20-07-2018

fRiDaY 

Dhaka:July 20, 2018; Srabon 5, 1425 BS; Zilqad 6,1439 hijri 

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www. tbtbangla.com 

Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.16; No.181; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00 

inTeRnaTiOnal 

Putin chides Trump's 

opponents, calls 

summit a success 

Juma 

>Page 7 

Nation must 

choose between 

peace and 

anarchy: Inu 

DHAKA : President of Jatiya 

Samajtantrik Dal (JASHOD) and 

Information Minister Hasanul 

Haq Inu said yesterday that the 

people have to decide, once and for 

all, whether Bangladesh would 

adopt the path of militancy and 

become another Pakistan or 

Afghanistan or it will remain a 

peaceful, developed-oriented 

country, as it has been over the last 

decade or so. 

The minister was speaking at a 

public meeting at Mirpur 1 in the 

capital. 

He said "BNP and its allies must 

explicate what they want: election 

or anarchy?" 

He further said making an illogical 

and illegal demand like release 

of Khaleda Zia a precondition for 

electoral participation was merely 

an excuse to disrupt the poll. 

Inu said that whatever hindrance 

is set on the way the government 

was determined to cleanse the 

society of militancy and drugs. 

"Drugs destroy lives, families and 

society. It will be met with the 

same determination and vehemence 

as militancy," he said. 

The meeting was also addressed 

by JASHOD general secretary 

Shirin Akhter, MP and other city 

and local leaders of the party. 

EU expects fair, transparent 

polls in Bangladesh 

03:58 AM 

12:00 PM 

04:43 PM 

06:52 PM 

08:15 PM 

5:22 6:48 

DHAKA : The European Union (EU) on 

Thursday said they expect free, fair, 

credible and transparent elections in 

Bangladesh as the nation goes to national 

election by the end of this year. 

"We are looking forward to free, fair, 

credible and transparent elections in this 

country," said Managing Director for 

Asia and the Pacific at European 

External Action Service Gunnar 

Wiegand adding that they discussed 

preparations on this. 

He made the remark while talking to 

reporters at state guesthouse Padma 

after the third diplomatic consultations 

between Bangladesh and the EU. 

Responding to UNB question on 

Rohingya issue, the EU diplomat said 

they will continue to support Rohingyas 

to ease burden on Bangladesh and 

expect that other countries will also 

come forward. "We would like to see 

more countries to contribute..." 

He said it is an effort which is huge for 

Bangladesh and Bangladesh needs to be 

supported, of course, by its friends 

around the world. 

The diplomat said what the EU 

demonstrated so far is a good sign of 

their commitment to humanitarian 

needs. 

The EU emergency aid brings the total 

funding for Rohingya refugees in 

Bangladesh to more than €86 million 

since 2007. 

In the meeting, both sides discussed a 

wide range of issues of common interest 

including political developments on 

both sides. 

Trade and investment, matters of 

regional and global interest where the 

EU and Bangladesh can intensify collaboration 

were also discussed in the meeting 

that held at State Guesthouse 

Meghna. 

Issues relating to migration, peace and 

security and Agenda 2030 were also discussed. 

Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque 

and his EU counterpart Gunnar 

Wiegand led Bangladesh and EU sides 

respectively in the meeting. 

Wiegand said the EU stands in solidarity 

with Bangladesh in helping 

Rohingyas living in Bangladesh which is 

an enormous burden for the host country. 

"But more needs to be done," 

Wiegand said adding that they want to 

see the first batch of returnees after 

required conditions are created for safe, 

voluntary and dignified return of 

Rohingyas to their homeland. 

Pressure on Myanmar Sought 

Bangladesh and EU agreed that "sustained 

international pressure" upon the 

Myanmar authorities is needed to 

resolve the crisis. 

The EU appreciated the fact that 

despite severe space and resource constraints 

Bangladesh is bearing a significant 

burden by hosting more than a million 

persecuted Rohingya from 

Myanmar. 

It commended Prime Minister Sheikh 

Hasina on her humanitarian response 

towards the Rohingya. 

The EU noted the "Arrangement" with 

Myanmar on 23 November 2017 and 

subsequent bilateral arrangements 

made with Myanmar for return of the 

forcibly displaced Rohingya are important 

first steps and stressed the need for 

voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable 

return, with international oversight. 

Bangladesh expressed deep appreciation 

for the EU's strong international 

support, including at the UN and other 

international/UN fora and significant 

humanitarian assistance in that context. 

They agreed to continue to work closely 

with the international community, 

particularly at the UN and other international 

fora, with a view to create conducive 

environment in the northern 

Rakhine State so that the Rohingya can 

return in safety and security to their 

ancestral homes in Myanmar. 

No to Irregular Migrants 

On migration issues, the EU diplomat 

said they have had a problem with 

irregular migrants from Bangladesh to 

Europe. "We welcome regular migration 

but we do not welcome irregular 

migration." 

aRT & culTuRe 

When Priyanka Chopra 

spoke about marrying 

TV actor Mohit Raina 

>Page 8 

HSC, equivalent results 

published; pass 

percentage 66.64 

DHAKA : The results of Higher Secondary 

Certificate (HSC) 2018 and its equivalent 

examinations were published on 

Thursday, showing a pass percentage of 

66.64percent, which is 2.27percentlower 

than 68.91percentof the last year, reports 

UNB. 

Of these, 64.55percentpassed the HSC 

examinations while 78.67percentcame out 

successful in Madrasah Board and 

75.50percentin Technical Board examinations. 

Education Minister Nurul Islam 

Nahid along with chairmen of all the education 

boards handed over the results to 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official 

residence Ganobhaban around 10:10 

am. The Prime Minister unveiled the 

results digitally. This year, a total of 29,262 

students secured the highest grade GPA 5 

against 37,969 last year. 

Among the successful students, 25,562 

achieved the highest grade GPA 5 under 

eight general education boards while 1,244 

under the Madrassah Education Board 

and 2,456 under the Technical and 

Vocational Education Board. 

A total of 8,58,801 examinees, out of 

12,88,757, came out successful in the 

examinations in all the 10 education 

boards while a total of 8,01,811 examinees 

came out successful last year. 

The number of institutions with hundred 

percent pass rate is 400. 

A total 263 students out of 285 students 

came out successful from seven institutions 

and centres in abroad with 92.28 percent 

pass rate. Among them, sixteen students 

secured GPA five. 

The Prime Minister exchanged views 

with students of Netrakona through 

avideoconferencefrom her residence on 

the occasion. 

Addressing the event, the Education 

Minister said this year the results of the 

HSC and its equivalent examinations were 

published within 55 days after the examinations 

were held from April 2 to May 23. 

The result will be available online and 

respective institutions after 1:00 pm. 

The minister also claimed that this year's 

examinations were held without any complain 

and the number of students is also 

increased which proved that the number of 

dropout students is reducing. 

"Now we are giving importance to raising 

the standards of education, though the 

pass rate was lower, the quality of education 

is raising," said Nahid. 

State Minister for Madrasah and 

Technical Education Division 

KaziKeramat Ali also spoke on the occasion, 

while Secondary & Higher Education 

Division Secretary MdSohorabHossain 

delivered the welcome speech. 

Principal Secretary MdNojiburRahman 

conducted the programme. 

HSC results: 

Barisal fares 

best 

DHAKA : The Barisal Education 

Board scored highest 70.55 percent 

pass rate among the eight general 

education boards in the Higher 

Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations 

this year, reports UNB. 

A total of 62,173 students 

appeared at the examinations from 

the board with 43,861 of them coming 

out successful. 

Meanwhile, the Dinajpur 

Education Board is at the bottom of 

the list with a 60.21 percent pass 

rate. 

The pass rate is 66.13 percent in 

Dhaka while 66.51 percent in 

Rajshahi, 65.42 percent in Comilla, 

60.4 percent in Jessore, 62.73 percent 

in Chittagong and 62.11 percent 

in Sylhet. 

The results of the HSC and its 

equivalent examinations were published 

on Thursday, showing a pass 

percentage of 66.64 percent, 2.27 

percent lower than last year's 68.91 

percent. 

Four children 

drown in Natore, 

Chandpur 

DHAKA : Four children, including 

two sisters, drowned in Natore and 

Chandpur districts on Thursday. 

In Natore, two sisters drowned 

while taking bath in Nandakuja river 

in Chawktebaria village of Sadar 

upazila, reports UNB. 

The deceased were identified as 

Shimla, 6, and her sister Sadia, 10, 

daughters of Hanif Sheikh of Char 

Gobindapur village in Kumarkhali 

upazila. 

Locals said the duo went to the 

river for taking bath around 1 pm and 

at one stage they drowned. 

Later, local people rescued the two 

sisters and took them to a nearby private 

clinic where doctors declared 

them dead. 

In Chandpur, two cousins drowned 

in a pond while playing at Enayetpur 

village in Hajiganj upazila at noon. 

They are Md Sourav, 4, son of Md 

Alam Hossain and his cousin Md 

Arafat Hossain, 4, son of Md Shah 

Alam of Enayetpur village. 

Local municipality ward councilor 

Md Azad Hossain said the two brothers 

went missing at noon and later 

their bodies were found floating in a 

pond. 

SPORT 

Another trial by spin 

awaits South Africa 

>Page 9 

Rajuk Uttara Model College Students celebrating after hearing the result of HSC. 

Photo: Star Mail 

HSC results: Barisal fares best 

DHAKA : The Barisal Education Board scored highest 70.55 

percent pass rate among the eight general education boards 

in the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations this 

year, reports UNB. 

A total of 62,173 students appeared at the examinations from 

the board with 43,861 of them coming out successful. 

Meanwhile, the Dinajpur Education Board is at the bottom of 

the list with a 60.21 percent pass rate. 

The pass rate is 66.13 percent in Dhaka while 66.51 percent in 

Rajshahi, 65.42 percent in Comilla, 60.4 percent in Jessore, 

62.73 percent in Chittagong and 62.11 percent in Sylhet. 

The results of the HSC and its equivalent examinations were 

published on Thursday, showing a pass percentage of 66.64 

percent, 2.27 percent lower than last year's 68.91 percent.

NEWS 

fRiDAY, 

JuLY 20, 2018 

2 

Bangladesh Coast Guard Director General Rear Admiral Aurangzeb Chowdhury inaugurated 

the Tree Plantation Program-2018 by planting a sapling at the Coast Guard Headquarters on 

Thursday. 

Photo: Coast Gurad 

BCG launches tree 

plantation campaign 

TBT Desk 

The Director General of Bangladesh Coast Guard has 

undertaken a massive program this year for tree 

plantation like the other years in response to Prime 

Minister Sheikh Hasina's call and as part of three million 

saplings plantation program to pay tributes to three 

million martyrs of the Liberation War, reports a press 

release. 

Bangladesh Coast Guard Director General Rear 

Admiral Aurangzeb Chowdhury inaugurated the Tree 

Plantation Program-2018 by planting a sapling at the 

Coast Guard Headquarters on Thursday. 

At the programme, the Director General said, Father of 

the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said 

that it is the responsibility of every citizen of the country 

to make the government's efforts successful by planting 

more trees during and after the tree plantation 

campaign. In order to transform this dream into reality, 

Bangladesh has achieved outstanding success in social 

forestry program as per instructions of his daughter 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

In order to maintain the success of the present 

government, the Director General encouraged the 

officers and employees of various sectors of Bangladesh 

Coast Guard to conduct various types of tree plantation 

and instructed them to perform their duties with honesty 

and devotion. 

Two killed in Naogaon 

road crash 

NAOGAON : Two people were killed when a bus rammed a 

humanhaulerat Deluabari Bus Stand in Manda upazila on 

Thursday, reports UNB. 

The deceased was identified as Taslim Uddin, 45, son 

ofLalmonPramanik and Azizul Islam, 40, son of Lahir Uddin 

ofSatoilvillage in the upazila. 

Mahbub Alam, officer-in-charge of Manda Police Station, 

said the accident took place around 11 am when a Naogaonbound 

bus of 'Nibir Paribahan' hit the humanhauler, leaving 

two people killed on the spot. 

On information, police recovered the bodies and sent those 

to a local hospital morgue for autopsy. 

Russia: Greece 

taking part in 'dirty 

provocations' for 

NATO 

Russia stepped up its criticism of Greece over the 

expulsion of two of its diplomats, accusing the Greek 

government Wednesday of participating in "dirty 

provocations" around Macedonia's plan to become a 

NATO member. 

Greece expelled the diplomats based at the Russian 

Embassy in Athens last week amid allegations they 

helped fund protests against an agreement to end 

Greece's long-standing name dispute with Macedonia. If 

ratified, the deal would allow Macedonia to join NATO. 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria 

Zakharova alleged Wednesday that Greece, a NATO 

member since 1952, had acted under pressure from its 

military allies. 

"We are fully aware that Greece was subjected to 

pressure at the highest level," Zakharova told reporters. 

She called the expulsions "crude and unjustified" and 

said they "will not remain without consequences," but 

did not elaborate. 

Since ordering the Russians out of Greece on July 11, 

Greek officials have insisted they want to maintain their 

country's traditionally friendly relations with Russia and 

were ready to put the incident behind them. 

But Zakharova's remarks prompted an angry response 

from the Greek Foreign Ministry. 

"The constant disrespect for Greece must stop. No one 

can or has the right to interfere in Greece's domestic 

affairs," the ministry said. 

"The Russian authorities themselves are very well 

aware of what their people do," the statement continued. 

"The evidence based on which Greece acted was 

presented to the Russian authorities in a timely 

manner." 

Despite its support for NATO's expansion, Greece's 

left-wing government has advocated improved relations 

between Russia and the West. 

Greece did not join the coordinated expulsions of 

Russian Embassy and consulate staff members from 

several Western countries following the March 

poisonings of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his 

daughter in England. 

NATO leaders at a summit last week formally invited 

Macedonia to become the 30th member of the alliance. 

Deer poaching in Sundarbans 

rises as authorities fail to act 

SATKHIRA : Deer poaching and hunting in the Sundarbans 

under Satkhira range have increased in an alarming rate as 

poachers have become desperate, bringing a new threat to 

this vegetarian animal. 

Although deer in the Sundarbans have got a relief from the 

attacks of tigers and pirates, these days they fall victims to 

traps and shooting by hunters, reports UNB. 

In the current month, Forest Department and members of 

Bangladesh Coast Guard in their separate drives arrested two 

poachers and recovered three dead deer, three one-barrel 

pistols and a boat. However, their 'godfathers' remain out of 

touch. 

According to the Forest Department information, the 

activities of forest robbers have decreased but the deer 

poaching gangs have become more desperate in the 

Sundarbans and its adjacent areas. 

Venison is regularly sold in the villages of Munshiganj, 

Koikhali, Bhetkhali, Jatindranagar and Moragang unions 

under Shyamnagar upazila, and the trend is growing day by 

day. 

However, the Forest Department claimed that their drive 

against the deer poaching and hunting is on. 

Locals said people do not hesitate to buy venison at Tk 500 

to Tk 600 per kg as many like it. 

Although the authorities have a list of deer hunters and 

meat traders, the administration does not take any action 

against them, allege locals. 

There are allegations that poachers are doing their 

business managing a section of staff both at the Forest 

Department and the local administration. 

A source wishing anonymity said a local millionaire and 

shrimp trader, who is known as the godfather of the deer 

hunters, often goes out for deer hunting in the Sundarbans 

by his own trawler. 

Even he takes all the responsibilities if any deer hunter is 

arrested, claimed locals. 

On July 9, a hunter-gang went in Chunkuri area of the 

Sundarbans for hunting deer. A sub-inspector and several 

constables of Shyamnagar police station were with them, 

claimed the locals. 

After the incident spread in the social media, a case was 

filed with Shyamnagar Police Station accusing six people, 

including Sattar Morol. 

Rafiq Ahmed, a forest officer at Satkhira Range, said that 

no one of forest department takes bribe. "If any evidence is 

found, stern action will be taken against them," he added. 

"Security measures have been strengthened by increasing 

patrol in the area," said the forest official adding, "We've 

recovered three dead deer and arrested two hunters." 

Syed Mannan Ali, officer-in-charge of Shyamnagar Police 

station, said their drives against forest robbers and poachers 

will continue. 

Missing man found 

dead in Bagerhat 

BAGERHAT : A day labourer, who went missing on Tuesday, 

was found dead at a water body insadarupazila on 

Wednesday night, reports UNB. 

The deceased was identified as Ariful Sheikh, 35, son of 

Sheikh Mohammad Ali of Khegraghat village in the upazila. 

Mahatab Uddin, officer-in-charge of Bagerhat Model 

Police Station, said Ariful went from his home on Tuesday 

night after receiving a phone call and since then he remained 

missing. 

Locals spotted Ariful's body floating in the water body and 

informed it to police. 

Later, police recovered the body was sent it to a local 

hospital morgue. 

The body bore several injury marks, said the OC. 

Police suspected that miscreants might have stabbed Ariful 

to death and dumped the body in the water body. 

President returns 

home 

DHAKA : President Abdul Hamid returned home from 

Londonon Thursdayfollowing his medical check-up there, 

reports UNB. 

A flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG202) carrying 

the President landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International 

Airport here at11:15 am, said President's Press Secretary M 

Joynal Abedin. 

The President underwent the medical check-up at 

Moorfields Eye Hospital and Bupa Cromwell Hospital in 

London. 

The President was received by Industries Minister Amir 

Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, dean of 

diplomatic corps and ambassador of Vatican to Bangladesh, 

British High Commissioner in Dhaka, chiefs of the three 

services, inspector general of police (IGP) and high civil and 

military officials at the VVIP Lounge of the airport. 

President Hamid went to London for his health check-up 

on July 7. 

Mother, daughter 

slaughtered, father 

found hanging in 

Gazipur house 

GAZIPUR : Police recovered 

the throat-slit bodies of a 

woman and her daughter 

and the hanging body of the 

woman's husband from 

their house in Haidorabad 

area in the city on Thursday 

morning, reports UNB. 

The deceased were 

identified as Kamal Hossain, 

40, son of Abul Hasem, his 

wife Nazma Begum, 35 and 

their daughter Sanjida 

Kamal Rimi, 18, a 1st year 

student of Uttara 

Bangladesh Medical College. 

Shafiqul Islam, subinspector 

of Pubail Police 

Camp, said Mahmuda 

Begum, wife of Kamal's 

brother, found the light of 

Kamal's house switched on 

at 10:30 am while she was 

returning home after 

dropping her daughter at 

school. She peeped through 

the window to find Kamal's 

body hanging from the 

ceiling. 

Hearing her scream, 

neighbours rushed in and 

entered the house breaking 

the grill of the window and 

found the slaughtered 

bodies of Nazma and Rimi 

lying in a pool of blood on 

the flood. Later, they 

informed police. 

On information, police 

recovered the bodies around 

2:30pm, said the SI. 

Claiming it a planned 

murder, locals and relatives 

demanded proper 

investigation into the 

incident. 

JCD leaders 

among 42 

sued in 

Cox's Bazar 

COX'S BAZAR : A case was 

filed on Wednesday against 

42 people including two 

local leaders of Jatiyatabadi 

Chhatra Dal (JCD) for 

torching a vehicle in Sadar 

upazila, reports UNB. 

Farid uddin Khandaker, 

officer-in-charge of Sadar 

Police Station, said police 

filed the case accusing them 

under Special Power Act. 

Earlier, a group of people 

brought out a procession 

and vandalised some 

vehicles and set fire on one 

of those in a bid to create 

sabotage activities at 

Khurusakul Bridge in the 

upazila on Tuesday. 

District unit JCD 

President Rashedul Haq 

Russel and city unit Vicepresident 

Enamul Haq were 

among the accused. 

3 JMB men 

held in Natore 

NATORE : Members of 

Rapid Action Battalion 

(Rab) in a drive arrested 

three members of banned 

militant outfit Jamaat-ul- 

Mujahideen Bangladesh 

(JMB) along with their 

organisation's handbook 

from Ruerbhag in Sadar 

upazila early Thursday, 

reports UNB. 

The arrestees were 

identified as Jahidul Islam, 

Amzad Hossain and Zahir 

Uddin. They were hailed 

from different areas in the 

district. 

Based on information 

from three arrestees, who 

were arrested earlier from 

Chapainawabganj district, a 

team of Rab-5 conducted a 

drive at a mango orchard 

and arrested three JMB men 

along with the books around 

1:30 am, said Rab-5 

Commanding officer Major 

Shiblee Mostafa. 

Man found 

dead in Natore 

NATORE : A rickshaw-van 

puller was found dead at 

Muradpur in Bagatipara 

upazila on Thursday. 

Abdullah Al Mamun, 

officer-in-charge of 

Bagatipara Police Station, 

said locals spotted the body 

of Sagar Ali of Dhupuil 

village in Lalpur upazila and 

informed the matter to 

police, reports UNB. 

Later, police recovered the 

body and sent it to a local 

hospital morgue. 

The body was tied with a 

tree, said police. 

Agriculture recorded 

notable improvement 

in Bangladesh: ADB 

After rescue, Thai 

soccer boys pray for 

fortune at temple 

The Thai soccer boys and their coach began their first day 

back home with their families since they were rescued from a 

flooded cave with a trip to a Buddhist temple on Thursday to 

pray for protection from misfortunes. 

The 11 boys and the coach kneeled and pressed their hands 

in prayer to the tune of chanting monks. They were joined by 

relatives and friends at the Wat Pra That Doi Wao temple, 

overlooking Myanmar on Thailand's northern border. 

The remaining member of the Wild Boars soccer team - 

Adul Sargon - is not a Buddhist and did not attend the 

ceremony, meant to extend one's life and protect it from 

dangers. 

