African nation have responded angrily 

after the U.S. imposed an arms embargo 

last week. The vice president said the U.S. 

had had to learn from its mistakes and 

South Sudan would, too. 

Al-Qaida greater threat 

than IS in some places 

UNITED NATIONS : Al-Qaida's global network 

remains "remarkably resilient" and 

poses a greater threat than the Islamic State 

extremist group in several regions, including 

Yemen and Somalia, U.N. experts say, 

reports UNB. 

The panel of experts monitoring sanctions 

against both groups said in a report to the 

U.N. Security Council, obtained Wednesday 

by The Associated Press, that al-Qaida affiliates 

also "remain a threat at least as serious" 

as IS in West Africa and South Asia. 

In a separate report circulated Tuesday, 

U.N. experts said IS poses "a significant and 

evolving threat around the world" despite 

recent setbacks in Iraq, Syria and the southern 

Philippines that forced the militants to 

relinquish strongholds. 

The new report said unidentified U.N. 

member states highlighted that some al-Qaida 

and IS members "have been willing and 

able to support each other in the preparation 

of attacks," which poses "a potential new 

threat" in some regions. 

"In addition, al-Qaida propaganda continues 

to highlight a new generation of potential 

leaders, such as Hamza bin Laden ... in an 

apparent attempt to project a younger image 

to its sympathizers," the experts said. 

Bin Laden is the son of Osama bin Laden, 

who masterminded the al-Qaida terrorist 

attack on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, 

that killed nearly 3,000 people and injured 

over 6,000. He called on Muslims around 

the world in an audio message in November 

to avenge his father's killing in 2011 by U.S. 

Navy SEALS. 

In Syria, the experts, said some unnamed 

governments also highlighted that the Nusra 

Front "remains one of the strongest and 

largest al-Qaida affiliates globally." It aims to 

absorb smaller groups in Syria though some 

members argue that the Nusra Front should 

have "a more international outlook" and not 

concentrate only on Syria, they said. 

The Nusra Front remains the dominant 

force in the al-Qaida-linked Hay'at Tahrir al 

Sham coalition - Arabic for Levant Liberation 

Committee, also known as HTS - with 

between 7,000 and 11,000 fighters, including 

several thousand foreigners, the experts 

said. The group is entrenched and able to 

make money in its stronghold in Idlib 

province, they said. But since the report was 

written, Idlib has come under intense attack 

by Syrian government forces. 

According to the assessment of U.N. member 

states, the experts said al-Qaida also 

"remains a serious threat within the Arabian 

peninsula," plotting attacks in the wider 

Middle East as well including a July 2017 

plot targeting Jordan that was planned in 

Yemen and disrupted. 

The experts said Al-Qaida in the Arabian 

Peninsula is playing a leading role in al-Qaida's 

propaganda and communications activities. 

In West Africa, the experts said member 

states highlighted that the threat from 

groups related to al-Qaida and the Islamic 

State continues to spread through Mali as 

well as neighboring countries. 

Over the course of 2017, they said, most 

"terrorist entities" operating in the Sahel 

region established formal links with either IS 

or al-Qaida. "However, to date, no rivalry 

between the various groups has been 

observed," the experts said. 

In East Africa, they said the al-Qaida affiliate 

al-Shabab "remains resilient and has sustained 

its dominance" over IS affiliates in 

Somalia. It also poses a greater threat than IS 

to the African Union peacekeeping force in 

the country. 

"In 2017, al-Shabab pursued its goal of 

establishing a presence beyond Somalia and 

conducted operations seeking to set up bases 

in Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti," the experts 

said. 

In Afghanistan, the experts said, unnamed 

governments highlighted an increase in 

opposition fighters, estimating there could 

be as many as 60,000 fighters loyal to the 

Taliban combined with members of various 

al-Qaida-affiliated groups. 

There are more than 20 groups active in 

the country, with the Taliban the largest at 

about 40,000 to 45,000 fighters, the experts 

said. In South Asia, al-Qaida affiliates and 

Islamic State extremists are taking advantage 

of "the volatile security situation in 

Afghanistan," the experts said. 

Islamic State losses in Iraq and Syria also 

are raising "the threat to Southeast Asia, as 

its funds and fighters are scattered around 

the world," the report said.

ART & CULTURE 

FriDay, 

FEBrUary 9, 2018 

8 

Fifty shades 

trilogy reaches 

disappointing 

3 storeys: Films 

find their own 

commerce, 

people, says 

climax 

ritesh sidhwani 

EntErtainmEnt DEsk 


Critics have been lining up to give 

the final instalment in the Fifty 

Shades trilogy a thrashing, with 

one calling it "even ropier than the 

second one". 

Fifty Shades Freed, continues 

Robbie Collin in The Telegraph, 

has "zero" nuances, "drab" 

subplots and a script by Niall 

Leonard that doesn't "add up". 

The Guardian agrees, calling the 

third film to be based on EL 

James's erotic fiction "limp and 

predictable". 

Jamie Dornan and Dakota 

Johnson star in the movie, out in 

the UK on Friday. 

Directed by James Foley, it had 

its world premiere in France earlier 

this week. 

Fifty Shades Freed sees 

Johnson's Anastasia Steele and 

kinky millionaire Christian Grey 

(Dornan) finally tie the knot. 

But their marital life is 

complicated by her psychotic exboss 

and what Variety's reviewer 

calls "a thin, illogical abduction 

climax". 

"The series' former tart strain of 

battle-of-the-sexes comedy has 

bled almost entirely out of the 

enterprise," writes Guy Lodge in 

the trade paper. 

"In terms of drama, or 

melodrama, or just bad drama, 

Freed rarely delivers the goods," 

concurs Jordan Mintzer in the 

Hollywood Reporter. 

Pop star Rita Ora plays Dornan's 

sister in the film and also performs 

on the soundtrack with former One 

Direction member Liam Payne. 

Writing for Screen Daily, 

reviewer Ben Croll says the film 

offers fans of the franchise "all the 

opulence and tastefully soft-core 

decadence they've come to expect". 

Yet according to The Wrap's Anna 

Hartley, "the sex scenes feel more 

like an afterthought, inserted to 

remind us of the reason the series 

became such a phenomenon." 

The original Fifty Shades of Grey 

film, directed by Sam Taylor- 

Johnson and released in 2015, 

made more than $571m (£411m) 

worldwide. 

Producer Ritesh Sidhwani, after the success of Fukrey 

Returns, is geared up for his forthcoming film 3 Storeys. 

He says movies automatically find their own commerce, 

platform and people. Sidhwani, along with actors Renuka 

Shahane, Pulkit Samrat and Richa Chadha, were present 

at the trailer launch of 3 Storeys on Wednesday. 

He was asked why he chose 3 Storeys after a 

commercial film like Fukrey Returns. Sidhwani said, 

"No, this film was done much before Fukrey Returns. We 

were waiting for the right time to release the film. I have 

been getting a lot of questions about the story of this 

particular movie, which is very different, but I don't know 

what the definition of commercial cinema is. Was 

Quality, not morality, should 

be the benchmark for films 

akshay kumar's Padman to 

earn rs 15cr on day one, rs 

50cr over weekend? 


Akshay Kumar's PadMan is set to hit 

theatres on February 9 and the trade pundits 

have expressed hopes that the film will 

continue the dream box office run started by 

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat earlier 

this year. Most experts believe the film, that 

also stars Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte 

in important roles, is likely to make an 

opening collection of Rs 12-15 crore. 

After Neeraj Pandey's Aiyaary got 

postponed, owing to a delay in the certificate 

from the Central Board of Film Certification, 

PadMan became the solo release of the 

week. 

It is for the first time that I have been away 

before a film's release, says Radhika Apte 

Releasing in 2300-2500 screens across 

India, PadMan also stars Sonam Kapoor and 

Radhika Apte in lead roles. It is based on the 

real life story of Arunachalam 

Muruganantham, who made low-cost 

sanitary pads for the women of his village. 

Amitabh Bachchan also plays a cameo in 

PadMan. 

