15-03-2018

THursdAy
Dhaka : March 15, 2018; Chaitra 1, 1424 BS; Jamadi-us-Sani 26, 1439 hijri
www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www. tbtbangla.com
Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.16; No.83; 8 Pages~Tk.8.00
nATionAL
Students of Ctg
University arranged
a circle ride
Zohr
>Page 2
LONDON : Stephen Hawking, whose
brilliant mind ranged across time and
space though his body was paralyzed
by disease, has died, a family
spokesman said early Wednesday,
reports UNB.
"He was a great scientist and an
extraordinary man whose work and
legacy will live on for many years," his
children Lucy, Robert and Tim said in
a statement.
The best-known theoretical physicist
of his time, Hawking wrote so
lucidly of the mysteries of space, time
and black holes that his book, "A Brief
History of Time," became an international
best seller, making him one of
science's biggest celebrities since
Albert Einstein.
Even though his body was attacked
by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or
ALS, when Hawking was 21, he
stunned doctors by living with the
normally fatal illness for more than 50
years. A severe attack of pneumonia
in 1985 left him breathing through a
tube, forcing him to communicate
through an electronic voice synthesizer
that gave him his distinctive robotic
monotone.
But he continued his scientific
work, appeared on television and
married for a second time.
As one of Isaac Newton's successors
as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics
at Cambridge University, Hawking was
involved in the search for the great goal
of physics - a "unified theory."
Such a theory would resolve the
contradictions between Einstein's
General Theory of Relativity, which
describes the laws of gravity that govern
the motion of large objects like
planets, and the Theory of Quantum
Mechanics, which deals with the
world of subatomic particles.
04:55 AM
12:15 PM
04:26 PM
06:11 PM
07:25 PM
6:08 6:08
DHAKA : BNP on Wednesday voiced
frustration and anger over the
Supreme Court order staying the High
Court's bail to its chairperson Khaleda
Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case,
reports UNB.
The party also alleged that the
Supreme Court full bench passed the
stay order after a unilateral hearing
from the ACC lawyer, tarnishing the
highest court's dignity and tradition.
"The highest court can pass any
order. But passing an order after a
unilateral hearing is not logical at all.
We think it has tarnished the image
and tradition of the highest court,"
said BNP standing committee member
Moudud Ahmad.
Speaking at a press conference at
the party's Nayapaltan central office,
he further said, "We're upset and
angry at today's (Wednesday's)
order."
Moudud, a BNP standing committee
member, said the Supreme Court
passed the order hurriedly without
giving Khaleda's lawyers any scope to
say anything.
"We've got surprised over the highest
court's order. The country's people
never expected it from the apex court.
It's the responsibility of the court to
ensure justice in the country."
BNP Secretary General Mirza
Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged the
court's different orders are now
reflecting the government's will. "The
government has already destroyed all
the institutions one after another.
They've now overpowered the judiciary
and court, the last resort of people."
The Supreme Court on Wednesday
stayed until Sunday a High Court
order granting a four-month interim
bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia
in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.
A four-member Appellate Division
bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed
Mahmud Hossain, passed the order
after hearing two petitions filed against
the High Court order. The apex court
Economy & BusinEss
As Castro steps down,
challenges await
Cuba's new leader
>Page 6
Theoretical physicist Stephen
Hawking has died at 76
Cops foil job seekers'
bid to march towards
ministry; 7 injured
DHAKA : Police on Wednesday foiled a
bid of job seekers to march towards the
Public Administration Ministry to submit
a memorandum demanding
reforms of the quota system in government
recruitment tests, including BCS,
reports UNB.
Several thousand job seekers,
including students of different universities,
brought out a procession from
Shahbagh intersection around 11am
as part of their scheduled programme.
When they reached the High Court
intersection, police intercepted them.
Later, the demonstrators took position
at the intersection, blocking the
road. The law enforcers charged baton
and lobbed teargas shells to disperse
them, leaving seven people injured.
They also detained three demonstrators-Sohrab
Hossain, a student of
Information and Library Science
Department, Jahir, a Masters student
of Business Administration and Arif, a
History department student of DU.
British physicist Stephen Hawking who died on Wednesday
at the age 76.
Photo: Internet
For Hawking, the search was almost
a religious quest - he said finding a
"theory of everything" would allow
mankind to "know the mind of God."
"A complete, consistent unified theory
is only the first step: our goal is a
complete understanding of the events
around us, and of our own existence,"
he wrote in "A Brief History of Time."
In later years, though, he suggested
a unified theory might not exist.
He followed up "A Brief History of
Time" in 2001 with the more accessible
sequel "The Universe in a
Nutshell," updating readers on concepts
like super gravity, naked singularities
and the possibility of an 11-
dimensional universe.
Hawking said belief in a God who
intervenes in the universe "to make
sure the good guys win or get rewarded
in the next life" was wishful thinking.
"But one can't help asking the question:
Why does the universe exist?" he
said in 1991. "I don't know an operational
way to give the question or the
answer, if there is one, a meaning. But
it bothers me."
The combination of his best-selling
book and his almost total disability -
for a while he could use a few fingers,
later he could only tighten the muscles
on his face - made him one of science's
most recognizable faces.
He made cameo television appearances
in "The Simpsons" and "Star
Trek" and counted among his fans U2
guitarist The Edge, who attended a
January 2002 celebration of
Hawking's 60th birthday.
His early life was chronicled in the
2014 film "The Theory of Everything,"
with Eddie Redmayne winning the
best actor Academy Award for his
portrayal of the scientist. The film
focused still more attention on
Hawking's remarkable achievements.
Some colleagues credited that
celebrity with generating new enthusiasm
for science.
BNP upset at SC order
staying Khaleda's bail
also asked the petitioners to file regular
leave-to-appeal petitions by Sunday.
On Monday, the High Court granted
a four-month interim bail to Khaleda
Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft
case in which she was sentenced to
five years' imprisonment.
Fakhrul alleged that the government
is putting obstacle to signing the
power of attorney by their chairperson
in jail to appoint her lawyers as
part of its move to linger her release
from jail.
"Even after granting bail from the
High Court, the government is resorting
to various tricks to prolong her
stay in jail. The most surprising thing
is that she is being deprived of her
right to sign the power of attorney
which is disrupting the legal process
as our lawyers can't properly represent
her," he said.
The BNP leader also alleged that the
government is trying to completely
politicise the judiciary so that BNP
leaders and activists facing 'false' cases
cannot get legal relief and facilities.
He alleged that the government is
also implicating their party leaders
and activists in different cases with a
new design ahead of the next general
election. "The main motive behind the
move is to keep us away from the election
and politics."
BNP vice chairman and Supreme
Court Bar Association president
Zainul Abedin said the rule of law in
the country is now under a threat.
"The people of all walks of life must
come forward to protect the rule of
law. It won't be possible to resist the
government's undemocratic acts only
depending on lawyers."
BNP standing committee member
Khandaker Mosharrf Hossain, Mirza
Abbas, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul
Islam Khan, vice chairman
Khandaker Mahbub Hossain and
party senior joint secretary general
Ruhul Kabir Rizvi were present at the
press conference.
Plane Crash: One-day state
mourning on Thursday
DHAKA : The government on
Wednesday declared a one-day
state mourning for Thursday in
memory of the victims of the
US-Bangla Airlines plane crash
in Kathmandu, reports UNB.
The decision was taken at a
high-level emergency meeting
held at the Prime Minister's
Office to determine the next
course of action following the
tragic accident.
Chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina, the meeting was attended,
by Health and Family Welfare
Minister Mohammad Nasim, Home
Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Prime
Minister's Advisers HT Imam and
Tarique Ahmed Siddique, the chiefs
of the three services and secretaries
concerned.
Briefing reporters after the
meeting, Prime Minister's
Principal Secretary M Nojibur
Rahman said the national flag
will be hoisted half-mast across
the country on Thursday.
Besides, special prayers will
be held at all religious institutions
and worship places,
including mosques, temples,
churches and pagodas across
the country on Friday, he said.
At the meeting, the Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina urged
the people of the country to
have patience at this difficult
time, Nojibur said, adding that
she expressed her deep sympathy
to the bereaved families of
those killed who were in the
plane crash and wished early
recovery of the injured.
Prof Zafar Iqbal
returns to
SUST campus
SYLHET : Eminent writer
Prof Muhammed Zafar Iqbal,
who was undergoing treatment
at the Combined
Military Hospital (CMH) in
Dhaka after a knife attack on
him, returned to Shahjalal
University of Science and
Technology (SUST) here on
Wednesday after 11 days,
reports UNB.
He arrived at Sylhet
Osmani International
Airport by a flight of Novo Air
at 12.45pm. His wife Prof
Yeasmin Haq and daughter
Yeashim Iqbal accompanied
him.
Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed,
vice chancellor of SUST and
its treasurer Dr. Illias Uddin
Biswas welcomed Dr Zafar
Iqbal.
Escorted by police, they
reached the campus at
1:30pm. He will join a reception
programme at Mukta
Mancha of the campus at
4pm where he came under
attack.
A young man, Foyzur
Rahman, swooped on Prof
Zafar Iqbal and stabbed him
with a knife at the Mukta
Mancha during a celebration
programme, 'Robofight,' of
the Electrical and Electronic
Engineering (EEE) department
on March 3.
The renowned writer was
first taken to Sylhet MAG
Osmani Medical College
Hospital and then airlifted to
the CMH in Dhaka on the
same day at the directive of
Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina.
DHAKA : Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday
directed the authorities concerned
to take all necessary
steps to avoid the recurrence
of such plane crash, reports
UNB.
The Prime Minister also
asked them to strictly follow
the rules and regulations and
ensure the safety measures
related to aviation and flight
operation.
She also came up with the
instruction at a high-level
emergency meeting held at
the Prime Minister's Office to
determine the next course of
action following the tragic
accident.
Prime Minister's Principal
Secretary M Nojibur Rahman
briefed reporters after the
meeting. At the meeting, the
government declared a oneday
state mourning for
Thursday in memory of the
victims of the US-Bangla
plane crash in Kathmandu.
Chaired by Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina, the meeting
was attended, by Health and
Family Welfare Minister
HEALTH
Does falling in
love makes
you FAT?
>Page 5
Take steps to avoid recurrence
of plane crash : PM
One-day state mourning on Thursday
DHAKA : Local Government, Rural
Development and Cooperatives Minister
Khandker Mosharraf Hossain on
Wednesday said the election of five city corporations
will be held on time if there is no
obstacle or cases, reports UNB.
The minister came up with the information
while talking to reporters at the Secretariat.
"There is a legal obligation for the Election
Commission to complete polls to any city corporation
within 180 days before the expiry of
the tenure. So, we have legal obligation for
holding the election," said the minister.
The minister also said that letters were sent
to respective divisional commissioners asking
whether the city corporations have any
cases or barriers for holding election on time.