The team has already said they would ordain as Buddhist 

novices to honor a former Thai navy SEAL diver who died in 

the cave while making preparations for their rescue. 

On Wednesday evening, the boys and coach faced the 

media for the first time since their ordeal, describing their 

surprise at seeing two British divers rising from muddy 

waters in the recesses of the cave. It would be another week 

before they were pulled out of the Tham Luang cave. 

"We weren't sure if it was for real," 14-year-old Adul said. 

"So we stopped and listened. And it turned out to be true. I 

was shocked." 

In one poignant and emotional moment at the news 

conference, a portrait was displayed of Saman Gunan, the 

Thai diver who died. One of the boys, 11-year-old Chanin 

"Titan" Vibulrungruang, the youngest of the group, covered 

his eyes as if wiping away a tear. 

"I feel sad. And another thing is I'm really impressed with 

Sgt. Sam for sacrificing his life for all 13 Wild Boars to be able 

to live our lives outside happily and normally," he said. 

"When we found out, everyone was sad. Extremely sad, like 

we were the cause of this that made the sergeant's family sad 

and having to face problems." 

The Wild Boars had entered the cave on June 23 for what 

was to be a relaxing excursion after soccer practice. But rain 

began, and water soon filled the cavern, cutting off their 

escape, and they huddled on a patch of dry ground deep 

inside the cave. 

Coach Ekapol "Ake" Chanthawong said the trip was meant 

to last one hour, simply because "each of us wanted to see 

what was inside." 

When the hour was up, they were pretty deep inside and 

already had swum through some flooded areas in the spirit of 

adventure. But in turning back, he discovered the way was 

not at all clear, and he swam ahead to scout the route, 

attaching a rope to himself so the boys could pull him back if 

necessary. 

He said he had to be pulled out. 

Ekapol said he told the boys: "We cannot go out this way. 

We have to find another way." 

The boys told reporters of their reactions at that point. 

"I felt scared. I was afraid I wouldn't get to go home and my 

mom would scold me, said Mongkol Boonpiam, 13, 

prompting laughter. 

Ekarat Wongsukchan, 14, said they decided "to calm 

ourselves first, to try to fix the problem and find a way out. Be 

calm and not shocked." 

The group had taken no food with them and survived by 

drinking water that dripped from the cave walls, Ekapol said, 

adding that all the boys knew how to swim, which had been 

a concern for rescuers. 

Titan said he tried hard not to think about food. "When I'm 

starving, I don't think of food otherwise it'd make me more 

hungry." 

Adul said they were digging around the spot when they 

heard the voices and Ekapol called for silence. 

He recounted how Ekapol told them to "'quickly get down 

there, that's the sound of a person, or else they're going to 

pass on by,' something like that." 

But he said his teammate holding the flashlight was scared, 

so Adul told him "If you're not going to go, then I'll go." 

"So I quickly took the flashlight, and quickly went down, 

and I greeted them, 'hello,'" Adul added. 

Psychologists had vetted the journalists' questions in 

advance to avoid bringing up any aspects of the rescue that 

might disturb them. The dangers of the complicated 

operation, in which the boys were extracted in three separate 

missions with diving equipment and pulleys through the 

tight passageways, were not discussed. 

DHAKA : Agriculture recorded 'notable 

improvement' over the last year in 

Bangladesh, surpassing expectations and 

driving growth, says the Asian Development 

Bank on Thursday, reports UNB. 

Growth in Asia and the Pacific's developing 

economies for 2018 and 2019 will remain 

solid as growth continues apace across the 

region, despite rising tensions between the 

United States and its trading partners, says a 

new ADB report. 

South Asia, meanwhile, continues to be the 

fastest growing sub-region, led by India, 

whose economy is on track to meet fiscal 

year 2018 projected growth of 7.3 percent 

and further accelerating to 7.6 percent in 

2019, as measures taken to strengthen the 

banking system and tax reform boost 

investment. 

In a supplement to its Asian Development 

Outlook (ADO) 2018 report released last 

April, the ADB forecasts 2018 growth for 

Asia and the Pacific at 6.0 percent for 2018 

and 5.9 percent for 2019, in line with its 

previous projections. Excluding Asia's newly 

industrialized economies, growth is forecast 

at 6.5 percent in 2018 and 6.4 percent in 

2019, also unchanged from April. 

"Although the rising trade tensions remain 

a concern for the region, protectionist trade 

measures implemented so far in 2018 have 

not significantly dented buoyant trade flows 

to and from developing Asia," said ADB 

Chief Economist Yasuyuki Sawada. 

"Prudent macroeconomic and fiscal 

policymaking will help economies across the 

region prepare to respond to external shocks, 

ensuring that growth in the region remains 

robust." 

In East Asia, growth picked up in Hong 

Kong, China and Taipei, China, though 

growth forecasts are unchanged for the subregion 

at 6.0 percent in 2018 and 5.8 percent 

in 2019. 

The world's second largest economy, the 

People's Republic of China, is projected to 

meet previous forecasts of 6.6 percent in 

2018 and 6.4 percent in 2019, as the 

government's efforts to rebalance growth 

toward domestic consumption remain on 

track. 

In Southeast Asia, growth projections for 

the sub-region remain unchanged at 5.2 

percent in both 2018 and 2019, as robust 

domestic demand continue to support 

economies in the region. 

Higher public investment boosted first 

quarter growth in Indonesia, the Philippines, 

and Thailand, while private investment was 

strong in Viet Nam. 

Central Asia is growing faster than 

expected, prompting an upward revision to 

forecasts from 4.0 percent to 4.2 percent in 

2018 and from 4.2 percent to 4.3 percent in 

2019. 

In the Pacific, the growth is expected at 

2.2 percent and 3.0 percent over the next 

two years as the region's largest 

economy, Papua New Guinea, continues 

to slow due to the impact of the February 

earthquakes on production and exports 

of liquefied natural gas and other export 

commodities. 

The report now projects lower inflation for 

developing Asia at 2.8 percent for 2018 and 

2.7 percent for 2019. 

Domestic factors, including central bank 

intervention to avoid sharp currency 

depreciations, and the reintroduction of food 

and fuel subsidies to contain the effects of 

rising commodity prices in some economies, 

helped contain inflationary pressures. 

Pakistan's agriculture sector also recorded 

notable improvement over the last year. 

Two killed in 

Cox's Bazar 

'gunfight' 

COX'S BAZAR : Two 

people were killed in a 

reported gunfight with a 

joint team of Rapid Action 

Battalion (Rab) and 

Border 

Guards 

Bangladesh (BGB) on 

Marine Drive road in 

Himchhari area early 

Thursday. 

The identities of the 

deceased could not be 

known immediately, 

reports UNB. 

Afrozul Haq Tutul, 

additional superintendent 

of Cox's Bazar police, said 

the joint forces team gave 

a signal to a white car to 

stop around 6 am at a 

check-post set up in the 

area. 

Defying joint force's 

signal, the car move on 

and at one stage, the 

criminal opened fire on 

them, prompting the law 

enforcers to fire back that 

triggered a gunfight. 

Later, the joint forces 

rescued two people with 

bullet injuries and took 

them to a local hospital 

where the doctors declared 

them dead. 

Bridge collapse 

snaps Dhaka- 

Louhajang 

road links 

MUNSHIGANJ : Traffic 

movement on Louhajang- 

Dhaka road has been 

disrupted since Thursday 

morning following the 

collapse of a bailey bridge 

South Haldia area of 

Louhajang upazila, 

causing untold sufferings 

to the commuters, reports 

UNB. 

Md 

Salauddin,deputyengineer 

of Roads and Highways 

Department, said a 

portion of the bailey 

bridge collapsed with a big 

bang while a cement-laden 

lorry was passing through 

it. 

People of the area were 

suffering a lot as they have 

to take a detour to reach 

their destination. 

"We are working to 

restore 

the 

communication," the 

engineer added.

METRO 

FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018 

3 

Milestone College 

achieves brilliant 

results in the HSC 

Pass rate is 99.02 %. 

Milestone College achieved 

luminously brilliant results 

in HSC examination under 

Dhaka Education Board this 

year. A total of 2150 students 

(Bangla Medium and 

English Version) appeared 

at the HSC examination 

from Milestone College. 

Pass rate is 99.02 %. 

A total of 1691 students 

appeared from Science 

group. Pass rate from 

science group is 99%. A total 

of 368 students appeared 

from business studies group 

and 367 students have 

passed. Pass rate from 

business group is 99.73%. 

Total 90 students appeared 

from humanities group and 

89 students have passed. 

Pass rate from humanities 

group is 98.89%, a press 

release said. 

Principal of Milestone 

College Professor Md. 

Shahidul Islam stressed on 

its regular success. He says 

that Milestone College is an 

exceptional institution 

because we believe in 

regular class teaching. We 

use every hour of an 

academic year fairly. 

Professor Md. Shahidul 

Islam further says that, 

sincerity of the teachers as 

well as of the students and 

guardians work for this high 

rate of success. He says, we 

are committed to quality 

education and we want 

greater success. 

British PM's 

trade envoy 

Rushanara 

due Saturday 

DHAKA : British Prime 

Minister's trade envoy to 

Bangladesh Rushanara Ali, 

MP arrives here on 

Saturday night to discuss 

on how trade and 

investment ties between the 

two countries can be 

strengthened further, 

reports UNB. 

Confirming the visit, a 

Foreign Ministry official 

told UNB that her visit will 

start officially on Sunday. 

A trade delegation of 9 

UK rail companies, led by 

Rushanara Ali, MP, visited 

Bangladesh in September 

last, showcasing UK 

expertise in the rail sector. 

The cross-party Trade 

Envoy programme was 

established in 2012 to build 

bilateral trade relationships 

and help drive economic 

growth in countries 

identified as key markets 

for the UK. 

The two-way trade 

between Bangladesh and 

the UK stands at 

£2.3m, officials said 

adding that the UK has 

strong business interests in 

Bangladesh as it remains 

the largest foreign investor. 

Over 100 British 

companies are operating in 

sectors like retail, banking, 

energy, infrastructure, 

consultancy and education 

with main centres of 

operation in Dhaka, 

Chittagong and Sylhet. 

The UK is also the third 

single largest destination 

for exports from 

Bangladesh. 

Sharmin recognized 

with Commonwealth 

Points of Light award 

DHAKA : Queen Elizabeth II has 

recognised Sharmin Sultana, 

representing Bangladesh, as the 61st 

Commonwealth Point of Light in honour 

of her exceptional voluntary service 

providing humanitarian relief to 

Rohingya refugees, sources at British 

High Commission here confirmed, 

reports UNB. 

Sharmin Sultana is an experienced 

reproductive health-care provider 

and clinical trainer supporting 

Rohingya women and girls in the 

Kutupalong refugee camp in the Cox's 

Bazar district. 

Sharmin provides vital antenatal, 

delivery and postnatal care and ensures 

women and girls can prevent or safely end 

an unwanted pregnancy. 

She provides training to paramedics, 

midwives and doctors working in the 

camps, many of whom are not initially 

comfortable talking about rape, genderbased 

violence, or abortion. 

She has also ensured that emergency 

procedures are in place for staff to 

support women and girls in the aftermath 

of rape. 

As part of the legacy of the 

Commonwealth Heads of Government 

Meeting in London 2018, the Queen - as 

Head of the Commonwealth - is thanking 

inspirational volunteers across the 53 

Commonwealth nations for the difference 

they are making in their communities and 

beyond, by recognising one volunteer 

from each Commonwealth country each 

week in the two years following the 

summit. 

By sharing these stories of service, the 

Commonwealth Points of Light awards 

celebrate inspirational acts of 

volunteering across the Commonwealth 

and help inspire others to make their own 

contribution to tackling some of the 

greatest social challenges of time. 

Each Commonwealth Point of Light will 

receive a personalised certificate signed 

by Queen as Head of the Commonwealth. 

The award for Sharmin will be 

presented to her by the British High 

Commissioner in Bangladesh HE Alison 

Blake CMG. 

Sharmin Sultana said, "I feel so good, 

proud and in fact I was speechless when I 

received the information about the award. 

I tried my level best to serve the women 

who came to me but when I look back, I 

feel that I could not provide all that they 

needed and I feel disappointed about 

that." 

British High Commissioner in Dhaka 

Alison Blake said she is delighted that 

Sharmin Sultana's work and tremendous 

dedication providing support to Rohingya 

women refugees affected by gender-based 

violence has been recognised. 

"Sharmin's work with midwives and 

doctors in the refugee camps in 

Bangladesh to ensure access to clinical 

services for survivors of gender based 

violence is so vital," she said. 

Teachers demand release of quota 

reformists, punishment of assaulters 

DHAKA : Teachers of different public 

universities held a solidarity rally on 

Dhaka University campus on Thursday 

demanding immediate release of 

arrested quota movement leaders and 

protesting the harassment and assault 

on students and teachers across the 

country. 

Under the banner of "Teachers against 

Repression" the teachers organised the rally 

in front of Aparajeyo Bangla of Dhaka 

University (DU). 

More than 60 teachers from Dhaka 

University, Jahangirnagar University, 

Jagannath University and Bangladesh 

University of Engineering and Technology 

(Buet) and around 300 students participated 

in the rally presided over by Gitiara Nasreen, 

a professor of DU Mass Communication and 

Journalism department. 

Prof Anu Muhammad of Department of 

Economics at Jahangirnagar University said, 

"Quota reform movement is logical and 

ethically right. It's a protest against 

discrimination. But the government is 

illegally harassing the quota reformists. They 

are being arrested without any warrant and 

remanded." 

"Some quota reform leaders were shown 

arrested for vandalizing the residence of DU 

Vice- Chancellor. But we believe our 

students can't attack the VC's residence. So 

we hope the administration will not harass 

our students," he added. 

Prof MM Akash of Economics Department 

of Dhaka University said, "Now we are 

seeing dual administration at DU. One is the 

university authority and another 

'administration' is being run by some people 

who are torturing the general students at all 

dormitories." 

"We tell the university administration, if 

you fail to control the torture of 'alternative 

administration', you have no right to hold the 

power. You must resign," he added. 

Prof CR Abrar and Associate Prof 

Tanzimuddin Khan of International 

Relations Department, Assistant Prof 

Rushad Faridi of DU Economics 

Department, Prof Fahmidul Haq and 

Associate Prof Abdur Razzak Khan of Mass 

Communication and Journalism 

Department, Assistant Prof Samina Luthfa 

of Sociology Department among others 

attended the rally. 

After the rally they brought out a silent 

procession from Aparajeyo Bangla premises 

which paraded the campus. 

FM to brief diplomats 

Thursday on current issues 

DHAKA : Foreign Minister AH Mahmood 

Ali will meet diplomats stationed here at 

4:30pm on Thursday to brief them on 

current issues, reports UNB. 

Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque will 

also attend the briefing at State guesthouse 

Padma. 

Current issues like Rohingya crisis are 

likely to be highlighted in the briefing, said a 

source at the Foreign Ministry. 

Butterfly Park gets 

Nat'l Environment 

Award 

DHAKA : Butterfly Park Bangladesh Ltd, the 

country's first butterfly specialized park, has 

received National Environment Award 2018 

in environmental education and promotion 

category, reports BSS. 

The park located in Chattogram was 

awarded in recognition of its outstanding 

contribution to environmental education 

and promotion. 

Mohammed Riyadh Ali, Managing 

Director of Butterfly Park Bangladesh Ltd 

and Intraco Group, received the award from 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at 

Bangabandhu International Conference 

Center here yesterday. 

Anisul Islam Mahmud, MP, Minister, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change addressing 

as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of DIU Real Estate Career Expo 2018 held on 

Thursday at Daffodil International University. 

Photo : Courtesy. 

ACC finds 

irregularities 

at hajj 

agencies 

DHAKA : The Anti- 

Corruption Commission 

(ACC) yesterday 

conducted a surprised 

drive at some hajj agencies 

in the capital's Naya 

Paltan and found huge 

irregularities and 

corruption in the process 

of sending pilgrims to the 

holly Hajj, reports BSS. 

"The targets of the 

sudden drives are aimed at 

breaking the corrupt 

syndicates involved in the 

hajj process and make 

hajjis (pilgrims) aware 

against corruption," said 

ACC Director General and 

coordinator of the 

enforcement drive 

Mohammad Munir 

Chowdhury. 

"We've conducted drives 

at the hajj agencies for 

fifth times after receiving 

allegations of irregularities 

over ACC hotline 106," 

said ACC Deputy Director 

(public relations) Pranab 

Kumar Bhattacharjee. 

He said a nine-member 

enforcement team of the 

national anti-graft agency 

found huge irregularities 

during their surprise drive 

at the hajj agencies at 

Naya Paltan. 

The ACC is now waiting 

for a complete report from 

the team to take action in 

this regard, Pranab said. 

ACC officials said Kazi 

Air International located 

at Kazi Tower has failed to 

show 

necessary 

documents to confirm the 

exact number of hajj 

pilgrims scheduled to go to 

Saudi Arabia to perform 

hajj. 

According to the rule, 

every registered hajj 

agency is compelled to 

send minimum 150 hajjis 

to Saudi Arabia for hajj, 

but the agency only sent 75 

pilgrims. 

Vouchers of different 

expenses, including house 

rent, were not found in the 

agency, they said. 

During the drive, the 

ACC team also found that 

another hajj agency Kazi 

Travels and Tours evaded 

tax of Taka four lakh last 

year. 

Tree, environment 

fairs abuzz with 

plants, nature lovers 

DHAKA : The National Tree Fair and the 

National Environment Fair attracted a good 

number of visitors and plant lovers on 

Thursday, the second day of the fairs, reports 

UNB. 

Department of Forest (DoF) and 

Department of Environment (DoE) 

organised the fairs at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, 

marking the World Environment Day. 

The DoE arranged the environment fair 

with 62 stalls where different organisations 

and institutions are showcasing their 

innovative and environment-friendly 

products and projects. 

Different government organisations, 

including Bangladesh Forest Industries 

Development Corporation (BFIDC), 

Department of Livestock Services (DLS), 

Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC), 

many private organisations and universities 

also took part in the fairs. 

Most of the products and projects were 

about plastic recycling and reusing, urban 

gardening and water resource management. 

Patrick B Gomez, a visitor of the fair, told 

UNB that such initiatives are very significant 

to create awareness among people, especially 

the grassroots people for sustainable 

development. "If awareness is built from the 

grassroots level, the initiatives will be more 

effective," he added. 

The National Tree Fair has been organised 

by the Department of Forest where 75 

organisations are showcasing their plants 

and products in 101 stalls. 

Among the plants, trees of orchids, Bansai, 

avocado, dragon fruits, apricot and trees of 

different spices and herbs as well as flowers 

drew more attraction of the visitors. 

Md Selim, a staff from Barisal Nursery, 

said each year the fair gets a great response 

from visitors. 

On the weekends, the crowd will be 

heavier, he hoped. 

Shafiqul Islam, a visitor and also a nursery 

owner from Bhaluka, stressed the need for 

increasing the duration of the fair. 

"If the fair is arranged for two months, 

especially in June and July, it will be easier 

for the visitors to buy plants from here and 

cultivate those in the rainy season," he told 

UNB. 

The fair also created much interest among 

school children. 

Tahin Mahmud, a student of class IV, 

came to visit the fair along with his brother 

and mother. "It's a good opportunity to see 

so many trees and plants in one place. Such 

fair helps up gain more knowledge about 

plants," he said. 

Visitors were also found buying small 

plants which they can use to decorate their 

urban life. 

The theme of this year campaign is: 'Live in 

Green, Protect the Green and Decorate the 

City-life-Environment'. 

The week-long Environment Fair will 

continue until July 24 while the Tree Fair is 

a month-long one. 

The fairs are open from 9am till 9pm. 

Five students hurt 

in 'BCL' attack at CU 

CHATTOGRAM : Five students of the 

Chittagong University (CU) were injured 

in an attack on a human chain allegedly 

by the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra 

League (BCL) in front of Social Sciences 

Building at the campus on Thursday, 

reports UNB. 

The students of the university arranged 

the human chain in the morning under 

the banner of 'General 

Students'protesting BCL's declaring two 

CU teachers persona non grata. The 

teachers are - Maidul Islam, an Assistant 

Professor of Sociology, and Khandakar 

Ali Ar Raji, an Assistant Professor of 

Journalism. 

As soon as the students started the 

protest in the campus, some alleged 

members of BCL snatched their banner 

and launched attack on them leaving five 

students injured and also foiled the 

demonstration, said one of the protesters 

Israt Kawshar. 

Two of the students were seriously 

wounded and admitted to the Chittagong 

Medical College Hospital later, she said. 

CU Assistant Proctor Liton Misra told 

UNB that the students did not take 

permission for staging the protest and 

the authority was not aware about the 

attack. 

Former President of BCL's dissolved 

CU unit, Alamgir Kabir Tipu, denying the 

allegation of attack, said "No BCL 

member is involved with the incident." 

On July 17, the leaders of the dissolved 

CU unit BCL submitted a memorandum 

to the university Vice Chancellor against 

the two teachers and declared them 

persona non grata branding them as 

'agents of Jamaat-Shibir' for their (the 

two teachers) posts in Facebook in 

support of quota reform movement. 

Earlier in December last year BCL 

central committee dissolved the 

committee of its CU unit after keeping 

the committee suspended for months 

since factional clashes in May, 2017 

between followers of the unit's president 

and general secretary. 

Under the banner of 'Anti-repression Teachers', a demo was taken out at DU campus protesting 

attack on quota reformists. 

