05-06-2018

TUeSday 

Dhaka:June 5, 2018; Jaisthya 22 1425 BS; Ramadan 19,1439 hijri 

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www. tbtbangla.com 

Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.16; No.153; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00 

inTeRnaTiOnal 

China warns US 

trade deals are off if 

tariffs go ahead 

Zohr 

>Page 7 

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04:36 PM 

06:55 PM 

08:10 PM 

5:10 6:45 

aRT & CUlTURe 

Makdee actor Shweta Basu 

Prasad is engaged to director 

boyfriend Rohit Mittal 

>Page 8 

Muhith set to place 'Tk 468,200 cr' 

mega budget Thursday 

RAMADAn 

Ramadan Date Sehri Iftar 

19 June 5 ___ 06:47 PM 

20 June 6 03:38 AM 06:47 PM 

21 June 7 03:38 AM 06:48 PM 

DHAKA : Finance Minister AMA 

Muhith is set to place a mega budget of 

around Tk 468,200 crore in Parliament 

on Thursday for the fiscal year 2018-19 

amid the fast approaching national election. 

The Finance Minister is going to 

set a rare example by placing the 10th 

consecutive budget of the current government. 

He will place the budget at 

12:30pm, reports UNB. 

However, this will be his 12th budget so 

far and also the last one of the current government 

in its second term. 

Though many are viewing the next 

budget as an election-oriented one, the 

Finance Minister, however, trashed 

such observations during pre-budget 

discussions. 

"All the preparations have been completed," 

said a Finance Ministry official 

adding that preparing the Finance 

Minister's budget speech is also at the 

final stage. The budget speech is scheduled 

to go to BG Press on Tuesday for 

printing. 

The revenue collection target for the 

coming fiscal year is likely to be fixed at Tk 

340,775 crore, up 18 percent from that of 

the current fiscal year. The revenue collec- 

Finance Minister AMA Muhith. TBT file photo 

tion target for fiscal 2017-18 is Tk 287,990 

crore. 

Finance Ministry officials said the revenue 

target will be fixed in such a way so 

that the budget deficit remains within 5 

percent. 

The allocation for annual development 

programme (ADP) for the coming fiscal 

year is likely to be Tk 178,2960 crore, up 

from the outgoing fiscal year. 

Earlier, Planning Minister AHM 

Mustafa Kamal forecast that Bangladesh 

will achieve 8 percent growth by the next 

fiscal year. 

The government is likely to set the GDP 

target for the upcoming fiscal year at 7.8 

percent, said an official. 

There might be an announcement to 

bring more people under social safety net 

programme in the next budget, officials 

said. 

There is an indication that there will be 

another announcement for freedom fighters 

on enhancing their facilities. 

Budget discussions usually begin in 

March every year but this time it began in 

January which the government thinks a 

positive thing as it helped the government 

incorporate many things. 

"It's not an election-oriented budget. 

I've been placing budget every year. I've so 

far placed nine budgets. It'll be the 10th. 

I'm looking into it in that perspective (of 

continuous process)," Muhith said in a 

pre-budget discussion. 

He said he does not think there will be 

massive changes that necessitate an election-oriented 

budget. 

Sources at the Finance Ministry said the 

number of taxpayers has increased significantly 

and it is still rising. The number of 

taxpayers has hit around 33 lakh which 

was 14-15 lakh earlier. 

The Finance Minister indicated that the 

tax rate will be reduced as the number of 

taxpayers is on the rise. 

He also indicated that corporate tax rate 

will also be reduced as the young generation 

is showing a growing interest in paying 

income tax. 

The government is taking necessary 

steps to form banking commission soon in 

an effort to look into the reason behind the 

current vulnerable situation in the financial 

sector. It is likely to be placed in the 

upcoming budget. 

The government will put emphasis on 

boosting domestic investment as the government 

thinks foreign investors will not 

be interested to invest in Bangladesh if the 

domestic private sector investors do not 

come forward. 

The Finance Minister is likely to highlight 

the issue in his budget speech as he 

thinks the investment climate has 

improved creating confidence among 

investors. 

He will also highlight steps to strengthen 

the country's capital market. 

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and 

Industry (DCCI) President Abul Kasem 

Khan said they want the upcoming budget 

to focus on 4Es-empowerment, encouragement, 

engagement and environment. 

The Finance Minister will hold a postbudget 

press conference at 2:30pm on 

Friday at Osmani Memorial Auditorium 

in the city. 

Habibun Nahar elected MP 

of Bagerhat-3 uncontested 

BAGERHAT : Awami League candidate 

Habibun Nahar has been elected MP 

uncontested from Bagerhat-3 constituency 

as there was no other contender for the byelection 

to the constituency, reports UNB. 

Returning officer Md Nuruzzaman 

Talukder declared her MP on 

Monday morning. She submitted her 

nomination paper on May 24, the last 

of day of submitting nomination 

paper, as the lone candidate. 

Film actor Shakil Ahsan who collected 

the other nomination paper 

did not submit it finally. 

Earlier on May 21, Awami League 

picked Habibun Nahar as its candidate 

for contesting the Bagerhat-3 by-polls 

slated for June 26 next. 

On April 10 last, the parliamentary 

seat fell vacant following the 

resignation of Awami League MP 

Talukdar Abdul Khalek who has 

recently been elected mayor of 

Khulna City Corporation. 

World Environment 

Day today 

DHAKA : The World Environment Day, 

2018 will be observed in the country as 

elsewhere around the world tomorrow 

with a view to creating mass awareness 

about the adverse impacts of plastic use. 

This year's theme of the day is 'Beat 

Plastic Pollution' while slogan of the day 

is 'if you cannot reuse it, refuse it'. 

Different government and non-government 

organisations (NGOs) as 

well as educational institutions have 

chalked out elaborate programmes to 

observe the day. International Union 

for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 

Bangladesh will organise a discussion 

at Jatiya Press Club here tomorrow at 

11 am. Environment and Forest 

Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud will 

address the discussion as the chief 

guest. 

Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba) will 

arrange a seminar titled 'Plastic 

Pollution: Threat to Environment and 

Way forward' at its office in the city's 

Kalabagan area at 11 am tomorrow. 

Dhaka University Poribesh Sangsad 

(DUPS) has also taken various programmes 

marking the day. The programmes 

include planting saplings, 

holding seminar and bringing a procession 

on the campus. 

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime 

Minister Sheikh Hasina today issued 

separate messages on the occasion of 

the day, wishing success of all the programmes 

of the day. 

Marking the day, UN Secretary- 

General Antonio Guterres in a message 

said: 

"A healthy planet is essential for a 

prosperous and peaceful future. We all 

have a role to play in protecting our only 

home, but it can be difficult to know 

what to do or where to start." 

That's why this World Environment 

Day has just one request: beat plastic 

pollution, he added. 

The World Environment Day is the 

UN's most important day for encouraging 

worldwide awareness and action for 

the protection of environment. Since it 

began in 1974, it has grown to become a 

global platform for public outreach that 

is widely celebrated in over 100 countries. 

Phone, internet to 

remain shut in Motijheel 

from June 8-11 

DHAKA : The land phone and internet 

line will remain shut in Motijheel area 

from June 8 to 11 due to underground 

cable relocation by Bangladesh 

Telecommunications Company 

Limited (BTCL) for Metro Rail Project, 

reports UNB. 

Bangladesh's telecom authority confirmed 

the matter in a press release on 

Monday. BTCL also said their telephone 

services were also remained off 

during June 1-4 for the underground 

work at Motijheel. BTCL was transferring 

their cables due to the ongoing 

construction work metro rail project in 

Motijheel area. 

SPORT 

Tigers look to 

bounce back in 

second T20I 

>Page 9 

Road digging to remain 

suspended for 15 days 

from June 8: Quader 

DHAKA : Road Transport and 

Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader 

on Monday said road digging 

works across the country will 

remain suspended for 15 days 

from June 8 to ensure smooth 

journeys for Eid holidaymakers, 

reports UNB. 

The minister came up with the 

information while speaking at a 

views-exchange meeting held at 

BRTC office in the city's Motijheel 

area. 

People have been suffering a lot 

due to the ongoing project taken 

by the City Corporations and 

DHAKA : BNP senior leader 

Nazrul Islam Khan on Monday 

warned that their party will be 

forced to wage a strong street 

movement if it fails to have 

Khaleda Zia freed from jail 

through a legal battle. 

He issued the threat at a discussion 

meeting arranged by 

J a t i y a t a b a d i 

Sramik Dal at 

the Jatiya Press 

Club, marking 

BNP founder 

Z i a u r 

Rahman's 37th 

death anniversary. 

The BNP 

leader said they 

are putting in 

their best 

efforts to free 

their chairperson 

Khaleda 

Zia from jail 

through a legal process, and will 

continue to do so, reports UNB. 

"But, we'll be forced to resort to 

another way of a strong, united 

and democratic movement to 

ensure her release if the government 

makes it impossible through 

the legal process," he added. 

Nazrul, a BNP standing committee 

member, said their party has 

been on a democratic movement 

and they will intensify it in the days 

to come. He urged the leaders and 

activists of the BNP's labour wing to 

get ready for playing a pivotal role in 

Wasa in the capital and the 

authorities concerned have been 

asked to suspend all kinds of digging 

work on roads till June 21, he 

said. 

Besides, the road renovation 

works in Gazipur and other parts 

of the country will remain suspended 

till June 21 to ease the Eid 

journeys, he added. 

Besides, the Bangladesh Road 

Transport Authorities (BRTA) has 

directed to take effective measures 

to stop plying of unfit vehicles 

and running vehicles on 

wrong sides, said Obaidul. 

Strong movement to free 

Khaleda if legal battle 

fails : Nazrul 

making the movement a success. 

The BNP leader alleged that the 

government is showing a' brutal 

attitude' to Khaleda after keeping 

her in an abandoned jail. "The government 

is not taking any step to 

ensure the treatment of her though 

she is sick." 

He said the medical board 

formed by the government advised 

taking Khaleda to a specialised 

hospital for treatment, but the 

government still did not do it. 

Referring to her personal physicians' 

opinions, Nazrul feared that 

Khaleda may get crippled and lose 

her eyesight if she is not given 

proper treatment. 

"We do politics and we have 

opponents, but no enemies. The 

government can consider Khaleda 

Zia as its opponent. But it's behaving 

with her like an enemy," he 

observed.

NEWS 

TuESDAY, 

JuNE 5, 2018 

2 

Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited, Joypurhat unit hosted an Iftar Mahfil and a discussion meeting on 

Sunday. Chairman of Joypurhat Zila Parishad Arifur Rahman was present as the chief guest while 

manager of Joypurhat branch Harun-ur-Rashid chaired the programme. Photo: Mashrekul Alam 

Bangladesh urged to submit 

Rohingya docs to ICC 

DHAKA : Speakers at a seminar in the city 

on Monday urged the government to submit 

its observations and documents relating to 

Rohingyas forced out from Myanmar to the 

International Criminal Court (ICC) within 

the given timeframe and assist ICC in 

building pressure on Myanmar on this issue, 

reports UNB. 

Centre for Genocide Studies of Dhaka 

University (DU), Centre for Peace and 

Justice of Brac University and ActionAid 

Bangladesh jointly organised the seminar on 

"Accountability: ICC and the Rohingya 

Crisis" at Nawab Nabab Ali Chowdhury 

senate building of Dhaka University. 

Speaking as the special guest Justice 

Refaat Ahmed said, it is time to gather all the 

documents and submit those to the ICC by 

Bangladesh government. 

Mentioning that Bangladesh territory has 

been specifically targeted by the intentional 

deportation of Rohingya people by the 

Myanmar authorities, Justice Refaat said, 

even if Bangladesh government doesn't 

make the request for the jurisdiction, it is 

open for the prosecutor to act on its own 

initiative to open the investigation into the 

matter following the Rome Statute. 

Claiming that the democracy in Myanamar 

is not real democracy, Australia's Hornsby 

Shire Mayor Phillip Maxwell Ruddock urged 

for imposing sanctions on Myanmar again to 

resolve the issue. 

Chairing the session, Director of Centre for 

Genocide Studies at Dhaka University, Prof 

A press conference was held at National Press Club yesterday over separate 

fund for resuming Cox's Bazar Environment. 

Photo : TBT 

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Imtiaz Ahmed said, though there are some 

legal complexities, Bangladesh should give 

positive response to ICC. 

Though the Rohingya crisis is not a 

bilateral issue, if Bangladesh wants to try to 

solve it bilaterally, they can continue the 

effort as well, he said adding that, yet 

Bangladesh should submit their 

observations to ICC before the deadline to 

contribute in establishing accountability. 

On April 9, the Prosecutor of the ICC 

sought a ruling on the question of 

jurisdiction that "whether the court may 

exercise jurisdiction over the alleged 

deportation of the Rohingya people from 

Myanmar to Bangladesh". The Prosecution 

argued that even though Myanmar is not 

bound by the Rome Statute, the ICC may 

nonetheless exercise jurisdiction over the 

alleged crime because an 'essential element' 

of it, the enforced crossing of an 

international border, occurred on the 

territory of Bangladesh, a state party to the 

statute. 

Farah Kabir, Country Director, ActionAid 

Bangladesh and Manzoor Alam, Executive 

Director of the Centre for Peace and Justice 

at BRAC University and Chair of ActionAid 

Bangladesh also spoke in the occasion. 

On April 11 the pre-trial chamber gave its 

favourable decision and on May 7, the ICC 

requested the Bangladesh government to 

submit written observations on the issue of 

jurisdiction by June 11 this year while June 

20 has been set for hearing. 

Chattogram BCL 

leader Roni sent 

to jail in 

extortion case 

CHATTOGRAM : A court 

here on Monday sent exgeneral 

secretary 

ofChittagong city unit of 

Bangladesh Chhatra 

League(BCL) leader Nurul 

Azim Rony to jail in an 

extortion case, reports 

UNB. 

Additional chief 

metropolitan magistrate 

Osman Goni sent him to 

jail his denying his 

petition for extending bail. 

Osman Goni filed the 

bail petition as his fourweek 

bail expired on 

Monday, said Kazi 

Sahabuddin Ahmed, 

assistant commissioner of 

Police (prosecution) of 

Chattogram Metropolitan 

Police. 

Jahed Khan, principal of 

Chittagong Science 

College, filed the case with 

Chawkbazar police station 

accusing Nurul Azim Rony 

and his followers for 

demanding extortion and 

assaulting him on April 6. 

Jahed Khan was 

allegedly assaulted by 

Nurul Azim Rony on 

March 31 at Chittagong 

Science College in 

Chawkbazar area. 

The incident came to 

light after a CCTV footage 

of the incident went viral 

on social media. 

Rony allegedly assaulted 

the college principal for 

'realising extra money 

from HSC examinees'. 

One to die, two 

get life term 

for killing 

Kushtia BCL 

leader 

KUSHTIA : A court here 

on Monday sentenced a 

man to death and two 

others to life term 

imprisonment in a case 

filed in connection with 

the murder of a BCL leader 

in Sadar upazila in 2015, 

reports UNB. 

The condemned convict 

is Tutul Hossain, 25, son 

of late Kashem Ali while 

the lifers are Ashraful 

Islam, 30, son of Abdul 

Hamid and Mosharaf 

Hossain, 30, son of 

Muntaz Pramanik, 

residents of Mollateghoria 

village. 

The court also fined 

Tutul Tk 20,000 while the 

two others Tk 10,000 

each. 