"After getting report from them, we will ask
the Election Commission to arrange election
Mohammad Nasim, Home
Minister Asaduzzaman Khan,
Prime Minister's Advisers HT
Imam and Tarique Ahmed
Siddique, the chiefs of the
three services and secretaries
concerned.
Nojibur Rahman said the
national flag will be hoisted
half-mast across the country
on Thursday.
Besides, special prayers will
be held at all religious institutions
and worship places,
including mosques, temples,
churches and pagodas across
the country on Friday, he said.
At the meeting, Sheikh
Hasina urged the people of
the country to have patience
at this difficult time, Nojibur
said, adding that she
expressed her deep sympathy
to the bereaved families of
those killed who were in the
plane crash and wished early
recovery of the injured.
She put emphasis on
strengthening capability of
the organisations concerned.
Hasina said the ministries
and organisations concerned
of Bangladesh and Nepal,
including Foreign, Home and
Civil Aviation and Tourism
ministries, are working closely
in coordination to identify
the victims and bring the bodies
of the deceased home.
Besides, she directed all
concerned to immediately
take highest possible measures
to ensure better treatment
for the injured persons.
The Principal Secretary said
a medical team comprising
burn and DNA specialists is
ready to fly for Kathmandu.
He said the Prime Minister
also assured of providing all
necessary treatment for the
Nepalese citizens who were
injured in the plane crash,
saying Bangladesh would
ensure better treatment
bringing them to Dhaka, if
necessary.
At least 49 people, including
26 Bangladeshi nationals,
were killed as the US-Bangla
Airlines aircraft crashed and
burst into flames at
Tribhuvan International
Airport in the capital of
Himalayan county Nepal on
Monday.
US-Bangla Airlines urges for steps to bring
back bodies of plane crash victims
DHAKA : US Bangla Airlines on Wednesday
urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take
steps in consultation with her Nepalese counterpart
in bringing back the bodies of the
deceased who were killed in a plane crash in
Kathmandu on March 12, reports UNB.
Md Kamrul Islam, General Manager
(Marketing Support and PR) of US-Bangla
Airlines came up with the urge while talking to
reporters at its Baridhara office today.
"The process for DNA test of those, who lost
their lives in the fatal plane crash, is undergoing
in a long process. That's why the bodies of
the deceased could not be brought back in
short time," he said.
Already, the Civil Aviation and Tourism
Minister AKM Shajahan Kamal and the official
concerned of US Bangla Airlines are in
Nepal, he said.
Besides, a number of relatives of the
deceased have gone to Nepal for DNA test
while few others could not go there due to
passport difficulties. "We will provide necessary
assistance to those, who failed to go
Nepal," he said.
He said the remaining 10 Bangladeshis,
injured in the crash, were being treated in
Nepal. The US Bangla Airlines will provide
necessary help to send them in Bangkok and
Singapore for better treatment, if needed, he
added.
Kamrul Islam said once the flight's black box
is analysed the reason behind the crash can be
identified.
Polls to 5 city corporations to
be held on time: Minister
in their convenient time," he said.
Responding to a question, the minister said
that they will get the report from the divisional
commissioners within 7/8 days. "If there is
no barrier, election will be held on time."
According to the ministry data, the tenure
of Khulna City Corporation will be ended on
September 25, Rajshahi City Corporation on
October 5, Barishal City Corporation on
October 23, Syhlet City Corporation on
October 8 and Gazipur on September 4.
While answering a question on the
demand of nationalization of Pouroshava
workers job, the minister said it is not possible
to nationalise the local government body.
"If they face problem, we can give them
donation. We are working on this. I will talk
to the finance minister on this issue so that
we can help them," said the minister.

NATIONAL
ThURSDAY, MARCh 15, 2018
2
Police arrested a woman with a foreign pistol and local weapons from Gunirtala Purbopara village
of Madarganj under Jamalpur district.
Photo : TBT
IU set to
observe Nat'l
Children's day
ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY: The
Islamic University (IU) in
Kushtia is set to observe the
National Children's day and
the 98th birth anniversary of
Father of the nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman on March 17 in a
befitting manner on the
campus, reports BSS.
The university authority has
chalked out elaborate
programmes including joyous
procession on the campus,
placing floral wreaths at the
portrait of Bangabandhu, prize
giving ceremony at
Birsreshtha Hamidur
Rahman auditorium,
launching 'Bangabandhu
Corner' at central library and
offering a special prayer at the
central mosque for the eternal
peace of the departed soul of
Bangabandhu. IU teachers,
students and officials of the
university along with VC Prof
Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari, Pro-
VC Prof Shahinoor Rahman,
Treasurer Prof Selim Toha,
acting Registrar Abdul Latif
will participate at the day-long
program on that day.
Poet Jasimuddin's 42th death
anniversary observed
FARIDPUR: The 42th death
anniversary of poet
Jasimuddin, popularly
known as Palli Kabi (The
Rural Bard) for his poems
depicting the people and
nature of rural areas of the
country, was observed in a
befitting manner in the
district yesterday, reports
BSS.
The district administration
with the assistance of
Ministry of Cultural Affairs
arranged different programs
including placing floral
wreaths at the graveyard of
the poet, discussion,
recitation, milad and doa
mahfil.
The program was held at
the yard of the bard's own
house in Ambikapur village of
the town.
Deputy Commissioner
Ommey Salma Tanzia spoke
the discussion meeting as
chief guest while ADC
(general) Eradul Haque was
in the chair. Additional
superintendent of police
Jamal Pasha, poet's son
Jamal Anwar, writer Mafiz
Imam Milon and poet Razzak
Raza were present, among
others.
Jasimuddin was born on
January 1, 1903 at
Tambulkhana village of
Faridpur district in the then
British India. The poet died
on 13 March 1976 in Dhaka.
Jasimuddin is considered
as one of the most important
poets of Bangla literature. He
started writing from an early
age. When he was still a
student of the Calcutta
University his acclaimed
poem Kabar, depicting a
conversation between a
grandfather and his
grandson, was included in the
entrance Bengali textbook.
His Nakshi Kanthar Maath
(Field of the Embroidered
Quilt) is considered a
masterpiece and has been
translated into many different
languages. His some other
noteworthy poems are
Rakhali and Rangila Nayer
Manjhi. A prolific litterateur,
Jasimuddin also composed
numerous songs depicting
the tradition of rural Bengal.
During his collaboration with
Abbas Uddin, the most
popular folk singer of Bengal,
some of the greatest gems in
Bengali folk music were
produced.He also wrote some
patriotic and Islamic songs.
Jasimuddin received
numerous awards for his
contributions in the literary
arena of the country
including President's Award
for Pride of Performance,
Pakistan (1958), DLitt by
Rabindra Bharati
University, India (1969),
Ekushey Padak, Bangladesh
(1976) and Independence
Day Award (1978).
The poet had a bright
academic and professional
career also. He completed
matriculation in 1921 from
Faridpur Zila School. He
completed IA from
Rajendra College in 1924,
and BA and MA in Bangla
from the University of
Calcutta in 1929 and 1931
respectively.
26 held in
Dinajpur
DINAJPUR: Police, in
special drives arrested
24 persons including
two activists of BNP
from different areas of
the district in last 12-
hour ending at 8am
yesterday morning,
reports BSS.
Law enforcers also
recovered 52 bottles of
Phensidyl and 4,500
pieces of cow fattening
tablets during the
drives.
Police said they were
picked up from different
areas of the district.
Several cases,
including charges of
subversive activities, are
pending with different
police stations against
the arrested persons, the
sources added.
During the drives,
Dinajpur Sadar police
arrested six persons
including two activists of
BNP from Block no-1 in
the town around 7am,
Birganj Thana police
arrested three persons,
Khansama Thana police
arrested four persons,
Kaharole Thana police
arrested three persons,
Phulbari Thana police
arrested one person,
Birampur Thana police
arrested three persons
including a drug trader
with 52 bottles of
Phensidyl from Puratan
Bazar area of the upazila
around 7am, Parbatipur
Thana police arrested
two persons and Biral
Thana police arrested
two persons.
Several cases,
including charges of
subversive activities, are
pending with different
police stations against
the arrested persons, the
sources added.
Meanwhile, members
of Border Guard
Bangladesh (BGB) in a
drive detained two drug
traders with 4,500
pieces of cow fattening
tablets from Hili railway
station in Hakimpur
upazila of the district
around 11pm.
Later, the detained
persons were handed
over to the Hakimpur
Thana police, BGB said.
The arrested persons
were sent to jail.
Poultry farmers seek suitable
business atmosphere in Rajshahi
RAJSHAHI: The remaining marginal
poultry farmers here are looking for fair
price of the produced eggs and birds
coupled with reasonable price of poultry
feed, medicine and chicks for making their
existing business sustainable, reports BSS.
"We need at least congenial atmosphere
to run our business smoothly and
successfully," said Enamul Haque, owner
of a poultry farm in the city, adding that
there is an enormous scope of furthermore
promoting the sector.
While talking to BSS he mentioned
existence of poultry industry is very
important for supplying proteins to the
community regularly. Its role is also vital to
generate employment and poverty
eradication.
Enamul produces around 3,200 eggs per
day on an average in his 5,500-bird farm
currently. He started his business with 550
birds in 2004 with an initial investment of
around Taka 4.5 lakh elevating his
business capital to Taka 40 lakh at present.
Seven day-labourers including two females
are working there.
He says production cost for each of the
eggs is around Taka 5 whereas its
wholesale price is hardly Taka 4.30 in local
markets.
On the contrary, he said the consumers
in general have to purchase an egg at Taka
five to six in retail markets. Enamul terms
the problem as artificial and manmade and
demanded rational reduction of price-gap
between wholesale and retail.
"I have compelled to reduce the number
of birds to 4,000 from 10,000 to minimize
the gradually declining operating cost to
some extent," said Arifuz Zaman, owner of
Asif Poultry Farm at Kamlapur under
Godagari Upazila.
Nadim Hossain, Owner of Tanaka Agro
Limited at Kapasia under Paba Upazila,
draws government attention and
intervention to protect the sector.
"Basically, we have no hands on markets
as it's totally controlled by all the persons
concerned," said Nazim Uddin, District
Livestock Officer.
He said there are 577 layer hen farms in
the district. The hens at those farms and
the local variety hens lay about 34 crore
eggs every year. But, the demand of egg in
the district is 22 crore and the extra eggs
are sent to different districts.
"We along with around 45,000 workers
are facing an embarrassing situation due to
the exorbitant price of poultry feed,
medicines and chicks in one hand and
lower price of eggs and birds on the other
hand," lamented Masudul Haque Nilu.
Nilu, district unit president of Poultry
Owners Association, told BSS that more
than 3,500 businessmen have compelled
to shut down their business in the district
incurring huge loss during the last couple
of years.