Trade analyst Joginder Tuteja predicted, 

in his report for Koimoi, an opening 

collection of Rs 12-14 crore for the Akshay 

Kumar-starrer while film exhibitor Akshaye 

Rathi said the earnings could be between Rs 

12-15 crore for day one. According to an 

Indian Express report, trade analyst Girish 

Johar expressed hope that PadMan will 

collect Rs 13-14 crore on Friday. 


People can judge for themselves. I am 

not making films for the Indian 

government." Clearly, the information 

and broadcasting ministry does not 

agree with these sentiments expressed 

by SK Sasidharan, whose film Sexy 

Durga, modestly renamed S Durga, has 

been knocked out off the Goa film 

festival. The film had been cleared by 

the jury as had been another film, Nude, 

which did not meet with the approval of 

the I&B mandarins. 

This has led to the resignation of the 

international film festival jury 

chairman and renowned filmmaker 

Sujoy Ghosh. This is the attitude which 

has prevented India making a bigger 

splash in international film festivals. To 

the world at large, India is still 

synonymous with Bollywood, which 

tends to overshadow many films on 

serious topics that smaller artistes 

make. Presumably, the Victorian 

sensibilities of the I&B officials were 

offended by the titles of the two films 

though the Durga in question is not a 

goddess but a young North Indian 

woman who marries a southerner; 

Nude is all about women models who 

pose for artists. 

Fukrey... commercial and did anyone expect it do that 

well? I mean no one can say that. We did a film in 2006 

called Honeymoon Travels and nobody at that time 

thought that we were talking about packaged honeymoon 

and nobody thought that Kahaani (2012) would be 

commercial, so I feel it's about the story and the content 

and I think films automatically find their own commerce, 

platform and people." 

3 Storeys is produced by Sidhwani, alongside Farhan 

Akhtar and Priya Sreedharan. Asked about the film's 

release date being shifted more than once, Sidhwani said, 

"This is not the decision we can make alone. We have to 

take in the factor of other films. Because of Padmaavat, a 

lot of films were getting pushed. We moved our film from 

December 1 to December 15 and then to December 18. 

So, we needed to find the right date for the release, 

especially for a film which is special." 

He said the delay was not due to any post-production 

issues. "We thought this is the right window to do it and 

we are going to release it on March 9. Also, nothing has 

changed. It's the same movie that we were going to 

release back then." 

The film also features Aisha Ahmed and Masumeh 

Makhija. It explores stories of people living on the three 

different storeys of a chawl, while dealing with love, 

betrayal and everything in between with its unique 

narratives. 


If her recent TV dramas are anything to go 

by, Anna Friel seems to have developed a 

taste for a tough role. In Broken, she 

played a desperate impoverished mother. 

In the US, she entered the glamorous but 

corrupt Washington financial world in the 

sexually-charged The Girlfriend 

Experience. 

And then there's ITV's mentally-fragile 

murder detective Marcella, returning later 

this month for its long-awaited second 

series. While each role has been very 

different, they are all headline-makers in 

their own way. 

Friel says she "doesn't shy away from 

controversial topics", but the only 

deliberate motive behind her choices has 

been self-improvement. 

"With some roles, people say, 'I've never 

seen anything like that'," she explains. 

"But that's because I want to do things 

anna Friel: i've always 

found beauty in flaws 

that are different and challenging and 

make me better rather than just attract a 

huge audience. 

In Marcella, Anna Friel plays a murder 

detective with a rebellious approach to her 

job "Instead I've taken roles I find 

interesting and which deal with issues that 

need a light shone on them." 

For those of an age to remember, Friel in 

fact rose to fame on a wave of controversy 

at the centre of soap opera Brookside's 

groundbreaking 1994 lesbian romance 

storyline. 

Friel was only 16, and considered acting 

more as a "hobby". She could justifiably 

have run for cover in the glare of the media 

and public attention that followed. 

But after Brookside - and a phase as 

"wild child" tabloid fodder - took on roles 

across screen and stage, in the UK and the 

US. 

She even reportedly turned down TV 

presenting jobs and record contracts from 

Simon Cowell in favour of acting. 

Where Broken - with its depiction of 

extreme poverty and people at a complete 

loss - was a difficult watch, the harrowing 

deaths in Marcella make it grimmer still. 

The show's the first English-language 

drama from The Bridge creator Hans 

Rosenfeldt. 

Think Scandi-Noir but set mostly in the 

grey sordid underbelly of London. 

Marcella is an unconventional 

policewoman in the Met's murder squad 

and is up against it on all fronts: tough job, 

estranged husband and children, and 

plagued by periods of memory loss, or 

"fugues". 

Marcella is not a drama for when you're 

down. As well as murder, it tackles social 

issues including paedophilia, food banks, 

zero-hour contracts and urbanisation. 

And nor should you be lacking 

concentration as Marcella is multilayered, 

befitting Hans Rosenfeldt's 

Scandi-noir style. 

This time Marcella's faced with a child 

killer. There are scenes that are truly 

painful to watch, let alone perform, as Friel 

concedes. 

H o r o s c o P E 

ariEs 

(March 21 - April 20): If others go out of 

their way to pick holes in your 

arguments today just ignore them. 

Having said that, it could be there is 

something you have overlooked and at least one 

kind person will try to warn you, so don't be too 

eager to be rude. 

taUrUs 

(April 21 - May 21): Your main task 

today is to resist the temptation to look 

at the world as if everything that 

happens is a disaster or a tragedy. Focus 

only on good news today - there is still plenty of it if 

you care to look. It's about attitude, not events. 

GEmini 

(May 22 - June 21): Check the small 

print carefully before putting pen to 

paper today because you could have 

been misled into thinking that you 

have got the best of a deal when, in fact, others will 

profit a lot more than you do. Details are always 

important. 

cancEr 

(June 22 - July 23): The more others 

want you to do something you don't 

think is in your best interests the more 

you must resist. Your arguments for 

giving it a miss may not sound convincing but what 

matters is that you stick to your guns. They can't 

force you. 

LEo 

(July 24 - Aug. 23): Cosmic activity in 

your fellow fire sign of Aries has filled 

your head with no end of big ideas but 

not all of them are practical, so don't get 

carried away. You are under no obligation to hurry, 

so bide your time and think things through. 

VirGo 

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): Someone who 

usually has only nice things to say 

about you will go right the other way 

and say something hurtful today, but 

you must not let it get to you. Sometimes you can 

be too sensitive for your own good. Don't take 

yourself so seriously. 

LiBra 

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): You have 

nothing to prove and lots to gain and 

everything to look forward to. That is 

the message of the stars today and 

even if you don't quite believe it what happens 

over the next few days will bring a smile to your 

face. It's about time! 

scorPio 

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22): If someone you 

don't know very well tells you what a 

great guy you are it's a sure sign they are 

after something. That something is 

most likely to be your money, so act cool and don't 

give them a thing, no matter how nicely they ask. 

saGittariUs 

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): Your current run 

of good fortune is sure to come to an 

end eventually but there is no reason 

to suppose it will be any time soon. 

The planets indicate there are plenty of good 

things still to look forward to, the first of which 

will arrive today. 

caPricorn 

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): For some strange 

reason you can see enemies in every 

direction at the moment but most if 

not all of them exist only in your 

imagination, so get a grip on yourself and get 

things done. Your only real enemy is your lack of 

self-belief. 

aQUariUs 

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19): You tend to believe in 

yourself to such a degree that you think 

nothing is beyond you, and that's good, 

but even an Aquarius has limits and you 

may need to remind yourself what those limits are. A 

little bit of realism will go a long way. 

PiscEs 

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20): Yes, you should 

let other people have the last word. 

Yes, you should let other people lead 

the way. You may not entirely 

approve of what they say, still less of what they 

do, but so long as you don't get the blame why 

should you worry?

SPORTS 

FRIdAy, FEBRUARy 9, 2018 

9 

Six Nations 2018: Greig Laidlaw starts as Scotland change six for France. 