According to the 

prosecution, the convicted 

youths called Pias, a 2nd 

year student of Accounting 

Department and former 

vice-president of now 

defunct committee of BCL 

of Kushtia Government 

College, from his house 

and shot him dead over 

internal conflict. 

Later, victim's father 

AbulKalam Azad filed a 

case with Sadar Police 

Station. 

After examining all the 

records and witnesses, 

Kushtia district and 

sessions judge Arup 

Kumar Goswami handed 

down the verdict. 

Riverbank erosion worries 

residents of 2 upazilas in Manikganj 

MANIKGANJ : The residents of 

Doulatpur and Harirampur upazilas 

have been passing days amid worries as 

violent riverbank erosions by the 

Jamuna and Padma devoured several 

hundred dwelling houses in the two 

upazilas over the last one week, reports 

UNB. 

Officials at the Water Development 

Board (WDB) here said they have 

nothing to do right now as they do not 

have any fund, while elected 

representatives are saying that lack of 

efforts to have a permanent solution to 

the problem is the main reason why 

local people are getting displaced every 

year. 

For the past few days, Char Katari, 

Bachamara, Baghutia and Jionpur 

unions have lost a substantial portion 

of their lands, houses croplands, one 

mosque and a madrasah to the river 

erosion. 

Azmat Ali, a resident of Char Katari, 

said river erosion this season started 

earlier than previous years, as the river 

has come dangerously close to his 

One crushed 

under train 

in Rajshahi 

RAJSHAHI : An 

unidentified man was 

crushed under a train in 

Dhorikhoborna area of the 

city early Monday, reports 

UNB. 

Md Aslam, sub-inspector 

of Railway thana, said that 

the accident took place when 

a Chapainawabganj-bound 

train hit the man, aged about 

50, leaving him dead on the 

spot. 

Later, police recovered the 

body. 

Mrs. Trump 

skipping G7, 

North Korea 

summits 

First lady Melania Trump 

isn't joining her husband 

at the G7 summit in 

Quebec this week or 

planning to accompany 

him to the expected 

meeting with North 

Korea's leader in 

Singapore the week after, 

spokeswoman Stephanie 

Grisham said Sunday, 

reports UNB. 

Mrs. Trump's decision 

not to go to Quebec is a 

departure from last year, 

when she made an 

international summit 

debut at the G7 meeting in 

Italy and followed up at 

the forum of G20 

industrialized and 

developing nations in 

Germany. Spouses 

typically get together at 

events of their own during 

the meetings of world 

leaders. 

The first lady stayed 

behind Friday when 

President Donald Trump, 

his daughters, eldest son 

and son-in-law went to the 

Camp David retreat for the 

weekend. She hasn't made 

a public appearance since 

before her five-day 

hospital stay in mid-May 

for treatment of a kidney 

condition the White House 

only described as benign. 

Grisham said earlier that 

the first lady has been 

meeting with staff and 

working on projects. Mrs. 

Trump is scheduled to join 

the president Monday in 

hosting a reception, closed 

to the press, for Gold Star 

families. 

"She will not attend the 

G7 and there are no plans 

for her to travel to 

Singapore at this time," 

Grisham told AP. 

The G7 summit will be 

held in Quebec on Friday 

and Saturday. The 

president plans to meet 

North Korean leader Kim 

Jong Un on June 12 in 

Singapore, the first 

leaders' summit between 

two countries that are still 

formally at war. 

house, which will devour it if the 

erosion continues. 

Chairman of Char Katari union 

parishad Abdul Barek said Jamuna 

bank erosion devoured 16 of 18 villages 

under his union over the last several 

years. This year, if the erosion 

continues, it will engulf the remaining 

villages. 

Rikta Akter, headmistress of 

Bachamara Uttarkhand Primary 

School No. 44, said her school stands 

threatened by the river erosion. 

Rikta said she sent letters to the 

higher authorities over the matter on a 

number of occasions but no step has 

been taken yet and the fate of over 200 

students remain uncertain. 

Daulatpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer 

(UNO) Kaniz Fatema said 

severalapplications have been sent to 

the WDB seeking steps to check the 

river erosion, but there has been no 

response so far. 

Besides, erosion by the Padma River 

has already devoured over 50 houses, 

croplands in three unions of 

A view exchanging meeting was held Gazipur district parishad training 

center auditorium yesterday on citizen opportunity of Gazipur City 

Corporation. 

Photo : TBT 

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Harirampur upazila 

Abul Bashar, vice chairman of 

Harirampur upazila, said a permanent 

dam was built two years ago spending 

Tk 100 crore by WDB, but it covered 

only 10km out of the total 14 km areas 

which are affected by erosion. 

The erosion caused from the 

remaining 4km is damaging the dam, 

he said. 

Mamun Hawlader, a deputy assistant 

engineer of Manikganj WDB, said a Tk 

3.65 crore project has been undertaken 

to protect Bachamara union from the 

Jamuna erosion, which awaits 

approval. 

AM Naimur Rahman Durjoy, an MP 

from Manikganj-1 constituency, said 

usually temporary measures are taken 

every year to minimise the damages 

caused by erosions, but there is no 

sustainable approach to deal with the 

situation. 

He said now a greater allocation has 

been sought for the construction of 

permanentdam which will check river 

erosion in the area.

METRO 

TUeSDAY, JUNe 5, 2018 

3 

President, PM for 

proper management 

of plastic waste 

DHAKA : President M Abdul Hamid and 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday laid 

emphasis on proper management of plastic 

waste aiming to make the country's 

environment free from plastic pollution. 

The President and the Prime Minister 

issued separate messages today on the 

occasion of the World Environment Day- 

2018. This year's theme of the day is 'Beat 

Plastic Pollution'. 

In his message, President Hamid said the 

environmental pollution, triggered by 

worldwide industrialisation and 

urbanisation, is on the rise. 

The adverse impacts of environmental 

pollution are visible in different sectors, he 

said, observing that polythene and plastic are 

the main components of environmental 

pollution. 

Although Bangladesh is known as a user of 

natural products, the use of plastic is 

increasing here day by day, the President 

said. "That is why proper management of 

plastic waste is a must." 

In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh 

Hasina said about 10 percent of total waste 

produced per day is plastic waste. 

Noting that about 500 billion plastic bags 

are used every year across the world, the 

premier said of those, eight million tonnes of 

wastes are disposed to sea, causing deaths to 

one million marine birds and one lakh 

marine mammals. 

"Due to excessive use and production of 

plastic, ecological balance is being 

damaged," she said, adding that the reuse 

and recycle of plastic is an urgent now to 

protect environment. 

Referring to various steps taken by the 

government to protect the country's 

environment and nature, the Prime Minister 

said: "The Awami League government is 

going forward attaching the highest priority 

to the protection of nature and environment 

aiming to attain the Sustainable 

Development Goals (SDGs) declared by the 

United Nations." 

"We've amended the 'Bangladesh 

Environment Conservation Act 1995' in 

2010 putting restriction on production, 

transportation, storage and use of polythene 

shopping bags," Sheikh Hasina said. "The 

use of jute bags instead of polythene for 

packaging 17 commodities is made 

compulsory," she said. 

The Prime Minister hoped that public 

awareness and public involvement in 

protecting environment and ecology will be 

increased by observing the World 

Environment Day. 

Speaker returns 

home from France 

DHAKA : Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin 

Chaudhury returned home on Monday from 

Paris, France after attending a conference on 

Rohingya crisis there, reports UNB. 

The conference titled 'International 

Conference on the Rohingya situation in 

Myanmar and Bangladesh' was held at the 

National Assembly in Paris on Friday. 

The Speaker attended the conference at 

the invitation of France Parliament, said a 

PID handout. 

She addressed the conference as the chief 

discussant and exchanged views with experts 

on Rohingya issues 

She also met Madame Carol Bureau 

Bonnard, first vice president of France 

National Assembly. 

DMCH Ansar member 

held with Yaba 

DHAKA : Detectives arrested an on-duty 

Ansar member along with some Yaba tablets 

from Dhaka Medical College Hospital early 

Monday, reports UNB. 

The Ansar member was Asad Miah, 35. 

Bacchu Miah, sub-inspector of DMCH 

police outpost, said a team of Detective 

Branch of Police arrested Asad from the 

Ansar camp of DMCH around 1 am along 

with the Yaba tablets. 

Cop's act of 

kindness leads 

to discovery of 

missing youth 

SYLHET : A selfless act of 

kindness by a police officer 

early Sunday led to the 

discovery of a missing 

person in Beanibazar 

upazila. 

Mohsin Kabir, a subinspector 

at Beanibazar 

Police Station, was at 

Shewla Zero Point when 

he witnessed a man trying 

to snatch a rotten piece of 

mango from a mango 

vendor around 2am. 

Offering a fresh piece 

instead, Mohsin inquired 

the person about his 

background when he said 

he is Md Nazer Ahmed, 35. 

Yet he was unable to reveal 

much information about 

himself. 

It was then found that he 

was a mental patient and 

hails from Rangunia 

upazila of Chattogram. 

SI Mohsin then 

contacted the local UP 

member, after which 

contact was established 

with Nazer's brother, a 

sergeant in Bangladesh 

Army. 

The brother, after 

coming to receive his 

brother on Monday, 

informed that his brother 

had been missing for over 

a year now. 

Additional 

Superintendant of Police 

(North) Abul Hasnat 

hailed Mohsin's 

benevolent nature, and 

said such acts of kindness 

by a law enforcer is not 

exceptional but often 

remain hidden from the 

public. 

Fourth class government employees of Bangladesh Health Department formed a human chain in 

front of National Press Club yesterday. 

Photo : TBT 

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Senate members took part in a photo session after the 10th annual meeting of Bangladesh University 

of Professionals (BUP). 

Photo : ISPR 

ACC Chairman 

attends UN anti-graft 

conference 

DHAKA : Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman 

Iqbal Mahmood attended the conference of United Nations 

Convention against Corruption (UNAC) under United 

Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) at Vienna, 

capital of Austria, reports UNB. 

The Chairman delivered his speech as a representative of 

Bangladesh in the session regarding prevention of corruption 

of 'Chapter 2' andasset recovery of 'Chapter 5' in the charter 

of UNAC. 

A five-member delegation of Bangladesh led by the 

Chairman took part in the conference of the Ninth 

Implementation Review Group of UNDOC. 

The ACC Chairman presented all the activities taken by 

ACC as well as different other organizations of the country in 

the prevention of corruption. 

During this time, he highlighted the preventive measures 

taken by the ACC, such as formations of corruption 

prevention committee, integrity units, honesty stores, 

celebration of International Anti-Corruption Day, 

conduction of public hearings and other issues related to 

mass publicity. 

He also presented various activities for the prevention of 

corruption in a systematic review and mentioned that the 

commission had formed its own asset recovery unit. 

Established in 1997 through a merger between the United 

Nations Drug Control Programme and the Centre for 

International Crime Prevention, UNODC is a global leader in 

the fight against illicit drugs and international crime and 

operates in all regions of the world through an extensive 

network of field offices. 

Winrock and BD Venture 

Capital sign MoU to 

cooperate on agro-technology 

DHAKA : Winrock International and Bangladesh Venture 

Capital Ltd. have agreed to cooperate with a goal to improve 

the identification and scale-up of agricultural technologies in 

Bangladesh. 

To achieve this common goal both the parties signed an 

MoU on Monday, said a press release. 

Md. Maksudur Rahman, Country Director, Bangladesh, 

USAID Feed the Future Asia innovative Farmers Project 

signed on behalf of Winrock International while Golam 

Monowar Kamal, Managing Director signed on behalf of 

Bangladesh Venture Capital Limited. 

Esteemed innovators, investors and other distinguished 

guests from different universities, research institutes, media 

participated in the event. It is hoped that this collaborative 

initiative will accelerate technological innovation and 

adoption in agriculture sector, improve the farmers' life and 

therefore contribute in building better Bangladesh, said the 

press release. 

Winrock International through its USAID Feed the Future 

Asia innovative 'Farmers Project' is working to transform the 

lives of farmers by facilitating a regional ecosystem that 

fosters new technology, partnerships, and innovative 

practices in South and Southeast Asia's emerging markets 

with a focus on Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Nepal. 

Bangladesh Venture Capital Limited (BVCL) is a platform 

that connects entrepreneurs and investors. It is so formed to 

provide early stage funds for the new business ventures. It 

aims to make an investment eco-system for the start-ups, 

based in Bangladesh fostering a healthy economic culture for 

all the stakeholders, the release added. 

BGB seizes over 

Tk. 75 cr smuggled 

goods in May 

DHAKA : Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized smuggled 

goods and contraband narcotic items worth around Tk 75.56 

crore conducting anti-smuggling drives across the country, 

mostly in frontier areas, in May this year, reports UNB. 

Seized contraband narcotic items, included 7,66,828 

pieces Yaba pills, 5,076 bottles of foreign wines, 271 local 

wines, 1993 canes of bear, 28,700 bottles of phensidyle, 1390 

kg hemp, 1.250 kg heroin (brown sugar), 6,24,730 pieces of 

injections and 7,39,620 other tablets. 

Other seized smuggled goods, included 10.899 kg gold, 

16,770 pieces of Sharees, 6,073 pieces of three pieces/shirt 

pieces, 3313 meters fabrics, 7997 pieces readymade 

garments, 1121 spare parts of vehicles, eight pick-up, and 

seven CNG-run auto-rickshaws, 10 trucks, 48 motorcycles 

and 15,072 cubic feet wood and also 3,857 kg tea. 

The paramilitary force also seized two pistols, four oneshooter 

guns, nine round bullets and four magazines. 

Besides, the BGB arrested 151 people over their alleged 

involvement in smuggling contraband items and drugs 

between May 1 and May 31. 

The BGB arrested 83 Bangladeshis for illegally crossing 

Bangladesh borders and then handed them over to local 

police stations. Ten Indians were arrested for illegally 

trespassing into Bangladesh territory from India. Of them, 

nine were handed over to Indian BSF during the period, said 

BGB Headquarters Public Relations Officer Mohsin Reza. 

So far, smuggled goods and illegal drugs worth around Tk 

468.13 crore have been seized by the BGB in first five months 

till May 31, he added. 

Tuomo Poutiainen 

becomes ILO Country 

Director in BD 

DHAKA :Tuomo Poutiainen has taken up his post as the 

Country Director for the International Labour Organization 

(ILO) in Bangladesh, reports UNB. 

He has already presented his letter of appointment to Foreign 

Minister AH Mahmood Ali, said the ILO on Monday. 

Poutiainen has worked with the ILO for 19 years including 

spells in the Philippines, Switzerland, Cambodia, Thailand 

and Bangladesh. During his time with ILO he has been 

involved in community-based development, child labour, 

indigenous people's issues, livelihoods promotion and peace 

and development initiatives. 

In recent years Poutiainen has specialized in developing 

and running efforts aimed at addressing working conditions, 

labour rights and managing industry improvement processes 

in global supply chains. 

Prior to his appointment as ILO Country Director for 

Bangladesh, Poutiainen was Head of Quality and Factory 

Services for the ILO/IFC Better Work Programme. 

GD-826/18 (7 x 4) 

GD-823/18 (5 x 4)

EDITORIAL 

TuesDAY, 

June 5, 2018 

4 

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam 

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

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com 

Tuesday, June 5, 2018 

Improving rural 

banking operations 

I 

t 

was revealed during question hour at the 

JatiyaSangshad--sometime ago-- that the greater 

number of the rural branches of the nationalized 

commercial banks (NCBs) are operating with losses. 

There was no indication in the statements at the 

Sangshad whether the references to the losses also 

presage a move to further curb the rural banking 

operations of the NCBs. 