He alleged that although there are some
rules and regulations for poultry market
but those are not followed. The syndicates
mainly control the market system, he
added.
Many enthusiastic educated people came
up to the sector with positive investment
but couldn't survive due to adverse
situation.
"If the present worsening situation
continues, the local poultry sector will face
huge loss in near future. In this
connection, we are taking some steps to
solve the problem," Nilu added.
A colorful procession is brought out on the occasion of "Regional SME
Products Fair 2018'" yesterday in Kishoreganj district.
Photo: Musfiqur Rahim.
Marking International Day of Action for River, students of Chittagong University arranged a circle
ride with a call to protect river.
Photo: TBT.
Mourning the death of Ms Shreya Jha, a fifth year Nepalese student of Kumudini Women's Medical
College who recently died in a plane crash at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal
the college authoritoy arranged a prayer offering programme yesterday in Mirzapur upazila of
Tangail district.
Photo: Rayhan Sarkar.
GD-406/18 (8 x 4)

INTERNATIONAL
THURSdAy, MARCH 15, 2018
3
Al-Qaida in Syria losing ground
in battles with insurgents
GD-407/18 (9 x 3)
BEIRUT : For the first time
since its meteoric rise in
2012 amid the chaos of war,
al-Qaida's branch in Syria is
in retreat, battling rival militant
groups in the north and
fighting for survival in a key
foothold near the capital,
Damascus, reports UNB.
Over the past three weeks,
the extremist group has
been driven from nearly all
of the northern province of
Aleppo, losing dozens of
fighters in battles there and
in nearby Idlib province.
The fighting poses a major
challenge to the militant
group, already beset by
infighting and a string of
assassinations that have taken
out some of its top leaders.
Unlike previous battles
in which al-Qaida-linked
fighters were able to quickly
crush their opponents, the
fighting has been particularly
fierce, with the militants
losing dozens of villages.
The al-Qaida-linked coalition
known as the Levant
Liberation Committee is still
one of Syria's most powerful
armed groups, with fighters
numbering in the thousands.
While the U.S.-led coalition
and Russian-backed
Syrian troops have focused
on driving the Islamic State
group from the country's
east, the al-Qaida-linked
group has consolidated its
control over Idlib, where it
remains the strongest force
despite its recent losses
there.
After the defeat of IS, al-
Qaida is seen as the main
jihadi group that rejects any
peace talks to try to end Syria's
seven-year conflict. Its
presence in northern Syria
and in the Damascus suburbs
of eastern Ghouta has
provided a pretext for President
Bashar Assad and his
Russian backers to wage war
against opposition-held territory,
since various de-escalation
and cease-fire agreements
have excluded al-Qaida.Several
hundred al-Qaida
fighters holed up in eastern
Ghouta have become a burden
to the armed opposition
battling government forces
there, which has pressed the
extremists to leave the area
for their stronghold in Idlib
in order to avoid the current
crushing offensive.
The group's presence has
also raised concern in
nations from Turkey to the
United States that fear the
global network founded by
Osama bin Laden could use
its presence in northern Syria
to launch terrorist attacks
around the world.
The recent fighting
appears to have been triggered
by last month's assassination
of a senior al-Qaida
official, Abu Ayman al-Masri,
who was riding in a car
with his wife when members
of a rival militant group,
Nour el-Din el-Zinki, fired
on their vehicle, killing al-
Masri and wounding his
wife.
The killing led to battles in
Aleppo and Idlib that have
raged for the past three
weeks.
Sri Lankan
government
urged to lift
block on
social media
COLOMBO : Sri Lankan
activists and journalists are
demanding the government
end a weeklong shutdown of
several social media sites
now that anti-Muslim violence
in the island's central
hills has eased.
The government imposed
a state of emergency last
week and blocked Facebook,
WhatsApp and other sites to
stop rumors from spreading
after Buddhist mobs swept
through towns and villages,
burning Muslim homes and
businesses. Thousands of
troops were deployed and
the area has been peaceful,
with no attacks reported
since Thursday.
Freddie Gamage of the
Professional Web Journalists'
Association said the
government could have used
existing laws to prevent
spreading of hate speech
and punished those instigating
violence, instead of
blocking social media. He
called the shutdown a move
toward a censorship of the
media. Lawyer and activist
Praboda Rathnayaka said
those spreading hate speech
could be arrested under
existing law and that blocking
social media posed a
grave threat to the peoples'
right to freedom of expression.
The government late
Tuesday said it was restoring
access to Viber because Sri
Lankan migrant workers,
businesspeople and tourists
arriving in the country had
encountered
difficulties
without the messaging and
calling app.
Telecommunication minister
Harin Fernando has
said officials were discussing
the situation with representatives
of Facebook, which
also owns Instagram and
WhatsApp.
On Wednesday, a team
from Facebook will arrive in
Sri Lanka for further discussions
with top Sri Lankan
officials including Prime
Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The government has raised
its concerns involving national
security and ethnic reconciliation
in Facebook posts and
Facebook has given a satisfactory
response.
Fernando believes the blocking
could be lifted by Friday
after the discussions.
Sri Lanka has long had a bitter
ethnic divide between the
majority Sinhalese and the
minority Tamils that led to a
civil war killing tens of thousands
of people. Since the war
ended in 2009, the country's
religious divide has grown, with
Buddhist nationalist groups
accusing minority Muslims of
stealing from Buddhist temples
or desecrating them, or forcing
people to convert to Islam.
Iranian says
Tehran ready to
resolve differences
with Saudis
ISLAMABAD : Iran's foreign
minister has expressed a
willingness to resolve differences
with Saudi Arabia as
part of Tehran's desire for
stability in the region,
reports UNB.
Mohammad Javad Zarif
says Tehran had also
expressed willingness to
improve ties with Saudi Arabia
when Pakistan's former
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
visited Iran during the
Yemen crisis, but the Kingdom's
response was not
warm. Zarif made his
remarks in an interview with
Pakistan's Geo television late
Tuesday.
Zarif is in Islamabad this
week for a three-day visit
that ends Wednesday.
Pakistan and Iran have
had close ties in the past but
recent regional alignments
and Pakistan's tilt toward
Saudi Arabia perturbed Iran,
particularly the assignment
of a Pakistani former army
chief to head a Saudi-led 39-
nation Islamic military coalition
to combat terrorism.
Rohingya Muslim children wait for food handouts distributed at Thaingkhali refugee camp,
Bangladesh on Oct 21, 2017.
(AP photo)
Myanmar says UN findings on
human rights lack credibility
BANGKOK : Myanmar's government
on Tuesday rejected two reports presented
to the U.N. Human Rights
Council that concluded it committed
extreme human rights violations,
probably amounting to crimes under
international law, in its repression of
several minority groups, reports UNB.
Government spokesman Zaw Htay
said the reports presented Monday by
the Independent Fact-Finding Mission
on Myanmar and U.N. Special Rapporteur
on Human Rights in Myanmar
Yanghee Lee lacked credibility.
The report of the Fact-Finding Mission,
chaired by former Indonesian
Attorney-General Marzuki Darusman,
was based on hundreds of accounts by
AvB Gm wc Avi/
13/03/18
GD-402/18 (11 x 4)
victims and witnesses of reported
human rights violations, as well as
satellite imagery, photographs and
video footage.
The mission's members were barred
by Myanmar's government from entering
the country, so its researchers
interviewed refugees and others in
Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand.
Zaw Htay said Buddhist-majority
Myanmar had barred the Fact-Finding
Mission because it rejected its legitimacy.
He questioned the reliability of
its research and cast doubts on the
credibility of the refugees' stories.
"We are not denying rights violations
but we are asking for strong, factbased,
and trustworthy evidence on
invitation for tenders
the allegations they are making," Zaw
Htay told The Associated Press by telephone.
He also said Myanmar would no
longer cooperate with Lee because she
"has made biased, one-sided and
unfair accusations against Myanmar."
Lee told the Human Rights Council
that violent sweeps by the Myanmar
army in Rakhine state that prompted
about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to
flee to neighboring Bangladesh "bear
the hallmarks of genocide."
She said accountability for the abuses
in Rakhine should be "the focus of
the international community's efforts
to bring long-lasting peace, stability
and democratization to Myanmar."

EDITORIAL
THURSDAY,
MARCH 15, 2018
4
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
Telephone: +8802-9104683-84, Fax: 9127103
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Doubling food grain
production
Bangladesh is able to maintain a
balance of sorts between its basic
food supply requirement and
present population with some
dependency on imported food grains. But
this balance could strain severely even in
the near future increasing the import
dependency when worldwide food
shortages and higher prices of staple foods
are noted. Thus, it is high time for
Bangladesh to devise and implement
programmes to go on substantially
increasing the production of food grains.
Full or near near attainment of targets of
rice production in recent years showed that
planned increases of food grain production
are possible. This should now lead to
planning for the long term to attain
complete self-sufficiency in food grains at
the fastest. The aim of such long term
planning should be to go on gradually
increasing food grain production to
ultimately double output.
Every year, the country is seen losing
nearly 80 thousand hectares of arable
lands due to river erosion, building of
houses and infrastructures. Thus, one per
cent of arable lands is getting lost annually
when the demand for food is rising at a
rate of 1.4 per cent annually from
population growth and other factors.
There is a mismatch in the demand and
supply growth already. This will only
worsen in the years to come if vigorous
steps are not taken from now to go on
increasing food grain production.
The strategy for Bangladesh to that end
will have to be one of increasing
production from limited or shrinking areas
of cultivable lands. But this should not be
considered as a serious negative factor
because all the possibilities are there for
higher productivity from the limited lands.
According to experts, Bangladesh can
attain a major increase in its food grain
production immediately by only
expanding the use of the higher yielding
varieties of seeds. Only 20 per cent of the
farmlands are now covered by high
yielding seeds. If the rate of use of such
seeds can be extended by 60 per cent from
the present rate, then it would be possible
to produce an additional 30 million tons of
rice.
The challenge would be producing the
increased quantities of the higher yielding
seeds and distributing these efficiently to
the farmers. The total demand for paddy
seeds is 0.3 million metric tons. But the
Bangladesh Agricultural Development
Corporation (BADC) supplies 80
thousand metric tons and the rest of the 20
per cent of such seeds now used, are
supplied by the private sector. Thus, both
the BADC and the private sector will have
to engage in time-bound hard activities to
increase production of higher yielding
seeds and to ensure their efficient
distribution to farmers. BADC is expected
to take the lead role in this area.
Apart from greater use of high yielding
seeds, agriculture as a whole in Bangladesh
should be modernized to a higher degree
for higher productivity. Farmers in many
areas are helping such a transformation on
their own. Power tillers are replacing the
traditional bullock and machines are being
used for threshing in place of the manually
operated systems. But this transformation
needs to be much extended throughout the
country through helpful official policies
and supports. Besides, the governmental
agencies must ensure timely availability of
the various agricultural inputs in adequate
quantities to the doorsteps of farmers at
affordable prices.
