14-05-2018

mOnday 

Dhaka : May 14, 2018; Baishakh 31, 1425 BS; Shaban 27,1439 hijri 

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www. tbtbangla.com 

Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.16; No.134; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00 

inTeRnaTiOnal 

Heavy rainstorms kill 

15 in northwest 

Pakistan 

>Page 7 

aRT & CUlTURe 

Jacqueline Fernandez 

escapes unhurt 

in car accident 

>Page 8 

SPORT 

West Indies to host 

Bangladesh for 

T20 Is in Florida 

>Page 9 

Bangabandhu-1 to provide 

broadcasting, telecom services 

to rural areas: MOFA 

DHAKA : Bangabandhu Communications 

Satellite-1will provide broadcasting and 

telecommunication services to rural areas 

and introduce direct-to-home television 

programming across Bangladesh and 

neighboring countries, reports UNB. 

Bangabandhu-I will offer video services 

for Direct-to-Home (DTH), e-learning, 

Tele-medicine, Family Planning, 

Farming etc while voice service to cellular 

backhaul and disaster recovery, etc and 

data service for internet, SCADA, SOHO 

as well as business-to-business (VSAT) 

etc, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairson 

Sunday. 

Two ground stations for controlling the 

satellite have already been built at 

Joydebpur of Gazipur and Rangamati's 

Betbunia. 

Ku-band will cover Bangladesh and its 

territorial area of the Bay of Bengal, India, 

Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, 

Indonesia and the Philippines. 

On the other hand, C-band will cover 

Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the 

Philippines, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, 

Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan, 

Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, 

Turkmenistan, and portions of 

Kazakhstan. 

The satellite will contain 40 transponders; 

Bangladesh will use 20 and rent out 

the rest. 

The two ground stations that will control 

the satellite will be built at Gazipur's 

EC sets June 26 for Gazipur city polls 

DHAKA : The Election Commission 

(EC) on Sunday fixed June 26 to hold 

the Gazipur City Corporation election, 

reports UNB. 

ECactingsecretary Helaluddin 

Ahmed said the election will be held on 

June 26 while the official election campaign 

will start on June 18. 

The decision was taken at a meeting 

of the EC chaired by ChiefElection 

Commissioner(CEC)KM Nurul 

Hudain the afternoon, he said. On 

Thursday, the Appellate Division asked 

the EC to hold the GCC Election by 

June 28. 

The Appellate Division passed the 

order after hearing three separate 

appeal petitions filed by the Election 

Commission and two mayoral candidates-Hasan 

Uddin Sarkar of BNP and 

Zahangir Alam of Awami League. 

On May 6, the High Court stayed 

the Gazipur City Corporation election 

which was scheduled to be held on 

May 15. 

It also issued a rule asking the government 

to explain as to why the inclusion 

of six moujas of Dhaka district into 

GCC should not be declared illegal. 

The government on January 16, 

2013 published a gazette incorporating 

six moujas of Shimulia union of 

Savar upazila (South Boroibari, 

Domna, Shibrampur, West Panishail, 

South Panishail and Domnag) under 

Gazipur City Corporation but according 

to law, the GCC was formed with 

Zohr 

03:56 AM 

12:00 PM 

04:32 PM 

06:35 PM 

07:57 PM 

5:18 6:32 

Joydebpur and Rangamati's Betbunia on 

the land owned by Bangladesh 

Telecommunications Company Ltd. 

Unfolding a new page of the nation's 

proud history, Bangladeshon 

Fridayjoined the Space Age by successfully 

launching the Bangabandhu 

Communications Satellite-1 from 

Kennedy Space Center, Florida. 

A Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket, an upgrade 

version of the SpaceX, was launched at4- 

14pm(local time) from LC-39A pad to 

deliver the 7,700 pound Bangabandhu-1 

satellite to a geostationary transfer orbit. 

Thousands of fired-up Bangladeshi- 

Americans and visitors from foreign 

countries witnessed the historic live rocket 

launch that left them in awe. The sheer 

spectacle of sights and sounds was a jawdropping, 

bucket-list experience. 

Visitors cheered and shouted slogns as 

the Falcon 9 Block 5, the latest version of 

SpaceX , was launched on its maiden mission 

As the countdown began, 

Bangladeeshi-Americans sang national 

anthem and shouted " Joy Bangla, Joy 

Bangabandhu." 

Manufactured by the Thales Alenia 

Space of France, Bangladesh will operate 

satellite from 119.1 degree East using a 

payload comprising 14 C-Band and 26 

Ku-Band transponders to deliver focused 

telecommunications coverage to 

Bangladesh. One transponder is equivalent 

to 36 MHz. 

Gazipur and Tongi municipalities. 

ABM Azharul Islam Suruj, Shimulia 

union parishad chairman of Savar, filed 

the writ on May 6 morning challenging 

the legality of the gazette as the Election 

Commission announced the election 

schedule incorporating six moujas of 

Dhaka district, which is illegal. 

Chief Election Commissioner KM 

Nurul Huda announced the election 

schedule for Gazipur and Khulna city 

corporations on March 31. 

BSF picks up 3 

Bangladeshis 

at Thakurgaon 

border 

THAKURGAON : Members of Indian 

Border Security Force (BSF) detained 

three Bangladesh nationals from Paria 

border in Baliadangi upazila of the district 

early Sunday, reports UNB. 

The detainees were identified as Shah 

Alam, 35, son of Sirajul Islam of 

Taranjhuri village, Abu Sayeed, 24, son 

of Ismail Hossain of Horinmari 

Noyabasti village and Pobarul Hossain, 

26, son of Tofarul islam of Notabari village 

in upazila. 

Lt Col Mohammad Hossain, commanding 

officer of Border Guard 

Bangladesh battalion no 50, said that a 

BSF team detained the trio from an 

area adjacent to 385 no pillar on the 

border line around 4 am while they 

were trying to intrude into Indian territory. 

Meanwhile, BGB sent a letter to the 

BSF for holding a flag meeting, he 

added. 

The construction work of Padma Bridge goes one step more after setting 4th span through floating crane Tan 

Ehaw on the 40 and 41 pillars. The six hundred meters of Padma Bridge is visible. 

Photo: Star Mail 

Quota protesters give ultimatum 

to publish gazette by afternoon 

DHAKA : Quota protesters on Sunday 

gave the government an ultimatum to 

publish a gazette notification by abolishing 

quota system in government jobs as 

per the Prime Minister's announcement 

by yesterday afternoon, reports UNB. 

If government fails to publish the 

gazette, they will begin indefinite strikes 

from tomorrow (Monday) at all educational 

institutes across the country, said 

Nurul Haque Nur, co-convener 

Bangladesh General Students Rights 

Protection Alliance. 

Meanwhile, they observed two-hour 

strike from 11am to 1pm in colleges and 

universities across the country on 

Sunday by suspending all classes and 

examinations. 

The agitated students hold a human 

chain on Dhaka University campus 

demanding immediate issuance of 

Bangabandhu-1 

to open up huge 

opportunities for 

BD: France 

DHAKA : The France government has 

said the Bangabandhu-1 satellite will 

open up a wide range of opportunities 

for Bangladesh among which broadcasting 

and weather forecasting services 

and high-speed internet connectivity 

in hard-to-reach areas, reports UNB. 

"We congratulate the government 

and the people of Bangladesh for entering 

a new era, as underlined by Prime 

Minister Sheikh Hasina," said the 

France Embassy here on Sunday. 

It is an important step forward in 

the country's digital advancement, 

reads the statement. The govt of 

France has supported the satellite 

Bangabandhu-1 project from its 

inception and wishes to thank the 

French company Thales Alenia Space, 

designer and manufacturer of the 

satellite, as well as the US launching 

company Space X, for their full success 

in its realization and launch. 

Niko graft charge framing 

hearing deferred 

DHAKA : A Dhaka court on Sunday deferred the hearing until June 25 on charge 

framing against BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia in Niko graft case on health ground, 

reports UNB. Judge Mahmudul Kabir of Dhaka Special Judge's Court-9 set the date 

following a petition seeking to defer the hearing which was scheduled to be held 

today. Earlier on April 19, the court fixed May 13 for the hearing. 

On December 9, 2007, the Anti-Corruption commission filed the Niko graft case 

against Khaleda and four others in connection with a Tk 137.77 loss to the national 

exchequer caused by the signing of an oil-gas exploration agreement with Canadian 

company Niko during BNP regime. On May 5, 2008, it submitted a charge sheet 

against 11 people. Later on July 9, 2008, the High Court adjourned the case proceedings. 

Later, Khaleda filed a petition with the HC challenging the legality of the case 

which the court rejected on June 18, 2015. 

gazette notification abolishing quota 

system in government jobs as per the 

Prime Minister's announcement. 

Earlier on Wednesday, the 

Bangladesh General Students Rights 

Protection Alliance gave the government 

a 24-hour ultimatum to publish a 

gazette notification. 

600m of Padma 

Bridge now visible as 

4th span installed 

MUNSHIGANJ : Around 600 meters 

of much-hyped Padma Bridge is now 

visible following the installation of 4th 

span on pillar no 40 and 41 on Sunday, 

reports UNB. 

The span has been installed in the 

Jajira point in the morning. 

Earlier on Saturday afternoon, the 

span was brought to the point from 

Mawa construction yard. The work of 

Padma Multipurpose Bridge became 

visible with the installation of a 150- 

metre first span on the pillars no 37 and 

38 on October 30. The construction 

work on the country's largest bridge 

started in December in 2015. 

bKash agents shot, Tk 11 

lakh snatched in Gazipur 

GAZIPUR : A gang of muggers 

snatched away Tk 11 lakh after shooting 

two 'bKash' agents in Chandana intersection 

area of Sadar upazila on 

Sunday, reports UNB. 

The injured were identified as 

Asaduzzaman and Iqbal Hossain, 

employees of Jamaddar Enterprise of 

the area. 

The seriously wounded duo was 

rushed to Dhaka Medical College 

Hospital, said Aminul Islam, officer-incharge 

of Joydebpur Police Station. 

A gang of four muggers obstructed 

them while they were going to deposit 

the collected money amounting Tk 11 

lakh to a local bank in the area, said the 

OC quoting the victims. 

"At one stage, the muggers shot them 

and fled away with the snatched 

money," he said.

NEWS 

MONDAY, 

MAY 14, 2018 

2 

Experts for preventive 

measures to reduce 

heart ailments 

Senior Secretary of Agriculture Ministry addressing a regional workshop at the conference room of 

Habiganj DC office recently. 

Photo : Md. Mamun Chowdhury 

Solar bulbs 

distributed 

in Debiganj 

Panchagarh: Solarpowered 

street lights were 

distributed to 258 houses 

and 68 streets at Debiganj 

upazila of the district here 

last afternoon, reports 

BSS. 

Parliament Member of 

Panchagarh 2, 

constituency Advocate 

Nurul Sujon was present 

at the distribution function 

as the chief guest at upazila 

parishad hall room. 

It was addressed, among 

others, by upazila parishad 

chairman of Debiganj Md 

Hasnat Zaman Chowdary 

Jarje, upazila Awami 

League President ASM 

Nuruzzaman. 

Upazila Nirbahi officer 

(UNO) of Debiganj 

Ramkrisno Barman 

presided over the function. 

BNP demands disclosure 

of money spent on 

Bangabandhu-1 

DHAKA : BNP senior 

leader Moudud Ahmed on 

Sunday demanded the 

government make public the 

total amount of money spent 

on launching Bangabandhu- 

1 Satellite in the space, 

reports UNB. 

"Let people know the total 

cost of the satellite project 

and how the money has 

been spent," he asked the 

government. 

Speaking at a discussion, 

the BNP leader also said the 

government should inform 

people with whom it signed 

the deal to launch the 

satellite and the amount of 

money they received. 

Moudud, a BNP standing 

committee member, 

however, said it is a matter 

of pride that the government 

has sent a satellite which will 

move in the space. 

Shafiul Bari Mukti 

Parishad arranged the 

discussion at the Jatiya 

Press Club demanding the 

release of Jatiyatabadi 

Swechchhasebak Dal 

president Shafiul Bari Babu. 

Moudud warned that 

there party together with 

people will launch a 

movement if Khulna 

election is not held in a fair 

and credible manner. 

"We'll turn down the 

election if the ruling party 

men resort to irregularities, 

vote rigging and capture 

election centres," he said. 

The BNP leader alleged 

that they had information 

that plainclothes police and 

government agents are 

being sent to Khulna to help 

ruling party men capture 

election centres and indulge 

in vote rigging. 

He also alleged that their 

party's mayoral candidate's 

agents are being harassed 

and intimidated so that they 

do not go to polling stations 

during Tuesday's voting. 

Moudud hoped that BNP's 

mayoral candidate Nazrul 

Islam Manju will win the 

Khulna City election with a 

big margin if it is held in a 

credible manner. 

About the next general 

election, he said their party 

will join it after freeing BNP 

Chairperson Khaleda Zia 

from jail. 

RANGPUR : Health experts at a 

programme on Sunday stressed the 

need for preventive measures, proper 

awareness and appropriate lifestyle as 

better ways to reduce the risks of heart 

ailments, reports BSS. 

Cautioning that increased salt intake 

and uncontrolled high blood pressure 

are silent killers, they suggested for less 

salt intake and walking regularly to 

reduce the risks of heart attack and 

brain hemorrhage. 

They made the observations today at 

the ceremony arranged for publication 

of the first ever medical journal 

'Rhythm' of the Department of 

Cardiology of Prime Medical College 

and Hospital (PMCH) at its conference 

room in the city. 

Head of the Department of 

Cardiology of PMCH Professor Dr 

Nawajesh Farid presided over the 

publication ceremony attended by 

expert physicians of different 

departments of the institution. 

Professor Dr Nawajesh Farid with 

other expert physicians of PMCH and 

PMC formally published the journal 

'Rhythm' by unveiling cover on the 

occasion. 

Principal of Prime Medical College 

and Head of its Department of 

Medicine Professor Dr Nur Islam, its 

Vice-principal Professor Dr Syed 

Isbarul Bari, Head of its Department of 

Pediatrics of PMCH Professor Dr 

Nurul Absar, Head of its Department 

of Microbiology Professor Dr Parimal 

Chandra Sarker, addressed the 

occasion. 

The experts laid special emphasis on 

keeping blood pressure within safe 

range by taking drugs, appropriate 

amount of nutritious food and 

conducting physical exercise to avoid 

heart attacks, brain stroke, kidney 

ailments and other diseases. 

Professor Dr Nawajesh Farid urged 

all for abiding by suggestions of the 

cardiologists and leaving all bad habits 

like smoking and conducting regular 

check up of blood pressure and 

physical exercise to maintain sound 

health. 

Imposing heavy tax on tobacco 

products stressed 

RANGPUR: Adoption of a national 

tobacco policy along with imposing 

heavy tax at a flat rate on all tobacco 

products has become imperative to 

discourage its consumption and save 

thousands of human lives annually, 

reports BSS. 

Anti-tobacco activists expressed the 

opinion today at a media advocacy 

meeting jointly organised by Rangpur 

Tobacco Control Coalition (TCC) and 

Association for Community 

Development (ACD) at Rangpur Press 

Club (RPC) auditorium in the city. 

Presided over by focal person of 

Rangpur TCC Shushanto Bhowmick, 

general secretary of RPC Abdur 

Rashid Babu, journalists Abu Taleb, 

Abdur Rahman Mintu, Miru Sarker, 

Saiful Islam, among others, addressed 

the meeting. 

ACD's Project Coordinator Ehsanul 

Haque Emon delivered the keynote 

speech and expressed concern over 

the increasing rate of consumption of 

tobacco products in Bangladesh, 

especially by the young generation, 

aged between 13 and 15 years. 

"Around one-lakh people are 

embracing death annually from 

tobacco-attributable diseases in 

Bangladesh," he said citing the latest 

survey reports of the University of 

Washington's Institute for Health 

Metrics and Evaluation. 

The speakers demanded imposing 

maximum taxes at a flat rate on all 

tobacco products along with adoption 

of the national tobacco policy and 

strict enforcement of the tobacco 

control laws to get rid of the tobacco 

catastrophes. 

They also demanded cancelling the 

tariff or slab-based taxation systems 

and imposing 100 percent flat tax rate 

of the retail price on all tobacco 

products to discourage consumption 

side by side with increase revenue 

income of the government. 

Shushanto Bhowmick sought 

continuous cooperation of the mass 

media in making the people aware of 

severe consequences of consumption 

of tobacco products to build a tobaccofree 

Bangladesh by 2040 as 

envisioned by Prime Minister Sheikh 

Hasina. 

Over 10,000 tonnes onion 

imported in seven days 

RANGPUR: More than 

10,000 tonnes of onion 

were imported in only 

seven working days from 

India through Hili Land 

Port (HLP) under 

Hakimpur upazila of 

Dinajpur district, customs 

officials and importers 

said, reports BSS. 

The daily import of onion 

increased two to three 

times last week than the 

previous week through 

HLP alone to meet 

increasing demand of the 

essential commodity 

during the upcoming holy 

month of Ramadan. 

As a result, the onion 

price has marked a fall by 

Taka 2 to 3 per kg at 

different places now in the 

northern region of the 

country. 

"A total of 501 Indian 

trucks loaded with 10,031 

tonnes onion entered 

Bangladesh through HLP 

in only seven working days 

till May 10 last and the 

trend continues," said 

Rezvee Ahmed, Deputy 

Commissioner of the 

Customs at HLP today. 

Around 50 Indian trucks 

loaded with onion are 

entering Bangladesh 

through HLP daily on an 

average since May 3 last as 

the average number of 

entering trucks with onion 

remained around 20 a day 

earlier. 

"The customs officials at 

HLP are working with 

utmost sincerity to release 

the imported onion after 

completing necessary 

formalities as soon as 

possible so that the 

perishable commodity 

would not decompose," 

Rezvee added. 

Onion importer Bablur 

Rahman told BSS that 15 to 

20 Indian trucks with 

onions were entering 

Bangladesh daily through 

the HLP even 10 days ago 

and the import marked 

sharp increase in recent 

days with growing demand 

of onion. 

Another onion importer 

Mamunur Rashid said, 

"Around 50 or even more 

Indian trucks loaded with 

onion are now entering 

Bangladesh daily through 

the HLP and many other 

trucks loaded with onion 

are on the queue." 

The businessmen are 

importing the 'Nasik', 

'Patna', 'Gujarat', 'Indore', 

and Rajasthan' varieties of 

onion from India and 

selling those at wholesale 

rates at Hili to the bigger 

onion traders came from 

different regions of the 

country. 

President of the Customs 

Clearing and Forwarding 

Agents' Association 

(CC&FAA) at HLP Kamal 

Hossain Raj said onion 

price would remain steady 

during holy Ramadan 

following huge import of 

the commodity from 

neighbouring India. 