If such a step is considered, it would not be 

financially unjustified from the perspective of viably 

running organisations and to stop giving subsidies 

to loss making organisations. But then, banking in 

the context of Bangladesh, cannot be entirely 

divorced from the needs and principles of 

extending vital services in neglected areas or 

extending uniform facilities in the country to meet 

the requirements of equity and justice. 

Banks must be understood for the role they play in 

the growth of the economy. Banks mobilize deposits 

and from these deposits loans are extended to 

various types of customers of banks to undertake all 

kinds of economic activities. . The more the banks 

extend loans to their clients in an area, the more its 

chances of fast developing or growing in the 

economic sense. But our vast rural interiors, hardly 

served by banking activities, are deprived from these 

growth opportunities. Resourceful people in rural 

areas face insecurity not finding banks nearby to 

deposit their monies; they are more formidably 

disadvantaged from not getting institutional credit 

support to take up or expand trading and other 

business ctivities. 

An unbiased study can be undertaken to 

determine the factors for the losses of the NCB 

branches in the rural areas to take curative actions 

in relation to the same. Many of the NCB units in 

rural areas are overstaffed and suffer from 

unscrupulous activities of their officers. In some 

cases, branches of NCBs are located in close 

proximity that undermine the gainful operations of 

all of them. So, some of them can be closed and 

several merged into one while staff strength can be 

rationalized or trimmed in all of them. 

However, under long term careful planning 

weighing prospects of both costs and returns, it may 

be found that a far larger number of branches of the 

banks can be set up in the rural areas compared the 

present. Only these would be needed to be operated 

cost-efficiently. And as the rural economy grows and 

flourishes from the wider availability of banking 

services, the scope would then be created to double 

or even treble the number of bank branches in the 

longer term. Thus, what is vitally need is a resolved 

vision to expand banking in the rural areas by the 

banks' management and stay in the course quite 

undeterred. 

Yet, there are other issues not directly linked to 

banking activities but their existence such as lack of 

infrastructures and underdevelopment that impede 

a rise in banking activities in the rural areas. Policies 

need to be in operation in response to these factors 

that adversely impact on rural banking. Devolution 

of power to local authorities, the establishment of 

strong local government and making them 

resourceful enough to undertake local development 

activities, more investment in infrastructures in 

rural areas, etc., would be also creating indirectly 

the conditions for improved functioning of the rural 

banking system. 

The private banks, so far, have concentrated in 

urban areas considering the returns from rural 

areas to be small. But they can possibly have a 

rethink in view of the very gainful experiences in 

terms of profits by the bank like operations of some 

NGO bodies in the rural areas. The private banks, of 

course, are not expected to emulate these NGOs by 

servicing their rural clients at high rates of interest 

on loans. But there is a good market for them in the 

rural areas which they can explore to expand their 

own business while responsibly filling gaps in 

banking services in the rural areas. 

The Bangladesh Bank (BB) can consider the 

giving of all types of concessions to private banks 

that take a real interest in extending their banking 

services to rural areas. The concessions may be in 

the area of corporate taxes they pay, reducing the 

compulsory cash reserve they need to keep with BB, 

etc. Such steps on the part of BB will likely 

encourage the private banks to take greater interest 

in rural areas. 

FROM the tail-end of the Musharraf 

regime up till the 2013 elections, 

local and international publications 

ran a number of stories about Pakistan's 

rising middle class. Some covered the 

economic opportunities offered by its 40 

million-odd constituents (any household 

that made over Rs30,000 per month was 

considered middle class), while others 

spoke of the new forms of political 

assertion it promised. 

Both perspectives had their root in 

some form of material (and discursive) 

reality: total consumption as a percentage 

of the economy has risen steadily since 

the early 2000s (to an all-time high of 85 

per cent last year); manifesting itself 

through rabid consumerism in large and 

small urban centres. New shopping malls 

and other retail developments, now 

ubiquitous in their existence, stand as 

monuments to the consumerist turn in 

Pakistan's economy. 

Similarly, the promise of a 'new' kind of 

politics on the back of middle-class 

expansion came from the birth of the 

private electronic and social media 

sphere, the experience of the lawyers' 

movement, and the rise of PTI in late 2011 

and early 2012. These trends/events 

made it seem like the more traditional 

forms of political discourse and 

participation were on their way out. 

The winning party might be different, 

but undergirding its win will be the same 

logic and strategy that propelled so many 

others to elected office in the past. 

The 2013 election, and subsequent byelections 

and polls held for local 

governments across the country, showed 

that this was not necessarily the case. As a 

large and culturally diverse income 

demographic, middle-class voters 

approach the political world in different 

ways. Some were swayed by the PTI's 

anti-corruption, anti-status quo rhetoric, 

while others preferred the incremental, 

infrastructure gains promised by the 

PML-N. But most importantly, all this 

was happening while the actual political 

fate of the country was being determined 

through the familiar grind of dhara 

patronage politics and candidate potency 

in rural areas. 

Five years on, and on the eve of another 

general election, similar patterns are 

expected to take centre stage once more. 

The winning party might be different, but 

undergirding its win will be the same logic 

and strategy that has propelled so many 

others to elected office in the past. 

On first glance, this makes for 

pessimistic reading. Not necessarily 

because patronage and personalityoriented 

politics is intrinsically evil, but 

because it suggests stagnation and 

persistence. It suggests that this iron-cage 

structure moulds earnest intentions into 

expedient strategy, and leaves one asking 

how progressive change is even possible 

in such stifling circumstances. 

There is no comforting answer to this 

question. There is, however, a way to 

recalibrate expectations. A decade of 

democracy might have been marked by 

the same kind of political absurdities seen 

uMAIR JAVed 

MICk O'ReIlly 

over the last 70 years - political infighting, 

institutional conflicts, persisting 

uncertainty - but it has also seen some 

discrete (but nonetheless concrete) 

changes in the nature of politics itself. 

And a part of this, at least, is down to the 

political impact of urbanisation and the 

growth of a middle-class demographic. 

Last week, PTI-affiliated social media 

accounts published a list of the party's 

achievements in government. It included 

rising outlays on health and education, as 

well as reforms designed to improve 

citizen-state interaction in key sectors 

(such as policing). For much of the last 

few months, the PML-N has publicised its 

own achievements in Punjab, which 

includes a host of new infrastructure 

schemes, but also an ambitious set of 

reforms in the education sector. Even the 

PPP has attempted to showcase its efforts 

in improving health provision and social 

protection in rural Sindh. Resultantly, the 

airwaves are dotted with masala-driven 

(and usually uninformed) debates on 

who's done better in government, and 

who got their priorities right. 

Maybe because the standard of service 

delivery is still so poor, none of this counts 

as progress. Who cares that a few 

boundary walls are fixed if millions of kids 

are still out of school? Or who cares that 

mass transit has opened up new 

employment opportunities and increased 

local investment if there's no clean 

drinking water in most parts of the 

country? For those unlucky enough to be 

hooked onto social media, these questions 

and debates are like part of the furniture. 

There isn't a Facebook wall or a Twitter 

timeline free from them. 

But relevantly enough, this cacophony 

of competition is the discrete change 

taking place in Pakistani politics. If we 

were to distil all the rhetoric around a 

decade of democratisation, and attempt 

to locate one solid step forward, it would 

be this. Politics as it stands today may not 

be capable of delivering on heightened 

expectations, but its overarching 

discourse is lumbering towards more 

tangible concerns. 

Truth be told, sweeping change was 

never possible in this country. The old 

ways of doing things and the institutions 

so accustomed to asserting themselves 

over everyone else are far too entrenched 

to be done away with instantly. There are 

big-ticket questions about the nature of 

the state, and its contract with citizens 

that are still waiting to be asked (and 

solved). What is the future of the 

federation? 

What are the rights of ethnic and 

religious minorities? What is the role of 

the military in politics? The scope and 

space for asking these questions has 

always been limited, and this reality does 

not appear to be changing anytime soon. 

However, other types of questions have 

started to resonate and their impact can 

be seen in small nooks and crannies. One 

hopes the big-ticket ones find traction at 

some point too. 

Source: Dawn 

Hungary and the nuclear option 

There is a right power struggle going 

on at the moment between Austria, 

Hungary and the European Union 

(EU). That's in addition to the power 

struggle between Hungarian Prime 

Minister Viktor Orban and the EU - and 

the one between the Hungarian prime 

minister and billionaire George Soros. 

But the power struggle between Vienna, 

Budapest and Brussels has led to a 

lawsuit, filed about a month ago to the 

European Court of Justice against the 

EU's approval of a nuclear power plant in 

Orban's backyard. 

Austria, you see, is vehemently opposed 

to nuclear power not just in the Alps but 

anywhere on the continent of Europe. In 

early March, the European Commission - 

the cabinet-like level at the EU - said it 

was OK for the Orban government to 

borrow €10 billion (Dh45.3 billion) from 

Russia to pay for a critical expansion of 

the Paks nuclear plant just outside the 

Hungarian capital. The plant's four 

nuclear reactors are of Soviet-era design - 

remember Chernobyl? - and account for 

50 per cent of the nation's powergenerating 

capacity, supplying about 40 

per cent of Hungarian's everyday 

electricity needs. And as far as Austria is 

concerned, Paks is too big already and has 

Indian Railways, the country's 

largest public-sector employer, 

recently received more than 28 

million applications for 90,000 job 

posts it had advertised for. As of March 

31, 2017, Indian Railways employed 

around 1.31 million individuals. 

The ratio of the number of applicants 

to the number of jobs stood at a 

whopping 311:1. 

The number of applicants was more 

than the population of Australia, which 

was a little over 24 million in 2016. It 

was around six times the population of 

New Zealand, which in 2016 was 

around 4.6 million. 

Using data provided by the Central 

Statistics Office of the government of 

India, we can estimate that the 

number of Indians between the ages 

of 15 and 29, who are most likely to 

apply for these jobs on offer, is 360 

million (189 million males and 171 

million females). 

This basically means that close to 

7.8% of the population in that age 

group that can be categorized as India's 

youth applied for the 90,000 jobs on 

offer at Indian Railways. What this 

calculation does not take into account 

is the fact that not everybody in the 15- 

29 age group is looking for a job. 

Many individuals in this age group 

are studying. In the case of females, 

many get married at a young age and 

take care of the family. In some other 

cases, females have been pulled out of 

school or college and are waiting at 

home to get married. 

We need to adjust for this - that is, 

take the labor-force participation rate 

of this age group into account - and 

then recalculate the numbers. 

A decade of democracy 

On first glance, this makes for pessimistic reading. 

Not necessarily because patronage and personalityoriented 

politics is intrinsically evil, but because it 

suggests stagnation and persistence. It suggests that 

this iron-cage structure moulds earnest intentions 

into expedient strategy, and leaves one asking how 

progressive change is even possible in such stifling 

circumstances. 

a rather chequered history, with serious 

incidents in 2003, 2009 and 2016. As far 

as Hungary is concerned, the plant is too 

critical not to be upgraded - and the 

Russian loan would allow that to happen. 

The Austrian energy sustainability 

minister, Elisabeth Kostinger, likens her 

nation's plight in stopping the Hungarian 

expansion as a "David versus Goliath" 

struggle, adding that "nuclear energy 

must have no place in Europe". And to 

affirm the Austrian appeal to the ECJ, 

Kostinger added: "We will not budge one 

centimetre from this position" - which 

made for a very quotable soundbite for 

Austrian broadcasters. 

Modi government refuses to acknowledge India's jobs crisis 

The labor-force participation rate for 

males in the 15-29 age group was 

63.1% as of June 2012, according to the 

National Sample Survey Office. That 

was the proportion of people who were 

actually looking for jobs. For women, 

the figure was only 18.3%. 

There are two explanations for the 

low female labor-participation rate. 

One lies in the fact that many 

individuals in this age group are still 

studying. Further, the overall 

participation rate for females is also 

very low at 18.1%, and this is reflects in 

this age group as well. Taking the 

participation rates into account, the 

total number of people in India actively 

looking for jobs in the 15-29 age group 

works out to 150 million (119 million 

males and 31 million females). 

This means close to 18.7% (28 

million expressed as a percentage of 

150 million) of the population in the 

15-29 age group has applied for the 

90,000 jobs on offer at Indian 

Railways. Or to put it a little 

simplistically, one in five individuals in 

the 15-29 age-group applied for those 

jobs. 

This tells us the sad state of affairs 

VIVek kAul 

As far as Brussels is concerned, the €10 

billion doesn't break EU rules on state aid. 

Austria is disputing this, Kostinger 

confirms. 

In its decision, the Commission 

adjudged that the project met EU rules on 

state aid, and again Austria disputes this. 

Vienna is also concerned that the plan to 

build two new reactors at the Paks site, 

For its part, during campaigning before last Sunday's 

Hungarian general election, opposition parties criticised the 

awarding of the contract to Rosatom without holding an open 

tender. In 2015, the government used its parliamentary 

majority to keep the details of the deal secret for 30 years, 

something Orban's Fidesz party said was necessary for 

"national security reasons". Critics has seized on that phrase 

as code for concealing corruption. 

which was agreed between Hungary and 

Russia in 2014, smacks of cronyism 

between Orban and his close Kremlin ally, 

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both 

leaders are now basking in re-election 

victories, both have a decidedly different 

view of pan-Europeanism, and both see 

for the 1 million youth who join the 

Indian workforce every month. 

Another factor at work here is that the 

government pays much better at 

lower levels than the private sector in 

India does, which obviously gets 

many people to apply. 

The above figures clearly show the 

lack of formal jobs in India. This is a 

problem that the government is not 

willing to acknowledge. Recently, 

Jayant Sinha, a junior minister in the 

government of Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi, called India's jobs 

The report of the fifth round was released in 

September 2016. One of the major findings of the 

report was that only 60% of Indians who were 

looking for a job all through the year found one. This 

figure showed very clearly the bad state of jobs in 

India. This was consistent with a similar finding in 

the report on the fourth round of the survey as well. 

crisis more of a data crisis, in a column 

he wrote for The Times of India, the 

country's largest-selling Englishlanguage 

newspaper. 

In his column he stated that 6.5 

million new jobs were created in the 

retail sector between 2014 and 2017. 

While he didn't state the source of 

these data, some digging suggests that 

he borrowed this number from 

"Human Resources and Skill 

Requirement in the Retail Sector," a 

report authored by KPMG for the 

NITI Aayog, a government-run thinktank. 

The 6.5 million jobs that Sinha talked 

the benefit of exploring common ties and 

policies between Budapest and Moscow. 

That expansion work at Paks, for what's 

worth, will be carried out by Rosatom, 

Russia's state-owned nuclear agency - 

and what it's worth is €12 billion, with 

Budapest coughing up the extra €2 billion 

up front. 

For its part, during campaigning before 

last Sunday's Hungarian general election, 

opposition parties criticised the awarding 

of the contract to Rosatom without 

holding an open tender. In 2015, the 

government used its parliamentary 

majority to keep the details of the deal 

secret for 30 years, something Orban's 

Fidesz party said was necessary for 

"national security reasons". Critics has 

seized on that phrase as code for 

concealing corruption. Since the late 

1970s, Austria has been fiercely antinuclear, 

starting with an unprecedented 

vote by its population that prevented the 

country's only plant from providing a watt 

of power, arguing that atomic energy was 

unsustainable and high-risk. And while 

there is now a right-wing coalition in 

power in Vienna, it too remains still 

steadfastly opposed to atomic power. 