From peak oil to pick-ups: Seven key takeaways from Texas
There was plenty of time on the 16 hour
return Emirates flight from Houston
to Dubai to cogitate on the events of
CERAWeek by IHS Markit in the Texan oil
capital last week. Here are my six key
takeaways from the 2018 version of the "oil
man's Davos."
1: The debate about "peak oil" is over for the
foreseeable future. With virtually every big
economy growing strongly, the world is
producing and consuming more oil than at
any time in its history. Even with the rise of
renewables and electric vehicles, demand
will continue to rise for so many years ahead
as to make forecasts of the end of the oil age
meaningless. Energy executives, like Saudi
Aramco's chief executive Amin Nasser, are
not losing any sleep over electric vehicles
when oil-driven vehicles still account for
99.98 percent of the total on the roads.
2: There is a will on the part of OPEC to
sustain the "Vienna Alliance" for at least
another year, but it all depends on the
Russians. The deal struck in the Austrian
capital in December 2016 to limit crude
output has been good for oil exporters, of
which the biggest is Saudi Arabia. It has
provided resilience and continuity in the oil
price, allowing OPEC members to formulate
long term policies without volatility in their
key revenue stream. But non-OPEC -
especially the US, Canada, Brazil, North Sea
- have lots of capacity coming on stream in
the next few years, and the key factor will be
the attitude of the biggest of them, Russia.
OPEC clearly wants to make the alliance a
more formal, permanent institution. The
Russians were low key at CERAWeek, partly
because of what were described as "consular
THE drill is well known: every time
the results of some sort of
worldwide survey are released,
women in the Muslim world are towards
the bottom. Afghan women usually
occupy the lowest rungs of political
participation, women in Somalia and
Sudan have the lowest access to
healthcare facilities, women in Iraq and
Syria are forced into marriages at
astoundingly young ages, and Pakistani
women along with Egyptian women
experience high levels of domestic
violence and general misogyny.
Years of these sorts of surveys, products
of complexities reduced to variables and
relationship to regression, have taught
those who read them to approach with
caution, a degree of warranted criticism, a
degree of preparedness for the
disappointments to follow.
It was a pleasant surprise, therefore, to
encounter a study that upended all others.
In her book titled Fifty Million Rising,
social scientist Saadia Zahidi found that
women in many Muslim countries have a
higher number of graduates in science,
technology, engineering and maths
(STEM) fields than their counterparts in
other nations. The percentages are
impressive: in Iran, 70 per cent of
university graduates in STEM fields are
women; in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar
and the United Arab Emirates, 60pc of
graduates are women, and over 40pc of
science graduates in Algeria are women.
According to Zahidi, the reason for the
advance is that many of these Muslim
countries have invested heavily in
improving women's access and education
On March 11 - the day the National
People's Congress (NPC), China's
rubber-stamp parliament,
approved the controversial proposal to end
presidential term limits - some of the
country's main news outlets vehemently
attacked "Western" criticism of the
constitutional amendment.
The Global Times editorialized:
"Western opinion basically held that the
constitutional change was China's internal
matter [… but] there are still some in the
West that are keen on grabbing attention
by comparing the amendment to Western
political systems."
The tabloid, published by the People's
Daily, the official mouthpiece of the ruling
Communist Party of China (CPC) and the
Peoples' Republic of China (PRC), said
those Western critics "have evaded two
facts." First, "the amendment is primarily
driven by China's internal needs for
development." Second, it is pursued
because of the Chinese people's awareness
of "the harsh reality that the Western
political system doesn't apply to
developing countries and produces
dreadful results."
The China Daily, another influential
state-run outlet, adopted a harsher tone. It
deplored those [in the West] who criticized
China's move, depicting them as
"shameless", "malicious", "ignorant" and
"short-sighted" "naysayers" partly because
it asserted that contrary to what "some
people in the West insist" the change does
not "imply lifetime tenure for any leader."
Despite their assertively expressed
arguments, these state-run papers have
been unable to convince critics. They even
invite more criticism because the facts
problems" at the US embassy in Moscow, so
their definitive attitude was difficult to gauge.
3: US shale producers, who have helped
make American oil great again, are confident
to the point of exuberance, but even at the
height of their euphoria the "short cycle"
doubters are on the rise. Texan shale is
booming, with the Permian basin alone
producing an incredible 2.5 percent of total
global output. The US is looking to overtake
Russia as the largest producer some time in
the next 12 months. But there are three areas
of concern: Infrastructure, capital and
subsurface. Essentially the worry is that the
shale men have tapped all the "sweet spots,"
that investors will not put up the cash to go
for the more inaccessible ones, and that they
won't be able to pipe it to the rest of America
and the world even if they do get to it.
4: The fear future, as one expert said,
belongs to gas. The two fastest growing
energy consumers, China and India, are
FRAnk kAnE
more aware than ever of the environmental
impact of their economic growth, not least on
the lives of their citizens, and are looking to
gas, the least damaging of the fossil fuels, to
bridge the gap until renewables arrive in a
meaningful way. India just took possession
of its first shipload of LNG from the US. Shell
will eventually become a gas and oil
company, rather then vice-versa. Saudi
Aramco is looking to supply most domestic
US shale producers, who have helped make
American oil great again, are confident to the
point of exuberance, but even at the height of their
euphoria the "short cycle" doubters are on the
rise. Texan shale is booming, with the Permian
basin alone producing an incredible 2.5 percent of
total global output. The US is looking to overtake
Russia as the largest producer some time in the
next 12 months. But there are three areas of
concern: Infrastructure, capital and subsurface.
needs from gas rather than oil. There is
optimism and momentum in the global gas
business.
There was plenty of time on my 16-hour
return flight from Houston to Dubai to reflect
on the 'oil man's Davos.' 5: Even
with the "peak oil" debate resolved in crude's
favor, the renewable industry has an impetus
that seems unstoppable. A good deal of
CERAWeek was given over to analysis of the
financial and technological imperatives
behind the move away from fossil fuels.
Women and math
in these fields. It's not that they do not
encounter gender stereotypes or the sort
of constraints that come from being a
woman in conservative and maledominated
societies, it is that women are
genuinely ambitious and want to excel. In
some countries, like the UAE and Jordan,
girls actually expressed greater confidence
in their math skills than boys at the same
age and grade level. In contrast to these
percentages, only 18pc of all computer
science degrees at American universities
are awarded to women. At the high school
level, only 27pc of those who sit for the
Advanced Placement Computer Science
Exam are female. Women in many
Muslim countries have a higher number
of graduates in STEM fields than their
counterparts in other nations.
Of course, each time there are survey
results that are surprising, there are also
point to the contrary of what they assert.
It's true that the removal of the two-term
presidential limit doesn't necessarily mean
Xi Jinping, who already holds two more
influential posts, namely party chief and
army head, that have no term limits, will
rule China indefinitely. However, it's
undeniable that the constitutional change
was primarily aimed at allowing the 64-
year-old strongman to remain at the helm
after 2023 when he would have been
constitutionally required to step down.
With the term limits officially abolished,
coupled with many other recent or current
unprecedented developments in China, Xi
reigning supreme over the world's most
populous country for an indefinite period,
even for life, is a real prospect.
For instance, before 2012, when Xi came
to power, members of the Politburo
Standing Committee (PSC), the CPC's -
and the PRC's - apex of power, were
traditionally assured of a safe retirement.
But under Xi's huge anti-graft campaign,
Zhou Yongkang, a former PSC official and
some of his family members and associates
RAFIA ZAkARIA
XUAn LoC DoAn
uncommon interpretations that seek to
unravel the supposed mystery that would
explain them. In this case, some analysts
have turned to considering how women
who are disadvantaged in many ways,
often denied permission to do this or that,
their freedom circumscribed by tribe or
tradition, manage to pull off such a feat.
The answer they found lay in the realm of
what the women aspired to achieve.
According to another study published in
It's not that they do not encounter gender stereotypes
or the sort of constraints that come from being a
woman in conservative and male-dominated
societies, it is that women are genuinely ambitious
and want to excel. In some countries, like the UAE
and Jordan, girls actually expressed greater
confidence in their math skills than boys at the same
age and grade level. In contrast to these percentages,
only 18pc of all computer science degrees at
American universities are awarded to women.
the journal Psychological Science, women
in countries with the highest degree of
gender inequality pursue STEM careers in
science and technology because they want
the "clearest possible" path to financial
success. This clear path often means
pursuing a science- or math-based
profession. The issue, then, is not one of
aptitude or natural ability. Analysing data
from women across 67 countries,
were targeted. Other high-profile officials,
including two members of the Politburo,
the second-highest decision-making body,
were purged.
By breaking with precedent and creating
a lot of enemies during his anti-corruption
crackdown, widely seen as
disproportionately aimed at members of
rival political factions, it's no longer certain
that Xi and his family and close aides will
be safe should he step down in 10 or 15
years. This will likely force him to stay in
power for life.
Such a real and daunting prospect has
sparked comparisons not to Western
political systems but to Mao Zedong's
lifetime rule or other autocratic regimes in
other countries, such as North Korea,
China's totalitarian communist neighbor.
What's more, those comparisons were
made not only by Westerners but also by
Chinese themselves.
Immediately after Xinhua, China's
official news agency, made the stunning
announcement about the constitutional
change on February 25, some Chinese
When the money and the know-how
combine, as they are, the renewable industry
will have truly come of age. California is
aiming to generate 50 percent of its power
from renewables by 2030, the Europeans
are running even faster. Strategies for dealing
with climate change and carbon capture are
now being formulated in the boardrooms of
the world's biggest energy companies.
6: Despite the comparatively low
penetration by electric vehicles of the overall
car market, EV is another idea whose time is
coming. Mary Barra, chief executive of
General Motors, told CERAWeek that she
was optimistic about the growth of EV
mobility, and that GM was investing billions
into the new technology. Challenges remain
in areas like battery technology and charging
infrastructure, but when two big gas-guzzling
communities like California and Texas
embrace EV, as was apparent from
CERAWeek, energy leaders have to take the
idea seriously, and they are.
7: CERAWeek is fun. The "oil city" of
Houston knows how to show its guests a
good time, and the 4,000 delegates would
have gone away, as I did, having learned a lot
in a convivial environment. But people's
perception of fun varies. For Daniel Yergin,
the indefatigable host of the event, it was
driving an electric vehicle; for me, it was
being driven back to my hotel from the
Rodeo in the biggest, most ostentatious all-
American truck I have ever seen, let alone
ridden in. Thanks to the friendly Texan,
Joseph Jones of Houston, who offered the
ride to stranded strangers.
Source : Arab News
researchers found that girls performed
equally or better than boys in the metrics
of math performance, and girls would
have qualified for college-level math
courses had they chosen to enrol in them.