General Secretary of the 

CC&FAA Abdur Rahman 

Litan said the customs 

authorities are clearing 

imported onions at the 

quickest possible time 

helping the traders to 

ensure smooth and huge 

supply of the commodity in 

local markets. 

"The imported onion is 

being sold at Taka 20 to 22 

per kg at wholesale 

markets of Hili now while 

the common consumers 

are purchasing the same at 

taka 22 to 25 per kg 

depending on the quality 

and variety," Litan said. 

Almost 95 percent of the 

imported onions are being 

sent to Dhaka, 

Chattogram, Cumilla, 

Mymensingh, Bogura, 

Sirajganj, Rangpur, 

Tangail, Narayanganj and 

other districts, he added. 

Talking to BSS at 

Rangpur City Bazar 

kitchen market, vegetables' 

retailer Hafizur Rahman 

said the market price of 

onion has fallen by Taka 2 

to 3 during the past couple 

of days. 

"We are now selling 

imported Indian onion at 

Taka 28 per kg when it was 

sold Taka 30 a few days ago 

and local variety onion at 

Taka 42 per kg now against 

Taka 45 last week," he also 

said. 

Kishoreganj Deputy Commissioner Sarwar Murshed Chowdhury delivering his speech at a program 

as a chief guest recently. 

Photo : Courtesy 

Palli Unnayon Prokalpo formed a human chain in the district yesterday demanding tax impose on 

tobacco product. 

Photo : Star Mail 

20th death 

anniversary 

of Shawkat 

Osman today 

DHAKA : The 20th death 

anniversary of Shawkat 

Osman, a noted litterateur of 

the Bangla literature, will be 

observed today. 

Writer Shawkat Osman 

Smriti Parishad along his 

family members will organise 

different programmes, 

marking the day. 

Shawkat Osman died in 

Dhaka on May 14 in 1998. 

Shawkat Osman fought 

against communalism, 

extremism and anti-liberation 

forces during his lifetime. 

He was born in Hugli of 

West Bengal in India. He had 

enriched the Bangla literature 

with his write-ups, which 

cover a number of segments 

of literature. 

He received a number of 

awards for his contribution to 

literature. Born in Hughli, 

West Bengal in 1917 he 

graduated in Economics and 

did Masters in Bangla from 

Calcutta University. 

His first novel 'Jononi' was 

published in 1958, and his 

'Kritodasher Hashi', is a 

widely acclaimed novel. He 

also wrote short stories, 

poems, plays and essays. 

The noted writer received 

many awards from the 

government of Pakistan, such 

as Bangla Academy Award 

(1962), Adamjee Literary 

Award (1966), President 

Award (1967).

METRO 

MONDAY, MAY 14, 2018 

3 

Projanmo-71 organized a discussion meeting at National Press Club yesterday. 

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh 

Hasina yesterday paid rich tributes to 

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu 

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the 

occasion of the successful launching of 

the country's first communication 

satellite 'Bangabandhu-1' into the 

space, reports BSS. 

The premier paid the homage by 

placing a wreath at the portrait of 

Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu 

Bhaban at Dhanmondi in the city this 

afternoon. 

After placing the wreath, she stood in 

solemn silence for some time as a mark 

of profound respect to the architect of 

the country's independence. Flanked 

by senior leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also 

the Awami League chief, laid another 

wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu 

on behalf of her party. 

Road Transport and Bridges Minister 

and AL General Secretary Obaidul 

Quader, AL Presidium Members 

Advocate Sahara Khatun, Dr Abdur 

Razzak and Muhammad Faruk Khan 

and Dhaka South City Corporation 

Mayor Sayeed Khokan were present, 

among others. Besides, AL Joint 

General Secretaries Mahbubul Alam 

Hanif, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Dr Dipu 

Moni and Abdur Rahman, Organizing 

Secretaries Ahmed Hossain, AFM 

Bahauddin Nasim, Enamul Haque 

Shamim and Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud 

Shwapan and central leaders Ashim 

Kumar Ukil, Mrinal Kanti Das, Afzal 

Hussain, Iqbal Hossain Apu and Anwar 

Hossain were present. 

Later, AL's associate bodies including 


PM pays homage to Bangabandhu 

on satellite launching 

Jubo League, Mohila Awami League, 

Chhatra League, Sechchasebak League, 

Sramik League, Jubo Mohila League 

and Krishak League placed wreaths at 

the portrait of the Father of Nation. 

Bangladesh entered a new era as a 

proud member of the satellite club 

following the successful launching of 

the Bangabandhu-1 satellite into the 

orbit on Saturday. 

Manufactured by the Thales Alenia 

Space of France, the Block-5 of Falcon 9 

rocket of SpaceX carrying the 3.7- 

metric ton Bangabandhu-1 satellite 

began its journey from the Cape 

Canaveral launching pad in Florida, the 

USA at 2:14 am (BST) on Saturday. 

The satellite will take 10 days to reach 

its orbital slot and will be placed into 

the orbit at 119.1 degree East. 

Govt to establish 

unified schools 

for challenged 

children: Menon 

DHAKA : Social Welfare 

Minister Rashed Khan 

Menon yesterday said the 

government is very much 

sincere to establish unified 

schools for the children with 

disabilities to make them 

worthy citizens of the 

country, reports BSS. 

"The present government 

has passed two special laws 

to protect the rights of the 

people with disabilities and 

the work on implementation 

of two policies to establish 

schools for the children with 

disabilities will be completed 

soon," he said, speaking at a 

function at Swid Bangladesh 

auditorium in city's Eskaton. 

The function was held to 

distribute allowances and 

stipends among children 

with disabilities. 

Deputy Director of Dhaka 

Zila Social Service Abul 

Bashar and Swid 

Bangladesh Secretary 

General Jowaherul Islam, 

among others, addressed the 

function with Swid 

Bangladesh President 

Mohammad Moslem in the 

chair. 

Satata Sangha working 

at 25,000 schools to 

practice honesty 

DHAKA : As many as 

25,000 Satata Sanghas 

(integrity associations) at 

secondary schools and 

madrasas across the country 

have been working aimed at 

inspiring students to 

practice honesty to keep 

away the future generation 

from corruption. 

"ACC has already formed 

Satata Sanghas at 25,000 

educational institutions with 

a view to creating awareness 

and hatred against 

corruption among the new 

generation to build a 

corruption-free nation," 

deputy director (public 

relations) Pranab Kumar 

Bhttacharya told BSS. 

The ACC has a plan to 

form Satata Sanghas at all 

the educational institutions 

across the country in phases 

in line with its motto 

"Honesty is the best policy". 

The units have been 

working as a strong force in 

raising tougher movement 

against corruption when all 

the educational institutions 

will be brought under the 

Satata Sanghas, officials 

familiar with the process 

said. 

In order to institutionalise 

the youth's voice against 

corruption, the Commission 

formed the units at the 

secondary schools and 

madrasas with the students 

of class VI-X. There is an 

executive committee for 

each 'integrity unit' which 

composes of 11 members. 

The commission has also 

formed Satata Sangha at 

1,084 schools of the coastal 

districts aiming to help 

schoolchildren practice 

honesty. 

All students of the 

respective educational 

institutes are granted 

general membership of the 

unit. A 3-5 member advisory 

council is formed consisting 

of the teachers of those 

institutions to guide the 

units' activities. 

These units work as 

associated bodies of 

Corruption Prevention 

Committees to create 

awareness against 

corruption and promote 

integrity among the young 

generation. 

With the assistance of 

Corruption Prevention 

Committees, Integrity Units 

organise seminars, 

discussions, drama, debate 

and essay competition in 

different districts and towns, 

which are participated by 

school and college going 

pupils. 

The ACC distributed 

thousands of rollers 

inscribed with "Honesty is 

the best policy" and "We 

shall not involve in 

corruption, tolerate it or 

accept it" among the 

members of Integrity Units. 

134 cases filed for recruiting 

children in hazardous jobs 

DHAKA : The 

authorities concerned filed 

134 cases against different 

factories and companies 

for engaging children in 

hazardous works. "Since 

2015, we filed 134 cases 

against the factories and 

establishments for 

violating the Labour Law," 

Inspector General of 

Department of Inspection 

for Factories and 

Establishment Md 

Samsuzzaman Bhuiyan 

told BSS. 

As per the Labour Law, 

legal actions could be 

taken against parents, 

guardians and owners of 

recruiting organizations 

for engaging children in 

hazardous jobs, he added. 

Samsuzzaman said a 

total of 903 children were 

found involvement in 

risky works in 341 

factories between 2017 

and 2018. 

The child labour law 

declared names of 

hazardous works for 

children considering their 

safety and health ground, 

he added. 

"We have taken a 

decision to eliminate child 

labour from 11 sectors. 

Over 17 lakh children have 

been involved in risky 

works in 18 sectors," he 

added. 

The Labour and 

Employment Ministry 

sources said the 

government has set 

targets of stopping 

hazardous child labour by 

2021 and all sorts of child 

labour by 2025. The 

organization concerned is 

conducting a survey to 

determine the exact 

number of child workers 

involved in hazardous 

jobs, they said, adding that 

after completing the 

survey, the government 

will take prompt actions to 

eliminate hazardous child 

labour by 2021. 

1.5m new skilled manpower 

by 2023: Tofail 

DHAKA : Commerce 

Minister Tofail Ahmed said 

1.5 million new skilled 

manpower will be 

developed by 2023 to boost 

up country's export. 

"There is no alternative to 

developing skilled 

manpower in export 

oriented sector for a lift," 

he said at a project 

launching ceremony in a 

city hotel Saturday night, 

said a press release. 

He said the government 

with the financial 

cooperation 

of 

I n t e r n a t i o n a l 

Development Association 

(IDA), an arm of World 

Bank, launched the 

"Export Competitiveness 

for Jobs" project. 

IDA will provide $ 100 

million to the project while 

the government will 

contribute $ 19.12 million 

to complete the project by 

2023. "The generation of 

the desired skilled 

manpower by the project 

would help to increase 

export earnings by $ 5 

billion," said the commerce 

minister. 

He said the government 

in the Seventh Five-Year 

Plan has put concentration 

on export oriented sector 

and market. 

In last fiscal, 

Bangladesh's export 

earning was $ 37.5 billion 

including service sectors 

and it is expected to rise to 

$ 60 billion by 2021. 

Commerce Secretary 

Shubhashish Bose, World 

Bank Dhaka Office Human 

Development Programme 

Leader Tekabe Ayalew 

Belay and business body 

leaders spoke on the 

occasion with project 

director M Obaydul Azam 

in the chair. 

A discussion meeting of greater Cumilla Journalist Forum was held at the VIP Lounge of National 

Press Club yesterday. 


A press conference on certificate distribution of Course in Acting and 7 new certificate course 

launching in Green University was held recently. 

Photo : Courtesy 

30pc port management projects 

will be under PPP: Official 

DHAKA : A top official 

yesterday said the 

government is striving to 

make the country's ports 

more efficient while around 

30 percent of the port 

management projects will be 

implemented through public 

private partnership initiative 

in future. 

"Port facilities in the 

country have improved a lot. 

There are some 25 jetties in 

Chattogram Port and the 

port remains active for 24 

hours now," Shipping 

Secretary Md. Abdus Samad 

added while speaking at a 

workshop. 

The World Bank Group 

commissioned the 

"Bangladesh logistics costs 

study: assessment of storage 

and warehousing" at the 

workshop to analyze current 

and future industry 

potential and estimate the 

market size of warehousing 

market in Bangladesh. 

The workshop was 

organized by Dhaka 

Chamber of Commerce & 

Industry (DCCI) at a city 

hotel, supported by 

International Finance 

Corporation (IFC), said a 

press release. 

The World Bank Group 

commissioned the 

"Bangladesh logistics costs 

study: assessment of storage 

and warehousing" at the 

workshop to analyze current 

and future industry 

potential and estimate the 

market size of warehousing 

market in Bangladesh. 

DCCI President Abul 

Kashem Khan gave the 

welcome address while 

DCCI Senior Vice President 

Kamrul Islam gave the vote 

of thanks. 

IFC Country Manager for 

Bangladesh, Bhutan and 

Nepal, Wendy Werner, 

Senior Economist, IFC, 

World Bank Group Dr. 

Masrur Reaz, President of 

Bangladesh Freight 

Forwarders Association 

Mahbubul Anam, DCCI 

Director Kh. Rashedul 

Ahsan and DCCI former 

Presidents MH Rahman and 

Asif Ibrahim spoke, among 

others, at the workshop. 

Samad said since 1986, 

port charges have not 

increased. He also suggested 

that every agency work 

properly to avoid port 

congestion. 

The Speakers at the 

workshop said regulatory 

barriers are impeding the 

growth of warehousing 

sector in Bangladesh. 

Speakers also urged for 

allocation of dedicated land 

for industrial warehousing 

activity under land zoning 

maps. They also urged for a 

regulation to allow common 

bonded warehousing. 

Lead Private Sector 

Specialist, Global Trade & 

Connectivity, World Bank 

Group Charles Kunaka and 

Director, Market Research & 

Advisory, Knight Frank 

Sugata Sarkar shared the 

key findings of the study. 

Sugata Sarkar said overall 

rent of structured 

warehousing per month in 

Bangladesh is Taka 35. The 

demand of warehousing 

space will reach 68.24 

million square feet by the 

year 2021-2022 whereas the 

current demand (2016-17) is 

41.5 million square feet. 

Some of the key challenges 

are absence of regulatory 

policies, limited land 

availability, absence of 

common bonded 

SAVAR : A daylong seminar on 'Karl Marx 

and World Capitalism' was held yesterday on 

the Jahangirnagar University campus here. 

Economic Study Circle, an Economics 

department based study group organised the 

seminar at the seminar room of the 

department marking the 200th birth 

anniversary of Social Scientist and 

Proponent of Marxism Karl Marx. 

Dean of JU Social Science department 

Professor Dr Rasheda Akhter inaugurated 

the seminar as the chief guest at about 11. 

Speakers at the function discussed about 

the life history of Karl Marks as well as the 

warehouse, high cost of land 

in major clusters etc. 

He said the existing 

'Warehouse Ordinance Act 

1959' needs to be 

modernized or a new policy 

needs to be in place, adding 

that the warehousing 

market in Bangladesh is 

largely fragmented and is in 

a nascent stage of 

development. 

More than 95 percent of 

the warehouses other than 

the government are captive 

warehouse. The major 

logistics and warehousing 

related challenges faced by 

the export-oriented 

manufacturers are 

congestion at Chattogram 

port, lack of common 

bonded warehousing 

facilities, bottlenecks of 

congestion in Dhaka- 

Chattogram highway. 

IFC Country Manager for 

Bangladesh, Bhutan and 

Nepal, Wendy Werner urged 

for separate policy 

framework for warehousing 

and storage. 

She said the main problem 

for structured warehousing 

in Bangladesh is scarcity of 

land. "Government can join 

hands with the private sector 

for standardization of 

existing warehouses," she 

opined. 

DCCI President Abul 

Kashem Khan in his 

welcome address said 

storage and warehousing 

competency is the core 

enabler of an efficient 

logistics landscape. 

He said Bangladesh has 

been overburdened with 

c o m m u n i c a t i o n 

infrastructure challenges 

which are deterring the 

potentials of logistics growth 

and cross border trade 

expansion. Bangladesh is 

ranked 87 in Logistics 

Performance Index (LPI), 

whereas neighboring India 

is ranked 35th. 

To harness efficiency in 

cross-border trade, the 

DCCI President said a 

demand-driven logistics 

competency comprising of 

state-of-the-art storage and 

warehousing facility is a 

must. In order to address 

the pressing challenges 

encountered 

by 

stakeholders, minimum 5 

percent of GDP 

infrastructure investment 

needs to be ensured for 

inclusive logistics facility 

network facilitation 

involving private sector 

investment. 

"Government should 

declare this sector a thrust 

sector," he said adding the 

warehousing market in 

Bangladesh is largely 

fragmented and consisting 

of small-scale operations 

that are predominantly 

managed by end user 

industries independently on 

long-term lease. 

Seminar on World Capitalism held at JU 

impact of global capitalism in the third world 

country. 

Presided over by the Chairman of JU 

Economics department Professor Dr Amzad 

Hossain, Professor of Grand Valley State 

University of USA Dr Azfar Ahmed, 

Coordinator of Economics Study Circle 

Professor Ashrarul Islam Chowdhury, DU 

Professor Tanzim Uddin, Noted Economist 

Professor Anu Muhammad and Deputy 

Director of Bangladesh Bank Iftekher Rabin 

addressed the function as special guest. 

Over 200 students and teachers of Social 

Science faculty took part at the programme.

EDITORIAL 

MonDAY, 

MAY 14, 2018 

4 

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam 

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

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com 

Monday, May 14, 2018 

For scoring 

higher in literacy 

I 

t 

needs more realization that although Bangladesh 

has made exceptionally good progress in meeting 

the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the 

United Nations, it still trails many countries in the 

sphere of attaining literacy. For example, its 

literacyrate is still behind regional countries such as 

India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Only Nepal and Bhutan 

in South Asia have literacy rates lower than 

Bangladesh. 

It was stated on the occasion of the Literacy Day that 

the tptal number of literate persons in the population 

of Bangladesh presently was some 72 per cent. Even if 

we accept this claim unhesitatingly , there are still 

some 48 million people in our country with a total 

population of over 160 million who are still illiterate. 

This number of the illiterate should signal towards the 

imperative of making them illiteracy-free at the 

soonest. 48 million people is not a small number. It is 

bigger than the combined population of 6 or 8 

countries. 

Thus, the figures that say the literacy rate of 

Bangladesh that was only 16.8 per cent in 1971 

increased to 53 per cent in 2009 and 72 per cent 

presently, despite more than doubling of population in 

this period, are no reasons for taking any kind of smug 

satisfaction. This is expressly because there is still a 

huge number of people in Bangladesh waiting to be 

freed from the curse of illiteracy. Our undesirable 

condition in literacy in the South Asian context as a 

whole ought to be a matter of greater concern for 

policy makers. 

Literacy as part of the upward progression in the 

education tree is a very vital developmental aspiration 

of all nations. No nation can accelerate in the path of 

prosperity and development with a bulk of its people 

remaining sunk in illiteracy. Literacy is basic to helping 

people to exploit various opportunities for 

improvement in their income and standard of living. 

Therefore, literacy and some amount of education are 

considered as the first stepping stones to setting the 

stage for all round development and stepped up 

economic activities of a country. 