Source: Gulf news 

about was basically a forecast, which 

he passed off as the actual number of 

jobs created. As far as the lack of data is 

concerned, the Labor Bureau carried 

out six household-based Annual 

Employment-Unemployment Surveys 

(EUS) between 2010 and 2016. 

Reports of five rounds have been 

released to date. (Makes us wonder 

why the report on the sixth round has 

been held back.) 

The report of the fifth round was 

released in September 2016. One of the 

major findings of the report was that 

only 60% of Indians who were looking 

for a job all through the year found one. 

This figure showed very clearly the bad 

state of jobs in India. This was 

consistent with a similar finding in the 

report on the fourth round of the 

survey as well. 

Recently, in an answer to a question 

raised in Parliament, the government 

said, "On the recommendations of the 

Task Force on Employment, however, 

this survey has been discontinued." 

Basically, a survey that brought bad 

news has been discontinued, and then 

the government goes around talking 

about lack of data. 

There are enough data that suggest 

that India is facing a huge 

unemployment problem. The so-called 

demographic dividend is collapsing. 

The Modi government refuses even to 

acknowledge this problem. The first 

step toward solving any problem is to 

acknowledge it. If you don't 

acknowledge a problem, how do you 

solve it? 

Source: Asia Times

NATIONAL 

TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 2018 

6 

Members of Chittagong police yesterday arrested a journalist from Dampara bus counter along with 

2000 yaba tablets. Photo: M A Mehedi 

Journo held 

with 2000 yaba 

in Chattogram 

MA Mahedi, Chattogram Correspondent: Under the 

leadership of Assistant Police Commissioner Asif 

Mohiuddin of Chittagong Metropolitan Detective 

Branch (Bandar), Special Inspector of Police (unarmed) 

Mohammad Anwar Hossain, SI (Disarmed) 

Mohammad Abul Fazal Sayeed Talukder, ASI 

(Disarmed) Mohammad Monir Hossain and associate 

force based on the secret news, conducted a special 

drive, and arrested a journalist along with 2000 yaba 

tablets from Dampara Bus Counter of Khulshi Police 

Station in Chittagong city on Monday. 

The accused was identified as Mohammad Yasin 

Molla (45), father- Anael Hossain Mollah, mother- 

Anwar Begum, wife- Khadija Begum from 

Brahmanbaria. He now resides in Dhaka's Jatrabari. 

Sources informed that after searching him, 2000 

yaba tablets was recovered along with one black color 

camera bag, one ID card on which the word PRESS was, 

two diary, one MONTEX column which was in the right 

hand of the accused and one spy camera. 

In the interrogation, he disclosed the names and 

addresses of the above and he introduced himself to the 

crime reporter of the Weekly Journal in search of the 

peak. The accused told that the Yaba tablets have been 

purchased from the Teknaf thana area of Cox's Bazar 

district for selling at a higher price and bought it at low 

prices. After identifying himself as the crime reporter of 

the Weekly Journal, he informed about taking monthly 

and weekly subscriptions from different drug dealer in 

Cox's Bazar district and Teknaf thana area. A case was 

filed under Narcotics Control Act in Khulshi Police 

Station. 

Bamboo basket 

demand increases 

in Rajshahi region 

RAJSHAHI: Demand of bamboo baskets and crafts are gradually 

increasing amidst boosting production of vegetables and various 

seasonal fruits like mango, litchi, papaya and tomato in the region, 

reports BSS. 

Growers and traders said bamboo baskets are suitable and 

appropriate for carrying and transporting of the seasonal fruits than 

any other plastic box and basket. 

"We are dependent on the eco-friendly bamboo basket for keeping 

and carrying the newly harvested fruits," said Nazrul Islam, a 

grower-cum-seller of litchi at Shaheb Bazar in Rajshahi city. 

Talking to BSS he said bamboo basket keeps litchi and mango cool 

and green for several hours. There is no alternative to use it for 

running the business of mango and litchi successfully. 

"I have been using bamboo basket for the daylong vending 

vegetables for long around 15 years," said Azizul Islam, a vegetable 

vendor of Shayampur village under Matiher Police Station. 

Professor Dr Golam Mostofa of Institute of Environmental 

Sciences of Rajshahi University said more than 10,000 people are 

involved in manufacturing bamboo baskets and crafts in the region. 

Most of them are women and aborigines and bamboo products 

are their main sources of their income. Apart from this, around 

30,000 other people are completely dependent on trading of those 

for their livelihood. 

The manufacturers collect bamboo from local markets and sell the 

processed items locally while small traders purchase the items from 

different villages and sell those to various regional markets. 

The bamboo baskets are widely used for carrying betel leaf and 

other seasonal fruits especially mango, tomato, papaya, guava and 

jujube and demand of the bamboo handicrafts have enhanced to a 

greater extent during harvesting and marketing of the fruits. 

Dr Mostofa underscored the need for promoting the sector for 

poverty alleviation of the disadvantaged group of people. 

Market expansion of environment-friendly bamboo products and 

successful manufacturing of those can eradicate their poverty. 

Bangladesh Coast Guard (South Zone) in a drive on Monday early morning arrested three armed 

robbers with two rifles, 6 rounds of bullet and 5 sharp weapons from Hatiya upazila of Noakhali district. 

Photo: Coast Guard 

Mayor of Monohardi Pourashava Aminur Rashid Sujan inaugurated a newly constructed road in 

front of Monohardi Degree College as chief guest recently. Among others, municipal councilor 

Harun Majhi, Babul, Abul Kashem and other well known delegates were present at the occasion. 

Photo: Md Anwar Hossain 

Mohadevpur upazila police station under Naogaon district hosted an Iftar and Doa Mahfil on 

Monday at its premises. Parliament member Md Salim Uddin Tarafder was present as the chief 

guest while Naogaon Police Super Iqbal Hossain was present as the special guest on the occasion. 

Photo: Shakhawath Hossain 

Imams, Islamic scholars urged 

to work for national welfare 

RAJSHAHI: Trained 

Imams and Islamic scholars 

can play a vital role in welfare 

of the nation as they have 

social responsibility in this 

regard, reports BSS. 

The present government 

under the dynamic leadership 

of Prime Minister Sheikh 

Hasina has been working 

relentlessly for freeing the 

nation from all sorts of 

terrorism, militancy and 

drugs. 

The Islamic scholars should 

extend their whole-hearted 

cooperation towards the 

government endeavor. 

The views were expressed at 

a pre-Iftar discussion titled 

"Role of Imams and Islamic 

Scholars for building a society 

free from terrorism, 

militancy, corruption and 

drug-addiction" in Rajshahi 

city yesterday. 

Rajshahi district and city 

unit of Bangladesh National 

Imam Samity organized the 

event at Nanking Darbar Hall. 

Large number of Islamic 

scholars and Imams joined 

the meeting discussing ways 

and means on ensuring peace 

and tranquility everywhere in 

the society. 

Chaired by the samity's city 

unit president Hafez Mobarak 

Karim, the meeting was 

addressed, among others, by 

former mayor of Rajshahi City 

Corporation AHM 

Khairuzzaman Liton, 

Divisional Director of Islamic 

Foundation Syed Amin Uddin 

Bullet-hit 

body found 

in Faridpur 

FARIDPUR: Police 

recovered a bullet-hit body 

from Bypass road in Alalpur 

area under Sadar upazila of 

the district last morning, 

reports BSS. 

The deceased was identified 

as Azad Khan, 45, son of 

Salim Khan of South 

Tepakhola in Harishava of the 

district town. 

Zakir Hossain Khan, 

Superintendent of Police (SP) 

said Azad was accused in 

several cases including arms 

with Kotwali Thana. The 

reason behind his death could 

not be known immediately. 

AFM Nasim, Officer in 

Charge (OC) of Kotwali police 

station said police recovered 

the body from the roadside at 

around 10:30 am responding 

to an information. 

Law enforcers also found a 

packet of Yaba tablets from 

the waist of Azad, he added. 

Mahmud, Professor Abdus 

Salam Al Madani and 

Associate Professor Barkullah 

Bin Durul Huda from 

Rajshahi University and 

Mufassire Quran Abul 

Kashem Faruqui. 

The 

discussants 

unequivocally called upon the 

Islamic scholars and leaders 

to play their due role in wiping 

out drug-addiction and 

terrorism from the society. 

They said the Islamic 

scholars should engage 

themselves in the campaign. 

They should take the 

responsibility in making the 

society free from all-sorts of 

social menace. 

Former Mayor Liton 

observed that Islam has no 

relation to any sort of crime 

and any other anarchic 

activities rather it is a religion 

of global peace and 

tranquility. 

He underscored the need 

for proper motivation and 

counseling to the new 

generation so that they could 

supplement the government 

effort to culminate terrorism. 

The present government is 

determined to combat crimes 

and terrorism with collective 

efforts of all quarters 

especially the imams and 

other religious leaders, Liton 

added. 

Terrorism 

mushroomed 

during BNP 

regime: Nasim 

SIRANJGANJ: Health and 

Family Welfare Minister 

Mohammed Nasim on 

Sunday said terrorism and 

militancy had mushroomed 

in the country during the 

BNP-Jamaat regime, reports 

BSS. 

The minister said this 

while replying to a question 

of newsmen after visiting the 

renovation of embankments 

at Dhekuria under Maizbari 

union of Kazipur upazila in 

the district. 

Nasim, also Awami League 

presidium member, said the 

people will never respond to 

the call of BNP to join their 

movement to free their 

chairperson Begum Khaleda 

Zia. 

He also said none will be 

allowed to carry out 

vandalism and sabotage to 

kill people in the name of 

movement. 

The minister said Khaleda 

Zia must have to follow legal 

procedure to be freed from 

jail not by waging movement 

through taking to the street. 

Nasim said the 

government is fighting 

against the abuse of drugs 

with an iron hand likewise it 

curbed terrorism and 

militancy. 

Eid gifts, including new dresses and clothes and Iftar items were distributed among poor people 

with the imitative of volunteer organization 'Amra Kojon Poropkari' at Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani 

Stadium in Goplagnaj on Monday. Deputy Commissioner Md Mokhlesur Rahman Sarkar distributed 

the gifts as the chief guest. 

Photo: S M Nazrul Islam 

Field day on Binatil-2 was held at Shantijot village in Tetulia upazila on Monday. The event was 

organised by Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA). Tetulia upazila chairman 

Rezaul Karim Shahin was present as the chief guest on the occasion. Photo: Ashraful Islam

INTERNATIONAL 

7 

TUESDAy, JUNE 5, 2018 

Trump lawyer plays 

down chance president 

would self-pardon 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's office in 

Jerusalem Sunday, June 3, 2018 

(AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, Pool) 

Netanyahu heads to Europe 

with Iran on his mind 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 

Netanyahu is heading to Europe in a 

bid to rally support from key allies 

for amending the international 

nuclear deal with Iran and for pushing 

Iranian forces out of neighboring 

Syria, reports UNB. 

Netanyahu is set to meet with 

leaders from Germany, France and 

Britain, beginning with German 

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday. 

Addressing his Cabinet on Sunday, 

Netanyahu said archenemy 

Iran would top his agenda and 

voiced optimism for the visit. Israel 

has been a leading critic of the 

nuclear deal, and more recently, has 

said it will not allow Iran to establish 

a permanent military presence in 

Syria. 

"For years we stood alone against 

these twin threats and I think that 

the situation has changed for the 

better," Netanyahu said. 

Netanyahu unsuccessfully tried to 

block the landmark deal that which 

gave Iran relief from crippling sanctions 

in exchange for curbs on its 

nuclear program when it was negotiated 

in 2015 under President 

Barack Obama. The Israeli leader 

has found a welcome ally in President 

Donald Trump, who last 

month withdrew the United States 

from the deal. 

Both the U.S. and Israel hope 

Trump's withdrawal can lead all 

sides into addressing what they say 

are the deal's shortcomings - including 

"sunset" provisions that end 

restrictions on Iranian nuclear activities, 

such as enriching uranium, as 

well as permitting Iran to continue 

to develop long-range missiles. 

Netanyahu says that as the deal 

expires over the next decade or so, 

Iran will emerge with the ability to 

produce a nuclear bomb in a very 

short time. 

In addition to the U.S., the nuclear 

deal was negotiated by Germany, 

France, Britain, Russia and China. 

The remaining members have said 

they remain committed to the deal. 

Iran for now also is honoring the 

agreement, though some top officials 

have suggested it resume its 

enrichment activities. French President 

Emmanuel Macron's office 

said France will insist on having a 

dialogue with Iran. 

An official in his office said 

Macron, along with Germany and 

the U.K., have all been "clear" that 

they will work with the existing deal, 

viewing it as the best way to control 

Iran's nuclear activity. The official 

spoke on condition of anonymity 

under customary briefing guidelines. 

Oded Eran, a former Israeli 

ambassador to the European Union, 

said Netanyahu is unlikely to change 

the minds of his counterparts on the 

necessity for the current agreement. 

But he said he may sway them on 

certain details not included in the 

deal, such as Iran's missile development 

and the expiration of restrictions 

on nuclear activity. 

"There's no secret that the prime 

minister wants to completely 

change the agreement and replace it 

with an agreement that covers the 

issues that are missing," said Eran, 

senior researcher at the Institute for 

National Security Studies at Tel Aviv 

University. "I don't think that he will 

change the policy, but he will get 

maybe a commitment to work on 

the missing points." 

While Iran says its nuclear program 

is for peaceful purposes only, 

Israel recently released tens of thousands 

of seized Iranian nuclear documents 

that Netanyahu said prove 

Iran pursued a nuclear bomb in the 

past. He is likely to discuss this 

information with the other leaders. 

Eran said Netanyahu may make 

more progress on his other demand 

- expelling Iranian forces from Syria. 

Netanyahu has long identified 

Iran as Israel's greatest threat, 

pointing to its nuclear program, calls 

for Israel's destruction and support 

of anti-Israel militant groups. 

Israel fears that as the Syrian civil 

war winds down, Iran, whose forces 

and Shiite proxies have backed President 

Bashar Assad, will turn its 

focus to Israel. 

The Israeli air force is believed to 

have carried out a number of 

airstrikes on Iranian positions in 

Syria. Last month, the bitter enemies 

openly clashed when Iran fired 

dozens of rockets at Israeli positions 

in the Golan Heights, and Israel 

responded by striking several Iranian 

targets in Syria. 

Eran said he believes the European 

leaders are receptive to Israeli 

concerns. 

As the White House sharpened its legal 

and political defenses against the special 

counsel Russia probe, an attorney for President 

Donald Trump's legal team made it 

clear that it would combat any effort to 

force the president to testify in front of a 

grand jury, reports UNB. 

Rudy Giuliani on Sunday underscored 

one of the main arguments in a newly 

unveiled letter sent by Trump's lawyers to 

special counsel Robert Mueller back in January: 

that a president can't be given a grand 

jury subpoena as part of the investigation 

into foreign meddling in the 2016 election. 

But Giuliani, in a series of television interviews, 

broke with one of their bolder arguments 

in the letter that a president could 

not have committed obstruction of justice 

because he has ultimate authority over any 

federal investigation. He also played down 

the possibility that Trump could pardon 

himself, suggesting he might have that 

authority but would be unwise to use it. 

"Pardoning himself would be unthinkable 

and probably lead to immediate 

impeachment," Giuliani told NBC's "Meet 

the Press." "And he has no need to do it, 

he's done nothing wrong." 

Yet the former New York City mayor, who 

was not on the legal team when the letter 

was written, added that Trump "probably 

does" have the power to pardon himself, an 

assertion challenged by legal scholars. He 

says the president's legal team hasn't discussed 

that option, which many observers 

believe could plunge the nation into a constitutional 

crisis. 