What girls would choose if their choices
did not have adverse effects on their career
prospects is of course a different matter. In
nearly all countries except Romania and
Lebanon, girls picked reading instead of
math as their favourite subject. Similarly,
boys picked math instead of reading.
The explanation, then, for the disparity
or relative superiority of girls in Muslim
countries is simply that richer countries
have greater gender equality. When there
is greater gender equality, there are more
choices and fewer consequences for the
wrong ones. Given the greater number of
choices, women are able to choose what
they want to do rather than what they
have to do. As a result, the greater the
gender equality, the lower the numbers of
girls engaged in STEM careers.
It's a good explanation but not
necessarily the most convincing one. For
one, if it's gender inequality within a given
society that is the determinant in these
differences, then higher levels of gender
inequality would make it even harder for
women to pursue and excel in STEM
fields. Given that these fields tend to be
dominated by males, women in
conservative countries would face even
more obstacles and hence be less likely to
choose them even if they did present a
clear path to financial stability.
Source : Dawn
Fury over Western criticism of Xi’s power grab
It's true that the removal of the two-term presidential
limit doesn't necessarily mean Xi Jinping, who already
holds two more influential posts, namely party chief and
army head, that have no term limits, will rule China
indefinitely. However, it's undeniable that the constitutional
change was primarily aimed at allowing the 64-year-old
strongman to remain at the helm after 2023 when he would
have been constitutionally required to step down.
netizens suggested that their nation was
becoming North Korea or following the
example of their regressive neighbor.
Their fear quickly turned out to be
justified. Facing a widespread backlash
against the move on social media, the
Chinese government launched a forceful
censorship campaign. As widely reported,
on Weibo, China's Twitter equivalent,
search terms such as "disagree," "lifelong"
and "Xi Zedong" were banned. Even the
memes of Winnie the Pooh, the cartoon
bear that resembles the portly Xi, and the
letter "N" faced the same fate.
Under Xi's watch, there is no space for
public dissent, discontent and disapproval
of the party - or more precisely, Xi himself
- no matter what form it takes
All of this indicates that under Xi's watch,
there is no space for public dissent,
discontent and disapproval of the party - or
more precisely, Xi himself - no matter what
form it takes. All the 1.4 billion people of
China can do is obey. In fact, not only the
Chinese populace but also the party's
hierarchy and the country's elites must
meekly submit to Xi.
The proposal to remove the two-term
presidential limit was, without doubt,
hugely consequential as it could reshape
China in a fundamental, and potentially
dangerous, way in the years to come. Still,
only two members of the NPC, which is
officially "the supreme organ of state
power in China," voted against it whilst
2,958 people (or 99.8%) voted in favor.
This means, though it didn't get 100% of
the vote as is often the case in North Korea,
it was very close.
Source : Asia times

HEALTH
tHuRsDay, MaRCH 15, 2018
5
When are you most likely
to have a Heart attack?
Couples tend to smoke and drink less but put on weight.
Photo: silvia Jansen
Does falling in love makes
you Fat?
steogeB NattgeWs
From romantic dinners to nights in on the sofa
watching TV, munching on snacks - it's no wonder
couples pile on the pounds. Now scientists
have confirmed being in a settled relationship
really does increase the likelihood of weight gain
and explained why. Australian researchers made
the conclusion after assessing 10 years worth of
data from 15,000 participants. The Central
Queensland University study showed couples
weigh more than single people - despite having
healthier lifestyles and eating more fruit and vegetables.
Stephanie Schoeppe, lead author, opined that
it could be down to them no longer needing to
impress potential suitors. And she warned that
children can only add worsen weight problems,
as parents tend to munch on their 'leftovers and
snacks'. Cosy evenings spent binge-watching TV
and munching popcorn on the sofa have taken
the brunt of the blame. But the new study, published
in the medical journal PLoS ONE, suggests
the weight gain isn't from an unhealthy
lifestyle.
It showed that couples consumed more fruit
and vegetables and steered clear of fast food,
alcohol and cigarettes. However, experts believe
the reason behind comfort weight could be that
'couples are eating more of all food types together'.
Dr Jerica Berge, from the University of Minnesota,
commented how so-called date nights
and romantic dinners out are responsible.
She told NewScientist the findings 'may be
because social behaviour in marriage commonly
revolves around eating occassions'. Volunteers
were quizzed about their lifestyle, such as how
much fast food they ate and how much time they
watched TV.
An analysis of the answers then showed couples
and singletons complete the same amount of
exercise and sedentary behaviour, on average. Dr
Berge explained this could stem down to couples
wanting to live healthier lives to extend the span
of their relationship. Dr Anja Heilmann, from
University College London, said: 'How long
you've been in the relationship for probably matters.'
LauRa BLue
Heart disease, including heart attack,
is the world's No. 1 killer. A person's
risk of heart attack depends mostly
on a familiar repertoire of factors:
exercise, smoking, diet, weight,
genes. But our bodies' circadian
rhythms also play a role, leaving us
more prone to injury during certain
hours than others. If you're guessing
that the danger zone comes at the
end of a stressful workday, guess
again. Here to explain is Roberto
Manfredini, professor of internal
medicine at the University of Ferrara
in Italy.
The most dangerous times for heart
attack and for all kinds of cardiovascular
emergency - including sudden
cardiac death, rupture or aneurysm
of the aorta, pulmonary embolism
and stroke - are the morning and
during the last phase of sleep. A
group from Harvard estimated this
risk and evaluated that on average,
the extra risk of having a myocardial
infarction, or heart attack, between 6
a.m. and noon is about 40%. But if
you calculate only the first three
hours after waking, this relative risk
is threefold.
The cardiovascular system follows
a daily pattern that is oscillatory in
nature: most cardiovascular functions
exhibit circadian changes (circadian
is from the Latin circa and
diem, meaning "about one day").
Now, a heart attack depends on the
imbalance between increased
myocardial oxygen demand (i.e., a
greater need for oxygen in your
heart) and decreased myocardial
oxygen supply - or both. And unfortunately,
some functions in the first
hours of the day require more
myocardial oxygen support: waking
and commencing physical activities,
the peak of the adrenal hormone cortisol
[which boosts blood-pressure
and blood-sugar levels] and a further
increase in blood pressure and heart
rate due to catecholamines (adrenaline
and noradrenaline), which show
a peak when you wake up. All those
factors lead to an increase of oxygen
consumption but at the same time
contribute to the constriction of vessels.
So you have reduced vessel size
and reduced blood flow to the coronary
vessels.
You have to remember that blood
coagulation is important in the genesis
of what we call thrombi, the blood
clots that can block the blood vessels
and cut off supply to the heart. When
we wake up, platelets, the particles in
the blood that make thrombi, are
particularly adhesive to the vessels.
Usually we have an endogenous system
- it's called fibrinolysis - to dissolve
the thrombi. But in the morning,
the activity of our fibrinolytic
system is reduced. So we have a
greater tendency to make thrombi
that can occlude the coronary vessels.
This contributes to further reduction
of coronary blood flow. Thus, at the
same time that you need more blood
flow, you have less.
All these changes, however, probably
are not so harmful in healthy people.
But for a person with a plaque in
the coronary vessel, if these changes
a man being revived by defibrillator machine.
occur at the same time and peak at
the same time, the final result is a
higher risk of heart attack during that
specific window of morning hours.
Why is the risk also higher during
the last part of sleep? Usually, during
the night, the cardiovascular system
is "sleeping," which is characterized
by low blood pressure and heart rate.
But the last stage of sleep - REM, or
rapid eye movement, sleep [when we
believe most dreaming occurs] - is a
risk period for cardiovascular emergencies
because when you dream,
you have a dramatic increase of activity
of the autonomic nervous system -
even more than when you are awake.
Probably each of us can remember
waking up in the morning sometimes
feeling very tired. That's because during
that stage of dreams, we were
Photo: Robert Daly
running or facing some danger. Your
heart was running, so it was consuming
oxygen. And for similar reasons
to those when you're awake, that
activity is risky if you don't have a
good vessel system.
It's probably difficult for people to
minimize the effects of their own biological
rhythms. For example, you
cannot avoid your morning risk by
simply waking up later. Some
researchers have tried an experimental
model, in which people were
instructed to stay in bed for four
hours after they woke up before rising.
But the same pattern simply
occurred four hours after waking,
because the risk is linked to our activities.
We can't be afraid of the catecholamines
and the peak in blood
pressure in the morning. It's part of
our physiology. And for healthy people,
it's not a problem.
It's important for doctors, however, to
remember this risk when we give therapy.
Usually people take hypertensive drugs in
the morning, when they wake up. But this
is already the higher-risk period - so is the
last hour of activity of the pill they have taken
the day before [and not all pills give 24-
hour coverage]. We have to be sure that
the pill we're prescribing is still active when
patients need it most. It's not as easy as
simply asking patients to take pills before
bed instead of first thing in the morning,
because during sleep we have a low heart
rate and blood pressure. If you lower your
blood pressure too much during the night,
you risk reducing blood supply to the
brain, and that can be harmful too.
HIV self-testing kits are helping people get treatment earlier.
Photo: IBL
the global treatment plan
for halting HIV epidemic
HeaLtH Desk
The impact of HIV in Africa in the
1990s and 2000s was profound. "It was
a horrendous time," says Kenly Sikwese,
who has lived in Zambia for most
of his life. One report found that, in
1999 alone, 5.4 million people were
infected and 2.8 million died.
"I lost two of my own brothers to
HIV, and I was one of the lucky ones -
there were families of 10 that only had
two members left," says Sikwese, who
coordinates an HIV treatment advocate
network called AfroCAB, which campaigns
for the speedy development and
approval of life-saving treatments. "It
was a time of no hope; if you had HIV,
all you could do was wait to die."
The rapid spread of the virus, combined
with a lack of access to treatments,
was especially felt by African
nations. "Zambia became a country of
funerals," says Sikwese. Since then,
things have changed thanks to a huge
surge of financial support from foreign
governments and smart licensing deals
by pharmaceutical companies.
Much of the early funding was made
available via the President's Emergency
Plan for AIDS Relief - an initiative
launched by George W. Bush, US president
at the time. This programme
released $15 million to fund HIV prevention,
care and treatment in developing
countries between 2004 and 2008.
Together with the Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, these
organisations are still the mainstay for
global HIV funding.
"Things changed in the 2000s," says
Linda-Gail Bekker, who in 1995 founded
the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation
in Cape Town, South Africa, in
response to the lack of available treatments.
"We said to pharmaceutical
companies that we needed access to
their drugs on the grounds of compassionate
use," she says. Part of that
change was led by Gilead Sciences. The
company has pioneered the development
of medicines for HIV. "Their
drugs have been the first-line agents
from the get go," says Bekker.