The present spending on literacy in Bangladesh is 

about 2.5 per cent of its GDP whereas even Nepal 

allocates some 16 percent in this sector. This should 

suggest that substantially increased allocation for 

literacy ought to be on the cards. The aim of planning 

should be to reduce and completely do away with the 

curse of illiteracy within another decade at most from 

now. Such a goal and its attainment is feasible 

provided adequate allocations are made to that end 

and programmes taken up extensively and operated 

truly efficiently and least corruption to reach the 

target. 

The government claims that more than 90 per cent 

enrolment in primary education in the last four years 

or so, and that they have already achieved their target 

to increase such enrolment to 100 per cent by. But the 

real picture and the claim shows a wide gap. The 

inefficiency of educational management of the country 

has further been revealed through this survey though 

some quarters want to explain it quite positively. 

Even, they try to highlight the achievement of the 

government focusing on increasing both quantitative 

and qualitative issues. We cannot deny the fact that a 

large number in the population is still illiterate more 

than four decades after independence. So do we have 

scope to be complacent enough with this achievement? 

The government needs to rise to the occasions if it is 

really committed to its electoral pledge for eradication 

of illiteracy by 2020. Of course, eradication of illiteracy 

is crucial for a nation like us struggling to prosper 

bridging disparities regardless of form among its 

people soon. 

Our policy makers must understand that illiteracy 

and economic development cannot co-exist and move 

forward simultaneously. A country which achieved 

100% literacy is economically, financially and socially 

sound and stable than a country which achieved, say, 

70% literacy. 

The economic development, progress and peace of a 

country depends on the literacy rate of that country. 

According to the recent study conducted by UNESCO, 

countries with a literacy rate of 96% and above, have 

per capita annual income of more than USD 12,500 

while countries with literacy rate below 55% have per 

capita annual income of USD 600. 

To achieve the much coveted objective, we shall have 

to remove the obstacles that still stand in the way of full 

literacy. Abject poverty of many is the hardest hurdle to 

achieving universal literacy. Still many children don't 

go to schools due to poverty. There lies an interlink 

between achieving universal literacy and eradicating 

poverty. Many remote areas like the char lands, 

estuaries and haor areas, far-flung islands in the Bay 

and hard-to-access interiors of the hilly districts where 

facilities for education are either absent or very limited. 

The slum dwellers and the street children still don't 

have encouraging and children friendly environment to 

achieve functional literacy though in the nongovernment 

sector some steps have been taken 

US cannot stop China’s innovation advancements 

It would appear that the US is 

seriously worried about China's 

technological advancements. 

Fearing the loss of the last comparative 

advantage over the Asian superpower 

has caused a genuine concern over 

national defense and competitiveness 

among America's ruling elite. 

The US using every possible means to 

curb Asia's technological rise, including 

the banning of sales of essential chips to 

ZTE for seven years, invoking Section 

301 of the Trade Act to investigate 

China's "unfair trade practices" and 

barring investment in the informationtechnology 

sector. The Donald Trump 

administration's target might be the 

Asian power's "Made in China 2025", a 

strategy meant to make China selfsufficient 

in an array of technologies. 

The 301 investigation was meant to 

slow down China's technological 

advancements by imposing stiff tariffs on 

a host of Chinese imports and barring 

the sales of US technology to Chinese 

firms. In addition, the anti-China faction 

of the US Congress and the Trump 

administration have barred Chinese 

investment in technology sectors. 

US Trade Representative Robert 

Lighthizer completed a 182-page report 

on Chinese "unfair trade" practices on 

March 22. The report was particularly 

vexed in denouncing China of "forcing" 

US firms to surrender technology to 

Chinese joint venture partners. 

However, former Morgan Stanley Asia 

chairman Stephen Roach wrote in the 

South China Morning Post that US firms 

were willingly transferring technologies 

to the joint ventures because it improved 

production efficiency and profitability. 

What's more, technology transfer is a 

condition for investing in China. US 

firms had the choice of not doing 

business with China. 

Indeed, transfer of technologies could 

be argued as a "win-win" for the US and 

China. Executives of Boeing and other 

US companies, for example, have 

maximized investors' return to 

investment or minimize cost production. 

That culminated in achieving enormous 

economies of scale, increasing US 

competitiveness. The lower-priced goods 

have kept inflation and therefore 

interests low and stable, creating a 

favorable investment climate. For China, 

it has gained advanced technology, 

accelerating economic growth. 

On the charge of intellectual-property 

theft, Roach noted in the above-cited 

SCMP article that China did hack into 

the computers of US firms, stealing their 

Ken MoAK 

secrets. But he also indicated that China 

had voluntarily reduced cyber hacking of 

US commercial interests after former 

president Barack Obama informed 

Chinese President Xi Jinping of the 

problems in 2013. 

Still, the US insists that the Lighthizer 

report presented a solid case against 

China, prompting the Trump 

administration to propose harsh tariffs of 

up to US$150 billion worth of Chinese 

"imports." 

However, former Morgan Stanley Asia chairman 

Stephen Roach wrote in the South China Morning Post 

that US firms were willingly transferring technologies to 

the joint ventures because it improved production 

efficiency and profitability. What's more, technology 

transfer is a condition for investing in China. US firms 

had the choice of not doing business with China. 

China, for its part, has retaliated in 

kind, imposing tariffs on $50 billion US 

imports. Immediately after the US 

banned sales of chips to ZTE, China 

slapped a 176% tariff on US feed. The 

"tit-for-tat" would suggest that China is 

not backing down from Trump's tradewar 

threat. 

Neither the US nor the European 

Union has given credit to China for its 

massive spending on research and 

development activities to restructure the 

economy from low to value-added 

production. According to a February 26 

LInA KHATIb 

report by US-based CNBC, China spent 

$279 billion on R&D in 2017, up by 

almost 71% from 2012. 

It is also ironic that a major reason 

behind China's leapfrogging the 

technology gap is the West's efforts to 

restrict Chinese participation in its 

technology sectors. In April 2010, the 

Young European Federalists' 

magazine The New Federalist 

reported that the EU had accepted 

Chinese money but barred China 

from active participation in the 

Galileo project, the EU's global 

navigation satellite system (GNSS), 

perhaps for security reasons. 

Not surprisingly, China withdrew its 

financial support and hastened the 

development of its own satellite 

navigation system, BeiDou, which the 

country envisaged in 1983 but lacked the 

technology to implement, perhaps the 

reason prompting it to invest in Galileo. 

Today, BeiDou is recognized as one of 

the "big four" GNSSs. 

Similarly, the US Congress banned 

Chinese IT heavyweights Huawei and 

ZTE from gaining a foothold on the US 

market, which will likely intensify 

China's efforts to accelerate development 

in computer operating systems and chip 

manufacturing. 

For example, Chinese media such as 

China Daily are urging the government 

to "start a new round of innovation." 

Source : Asia times 

only the US can prevent more Israel-Iran clashes in Syria 

Israel's retaliatory attack on 

Iranian military targets inside 

Syria represents the biggest 

direct confrontation between the 

two countries in their history. It 

came after rockets were launched 

from Iranian bases in Syria 

towards the Golan Heights. This 

escalation has caused widespread 

concern that war might be 

imminent between Israel and Iran. 

But neither wishes to engage in 

an all-out war with the other. Iran's 

Golan Heights rocket launch was 

the product of the growing 

pressure it faces in the Syrian 

conflict. Unless the United States 

steps in with a plan for Syria, Israel 

and Iran will continue to clash 

there. 

Iran regards its presence in Syria 

as crucial for its influence in the 

Levant. Syria is the thoroughfare 

by which Iran sends weapons to 

Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iranian 

influence in Syria has grown 

exponentially since 2011 as the 

Syrian regime of Bashar Al Assad 

has become increasingly reliant on 

Iran's help for its survival. 

But the proliferation of Iranianbacked 

troops in Syria, whether in 

the form of the Islamic 

Revolutionary Guard Corps or 

proxies such as Hezbollah, has 

been making Israel anxious about 

its own security. Israel has 

consistently targeted Iranian and 

Hezbollah fighters whenever their 

activities in southern Syria edged 

too close to its border. 

The pressure on Iran has 

increased, now that it is almost 

surrounded geographically in 

Syria. While the south falls under 

FOR tech companies, it's all about 

data, since their growth depends 

on it. While collecting data, 

companies often lose sight of the privacy 

aspect, resulting in privacy violation for 

millions of people. The recent Facebook- 

Cambridge Analytica crisis raised such 

concerns. Even in Pakistan, as computer 

and internet usage has grown, we've seen 

increasing data breaches, both in stateowned 

and private companies. 

In 2017, systems at the Punjab Land 

Records Authority were hacked. Officials 

thought running systems off the internet 

would safeguard them, but then 

someone used a USB-internet to dash 

their hopes. This led to a suspension of 

services, and consequently, to loss of 

productivity. 

Last year, WikiLeaks reported that 

data was stolen from the National 

Database Regis tra tion Authority 

although the latter denied it. Nadra is 

Pakistan's primary data registry, 

containing sensitive personal 

information of citizens. Breaching such a 

critical database would leave citizens 

perilously exposed. 

Careem, an international ride-hailing 

startup also operating locally, and used 

by many, recently saw a massive data 

breach. In a press release some weeks 

ago, it said that customers' names, email 

addresses, phone numbers and trip data 

were stolen, but there were few details. 

For one, what constitutes trip data? And 

Israeli and Jordanian oversight, 

Turkey is de facto controller of 

north-western Syria, while the USsupported 

Syrian Defence Forces 

are in the north-east. 

Iran was the most influential 

foreign country to support the Al 

Assad regime until Russia stepped 

up its efforts to help Al Assad. This 

is an uncomfortable dynamic for 

Iran, because Russia wants to have 

the upper hand; it sees Iran mainly 

as a convenient source of ground 

troops that complement the 

Russian air force in attacks against 

Syrian rebels. 

Russia's good relationship with 

Israel also plays a role in the 

former's efforts to keep Iran in 

check. On a number of occasions, 

Russia has fed intelligence about 

Iranian positions in Syria to Israel, 

who proceeded to attack these 

targets. The latest such incident 

took place in late April, when 

Israeli planes attacked Base 47 in 

Syria. Iran publicly admitted to the 

death of only 18 soldiers there, but 

Syrian sources say the number was 

closer to 200. 

Some analysts have linked the 

Golan Heights rocket attack to 

Privacy woes 

there was limited information about the 

scope of the breach across different 

regions and its causes. 

Meanwhile, customers and drivers did 

not know how to find out whether/how 

they were affected. Moreover, the 

announcement came three months after 

the breach, which is not nearly soon 

enough for customers to be able to 

safeguard themselves. 

Protecting personal data is not a 

priority for companies. What can such a 

data breach mean to an individual? You 

normally don't share your phone 

number, address and detailed trip 

information with a stranger. In the age of 

big data and artificial intelligence, 

manipulation becomes a reality with 

access to a large set of personal and trip 

data. 

As leading security researcher Ross 

Anderson has pointed out, cybercrime 

costs a fortune. There are direct losses, 

including money withdrawn from 

WAqAS YoUnAS 

United States President Donald 

Trump's announcement that the 

United States is withdrawing from 

the Joint Comprehensive Plan of 

Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement 

with Iran. 

However, the JCPOA withdrawal 

was merely convenient timing. 

Before the announcement, the 

appointment of Iran hawks such as 

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 

and National Security Adviser 

John Bolton, signalled an elevation 

in the importance of the Iranian 

file. Pulling out of the JCPOA can 

Iran was the most influential foreign country to support the 

Al Assad regime until Russia stepped up its efforts to help 

Al Assad. This is an uncomfortable dynamic for Iran, because 

Russia wants to have the upper hand; it sees Iran mainly as a 

convenient source of ground troops that complement the 

Russian air force in attacks against Syrian rebels. 

be seen as the moment when the 

US signalled to Iran that the gloves 

had come off, but the battle was 

already brewing. 

With this American pressure, and 

the situation with Russia becoming 

increasingly complicated, Iran had 

to save face. It did not launch the 

kind of attack on Israel that would 

have led to full-on war, but it 

provoked Israel enough to 

retaliate. If Iran cannot ease the 

pressure on itself, then its tactic is 

to inflict pain on its opponents. But 

since neither Iran nor Israel is 

interested in engaging in war with 

victims' accounts and the time and 

productivity loss involved in resetting 

accounts. Anderson also describes 

indirect losses. After a breach, a firm 

loses a fair amount of the trust of its 

customers and its reputation, leading in 

turn to lost business opportunities and 

revenues. 

Moreover, companies incur defence 

costs in order to prevent additional 

security breaches. This may entail buying 

security products, training employees 

Careem, an international ride-hailing startup also operating locally, 

and used by many, recently saw a massive data breach. In a press 

release some weeks ago, it said that customers' names, email addresses, 

phone numbers and trip data were stolen, but there were few details. 

For one, what constitutes trip data? And there was limited information 

about the scope of the breach across different regions and its causes. 

one another, they both need to 

deflect aggression away from their 

national spaces. Syria provides an 

arena in which they can fight 

directly yet with minimal damage. 

We can therefore expect further 

escalation between Iran and Israel 

in Syria. 

As long as Iran feels that it has 

the ability to retain its influence in 

the Levant, it will continue to 

meddle in Lebanon and Syria and 

provoke Israel. The only thing that 

would cause Iran to roll back its 

engagement would be the sense 

that it was fighting a losing battle. 

If the US presents Russia with a 

comprehensive plan to end the 

Syrian conflict, this would send 

such a message to Iran. 

The options for Iran would then 

be either to fight bitterly in the 

hope of a repeat of 2006, when 

Israel attacked Hezbollah in 

Lebanon but failed to eradicate it, 

or agree to a trade-off with the US 

and Israel. With Iraq being of far 

greater importance to Iran than the 

Levant, both because of its 

geographical proximity and 

religious significance for the Shiite 

community, Iran will not want to 

see Iraq destabilised. It therefore 

might accept a compromise that 

retains stability in Iraq in return 

for handing Syria over to Russia. 

But Iran will not reach this 

compromise unless it feels it has no 

other choice. 

It remains to be seen which path 

Iran will take, but Israel will not 

wait patiently for it to make this 

decision. 

Source : Gulf news 

and engagement with law enforcement. 

Anderson concludes that the sum of 

direct losses, indirect losses, and defence 

expenses is a significant cost to society 

itself. 

If all this is so pricey, then why aren't 

privacy and security taken more 

seriously by our tech companies? The 

first reason is the lack of high-quality 

software security and privacy curriculum 

in many of our computer science schools. 

Most software engineers are not wellversed 

in how to safeguard software code 

and data against common security 

vulnerabilities. The same people are 

promoted to senior positions, and 

security and privacy never get the 

attention they need. Second is that the 

protection of data and privacy is never a 

priority for companies, in the absence of 

stringent regulations. 

Regulations and their enforcement 

are the answer, because there are clear 

signs that privacy is not being taken 

seriously. I recently bought a book 

from a local online bookstore and had 

to reset my password. I was surprised 

to find my password as plaintext in the 

password reset email, which meant 

they were not storing sensitive 

information securely. Worryingly, this 

means my data is not only exposed to 

their employees, but that hackers will 

also rejoice upon finding my password 

in plaintext in case of a breach. Some 

ventures are still letting users sign up 

with weak passwords, which is 

contradictory to the advice to practise 

good password management. 

Given the current security practices, 

local companies are not operating in a 

territory that implements stringent 

data protection regulation, such as the 

General Data Protection Regulation in 

the EU (going into effect on May 25). 

Source : Dawn

LAW & PUBLIC monDay, 

may 14, 2018 

5 

Medical Negligence in Bangladesh 

LikELy Way out 

mD. mamonor raShiD 

It is apparent that all doctors, nurses and hospitals owe a 

duty of care to their patients to exercise levelheaded care 

in carrying out their professional handiness. Where a duty 

of care is breached, liability for negligence may arise. 

Medical negligence is part of a branch of law called tort 

derived from the Latin verb 'tortere' means to hurt. The 

idea of hurt is an important consideration in establishing 

negligence. The procedure therefore relies on establishing 

fault on the part of the doctors, nurses, hospitals, etc. The 

major tortious claims for medical negligence do not 

succeed because it is difficult to establish the harm 

occurred as a direct result of an act or a failure to act. The 

person making the claim (the claimant) must establish on 

the balance of probabilities that negligence has occurred 

by the hospital or doctor (the defendant). The principle of 

'duty of care' was fully established by Donoghue v 

Stevenson in 1932 wherein Lord Atkin identified that 

there was a general duty to take reasonable care to avoid 

forseeable injury. 

According to the World Medical Association 

Declaration of Geneva (WMA), a member of medical 

profession shall solemnly pledge stating that health of the 

patient will be the doctor's first consideration. On the 

other hand, medical negligence is a clear violation of right 

to health by a professional group who are actually on duty 

to protect when emergency strikes and the health rights 

are under threat. 

However, medical negligence is a common incident in 

Bangladesh. Every day and even every minute a lot of 

patients are becoming victims of medical negligence 

which is certainly a clear violation of the right to health 

and right to life guaranteed by the Constitution of 

Bangladesh under Article 18 and 32. 

Conversely, what are the reasons behind this? In 

Bangladesh, due to the absence of proper and effective 

law, the medical professionals are taking the full 

advantage of their professional indemnity and they just 

don't even feel that they are also a subject to law. This 

situation is deteriorating day by day as they give much 

time in their personal clinics or chambers for higher 

income and have a little time in hand while treating a 

patient. Occurrences of medical negligence can easily be 

noticed by the newspaper reports or through different TV 

channels almost in every month. Sometimes allegations 

are made by the families of the dead against such 

negligence that gets much media attention. But 

unfortunately nothing happens later. 

Categorically, cases of medical negligence often involve 

complex issues regarding emergency room care, surgery, 

intensive care treatment, delivery, and medication errors. 

These cases require extensive medical research, 

investigation and analysis as well as the investigation 

officer or any other person in this connection, must have 

proper medical knowledge. 

Nevertheless, in Bangladesh negligence by the doctors, 

nurses, hospitals have been dogged by the lawyers, 

investigation officers and judges who are not well trained, 

experienced and do not possess ample knowledge in 

medical science to weigh up the case, confer bona fide 

legal guidance, factual report and comprehensive 

judgment. In addition, lacking of evidence from the 

patient's end is another loophole for not proving the 

medical negligence lawsuits in Bangladesh. 

Considering the above perspectives, this write up now 

portrays the legal ambit of medical negligence, review the 

existing laws on medical negligence of Bangladesh and 

focus on the possible solutions to upgrade this 

unaddressed legal arena for common good of the patients, 

despite the fact that there is no particular Act on medical 

negligence in our country, but under different statutes 

some remedies are found. We hardly have the Law of Tort 

in Bangladesh as an Act but provisions are available and 

enforced under different Acts. 