"I think the political ramifications would 

be tough," Giuliani told ABC's "This Week." 

"Pardoning other people is one thing, pardoning 

yourself is tough." 

Trump has issued two unrelated pardons 

in recent days and discussed others, a move 

that has been interpreted as a possible signal 

to allies ensnared in the Russia probe. 

The letter is dated Jan. 29 and addressed 

to Mueller from John Dowd, a Trump 

lawyer who has since resigned from the 

legal team. Mueller has requested an interview 

with the president to determine 

whether he had criminal intent to obstruct 

the investigation into his associates' possible 

links to Russia's election interference. 

Giuliani said Sunday that a decision 

about an interview would not be made until 

after Trump's summit with North Korean 

leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore, 

and he cast doubt that it would occur 

at all. 

"I mean, we're leaning toward not," Giuliani 

told ABC. "But look, if they can convince 

us that it will be brief, it would be to 

the point, there were five or six points they 

have to clarify, and with that, we can get 

this - this long nightmare for the - for the 

American public over." 

In addition to the legal battles, Trump's 

team and allies have waged a public relations 

campaign against Mueller and the 

Justice Department to discredit the investigation 

and soften the impact of the special 

counsel's potential findings. Giuliani said 

last week that the special counsel probe 

may be an "entirely illegitimate investigation" 

and need to be curtailed because, in 

his estimation, it was based on inappropriately 

obtained information from an informant 

and Comey's memos. In reality, the FBI 

began a counterintelligence investigation in 

July 2016 to determine if Trump campaign 

associates were coordinating with Russia to 

tip the election. The investigation was 

opened after the hacking of Democratic 

emails that intelligence officials later formally 

attributed to Russia. 

Israel to deduct from 

Palestinian funds for 

arson damages 

Israel says it plans to deduct from tax 

funds it collects for the Palestinians the 

amount needed to compensate Israelis living 

near the Gaza Strip who have come under a 

wave of arson attacks, reports UNB. 

Israel has been battling fires caused by 

kites rigged with incendiary devices 

launched by Palestinians in Gaza that have 

damaged forests and torched agricultural 

fields. The fires have disrupted daily life in 

communities near the Gaza Strip. 

The kites have been flown by Gazans who 

have staged weekly protests since late March 

during which more than 115 Palestinians 

have been killed by Israeli army fire. 

The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin 

Netanyahu's office on Sunday didn't 

disclose how much would be deducted. 

Israeli Army Radio put the cost of damages 

at 5 million shekels ($1.4 million). 

Kabul suicide bombing 

targets clerics, kills 4 

The Kabul police say a suicide bombing in the Afghan capital 

near a gathering of the country's top clerics has killed at 

least four people and wounded a fifth person, reports UNB. 

Ghafor Aziz, police chief of Kabul's 5th District, says the 

blast was caused by a suicide bomber who detonated his 

explosives near the entrance of a compound where the religious 

body, known as the Afghan Ulema Council, was meeting 

on Monday. 

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. 

Around 2,000 members of the council had gathered for the 

meeting of the Loya Jirga, or council of elders, at a traditional 

tent erected for the meeting. Earlier on Monday the council 

issued an Islamic ruling, or a fatwa, declaring that suicide 

attacks are "haram" - forbidden under Islamic law. 

The explosion struck as the gathering was ending and the 

participants were about to leave. 

Afghanistan's top religious body has issued a ruling, or a 

fatwa, declaring suicide attacks "haram" - forbidden under 

Islamic law. 

The Afghan Ulema Council, which includes Muslim clerics, 

scholars and men of authority in religion and law from across 

the country, issued the fatwa at a gathering on Monday in 

Kabul that hosted around 2,000 council members. 

The council appealed on both the Afghan government 

forces and the Taliban and other militants to halt the fighting 

and agree on a cease-fire. It also called for peace negotiations 

between the two sides. 

It's the first time the council has issued such an appeal. 

Ghofranullah Murad, a member of the council, read out a 

written statement from the gathering that said innocent 

Afghan men, women and children are the victims of war. 

French police vacate 

migrant camp in 

central Paris 

French police have evacuated 

around 500 migrants - 

mostly Afghans but some 

Africans - from a makeshift 

tent encampment in central 

Paris, reports UNB. 

In the Monday dawn operation, 

buses will take them to 

lodgings in the Paris region 

where they can pursue asylum 

requests. 

James Okafor, who fled 

Nigeria after being attacked, 

said he "will be very happy to 

leave" because it will help him 

meet officials who will decide 

if he can stay in France. 

Others were apprehensive, 

since most of the migrants 

don't speak French or English. 

Two migrants drowned last 

month nearby and fights at 

camps have led to injuries, 

increasing the pressure on 

officials to close them. 

In three years, police have 

evacuated 28,000 migrants 

from Paris camps. 

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, second from left, and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, right, arrive to attend a meeting 

at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, Sunday, June 3, 2018. U.S. Commerce Secretary Ross is in Beijing for talks on 

China's promise to buy more American goods after Washington ratcheted up tensions with a new threat of tariff hikes on 

Chinese high-tech exports. 

(AP Photo/Andy Wong, Pool) 

China warns US trade deals 

are off if tariffs go ahead 

French gendarmes and associations members count migrants as they are 

clearing out a makeshift camp along side of the canal Saint Martin, in central 

Paris, France, Monday, June 4, 2018. French police have evacuated 

around 500 migrants, mostly Afghans but some Africans from a makeshift 

tent encampment. 

(Francois Mori/Associated Press) 

China said Sunday it wouldn't 

step up its purchases of American 

products if President Donald 

Trump goes ahead with his threat 

to tax billions of dollars' worth of 

Chinese imports. White House 

advisers insisted on fundamental 

changes in ties between the 

world's two biggest economic 

powers, reports UNB. 

China's warning came after delegations 

led by U.S. Commerce Secretary 

Wilbur Ross and China's 

top economic official, Vice Premier 

Liu He, wrapped up a meeting on 

Beijing's pledge to narrow its trade 

surplus. Ross said at the start of 

the event they had discussed specific 

American exports China 

might purchase, but the talks ended 

with no joint statement and neither 

side released details. 

"Both sides appear to have hardened 

their negotiating stances and 

are waiting for the other side to 

blink," said Eswar Prasad, professor 

of trade policy at Cornell University. 

"Despite the potential negative 

repercussions for both 

economies, the risk of a full-blown 

China-U.S. trade war, with tariffs 

and other trade sanctions being 

imposed by both sides, has risen 

significantly." 

Asked specifically on Fox's "Sunday 

Morning Futures" if the U.S. is 

willing to throw away its relationship 

with China by proceeding 

with threatened tariff hikes, Peter 

Navarro, director of the White 

House National Trade Council, 

pointed in part to an unfair relationship 

involving a multi-billion 

dollar trade deficit, Defense Secretary 

Jim Mattis' warning of China's 

activities in the South China 

Sea and the threat of China stealing 

U.S. intellectual property. 

"That's a relationship with China 

that structurally has to change," he 

said. "We would love to have a 

peaceful, friendly relationship with 

China. But we're also standing 

firm that the president is the 

leader on this." 

The United States has threatened 

to impose tariffs on up to $50 

billion of Chinese products in a 

dispute over Beijing's aggressive 

tactics to challenge U.S. technological 

dominance; Trump has asked 

U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer 

to look for another $100 billion in 

Chinese products to tax. China has 

targeted $50 billion in U.S. products 

in retaliation. 

Tensions temporarily eased on 

May 19 after China promised to 

"significantly increase" its purchases 

of U.S. farm, energy and 

other products. Treasury Secretary 

Steven Mnuchin said then that the 

U.S. tariffs were suspended and 

the trade war "on hold." The purchases 

are meant to reduce America's 

massive trade deficit in goods 

and services with China, which last 

year came to $337 billion, according 

to the U.S. Commerce Department. 

After the apparent cease-fire, 

global financial markets rallied in 

relief. 

But Trump upended the truce 

last Tuesday by renewing his 

threat to impose 25 percent tariffs 

on $50 billion in Chinese hightech 

goods. The tariffs are meant 

to pressure Beijing for allegedly 

stealing trade secrets and forcing 

foreign companies to hand over 

technology in exchange for access 

to the Chinese market. Navarro 

later called Mnuchin's conciliatory 

comments "an unfortunate soundbite." 

Ross nonetheless journeyed to 

Beijing Friday to work out details 

of the vague agreement Mnuchin 

had earlier cobbled together with 

the Chinese vice premier. China 

balked at making concessions 

unless the U.S. lifted the tariff 

threat.

ART & CULTURE 

TUeSDAy, 

JUNe 5, 2018 

8 

Veere Di Wedding topples raazi to become fifth 

highest weekend grosser of 2018, earns rs 36.52 cr 

Bollywood actors Sonam 

Kapoor Ahuja and Kareena 

Kapoor Khan continue to rule 

the box office as their latest 

outing, Veere Di Wedding, 

collected Rs 36.52 crore in 

first three days of its 

release. With the 

collections, the film 

that also stars Swara 

Bhasker and Shikha 

Talsania, has made it to 

the top five weekend 

grossers of 2018. 

While Deepika 

Padukone's Padmaavat 

continues to be on the 

top for the highest 

weekend grosser with 

Rs 114 crore, Tiger 

Shroff's Baaghi 2 is a 

close second with Rs 

73.10 crore. Ajay 

Devgn's Raid is the 

third on the list with Rs 

41.01 crore while 

Akshay Kumar-starrer 

PadMan is on the 

fourth slot with Rs 

40.05 crore. Veere Di 

Wedding replaces 

Meghna Gulzar's Raazi 

that was on the fifth 

slot with Rs 30.83 crore 

weekend collection. 

Makdee actor Shweta Basu 

prasad is engaged to director 

boyfriend rohit Mittal 

Why Bill clinton 

has written a 

thriller novel 

with James 

Shweta Basu Prasad is ready to start a 

new chapter in her life. The television 

star is now engaged to her boyfriend, 

filmmaker Rohit Mittal. 

According to a report in The Times of 

India, Shweta proposed to Rohit in Goa 

some time ago and he did the same for 

her at his home in Pune in 2017. "Gone 

are the days when women wait for men to 

make the first move. Though the feeling 

was mutual, it was Shweta who proposed 

to Rohit in Goa first. He then proposed 

her in Pune (his hometown). While 

marriage is on the cards, the couple is not 

in a hurry to walk down the aisle," a 

source told the daily. 

"The two have been together for four 

years now and got engaged last year," the 

source added. Shweta and Rohit were 

introduced to each other by director 

Anurag Kashyap. They have worked 

together in a few short films. 

TOI also contacted Shweta about the 

engagement, who confirmed the news 

and said they do not want to talk more 

about it as they are both very private 

people. 

Shweta posted a cute video on her 

Instagram story in which she and Rohit can 

be seen giving her brother some brutal 

birthday bumps. She regularly posts 

pictures with Rohit on social media. 

patterson 

H o roScope 

ArIeS 

(March 21 - April 20): 

Natives of Aries are often 

confident and energetic 

people, who should consider 

setting up arrangements for larger family 

gatherings like reunions. Natives of this 

sign are often driving forces in the 

professional and political areas. 

TAUrUS 

(April 21 - May 21): The 

obstacles you face at the 

moment may be daunting 

but you have what it takes 

to overcome them. Don't try to avoid 

what fate sends your way over the next 

few days - it is designed to strengthen 

you, not destroy you. 

GeMINI 

(May 22 - June 21): There 

may be times when you 

would like nothing better 

than to cut yourself off 

from the world at large but that simply 

isn't possible. Make the best job of 

what you are expected to do and try to 

steal a few hours for yourself later on. 

LIBrA 

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): At 

some stage over the next 

few days you will see or 

hear something that makes 

you view the world in a new light. A 

change of perspective will lead to new 

ways of thinking, ways that answer all 

the questions you have been asking. 

ScorpIo 

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22): Find 

out why a partner or loved 

one is behaving so 

erratically, then do what 

you can to assist them. Most likely 

their problems are nowhere near as big 

as they think they are and can quite 

easily be corrected - as can your own! 

SAGITTArIUS 

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): Yours is 

a sign of boundless selfconfidence 

and that's good 

because you will need it 

over the next few days. If you are not 

happy in your current environment 

don't be afraid to pack a bag and take 

off for a few days. 

Bill Clinton says he "loved" being president 

of the United States. Now he has teamed 

up with the world's bestselling novelist, 

James Patterson, to write a political 

thriller that draws on his time in the White 

House, called The President is Missing. 

"I love thrillers," says the former 

president. "I read huge numbers of them. 

I've just finished the third book in the Red 

Sparrow trilogy [by Jason Matthews]." 

He's "a fan" of Patterson's work too and 

has "devoured" all 25 of his books 

featuring the detective-turnedpsychologist 

Alex Cross. 

"I didn't read much murder fiction or 

thrillers until the early 1980s and I just got 

into them," adds the man who was elected 

president in 1992 and served for two 

terms. 

Throughout that time, he had been 

harbouring a dream to write one himself. 

"I'd always wanted to do it," he explains. 

It is the first time a former US president 

has written a thriller. 

From the bowling alley in the basement 

of the White House to the treadmill in the 

president's bedroom, "we really tried to 

make it as accurate as possible", Clinton 

says. 

But as well as insider details, the book 

aims to show what it would be like to 

president in the most extreme 

circumstances. It may be a novel, but it is 

about "things that could happen". 

The plot revolves around a devastating 

cyber attack on the US, which threatens to 

bring the world to its knees. With the clock 

ticking, the president disappears. 

Shahid Kapoor shares a 

'tongue-in-cheek' picture from 

the sets of Batti Gul Meter chalu 

Shahid Kapoor has shared a cute picture on 

Instagram and it could be his first look from 

his upcoming film, Batti Gul Meter Chalu. 

The actor is currently said to be preparing 

and training for his role. The film also stars 

Shraddha Kapoor and Yami Gautam in 

main roles. 

Sharing the picture, Shahid wrote on 

Instagram, "Tongue n cheek." It is part of 

behind-the-scenes shooting for the film. 

The film has been facing a lot of troubles of 

late - the shooting for Batti Gul Meter Chalu 

was initially stalled in April as producer 

Prernaa Arora allegedly failed to pay wages 

to the crew. 

Later, filmmaker Bhushan Kumar took 

the film under his wings and now 

production house has moved to court over 

receiving final injunction from Prernaa. 

Meanwhile, writers of the film, Sidharth 

Singh and Garima Wahal, have accused 

Shree for copyright infringement. 

Shraddha and Shahid will be shooting the 

drama around Tehri and Dehradun till mid- 

June. 

The next and final schedule for the film 

will be in Mumbai, where actor Yami 

Gautam will join the team. Yami plays a 

lawyer while Shraddha is paired opposite 

Shahid in the film. 

cANcer 

(June 22 - July 23): Some 

things are important and 

some things are not and if 

you don't yet know the 

difference then it's time you found out. 

This should be a productive time for 

you but you need to learn how to say 

"no" when people ask you for favours. 

Leo 

(July 24 - Aug. 23): If you 

are not yet getting the 

rewards and the respect you 

deserve don't worry, in a 

matter of days your name will be on 

everybody's lips. The sun in Aries makes 

you both creative and adventurous, so 

do something out of the ordinary. 