Chelsea to 

play Perth 

Glory in 

Australia 

SYDNEY, Feb 8, 2018 

(BSS/AFP) - Chelsea will 

play Perth Glory in July in 

the English giant's only 

Australian pre-season 

friendly this year, the A- 

League club said Thursday. 

The Premier League 

champions are returning to 

the Western Australia city 

for the first time since 1974, 

with the game taking place 

at the new Optus stadium, 

which has a capacity of more 

than 60,000. 

"We will be taking a strong 

squad to Perth as we prepare 

for the 2018/19 season," 

Chelsea chairman Bruce 

Buck said in a statement. 

"Of course, we have a long 

way to go in the current 

campaign but we can 

already look forward to an 

exciting pre-season." 

Perth lies just a few hours 

from Southeast Asia and the 

Western Australia state 

government is keen to 

attract fans from the region 

for the game. 

"Football is hugely popular 

in our key Asian tourism 

markets including 

Singapore, Malaysia and 

China, as well as across 

Australia," said state 

tourism minister Paul 

Papalia. 

"This is a great 

opportunity for fans in those 

markets to visit Perth and 

see one of the most 

successful Premier League 

teams of the past 15 years." 

The London club last 

visited in Australia in 2015, 

beating Sydney FC 1-0 in a 

pre-season friendly. 

Perth lies just a few hours 

from Southeast Asia and the 

Western Australia state 

government is keen to 

attract fans from the region 

for the game. 

"Football is hugely popular 

in our key Asian tourism 

markets including 

Chelsea are currently 

fourth in the Premier 

League, 19 points behind 

leaders Manchester City. 

Perth Glory lie eighth in the 

10-team A-League. 

Walter Smith 'safest bet' for manager's job - Steven Naismith. 

Photo: BBC. 

Koreans go ga-ga for 

American boarder 

Kim at Olympics 

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea: At just 17, 

American snowboarding sensation Chloe 

Kim looks set to become the face of the 

Pyeongchang Games -- no pressure then!, 

reports BSS. 

The Californian girl with Korean parents 

got a taste of Olympic-mania on Thursday 

when a news conference turned into a rugby 

scrum as the world's media clambered to get 

a piece of the gold medal hope. 

In the absence of a truly transcendent 

athlete such as figure skater Kim Yuna, 

South Koreans are looking to claim Kim as 

one of their own. "It is very nerve-wracking," 

halfpipe star Kim told reporters. "I think this 

is the craziest place I've been with all these 

cameras. "I was warned there was going to 

be a lot of press," she added with a nervous 

smile. "Competing at my first Olympics in 

the country where my parents came from is 

pretty insane. It's kind of a crazy 

coincidence." 

Kim, who loves the beach, music and the 

mall almost as much as she does busting out 

her eye-popping snowboarding tricks, was so 

good at 13 she might have won gold at the 

Sochi Olympics. Two years under the 

minimum age requirement then, fate 

decreed she would get her chance in South 

Korea, meaning her biggest fan -- her 

grandmother, who enjoys boasting about 

Chloe's exploits over tea -- will be able to 

cheer her on for the first time. 

"I grew up in a very Korean environment," 

said Kim, her blond-streaked hair tied in a 

bun. "My parents are very proud of Korea 

and there are lots of Koreans in LA, so I don't 

feel completely isolated from the culture," 

she added. "I always ate Korean food and I 

feel like I grew up with both cultures. My 

parents are both really excited to be here and 

my grandma is out here cheering me on so it 

will be a really fun experience for the whole 

family." 

Kim revealed she has been acting as an 

interpreter for the American snowboarding 

team since arriving in Pyeongchang, but the 

four-time X Games champion is itching to 

get started. 

"I've just been going crazy honestly 

because I haven't been snowboarding yet 

and I've just been dying in my room," said 

Kim, who will be a hot favourite if she 

executes. "When I'm at a contest the halfpipe 

feels like home." After a recent commercial 

during the Super Bowl raised her profile 

further in the United States, a gold medal in 

Pyeongchang could see Kim cash in with 

sponsorship mega-deals. But for now, she's 

just soaking in her first Olympics."Coming to 

the Olympics was a big dream of mine since 

I was a baby so just being here now is 

unreal," said Kim, who superstitiously taps 

on her board before dropping in to "unjinx" 

herself. "Just trying on the team uniforms 

was so surreal and I almost started crying 

because I was like 'you made it!' 

"We basically went through hell and back 

to get here -- I haven't been home in forever," 

Kim added. "When I was home I'd be home 

for half a day to repack and get on the plane 

again so it's been a crazy journey." 

‘Everyone knows the rules’-Russia hopes 

for ban reprieve in Pyeongchang 

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea: Russia hopes its Olympic ban for systemic doping will be 

lifted before the end of the Pyeongchang Winter Games, a senior sports official said on 

Thursday, adding that athletes had been warned to comply with strict rules governing their 

behavior, reports BSS. 

The country will have 168 athletes in South Korea but they are taking part as neutral 

"Olympic Athletes from Russia" because the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) was banned 

on December 5. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) could lift or partially ease the 

ban in time for the closing ceremony on February 25, as long as the Russiansobserve 

conditions including not showing the Russian flag or wearing its colours. 

Speaking on the eve of the opening ceremony, ROC vice president Stanislav Pozdnyakov 

said: "We hope that the IOC suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee will be lifted 

before the end of the Games." As well as the 168-strong Russian team, 60 more Russian 

athletes and staff 

have pending appeals at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a last-ditch bid to take 

part in Pyeongchang. Russia, with its highly orchestrated, clandestine doping programme in 

full swing, topped the medals table at their home Sochi Games four years ago. 

Photo: BBC. 

Juventus ready to 

pounce as Napoli face 

stiff Lazio test 

MILAN, Feb 8, 2018 (BSS/AFP) - 

Serie A leaders Napoli face a tough 

test of their title hopes when they 

host bruised Lazio this weekend, 

while Juventus travel to Florence 

ready to pounce before they play 

Tottenham in the Champions 

League. 

Lazio -- 14 points behind Napoli in 

third place -- arrive in Naples 

desperately in need of three points 

after back-to-back defeats to AC 

Milan and Genoa. 

Failure could see Simone Inzaghi's 

side slip off the podium with Inter 

Milan and Roma -- also licking their 

wounds after recent struggles -- on 

alert as they host Bologna and 

bottom club Benevento respectively. 

Napoli are just one point ahead of 

Juventus but this weekend could see 

the six-time defending champions 

pull ahead. 

Maurizio Sarri will be only too 

aware that Lazio inflicted just one of 

Juventus's two defeats this season, 

ending the Turin giants' two-year 

unbeaten home record last October. 

And Inzaghi will be keen to avenge 

a demoralising 4-1 defeat the last 

time the two sides met in the Stadio 

Olimpico. 

Juventus are gaining momentum 

after a seven-goal demolition of 

Sassuolo -- capped by a Gonzalo 

Higuain hat-trick -- before Friday's 

game in Tuscany against an 

inconsistent Fiorentina in 11th place. 

"We mustn't be afraid of facing 

Juventus," said Fiorentina's Davide 

Astori, as his side look to build on last 

week's win in Bologna. "If they feel 

we're worried, goodbye, we're dead," 

the Italian defender continued. 

"Gonzalo Higuain is the nmber one 

danger. He's ruthless, if you allow 

him just 30cm of space you're 

doomed." 

Massimiliano Allegri wants 

Juventus in shape before Tuesday's 

Champions League last 16 first leg 

clash in Turin with Spurs. 

And what better way than an eighth 

straight league win, despite an injury 

list that includes Blaise Matuidi, 

Paulo Dybala, Juan Cuadrado and 

Benedikt Howedes. 

"Right now, we have to think about 

the trip to Fiorentina first, and if we 

do well then I'm sure we will be in 

good shape to face Tottenham," 

warned Croatian forward Mario 

Mandzukic. 