Photo : Star Mail

EDITORIAL 

FRIDAY, 

JULY 20, 2018 

4 

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam 

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

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com 

Friday, July 20, 2018 

Trump-Putin 

summit at Helsinki 

was fruitful 

An extraordinary entanglement of strategic 

and domestic politics and of the personal 

and the political was on display on 

Monday at President Donald Trump's summit 

meeting with President Vladimir Putin in 

Helsinki. Their encounter was dominated as 

much by Trump's rejection of charges that he 

colluded with Russians in winning the 2016 US 

presidential election as by his claim that he has 

put their relations on a new and constructive 

footing. 

While Trump's critics in the US and elsewhere 

see nothing of substance achieved from the 

summit, the realities are truly different and 

profound. This was for the first time in over 70 

years since the end of the Second World War 

and the start of competition and conflict 

between Russia and the USA that an American 

President and his Russian counterpart could 

come some so close to declare mutual rapport 

with each other and work for peace and stability 

in the world. 

This has been the greatest achievement of their 

Helsinki summit that augurs well for 

international peace and stability in these volatile 

and troubled times in the international setting. 

Unfortunately, Trump's diehard critics say it 

otherwise and accuse him of sell out or caving in 

to Putin and Russia at Helsinki. Surely these are 

the disgruntled quarters who could never easily 

accept the results of the US Presidential election 

this year and are still looking for any 

opportunity, even if foul, to tarnish the 

President's image and start a case for his 

impeachment on wishful grounds of his secret 

collaboration with Russia. 

Their agreement to cooperate on Syria, nuclear 

non-proliferation in Iran and North Korea and 

their exchanges on Ukraine and energy supplies 

to Europe bear out this claim against his 

domestic critics. Putin should be delighted by 

the positive role so bestowed on him at this time 

of major change in the global political order. 

President Trump's positive response to Putin's 

proposal that the two states should use a 

criminal cooperation treaty to pursue the 

investigation of allegation of Russian meddling 

in US election cuts right across domestic critics 

of the US President. Trump's readiness to 

defend himself against his own intelligence 

services on the issue of Russian collusion in the 

2016 election was not astonishing given the 

charges laid last week against 12 Russian 

operatives by the FBI team led by Robert 

Mueller. At their joint press conference, he said 

repeatedly he won the election fairly and 

brilliantly. 

President Trump was testing his Republican 

party's patriotism to the limit in so prioritising 

his own interests against the US legal process in 

cooperation with Putin. 

Fears that Trump would compromise US and 

European policy on Ukraine by offering to 

recognise Russia's 2014 takeover of Crimea as 

legitimate did not materialise. The two men 

agreed to continue a dialogue at the highest 

level, frankly recognising they have different 

interests and understandings on the issue. 

Surely such a posture cannot be dismissed off as 

unreasonable on either side. 

A similar pragmatism was displayed on Syria, 

where Trump underlined his determination to 

protect Israel, defeat Islamic terrorism and 

collaborate in providing humanitarian aid to Syrian 

refugees now that the war there is coming to a close. 

More detailed contact between the US and Russia on 

containing Iran's power in the Middle East region is 

possible and likely from this summit. 

Coming after Trump last week attacked 

German reliance on Russian energy, his 

description of the European Union as a 

competitive "foe" on trade and his support for 

Brexit, this entente with Russia's leader signals a 

real shift in geopolitical realities. 

Leprosy: Causes of public sufferings 

World Health Day (WHD) is generally 

observed on April 7 to raise awareness 

about health issues. Though we have 

been observing it for a long time, 

leprosy still remains our health 

problem, creating social and other 

repercussions. 

The rights activists said leprosy 

remains a neglected issue in the country, 

causing massive sufferings for people. 

The disease has been around since 

ancient times. It is caused by a slowgrowing 

type of bacteria called 

Mycobacterium leprae. Without proper 

and timely treatment, it can permanently 

damage your skin, nerves, arms, legs, 

feet, and eyes. The main symptom of 

leprosy is disfiguring skin sores, lumps, 

or bumps that do not go away after 

several weeks or months. 

According to World Health 

Organization (WHO), the main mode of 

transmission is considered to be airborne, 

through droplets discharged from 

the respiratory tract of untreated 

infectious cases. The disease is 

completely curable with multi-drug 

therapy (MDT). 

Though curable, the disease entails 

stigma and those affected become 

victims of discrimination and often 

displacement. This is mainly due to the 

disabilities and deformities that occur as 

a consequence of peripheral nerve 

damage in leprosy. 

Leprosy is a leading cause of 

permanent disability in the world and 

predominantly affects the poor people. 

Patients are often shunned, isolated and 

sometimes displaced from their work, 

marriage and social set-up, needing care 

and financial support leading to further 

insecurity, shame, and consequent 

economic loss. Leprosy can also destroy 

the psychological and social health of the 

affected people. Because of the stigma 

associated with the disease, patients 

sometimes delay seeking proper care 

until they develop physical deformities. 

Even when people affected by leprosy 

Tens of millions of United States 

citizens will, on Nov. 6, travel to 

local polling stations in their 

hometowns or mail in ballots from 

around the world. They will be casting 

their votes in what are known as the 

midterm elections. Typically, these 

midterms - so called because they fall 

midway into a president's term in office - 

are not especially exciting. Often the 

majority of the country ignores them. 

This year looks different, as the American 

electorate is enthused and the political 

climate is tense. This year, the midterm 

elections will have important 

implications for the US and even for allies 

and foes across the globe. 

Only 36.4 percent of eligible voters 

participated in the last midterm elections 

in 2014. That was the lowest turnout since 

1942, when the US was in the midst of 

World War II. Four years ago, Americans 

were more complacent than they are 

today. For the previous six years, 

Democrats had controlled the presidency 

and the Senate, and for four years 

Republicans had controlled the House of 

Representatives. As a result, the 

government was split in 2014 - no one 

was content, but neither was anyone too 

dissatisfied. 

The situation is very different now. For 

two years the Republican Party has 

controlled the presidency through 

Donald Trump, the Senate (currently 51 

out of 100 Senators are Republicans, plus 

the vice president, who breaks tied votes), 

are cured, stigma can remain an obstacle 

to resuming regular life. People 

experiencing stigma may be unable to 

reintegrate into their families, marriages, 

jobs and wider communities. 

United Nation human rights expert 

Alice Cruz said, people affected by 

leprosy continue to suffer discrimination 

and lack of access to medical care. 

Discrimination was perpetuating 

people's unnecessary suffering and it was 

essential to tackle the root causes. 

"Discrimination is linked with old 

stigmas that still lead to segregation and 

human rights violations of people 

affected by leprosy. This misconception 

must be tackled with information and 

education. States must address the 

vicious circle of discrimination, exclusion 

and disability. They must act on their 

human rights obligations to tackle 

leprosy-related discrimination and 

stigma", she said. "In Bangladesh, 

annually on an average 3500 to 4000 

new leprosy cases are detected in the 

recent years. About 10 percent of them 

later turn disabled for their failure to take 

timely and proper treatment. So, proper 

steps should be taken for early case 

detection and proper treatment across 

the country. These are important for 

eradicating the disease", said The 

and the House of Representatives (241 of 

435 representatives are Republicans). 

Trump has also appointed many more 

conservative Republican judges to the 

federal judiciary and continues to do so. 

On the crucial Supreme Court, which is 

the final arbiter interpreting laws, five of 

the nine justices will be conservatives 

after Trump's newest nomination, Brett 

Kavanaugh, is confirmed in the next 

couple of months. Since Trump defeated 

Hillary Clinton in 2016, Democrats have 

been irate. Some continue to deny his fair 

election and claim that the Trump 

campaign cheated. Some claim that 

Trump is "unsuited" to the presidency. 

Some claim that he has committed "high 

crimes and misdemeanors" worthy of 

impeachment. No serious evidence of any 

of these claims has been offered, so the 

Democrats must win elections to change 

the policies they do not like. 

US midterms are typically fairly boring, 

but this year is shaping up very 

MD. SAzEDUL ISLAM 

MST. TAzNIN NAHAR 

Leprosy Mission International- 

Bangladesh (TLMI-B). Though curable 

and its test and treatment are available 

for free across the country, leprosy 

continues to inflict sufferings on our 

people. We need to carry out 

Information, Education and 

Communication (IEC) activities to 

increase community awareness about 

leprosy to promote voluntary case 

reporting and minimize social stigma. 

Voluntary reporting by patients is the 

most practical and feasible mode of case 

detection. Awareness may facilitate 

increased detection of early cases, better 

treatment compliance and reduced 

stigma attached to the disease. 

But detecting new leprosy patients in 

the country's remote areas is being 

hampered due to lack of adequate 

manpower. The government has 

facilities and manpower and it can use 

these for the purpose. 

There is a lack of necessary facilities for 

managing complications of leprosy like 

deformities/ulcers/lepra reactions in the 

country. The government should 

arrange necessary facilities with more 

sensitive and skilled doctors for the 

leprosy victims across the country. 

Uninterrupted supply of MDT drugs and 

other logistics support need to be 

differently. Get ready for an eventful few 

months. 

Even though Trump is not running in 

November, the election will revolve 

around him. Some Democrats want to 

win control of the House of 

Representatives so they can impeach 

him. If they also win a supermajority 

(two-thirds of the seats) in the Senate, 

they could convict him and banish him 

from office. More likely, though, 

Democrats would seek to gain a majority 

in either the House or Senate, or both, to 

limit the president's ability to enact the 

laws he wants. If Democrats gain a 

majority in the Senate, they can keep him 

from appointing any more judges and 

even any new employees to manage and 

run the federal government. 

From the start of the Trump 

presidency, some vocal Americans have 

resorted to threatening and vitriolic 

rhetoric not previously extant in US civic 

society. Right after Trump was 

ensured across the country. Presently, 

leprosy issue has not been given proper 

attention by the government. Financial 

allocation in addressing the issue is not 

sufficient for which leprosy eradication 

activities are being hampered. 

The rights activists said there are 

problems, which are obstructing the 

eradication of the disease. These are: lack 

of adequate manpower for early case 

detection across the country, nonintegration 

of leprosy into general health 

service, lack of quality health care, nonavailability 

of MDT drugs all over the 

country especially in remote areas, lack 

of adequate funds, lack of adequate 

knowledge among physicians, and 

scarcity of trained employees. 

We have to solve the problems and 

take steps for addressing the leprosy 

issue effectively. The steps includes 

taking necessary initiative for early case 

detection and their timely and complete 

management, quality leprosy services in 

an integrated setup by qualified health 

workers, rehabilitation of the affected 

people including medical and 

community-based rehabilitation. 

If integration of leprosy into the 

general health service is done, it can 

greatly enhance the scope of leprosy 

service. By integration, discrimination 

against leprosy will be removed and the 

patients have access to the services of 

ophthalmologists, surgeons, 

physiotherapists, and general 

physicians. "The government must play 

a leading role in drive against the disease. 

Otherwise, the drive against the disease 

is unlikely to succeed. A policy change by 

the government is very important", said 

the rights activists. In 2016, World 

Health Organization (WHO) launched 

the Global Leprosy Strategy 2016-2020: 

Accelerating towards a leprosy-free 

world, which aims to reinvigorate efforts 

to control leprosy and avert disabilities. 

The author, a journalist, can be 

reached at sissabuj@yahoo.com 

Even midterms will be eventful in deeply divided US 

ELLEN R. WALD 

inaugurated, pop singer Madonna told a 

crowd of protesters that she has "thought 

an awful lot about blowing up the White 

House." The rapper Snoop Dogg made a 

music video in 2017 that depicted him 

shooting a man wearing a clown-like 

mask of the president. Just this week, a 

Democrat Congressional representative 

from Tennessee appeared to call for a 

military coup because he disapproved of 

the president's handling of a press 

conference with Vladimir Putin. He 

tweeted: "Where are our military folks? 

The Commander in Chief is in the hands 

of our enemy!" 

This type of rhetoric is new in the US. 

Even before the American Civil War - a 

four-year struggle over slavery in the 

1860s that left 620,000 American 

soldiers dead - the disagreements were 

rarely this crass. These words point to the 

deep divide in American politics today. 

People are losing friends, family 

members are quarreling, and some 

Americans are losing their jobs because of 

their political speech. 

In some instances, the hatred has gone 

beyond speech. Recently, one of the 

president's Cabinet members, Secretary 

of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, 

was forced out of a restaurant when she 

was heckled by protesters. The 

President's Press Secretary Sarah 

Sanders and her family were also asked to 

leave a restaurant in Virginia recently. 

Source : Arab news 

Menstrual Hygiene and taboos in Bangladesh 

Menstruation is a common 

phase of a girls' life as well as 

the major physical sign for 

being a women. It gives her the 

opportunity to be a mother but it is 

regarded as a secret and shameful 

issue in low income and middle 

income countries like Bangladesh. 

For some social norms and beliefs, it 

is not discussed openly. A girl does 

not know about the menstruation 

before it starts with her. So, it is not 

easy for her to be prepared for it in 

early period through knowing 

required information about 

maintaining hygiene properly. A 

survey revealed that, 64% of girls are 

not introduced with the on 

menstruation before menarche. 

There are several restrictions that 

avert themselves from doing their 

regular everyday chores at their 

monthly period time. Restrictions are 

not only accustomed in rural/ poor 

families, it is maintained in urban 

and rich families also. During the 

period time, they are told not to touch 

food, cooking utensils or can not got 

to the kitchen. It is also prohibited to 

visit mosque of temple during the 

monthly period time. Moreover, it is 

Even when people affected by leprosy are cured, stigma 

can remain an obstacle to resuming regular life. People 

experiencing stigma may be unable to reintegrate into their 

families, marriages, jobs and wider communities. United 

Nation human rights expert Alice Cruz said, people 

affected by leprosy continue to suffer discrimination and 

lack of access to medical care. Discrimination was 

perpetuating people's unnecessary suffering and it was 

essential to tackle the root causes. 

Since Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016, Democrats 

have been irate. Some continue to deny his fair election 

and claim that the Trump campaign cheated. Some claim 

that Trump is "unsuited" to the presidency. Some claim 

that he has committed "high crimes and misdemeanors" 

worthy of impeachment. No serious evidence of any of 

these claims has been offered, so the Democrats must win. 

restricted for hindu women to touch 

cows or even the cow shed because 

cows are holy. In some areas, women 

do not go outside during the period 

time. They do not leave their homes 

for all the seven days each month. 

Women have to clean whole house 

after the end of her menstruation 

each month because the widespread 

belief that menstrual blood is 

pollutious and dangerous and 

without cleaning the whole house and 

they can't perform their everyday 

prayer. 

Most Bangladeshi families are too 

poor to buy sanitary pads, and 

instead use rags torn from old saris 

and other clothing. RITU, a 

menstrual hygiene awareness project 

co-created by RedOrange Media, 

Simavi, and The Netherlands 

Organization (TNO) conducted a 

research regarding the menstrual 

taboos common in our country and 

Most Bangladeshi families are too poor to buy 

sanitary pads, and instead use rags torn from old 

saris and other clothing. RITU, a menstrual 

hygiene awareness project co-created by 

RedOrange Media, Simavi, and The Netherlands 

Organization (TNO) conducted a research 

regarding the menstrual taboos common in our 

country and the adverse effect of those. 

the adverse effect of those. In their 

reseach, it is found that, the cloths 

they use for menstruation do not 

expose to others even their brother 

and father. For hiding it from the 

male members of their family, they 

dry it in sneaky places which can 

cause great harm to their health. 

According to a survey conducted by 

'National Hygiene Baseline Survey', 

89% of the surveyed girls who used 

cloth instead of sanitary pads during 

the time of menstruation, stored their 

menstrual cloth in a hidden place and 

repeatedly use without washing them 

in a proper way. Doctors said that it 

may lead a girl to infertility. 

For breaking those taboos, it 

requires a joint project by 

government and the private 

agencies. They must have to work in 

each community to raise awareness. 

It is also necessary to work with 

teachers to ensure that they have the 

necessary facts and that they are 

prepared to teach these subjects; 

however, it is also important that 

teachers are not espousing gender 

unequal norms whilst teaching these 

subjects. Fathers, mothers, 

community leaders and boys can 

play negative or positive roles in 

addressing the barriers for safe 

menstrual hygiene management. 

So, lets start the initiative to change 

the mindset's of people of not 

making a big deal of menstruating 

women. Girls', let's face period with 

self-confidence!

STRATEGIC ISSUES FRIDAY, 

JULY 20, 2018 

5 

‘Crayon Diplomacy’ in Taiwan 

James X. Morris 

For Mexican artist Raúl Gasque, 

Taiwan is a metaphorical canvas. 

Having lived on this island for 

three years, he has recognized that its 

geopolitical weakness can be remolded 

into something officially unofficial. He 

created his latest art project, Crayon 

Diplomacy, as a dialogue between the 

Taiwanese, Mexicans, and other 

foreigners living in Taiwan. 

His home country does not officially 

recognize Taiwan, a result of the 

government's adherence to Beijing's 

"one China" policy and sensitivity over 

cross-strait issues. Mexico therefore 

has neither an official embassy nor an 

official ambassador to Taipei. The 

government, like many governments, 

operates a trade and culture 

representative office in Taipei, staffed 

by career diplomats and Foreign 

Service workers who handle Mexico's 

visa, passport, and authentication 

necessities. 

Gasque has turned this diplomatic 

"negative space" into his canvas with 

his project. With the help of Mexico's 

representative office, the installation 

features several tables of abstract work 

meant to be touched, handled, and 

experienced through all the senses. 

The idea is for the visitor to leave an 

imprint on the artwork, and as it 

deteriorates over time, it represents a 

collection of stories from those who 

have manipulated it. "It's a 

nondiplomatic solution to a diplomatic 

problem," Gasque says. 

The majority of the hands touching 

his artwork belong to Taiwanese who 

are planning trips to Mexico. Mexicans 

and other foreigners living in Taiwan 

are also responsible for leaving their 

fingerprints. 

Gasque is hopeful to develop Crayon 

Diplomacy exhibits throughout East 

Asia. He feels the cultural and 

interpersonal connections between his 

country and this corner of the world are 

lacking; though Mexico had once had a 

very strong connection to the 

Philippines, geopolitics of the colonial 

age prevented Mexico from developing 

greater links in the region. 

"Mexico and the Philippines used to 

have great relations," he says. "They 

actually had an open two-way dialogue 

for 300 years - all these galleon routes, 

for example. People talk about Spain 

and the Philippines but actually it was 

Mexico and the Philippines. Acapulco 

to Manila… You go to Manila and the 

most important avenue was Mexico 

Avenue…. Go to Manila and the 

Philippines and you'll find so many 

parallels with Mexico. 

"But that's the only case, I would say." 

Mexico may have left a mark on 

Manila, but two-way understanding 

between Mexico and Asia seems to stop 

there. 

"[If you] go to Mexico and ask about 

East Asia, it's really limited. That's why 

I wanted to establish this in East Asia. 

Mexico and East Asia have an 

increasing commercial exchange, but 

cultural and human exchange is really 

limited. More than that, super limited. 

We don't know anything about [either] 

side." 

Enter Crayon Diplomacy. "Crayon 

diplomacy is an attempt to create 

bonds between countries with art and 

with abstraction through crayon," 

Gasque explains. 

Gasque's work is interactive abstract 

automatism. He wants to connect with 

those walking through the office. He 

encourages people to handle his art, to 

add to it, and to imprint something. 

An international audience on the opening night of Crayon 

Diplomacy. 

Photo: James X. Morris 

And of course, there are crayons. 

"We're so used to lineal 

communication - what we actually call 

straightforward relations and 

protocols. I would say they're necessary 

and actually they're the [building] 

blocks. This kind of solving scenario 

helps us to have structures and 

institutions. But for me crayon 

diplomacy is this kind of thing that 

actually can heal processes. That 

actually connects in other ways. That 

actually can fill empty spaces and 

usually goes really well with other 

structures that are made. "For example 

with protocols [you have] events, 

international affairs, human rights, but 

I would say that in these times we're 

actually seeing other kinds of scenarios. 

[Today,] computers and corporations 

are taking the part that these protocol 

work as. Crayon diplomacy can 

actually, in some other way, in a 

utopian scenario, fulfill the other 

scenarios and the other spaces." 

The exhibition is spread across four 

tables and hanging on the walls of the 

office's waiting room. At one table are a 

collection of books by Mexican and 

Taiwanese artists who inspired his 

work. At another is a collection of 

calligraphy books filled with abstract 

shapes made of various materials. A 

third table contains small canvases 

covered with melted materials. 

"They're made mostly with crayons and 

oil bars," he says. "They were forged. 

They were on fire before." 

I joined him as he was installing a 

new notebook at the fourth table. The 

notebooks here are accompanied by a 

palate of crayons and oil bars for 

anyone to draw and doodle with. 

"You can go, you can paint, you can 

draw… It's all right," he says. "These are 

things in the instructions, and the 

people actually follow the instructions. 

I'm really happy about that. The 

instructions say here 'please do not try 

to be logical.' Draw or write the first 

thing that comes to your mind. So that's 

super important." 

On the back wall, several sheets of 

paper hang over a map of Mexico. This 

is common of Gasque's interactive 

projects: asking visitors to express their 

own aesthetics. The paper is handmade 

in Taiwan; these sheets are 

typically meant for calligraphy. Its 

placement over a map of Mexico was 

on purpose. 

"It's a symbiosis. It's a Mexican map 

that represents a structure." The blank 

paper is for visitors to make whatever 

they want of the Mexico-Taiwan 

dialogue. On opening night at the 

exhibition in June, Taiwan's young 

adults, typically shy and reserved, 

spent the most time drawing on the 

paper. Gasque points to some doodles. 