Medical negligence with special reference to the 

Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009 has the sanctity of 

protection and enforcement of rights of patients. Now the 

victims can institute a suit under this Act because a 

medical patient is considered as a consumer and the 

medical institutions or professionals are as service 

provider under section 2, though it is not expressed stated 

in the Act but cases have been filed and accepted by the 

courts. 

In addition, the criminal complaints can be filed against 

doctors alleging commission of offences punishable under 

Sec. 304A or Sections 336 or 337 or 338 of the Penal Code, 

1860 alleging rashness or negligence on the part of the 

doctors resulting in loss of life or injury of varying degree 

to the patient. Sections 80 and 88 of the Penal Code 

contain defenses for doctors accused of criminal liability. 

Furthermore, under Civil law the doctors, nurses and 

hospitals individually and vicariously may be held liable 

for their services and compensation for medical 

negligence can be claimed. It means that whenever there 

is breach of a contract, the aggrieved parties are entitled to 

claim one or more remedies against the opposite party as 

per the Contract Act, 1872 where 

Suit for damages or suit upon quantum meruit (means 

in proportion to the work done) could be initiated 

whenever there is breach of a contract under the Contract 

Act, 1872. The Victim patient may also seek temporary 

and permanent injunction under the Specific Relief Act, 

1877 as against health professionals violating contractual 

and service terms. 

Yet, the above stated laws are not conclusive to 

determine the claim of medical negligence and medical 

malpractices by the doctors, nurses and hospitals. 

Therefore, the government must enact a new law, which 

can be called, the Patient's Rights Protection Act along 

with establishment of separate Medical Malpractice 

Tribunal to prosecute the real offenders. 

The Writer is an Associate of Chowdhury 

Mokimuddin & Associates (International Corporate 

Law Firm) and Sub-editor of BdLawNews.com 

Why the victims of torture are not 

getting justice in Bangladesh 

Shahanur Saikot 

In existing real scenario of 

Bangladesh, it is so difficult to lodge a 

complaint and prove the allegation on 

torture, perpetrated by law and 

security personnel of the country. 

Article 35 (5) of Constitution of the 

People Republic of Bangladesh strictly 

prohibits not only torture but also all 

form of cruel behavior, punishment or 

treatment. But section 197 of the 

Criminal Procedure Code (Cr. P.C) of 

Bangladesh provides safeguard to the 

countries officials who are restored to 

violence in their official capacity when 

demanded by circumstances. 

The obstacle to lodge a complaint 

against law and other security 

personnel begins from the initial stage 

of filing case. When the victim tries to 

loge a First Information Report (FIR) 

against the law and security personnel 

with the concerned police station, the 

duty officer denies straight away 

registering the FIR. 

Similarly, when the victims of torture 

try to lodge a complaint with the 

concerned court, it is always denied by 

the court excusing the mandatory 

section 197 of Criminal Procedure Code, 

which pre-sanctions the government to 

bring allegation against the government 

servant with the court. 

Most of the magistrates of in criminal 

court are bogged down as they are not 

being up to date about the high court 

rule, order or judgment passed on 

different problems. They do not have the 

knowledge that the high court's ruling 

dismissed the old notion on the old 

usages of the Cr.P.C section 197. 

Most of the practicing lawyers are 

also not appropriately trained or have 

enough knowledge or confidence to 

lodge a complaint against the law and 

security personnel. They do not know 

that they can lodge case against 

perpetrators (law and security 

personnel). Although some of the 

lawyer did hear about possibility to 

lodge complaint against the doers, 

they do not have practical experience. 

At the case of Rokeya Begum Vs 

Shafikur Rahman , reported on 2 BCR 

page no. 04 where the High Court 

Division of Supreme Court has issued 

the following rule: " No sanction under 

section 197 of Criminal Procedure Code 

is necessary for taking cognizance of the 

offence alleged in the case, even if the 

police officer and involved police 

constable committed the offence while 

setting or purporting to act in the 

discharge of official duty. Protection of 

section 197 is not available to accused 

police officials as available to other 

public servants." 

Question of compulsory bribing is 

another pre condition from police side 

which leads the case ending up in a 

fiasco. Again there has been witness 

and complainant intimidation by both 

the law and security personnel and 

influential political leaders. Some of 

the filing lawyers (advocate of the 

victim) are being influenced by the 

perpetrators. Sometime the filing 

lawyer develops ill connection with 

the perpetrators. 

The next point of hurdles for 

providing the case against 

perpetrators is the police himself. 

With the rule of procedure victim 

usually lodge complaints against law 

and security personnel in the court of 

law, the incumbent Magistrate sent 

this case to police official for 

investigation and asked him to submit 

the report in the court within a 

stipulated time. 

It is usually seen that the responsible 

investigating officer submits a distorted 

or concocted report to the concerned 

court. That is one of the most important 

reasons why victims of torture are not 

getting justice in Bangladesh. 

People in Bangladesh ordinary see 

that police are given bribery by the 

citizens either voluntarily or forcefully 

(except for few) is legal. Besides that, 

we can see that the police are also 

providing bribery to the complainant. 

Victims who want justice through the 

courts, the accused perpetrators find a 

way to cool down the complainant 

through bribery. 

The perpetrators also try to intimidate 

the complainant to withdraw the case by 

threatening and also implicating with 

series of false cases. Moreover, lengthy, 

time consuming, complicated, 

expensive court proceeding, difficulties 

in collecting medical evidence, lack of 

co-operation from civil society and elites 

of the community with the lawyer is also 

creating obstacle to get justice of torture 

victim. 

Recently a new law has been 

enacted which mandates suspension 

of the accused from service during 

investigation into the charges, 

regardless of whether the suspect is a 

member of a regular law-enforcement 

agency, the armed forces, or any other 

government office. For deaths in 

custody, the accused can be sentenced 

to a maximum life term in jail and be 

fined. The law also provides for 

monetary compensation to be paid to 

the victim by the convict. For torture 

in custody, the law warrants five years' 

rigorous imprisonment and a fine. 

The law mandates that investigations 

into cases of torture will have to be 

completed within 90 days of registration of 

a complaint, and the trial will have to be 

completed within 180 days. The law also 

allows the Bangladesh courts to take 

cognisance of a crime based on the 

complaint a person makes to the court, 

and mandates the court to direct a medical 

examination of the complainant. But still 

there is no example to get remedy 

applying this new law due to 

unconscious of general mass and victim 

of torture even lawyer about the act and 

its proper application. 

Writer: Young human rights defender & 

lawyer, Justice Makers Fellow, 

Switzerland, Email: 

saikotbihr@gmail.com, Blog: 

www.shahanur.blogspot.com 

LaW Book CornEr 

A Handbook on Registration Law (A Critical 

Analysis of the Registration Act, 1908) 

By- Rashadul Islam. Edited, Reviewed & 

Co-written by Khairul Islam (Taj); 

Published by University Publications Ltd. 

Latest (Fifth) Edition: January, 2018; 

Price: 225 Taka (Two hundred and 

Twenty Five) Only. 

The terms Registration Law and 

Registered Documents are the daily 

necessity of general people. Every person 

should have knowledge about Registration 

Law, Rules, Stamp duties, Fees and other 

Government Encumbrances, Taxes etc. But 

very few people have a little idea on the 

topics. Most of the people even do not know 

the law, the procedure how to register a 

document or the importance of the 

registration of a document. The Registration 

Act, 1908 was enacted before the birth of 

Bangladesh. 

Therefore, we are totally dependent on 

the foreign books which are very much 

difficult to understand and expensive. As a 

result, most of the people and the readers 

are not fully aware of this Act. Nonetheless, 

abuse of power, misinterpretation of law, 

forgery, bribery, tout and unethical 

activities are the common scenario in the 

registration office. 

Getting no other alternatives, 

compilation of "A Handbook on 

Registration Law" in a simple approach 

has taken action which will be helpful for 

law graduates, registration functionaries 

and common people. The book on 

Registration Law is wonderfully suitable 

for the law learners of Bangladesh. This 

well-sized textbook has all stuffs coherent 

and developed for law students and legal 

practitioners. The book has been revised 

with up to date data & information where 

relevant. 

The book is presented precisely and 

lucidly but with basic and main principles so 

that the readers can grasp all the contents 

easily. The book is divided into three parts: 

Part A explaining and summarizing the Act 

along with some illustrations and examples 

for the better understanding of the readers, 

Part B consists of sample formats of deeds 

and Part C compiles Appendix, where the 

Registration Act, 1908 with amendment has 

been fully incorporated. 

Around 50 latest case decisions of 

Bangladesh Supreme Court reported in 

various law reports including the DLR, 

MLR, BLD, CLR, LNJ and some others are 

available in the book. 

The latest 68th DLR is also included in the 

endeavor. All the sections in the book are 

written in English and these are up to the 

latest amendment. In previous edition, 

there were some composition mistakes. 

The unwanted mistakes have been fixed to 

the possible extent in the very 5th edition. 

Some sample formats of registration deeds 

are inserted in the book too.

NATIONAL 

MONDAY, MAY 14, 2018 

6 

Enhancing inbreed variety 

seeds production stressed 

RAJSHAHI: 

Agriculturists at a 

participatory discussion 

here on Saturday stressed 

the need for boosting the 

production of inbreed seeds 

as the vital means of 

enriching the field of crop 

seeds, reports BSS. 

They also called for an 

integrated effort to boost the 

seed production of various 

crops at farmers' level to 

meet the gradually 

mounting domestic seed 

demands. 

The observation came at 

the daylong seminar titled 

"Inbreed Trial Assessment 

Programme Enhancement" 

in the conference hall of 

Additional Director Office of 

Department of Agriculture 

Extension (DAE) in the city. 

Regional 

Seed 

Certification Office 

organized the seminar for 

devising ways and means of 

boosting inbreed seeds for 

the sake of increasing yields 

to ensure food security. 

Director of Seed 

Certification Agency Khairul 

Bashar addressed the 

meeting as chief guest while 

additional directors of DAE 

Mustafizur Rahman and 

Matiar Rahman spoke as 

special guests with Regional 

Seed Certification Officer 

Sirajul Islam in the chair. 

During his keynote 

presentation, Ahmed Safi, 

Assistant Regional Seed 

Certification Officer, says 

close-coordination between 

all the departments 

concerned is very important 

to enhance inbreed trial 

assessment. 

Seeds should be reached 

the farmers after a proper 

and effective trial 

assessment. 

In his recommendation, 

Agriculturist Safi said only 

the seed varieties which are 

suitable for conservation to 

the farmers need to be 

expanded to them so that 

they can be satisfied in 

producing and conserving 

those for cultivation year 

after year without any loss of 

yield. 

Agriculturist Khairul 

Bashar puts emphasis on 

optimum inbreed trial 

assessment for quality 

control and said all the 

authorities concerned 

should come forward and 

work together to this end. 

He mentioned the seed 

varieties especially of cereal 

crops like paddy, wheat and 

maize, which could be 

sustained in the field for 

long, only should be 

permitted for releasing to 

the farmers. 

"If we can ensure it the 

farmers could be freed from 

burden of purchasing their 

necessary seeds every year," 

he opined adding that 

farmers' interest must be 

given priority as they are the 

vital strength of making the 

country self-reliant in seed 

production. 

International Nurses Day was observed in Joypurhat on Saturday with a view to encourage the profession 

maintaining the spirit to serve humanity. Marking the day a procession was brought out in the 

morning followed by cutting cake at Nursing Institute auditorium. Civil surgeon Dr Habibul Ahsan 

Talukder, nursing instructor in charge Nazma Begum, of Joypurhat Modern Hospital Dr F M Musa Al 

Mansur, nursing supervisor and general secretary of Shadhinata Nurse Parishad Joypurhat unit 

Shamsur Nahar Beli, sub-service Supeintendent Reshma Khanam and student Dil Afroz were present 

at the occasion. 

Photo: Mashrekul Alam 

Farmers expect bumper 

Boro production in 

Joypurhat 

JOYPURHAT: Farmers are expecting a bumper Boro rice 

production during the current season in all five upazilas of 

the district, reports BSS. 

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) officials here 

said today a total of 72,415 hectares of land have been 

brought under the Boro cultivation in the district with fixing 

the production target of 3,40,000 tonnes of rice this year. 

They said favorable climatic condition, proper distribution 

of high quality seeds and availability of electricity, fertilizers 

and other agri inputs made the expectation of bumper Boro 

production. 

Making the cultivation programme a grand success and 

bringing all arable land under this programme, the 

commercial banks including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank 

disbursed loan to the poor and the marginal farmers during 

the season. 

While visiting several fields of Boro paddy this 

correspondent found that the early variety of Boro paddy 

including BIRI-28, BIRI- 29, 33, 58, Jagorony, ACI Gold, 

Jagoroni Mukta, Hira, Moyna, Tia, Dhani, Dhani Gold and 

Zirashail has already started ripening. 

BU VC gets 

Education Peace 

Award-2018 

TBT DESK: 

Barishal University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr SM Imamul 

Huq received the prestigious Education Peace Award-2018 

on May 10 for his outstanding contribution in education 

sector, says a press release. 

The award distribution function organized by Bangladesh 

Chhatra Kalyan Trust was held at DU's Nabab Nawab Ali 

Chowdhury Senate Bhaban. The program was presided by 

Executive Director of Bangladesh Chhatra Kalyan (Students 

Welfare) Trust- Sector Commander Lt. Colonel (retd) Abu 

Osman Chowdhury. Among others, various eminent 

educationists, intellectuals, vice chancellor of various public 

and private universities and teachers of Dhaka University 

were present at the occasion. 

Prof Dr SM Imamul Huq previously received 'Bangladesh 

Academy of Sciences (BAS) Gold Medal Award', 'Bangladesh 

UGC Award 2007', 'Bangabandhu Krishi Padak 2008' and 

'Bangabandhu Swadhinata Padak 2009' for his outstanding 

contribution in education sector. 

Mostafa Kamal Uddin, Secretary Public Security Division Ministry of Home Affairs addressed a 

destruction programme of seized drugs at Coast Guard East Zone headquarters in Chattrogram 

as chief guest on Sunday. 

Photo: Bangladesh Coast Guard 

Coast Guard 

destroys huge 

quantity of 

drugs in Ctg 

TBT DESK: 

Member of Coast Guard 

East Zone destroyed huge 

quantity of narcotics items 

recovered throughout the 

year 2017 on Sunday, 

reports a press release. 

Coast guard destroyed the 

narcotics items at Coast 

Guard East Zone 

headquarters 

in 

Chattrogram at around 

12:40pm. 

A total of 1744 

bottles/cans of foreign 

liquor, 39.2 litres of country 

made liquor and 10,05,115 

pieces of Yaba tablets were 

destroyed. 

Secretary of the Public 

Security Division (PSD) of 

the Ministry of Home Affairs 

Mostafa Kamal Uddin was 

present as the chief guest 

and Bangladesh Coast 

Guard Director General 

(DG) Rear Admiral 

Aurangzeb Chowdhury as 

the special guest during the 

destruction of seized drugs. 

It is to be noted that 

Bangladesh Coast Guard 

was formed on 14 February 

1995 and since then they are 

maintaining zero tolerance 

policy against drugs, 

catching jhatka, human 

trafficking and working day 

and night to keep the 

environment of coastal areas 

pollution free. 

Promoting water, sanitation, 

hygiene activities underscored 

GAIBANDHA: Speakers 

at a function here yesterday 

underscored the need for 

promoting water, sanitation 

and hygiene (WASH) 

activities and practices 

comprehensively to build a 

healthy society, reports BSS. 

"Importance should be 

given to create much 

awareness to the students 

and the people, particularly 

the rural ones about the use 

of safe water and sanitary 

latrines side by side with 

enabling environment for 

hygiene promotion", they 

said. 

They came up with the 

comments while addressing 

a WASH workshop on 

improved and sustainable 

sanitation management in 

school and community level 

at the Zila Parishad 

auditorium of the town here 

on Sunday. 

Department of Public 

Health and Engineering 

(DPHE) arranged the 

workshop under National 

Sanitation Project (Third 

phase) aimed at 

transforming the sanitation 

campaign into social 

movement to achieve 100 

percent sanitation coverage 

by 2021. 

Mohammad Babul Akter, 

social development officer 

addressed the function as 

the chief guest on behalf of 

project director Abdul 

Monnaf and Sadar upazila 

parishad chairman Abdul 

Karim, and district primary 

education officer Aminul 

Islam Mondal were present 

as the special guests. 

With executive engineer of 

DPHE Aminul Islam 

Chowdhury in the chair, the 

function was also addressed 

among others by Shahapara 

union parishad (UP) 

chairman Mahbubur 

Rahman Tulu, assistant 

director of Sinnomul Mohila 

Samity ABM Masudunnabi 

Lipon, and journalist Sarker 

M. Shahiduzzaman. 

The speakers said the 

hygiene sanitation campaign 

should be successful for the 

sake of keeping the 

environment free from 

pollution side by side with 

saving the students and the 

people from being infected 

by water-borne diseases. 

Mothers' Day 

observed in 

Faridpur 

FARIDPUR: Saroda Sundari Girls' High School in 

Faridpur town yesterday observed the International 

Mothers' Day with great enthusiasm and solemnity, reports 

BSS. 

The program included reception to mothers with flowers, 

discussion, recitation, rendition of songs, staging drama and 

serving sweets to mothers. 

At the programme, around 300 mothers have been 

accorded with flowers. 

Later, a special prayer was held for all the departed 

mothers conducted by Mawlana Abu Ayub Ansari, assistant 

senior teacher of the school. 

A discussion was held at the school auditorium presided by 

Headmaster Monirul Islam. 

Additional Deputy Commissioner Shamsul Alam was the 

chief guest and district education officer Porimol Chandra 

Mondol attended the function as special guest. 

An In-Community orientation programme organized by National Citizen Service (NCS) project was 

held at Taraganj upazila parishad hall room on Sunday. Upazila agriculture officer Rezaul Karim 

presided over the programme. 

Photo: Hossain Opu 

Bumper jackfruit production 

likely in Panchagarh 

A total of 163 students of R.K Lyceum School in Barlekha upazila were accorded reception for their outstanding 

performance in PEC and JSC 2017 and SSC 2018 exams at a ceremony on Sunday. Photo: Abdur Rob 

PANCHAGARH: A bumper jackfruit 

production is expected in the district as 

the tender fruit is now growing excellent 

amid favourable climate condition this 

season, officials said yesterday, reports 

BSS. 

A dramatic turn has taken place in 

farming the juicy fruit as hundreds of 

farmers here have become financially 

solvent by selling it recent years. 

Department of Agriculture Extension 

(DAE) officials here said a total of 1200 

hectares of land have been brought under 

jackfruit cultivation this year with fixing a 

production target of 14,500 tonnes in all 

five upazilas of the district. 