- 'Be brave, be ready' - 

Inter Milan and Roma are both 

jostling for Champions League 

football despite mixed fortunes in 

recent games. 

Luciano Spalletti blamed his 

side's lack of character for going 10 

games in all competitions without a 

win -- a series that has seen them 

collect just six points from eight 

league games and score only five 

goals. 

But Inter captain Mauro Icardi 

should be back against Bologna 

after missing the draw with Crotone 

with a muscle injury. 

Roma have been showing signs of 

recovery since losing to Juventus 

before Christmas by winning their 

first game of the year last weekend 

at Verona. And Benevento coach 

Australia v England: Glenn Maxwell century gives hosts victory. 

Will ‘Ice Prince’ Hanyu stay 

cool under pressure? 

GANGNEUNG, South Korea: Japan's "Ice 

Prince" Yuzuru Hanyu must recover from 

serious injury and see off the challenge of 

American quad sensation Nathan Chen if he 

is to claim the first back-to-back Olympic 

men's figure skating titles in nearly 70 years. 

The floppy-haired superstar alarmed his 

legion of fans when he damaged ankle 

ligaments in November, and has since been 

training behind closed doors. 

All of Japan are willing on Hanyu, who is 

aiming to become the first man to secure 

back-to-back titles since American Dick 

Button in 1952. 

The 23-year-old from Sendai is the 

polished product, combining innate technical 

ability with emotionally intelligent 

performances. But the right ankle injury he 

suffered in November has seen his standing 

as favourite for a repeat gold slip. 

He misses the team event, which kicks off 

action at the Gangneung Ice Arena on Friday, 

after completing his preparations at a secret 

location. 

"He will be 100 percent," promised coach 

Brian Orser, who also has two time ex-world 

champion Javier Fernandez under his wing. 

Fernandez, the veteran Spaniard, narrowly 

missed out on a first podium in Sochi and 

arrives at his swansong Games in form after 

claiming a sixth consecutive European title in 

Moscow. 

Chen, too, is flying. The Salt Lake City-born 

son of Chinese immigrants has emerged as a 

serious contender to Hanyu's crown with his 

high-risk, quad-heavy routine. From October 

to December Chen won three Grand Prix 

competitions, defeating Hanyu along the 

way, before an emphatic triumph in the US 

championships last month. "Eighteen years 

we've been looking at the rings and now we're 

here. It's really cool to have that happen," said 

the excited 18-year-old on Wednesday. 

Chen is the first skater in the history of the 

sport to line up five quads in a four-and-ahalf-minute 

free dance routine. 

Others with claims to Hanyu's crown 

include his compatriot and world 

championship runner-up Shoma Uno, 

Canada's Patrick Chan and China's Jin 

The women's competition will be 

dominated by the tussle between Alina 

Zagitova and her fellow Russian teen Evgenia 

Medvedeva who, like Hanyu, saw her buildup 

marred by injury. 

The two-time world champion returned 

after a two-month lay-off at the European 

Championships in mid-January, but was 

edged out by her 15-year-old training partner 

Zagitova, who has enjoyed a sensational first 

season on the senior circuit. 

Both are competing under a neutral flag as 

"Olympic athletes from Russia" (OAR) as 

their country serves a ban for state-sponsored 

doping. 

"At the Olympics we will be competing 

under the white flag, but we are still 'Athletes 

from Russia'. In our souls, we know," 

commented Zagitova. Others in contention 

are Italy's Caroline Kostner, who picked up 

bronze four years ago, and Canadians Kaetlyn 

Osmond and Gabrielle Daleman. 

Two more Canadians, Tessa Virtue and 

Scott Moir, are out to follow up their 2010 ice 

dance gold after silver in Sochi. 

But they will have their work cut out to stop 

French world record breakers Gabriella 

Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron hitting the 

jackpot on their Winter Games debut. 

In the pairs, China's world champions Sui 

Wenjing and Han Cong will be keeping a 

close eye on Aljona Shevchenko and Bruno 

Massot, the Germans who are out for revenge 

after silver at the worlds. 

Roberto De Zerbi has acknowledged 

his side, with just seven points from 

23 games, will be up against it at the 

Stadio Olimpico despite new 

recruits including former Premier 

League players Sandro and Bacary 

Sagna. 

"If we can get these sort of guys 

back to top condition they will be 

key players for us," said De Zerbi. 

"In terms of team spirit and 

understanding it isn't the ideal 

moment to take on a great side 

like Roma. 

"We will have to be brave. But 

we will be ready." 

AC Milan continue their push for 

European football at SPAL, who 

occupy 18th place, with club 

director Massimiliano Mirabelli 

praising coach Gennaro Gattuso 

for finally "making Milan a team". 

In midtable, Torino host 

Udinese on Sunday as a shellshocked 

Sassuolo look for home 

comforts against Cagliari, with 

Chievo hosting Genoa, who eased 

their relegation worries against 

Lazio. 

Fixtures (all times GMT) 

Friday 

Fiorentina v Juventus (1945) 

Saturday 

SPAL v AC Milan (1400), Atalanta 

v Crotone (1700), Napoli v Lazio 

(1945) 

Sunday 

Sassuolo v Cagliari (1145), Chievo 

v Genoa, Inter Milan v Bologna, 

Sampdoria v Verona, Torino v 

Udinese (1400), Roma v Benevento 

(1945) 

Photo: BBC. 

CAS rejects appeals 

of 13 Russians on 

eve of Olympics 

PYEONGCHANG, South 

Korea: A group of 13 

Russians lost a last-ditch bid 

to beat their country's 

doping ban and take part in 

the Pyeongchang Olympics 

on Thursday, the day before 

the opening ceremony, 

reports BSS. 

The Court of Arbitration 

for Sport (CAS), which is 

also dealing with 47 other 

Russian appeals, said it 

"lacked jurisdiction" to deal 

with the six athletes and 

seven doctors, coaches and 

support staff. 

CAS said separately that a 

decision over the 47 others 

attempting to gain late entry 

into the Olympics would be 

announced on Friday at 

11:00 am (1400 GMT). 

That will be just nine 

hours before the opening 

ceremony. 

In December, the IOC 

suspended Russia over a 

state-sponsored doping 

conspiracy culminating in its 

hosting of the 2014 Winter 

Olympics in Sochi. 

But the IOC left open a 

loophole when it said a large 

group of "clean" Russian 

athletes could take part 

under a neutral flag as 

"Olympic Athletes from 

Russia". 

The CAS drew criticism 

last week when it lifted life 

Olympic bans imposed on 

28 Russians.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS 

FRIDAy, 

THE 

BANGLADESHTODAY 

FEBRUARy 9, 2018 

10 

India's central bank keeps 

interest rates unchanged 

India's central bank kept interest 

rates at a seven-year low on 

Wednesday, citing concerns over 

accelerating inflation and rising oil 

prices as a reason not to cut them. 

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) 

said the benchmark repo rate-the 

level at which it lends to commercial 

banks --- would remain unchanged 

at 6.0 percent. 

The decision was in line with 

analysts' expectations. 

"The MPC (monetary policy 

committee) notes that the inflation 

outlook is clouded by several 

uncertainties on the upside," the RBI 

said in a statement. 

"Therefore, need for vigilance 

around the evolving inflation 

scenario in the coming months," it 

added. 

It referred to "a pick-up in global 

growth" and rising commodity and 

oil prices as likely to contribute to 

heightened inflation. 

The bank also said the Indian 

government's recent announcement 

of financial support for farmers 

could be a inflationary factor. 

Rising food and oil prices spurred 

India's retail inflation to a 17-month 

high of 5.21 percent in December, 

significantly above the RBI's target of 

around four percent. 

India is a net importer of oil and 

was affected by the jump in world 

crude prices of around 15 percent last 

year. 

Analysts expect inflation to rise 

further after the government 

announcement in the budget earlier 

this month that it would raise 

minimum support prices for 

agricultural produce. 

India's economic growth slumped 

to an annualised 5.7 percent in the 

first quarter of the current financial 

year-the lowest in three years. 