"Is this Mexican or Taiwanese? You 

can't tell. This is really an international 

language. And this is actually one of 

the goals of this exhibition… to make 

this symbiosis. So you really can't tell." 

Despite the blurring of identity 

through the art, artists do have some 

tells that give away their culture. "You 

can tell there are some people who did 

it in a very cautious and respectful way. 

The Taiwanese artists, their work is 

really, really delicate in how they 

interact with something. It's like 

calligraphy. They pay attention to the 

details. Usually they [handle] the 

paper with care. They worked with 

these elements before. From my 

experience, at least what I can find, in 

Taiwan there are a lot of things are 

about precision. Or East Asia, 

perspective is precision. Think about it. 

You have to be precise. Even in your 

mistakes." As for Westerners, "you can 

see there's more improvisation. For 

example, in Mexico and America a lot 

of things are about improvisation. You 

can see that here." He points to a 

jagged pink asterisk… or starfish… or 

sea urchin. "You can see that pattern." 

Cultural background determines the 

amount of attention and detail given to 

the paper. For Gasque, the differences 

are fine. It allows two cultures to 

express themselves on the same 

canvas. "The day-by-day scenarios are 

the difference between two 

perceptions. When they come together 

you can make something beautiful and 

deep like this." 

Eventually the pieces of work will 

have to rest. The manipulation and 

energy they receive from human 

contact will wear them down - perhaps 

until they're blank canvases again. 

Wear and tear is fine, according to 

Gasque. But to preserve the 

information - the dialogue - they have 

been collecting, the manipulations will 

eventually come to an end, and new 

pieces will be introduced in their place 

to collect and reflect a new dialogue in 

a future point in time. 

The possibilities of Uzbek mediation 

Afghan Conflict 

Water has been one of the most contentious items in recent bilateral relations between the two 

countries. 

Photo: Singapore PUB 

The Water dispute between 

Malaysia and Singapore 

Divya Ryan 

On July 5, the chief minister of the Malaysian state of Johor 

suggested that the price at which Singapore buys water 

should be raised by 1600 percent. Water-scarce Singapore 

has depended on Malaysia for supply since their split in 1965, 

and has been buying water at 3 sen per thousand gallons. The 

same deal that has provided Singapore with up to 60 percent 

of its water has been the biggest wrench in relations between 

the two countries ever since. With the new Malaysian prime 

minister's revival of the issue in the past month, the city-state 

needs to act quickly to de-escalate the situation. 

When Malaysia's main opposition party Pakatan Harapan 

swept ruling party Barisan Nasional from power for the first 

time in the country's history, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad was 

reinstated as prime minister of Malaysia. His predecessor 

Najib Razak presided over what was lauded as the "golden 

era" of Singapore-Malaysia relations, signing mutually 

beneficial infrastructure deals such as the Kuala Lumpur- 

Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project and a stock market 

trading link between the two countries. 

By contrast, Mahathir has revived tensions with Singapore 

that are reminiscent of his first term as prime minister. He 

has cancelled the HSR deal, reviewed the trading link and 

dredged up the long-running debate about the Singapore- 

Malaysia water deal that dates back to Singapore's merger 

with Malaysia in 1962. The water deal has been one of the 

most contentious items in recent bilateral relations between 

the two countries. On June 24, Mahathir said that the price 

at which the small island nation is buying water from its 

larger neighbor is "manifestly ridiculous" and that the deal 

needs to be renegotiated. Singapore's Ministry of Foreign 

Affairs responded that both countries must uphold the 

agreement as it stands. Yet, less than a month later, the Johor 

chief minister proposed raising the water price 16-fold. 

Adding further to the rancor of this act, the proposal came 

only a week after the crown prince of Johor thanked 

Singapore for its water aid during drought seasons and the 

water crisis of 2016. 

The reasons for the new Malaysian government's 

antagonism towards Singapore are manifold. It is led by 

Pakatan Harapan, a coalition of four disparate parties. 

Mahathir has effectively teamed up with his former political 

opponents like Anwar Ibrahim) and current Finance 

Minister Lim Guan Eng to wrest power from Barisan 

Nasional. 

Mahathir must present a strong, unified stance to 

consolidate power for the new government, and is evoking a 

"rally-around-the-flag" nationalist sentiment in opposition 

to Malaysia's smaller, more prosperous neighbor. The prime 

minister appears to also be using the water deal as leverage 

in negotiating a withdrawal from the HSR deal without 

incurring significant penalties - a necessary move for a 

government trying to grapple with a crippling debt of 

RM1.087 trillion, a staggering 80.3 percent of Malaysia's 

GDP. Furthermore, Mahathir is trying to distance himself 

from disgraced ex-PM Najib by withdrawing from deals his 

predecessor had agreed to. 

The Singaporean government has been understanding of 

the domestic political situation in Malaysia. Defense Minister 

Ng Eng Hen remarked that Singapore did not need to 

"respond to every articulation" because Malaysian officials 

might be addressing an "internal audience". However, the 

government of the city-state has been quick to affirm that the 

water deal is an issue of national sovereignty, showing that 

Mahathir can only push so far in his effort to direct Malaysian 

attention away from domestic politics. 

It is imperative that the two governments cooperate to 

ensure that tensions do not spike, although Singapore has 

options to retaliate if it chooses to do so. It could raise the 

Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) fees for foreign vehicles as they 

enter the city-state, which would severely affect the quarter of 

a million commuters crossing the causeways linking Johor to 

Singapore every day. In addition, Singapore is Malaysia's top 

trading partner, and has run a deficit of $9.9 billion with the 

latter - the city-state can exert trade pressure on its larger 

neighbor to adhere to the water agreement as it stands. But 

these retaliatory measures may not be necessary. Both 

countries can find common ground on this issue. 

In January, Singapore and Malaysia announced a joint 

venture to conduct a hydrometric modelling study of the 

Johor River and Linggiu Reservoir (Singapore and Johor's 

main source of water, which receded to 20 percent capacity 

in 2016, causing the aforementioned water crisis). While at 

the time Malaysia agreed to fully fund the effort, Singapore 

could offer to fund the remainder of the project. 

Samuel Ramani 

On June 19, 2018, 

Uzbekistan invited 

representatives of 

Afghan President Ashraf 

Ghani's government and the 

Taliban to hold peace talks in 

Tashkent on Afghanistan's 

political future. This call for 

dialogue was triggered by the 

Taliban's acquiescence to a 

three-day ceasefire with 

Ghani in early June. 

As Uzbekistan hosted 

major Afghanistan peace 

talks in March, Tashkent's 

call for further dialogue was 

widely viewed as a 

reaffirmation of Uzbek 

President Shavkat 

Mirziyoyev's desire to 

increase Uzbekistan's 

diplomatic influence on the 

world stage. Uzbekistan 

believes it could be an 

effective mediator in the 

Afghanistan conflict for three 

reasons. 

First, Uzbekistan has a 

long history of engaging with 

rival factions in the 

Afghanistan conflict. 

Historically, the Uzbek 

government's strongest 

partner in Afghanistan has 

been Vice President Abdul 

Rashid Dostum, who has 

been in exile in Turkey 

(though his return to 

Afghanistan may be 

imminent). After the Taliban 

established the Islamic 

Emirate of Afghanistan in 

September 1996, 

Uzbekistan's President Islam 

Karimov viewed Dostum as 

the protector of 

Afghanistan's Uzbek 

minority, and encouraged 

the international community 

to support his resistance 

efforts. 

As tensions have recently 

risen in northern 

Afghanistan's Faryab 

Province over the arrest of 

Nizamuddin Qaisari, a 

leading ally of Dostum, 

Uzbekistan might be able to 

leverage its long-standing 

links with Dostum to prevent 

an intensified conflict 

between Dostum loyalists 

and the Afghan military. As 

cooperation between 

Tashkent and Kabul has 

strengthened since Ghani's 

December 2017 visit to 

Uzbekistan, the Afghan 

government may welcome 

an Uzbek mediation effort in 

a standoff that is becoming 

an unwelcome distraction to 

Ghani's core mission of 

battling the Taliban. 

In addition to maintaining 

productive relationships 

with Dostum and Ghani, 

Uzbekistan also has a history 

of covert dialogue with the 

Taliban. Although Karimov 

had a strained relationship 

with the Taliban due to the 

militant organization's 

alignment with the 

opposition Islamic 

Movement of Uzbekistan 

(IMU), Karimov stated in 

2000 that he would be 

willing to diplomatically 

engage members of the 

Taliban who were 

committed to peace and 

described Afghanistan's 

regime type as an "internal 

affair." 

Uzbekistan's willingness to 

cooperate with Taliban 

members that are interested 

in a political settlement has 

remained a feature of its 

foreign policy under 

Mirziyoyev. Although the 

Taliban refused to 

participate in the March 26- 

27 talks, Uzbek officials 

established covert dialogue 

linkages with Taliban 

members that could result in 

Taliban participation in 

subsequent talks. 

While the Taliban's 

unwillingness to consider a 

long-term ceasefire with 

Ghani is a blow to these 

engagement efforts, Uzbek 

officials believe that the 

stagnant situation in 

Afghanistan could convince 

some Taliban members to 

ultimately participate in 

peace talks if sufficient 

incentives are provided. If 

Tashkent can play a role in 

convincing some members 

of the Taliban to come to the 

bargaining table, 

Uzbekistan's status as a 

regional mediator will 

increase greatly. 

Second, Uzbekistan has 

distinguished itself from 

many other regional powers 

because of its ability to 

balance ties with Pakistan 

with criticisms of 

Islamabad's links to 

extremist groups in 

Afghanistan. This balancing 

act dates back to the July 

1999 Tashkent Declaration. 

In his 2013 book Uzbekistan 

and the United States: 

Authoritarianism, Islamism 

and Washington's Security 

Agenda, Shahram 

Akbarzadeh describes how 

Uzbekistan lobbied for the 

Can Uzbekistan prove itself an effective 

mediator? 

Photo: Collected 

creation of the UN Six Plus 

Two Group on Afghanistan. 

This group included 

Pakistan and applied 

pressure on Pakistan's Prime 

Minister Nawaz Sharif to 

detach Islamabad from its 

patronage of the Taliban. 

While relations between 

Uzbekistan and Pakistan 

have improved markedly 

since the Taliban's 

overthrow in 2001, 

Pakistan's sponsorship of 

Islamic extremist groups 

remains a point of tension 

between Tashkent and 

Islamabad. The participation 

of Pakistan in the March 

Tashkent peace talks and 

Pakistani Foreign Minister 

Khawaja Asif's praise for 

Uzbekistan's mediation 

efforts have raised hope in 

Uzbekistan that Tashkent 

could once again be a forum 

for frank dialogue over 

Islamabad's links to terrorist 

groups in Afghanistan 

Third, there is a growing 

consensus among major 

international stakeholders in 

the Afghanistan conflict that 

Tashkent is a neutral 

location for constructive 

peace talks on resolving 

Afghanistan's political crisis. 

As Uzbekistan provided its 

Karshi-Khanabad(K2) air 

base for U.S. troops in 

Afghanistan from 2001- 

2005 and cooperated with 

U.S. officials on 

counterterrorism, 

Washington has a favorable 

view of Uzbekistan's 

mediation offer. This 

positive outlook was 

revealed by U.S. Secretary of 

State Mike Pompeo's recent 

praise of Uzbekistan's 

willingness to step up its 

diplomatic involvement in 

Afghanistan. 

As Uzbekistan is a 

member of the Shanghai 

Cooperation Organization 

(SCO), China is likely to 

support Tashkent's 

mediation efforts as further 

peace talks could indirectly 

strengthen the SCO Contact 

Group in Afghanistan. 

Although Uzbekistan has 

been historically wary of 

Russia's hegemonic 

ambitions in Central Asia, 

the sustained improvement 

in Tashkent-Moscow 

relations under Mirziyoyev 

has reduced the chance of 

Russian resistance to 

Uzbekistan's conflict 

mediation efforts. 

This broad support has 

caused Uzbekistan to 

present itself as an 

indispensable actor in the 

resolution of hostilities in 

northern Afghanistan. 

Uzbekistan's November 

2010 construction of a longdistance 

railway from 

Hairatan to Mazar e-Sharif, 

and November 2017 

finalization of the Surkhan- 

Pul-e-Khumri power 

transmission project gives 

Tashkent considerable 

economic influence over 

actors on the Uzbekistan- 

Afghanistan border. This 

growth in influence caused 

Uzbek political scientist 

Rafik Sayfulin to argue in 

2017 that no regional power 

can resolve the northern 

Afghanistan security crisis 

without consulting 

Uzbekistan, and Tashkent 

will be keen to leverage this 

indispensability in 

multilateral peace 

negotiations.

NATIONAL 


6 

A view exchange meeting with journalists was held at the conference room of Joypurhat district fisheries 

officer in observance of the National Fisheries week on Wednesday. Photo: Mashrekul Alam 

National Fisheries Week 

begins in Joypurhat 

MASHREKUL ALAM, JOyPURHAT CORRESPONDENT 

National Fisheries week began in Joypurhat on Wednesday 

with a view to increase fish production. Marking the occasion 

a view exchange meeting with journalists was held at the 

conference room of district fisheries officer. District 

administration and Department of Fisheries jointly arranged 

the meeting. 

District Fisheries Officer Abdul Jalil Miah presided the 

meeting while among others, Additional Deputy 

Commissioner AKM Abdullah Hel Baki, Assistant 

Superintendent of Police Ekramul Haque, Joypurhat Press 

Club President Mostakim Farrokh, former president and 

editor of daily Mayer Achol, Adv. Nipendranath Mondal PP, 

General Secretary Ratan Kumar Khan, Treasurer Mashrelul 

Alam, journalist Ershadul Bari Tushar, adv. Asadul Islam, 

Rafiqul Islam were also present at the occasion. 

District Fisheries officer said that from 18th July, the 

programs for the week-long program includes extensive 

publicity and campaign for the expansion of fishery 

cultivation, mobilization of fishes, fish fairs, anti-formalin 

campaign, mobile courts for the implementation of fisheries 

law, fish market in populated areas, other topics related to 

public engagement and video-documentary exhibitions. 

In observance of the National Fisheries Week 2018 a press conference was 

held in Taraganj upazila parishad hall room on Wednesday. 

Photo: Biplop Hossain 

Press conference 

marking National 

Fisheries Week 

held in Taraganj 

BIPLOP HOSSAIN, TARAGANJ 

CORRESPONDENT 

A press conference was held 

marking the National 

Fisheries Week 2018 in 

Taraganj upazila parishad 

hall room on Wednesday. 

UNO Jilufa Sultana, Fish 

Officer Lutfunnahar, 

Assistant Fisheries Officer 

Habibur Rahman, Office 

Assistant Ashraful Islam, 

Field Assistant Sharna 

Kumar Kundu journalists of 

different print and electronic 

media working at Taraganj 

upazila were also present at 

the meeting. 

The speakers informed the 

newsmen about the different 

aspects of the programme. 

62.73 pc pass in 

Chattogram Board 

CHATTOGRAM: A total of 62.73 percent students 

passed the HSC and equivalent examinations under 

Chattogram Education Board (CEB) which is 1.64 

percent higher than that of the previous year, reports 

BSS. 

Some 96,858 examinees appeared in the HSC 

examinations under the Chattogram Board, according to 

the results published yesterday. 

Of the total, 60,755 passed in the HSC examinations 

this year. Among the successful candidates, 28326 are 

male students while 32429 are female. 

Under the board, a total of 1,613 students secured GPA 

(Grade Point Average) - 5 in the examination; 830 male 

students scored the GPA-5 while 783 female students are 

GPA-5 achievers. 

In the Science group, 14996 students out of 20499 

came out successful. In the Humanities group, 19528 

students out of 37776 examinees came out successful and 

in the Business Studies group 26241 examinees out of 

38,583 examinees came out successful. 

Female students have outperformed the male 

candidates in this year's HSC examinations under the 

board. 

Marking the National Fisheries Week 2018, a colourful rally was brought 

out from Rajbari district administration office and ended at the district 

officers club after parading the main roads of the town on Thursday. Later 

a discussion was held which was attended by Deputy Commissioner of 

Rajbari Md Shawkat Ali, UP chairman Fakir Ali Jabbar, Police Super Asma 

Siddique Mili, district fisheries officer Md Mozinur Rahaman and UNO 

Saiduzzaman. 

Photo: Md Moniruzzaman 

66.51 pc HSC pass 

in Rajshahi Board 

RAJSHAHI: The pass percentage in Higher Secondary 

Certificate (HSC) examination in Rajshahi Education Board 

is 66.51 this year. A total of 4,138 students including 1,904 

girls secured GPA-5 among the total 92,674 passed students 

in the examination this year, reports BSS. 

The board authority announced the results at a press 

conference in the conference hall here last noon with Prof Dr 

Anarul Haque Pramanik, controller of examinations of the 

board, in the chair. 

He told the journalists that the girls (72.69 pc) did better 

results than the boys (61.40 pc) this year. 

The result sheet shows the number of 100 pc passed 

colleges is 19 while not a single student came out successful 

from six colleges. Thirty-eight physically challenged students 

appeared in the examination this year and thirty-two of them 

become successful. 

A total of 1,39,330 students including 63,101 girls appeared 

in the examinations in 198 centres from 756 educational 

institutions in eight districts under the education board, said 

Prof Pramanik.. Previous year's pass percentage was 71.30 

while the number of GPA-5 obtained students was 5,294 

including 2,355 girls, he added. 

Cultural festival 

would be held 

in C'nawabganj 

CHAPAINAWABGANJ: A 

two-day long cultural 

festival would be held at 

Chapainawabganj Zila 

Shilpakala Academy on 

20th and 21st this mont, 

reports BSS. 

Additional Deputy 

Commissioner (General) of 

Chapainawabganj Abu 

Hayat Mohammad 

Rahmatullah disclosed this 

while giving a press 

briefing yesterday at the 

deputy commissioner's 

conference room. 

During the press briefing, 

district information officer 

Waheduzzaman and 

district cultural officer Md 

Farukur Rahman Foisol 

among others were 

present. 

Md Abdul Wadud, law 

maker of Chapainawabganj 

sadar constituency, would 

be the chief guest and joint 

secretary of the ministry of 

cultural affairs Mojibur 

Rahman Al Mamun would 

be the special guest in the 

opening session of the 

festival. 

Besides discussion, 

Tagore's songs, Nazrul 

song, modern song, 

patriotic song, folk song 

and other tradional songs 

and cultural activities 

would be presented in the 

two days functions. 

Before the press briefing, 

a colourful procession was 

taken out from the deputy 

commissioner's office 

premises. 

After parading the main 

roads of the town the 

procession ended at the 

same venue. 

Young generations 

urged to build 

book-reading habit 

RANGPUR: The younger generations should build up bookreading 

habit since their childhood to become enlightened 

citizens for building a superlatively educated nation, reports 

BSS. 

Educationists and literary personalities made the 

observation while addressing a function held at RCCI Public 

School and College in the city for distribution of books to the 

students on Wednesday, a press release said yesterday. 

The Biswa Shahityya Kendra (BSK) under its 'Countrybased 

excellence programmes' organised the function with 

assistance of Bkash Limited to expand book reading 

programme. 

Noted literary personality Ali Imam as the chief guest 

attended the function moderated by Joint Director 

(Programme) of BSK Mesbah Uddin Ahmed Suman. 

General Manager (Regulatory and Corporate Affairs) of 

Bkash Limited Humayun Kabir, Chairman of the Governing 

Body of RCCI Public School and College Mostafa Sohrab 

Chowdhury Titu and its Principal Professor Muhammad 

Abdul Jalil and Organizer of Rangpur unit of BSK Syed Ariful 

Islam spoke as special guests. 

Humayun Kabir said Bkash Limited has been remaining 

involved with the 'Country-based excellence programmes' of 

BSK for the school and college level students since 2014. 

"Bkash Limited has donated a total of 1.78-lakh books, 

including 38,000 in 2018 alone, to BSK for expanding its bookreading 

programmes to produce enlightened citizens," he said. 

"Bkash believes that book-reading can expand outlook of the 

people who can illuminate the society and contribute to the 

national development in various ways," he added. 

Through the book reading programme of BSK, Bkash 

would continue to contribute sincerely to tie the 'enlightened 

citizens' and 'development' in the same thread to build an 

enlightened and development nation, he said. 

Mesbah Uddin Ahmed Suman said that BSK has been 

organising various excellence programmes for the students 

for the last 40 years with the dream of building enlightened 

people. "The countrywide excellence (book-reading) activity 

is one of the most notable programmes toward the direction. 

Currently, around two-lakh male and female students of 

2,000 educational institutions are involved with this 

programme," he said. 

The chief guest said book-reading habit glorifies personal 

as well as social life and everybody, including the students, 

should read books to acquire proper knowledge for building 

an enlightened nation. Later, he distributed books to the 

students of the educational institution. 

Fisheries week 

observed in Narsingdi 

NARSINGDI: A rally and a discussion were arranged in the 

district yesterday marking the Fisheries week-2018, reports 

BSS. 

District Fisheries Week Observance Committee organised 

the discussion at Deputy Commissioner's conference room. 

It also arranged the colourful rally, led by Deputy 

Commissioner Narsingdi Seyda Ferhana Kawnine, in the 

town. Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Abdul 

Awal addressed the discussion as the chief guest with District 

Fishery Officer Mohammad Tofaj Uddin Ahmed in the chair. 

Tajmohal Begum, senior upazila fisheries officer, 

Narsingdi Sadar, made a power-point presentation on the 

development of fisheries sector in Narsingdi. 

Deputy director of the Department of Agriculture 

Extension (Narsingdi) Lotafat Hossain and additional police 

superintendent Jakir Hossain spoke at the discussion as 

special guests. 