Malek, a jackfruit grower of Bodapara 

village under Debiganj upazila ,said he is 

expecting a bumper yield of jackfruit 

from his one acre orchard with getting TK 

80,000. 

Jackfruit wholesalers from different 

parts of the country have started flocking 

to the area as the harvesting season is 

approaching. 

"There are 200 jackfruit trees in my 

orchard. The production rate is higher 

than that of last year," said another 

farmer Motiar Rahman of Debiganj 

upazila. 

Jackfruit farming is gradually gaining 

popularity in the district, said Sumchul 

Huque, deputy director of DAE, 

Panchagarh. "We are inspiring growers to 

cultivate jackfruit by giving technical 

support," he said.

INTERNATIONAL 

MONDAy, MAy 14, 2018 

7 

Iran has sentenced eight people to death over attacks claimed by the Islamic State group last year. 


Iran sentences 8 to death 

over Islamic State attacks 

Iran has sentenced eight people to death over attacks 

claimed by the Islamic State group last year, reports UNB. 

Mousa Ghazanfarabadi, the head of the Tehran Revolutionary 

Courts, told state TV Sunday that they were found 

guilty of aiding the five militants who attacked parliament 

and a shrine to Iran's revolutionary leader, Ayatollah 

Macron calls friend 

Trump, angry over 

his Iran nuclear 

move 

French President 

Emmanuel Macron has 

called his friend and ally U.S. 

President Donald Trump to 

say he's very worried about 

tensions in the Middle East, 

after Trump's decision to 

withdraw from the Iran 

nuclear accord, reports 

UNB. 

Macron's office said the 

two leaders spoke Saturday 

and the French leader 

expressed his "great concern 

about stability" in the region. 

Macron strongly opposes 

Trump's pullout from the 

2015 global deal curbing 

Iran's nuclear activities. 

Hostilities between Iran and 

Israel have already escalated 

in recent days. 

Macron and Trump also 

discussed trade issues. European 

governments are 

scrambling to save billions of 

dollars in trade with Iran 

that resumed thanks to the 

2015 accord. 

In addition, France and 

the EU are pressing Washington 

for exemption from 

Trump's steel and aluminum 

tariffs. 

Violence at protests 

in Nicaragua leaves 

2 more dead 

Protesters opposed to 

President Daniel Ortega's 

government clashed with 

riot police and Sandinista 

Youth groups in cities across 

Nicaragua Saturday, with 

demonstrators burning tires 

and setting up barricades in 

violence that left two people 

dead and dozens injured, 

reports UNB. 

Videos released by protesters 

on social media 

showed two people who had 

apparently been shot in the 

head during demonstrations 

in Masaya, a town 20 miles 

(30 kilometers) southeast of 

the capital, Managua. The 

local Red Cross confirmed 

two deaths in a statement. 

In a live transmission on 

social media a young man is 

seen crying and carrying an 

apparently lifeless body, saying: 

"Crazy, they shot him in 

the head, he fell and they 

kicked him on the ground! 

He was a child." 

Besides Masaya, protests 

were also reported in Chinandega, 

Granada, Leon, 

Managua, Masaya and Rivas 

in the Pacific region, as well 

as in Esteli and Matagalpa in 

the north. 

The demonstrations began 

in April as protests against 

social security reforms but 

have expanded into calls for 

the Sandinista president . 

Ruhollah Khomeini. The attacks last June killed 18 people 

and wounded more than 50. Security forces killed all the 

attackers. 

Ghazanfarabadi says 18 other people face trial over the 

attacks. Those convicted have 20 days to appeal. The trials 

began last month. 

Trump welcomes N. Korea plan 

to blow up nuke-site tunnels 

North Korea said Saturday that it will dismantle 

its nuclear test site in less than two 

weeks, in a dramatic event that would set up 

leader Kim Jong Un's summit with President 

Donald Trump next month. Trump welcomed 

the "gracious gesture." 

In a statement carried by state media, 

North Korea's Foreign Ministry said all of the 

tunnels at the country's northeastern testing 

ground will be destroyed by explosion, and 

observation and research facilities and 

ground-based guard units will also be 

removed, reports UNB. 

Kim had already revealed plans to shut the 

test site by the end of May during his summit 

with South Korean President Moon Jae-in 

last month. Analysts say that while the closure 

of the site is important, it doesn't represent 

a material step toward full denuclearization. 

"A ceremony for dismantling the nuclear 

test ground is now scheduled between May 

23 and 25," depending on weather, the Foreign 

Ministry's statement said, adding that 

journalists from the United States, South 

Korea, China, Russia and Britain will be 

invited to witness the dismantling. 

The ministry said the North will continue 

to "promote close contacts and dialogue with 

the neighboring countries and the international 

society so as to safeguard peace and 

stability on the Korean Peninsula and over 

the globe." Trump, in a tweet Saturday, 

thanked North Korea for its plan to dismantle 

the nuclear test site, calling it "a very 

smart and gracious gesture!" Following the 

Moon-Kim meeting, Moon's office said Kim 

was willing to disclose the process to international 

experts, but the North's statement Saturday 

didn't address allowing experts on the 

site. 

South Korea had no immediate response 

to the statement. 

The North's announcement comes days 

after Washington announced that the historic 

summit between Kim and Trump will 

be held June 12 in Singapore. 

South Korea has said Kim has genuine 

interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons 

in return for economic benefits. However, 

there are lingering doubts about whether 

Kim would ever agree to fully relinquish the 

weapons he probably views as his only guarantee 

of survival. 

During their meeting at a border truce village, 

Moon and Kim vaguely promised to 

work toward the "complete denuclearization" 

of the Korean Peninsula, but made no 

references to verification or timetables. 

North Korea for decades has been pushing 

a concept of "denuclearization" that bears no 

resemblance to the American definition. The 

North has been vowing to pursue nuclear 

development unless Washington removes its 

28,500 troops from South Korea and the 

nuclear umbrella defending South Korea 

and Japan. 

Some experts believe Kim may try to drag out 

the process or seek a deal in which he gives away 

his intercontinental ballistic missiles but retains 

some of his shorter-range arsenal in return for a 

reduced U.S. military presence in the South. 

This could satisfy Trump but undermine the 

alliance between Washington and Seoul. 

Heavy rainstorms kill 15 

in northwest Pakistan 

Officials in Pakistan say violent rainstorms in the northwest have caused at least 15 deaths 

and injured dozens, reports UNB. 

Latif Khan, a senior disaster management official, says Sunday that most of the deaths from 

the severe weather overnight were caused by the collapse of mud and stone walls and houses. 

He says the heavy rains also caused flash flooding in some places. 

Another official, Inayatur Rehman, said the roof of a seminary collapsed in the Bajur tribal 

region, killing six children and injuring nine. 

In the cities of Nowshera and Peshawar, motorists were killed and wounded by falling billboards 

and downed electrical cables 

Khan says rescue and relief operations are ongoing, meaning the toll could rise. 

Officials in Pakistan say violent rainstorms in the northwest have caused 

at least 15 deaths and injured dozens. Photo : Star Mail 

Iraq's election 

results expected 

within 2 days 

Iraq's election commission 

says the results of the first 

national vote since declaring 

victory over the Islamic State 

group are expected within 

two days, reports UNB. 

The vote Saturday saw a 

record low turnout, with 44 

percent of eligible voters 

casting ballots. No election 

since 2003 has had turnout 

below 60 percent. More than 

10 million Iraqis voted. 

Polling station officials 

blamed the low turnout on a 

combination of tight security 

measures, voter apathy and 

irregularities linked to a new 

electronic voting system. 

Iraqi Prime Minister 

Haider al-Abadi is running 

to keep his post. His chief 

rivals are political parties 

with closer ties to Iran, as 

well as the influential cleric 

Muqtada al-Sadr, a staunch 

nationalist who campaigned 

against government corruption. 

Firefighters battle 

blaze at high-rise 

tower in Dubai 

Marina 

Firefighters are battling a 

blaze at a high-rise tower in 

the Dubai Marina amid a 

sandstorm sweeping the city 

in the United Arab Emirates, 

reports UNB. 

The government-run 

Dubai Media Office says the 

fire broke out Sunday morning 

in the Zen Tower. It says 

residents have been evacuated 

and there were no 

injuries immediately reported 

in the blaze. It's unclear 

what started the fire. 

Dubai, a skyscraper-studded 

city, has suffered a spate 

of fires in its high-rises. 

Dubai passed new fire safety 

rules last year. 

Paris attacker born in Chechnya; 

parents detained 

The man behind a deadly knife attack in 

central Paris was born in Chechnya in 1997, 

and his parents have been detained for questioning 

in the investigation, French authorities 

said Sunday, reports UNB. 

A judicial official said the assailant had 

French nationality but was born in the Russian 

republic of Chechnya, where Islamic 

extremism has long simmered. The official, 

who wasn't authorized to be publicly named, 

provided no other information on the attacker's 

identity. 

The attacker was slain by police after stabbing 

a 29-year-old man to death and injuring 

four others in a lively neighborhood near the 

Opera Garnier on Saturday night. 

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb 

is holding a special security meeting Sunday 

to address the attack, which was claimed by 

the Islamic State group and is being investigated 

by counterterrorism authorities. 

Collomb said overnight that authorities are 

working to find anyone who might have 

helped the assailant. 

The attacker targeted five people and then 

fled, according to Paris police and a witness. 

When police officers arrived minutes later, 

he threatened them and was shot dead, 

according to police union official Yvan 

Assioma. 

Bar patrons and opera-goers described 

surprise and confusion, and being ordered to 

stay inside while the police operation was 

underway on rue Monsigny in the lively 2nd 

arrondissement, or district, of the French 

capital. 

"I was working in the restaurant and suddenly 

I heard a woman screaming ... he came 

and attacked her," said Jonathan, a witness 

working nearby who wouldn't provide his 

last name. "That s when the panic started, 

everyone started screaming and trying to 

reach our restaurant. ... The attacker just 

kept walking around with his knife in his 

blooded hands." 

"Police were quickly on the scene, in less 

than five minutes. They encircled him and he 

tried to attack them with a knife but they 

shot him down," he told reporters. 

The Islamic State group's Aamaq news 

agency said the assailant carried out the 

attack in response to the group's calls for 

supporters to target members of the U.S.-led 

military coalition squeezing the extremists 

out of Iraq and Syria. Aamaq didn't provide 

evidence for its claim. 

France's military has been active in the 

coalition since 2014, and IS adherents have 

killed more than 200 people in France in 

recent years. 

A dead body under a blanket after a knife attack that left at least two dead 

including the assailant in central Paris, early Sunday May 13, 2018. 

(AP Photo/Thibault Camus) 

Record low turnout in first 

Iraq elections since IS defeat 

Iraq saw a record low turnout on Saturday 

in its first elections since the collapse 

of the Islamic State group, pointing 

to widespread dissatisfaction with 

the direction of the country under 

Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and 

presaging a long period of deal-making 

as politicians squabble over posts in a 

new government, reports UNB. 

There were no bombings at any 

polling stations - a first since the U.S. 

invaded Iraq in 2003. 

Al-Abadi called it a "historic day, 

spent peacefully by all Iraqis." 

Riyadh al-Badran, a member on 

Iraq's national elections commission, 

said turnout was 44 percent. No election 

since 2003 saw turnout below 60 

percent. More than ten million Iraqis 

voted. 

With no clear front-runner, it could 

take months for a new Parliament to 

form a government name a prime minister 

seen as suitable to the country's 

rival Shiite political currents, who have 

adopted diverging positions on Iran. 

The low turnout could open the door 

to Sunni-led and Kurdish electoral lists 

to play an outsized role in the negotiations, 

as well. Iraq's population is predominantly 

Shiite. 

Results are expected within 48 hours 

according to the electoral commission. 

Despite presiding over Iraq's war on 

the Islamic State group, al-Abadi was 

opposed by other Shiite leaders who 

eclipsed him in charisma and popularity. 

In his first term, Al-Abadi courted 

both U.S. and Iranian support in the 

war on IS. His chief rivals were former 

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and 

Hadi al-Amiri, who heads the powerful, 

Iran-backed Badr Organization militia, 

which participated in the war on IS. Al- 

Abadi was also opposed by the influential 

cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a staunch 

nationalist who has railed against U.S. 

and Iranian influence in Iraqi politics. 

Iraq is beset by chronic corruption, a 

sputtering economy, and failing public 

services. 

"The candidates have not done anything 

for the people," said Ramadan 

Mohsen, 50, who said he cast a blank 

vote in Baghdad's distressed Sadr City 

slums. 

Millions of others decided to abstain 

altogether. 

"I am certain these elections are a 

failure," said Abdelghani Awni, who 

was at a central Baghdad polling station 

as an observer. He did not vote. "Forget 

about change, from the perspective of 

the economy, of services - forget about 

it."Iraq's most senior Shiite cleric spoke 

out on the issue of voter participation 

Saturday afternoon, encouraging Iraqis 

to vote "to prevent the arrival of a corrupt 

parliament." 

"The lack of participation will give the 

opportunity for others to reach parliament 

and they will be very far from the 

aspirations of the people," said Sheikh 

Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalai, the representative 

of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, 

on local Iraqi television from Karbala. 

Sistani has encouraged Iraqis to 

vote into power Saturday a new political 

class to combat corruption. 

For those who did attempt to vote, 

some in Baghdad complained of voting 

irregularities at polling stations linked 

to a new electronic voting system 

implemented for the first time this year 

in an effort to reduce fraud. 

Former Prime Minister al-Maliki said 

he was aware of "violations" at some 

polling stations in Iraq and complained 

the process lacked proper oversight. 

"We are not reassured," al-Maliki told 

the Associated Press in a phone interview. 

Thamer Aref, 45, along with his wife 

and daughter were turned away from a 

polling station north of central Baghdad. 

Aref had turned in his old voter ID 

card months ago for the biometric 

identification card required by the new 

system. However, Aref's biometric card 

wasn't ready ahead of Saturday and, 

with neither card, the polling station 

did not allow him to a cast a ballot. 

"I lost my right to vote," he said. 

Associated Press journalists documented 

several similar cases at a number 

of different polling stations across 

Baghdad Saturday morning. 

Amira Muhammed, the supervisor of 

a polling station in Azamiyah, Baghdad, 

said some people couldn't vote because 

they did not pick up their new biometric 

ID cards in time. 

"The problem is not with us," she 

said.A member of Iraq's electoral commission 

deflected blame for Saturday's 

reported irregularities. 

Israel bombs Gaza tunnel, closes 

key crossing after attack 

The Israeli military said Saturday it was shutting down its 

main cargo crossing into Gaza after Palestinian protesters 

caused extensive damage to it, and that it had also destroyed 

an attack tunnel militants dug near its main pedestrian 

crossing, reports UNB. 

The twin developments come ahead of a potentially 

charged week along the Israel-Gaza border as weekly 

protests being staged there are expected to culminate with a 

potential breach of the border and a surge in casualties. 

Once again, thousands of Palestinians protested Friday in 

various locations along the frontier. Later, a group of Palestinians 

burned a fuel complex and conveyor belt on their 

side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, causing more than $9 

million in damages and disrupting the import of diesel fuel 

and building materials, the military said. It said the attack 

rendered the main fuel and gas lines unusable and caused 

further damage to electrical infrastructure and other vital 

equipment. 

The military said the Kerem Shalom crossing will be 

closed until further notice and not before the damage is 

repaired. 

A lengthy closing of the crossing would deliver further 

devastation to Gaza's already dire humanitarian crisis. The 

fuel installation is the only way to bring diesel fuel into Gaza 

for operating generators for hospitals and other key facilities. 

The military distributed a video showing Palestinians 

cheering as a fire was set. It was the second such attack on 

the facility in a week, it said. "Hamas continues to lead the 

residents of Gaza to destroy the only assistance they 

receive," the army said.

ART & CULTURE 

MoNDAy, 

MAy 14, 2018 

8 

Mother’s Day 2018 

Amitabh Bachchan, 

Aishwarya Rai, Sonam 

Kapoor share moving 

posts 

While just a day is not enough to 

express the bond we all share with 

our mothers, on the occassion of 

Mother's Day we usually take out 

time to make our mothers feel a 

little more special with our 

gestures. From Amitabh Bachchan, 

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, to the 

new bride Sonam Kapoor, 

Bollywood celebrities shared warm 

messages for their fans whilst 

expressing their love for their 

mothers. 

Aishwarya, who made her social 

media debut on Instagram, shared 

an adorable picture with a caption 

that read, "You Complete Me 

Happiest Mothers' Days Every 

Breath Of Our Lives." 

Amitabh Bachchan took to Twitter 

and shared, "There's nothing like 

the love of a mother. This mother's 

day I thank my mother and all 

mothers who have given their little 

newborns, their love, warmth and a 

safe pair of hands to survive and 

thrive." 

The newly-wed Sonam Kapoor, who 

is in Cannes at present, took to 

Instagram and shared her mother's 

picture as well. Along with the 

picture, she wrote, "To the woman 

who taught me everythingcompassion, 

passion and style! I 

love you mama.. Happy Mother's 

Day!" 

Eurovision 2018: 

Netta wins for Israel 

with Toy 

Israel's Netta has won the 

Eurovision Song Contest for her 

quirky dance song Toy - complete 

with its trademark chicken dance. 

She had been an early favourite, 

but the vote went down to the wire 

with Cyprus finishing in second 

place. 

Netta thanked juries and the 

public for "choosing different" as 

she lifted the glass microphone 

trophy. UK entrant SuRie, whose 

performance was interrupted by a 

stage invader, finished 24th out of 

the 26 countries. She was partway 

through singing Storm when 

a man, with a rucksack on his 

back, ran on and grabbed the 

microphone from her hands. She 

was given the chance to perform 

again but declined. 

SuRie later tweeted that she 

knew "anything could happen" on 

stage. 

Netta - full name Netta Barzilai - 

picked up a total of 529 points to 

take the title, while bookies' 

favourite Eleni Foureira from 

Cyprus got 436 points, with 

Fuego. 

Austria had topped the 

leaderboard of the 63rd annual 

contest after the juries' votes had 

been given, with Cesar Sampson's 

Nobody But You the surprise 

frontrunner. 

But it became clear it was 

between Netta and Eleni when the 

viewers' votes started coming in. 

Jacqueline Fernandez escapes 

unhurt in car accident 

H o RoScope 

While returning from a party at Salman 

Khan's resident, Bollywood star Jacqueline 

Fernandez escaped unhurt after her car was 

hit by an autorickshaw allegedly driven by a 

drunk driver at Bandra (Mumbai) on Saturday 

morning, officials said. 

The 32-year-old actress from Sri Lanka was 

returning home around 2:45 am. from 

Salman's residence after attending a party to 

celebrate the upcoming film "Race 3". The 

accident took place on Carter Road, Bandra. 