The introduction of a new national 

goods and services tax last year and a 

controversial 2016 move to withdraw 

all high-value banknotes from 

circulation were blamed for the dip. 

But the government insists the 

economy has come out of the 

downturn and will grow by 7.2-7.5 

percent in the second half of the 

current fiscal year and achieve 

growth of eight percent "soon". 

The RBI last cut the main interest 

rate in August, reducing it by 25 basis 

points to 6.0 per cent-the lowest level 

since September 2010. 

The 54th meeting of Shariah Supervisory Committee of Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited 

(SJIBL) held on recently at the Bank's Head Office Board Room. The Chairman of 

Shahjalal Islami Bank Shariah Supervisory Committee Allamah Mufti Abdul Halim 

Bukharee presided over the meeting. The meeting discussed various issues relate to 

investment of the Bank in the light of Shariah principle. 

Photo: Courtesy 

Rupee loses 10 paise 

against dollar in 

opening trade 

The rupee depreciated 10 

paise to 64.38 against the US 

dollar in opening trade today 

due to increased demand for 

the US currency from 

importers amid fresh foreign 

funds outflow. 

However, a weak dollar in 

global markets helped the 

rupee limit its losses, dealers 

said. The rupee opened weak 

at 64.38 at the interbank forex 

market against its previous 

close of 64.28. 

The rupee moved in range 

of 64.29 to 64.38 in early 

deals before trading at 64.33, 

down by 5 paise, at 0930hrs. 

Foreign investors pulled out 

a net Rs 1,022.50 crore from 

stocks yesterday. 

Yesterday, the rupee had 

lost 4 paise versus the dollar 

to end at 64.28 after RBI 

sounded a more hawkish tone 

amid upside risks on inflation. 

Meanwhile, the benchmark 

Sensex rose 167.73 points, or 

0.49 per cent, to 34,250.44 in 

early trade. 

Brazil central 

bank cuts interest 

rate to new low 

Brazil's central bank cut its 

benchmark interest rate 

Wednesday to a new low of 

6.75 percent, but hinted it was 

now done with a historic 

easing cycle. 

The bank lowered the Selic 

rate by 0.25 percentage point, 

its 11th consecutive cut aimed 

at helping Latin America's 

largest economy emerge from 

a stifling two-year recession. 

The rate now stands at about 

half what it was at the end of 

2016, thanks to a strong fall in 

inflation in a country 

historically dogged by surging 

prices. But the uncertainty 

surrounding upcoming 

presidential elections in 

October may now make the 

central bank apply the brakes. 

"At this time the (monetary 

policy committee) views the 

interruption of the monetary 

easing process as more 

appropriate," the bank said in a 

statement, though it left the 

door open to further cuts "if the 

committee's baseline scenario 

or balance of risks change." 

The bank appears to be 

"calling time" on the easing 

cycle, said Neil Shearing, chief 

emerging markets economist 

at consulting firm Capital 

Economics. 

"We expect the Selic to be 

left unchanged until October's 

elections are out of the way. 

Given the potential for a 

significant shift in the political 

landscape, the outlook for 

interest rates beyond the 

election is unusually 

uncertain," he wrote in a note. 

High on the list of political 

uncertainties is whether 

center-right President Michel 

Temer will manage to push 

through cuts to the pension 

system, the keystone of 

austerity reforms aimed at 

bringing discipline to the 

floundering economy. 

French central bank 

forecasts 0.4% growth in Q1 

France's central bank on Thursday forecast 

growth of 0.4 percent for the first quarter 

of 2018, underlining the tentative rebound 

of the eurozone's second-biggest economy 

under President Emmanuel Macron. 

The estimate from the Banque de France 

is the latest healthy indicator for an 

economy that has long been a laggard in 

Europe. 

On Tuesday, European Union data 

showed France hitting its fastest growth 

rate in six years in 2017, expanding by 1.9 

percent, driven largely by investment. 

That helped feed a surge in the wider 

eurozone last year to 2.5 percent growth, 

on par with levels last seen before the 

financial crisis a decade ago. 

Macron, a 40-year-old former 

investment banker, has made shaking up 

the French economy a priority since he was 

elected in May. 

In his first budget, the business-friendly 

centrist has balanced tax cuts for 

businesses and wealthy investors with 

spending cuts aimed at bringing down a 

high deficit. 

Paris is expected to report a public deficit 

equivalent to 2.9 percent of GDP in 2017, 

below the EU limit of 3.0 percent for the 

first time in 10 years. 

But France's public finance watchdog on 

Wednesday said Macron's government 

needed to make use of improving economic 

conditions to tackle chronic government 

overspending. 

The Banque de France figure came in 

slightly below that of France's INSEE 

statistics agency, which has forecast 

growth of 0.5 in the first quarter. 

The government's current forecast is for 

1.7 percent growth in 2018, but it has 

signalled that figure could go up. 

European stock markets 

resume slide 

Tokyo stocks rebounded slightly in a 

rollercoaster session on Wednesday 

after Wall Street finished the previous 

day with solid gains following a global 

rout. 

The benchmark Nikkei index, which 

on Tuesday fell nearly five percent in the 

worst loss since the November 2016 

election of Donald Trump as US 

president, rose 0.16 percent or 35.13 

points to close at 21,645.37. 

The broader Topix index gained 0.37 

percent or 6.50 points to 1,749.91. 

The Nikkei index opened sharply 

higher, surging nearly 3.5 percent at one 

point as investors bought on dips 

following the recent slumps. 

"If the New York Dow stops falling, 

foreign selling of Japanese stocks will 

likely cease," said Masayuki Kubota, 

chief strategist at Rakuten Securities. 

"Given that the Japanese economy 

and corporate earnings are good, it is 

EU hikes eurozone 

growth forecasts 

The European Commission raised its 

growth projections for the eurozone on 

Wednesday, more confident than ever that 

the solid economic recovery in Europe will 

endure through 2019. 

The commission, the EU's executive arm, 

said the 19-country single currency bloc's 

economy would expand by 2.3 percent in 

2018, up from a previous forecast of 2.1 

percent made in November. 

Growth would then continue at a solid 

pace next year, with the eurozone economy 

expanding by 2.0 percent in 2019, instead of 

the earlier-predicted 1.9 percent. 

"The euro area is enjoying growth rates not 

seen since before the financial crisis," said 

EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre 

Moscovici. 

"Unemployment and deficits continue to 

fall and investment is at last rising in a 

meaningful way." 

All signs are that the European economy, 

long a global laggard, is now firing on all 

highly likely that 21,078 will be the 

bottom of the latest crash," he said in a 

note, referring to the Nikkei's intraday 

low on Tuesday when the key index was 

down more than seven percent. 

But early gains were gradually eroded. 

"Investors are still nervous and 

uncertain if the market is now on course 

to recovery," said Shinichi Yamamoto, 

broker at Okasan Securities in Tokyo. 

"We need to keep an eye on the 

opening in New York later today," 

Yamamoto told AFP. 

On Tuesday bargain-hunters swooped 

in to buy Wall Street stocks, stemming a 

haemorrhage that had been spreading 

panic among investors globally. 

After Asian and European equity 

markets plunged on Tuesday, New York 

stocks started their trading day with 

another jaw-dropping fall as the Dow 

index dived nearly three percent, adding 

to the previous day's record loss. 

cylinders. Official data last week showed 

that growth in the eurozone shot up in 2017 

to 2.5 percent, with unemployment currently 

at a nine-year low. 

The news was especially positive for 

France, the eurozone's second biggest 

economy, which saw its forecast revised 

sharply higher to 2.0 percent for this year. 

This was up from the 1.7 percent prediction 

just three months ago, and will be the first 

time the country will reach the 

psychologically important threshold since 

2011. 

It will also likely mean enough growth to 

keep France clear of breaching the EU's 

deficit limit, which is set in terms of the size 

of the economy. 

Brussels said that the EU-27 as a whole, 

minus exiting Britain, would expand by 2.5 

percent this year and 2.1 percent in 2019. 