On Wednesday, District Fishery Officer Mohammad Tofaj 

Uddin Ahmed at a press conference said fisheries sector is 

one of the most important sectors of the country. 

The department has been playing vital role in fulfilling the 

nutrition demand of a huge number of the country's people 

in the last nine years, he said. 

Black tea of Habiganj playing 

vital role in country's economy 

MAMUN CHOWDHURy, HABIGANJ CORRESPONDENT 

Black tea which is also known as black jewel 

in Habiganj is one of the most valuable assets 

of the district. The country is getting money 

by selling it. Moreover thousands of workers 

have been employed. Also the concerned 

people involved in this industry are 

financially self-reliant. 

The tea industry sources said that the CPC 

black tea garden is being produced in 

gardens of Habiganj. This black tea is 

exported abroad by meeting the needs of the 

country. This tea leaf is made by processing 

green leaves of the tree. 

The soil of hill areas of Habiganj is most 

suitable for this tea production. Tea gardens 

of Chunarughat, Madhabpur, Bahubal and 

Nabiganj upazilas produces this excellent 

quality tea. 

Kazi Masudur Rahman, manager of 

Amtali Tea Garden in Bahubal upazila said 

that around there are around 35 tea gardens 

surrounded by the hill areas. Tea season 

starts from March 15 of the year and runs 

until December. During this time, the 

workers spent busy hours in the garden 

collecting tea plant and leaf. He further said, 

regular rainfall is good for tea industry. But 

problem arises if rainfall is excessive. 

According to the sources of tea industry, 

Habiganj gardens produce one crore kg of 

tea leaves every season. Sometimes the 

production increases further. 

Riyaz Uddin, senior manager of Deundi 

Tea Garden said that tea is produced in the 

garden according to two seasons. The 

workers collect buds from the trees and 

bring them to the factory. There after 

processing suitable tea for selling gets ready. 

This tea is then sent to Chittagong for sale. 

This is being done since the British period. 

Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, Manager of 

Chandichara Tea Garden said that 

thousands of workers in Habiganj are living 

honestly. The people associated with it are 

also working with engagement and getting 

benifitted. 

Lalchand garden manager said that the 

tea-workers are the soul of the tea garden. 

Women workers are working hard in the 

garden and are being assessed in that ratio. 

The garden authorities are working to 

facilitate the livelihood of workers. The 

workers are being assisted apart from 

regular wages, rations, fuel wood, medical, 

festivals and accommodation arrangements. 

According to the sources, there are more 

than one lakh tea workers in 35 tea gardens 

in Rashidpur, Rampur, Vrindaban, Imam 

Bawani, Kamaiichara, Madhupur, Faizabad, 

Chittalachara, Teliapara, Jagadishpur, 

Sribari, Parakul, Nasimabad, Baikundhapur, 

Surma, Chandpur, Chandichara, Ramganga, 

Laskarpur, Deandi, Lalchand, Rema, Nalua 

and Amtali of the district. 

Nripen Paul, leader of Bangladesh Cha 

Sramik Union and resident of Chandpur Tea 

Garden said that around 358 tea gardens are 

being run in the country through seven 

valleys including Laskarpur, Sylhet, Juri, 

Longla, Manu-Dhalai, Baliishra and 

Chittagong. 160 tea gardens have factories. 

There are around 5 lakh workers in tea and 

leaf production. Most of the workers for 

lifting tea leaves are women And there are 

millions of laborers in Habiganj. 

Black tea which is also known as black jewel in Habiganj is playing a vital 

role in country's economy. 

Photo: Mamun Chowdhury 

Concerted efforts 

stressed to end violence 

against children 

RAJSHAHI: Concerted efforts of both and government and 

non-government entities can be the crucial means of ending 

all sorts of violence especially physical and mental against 

children, reports BSS. 

Social responsibility and political will is very much 

important to ensure the fundamental rights of the children. 

The children must be freed from all sorts of violation, 

repression and deprivation for building a healthy and 

knowledge-based future generation. 

The views were expressed at a roundtable titled "Way-out 

of Resisting Violence against Children" at Parjatan Motel 

conference hall in the city today. Ladies Organisation for 

Social Welfare (LOFS) and World Vision Bangladesh jointly 

organised the discussion. 

Additional Commissioner of Rajshahi division Aminul 

Islam addressed the meeting as the chief guest with Jamal 

Uddin, regional advocacy and communication coordinator of 

World Vision, in the chair. 

District Women Affairs Officer Shirin Akhter, Assistant 

Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police 

Shirin Akhter Jahan, Assistant Programme Manager of 

World Vision Bimol James Costa and Executive Director of 

LOFS Shahnaj Parveeni also spoke on the occasion. 

Among others, Local unit coordinator of Bangladesh Legal 

Aid and Services Trust Advocate Samina Begum and 

Professor Mustafizur Rahman from Department of 

Anthropology of Rajshahi University took part in the open 

discussion. 

During his concept paper presentation, Advocate Shahinul 

Haque Moon said physical and mental development of 

children couldn't be possible until they were protected from 

violence and deprivation. LOFS Vice-president Azizur 

Rahman moderated the discussion. 

The chief guest said, "Children should be protected from all 

sorts of labour, violence, repression and oppression so that 

they could make themselves competent enough to serve the 

nation." He also emphasised the need for ensuring children's 

safety and security and stopping early marriage for the 

greater national interest. 

Zonal Managers 

asked to perform 

duties with sincerity 

RAJSHAHI: Utmost 

importance should be given 

on attaining all business 

targets of Rajshahi Krishi 

Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) in 

the current fiscal so that it 

can uphold the pace of 

earning profit, reports BSS. 

Aim of the present 

government is to build a 

skilled, strengthened and 

inclusive financial 

management in the country. 

Besides, the government is 

committed to reach the 

banking services to the 

peoples' doorsteps. 

RAKUB management 

came up with the 

observations while 

addressing the performance 

evaluation meeting of zonal 

managers at Ashrai 

Research and Training 

Centre here on Wednesday. 

Chairman of the bank 

Nazrul Islam and its 

Director Prof Rustam Uddin 

Ahmed addressed the 

meeting as chief and special 

guests respectively with 

Managing Director Kazi 

Alamgir in the chair. 

General Managers 

Mozammel Haque, 

Khandaker Golam Mostofa, 

Saidur Rahman and 

Rakibur Rahman also spoke. 

In addition to all 

departmental heads of head 

office, 18 zonal managers, 

divisional audit officers. 

A colourful rally organised by Kishoreganj upazila administration and 

fisheries department was brought out on Thursday in observance of the 

National Fisheries Week 2018. 

Photo: Mafe Sheikh

INTERNATIONAL 

FRIDAy, 

7 

JULy 20, 2018 

Israel's parliament approved a controversial piece of legislation on Thursday that defines the country as the 

nation-state of the Jewish people but which critics warn sidelines minorities. 

Photo: Internet 

Israeli parliament passes contentious 

Jewish nation bill 

Palestinians 

protest US visa 

denial to experts 

to come to UN 

The Palestinians are protesting 

the U.S. refusal to grant 

visas to six experts from the 

prime minister's office to 

come to the United Nations 

to present a report on Palestinian 

implementation of 

U.N. goals for 2030. 

The Palestinian U.N. 

ambassador, Riyad Mansour, 

told two reporters Wednesday 

that Israel "complicated 

the matter" by refusing to 

allow several of the experts to 

travel from Ramallah to 

Jerusalem where the U.S. 

Consulate is located to check 

on their visas. "We condemn 

this action," Mansour said. 

He said it violates the U.N. 

agreement with the United 

States as host country of the 

world organization, which 

requires the U.S. to facilitate 

U.N. work and allow delegates 

to attend U.N. meetings. 

Mansour said he plans to 

send a letter of protest to the 

General Assembly committee 

dealing with host country 

relations. The U.S. Mission 

said it was looking into the 

complaint. Israel's U.N. Mission 

did not immediately 

respond to an email seeking 

comment. Since the experts 

couldn't attend the high-level 

meeting taking place this 

week at U.N. headquarters, 

Mansour said he and his 

team "were able to improvise" 

and presented the 

Palestinian report on Tuesday. 

He said it "received a 

long applause from the participants." 

Mansour said he started 

the presentation by "condemning 

the fact that they 

were denied visas, and the 

work of our delegation. 

Israel's parliament approved a controversial 

piece of legislation on Thursday 

that defines the country as the nationstate 

of the Jewish people but which 

critics warn sidelines minorities. 

The government says the bill, passed 

in the early morning hours, will merely 

enshrine into law Israel's existing character. 

Prime Minister Benjamin 

Netanyahu called its passage a "historic 

moment in the history of Zionism and 

the history of the state of Israel." 

"Israel is the nation state of the Jewish 

people, which honors the individual 

rights of all its citizens," he said. "I 

repeat this is our state. The Jewish 

state." 

"Lately, there are people who are trying 

to destabilize this and therefore 

destabilize the foundations of our existence 

and our rights," he added. "So 

today we have made a law in stone. This 

is our country. This is our language. 

This is our anthem and this is our flag. 

Long live the state of Israel." 

Israel's 1948 declaration of independence 

defined its nature as a Jewish and 

democratic state, a delicate balance the 

country has grappled to maintain for 70 

years. Opponents of the new bill say it 

marginalizes the country's Arab minority 

of around 20 percent and also 

downgrades Arabic language from official 

to "special" standing. 

The law passed with a 62-55 backing, 

with two members of the Knesset 

abstaining. The legislation, defined as a 

"basic law," granting it quasi-constitutional 

status, will likely face a challenge 

at the Supreme Court. 

Lawmakers took turns to passionately 

express their views in a rowdy, hourslong 

debate in parliament overnight. 

Ayman Odeh, the head of the Arab 

Joint List, pulled out a black flag and 

waved it during his speech, warning of 

the implications of the law. 

"This is an evil law," he told lawmakers, 

adding that "a black flag hovers 

over it." 

"Today, I will have to tell my children, 

along with all the children of Palestinian 

Arab towns ... that the state has 

declared that it does not want us here," 

Odeh said in a statement later. "It has 

passed a law of Jewish supremacy and 

told us that we will always be secondclass 

citizens." 

Benny Begin, son of former Israeli 

Prime Minister Menachem Begin, the 

founder of Netanyahu's ruling Likud 

party, abstained from voting, warning 

of the party's growing disconnect from 

human rights. 

"This is not a decision I expected 

from the Likud leadership," he said. 

Eugene Kontorovich, international 

law director at the Kohelet Policy 

Forum, a conservative Jerusalem think 

tank, defended the bill, arguing it "is 

similar to provisions in many Western 

democratic constitutions, which provide 

for an official language and national 

character that reflects the majority of 

the population." 

Kontorovich dismissed the "faux outrage" 

against the bill as "simply another 

attempt to single-out the Jewish 

state and hold her to a double standard." 

American Jewish organizations also 

expressed their disapproval of the law. 

The American Jewish Committee, a 

group representing the Jewish Diaspora, 

said it was "deeply disappointed," 

adding that the law "puts at risk the 

commitment of Israel's founders to 

build a country that is both Jewish and 

democratic." 

Jeremy Ben Ami, president of J 

Street, a Washington liberal pro-Israel 

group, said the bill's purpose is "to send 

a message to the Arab community, the 

LGBT community and other minorities 

in Israel, that they are not and never 

will be equal citizens." 

"Strong connection between Israel 

and Jews worldwide is based on these 

values that Israel is both a Jewish and 

democratic state," Ben Ami said, 

adding concerns the bill would "weaken 

the strength of Israel's democracy." 

Lawmakers had removed the most 

contentious clause of the bill on Sunday 

which would have allowed the establishment 

of "separate communities" 

and which critics had called racist. 

Israelis, including President Reuven 

Rivlin and attorney general, voiced 

opposition to the earlier draft of the bill. 

Israelis opposed to the bill, deeming it 

discriminatory, took to the streets to 

protest in large numbers on Saturday in 

Tel Aviv. 

As state of emergency ends, 

Turkey mulls new terror laws 

As Turkey's two-year state of emergency comes to an end, the government is set to introduce 

new anti-terrorism laws it says are needed to deal with continued security threats. The 

opposition insists the laws are just as oppressive as the emergency powers they will replace. 

Turkey declared a three-month state of emergency days after a violent failed coup attempt in 

2016 and extended it seven times since then. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had pledged not to prolong it when it expires at midnight 

Wednesday as part of a campaign promise ahead of last month's elections, which he won. 

Instead, a parliamentary committee is on Thursday scheduled to debate government-proposed 

legislation which among other things, would allow authorities to press ahead with mass 

dismissals of civil servants and hold some suspects under custody for up to 12 days. A vote in 

the general assembly could be held next week. Under the state of emergency, Turkey has 

arrested over 75,000 people for alleged links to Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based cleric whom 

Ankara blames for the failed attempt. Some 130,000 civil servants have been purged from 

government jobs for purported links to terror organizations. 

Macedonian PM reveals question 

for referendum on name change 

Macedonia's prime minister has announced the question his country's citizens will face in a 

referendum this fall on a recent deal with Greece changing the country's name to "North 

Macedonia". Zoran Zaev said late Wednesday after a meeting with political party leaders that 

the question will be: "Are you in favor of membership in the European Union and NATO by 

accepting the deal between the Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Greece?" 

Zaev said the referendum will be "consultative," a possibility allowed for under the country's 

law for referenda, but added that "the people's say will be final for all political parties." 

The leader of the main conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, Hristijan Mickoski, 

walked out of the meeting, demanding another round of talks. More discussions are planned 

for later Thursday. 

Macedonia's prime minister has announced the question his country's citizens 

will face in a referendum this fall on a recent deal with Greece changing 

the country's name to "North Macedonia". 


Loon's first commercial 

internet balloon deal is 

in Kenya 

Loon, the internet-delivering-balloon 

unit of Googleparent 

Alphabet, is 

announcing its first commercial 

deal. 

The company says it will 

work with partner Telkom 

Kenya to deliver 4G/LTE 

cellular access to Kenya in 


The announcement comes 

just a week after Loon graduated 

from Alphabet's secretive 

"moonshot factory" 

known as X. That means it's 

considered a full-fledged 

company beside sister companies 

including Google and 

self-driving car developer 

Waymo. 

The balloons will be tested 

in central Kenya, which has 

been difficult to service due 

to mountainous or inaccessible 

terrain. The high-altitude 

balloons have already been 

deployed in emergencies in 

Peru and Puerto Rico, where 

they helped regions devastated 

by floods and hurricanes. 

In Syria, evacuation 

underway of progovernment 

villages 

Syrian state media are 

reporting that over 7,000 

people from two pro-government 

villages in the 

country's northwest 

besieged by the rebels for 

three years have started to 

leave their homes. 

The evacuation started on 

Thursday. It's expected to 

empty the villages of Foua 

and Kfarya of their residents 

in a deal negotiated over the 

last few months between the 

government and rebels. 

In exchange, the government 

is expected to release a 

number of jailed insurgents. 

The village evacuation was 

used as a negotiating chip in 

earlier population transfers 

along conflict lines. The 

United Nations wasn't part 

of the negotiations. 

Putin chides Trump’s opponents, 

calls summit a success 

Russian President Vladimir Putin called his 

first summit with President Donald Trump a 

success - but warned Thursday that Trump's 

opponents in the U.S. are hampering any 

progress on what they discussed, such as 

limiting their nuclear arsenals or ending the 

Syrian war. 

In his first public comments about the 

summit, Putin told Russian diplomats that 

U.S.-Russian relations are "in some ways 

worse than during the Cold War," but that 

his meeting with Trump on Monday allowed 

them to start on "the path to positive 

change." 

"It's naive to think that the problems would 

be solved in a few hours. But no one expected 

that," Putin said. 

"We will see how things develop further," 

Putin said, evoking unnamed "forces" in the 

U.S. trying to prevent any improvement in 

relations and "putting narrow party interests 

above the national interest." 

Putin faces no serious political opposition 

at home, and leads a country that has never 

experienced a democratic transfer of power. 

Trump, by contrast, has come under widespread 

domestic criticism about the meeting 

both from Democratic opponents and senior 

Republicans. Trump notably flip-flopped 

repeatedly over what exactly he said to Putin 

at the summit, and whether he believes that 

Russia meddled in the 2016 election campaign 

on Trump's behalf. 

Trump tweeted Thursday that his critics in 

the media "are pushing so recklessly hard 

and hate the fact that I'll probably have a 

good relationship with Putin." 

In a possible dig at Trump's unpredictable 

presidency, Putin vaunted Russia's "consistent, 

responsible, independent foreign policy." 

Putin had both criticism and praise for 

Trump in a broad speech about Russian foreign 

policy. 

The Russian leader praised Trump's 

mediation efforts in North Korea, but 

slammed his decision to pull out of the international 

accord curbing Iran's nuclear activities. 

He also lashed out at Europe and U.S.- 

dominated NATO, saying Russia would hit 

back with an "equivalent response" to 

NATO bases near Russia's borders and 

other "aggressive steps." He didn't 

elaborate. 

Russian politicians are rallying behind 

Putin and shrugging off Trump's wildly contradictory 

accounts of what he said to Putin 

at Monday's summit. They are angry, 

however, at proposals by U.S. lawmakers to 

question Trump's translator about what the 

men discussed privately. Konstantin 

Kosachev, head of the upper house of parliament's 

foreign affairs committee, said the 

idea sets a dangerous precedent that threats 

the "the whole idea of diplomacy," according 

to Russian news agencies. 

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during 

a joint news conference after their summit on Monday, July 16, 2018, in 

Helsinki, Finland. 


Rivers dry and fields dust, Iranian 

farmers turn to protest 

The small group of Iranian farmers 

gathered around their tractors - long 

idle, parked at the town entrance next 

to a canal that once irrigated their fields 

but has been dry for years - and they 

protested, pleading for help from the 

government. 

"We are the people," shouted Mostafa 

Benvidi. "Help the people. At night they 

go to bed hungry!" They held signs 

addressing officials they blame for their 

dried-up fields. "How long will you eat 

your bread made with our blood?" one 

sign read. 

Every day, farmers hold their small 

protest outside Varzaneh. It's a sign of 

the anger that has been growing over 

water shortages caused by a years-long 

drought but worsened, experts say, by 

government mismanagement. 

Protests have gotten larger, with 

bursts of violence, at a time when economic 

woes in the country from inflation 

to unemployment have fueled 

unrest repeatedly over the last year. 

In March, Benvidi lost sight in his left 

eye and has more than 100 pellet shots 

in his body, suffered during clashes 

between police and farmers who held a 

sit-in strike in Varzaneh. Earlier this 

month, in another part of southern 

Iran, 11 people were wounded when 

police broke up a protest in Khorramshahr, 

where residents complain of 

brown water coming from their taps. 

"Officials just come and promise to 

deal with the crisis and then just leave," 

said the 30-year-old Benvidi. 

He and his family of six siblings and 

their father used to rely on their 3- 

hectare farm, planting barley, wheat, 

corn and cotton. But they haven't been 

able to farm for years because of lack of 

water. Now Benvidi is unemployed, 

and his family lives off the seasonal 

construction work his brothers get in 

nearby towns and his sister's carpet 

weaving. 

Over the past decade, Iran has seen 

the most prolonged and severe drought 

in more than 30 years, according to the 

U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization. 

An estimated 97 percent of the 

country has faced some level of 

drought, Iran's Meteorological Organization 

says. 

Isfahan province, where Varzaneh is 

located, and neighboring provinces in 

central Iran have been hit particularly 

hard. 

The Zayandeh Roud river once 

watered this region, flowing down from 

the Zagros Mountains, through the city 

of Isfahan and through a string of farming 

towns like Varzaneh and its suburbs, 

home to 30,000 people, some 

550 kilometers (340 miles), south of 

the capital Tehran. 

But it dried up years ago. The fields 

around Varzaneh are now stretches of 

desiccated, salt-laced dirt. The cattle 

are gone. Around 90 percent of the 

farming activities in the district have 

faded away, said Reza Khalili, an environmental 

activist in Varzaneh. 

Government policies have worsened 

the strain caused by drought and growing 

population, Khalili and other 

experts say. Authorities are building 

more factories, sucking up large 

amounts of water. In July, officials cut 

ribbon of another phase of a steel mill 

in Isfahan. Water has also been diverted 

to other regions. 

"The water cycle has been annihilated. 

All the water of the river has been 

allocated to industry," Khalili said. 

Outside of Varzaneh once stretched 

the Gavkhouni wetlands, a swamp fed 

by Zayandeh Roud. Until a decade ago, 

it was a home for migrating birds, 

including flamingos. Now much of the 

470-square kilometer (180 square 

mile) wetlands has shriveled into salty 

fields that kick up sandstorms blowing 

over the region. Khalili warned that the 

dirt contains traces of mercury, lead 

and cadmium. 

Habib Ramazani, a 57-year-old who 

was at the protest with Benvidi, said he 

and his family used to get by farming 

wheat, cotton and beetroot. He hasn't 

farmed for years now. 

"I am speechless. No official pays 

attention to our miserable situation," 

said Ramazani, a father of five. 

The town boasts of sending hundreds 

of its young men to fight in the long 

Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s - Ramazani 

was among the volunteers. A smaller 

town then, more than 100 of its boys 

were killed in the fighting, and their 

posters still adorn the streets. 

Now young men emigrate in search 

of a better life. 

"Many of my friends moved to near 

and far towns to find jobs," said Ruhollah 

Sohrabi, a pistachio farmer who 

now works as construction worker in 

other cities. 

In 2012, farmers in Varzaneh clashed 

with police and broke a water pipe that 

transports 50 million cubic meters of 

water a year from Isfahan to the neighboring 

province of Yazd. 