Speaking to Spotboye, Jacqueline said, "Yes, it 

did take place. The rickshaw driver was 

drunk. We will soon give out an official 

statement. We are fine. Police came and 

sorted it out." 

Her car suffered minor damage but she did 

not suffer any injury. The police were 

summoned. 

Directed by Remo D'Souza, Race 3 features 

Salman, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Jacqueline, 

Daisy Shah and Saqib Saleem and is likely to 

be released during Eid. The trailer of the film 

will be unveiled on May 15. 

The first look of Sunny Leone’s 

Veeramadevi to be out on May 18 

The period drama, Veeramadevi, will see Sunny 

Leone making her debut in Tamil as a heroine. The 

team has unveiled a new poster on Sunday to mark 

the actor's birthday. Revealing Sunny Leone's 

thickly kohled eyes, the team has also promised to 

launch the first look of the film on May 18. Apart 

from Tamil, Veeramadevi will also be released in 

four other languages; Telugu, Kannada, 

Malayalam, and Hindi, a press release. 

The film will be produced on a big budget with 

extensive CG and VFX involves. Sunny has 

reportedly trained herself in sword fighting and 

horse riding in preparation for the role. The actor 

has also reportedly allotted around 150 days for the 

project. 

"I have always liked doing action sequences. I 

was waiting for a script like this for a long time. I 

started preparing for this movie from the minute 

director V C Vadivudayan narrated the story. I 

have a special love towards south India. I have a lot 

of my fans here, especially Andhra Pradesh, Tamil 

Nadu and Kerala. My character is extremely strong 

and I think if there is any representation of woman 

I would love to play, it's Veeramadevi. She is a very 

determined and an independent woman," Sunny 

had said about her role earlier. 

ARIeS (March 21 - April 

20): You must play by the 

rules this weekend, even if 

you genuinely believe you 

can get away with cutting 

corners. What happens early next week 

won't be pleasant if people in positions 

of power discover you have made 

choices they disapprove of. 

TAURUS (April 21 - May 

21): If there is something 

you have wanted to do for 

ages but never had the 

nerve to go ahead with then 

make it happen this weekend. Fear is 

an emotion that has held you back far 

too many times, so get over it and 

follow your desires. 

GeMINI (May 22 - June 

21): Your good points will 

be on display this weekend, 

but with the sun moving 

through the area of your 

chart that governs your wealth you must 

make sure that one of your good points - 

your generosity - does not cause 

problems. Don't give too much away. 

cANceR (June 22 - July 

23): You need to work more 

closely with other people and 

you need to realize that while 

your opinions may differ on 

a range of issues it need not spoil your 

relationship. It is one of the wonders of 

life that opposites often work well 

together. 

Leo (July 24 - Aug. 23): 

Try not to get carried away 

with ideas of your own 

brilliance over the next 48 

hours, because later on you 

may realize that you have missed 

something that is of great importance. 

Your ego can be your biggest friend - 

and your biggest enemy. 

VIRGo (Aug. 24 - Sept. 

23): The sun in Capricorn at 

this time of year does 

wonders for your confidence 

and you certainly believe 

that all things are possible. However, 

other influences warn you should limit 

your activities this weekend to areas 

where you know what you are doing. 

LIBRA (Sept. 24 - oct. 

23): You may not be overly 

emotional by nature but you 

have your moments and you 

will certainly feel deeply 

about something over the next 48 hours. 

The good news is this is the perfect time 

to let others know how much you care 

for them. Do it! 

ScoRpIo (oct. 24 - Nov. 

22): Life seems to be 

moving at a faster pace every 

day, and yes it is enjoyable, 

but there is a danger that in 

your eagerness to get ahead you might 

overlook some small but incredibly 

important detail. Slow down - before 

something slows you down! 

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 

- Dec. 21): If you are too 

free and easy with your 

money this weekend you 

could regret it later in the 

month, so think before you buy. Yes, of 

course, there are more important things 

in life than cash but it's still a crime to 

squander your resources. 

cApRIcoRN (Dec. 22 - 

Jan. 20): You need a 

challenge that will bring out 

the best in you and what 

happens over the next few 

days will test you in ways you had not 

expected. You cannot help but succeed, 

so long as you have learned from recent 

mistakes. So, have you? 

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 - 

Feb. 19): It may seem to 

friends and relatives that 

you are aiming too high but 

you know that the higher 

you aim the more likely it is that you will 

realize your dreams. Believe in yourself 

and make impossible things happen. If 

anyone can do it, you can. 

pISceS (Feb. 20 - Mar. 

20): What happens over the 

course of the weekend will 

open your eyes to new 

possibilities. The sun in 

Capricorn at this time of year is 

especially helpful for group activities, so 

get involved in team projects. You'll be 

on the winning team, of course!

SPORTS 

MOnDAy, MAy 14, 2018 

9 

Bangladesh set to play a three T20 International matches in USA for the first time when they will 

tour West Indies for a bilateral series in August. 

Photo: BCB 

West Indies to host Bangladesh 

for T20 Is in Florida 

Sports Desk: 

West Indies are set to host Bangladesh 

for three T20 internationals in August, 

with the second and third games to be 

held at the Central Broward Regional 

Park Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida. St 

Kitts is likely to be the venue for the first 

game, reports Cricinfo. 

A Florida stadium official confirmed to 

ESPNcricinfo earlier this year that 

Cricket West Indies (CWI) had reserved 

the dates to hold a set of matches, 

initially believed to be against Pakistan 

as a reciprocal arrangement following 

West Indies' agreement to play three 

T20Is in Karachi in April. But 

Bangladesh are already due to tour the 

West Indies in July - a tour pushed back 

from March due to it clashing with the 

World Cup Qualifier that West Indies 

took part in - for two Tests and three 

Zenit agree 

Mancini exit 

as Italy loom 

Sports Desk: 

Hot favourite to become Italy 

coach Roberto Mancini has 

reached an exit agreement 

with his current club Zenit 

Saint Petersburg, the club 

reported Sunday, reports 

BSS. 

Mancini is said to have 

reached agreement to 

become the next Italy coach 

last Tuesday Gazzetta dello 

Sport reported. "Zenit and 

Roberto Mancini have 

reached an agreement over 

early termination of his 

contract," Zenit said in a 

statement. "The contract 

was cancelled by mutual 

consent of the parties 

without any indemnity 

payments." Mancini, 53, 

signed a three-year deal with 

Zenit last summer with an 

option of a two-year 

extension. 

Zenit are currently fifth in 

the Russian Premier League, 

10 points behind the newlycrowned 

Lokomotiv Moscow 

with just one match 

remaining. 

Italian Federation (FIGC) 

commissioner Roberto 

Fabbricini said last week 

Mancini, a former Man City 

and Inter Milan coach, had 

agreed in principle to 

become the next manager of 

four-time world champions 

Italy, who failed to qualify for 

the World Cup after defeat to 

Sweden in a two-leg playoff. 

Mancini meanwhile said 

he would be proud to coach 

Italy, telling Italian radio: "If 

one day I got the chance to sit 

on the national team bench it 

would be something 

beautiful." During his 17- 

year coaching career 

Mancini led City to their first 

English league title in 44 

years in 2012, and won three 

Serie A titles with Inter 

Milan. He also won Italian 

Cups with Inter, Fiorentina 

and Lazio. Italy have been 

without a permanent coach 

since Gian Piero Ventura was 

sacked after they failed to 

qualify for the World Cup for 

the first time in 60 years after 

losing to Sweden in 

November. 

ODIs. According to the stadium official 

in Lauderhill, August 4 and 5 were 

reserved by CWI to stage the T20Is, 

prior to the start of the 2018 CPL, which 

will run from August 8 to September 16. 

It makes for a busy month of cricket in 

Lauderhill, with three Jamaica 

Tallawahs matches also anticipated to be 

held at the venue during the CPL. 

This will be the third time West Indies 

will host a team in Florida. After the 

maiden T20I series on USA soil, 

between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in 

May 2010, West Indies played New 

Zealand in 2012, just a few months 

before winning the World T20 title in Sri 

Lanka. West Indies then returned in 

August 2016 to play a pair of T20Is 

against India, with the first match 

drawing a sellout crowd of 15,000 

people. 

Though it is the only ODI-certified 

stadium in the USA that can host T20Is 

between two Test nations, the venue's 

drainage facilities have been a source of 

concern in the past. That was exposed 

during the India matches, with no 

supersoppers available, and the second 

match producing no result despite a 

thunderstorm that lasted only 20 

minutes. The Atlantic hurricane season 

runs from July to November, with 

thunderstorms almost a daily threat. 

The PCB's desire to be a third team in 

a possible tri-series in Florida is not 

financially viable for Lauderhill as 

matches would need to be played not 

just on weekdays but in the day time. 

The floodlights at the ground in 

Lauderhill are inadequate for 

international cricket, and it would 

require temporary supplemental 

floodlights - something the CPL did in 

2016. 

Mohammad Hafeez 

hits out at ICC over 

lack of consistency 

Sports Desk: Mohammad Hafeez has 

taken a swipe at the International 

Cricket Council (ICC) nearly two weeks 

after the body cleared him to bowl 

following him being reported for a 

suspect bowling action, reports AP. 

This was the third time that Hafeez 

had been summoned by the ICC and 

the Pakistan cricket team all-rounder, 

upset over these repeated inspections, 

hit out at the ICC stating that there 

should be proper guidelines in place 

that helps in identifying bowlers with 

suspect actions. 

"There are so many things 

influencing all this [who gets called for 

suspect actions], it has a lot to do with 

the power of [some] boards and 

nobody wants to take them on," Hafeez 

told BBC Urdu. 

"Mostly there are soft corners and 

relations between people which no one 

wants to spoil. What I say is why not 

implement the rule and get every 

bowler in the world to go through 

[testing]. What's the difficulty in that?" 

Unlike the other advancements in 

cricket, like the use of hawk-eye, snicko-meter 

and ultra-edge, a bowler's 

action is only referred as a suspect one 

by the umpires. 

There's no technology involved and is 

completely based on the naked eye of 

the umpires. Hafeez slammed the 

move, stating that since his tests 

proved that his arm marginally bent 

over the permissible 15 degrees, it was 

impossible for the naked eye to track 

every ball with the same precision. 

"When match umpires called me (for 

a suspect bowling action), I went for 

my test only to find the flex was 

recorded up to 16, 17 and 18 degrees," 

said Hafeez, who was reported for a 

suspect action last year. 

"I was surprised: how can anyone 

with the naked eye see flex from 15 to 

16, and at times they are not able to call 

those whose flex is 25 and even 30- 

plus. 

Mohammad Hafeez stated that there should be proper guidelines in place 

that helps in identifying bowlers with suspect actions. 

Photo: AP 

Tigers start 

fitness camp 

Sports Desk: 

After a prolong recess, the 

Tigers are back in business 

as they started the fitness 

camp under strength and 

conditioning coach Mario 

Villavarayen to prepare 

themselves for their 

ensuing full tour against 

West Indies in July- 

August, reports BSS. 

The cricketers reported 

on Sunday morning to 

coach Mario Villavarayen 

at Sher-e-Bangla National 

Cricket Stadium at Mirpur. 

Among the 31-memebr 

preliminary squad ace allrounder 

Shakib Al Hasan 

and cutter master 

Mustafizur Rahman are 

currently representing 

Sunrisers Hyderabad and 

Mumbai Indians 

respectively in the ongoing 

India Premier League. 

The Tigers are expected 

to play two Tests, three 

ODIs and a T20I during 

their West Indies tour. 

Wicket keeper batsman 

Mushfiqur Rahim, allrounder 

Mahmudullah 

Riyad and pacer Taskin 

Ahmed, who all were 

suffering from injuries, also 

joined the session today. 

Tigers have a day-off from 

training tomorrow and 

they will continue their 

fitness programme again 

on Tuesday with eye on the 

Afghanistan series. Before 

Bangladesh head off West 

Indies, the Tigers are 

expected to reach 

Dehradun on May 29 

before the first T20I on 

June 3 at the Rajiv Gandhi 

International Cricket 

Stadium. The second and 

third games will take place 

on June 5 and 7 at the same 

venue. It will be first 

bilateral series of the two 

nations. 

The Tigers had a busy 

schedule until the Nidahas 

Trophy though they could 

not get the expected result 

from the tournament losing 

to India in the nail-biting 

final. But now the Tigers 

are concentrating about 

their upcoming series 

against West Indies. 

Bangladesh's preliminary 

squad for West Indies tour: 

Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, 

Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur 

Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, 

Sabbir Rahman, Mashrafe 

Bin 

Mortaza, 

Mahmudullah Riyad, Liton 

Das, Mominul Haque, 

Mehedi Hasan Miraz, 

Taijul Islam, Mustafizur 

Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, 

Naeem Hasan, Abu Hider, 

Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Rubel 

Hossain, Nurul Hasan, 

Mosaddek Hossain, 

Anamul Haque Bijoy, Abu 

Jayed, Nazmul Hossain 

Shanto, Nazmul Islam, 

Mohammad Mithun, Ariful 

Haque, Shafiul Islam, 

Shadman Islam, Yeasin 

Arafat, Abul Hasan Raju 

and Abdur Razzak. 

Tigresses 

meet SA in 

5th ODI 

today 

Sports Desk: 

Winless Bangladesh 

national women's cricket 

team will be looking forward 

to avoid total 

embarrassment as they take 

on South African in the fifth 

and final ODI of the series 

scheduled to be held today at 

Mangaung 

Oval, 

Bloemfontein, reports BSS. 

The match kicks off at 1.45 

pm (BST). 

Bangladesh eves would be 

try to avoid total white wash 

with a Herculean efforts to 

win at least last match of the 

series. 

Bangladesh are trailing 0- 

4 in the series. 

The host crushed 

Bangladesh by 106 runs in 

the first ODI and earned a 

massive nine-wicket victory 

in the second and third ODI 

respectively to secure the 

series. The host kept their 

winning streak over 

Bangladesh as they blew 

away Bangladesh by a 

massive 154 runs in the 

fourth ODI. 

Two-goal Bale gives 

Zidane Champions 

Sports Desk: 

Gareth Bale scored twice as Real Madrid 

routed Celta Vigo 6-0 on Saturday to give 

coach Zinedine Zidane a selection headache 

for the Champions League final, reports BSS. 

With Cristiano Ronaldo again sidelined 

with an ankle injury, Welsh star Bale stepped 

into the limelight with two first-half strikes to 

push his case for a starting spot in the 

European showpiece against Liverpool in 

Kiev in two weeks' time. 

Bale opened his account after 13 minutes 

on Saturday, picking up a sweetly-timed 

through ball from Luka Modric to score. 

His second on the half-hour mark saw him 

dash to the byline before tucking the ball to 

one side of a defender and then unleashing a 

sharp left-footed drive into the corner of the 

net. 

Bale celebrated by dedicating his 

performance to his third son Axel Charles 

who was born on Tuesday. 

"It's better for everyone to be overmotivated 

and ready," admitted Zidane. "It 

will be a headache to put a team together for 

the Champions League final." 

Isco made it 3-0 for Real after 32 minutes 

before Moroccan midfielder Achraf added 

the fourth, seven minutes into the second 

half.On a miserable night for mid-table 

Celta, Sergi Gomez put through his own net 

on 74 minutes, leaving German internatonal 

Toni Kroos to tuck away Real's sixth goal 

after 81 minutes. Real stay in third place in 

the table on 75 points, 15 behind champions 

Barcelona and three back from city rivals 

Atletico with one game left to play. 

Earlier Saturday, Koke's early goal proved 

enough for Atletico to claim a 1-0 win at 

Getafe and remain on course to finish in 

second place. 

Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak also saved a 

late penalty from Faycal Fajr as Diego 

Simeone's men warmed up for Wednesday's 

Europa League final against Marseille by 

denting Getafe's hopes of playing continental 

football next season. 

The capital club got off to a quick start in 

the local derby, as Koke collected Antoine 

Griezmann's pass and drove a low shot into 

the bottom corner to score his fourth goal of 

the campaign in the eighth minute. 

Getafe missed a chance to stay just two 

points adrift of seventh-placed Sevilla in the 

chase to qualify for the Europa League, as 

Fajr's 77th-minute spot-kick was kept out by 

Slovenian Oblak. 

Simeone admitted the challenge posed by 

Marseille would be different to that 

encountered at Getafe. 

"We will face a team who are very 

enthusiastic, with very good attacking 

players. They are a team that work well at the 

tactical level," said the Argentine. 

Sevilla would have wrapped up a top-seven 

finish with victory in their derby at Real 

Betis, but Loren's equaliser with nine 

minutes to play snatched the home team a 2- 

2 draw. 

Managerless Sevilla, who reached this 

season's Champions League quarter-finals, 

now have to beat Alaves next weekend to 

secure a spot in Europe's second-tier 

competition. 

Elsewhere, Samu Castillejo scored twice as 

Villarreal beat relegated Deportivo La 

Coruna 4-2 to leapfrog Betis into fifth, with 

Denis Cheryshev also netting a day after 

being recalled to the preliminary Russian 

World Cup squad. 

Real Madrid's Welsh forward Gareth Bale shoots to score a goal during 

their Spanish league match against Celta Vigo on Saturday. Photo: AP 

Madrid champion Kvitova 

dismisses French Open talk 

as ‘crazy’ 

Sports Desk: 

Petra Kvitova won the Madrid Open title 

for the third time on Saturday with a 

marathon 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 6-3 victory over 

Kiki Bertens but dismissed talk of her as a 

potential Roland Garros champion as 

"crazy", reports BSS. 

World number 10 Kvitova, who was also 

the champion in Madrid in 2011 and 2015, 

has now claimed four titles in 2018 after 

triumphs in St Petersburg, Doha and last 

weekend in Prague. 

Victory, on a chilly, damp night in the 

Spanish capital, took Kvitova two hours 

and 51 minutes against a gutsy, unseeded 

Bertens who had knocked out former 

world number ones Maria Sharapova and 

Caroline Wozniacki on her way to the 

championship match. 

In a big-hitting, roller-coaster of a final, 

Kvitova claimed her 24th career title on 

the back of 39 winners and 58 unforced 

errors. 

"It feels sweet and weird as well," said 

28-year-old Kvitova on becoming the first 

woman to win the Madrid title on three 

occasions. 

"Even coming from Prague last week, I 

didn't think I could be in the final, winning 

trophies back-to-back. My body is 

exhausted as well, so I'm pretty surprised 

that my body handled it. 

"Every title feels great. Winning three 

times here in Madrid, it means something. 

It's not really happening every day, so I'm 

very proud of myself." 