Britain meanwhile would expand far below 

that level, at 1.4 percent in 2018 and 1.1 

percent in 2019. 

Hermes bags 

record sales 

in 2017 

Luxury goods maker Hermes 

said Thursday it shrugged off 

economic, geo-political and 

monetary uncertainty to 

book record sales in 2017, 

thanks to the strong 

performance of all of its 

divisions across all regions. 

Hermes' said in a statement 

that revenues grew by 6.7 

percent to 5.6 billion euros 

($6.9 billion) last year. 

The group said that 

growth was driven by "wellbalanced 

contributions 

across the business lines and 

all geographical areas" and 

the development was 

"particularly healthy as it is 

mainly based on an increase 

in volumes." 

"2017 was a very good 

year," said chief executive 

Axel Dumas. "We 

accelerated growth, which is 

once again faster than the 

sector average." Hermes had 

demonstrated its "solidity 

year after year," despite the 

"very unstable and volatile" 

environment, he said. 

The group's biggest 

division, leathergoods and 

saddlery, lifted sales by 7.6 

percent to 2.8 billion euros, 

with CEO Dumas pointing 

to "very strong demand for 

our bags." 

Hermes is scheduled to 

publish full details of its 

2017 results on March 21. 

Bangladesh Infrastructure Finance Fund Ltd(BIFFL) recently signed an agreementwith 

Aman Spinning Mills Ltd.(ASML)to finance under 'Energy 

Efficiency and Conservation Promotion Financing Projects (EE&CP)'funded 

by JICA..S.M. Formanul Islam, Executive Director & CEO, BIFFL and Tahrin 

Aman, Managing Director, ASL signed the agreement on behalf of their organization. 

Md. Helal Uddin, Chairman, SREDA and Additional Secretary, was 

present in the eventas the Chief Guest. Manjur Morshed, Director, Energy 

Audit, SREDA and Mari Iwata, representative from JICA were also present in 

the occasionas Special Guests. Being established in 2011,BIFFL has been 

financing PPP projects, Infrastructures, Energy Efficient and Environment 

Friendly projects. 

Photo: Courtesy 

Rising oil prices fuel profit rise 

for France's Total 

French oil and gas giant Total said 

Thursday that recovering oil prices and 

increased production gave profits a 

welcome boost last year. 

Total said in a statement that its net 

profit jumped 39 percent to $8.6 billion 

in 2017. 

When adjusted for one-off and volatile 

items, the bottom-line profit figure 

advanced by 28 percent to $10.6 billion, 

the statement said. 

"These strong results were driven by 

production growth, notably the start-up 

of Moho-Nord in the Republic of Congo, 

the ramp-up of Kasgahan in Kazahkstan 

and the entry into Al-Shaheen in Qatar," 

Total said. 

Overall production grew by 4.6 percent 

to 2.6 million barrels of oil equivalent per 

day, it said. 

Chief executive Patrick Pouyanne said 

that oil prices "rose to an average $54 per 

barrel in 2017 from $44 per barrel in 

2016, while remaining volatile. 

"The group demonstrated its ability to 

capture the benefit of higher prices by 

reporting adjusted net income of $10.6 

billion... and a return on equity above 10 

percent, the highest among the majors," 

he said. At the same time, Total said that 

it planned to buy back up to $5 billion of 

its own shares between 2018 and 2020 in 

order to allow shareholders to benefit 

from the rise in the group's share price. 

Rising oil prices fuel profit rise for 

France's Total French oil and gas giant 

Total said Thursday that recovering oil 

prices and increased production gave 

profits a welcome boost last year. 

Total said in a statement that its net 

profit jumped 39 percent to $8.6 billion 

in 2017. 

When adjusted for one-off and volatile 

items, the bottom-line profit figure 

advanced by 28 percent to $10.6 billion, 

the statement said. "These strong results 

were driven by production growth, 

notably the start-up of Moho-Nord in the 

Republic of Congo, the ramp-up of 

Kasgahan in Kazahkstan and the entry 

into Al-Shaheen in Qatar," Total said. 

Overall production grew by 4.6 percent 

to 2.6 million barrels of oil equivalent per 

day, it said. 

Chief executive Patrick Pouyanne said 

that oil prices "rose to an average $54 per 

barrel in 2017 from $44 per barrel in 

2016, while remaining volatile. 

"The group demonstrated its ability to 

capture the benefit of higher prices by 

reporting adjusted net income of $10.6 

billion... and a return on equity above 

10 percent, the highest among the 

majors," he said. At the same time, Total 

said that it planned to buy back up to $5 

billion of its own shares between 2018 

and 2020 in order to allow shareholders 

to benefit from the rise in the group's 

share price. 

Commerzbank profits slump on 

restructuring costs in 2017 

Germany's second-largest lender 

Commerzbank said Thursday that net 

profit fell by nearly half last year as it 

grapples with a costly restructuring. 

Commerzbank said in a statement that 

its net profit slumped by 44 percent to 

156 million euros ($192 million) in 2017, 

as it booked more than 800 million euros 

in charges linked to redundancies under 

a restructuring plan entailing some 

9,600 job cuts by 2020. 

"We made good progress in 2017: we 

have advanced the digitalisation of the 

bank and have grown strongly," said 

chief executive Martin Zielke. 

"However, it also clear that we still 

have some work ahead of us before we 

can achieve the profitability we are 

aiming for." The net profit figure was in 

line with analyst forecasts. Operating, or 

underlying, profit came in at 1.3 billion 

euros ($1.6 billion), down seven percent 

year-on-year. Revenues were down 2.5 

percent to 9.1 billion euros-also in line 

with market expectations. 

The group, in which the German 

government still holds a 15-percent 

stake, said it would not pay out a 

dividend for 2017, but added that it 

expected to do so once again in 2018. 

Commerzbank last paid out dividends 

to shareholders in 2015. 

The group also said it was able to 

improve its core tier-one capital ratio, a 

key measure of a bank's financial health, 

from 12.3 percent in 2016 to 14.1 percent. 

But the lender revealed little of its 

outlook for this year, saying only it would 

"focus on further growth". 

The bank is in the throes of a 

restructuring dubbed "Commerzbank 

4.0", which includes a major push into 

digitalisation and a shift in focus from 

investment banking to retail clients. 

The bank said it had won over 500,000 

retail customers in 2017, although the 

influx failed to translate into higher 

revenues, which were largely flat at 4.8 

billion euros because of "higher 

investments in digitalisation and 

regulatory charges". 

Meanwhile, the group's corporate 

banking business, which lends to many 

of the "Mittelstand" small- and mediumsized 

companies that make up the 

backbone of the German economy, 

added 4,100 new clients.

MISCELLANEOUS 

11 

friDAY, februArY 9, 2018 

GD-207/18 (5 x 4) 

South Africa’s deputy president 

poised to replace Zuma 

JOHANNESBURG : South African 

President Jacob Zuma's exit from 

power because of scandals appeared to 

be getting closer on Wednesday as his 

deputy, who is expected to replace him, 

said he anticipated a "speedy 

resolution" to transition talks he is 

holding with the president, reports 

UNB. 

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa 

acknowledged "a lot of speculation and 

anxiety" about the status of the 

president. But Ramaphosa said he and 

Zuma, beset by corruption allegations, 

would finish their discussions and 

report in the coming days to the ruling 

African National Congress party and the 

population of one of Africa's biggest 

economies. 

"This is a challenging time for our 

country," Ramaphosa said in a 

statement. "Both President Zuma and 

myself are aware that our people want 

and deserve closure. The constructive 

process we have embarked on offers the 

greatest opportunity to conclude this 

matter without discord or division." 

The announcement followed several 

disputed reports that reflected a 

growing mood of uncertainty over the 

protracted wait for a resolution to the 

country's leadership crisis. Zuma's 

office described a social media report 

that Russian President Vladimir Putin 

was going to visit the country this week 

as "fake" news. It also denied allegations 

by opponents that he was preparing to 

fire Ramaphosa. 