Similar protests continued from 2016 

to now. At one point, the government 

paid around $250 to each family hit by 

the crisis, a step criticized as a band-aid 

rather than a solution. 

"More social conflict may be on the 

way. Officials do not have the necessary 

expertise to manage water resources," 

said Hamid Safavi, a professor of water 

resources management and environmental 

engineering at the Isfahan University 

of Technology. 

He said each province decides on its 

own how to use their water, without 

looking at the impact on the resources. 

Unless policies change, "we are heading 

from a water crisis to a disaster," he 

said. "This is not conjecture. It is a certainty." 

The Zayendeh Roud river once was 

the pride of Isfahan city, running under 

its historic bridges, most famously the 

Si-o-seh Pol, a 400-year-old bridge 

named for its 33 arches. 

Now it is a barren strip of caked dirt 

through the city center. 

Iraj Rostami stood under of the arches 

in the Si-o-seh Pol on a recent day, 

singing. He used to come here often 

with wife and children to admire the 

scenery. Now he rarely stops there. "It 

is gradually changing to a place for 

homeless and addict people," he said. 

"It's sad." 

Russians protest 

retirement age rise, in 

challenge for Putin 

Russians are protesting government 

plans to hike the retirement age, in a 

rare challenge to President Vladimir 

Putin's leadership. 

The State Duma is voting on the bill 

Thursday, which would raise the age at 

which retirees can receive state pensions 

from 60 to 65 for men, and from 

55 to 63 for women. The rise would 

occur in stages over the next 15 years. 

Activists from both Communist and 

pro-free market parties held demonstrations 

ahead of the vote. Several 

arrests were reported at an unauthorized 

rally in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. 

The government argues Russia needs 

pension reform to boost economic 

growth, but Putin's approval rating 

slipped after the announcement.

ART & CULTURE 

fRIDAy, 

JULy 20, 2018 

8 

Dhadak screening: Shahid Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan 

and Rekha watch Janhvi and Ishaan's movie 

The makers of blockbuster film 

Sanju, a biopic on controversial 

Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, have 

released a new song from the 

film. Titled Bhopu baj raha hain, 

this song is an ode to Sanjay 

Dutt's unique dance moves. The 

song was not featured in Sanju. 

Ranbir Kapoor, who plays 

Sanjay in the film, has copied 

most of Sanjay's moves with 

perfection, but he seems a little 

Janhvi Kapoor and 

Ishaan Khatter starrer 

Dhadak hits screens on 

Friday. While 

audience's verdict 

about this Hindi 

Sanju song Bhopu Baj 

Raha Hain has Ranbir 

Kapoor flaunting Sanjay 

Dutt's dance moves 

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. 

adaptation of Marathi 

blockbuster Sairat will 

be out tomorrow, B- 

town celebrities have 

already watched the 

Shahshank Khaitan 

faster. The most 

recognisable move among all is 

Sanjay's criss-cross step on the 

song Tamma Tamma Loge from 

Thanedar (1990). 

The song also features Vicky 

Kaushal and Karishma Tanna. 

Voiced by Nakash Aziz, it is 

penned by Shekhar and Rohan. 

Composed by Rohan-Rohan, it 

relies on trendy beats and 

colourful visuals. 

H o RoSCoPe 

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. 

directorial. On 

Wednesday evening, 

the makers of Dhadak 

organised a special 

screening of the film. 

Shahid Kapoor, 

Karisma Kapoor, 

Rekha, Khushi Kapoor, 

Boney Kapoor, Sara Ali 

Khan, Soha Ali Khan 

and many others came 

to watch the love story 

unfold on the big 

screen. 

Dhadak is a story of 

Madhukar (Ishaan) 

and Parthavi (Janhvi) 

who fall in love with 

each other but have to 

fight their families and 

society to be with each 

other. Directed by 

Sanju is now among the 

highest grossing Indian films 

ever. The film has already 

crosses the Rs 320 crore mark, 

and still going strong. At this 

pace, it may end up among the 

top three. 

Ranbir is receiving praise from 

Bollywood celebrities for his 

performance in Sanju. His 

rumoured girlfriend Alia Bhatt is 

also among them. At a media 

Badrinath Ki Dulhania 

fame Shashank 

Khaitan, the movie is 

produced by Karan 

Johar's Dharma 

Productions. The movie 

marks the debut of 

Janhvi in Bollywood 

and is Ishaan's second 

film after Majid 

Majidi's Beyond The 

Clouds. 

At the screening of 

the movie, Janhvi 

found the love and 

support of her family 

members. Daddy 

Boney Kapoor and 

sisters Khushi and 

Anshula Kapoor 

attended the screening 

of the movie. 

interaction, she said, "I really 

liked it. It is a fantastic, fabulous 

and an outstanding film. I think 

in my top 10 best film list, 'Sanju' 

is high up there. 

Ranbir is outstanding in it. 

Vicky Kaushal and Paresh ji 

(Rawal) also did a fantastic job. 

Everyone including Anushka 

(Sharma) and Sonam (Kapoor) 

did really good job. It's a full 

package." 

Sonali Bendre on 

telling son Ranveer 

about her cancer 

diagnosis: He took the 

news so maturely 

When Priyanka Chopra 

spoke about marrying 

TV actor Mohit Raina 

The rumours of Priyanka Chopra and 

Nick Jonas' wedding are the talk of 

the town, but there was a time when 

a TV actor was her family's favourite. 

Before you start guessing, it was one 

of Indian TV's biggest stars Mohit 

Raina, the lead actor of mythological 

show Devon Ke Dev Mahadev. 

As per a report in India Today, 

Priyanka one told Zoom TV about 

this. Priyanka said that her aunty 

liked Mohit because he was "wellbehaved, 

honest, young man who is 

also an exceptionally good actor." 

Priyanka is currently among the 

most recognisable Indian faces in the 

world. She is acting in Hollywood 

films and an American TV show. 

She is said to be in a serious 

relationship with Nick Jonas. 

Priyanka and Nick attended the Met 

Gala together in 2017 but their 

romance started much later. Things 

started looking serious after 

Priyanka was Nick's plus one at a 

family wedding while she visited 

India with the singer in June. 

Talking about their India visit, 

Priyanka told People, "We're getting 

to know each other and I think it was 

a great experience for him. That's 

what he said. I think he really 

enjoyed it." 

During their time in India, she 

introduced Nick to her mother 

Madhu and attended a friend's 

wedding. Priyanka will soon be seen 

in Isn't It Romantic and Bharat. Her 

show Quantico has returned for the 

third season. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Apart from the love and blessings 

showered on her by family, friends and fans, 

Sonali Bendre draws most of her courage 

from her 12-year-old son Ranveer Behl. The 

actor who is suffering from a high-grade 

cancer took to Instagram and shared a 

photo with Ranveer. Along with the photo, 

the actor mentioned how important it is to 

involve kids in the family situation. She also 

mentioned that it is her son who "switch on 

the sunshine" in her as she battles with 

cancer in New York. 

Hollywood stars have 

been criticised for taking 

roles away from 

transgender and disabled 

actors. Should minorities 

on-screen only be 

represented by minority 

actors? 

Last week, Scarlett 

Johansson stepped down 

from a role as a 

transgender man 

following a backlash 

from the LGBT 

community. 

A few days later, 

Dwayne "The Rock" 

Johnson was branded 

hypocritical for calling 

for more disabled actors 

on-screen while also 

taking on the lead role of 

Will Sawyer - an FBI 

agent with a prosthetic 

leg - in his new film 

Skyscraper. 

In this sensitised 

climate, the traditional 

belief that acting is 

Expressing her love for her son, Sonali 

wrote, "From the moment he was born 12 

years, 11 months and 8 days ago, my 

amazing @rockbehl took ownership of my 

heart. From then on, his happiness and 

wellbeing have been the centre of 

anything @goldiebehl and I ever did." 

Continuing, she mentioned the fears she 

and husband Goldie Behl had about 

founded on portraying 

someone you're not, is 

breaking the news of her cancer to their 

little kid. "When the Big C reared its ugly 

head, our biggest dilemma was what and 

how we were going to tell him. As much as 

we wanted to protect him, we knew it was 

important to tell him the full facts. We've 

always been open and honest with him 

and this time it wasn't going to be 

different," wrote the Kal Ho Na Ho actor. 

Is Dwayne Johnson's disabled role in 

Skyscraper 'offensive' 

being denounced to the 

point of toxicity. 

This certainly proved 

the case for journalist 

Daniella Greenbaum, 

who wrote a column for 

Business Insider 

defending Johansson's 

right to play a trans man. 

The outrage first forced 

the piece offline before 

ultimately causing 

Greenbaum to resign. 

In her resignation letter 

she defended her belief 

that "actors should be 

free to act", and warned 

against the "power of the 

mob" to transform 

difference of opinion into 

alleged bigotry. 

"I believe female actors 

can play men and trans 

men," she wrote on 

Twitter. "That is the 

apparently controversial 

view that inspired 

Business Insider to take 

down my piece."

SPORTS 

FriDAy, JULy 20, 2018 

9 

The Sri Lanka in-fielders appeal for a wicket against South Africa. 

Photo: AP 

Another trial by spin awaits 

South Africa 

Sports Desk: Soon, Sri Lankans 

might be making jokes about how the 

captain, the coach and the manager 

should be banned more often. Dinesh 

Chandimal, Chandika Hathurusingha 

and Asanka Gurusinha will miss four of 

the five ODIs against South Africa, after 

the ICC meted out its most severe 

punishment earlier this week since the 

demerit points system was introduced, 

but that is not a concern for the next 

five days, reports Cricinfo. 

The trio is also out of this second Test 

but, even sans their engine room, Sri 

Lanka had trounced South Africa so 

soundly in Galle that they can 

confidently say they don't need the big 

three back just yet. Rather, it's the other 

three Sri Lanka will rely on: the three 

spinners. 

Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera 

and Lakshan Sandakan made South 

Africa look like amateurs on a surface 

that was challenging but nowhere near 

a minefield, and they will look to do it 

again in Colombo. It's difficult to 

imagine South Africa's batting line-up 

doing worse, but stranger things have 

happened. 

For a start, South Africa have to 

decide on their approach against spin. 

Are they going to attack, with the 

mentality that they have to get runs 

before the ball gets them - something 

Ottis Gibson said was a tactic on 

seamer-friendly pitches - or are they 

going to show patience, bat time and 

trust that runs will follow? The latter 

sounds more sensible, the former more 

desperate, and desperate is what South 

Africa are. 

In 2014, South Africa reached the 

SSC 1-0 up in the series and were 

dogged in their determination not to 

lose the advantage. What followed was 

a blockathon that made the rain breaks 

more entertaining than play. Four 

years on, Sri Lanka are 1-0 up at the 

SSC and will want to turn the screws. 

South Africa will be happy to draw the 

series, but whether they are capable of 

that is the real question. 

While Dimuth Karunaratne scored 

more than the entire South Africa team 

in the first Test, he also made more 

runs than any of his team-mates, which 

puts the onus on , among others, to step 

up. In absence of Dinesh Chandimal, 

Mathews is the senior-most batsman in 

the line-up and will want to show that. 

He was their second-highest runscorer, 

behind Chandimal, when they 

visited India last year, before missing 

two of the three Test in the West Indies 

for personal reasons. He has not got 

past the 30s in his last five innings, 

numbers that simply won't do for the 

man who should be leading with the 

bat. 

On his first tour of the subcontinent, 

Aiden Markram already showed 

improvement from one innings to the 

next in the first Test and will want to 

leave his mark on the series in 

Colombo. Markram faced 46 balls in 

the second innings, six times more than 

what he faced in the first, and, though 

he was stumped trying to charge the 

spinner, he showed a little more 

patience and a little more finesse the 

second time. Batting coach Dale 

Benkenstein expects Markram's ability 

to adjust quickly to bring more rewards 

in the second Test. 

The major decision South Africa have 

to make is whether or not to leave out 

Vernon Philander - who, despite his 

efforts with the bat, bowled only 11 of 

the 112.1 overs they delivered in the 

Galle Test - and finding a suitable 

replacement. If it's an extra batsman 

they're looking for, Theunis de Bruyn 

will slot in. If it's a bowler, Lungi Ngidi 

could come into contention. 

Having had success with a threepronged 

spin-attack against Australia 

at the SSC in 2016, Sri Lanka will 

probably go with a similar strategy. 

The SSC surface is expected to take 

substantial turn in the latter half of the 

Test, but it does also tend to be 

conducive to seam bowling on the first 

morning and generally has more runs 

in it than the Galle pitch. 

Some rain is forecast for every day of 

the match. However, the second day is 

the most likely to be affected, with an 

80% chance of showers. 

AC Milan challenge UEFA 

ban at sports court 

Sports Desk: AC Milan's senior 

executives were at the world's top sports 

court on Thursday fighting to overturn a 

European ban for breaking UEFA's 

financial fair play rules, reports BSS. 

Managing director Marco Fassone, chief 

financial officer Valentina Montanari 

and a team of lawyers were set to lobby 

the Court of Arbitration for Sport to 

overturn the Italian club's Europa 

League ban for the upcoming season. 

The hearing is expected to last a full day 

with a decision due within 24 hours, a 

CAS spokesperson has said. 

AC Milan have spent a troubled 15 

months since they were bought by 

Chinese businessman Li Yonghong from 

Silvio Berlusconi in April 2017. 

The takeover was partly funded by a 

high-interest loan of 300 million euros 

($348 million) from American hedge 

fund Elliott Management. 

When Milan failed to make a 

repayment at the start of July, Elliott 

moved to take over, a process which is 

due to be ratified by club shareholders on 

July 21. The Chinese owners spent more 

than 200 million euros on players last 

summer and that, combined with the 

terms of the Elliott loan, triggered the 

interest of UEFA. 

At the end of June, UEFA ruled that 

Milan were in breach of "the break-even 

requirement." 

That specifically bars clubs from taking 

on debt to fund day-to-day obligations 

such as wages or transfer fees. UEFA 

banned the club from its competitions. 

Despite the investment in players, the 

club finished sixth in Serie A and only 

qualified for the Europa League, 

Europe's second tier tournament. 

Fassone has blamed the club's woes on 

Berlusconi's management. 

The seven-time European champions 

are the biggest club to have been 

punished under the fair play rules. 

Tevez urges Messi not to retire 

from international football 

Sports Desk: Carlos Tevez has told 

Lionel Messi not to retire from 

international football following 

Argentina's chaotic World Cup in 

Russia, reports AP. 

It was a forgettable campaign for 

Messi and Argentina, who were 

eliminated by eventual champions 

France in the last 16 at Russia 2018 as 

Jorge Sampaoli later departed. 

Argentina's tournament was marred 

by reports of unrest following a 3-0 

group-stage defeat to Croatia after a 1- 

1 draw with Iceland left the South 

American giants on the brink of a 

humiliating exit. 

Messi - still searching for his first 

senior international title - and 

Argentina managed to sneak into the 

knockout phase thanks to a last-gasp 

win over Nigeria but the team's 

shortcomings were exposed against 

France. 

The international future of five-time 

Ballon d'Or winner Messi is uncertain 

after the 31-year-old retired briefly 

following Argentina's Copa America 

final loss to Chile in 2016. 

Tevez urged Argentina to do more to 

ensure the country's all-time leading 

goalscorer can succeed on the world 

stage. "I think Leo has to think about 

himself," Tevez - a 76-time Argentina 

international - told ESPN . "He has to 

think that, if there is not a project that 

makes him happy and in which he 

feels comfortable, it is very difficult to 

take the responsibility of leading 

Argentina to become champions by 

himself. 

"We are wasting a lot of time not 

having him happy and not being able 

to give him a hand to achieve that 

target. I think we are wrong in not 

being able to help him feel 

comfortable. 

"As a player and as an Argentine I 

tell him that we need him, that he tries 

to rest, that he keeps a cool head and 

that we need him. We need him 

because he is the soul of Argentina 

and, as long as he continues playing 

football, it has to be that way because 

he is Argentina's biggest idol and he 

has to take that responsibility. 

"Now [I tell him] to rest, keep a cool 

head and try to be well, then we need 

him to take charge and on the pitch." 

Pekerman led Argentina at the 2006 

World Cup and Tevez - who was part 

of the squad that reached the quarterfinals 

in Germany - believes the 

Argentine Football Association (AFA) 

should bring back the 68-year-old. "I 

think that the closest we were of 

winning a World Cup was with Jose 

[Pekerman]," the 34-year-old forward 

added. "When I felt closest to winning 

the World Cup was with Jose. If we 

had beaten Germany [in the 2006 

quarter-finals], we knew we were 

going to be champions and we lost on 

penalties. 

"Jose's era has taught me a lot from 

when I was a kid, I am very grateful to 

him, to Hugo Tocalli, to professor 

[Gerardo] Salorio to [Eduardo Julio] 

Ortasun... because today I am what I 

am because they put a grain of sand in 

what I was. I will always be grateful to 

them because they taught me a lot. 

"They taught me to be a professional 

at 14 years old and today I continue at 

34. It is essential to start as a child. 

From my personal experience, I think 

Jose is the man who can do it [be 

Argentina coach] quietly because he 

knows what is being talked about." 

Qatar ploughs 

ahead with World 

Cup plans despite 

crises 

Sports Desk: Last year, 

Qatar's finance minister Ali 

Sharif Al-Emadi said his 

country was determined to 

have everything ready for 

the 2022 World Cup well 

before fans started landing 

in the Gulf, reports BSS. 

"We don't want to be 

painting while people 

arrive in the country," he 

said, before going on to 

reveal Qatar is spending 

almost $500 million (430 

million euros) a week on 

infrastructure projects for 

football's biggest 

tournament. 

It is highly unlikely that 

any visitor to the World 

Cup is going to see rushed 

last-minute preparations. 

With four and a half years 

until the 2022 World Cup 

kicks off, Qatar is ahead of 

schedule when it comes to 

venues, related major 

projects and even paint. 

Of the eight stadiums it 

will build or renovate for 

2022, one - Khalifa 

International - is already 

open and will host the 

World 

Athletics 

Championships next year. 

Two more, Al-Wakrah 

and Al-Bayt stadiums, are 

expected to be finished by 

the end of this year and 

officially opened early in 


Work is also well 

underway on Lusail 

Stadium, where the World 

Cup final and opening 

game will be played in 


Construction across 

Doha - the 2022 World Cup 

is effectively a one city 

tournament and the 

longest distance between 

venues just 55 kilometres - 

progresses despite the Gulf 

political crisis. 

Bangladesh appoint 

Neil McKenzie as 

batting consultant 

Sports Desk: Batting crisis and panic 

induced appointments in cricket are not a 

new story, and such have been the recent 

developments in Bangladeshi cricket after 

their recent humiliating returns on the away 

tours of first South Africa, and the more 

recent and worse woes in the Caribbean, 

reports AP. 

After a 2-0 Test series loss to an inspired 

Windies side, they have roped in the services 

of former South African opening batsman 

Neil McKenzie to replace ex-Sri Lankan 

batsman Thilan Samaraweera as the batting 

consultant of the side. 

The appointment seems to have been 

made considering the recent batting 

struggles in both limited overs and Test 

match cricket in the light of the clean sweeps 

in India against Afghanistan in the T20Is 

and against Windies on their home soil 

where they were blown away by the home 

side's pace battery. 

"We are expecting his arrival on July 22," 

BCB chief executive Nizamuddin 

Chowdhury told reporters at Mirpur on 

Wednesday. "We have appointed him until 

the next ICC World Cup," he said. "We are 

confident that his vast experience will help 

our team, and our batsmen in particular." 

McKenzie has had some experience in this 

arena of cricket, his 124-match international 

career having been followed with two stints 

as batting coach of South Africa, one in 2016 

and one more recently in 2018. He will begin 

his new job for the subcontinental side ahead 

of Bangladesh's face-saving three-match 

ODI series in the Caribbean starting Guyana 

on July 22. 

He will be in charge of all Bangladeshi 

campaigns up until the ICC Cricket World 

Cup in 2019 in England, where for the first 

time, the Asian underdogs will start off as 

one of the strong contenders, given their last 

outing in an ICC event, when they completed 

a stunning against the odds win to knock 

New Zealand out of the Champions Trophy 

as they themselves went on to play India in 

the semifinal of the event. 

The 42-year-old, who represented South Africa in 124 matches, will take 

over from former Sri Lanka batsman Thilan Samaraweera. Photo: AP 

'Argentina need him' - Carlos Tevez urges Lionel Messi not to retire. 

Premier Division 

Handball League 

kicks off Saturday 

Sports Desk: The Cute 

Premier Division Handball 

League will kick off on 

Saturday (July 21) at 

Shaheed Captain M Mansur 

Ali Handball Stadium in the 

city, reports BSS. 

Awami League Youth and 

Sports Affairs Secretary 

Harun-Ur Rashid will 

inaugurate the function as 

the chief guest while 

Moushumi Industries (Cute) 

Limited chairman Kazi Rajib 

Uddin Ahmed Chapal as 

special guest. 

Bangladesh Handball 

Federation (BHF) president 

Nurul Fazal Bulbul will 

preside over the opening 

ceremony. 

A total of ten clubs will 

take part in the league, 

which is sponsored by 

Moushum Industries 

Limited and organized by 

BHF. 

In this regards, a press 

conference was held on 

Thursday at Bangladesh 

Olympic Association 

auditorium to provide all the 

details of the meet. 