After her efforts in Madrid, two-time 

Wimbledon winner Kvitova, not 

suprisingly, announced she will skip the 

Italian Open in Rome next week. 

With four titles under her belt already 

this year-two of them now on clay-Kvitova 

remained cautious over her chances of 

winning the French Open which gets 

under way in Paris in two weeks' time. 

"For me, I'm going there trying to play 

better than the last time. I don't know, I 

don't want to put any pressure on me in a 

way. I think there are maybe better players 

playing on the clay. We'll see what 

happens." 

Bertens, who had won five of her 

previous six finals, including on clay in 

Charleston earlier this year, led 4-2 with a 

break in the first set before Kvitova roared 

back, retrieving the break in the next 

game. 

The Czech claimed the 74-minute 

opener on a third set point. 

Dutchwoman Bertens carved out the 

only break in the seventh game of the 

second set to level the contest. 

"It's crazy," she insisted. "You know, I've 

been in a semi-final one year. 

Probably I can play well there. But on 

the other hand I know how tough it is. 

"Winning Prague and here, it made me 

very happy. On the other hand, a Grand 

Slam is a different story. It's different 

attitude, different balls. 

"For me, I'm going there trying to play 

better than the last time. I don't know, I 

don't want to put any pressure on me in a 

way. I think there are maybe better players 

playing on the clay. We'll see what 

happens." 

Bertens, who had won five of her 

previous six finals, including on clay in 

Charleston earlier this year, led 4-2 with a 

break in the first set before Kvitova roared 

back, retrieving the break in the next 

game. 

The Czech claimed the 74-minute 

opener on a third set point. 

Dutchwoman Bertens carved out the 

only break in the seventh game of the 

second set to level the contest. 

She then fell 2-4 down in the decider 

before bravely hitting straight back but in 

a thrilling finale, Kvitova dug deep to 

break again for 5-3 before a love service 

hold gave her victory and an 11th 

successive match win. 

"Petra is also one of the biggest fighters 

out there, so it was tough," said 26-yearold 

Bertens, the world number 20. "But I 

gave everything I had today, so I have no 

regrets."

ECONOMY & BUSINESS 

BANGLADESHTODAY 10 

THE 

MONDAy, MAy 14, 2018 

Discussion between FBCCI and 

National Defense College held 

A discussion of FBCCI and National 

Defense College (NDC) discussed on 

Country's Economy, Investment 

scenario, Banking Sector and the 

Bilateral & Regional trade. The 

discussion was held between the 

FBCCI leaders and a 81 Member NDC 

delegation held at FBCCI conference 

centre today. FBCCI Acting President 

Sheikh Fazle Fahim moderated the 

discussion while the Directors of 

FBCCI and the representatives of 

Member Bodies were present, a press 

release said. 

Air Commodore M Mortuza Kamal 

led the NDC delegation. 

Representatives from India, Malaysia, 

Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, 

Oman, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Nigeria, 

Tanzania, Niger and Pakistan took 

part in the discussion. It may be 

mentioned that, members of three 

departments (Army, Navy and Air 

Force) of Armed Forces Division take 

part in this 1 year training course. 

Besides the High Officials of Foreign 

Ministry, Administration and Police 

Department of Bangladesh are also 

joining this course. 

FBCCI Acting President, at the 

program, briefed the delegation on 

the overall economy, role of FBCCI as 

the apex trade body and the publicprivate 

joint initiative in the 

development process of the country. 

Sheikh Fazle Fahim along with the 

FBCCI Directors Salahuddin Alamgir 

and AKM Aftabul Islam briefe the 

delegation on economic issues. 

South Sudan's new 

bank governor 

pledges monetary 

reforms 

South Sudan's newly 

appointed Central Bank 

Governor Dier Tong Ngor on 

Saturday pledged to improve 

monetary institutions. 

Ngor told Xinhua in Juba 

after taking an oath of office 

on Saturday that his priority is 

to bring sanity to the 

monetary system in the 

country. 

"I am going to work hard 

with my team and consult 

with other great economists in 

the country and the region to 

help us in formulating a policy 

that will improve the 

economic situation in the 

country," said Ngor. 

South Sudanese President 

Salva Kiir on Thursday 

dismissed Othom Rago Ajak 

and his deputy Dier Tong 

Ngor and named Dier as the 

new bank governor, deputized 

by Albino Dak Othow. 

South 

Sudanese 

presidential spokesman Ateny 

Wek Ateny told Xinhua that 

the president is greatly 

concerned about the 

economic situation in the 

country. 

"The president is worried 

about the high inflation rates 

in the market and it is within 

his prerogative to relieve and 

appoint officials to the 

monetary positions to seek 

solutions to the current 

situation," said Ateny. 

Experts said the president's 

decision to relieve both the 

bank governor and his deputy 

of their duties will not sharply 

address the urgent need to 

quell the inflationary rates 

and the increasing weakening 

local currency exchange rate 

against the U.S. dollar in the 

country. 

South Sudan depends 

entirely on oil to finance 98 

percent of its fiscal budget and 

yet ongoing conflict and fall in 

global oil prices have reduced 

oil production and revenue. 

British PM says 

'trust me' on Brexit 

British Prime Minister 

Theresa May insisted 

Sunday she could be 

trusted to deliver a good 

Brexit deal as she tried to 

mend government rifts 

over the best way forward. 

May's Conservative 

administration is divided 

on what sort of customs 

agreement Britain should 

have with the European 

Union after it leaves the 

bloc. 

The splits were laid bare 

last week when Foreign 

Secretary Boris Johnson 

dismissed as "crazy" one 

of May's proposals for 

future EU customs 

arrangements. 

But the prime minister 

insisted: "You can trust 

me to deliver", as she 

attempted to ease the 

tensions. 

"The path I am setting 

out is the path to deliver 

the Brexit people voted 

for," she wrote in The 

Sunday Times newspaper. 

"Of course, the details 

are incredibly complex 

and, as in any negotiation, 

there will have to be 

compromises. 

"I will need your help 

and support to get there. 

And in return, my pledge 

to you is simple: I will not 

let you down." 

May said she had 

proposed different options 

for a new customs 

arrangement with the EU 

and the government 

would continue to work on 

them during the 

negotiations. 

She said her mission in 

the talks was to build a 

new, close trading 

relationship with the EU, 

put Britain in full control 

over its immigration 

policy and taxpayer 

spending and build closer 

ties with the world's 

emerging economies. 

She said any deal must 

protect the United 

Kingdom's constitutional 

and economic integrity 

and honour the Northern 

Irish peace accords. 

"This means there can 

be no hard border 

between Northern Ireland 

and Ireland, or between 

Northern Ireland and the 

rest of the UK," May 

wrote. 

"Any agreements must 

create as little friction as 

possible for trade," she 

said, adding: "We must 

not constrain our ability to 

negotiate trade 

agreements with other 

countries around the 

world by being bound into 

a customs union." 

Last year, London put 

forward two options to 

ease cross-border trade 

with the EU but, with 

Brexit looming, has still 

yet to make a final 

decision on which to 

pursue. 

May's preferred option, 

the customs partnership, 

was reportedly rejected at 

a meeting of her senior 

ministers last week, while 

Brussels has also 

condemned it as "magical 

thinking". 

The model would 

involve Britain collecting 

EU tariffs on goods 

heading into the bloc but 

charging its own on UKdestined 

products. 

A second option, 

"maximum facilitation", 

would involve using 

technology to minimise 

customs checks, but the 

EU has also cast doubt on 

its viability. 

A decision is not 

expected for at least 

another week, but the 

clock is ticking ahead of a 

crucial EU summit in 

June. 

The Sunday Times said 

May's article was "an 

appeal for unity as she 

enters another perilous 

phase of her premiership". 

The main opposition 

Labour Party called 

Sunday for parliament to 

be given the chance to vote 

on a customs union. 

Taiwan-listed companies 

raise more funds in 2017 

Publicly-listed companies in Taiwan completed 376 fund 

raising operations last year, up 9.3 percent year on year, said 

the island's financial supervisory authority. 

The companies, listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange or the 

secondary bond market of the Taipei Exchange, raised a total 

of 683.8 billion new Taiwan dollars (about 23 billion U.S. 

dollars), a 36.6-percent jump from the previous year. 

The main reason behind the increase was the low interest 

rates and the good performance of the stock market last year, 

the authority said. 

While public fund raising events grew by 6.5 percent, the 

amount of money raised was 41 percent higher than in 2016. 

About 94 percent of the publicly-raised money came from 

within Taiwan. 

School Banking Conference Dhaka 2018 held at Dhaka Residential Model College on 12 May, 2018 

organized by Bangladesh Bank. Abu Hena Mohd. Razee Hassan, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh 

Bank was the Chief Guest of the program. Shafiuddin Ahmed, Additional Secretary, Technical and 

Madrassah Education Division, Ministry of Education, Md. Abdur Rahim, Executive Director, 

Bangladesh Bank, Md. Ataur Rahman Prodhan, Managing Director & CEO of Rupali Bank Ltd, Md. 

Arfan Ali, Managing Director of Bank Asia Ltd. & General Secretary of Association of Bankers 

Bangladesh was present as special guest on the program. Md. Abul Basar, General Manager of 

Financial Inclusion Department of Bangladesh Bank presided over the program. Photo: Courtesy 

Resolving China-US trade 

frictions needs 

constructive approaches 

A trade war between 

China and the United 

States would be 

devastating to global 

economy, and 

constructive approaches 

are needed to resolve 

trade frictions, according 

to a joint report released 

Saturday by Chinese and 

U.S. think tanks. 

Outright trade war 

between the two largest 

economies would be 

devastating to the 

working people of both 

countries, as well as 

destructive to the future 

of the entire world 

economy, read the report 

prepared by China 

Finance 40 Forum and 

Peterson Institute for 

International Economics 

(PIIE). 

The costs of conflict 

would far outweigh what 

are the current causes of 

dispute in the China-U.S. 

economic relationship, 

and it will hurt 

downstream producers 

and global supply chains, 

as well as American 

consumers, far more 

than it will achieve or 

cost China initially, 

according to the report. 

"I hope President 

Trump...would find 

more constructive ways 

to deal with the trade 

issue," PIIE's president 

Adam Posen told 

Xinhua. "Some of the 

things he wants don't 

make sense." 

Bilateral trade deficits 

are not a reasonable or 

useful goal for the U.S. 

trade policy to target, he 

said. 

The 

Trump 

a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ' s 

unilateral approach to 

trade disputes is 

counter-productive, and 

the use of unilateral tariff 

threats as means to 

achieve economic ends is 

a mistake, read the 

report. 

This approach is even 

more counterproductive 

when 

conveyed in a 

confrontational manner 

with an arrogant tone to 

another sovereign 

country, according to the 

report. 

Economic disputes 

that can be addressed 

using the WTO and other 

multilateral mechanisms 

should be addressed 

using those mechanisms, 

it said. 

There is no winner in a 

trade war, and efforts to 

forestall one should be 

prioritized to serve the 

interests of both China 

and the United States, 

Posen said. 

The report also 

suggested 

two-way 

expanding 

cross-border 

direct investment as a 

means to improve 

China-U.S. economic 

relations in the long 

term, as the efficiency 

and employment gains 

from such economic 

integration would be 

substantial. 

It also said Chinese 

companies have a right 

to compete with U.S. 

companies and succeed 

in sectors including hitech, 

as the fact of China 

aspiring to become a 

technological leader in 

some fields should not be 

considered a threat to 

the United States. 

China's power 

generation up 

2.1 pct in March 

China's major power plants 

generated 528.34 billion 

kilowatt-hours of power in 

March, up 2.1 percent year on 

year, data showed. 

Thermal power production 

reached 401.74 billion 

kilowatt-hours with a yearon-year 

increase of 1.4 percent 

in March, while hydropower 

and nuclear power plants 

created 66.47 billion kilowatthours 

and 21.76 billion 

kilowatt-hours, respectively, 

according to the National 

Bureau of Statistics. 

Electricity generated by 

wind and solar farms in 

March saw strong year-onyear 

growth of 30.6 percent 

and 27.9 percent, generating 

30.57 billion kilowatt-hours 

and 7.8 billion kilowatt-hours, 

respectively, as China has 

been promoting renewable 

energy such as wind and solar 

power in recent years to cope 

with pollution and boost 

growth quality. 

U.S. symphony orchestra 

to hold concert in Beijing 

The Pacific Symphony of the United States will perform at 

the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing 

Tuesday, the last destination of its five-city tour in China. 

The tour started on May 9 with a concert at the Shanghai 

Poly Grand Theater, followed by performances in Hefei, 

capital of east China's Anhui Province, Wuxi in east China's 

Jiangsu Province, Chongqing in southwest China, and 

Beijing. 

The orchestra will perform works by Leonard Bernstein in 

celebration of the centennial of his birth. It will also perform 

Ravel's "Daphnis and Chloe Suite, No. 2," "Pictures at an 

Exhibition" by Mussorgsky; and Mozart's "Violin Concerto 

No.3," featuring renowned violinist Pinchas Zukerman. 

"The music was carefully selected," the orchestra's music 

director Carl St. Clair said at a pre-performance fan meeting 

on May 8. "I want Chinese audiences get to know us gently, 

and you will begin our friendship in this concert very easy." 

This is the Pacific Symphony's first-ever tour to China and 

first international tour since the orchestra toured European 

capitals in 2006. 

A special program was held on 10th May at the BRAC Learning Center in Dinajpur to disburse loan to 

10 taka account holders under refinance scheme of Bangladesh Bank. National Bank Ltd. was the lead 

bank in the program. Abu Hena Mohd. Razee Hassan, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank was the 

chief guest in the occasion. Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank, Rangpur Office, Joarder Israil 

Hossain, General Manager of Sonali Bank Ltd, Md. Ali Mortuza, General Manager of Janata Bank Ltd, 

Md. Mokhlesur Rahman & General Manager of Agrani Bank Ltd. Rangpur Circle, Mohammad Golam 

Mostofa were present as special guests. The program was presided over the Additional Managing 

Director of National Bank Ltd. M.A. Wadud. 140 customers from 27 banks in Dinajpur under agreement 

with Bangladesh Bank were handed over the Payment Orders of Loan in the program. Ali 

Haider Mortuza, VP & Regional Manager of NBL Rajshahi Region, other bank's managers, officials 

from regional offices & head offices were also present in the occasion. 

Photo: Courtesy 

A conference of the Rural Development Scheme of Jessore and Khulna Zones of Islami Bank 

Bangladesh Limited was held on Saturday at the auditorium of Jessore Zilla School. Shamim 

Mohammad Afzal, Director of the bank, Chairman of Islami Bank Foundation and Director General 

of Islamic Foundation, Bangladesh addressed the conference as chief guest. Presided over by Mizanur 

Rahman, Senior Vice President and Head of Jessore Zone, Md. Maksudur Rahman, Senior Vice 

President and Head of Khulna Zone addressed welcome speech. Head of branches, RDS officials of 

Jessore and Khulna Zone attended the conference. 

Photo: Courtesy

MISCELLANEOUS 

MoNDAY, MAY 14, 2018 

11 

Trump welcomes North Korea plan 

to blow up nuke-site tunnels 

North Korea said Saturday that it will 

dismantle its nuclear test site in less than 

two weeks, in a dramatic event that would 

set up leader Kim Jong Un's summit with 

President Donald Trump next month. 

Trump welcomed the "gracious gesture." 

In a statement carried by state media, 

North Korea's Foreign Ministry said all of 

the tunnels at the country's northeastern 

testing ground will be destroyed by 

explosion, and observation and research 

facilities and ground-based guard units 

will also be removed, reports UNB. 

Kim had already revealed plans to shut 

the test site by the end of May during his 

summit with South Korean President 

Moon Jae-in last month. Analysts say that 

while the closure of the site is important, it 

doesn't represent a material step toward 

full denuclearization. 

"A ceremony for dismantling the 

nuclear test ground is now scheduled 

between May 23 and 25," depending on 

weather, the Foreign Ministry's statement 

said, adding that journalists from the 

United States, South Korea, China, Russia 

and Britain will be invited to witness the 

dismantling. 

The ministry said the North will 

continue to "promote close contacts and 

dialogue with the neighboring countries 

and the international society so as to 

safeguard peace and stability on the 

Korean Peninsula and over the globe." 

Trump, in a tweet Saturday, thanked 

Violence at protests in Nicaragua 

leaves 2 more dead 

Protesters opposed to 

President Daniel Ortega's 

government clashed with 

riot police and Sandinista 

Youth groups in cities 

across Nicaragua 

Saturday, 

with 

demonstrators burning 

tires and setting up 

barricades in violence 

that left two people dead 

and dozens injured, 

reports UNB. 

Videos released by 

protesters on social 

media showed two people 

who had apparently been 

shot in the head during 

demonstrations in 

Masaya, a town 20 miles 

(30 kilometers) southeast 

of the capital, Managua. 

The local Red Cross 

confirmed two deaths in a 

statement. 

In a live transmission 

North Korea for its plan to dismantle the 

nuclear test site, calling it "a very smart 

and gracious gesture!" 

Following the Moon-Kim meeting, 

Moon's office said Kim was willing to 

disclose the process to international 

experts, but the North's statement 

Saturday didn't address allowing experts 

on the site. South Korea had no 

immediate response to the statement. 

The North's announcement comes days 

after Washington announced that the 

historic summit between Kim and Trump 

will be held June 12 in Singapore. 

South Korea has said Kim has genuine 

interest in dealing away his nuclear 

weapons in return for economic benefits. 

However, there are lingering doubts about 

whether Kim would ever agree to fully 

relinquish the weapons he probably views 

as his only guarantee of survival. 

During their meeting at a border truce 

village, Moon and Kim vaguely promised 

to work toward the "complete 

denuclearization" of the Korean 

Peninsula, but made no references to 

verification or timetables. 

North Korea for decades has been 

pushing a concept of "denuclearization" 

that bears no resemblance to the 

American definition. The North has been 

vowing to pursue nuclear development 

unless Washington removes its 28,500 

troops from South Korea and the nuclear 

umbrella defending South Korea and 

on social media a young 

man is seen crying and 

carrying an apparently 

lifeless body, saying: 

"Crazy, they shot him in 

the head, he fell and they 

kicked him on the 

ground! He was a child." 

Besides Masaya, 

protests were also 

reported in Chinandega, 

Granada, Leon, 

Managua, Masaya and 

Rivas in the Pacific 

region, as well as in Esteli 

and Matagalpa in the 

north. 

The demonstrations 

began in April as protests 

against social security 

reforms but have 

expanded into calls for 

the Sandinista president 

to step down. 

Ortega addressed 

Nicaraguans in a brief 

message Saturday, 

describing events in 

Masaya as painful and 

calling for an end to the 

violence. 