VIrGo 

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): You may 

be tempted to go on a 

journey today but the planets 

warn it could lead you in 

some unforeseen directions, so make 

sure you take a map and don't promise 

to be at a certain place at a specific time 

- because you won't make it. 

cAprIcorN 

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): You seem 

to lack purpose at the 

moment but that will change 

if you look for ways to express 

yourself. Whatever challenges come your 

way, and there will be plenty, see them as 

opportunities to be embraced rather than 

as threats to be avoided. 

AQUArIUS 

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19): Stay calm 

and keep setbacks in 

perspective. If you can learn 

to take yourself a bit less 

seriously over the coming week then your 

problems, such as they are, will fade into 

insignificance. Rest assured your successes 

will always outnumber your failures. 

pISceS 

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20): It does 

not matter if other people 

approve of what you are 

doing, it matters only that 

it means something to you. The very 

last thing you should be doing now is 

asking friends and family for their 

opinions - it's your views that count. 

Naagin 3 review: Snake woman's deadly tongue 

action leaves man frothing at the mouth 

Two episodes in, I think I am 

beginning to relate to Naagin 

3. I mean even I had the hots 

for a boy in Class 9, who 

instead went ahead and made 

out with a naagin from section 

B in the chemistry lab. Of 

course, the other woman on 

this show is a literal naagin, 

but you get it. 

After a darshan of several CGI 

mandirs and blessings from a 

CGI lord Shiva himself, we are 

told it's been six months since 

the lead naagin's honeymoon 

was ruined in the last episode. If 

only time took leaps like that in 

real life and we could skip 

through six months of watching 

angsty reptiles and humans 

struggling to mate. 

With the second episode, the 

creative geniuses behind the 

show decided it was finally time 

to give some context. After 

driving a wedge between Jassi 

and Armaan sir almost 15 years 

ago, Rakshanda Khan is back as 

a… progressive mother-in-law? 

Excuse me? She wants her 

daughter-in-law to be 

independent and keep working 

even after getting married? Sorry 

to confuse you guys but I think I 

might have accidentally changed 

the channels. How can a saas not 

be a satan-spawn, hell-born evil 

witch who wants nothing but 

chaos and to drink the blood of 

her virginal bahu? That's not 

what the first two seasons taught 

me. You are putting Sudha 

Chandran's legacy to dirt. She did 

not drive a trishul through 

Shivanya's liver for this. 

The wholesomeness of the 

first saas is balanced by the 

nuisance of the second, just like 

her nose is balanced by the two 

nose pins on both sides. She 

screams at her dog to stop 

barking when the poor dude is 

just silently chilling in her arms. 

We need icchadhari doggos on 

this show, might just get 

millennials to finally watch it.

SPORTS 

TUeSDAy, JUNe 5, 2018 

9 

Afghanistan will once again bank on the Rashid Khan-led spin attack, while the Tigers must find a 

way to counter the threat in must-win game. 

Photo: ICC 

Tigers look to bounce 

back in second T20I 

Sports Desk: Afghanistan will be 

riding high on confidence after beating 

Bangladesh in the first Twenty20 

International of the three-match series 

by 45 runs at their new 'home' ground - 

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in 

Dehradun. Meanwhile, Bangladesh will 

need to find a way to counter their 

opposition's spin attack in a must-win 

game to keep themselves alive in the 

series, reports ICC. 

An experienced Bangladesh side 

must do better in certain areas to put 

the series on level terms. Firstly, they 

need to work on building bigger 

partnerships and provide a strong 

foundation, which they didn't in the 

previous game. Secondly, the 

contribution from their lower middleorder 

wasn't enough. At the same time, 

they also need their bowlers, which is 

without the services of Mustafizur 

Rahman, to raise their games, 

especially the pacers - Abul Hasan and 

Abu Jayed, who were expensive in the 

first game. 

Meanwhile, Afghanistan will have to 

continue using their spinners the way 

they did. Their spin unit - comprising of 

Rashid Khan, the No.1 bowler in the 

MRF Tyres ICC Men's T20I Rankings, 

Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad 

Nabi - will once again play a key role. 

The only concern for them is their 

middle-order, which was exposed by 

Mahmudullah on Sunday. 

As such, the game might well be 

decided by how the Bangladesh 

batting, especially seniors like Tamim 

Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur 

Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, go against 

Khan & Co. 

Squads: Afghanistan: Mohammad 

Shahzad (wk), Asghar Stanikzai ©, 

Najeeb Tarakai, Mohammad Nabi, 

Najibullah Zadran, Shafiqullah Shafiq, 

Sharafuddin Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib, 

Rashid Khan, Aftab Alam, Mujeeb Ur 

Rahman, Usman Ghani, Samiullah 

Shenwari, Darwish Rasooli, Karim 

Janat, Shapoor Zadran, Hazratullah 

Zazai 

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, 

Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Shakib Al 

Hasan©, Mahmudullah, Sabbir 

Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy 

Hasan, Abu Hider Rony, Rubel 

Hossain, Nazmul Islam, Soumya 

Sarkar, Ariful Haque, Abu Jayed, Abul 

Hasan. 

Walsh unhappy 

with Fizz's 

latest injury 

Sports Desk: Bangladesh 

coach Courtney Walsh did 

not hide anything as he 

spoke his mind regarding his 

ace bowler Mustafizur 

Rahman talking to local 

sports scribes at the Rajiv 

Gandhi International 

Cricket Stadium in 

Dehradun, reports BSS. 

A reporter of Cricket Buzz 

asked West Indies pace 

legend about how he was 

handling Bangladesh's pace 

prodigy Mustafizur 

Rahman. "It's a cause of 

concern for me. It's the 

second time he has come 

back from the IPL with an 

injury." You could make out 

he wasn't pleased. 

"We need keep him 

(Mustafizur) fit and make 

him stronger because he is 

young, talented and has 

everything to offer. We need 

to get his mind right and get 

his bowling up to the 

standards it can be," Walsh, 

the Bangladesh bowling 

consultant and interim 

coach said. Walsh 

understands the demands 

modern cricket and its 

various formats put on a fast 

bowler. Yet, it's disturbing 

for him to see that someone 

as exciting as Mustafizur 

could lose the plot. "But at 

the end of the day, the player 

himself got to take 

responsibility because you 

are working for two different 

environments," the man 

with 519 Test wickets said. 

Spain held by 

Switzerland ahead 

of World Cup 

Sports Desk: Spain 

couldn't manage more than 

a 1-1 draw against 

Switzerland in its final 

match before traveling to 

Russia for the World Cup, 

reports UNB. 

Spain was in control from 

the start but failed to 

capitalize on its chances and 

paid the prize after a secondhalf 

blunder by goalkeeper 

David de Gea. 

Alvaro Odriozola opened 

the scoring for the hosts with 

a neat volley from just 

outside the area in the 29th 

minute. Ricardo Rodriguez 

equalized for the Swiss in the 

62nd after De Gea dropped 

the ball in front of goal while 

trying to hold on to a weak 

shot from inside the area. 

Spain coach Julen 

Lopetegui was satisfied with 

his team's performance 

despite the draw. 

"I liked that we were able 

to create many scoring 

opportunities against a 

difficult team like 

Switzerland," Lopetegui 

said. "We played at a high 

level. There were a lot of 

positives." 

The result kept Spain 

unbeaten in 19 matches 

since Lopetegui took over 

after the 2016 European 

Championship. 

"We played well," said 

Odriozola, who was making 

only his third appearance 

with the national team. "It 

was a good tune-up for the 

challenge that awaits us. We 

leave in good spirits." 

Spain, which will travel to 

Russia on Thursday, wasn't 

at full strength as defensive 

midfielder Sergio Busquets 

was dropped from the 

starting lineup after falling ill 

with gastroenteritis. 

Real Madrid players also 

weren't fully available after 

reporting late to the squad 

because of the Champions 

League final. Sergio Ramos, 

Francisco "Isco" Alarcon 

and Dani Carvajal didn't 

even travel for the match in 

Villarreal, although Nacho 

Fernandez, Marco Asensio 

and Lucas Vazquez were 

second-half substitutes. 

Fernandez nearly scored 

Spain's winner with a shot 

that hit the post in secondhalf 

injury time. 

Lopetegui played with 

Diego Costa and Iago Aspas 

up front, while Jorge "Koke" 

Resurreccion, Thiago 

Alcantara, Andres Iniesta 

and David Silva were in 

midfield. Cesar Azpilicueta 

and Gerard Pique started in 

central defense. 

Spain will head to Russia 

looking to rebound from 

early eliminations at the 

2016 European 

Championship and the 2014 

World Cup. La Roja won 

Euro 2012, the 2010 World 

Cup and Euro 2008. 

Spain's final warmup 

match will be against 

Tunisia on Saturday in 

Krasnodar, the team's base 

in Russia. 

Its first game at the World 

Cup is against European 

champion Portugal on June 

15. 

Spain's next Group B 

matches will be against Iran 

on June 20 and Morocco on 

June 25. 

Switzerland will host 

Japan on Friday in its final 

warmup match before its 

World Cup opener against 

Brazil on June 17 in Group 

E. It then faces Serbia on 

June 22 and Costa Rica on 

June 27. 

Bangladesh eve 

cricketers trash 

Pakistan by 7-wkt 

Sports Desk: Bangladesh shrugged off their previous match defeat to hand 

fancied Pakistan a seven wicket thrashing in their second match of ACC Asia Cup 

T20 held on Monday at Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, reports BSS. 

While Tigress showed top form whereas men cricketers Tigers suffered a 

surprise 45 run defeat against Afghanistan. 

Two times runners-up Pakistan were asked to bat first after losing the coveted 

toss. Bangladesh eve bowlers bowled immaculate line length to restrict Pakistan to 

a paltry total 95 for three. 

Javeria Khan with 18 runs and Nahida Khan with 13 runs took Pakistan 53 runs 

in tenth over but it was Sana Mir with unbeaten 21 and Nida Dar with 17 not out 

added 42 runs for unfinished fourth wicket stand. 

Nahida Akhter captured two wickets for 23 runs to make early inroads into the 

Pakistan batting lineup as she removed both rival openers in the fifth over. 

However other bowlers bowled a good line length to restrict Pakistan run rate. 

Chasing a winning target of 96 runs set by Pakistan, Bangladesh suffered early 

jolt losing two quick wickets, but a solid 35 runs fourth wicket stand between Nigar 

Sulatana and Fahima Khatun steered Bangladesh at home with 13 balls to spare. 

Nigar contributed with an unbeaten 35-ball 31 studded with three boundaries 

while Fahima supported her with a priceless 23 runs from the other end. 

Earlier, opener Shamima Sultana laid the foundation with a 33-ball 31 at the top 

of the innings. 

Bangladesh will face table-toppers India in their next match scheduled to be held 

on Wednesday (June 6) at the same venue and meet Thailand on June 7 before 

clashing against the home side, Malaysia on June 9 at the Kinrara Oval. 

Earlier, Bangladesh's women's team got off to a poor start in the tourney when 

they suffered a six-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in their inaugural fixture. 

Lalpur SS Pilot 

HS, Somir 

Uddin School 

post win in 

school football 

Sports Desk: Lalpur SS Pilot High 

School of Natore and Somir Uddin 

School and College of Nilphamari won 

their final round matches of the Pran 

Milk National School Football 

Championship beating their 

respective rivals held on Monday at 

Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Sepoy 

Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium 

in the city's Kamalapur, reports BSS. 

Rajon Ali slammed a brilliant hattrick 

as Lalpur SS Pilot High School of 

Natore blanked Taraganj Pilot High 

School of Sherpur by 4-0 goals. 

In the day's match, Rajon scored 

hat-trick with all four goals in the 

10th, 25th, 47th and 49th minutes 

respectively. 

In the day's other match, Somir 

Uddin School and College of 

Nilphamari beat BM Union School 

and College of Narayanganj by 2-0 

goals. 

Al Amin and Siraj scored one goal 

apiece for the winning side in the 43rd 

and 69th minutes respectively. 

Nahida Akter's 2/23 helped restrict Pakistan to 95/5 before Shamima Sultana, Nigar Sultana and 

Fahima Khatun made short work of the chase. 

Photo: ICC 

Spain's Iniesta, right and Switzerland's Valon Behrami fight for the ball during the friendly soccer 

match between Spain and Switzerland at the Cerami on Sunday. 

Photo: AP 

BD boys gears up for friendship 

soccer in Russia 

Sports Desk: Golam Rafi 

Khan and Rafat Shams, the 

selected 12 year old young 

ambassadors from 

Bangladesh will be on their 

way to Russia on June 8th to 

participate in the 6th 

Gazprom Football for 

Friendship International 

Programme, reports BSS> 

They will be joined by kids 

from over 210 countries 

around the world, in 

Moscow. 

Golam Rafi Khan, selected 

in the role of a defender will 

be a part of the 32 

International Teams of 

Friendship that play against 

each other in the Gazprom 

Football for Friendship 

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

Championship. 

The young footballer will 

be a part of the "Galapagos 

Sea Lion" team, and will 

undergo a 3 day training 

camp in Moscow, to get used 

to the playing conditions and 

get ample practice with his 

team, before the start of the 

championship. 

Each International Team 

of Friendship will be trained 

by 14-16 year old young 

coaches from different 

countries. The young 

footballers will also 

participate in workshops and 

sessions, conducted by 

renowned celebrities. Golam 

Rafi Khan, who hails from 

Narayanganj District, started 

playing football at the age of 

3. 

He has participated in 

football tournaments across 

the country and has played a 

pivotal role in getting his 

team to win numerous 

championships. He 

currently plays for 

Madanganj Football 

Academy, and dreams to 

play for the national team, 

like his idol, Sabina Khatun. 

He has also been awarded as 

the best defender in many of 

the tournaments that he has 

participated in. 

A Real Madrid FC fan, his 

talented, young footballer 

believes it is important to 

promote friendship, equality 

and peace because he 

believes that we need each of 

these three things to 

brighten our world. 

At the F4F Programme in 

Russia, Golam Rafi Khan 

will be accompanied by Rafat 

Shams, who will act as a 

young journalist and cover 

all the local and global 

activities of the program as 

part of the International 

Children's Press Center. 

The Press Centre acts as 

hub for the young journalist, 

who gather information, 

make reports, write news 

articles and prepare 

materials on the initiatives 

implemented as part of the 

Programme. 

Rafat Shams is a sports 

enthusiast who hails from 

Dhaka. A student of 

Manarat 

Dhaka 

International School and 

College, his first exposure to 

football was in school, where 

he saw some of the students 

play the sport in the ground, 

which made him want to try 

and play this sport. A Real 

Madrid FC fan, Rafat 

considers Cristiano Ronaldo 

as his favorite player. In his 

free time, Rafat likes to 

paint, cycle, skateboard, and 

travel. 

Golam Rafi Khan and 

Rafat Shams will also 

participate in the Sixth 

Football for Friendship 

International Children's 

Forum in Russia, which will 

provide the youngsters an 

opportunity to meet their 

peers from other countries, 

share their experiences, and 

discuss with famous 

footballers and journalists 

on how to promote key 

values of the F4F 

Programme around the 

world. 

The International 

Children's F4F Forum will be 

participated by famous 

sportsmen, journalists, and 

public figures who support 

the project and provide their 

thoughts and inspiration to 

the young athletes. 

The young ambassadors 

will also participate in the 

Nine Values School 

programme, where they will 

be taught about the 9 key 

values of the F4F 

programme (friendship, 

equality, fairness, health, 

peace, devotion, victory, 

traditions and honour, under 

the guidance of young 

coaches and the supervision 

of famous players. 

Since 2013, PJSC 

Gazprom has been 

organizing the International 

Children's social programme 

Football for Friendship is 

supported by FIFA, UEFA, 

International Olympic 

Committee, football 

federations of various 

countries, international 

children's charity funds, and 

world's leading football 

clubs. 