BHF general secretary 

Asaduzzaman Kohinoor, 

Moushumi Industries 

Limited chairman Kazi Rajib 

Uddin Ahmed Chapal, 

league committee's 

chairman Dhaka Metropolis 

Deputy 

Police 

Commissioner (Force and 

Welfare) ABM Masud 

Hossain, league committee's 

vice chairman and ADC 

Motijheel AM Shibli Noman 

and 

committee's. 

tournament 

Photo: AP 

Seven new events included 

in Beijing Winter Olympics 

program 

Sports Desk: Seven new events will be 

included in the 2022 Beijing Winter 

Olympics which witnesses the highest 

representation of female athletes at a 

single winter games to date, reports BSS. 

The International Olympic Committee 

(IOC) Executive Board on Wednesday 

approved the addition of monobob and 

freestyle ski big air, as well as dynamic 

mixed team formats including short 

track mixed relay, a ski jumping mixed 

team event, mixed team aerials and a 

snowboard cross mixed team event. 

"The addition of these new events for 

Beijing 2022 reflects our continued 

commitment to make the Olympic 

Games programs more youthful and 

gender balanced," said IOC Sports 

Director Kit McConnell. 

"I am very pleased to see the increase of 

female athletes, especially in such 

exciting, ground-breaking events. At the 

same time, we are sending a message that 

the size of the Olympic Winter Games is 

being directly addressed," he added. 

Beijing 2022 will see more female 

athletes and women's events than any 

other Winter Olympics, with female 

quota positions increasing from 41 

percent to 45.44 percent. 

With this decision, skating joins the 

International Federations of Biathlon 

and Curling in reaching gender equality 

on their Olympic programs, while the 

Bobsleigh and Skeleton, Hockey, Luge 

and Ski federations have all increased 

female participation. 

The overall number of athletes has 

been reduced by 41 to reach 2,892, which 

is within the Olympic Charter 

framework. 

With no new venues or fields of play 

needed for the new events, the program 

is in line with recommendations set out 

in Olympic Agenda 2020 and is another 

step to reducing the overall size of the 

Games. 

Also on Wednesday, the IOC Executive 

Board approved the Tokyo 2020 

competition schedule by session, offering 

Olympic fans around the world gripping 

action across 17 days of competition. 

Several youth-oriented events, such as 

basketball 3×3, skateboarding, surfing 

and sport climbing, will feature 

throughout the Games schedule. 

The IOC Executive Board also 

approved a two-phase timeline, as well as 

the process and principles for the Paris 

2024 Organizing Committee to put 

forward new sports. 

The number of athletes and events in 

any new sports proposed by Paris 2024 

should be considered within the Olympic 

Charter framework of approximately 

10,500 athletes and 310 events. 

"I am very pleased to see the increase of 

female athletes, especially in such 

exciting, ground-breaking events. At the 

same time, we are sending a message that 

the size of the Olympic Winter Games is 

being directly addressed," he added. 

Paris 2024 will contact IOC-recognized 

International Federations whose sport 

has been assessed as fitting within the 

existing Paris 2024 venue plan. 

The sports proposed by Paris 2024 will 

then be presented for approval at the IOC 

Session in 2019. After the session in 

2019, and following observations at the 

Tokyo 2020 Games, the final event 

program and athlete quotas for new 

sports will then be finalized in December 

2020.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS 

BANGLADESHTODAY 10 

THE 


Novo Nordisk arranges day long 

free medical camp in Cumilla 

A free medical camp & rally was held in Cumilla about health 

awareness, Diabetics & Glaucoma. The camp, organized by 

Cumilla Club with the sponsorship of "Bondhu Forum 

Cumilla" & "Novo Nordisk", was inaugurated by Freedom 

Fighter AKM Bahauddin Bahar MP, a press release said. 

The camp was presided by Lieutenant General Md. 

Mustafizur Rahman, Directorate General of Drug 

Administration & member of Cumilla Bondhu Forum. 

Danish Ambassador Mikael Hemniti Winther was the special 

guest in the camp. Journalist Nitish Saha, Heart specialist 

Dr. Md. Toufikur Rahman, Diabetics specialist Dr. M. A. Jalil 

Amsary & Dr. Muhammad Saiful, Head of Marketing of 

Novo Nordisk were also present there. 

A rally took place from the town hall before the 

inauguration program. The rally also ended in the town hall 

by waling the circle of Kandirpar. More than five hundreds 

patient took diabetics test and given free treatment and 

medicine in the daylong camp. Almost 300 patients were 

given eye treatment with the help of Leo Club of Gendaria. 

Moreover a seminar also held in the Cumilla Club 

Auditorium in evening. 

The "Bondhu Forum Cumilla" is founded with the students 

of SSC candidates-1987 & 1988 from Cumilla Zila School and 

some other schools. 

CCCI President Mahbubul Alam attended as Chief Guest & distributing certificates to participants at 

ICC Bangladesh Workshop on Changing Faces of International Trade Fraud : Current Risks, 

Prevention & Responses held recently in Chittagong. ICCB Secretary General Ataur Rahman and 

Workshop Resource Person P. Mukundan are also seen in the group picture. Photo: Courtesy 

EPZs Start Tree Plantation Program in 

Memory of Three Million Martyrs 

Bangladesh Export 

Processing Zones Authority 

(BEPZA) has initiated 

greenery activities in the 

EPZs through tree 

plantation as previous years 

to create eco-friendly & 

green industrial enclave. The 

program started yesterday 

simultaneously in the eight 

EPZs under BEPZA in 

response to the Prime 

Minister's call and as a part 

of 3 million saplings 

plantation program to pay 

tributes to 3 million martyrs 

of the Liberation War. 

BEPZA Executive Office and 

EPZs will plant about 21 

thousand varieties of 

sapling including woody, 

fruity and medicinal under 

the Tree Plantation 

Program-2018. 

Major General Mohd 

Habibur Rahman Khan, 

BSP, ndc, psc, Executive 

Chairman of BEPZA started 

tree plantation program by 

planting a sapling at BEPZA 

Executive Office in Dhaka. 

General Managers of 

Chittagong, Dhaka, 

Karnaphuli, Adamjee, 

Comilla, Uttara, Mongla & 

Ishwardi EPZ under BEPZA 

located at the different parts 

of the country 

simultaneously took part in 

the program by planting 

different saplings in their 

own Zone. 

Apart from modern 

industrialization through 

the EPZs, BEPZA is very 

much conscious on 

conservation 

of 

environment. The EPZs 

have been planting saplings 

every year in order to 

maintain ecological balance 

and beautification. In 

recognition of outstanding 

contribution in tree 

plantation Mongla & 

Ishwardi EPZs under 

BEPZA, in 2015 & 2016 

consecutively, achieved 

Prime Minister's National 

Award for Tree Plantation. 

These two EPZs obtained 

2nd place in 

Metlife foundation provides more than 

one-quarter million u.s. Dollars to fund 

entrepreneurs 

90% of MetLife Bangladesh employees 

participated to decide how the fund 

should be allocated 

A partnership between MetLife 

Foundation and Kiva, a global nongovernmental 

organization, to support 

low-income entrepreneurs around the 

world saw thousands of employees 

from MetLife Asia directing micro 

loans worth USD 263,350. In some of 

the markets, the 'Take Action' 

campaign saw 100% participation from 

MetLife employees. 

In a two-week campaign at the end of 

May 2018, MetLife Foundation and 

Kiva, an online pioneer in 

crowdfunding, launched 'Take Action' 

only in Asia. Just one click will direct a 

US$25 loan on an employee's behalf to 

an entrepreneur who has no access to 

traditional financing. With this, an 

enterpreneur can buy a sewing 

machine to produce and sell garments 

or a farmer to buy seeds to expand their 

harvest that supports a whole 

community. The loan is fully funded by 

the Foundation, for disbursement to 

borrowers who have been vetted by 

Kiva. 

The Kiva team is currently in the 

process of disbursing the loans to 

entrepreneurs in the four categories. 

With a 96% loan repayment rate, Kiva 

projects that MetLife Foundation's 

original contribution will help many 

more entrepreneurs. 

Steve Goulart, executive vice 

president and chief investment officer, 

MetLife Inc., and interim president of 

Asia, said: "What our people have done 

with MetLife Foundation and Kiva 

truly expresses the heart of MetLife's 

great culture and our heritage of 

helping people and communities. I 

could not be more proud of our people, 

and excited that our more than ten 

thousand loans will play a part in 

creating opportunity for so many who 

otherwise would not have had the 

financial access needed to make a 

better life for themselves or their 

families." 

Syed Hammadul Karim, General 

Manager of MetLife Bangladesh has 

also echoed Goulart's message and 

said, "It is remarkable to see 323 

employees out of 359 have participated 

in this campiagn from Bangladesh. 

34% of our employees directed their 

loan to agriculture category, followed 

by women, green and youth in 

descending order. 

I am happy to see that our employees, 

not only actively take part in local 

community drives, but also very active 

in pan-regional inititiatives as such." 

MetLife Foundation's mission is to 

improve financial lives of low income 

people around the world by partnering 

with innovative organizations that 

promote, create, and expand 

opportunities for financial health. In 

2013, MetLife Foundation committed 

USD 200 million over five years. In 

Asia, MetLife Foundation has 

committed more than USD 50 million 

in Financial Inclusion grants since 2013 

reaching more than 3.8 million low 

income individuals. 

Since its launch, Kiva has directed 

more than USD 1 billion in microloans 

by connecting a growing global 

community of 1.6 million lenders to 2.6 

million entrepreneurs across the world 

with 81% being women. As Kiva 

borrowers repay their loans, the money 

can be reinvested so that additional 

entrepreneurs can receive support 

further helping increase financial 

inclusion. 

Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd inaugurated Link Road Branch as its 337th branch on 19 July 2018, 

Thursday at Hossain Market, Link Road of Cox's Bazar. Mohammed Monirul Moula, Additional 

Managing Director of the Bank was present in the program as chief guest. Presided over by Abu Reza 

Md. Yeahia, Deputy Managing Director, Md. Nizamul Haque, Executive Vice President & Head of 

Chittagong South Zone and Mohammed Shabbir, Senior Vice President & Head of Khatunganj 

Corporate Branch addressed the program as special guests. M. Zubayer Azam Helali, Senior Vice 

President of the Bank along with local businesspersons, clients and social elites attended the 

function. 

Photo: Courtesy 

The Fred Hollows Foundation (FHF) and Paribar Kallayan Samity (PKS) joined organized a project 

progress and knowledge sharing workshop on 17th July at PKS Smiling Sun Jashore Clinic. The project 

is the first of its kind in Bangladesh where eye care services has been integrated into a Maternal 

and Child Health Smiling Sun Clinic. The Chief Guest in the event was Md. Shariful Islam, Director, 

Family Planning, Khulna Division. Other high-level officials included Dr Imdadul Haque, UH&FPO, 

Jashore Sadar, Zareen Khair, PhD, Country Manager, FHF, Farida Tun Nahar, Project Director, 

PKS, Jashore Sadar and the Civil Surgeon of Jessore Chaired the event. 

Photo: Courtesy 

Apartments slump 

drags US home 

construction lower 

in June 

The pace of US home 

building fell to a ninemonth 

low in June as 

apartment construction 

plunged, reversing a surge 

in May, according to 

government data released 

Wednesday. 

Most of the decline was in 

the Midwest and South, 

which saw a pent-up burst 

of activity in May after a 

snowy April, the Commerce 

Department reported. 

The result showed home 

construction had downward 

momentum at the close of 

the second quarter. 

Total housing starts fell 

12.3 percent for the month, 

the largest dip in almost two 

years, to an annual rate of 

1.17 million units, seasonally 

adjusted. 

Economists had expected 

a far stronger result of 1.32 

million units. 

Building permits, a sign of 

housing supply in the 

pipeline that is less 

vulnerable to changes in the 

weather, also edged down a 

modest 2.2 percent, also to 

the lowest level since 

September. 

Construction of mutli-unit 

dwellings fell more than 20 

percent, the largest decrease 

since November 2016. 

Dollar cure for European 

stocks summertime blues 

Gains by the dollar in the wake of the Federal 

Reserve chief expressing confidence in the 

US economy despite global trade war fears 

helped push European stocks higher on 

Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, a batch of strong earnings 

reports saw Wall Street keep rising for the 

most part. 

"The positive sentiment began on Wall 

Street following Federal Reserve Chair Jay 

Powell's stating his confidence in the US 

economy to lawmakers" on Tuesday, said 

London Capital Group analyst Jasper 

Lawler. 

In the first of his two days of testimony 

before lawmakers Powell indicated that the 

US central bank plans to continue gradually 

raising interest rates due given the strength 

of the economy, citing a strong job market 

and inflation figures. 

While higher interest rates drag on 

corporate earnings and are usually not 

welcomed by stock investors, Powell's 

confidence in the economy helped reassure 

markets worried about a deepening trade 

war. 

"We remain in an environment where 

investors believe higher earnings as a result 

of stronger growth outweighs the risks from 

higher interest rates. 

Powell also acknowledged on Tuesday 

uncertainty about the "outcome of current 

discussions over trade policy", with US 

President Donald Trump hitting out at 

China and other economic partners as he 

adopts an aggressive "America First" 

policy. 

Fears about an all-out China-US trade war 

continue to rattle investors, with both sides 

lodging counter-complaints at the World 

Trade Organisation after recently imposing 

tariffs and threatening more on billions of 

dollars' worth of goods. 

Washington's traditional allies Japan and 

the EU have also not been spared hefty US 

tariffs. 

However gains by the dollar helped push 

up stocks in Japan and Europe as a weaker 

currency can help boost exports. 

Meanwhile the pound slid to a 2018 low at 

$1.3010 on receding prospects of a UK 

interest-rate hike next month after British 

inflation undershot expectations. 

The pound has taken a knock this week 

also from uncertainty surrounding the future 

of British Prime Minister Theresa May as she 

struggles to unite a divided Conservative 

Party over the government's Brexit strategy. 

Meanwhile, shares in Google dipped 0.3 

percent after the EU slapped a record 4.34- 

billion-euro fine on the firm for abusing the 

dominance of its Android operating system, 

although it pulled other tech shares into the 

red along with it. 

"It is a huge future earnings hit for 

Alphabet," said London Capital Group's 

Lawler. 

"The worry for the tech sector is that the 

EU doesn't stop here" as it has several other 

anti-trust investigations against tech firms 

underway, he added. 

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index 

was down nearly 0.1 percent approaching 

midday in New York. 

Elsewhere on Wednesday, oil prices 

extended losses as data showed that US 

stocks rose more than expected by analysts 

and production reached a new record. 

Brent crude struck a fresh three-month 

low at $71.23 per barrel.

MISCELLANEOUS 

friDAY, jUlY 20, 2018 

11 

1 dead as latest fire 

portends explosive 

Northwest season 

A fast-moving fire fueled by gusting winds in 

the Pacific Northwest killed one person, 

forced dozens of households to evacuate and 

prompted Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to 

declare a state of emergency Wednesday. 

The flames near the city of The Dalles 

started Tuesday and expanded Wednesday 

to more than 70 square miles (181 

kilometers) as the fire spread into vast fields 

of wheat while desperate farmers tried to 

salvage their crops in the midst of the harvest 

season. 

One person was found dead Wednesday a 

short distance from a burned-out tractor. 

The person was likely trying to use the heavy 

farm machinery to create a fire break to hold 

back flames, the Wasco County Sheriff's 

Office said in a statement. 

Firefighters crept into the fields in water 

trucks and attempted to douse the leading 

edges of the fire from behind as it burned 

through acres of wheat, with everything 

behind the flames charred black. 

The news of the fatality also came as 

authorities on Wednesday ordered 

additional mandatory evacuations in the 

small communities of Moro and Grass Valley 

and closed U.S. Route 97 in that area. 

The conflagration about 80 miles (130 

kilometers) east of Portland doesn't bode 

well for a Pacific Northwest fire season that's 

expected to be worse than normal, with 

drought conditions in many areas and 

above-average temperatures forecast 

through September, the center said. 

It comes as other states across the 

American West, including California and 

Colorado, have struggled with massive 

blazes that have torn through land gripped 

by drought. 

In Oregon, very low humidity, high 

temperatures and winds gusting up to 30 

mph (48 kph) made the flames explosive in 

thin grasses and wheat fields, said Robin 

DeMario, a spokeswoman for the Northwest 

Interagency Coordination Center. 

"These light fuels go up very quickly," 

DeMario said. "The grassy stalks are very 

dry, they have lost the moisture in those 

stalks, and so if a fire start begins, we call it 

'flashy fuels' because it burns very fast and 

very hot." 

The Columbia River Gorge separating 

Oregon and Washington is still recovering 

from a wildfire last year that scorched 75 

square miles (194 square kilometers), 

ravaged popular hiking trails and marred 

stunning vistas. 

It burned in the western end that's home to 

the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic 

Area, which attracts more than 3 million 

tourists a year and holds North America's 

largest concentration of waterfalls. 

The landscape further east along the river 

transitions to grasslands and flat, open vistas 

dotted with wheat fields - where the fire was 

burning Wednesday. 

Elsewhere in the state, several fires started 

by lightning over the weekend burned as 

temperatures flirted with triple digits. 

One in southern Oregon forced the 

evacuation of two houses and 33 more 

homeowners to get ready to flee Wednesday 

after the flames spread near the California 

border. 

Another blaze about 200 miles (322 

kilometers) east of Portland got tamped 

down after farmers and ranchers used their 

heavy equipment to help create lines to 

contain the flames. Some fences and horse 

corrals burned, but no homes were lost, said 

Melissa Ross, Morrow County Sheriff's 

Office spokeswoman. 

"In some instances, it was very close (and) 

if not for all those who turned out to help, the 

end of this story would have been very 

different," she said. 

Elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest, a small 

fire near Spokane Valley, Washington, 

prompted evacuation notices for 700 homes. 

Several homes caught fire, Spokane Valley 

Fire Department spokeswoman Melanie 

Rose said. Officials said at least one structure 

had been completely destroyed. 

In California, a deadly forest fire was 

spreading west of Yosemite National Park, 

keeping a key route into the park shut down 

during tourist season and forcing 

communities to evacuate. But the park's 

trails, campgrounds, restaurants and lodges 

are open, though smoke is polluting the air 

and limiting visibility. 

More than 1,800 firefighters are battling 

the blaze that started Friday and now spans 

27 square miles (70 square kilometers), the 

U.S. Forest Service said. 

OAS condemns 

human rights 

abuses in Nicaragua 

The Organization of 

American States adopted a 

resolution Wednesday 

condemning human rights 

abuses committed by 

Nicaraguan police and 

armed pro-government 

civilians since protests 

against President Daniel 

Ortega began in mid-April. 

The resolution, which 

was adopted 21-3 with 

seven abstentions, also 

criticized the harassment 

of Roman Catholic 

bishops. 

Catholic officials who 

have been mediating 

stalled talks on finding a 

peaceful solution to the 

standoff and have 

criticized Ortega's 

government over killings 

have suffered at least three 

recent attacks. 

The OAS resolution by 

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, 

Chile, Colombia, Costa 

Rica, Mexico, Peru and the 

U.S. called on Ortega to 

support an electoral 

calendar agreed upon 

during the dialogue 

process. 

Ortega has rejected 

demands for early 

elections and calls those 

seeking his exit "coup 

mongers." 

In the past week, 

Ortega's government and 

supporters have moved 

aggressively against the 

remaining resistance, 

including dislodging 

students from the National 

Autonomous University of 

Nicaragua and pushing 

into a rebel neighborhood 

in the city of Masaya. 

On Wednesday, 

Nicaraguan Foreign 

Minister Denis Moncada 

blasted the OAS for 

adopting the resolution, 

calling it "illegal, 

illegitimate and unfair." 

"We have working 

institutions, a rule of law, a 

Constitution," he said 

minutes before the vote. 

"That's why it is not right 

that this permanent 

council becomes a sort of 

court that no one has 

authorized nor given 

power to pass judgment on 

Nicaragua." 

Moncada said the 

government is subject "to 

attacks from terrorist 

groups to overthrow a 

legitimate government." 

Managua's auxiliary 

Roman Catholic bishop, 

Silvio Jose Baez, cheered 

the resolution via Twitter. 

"Thanks brother 

countries of the American 

continent that have joined 

in solidarity with the pain 

and fight of the Nicaraguan 

people!" he wrote. 

On Tuesday, Nicaraguan 

government forces retook 

the symbolically important 

neighborhood of Monimbo 

in Masaya southeast of the 

capital. It had recently 

become a center of 

resistance to Ortega's 

government. 

On Wednesday, Azucena 

Lopez Garcia buried her 

son Erick Antonio Lopez, a 

college student shot 

defending a barricade 

when police and armed 

civilians surrounded and 

gunned their way into 

Monimbo. Police 

commissioner Ramon 

Avellan has said he 

received orders to take 

control of the city by any 

means necessary. 

"Monimbo 

is 

devastated," Lopez Garcia 

said tearfully at her son's 

graveside. "The youth are 

fleeing their homes." 

She said she was burying 

her family member, but 

other mothers do not know 

where their sons were 

taken. 

Pickup truck loads of 

pro-government civilians 

masked and armed with 

rifles and shotguns drove 

through the streets of 

Monimbo honking their 

horns and waving the redand-black 

flag of the ruling 

Sandinista National 

Liberation Front in 

celebration. 

One man wearing a black 

ski mask and blue T-shirt 

denied that he and others 

were government backed 

paramilitaries, though the 

heavily armed men moved 

freely in front of national 

police patrols. 

"I'm a normal resident," 

he said, declining to give 

his name. "The very same 

residents had to free 

ourselves." 

While the OAS held its 

session, a bipartisan group 

of 10 U.S. senators 

introduced legislation that 

seeks to impose sanctions 

on 

Nicaraguan 

government officials 

responsible for protester 

deaths, human rights 

violations and acts of 

corruption. It also calls for 

a negotiated political 

solution to the crisis. 