"Peace is the path and 

the only door to 

coexistence and respect 

for the tranquility and 

security of us all," he said. 

Government 

spokeswoman and Vice 

President Rosario 

Murillo said the 

government has agreed to 

start a national dialogue 

mediated by the Roman 

Catholic Church as soon 

as possible. 

Before Saturday's 

deaths and several other 

deaths reported on 

Thursday, a human 

rights group estimated 

63 people had been 

killed. 

Japan. 

Some experts believe Kim may try to 

drag out the process or seek a deal in 

which he gives away his intercontinental 

ballistic missiles but retains some of his 

shorter-range arsenal in return for a 

reduced U.S. military presence in the 

South. This could satisfy Trump but 

undermine the alliance between 

Washington and Seoul. 

Kim declared his nuclear force as 

complete in December, following North 

Korea's most powerful nuclear test to date 

in September and three flight tests of 

ICBMs designed to reach the U.S. 

mainland. 

North Korea announced at a ruling 

party meeting last month that it was 

suspending all tests of nuclear devices and 

ICBMs, as well as the plan to close the 

nuclear testing ground. 

Kim said during the meeting that the 

nuclear test site's mission had come "to an 

end" because the North had completed 

developing nuclear-capable intermediaterange 

missiles, ICBMs and other strike 

means. 

The North also said for the first time at 

the meeting that it had been conducting 

"subcritical" nuclear tests. These refer to 

experiments involving a subcritical mass 

of nuclear materials that allow scientists to 

examine the performance and safety of 

weapons without triggering a nuclear 

chain reaction and explosion. 

Militants attack 

Afghan government 

building, 1 dead 

An Afghan official says 

militants have attacked a 

government building in 

the eastern Nangarhar 

province, killing at least 

one person, reports UNB. 

Attahullah Khogyani, the 

spokesman for the 

provincial governor, says 

two other people were 

wounded in Sunday's 

attack on a building 

belonging to the provincial 

finance directorate in the 

provincial capital, 

Jalalabad. He says there 

were at least two 

explosions followed by a 

gunbattle that was still 

underway. 

No one immediately 

claimed responsibility for 

the attack. Both the 

Taliban and a local Islamic 

State affiliate have carried 

out numerous attacks in 

Nangarhar. 

S African photographer 

of iconic protest 

image dies 

Tributes are being paid 

following the death of Sam 

Nzima, the South African 

photographer who took the 

iconic image of a black high 

school student carrying a 

fatally wounded fellow 

student away from the 

gunfire of apartheid police in 

the Soweto student riots of 

1976, reports UNB. 

Nzima, 83, died Saturday 

night in a hospital in the 

northwestern city of Nelspruit, 

said his son, Thulani Nzima. He 

said the photographer had 

collapsed two days earlier but 

did not recover in the hospital. 

Nzima's photograph of the 

Soweto student uprising 

galvanized int’l public 

opinion against apartheid, 

South Africa's system of 

racial discrimination that 

ended in 1994. 

"Sam Nzima was one of a 

kind," said President Cyril 

Ramaphosa, in a statement 

Sunday. "His camera 

captured the full brutality of 

apartheid oppression on the 

nation's psyche and history." 

Nzima's photo of the dying 

Hector Pieterson and strength of 

the student, Mbuyisa Makhubu, 

carrying him away from the 

violence "caused the world to 

come to terms with the brutality. 

GD-706/18 (5 x 4) 

Paris stabbings investigated as 

terror attack, claimed by IS 

A knife-wielding assailant 

killed a 29-year-old man and 

injured four others in a lively 

neighborhood near Paris' 

famed Opera Garnier before 

he was killed by police 

Saturday night. The Islamic 

State group claimed the 

attacker as one of its "soldiers." 

Counterterrorism 

authorities took charge of the 

investigation, and President 

Emmanuel Macron vowed 

that France would not bow to 

extremists despite being the 

target of multiple deadly 

attacks in recent years, 

reports UNB. 

Paris police officers 

evacuated people from some 

buildings in the Right Bank 

neighborhood after the 

attack, which happened on 

rue Monsigny at about 9 p.m. 

(1900 GMT.) Bar patrons 

and opera-goers described 

surprise and confusion in the 

immediate area. 

Beyond the police cordon, 

however, crowds still filled 

nearby cafes and the city's 

night life resumed its normal 

pace soon after the attack. 

The unidentified attacker 

targeted five people and then 

fled, according to Paris police 

and a witness. A 29-year-old 

man was killed, and four 

others were injured. When 

police officers arrived 

minutes later, he threatened 

them and was shot to death, 

according to police union 

official Yvan Assioma. 

Authorities are working to 

identify the assailant and 

anyone who might have 

helped him, Interior 

Minister Gerard Collomb 

told reporters Sunday. 

Prosecutor Francois Molins 

said counterterrorism 

authorities are leading the 

investigation on potential 

charges of murder and 

attempted murder in 

connection with terrorist 

motives. 

"At this stage, based on the 

one hand on the account of 

witnesses who said the 

attacker cried 'Allahu akbar' 

(God is great in Arabic) while 

attacking passersby with a 

knife, and given the modus 

operandi, we have turned 

this over to the 

counterterrorist section of 

the Paris prosecutor's office," 

Molins told reporters from 

the scene. 

The Islamic State group's 

Aamaq news agency said in a 

statement early Sunday that 

the assailant carried out the 

attack in response to the 

group's calls for supporters 

to target members of the 

U.S.-led military coalition 

squeezing the extremists out 

of Iraq and Syria. 

The Aamaq statement did 

not provide evidence for its 

claim or details on the 

assailant's identity. 

France's military has been 

active in the coalition since 

2014, and Islamic State 

adherents have killed more 

than 200 people in France in 

recent years, including the 

130 who died in the 

coordinated November 2015 

attacks in Paris. 

President Emmanuel 

Macron tweeted his praise 

for police who "neutralized 

the terrorist" and said 

"France is once again paying 

the price of blood but will not 

cede an inch to enemies of 

freedom." 

Saturday's attack occurred 

near many bars and theaters, 

as well as the opera. 

GD-707/18 (8 x 4)

UNITING PEOPLE EVERYDAY 

MoNdAy, dhAkA, MAy 14, 2018, BAiShAkh 31, 1425 BS, ShABAN 27, 1439 hiJRi 

TBT family pays tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing 

wreaths at his portrait in the capital on the occasion of successful launching of the country's first 

communication satellite into the space. 

Photo: TBT 

Army to be with people in 

running country, hopes PM 

Satellite launching 

The Bangladesh 

Today pays 

homage to 

Bangabandhu 

TBT DESK: 

Swecchashebok League President and advisor of 

The Bangladesh Today Adv Molla Mohammad 

Abu Kawser and Acting Editor and Publisher of 

The Bangladesh Today and Chairman of DU 

Oceanography Department, Md Jobaer Alam on 

Sunday paid tributes to Father of the Nation 

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing 

wreaths at his portrait in the capital on the occasion 

of successful launching of the country's first 

communication satellite into the space. 

They placed the wreaths at the portrait of the 

great leader in front of Bangabandhu Memorial 

Complex at Dhanmondi-32. 

Managing Editor of The Bangladesh Today 

Tapash Ray Sarker, General Manager (marketing) 

Khaki Kamal Hossain, AGM (marketing) 

Moniruzzaman Manik and other officials were, 

among others were present. 

Bangladesh entered a new era as a proud member 

of Satellite Club following the successful 

launching of the Bangabandhu-1 satellite into the 

orbit on Saturday. 

Manufactured by the Thales Alenia Space of 

France, the Block-5 of Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX 

carrying the 3.7-metric tonne, the satellite began 

its journey form the Cape Canaveral launching 

pad in Florida of the USA at 2:14 am (BST) on the 

day. 

Govt rolls out project for 

farmers to get better 

access to finance, market 

DHAKA : Farmer organisations 

are often neglected and not 

incorporated in formal povertyreduction 

initiatives, reports 

UNB. 

In a welcome departure, government 

on Sunday rolled out a 

USD 2.48 million project which 

will involve up to 10,000 farmers 

and 55 farmer organisations 

(FOs) in developing their capacity 

to establish market linkage and 

accessing finance among other 

things. 

The project - 'Missing Middle 

Initiative' (MMI) will be implemented 

over a three-year period 

with the amount provided as 

grant by the Global Agriculture 

and Food Security Program 

(GAFSP). 

GAFSP is a multilateral mechanism 

to assist the implementation 

of pledges made by the G20 

countries in Pittsburg in 

September, 2009. 

Agriculture Minister Begum 

Matia Chowdhury, Bangladesh 

Bank Governor Fazle Kabir, 

Senior Agriculture Economist of 

GAFSP-MMI, Washington DC, 

and the UN FAO Representative 

to Bangladesh David W Doolan 

were joined by other senior officials 

at a launching workshop of 

MMI held at Bangladesh 

Agricultural Research Council 

(BARC) auditorium today. 

Stakeholders at the heart of this 

initiative are FOs mainly in 

Rangpur and Barisal Divisions 

which have recently begun to 

develop into local institutions 

that assist members to increase 

incomes.The project will initially 

work with about 6,000 farmer 

members of some 45 FOs supported 

by the GAFSP-financed 

Integrated Agricultural 

Productivity Project (IAPP). The 

project will gradually include 

additional 4,000 non-IAPP 

farmers and 10 FOs over the 

three years. 

The MMI project is aiming at 

empowering FOs so that these 

can provide their members with 

access to value chains, markets, 

technical knowledge and financing. 

China’s Bicycle Graveyards 

INTERESTING NEWS 

Over the last few years, the bicycle-sharing 

phenomenon has taken the world by 

storm, especially in China, where— 

according to one report—there are over 70 

private bike-sharing companies in operation 

with a collective pool of 16 million 

cycles and over 130 million users. These 

bikes, especially the dockless variety, can 

be picked up from anywhere on the streets 

using a smartphone to unlock them first, 

and then dropped off anywhere without 

the need to park it at a dock. Regular users 

say these bikes are godsend because it 

allows them to avoid congested public 

transport routes and reduce travel costs, 

while also reducing pollution and encouraging 

users to stay fit. 

However, the supply has vastly outpaced 

demand. Many Chinese cities illequipped 

to handle the sudden flood of 

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh 

Hasina on Sunday hoped that the Army 

will be there with the mass people, 

whenever necessary, in running the 

country by the present government, 

reports UNB. 

"This is my firm believe the Army will 

be there on the side of people whenever 

it will be needed for running the country 

by the present government...you have to 

keep in mind that this is our country and 

the people of this country are also ours," 

she said. 

Sheikh Hasina was addressing a programme 

arranged at Dhaka 

Cantonment marking the inauguration 

of 27 big and small development projects 

in various cantonments, including 

Dhaka, and other areas of the country. 

The Prime Minister also asked the 

Army to always remain alert to face any 

sort of threat from internal or external 

sources for protecting the country's 

sacred Constitution and its sovereignty. 

The Prime Minister mentioned that 

the government always wants to run the 

country as a servant of people, never as a 

ruler. Hasina hoped that the members of 

the Army will work with utmost sincerity 

keeping their confidence in their 

seniors and maintaining mutual trust, 

sense of responsibility, dutifulness and 

discipline. 

She also highly praised Army's role in 

distribution of relief materials among 

Rohingyas, construction of shelter centres 

and providing Medicare facilities to 

them and said their immense contributions 

have brightened the country's 

image abroad. 

Hasina also praised their people-oriented 

activities like construction of various 

development projects including 

highways, flyovers, big bridges and 

other establishments across the country. 

The Prime Minister said the government 

is determined to develop a modern 

and smart armed force as Forces Goal- 

2030 has been formulated to this end 

which is being implemented in phases. 

She also pointed out the successful 

launching of the country's first communications 

satellite Bangabandhu-1 into 

the orbit, Bangladesh's victory over maritime 

boundary cases against India and 

Myanmar and solving enclave problems. 

The position of Bangladesh in water, 

land and space has now become clear 

millions of shared bicycles have been 

overwhelmed. Illegal parking have led to 

clogged sidewalks, while damaged and 

mangled bikes are routine occurrence. 

Recently, a number of bike sharing 

companies went out of business, the 

largest of which was Bluegogo. Almost 

overnight, websites became defunct and 

apps stopped working. Thousands of 

bicycles were left abandoned on the 

streets, attracting vandalism and abuse 

on those uncollected bikes. As cities 

impounded derelict and abandoned bikes 

by the thousands, scenes such as these 

became a familiar sight in many big 

Chinese cities. 

The public, authorities, and existing 

bike-sharing companies themselves now 

hope that they could learn from the mistakes 

of earlier ventures and avoid the 

kind of oversaturation seen in China. 

making the Bangalee a glorious and 

pride nation before the world community, 

she said. Referring to Bangladesh's 

graduation to developing country, the 

Prime Minister said, the country got its 

dignified position leaving 16 countries 

behind. 

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has 

now become self-reliant on food production 

with the coordinated efforts of all. 

About natural calamities, she said her 

government is fully aware of ensuring 

food security for all always. 

Earlier, Sheikh Hasina digitally inaugurated 

the recently completed 27 development 

projects, including newly built 

Cancer Centre, Fertility Center, Officers' 

Club and Edible Oil Mill. 

On her arrival at the venue, Prime 

Minister's Security Affairs Major 

General (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique 

and Chief of Staff of Bangladesh Army 

General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul 

Huq received the Prime Minister. 

Army chief Abu Belal Muhammad 

delivered the welcome address at the 

function. PM's Security Adviser Major 

General (retired) Tariq Ahmed Siddique 

was present at the dais. 

South Asian women 

breastfeed longer in 

the world: Unicef 

DHAKA : Babies in South 

Asia are more likely to be 

breastfed than any other 

region in the world and are 

breastfed for longer, Unicef 

said in a new analysis 

released on Sunday, reports 

UNB. 

In Bangladesh, only 51 per 

cent of new-born with early 

initiation breastfeeding within 

an hour after birth and 55 

per cent of infants less than 6 

months old are exclusively 

breastfed. 

Breast milk saves lives and 

protects babies against deadly 

diseases, it said. 

Children should be breastfed 

for two years and beyond 

because it provides an 

important source of nutrients 

for healthy growth and 

can prevent half of deaths 

during a child's second year 

of life. Furthermore, it leads 

to higher performance on 

intelligence tests among children 

and adolescents (3 IQ 

points on average). 

"Breastfeeding is the best gift 

a mother can give her child, 

as well as herself," said Jean 

Gough, Unicef's Regional 

Director for South Asia. 

"As we celebrate Mother's 

Day, we must give mothers 

the support they need to start 

and continue breastfeeding." 

At least 98 per cent of children 

are breastfed at some 

point in their young lives in 

Afghanistan (98%), Bhutan 

(99%), Nepal (99%) and Sri 

Lanka (99%), and elsewhere 

in South Asia the proportion 

is also high at 94-97%. 

Quota reform demonstrators observed strike due to delay of issuing gazette notification a on abolishing 

quota system in public service. 

Photo: TBT 

Bangladesh's first 

lightning forecast 

system soon 

DHAKA : Eight sensors 

capable of pinpointing lightning-prone 

areas and providing 

early warnings on incidence 

of lightning have been 

installed in the country, 

reports UNB. 

Ministry of Disaster 

Management and Relief has 

set up the US-made sensors 

recently, which will allow people 

to know when the incidents 

might occur in specific 

area and will reduce the loss 

of lives, meteorologists said. 

"Lightning forecast can be 

provided with 10 to 30 minutes 

lead time," a meteorologist 

told UNB. 

At least 149 people died in 

lightning strikes in different 

parts of the country from 

March till May 11, 2018, 

according to the data received 

from the Ministry of Disaster 

Management and Relief. 

The places where the sensors 

have been set up are: 

Dhaka, Chittagong, Tentulia 

in Panchagarh, Badalgachi in 

Naogaon, Mymensingh, 

Sylhet, Khulna's Kayra and 

Patuakhali. 

Currently, the system is 

running experimentally and 

at the end of the year the technology 

will be inaugurated 

officially, said the Met official. 

These sensors will help 

locate thunder clouds gathering 

on the horizon at least 10- 

15 minutes before flashes of 

lightning strike the ground 

and save lives by giving early 

warning. 

The images of the entire 

country will come from these 

sensors and the range of each 

sensor is 250 kilometers. 

In a season (April to June), 

number of lightning incidents 

and thunderbolts will be 

stored in each sensors. 

At present forecast of thunderstorm 

is announced 

through radio, television and 

news media based on date 

obtained from radar and 

satellite which does not 

appear clearly. 

Besides, the details of the 

thunderstorm are now given 

on district basis. Using the 

new sensors, the name of the 

specific area can be forecasted. 

Based on the data, 

'Lightning Arrestors' would 

be installed in the lightningprone 

area, said the Met office 

sources. 

A lightning arrestor is a 

device used on electric power 

systems and telecommunication 

systems to protect the 

insulation and conductors of 

the system from the damaging 

effects of lightning. 

Officials concerned 

acknowledged that there was 

less attention to thunderstorm 

in the past. 

Understanding the devastation 

of thunderstorm, special 

attention has been given to it 

now. But, more awareness 

among general people is 

required to keep them safe 

from the incident, experts 

said. 

According to the information 

provided by the Met 

office, lightning sensors 

machines were purchased 

from the US under the project 

'Strengthening Weather 

Observatory at 13 Ports in 

Bangladesh'. 

The total cost of the project 

is Tk 62 crore and the cost of 

the eight sensors and other 

relating devices are around Tk 

20 crore. 

4 JMB female 

members get 

5-year jail in 

Sirajganj 

SIRAJGANJ : A special tribunal 

here on Sunday sentenced 

four female members 

of banned militant outfit 

Jamaatul Mujahideen 

Bangladesh (JMB) to five 

years jail in a case filed 

under the Explosive 

Substances Act, reports 

UNB. 

Sirajganj Special Tribunal- 

1 judge Fahmida Kader pronounced 

the verdict. 

The convicts are 

Tabassum Rani, 32, wife of 

Mahbubur Rahman of 

Badullapur village of 

Salanga upazila in the district, 

Habiba Aktar Mishu, 

20, wife of Khalid Hasan of 

Fulkot village in 

Shahjahanpur of Bogura, 

Rumana Begum, 21, wife of 

Shaharul Islam of Bochaganj 

village of Gonindaganj in 

Gaibandha, Rumana Aktar 

Ruma, 23, wife of Sumon 

Ahmed Bijoy of Poranbaria 

village of Shahjadpur in 

Bogura. 

Police arrested them along 

with 6 cocktails, grenade 

making materials, 10 circuit 

boards and nine books on 

militancy from a house at 

Masumpur area of 

Municipality on July 23 in 

2016. 

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

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

14-05-2018

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