32 International Teams of 

Friendship were formed 

during the Open Draw, as 

well as playing roles for each 

Young Player from each 

country (goalkeeper, 

defender, midfielder or 

forward) were determined.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS 

BANGLADESHTODAY 10 

THE 

TUESDAy, JUNE 5, 2018 

Malaysian manufacturing conditions continue 

to fall while other peers gain momentum 

Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited has donated Tk. 5 lac to poor and meritorious children of members 

of Dhaka Metropolitan Police under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Chairman of the Bank 

Alhajj Abdus Samad Labu handed over the cheque to the Deputy Police Commissioner of Motijheel 

Division Mohammad Anwar Hossain PPM (Bar) on 30 May 2018 at Head office of the Bank. Among 

others, Director Alhajj Abdul Malek Mollah, Managing Director Md. Habibur Rahman, Deputy 

Managing Directors Kazi Towhidul Alam, Md. Fazlul Karim, Muhammad mahmoodul Haque, S. M. 

Jaffar, Md. Zubair Wafa, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Motijheel Division S. M. Shibli Noman, 

Assistant Police Commissioner of Motijheel Zone Mishu Biswas and OC of Paltan Model Thana Md. 

Mahmudul Haque were also present in the occasion. 

Photo: Courtesy 

Malaysia's manufacturing conditions 

contracted for the fourth straight month 

to hit an 11-month low in May, albeit 

ASEAN manufacturing growth gains 

pace in the month. 

According to IHS Markit which 

compiled the data Monday, the headline 

Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for 

ASEAN rose from 51.0 in April to 51.5 in 

May, with six of the seven countries 

covered by the survey indicating an 

improvement in manufacturing 

conditions. 

The six countries are Vietnam, the 

Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, 

Indonesia and Thailand. Malaysia was 

the only country signaling a decline in the 

health of its manufacturing sector, with 

its PMI falling from 48.6 in April to 47.6 

in May, the steepest deterioration since 

June last year. 

"A fall in new orders was a key factor 

contributing to the downward movement 

in the headline index. Moreover, the rate 

of contraction was the strongest in nearly 

one-and-a-half years. Lackluster demand 

was cited by panelists as the main reason 

behind lower new business," said IHS. 

Meanwhile, new export orders fell for 

the fourth successive month in May, with 

the rate of decline moderated to the 

weakest in three months. 

Commenting on the Malaysian 

Manufacturing PMI survey data, IHS 

Markit's economist Aashna Dodhia said, 

the PMI data suggested that weak 

demand emanated from both the 

domestic and foreign markets. 

"A key PMI finding was that the 

manufacturers retained strong 

projections for output in the next 12 

months, rooted in hopes that the new 

government will spur business activity in 

the year head," Dodhia added. 

As for other ASEAN countries, Vietnam 

(53.9) overtook Myanmar (52.6) to lead 

the ASEAN manufacturing PMI 

rankings, as growth in its manufacturing 

sector picked up in May. 

The Philippines also saw a faster 

improvement in operating conditions, 

with its PMI advanced to 53.7 in May. 

Singapore and Indonesia built on their 

April's growth momentum as both 

countries saw their PMI rose to 52.8 and 

51.7 respectively. 

Thailand also returned to growth for 

the first time in three months, with its 

PMI improved to 51.1. 

Chinese, Belgian FMs discuss protecting 

multilateralism, free trade 

The top diplomats of China and Belgium met here Friday to discuss bilateral 

efforts to defend multilateralism and the global free trade regime. 

Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Belgian 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Didier Reynders at the Egmont 

Palace in Brussels. 

Wang said the development of bilateral relations has entered a "fast lane" since 

they established an all-round partnership of friendship and cooperation in 2014. 

High-level exchanges, pragmatic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges 

have all been strengthened over the past few years, Wang noted. 

The two countries should continue to respect each other's core interests and 

major concerns, expand bilateral trade and investment, seek synergies between the 

China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Belgium's development 

strategy so as to open up new prospects for cooperation, Wang elaborated. 

He added that China is willing to strengthen dialogue with Belgium over 

international affairs in order to safeguard the international order centered around 

the United Nations and advocate an open world economy. 

Reynders recalled his several visits to China, during which he witnessed the great 

achievements of China's reform and opening up. 

He said Belgium attaches great significance to China's growing global influence, 

and applauds the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, adding that the country 

welcomes more investment from Chinese enterprises. 

Under the current circumstances, Belgium wishes to strengthen communication 

and coordination with China within the multilateral framework, and to jointly 

defend the global free trade regime based on the World Trade Organization, said 

the Belgian minister. Wang and Reynders also exchanged views on international 

and regional issues of common concern. 

PRAN starts mango collection 

Local Office Corporate Branch of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited organized a discussion on Siam, 

Taqwa and Sadaqah and hosted a Iftar Mahfil at the branch premises on Tuesday, 29 May 2018. Md. 

Mahbub ul Alam, Managing Director & CEO of the Bank was present in the program as chief guest. 

Dr. Mohammad Manzur-e-Elahi, Member, Shariah Supervisory Committee of the Bank discussed as 

Chief Discussant. Presided over by Md. Omar Faruk Khan, Senior Executive Vice President, the program 

was attended among others by Taher Ahmed Chowdhury, Deputy Managing Director, Md. 

Abdul Jabbar and Taher Ahmed, Senior Executive Vice Presidents, other officials of the Bank, businesspersons 

and clients of the branch. 


Azam J Chowdhury Re-elected 

Chairman of Prime Bank 

The Board of Directors of 

Prime Bank Ltd in its 479th 

Meeting held on 30th May 

2018 unanimously reelected 

Azam J Chowdhury 

as the Chairman of the 

Board of Directors of the 

Bank for the next two years 

effective from 1st June 

2018, a press release said. 

Azam J Chowdhury is an 

elite industrialist and 

entrepreneur 

of 

Bangladesh. He is the 

Chairman and owner of 

East Coast Group. In 

addition, he is the 

Chairman of The 

Consolidated Tea & Lands 

Company Bangladesh 

Limited (formerly, James 

Finlay Limited). 

Chowdhury is also the 

Managing Director of MJL 

Bangladesh Limited, an 

affiliate of Exxon Mobil 

Corporation in Bangladesh. 

Azam J Chowdhury is the 

Director of Omera 

Petroleum Ltd. one of the 

largest LPG operators of the 

country. He is also the 

Director of Omera 

Cylinders Ltd. and Omera 

Fuels Ltd. 

Chowdhury is the 

President of Bangladesh 

Energy Companies 

Association (BECA) and 

Vice-President of LPG 

Operators Association of 

Bangladesh (LOAB). He is 

the President of Bangladesh 

Association of Publicly 

Listed Companies (BAPLC) 

and Director of Central 

Depository Bangladesh 

Limited (CDBL). 

Chowdhury is the President 

of Bangladesh Ocean Going 

Ship Owner's Association 

(BOGSOA) since May 2012. 

He is the current Chairman 

of Audit & Finance 

Committee of Kurmitola 

Golf Club (KGC). In the past 

Chowdhury also served as 

the Chairman of Green 

Delta Insurance Company 

Limited (2001-2005). 

In recognition to his 

performance, the 

Hungarian Government 

nominated him as the 

Honorary Consul of 

Hungary in Bangladesh. 

Chowdhury is a renowned 

Golfer and achieved laurels 

several times in this 

sporting arena. 

Norway's unemployment 

decreases further in May 

Unemployment in 

Norway decreased further 

in May as 78,200 people 

were registered as full-time 

unemployed or as 

jobseekers in the welfare 

agency at the end of the 

month, online newspaper 

Norway Today reported 

Sunday. 

It is 14,900 fewer than a 

year ago, equivalent to 2.8 

percent of the workforce, 

down from 3.3 percent last 

year, according to 

seasonally adjusted figures 

from the Norwegian 

Labour and Welfare 

Administration (NAV). 

The number of registered 

unemployed in Norway fell 

by 1,700 people from April 

to May. This corresponds 

to 2.3 percent of the 

workforce. 

Gross unemployment, 

which also includes 

jobseekers who participate 

in measures from NAV, fell 

by 2,500 people in the last 

month. 

PRAN, one of the biggest agro-based 

industries in the country, has started 

mango collection and pulping activities. 

This year's mango purchasing began on 

May 28 and it will continue until the 

supply of mango, a press release said. 

A program was arranged on Monday at 

PRAN Agro Ltd factory in Natore on the 

occasion of the inauguration of pulping 

activities. 

Hazrat Ali, General Manager of PRAN 

Agro Limited Factory, said PRAN has 

started collecting a large amount of 

mango directly from the company's 

contract farmers from Rajshahi, Natore 

Chapai Nawabganj, Naogaon, Dinajpur, 

Meherpur and Satkhira. This year, PRAN 

sets target to purchase 60,000 metric 

tons of mangoes for the season. 

'We receive the mangoes at the factory 

after testing through quality control. 

Later, we check whether the mangoes are 

ripe, lean or rotten. Then, those mangoes 

are sent to laboratory for necessary tests, 

including formalin and PH. We also 

check the weight of the collected 

mangoes. After passing the laboratory 

test, the mangoes are sent to factory for 

processing. Pulp is collected and then 

preserved following aseptic technology. 

The advantages of this technology are to 

preserve the pulps for one year 

maintaining its taste and freshness 

without freezing.' 

'From the pulp various kinds of mango 

drinks, mango bar and other food items, 

including jelly are produced in different 

factories of PRAN Group. Besides pickles 

are made from green mangoes,' he added. 

Hazrat further said, the factory 

currently employees seven thousand 

people. Moreover, employment 

opportunities for two to three thousand 

people have been created during mango 

season of which 90 percent are women. 

Md. Kamruzzaman, Senior Manager, 

Contract Farming Department of PRAN 

Agro Business Limited, said "PRAN 

collects mangoes from its 16,000 

contractual farmers. The farmers get 

necessary assistance from the company 

including training of using fertilizer and 

pesticides. As a result we get good 

outcome and the farmers are getting 

guarantee to sell their mangoes." 

Zeaul Haque, Assistant General 

Manager (PR) at PRAN-RFL Group and 

Abdul Kader Sarker, Senior Manager 

(Admin) at PRAN Agro Limited Factory 

were present at the program. 

Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) along with Insurance Institute of India, Indo Thai Chamber Of 

Commerce, Life Council of India and PwC as Knowledge Partner have awarded Prime Insurance 

Company Ltd as the winner of Best Product Innovation in General Insurance at the Emerging Asia 

Insurance Awards & Conclave, 2018which was held on May 28, 2018 at Hotel Rembrandt, Bangkok. 

Mohammodi Khanam, CEO of Prime Insurance Company Ltd received the award from Amit Roy, 

Director, Insurance & Allied Businesses PwC, India. 


294th Board Meeting of Standard Bank Ltd. held on 04 June 2018 at SBL Board Room, Head Office, 

Dhaka. Honorable Chairman of the Board of Directors Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed presided over the 

meeting. It was attended by Vice Chairman Mr Mohammed Abdul Aziz, Directors Kamal Mostafa 

Chowdhury, Ashok Kumar Saha, Ferozur Rahman, S. A. M. Hossain, Al-Haj Mohammed Shamsul 

Alam, Gulzar Ahmed, Kazi Sanaul Hoq, S. S. Nizamuddin Ahmed, Najmul Huq Chaudhury and Md. 

Nazmus Salehin. Managing Director and CEO of the Bank Mamun-Ur-Rashid, Additional Managing 

Director Md. Tariqul Azam and Deputy Managing Director Md. Motaleb Hossain were present in 

the meeting. 

Photo: Courtesy

MISCELLANEOUS 

TueSDAY, june 5, 2018 

11 

Populists campaign in Sicily 

after forming Italy government 

Days after taking office, the two pillars of 

Italy's first populist government led 

rallies Sunday in Sicily to maintain their 

popular support while detailing their 

strategies for deporting migrants and 

implementing other campaign promises 

that helped put them in power, reports 

UNB. 

Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio, the 

leaders of the right-wing League and 

euroskeptic 5-Star Movement, 

respectively, appeared at political rallies 

in several Sicilian cities a week before 

municipal elections are held on the island 

region. 

They want to capitalize on the 

momentum of their coalition government 

taking national office Friday. However, 

with each man emphasizing different 

priorities, there are doubts if the new 

government, led by a political novice with 

5-Star sympathies, Premier Giuseppe 

Conte, will last a full 5-year term. 

The north-based League stokes fears 

about migrants, who have arrived in huge 

numbers to Sicily. In his role as interior 

minister in the new government, Salvini 

vowed to expel them en masse, 

dismissing logistical challenges and costs. 

"It's too costly to keep them in Italy, in 

hotels," Salvini said. The money would be 

better spent "building a future for them" 

in their home countries, Salvini said. 

Many of the League's voters associate 

migrants with crime. Salvini said holding 

centers for those awaiting deportation 

will be built so "they won't leave from 

morning till night." 

Sicilians in general have shown 

patience in dealing with arrival of 

hundreds of thousands of newcomers. 

Some islanders angrily rejected the antimigrant 

rhetoric. 

They protested Salvini's visit to a socalled 

"hot spot" in the Sicilian port of 

Pozzallo, where many of the ships that 

rescue migrants crossing the 

Mediterranean Sea in smugglers' boats 

dock and launching the asylum-seeking 

process in many cases. 

Holding a banner reading "Refugees 

welcome," the protesters shouted 

"Salvini, go home!" and "Salvini, shame 

on you." 

Pozzallo Mayor Roberto Ammatuna 

disputed Salvini's claim t that the island 

had become "a refugee camp of Europe." 

The mayor retorted, "Here there are 

beaches full and tourists." 

The 5-Star Movement became 

Parliament's largest party thanks in 

large part to support in Italy's 

underdeveloped south, where the 

jobless rate tops 50 percent among 

young people in many places. Voters in 

the March election embraced Di Maio's 

promise of a minimum income for the 

unemployed. 

Campaigning in Catania for the 5-Star 

candidate for mayor there, Di Maio, the 

minister of labor and economic 

development in the new Italian 

government, pledged to quickly set up 

employment centers as part of the 

Movement's promise to pay people with 

jobs a guaranteed monthly income of 780 

euros ($930.) 

Rejecting the label of "handouts" for 

freeloaders, the Movement says the 

income will only be given to those who try 

to find work. After three jobs are refused, 

a recipient would lose the state income. 

Di Maio also renewed his campaign 

pledge to undo the reforms that targeted 

the pension system that made it possible 

for large number of Italians to retire in 

their late 50s or earlier. 

Critics have said the populists' 

promises, if realized, will boost Italy's 

public debt to unsustainable levels. 

Huge parade 

celebrates gay 

pride in Brazil 

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Brazil's largest 

city Sunday for its 22nd gay pride parade, which is 

considered one of the world's biggest, reports UNB. 

Waving LGBT rainbow flags in a Carnival-like atmosphere, 

marchers paraded down Sao Paulo's skyscraper-lined 

Avenida Paulista to music blasting from 18 sound trucks. 

Revelers of all ages, many wearing bright wigs, heavy 

makeup and multicolored costumes, filled more than 10 city 

blocks. 

This year's parade focused on Brazil's national elections 

scheduled for October. The theme was "Power for the LGBT 

- Our Vote, Our Voice," said Claudia Regina, president of the 

gay rights group that organized the event. 

Regina said on the event's official Facebook page that the 

objective "is to alert the gay community to the importance of 

choosing its candidates carefully." 