"We can't stay silent as 

Daniel Ortega and 

Rosario Murillo target 

their own people, as 

evidenced by the images 

of students being shot 

while seeking refuge 

inside of a church," said 

Democratic Sen. Bob 

Menendez, the chairman 

of the Senate Foreign 

Relations committee and 

one of the bill's sponsors. 

In Mexico City, Pilar 

Sanmartin, a crisis 

researcher with Amnesty 

International, called on 

Ortega's government to 

seek a peaceful resolution 

through dialogue. "But in a 

sincere way, an honest 

way." 

She said nearly 2,000 

people have been wounded 

in fighting during the past 

three months since 

pension cuts were 

announced and then 

quickly withdrawn in mid- 

April. 

The Nicaraguan Pro- 

Human Rights Association 

had tallied 351 deaths 

between April 19 and July 

10. The government says 

more than 200 people have 

been killed since the unrest 

began. 

US pastor denied 

release in latest trial 

hearing in Turkey 

A Turkish court on Wednesday again denied a request for the 

release from custody of an American pastor based in Turkey 

who is on trial on charges of aiding terror groups and 

engaging espionage. 

Andrew Craig Brunson, a 50-year-old evangelical pastor 

from Black Mountain, North Carolina, was arrested in the 

aftermath of a 2016 coup attempt for alleged links to the 

outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, as well as a 

network led by U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, 

whom Turkey blames for the unrest. 

Brunson, who faces up to 35 years in prison for 

"committing crimes on behalf of terror groups without being 

a member" and "espionage," strongly denies the charges. 

Gulen has denied involvement in the coup attempt. 

At the end of the third hearing, the court inside a prison 

complex in the town of Aliaga in western Turkey rejected 

Brunson's lawyer's request that he be freed pending the 

outcome of the trial. The case was adjourned until Oct. 12. 

Brunson's case has added to already strained Turkish-U.S. 

relations, with some U.S. politicians calling for sanctions 

against Turkey if Brunson is not released. 

U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted in Brunson's 

defense Wednesday night, calling it "a total disgrace" that 

Brunson is being held. "He has done nothing wrong, and his 

family needs him!" 

Brunson's case was among issues Trump and Turkish 

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed by telephone 

earlier this week. 

Speaking to reporters at the end of the hearing, the United 

States' top diplomat in Turkey expressed disappointment. 

"I have read the indictment. I have attended three hearings. 

I don't believe there is any indication that Pastor Brunson is 

guilty of any sort of criminal or terrorist activity," said Philip 

Kosnett, the U.S. Embassy charge d'affaires. "Our 

government remains deeply concerned about his status." 

Kosnett added: "We have great faith in the commitment of 

the Turkish people to justice and will follow this case closely 

and hope that Pastor Brunson is reunited with his family 

soon." 

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Heather 

Nauert reiterated the administration's call for Brunson to be 

released. 

"We believe he is innocent," Nauert said. "We continue to 

call on the Turkish government to quickly resolve this case in 

a timely and transparent and fair manner." 

During the hearing, Brunson rejected evidence against him 

given by two witnesses, who have not been named and who 

claimed the pastor supported Kurdish militants, the staterun 

Anadolu Agency reported. 

"I believe in and support Turkey's territorial integrity," the 

agency quoted Brunson as telling the court. "I forgive those 

who lie and bear false witness against me." 

Brunson served as pastor of Izmir Resurrection Church, a 

small Protestant congregation, and has lived in Turkey for 23 

years. 

Prosecutors are seeking a 15-year prison sentence for 

crimes Brunson is charged with committing in the name of 

Gulen's group and the PKK. They want the pastor to serve 

another 20 years if he also is found guilty of obtaining state 

secrets for political and military spying purposes, using his 

religious work as cover. 

The indictment against him - based on the testimony of 

witnesses, including three secret ones, and digital evidence - 

claims the pastor worked to convert Kurds to Christianity to 

sow discord in Turkey. 

US eases Obama-era 

coal ash pollution 

rules for utilities 

The Trump administration on Wednesday eased rules for 

handling toxic coal ash from more than 400 U.S. coal-fired 

power plants after utilities pushed back against regulations 

adopted under former President Barack Obama. 

Environmental Protection Agency acting Administrator 

Andrew Wheeler said the changes would save utilities 

roughly $30 million annually. 

The move represents the latest action by Trump's EPA to 

boost the struggling coal industry by rolling back 

environmental and public health protections enacted under 

his predecessor. 

It pushes back the deadline to close problematic ash dumps 

and gives state regulators flexibility in how they deal with the 

massive waste piles that result from burning coal for 

electricity. 

Wheeler, a former coal industry lobbyist, signed the order 

a week after taking the helm of the agency following the 

resignation of former administrator Scott Pruitt amid ethics 

investigations. 

Environmentalists argue the administration is 

endangering the health of people living near power plants 

and ash storage sites, while industry representatives 

welcomed the announcement. 

U.S. coal plants produce about 100 million tons annually of 

ash and other waste, much of which ends up in unlined 

disposal ponds prone to leak. Some have been in use for 

decades. 

Data released by utilities in March under an EPA mandate 

showed widespread evidence of groundwater contamination 

at coal plants. Heightened levels of pollutants - including 

arsenic and radium in some cases - were documented at 

plants in numerous states, from Virginia to Alaska. 

EPA documents show most savings for utilities from the 

new rules will come from extending by 18 months the 

deadline to close ash dumps that don't meet water protection 

standards. The new deadline is Oct. 31, 2020. 

The utility industry said the changes give "regulatory 

certainty" for ash dump operators. That's in part because it 

aligns the closure requirements with upcoming guidelines 

limiting the levels of toxic metals in wastewater discharged 

from power plants. 

The changes also give state regulators the power to 

suspend monitoring requirements for dumps that don't meet 

water quality standards. 

"It's not like EPA has granted us free pass here. It just gives 

us additional time to operate those facilities and better synch 

them up" with the upcoming wastewater guidelines, said 

James Roewer, executive director of the Utility Solid Waste 

Advisory Group, an industry organization that had pushed 

for the changes. The original, Obama-era rule, adopted in 

2015, came in response to a massive 2008 coal ash spill in 

Kingston, Tennessee. A containment dike burst at a 

Tennessee Valley Authority power plant and released 5.4 

million cubic yards of ash. 

The accident dumped waste into two nearby rivers, 

destroyed homes and brought national attention to the issue. 

Attorney Larissa Liebmann with the Waterkeeper Alliance 

said the costs saved by utilities won't simply go away. 

Instead, she said, they'll be borne by communities that are 

forced to deal with contaminated water. 

Over 12 lakh get 

medicare from Naogaon 

community clinics 

NAOGAON: A total of 301 community 

clinics operating in 11 upazilas of the district 

have provided medicare services to over 12 

lakh people during the last eight months, 

reports BSS. 

Sources concerned said the healthcare 

service recipients included 5,07,914, men, 

6,34,129 women and 73,921 children. 

Apart from this, a huge number of 

expectant mothers have got all types 

neonatal and postnatal medical facilities 

from the clinics during the same period. 

The number of patients at the clinics is 

increasing day by day due to a rising 

awareness among local peoples about 

modern treatment facilities available with 

the health centers. 

Talking to BSS, Naogaon District Civil 

Surgeon Dr Mominul Haque said local 

peoples are very happy as they get necessary 

medicare services, including referral advice, 

pregnancy checkup and de-warming and 

vaccination, at their doorsteps. 

The civil surgeon said low-cost and hasslefree 

medicare services were out of reach of 

the rural people before launching of the 

community clinics. The government is 

providing the patients with 27 types of 

medicines free of cost at the health centers. 

He said the community clinics have 

earned public confidence through 

conducting safe deliveries in rural areas side 

by side with providing cost free health 

services and medicines to the common 

people. 

Khairul Islam, 40, a day laborer of 

Baktarpur union in Sadar upazila, expressed 

his satisfaction over the service he received 

from the local clinic. "We get treatment 

from the clinic at the time of necessity," he 

added. 

Housewife Jesmin Ara, resident of the 

same area, is very much happy after getting 

treatment and medicine free of cost from 

the clinic. 

Another housewife of Jagonnathpur 

village under Adhaipur union of 

Badalgachhi upazila Hamida Bibi said a few 

years ago we had to go to the district 

headquarters for receiving treatment 

through spending huge money. 

"But now my family members are getting 

treatment near my house from the 

community clinic," she said. 

Ferdousi Parvin, a community health 

service provider of Muradpur community 

clinic in Sadar upazila, said most of the 

villagers, especially women and children, 

come to the clinic every day to get necessary 

health services. 

Trump-Kim statement overpromised 

on return of war remains 

More than a month after 

North Korea pledged to 

immediately return some 

American war dead, the 

promise is unfulfilled. 

Secretary of State Mike 

Pompeo, who traveled to 

Pyongyang this month to 

press the North Koreans 

further, said Wednesday the 

return could begin "in the 

next couple of weeks." But it 

could take months or years to 

positively identify the bones 

as those of specific American 

servicemen. 

In a joint statement at their 

Singapore summit, President 

Donald Trump and North 

Korean leader Kim Jong Un 

committed to recovering the 

remains of prisoners of war 

and those missing in action 

decades after the Korean War 

- "including the immediate 

repatriation of those already 

identified." 

That was more than a 

month ago, on June 12. 

Although Trump said eight 

days later that the 

repatriation had happened, it 

had not. It still has not. So, it 

was not "immediate," though 

the Stars and Stripes 

newspaper reported from 

South Korea on Tuesday that 

the North has agreed to 

transfer as many as 55 sets of 

remains next week. The 

Pentagon and the State 

Department declined to 

comment on any specifics 

promised by the North. 

"We're making progress 

along the border to get the 

return of remains, a very 

important issue for those 

families," Pompeo said 

Wednesday at the White 

House. "I think in the next 

couple of weeks we'll have the 

first remains returned, that's 

the commitment, so progress 

certainly being made there." 

Likely also to prove untrue 

is the part of the Trump-Kim 

statement that said the North 

had war remains "already 

identified." It apparently has 

bones and perhaps associated 

personal effects, but history 

shows that any remains 

handed over by the North are 

likely to be difficult to identify. 

In recent days the State 

Department has changed that 

phrase to "already collected," 

suggesting it realized the 

remains have not been 

identified. 

"There are no missing 

Americans who have been 

'already identified' by the 

DPRK (North Korea) to be 

repatriated," says Paul Cole, 

who has researched POW- 

MIA issues from the Korean 

War for decades and served 

for four years as a scientific 

fellow at the Pentagon's 

Central Identification 

Laboratory in Hawaii. He 

said this element of the 

Singapore statement "reflects 

a near total ignorance of the 

role of science" in accounting 

for war dead. 

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UNITING PEOPLE EVERYDAY 

FriDay, DHaka, JuLy 20, 2018, SraBaN 6, 1425 BS, ZiLqaD 5 , 1439 HiJri 

EC to be able to hold inclusive 

polls, hopes PM 

On Thursday Dhaka city dwellers passed the one of the hot days of this year in the middle of rainy season. 

The photo was taken from Paltan area of Dhaka. 

Phoro: Star Mail 

EC plans to procure 

huge EVMs to 'manipulate' 

next polls: 

BNP 

DHAKA : BNP on Thursday 

alleged that the Election 

Commission (EC) is planning 

to procure Electronic 

Voting Machines (EVMs) 

spending Tk 2,600 crore at 

the 'behest of the government 

for manipulating' the 

next polls, reports UNB. 

"At the directives of the 

government, the Election 

Commission is moving 

ahead towards the path of 

election engineering by 

introducing EVMs in the 

next national election," said 

BNP senior joint secretary 

general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. 

Speaking at a press conference 

at BNP's Nayapaltan 

central office, he further said, 

"The Commission is preparing 

to use the EVMs in 100 

constituencies in the next 

polls. That's why a plan is 

underway to procure EVMs 

spending TK 2,600 crore in 

the first phase." 

Despite a strong objection 

by the 20-party alliance, other 

political parties, election 

experts and observers to its 

use, the BNP leader said, the 

Commission's hurried decision 

of procuring the EVMs is 

ill-motivated one. "We think 

it's part of the plot against the 

next general election." 

Referring to media reports, 

Rizvi said the Commission 

has already procured 2,500 

EVMs as per its plan to use 

the EVMs at a large scale in 

the 11th parliamentary elections. 

"The process to buy 

EVMs further will begin 

soon." 

Bangladesh, Germany sign 

12-yr e-passport deal 

DHAKA : Bangladesh and Germany on 

Thursday signed a government-to-government 

agreement on e-passport following the government's 

decision to issue electronic passports 

alongside the machine readable passports (MRP) 

for the citizens of the country, reports UNB. 

Director General of Immigration and 

Passports Department Maj Gen Md Masud 

Rezwan and chief executive officer of Veridos 

Hans Wolfgang Kunz signed the deal on behalf of 

their respective sides at Bangabandhu 

International Conference Centre (BICC) in the 

city. 

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and 

German Foreign Minister of State Niels Annen 

witnessed the MoU signing. 

The long-term contract covers the entire valuechain 

for e-Passports - from security paper right 

through to e-Gates. The contract will run for 12 

years. The solution includes the set-up of a local 

passport factory with high-tech equipment. 

The project will ease travel for Bangladeshi citizens 

and increase border control efficiency, says 

the German side. 

World-leading identity solutions provider 

Veridos is a joint venture of Giesecke+Devrient 

and state-owned Bundesdruckerei GmbH. 

Addressing the programme, Asaduzzaman 

said, "It's a commitment between the heads of the 

governments of Bangladesh and Germany to 

introduce e-passport. Prime Minister Sheikh 

Hasina signed an MoU with Germany on 

February 18, 2017." 

"Through the signing of the agreement, we're 

moving towards one step ahead," the minister 

said. 

Besides, e-gates will be installed at every airport 

and land port across the country, he said. 

The government took the initiative to introduce 

e-passport for easing the immigration activities 

easily, the minister added. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs of Bangladesh, 

acting through the Department of Immigration 

and Passport (DIP), commissioned Veridos with 

the supply, installation, and implementation of 

next generation electronic passports and border 

control systems in Bangladesh. 

Bangladesh will move from machine readable 

to advanced electronic travel documents that 

meet the highest security standards. 

This includes high-tech colour personalisation 

technology to ensure the ultimate colour brilliance 

of each ePassport holder's image, improving 

visual verification. 

With more than 160 million inhabitants, 

Bangladesh is the world's eighth most populous 

country and will provide the highest output of 

passports with colour photos worldwide. 

Masud Rezwan said Bangladeshi citizens will 

get benefits from the ICAO-compliant ePassports 

with convenient and secure travel. 

"With Veridos's unique solution portfolio for 

the entire value chain for passports and their ID 

production expertise, we've found the perfect 

company to implement this turnkey project. 

With their support, we can enhance the technology 

by which we can assemble the ePassport 

booklets in Bangladesh. This creates highly 

skilled jobs and know-how transfer with 

Germany," he said. 

Minister Niels Annen said through the technological 

partnership with Germany, Bangladesh 

will gain crucial expertise to prepare it for various 

challenges, whether they are talking about fighting 

counterfeit ID documents or terrorism. 

"Furthermore, a comprehensive transfer of 

technology and capacity-building in Bangladesh 

will take place. As a result of our cooperation, 

Bangladeshi passport holders will soon become 

the owners of one of the most sophisticated and 

secure types of passport in the world," he said. 

Wolfgang Kunz said they are delighted to support 

Bangladesh in their transition to tamperproof 

ePassports. 

"In addition, we'll provide key public infrastructure 

and local document production. At the 

same time, we'll establish state-of-the-art border 

control infrastructure for automated border control 

at all international airports, seaports, and 

land ports in the country." 

On June 21, the Executive Committee of the 

National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved a 

project to issue e-passports alongside the existing 

MRPs to accommodate international demand as 

some countries, including Germany, do not 

accept MRPs. 

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 

on Thursday hoped that the Election 

Commission will be able to hold an inclusive, 

fair and neutral general election by 

the year-end with the support of all political 

parties, administration and other 

stakeholders, reports UNB. 

She expressed the hope when German 

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Niels 

Annen met her at her official residence 

Ganobhaban. 

PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim 

briefed reporters after the meeting. 

In reply to a query about the next general 

election, the Prime Minister told the 

German state minister that her party, 

Awami League, has a long history of struggle 

for restoration of democracy. 

Democracy suffered here due to military 

rules as military rulers destroyed democratic 

institutions and system in the country, 

she said. 

Sheikh Hasina said the Election 

Commission of Bangladesh is absolutely 

independent and it has already conducted 

more than 6,000 elections to the country's 

local government bodies under the current 

AL government. 

"No election was questionable. 

Sometimes our rivals won the polls and 

BNP gets permission 

for Friday's 

Nayapaltan rally 

DHAKA : BNP Thursday said it 

got permission from the Dhaka 

Metropolitan Police (DMP) to 

hold a rally in the city on Friday 

demanding the release its chairperson 

Khaleda Zia from jail, 

reports UNB. 

"We've got verbal permission 

from police to hold our 

scheduled rally in front of 

our Nayapaltan central office 

at 3pm on Friday," party 

senior joint secretary general 

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told UNB. 

He hoped that the DMP 

authorities will also give them 

the written permission soon. 

Rizvi said the DMP commissioner 

gave the permission 

when their party's delegation, 

led by party chairperson's adviser 

Abul Khair Bhuiyan, met him 

at his office. 

He said their party and its 

associate bodies took all the 

necessary preparations for 

making the rally a success. 

On July 15, BNP secretary 

general Mirza Fakhrul Islam 

Alamgir announced that their 

party will stage demonstrations 

across the country, including 

the capital, on Friday demanding 

the release of its chairperson 

Khaleda Zia from jail and her 

better treatment. 

He said their programme 

is also meant for registering 

the party's protest against 

the government's 'inhuman' 

attitude towards Khaleda by 

keeping her in jail 'without 

treatment'. 

sometimes we won," Ihsanul Karim quoted 

the Prime Minister as saying. 

About the Rohingya crisis, she said 

Bangladesh wants a peaceful solution to 

the crisis as it follows the principle of 

'Friendship to all, malice to none' as 

framed by Father of the Nation 

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

She said Bangladesh gave shelter to the 

displaced Rohingyas on humanitarian 

grounds and provided them with identity 

cards bringing them under a biometric 

registration system. 

Sheikh Hasina said the Rohingya people 

outnumbered the local people in Cox's 

Bazar and they suffer due to the displaced 

Myanmar nationals. 

The Prime Minister expressed her happiness 

at the signing of a Memorandum of 

Understanding (MoU) with Germanbased 

Veridos GmbH for implementation 

of e-Passport project in Bangladesh. 

Sheikh Hasina extended her invitation 

through the visiting minister to German 

Chancellor Angela Merkel to visit 

Bangladesh. 

At the meeting, the visiting German 

state minister for Foreign Affairs assured 

that Germany will continue its support 

including financial support for the displaced 

Rohingyas who took shelter in 

Cox's Bazar fleeing persecution in 

Rakhine, Myanmar. 

He said the large number of Rohingyas 

is a huge pressure on the government of 

Bangladesh. Putting emphasis on sharing 

vocational training between Bangladesh 

and Germany, Niels Annen said Germany 

has a long tradition of vocational training 

and it can cooperate with Bangladesh in 

this regard. 

He applauded the socio-economic 

development of Bangladesh under the 

leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh 

Hasina and called it an 'impressive' development. 

Principal Secretary of the Prime 

Minister's Office (PMO) Md Nojibur 

Rahman, Principal Coordinator on SDGs 

affairs at the Prime Minister's Office 

AbulKalam Azad, PM's Military Secretary 

Maj Gen Mia Md Jainul Abedin, 

Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany 

Imtiaz Ahmed and German Ambassador 

to Bangladesh Thomas Prinz were present. 

The German state minister arrived here 

on Wednesday afternoon on a two-day 

visit to discuss the bilateral issues, including 

e-passport. 

The Dakkhin Haldiya Chhata Masjid Bailey Bridge on Baligaon-Louhajang-Mawa road 

under Munshiganj district has been collapsed on Thursday. 

Photo: Star Mail 

Shorten overall exam period, 

PM to education boards 

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 

Thursday directed the authorities concerned to 

holdpublic examinations in a shorter time to 

avert too much of talks and rumours, reports 

UNB. 

"If the duration of holding examination can 

be shortened, various types of talks and 

rumours (regarding exams) will come down," 

she said. The Prime Minister was addressing a 

function arranged at Ganobhabanmarking the 

handover and publication of HSC and its 

equivalent examination results (2018). 

"You tooktoo much of time in taking the 

examinations. This time, the exams started on 

April 02 and ended on May 24. But, you didn't 

take that much time in publishing the results," 

she said adding that it used to take only seven 

days to hold an examination during her student 

life. 

Sheikh Hasina, however, thanked the teachers 

and all other concerned for publishing the 

HSC and its equivalent examinations within a 

short time. She appreciated the examination 

system taken this year calling it 'very excellent'. 

The Prime Minister thanked all concerned, 

particularly the Education Ministry, teachers, 

guardians, chairmen and staff of the education 

boards, law enforcement and intelligence 

agencies for working sincerely to properly hold 

the examination. 

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, Cell : 01832166882; Email: Editor : editor@thebangladeshtoday.com, Advertisement: ads@thebangladeshtoday.com, News: newsbangla@thebangladeshtoday.com, contact@thebangladeshtoday.com, website: www.thebangladeshtoday.com

20-07-2018

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