Gilead was also one of the first to
introduce tiered pricing of the antiretroviral
treatments that had become
so effective at tackling HIV. This made
key medicines available in low- and
middle-income countries for a fraction
of what they cost in high-income countries.
Having lower prices for drugs in
Africa "has really been a game changer,"
says Sikwese. In another move to
make treatments more accessible,
Gilead began entering into generic drug
licensing agreements with manufacturers
in India and elsewhere. This means
that since 2006, these drug makers
have been allowed to make their own,
generic versions of Gilead's HIV drugs,
and sell them cheaply in low-income
countries.
Five years later, Gilead became the
first pharmaceutical company to sign
an agreement with the newly formed
Medicines Patent Pool - an organisation
formed to coordinate the licensing
of patent-protected medicines so that
they can be produced in generic form
for low income countries.
Today, numerous drug manufacturers
based in India, South Africa and
China produce Gilead-developed medicines
at low cost. The greater the number
of manufacturers, the better it is for
countries like Zambia, says Sikwese.
"You have more competition, which
means you have a lower price, which
means you have more accessibility," he
says.
GD-403/18 (9 x 4)

ECONOMY & BUSINESS
THURSDAy,
THE
BANGLADESHTODAY
MARCH 15, 2018
6
Department of Quantitative Sciences of IUBAT - International University of Business Agriculture
and Technology is going to observe the Pi-Day on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 in the university campus.
Day-long programs and competitions are chocked out for observing the international day in a
befitting manner. A Poster Competition on the theme "Pi in Life" and a Quiz Competition are organized
for the students of the university. The programs on the day include "Pi-Day Rally" at 10:20AM
and the "Closing Event with Prize Distribution" at 04:00PM. The winners of the competitions will be
awarded with prizes and certificates. The winners of the Math Olympiad 2015 will also be awarded
with prizes in the same event. The Pro-VC Brig Gen Dr Md Zahid Hossain (Retd) , Registrar
Professor Dr Md Abdul Jabber, Prof Dilip Kumar Das and Prof Anower Hossain, Professor
Department of Quantitative Sciences of IUBAT was present in the Closing Event. Convener of the
occasion Dr Rajib Lochan Das says, "Pi is a special value used in Mathematics. Photo: Courtesy
US consumer
price gains
ease in
February
US consumer inflation rose
more slowly in February,
cooling from January's
sudden jump, with steady
gains in clothing prices and
rent, the government
reported Tuesday.
The news could help ease
volatility on Wall Street,
where fears of inflation and
rising rates have spooked
investors in recent weeks.
The Federal Reserve is
expected to raise its
benchmark interest rates
next week in the first of at
least three hikes expected
this year-but market
watchers are looking for
signs the central bank could
act more assertively.
The Consumer Price
Index, which tracks the costs
of household goods and
services, rose 0.2 percent for
the month, which matched
analyst expectations but was
down from January's sharp
0.5 percent gain.
Year-over-year, the index
posted a 2.2 percent gain,
above the 2.1 percent
recorded in January.
Excluding food and fuel
prices, which can see big
swings, the index also
gained 0.2 percent for the
month, with noted gains in
the prices for car insurance,
rent and apparel.
These were partly offset by
a decline in medical costs,
with hospital care and
prescription drugs both
falling in addition to a 0.5
percent drop in mobile
phone plan prices, the
second monthly decline in a
row.
Economists say 2018 is
likely to be the year that
dormant US inflation finally
responds to a decade of
steady job creation, falling
unemployment and rising
incomes.
Central bankers were
baffled for much of last year
by the weakness of price
pressures in the face of the
continuing recovery.
Within the February
numbers, there were signs
that price pressures were
running hotter than they
had been at this point in
2017.
Economists say 2018 is
likely to be the year that
dormant US inflation finally
responds to a decade of
steady job creation, falling
unemployment and rising
incomes.
At a seasonally adjusted
annual rate, the price index
has gained 4.2 percent so far
this year, compared to a gain
of only 3.3 percent at the
same point last year.
Excluding food and fuel,
this measure has risen 3.2
percent so far this year,
notably faster than the 2.6
percent reported in the first
two months of 2017.
Sensex down 150 pts,
Nifty slips below 10,400
The benchmark BSE Sensex drifted 150
points lower and the NSE Nifty slipped
below the 10,400-mark in early deals today
on selling in metal, PSU and realty counters
amid weak global cues.
Asian stocks declined following an
overnight slide in US equities after
President Donald Trump replaced his
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA
Director Mike Pompeo, extending a shakeup
of his administration, spurring concerns
about a one-sided approach to international
trade.
The 30-share index dropped 166.17 points
or 0.49 per cent to 33,690.61. The gauge had
lost 61.16 points in the previous session.
Similarly, the NSE Nifty fell 37.90 points
or 0.36 per cent to 10,388.95.
Sectoral indices led by metal, PSU, realty,
oil & gas, auto, power and bank stocks were
trading in the negative zone, falling up to
0.87 per cent.
Banking shares such as SBI, ICICI Bank,
Axis Bank, Bank of India, Yes Bank, Andhra
Bank and Canara Bank also declined up to
2.30 per cent.
However, TCS, Infosys, Maruti Suzuki, Dr
Reddy's, L&T and Asian Paints trading in
the green, gaining up to 0.74 per cent.
PNB stocks fell 4.23 per cent to Rs 93.85
after reports that the bank's exposure to
alleged fraud may be over $2 billion.
Shares of Gitanjali Gems cracked 4.90 per
cent to Rs 13.60 after National Stock
Exchange (NSE) levied penalty on the
company for failure to file financial results
for quarter-ended 31 December.
Brokers said that the sentiment remained
negative on weak trend in other Asian
markets following a drop in Wall Street as
US President Donald Trump replaced his
secretary of state, and plans to impose new
tariffs on China.
Meanwhile, on a net basis, domestic
institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares
worth Rs 1,613.39 crore while foreign
portfolio investors (FPIs) also bought shares
worth Rs 7,028.42 crore yesterday,
provisional data showed.
In the Asian region, Japan's Nikkei fell
1.03 per cent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed
1.18 per cent in early trade.
China's Shanghai Composite index too
down 0.46 per cent.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended
0.68 per cent lower in yesterday's trade.
Sensex down 150 pts,
Nifty slips below 10,400
The benchmark BSE Sensex drifted 150
points lower and the NSE Nifty slipped
below the 10,400-mark in early deals today
on selling in metal, PSU and realty
counters amid weak global cues.
Asian stocks declined following an
overnight slide in US equities after
President Donald Trump replaced his
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA
Director Mike Pompeo, extending a shakeup
of his administration, spurring
concerns about a one-sided approach to
international trade.
The 30-share index dropped 166.17
points or 0.49 per cent to 33,690.61. The
gauge had lost 61.16 points in the previous
session.
Similarly, the NSE Nifty fell 37.90 points
or 0.36 per cent to 10,388.95.
Sectoral indices led by metal, PSU, realty,
oil & gas, auto, power and bank stocks were
trading in the negative zone, falling up to
0.87 per cent.
Banking shares such as SBI, ICICI Bank,
Axis Bank, Bank of India, Yes Bank,
Andhra Bank and Canara Bank also
declined up to 2.30 per cent.
However, TCS, Infosys, Maruti Suzuki,
Dr Reddy's, L&T and Asian Paints trading
in the green, gaining up to 0.74 per cent.
PNB stocks fell 4.23 per cent to Rs 93.85
after reports that the bank's exposure to
alleged fraud may be over $2 billion.
Shares of Gitanjali Gems cracked 4.90
per cent to Rs 13.60 after National Stock
Exchange (NSE) levied penalty on the
company for failure to file financial results
for quarter-ended 31 December.
Brokers said that the sentiment
remained negative on weak trend in other
Asian markets following a drop in Wall
Street as US President Donald Trump
replaced his secretary of state, and plans to
impose new tariffs on China.
Meanwhile, on a net basis, domestic
institutional investors (DIIs) bought
shares worth Rs 1,613.39 crore while
foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) also
bought shares worth Rs 7,028.42 crore
yesterday, provisional data showed.
In the Asian region, Japan's Nikkei fell
1.03 per cent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng
shed 1.18 per cent in early trade.
China's Shanghai Composite index too
down 0.46 per cent.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended
0.68 per cent lower in yesterday's trade.
Hong Kong's Cathay
Pacific posts HK$1.26
bn loss for 2017
Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific on
Wednesday announced a HK$1.26 billion
($161 million) net loss for 2017, marking
the first back-to-back annual loss in its
71-year history.
The company had been hit by intense
competition from rival airlines and higher
fuel prices, chairman John Slosar said.
It was the biggest annual loss the
company has seen in nine years and
comes as lower-cost Chinese carriers eat
into its market share.
Companies such as China Eastern and
China Southern Airlines are offering
direct services to Europe and the United
States from the mainland, while budget
carriers have targeted regional travellers,
undermining Cathay's position.
However, Slosar sounded a note of
optimism for 2018 as Cathay saw
improved premium class demand and a
strong cargo business.
The firm fared better in the second half
of 2017, when it made gains of HK$792
million compared to a loss of HK$2.05
billion in the first six months of the year.
Fuel hedging costs fell to HK$6.38
billion in 2017 from HK$8.45 billion the
previous year
Cathay's loss of HK$575 million in 2016
was its first time in the red for eight years,
and prompted a management shake-up
and promises to slash staff costs by 30
percent. It pledged to cut 600 staff
including a quarter of its management as
part of its biggest overhaul.
Transactions
Received in
Bangladesh
Doubled by
Money Gram
Money Gram, a global
provider of innovative
money transfer services,
announced today the
extension of the promotion
that gives customers a
chance to double the
received amount, a press
release said.
Every customer who
receives a Money Gram
transaction until June 30,
2018 will be eligible to take
part in the lucky draw.
Money Gram will double the
transaction amount for
32customers with two
winners being announced
each week.
"With this promotion, we
wanted to celebrate the
unique connection between
families living apartand
double the efforts of
customers sending money to
their loved ones in
Bangladesh. With the
upcoming New Year's
celebrations, we're giving
another reason to stay
financially connected," said
Sheshagiri
GD-404/18 (4 x3)
GD-405/18 (4 x 4)
Malliah,
MoneyGram's head of India
and Subcontinent.
Rupee opens 2 paise
higher against dollar
at 64.87
Amid mixed global cues, the
rupee opened 2 paise higher
at 64.87 against the US
dollar today at the Interbank
Foreign Exchange on selling
of the greenback by
exporters and banks.
The dollar weakened
against some currencies
overseas after after US
President Donald Trump
sacked Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson.
The release of US
consumer price inflation
data that was in line with
expectations, dampening
more aggressive rate-hike
forecasts added to the
weakness in dollar and lent
some support to the
domestic unit. However, a
lower opening of equity
market here capped any
gains gain, forex dealers
said.