"We have achieved many rights and there are still many 

more to be conquered," she said. "We cannot lose what we 

have achieved to political ignorance. Together we can 

promote a more tolerant and respectful world with less LGBT 

phobia." 

On top of one sound truck a drag queen known as Tchaka 

chanted: "This year we should punch Congress in the face." 

The crowd responded by calling for the ouster of Brazil's 

widely unpopular president, Michel Temer. 

For participant Camilla Wotton the march was especially 

important because of its focus on the elections. 

"I think we don't have an LGBT voice in politics, so this year 

is very important, if not the most important one we have ever 

had," she said. 

Another marcher, Vinicius Guimaraes, said the event is a 

call for respect for the LGBT community, 

"We want respect as other people have," he said, adding 

that the march was not "just for gays, but for everyone." 

At least 46 migrants 

drown off Tunisia; 

9 killed off Turkey 

A boat carrying migrants toward Europe sank off the coast of 

Tunisia and at least 46 people drowned, though dozens more 

could be missing, the North African nation's defense ministry 

said Sunday, reports UNB. 

The ministry said 68 people were rescued overnight after 

the boat sank in the Mediterranean Sea near Kerkennah 

island, off Tunisia's eastern coast. Authorities said the vessel 

was believed to have been carrying about 180 passengers. 

Rachid Bouhoula, the defense ministry press officer, said a 

rescue and recovery operation continued in the waters 

around the island.The ministry said earlier that those 

rescued included 61 Tunisians and seven people from other 

countries. In recent months, Tunisia increasingly has 

become a point of departure for Europe-bound migrants 

fleeing poverty and conflicts in Africa and the Middle East. 

Earlier Sunday, Turkish officials reported that nine 

migrants, including six children, drowned when a boat 

capsized in the eastern Mediterranean near the town of 

Demre in the southern province of Antalya. Turkey's coast 

guard rescued four others and a fifth migrant was saved by a 

passing fishing vessel. The migrants' nationalities have not 

been identified. 

At the height of the migrant crisis in 2015, more than 

857,000 people reached Greece from Turkey. A 2016 deal 

between Turkey and the European Union has dramatically 

reduced the numbers of migrants coming into Greece. 

Spain's maritime rescue service announced Sunday that it 

had rescued a total of 240 people trying to cross the 

Mediterranean from North Africa over the weekend, and one 

person had apparently drowned. It said the migrants were in 

11 small boats attempting the perilous crossing from Africa to 

Spain.The U.N. says at least 660 migrants have died crossing 

the Mediterranean so far this year. Through the first four 

months of 2018, a total of 22,439 migrants reached 

European shores, with 4,409 of them arriving in Spain. 

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GD-828/18 (5 x 4) 

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UNITING PEOPLE EVERYDAY 

TUESDAY, DHAKA, JUnE 5, 2018, JAISTHYA 22, 1425 BS, RAMADAn 19 , 1439 HIJRI 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina exchanged greeting with the leaders of different political parties at an 

iftar party at Ganabhaban yesterday. 

Photo : Star Mail 

Zia Charitable Trust Case 

Khaleda's bail 

extended until 

June 28 

DHAKA : A court here on 

Monday extended the bail of 

BNP Chairperson Khaleda 

Zia until June 28 in Zia 

Charitable Trust graft case, 

reports UNB. 

Judge Md Akhteruzzaman 

of the Special Judge Court-5 

passed the order and fixed 

the new date. 

The court also withdrew 

production warrant issued 

against Khaleda Zia. 

However, Khaleda, was 

not produced before the 

court as she is ill, said her 

lawyer Sanaullah Miah. 

Earlier, on May 10, the 

court extended bail of 

Khaleda Zia until June 4 in 

the corruption case. 

On April 22, the same 

court extended her bail until 

May 10 in the graft case. 

The same court on 

February 8 convicted the former 

prime minister and sentenced 

her to five years' 

imprisonment in the Zia 

Orphanage Trust graft case. 

Committee formed to 

review Tariff 

Commission Bill further 

DHAKA :The Cabinet has formed a sixmember 

committee to review the draft of 

the Bangladesh Tariff Commission 

(Amendment) Bill, 2018 further, reports 

UNB. 

The committee was constituted at the 

regular weekly cabinet meeting with 

Principal Secretary to Prime Minister's 

Office as its convener on Monday. Prime 

Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the 

meeting. 

"The draft law was placed before the cabinet 

today but the meeting sent it back for 

its further review," said Cabinet Secretary 

Mohammad Shafiul Alam at a briefing 

after the meeting. He said the Principal 

Secretary will act as the convener of the 

committee, while the Tariff Commission 

Chairman as its Member Secretary. 

The four other members of the committee 

are Secretaries of the Ministries of 

Finance, Commerce and Industries, and 

NBR Chairman, Shafiul Alam added. 

Meanwhile, the cabinet was apprised of 

the visit of the Foreign Minister to Japan 

on May 13-15 last. 

During the visit, Shafiul Alam said, the 

Emperor of Japan was invited to attend 

the golden jubilee celebration of 

Bangladesh's independence to be held on 

March 26, 2021 in Dhaka. 

In response, the authorities of Japan 

assured the Foreign Minister of actively 

considering the invitation. 

Besides, the Japanese authorities 

assured the minister of providing all the 

necessary support to solve the Rohingya 

crisis. 

During his visit, the issue on introduction 

of Dhaka-Tokyo direct air flight was 

also discussed, Shafiul Alam said adding 

that a decision was taken to further discuss 

it at the next foreign office consultation 

(FOC) meeting. 

The meeting was also informed about 

the participation of Bangladesh Delegation 

led by the Finance Minister in the 51st 

Board of Governors' Meeting of the Asian 

Development Bank on May 03-06 last in 

Manila, Philippines. 

ACC team makes 

surprise visit to 

Sadarghat 

launch terminal 

DHAKA : A team of the 

A n t i - C o r r u p t i o n 

Commission (ACC) made a 

surprise visit to Sadarghat 

Launch Terminal today to 

monitor the operation of 

water vessels to ensure safe 

journey of Eid holidaymakers 

on water routes. 

A 10-member enforcement 

team, headed by ACC 

deputy director Helal 

Uddin Sharif, visited 

Sadarghat Launch 

Terminal to oversee 

whether the naval laws are 

being followed by passenger 

launches. 

The team asked the 

BIWTA (Bangladesh 

Inland Water Transport 

Authority) authorities to 

take necessary measures to 

stop plying of unfit, risky 

and illegal vessels and 

check charging of extra fare 

from passengers. 

TIB for enforcing law 

to prevent plastic 

pollution 

DHAKA : Transparency 

International Bangladesh 

(TIB) on Monday demanded 

for stronger implementation 

of law to resist illegal 

production, marketing and 

usage of plastic to prevent 

environment pollution, 

reports UNB. 

In a press statement, the 

organization placed an 

eight-point demand, which 

include - ensuring exemplary 

punishment for violating 

law, planning and 

implementing community 

based waste management 

system, taking initiatives in 

government and non-government 

sector to ensure 

recycling of plastic goods, 

inventing environment 

friendly alternatives of plastics, 

and practicing transparency 

in all climate fundrun 

activities. 

Marking the World 

Environment Day, to be 

observed on June 5, TIB 

Executive Director Dr 

Iftekharuzzaman said, 

Bangladesh is one of the 

most affected countries in 

the world due to climate 

change. 

Though Bangladesh is the 

first country in the world to 

impose ban on using polythene 

in 2002, the country 

is not getting any benefit 

due to its poor implementation, 

he said. 

Polythene are being used 

indiscriminately under the 

nose of the law enforcers 

and each year around three 

lakh tonnes of plastic waste 

are being dumped into 

water bodies and open 

places, he said. 

TIB executive director 

said stronger implementation 

of law is needed and 

exemplary punishment has 

to be ensured to prevent 

such pollution. 

Iftekharuzzaman also 

urged Bangladesh government 

to strengthen its 

diplomatic efforts to ensure 

the promised fund for the 

affected countries including 

Bangladesh due to climate 

change according to Paris 

Deal as well as expedite the 

process through transparency. 

He also stressed on the 

need of increasing public 

participation in the funded 

programmes. 

This year the theme of the 

World Environment day is 

"Beat Plastic Pollution: If 

you can't reuse it, refuse it". 

JS goes to budget session today 

DHAKA : The budget session for the 

2018-19 fiscal of the 10th Jatiya Sangsad 

(JS) begins today morning. 

It will be the 21st session of the current 

Jatiya Sangsad and last budget of the 

incumbent Awami League government. 

President M Abdul Hamid on May 16 

summoned the session exercising the 

power bestowed upon him by the Article 

72 (1) of the country's Constitution. 

The House proceeding will begin at 

11:00 am tomorrow with Parliament 

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury 

in the chair. Meanwhile, a few hours 

before the House proceeding starts, a 

meeting of the Working Advisory 

Committee of the Jatiya Sangsad will fix 

the schedule of country's 47th and fifth 

budget of the current government. 

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul 

Muhith will place the budget proposal for 

fiscal year 2018-19 at 12:30 pm on June 

7. The proposed budget for FY2018-19 

will be passed in this session. 

As the finance minister, Muhith will 

place his 12th budget. Muhith placed his 

first budget for FY1982-83 during the 

Ershad government. 

According to the Parliament 

Secretariat, all preparations have been 

completed to hold the session timely and 

as part of the budget session, a "Budget 

Information Help Desk" has been set up 

at the third level of the Northern-East 

Block of the Parliament Bhaban. 

Apart from the budget, some important 

bills may pass in the current session. 

Earlier, the 20th session of the 10th 

Jatiya Sangsad began on April 8 and concluded 

April 12. A total of five bills were 

passed during five working days of the 

20th session. 

Sungbo's Eredo: Africa’s Biggest 

Monument Nobody Has Heard Of 

INTERESTING NEWS 

Deep in the Nigerian rainforest, there 

was once an immense kingdom surrounded 

by a huge earthen wall and 

moat. Built during the Middle Ages, this 

great African kingdom was larger than 

many contemporary kingdoms of its time 

such as Baghdad or Cairo or Rome. Yet, 

nothing of this vast kingdom survive 

today save for its fortification wall—a 

structure so enormous that its construction 

was a feat that was bigger in scale 

than that of the Great Pyramid of Giza. 

The BBC calls it “Africa's largest single 

monument”. 

Sungbo's Eredo, the fortification, is 

essentially a moat and an earth wall alongside 

it, that together run in a circle for a 

length of about 160 kilometers encompassing 

an area of more than 4,000 

square kilometers. The Eredo's earthen 

bank rises 70 feet in the air from the bottom 

of the moat. Its walls are unusually 

smooth, but now covered with moss and 

creepers. Overhead, trees arch across 

from either side turning the moat into a 

dark green tunnel through the forest. 

“So enveloped is it by vegetation, you 

could almost fall into it before you knew it 

was there,” wrote Barnaby Phillips of the 

BBC. When he visited the Eredo in 1999, 

his guide had to hack their way through 

the jungle vegetation. 

Archeologists believe the Eredo was 

built about a thousand years ago to serve 

as a boundary wall for the ancient Ijebu 

Kingdom. The kingdom itself is very little 

known, other than the connection to 

Bilikisu Sungbo, its powerful ruler and a 

childless widow, whom the locals believe 

was none other than the legendary Queen 

of Sheba. That final part is obviously a 

myth, since Bilikisu Sungbo and the 

fabled Queen of Sheba is separated by at 

least 2,000 years. 

EU envoys for 

probing deaths of 

alleged 

criminal suspects 

Dhaka : The European 

Union Delegation in Dhaka 

on Monday said they expect 

the authorities will ensure 

that all incidents involving 

the deaths of alleged criminal 

suspects in Bangladesh 

will be investigated fully in 

accordance with due processes. 

"We expect the authorities 

to ensure that all incidents 

involving the deaths of 

alleged criminal suspects are 

investigated fully and in 

accordance with due processes," 

the EU Delegation 

said in a statement. 

The statement was issued 

in agreement with the EU 

Heads of Mission in 

Bangladesh. The Head of 

Mission of Norway associates 

herself with this local 

EU statement, reads the 

statement. 

"Drug abuse and illicit trafficking 

is a global problem. 

The high level of casualties 

and reports of the use of 

excessive force in the drive 

against narcotics, however, is 

reported to have resulted in 

over 120 deaths since 4 

May," they said. 

The EU has said 

Bangladesh has committed 

to uphold the rule of law and 

ensure that all law enforcement 

actions are carried out 

in accordance with the law 

and in adherence to international 

standards and norms, 

including with appropriate 

safeguards over the use of 

force. 

A mobile court of Rab fined shops who are selling ifter materials at Chawkbazar of the capital city 

yesterday. 

Photo : Star Mail 

Dozens die as Fuego 

volcano erupts 

Guatemala's most violent volcano eruption 

in more than a century has killed at 

least 25 people. 

The Fuego volcano, about 40km (25 

miles) south-west of the capital Guatemala 

City, spewed rock, gas and ash into the sky 

on Sunday, reports BBC. 

Fast-moving flows hit villages, killing people 

inside their homes. Hundreds were 

injured and many are missing. The country's 

main airport is closed. 

President Jimmy Morales has declared 

three days of national mourning. 

In a statement issued late on Sunday, he 

spoke of the nation's "deep pain" caused by 

the "irreparable losses" in human lives. 

What has happened? 

Settlements on the southern slopes of 

Fuego were buried in the volcanic ash, mud 

and rocks as the volcano erupted for 16 and 

a half hours on Sunday. 

Pyroclastic flows, which are fast-moving 

mixtures of gas and volcanic matter, rushed 

down the mountainside and engulfed villages. 

Hundreds of police officers, soldiers and 

emergency workers have been sent to affected 

areas on the slopes of the volcano. They 

found charred bodies resting on steaming 

remnants of pyroclastic flow. 

Survivors covered in ash were carried 

away. 

Sergio Cabañas, head of the country's 

National Disaster Management Agency 

(Conred), said the town of El Rodeo had 

been "buried". 

Other towns affected include Alotenango 

and San Miguel los Lotes. Rescuers are still 

trying to reach a number of villages and the 

death toll is expected to rise. 

Temporary shelters have been set up for 

about 3,000 residents who have been evacuated. 

Efrain Gonzalez, who fled El Rodeo with 

his wife and one-year-old daughter, said he 

had had to leave behind his two older children, 

aged four and ten, trapped in the family 

home. 

Local resident Ricardo Reyes was forced 

to abandon his home: "The only thing we 

could do was run with my family and we left 

our possessions in the house. Now that all 

the danger has passed, I came to see how 

our house was - everything is a disaster." 

EC likely to get 

Tk1200cr in 

FY19 

DHAKA : Election 

Commission is likely to get an 

allocation of Taka 1,200 crore 

in the upcoming national budget 

for the financial year 2018- 

19 (FY19) to conduct various 

elections, including the 

national election, and bear the 

other expenses. 

"There will be more allocation 

for the election commission 

as national election will 

be held in this year," Finance 

Secretary Mohammad 

Muslim Chowdhury told BSS. 

According to the Finance 

Ministry, EC has demanded 

Taka 700 crore for holding the 

national election in free and 

fair manner. The commission 

demanded Taka 500 crore for 

holding other elections, 

including local government 

elections. 

In outgoing fiscal year 2017- 

18, the government allocated 

Taka 1,070 crore, which was 

Taka 802 core in FY17, Taka 

1290 crore in FY16 and Taka 

999 crore in FY16. 

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

05-06-2018

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