The speaker of parliament has said 

Zuma, who is under intense pressure to 

resign, will not give the state of the 

nation address in parliament that had 

been set for Thursday and the ruling 

ANC announced the postponement of a 

meeting Wednesday to discuss the 

president's fate. Ramaphosa said the 

meeting was delayed to allow for a 

conclusion to his talks with Zuma. 

More information about Zuma's 

status as president will be available once 

"all pertinent matters" have been 

finalized, said Ramaphosa, who took 

over from his boss as party leader in 

December and has since delivered 

strong anti-corruption messages. Many 

former supporters who have turned 

against Zuma have worried that he is 

digging in or at least trying to make a 

deal, possibly including immunity from 

prosecution, in exchange for his 

resignation. 

The presidency's office tweeted a 

photo of Zuma and Ramaphosa 

laughing together at a Cabinet meeting, 

in an apparent effort to project an image 

of close collaboration between the two 

leaders. It also continued to announce 

Zuma's upcoming official schedule, 

saying the president would preside on 

Saturday over an awards ceremony in 

Cape Town for South Africans who have 

promoted the country's international 

image. 

South African opposition parties said 

the country is in "limbo" as the ruling 

party struggles to resolve its internal 

conflict over Zuma, and that there are 

now two centers of power in the ANC 

and the government. Opposition 

leaders will meet on Monday to discuss 

a scheduled motion of no confidence in 

Zuma on Feb. 22 as well as parliament's 

mandate to elect a new president in the 

event that Zuma is removed, the parties 

said. 

Zuma has been embroiled in scandals 

for years, paying back some state money 

following multi-million-dollar upgrades 

to his private home, being criticized for 

his association with the Gupta business 

family accused of looting state 

enterprises and influencing Cabinet 

ministers for their own benefit, and now 

facing the possible reinstatement of 

corruption charges tied to an arms deal 

two decades ago. Zuma and the Guptas 

deny any wrongdoing. 

Zuma's second five-year term is 

scheduled to end with elections in 2019, 

but many ruling party members want 

Ramaphosa to take over as soon as 

possible so that the party can try to 

recover the trust of voters alienated by 

the president's scandals. 

The ANC was the main anti-apartheid 

movement for decades and has led 

South Africa since the end of white 

minority rule in 1994, but its moral 

stature has diminished because of 

Zuma and wider problems of corruption 

and mismanagement. 

GD-212/18 (6 x 4) 

GD-209/18 (14 x 4) GD-213/18 (7 x 4)

friDAy, DHAkA, feBrUAry 9, 2018, mAgH 27, 1424 BS, JAmADi-UL-AwAL 23, 1439 HiJri 

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina along with other high officials inaugurated the Sheikh Hasina 

Cantonment yesterday. 

Photo : Star mail 

remain vigil to protect constitution, 

sovereignty : Pm to Army 

PATUAKHALI : Prime Minister Sheikh 

Hasina on Thursday asked the members 

of Bangladesh Army to remain vigil to protect 

the country's sacred constitution and 

sovereignty defying any internal and external 

threats, reports UnB. 

"You'll have to remain ready always to 

face any internal or external threats unitedly 

for protecting the sacred constitution 

and sovereignty of the motherland," she 

said. 

The prime minister gave the directives 

while addressing the inaugural function of 

the newly-constructed cantonment at 

Lebukhali in the district. 

Sheikh Hasina also said the Army will 

have to contribute more to people's welfare 

activities in the future alongside maintaining 

the country's democratic and constitutional 

trend. 

"The Army will have to keep up the 

trend of democracy and constitution and 

make greater contributions to public welfare-oriented 

activities," she said. 

AkADemgoroDok 

Siberia’s Silicon Valley 

InTERESTIng nEWS DESK 

Tucked away in a remote forest of birch 

and pine in the heart of Siberia, 3,000 km 

away from Moscow, at a place where winters 

are six months long with temperatures 

dropping to minus 40 degree 

Celsius and summers are swaddled with 

mosquitos, is a city built for scientists and 

researchers. This frozen wasteland is 

more suited for polar bears than scientific 

endeavors, but nikita Khrushchev felt 

the distance from Moscow was necessary 

so that the country’s sharpest scientific 

minds could work together on fundamental 

research away from the prying eyes of 

bureaucracy. This is Akademgorodok, or 

“Academic Town”—the Soviet Union’s 

answer to America’s Silicon Valley. 

Akademgorodok is situated in the middle 

of a forest 30 km south of novosibirsk 

city. It is one of several Akademgorodoks 

built between the late 1950s and mid- 

1970s in Siberia; the Akademgorodok 

outside novosibirsk is the most successful 

one. Located within Akademgorodok 

is novosibirsk State University, 35 

research institutes, a medical academy, 

apartment buildings and houses, and a 

variety of community amenities including 

stores, hotels, hospitals, restaurants and 

cafes, cinemas, clubs and libraries. Less 

than two kilometer away is an artificial 

beach created by dumping hundreds of 

tons of sand along the edge of the Ob 

reservoir. 

At its peak, Akademgorodok was home 

to 65,000 scientists and their families. It 

was a privilege to live there, and many 

scholars in the 60s escaped to the frozen 

hinterland as a sort of voluntary exile in 

order to be far from the totalitarian rule of 

the Soviet capital, and lured by the 

promise of new housing and professional 

advancement. 

Residents enjoyed great levels of freedom 

and indulged in activities unheard of 

in any other corner of the Soviet empire. 

They discussed the foundations of 

Marxist theory and about economic 

reforms, read books, listen to poets and 

singers not approved by the regime. 

Expressing satisfaction over the establishment 

of an environment-friendly and 

modern cantonment at Lebukhali, the 

prime minister expressed firm optimism 

that members of the newly formed 

Division, Brigade and Units will work 

together with courage for the welfare of the 

country and the nation being imbued with 

the spirit of Liberation War. 

She hoped that the 7th Infantry Division 

will become an exemplary Division to follow 

in terms of professional efficiency and 

activities of its members and it will be the 

most beautiful as well as an effective cantonment 

in Bangladesh. 

Hasina said the government has taken 

various steps to develop the patriotic and 

professional armed forces as the worldclass 

modern forces. "That's why her government 

took a decision in 2016 to establish 

the division." 

Mentioning that the country's southern 

region has got a new life in terms of socioeconomic 

development following establishment 

of the cantonment, the Prime 

Minister said it has also created new hopes 

among people. 

Hasina said the patriotic Armed Forces 

members have achieved worldwide acceptance 

for their efficiency, competence and 

various public service-oriented activities. 

Praising the responsible role of the 

Armed Forces in protecting the people and 

property during disasters, she said they 

have set a unique example recently 

through extending helping hands and supports 

towards victims of natural calamities. 

Hasina said Bangladesh is now a 'Brand 

name' in peacekeeping missions of the 

United nations, and it is a matter of pride 

for the country. 

Highly appreciating the role of 

Bangladesh army in rendering services to 

the forcibly displaced Rohigyas from 

Myanmar, Hasina said the services of the 

army personals is brightening 

Bangladesh's image in the world. 

2 sit for SSC exams 

amid tragic incidents 

DHAKA : Despite facing separate 

tragic incidents, two 

SSC examinees on Thursday 

made it to their respective 

centres in two districts, 

reports UnB. 

In Ranisankail upazila of 

Thakurgaon, Sumi Aktar, a 

SSC examinee of Rator High 

School, narrowly escaped a 

tragic road crash while going 

for the test at Alimuddin 

government High School 

centre on his father's motorcycle 

but lost her father on 

the spot. 

The accident took place 

near gorgon Bridge when a 

power trolley hit the motorcycle 

ridden by Abdur 

Rahim, 47, son of Thebderu 

Mohammed of Atkona village 

in the upazila around 

9:00am. 

However, locals escorted 

slightly injured Sumi to the 

examination hall where she 

completed her paper successfully. 

In another incident in 

gopalganj's Tilgaon, SSC 

examinee Banna Khanam also 

appeared in the examination 

at Ramdia government SK 

College leaving her father's 

body at home. 