As Castro steps down, challenges
await Cuba’s new leader
As Cuban President Raul Castro prepares
to step down next month, ending his
family's six-decade grip on power, his
successor will be faced with major
challenges, including the implementation of
economic reforms vital for the island's
future.
On Sunday, Cubans went to the polls to
ratify a new National Assembly, who will
choose the future president. That transition
will take place on April 19.
"We have walked a long, long, long and
difficult road," Castro said after casting his
vote in Santiago de Cuba, the birthplace of
the 1959 revolution spearheaded by his
brother Fidel, who died in 2016, 10 years
after handing power to Raul.
Raul-who is now 86 -- will remain at the
head of the all-powerful Communist Party
of Cuba until the next congress in 2021.
But his number two, Miguel Diaz-Canel, is
poised to take his place as president.
If Diaz-Canel does indeed assume the role,
the discrete 57-year-old vice-president-the
first Cuban leader to have not fought in the
revolution-will be faced with a balancing act
of reform and staying true to the principles
of "Castroism."
Diaz-Canel insisted Sunday that "the
triumphant march of the revolution" would
continue.
But economist Pavel Vidal, a former
advisor to Raul Castro and now a professor
at the Javieriana University in Cali,
Colombia, said: "The new government will
arrive with limited political capital, less
popular recognition and without historical
legitimacy."
The road ahead will be littered with
obstacles, as Cuba's new leader will inherit
reforms sketched out by his predecessor,
while the economy struggles to take off-with
an average 2.4 percent growth between
2008 and 2017. "The key question is
whether changes will make a difference to
the economy-the most critical issue for many
Cubans," said Michael Shifter, president of
the Washington-based think-tank Inter-
American Dialogue.
Among the most urgent tasks is the
elimination of Cuba's dual currency system.
Experts say favorable exchange rates
offered to the state sector distort an economy
already weakened by its obsolete model and
the US trade embargo in place since 1962.
At the same time, the new president must
relaunch foreign investment and get people
back to work in manufacturing, given that
the island imports most of what it consumes.
Experts say Castro's successor must also
offer a real legal framework for small
businesses, who are gaining ground and
generate revenues far higher than the
average $30 monthly state salary.
"If Diaz-Canel wants to convince young
people, he will have to communicate that
individual initiative and income inequality
are now compatible with the aims of the
revolution," said the former British
ambassador to Cuba, Paul Webster Hare,
who is now a professor at Boston
University.
In terms of diplomacy, the future Cuban
leader will also have to face up to fresh
antagonism from the United States.
Since Donald Trump arrived in the White
House little over a year ago, relations
between the two countries have taken a
nosedive in the wake of as-yet unexplained
attacks on US diplomats that have left them
with serious injuries.
"The Cuban government has vast
experience in successfully resisting and
deterring interventionist policies," said
Arturo Lopez-Levy of the University of
Texas Rio Grande Valley, adding he
expected that policy to continue under the
new leader.
S.Korea's
employment growth
hits 8-year low on
weak car sales
South Korea's employment
growth hit an eight-year low
in February as weak
automobile sales sharply
shrank the number of those
employed in the wholesale
and retail sector, a
government report showed
Wednesday.
The number of those
employed totaled
26,083,000 in the second
month of this year, up
104,000 from a year earlier,
according to Statistics
Korea. It was the lowest
monthly increase since
January 2010, indicating the
worsening labor market
conditions.

MISCELLANEOUS
thUrSDAY, MArCh 15, 2018
7
Venezuelan police arrest Chavez's ex-spy chief at event
WASHINGTON
CARACAS : Venezuelan police on Tuesday
arrested Hugo Chavez's powerful former spy chief,
on accusations of sowing unrest as he leads a
movement of disgruntled leftists seeking to
replace President Nicolas Maduro, reports UNB.
Miguel Rodriguez Torres was speaking at an
event organized by female activists from his
political movement in a Caracas hotel when he
calmly stopped his speech and left the podium,
saying he had "received a notification that requires
me to urgently leave."
Moments later, he was escorted into the back of
a police vehicle and driven away by what witnesses
said were heavily armed agents from the Sebin
intelligence police - the same force he created in
2010 while serving as Chavez's trusted adviser.
Indira Urbaneja, an aide who was also detained
at the event, said the two were taken to the Sebin
headquarters before she was released and
Rodriguez Torres was taken to another unknown
location.
In a statement read on state TV, the government
said Rodriguez Torres was being sought by the
judiciary for plotting to undermine the military's
chain of command and disturb the peace.
"The criminal actions planned by this gentleman
and his accomplices include armed actions and
conspiring against our constitution," said the
statement, which demanded Rodriguez Torres'
"treason" be met with "severity."
Rodriguez Torres is a former army major
general who served alongside Chavez in a failed
1992 coup. For over a year, he has been quietly
building a movement to challenge Maduro in
presidential elections, but earlier this year was
barred from holding office for 12 months on what
supporters call trumped-up charges of not
presenting a sworn affidavit declaring his assets
and income.
In his speech Tuesday, he called for electoral
authorities to uphold Venezuela's constitution and
provide guarantees that the upcoming
presidential election will be free and fair. Several
prominent opponents of Maduro's socialist
administration have been barred from competing
in the May vote while several other have been
exiled or jailed.
"Once those conditions are reached we should
select one candidate to begin that electoral process
to begin transforming the reality we are living
today," Rodriguez Torres told the gathering.
With deep ties to the military, traditionally the
arbiter of political disputes in Venezuela,
Rodriguez Torres has managed to distinguish
himself from other former government loyalists
on the left even while, until now, evading arrest or
prosecution like many of Maduro's conservative
opponents.
In an interview last year with The Associated
Press, Rodriguez Torres accused Maduro of
destroying Venezuela's oil-rich economy, failing to
rein in violence by pro-government militias and
silencing critics.
He said if given the chance to lead he would
eliminate foreign currency controls put in place in
2003 and seek financial assistance from the
International Monetary Fund, which Chavez
railed against.
Despite attempts to present himself as a kinder,
gentler Chavista, many in the conservative
opposition accuse Rodriguez Torres of violating
human rights by arresting dozens of protesters as
Maduro's interior minister during a wave of antigovernment
unrest in 2014. The statement from
Maduro's government announcing Rodriguez
Torres' arrest repeated claims that he had been
fired as minister for allegedly having ties to U.S.
intelligence agencies.
US trying to improve Syrian detention of foreign fighters
: There are ongoing U.S.
efforts to improve Syrian rebels' ability to
detain what has become a steadily growing
number of foreign fighters in Syria, the top
U.S. commander in the Middle East told
Congress on Tuesday, reports UNB.
Army Gen. Joseph Votel, the head of U.S.
Central Command, told members of the
Senate Armed Services Committee that the
U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces
currently hold more than 400 detainees.
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has
been urging reluctant allies to address the
escalating crisis by taking responsibility for
their citizens who have been captured.
During a meeting of allied defense
ministers in Rome last month, Mattis
pressed them to use diplomatic, legal and
other means to take back citizens detained
in Syria to make sure they don't get back
on the battlefield. And the subject came up
again during a meeting of NATO defense
ministers that followed.
"We are working with our partners in the
government here to work to get them back to
their countries so they can be prosecuted in
accordance with their laws," Votel told
senators on Tuesday.
Asked by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., if
there is a "credible" long-term plan to detain
the fighters inside Syria, Votel said the U.S. is
working on that now.
So far, however, those entreaties to allies
have been largely unsuccessful. Officials
have said that only one or two detainees have
been returned to their country.
As an example, British officials made it
clear they did not want to accept the return of
two notorious British members of an Islamic
State cell who were commonly dubbed "The
Beatles" and were known for beheading
hostages. The two men - El Shafee Elsheikh
and Alexanda Amon Kotey - were captured
in early January in eastern Syria and are
being held by the SDF.
Belgium officials have also spoken against
the return of any detainees to their country.
Belgium Foreign Minister Didier Reynders
has suggested that detainees be tried where
they were captured.
Most of the foreign fighters are from the
region, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
Hundreds of them have fought alongside IS
in recent years as it seized large parts of
Syria, raising concerns they'll commit
terrorism at home if they return.
Dbœq‡bi MYZš¿
†kL nvwmbvi g~jgš¿
GD-401/18 (15 x 8)

UNITING PEOPLE EVERYDAY
THUrSDAy, DHAKA, MArCH 15, 2018, CHAITrA 1, 1424 BS, JAMADI-US-SANI 26, 1439 HIJrI
Surveillance on Landing and Air traffic Control has been increased at Shahjalal International
Airport.
Photo: Star Mail
BNP Ctg city
chief Dr Shahdat
freed on bail
CHIttAgONg : Over a
month after his arrest,
Chittagong city unit BNP
president Dr Shahdat
Hossain was released on bail
from jail on Wednesday,
reports UNB.
He walked out of the
Chittagong Central Jail
around 10:40am after the
bail order reached the jail
authorities, Chittagong divisional
BNP organising secretary
Mahbubur rahman
Shamim told UNB.
Some BNP leaders and
activists received Shahdat at
the jail gate. Later, he
straight went to the party
office at Nasiman Bhaban in
Kajir Dewri area, Shamim
said.
Police arrested Shahdat
and some other BNP leaders
on February 8 in front of the
BNP office following a clash
between law enforcers and
BNP followers.
Later, two cases were
filed against Shahdat and
others in connection with
the incident.
Power outage causes
panic among launch
passengers on Meghna
CHANDPUr : two hundred passengers
faced ordeals and narrowly escaped an
accident following a power outage as
the launch's generator went out of order
in the middle of Meghna river on
tuesday.
MV Shonartori 5, a Chandpur-bound
3-storied launch with more than 200
passengers left Sadarghat terminal at
7:45pm, reports UNB.
When it was crossing Shatnol area
of Matlab Uttar upazila, its generator
suddenly went out of order and the
whole launch went into complete
darkness spreading panic among the
passengers.
It also narrowly escaped a head-on
collision with a sand-laden trawler
(bulkhead) near ekhlaspur area around
10:30 pm. As a result a stampede
occurred there and some of the passengers
sustained injuries when they fell
on each other.
Just after 20 minutes of the incident,
the launch also ran aground at a hidden
America’s Smallest ‘National
Forest’ in Adak
INtereStINg NeWS
Adak Island, located near the furthest
tip of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska,
is one of the southernmost westernmost
island of the United States. the
high winds, persistently overcast
skies, and cold temperatures mean
that only the most cold-resistant
grasses, mosses and low-lying flowering
plants grow here, with the exception
of a group of exactly 33 pine trees
huddled together at the foot of a small
hill. this grove of trees is claimed to
be the smallest "National Forest" in
the country.
the trees were planted during the
Second World War by the US military.
the exercise was meant to boost
the sagging spirits of the soldiers stationed
at this remote outpost, who
suffered through the miserable
weather of almost constant snow,
sleet, rain, fog, and mud. Army
general Buckner thought that planting
some Christmas trees on the otherwise
barren island might cheer up
his troops. So he initiated a formal
tree planting program from 1943
through 1945.
Unfortunately, the Aleutian climate
was so harsh that the pines didn’t survive.
At one point, there was only one
tree left standing. Somehow, a few
other pine trees managed to grow
back and over the course of several
years, formed a small grove of severely
stunted trees. In the early 1960s,
somebody jokingly put up a sign that
read: "You are now entering and leaving
Adak National Forest".
Whether or not general Buckner’s
troops were able to celebrate
Christmas around their pine trees is
not known, but the fact that the grove
was originally planted for Christmas
was not lost to the local Aleutians who
never forget to decorate the whole
“forest” every December. Of course,
the federal government doesn’t recognize
the grove as a National Forest.
shoal in the middle of the river near raj
rajeswar area tilting it one side.
Women and children became panicked
at that time, said several passengers
adding that some of them were
injured. Many passengers started wearing
life jackets, they added.
Being informed, Chandpur district
Commissioner Majedur rahman
Khan along with additional district
magistrate Ayesha Akhter and NDC
Narayan Chandra Pal rushed to the
spot and quelled the passengers after
boarding on it.
the team detained the launch master
Daud Hossain and staff rafiqul Islam
for negligence of their duties and services.
Later, the launch reached Chandpur
Launch ghat at 11:45 pm.
Meanwhile, Inspector Mohammad
Suman of Bangladesh Inland Water
transport Authority filed a case with
Marine Court on Wednesday accusing the
launch owner, its driver and a staff.
USAID to extend
support for hill
people: Bernicat
BANDArBAN : US
Ambassador in Dhaka
Marcia Bernicat on
Wednesday said US
Agency for International
Development (USAID)
will expand its working
sphere and supports for
the socio-economic
development of the
marginalised people in
Chittagong Hill tracts,
reports UNB.
the ambassador came
up with the remarks
while talking to the
reporters at deputy commissioner's
office on the
second day of her visit to
the district.
recalling USAID's
support in education,
health and nutrition sectors
for the people of the
hilly areas, Bernicat said
USAID will scale up its
finance to expand the
area of actions for the
remote and isolated
communities in the district.
the ambassador met
zila parishad chairman
and king of the Bomang
Circle, engineer Utch
Pru Chowdhury, district
police super Zakir
Hossain Majumdar and
also visited an USAID
sponsored project in the
hilly areas.
A team of 21 representatives
including USAID
Country Director Karnia
Zaruski also attended
the meetings.
1st-ever Bangabandhu
Chair to be inaugurated
in Thailand Thursday
DHAKA : the first-ever
"Bangabandhu Chair" will be
inaugurated at the Premier
technology Institute of
Bangkok on thursday,
reports UNB.
Foreign Minister AH
Mahmood Ali will jointly
inaugurate it, a "unique initiative"
to permanently preserving
Bangabandhu's
profile and identity in
thailand, with Foreign
Minister of thailand Don
Pramudwinai.
Foreign Minister will
hold bilateral talks with his
thai counterpart followed
by the joint inauguration
ceremony of the
"Bangabandhu Chair" at
the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of thailand.
An agreement on exemption of
visa for the holders of diplomatic
passports will also be signed
between Bangladesh and
thailand on the same occasion,
said the Bangladesh embassy in
Bangkok.
Before that the Foreign
Minister will call on Prime
Minister of thailand
general Prayut Chan-o-cha
and attend the
"Bangabandhu Lecture" at
the AIt.
the Foreign Minister will
unwrap the historic 7th March
speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur rahman translated in
thai Language. Power, energy
and Mineral resources Minister
Nasrul Hamid will accompany
the Foreign Minister during the
inauguration.
the "Bangabandhu Chair" is
a Ph.D level doctoral fellowship
endowed by the Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina to the
AIt for research on the contemporary
topic of
'Sustainable and Integrated
Smart energy Modelling' in
the context of Bangladesh and
other developing countries.
the Chair has been
named after the Father of
the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur rahman as
an effort of the embassy of
Bangladesh in Bangkok to
permanently preserve his
footprints in thailand, said
the embassy.
Law enforcers to remain alert
during March 25 'blackout'
DHAKA : Members of Dhaka Metropolitan
Police (DMP) and intelligence agencies will
remain alert so that no miscreant can carry out
any subversive act in the capital during government
announced countrywide one-minute
'blackout' programme on the night of March
25, marking 'genocide Day', reports UNB.
DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah
said this while addressing a coordination
meeting on the occasion of the Independence
Day and genocide Day at DMP headquarters
in the city on Wednesday, said Deputy
Commissioner (Media) Masudur rahman.
Like one minute silence programme, this
one minute 'blackout' will be observed on
March 25 night between 9:00 pm to 9:01 pm.
the police and the intelligence agencies would
remain ready during the one minute 'blackout'
so that no miscreant carries out sabotage, the
DMP Commissioner said.
the DMP Commissioner also requested the
city dwellers to follow the government's decision
to honor the innocent people sacrificing in
the 'genocide Day,' the DC (Media) said.
Senior officials of different law enforcement
and intelligence agencies and the representatives
of public service providers attended the
DHAKA : Chinese
President Xi Jinping has
joined with other global
leaders and expressed deep
shock at the loss of lives in
Kathmandu plane crash
that claimed dozens of
lives, reports UNB.
"I'm deeply shocked at
the tragic loss of lives and
injury caused by the unfortunate
plane crash,"
President Jinping wrote to
his Bangladesh counterpart
Abdul Hamid on
Wednesday.
On behalf of the Chinese
government, people and on
his own, he expressed his
deepest grief to the victims
and his sincere condolences
to the people affected by
the accident and the
bereaved families.
On tuesday, UN
Secretary-general (Sg)
António guterres
expressed his deepest sympathies
to the government,
people and victims of the
tragic accident of US-
Bangla Airlines at the
tribhuvan International
Airport in Kathmandu,
Nepal.
He sent a condolence
message to the Permanent
representative (Pr) of
Bangladesh to the UN
Ambassador Masud Bin
Momen on tuesday
through Maria Luiza Viotti,
the Chef de Cabinet to UN
Secretary general.
coordination meeting.
the Commissioner said, "We are committed
to provide flawless security for the celebration
of the Independence Day with proper dignity."
He also urged all city dwellers to play their
parts so that a beautiful, disciplined and integrated
security can be ensured in national
interest.
Ministry of Liberation War Affairs urged
all to keep a one minute blackout across the
country from 9.00 pm to 9:01pm on March
25. On this day, without switching off the
national grid lines, the people of the districts
have been asked to switch off their respective
power lines to show respect to the martyrs
of the massacre. establishments of
emergency services will remain out of the
purview of the programme.
the decision of observing the blackout programme
was taken at a meeting of Home
Ministry with the presence of top officials of
the law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
In 2017, the government officially declared
March 25 as 'genocide Day', marking the massacre
unleashed by Pakistani Army on the
unarmed Bengalis on the black night of March
25, 1971.
Chinese President shocked
at loss of lives in Kathmandu
plane crash
DHAKA : Bangladesh will present its
present status and share future plans
on economic, social and cultural
rights at the review meeting in
geneva on thursday-Friday, reports
UNB.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs
M Shahriar Alam, who already
reached geneva, will lead the 12-
member Bangladesh delegation at
the review meeting.
"Bangladesh is attending the first
review of the national report under
international covenant on of economic,
social and cultural rights,"
State Minister Alam told UNB.
He said some 18 experts will take
part in the discussion and questionsanswers
session which will last for
nine hours in the two days.
"It's a big step towards ensuring
transparency and accountability
while running the country," said the
State Minister.
Bangladesh acceded to the
International Covenant on
economic, Social and Cultural
rights (ICeSCr) during Sheikh
Hasina's first tenure on October 5,
1998.
the UN Committee on economic,
Social and Cultural rights began its
meeting in geneva from March 12 to
29 March 2018 to review a number
of countries including Bangladesh.
Other countries are Central African
"I was extremely saddened
to learn of the accident
of US-Bangla Airlines
flight 211 which occurred at
the tribhuvan Airport in
Kathmandu," said UN
Chief in his message.
'Please accept sincere
condolences on the tragic
loss of lives resulting from
it," the message reads.
the UN Secretary
general also conveyed
deepest sympathies to the
government and people of
Bangladesh, as well as to
the families and loved ones
of the victims, saying rest
assured that the United
Nations family mourns
with Bangladesh during
this difficult period.
BD to share its current, future plans on
socioeconomic, cultural rights in Geneva
Shahriar to lead 12-member BD delegation in Geneva meeting
Housing guideline launched for
disaster prone rural areas
DHAKA : In order to build a disaster resilient
nation through durable and sustainable housing
in disaster prone rural areas, Housing and
Building research Institute (HBrI) on
Wednesday launched a standard guideline of
rural housing in those areas, reports UNB.
HBrI in collaboration with Friendship, a
Bangladesh based NgO and with the support
from Ministry of Disaster Management and
relief and the Department of Disaster
Management (DDM) conducted a yearlong
research on housing guideline, in collaboration
with Shelter research Unit of International
Federation of red Cross and red Crescent
Societies (IFrC). they published their findings
in a book on "Standard guideline for rural
Housing in Disaster Prone Areas of
Bangladesh".
every year, Bangladesh faces severe natural
disasters in various parts of the country. the government
is committed to a substantial reduction
of disaster risks at all levels. Housing is one of the
highest priorities in the government agenda. the
goal of the project is to promote sustainable
building materials and construction techniques
for rural housing with the aim of reducing the
risks associated with natural calamities.
this standard guideline seeks both to consolidate
existing knowledge in rural housing as to
foster a more coherent and pro-active approach
to improve the rural housing in Bangladesh
before and after disaster.
republic (19-20 March), Spain (21-
22 March) and New Zealand (22-23
March) while Mexico and Niger are
already reviewed.
the meetings will take place in the
first floor conference room at Palais
Wilson in geneva.
the above States are among the
166 that have ratified the ICeSCr,
and so are reviewed by the
Committee on how they are implementing
the Covenant.
the Committee, which is composed
of 18 independent human
rights experts, will meet delegations
from the respective States to examine
a range of issues relating to the
Covenant.
Fire breaks out
at Khilkhet
kitchen market
DHAKA : A fire broke out
at Khilkhen kitchen market
in the city on
Wednesday.
Fire Service and Civil
Defence control room
operator Farid Uddin said
the fire occurred around
4:15 pm but the origin of
the fire could not be known
yet, reports UNB.
Six units of firefighters
rushed to the spot and
working to douse the
flame, he said. No causality
was reported.
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