According to locals, her 

father Kala Sikder of Tilchara 

village was suffering from 

cardiac disease and died of 

heart attack on Wednesday 

night. 

With tears rolling down 

her eyes, Banna, a student of 

Syeddnnessa High School, 

could not concentrate on the 

exam paper, said Md Dewan 

Ahmed, secretary of the 

examination centre. 

"necessary measures were 

taken to ease the situation 

and also for her comfort," he 

said. 

President 

asks NHrC 

to gain 

public trust 

DHAKA : President Abdul 

Hamidon Thursdayasked 

members of the national 

Human Rights Commission 

(nHRC) to work honestly 

for gaining public confidence 

through their works 

at all levels, reports UnB. 

The President made the 

directive while a fivemember 

nHRC delegation 

led by its Chairman 

Kazi Reazul Hoque submitted 

its annual report 

to him at Bangabhaban in 

the afternoon. 

Terming the nHRC an 

important institution, 

President Hamid categorically 

urged all concerned 

to discharge their duties 

and responsibilities cordially, 

sincerely and honestly 

to protect rights of 

mass people at all stages. 

The President was 

apprised of overall activities 

of the nHRC including 

different aspects of the 

annual report, said 

President's Press Secretary 

Md Joynal Abedin. 

The nHRC Chairman 

sought cooperation of the 

President to continue the 

activities of the 

Commission in proper 

manner. 

President Hamid assured 

the delegation of providing 

all necessary supports to 

carry out nHRC activities. 

Secretaries concerned to 

the President were also 

present there. 

khaleda to appeal upon receipt 

of verdict copy: moudud 

DHAKA : BnP standing committee member 

BarristerMoudud Ahmed said BnP 

chief Khaleda Zia will file an appeal on 

Sunday against the verdict that has jailed 

her in Zia Orphanage Trust case, if her 

lawyers can manage a certified copy of the 

judgment, reports UnB. 

Talking to the reporters at a press briefing at 

BnP office in nayapaltan, Moudud said "We 

are trying our best to collect the certified and 

authenticated copy of the verdict. Our lawyers 

are still waiting at the court and they will be 

waiting until they get it. We will file an appeal 

against the verdict and will seek bail for her, if 

we get the copy today." 

"The judgement was given violating the constitution. 

We think the verdict was neither 

lawful nor based on the document. The government's 

political vengeance has been 

reflected in the verdict", he added. 

DHAKA : An activist of ruling Awami League 

was shot to death and at least five other 

activists received injuries in a clash between 

its two factions in Kanchan Bridge area of 

Rupganj upazila in narayanganj district on 

Thursday, reports UnB. 

The deceased was identified as Mohammad 

Sujon, son of Monu Miah, resident of Rupshi 

gobindapur village of the Kayetpara union. 

Witnesses said two groups of AL-men - 

one supporting Kayetpara Union Chairman 

Rafiqul Islam and the other supporting 

local MP gazi golam Dastagir - took positions 

in the bridge area around 11am to 

obstruct BnP leaders and activists. 

Their aim was to thwart any probable BnP 

'disturbances' centring verdict against 

Khaleda Zia. But at one stage, the supporters 

of both groups locked into an altercation 

As the journalist drew Modud's attention to 

Law Minister's comment that "Khaleda will 

not be able to take part in the national polls 

until the case is dissolved", he said "It is not 

the Law Minster but the Supreme Court will 

decide over it, we think there is no barrier for 

Khaleda Zia to get bail and participate in the 

upcoming national elections after the lower 

court's conviction." 

Amid heightening tensions and various 

speculations, a special court here in the morning 

convicted the former prime minister and 

sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in 

the much-talked-about Zia Orphanage Trust 

graft case. 

Five other accused in the case, including her 

son and BnP senior vice-chairman Tarique 

Rahman, were sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment 

each. The court also fined the five 

accused Tk. 2.10 crore each. 

1 killed in N'ganj AL infighting 

over thwarting BNP 

among themselves over establishing 

supremacy in the area. Both groups took part 

in chase and counter chase and hurled brick 

chips. To bring the situation under control, 

police opened fire and opened tear shell. 

The clash left six including Sujon bullet 

injured. 

Later, the injured were taken to Dhaka 

Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where doctors 

declared Sujon dead around 1:30pm, said 

sub-inspector Bacchu Miah, in-charge of 

DMCH police outpost. 

Besides, 50 supporters of the both party 

were injured in the clash. 

Police detained 30 people from the spot. 

Though some locals claimed that Sujon 

was killed in police firing, Superintendent 

of narayanganj Police Moinul Haque 

denied the allegation. 

The capital city was empty yesterday as verdict of Zia orphanage trust case was declared. 

Photo : Star mail 

Pro-BNP female lawyer injured 

during scuffle with police 

DHAKA : A female lawyer 

was injured during a scuffle 

with law enforcers while pro- 

BnP lawyers were staging 

agitation in front of the High 

Court mazar gate area centring 

the verdict of a graft 

case against BnP chairperson 

Khaleda Zia, reports 

UnB. 

During the agitation, the 

scuffle ensued between 

female members of police 

and female pro-BnP lawyers 

around 10am. 

Police forcibly pushed 

them to inside the mazar 

gate around 10:30am. 

Moreover, police detained 

three BnP activists from 

Kakrail intersection around 

11am. 

Another BnP activist was 

held from near the High 

Court mazar gate area. 

Leaders and activists of 

Chhatra League, student wing 

of ruling Awami League, riding 

on around 100/150 motorbikes, 

were seen staging a 

showdown in the High Court, 

Dhaka University campus, 

Shahbagh, Jatiya Press Club 

areas. 

A court here is set to deliver 

its verdict on Thursday in 

the Zia Orphanage Trust 

graft case against BnP 

Chairperson Khaleda Zia 

and five others. 

The Anti-Corruption 

Commission filed the Zia 

Orphanage Trust graft case 

on July 3, 2008 with Ramna 

Police Station accusing 

Khaleda, her eldest son 

Tarique Rahman, who is now 

living in the UK, and four 

others of misappropriating 

over 2.10 crore that came as 

grants from a foreign bank 

for orphans. 

US bombs govt forces after 

Deir al-Zour attack 

The US has carried out rare air strikes on Syrian 

pro-government forces after what it called an 

"unprovoked attack" on allied Kurdish and Arab 

fighters, reports BBC 

US officials estimated that 100 pro-government 

fighters were killed in the incident on 

Wednesday. 

They had allegedly tried to take ground east of 

the River Euphrates captured from the Islamic 

State group by the US-backed Syrian Democratic 

Forces (SDF). State media said the US "aggression" 

left dozens of people dead or wounded. 

The Middle Euphrates River Valley serves as an 

informal demarcation line in eastern Syria, with 

the government controlling the western side and 

the SDF the east. 

There were several skirmishes in the valley last 

year, as both sides sought to drive IS militants 

from their last major stronghold in the country. 

What happened? 

The US-led coalition against IS accused progovernment 

forces of initiating "an unprovoked 

attack against well-established SDF headquarters". 

"Coalition service members in an advise, assist, 

and accompany capacity were co-located with 

SDF partners during the attack 8km east of the 

agreed-upon Euphrates river de-confliction line," 

a statement said. 

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam, Advisory Editor: Advocate Molla Mohammad Abu Kawser, Managing, Editor: Tapash Ray Sarker, News Editor : Saiful Islam, printed at Sonali Printing Press, 2/1/A, Arambagh 167, Inner Circular Road, Eden Complex, Motijheel, Dhaka. 

Editorial and News Office: K.K Bhaban (Level-04) 69/K, Green Road, Panthapath, Dhaka-1205. Tel : +8802-9611884-85, Cell : 01832166882; Email: Editor : editor@thebangladeshtoday.com, Advertisement: ads@thebangladeshtoday.com, News: newsbangla@thebangladeshtoday.com, contact@thebangladeshtoday.com, website: www.thebangladeshtoday.com

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